Trump pushes El Salvador-style punishment as those cheering on ‘terrorist thugs’ are exposed
FIRST ON FOX: An “anti-capitalist” group that claimed credit for terrorizing a Philadelphia neighborhood near the University of Pennsylvania during what it called the “Summer of Rage” in 2020 is now supporting radicals targeting Tesla vehicles across the country.
A post appeared on the Philly Anti-Capitalist website telling comrades that there are better incendiary methods than Molotov cocktails, which the group insists leave too much forensic evidence behind for investigators to trace attackers.
Across the country, Tesla dealerships and owners have become the target of anti-Elon Musk violence as Musk heads up President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Attorney General Pam Bondi has called the attacks “domestic terrorism” and the Justice Department on Thursday announced charges against three suspects in the Tesla arson cases.
TRUMP WARNS OF JAIL TIME FOR TESLA VANDALS, ANYONE FUNDING THE ATTACKS: ‘WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!’
This comes as Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday, saying, “I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla. Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!”
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Anti-Capitalist vandalized a university police vehicle, broke windows of local businesses, smashed an ATM and graffitied anti-police and anarchist messaging near the college campus, prompting police to advise students to remain indoors.
The violent riot was one of many such events that occurred nationwide in 2020 in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
“An initial UPenn alert about the unrest was sent to the Penn community at 9:37 p.m. on Aug. 25,” The Daily Pennsylvanian reported at the time. “The Division of Public Safety updated its website with a more detailed explanation of the events at approximately 10:00 p.m. that night, before an all-clear update was issued at 10:21 p.m.”
Now, as vandals firebomb Tesla dealerships across the nation, Philly Anti-Capitalist is helping to foment further violence.
SUSPECTED TESLA ARSONISTS HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES IN ACTS OF ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’: AG
The group’s site recommends against using Molotov cocktails, as several radicals across the country have, in favor of more effective devices. It also directs combatants on how much explosive material to use and where to place that material on vehicles in order to cause the most damage.
Philly Anti-Capitalist also provides tips on using those devices without getting hurt and quickly enough to escape undetected, and directs would-be arsonists to another site for further details on protecting their anonymity.
SAN JOSE MAN ARRESTED AFTER VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS SUSPECT KEYING TESLA IN COSTCO PARKING LOT
“Stay anonymous, get home safe, and go torch the ever loving s— out of every part of this miserable society,” the post concluded.
“Seeing the wave of tesla arsons has made us incredibly happy,” the group said on its site.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI, ATF and Pennsylvania State Police, all of whom would not comment.
Fox News Digital also reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office and Philly Anti-Capitalist.
On Thursday, Bondi announced federal charges against three people for allegedly firebombing Tesla dealerships and charging stations around the country.
TESLA GROUP LEADER WARNS VIOLENT PROTESTS AGAINST CAR OWNERS ARE JUST THE ‘STARTING POINT’
PAM BONDI: WHY IS A JUDGE ‘TRYING TO PROTECT TERRORISTS?’
Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, on Jan. 20, threw approximately eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership located in Salem, Oregon, according to federal prosecutors.
Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, was arrested in Loveland, Colorado on Jan. 29 after attempting to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails, prosecutors said.
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Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, allegedly wrote profane messages against President Donald Trump and advocated for Ukraine around Tesla charging stations in Charleston, South Carolina before lighting three of the charging stations on fire with Molotov cocktails on March 7.
DOGE rep stunned by IRS dirt, dishes to Americans how bad the problem really is
As the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) looks to slash waste and correct inefficiencies, one DOGE adviser revealed it’s “hard to really grasp the scale” of problems facing the IRS.
“A huge part of our government is collecting taxes. We cannot perform the basic functions of tax collection without paying a toll to all these contractors. We really have to figure out how to get out of this hole. We’re in a really deep hole right now,” DOGE representative Sam Corcos said on “The Ingraham Angle” Thursday.
The “DOGE bro” shed light on his work within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to trim the federal government fat alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
TRUMP TREASURY CONFIRMS IT’S EYEING IRS FOR ‘STREAMLINING’ SHAKE-UP AS TAX SEASON HEATS UP
Corcos told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that one of his main priorities during his six-month timeline is to look at the IRS modernization program, as well as other operations and budgets.
