Iran flips ‘kill switch’ to hide alleged crimes as death toll rises amid protests

The Iranian regime triggered an internet “kill switch” in an apparent effort to hide alleged abuses by security forces and as protests against it surged nationwide, a cybersecurity expert has claimed.

The blackout slashed internet access to a fraction of normal levels on the 13th day of the protests as rights groups, including Amensty International, accused the regime of using lethal force against protesters.

“This is Iran’s war against its own population using digital means,” NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker told Fox News Digital.

“This was a piecemeal measure that eventually encompassed the entire country, with the government willing to use this kind of measure for an extended period of time,” he said.

“There would be an attempt by the regime to cover up crimes that it may have committed, so this blackout could potentially last for days or weeks,” Toker added.

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At least 65 people have been killed in the protests, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, which said late Friday that the death toll had more than doubled since earlier in the week.

The group also reported that more than 2,300 people have been arrested and that demonstrations have spread to at least 180 cities nationwide. Most of those killed were protesters, the group said.

“People in Iran daring to express their anger at decades of repression and demand fundamental change are once again being met with a deadly pattern of security forces unlawfully firing at, chasing, arresting and beating protesters,” Amnesty International also said in a statement Thursday.

“The single kill switch is the censorship mechanism that is centrally controlled by the regime, so there are no legal procedures or mechanisms for people to push back,” Toker said.

“We know now that they’ve centralized all of this into a one-step operation,” he explained, calling it “very much a top-down mechanism.”

“It’s been in development since the Cold War, and it means they are able to triangulate the ground terminal in satellite transmissions. Some governments implement this kind of kill switch in their cyber operations rooms,” he said.

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“We know that in 2019, for example, it used to be a painstaking measure when the government had to switch off businesses one by one, city by city.”

NetBlocks said the current blackout is among the most severe it has ever recorded in Iran.

“We are tracking near-total disconnection of internet service across Iran right now, and connectivity is below 2% of ordinary levels,” Toker said.

“This is a nationwide disruption that is impacting almost all services, all connectivity and all avenues of life, extending beyond just mobile phones and computers,” he said.

“It’s impacting banks, essential services, and there’s very little communication within the country, so people are unable to reach the outside world and nobody has the ability to communicate.”

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Despite the sweeping restrictions, some limited communication channels remain available, Toker revealed.

“There are a few gaps, so it’s possible to communicate with those close to the borders through Wi-Fi or mobile service that crosses borders,” he said.

“It’s also occasionally possible to find a part in the service, in a fixed-line service, where they can tunnel through all those, but that is increasingly rare and no longer an option. 

“Another mechanism we’ve seen is access via satellite internet, namely the Starlink network, but the equipment is banned by the Iranian regime.”

“The technology that the Iranian regime uses to trace links is essentially anti-espionage technology,” he said.

“These measures are typically imposed by the most authoritarian regimes, the most controlling governments that seek to silence and oppress their own populations,” Toker said.

“NetBlocks tracked very similar multi-week disruption in 2019, during which thousands were killed, and this was also done in 2022 when people were protesting the killing of Mahsa Amini.”

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“In past incidents, we did observe that the government attempted to keep a baseline of service available.

“In this recent case, they pulled the plug, so there’s a far more extreme measure in place here, which suggests that the regime is scared and isn’t taking risks when it comes to the possibility of information reaching the outside world.”

President Donald Trump warned Iran’s leaders Friday against using force on protesters.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, he warned Iran was in “big trouble.”

“I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that’s a very dangerous place right now,” Trump said. “You’d better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too.”

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“The U.S. has encouraged democracy in Iran, and that’s a positive thing at this point,” Toker said.

“There’s very little that can be done from the outside, but it’s important to continue to support positive efforts.

“A free and open internet in Iran, and indeed in other countries, can encourage democracy and support basic liberties,” he added.

Hochul, AOC slam ‘antisemitic’ pro-Hamas protesters marching through Jewish neighborhood

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned chants of “we support Hamas” after demonstrators were filmed chanting the phrase during a protest in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Queens.

Video from the protest shows demonstrators waving Palestinian flags while chanting support for Hamas, which the U.S. government designates as a terrorist organization.

The clip circulated widely on social media and drew swift condemnation from leaders at the city, state and federal levels.

Ocasio-Cortez sharply criticized both the chants and the location of the protest.

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“Hey so marching into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and leading with a chant saying ‘we support Hamas’ is a disgusting and antisemitic thing to do,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X. “Pretty basic!”

