CCP threat becomes even more apparent after Israel launches strike on Iran

Recent arrests of Chinese nationals at the University of Michigan have resurrected concerns about CCP-owned farmland and property in the United States, particularly in Michigan, and caused some to draw parallels with the current conflict between Iran and Israel. 

Earlier this month, two Chinese nationals were charged with allegedly smuggling a “dangerous biological pathogen” into the U.S. to study at the University of Michigan in an incident that FBI Director Kash Patel described as a “sobering reminder that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate our institutions and target our food supply, an act that could cripple our economy and endanger American lives.”

Later, a third Chinese national with connections to the university was arrested, renewing questions about China’s efforts to infiltrate and influence various sectors in the United States, including buying up farmland, which has been a growing concern nationwide.

A 2023 report from the United States Department of Agriculture found that “foreign persons held an interest in nearly 45 million acres of U.S. agricultural land,” which represents 3.5% of all privately held agricultural land and 2% of all land in the country.

NEW LEGISLATION AIMS TO TELL CHINA ‘NO’ ON BUYING UP AMERICAN FARMLAND

While China is not at the top of the list of countries in that report, the arrests in Michigan have prompted calls from Congress to ensure that the CCP, viewed by many as the nation’s top geopolitical adversary, is not buying up farmland in the United States.

Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts exclusively told Fox News Digital this week that China has been aggressively buying American agriculture, “which is why we need to have a heightened sense of vigilance around protecting our homeland.”

Ricketts, along with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, introduced the bipartisan Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act that seeks to implement recommendations published by the Government Accountability Office in January 2024, which found the AFIDA was ill-equipped to combat foreign ownership of American agricultural land. 

“China’s land purchases aren’t just about acreage—they’re about access,” Michigan GOP Rep. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the CCP, told Fox News Digital. 

“Even small parcels near military bases or critical infrastructure pose serious national security risks. In my home state, we’ve seen concerning cases like Gotion’s site near Camp Grayling. We need full transparency into who’s buying land and where—because the Chinese Communist Party shouldn’t be allowed to hide behind shell companies to gain a foothold in our country.”

FBI DIRECTOR PATEL LEADS CHARGE TO ROOT OUT CHINESE INFLUENCE ON US SOIL

China’s encroachment into Michigan’s agriculture was enough of a concern for Republican state Rep. Gina Johnsen to introduce legislation earlier this year banning foreign adversaries from buying up farmland.

“Our state’s agricultural industry is a pillar of our economy. My community is an agricultural community,” Johnsen said. Our farms provide food security, jobs, and economic stability for countless residents. However, there is growing concern about losing our farmland to countries of concern.” 

Additionally, Chinese farmland has become a topic of conversation in the wake of revelations that Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear capabilities was aided by years of covert planning, surveillance and infiltration by Israeli intelligence. 

Code-named “Am Kelavi” (Rising Lion), the preemptive operation was the product of unprecedented coordination between the Israeli air force, the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Mossad and the country’s defense industries. For years, they worked “shoulder to shoulder” to gather the intelligence files needed to eliminate Iran’s most sensitive military and nuclear assets.

As part of that operation, Israel was able to establish a drone base inside Iran, where Mossad operatives retrieved them from hiding spots to use against Iranian sites. 

Bryan Cunningham, president of Liberty Defense and former CIA intelligence officer, told Fox News Digital that the Israeli operation is a “wake-up call” for the United States about what a foreign adversary like China could potentially carry out in the United States.

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“As an intelligence officer, part of me says, I wish that the sources and methods of building these drone factories inside the target countries hadn’t been revealed,” Cunningham said. “But on the other hand, it does serve as a wake-up call, hopefully for our policymakers, and it also ties in, and if I were the administration, I would make this tie in immediately and loudly with the Trump administration’s border strategy.”

Cunningham continued, “Our borders are where you’re most likely to actually intercept these kinds of toxins, explosives, flares, 3D-printed weapons, ceramic weapons, whatever it is. So if it were me and I were the Secretary of Homeland Security, I would be tying this all together. You know, it is important to get people out of the country that have committed violent or other serious crimes in the country, but it’s also really important to prevent people like these guys from bringing in those kinds of materials.”