“This is a huge program that’s currently 30 years behind schedule, and it’s already $15 billion over budget,” he said. “The IRS has some pretty legacy infrastructure…and the challenge has been how do we migrate that to a modern system?”
The CEO and co-founder of Levels observed that many major banks who ran on similar systems have already modernized. He added the IRS is over three decades behind schedule and billions over budget compared to the typical expectations for the industry.
“We’re now 35 years into this program. If you ask them now, it’s five years away, and it’s been five years away since 1990. It was supposed to be delivered in 1996, and it’s still five years away,” he said.
Bessent, who was recently confirmed as President Donald Trump’s treasury secretary, added “one of the biggest surprises for me is just seeing how these entrenched interests, they just keep constricting themselves around the power, around the money, around the systems, and nobody cares.”
INSTITUTE THAT HELD OFFICE STANDOFF AGAINST DOGE ON ‘RIGHT PATH’ FOLLOWING JUDGE’S ORDER: ADMIN
The secretary drew attention to another problem facing the nation’s top taxation bureau.
“Many of the employees are fantastic. It’s this consultant group. They’re like a boa constrictor. They’re like a python,” he said. “They’ve constricted themselves around our government, and the costs are unbelievable. They’re being passed on to the American taxpayer.”
Corcos also claimed around 80% of the $3.5 billion IRS operations and maintenance budget goes to contractors and licenses.
The IRS is one of many federal bureaus and agencies under scrutiny by DOGE and the Trump administration. Since Trump took office, the Musk-led department has aimed at dismantling government bureaucracy, slashing regulations, cutting wasteful spending and restructuring federal agencies.
Recent DOGE actions, however, have been met with mounting scrutiny from many Democrats.
“The entrenched interests, the consultants, the Democrats, mainstream media, they just want to blow this project out of the water,” Bessent told Ingraham. “This is the opposite of government efficiency, not elimination, not extinction. Sam and his crew are making it more efficient to work for the American people. So what’s wrong with it working better, cheaper, faster, and with more privacy?”
Bessent said his top three priorities for the tax collecting bureau are “collections, privacy and customer service,” and he argued “None of those are being well served.”
“We want people to feel satisfied that they are getting the service they deserve, that they’re paying their fair share and not more, not less. And that it’s done quickly, smartly and privately.”
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Sanders hints at ousting of own colleague as in-party fighting intensifies
TEMPE, AZ – As he rallies against President Donald Trump, the world’s richest person and Trump ally Elon Musk, and other billionaires, Sen. Bernie Sanders is also taking aim at the Democratic Party.
“I think what the American people see and what the polling suggests, and voter registration suggests is not a whole lot of faith in either party, Democrats or Republicans,” the progressive champion and longtime independent senator from Vermont, who caucuses with Senate Democrats, emphasized in a wide-ranging Fox News Digital interview.
Sanders, who was pointing towards recent polling that indicated Democratic Party favorability at all-time lows, was interviewed on Thursday evening, ahead of a rally in front of over 11,000 people packed into an arena at Arizona State University, with a couple of thousand more in an overflow section outside.
It was the second stop of the day for the 83-year-old Sanders and another rockstar of the left, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, as the two politicians teamed up to kick off a three-day swing through the key western electoral states of Nevada, Arizona and Colorado as part of Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour.
FRIENDLY FIRE: AOC AND BERNIE SANDERS TAKE AIM AT DEMOCRATS AS WELL AS REPUBLICANS – ON WESTERN ROAD TRIP
Sanders, who’s long railed against the influence of big money in politics as he’s pressed for campaign finance reforms, argued that Americans “perceive correctly that both political parties are dominated by big money interests.”
The senator took aim at Musk, who was the largest single donor in last year’s presidential election, dishing out nearly $300 million of his own money to support Trump’s successful effort to win back the White House.
“Then he’s awarded with the most important position in government. He’s essentially running the government,” Sanders said of Musk. “Does that make sense to people? It doesn’t.”
But he added that “Democrats also have a whole lot of billionaires funding their campaigns. And you know, I think people are looking for alternatives. And I think, among other things, they also want to end this corrupt campaign finance system…which allows billionaires in both parties to buy elections.”
CLASS DISMISSED: TRUMP TAKES AIM AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WITH THE STOKE OF A PEN
Trump has been on a tear since returning to the White House two months ago, flexing his political muscles to expand presidential powers as he’s upended longstanding government policy and made major cuts to the federal workforce through a flurry of executive orders and actions.