Hochul also shared video of the chants on X, issuing a forceful rebuke.

“Hamas is a terrorist organization that calls for the genocide of Jews,” Hochul wrote. “No matter your political beliefs, this type of rhetoric is disgusting, it’s dangerous, and it has no place in New York.”

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The protest featured pro-Hamas demonstrators chanting in unison while holding Palestinian flags.

Mamdani addressed the chants later that day, advocating for public safety while defending the constitutional right to protest.

“As I said earlier today, chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city,” Mamdani wrote. “We will continue to ensure New Yorkers’ safety entering and exiting houses of worship as well as the constitutional right to protest.”

In an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on Fox News’ The Story last October, Mamdani refused to condemn Hamas, instead pivoting to discussing affordability for New Yorkers.

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, and federal law prohibits providing material support to designated terrorist groups.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in on social media, posting a brief message condemning the chants.

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“Hamas is a terrorist organization. We do not support terrorists. Period.”

The incident comes as tensions remain high nationwide over protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Hundreds of women lawmakers take last-minute stand in SCOTUS trans athlete battle

More than 200 women lawmakers have signed an amicus brief backing the legal defense to “save women’s sports” ahead of next week’s Supreme Court oral arguments for two cases related to the issue. 

The brief features the signatures of exactly 207 lawmakers, with Idaho state representative Barbara Ehardt being the lead amica. 

Other prominent names on the list include Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby, who became a central figure in the national debate over women’s sports when she was censored for calling out a trans athlete last February, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, Iowa state Senate President Amy Sinclair, Missouri state Senator Cindy O’Laughlin, Alaska state Sen. Shelly Hughes, Kansas state Rep. Kristy Williams and North Dakota state Sen. Janne Myrdal. 

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All of the signees are Republicans, as almost all Democrat lawmakers across the nation have remained firmly in support of allowing biological males to compete in girls’ and women’s sports.

The brief argues, “since the existence of separate women’s sports programs is justified by biological differences between women and men, there are exceedingly persuasive reasons to determine eligibility for such programs using biological criteria rather than a person’s sense of gender.”

Supreme Court justices will hear arguments Tuesday in a pair of cases from West Virginia and Idaho, where trans athlete plaintiffs previously successfully challenged those states’ laws to keep males out of women’s and girls’ sports. 

Several amicus briefs have already been filed, some in support of the defendants looking to “save women’s sports,” and others in support of trans inclusion.

Super Bowl-winning head coach Barry Switzer and 31 Olympians have signed an amicus brief in support of the legal defense to “save women’s sports” ahead of two upcoming Supreme Court cases over trans athletes. The signees also include 12 Olympic medalists, including eight gold medalists. 

Meanwhile, 130 Democrat members of Congress have signed an amicus brief urging the justices to rule in favor of two trans athletes. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffires, D-N.Y.; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.; Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.; Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Sen. Jeff Merkely, D-Ore., are among the lawmakers on that list.

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING SCOTUS CASE OVER TRANS ATHLETES TO PROCEED AFTER ATTEMPT TO DISMISS

Two West Virginia female students and their families came forward with the allegations against one of the trans plaintiffs ahead of oral arguments for the case next week. The trans athlete is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Fox News Digital is not disclosing the name of the trans athlete because the individual is a minor.

Bridgeport High School female student Adaleia Cross, who is a former track and field teammate of the trans athlete when the two were at Bridgeport Middle School, alleges the trans athlete made comments to her that constituted sexual harassment in the girls’ locker room. Cross, who is one year older than the trans athlete, said she quit the track and field team at Bridgeport High School last year as a sophomore to avoid sharing a locker room again with the trans athlete once that athlete reached high school.

Cross’ mother, Abby, told Fox News Digital what the trans athlete allegedly said to her daughter when they shared the girls’ locker room during the 2022-23 school year. Adaleia was in eighth grade, and the trans athlete was in seventh.

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Abby Cross alleges the trans athlete made extremely graphic and vulgar sexual threats to her daughter and other girls on the team.

The ACLU has responded to the Cross family’s allegations.

“Our client and her mother deny these allegations and the school district investigated the allegations reported to the school by A.C. and found them to be unsubstantiated. We remain committed to defending the rights of all students under Title IX, including the right to a safe and inclusive learning environment free from harassment and discrimination,” read an ACLU statement provided to Fox News Digital.

The Cross family’s attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) have responded to the ACLU’s statement. 