The FBI is increasing its surveillance of Iranian-backed operatives inside the United States as Trump weighs strikes, a senior law enforcement official told Fox News on Friday. 

Iran regime ‘collapsing at rapid pace’ as experts warn of dangerous aftermath ahead

As the Iranian regime reels from sustained Israeli strikes on military and nuclear infrastructure, debate is intensifying over what could come next.

Experts say the end of the Islamic Republic is no longer unthinkable — but warn that what replaces it could either lift the country toward a freer future or plunge it into instability.

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran and a prominent opposition figure, posted yesterday, “Sources inside Iran say that the regime’s command and control structures are collapsing at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, the international community is beginning to realize that the Islamic Republic has no future. Our discussions about a post-Islamic Republic Iran have begun.”

“The first thing is revolution is too broad a word,” said Behnam Taleblu, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “The better words are evolution and devolution, meaning if you get something better or something worse. Because this is the Middle East, and fundamentally, things can get worse, not better, when you introduce an exogenous shock.”

TRUMP TO MAKE IRAN DECISION ‘WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS’ GIVEN ‘CHANCE’ OF NEGOTIATIONS, LEAVITT SAYS

Taleblu cautioned that both the Iranian opposition and Western governments have failed to prepare for regime collapse because of a long-standing reluctance to engage with the idea of regime change. “By not being able to articulate the necessary political strategy… we are most unprepared,” he said.

Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, sees four scenarios emerging from the current moment — one of which, he warns, is far worse than the others.

“The Iranian people are currently leaderless, low-energy, and disillusioned since the women’s protests,” Sveti told Fox News Digital. “One scenario is collapse from within, similar to the Soviet Union. A brigade commander inside the Revolutionary Guards, supported by a circle of loyalists, could decide to rebel from within the regime.”

Sabti said that after Israel eliminated many Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) generals, Iran’s regular army may now be better positioned to rise. “It might even align with disillusioned elements of the revolutionary guards,” he said. “Because they know the system and its bureaucracy, insiders could quietly organize something from within. There would be casualties, but it could unfold as a relatively quiet historical event.”

Taleblu supports the idea that a regime transition could emerge from within, but notes that Iran has spent decades “coup-proofing.”

“It has promoted more based on zeal than capability. So it’s less likely that you could have a classic military coup d’état emerge,” he said. “That doesn’t mean it can’t happen, but it would take a significant amount of politicking and maneuvering.”

ISRAEL’S ‘RESOUNDING’ MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN COULD BE HISTORIC TURNING POINT, EXPERTS SAY

The second scenario Sabti outlined is a popular uprising sparked by the release of political prisoners. “There are many political leaders in Iranian prisons,” he said. “If some are freed, they could rally the public. They were once part of the regime but tried to shift course and now support relations with the U.S. It would still be a very cold peace with Israel—but not hostile.”

Taleblu noted that Iranian society has already undergone a significant shift over the past decade. “Large swaths of the Iranian population—80% is probably a minimum number—hate this regime,” he said. “The protests since 2017, especially ‘Women, Life, Freedom,’ were triggered not just by politics, but by economic, social, even environmental issues.”

A third possibility, Sabti said, is the return of exiled leaders. “There’s deep romantic nostalgia toward the monarchy,” he said. “Maybe in a later phase, if infighting breaks out, people might rally around a symbolic figure—‘Come back and be a symbol.’ That could strengthen the revolution.”

Taleblu acknowledged that figures like Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi could play a role, but not as rulers. “Think of the diaspora as a bridgehead into a new Iran—not the definers of the new Iran,” he said. “The people inside Iran should be the ones shaping the next Iran.”

The fourth — and worst — scenario, according to Sabti, is that the regime survives. “That’s the worst option,” he said bluntly.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN

Taleblu agreed, warning that survival would bring an even more repressive future. “If the Islamic Republic survives, it will survive in a more radical fashion—more military, less clergy,” he said. “There’s debate: does it become like Turkey or Pakistan, or does it become even more messianic? The older IRGC are corrupt; the younger ones are messianic.”

