Space Force commander fired after sending mass email to staff about VP Vance
The Pentagon fired the commander at the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland after she distanced herself from Vice President JD Vance, who recently visited the headquarters.
After the vice president’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers emailed base personnel on March 31, writing, “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.”
She added that she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit — the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.” The email was first reported by Military.com.
The Space Force said in a public statement Meyers had been relieved of command “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.”
US ACCUSES DENMARK OF TREATING GREENLANDERS AS ‘SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS’ DURING VANCE VISIT TO ARCTIC BASE
“Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read.
Col. Shawn Lee has now assumed the command, Space Force said.
“Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X.
Meyers became commander of the 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change-of-command ceremony.
Republican Sens. Tommy Tuberville, Ala., Eric Schmitt, Mo., and Jim Banks, Ind., all praised the firing of the commander on X.
“Colonel Meyers tried to politicize the Space Force and was held accountable. Lloyd Austin isn’t SecDef anymore,” Banks wrote.
‘MIND-BOGGLING’: SPACE FORCE CHIEF FIRES OFF DIRE WARNING ABOUT CHINESE CAPABILITY TO KNOCK OUT US SATELLITES
Vance, during his visit to the snow-covered island, criticized Denmark for treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.”
“Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said. “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass.”
The vice president further accused Denmark of not keeping Greenland safe from China and Russia.
Vance was the highest-ranking official to ever travel to the base in Pituffik, the White House said.
The Trump administration has made acquiring Greenland a top goal.
“We need Greenland for national security and international security,” President Donald Trump said on March 11.
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“So, we’ll, I think, we’ll go as far as we have to go,” the president continued, speaking from the Oval Office. “We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland. And, you know, we’ll see what happens. But if we don’t have Greenland, we can’t have great international security.”
“I view it from a security standpoint, we have to be there,” Trump added.
White House reveals how Trump is feeling about striking tariff agreement with China
President Donald Trump is “optimistic” that the U.S. and China can strike a deal over tariffs, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday.
Her remarks came just hours after China increased its tariffs on U.S. imports to 125%, up from 84%, in Beijing’s latest escalation of a trade war with the Trump administration.
‘The president has made it very clear he’s open to a deal with China,” Leavitt said, adding that Trump is “optimistic” that an agreement can be reached.
“The president … would be gracious if China intends to make a deal with the United States. If China continues to retaliate, it’s not good for China. The United States of America is the strongest, best economy in the world, as evidenced by the more than 75 countries who have called the administration immediately to cut good deals,” Leavitt said.
LIVE UPDATES: STOCKS RISE AS INVESTORS EYE LATEST TARIFF DEVELOPMENTS
“So, the president wants to do what’s right for the American people. He wants to see fair trade practices around the globe, and that’s his intention and his goal,” she continued.
When asked whether Trump is waiting for China to make the first move, Leavitt said. “I’m not going to comment on communications that are happening or may not be happening.”
CHINA INCREASES TARIFFS ON US IMPORTS TO 125% FROM 84%
Leavitt said that “our national security team” can “get these discussions underway. And as always, in the effort of transparency, we will provide updates, moving forward,” she added.
Leavitt also told reporters Friday that “very good progress” has been made with an unnamed country regarding a deal over the global tariffs recently imposed by the Trump administration.
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“I won’t reveal or get ahead of our trade team, as these negotiations are obviously ongoing,” she added.
Judge giving both sides ‘a lot of latitude’ as he weighs possible Menendez resentencing
Actor Cooper Koch, who played Erik Menendez in Netflix’s “Monsters,” a dramatization of the brothers’ story, was pictured outside the Van Nuys courthouse, where Erik and his brother Lyle are remotely attending a hearing that could decide whether they are given an opportunity to argue for reduced sentences next week.
Criminal defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh and trial attorney Heather Hansen break down the Menendez brothers hearing and a potential resentencing of the case on ‘America Reports.’
The court is in recess for lunch until 1:30 p.m. PT.
Geragos accused the prosecution of trying to relitigate the first trial, which ended in a mistrial before the brothers were convicted at their second trial, and putting on a dog and pony show. He also accused DDA Bailon of traumatizing the family, some of whom were attending the hearing, by showing graphic crime scene photos.
“That displays exactly how political this is,” he said. “This presentation is argument. Talk about beating a horse to death.”
Judge Jesic says he’s giving both sides “a lot of latitude” and that it appears the prosecution is trying to show the facts suggest the brothers are not rehabilitated.