“Our client has sworn under oath and under penalty of perjury in numerous cases about the events that took place between her and the male athlete. As a result of the situation, [Cross] had to step away from the sport she loved entirely and sacrifice a key element of her school experience to protect herself,” read an ADF statement provided to Fox News Digital. 

ADF is also representing the state of West Virginia against the trans athlete in the case that is set to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, former Lincoln Middle School girls’ track and field runner Emmy Salerno alleges the trans athlete used “intimidation tactics” against her after Salerno refused to compete against the trans athlete during an event in the 2024 spring season. 

“After we stepped out, it was an immediate personality change. He didn’t want to talk to me. He just wanted to stare at me, and just stare down,” Salerno told Fox News Digital.

Salerno said there was an incident where the trans athlete followed her while they were at a local basketball game, making intimidating stares, and Salerno was concerned the trans athlete would try to “fight” her.

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“At the basketball game when he just followed me everywhere, I kind of felt like, ‘Is he going to try to fight me?’” Salerno said. “‘Is he going to try and sneak up behind me and punch me?'”

The ACLU has not responded to Fox News Digital’s request for a response to Salerno’s allegations. 

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US Olympic power couple makes history with record-breaking championship

U.S. figure skating stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates made history on Saturday with their record-setting seventh U.S. Figure Skating title in their final competition before the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The three-time reigning world champions, performing a flamenco-style dance to a version of the Rolling Stones hit “Paint It Black” from the dystopian sci-fi Western show “Westworld,” produced a season-best free skate and finished with 228.87 points.

“The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,” Chock said.

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They’ll be the heavy favorites to win gold next month in Italy.

“I felt so much love and joy,” Chock continued, “and I’m so grateful for this moment.”

U.S. Figure Skating will announce its selections on Sunday.

Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik were second with 213.65 points and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko were third with 206.95, making those two pairs the likely choices to join Chock and Bates on the American squad for the upcoming Winter Games.

The men’s medals also were to be decided on Saturday, though two-time world champion Ilia Malinin had built such a lead after his short program that the self-styled “Quad God” would have to stumble mightily to miss out on a fourth consecutive title.

The U.S. also has qualified the maximum of three men’s spots for the Winter Games, and competition is tight between second-place Tomoko Hiwatashi, fan favorite Jason Brown, Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov to round out the nationals podium.

The last time Chock and Bates competed in the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing, they watched their gold initially go to an opponent who was later disqualified for doping violations.

Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals. 

It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists. 

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Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.

Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October. 

“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”

Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”

Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics last summer.

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Chock, Bates and teammates Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou were given a specialized gold medal ceremony to receive the medals in front of more than 13,000 fans. 

Chock and Bates became the first ice dancers to win three consecutive world championships in nearly three decades in March when they defeated Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.

New research shows how chewing gum affects brain activity and stress levels

Humans have been chewing gum for thousands of years, long after the flavor fades and without any clear nutritional benefit.

The habit dates back at least 8,000 years to Scandinavia, where people chewed birchbark pitch to soften it into a glue for tools. Other ancient cultures, including the Greeks, Native Americans and the Maya, also chewed tree resins for pleasure or soothing effects, National Geographic recently reported.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, William Wrigley Jr. transformed chewing gum from a novelty into a mass consumer habit through relentless and innovative marketing. His brands, including Juicy Fruit and Spearmint, promoted gum as a way to calm nerves, curb hunger and stay focused.

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“Are you worried? Chew gum,” an article from 1916 said, according to Kerry Segrave’s book, “Chewing Gum in America, 1850-1920: The Rise of an Industry.” “Do you lie awake at night? Chew gum,” it continued. “Are you depressed? Is the world against you? Chew gum.”

In the 1940s, a study found chewing resulted in lower tension but couldn’t say why. 

“The gum-chewer relaxes and gets more work done,” The New York Times wrote at the time about the study’s results.

Gum became an early form of wellness, and companies are trying to revive that idea today as gum sales decline, according to National Geographic.

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But only now are scientists finally beginning to understand the biology behind those long-standing beliefs.

A 2025 review by researchers at the University of Szczecin in Poland analyzed more than three decades of brain-imaging studies to examine what happens inside the brain when people chew gum. Using MRI, EEG and near-infrared spectroscopy research, the authors found that chewing alters brain activity in regions tied to movement, attention and stress regulation.

The findings help clarify why the seemingly pointless task can feel calming or focusing, even once the flavor has faded.

