Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

NBC News [12/15/2025 1:17 AM, Dennis Romero, 34509K] reports a person of interest identified in Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University will be released from custody, authorities said late Sunday, sparking a manhunt for the killer. "Evidence now points in a different direction," Gov. Dan McKee said at a news conference Sunday night. The 24-year-old man was detained Sunday morning, three senior law enforcement officials told NBC News. On Sunday night, officials said there was no longer a reason to keep him in custody in connection with the shooting, which killed two students and wounded nine other people at the Ivy League school. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said that "a quantum of evidence" justified detaining the person of interest and that the investigation would continue to let evidence take authorities in the right direction. "We have not yet solved this case," Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said, "but I’m confident we’re going to do that, and I am confident we’re going to do that in the very near future.” As officials said the person would be released, McKee said he regretted that the person faced so much attention and that the investigation would proceed more carefully. "That was really unfortunate" that the person experienced the glare of a national spotlight, he said. "It’s hard to put that back in the bottle.” Neronha would not go further into what happens next in the investigation, but he said law enforcement was equipped to solve the case. "I don’t want to get into all those things, because obviously we have a murderer out there, frankly, and so we’re not going to give away the game plan," he said, adding that investigations can take time. Mayor Brett Smiley said the news of the person’s release may cause residents of Providence some anxiety. "The status of safety in our community remains unchanged, and we believe that you remain safe in our community, though we will continue to have an enhanced police presence throughout the city," he said. Smiley said a new shelter-in-place order was not being recommended. A gunman killed two people and wounded nine others in a shooting at Barus & Holley, an engineering and physics building on Brown’s campus in Providence, authorities have said. In Providence, Smiley met with some of the hospitalized students, noting that some were not able to speak with him because of their conditions. He commended them for their resilience following Saturday’s attack. "One of the students that showed tremendous courage literally said to me, ‘You know, that active shooter drill they made me do in high school actually helped me in the moment,’ which at the same time provided me hope and was so sad," he said. "They shouldn’t have to do active shooter drills, but it helped. And the reason it helped, and the reason we do these drills, is because it’s so damn frequent." [Editorial note: consult video at source link] The New York Post [12/14/2025 11:52 PM, Caitlin McCormack, 42219K] reports Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha explained that it was "difficult" to develop evidence and track down leads in the immediate aftermath of the shooting Saturday, in which two students were killed and another nine injured. "This is what these investigations look like. Sometimes you head in one direction, sometimes you regroup and go in another," Neronha said. One of the leads they developed led them to Erickson, who authorities only referred to as a "person of interest." Neronha said that there was only "some degree of evidence" that led them to Erickson, but said their investigation "now points in a different direction.” "I think it’s fair to say that there’s no basis to consider him a person of interest, and that’s why he’s being released. We still have a lot of steps to take in this case," he added. The gunman, who has yet to be identified, burst into an economics class’ final review session and opened fire. He was armed with a handgun and shot off more than 40 .9mm rounds before fleeing the scene. Witnesses said that they heard the shooter shouting something indiscernible while he was firing at the class. Erickson originally told authorities he was in his hotel room all day Saturday, CNN reported. Officials never formally identified Erickson as the person of interest they had in custody, but his name was leaked to multiple media outlets, including The Post. Neronha criticized those who "leaked [information] to the public" and recognized it would be difficult "to put that back in the bottle.” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley assured that they would keep a heightened security presence on and around campus so people could feel "comfort" while trying to find a sense of normalcy in the aftermath of the shooting. Smiley added that officials see no reason to reinstate a shelter-in-place order since Brown University has not received any credible threats since the shooting. Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee said that he recently spoke with FBI Director Kash Patel, who is "committed to bringing the resources of the federal government into this case.” The FBI opened a tip line on its website. Officials said they are still searching for additional video evidence of the suspect, and they still believe the person seen in the footage released on Saturday is the assailant they are after. The footage showed the gunman walking calmly down a street near campus, dressed in all black with his face covered.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [12/15/2025 4:25 AM, Staff, 30493K]
Axios [12/15/2025 2:10 AM, Rebecca Falconer, 12972K]

ABC News [12/14/2025 2:13 PM, Staff, 30493K] Video: HERE reports ABC News’ Reena Roy, homeland security reporter Luke Barr and senior justice reporter Jack Date give updates about the Brown University shooting victims.

Daily Wire [12/14/2025 11:03 AM, Virginia Kruta, 2494K] reports FBI Director Kash Patel promised on Sunday that the Justice Department had embarked on an "all-out 24/7 campaign" to deliver results in the Brown University shooting that took place one day prior. Patel detailed just a few of the steps being taken by federal law enforcement officers on the ground in Providence, Rhode Island — and noted that the quick response had already resulted in the apprehension of a "person of interest" in the case. "An update on the @FBI response at Brown University: @FBIBoston established a command post to intake, develop and analyze leads, and run them to ground," Patel began in a lengthy X post. "We activated the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, to provide critical geolocation capabilities.” "As a result, early this morning, FBI Boston’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the @USMarshalsHQ & the @Coventry_RI_PD, detained a person of interest in a hotel room in Coventry, RI, based off a lead by the @ProvidenceRIPD," he added. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced early Sunday that a "person of interest" had been detained, immediately lifting the "shelter in place" order that had been in effect since Saturday evening. "This FBI will continue an all out 24/7 campaign until justice is fully served," Patel promised, saying, "Thanks to the men and women of the FBI and our partners for their continued teamwork. Please continue praying for the victims and their families — as well as all those at Brown University.”

NBC News [12/14/2025 1:14 PM, Staff, 34509K] Video: HERE reports Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said that a Brown University student he met at the hospital told him an active shooter drill from high school helped them during the shooting at the school on Saturday.

Free Beacon [12/14/2025 8:22 PM, Jessica Schwalb, 411K] reports Brown University is facing questions over its security policies after its emergency sirens never sounded in response to Saturday’s shooting, while taking nearly 20 minutes to send an alert out to students. The scrutiny comes after campus cops passed no-confidence votes against their police chief and questioned the school’s emergency response capabilities. Rodney Chatman, the university’s director of public safety and emergency management, blamed the lack of sirens on the hectic nature of the crisis. He said police became aware of the incident when an officer saw students fleeing the scene. Fire officials learned of the shooting at 4:05 p.m., according to Providence fire chief Derek Silva. Students didn’t receive an alert until 4:22—17 minutes later, according to the Rhode Island Current. They were then warned to lock their doors, run, hide, and "FIGHT as a last resort.” From there, Brown issued and retracted a series of alerts. It sent one at 4:51 saying a suspect was in custody, then another 20 minutes later walking back that claim. A 5:27 alert warned that there was another shooting, but a 6:10 message said that was actually "unfounded.” A shooter, who has not been caught, opened fire Saturday into a lecture hall filled with roughly 60 students as a final exam review session for an economics course was underway, killing 2 and injuring 9. The professor, Rachel Friedberg, who was not present, also teaches in the Judaic studies department and is a trustee at the Jewish Day School of Rhode Island and lectured at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for four years before joining Brown’s faculty. Police arrested Benjamin Erickson early Sunday morning in a hotel roughly 17 miles from Brown and recovered a revolver and a small Glock handgun with a laser sight attached. He was released later that night because evidence "now points in a different direction," Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said, adding that there "was no basis to consider him a person of interest." Neronha refused to detail next steps in the investigation because "we have a murderer out there, frankly, and so we’re not going to give away the game plan."