Bailon says during their trials, the brothers “sold the story their parents were violent and wanted to kill them.” He went on the recount testimony involving how they obtained shotguns instead of handguns, which he argued would make more sense for self-defense. Bailon says the original Gascon motion did not address this issue.
Fox News chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt joins ‘America Reports’ with an update on the hearing for the Menendez brothers, who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents.
The brothers’ Attorney Mark Geragos left the courthouse at around 12:12 p.m. He did not speak with reporters, but a woman walking with him said he would answer questions later.
When court returned from a brief recess, the brothers’ attorney Mark Geragos accused the prosecution of trying to drag today’s hearing out “Cory Booker-style” and adding that “they don’t want to finish today.”
The judge is allowing the prosecution to continue their presentation but is asking them to do so quickly.
Deputy District Attorney Habib Bailan begins the hearing by calling the initial move for reduced sentencing by ousted DA George Gascon, who lost re-election last year, politically motivated.
It came “two weeks before an election, when Mr. Gascon was down 30 points in the polls,” he said.
“No action was taken with the habeas for about a year,” he added, referring to a separate petition the brothers have filed that could also see them freed from prison or granted a new trial.
Bailan said that properly motivated resenting should reflect “rehabilitation and insight” in the defendants. While the brothers have behaved well behind bars, he said, that’s not the only thing they need to do.
“The question is did they learn the most important lesson of all: Did they learn the severity and depravity of their conduct?” he said. “You must take responsibility. If you don’t have insight…you might repeat the past.”
The brothers never admitted to the “lie” that they killed their parents in self-defense, he said.
They snuck up behind them while they were watching TV and unloaded so many rounds they had to get more from a car outside.
At one point, Judge Michael Jesic interrupted him when he began talking about how much time Hochman went into reviewing the original case file compared to Gascon.
“I get different attorneys have different approaches,” he said. “Some attorneys analyze differently.”
The question in this case, he said, is whether Gascon’s initial petition was “insufficient.”
Reporting from Fox News’ Melissa Chrise.
The push for freedom fro Erik and Lyle Menendez faces a new test today as a judge will consider Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s request to withdraw his predecessor George Gascon’s motion to resentence the brothers, who are serving life without parole for the shotgun murders of their parents in 1989. A formal resentencing hearing scheduled for next week hangs in the balance.
Pilot of doomed New York helicopter made call minutes before deadly crash
New details have emerged regarding the final moments of the helicopter that plunged into the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon.
The pilot of the doomed aircraft reportedly radioed about needing to refuel minutes before the helicopter crashed into the chilly waters, according to New York Helicopter Tour CEO Michael Roth, whose company operated the helicopter.
“[The pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” Roth told The Telegraph.
All six people on board – including five members of the same family – did not survive.
6 DEAD, INCLUDING 3 CHILDREN, AFTER HELICOPTER PLUMMETS IN HUDSON RIVER
“The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter,” Roth told the New York Post. “I haven’t seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business. The only thing I could guess – I got no clue – is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I have no clue. I don’t know.”
The five passengers have been identified as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, Mercé Camprubi Montal, an energy technology company global manager, and the couple’s three young children, according to The Associated Press.
The pilot’s identity had not been released as of Friday morning.
Photos posted on the helicopter operator’s website showed the family smiling inside the aircraft moments before it took off.
OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL INVESTIGATING SMALL PLANE CRASH, PILOT DEAD
The flight departed a Downtown Manhattan heliport at approximately 3 p.m. and was in the air for about 18 minutes. Bystander footage of the crash shows the aircraft’s rotor detaching from the cabin as it rapidly falls through the air before hitting the water near Jersey City.
Authorities began receiving 911 calls regarding a helicopter crash in the Hudson River around 3:17 p.m., New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference on Thursday. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter spinning uncontrollably before landing in the water.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the family was visiting from Spain, adding it is “heartbreaking” that a family traveling to the city became victims of such a tragic accident.
PLANE CRASH NEAR MINNEAPOLIS SENDS HOME UP IN FLAMES WITH NO SURVIVORS ON BOARD
“We had over 65 million people that visited our city last year, and just think about it, you’re on a vacation, you’re with your family, you want to experience New York from the sky, and something like this happens. It’s heartbreaking to everyone,” Adams said, in part.
Emergency personnel arrived at the scene within minutes, including divers from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and New York City Police Department (NYPD). NYPD drivers pulled four people from the wreckage, while the FDNY recovered two additional people, according to Tisch.
