Democrats 'leaderless and message-less' in Biden's absence says former Clinton strategist
All times eastern FOX News Radio Live Channel Coverage WATCH LIVE: Sen Sanders holds 'Fighting Oligarchy' rally in McAllen, Texas
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Deadly lawmaker ambush in Minnesota raises fears about fake police officers knocking on doors
Vance Boelter left the state of Minnesota in fear after he allegedly posed as a police officer and carried out the shootings of two state lawmakers, killing one and her husband, at their homes last week. But what can you do to verify that the person who knocks on your door or pulls you over while you're in your vehicle is a law enforcement officer? Mark Bruley, chief of police in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where Boelter allegedly shot and killed Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, told reporters at a press conference earlier this week that there's one thing you can do that's "never wrong." "You always can call 911 and verify if the person at your door is a police officer," Bruley said. "If they are working police officer, they will be connected to a dispatch center that can validate that. So the first thing I would do is, if you're concerned about it, is call 911. Obviously, there's a lot of different uniforms, and it's never wrong to do that." What Motivated Suspect In Minnesota Lawmaker Shooting Is Unclear, So Are His Politics Police officers typically wear a visible badge with their identification number and name on their uniform. They often also carry agency-issued photo identification that can include their name, rank and agency information. Read On The Fox News App Fox News Digital spoke with Brian Higgins, founder of Group 77 and former Chief of Police of Bergen County, N.J., to learn more about what citizens can do in cases where they feel the need to verify that who they're speaking to is a law enforcement officer. Higgins said that most verification measures, such as requesting the officer's photo identification, require the citizen to open the door, at which point it would be too late if the individual is an impersonator. "If you're not sure, don't open the door," Higgins said, adding that citizens can stand to the side of their door and speak to officers through the door while calling 911 or the local police department to confirm that an officer was sent to their home. Higgins said that knowing what police uniforms look like and, if you live in a town with a smaller police force, being familiar with its members helps with verifying. "If you see an officer not in uniform, not someone you recognize," Higgins said, "it's prudent to call police and ask if this person is a police officer." Not all situations, however, are the same. "It's more difficult when on the road and a police officer pulls you over," Higgins said of verification during traffic stops. In these situations, Higgins said it's important to know what law enforcement vehicles look like, adding that sometimes real law enforcement cars can be unmarked. Minnesota Police Praised For Foiling Lawmaker Shooting Suspect's Plan Higgins said officers usually call in traffic violations to dispatch, so drivers can still call 911 or the local police to verify that an officer performing their duties initiated the stop. Higgins advised citizens to always be aware of their surroundings and to pull over in public places, if possible. If unable to immediately pull over in a public place, Higgins said drivers can lower their window just enough, keep their car in drive and ask the officer if it's possible to drive to another place that is safer or more public. Higgins said that police officers understand that citizens may be uncertain or nervous and ask for verification. "If their answer is anything other than professional, it should raise a concern," Higgins said. In the case in Minnesota, Boelter allegedly impersonated a police officer, wearing a flesh-colored mask, a black tactical vest and carrying a flashlight before shooting and killing state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their respective homes. Boelter also drove a black SUV equipped with police-style lights and a fake license plate that said "POLICE," according to a court affidavit. Video footage from Hoffman's home shows a masked Boelter at the front door wearing the black tactical vest and holding a flashlight, according to the affidavit. Boelter then allegedly knocked on their door and shouted repeatedly, "This is the police. Open the door." The Hoffmans answered the door but, since Boelter was shining the flashlight in their eyes, realized too late that Boelter was not a real police officer, the affidavit article source: Deadly lawmaker ambush in Minnesota raises fears about fake police officers knocking on doors
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Israel weighs options to destroy Fordow if it has to go it alone without help from the US
If President Trump decides not to order a strike on Iran's main underground enrichment site at Fordow, Israel has a number of options to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment facility buried deep under a mountain south of Tehran. One option includes sending elite Israeli Air Force commandos from Unit 5101, known as Shaldag, which, in Hebrew, means kingfisher, a bird known to be patient and dive deep under water to find its prey. In September, members of this elite unit surprised the world by entering an underground missile factory used by Iran in Syria. "There was a site that similarly looked like Fordow," former Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin told Fox News in an exclusive interview. "Even though smaller, the Syrian facility produced advanced ballistic missiles, precise ballistic missiles using Iranian technology, as well as Iranian money." America's Iran Dilemma: How To Strike Fordow Without Losing Sight Of China Threat Israel attacked the site from the air a few times but was not able to destroy the site. Read On The Fox News App Unit 5101 (Shaldag) used the cover of darkness and diversionary airstrikes to enter the secret site, plant explosives and destroy the complex. Like Iran's Fordow mountain complex south of Tehran, it was 300 feet underground. How Bunker Buster Bombs Work And How They Could Destroy Iran's Fordow Nuclear Site "The Air Force took care of all the guards around the perimeter, and Shaldag got in, and the place is gone, destroyed," Yadlin said with a slight smile. It's not the first time Israel has had to plan to take out a secret nuclear complex against the odds and alone. In 1981, Israel flew a daring mission to bomb Iraq's nuclear reactor at Osirak. Yadlin was one of eight young Israeli F-16 pilots who carried out the secret attack. "We didn't have air refueling at that time. We didn't have GPS. It was dumb bombs, smart pilot, but a very difficult operational mission when Iraq was in a war (with Iran). So, the state of alert was very, very high," Yadlin recalled. He