Monday, November 10, 2025
China Spying

Congressional Report: Chinese Espionage Surged Under Biden.

A recent House Committee on Homeland Security report indicates that Chinese espionage threats to the United States saw a notable rise under Joe Biden. The “threat snapshot” outlines over 60 instances of China-backed activities aimed at acquiring military and trade secrets and conducting transnational repression. Concerns have been raised about the former government’s handling of China.

The report highlights the extensive reach of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its assets on American soil. According to Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, these efforts are not limited to targeting the U.S. military and government. “If you think the U.S. military and our government are the only targets of the Chinese Communist Party, think again,” he warned. “The shadow of Beijing’s malign influence falls upon American businesses, university campuses, and the critical infrastructure we rely on—not to mention those on U.S. soil who dare to speak out against the CCP.”

The snapshot tracks incidents from January 2021 to February 2025, identifying cases in 20 states. The report notes that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) initiates a new investigation every 12 hours to address Chinese intelligence operations. China is also implicated in approximately 60 percent of trade theft cases in the U.S.

Key incidents noted in the report include the case of Chen Jinping, who pleaded guilty to operating an undeclared Chinese police station in Manhattan. Yaoning Sun, a.k.a Mike Sun, a California councilwoman’s fiancé who is accused of working for Beijing while serving as a campaign manager, is also highlighted.

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A recent House Committee on Homeland Security report indicates that Chinese espionage threats to the United States saw a notable rise under Joe Biden. The "threat snapshot" outlines over 60 instances of China-backed activities aimed at acquiring military and trade secrets and conducting transnational repression. Concerns have been raised about the former government's handling of China. show more

Chuck Schumer Mocked Over Government Abuse Tipline Initiative.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has announced a new initiative aimed at uncovering governmental misconduct, only to be met with widespread ridicule. Schumer’s new whistleblower tipline urges people to report instances of corruption, power abuses, and threats to public safety.

The categories available for reporting through the tipline include “retaliation,” “wasteful spending,” “fraud,” and “criminal activity,” among others. Schumer invited public servants to participate, offering legal protections for those who come forward.

However, the initiative was quickly criticized online. Technology billionaire Elon Musk joked that Senator Schumer himself might be involved in criminal activity. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) sarcastically expressed his intent to report key Democratic figures, including former President Joe Biden, for their misuse of federal power.

Senator Schumer has emerged as a figure of ridicule, even for those opposing President Donald J. Trump. Comedian Jon Stewart slammed Schumer in a recent episode of The Daily Show, calling on Democrats to stop “trotting out” the elderly politician.

Image by Victoria Pickering.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has announced a new initiative aimed at uncovering governmental misconduct, only to be met with widespread ridicule. Schumer's new whistleblower tipline urges people to report instances of corruption, power abuses, and threats to public safety. show more

Trump Dispatches Treasury Secretary Bessent to Ukraine for Zelensky Meeting on Critical Minerals.

President Donald J. Trump has announced plans to send Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine, aiming to secure a mineral trade arrangement as part of U.S. aid efforts amid Ukraine’s ongoing military conflict with RussiaTrump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.

“I am sending Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to Ukraine to meet President Zelensky,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This War MUST and WILL END SOON—Too much Death and Destruction. The U.S. has spent BILLIONS of Dollars Globally, with little to show. WHEN AMERICA IS STRONG, THE WORLD IS AT PEACE.”

The special envoy assigned by Trump for Ukraine and Russia matters, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, mentioned that the Treasury Department is evaluating ways to secure a contract bringing rare-earth minerals into the U.S. The potential agreement would make U.S. aid contingent on the acquisition of these minerals.

Ukraine is a major supplier of rare-earth minerals in Europe, possessing significant deposits of lithium, titanium, uranium, and iron. President Zelensky has shown an openness to discussing mineral agreements, as noted in recent comments made by Trump during a recent interview, indicating Ukraine’s willingness to proceed with such a deal in return for sustained U.S. support.

Trump has expressed a commitment to ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, highlighting plans for negotiations involving Zelensky and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Discussions between Trump and Putin have been reported, though specific timelines for formal talks remain undisclosed.

Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance is scheduled to meet with Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference this weekend, along with Lt. Gen. Kellogg. This meeting may offer further opportunities to facilitate progress toward peace in the region.

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President Donald J. Trump has announced plans to send Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine, aiming to secure a mineral trade arrangement as part of U.S. aid efforts amid Ukraine's ongoing military conflict with Russia. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday. show more

Tom Homan Blasts Pope Francis Over Immigration Remarks.

President Donald J. Trump’s border czar shot back at recent statements from Pope Francis, calling the Pope to fix the Catholic Church before criticizing U.S. immigration policies. “He ought to fix the Catholic Church and concentrate on his work and leave border enforcement to us,” Tom Homan said, noting that he is Catholic himself.