First responders attempted lifesaving efforts on an adjoining pier, but four people were pronounced dead at the scene and the others were pronounced dead at local hospitals.
The water temperature in the Hudson River at the time of the crash was in the mid-40s, according to FOX Weather.
DELTA PLANE, AIR FORCE JET NEARLY CRASH IN ‘LOSS OF SEPARATION’ DURING ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY FLYOVER
“The Coast Guard and Army Corps, along with local partners, continue to support the NTSB in their ongoing investigation and debris recovery efforts,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.
The helicopter was salvaged hours later, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
The incident occurred less than a mile from Manhattan and near the Holland Tunnel, where 15.8 million vehicles travel between New York City and New Jersey per year. Immediately following the crash, the Coast Guard implemented a safety zone around the Holland Tunnel and Hudson River, which remained in effect until 10 p.m. Thursday.
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Roth and New York Helicopter Tours did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The incident was the first helicopter crash the city has seen since 2019, after an aircraft struck the roof of a skyscraper, killing the pilot.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those who were onboard,” Adams said. “It’s almost reminiscent of the plane going down here on the Hudson River. Thank God we didn’t lose any lives back then. It’s still fresh and still new, the investigation is ongoing, and … the family members, we lift them up in prayer.”
Longtime Republican governor will not seek re-election in 2026
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will not seek re-election in 2026 after nearly 10 years serving in the state’s highest office, teeing up what may be a competitive Republican gubernatorial primary in 2026.
In a video announcement released on Friday, Reynolds thanked Iowans for their support throughout her political career and said she will not campaign for another term as governor to focus on her family.
“Today, I want to share a personal decision with you; one that was not made lightly, but comes with a full heart and a deep sense of gratitude. After a lot of thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek re-election in 2026,” she said.
Reynolds began her political career in the Clarke County treasurer’s office, before winning election as a state senator and later as the state’s lieutenant governor.
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She has served as governor since 2017, when then-Gov. Terry Branstad was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to China during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. Reynolds was elected to a full term as governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
“This wasn’t an easy decision, because I love this state and I love serving you,” Reynolds said in a video posted on social media. “But, when my term ends, I will have had the privilege of serving as your governor for almost 10 years.”
Reynolds said the work isn’t over yet and is committed to “working hard for you every single day until my term ends,” referring to her time as governor as the “greatest honor of my life.”
“This public service has been an incredible journey — one I wouldn’t trade for anything, but as Iowans know, family is everything,” she said. “Through the years, my parents and my husband Kevin, our daughters, and our grandchildren have stood by my side, supporting me through every challenge and every victory. Now, it’s time for me to be there for them.”
IOWA GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL REMOVING TRANSGENDER PROTECTIONS FROM CIVIL RIGHTS CODE
Seasoned Iowa-based Republican strategist Jimmy Centers, who served in the Reynolds administration, said “her governorship is historic” for more than being the first female elected Iowa governor.
“It’s more than just her agenda; it’s about what she accomplished as governor. She was bold. She went out and sold her vision and she got it passed,” Centers told Fox News.
Nicole Schlinger, a longtime Iowa and Washington D.C.-based conservative strategist who is well-connected with evangelical groups, said that Reynolds “has been a transformation governor.”
But Schlinger told Fox News that “Kim Reynolds has put a lot of things in her life on hold for the state of Iowa and if you’re going to decide what you’re doing for re-election in 2026, now is the time you’re going to be making that decision.”
The Republican Governors Association (RGA) praised Reynolds for “her bold vision and conservative leadership” and said she “delivered transformational results for Iowa.”
Iowa, which was once a key general election battleground state, has turned red over the past decade, and RGA communications director Courtney Alexander said “we are confident that Iowa will continue to remain in Republican control.”
But the rival Democratic Governors Association (DGA), pointing to Trump’s sweeping and controversial agenda during his first three months back in the White House, said that “even former RGA Chair Governor Kim Reynolds knows she can’t defend her party’s destruction of the economy and extreme, unpopular agenda for the next two years.”
DGA communications director Sam Newton argued that “in addition to leaving behind a failed record of corruption, gutting public education, and banning abortion, Gov. Reynolds has thrown the wide-open GOP field for governor into complete chaos. We look forward to holding Iowa Republicans accountable as this competitive race ramps up.”
Following Reynolds’ announcement, there was instant speculation that Iowa attorney general Brenna Bird, who was a top surrogate for now-President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign and who spoke at last summer’s Republican National Convention, may make a bid to succeed the governor.