and the other pilots believed it might be a suicide mission, and they might not have enough fuel to return home. More recently, retired Maj. Gen. Yadlin served as the head of Israel's Military Intelligence in 2007, when Israel blew up a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor that the world did not know about. The White House at the time did not want to assist in the strike. Yadlin has seen history change after Israel has acted alone carrying out daring missions like the exploding pagers that killed most of the top commanders of Iran's proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. Why Us Must Destroy Iran's Fordow Nuclear Facility Now In 2008, when it was determined that Israeli F-16s could not reach Iran's nuclear sites, Yadlin ordered Mossad to come up with another way to take out Iran's uranium enrichment at Natanz. Two years later, Israeli and American cyber warriors introduced Stuxnet, a malicious computer worm that caused thousands of Natanz centrifuges to spin out of control, setting back Iran's nuclear enrichment. The decision to strike Fordow, the crown jewel and heart of Iran's nuclear program, is different, and Israel prefers the U.S. to use its B-2 stealth bombers and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. "Anybody who wants the war to be over soon, to be finished quickly, have to find a way to deal with Fordow," Yadlin said. "Those who think that attacking Fordow will escalate the war, in my judgment, it can de-escalate and terminate the war." And it could serve as a deterrent to China and Russia, who will see the power and capability of the U.S. military's unique capability. Another option would be to cut power to Fordow. Without power, the centrifuges enriching the uranium could become permanently disabled. When asked if Israel could take out Fordow without American B-2 bombers, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox's Bret Baier in an exclusive interview last Sunday, "We have quite a few startups too and quite a few rabbits up our sleeve. And I don't think that I should get into that."Original article source: Israel weighs options to destroy Fordow if it has to go it alone without help from the US
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
European diplomats urge Iran to continue US nuclear talks in first face-to-face since strikes started
Diplomats from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union met with Iran's foreign minister on Friday, urging the country to continue diplomacy with the U.S. one week after stalled nuclear talks escalated into attacks between Iran and Israel. "We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. "We were clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." The meeting, held in Geneva, Switzerland, was the first face-to-face with an Iranian leader since last weekend's flashpoint. "The good result today is that we leave the room with the impression that the Iranian side is fundamentally ready to continue talking about all important issues," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said. He said the two sides had held "very serious talks." Iran Talks With Europeans Set For Friday; White House Sees 'Substantial Chance' For Renewed Negotiations The meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lasted for more than three hours. Read On The Fox News App "Military operations can slow Iran's nuclear program but in no way can they eliminate it," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said. "We know well -- after having seen what happened in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Libya — how illusory and dangerous it is to want to impose regime change from outside." In a joint statement, France, the U.K., Germany and the E.U. said they shared their "grave concerns" with Araghchi "with regard to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East and reiterated their firm commitment to Israel's security," adding that "all sides should refrain from taking steps which lead to further escalation in the region, and urgently find a negotiated solution to ensure that Iran never obtains or acquires a nuclear weapon." Early last Friday, Israel launched airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites after nuclear talks seemed to stall, causing Iran to retaliate. The two countries continue to trade strikes. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared soon afterward that the strikes were necessary to "roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival." The meeting also comes less than a month after a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency warned the country is swiftly increasing its stockpile of near weapons-grade enriched uranium. Inside The Situation Room Where Trump And His National Security Team Are Wearing Next Steps On Iran On Friday, the European diplomats "reiterated their longstanding concerns about Iran's expansion of its nuclear programme, which has no credible civilian purpose, in violation of almost all JCPoA provisions." They added that they "discussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran's nuclear programme, while emphasising the urgency of the matter. They expressed their willingness to continue discussing all questions relevant to Iran's nuclear programme and broader issues," urging Iran to cooperate with the IAEA. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he may consider a U.S. strike on Iran. "Yes, I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate," Trump told reporters Wednesday on the U.S. potentially striking Iran as it continues trading deadly strikes with Israel. "And I said, why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction? Why didn't you go? I said to people, why didn't you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country. It's very sad to watch this." Trump on Friday told reporters the U.S. is "willing and able" to talk to Iran, adding that Iran doesn't want to talk to Europe. "They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to help," he said. He added that while he was against the war in Iraq in 2003 because he didn't believe there were weapons on mass destruction, he believes Iran is building a nuclear weapon, saying that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is "wrong" in saying there isn't enough evidence to conclude that. "The material that they've gathered already. It's a tremendous amount of material. And I think within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months, they are going to be able to have a nuclear weapon," he said. "We can't let that happen." On Friday, the U.K., France, Germany and EU diplomats, said they also "shared their support for discussions to continue" with Iran and "welcomed ongoing US efforts to seek a negotiated solution. They expressed their willingness to meet again in the future." Fox News' Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: European diplomats urge Iran to continue US nuclear talks in first face-to-face since strikes started