And Sanders and Cortez took to the stage at their first stop, in Las Vegas, Nevada, while Trump signed an executive order to begin the longstanding conservative goal of demolishing the Department of Education at a White House ceremony.
Sanders charged that Trump’s move was “outrageous.”
“First of all, they don’t have the power,” Sanders said. “When I talk about moving to authoritarianism, it is usurping the power of the Congress.”
“If you want to get rid of the Department of Education, fine. Come to Congress and say, here’s why. This is what you want to do. You cannot do it exclusively. You cannot cut funds exclusively,” he added.
Sanders claimed the “American people are sick and tired of a government now run by billionaires.”
Pointing to Musk – the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive who is steering Trump’s recently created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which as part of its mission to target government fraud and waste, has taken a hatchet to the federal workforce – Sanders argued, “we have the richest guy in the world going around, cutting the Veterans Administration, threatening the existence of Social Security while Republicans work on a tax bill that will give a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the richest 1% and cut Medicaid and other programs.”
Minutes later, Sanders told the crowd “we have a message for Mr. Trump and that is, we will not allow you to move this country into an oligarchy.”
Sanders emphasized that “we’re not going to allow you and your friend Mr. Musk and the other billionaires to wreak havoc on this country.”
But the inability of Democrats in Congress, who are out of power in the White House as well as the House and Senate, to stop the majority Republicans, is causing tensions within the party amid increasing calls for leaders to come up with a stronger strategy to resist Trump.
“This isn’t just about Republicans,” Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd in Arizona. “We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us. That means each and every one of us choosing and voting for Democrats and elected officials who know how to stand for the working class…I want you to look at every level of office around and support Democrats who fight, because those are the ones who can actually win against Republicans.”
The Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez western road trip comes as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the chamber, is facing increasing fire from his own party for his support last week for a Republican-crafted federal funding bill that averted a government shutdown.
WHAT THIS PROGRESSIVE LEADER TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT CHUCK SCHUMER
Neither Ocasio-Cortez nor Sanders mentioned Schumer during their speeches in Las Vegas or Tempe.
And Sanders, an independent who has long caucused with the Democrats and who is part of Schumer’s leadership team in the Senate, declined in the Fox News Digtal interview to answer whether he agreed with calls for Schumer to step down from his leadership position.
“That’s kind of inside the Beltway stuff,” Sanders said.
Asked a second time about Schumer, Sanders replied, “that’s not what we’re here for.”
But it was on the minds of some of those attending the rally.
Cindy Garman and Pat Robinson, both of Prescott, Arizona, told Fox News that they were “really disappointed” with Schumer’s move.
And Amanda Ratloff of Gilbert, Arizona, said Schumer “is not the leader we need right now. We need somebody that will actually fight back and fight for the American people and not just give in to Elon Musk and Donald Trump.”
Sanders was interviewed hours after three people accused of destroying Tesla cars and charging stations were charged by the Justice Department for what Attorney General Pam Bondi called “domestic terrorism.”
Tesla has faced widespread protests in recent weeks that are aimed at Musk.
Asked if he thought the crimes committed were domestic terrorism, Sanders called the attacks on Tesla “outrageous” and “absurd.”
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“People have a right to protest Musk. They have a right to protest, you know, in front of Tesla,” he said.
But Sanders emphasized that “nobody has the right to engage in any form of violence, period.”
No surprise a Dem is defending a Dem — but the identity of the mayor’s ally is
Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso is not backing the recall effort against Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, his former opponent.
“A mayoral recall right now is not a good idea. This is a time when Los Angeles needs unity, not costly and expensive political distractions,” he posted on X earlier this week.
“We must rebuild our communities, get people back into their homes, and open businesses that have been closed or lost. That must be our total focus. There is a time and place for politics, but it is not now.”
The effort to remove Karen Bass from office kicked off after intense criticism of her response to the fires that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the Pacific Palisades, including from Caruso, a Democrat.
KRISTIN CROWLEY APPEALS LOS ANGELES MAYOR’S DECISION TO TERMINATE HER AS LAFD CHIEF
Bass was in Ghana when the fires began despite a prior weather warning, for which she has since expressed remorse. But she has stopped short of stepping down. She also recently sacked the city’s fire chief, Kristin Crowley, who failed to get her job back after appealing.