Bird, in a statement posted to social media, praised Reynolds but added that she and her husband will “consider what this decision means for our future.”
“I appreciate the calls of encouragement I’ve already received. I am committed to continuing my work on behalf of Iowans and to support President Trump,” she added.
Among the Republicans who may also have an interest in potentially running in 2026 to succeed Reynolds in the governor’s office in Des Moines are longtime state agriculture secretary Mike Naig; state House Speaker Pat Grassley, the grandson of longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; and all four members of Iowa’s all-GOP congressional delegation — Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Randy Feenstra (IA-04).
Two other names that are mentioned are Matt Whitaker, who ran statewide twice in Iowa but who is known nationally for serving as U.S. attorney general for a couple of months during the first Trump administration and who is currently serving as U.S. representative to NATO; and state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, son of longtime Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann.
RED STATE MOVES TO DEFUND COUNTY AFTER LEADER VOWS TO ‘INTERFERE AND INTERRUPT’ ICE DEPORTATIONS
Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, who has worked in Iowa politics for decades, noted that the Republicans have a “deep bench.”
When it comes to the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, speculation centers on Iowa state auditor Rob Sand, who is currently the only Democratic statewide officeholder in the Hawkeye State.
Reynolds, pointing to Iowa’s shift to the right in recent election cycles, said the GOP “will remain in great hands” as the next generation of Iowa Republicans build on her legacy.
Reynolds saw her national profile rise in recent years, through her previous tenure as RGA chair and by welcoming Republican presidential candidates to Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, which remain the lead-off contest in the race for the White House on the GOP calendar.
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In the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Reynolds’ endorsement was coveted by the crowded GOP primary field. Reynolds ultimately endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and joined him repeatedly on the campaign trail in the lead-up to the caucuses.
Trump admin takes action against Maine over trans athletes as deadline passes
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) referred the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to the Department of Justice Friday for continuning to allow trans athletes to compete in girls sports.
It’s the second DOJ referral the state’s educational institutions have faced in the last month over the issue, after the Department of Health and Human Services referred MDOE, the Maine Principals’ Association and Greely High School March 28.
Now, the OCR informed Maine Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster of a second DOJ referral in a letter Friday. The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, states that earlier Friday the Maine attorney general’s office formally notified OCR it would not sign a resolution agreement to amend the state’s gender eligibility policies to comply with Title IX, so the DOJ referral must be made.
“Accordingly, OCR has determined compliance cannot be secured by informal or voluntary means,” the letter states. “OCR now refers this matter to the Department of Justice with a recommendation for appropriate proceedings, to enforce all legally available remedies.”
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OCR also says it is initiating proceedings to have further funding to the state suspended or frozen.
“This letter also serves as notice to MDOE that OCR is initiating administrative proceedings to suspend, terminate, defer final approval, and/or refuse to grant or continue Federal financial assistance to MDOE,” the letter said.
The USDA recently announced a funding freeze to the state over the issue.
MAINE GIRL INVOLVED IN TRANS ATHLETE BATTLE REVEALS HOW STATE’S POLICIES HURT HER CHILDHOOD AND SPORTS CAREER
Maine officials filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Monday in response to the agency’s decision to freeze funding to the state for its refusal to reverse its transgender athlete participation policy in schools.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Maine attorney general’s office for comment on Friday’s referral.
The state has been under federal pressure in recent months to protect female athletes from trans inclusion after several controversial incidents involving trans athletes and an ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
After Trump signed an executive order to ban trans athletes from women’s and girls sports Feb. 5, Maine was one of the many states that openly defied the order. The state’s divide on trans inclusion was then brought to light when Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby identified a trans athlete in a social media post who won a girls pole vault competition for Greely High School that month.
The post brought national awareness, including from Trump, who vowed to halt funding to the state if it continued allowing males in girls sports during a meeting of GOP governors Feb. 20. The next day, Mills’ office released a statement threatening legal action against Trump, who engaged in a verbal spat with Mills over the issue at a bipartisan meeting of governors later that day.
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Just hours after that, the U.S. Department of Education announced its initial investigation into the state for potential Title IX violations.
Libby was censured for her social media post on the premise she identified a minor by name and with a photo. However, Libby has since filed a lawsuit to have the censure overturned, arguing the trans athlete had already been identified by other media prior to her post. The lawsuit has gone to trial in a Rhode Island district court.