One of the most contentious questions looming over all these scenarios is the future role of Iran’s non-Persian communities, including the Ahwazi, Baloch, Azeris, and Kurds. Aref Al-Kaabi, executive president of the State of Ahwaz, told Fox News Digital in a written statement that without trust-building between these communities and the Persian opposition, change will remain elusive.

“In my opinion, regime change in Iran is possible if the following conditions are met: continued Israeli strikes… support for non-Persian components… international will… and bridges of trust between Arabs, Kurds, Baloch, Azeris, and the Persian opposition,” Al-Kaabi said. “If these conditions are met, I believe the regime’s fall will only be a matter of days.”

He said that in recent days, the IRGC launched widespread arrests in Ahwaz to prevent mobilization. “Most of those arrested are Arabs from Abadan, Bushehr, Sheyban, and Shoaibiya,” he said.

Al-Kaabi also criticized the Persian opposition abroad. “They view us—Arabs, Kurds, Azeris, Baloch—as separatists and refuse to work with us. That stubbornness is one of the main reasons the regime is still in power.”

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Taleblu warned against Western attempts to divide the country. “The way to unite the Iranian population is not to talk about balkanization,” he said. “That would be an own goal of moral and strategic proportions.”

Portnoy fumes over controversial ‘Taylor Swift tax’ menacing homeowners

Barstool Sports founder and outspoken “Swiftie” Dave Portnoy is fuming over what’s being coined as the “Taylor Swift tax.”

The proposed Rhode Island law would target owners of luxury second homes valued at over $1 million, imposing annual fees that could soar into the six-figures.

“We don’t like that tax, Stuart,” Portnoy said during an interview on “Varney & Co.” “Now I don’t have any houses in Rhode Island, but I got some pretty close to Rhode Island. So, I don’t like those states getting the ideas.”

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In 2013, Swift dropped roughly $17 million on a mansion in the exclusive Watch Hill area of Westerly, Rhode Island. 

Because of the property’s sky-high value, she could be hit with an additional $136,000 in yearly taxes if the law passes.

RHODE ISLAND POLICE CHIEF REJECTS SERIAL KILLER THEORY AFTER HUMAN REMAINS FOUND NEAR TAYLOR SWIFT’S MANSION

Swift owns seven homes across the U.S., including properties in New York City, Beverly Hills, Nashville, and Rhode Island.

As a second-home owner in Nantucket, Massachusetts, Portnoy voiced concern over Rhode Island’s proposed tax, jokingly hoping the New England state doesn’t get any ideas from it.

“Now, I will say, if they name the tax in Massachusetts ‘the Dave Portnoy tax,’ my ego may let that slide,” he jested. 

DAVE PORTNOY BLASTS TV STATION OVER CONTENTIOUS INTERVIEW

“That may be something where it’s like, I’ll pay a couple of hundred grand to have… ‘Oh, Dave has such big houses they named a tax after him.’”

Portnoy owns properties in Miami, Saratoga Springs, Montauk, and Nantucket. His waterfront Nantucket estate was purchased for $42 million in 2023 — a record-breaking sale for both the island and the state.

For now, the businessman is content with his four homes.

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“I’m not looking anywhere. I use my houses quite a bit,” Portnoy concluded. 

Tactical gear, hotel stays signal paid protesters at anti-ICE riots, CEO says

As tensions rise about who is behind the violent anti-ICE riots, a California-based company that specializes in providing on-demand crowds for protests says there are indicators to spot the difference between hired demonstrators and normal crowds.

“We receive inquiries regarding practically every major social cause imaginable, and the anti-ICE demonstrations are no exception,” Adam Swart, the CEO and founder of Crowds on Demand, told Fox News Digital. “The fact that we receive requests does not mean we take them, in many cases because the budget does not match the ambition.”

Swart added that they have received “numerous high budget requests” regarding the anti-ICE demonstrations, but declined those offers due to the fact “that they do not want to get close to any form of illegal activity, including violence, vandalism or blocking off roads without a permit.”

Swart, who started Crowds on Demand in 2012 when he was a student at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) to “change how advocacy is done,” shared how they support causes and how to spot if these protests are tied to other companies and organizations.