“He wants to attack us securing our border? He has a wall around the Vatican, does he not? So he has a wall to protect his people and himself, but we can’t have a wall around the United States,” he observed.

Pope Francis recently remarked on the Trump administration’s deportation policies, arguing for better treatment of legitimate refugees while acknowledging that countries have a right to defend themselves.

Pope Francis also addressed comments recently made by Vice President J.D. Vance on social media, in which Vance referred to ordo amoris, a traditional Christian teaching that espouses the order of love one has for their family, neighbors, countrymen, and so forth. “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating … on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception,” he suggested.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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President Donald J. Trump's border czar shot back at recent statements from Pope Francis, calling the Pope to fix the Catholic Church before criticizing U.S. immigration policies. "He ought to fix the Catholic Church and concentrate on his work and leave border enforcement to us," Tom Homan said, noting that he is Catholic himself. show more

Netanyahu Threatens to Resume War If Hostages Not Returned By Trump’s Deadline.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the terrorist group Hamas that his country will resume its war against the Islamist organization if hostages captured on October 7, 2023, are not released by a deadline set by President Donald J. Trump for Saturday at noon. “If Hamas does not return our hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense fighting until Hamas is decisively defeated,” Netanyahu said following a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, February 11.

Initially, Israel did not expect all nine remaining hostages to be released at noon on Saturday. However, they are now backing demands from President Donald J. Trump, who called on all nine to be freed by the noon deadline.

“In light of Hamas’s announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I instructed the IDF last night to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said. Israeli media reports that reservists have also been called up and deployed.

The move comes after Hamas claimed that Israel was violating the ceasefire deal, which President Trump helped to broker. As a result, the terror group stated it would postpone the release of hostages.

The initial ceasefire agreement called on Hamas to release all hostages in a three-phase plan. Hamas has already released some hostages who were held for over 500 days.

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the terrorist group Hamas that his country will resume its war against the Islamist organization if hostages captured on October 7, 2023, are not released by a deadline set by President Donald J. Trump for Saturday at noon. "If Hamas does not return our hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense fighting until Hamas is decisively defeated," Netanyahu said following a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, February 11. show more

NY Dems Urge Court to Allow Noncitizen Voting.

The Court of Appeals of the State of New York—the highest judicial body in the state—is hearing arguments on a contentious law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. Legislation passed in 2022 would permit approximately 800,000 noncitizens, who are lawful permanent residents or authorized to work in the U.S., to vote in municipal elections if they have resided in New York City for at least 30 days.

Notably, the legislation was previously invalidated by the state’s Second Judicial Department, citing violations of the New York State Constitution and Municipal Home Rule Law. The decision upheld a lower court’s ruling. Concerns were raised that these noncitizens could represent as much as 15 percent or more of the electorate in some future elections, significantly impacting local election outcomes.

The move to enfranchise foreign nationals comes despite the Democrats claiming to be concerned about potential foreign interference in U.S. elections for years. Leading figures like Representative turned Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) have argued that “We must guard against and seek to deter all attempts at foreign interference, and ensure that American voters decide American elections.”

There is strong evidence that noncitizens voting in federal elections unlawfully due to poor vetting have changed election outcomes. For instance, researchers writing in the peer-reviewed Electoral Studies journal in 2014 estimated that 6.4 percent of noncitizens voted in the 2008 election, favoring the Democrats in numbers sufficient to materially alter the composition of the Senate.

Image by Norbert Nagel.

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The Court of Appeals of the State of New York—the highest judicial body in the state—is hearing arguments on a contentious law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. Legislation passed in 2022 would permit approximately 800,000 noncitizens, who are lawful permanent residents or authorized to work in the U.S., to vote in municipal elections if they have resided in New York City for at least 30 days. show more

President Trump Expected to Sign EO to Clean Up D.C., Crack Down on Gun Crime in Capital.

President Donald J. Trump is expected to soon sign an executive order directing prosecutors in Washington, D.C. to seek federal charges against individuals arrested on gun offenses and ordering the removal of the city’s numerous homeless encampments. The order follows a pledge by Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign to restore the U.S. capital as a first-class American city after it desceneded into a “nightmare of murder and crime” under former President Joe Biden.

In addition to addressing gun crime and the city’s rampant homeless crisis, Trump’s executive order is expected to direct more stringent enforcement against so-called  quality of life crimes, which include criminal acts such as public intoxication, open-air illegal drug sales, vandalism, grafitti, and public urination. While the exact language of the executive order is not yet finalized, it is expected that Trump will issue the directive later this week.

Under Trump’s order, felons caught in possession of a gun—or guns—in Washington, D.C. can be held without bail. Additionally, the order clears the way for prosecutors to seek federal penalities for these individuals if convicted.

Over the last four years, under former President Biden, Washington, D.C. has seen an explosion in gun related crime. Last February, former Trump administration staffer Mike Gill was shot during a carjacking spree in the capital city. Gill later died of his wounds.