ABC News [12/14/2025 9:19 PM, Leah Sarnoff, 30493K] reports one of the victims killed in Saturday’s shooting at Brown University has been identified as Ella Cook, a Brown student and a parishioner at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. The church’s Rev. Craig Smalley announced Cook’s death in his service on Sunday morning, calling Cook "incredibly grounded and generous and faithful" and a "bright light" in the church and in her community. "Many of you heard about the tragedy, which happened at Brown University. ... And sadly, tragically, one of those people is one of our parishioners," Smalley said during the service. "She was engaged and involved in our worship and in our community, and as she served here at the church and in the wider community, in all sincerity, just a tremendous and bright light in there at Brown University as well, in the time that she was there, was such a light and such a witness," Smalley added. Cook was one of two people killed in the deadly shooting at the Ivy League school on Saturday afternoon in a building on campus where exams were taking place, according to university officials. Nine others were injured in the brazen attack, officials said. And for those of you who knew her, who know her, she was a just incredibly grounded and generous and faithful and bright light, both here at the Advent, over many years, as she was engaged and involved in our worship and in our community, and as she served here at the church and in the wider community, in all sincerity, just a tremendous, a tremendous and bright light in there at Brown University as well, in the time that she was there was such a light and such a witness.” The tragedy began unfolding around 4:05 p.m. when police received a call from Brown University about an active shooter incident near the engineering building. The university alerted students and faculty to shelter in place shortly after. Brown University President Christina H. Paxson released a letter after the shooting, saying, "This is a deeply tragic day for Brown, our families and our local community.” "There are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building.” According to police, the gunman fled the campus. A person of interest was detained and then released by police on Sunday. No charges have been filed yet in the case and police have not commented on a possible motive.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [12/14/2025 11:11 PM, Caitlin McCormack, 42219K]

Washington Post [12/14/2025 4:19 PM, Daniel Wu, 24149K] reports in 2019, a 16-year-old student at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, pulled a gun from his backpack and opened fire on his classmates in the school quad. Mia Tretta, then a 15-year-old freshman, was shot in the abdomen and hospitalized. Her best friend was killed. The shooting shaped Tretta’s decision to attend Brown University, in a state she deemed to have strong gun laws and located far away from home, on the opposite coast from the trauma that upended her time in high school. On Saturday, a shooter attacked her school for the second time. “I found a place where I finally started to feel comfortable,” Tretta, now a 21-year-old junior at Brown, told The Washington Post. “And it’s been taken again.” Tretta is now part of a grim community of students who have lived through multiple school shootings in American schools and colleges. It includes survivors of the 2018 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, who enrolled at Florida State University, where a gunman killed two people in April, and a woman who lived through a deadly shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, in 2021, and another shooting at Michigan State University two years later. After a gunman burst into an auditorium-style classroom at Brown on Saturday in a shooting that killed at least two students and injured nine more, according to authorities, Tretta said she will watch her friends at Brown go through the same grief and terror that changed her life. “Everyone’s confused and uncertain of what to do and just kind of lost,” she said.

New York Post [12/14/2025 2:43 PM, Ryan King, 42219K] reports President Trump mourned the victims of the tragic shootings at Brown University and Bondi Beach in Australia — as well as the killing of three US soldiers in Syria — during a White House Christmas event Sunday. "I want to just pay my respects to the people, unfortunately, two are no longer with us, Brown University, nine injured, and two are looking down on us right now from Heaven," Trump said at Cross Hall. "And likewise, in Australia, that was a terrible attack. 11 dead, 29 badly wounded, and that was an anti-Semitic attack, obviously. And I just want to pay my respects to everybody.” Speaking about the ISIS ambush attack that killed two US service members and one interpreter in Syria, Trump stressed that the country’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, "fought by our side.” "I can tell you, in Syria, there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it," he said. "But there’ll be big damage done.” On Saturday, a gunman opened fire at Brown University’s engineering and physics building, where exams were taking place. An unidentified man dressed in black had snuck into the building before carrying out the shooting spree, which killed two and injured nine. Authorities have since detained a person of interest. A motivation for the attack is not immediately clear. On Sunday, at least two gunmen opened fire at a Chanukkah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach, where hundreds had gathered to mark the first day of Hanukkah. One of the suspected shooters was killed and another was wounded, according to local authorities who are investigating whether a third gunman participated. "To the nine injured getting well fast, and to the families of those two that are no longer with us, I pay my deepest regards and respects from the United States of America," Trump said.

ABC News [12/14/2025 3:15 PM, Aaron Katersky and Alex Stone, 30493K] reports security is being ramped up for the first night of Hanukkah in New York City and Los Angeles as law enforcement agencies went on high alert following a mass shooting at a Jewish celebration in Bondi Beach, Australia, Sunday that killed 16 people in what New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said was an attack "designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.” The New York City and Suffolk County, New York, police departments announced on Sunday that extra officers are being deployed to local Hanukkah events. New York law enforcement officials said that while there have been no credible threats locally connected to the mass shooting in Australia, extra officers will be patrolling public Hanukkah celebrations "out of an abundance of caution.” Hanukkah, which lasts eight days and is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, begins at sundown on Sunday. "We are closely monitoring the horrific attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, during a Hanukkah celebration," the NYPD said in a statement. "We are in touch with our Australian partners, and at this time, we see no nexus to NYC.” "This was just not a random act of violence that took place. It was antisemitic and targeted Jewish people," New York Mayor Eric Adams said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during the news conference that there is no known threat to Hanukkah celebrations in the city, but that the NYPD has "significantly" increased security around Hanukkah-related events and at synagogues so that Jews would be able to celebrate without fear. Axios [12/14/2025 7:00 PM, Rebecca Falconer, 12972K] reports NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the briefing while "we are not tracking any specific credible threats related to Hanukkah" in NYC, "out of an abundance of caution" the city’s police had "significantly increased security" around the Jewish festival of lights. "You will see an enhanced uniform presence, specialized patrols, heavy weapons teams, community affairs officers, counterterrorism resources to ensure the safety of New Yorkers" during the holiday, Tisch said. On NYC’s Long Island, Suffolk County Police Department said in a statement it’s "monitoring" developments following the Sydney attack. "While there are no threats locally, the department is in constant contact with its law enforcement partners," per the statement posted to the police department’s social media accounts that urged anyone who sees suspicious activity to contact emergency services. In California, the L.A. Police Department announced that it’s also stepping up protections for the Jewish community. "While there is no known threat to Los Angeles at this time, the LAPD remains vigilant and committed to protecting our diverse communities," according to the statement posted to the department’s social media accounts.

NewsMax [12/14/2025 5:49 PM, Staff, 4109K] reports Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced increased security measures across New York City ahead of Hanukkah celebrations, citing a series of violent incidents at home and abroad, including a deadly antisemitic terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia. Speaking Sunday afternoon, Adams addressed multiple killings reported within the past 24 hours, including a mass shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island, a Brooklyn shooting that wounded six teenagers attending a Sweet 16 party, and the overseas attack that targeted Jews celebrating Hanukkah. Adams said the Sydney attack, which killed more than a dozen people and injured dozens more, was an antisemitic act aimed at Jewish worshippers marking the holiday. "The last 24 hours, we’ve witnessed a tragedy that has swept our entire globe," Adams told reporters. "We went to sleep with the horrific report of a mass shooting at Brown University. We woke up in the middle of the night to the news of a local one: Six individuals, teenagers, young people were shot in Brooklyn. "We woke up this morning to hear about a devastating terrorist attack in [Australia].” Adams said his city is surging counterterrorism and specialized NYPD units around synagogues, menorah lightings, and Jewish institutions, emphasizing the importance of maintaining public safety amid rising global antisemitism. He underscored the role of specialized police units in responding to terror threats and warned against minimizing extremist violence. "But this attack did not come out of nowhere. It came out as the consequences of Islamic extremists," Adams said. "And we have to be clear on that. It’s not an attack on our Muslim brothers and sisters, who carry out their faith every day, but is the hijacking of their religion by Islamic extremists. "Words have meaning. Words have impact, and words have power. Everyone needs to understand what words mean before they repeat them, before they shout them, before they defend them.”