Spotting ‘bad actors’

Swart said one way to know the difference between his crowd and those who are hired by other companies is if those “paid protest teams are kept on standby.”

“These groups deploy protesters within minutes using geolocation tools and encrypted chats,” Swart said.

He added that “only compensated activists move that fast.”

COAST-TO-COAST ANTI-ICE CHAOS CAUGHT ON CAMERA

“Now what you’re seeing from the agitators should not be logged in with the broader protest movement, and that is because there is a group of agitators who attach themselves to every cause and use that cause as an excuse to loot, to be violent, and to create disruption,” Swart said.

“They do not care about those causes, they merely care about looting and destruction. These are pirates. These are psychopaths, and their behavior should not be tolerated, and their actions should not be used to delegitimize peaceful demonstrators.”

Swart said that some of these groups have informants inside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“Activist groups are (likely) receiving tipoffs about ICE raid locations, allowing them to stage protests before law enforcement even arrives,” Swart shared. 

“I strongly believe that there are ICE informants who are providing information to demonstrators about the locations of the raids. The reason why I believe that is that there were hundreds of demonstrators that showed up with just a few minutes’ notice at the locations of the raids. That is difficult to do,” he continued. 

Swart said this is all speculation on his part, and he has no specific information on how the riots might be funded.

“While I don’t have direct information that the protesters are being paid, I strongly believe that many of the protesters are being compensated,” he explained. “How do I know this? Because when you can gather hundreds of people at the wee hours of the morning or the late hours of night with zero notice with just a text message within a 10-minute period, that sounds a lot more like a rapid reaction force than a group of passionate demonstrators.” 

Swart said to also look out for legal payouts that are “disguised as support.”

“Instead of direct cash payments, groups offer expensive legal defense packages and luxury accommodations as a workaround – compensating illegal action without ever calling it that,” Swart explained. 

Swart said another giveaway is the hotel accommodations that are arranged for violent rioters.

“Expect to see protest leaders put up in boutique hotels ‘awaiting trial.’ It’s a tactic increasingly used to reward aggressive participants without raising legal red flags,” he explained.

“It is perfectly acceptable for people to express concern regarding ICE activities and regarding the Trump administration’s border policies and immigration policies, but any form of violence, blocking off streets, and vandalism is not only illegal and not only disruptive, but it actually undermines the very cause that they are seeking to promote,” Swart said.

Tactical gear is a red flag 

Swart said the most important factor to determine whether these rioters are being funded is the use of tactical gear. 

“Another tip that these guys are funded is the fact that they have tactical gear. Tactical gear is extremely expensive and the fact they’re passing out hundreds of tactical gear uniforms is an indication that there’s some money. Who is funding these groups?” Swart questioned. 

WATCH: DEM, MEDIA OUTLETS INSIST LA ANTI-ICE RIOTS ARE ‘PEACEFUL’ DESPITE VIOLENCE, INJURED COPS

“The only reason you need tactical gear is if you’re purposefully going into a situation where you’re trying to create a riot,” he added. 

Swart said the fact that they are able to pass out expensive tactical gear at a moment’s notice is a clear sign that something is off.

“We need to look at the entire paper trail. I want to know who is paying for the tactical gear. Who is paying for the Molotov cocktails? And go back from there,” he said. 

“Because when you look into that from a crime perspective, you can understand very quickly whether there is any foreign country involved or whether there’s a billionaire involved or whoever. And we need to move very quickly to understand who are the forces that are trying to undermine this country.” 

California lawmakers need to address real issue 

Swart said that what these violent protests are doing is turning people away from the cause and deterring the public from wanting to support their mission. 

“Blocking streets is not the way you do that, you know? The way you do that is respectful advocacy, communication, and it’s hard to say Trump is the agent of chaos when it’s people who are on your side who are throwing Molotov cocktails, blocking streets and preventing access for single moms getting to work to pick up their kids. That doesn’t sound like liberal values to me,” Swart said. 

With their positions in power, Swart urged Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass to get in front of the mess and restore law and order.

“If you arrest people for violence, but then they’re put back on the street in two hours, they will continue violence. If the ultimate penalty for violent offenders is some sort of diversion program with a few-hundred-dollar fine, then there will be more violence,” Swart explained. “So the reality is, until you increase the penalties for violence, until you have mass arrests, then nothing will change in the state of California.” 