Caruso, a real estate mogul, ran against Bass in 2022 and lost, and it’s unclear if he plans to run against her again in 2026.
His decision not to support the recall caught the attention of former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vice presidential pick Nicole Shanahan, a major supporter of the recall.
“Don’t people deserve accountability?!” she said in reply to his post on X. “I don’t see this as political division… I see this as LA being the most united I’ve ever seen it around the real cost of mismanagement. The recall team is [100%] bi-partisan.”
GWYNETH PALTROW CONFESSES LA FIRES CAUSED HER TO DRINK ‘EVERY NIGHT’
“People want competency in their leadership,” Caruso responded. “But a recall election doesn’t happen overnight. It would run into June’s primary and cost the city millions we don’t have. Let’s be smart about how we move the city forward.”
The disagreement led to a mix of opinions on the recall itself.
“’Cheaper to keep her’ is that really your argument? Recalling her forthwith will likely be cheaper than keeping her in place (see: recent $200 billion fire that destroyed my family home). Shouldn’t this be up to the voters and not you anyway, Rick?” Tranquility AI co-founder Dave Harvilicz posted.
“Disagree Rick. [Karen Bass] poses a clear and present danger to LA. She must go immediately,” Biotech entrepreneur Houman David Hemmati posted. “If you don’t want a recall, persuade her to resign. No other options. Sorry.”
LOS ANGELES MAYOR KAREN BASS RECALL EFFORT LAUNCHES
However, some did agree with Caruso that a recall election would be an uphill battle.
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“The premise of [Caruso]’s decision not to back a recall (which is correct) is precisely BECAUSE it is the best interest of LA not to waste everyone’s time and energy on recall that is destined to fail and further demoralize voters at the worst possible time,” Los Angeles County GOP Central Committee member Elizabeth Barcohana tweeted.
To trigger a recall election, a petition would need signatures from 15% of registered voters in the City of Los Angeles.
“This recall is nothing more than another extreme right-wing political stunt designed to divide Los Angeles when we need to move forward,” Doug Herman, a strategist for Bass, told Fox News Digital in a statement when the campaign first launched.
He had a sky-high GPA — but couldn’t read, write, or understand basic lessons
Two high school graduates who say they can’t read or write are suing their respective public school systems, arguing they were not given the free public education to which they are entitled.
Cornell Law School Professor William A. Jacobson, director of the Securities Law Clinic, told Fox News Digital the lawsuits signify a “much deeper problem” with the American public school system.
“I think these cases reflect a deeper problem in education. For each of these cases, there are probably tens of thousands of students who never got a proper education — they get pushed along the system,” Jacobson said. “Unfortunately … we’ve created incentives, particularly for public school systems, to just push students along and not to hold them accountable.”
President Donald Trump has railed against the Department of Education for “failing American students,” a White House fact sheet published Thursday reads. The administration has suggested plans to eliminate the Department altogether, directing education authority to individual states.
TRUMP STILL NEEDS CONGRESS’ HELP WITH PLAN TO ABOLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
“Since 1979, the U.S. Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion with virtually nothing to show for it,” the fact sheet reads. “Despite per-pupil spending having increased by more than 245% over that period, there has been virtually no measurable improvement in student achievement: Math and reading scores for 13-year-olds are at the lowest level in decades. … Seven-in-ten fourth and eighth graders are not proficient in reading, while 40% of fourth grade students don’t even meet basic reading levels.”
Tennessee lawsuit
An appellate court judge recently sided with Tennessee student William A., ruling that the student was denied the free public education to which he is entitled under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
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“William graduated from high school without being able to read or even to spell his own name,” Circuit Judge Raymond Kethledge wrote in his judgment. “That was because, per the terms of his IEPs, he relied on a host of accommodations that masked his inability to read.”
To write a paper, William would speak the topic into a speech-to-text software and paste the words into an AI app like Chat-GPT, which would then “generate a paper on that topic,” Kethledge explained. William would then paste that text back into his own document and “run that paper through another software program like Grammarly, so that it reflected an appropriate writing style.”
EDUCATION DEPT LAUNCHES WIDESPREAD CIVIL RIGHTS PROBE: A LOOK AT WHAT THE AGENCY AS TRUMP EYES SHUTDOWN
William, who has severe dyslexia, went through 12 years of public education with an individualized education program (IEP), never learned to read or write, and still graduated with a 3.4 GPA, according to court documents.