NewsMax [12/14/2025 7:33 PM, Eric Mack, 4109K] reports outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams took veiled swipes Sunday at his successor, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who has been publicly resistant to condemning the "globalize the intifada" movement and messaging. "This attack did not come out of nowhere. It came out as the consequences of Islamic extremists," Adams said of the Australian terrorist attack on Jews at a Sunday news conference. "And we have to be clear on that. "It’s not an attack on our Muslim brothers and sisters, who carry out their faith every day, but [it] is the hijacking of their religion by Islamic extremists." Adams was announcing ramped-up Hanukkah security measures and denouncing talk of whittling back aggressive policing and security measures, potentially a reference to Mamdani’s policies. "Words have meaning," Adams continued. "Words have impact, and words have power. "Everyone needs to understand what words mean before they repeat them, before they shout them, before they defend them. That attack in Sydney is exactly what it means to globalize [the] intifada. "We saw the actual application of the globalization of intifada in Sydney because the attacker knew who he was targeting and he knew why." Adams mourned the victims of numerous acts of violence worldwide: Three American service members killed in a reported ISIS-related terrorist attack Saturday in Syria. Two gunned down and nine wounded in a mass shooting at Brown University. Six teens hospitalized after an overnight shooting in Brooklyn, New York. And at least 16 killed in a Jewish Hanukkah holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday. "It is the first night of Hanukkah, the festival of lights where Jews are obligated to publicize the celebration of their faith," Adams said. "And among the murdered victims of the attack [was] a rabbi who had ties to Crown Heights, as well as a Holocaust survivor. "Let me say that again: a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor killed for being Jewish. "Antisemitism has no place in our city, in our society, and in our world. And I will continue to fight for this community and all communities of this city and for fellow brothers and sisters from the Jewish community. "For the past four years, this administration has stood by the Jewish community, not just as the mayor, but as an ally, as a father, and as a human being." Adams vowed to be defiant against antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric espoused by Mamdani in the past. "As human beings, we cannot just turn down the temperature of hate — that is not enough. We must shut it off completely," he continued. "Here in New York City, we must call out hate without fear and without apology, because we will not be silent in the face of bigotry, of hatred to any group. "We’re going to be defiant. We’re going to be resilient. All New Yorkers deserve to feel proud about their heritage. They deserve to feel safe in the displays of their pride."

Los Angeles Times [12/14/2025 7:36 PM, Doug Smith and Jenny Jarvie, 14862K] reports that, in the hours after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Australia’s Bondi Beach in Sydney, killing at least 15 people, Rabbi Noah Farkas, president of the Jewish Federation Los Angeles, fielded a barrage of calls from Jewish parents across Los Angeles. How, they wondered on the first night of Hanukkah, should they protect themselves? Was it safe to bring their children to a synagogue? Should they even gather to celebrate? Farkas urged Jews across Los Angeles to not be deterred. "The whole point of terrorism is to terrify Jews from coming together," he said, noting it was no coincidence that Hanukkah takes place during the darkest nights of the year. "When the evening lights are at their darkest, that’s when we light candles down here on Earth," he said. "And we add light to light over the course of the week.” As hundreds of thousands of people prepare to gather across Los Angeles this week to celebrate Hanukkah, synagogues are upping security and Los Angeles police are increasing patrols. The federation said it was working with law enforcement to ensure safety at events. "All Federations and their community security initiatives are on full alert for the Chanukah celebrations in their communities, working with all our law enforcement partners," the organization said in a statement. "Our community will never retreat in the face of hatred, and will never refrain from carrying on our Jewish traditions. Rather, we will use every tool at our disposal to make sure our communities are safe and that our lights burn all the brighter.” The Los Angeles Police Department also said Sunday morning that it was "deeply saddened" by the shooting in Sydney and would provide extra patrols at Jewish places of worship, schools and Hanukkah celebrations across L.A. "While there is no known threat to Los Angeles at this time, the LAPD remains vigilant and committed to protecting our diverse communities," the department said in a message on X. "The LAPD will continue to work closely with our local, national, and international partners to monitor developments and ensure the safety of our city," the statement said. "Together, we can honor the spirit of Hanukkah by standing united against hate and violence.” Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, executive director of Chabad.org, part of the international Chabad-Lubavitch movement, said the attack at Bondi Beach was calculated to "snuff out" the Hanukkah message at its core because that city’s large celebration kicks off Hanukkah for the world, "spreading the holiday’s beauty in domino-like succession to tens of thousands of locales across the globe as dusk begins locally. "Little did they realize, however, that just like in the very Chanukah story itself, their efforts would catalyze far greater observance of Chanukah and inspire much, much more Chanukah light — across the entire globe! — than ever before.”

ABC News [12/14/2025 11:11 AM, Quinn Scanlan, 30493K] reports as the Trump administration escalates its pressure campaign against Venezuela, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee on Sunday demanded officials provide more information to Congress about the administration’s ultimate objective with the Latin American country. "What is President Trump’s theory of the case? Is it regime change? We’ve got -- an amassed force almost unprecedented in the region, and I think the president needs to come to Congress and the American people if his goal is to further increase pressure on Maduro and potentially launch forces," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner told ABC News’ "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "I do not know what this president’s goal vis-a-vis Venezuela is," Warner added. "We all know the history of American intervention in Central America and South America over the last 100 years has not been a great story.” Ohio Rep. Mike Turner, a Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, also took issue with the lack of information the administration provided. "The president has not been, been clear, and he’s not certainly been communicating with, with Congress, and I think he has been certainly escalating, both the rhetoric and certainly the presence in the area," Turner said. While Turner said he agreed with the administration’s focus on Venezuela, he concurred with Warner that the case needs to be made to Congress. "I think the administration, though, is being slow to tell Congress because they don’t want to tell everybody what they’re doing. They don’t want to show their hands as they’re increasing this pressure," Turner said.

CBS News [12/14/2025 1:45 AM, Kaia Hubbard, 39474K] reports Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she’s "absolutely" supportive of President Trump’s strategy in the country amid his administration’s increased pressure campaign against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. "We, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere," Machado said of Mr. Trump on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” Last week, the Venezuelan opposition leader made a daring escape from her country to collect her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. The appearance marked the first time Machado has been seen in public in almost a year, after living in hiding in Venezuela. In an exclusive interview with "Face the Nation," Machado said she dedicated the award to Mr. Trump because "he finally has put Venezuela in where it should be, in terms of a priority for the United States national security.” "We have been asking this for years, so it’s finally happening," Machado said. "That’s why I believe the regime has its days numbered.” The U.S. has increased pressure on the Maduro regime in recent weeks, with a buildup of military assets in the region, strikes on alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela, new sanctions on Venezuelan individuals and vessels, along with the seizure of an oil rig. Machado acknowledged that more sanctions and more possible seizures of oil come with the risk of cutting off the already impoverished people of Venezuela. But she said "what we’re doing is for the well being of the Venezuelan people.” "What we want to do is to save lives, but Maduro was the one who declared a war on the Venezuelan people," Machado said. "A war we didn’t want. A war we are suffering with hundreds of thousands of killings and forced executions in the last years.”

Reported similarly:
New York Post [12/14/2025 3:38 PM, Ryan King, 42219K]
Breitbart [12/14/2025 2:41 PM, Pam Key, 2416K]

Breitbart [12/15/2025 4:57 AM, Christian K. Caruzo, 2416K] Video: HERE reports Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate María Corina Machado believes “hundreds of thousands” of Venezuelans will return to their country from all over the world once the socialist Maduro regime goes. “The day Maduro goes, you will see tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants coming back home from the United States and all over the world,” Machado on Sunday told CBS News. “I mean, our diaspora is desperate to go back to Venezuela. So even from that perspective, it is a win, win situation to have democracy in Venezuela.” Machado arrived in Oslo, Norway last week to receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize after spending over a year in hiding facing threats of arrest by the Maduro regime. Hours later, she confirmed that the Trump administration helped her escape from Venezuela. On Sunday, she spoke with CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on Sunday. She expressed her support of President Donald Trump’s pressure policy against the Venezuelan socialist regime when asked about the recent seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. “I absolutely support President Trump’s strategy, and we, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere,” Machado answered. “And that’s why, and I say this from Oslo right now, I had dedicated this award to him because I think that he finally has put Venezuela in where it should be, in terms of a priority for the United States national security,” she continued. She has also called upon the international community to weaken the Maduro regime by cutting its oil black market, drug, human, and arms trafficking income streams. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [12/14/2025 7:25 PM, Leila Miller, 4109K] reports Venezuela’s regional allies voiced support for the government in a summit on Sunday, condemning the Trump administration’s seizure of an oil tanker last week. The seizure of the Skipper tanker off Venezuela’s coast last Wednesday marked the first U.S. capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since U.S. sanctions were imposed in 2019. The support for President Nicolas Maduro, at a televised virtual meeting of the leftist ALBA bloc of Caribbean and Latin American countries, occurred during the escalation of a U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean. "Latin America and the Caribbean today face threats that don’t have precedent in the last decades," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said during the summit. Referring to the U.S. seizure of the tanker, Nicaragua’s co-President Daniel Ortega exclaimed, "they are thieves." The effects of the seizure could ripple through the region, with Venezuelan oil exports falling sharply and Cuba, already straining to power its grid, at risk of losing supply. President Donald Trump’s administration does not recognize Maduro, in power since 2013, as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. The region has become increasingly tense as the U.S. has issued deadly strikes against suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Maduro has said that Trump is seeking to oust him. At the summit, Maduro called for the ALBA bloc to resist what he described as unlawful interference in the region. "The colonizer project will not occur," he said. "We will be free.”