“Gavin Newsom knows what people want. He just doesn’t think they deserve it. He’s kind of like this symbol of what’s wrong with the Democratic Party, because he preaches a lot, but he never practices,” Swart said. “He never practices anything he preaches, and it’s really a sad state of affairs that he has left it (California) in.”

GOP lawmaker launches investigation into anti-ICE riots

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., launched an investigation into a left-wing group in California that he says may be financially supporting violent protests in Los Angeles.

Swart said an investigation is absolutely necessary, because the rioters are most likely being funded by someone.

FBI WILL INVESTIGATE ‘ANY EVIDENCE OF A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY’ IN LA RIOTS

Hawley wrote a letter to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) last week, saying the organization may have an “alleged role in financially and materially supporting” protests and riots in Los Angeles, which he described as “coordinated.”

“Who is funding the LA riots? This violence isn’t spontaneous. As chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, I’m launching an investigation to find out,” Hawley said in a post on X.

The letter, addressed to CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas, notes that “credible reporting” has indicated that the organization has provided “logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions.”

“Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct. Accordingly, you must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding or promotion of these unlawful activities,” Hawley wrote in the letter. 

CHIRLA did not respond to a request for comment.

Hawley told Fox News Digital that the Senate committee was sending out several letters to a number of organizations in question. 

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Swart added that what is concerning to him in all this is why these “very wealthy billionaires” are allegedly funding the riots in LA. 

“There are a lot of wealthy left-wing billionaires that are funding it, and their motives are uncertain, which is why I think that it has to be in coordination with hostile foreign regimes, because there’s no benefit to creating chaos on the streets for this country,” Swart shared. “You have to look at what if they have a financial motive, or they have a sort of foreign corrupt motive, right? Because these foreign countries are always seeking to undermine our system.” 

“There has to be a clear separation between funding peaceful advocacy and funding violent agitation, and we need to find very quickly who is behind the violent agitation,” Swart said. 

ICE did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Leave It to Beaver’ child star reunites with cast nearly 70 years after premiere

The gang is back together again.

Jerry Mathers, who starred as Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver in the hit ‘50s sitcom “Leave It to Beaver,” recently reunited with the surviving cast members at The Hollywood Show in Burbank, California.

“It was so wonderful to be with my friends from ‘Leave It to Beaver’ – Stephen Talbot (Gilbert Bates), Jeri Weil (Judy Hensler), Luke Tiger Farfara (Tooey Brown) and Veronica Cartwright (Violet Rutherford) for a reunion,” the former child star told Fox News Digital in a statement.

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“We took photos and signed autographs with the fans who were so gracious and happy to be with us,” the 77-year-old shared. 

“Hard to believe it is almost 70 years since ‘Leave It to Beaver’ first aired on television. Our fans are so devoted, and many write to me that they record the show in the morning and watch it at night so they can have a peaceful sleep in this crazy world.”

“I am very grateful to be associated with such a heartfelt show that touches the lives of so many families in such a positive way,” Mathers added.

“Leave It to Beaver,” which was synonymous with the wholesome image of the 1950s American family, aired on the small screen from 1957 to 1963. According to People magazine, the show still has a legion of fans, thanks to syndication. The outlet noted that the first season is streaming on Peacock.

According to the outlet, Mathers and his onscreen brother Tony Dow, who played Wally, starred in the reboot of “Leave It to Beaver,” titled “The New Leave It to Beaver,” from 1983 to 1989.

The castmates have endured loss in recent years. Ken Osmond, who played two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell before leading a second career as a police officer, died in 2020 at age 76. Dow, who later found success as a sculptor, passed away in 2022 at age 77.

WATCH: LEAVE IT TO BEAVER STAR JERRY MATHERS REVEALS WHY HE WAS READY TO LEAVE HIT 50S SITCOM

Mathers’ on-screen dad, played by Hugh Beaumont, died in 1982. The family matriarch, played by Barbara Billingsley, passed away in 2010. She was 94.