In addition to the incident involving the pole vaulter at Greely High School, other instances have affected multiple girls across the state who have had to compete with and share locker rooms with biological males.
Maine teen Cassidy Carlisle previously told Fox News Digital about how she had to share a locker room with a trans student while in middle school. She then had to compete with another trans athlete in Nordic skiing last year.
“The defeat that comes with that in that moment is heartbreaking,” Carlisle said. “I’m just in shock in a way. I didn’t believe it. … I didn’t think it was happening to me.”
A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it’s “only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women.”
The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18.
Judge rips DOJ for ‘extremely troubling’ answer to question about alleged gang member
A Maryland federal judge lambasted government attorneys Friday during a hearing over efforts to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident, from a prison in El Salvador.
Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported to El Salvador last month for being an alleged MS-13 gang member. His attorneys, however, have maintained that he does not have any ties to the violent gang.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis questioned DOJ attorney Drew Ensign as to Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts after the Supreme Court upheld Xinis’ order that federal officials must coordinate his return back to Maryland.
Xinis asked Ensign where Abrego Garcia was, and under “whose authority,” to which Ensign responded, “I do not have that info.”
MARYLAND IMMIGRANT WRONGLY DEPORTED TO EL SALVADOR MUST RETURN TO US, SUPREME COURT RULES
“I do not have that knowledge, and therefore I cannot relay that info to the court,” Ensign said. “They have not provided that confirmation before this hearing.”
The judge was unsatisfied with the government’s answer. “I’m not asking for state secrets. I’m asking where one man is,” Xinis responded. “The government was prohibited from sending him to El Salvador, and now I’m asking a very simple question: ‘Where is he?’”
After Ensign again said he did not have the information on hand, Xinis said, “That is extremely troubling.”
In a Thursday order, the Supreme Court noted that “The United States acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was therefore illegal.”
DOJ ASKS TO DISMISS VIRGINIA CASE AGAINST SALVADORAN ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER SET TO BE DEPORTED
The high court proceeded to say that Xinis’ order “properly requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.”
Ensign made clear during the Friday hearing that the government intended to comply with the Supreme Court’s order. When asked what had been done thus far to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, Ensign said it was “unclear.”
“That means they haven’t done anything,” Xinis responded.
Xinis and Ensign engaged in a back-and-forth over their reading of the high court’s order. Ensign said the government had understood the order to require that it must “hear what the executive branch says in a brief.”
“We read the Supreme Court’s order differently,” Ensign said. “It said deference to the executive branch.”
Xinis, instead, said her reading was that the government take all the necessary steps to facilitate the return as soon as possible.
“I hear you and disagree,” Xinis responded.
ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER NABBED BY PATEL’S FBI TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY FOR NOW, JUDGE RULES
Xinis proceeded to request daily updates as the case continued “from a person with direct knowledge,” saying she would be issuing an order that delineated the request.
“My message, for what it’s worth is, if you can do it, do it tomorrow. I don’t understand why it can’t be done,” Xinis said.
Ensign noted that he thought the orders were “impractical” but reemphasized that the government would be complying with the Supreme Court’s order.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked to weigh in on the matter during a Friday briefing in light of El Salvador’s president visiting the White House next week.
“The Supreme Court made their ruling last night very clear that it’s the administration’s responsibility to facilitate the return, not to effectuate the return,” Leavitt said.
“The District Judge made clear that she’s not going to let the government continue to play games while a man’s life is at stake,” Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, counsel for Abrego Garcia, told Fox News Digital. “They need to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia home, and until then, they need to provide meaningful status updates showing their progress in doing so.”
Abrego Garcia was arrested in Baltimore on March 12 after working his shift as a sheet metal apprentice. The complaint states that he had also picked up his now-five-year-old son, who has autism and other disabilities, from his grandmother’s house before his arrest.
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Abrego Garcia had initially fled El Salvador to escape gang violence, according to court documents. Beginning in 2006, gang members “stalked, hit, and threatened to kidnap and kill him in order to coerce his parents to succumb to their increasing demands for extortion.”
He eventually entered the United States illegally in 2011 and began living in Maryland with his brother, who is an American citizen.
Actor details off-grid life ‘deep in the woods’ after leaving Hollywood
Hollywood star Josh Duhamel is living the good life.
Duhamel, 52, left Los Angeles behind to live off-grid in a Minnesota home he spent 15 years building.
“Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” the “Safe Haven” star told Parade.