FOX News [12/14/2025 1:31 PM, Marc Tamasco Fox, 40621K] reports Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asserted that President Donald Trump is engaged in a "dizzying campaign to increase violence" in the United States, saying that the president is "knowingly restoring gun rights to dangerous people" and cutting off "necessary mental health resources" to combat gun violence. At another point, he called it a "pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country.” During a discussion about the deadly shooting at Brown University this weekend, Murphy spoke with CNN’s Dana Bash on "State of the Nation" Sunday, addressing the incident and the broader issue of gun violence. "What we know is that stronger [gun] laws do work. And since we passed that bill in 2022, the first bill in 30 years that strengthens the nation’s gun laws, gun violence rates and mass shooting rates have come down in this country. But this is not shocking because, over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country," Murphy said. "He is restoring gun rights to felons and people who have lost their ability to buy guns.” Murphy argued that the Trump administration is cutting millions of dollars of federal grants for certain "gun violence prevention programs," the majority of which had been instituted under the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), passed in 2022. He argued that these actions taken by the president show that Trump has deliberately invited more violence to take place in the country. "He has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country," Murphy told Bash. "And I think you’re unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America.” The host pushed back on Murphy’s claim, saying, "That’s a pretty big statement. He’s in a campaign to make violence more likely.” When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded: "Before spreading these lies, Chris Murphy should take a look in the mirror. Chris and his colleagues have regularly used rhetoric meant to incite their followers to violence, including smearing ICE officers as Nazis and calling their political opponents fascists.” She continued, "Assaults against ICE officers have skyrocketed and Charlie Kirk was tragically assassinated earlier this year, not to mention the other violent riots that leftists have engaged in. The Violent Left is a problem whether Chris admits it or not.”

FOX News [12/14/2025 5:02 PM, Louis Casiano, Bill Melugin and Greg Wehner, 40621K] reports a semi-truck driver, who was identified as an illegal alien from India, was released from jail on a $100,000 bond after he was accused of causing a crash in Washtington state that claimed the life of a 29-year-old man. Fox News has learned that Kamalpreet Singh was released from the King County jail. It is not clear if the facility ignored a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer lodged against the truck driver. Washington is a sanctuary state. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin sharply criticized Washington’s sanctuary policies and former President Biden’s administration’s handling of the case. "These demented and dangerous sanctuary policies have deadly consequences," she said in a statement to Fox News. "Robert Pearson would still be alive today if the Biden Administration hadn’t released this illegal alien into our country. How many more Americans have to be killed before Democrat politicians start to put the public’s safety ahead of politics?". Singh was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Lukeville, Arizona, after crossing illegally into the United States on Dec. 23, 2023, but he was released into the country instead of being detained, an ICE source said. He faces charges of vehicular homicide after he allegedly crashed into the back of a vehicle on State Route 167 in Washington, crushing it between another truck and killing 29-year-old Robert B. Pearson.

AP [12/15/2025 11:40 PM, Todd Richmond, 30493K] reports federal prosecutors were set to start presenting their case Monday against a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant evade federal authorities. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan’s trial on obstruction and concealment charges was scheduled to begin with opening statements from prosecutors and defense attorneys followed by testimony from the government’s first witnesses. The prosecution’s case is expected to run through at least Thursday, with roughly two dozen witnesses lined up to take the stand. Dugan’s attorneys have not said how much time they need and it’s unknown when jurors might begin deliberations. She faces up to six years in prison if convicted on both counts. The trial is the latest flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown. The administration has branded her an activist judge. Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a fierce Trump loyalist running for Wisconsin governor next year, urged authorities to “lock her up” in a tweet Tuesday. Democrats say Trump is looking to make an example of Dugan to blunt judicial opposition to the crackdown. Dugan told police she and her family found threatening flyers at their homes this spring. According to an FBI affidavit, immigration authorities learned this spring that 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had reentered the United States in 2013 and was charged in March with battery in Milwaukee. He was scheduled to appear at a hearing in that case in front of Dugan on April 18. Agents traveled to the courthouse that day to arrest him, but Dugan’s courtroom deputy told them to wait outside the courtroom and arrest him after the hearing, according to the affidavit. When Dugan learned that agents were waiting in the hallway, she left the courtroom and angrily told them to consult with the chief judge. As they walked away, she went back inside the courtroom and led Flores-Ruiz out through a back jury door that led to a public corridor, according to the affidavit. Agents followed Flores-Ruiz outside the building and arrested him after a foot chase. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in November that he had been deported after he pleaded no contest in the battery case and was sentenced to time served. Prosecutors charged Dugan on April 24 with obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest. The state Supreme Court suspended her from the Milwaukee County bench days later. Dugan tried to persuade U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman to dismiss the charges, arguing in filings that she’s immune from prosecution because she was acting in her official capacity as a judge. Adelman refused, ruling in September that there’s no firmly established immunity for judges from criminal prosecution. Dugan also argues that she was following courthouse protocols on immigration arrests and wasn’t trying to disrupt agents. According to her filings, Milwaukee County Chief Judge Carl Ashley sent out a draft policy about a week before Flores-Ruiz was arrested that barred immigration officers from executing administrative warrants in nonpublic areas and required court personnel to refer any agents to a supervisor.

NewsMax [12/14/2025 11:51 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 4109K] reports the Washington, D.C., police chief "propagated an ecosystem of fear, retaliation, and toxicity" to downplay crime statistics in the city, according to a bombshell report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The Republican-led panel’s interim staff report, based on transcribed interviews with commanders from all seven D.C. patrol districts and one former commander on suspended leave, alleges Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith pressured, and at times directed, subordinates to manipulate how crimes were classified so official public-facing numbers looked better. The House report also described an internal environment marked by intimidation and retaliation that drove down morale and helped push experienced officers and commanders out the door. One commander told investigators that routine briefings could feel like "an atonement for our sins," according to the report, with commanders fearing retribution for bringing "bad news.” "Chief Smith’s decision to mislead the public by manipulating crime statistics is dangerous and undermines trust in both local leadership and law enforcement," Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said in a Sunday release. "Her planned resignation at the end of the month should not be seen as a voluntary choice, but as an inevitable consequence that should have occurred much earlier. Chief Smith should resign today.” The House Oversight report argued that accurate crime data is essential for residents, visitors, and policymakers — and that manipulating classifications undermines public confidence in law enforcement and city leadership. The committee said its investigation remains ongoing, including document review, and it recommends that Mayor Muriel Bowser appoint a new chief who will address concerns about data integrity and retaliatory management.

CBS’ Face The Nation [12/14/2025 11:52 AM, Staff, 1292K] reports the head of the private rescue organization, who said he helped Machado come out of Venezuela, spoke to a CBS colleague, Lilia Luciano, and said smuggling Machado out was very high risk because she is so well known. Machado traveled by land, by sea, by air. Luciano said multiple donors paid for it. Machado is asked if she knows why it was so important to them for her to make it to Norway and receive that prize? "I am not going to give more information regarding my trip to Norway. But what am I going to say- how important it is for the Venezuelan people. This is a recognition to a nation that has fought tirelessly, courageously against a criminal, narcoterrorist structure and I came to receive that prize, that award, and I’m going to bring it back home to the Venezuelan people as soon as possible." Machado comments.

ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos [12/14/2025 10:32 AM, Staff, 2476K] reports Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, gives is reaction to the sizer of the Venezuelan oil tanker. " It shows if we can interdict the tanker, why can’t we interdict the boats carrying drugs as well? I’ve said repeatedly, the Maduro regime has been brutal to the Venezuelan people. And I think the Biden administration made a huge error when a couple years back the Venezuelans voted overwhelmingly to get rid of Maduro, and they didn’t put enough pressure on getting him out. But that still begs the questions, what is President Trump’s theory of the case? Is it regime change? We’ve got a mass of forces almost unprecedented in the region. And I think the president needs to come to Congress and the American people if his goal is to further increase pressure on Maduro and potentially launch forces." Warner comments.

ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos [12/14/2025 10:32 AM, Staff, 2476K] reports an attack in Syria from ISIS killed two soldiers and an American interpreter. The president says he’s going to retaliate. "The United States has you know roughly around 2,000 soldiers in Syria, on an important mission to continue the fight to completely defeat ISIS. President Trump having had the president of Syria in White House in the White House getting his support for continuing that effort. For first time, Syria joining with others to continue that fight to defeat ISIS. This is an important mission. We’re training to ensure that, you know, the stabilization of the area, both Iraq and Syria, that it’s completed. You -- this is a mission that the White House is committed to and will certainly continue." Congressman Mike Turner states.

FOX News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo [12/14/2025 10:32 AM, Staff, 2476K] reports Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joins ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ to respond to the Australia Hanukkah terror attack and rising anti-Israel rhetoric within his party.

FOX News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo [12/14/2025 10:32 AM, Staff, 2476K] reports Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., joins ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ to react to the deadly shooting at Brown University, the antisemitic terror attack in Bondi Beach, Australia, and more.

FOX News Sunday [12/14/2025 10:32 AM, Staff, 2476K] reports Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., joins ‘Fox News Sunday’ to discuss the Brown University shooting, a deadly ISIS attack in Syria, Venezuela drug boat strikes and more.

FOX News Sunday [12/14/2025 10:32 AM, Staff, 2476K] reports Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna joins ‘Fox News Sunday’ to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war and prospects for a peace deal.

FOX News Sunday [12/14/2025 10:32 AM, Staff, 2476K] reports Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., reacts to the terror attack at a Hanukkah event in Australia and weighs in on the White House’s rising pressure on Venezuela during ‘Fox News Sunday.’

New York Times [12/14/2025 4:57 PM, Ana Ley, 135475K] reports on a crisp November morning in White Plains, N.Y., six lawyers spent hours in a federal courtroom arguing about the government’s plan to deport a teenager from the Bronx. Agents had detained the boy, Joel Camas, 16, during a routine check-in at 26 Federal Plaza, the New York City headquarters for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They held him at a shelter for three weeks while the New York Civil Liberties Union and a youth social services center called The Door fought for his release, arguing that Joel had followed orders and that forcing him to return to his native Ecuador would put him in danger. When the hearing ended, Judge Cathy Seibel ordered that Joel be freed while she considered the merits of his case. But his future in the United States remains uncertain. Joel, like thousands of other young migrants, has become a target of the Trump administration’s deportation crackdown, and immigration officials are working to dissolve long-established protections meant to help young people like him stay. Joel is a recipient of a decades-old designation known as special immigrant juvenile status, which, until recently, had shielded some undocumented young migrants who could prove that they had been abused or neglected by at least one parent. Beginning in 2022 under President Joseph R. Biden Jr., migrants who were granted this status were immediately told whether they would be protected from deportation through an immigration classification known as deferred action. Those who received the deferred action designation were eligible to apply for a work permit while awaiting a pathway to permanent residency. But in April, Trump administration officials quietly stopped granting deferred action designations and instead began to deport S.I.J. status holders with little notice and no chance to appeal, alarming immigration lawyers. A coalition of immigrant advocates filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York seeking class-action status to challenge the new policy. In late November — two days after Joel’s hearing — a judge granted the plaintiffs a partial victory by ordering the government to temporarily halt its new policy, though it did not set a deadline to comply. A final decision has not been made.

Univision Chicago WGBO [12/14/2025 4:25 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports Oct. 20, 22-year-old Nayra Guzman was arrested along with her mother and brother by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on their way to the hospital. Nayra’s newborn daughter was in neonatal intensive care. Carlos Guzman, Nayra’s brother, described how several vans intercepted the family vehicle. “That van is closed and two others are separated, they separate you, they stop the white van across the street and the immigration agents get off,” he said. Her sister had been subjected to a C-section just 15 days earlier and at that time was on her way to see her baby. Nayra Guzman said that when they were arrested, she told an officer, "But I need to go to the hospital. What happens is that my baby is in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). I have 15 days of being operated by cesarean section.’ And he says, ‘Don’t tell me that, tell the judge when you’re in front of him. He’s going to determine your case, if you’re going to be deported or if you’re going to stay here for your daughter.’" In addition to her homework wound, this Hispanic mother said she has type 1 diabetes, which requires constant monitoring, immediate access to insulin and a balanced food diet. The Guzman family, originally from Michoacán, Mexico, spent 36 hours detained at the ICE processing center in Broadview.

Breitbart [12/14/2025 12:36 PM, Bob Price, 2416K] reports federal immigration officers have arrested more than 400 illegal aliens — including convicted pedophiles, rapists, and violent offenders — during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, a crackdown officials say was necessary after state and local sanctuary policies allowed dangerous criminals to roam free. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blasted Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for "failing to protect the people of Minnesota.” "ICE law enforcement officers have arrested more than 400 illegal aliens including pedophiles, rapists, and violent thugs since Operation Metro Surge began," said McLaughlin. "Tim Walz and Jacob Frey failed to protect the people of Minnesota. They let these monsters and child predators roam free. Thanks to our brave law enforcement, Minnesota is safer with these thugs off their streets. Instead of thanking our law enforcement for removing criminals from their communities, Tim Walz and Jacob Frey continue to demonize our brave law enforcement.” DHS officials offered the following as examples of the worst criminal illegal aliens arrested by ICE in Operation Metro Surge: Ban Du La Sein, a 47-year-old criminal illegal alien from Burma who has been convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct using force or coercion in Nobles County. He was sentenced to four years in prison and 10 years of probation. Du La Sein has had a final order of removal since February 27, 2014. DHS officials launched Operation Metro Surge to target the worst of the worst who flock to Minnesota because they know sanctuary politicians will protect them. Officials recently launched an interactive database providing additional means of learning about the numbers and types of criminal aliens being removed by the Trump administration.

CBS News [12/14/2025 6:25 PM, Anthony Bettin and Esme Murphy, 39474K] Video: HERE reports Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar said federal immigration agents pulled over her son on Saturday and asked him to prove his citizenship. "Yesterday, after he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled over by [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents, and once he was able to produce his passport ID, they did let him go," Omar said in an interview with Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday Morning. WCCO has reached out to ICE about the incident. The congresswoman said her son "always carries" his passport with him. Omar said ICE also previously entered a mosque where her son and others were praying, but left without incident. After that, she said she "had to remind him just how worried I am, because all of these areas that they are talking about are areas where he could possibly find himself in and they are racially profiling, they are looking for young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented.” Earlier this month, federal agents surged into the Twin Cities with the stated goal of targeting undocumented Somali immigrants. The enhanced focus on the Somali community came after President Trump said he doesn’t "want them in our country" and called Omar herself "garbage.” On Friday, Omar sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, accusing federal agents of "blatant racial profiling" and "an egregious level of unnecessary force" in the Twin Cities. "It is clear to me that this surge came in direct response to Trump’s racist comments about Somali people, and about me in particular," Omar wrote.