Back in 2023, Mathers described to Fox News Digital how he had been just a teen when he found himself out of a job once the series came to an end.

“It ended at the right time for me,” he said at the time. “I wanted to play sports and, of course, working in the studio, that wasn’t something I was able to do. I was [now] able to be on the track team and football team. That was something I really wanted to do.”

“It was nice being in [a normal school],” he reflected. “I had a private tutor for the whole time that I was on the show. Now I was at a regular school, and it was a lot of fun. And I made a lot of good friends.”

Mathers said his family was just as supportive when he was ready to take on a completely different role in life.

“I spent six years in the National Guard,” he said. “There [wasn’t] any kind of combat or anything like that, but we were a transport unit. A lot of times, the planes would come back, and they had a lot of damage to them. . . . It was not a lot of fun, because we were doing very, very hard work, but it was something that I [felt] I should do for my country. . . .  It was something I was proud to do.”

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Over the years, Mathers focused on life outside the spotlight. At one point, he became a real estate agent.

There was no urgency to return to acting, he insisted.

“It was something that I liked doing, but I also liked being able to have my own life,” he said. “Life for me today is very, very good. I have ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ but I can also go out and meet people.”

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“I’m a grandfather now. . . . It’s wonderful,” he continued. “I also have a wonderful wife, and we have a great time with the grandchildren. We get to babysit them every once in a while. . . . I still do autograph shows, because those are fun. I get to go all over the country.

“People still come up to me with questions about the show and what I’m doing. . . . I’m just so grateful. . . . I just have a wonderful life because ‘Leave It to Beaver’ has made me so many friends. . . . All the things that happened to me were so good.”

Tom Brady’s ex shows off figure while paddleboarding after having baby with trainer

Gisele Bündchen is putting her figure on display just a few months after welcoming her third child. 

Last weekend, Bündchen was spotted during a paddleboarding session off the coast of Surfside, Florida. The model was wearing a white one-piece bathing suit with a brown visor and large sunglasses.  

Bündchen had a smile on her face in some of the photos as she glided through the water.

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Bündchen’s outing comes after she gave birth to her first child with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente in February. The duo’s romance began after her divorce from NFL legend Tom Brady in 2022.

Speaking with Vogue France, Bündchen admitted that her life looks a little different with a new baby.

“Getting my hair and makeup done feels like I’m on vacation,” she said. “With a baby, the nights are so short that I’ve barely brushed my hair in the last few months!”

Despite the hustle and bustle, Bündchen remains optimistic.

“With a baby, the nights are so short that I’ve barely brushed my hair in the last few months!”

— Gisele Bündchen 

“Now that my little one is sleeping through the night, I’m back in control. As any new mom knows, it’s incredible how much sleep – or lack of it – can change everything!” she told the outlet.

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Bündchen appeared on the cover of Vogue France’s June/July issue – just four months after giving birth. 

“I feel more comfortable in my own skin. And I have a clearer understanding of my priorities. I’m grateful for where I am. I feel like I’ve earned it,” she admitted. 

Bündchen told the outlet that her favorite moments are spending time with her three kids at home. She shares Benjamin, 14, and Vivian, 11, with Brady. 

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“Time at home with my kids is absolutely priceless,” she said. 

Bündchen noted that following her shoot with Vogue, she was most excited to get back home to her “bundle of joy.”

Valente first came into the picture as a jiu-jitsu instructor for Bündchen and her son, Benny. Having been referred to the Valente Brothers academy through a friend, the supermodel told Dust magazine in 2022, “I wanted to steer my almost teenage son in the right direction. I thought he might be interested in this.”

The Brazilian beauty started studying jiu-jitsu herself in December 2021. “Initially, I wasn’t even considering it for myself,” she said. “But when I brought [Benny] to the first class and started talking to Joaquim, I realized that it was much more than self-defense.”

After spending time as friends, Bündchen and Valente’s relationship reportedly turned romantic in June 2023.

“First, their relationship was teacher/student. Then… they became friends. And eventually, way after she was already divorced and she had no commitment to Tom Brady, something else started,” a source previously told Fox News Digital of how their relationship progressed.