“This kid can’t read.”
When William was in 9th grade in 2020, a special education teacher asked a school psychologist to “[p]lease take a look at William [A]. I am very concerned.”
The teacher stated: “this kid can’t read,” according to the suit.
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) in Tennessee, “knowing he cannot read, passed him right along, creating an artificial GPA of 3.41 by the end of eleventh grade putting William on a path to regular education diploma, even though he lacked basic reading skills,” the original complaint reads.
CMCSS told Fox News Digital it does not comment on pending litigation.
US ‘REPORT CARD’ SHOWS STUDENTS HAVE FALLEN BEHIND IN READING, BARELY BUDGED IN MATH: ‘THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD’
“By March 2023, William could not consistently spell his own first and last name while signing his IEP. And in June 2023, William’s own writing sample illustrated he was unable to write more than 31 words in three minutes. He misspelled half the words, all of which were Kindergarten level sight words he had memorized,” the lawsuit reads.
Connecticut lawsuit
In a similar lawsuit out of Connecticut, a high school graduate named Aleysha Ortiz argues similarly that she went through years of public education in Hartford County with a learning disability and IEP without ever being taught how to read or write.
Ortiz not only graduated with honors, but she was also admitted into the University of Connecticut, according to the complaint.
Ortiz argues in her complaint that while her reading and writing skills were not properly addressed, she presented “younger than her age socially and emotionally” and was subjected to bullying.
Like William, Ortiz began using “assistive technology to help her read and write, and advocated for herself tirelessly in school,” the complaint states.
“She told them that she was concerned that she was not prepared for college…”
“In May 2024, the Plaintiff reported to her case manager and PPT that she had been accepted and planned to attend the University of Connecticut after graduation,” the complaint states. “She told them that she was concerned that she was not prepared for college and would not be able to obtain the accommodations she would need in college to be successful due to the Board’s refusal to permit proper testing.”
Ortiz was concerned that her elementary-level reading and writing skills would “impact her ability to be successful in college,” but “[t]t wasn’t until approximately one month before graduation that the [Hartford Board of Education] agreed to conduct additional testing that the Plaintiff had been asking for.”
CHILDREN SCORING WORSE IN MATH AND READING COMPARED TO BEFORE LOCKDOWNS, DATA SHOWS: ‘MULTIYEAR RECOVERY’
The Hartford Board of Education told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on pending litigation.
Hartford Public Schools also does not comment on pending litigation, but the school system told Fox News Digital in a statement that it remains “deeply committed to meeting the full range of needs our students bring with them when they enter our schools — and helping them reach their full potential.”
The “deeper problem”
Jacobson told Fox News Digital that “in fairness” to teachers and school districts, they are “caught between various forces pushing against each other.”
“On the one hand, there’s oftentimes money tied to performance. And if you fail students, if you don’t advance them, that could affect the funding that the school district gets,” he explained. “There are individual students who have parents who … want them not to fail. And so there’s a lot of pressure there.”
NATIONWIDE TEACHER SHORTAGES LEAVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS RELYING ON ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS
An increasing number of public school students have IEPs, meaning more students have individualized learning programs that teachers, who are already overwhelmed by national employee shortages, must accommodate by law.
“This is a real problem, and it’s a failure at its core of our educational system.”
“Obviously, it varies district to district,” Jacobson said. “Some have perfectly good intentions. Some have maybe not good intentions and just want to go along to get along.”
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The Cornell Law professor added that while he does not see AI going anywhere in the future of education, “we’ve got to be very firm that AI does not end up actually dumbing down the students rather than informing the students, because you can become very dependent on it, and that’s another problem, but it’s one we can’t ignore.”
Additionally, Jacobson said, parents should be more focused on helping their children to read and write.
“I think parents would be better focused on helping their students and their children learn, rather than worrying about the next lawsuit,” he said. “I realize that might be a little unrealistic, because we are in a culture of trying to cash in on lawsuits, but I think our energy should be focused on fixing the system and getting students properly treated, as opposed to: how are we going to sue the school district?”
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Justin Gilbert, the attorney representing William A., told Fox News Digital that “[w]ith up to 20% of the students in the United States having dyslexia, William’s case reinforces the need for dyslexia-trained teachers.”