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AP [12/15/2025 2:46 AM, Staff, 31753K] reports the Trump Gold Card program is live, having entered its operational phase after months of development, and is now accepting applications online from qualifying high net worth individuals (HNWIs) and corporate sponsors. The launch follows the publication of official Form I 140G, “Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program,” and its release with accompanying instructions on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) platforms after federal review. HNWIs seeking U.S. permanent residency through the USD 1 million gift pathway (or companies wishing to sponsor employees for a USD 2 million contribution) now face a critical preparation window. The program’s launch means applicants should begin assembling comprehensive financial documentation immediately, as source of funds verification will determine which petitions move ahead for further adjudication. Gold Card applicants must still qualify under either EB 1 Extraordinary Ability or EB 2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) category. If approved, the Trump Gold Card can result in U.S. permanent residency (similar to a traditional Green Card) and - after five years of residency - a potential path to U.S. citizenship. Both individual and corporate petitions can now be filed electronically after initial registration on trumpcard.gov. Each applicant included on the form must pay a non refundable USCIS processing and vetting fee of USD 15,000, which is separate from the required gift to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Under the final rules, individual petitioners must commit a non refundable gift of USD 1 million per person requesting a Gold Card - meaning USD 1 million for the principal applicant, and an additional USD 1 million for each accompanying spouse or children under 21 included in the same petition. Corporate petitioners are subject to a USD 2 million gift for the principal beneficiary plus USD 1 million for each accompanying spouse or child under 21. These gifts flow directly to the Department of Commerce as unrestricted contributions that carry no job-requirement and do not generate equity, returns, or repayment rights - distinguishing the program from investment models such as the long standing EB 5 Immigrant Investor Program, under which investments may be returned and must create at least 10 full time U.S. jobs. As Gold Card contributions rely heavily on personal achievements and national interest arguments, the program is particularly relevant for globally recognized entrepreneurs, executives, and high impact professionals who can document extraordinary or exceptional ability and wish to avoid investment risk and job count conditions. A defining feature of the Gold Card is the sequencing and intensity of due diligence. The Gold Card is not a separate immigrant visa class but a financial and vetting framework layered onto existing employment based categories - the EB 1 and EB 2 NIW. Before USCIS fully adjudicates EB 1 or EB 2 NIW eligibility, the Department of Commerce conducts an extensive review of the source, lawfulness, and national interest rationale of the required gift, using a dedicated vetting center and enhanced anti–money laundering tools. Applicants must submit years of bank statements, tax returns, asset documentation, corporate financials, and 20 year employment and government service histories to pass this initial screen.

Politico [12/14/25 7:00 AM, Ari Hawkins and Doug Palmer, 2100K] reports the Trump administration is racing to deposit the money it’s raised from tariffs into the U.S. Treasury, a tactic that could make it harder for companies to get refunds for duties the Supreme Court may strike down in the coming months. That has triggered a flurry of lawsuits in recent weeks, with companies ranging from wholesaler Costco to canned tuna seller Bumble Bee looking to preserve access to potential refunds for tens of billions of dollars worth of tariff fees. And it foreshadows the messy legal battles likely to play out if the high court rules President Donald Trump overstepped his legal authority when he imposed his steep “reciprocal” tariffs and other duties on major trading partners. According to court filings and half a dozen people familiar with the cases, Trump’s Customs and Border Protection is denying requests to delay finalizing tariff payments and transferring the funds to the Treasury. In some cases, the agency is even fast-tracking that process, according to attorney Brett Johnson, a partner at the law firm Snell & Wilmer, who spoke Thursday during an advisory webinar for importers. Importers and trade attorneys say that in prior disputes, the customs agency often agreed to delay the date that tariff bills were sent to the Treasury on a case-by-case basis, especially as legal disputes played out. But tariff refunds on this scale have never been contemplated. “We’re in uncharted territory,” said Johnson. The Trump administration’s strict schedule effectively allows it to “control the speed at which refunds are issued,” even if a court ultimately rules that companies are entitled to broad refunds, said Tony Gulotta, a principal and transaction tax practice leader at Ryan, a global tax services and consulting firm.

HS Today [12/15/2025 3:50 AM, Staff, 38K] reports the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that a new labor framework will be implemented starting Jan. 11, 2026, rescinding the 2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and other determinations. The new framework will return the agency back into a security-focused framework that prioritizes workforce readiness, resource allocation and mission focus with an effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The new framework is based on a determination made by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Sept. 29, 2025, entitled “Eliminating Collective Bargaining at TSA Due to its Incompatibility with TSA’s National Security Mission and its Adverse Impact on Resources, Flexibility, Mission Focus, Security Effectiveness, and Traveler Experience.” Secretary Noem’s determination establishes that employees performing security screening functions under 49 U.S.C. § 44901 have a primary function of national security and shall not engage in collective bargaining or be represented for any purposes by any representative or organization. In addition, Secretary Noem found that collective bargaining and exclusive representation for screening officers is inconsistent with efficient stewardship of taxpayer dollars and impedes the agility required to secure the traveling public. “Our Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) need to be focused on their mission of keeping travelers safe not wasting countless hours on non-mission critical work,” said Adam Stahl, Senior Official Performing the Duties of TSA Deputy Administrator. “Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, we are ridding the agency of wasteful and time-consuming activities that distracted our officers from their crucial work.” In addition, TSA will no longer use its payroll system for collecting union dues from TSOs’ paychecks, Stahl said. TSA policy will govern for employment matters previously addressed by the 2024 CBA, and TSA policy will provide for alternative procedures to ensure that employee voices are heard and that legitimate concerns are resolved quickly.

New York Times [12/14/2025 5:02 AM, Drew Atkins, Orlando Mayorquín and Bernard Mokam, 135475K] reports the rain mercifully began to let up Saturday in Washington state, but that may have been of little solace to Liz Trujillo. Her four horses grazed in her front yard, a few feet from the inflatable snowmen and sequined reindeer. A lone goat roamed nearby. And, in all directions, completely surrounding her house, were deep flood waters. For the next few days, Ms. Trujillo said, she would have an island home. “I think everybody is just in shock,” said Ms. Trujillo, 52, as water lapped against her driveway in Burlington, Wash. “I’ve lived here my whole life, but this is just beyond anything anyone has seen.” Thousands of residents in northern Washington spent Saturday assessing the damage during a respite from the severe storm that had lashed the region. Earlier this week, rivers overflowed their banks, roadways became streams and homes and farms were submerged. Yet, remarkably, no deaths or serious injuries had been reported in the state as of Saturday afternoon, said Gov. Bob Ferguson of Washington. That was thanks, in part, to the emergency crews that already had conducted at least 250 water rescues across the state. “I think our prayers have certainly been answered so far,” Mr. Ferguson said at a news conference in Skagit County, roughly 60 miles north of Seattle, as officials began to clear debris from roads. President Trump approved an emergency declaration for Washington state on Friday, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist with the immediate recovery. Mr. Ferguson, a Democrat, said that he had spoken by phone with Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary and former Republican governor of South Dakota, and praised her outreach.

Los Angeles Times [12/14/2025 7:27 PM, Staff, 14862K] reports three small earthquakes shook the Bay Area near Santa Rosa on Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The largest was a magnitude 4.0 temblor at 3:30 p.m., which was followed eight minutes later by a magnitude 3.1 temblor, then at 4:04 p.m. by a magnitude 3.4 earthquake. All three quakes were centered two to three miles from Santa Rosa, according to the USGS. Light shaking was reported in Santa Rosa and north near Clearlake, and as far south as San José, as well as to the east in Sacramento and Elk Grove. In the last 10 days, there has been one earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby. An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.0 to 5.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample. The magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred at a depth of 1.2 miles. The 3.1 temblor was at a depth of 1.4 miles, and the 3.4 quake was at a depth of 2.3 miles. Did you feel these earthquakes? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS. Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by signing up for our Unshaken newsletter, which breaks down emergency preparedness into bite-sized steps over six weeks. Learn more about earthquake kits, which apps you need, Lucy Jones’ most important advice and more at latimes.com/Unshaken. CBS San Francisco [12/14/2025 8:34 PM, Brandon Downs, 39474K] Video: HERE reports a preliminary magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit the North Bay Sunday afternoon, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake was just southeast of Santa Rosa, near Glen Ellen, at about 3:30 p.m. About eight minutes later, the USGS recorded a preliminary magnitude 3.1 earthquake. Just after 4 p.m., the USGS recorded a preliminary magnitude 3.4 earthquake. There have been no immediate reports of injuries or damage. According to Did You Feel It Responses, people in the Glen Ellen area reported light shaking. Down in San Francisco, people reported weak shaking. The San Francisco Chronicle [12/14/2025 6:33 PM, Staff, 4722K] reports an earthquake of preliminary magnitude 4.0 shook Sonoma County at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey. It was centered near Glen Ellen. Gentle shaking was felt in Santa Rosa, and an aftershock of 3.1 magnitude was felt about 10 minutes later. At 4:04 p.m., a magnitude 3.4 quake was recorded near Kenwood, also in Sonoma County. Alerts for the initial quake went off as far away as San Francisco. It initially appeared to register as a 4.9 magnitude. Quakes of 4.5 magnitude or greater generally trigger the alerts. It was later revised down to a 4.2 magnitude, and then to a 4.0. The fault was not immediately known, but the Rodgers Creek Fault is in the general vicinity. That fault runs under San Pablo Bay and north through central Sonoma County. Under San Pablo Bay, it becomes the better-known Hayward Fault.