The source added that Valente is an extremely charismatic person with “a great sense of humor” who is “very intelligent, very loving, he’s just a good person,” noting that “he loves kids.”

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Brady and Bündchen announced their divorce on Oct. 28, 2022, in separate Instagram posts.

“In recent days my wife and I finalized our divorce from one another after 13 years of marriage,” Brady wrote at the time. “We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together. We are blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way. We will continue to work together as parents to always ensure they receive the love and attention they deserve.”

Bündchen wrote, “The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always.”

Illegal migrant wanted for child rape flees after activist group gives tip off

Anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activists in Denver, Colorado, managed to thwart agents trying to arrest an illegal migrant wanted in Italy for child rape. 

ICE Colorado said on Friday their agents were trying to detain Jose Reyes Leon-Deras, a criminal alien from El Salvador who was convicted of child rape in Italy, when members of a local anti-ICE group alerted him to their presence. 

ICE said the group, Colorado Rapid Response, posted on social media that ICE was in the area, allowing him time to flee. 

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“During our surveillance of Leon, members of Colorado Rapid Response arrived on scene and alerted him to law enforcement’s presence, which allowed him to escape arrest,” ICE Colorado said. “Groups like this interfere with ICE’s ability to keep communities safe.”

ICE shared a Facebook post from the group, written in English and Spanish, alerting its followers to ICE’s presence in the area and the type of vehicle agents were using. 

ICE has asked the public to report Leon-Deras to federal authorities if they see the migrant but warned the public not to approach him. 

ICE RAMPS UP ARRESTS OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS AS RIOTS RAGE IN BLUE CITY: ‘YOU WILL NOT STOP US’

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston previously vowed to station police officers to block ICE agents from carrying out deportations, and a report showed that the city has spent over $356 million in taxpayer dollars on services for migrants. A 2017 Denver ordinance limits officials from cooperating with ICE.

Anti-ICE protests and activity have grown since President Donald Trump returned to office and vowed to carry out the largest deportation mission in U.S. history.

In Portland, Colorado, on Wednesday, anti-ICE activists tried to block the entrance of an ICE deportation facility in Portland and then launched fireworks and shined lasers at law enforcement, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.  

Two weeks ago, a mob of anti-ICE protesters set fire to cars in Los Angeles, damaged property and threw rocks at law enforcement, forcing Trump to activate the National Guard. 

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The “No Kings” protests across the country last week were in part fueled by opposition to mass deportations. 

On Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that 75% of the illegal aliens arrested under the Trump administration have been charged with or convicted of a crime.

FBI warns parents of satanic online group luring kids into self harm

After the FBI launched an investigation into a sophisticated criminal network targeting kids and teens online known as “764,” a former FBI agent is providing parents with practical tips to keep their children safe.

Dr. Stephen Boyce, CEO and president of the Cyber Doctor and former forensic analyst with the FBI, explained to Fox News Digital that the group originated around 2021 and has grown into a global threat. 

“The 764 Group is a decentralized network of neo-Nazi, satanic ideology and is tied to a group called the Order of Nine Angels,” said Boyce. 

What sets this group apart is its fragmented yet coordinated structure, with members spreading their influence across popular social media and gaming platforms.

FBI TARGETS 250 SUSPECTS IN ‘764’ NETWORK OF ONLINE PREDATORS MANIPULATING KIDS INTO VIOLENT, EXPLICIT VIDEOS

Unpacking 764:

Initially traced back to a U.S.-based founder who was later sentenced to 80 years in prison, the group has since expanded its reach. The FBI recently shared that it is investigating at least 250 incidents tied to the group.

“The FBI is investigating at least 250 subjects who are tied to violent online networks commonly referred to as ‘764’ but includes many offshoot networks and names,” the FBI told Fox News in a statement on Tuesday evening. “All 55 FBI field offices across the country are involved in these investigations.”

The predators are known for targeting minors on social media and using coercion to get them to film themselves committing violent or sexual acts, and then using those videos to extort minors for increasing violent or sexual videos that are then shared with “764” followers online.

Boyce warned that “the common one that certainly hits all the headlines is Roblox as well as Discord”, noting that while these platforms are not inherently malicious, their communication features have been exploited by predators. 