“Most of us take reading for granted, but once we move outside the ‘reading window’ of the elementary school years, learning to read becomes much harder,” Gilbert said. “That’s particularly true for students with dyslexia. William’s case is a reminder, though a tragic one, of the need for greater awareness of dyslexia in the public schools.”
Court docs reveal Idaho suspect’s ‘big mistake’ that linked him to case
New court filings in the Idaho student murders case could severely handicap suspect Bryan Kohberger’s defense, according to legal experts – he allegedly purchased a Ka-Bar knife on Amazon months before the murders and then shopped for a replacement days after they took place.
Bryan Kohberger, a 30-year-old former criminology Ph.D. student, is accused of using a large, bladed weapon to kill four University of Idaho undergrads – Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20.
According to Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt, all four victims died with multiple stab wounds. At least two of them were so intoxicated at the time of the attack that they were unable to resist at all, prosecutors wrote in court filings.
Under Mogen’s body, police found a Ka-Bar knife sheath, stamped with a United States Marine Corps logo and allegedly containing Kohberger’s DNA on the snap.
PROSECUTORS CLAP BACK AT BRYAN KOHBERGER’S ‘BUSHY EYEBROWS’ DENIAL BY SHARING ALLEGED SELFIE FROM DAY OF MURDERS
Prosecutors revealed in court filings this week that he allegedly bought a Ka-Bar, a sheath and a sharpener on Amazon in March 2022, months before the murders. Then, in the weeks after the murders, his Amazon app “click activity” allegedly shows he was browsing for a replacement.
Experts say the shopping list will be difficult for the defense to explain away, especially based on the timing and the specific details about what Kohberger was allegedly looking at.
That is a catastrophic fact for his defense.
“There’s always kind of this lore around that using a knife in a murder is particularly personal,” said Edwina Elcox, a Boise defense attorney who has been following the case. “And then the time frame of the search that links him, if this is correct, to this murder weapon shows a significant level, or at least I’m sure the prosecution would argue, shows a significant level of premeditation.”
She said that the slate of newly revealed evidence against Kohberger indicates prosecutors may have a stronger case than previously known.
Read the filing:
IDAHO COURT RELEASES SURVIVING ROOMMATES’ TEXT MESSAGES FROM NIGHT OF STUDENT MURDERS
Kohberger’s defense team has asked the court to keep his Amazon records out of the trial.
“The information that is publicly available is that …the murder weapon, other than the sheath, has never been recovered,” Elcox told Fox News Digital. “And then he is searching for this very, very specific item. This is beyond a catastrophic fact to the defense…I do not know how you explain that away.”
For Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and cold case investigator, the Amazon business records are yet another tool in the digital era that he believes will increasingly help law enforcement solve crimes going forward.
“Electronic evidence is gonna bring this case to a head for sure – it’s amazing,” he told Fox News Digital. “I said cellphone records, internet records and video surveillance are things that are gonna solve most cases going forward, but having this type of information is extremely damaging.”
WATCH: Father of slain Idaho student speaks out on new evidence in the case
Prosecutors made the revelation in response to Kohberger’s defense team trying to have evidence of his Amazon activity kept out of the trial, arguing in part that the retail giant’s algorithm “shapes user behavior” by serving up items it predicts shoppers want.
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“Applying the test for relevancy, first, Kohberger’s click activity which shows a purchase of a Ka-Bar knife and sheath before the homicides, makes it more probable (than it would be without the evidence) that the Ka-Bar sheath found at the crime scene was Bryan Kohberger’s,” Latah County Deputy Prosecutor Ashley Jennings wrote in a court filing made public Wednesday evening.
“Second, Kohberger’s click activity after the homicides makes it more probable (than it would be without the evidence) that Kohberger had a reason to search for a Ka-Bar knife and sheath after the homicides.”
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Judge Steven Hippler this week denied Kohberger’s request to have an expert testify about the Amazon data at a hearing next month. He has not yet ruled on the motion to exclude the evidence.
FBI’S KOHBERGER DNA TACTICS DIDN’T VIOLATE LAW, BUT THEY RAISE ANOTHER PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN
“This is the smoking gun evidence in the case,” said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles who has been following the case.
WATCH: Former prosecutor breaks down Bryan Kohberger’s Amazon history
The DNA connects Kohberger to the crime scene, and his Amazon history undermines a defense theory that it could have been planted, he said.