NewsMax [12/14/2025 10:43 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 4109K] reports the Chinese continue to hack U.S. telecom networks in a cyberattack that allows it to access the communications of almost every American, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said. Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told a Defense Writers Group event that Chinese intelligence remains "still inside" U.S. telecom systems as part of a sweeping campaign dubbed "Salt Typhoon," which he said has been ongoing for at least two years. The senator warned that unless Americans are using encrypted communications, Chinese hackers can potentially "pick any one of us," reaching into unencrypted phone traffic with what former national security adviser Jake Sullivan previously described as a breach notable for its "sheer scale of access," according to Financial Times. Warner said a recent government briefing was "really frustrating" and left him confused by conflicting assessments. He said the FBI described networks as "pretty clean," while other intelligence components, citing multiple internal documents, reportedly insisted the intrusions are ongoing.

NewsMax [12/14/2025 2:31 PM, Staff, 4109K] reports world leaders voiced horror and revulsion at Sunday’s mass shooting in which 11 people were killed at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the "shocking and distressing" attack, which Australian police are calling a "terrorist" incident, was "beyond comprehension", after assailants fired on a gathering celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. President Isaac Herzog condemned what he called a "very cruel attack on Jews" by "vile terrorists". In a speech in Jerusalem, he called on Australia to "fight against the enormous wave of antisemitism which is plaguing Australian society". US President Donald Trump branded it "a purely antisemitic attack". "That was a terrible attack, 11 dead, 29 badly wounded. And that was an antisemitic attack, obviously," Trump said during a Christmas celebration at the White House. "Antisemitism has no place in this world," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said on X. King Charles III, head of the 56 countries of the Commonwealth, of which Australia is a member, said he was "appalled" by "most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack on Jewish people".

Reuters [12/15/2025 4:43 AM, Andreas Rinke, 36480K] reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will resume talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys in Berlin on Monday, after the U.S. side said a "lot of progress" had been made on ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. Zelenskiy will again meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner after five hours of talks on Sunday, with other European leaders also holding meetings in the German capital throughout the day. Ukraine said on Sunday it was willing to drop its ambition to join the NATO alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees. But it was not immediately clear how far talks had progressed on that or other vital issues such as the future of Ukrainian territory, and how much the talks in Berlin could persuade Russia to agree to a ceasefire. The talks come at the start of a pivotal week for Europe, with an EU summit on Thursday set to decide whether it can underwrite a massive loan to Ukraine with frozen Russian central bank assets.
Europe has come under fire from the Trump administration in recent weeks over its policies on migration, security and regulating big tech. The European Union and national governments have struggled to find a unified response to the U.S. criticism. EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels on Monday to agree on new sanctions against Russia, although the possibility of an 11th-hour hitch to agreeing an EU trade deal with Latin America threatens to further undermine their attempts to put on a show of strength.

Bloomberg [12/15/2025 3:22 AM, Daryna Krasnolutska, 18207K] reports Ukraine and the US are due to hold a second day of talks in Berlin on a plan aimed at ending Russia’s war, with allied security guarantees for Kyiv a central focus of the negotiations. About 10 European leaders are also expected to attend a summit on Monday together with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his team held more than five hours of talks at Germany’s Federal Chancellery on Sunday with US officials led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The sides discussed Ukraine’s territory as the US is backing a Russian demand for Kyiv to withdraw from areas of its eastern Donetsk region that Moscow’s forces have failed to seize since 2014, a person familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy repeatedly rejected the demand and together with European allies is insisting on a ceasefire along the current line of contact, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive issues. The Ukrainian president signaled that Kyiv could step back from its long-term goal of joining NATO if it reached bilateral security agreements with the US, European and other states, potentially including Canada and Japan. Those agreements would function similarly to NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defense commitment to prevent “another coming of Russian aggression,” Zelenskiy told reporters on Sunday. “Russia has to know we will stand on Ukraine’s side,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk radio on Monday. “We need to work toward a solution that’s sustainable for the future.” The US delegation said in a statement that a lot of progress had been made, with in-depth discussions on the 20-point peace plan, economic agendas and other matters. Ukraine has sought to join NATO for years as a way to protect its independence, though the US and some European states have been unwilling to back its membership in the face of Russian hostility. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine abandon its goal of NATO membership as part of any peace deal. The Trump administration has already ruled out support for Ukrainian entry into the defense alliance. Russia isn’t present at the Berlin talks and Putin has shown no sign of pulling back from his maximalist demands in Ukraine, including on territory.

FOX News [12/14/2025 7:41 PM, Louis Casiano, Jennifer Griffin, Bonny Chu, 40621K] reports the rescue operation to extract Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and transport her to Norway in time to accept her Nobel Peace Prize involved a complex series of complications and various components in land, sea and air. The mission, dubbed Operation Golden Dynamite, was spearheaded by Bryan Stern, a U.S. special forces veteran and founder of the Tampa-based Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, which specializes in high-risk rescue missions and evacuations, notably from conflict and disaster zones. Getting her out of Venezuela, where she is considered a fugitive by President Nicolás Maduro, involved disguises, deception, navigating choppy seas and arranging flight options. "She’s perceived by the Maduro regime the way we perceived Osama bin Laden, like that," Stern told Fox News. "That level of manhunt if you will.” Machado has been hiding out in Venezuela since Maduro won a highly disputed election last year and had not been seen in public in months. Stern emphasized that the U.S. government was not involved in the operation. His team had been building up a presence in the Caribbean, Venezuela and the neighboring island of Aruba in preparation for operations in the South American region. The biggest challenge, Stern said, was getting Machado out of the country despite her being a well-known figure there. In order to move her from her house to a "beach landing site," his team reportedly did "all kinds of things designed to create a little bit of confusion.” "Anything that we could have possibly think of that we thought could hide her face … was employed." Stern said. "Anything we could think of, her digital signature, her physical signature. On top of that, we did some deception operations on the ground. We made some noise in some places designed to get people to think something was happening that wasn’t.”

Reuters [12/15/2025 3:38 AM, Cara Angeline Oliver, 36480K] reports Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed abandoning NATO ambitions in exchange for Western security guarantees during peace talks in Berlin on Sunday (December 14). The move marks a major shift as Kyiv seeks to end the war with Russia without ceding territory.

Reuters [12/14/2025 5:03 PM, Jessica DiNapoli, 19051K] reports Ukraine’s offer to forgo joining the NATO military alliance probably will not significantly change the course of peace talks, two security experts said on Sunday. During negotiations with U.S. envoys over a potential Ukraine-Russia peace deal, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday offered to drop Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. Zelenskiy had said security guarantees from the United ​States, Europe ⁠and others instead of joining NATO was a compromise from Ukraine. "This doesn’t move the needle at all," said Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute. "It’s an effort to appear reasonable.” NATO membership for Ukraine has not been realistic in a long time anyway, said Logan and Andrew Michta, a professor of strategic studies at the University of Florida. Michta ⁠called Ukraine’s NATO admittance a "non-issue" at this point. There are other ways for nations to try ensuring Ukraine’s security, Logan said. U.S. President Donald Trump, in response to Zelenskiy’s offer, may commit to the same things the United States has already done to support Ukraine, such as sending weapons and sanctioning Russia, Logan said. Not everyone dismissed Zelenskiy’s offer. Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy adviser in the Obama administration and now head of the Global Situation Room consultancy, called Ukraine’s concession "significant and substantive.” "It’s a way for Zelenskiy to contrast Ukraine’s willingness for significant concessions for peace at a time when Moscow has been short on any significant concessions," Bruen said. "The question is what did Zelenskiy get in return for backing off a pretty ironclad promise to the Ukrainian people?".