The explosion in Washington, D.C.’s homeless population will also be addressed in President Trump’s executive order. Over the past two years, the capital has seen an increasing number of homeless encampments across the city—with most being established in green areas near major roadways, public parks, and around Union Station. It expected the directive’s language will help clear restrictions on the city’s ability to clear and remove the encampments.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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President Donald J. Trump is expected to soon sign an executive order directing prosecutors in Washington, D.C. to seek federal charges against individuals arrested on gun offenses and ordering the removal of the city's numerous homeless encampments. The order follows a pledge by Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign to restore the U.S. capital as a first-class American city after it desceneded into a "nightmare of murder and crime" under former President Joe Biden. show more

Zelensky Offers Russia Territory Swap After Lacklustre Kursk Offensive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly open to exchanging territory with Russia after an attempted Ukrainian military offensive in Russia’s Kursk region. The Ukrainian leader has offered to return the land Ukrainian forces now occupy in Kursk in exchange for land Russia occupies. Zelensky was not specific about what territory he wished to regain in the trade.

“I don’t know, we will see. But all our territories are important, there is no priority,” Zelensky told the Guardian newspaper in an interview on Tuesday, February 11.

The announcement by Zelensky comes after Ukraine attempted a new offensive in the Kursk region earlier this month. Russian Defense Ministry sources claim that Russian military forces repelled the attack, while Ukrainian sources claim their forces had made some advances in the area.

President Zelensky recently expressed a desire to meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for face-to-face talks. Putin and the Kremlin, meanwhile, refuse to recognize Zelensky as the legitimate leader of Ukraine, arguing that his term as president ended last year in May. Under Ukraine’s current martial law status, no new elections have been held.

President Donald J. Trump has stated that he spoke with President Putin this week on ending the conflict, but he did not go into detail on what was said. President Trump has vowed to end the war and negotiate a ceasefire.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly open to exchanging territory with Russia after an attempted Ukrainian military offensive in Russia's Kursk region. The Ukrainian leader has offered to return the land Ukrainian forces now occupy in Kursk in exchange for land Russia occupies. Zelensky was not specific about what territory he wished to regain in the trade. show more

Bannon Avoids Prison, Sentenced to Conditional Discharge.

Former Trump White House Chief Strategist and War Room host Stephen K. Bannon has pled guilty to a charge related to the “We Build the Wall” campaign, but will avoid jail time under a plea agreement. The MAGA stalwart, who played a key role in Trump’s political rise, received a conditional discharge for three years.

The charges stemmed from accusations that Bannon and three other individuals defrauded donors who contributed to the fundraising effort aimed at constructing a private section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Despite the accusations of wrongdoing, Bannon’s legal team has maintained that he did not personally pocket any of the donations.

Bannon and his associates were charged with conspiracy and money laundering after being accused of deceiving donors. Prosecutors claimed that while Bannon presented himself as a volunteer, he funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to two associates. Under the terms of his plea, Bannon only pled guilty to one count of defrauding donors.

Bannon’s plea carries restrictions on leading non-profits in New York or raising money for charitable causes in the state.

George Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who previously prosecuted President Trump, celebrated the outcome. Bannon criticized both Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has also targeted President Trump in a dubious civil fraud case, branding her the “Queen of Lawfare.”

“I’m calling on, right now, the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to begin an immediate criminal investigation into Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, all of what they did to President Trump,” he said.

WATCH:

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Former Trump White House Chief Strategist and War Room host Stephen K. Bannon has pled guilty to a charge related to the "We Build the Wall" campaign, but will avoid jail time under a plea agreement. The MAGA stalwart, who played a key role in Trump’s political rise, received a conditional discharge for three years. show more

Showdown: FEMA Official Orders Grant Funding Freeze Despite Court Ruling.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is freezing funding for several programs despite a federal judge telling President Donald J. Trump’s administration not to. On Monday, Stacey Street, the director of FEMA’s Office of Grant Administration, issued a directive halting funding for multiple grant programs.

The directive calls for freezing all open awards from fiscal years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The action allegedly violates a court order by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, who claims that federal grants are being blocked contrary to his earlier restraint.

Amid these events, four FEMA officials have been dismissed. Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), attributed the dismissals to unauthorized financial decisions linked to New York grants. She indicated these payments were for luxurious accommodations for migrants in hotels, contravening one of President Trump’s executive orders.

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk criticized FEMA via social media, alleging misuse of funds in temporary housing programs for migrants. He reported that $59 million had been improperly allocated for high-end hotel rooms for migrants, which should have supported American disaster relief efforts.

Under the former Biden-Harris regime, FEMA spent around a billion dollars on housing migrants. This led to the agency demanding extra funds for “disaster relief” last year.

Image by Bill Koplitz.

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is freezing funding for several programs despite a federal judge telling President Donald J. Trump's administration not to. On Monday, Stacey Street, the director of FEMA’s Office of Grant Administration, issued a directive halting funding for multiple grant programs. show more