Mainstream apps that many young adults use, like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and X, are not immune to misuse, he said.

“I think anything where you have the ability to communicate with someone else warrants parents being aware of who their kids are interacting with,” he said.

Boyce said an equally concerning factor is the group’s use of psychological tactics to entrap victims. “One of the most common tactics is love bombing and getting into these fake online relationships,” said Boyce. 

The manipulation can lead to minors sending compromising content or performing disturbing acts.

“There is quite a bit of that sextortion, as well as various different things and the use of encoded language,” Boyce explained, pointing to the use of communicating through memes and coded language.

The group’s endgame can be especially tragic. In some cases, the 764 network pushes its victims toward livestreamed self-harm and even suicide. “They do promote self-harm,” he said. “Children have been asked to self-harm and write their name in their own blood.”

These acts are often used as rites of passage within the group, further binding victims into its toxic culture, he explained.

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Parenting Pointers:

Yaron Litwin, the CMO at Canopy Parental Control App, told Fox News Digital that limiting screen time “isn’t enough.”

“It isn’t enough to put screen time limits in place. It isn’t enough to install parental controls. Moms and dads need to be proactive and maintain an open line of dialogue with their kids on online safety topics, and should do their best to enact and enforce household rules, which will at least somewhat neutralize real threats like 764,” he said.

Knowing what apps children are using, who they are communicating with, and monitoring any shifts in behavior can be lifesaving. Parents should keep an eye out for secrecy around online activities, sudden romantic entanglements, unusual meme usage, animal cruelty and any signs of self-harm.

“For instance, newfound displays of irritability, growing secrecy about their device use and suddenly appearing to be socially withdrawn can all be signs of growing exposure to 764 or other dangerous or harmful online groups,” he said. “A sudden loss of interest in their offline lives and constantly seeking privacy can also be suspicious signs. 

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“If your kid is experiencing signs like these, react with caution and care — not panic.”

Mystery beneath the monastery: Archaeologists make discovery ‘like no other’

Archaeologists recently uncovered “sensational” artifacts beneath a historic monastery in Poland — offering a glimpse into monastic life in the 18th century.

The discovery was found near the Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary in Chełm, Poland, roughly 40 miles east of Lublin. The medieval church was founded in the 13th century. 

Throughout its long history, the church has been affiliated with the Eastern Orthodox Church as well as the Ruthenian Uniate Church. It is currently Roman Catholic.

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Historians excavated a 17th-century Basilian monastery next to the church. The monastery, which once housed Greek Catholic monks who followed the rule of St. Basil, was built around 400 years after the church was established.

In a statement, officials from the Lublin Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments (LWKZ) said the recent discovery was “like no other.”

“This year’s research season has yielded a sensational discovery,” said the statement, which was translated from Polish to English.

RARE 1,600-YEAR-OLD MOSAIC FROM CHRISTIAN MONASTERY UNVEILED AFTER CENTURIES OF OBSCURITY

“After dismantling the wooden floors on the upper level of the former Basilian monastery, hundreds of fragments of very rare heraldic tiles were found in the fill.”

Officials wrote that the tiles were glazed “in green and brown, and were made to order with specific symbolism, a bishop’s coat of arms and titles.”

“Currently, work is ongoing to inventory, piece together and study these extraordinary artifacts,” the government agency noted.

Historians estimate the tiles were crafted between 1711 and 1730. 

They were specifically designed to fit a stove, as indicated by their distinctive shape and size.

“One of the reconstructed tiles had a faceplate shaped similarly to a square, measuring 25.8 cm x 25 cm x 9.5 cm (height of the chamber), while another measured 24.5 cm (length of one side) x 7.8 cm (height of the chamber),” the translated post added.

The tiles’ faceplates also bore distinct initials, including those of Józef Lewicki. 

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He served as the monastery’s superior before becoming bishop of the Chełm Eparchy in 1711.

This remarkable find adds to a series of intriguing archaeological discoveries in Poland this year.

In March, a pair of pedestrians stumbled across an ancient deadly weapon on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

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In the Polish city of Krakow, excavators at Wawel Royal Castle recently found a remarkable ring that dates back over 500 years.