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Chewing gum activated not only the brain’s motor and sensory networks involved in chewing, but also higher-order regions linked to attention, alertness and emotional control, the review found. EEG studies found brief shifts in brain-wave patterns linked to heightened alertness and what researchers call “relaxed concentration.”

“If you’re doing a fairly boring task for a long time, chewing seems to be able to help with concentration,” Crystal Haskell-Ramsay, a professor of biological psychology at Northumbria University, told National Geographic.

The review also supports earlier findings that gum chewing can ease stress, but only in certain situations. In laboratory experiments, people who chewed gum during mildly stressful tasks such as public speaking or mental math often reported lower anxiety levels than those who didn’t.

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Chewing gum did not, however, consistently reduce anxiety in high-stress medical situations, such as immediately before surgery, and it offered no clear benefit when participants faced unsolvable problems designed to induce frustration.

Across multiple studies, people who chewed gum did not remember lists of words or stories better than those who didn’t, the researchers also found, and any boost in attention faded soon after chewing stopped.

Gum may simply feed the desire to fidget, experts suspect.

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“Although these effects are often short-lived, the range of outcomes … underscores chewing gum’s capacity to modulate brain function beyond simple oral motor control,” the researchers wrote.

“However, at this time, the neural changes associated with gum chewing cannot be directly linked to the positive behavioral and functional outcomes observed in studies,” they added.

Future research should address longer-term impacts, isolate flavor or stress variables and explore potential therapeutic applications, the scientists said.

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The findings also come with caveats beyond brain science. Although sugar-free gum may help reduce cavities, Fox News Digital has previously reported that dentists warn acids, sweeteners and excessive chewing may harm teeth or trigger other side effects.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the study’s authors for comment.

Nobel institute rejects Machado’s proposal to share Peace Prize with Trump

The organization that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize rejected recent suggestions that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado could give or share her award with President Donald Trump.

The Norwegian Nobel Institute shut down the idea Friday, after Machado suggested that she might transfer the prestigious award to Trump earlier this week.

“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others,” the institute said in a statement. “The decision is final and stands for all time.”

The statement comes after Machado floated the idea during an appearance Tuesday on Fox News’ “Hannity.”

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“Did you at any point offer to give him the Nobel Peace Prize?” Sean Hannity asked. “Did that actually happen?”

Machado responded, “Well, it hasn’t happened yet.”

“I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe — the Venezuelan people, because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people — certainly want to give it to him and share it with him,” Machado continued. “What he has done is historic. It’s a huge step towards a democratic transition.”

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On Jan. 3, Trump announced that the U.S. had successfully completed an operation to capture authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is now facing drug trafficking charges in New York.

Trump was asked during an appearance Thursday on “Hannity” whether he would accept the Nobel Prize from Machado.

“I’ve heard that she wants to do that,” Trump responded. “That would be a great honor.”

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Machado secretly escaped Venezuela last month and traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to Trump.

“Let me be very clear. As soon as I learned that we had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I dedicated it to President Trump because I believed at that point that he deserved it,” Machado said on “Hannity.” “And a lot of people, most people, said it was impossible to achieve what he has just done on Saturday, January 3rd.”

Trump said he plans to meet with the Venezuelan opposition leader in Washington next week.

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He has previously stated that Machado “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country” to lead. Trump has supported acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro loyalist, who previously served as vice president under Maduro.

Surgeon ex-husband arrested, charged after Ohio dentist and wife were killed in own home

FIRST ON FOX: The ex-husband of an Ohio dentist’s wife killed in a double murder was arrested Saturday in the Chicago area, according to court records.

Michael David McKee, 39, was arrested, police records show.

Columbus, Ohio, officials said police responded to a Weinland Park home around 10 a.m. Dec. 30 and found Spencer Tepe, 37 and Monique Tepe, 39, both dead with gunshot wounds. 

McKee is Monique’s ex-husband. 

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McKee was booked at the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois just before noon Saturday, records show. He’s being charged with two counts of murder in Ohio.

Detectives in Columbus believe the murders took place between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Dec. 30. Both of the couple’s children were found safe inside the home when officers arrived. Police didn’t find signs of forced entry, and a weapon was not recovered from the home, officials said.

According to charging documents, police were able to identify McKee by linking him to a car that arrived in the Tepes’ neighborhood shortly before the murders and left just after the homicide. The car was then located in Rockford, Illinois, and police found evidence it belonged to McKee.

The couple was killed just one month short of their five-year wedding anniversary, Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, told WSYX.