New York Times [12/14/2025 4:45 PM, Euan Ward and Eric Schmitt, 135475K] reports the Syrian gunman who killed two U.S. Army soldiers and an American civilian interpreter on Saturday was a member of Syria’s security forces slated for dismissal over his extremist views, according to Syrian and American officials. The attack in the central city of Palmyra marked the first U.S. casualties in Syria since the Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power a year ago, and underscored the fragile security landscape for Syria’s new government. Three other American service members and two members of Syrian security forces were also wounded in the attack, which Syrian and American officials said had been carried out by the Islamic State, the jihadist group that once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq. The group, also known as ISIS, has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but President Trump has vowed retaliation. In an interview broadcast on Syrian public television late on Saturday, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Noureddine al-Baba, said that the gunman — who was shot dead during the attack — had been a member of the government’s security forces. The attacker did not hold a senior position and was not assigned to a protection detail, the spokesman said. Mr. al-Baba said that a routine evaluation last week found that the man held “extremist” views and that he had been slated for dismissal on Sunday, a day after the attack. The Interior Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that the gunman had “infiltrated” a meeting between Syrian forces and a delegation from a U.S.-led multinational coalition formed to combat ISIS. It remained unclear how the man gained access to the meeting site at a Syrian military headquarters, though the shooting occurred outside the building, according to Mr. al-Baba and a U.S. official. A senior American official said that the gunman had been a member of Syria’s security services, or was in the process of being dismissed, but that he was not part of the security forces stationed in Palmyra at the time of the attack. U.S. officials declined on Sunday to specify the nature of the meeting, or to confirm whether American officials had been in attendance. Mr. al-Baba said that Syrian security forces had previously warned their American counterparts about potential ISIS attacks on U.S. forces, but that those warnings were not heeded. Syria is investigating whether the gunman had direct ties to the Islamic State or was just motivated by its ideology, he said.

Reported similarly:
Wall Street Journal [12/14/2025 2:00 PM, Jared Malsin and Michael R. Gordon, 646K]

FOX News [12/14/2025 12:10 PM, Staff, 40621K] Video: HERE reports Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., joins ‘Fox News Sunday’ to discuss the Brown University shooting, a deadly ISIS attack in Syria, Venezuela drug boat strikes and more.

FOX News [12/14/2025 9:04 AM, Staff, 40621K] Video: HERE reports Fox News contributor Dan Hoffman breaks down the ISIS ambush in Palmyra, Syria, that killed two U.S. soldiers and an interpreter and prompted President Trump to vow retaliation.

NewsMax [12/14/2025 2:29 PM, Charlie McCarthy, 4109K] reports President Donald Trump on Sunday vowed "big damage" in Syria after two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in an attack. Speaking at a White House Christmas reception, Trump opened with condolences for victims of a violent weekend that included the Syria attack, a shooting at Brown University, and a deadly antisemitic attack in Australia. "In Syria there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it," Trump said, adding that authorities "got the person" responsible but that "there’ll be big damage done.” Trump said the Syria attack killed "three great patriots" and stressed it was carried out by ISIS, not the Syrian government. "The Syrian government fought by our side. The new president fought by our side," said Trump, framing the incident as a reminder that U.S. forces remain in harm’s way even as Washington works with partners to keep the Islamic State from resurging. Syria’s Interior Ministry said the attacker targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces near Palmyra on Saturday before being shot dead and that five suspects with alleged links to the incident were arrested in a coordinated security operation. The ministry described the attacker as a Syrian security force member suspected of sympathizing with the Islamic State. U.S. Central Command said three U.S. soldiers were also wounded.

The Hill [12/14/2025 12:21 PM, Max Rego, 12595K] reports after two American service members and one civilian were killed in Syria by a gunman allegedly tied to ISIS, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said Sunday that the U.S. should work with the Syrian government to combat the terror group. “We have to be very aggressive and work with the new government in Syria. We have our opportunity, for the first time in a long time, to work with a Syrian government that shares many of our own hopes and aspirations in terms of defeating ISIS,” Reed, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told host Jacqui Heinrich on “Fox News Sunday.” U.S. Central Command confirmed the incident Saturday, noting on the social platform X that three other service members were injured in an “ambush by a lone ISIS gunman” who was “engaged and killed.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X that the gunman was “killed by partner forces.” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said in a Saturday release that the two service members who were killed and the three who were wounded were members of the Iowa National Guard. Troops were conducting a joint field patrol alongside Syrian security forces near the city of Palmyra, according to SANA, the government-backed news agency. Three Syrian security members were also injured. A Pentagon official told The Hill on Saturday that the attack occurred in an area where Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa “does not have control.”

CBS News [12/14/2025 11:11 AM, Staff, 39474K] reports Israel’s military said it killed a top Hamas commander in Gaza who it described as one of the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the two-year-long war. The military said it killed Raed Saad after an explosive device detonated and wounded two soldiers in the territory’s south. On Sunday, Hamas confirmed Saad’s death, saying he was the commander of its military manufacturing unit. Israel had described him as an architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war in Gaza, and asserted that he had been "engaged in rebuilding the terrorist organization" in a violation of the ceasefire that took effect two months ago. Hamas said the strike that killed Saad was a "blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement." It also said it had named a new commander but did not give details. An Israel Defense Forces official asserted that Israel did not violate the ceasefire agreement because, under the deal, the military is permitted to strike targets actively engaged in terrorism. "Hamas has been blatantly violating the ceasefire agreement and is failing to uphold its obligations," the military official said. "Day after day, Hamas terrorists breach the ceasefire agreement, crossing the yellow line, threatening the lives of IDF soldiers operating in the authorized areas, and moreover undermining the ongoing efforts to maintain stability.” The Israeli strike west of Gaza City killed four people, according to an Associated Press journalist who saw their bodies arrive at Shifa Hospital. Another three were wounded, according to Al-Awda hospital. Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of truce violations. Israeli airstrikes and shootings in Gaza have killed at least 386 Palestinians since the ceasefire took hold, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel has said recent strikes are in retaliation for militant attacks against its soldiers, and that troops have fired on Palestinians who approached the "Yellow Line" between the Israeli-controlled majority of Gaza and the rest of the territory. Israel has demanded that Palestinian militants return the remains of the final hostage, Ran Gvili, from Gaza and called it a condition of moving to the second and more complicated phase of the ceasefire. That lays out a vision for ending Hamas’ rule and seeing the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision.

FOX News [12/14/2025 1:43 PM, Madison Colombo, 40621K] reports Sen. John Fetterman broke with Democrats on Sunday, siding with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham as he accused members of his party of embracing antisemitic rhetoric after a deadly terror attack during a Hanukkah celebration in Australia over the weekend. Appearing on "Sunday Morning Futures," Fetterman, D-Pa., said he agreed "with virtually everything" Graham, R-S.C., warned about earlier in the program. Graham had raised concerns about empowering Hamas by moving toward Palestinian statehood. "It’s an absolute betrayal for Israel and for the worldwide Jewish community," said Fetterman. "Whether it’s France or Australia or any of these nations, our Western allies are now calling for a two-state solution when Hamas refuses to disarm and are actively trying to kill Jews. I can’t imagine why anybody would do that at this point," he added. On Sunday, Graham condemned Western nations that recognized a Palestinian state, accusing them of "rewarding killing Jews" with that decision. Australia, France, the United Kingdom and Canada formally recognized a Palestinian state earlier this year. In a statement, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney clarified that their support was not meant to legitimize terrorism in the region but to promote future reconstruction following the devastating Israel-Hamas war. The United States has not formally recognized a Palestinian state. Fetterman also criticized Democrats for embracing what he called openly hostile, anti-Israel rhetoric, saying it is now "becoming more and more part of my party’s platform.” "I can’t imagine why so many parts of people in my party continue to back away or to kind of deflect… condemning these kinds of horrific acts of terrorism," said Fetterman. The Pennsylvania senator has been staunchly pro-Israel and has called on his party to tone down their criticisms of the Jewish state. He blamed the growth of antisemitism in the United States on social media. "The young people in our nation have turned their back entirely against Israel, and that’s the social media, that’s the scourge, that’s where antisemitism breeds," he said.

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