“This was a big mistake by Kohberger, who was otherwise very careful about covering his tracks,” he added.
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Kohberger was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University, just 10 miles down the road from the University of Idaho crime scene.
“I think he fancies himself…as remarkably intelligent, but as somebody who has studied this field, you know that law enforcement and their searches cast a wide, wide net,” Elcox told Fox News Digital. “Having this in a searchable history format is…OK, you just have to wonder, I don’t think you’re maybe as smart as you thought you were.”
Prosecutors have also alleged they traced his car, a white Hyundai Elantra, to and from the crime scene, that an eyewitness saw a masked man inside the home just after the murders, and that phone records also corroborate their alleged timeline of events. But Kohberger was not identified as a suspect until more than a month after the slaying with the help of investigative genetic genealogy.
While legal experts say the Amazon history is damming evidence, it also raises new questions for people who study the criminal mind, a topic Kohberger himself had studied at the graduate level. Was a suspect looking to replace a missing sheath, after leaving one behind at the crime scene, or a budding serial killer taking steps toward another kill?
“I don’t think this killing was a one off – I think…whoever did this, they were likely to kill again,” Dr. Kris Mohandie, a criminal psychologist, told Fox News Digital. “If it was him, why would he kill like that unless he enjoyed it? Further, he was interested in serial killers.”
And although whoever committed the crime is believed to have taken steps to conceal their tracks, he added killers always make a mistake that catches up to them.
“I’ll guarantee you that scene didn’t have one fingerprint of his on it, nor did it have anyone else’s,” said John Kelly, a criminal profiler who has been following the case. “Because whoever did it wiped it down so well.”
BRYAN KOHBERGER DOESN’T WANT AMAZON SHOPPING LIST REVEALED AT TRIAL
While search warrants show police recovered knives after Kohberger’s arrest, none have been publicly identified as a potential murder weapon.
Kohberger’s trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 11 in Boise.
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He could face the death penalty if convicted. A judge entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf at his arraignment in May 2023.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow nods to Trump-era promise in new move
Gwyneth Paltrow is “very fascinated” by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
In her recent cover story with Vanity Fair, the actress and Goop founder said, “A lot of our institutions are really failing us and that is this pervasive, sweeping axiom that Americans feel.”
She continued, “Consumers shape markets and people are starting to vote with their wallets on this stuff.”
The MAHA slogan was introduced in July 2024, and Kennedy has been leading the charge before and after his confirmation as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), pushing for reforms like limiting ultra-processed foods and overhauling regulation in the agriculture sector.
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Paltrow does not mention Kennedy specifically in her interview, but has opinions that appear to line up with his positions on certain subjects.
One such example was glyphosate, one of many herbicides which Kennedy has spoken about wanting to limit for being linked to diseases like cancer.
“We spray glyphosate on everything and it’s a carcinogen, and we have all these lobbyists to keep everything in place,” Paltrow said.
Representatives for Kennedy and the HHS office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Paltrow also told the outlet she felt junk food in the U.S. had significantly changed, saying she ate peanut M&M’s on a recent flight in Europe.
“I would not do that in America,” she said.
The “Shakespeare in Love” star didn’t align herself with any particular party, but instead focused on the general need to make changes to America’s health.
“Look, we’re all incredibly flawed. I think the leaders’ piece is what makes people think, I’m going to take this research into my own hands and I’m going to try to make the best choices that I can for me and my family,” said Paltrow.
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She continued, “A lot of those leaders are, well, they’re all humans, so they’re all imperfect and sometimes they’re way past imperfect and it’s actually really dissonant with how other people hold information or how they feel politicians are supposed to behave.”
“I’ve felt like I’m gripping the sides of my chair. What is the way through all of this and what is actually meant to be incendiary and what is actually meant to be policy?” she added.
“A lot of our institutions are really failing us and that is this pervasive, sweeping axiom that Americans feel.”
Paltrow has been a lifestyle and wellness mogul since she founded her brand, Goop, in 2008.
Goop and Paltrow have faced their share of backlash over the years, thanks to some controversial products and recommendations.
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In 2018, Goop agreed to pay a settlement after it was accused of making unscientific claims about three of its products, including its $66 Jade Egg, which the company claimed can help balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles and increase bladder control when inserted vaginally.