Court records show McKee’s divorce with Monique was finalized in 2017. He has lived in various states, including Virginia, Nevada and Illinois, since 2020, according to public records. McKee and Monique got married in 2015. 

McKee is a vascular surgeon in the Rockford, Illinois, area. 

READ THE CHARGING DOCUMENTS:

Police on Monday released surveillance video showing a “person of interest” walking in the alley near the Tepes’ house in the early morning hours of Dec. 30.

The video, released by the Columbus Division of Police, shows the man walking slowly in the alley in what appeared to be a dark coat and light-colored pants.

At 10:03 a.m. Dec. 30, one of the Tepe’s friends went to the couple’s house and told a 911 operator he could see a body inside.

“There’s a body,” the caller says. “Our friend wasn’t answering his phone. We just did a wellness check. We just came here, and he appears dead. He’s laying next to his bed, off of his bed in this blood. I can’t get closer to see more than that.”

FRANTIC 911 CALLS DETAIL MOMENTS BEFORE COLUMBUS DENTIST AND WIFE FOUND DEAD: ‘THERE’S A BODY’

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The couple’s family said in a statement they are “heartbroken beyond words” and called the deaths “tragic and senseless.”

“They were extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and deep connection to others,” the statement said. 

“Spencer, a graduate of The Ohio State University, was known as a devoted and proud father, a loving partner, and a friend to everyone he met.”

Matthew Stafford engineers fourth-quarter drive to clinch divisional round berth

Matthew Stafford learned of his first-ever first-team All-Pro selection on Saturday. 

Several hours later, Stafford jogged onto the field in Charlotte shortly before the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers opened this year’s NFL postseason.

Stafford, an NFL MVP candidate, proceeded to engineer two fourth-quarter scoring drives to rally for a 34-31 win. The wild-card round victory also punched the Rams a ticket to next week’s NFC divisional round.

While the Rams were the favorites entering Saturday’s game, it took a 19-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Colby Parkinson in the game’s final minute to secure the victory.

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After a quick start, Stafford did appear to injure a finger on his throwing hand before halftime. The Rams nursed a slim three-point lead when both teams headed to their respective locker rooms at the end of the second quarter.

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The Panthers and Rams exchanged field goals in the third quarter to maintain Los Angeles’ narrow lead heading into the game’s final frame. The third quarter was highlighted by Stafford’s lone interception of the afternoon.

Bryce Young’s touchdown pass to Jalen Coker put the Panthers ahead 31-27 with less than three minutes remaining, but Stafford drove the Rams 71 yards in two minutes. The drive was capped by Parkinson’s tightrope catch for the winning score, and the defense held.

The Rams are back in the divisional round for the second straight season. Last year, they were 13 yards away from eliminating Philadelphia before a sack and an incomplete pass ended their season with a 28-22 loss.

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The Rams now await the remainder of the wild-card round results to learn who they will face in the divisional round.

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Costco CEO says company will open warehouse below affordable housing complex

Costco is planning to open a new Los Angeles warehouse beneath an affordable-housing complex, marking a creative expansion strategy for the retail giant.

The project, located in the Baldwin Village area of South Los Angeles, is expected to open in 2027, Costco CEO Ron Vachris said during the company’s first-quarter fiscal year 2026 earnings call last month.

“We’ve got a project in Los Angeles where we’re working with some developers [where] there’s some affordable housing going above a Costco just north of LAX,” Vachris said. “That project will open up in 2027.”

Vachris said the unconventional approach allows Costco to enter markets where traditional big-box development would be nearly impossible.

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“That would be a market we would never be able to go into and find 25 acres to build a Costco,” he said. “It just wouldn’t happen.”

The strategy, Vachris added, also helps the company move closer to customers while easing congestion at some of its busiest warehouses.

“We’re finding creative ways to get closer to our members and relieve some pressure from some of our highest volume locations,” Vachris said. “… We continue to see some opportunities in markets that we would have questioned in the past.”

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The project, being developed by Thrive Living, will include about 800 apartments built above the warehouse. The building will also feature a rooftop pool and fitness center, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Roughly 184 of the apartments are expected to be designated for low-income households, the WSJ reported.

Thrive Living founder Ben Shaoul put the total development cost at roughly $425 million, according to the WSJ.

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During the retail giant’s Q1 2026 earnings last month, CFO Gary Millerchip also pointed to unprecedented pizza, pie and e-commerce sales during the holiday season.

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Costco and Thrive Living did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.