“The closest store is 40 miles away,” he explained. “Once we get there, it’s really about everybody taking care of each other – making memories, spending time with family and friends.”
JOSH DUHAMEL BLAMES HOLLYWOOD FOR FERGIE DIVORCE, SAYS IT CAN ‘SUCK THE SOUL OUT OF YOU’
While it took years for Duhamel to build the off-the-grid spot for his family, he is grateful to have the opportunity to “get back to the basics.”
“You’re not consumed by all these other distractions,” he told the outlet. “When you’re out there, it’s really about having fun, making sure everybody’s warm, everybody’s got food and water.”
His Minnesota home is enjoyed by the actor plus his wife Audra Mari and their 1-year-old son Sheperd. The actor’s 11-year-old son with ex-wife Fergie also spends time at the home.
“My son is going to have memories of this place forever. He’s not on his iPad when he’s out there,” he said of his son Axl. “He’s out there in the boat with me, or he’s playing soccer on the beach, or he’s out there in the woods doing whatever I’m doing.”
“And then I have a little baby who’s going to experience the same thing. Someday, I hope to pass this on to them [so] they’re able to share it with their kids. It’s really important to me that they have this. It’s not just about having all the amenities and all the luxuries that we become so used to. It’s really about family. It’s about legacy,” he concluded.
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Duhamel opened up about his disinterest in Hollywood in a 2023 interview with “In Depth with Graham Bensinger.”
“I don’t think I ever really got comfortable with all of it. It was just a lot. I missed the simplicity of who I really am,” he said at the time. “I’m just not a guy who is comfortable doing red carpets, doing all the Hollywood stuff. I don’t hate it, I’m better at it now than I was, but it just took me a long time to really feel like I belong, like I fit in.”
“You know Hollywood and L.A., that whole lifestyle can suck the soul out of you if you’re not careful.”
Duhamel began his career modeling and later transitioned into acting with a role on “All My Children.” He became a household name while starring in “Las Vegas” for the show’s five-year run. The actor solidified his Hollywood status with his portrayal of Colonel William Lennox in the “Transformers” franchise.
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Duhamel explained his approach to fame differed from ex-wife Fergie, leading to the end of their eight-year marriage. The two married in 2009 before calling it quits in 2017. Fergie and Duhamel finalized their divorce in 2019.
“We had a great time, but I think we kind of just outgrew each other and had very different interests,” he said. “The older I got, the more I wanted to come back here … [but] this is not for her. But I’ve got no hard feelings for it. I truly don’t.”
“I’m very lucky that she’s a kind human, I really am.”
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Some commuters in a cosmopolitan European city may be shocked to learn they’ve been walking over ancient skeletons for many years.
Officials in Brussels, Belgium, announced on April 9 that public works projects have led to the discovery of at least 30 skeletons in the heart of the city – and there may be more still to come.
The archaeological excavation began when workers recently stumbled across the skeletons while working on tram tracks.
ANCIENT SETTLEMENT REVEALS REMAINS OF 1,800-YEAR-OLD DOG, BAFFLING EXPERTS: ‘PRESERVED QUITE WELL’
Pictures show sharply dressed locals walking about the charming European city as excavators dig deep into a pit full of skeletons.
Ans Persoons, secretary of state for Brussels, shared details about the excavation in an April 9 Facebook post written in both Dutch and French.
Persoons identified the mass grave as the remnants of the old Saint-Jean Hospital, established in 1195.
“Thanks to preventive excavations, 30 skeletons have already been cleared,” the translated post read.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER LONG-LOST TOMB OF UNKNOWN PHARAOH IN EGYPT
“It’s hard to imagine, but so many traces of our history are hidden under the pavements of Brussels!”
The excavation is being conducted with the help of the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (MVIB) and workers from the city’s public water operator VIVAQUA.
In a video posted by the MVIB, the agency wrote that the “centuries-old cemetery” was found while employees worked on the tram tracks in the Regentstraat, in central Brussels.
“Between the 14th and 18th centuries, [the cemetery] offered the final resting place to the sick and local residents,” read the post, translated from Dutch to English.
“Archaeologists are at work right now and hope to better understand everyday life in old Brussels through the excavations,” the agency added.
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The find is one of many European mass graves discovered in the past several months.
Last summer, 50 “exceptionally well-preserved” Viking skeletons were discovered by archaeologists in Denmark.
More recently, the Vienna Museum discovered the skeletons of more than 129 Roman and Germanic soldiers.
Found under a soccer field, the mass grave dates back to the first century A.D.
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