The California Food, Drug and Medical Device Task Force said in its lawsuit that Goop’s claims “were not supported by competent and reliable science.”
Goop agreed to pay the $145,000 settlement, but told SFGate in a statement, “While Goop believes there is an honest disagreement about these claims, the company wanted to settle this matter quickly and amicably.”
The brand also faced backlash in 2020 when Paltrow’s Netflix series, “The Goop Lab,” debuted.
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During the series, Paltrow offered tips on everything from “vampire facials” to “magic mushroom therapy” and “energy exorcisms.”
At the time, National Health Service England CEO Simon Stevens said those practices posed a “considerable health risk.”
A spokeswoman for Goop said the firm is “transparent when we cover emerging topics that may be unsupported by science or may be in early stages of review.”
Paltrow’s own personal choices have also come under fire, like in 2023, when she recommended health tips like intermittent fasting and bone broth meals, dubbed a “starvation diet” by critics.
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“I have been working to really focus on foods that aren’t inflammatory, [and] it’s been working really well,” she explained in an Instagram story at the time, adding that she has “long COVID,” leading to “very high levels of inflammation.”
“This [is] just really what has worked for me,” she added. “It has been very powerful and positive.”
On the “Art of Being Well” podcast that same year, Paltrow opened up on her health journey, saying it began after her father, producer Bruce Paltrow, was diagnosed with cancer in 1999.
“I didn’t think about [wellness] a lot until my father was diagnosed with cancer. I started realizing there had to be a connection through what we were eating and what we were being exposed to,” she explained.
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“And how that was being expressed through disease. And that’s when I started researching whatever I could. Talking to people. Understanding the links between environmental toxins, cancer… what led to the creation of disease in our culture.”
Other celebrities have spoken out in support of the MAHA movement.
Singer-songwriter Jewel defended herself after fans voiced their disappointment over her decision to perform at the MAHA Inaugural Ball for Kennedy.
“As many of you know, I am a mental health advocate. If there’s anything that I’ve learned in the past 20 years, it’s that mental health affects everybody’s lives across party lines,” Jewel said in a video released on social media at the time. “I reached out to the last administration, spoke with the surgeon general about the mental health crisis that’s facing our nation. I don’t know if you guys know the stats, but it is bleak.”
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The performer went on to say that she believes there are many things we as a society can do to help, adding, “I believe I can help, and if I believe I can help, I have to try.”
While Jewel said she does “not agree on all the politics,” she thinks there are those in the new Trump administration who “are willing to help on this issue.”
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Cheryl Hines, who has been married to Kennedy since 2014, appeared at the MAHA Inaugural Ball, as well.
Hines has spoken about not always agreeing with every aspect of her husband’s campaign or other members of the political spectrum, but did appear to support MAHA on her social media while promoting her eco-friendly self-care company, Hines+Young, which she co-founded with her 20-year-old daughter, Catherine Young.
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In the clip, Kennedy appeared partially naked while showering in the background as Hines’ head strategically blocked most of his body.
The actress also posted an image of Hines+Young products, including a candle that had a lid emblazoned with “MAHA.” Hines tagged her company’s Instagram page and added the “MAHA” hashtag on the photo.
Plane takeoff aborted after pilot allegedly tried to go airborne but wasn’t on the runway
A Southwest Airlines flight was canceled in Florida after the aircraft tried to take off from a taxiway instead of a runway at Orlando International Airport, officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating the incident involving Southwest Airlines Flight 3278, which was scheduled to depart Orlando for Albany, N.Y., on Thursday morning.
“An air traffic controller at Orlando International Airport canceled the takeoff clearance for Southwest Airlines Flight 3278 around 9:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, March 20, after the aircraft began its takeoff roll on a taxiway. The taxiway runs parallel to the runway,” the FAA told Fox News Digital in a statement. “No other aircraft were involved.”
Southwest Airlines said in a statement Thursday that the plane “stopped safely on a taxiway at Orlando International Airport this morning after the Crew mistook the surface for the nearby runway.”
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“No injuries were reported. Southwest is engaged with the NTSB and FAA to understand the circumstances of the event,” it added.
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“The airline accommodated Customers on another aircraft to their intended destination of Albany,” it added.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees,” the company also said.
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The incident happened days after the National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report suggesting that sunglare may have been a contributing factor in the recent near miss involving a Southwest Airlines jet at Chicago Midway International Airport.