Mexico locals explain stunning impact of border security under Trump policies

Amid busy streets scattered with pedestrians, stray dogs and the Mexican National Guard lies Nogales, Mexico, where local business owners deliberate on how the second Trump administration has affected crime, border security and more. 

“Drug trafficking has been controlled a lot, there’s barely any now. It’s not like it used to be,” Filiberto, a Mexican native who owns a photography business right outside the walkable entry point into Mexico, said.

Juan, an entrepreneur at a local eatery, told Fox News Digital, “We’ve gone through very tough times because, although right now — this past year, these last two years — there’s been some calm in terms of insecurity, in earlier times we had a lot of problems.”

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“I don’t know if it’s the same or worse — in truth, I don’t know. But there’s a lot that’s very bad,” Angelica, a local flower shop owner, said. “Here in my neighborhood, in my surroundings, yes, I live peacefully, thank God.”

From “better” to “the same,” some locals credited Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, while others discussed how relations with the United States have changed over time with different leaders. 

When asked about how border security updates under President Donald Trump have affected Nogales, various residents pointed out the construction of local shelters created in anticipation of mass deportations.  

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“Many measures were taken here to [prepare] for Trump’s announcement… that a wave of people would come,” Filiberto said. 

“Well-equipped shelters were built, and they were practically empty — 10, 15, 30 people a day. So they dismantled them. I think now they don’t exist anymore or they were reduced, because it wasn’t what they threatened it would be,” he added.

The border city’s mayor, Juan Francisco Gim Nogales, echoed the sentiment of his community members in an earlier interview with Fox News Digital, saying, “We receive 60 migrants on average. So, nothing to do with the number we expected and with all the infrastructure we prepared.”

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“There aren’t as many people wanting to cross the border anymore… There used to be a lot, but things have calmed down a lot,” food vendor Juan said. “The National Guard is watching the Mexico–U.S. border closely… the [number of] people who used to come from the south in caravans have decreased a lot. In fact, we’ve never had as much calm as we do today.” 

Long-time Nogales resident Filiberto reflected on how crossing the border has changed over the past three decades. 

“There was a lot of camaraderie, a sense of community. We used to cross into the U.S. without a problem, two, three, four, five times a day — without any obstacles. The problem started when the U.S. began putting up barriers, both for visa procedures and even for crossing,” he said. 

In response to questions about how Trump’s border strategy has affected crossing attempts, most inhabitants referenced how new measures have impacted local sentiment about attempting to cross into America and noticeably smaller lines at ports of entry that have barely “seen anyone.”

“I think maybe fewer people are crossing, but there are still some. Many people don’t stop trying,” Angelica remarked. 

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“There are not that many people that want to cross anymore. With what Trump is doing, people are starting to think about going back or staying put,” local store owner Mario said. 

“The border is very well guarded,” a new entrepreneur setting up her storefront added. “[But] people always want a better life, thinking that the U.S. is better.”

Iran’s feared militia ‘toast’ after devastating losses, expert warns of darker turn

Once a revolutionary militia, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps built power through ideology and fear. Now, after devastating losses, its future is uncertain.

After major military setbacks, Iran’s IRGC faces a turning point. Experts explain its roots, power, and whether its reign of repression and terror can endure.

Once a fringe militia born of revolution, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has grown into the regime’s most feared and powerful force. But according to Dr. Afshon Ostovar, a leading expert on Iran and author of “Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,” said the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran may have permanently altered its trajectory.

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“What the IRGC tried to achieve over the last 25 years is basically toast,” Ostovar told Fox News Digital, “Their campaign to build a military deterrent at home through missiles and nuclear enrichment, and to expand regionally through proxies, has essentially collapsed.”

Founded in the wake of the 1979 revolution, the IRGC was created to safeguard and spread the Islamic Republic’s values — often through violence. Ostovar describes how its legitimacy evolved over time, initially drawn from the overthrow of the Shah, then the Iran-Iraq War, and later through the manufactured narrative of an eternal struggle with the U.S. and Israel.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of FDD’s Iran Program Behnam Ben Taleblutold Fox News Digital the IRGC’s origin reflects a deep mistrust of Iran’s traditional military, which had remained loyal to the Shah. 

“The IRGC were created through efforts to collect pro-regime armed gangs called Komitehs. They enforced revolutionary edicts and developed a parallel and ideological military force due to clerical skepticism in the national army,” he explained.

“The IRGC are tasked with preserving and defending the revolution in Iran,” Taleblu said. “That’s one reason why the 1979 Islamic Revolution has not been tamed, nor has the regime’s extremism lost any luster. If anything, terrorism and hostage-taking have continued.”

“They created a boogeyman in the U.S. and Israel,” Ostovar added. “But today, that ideology no longer resonates with most Iranians. The majority want better relations with the West and are tired of the regime’s isolationist stance.”

Today, the IRGC is deeply intertwined with the clerical elite. “The IRGC and the clerical elite are partners in power, treating Iran as a springboard to export their revolution,” Taleblu noted.

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Over the past year, Iran has suffered a series of strategic defeats: Hezbollah has been degraded in Lebanon, Hamas crippled in Gaza, Syria effectively lost, and Iranian military infrastructure — including nuclear and missile sites — destroyed in many cases by U.S. and Israeli strikes. Ostovar says these losses have decimated the IRGC’s regional footprint and forced the regime to reevaluate its strategy.

“They can try to rebuild everything — but that would take too long and be too difficult,” he said. “More likely, we’ll see them repress harder at home and lean on China and Russia to rebuild conventional military capabilities like air defense and advanced jets.”

Internally, the IRGC’s economic empire is also under growing strain. Sanctions, cyberattacks, and battlefield losses have made operations far more difficult. Ostovar said that foreign banks avoid any connection with Iran out of fear they may inadvertently deal with IRGC-linked entities, forcing the group to operate through front companies abroad. “They’ve lost a lot, and now they’ll have to redirect their limited resources to rebuild. That’s going to stretch them even thinner.”

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Despite these pressures, both Ostovar and Taleblu agree that the IRGC is unlikely to turn against the regime. “Much like the regime elite, the IRGC is at a crossroads,” Taleblu said. “They have lost much of their strategic brain trust, but are likely to remain loyal for a combination of ideological and material reasons — so long as the status quo doesn’t change.”

Looking ahead, Iran may shift focus inward, relying more on domestic repression than on external terror. “They can’t get weapons into Gaza. They’ve lost access to Lebanon. They may still attempt terrorism, but they’ve failed repeatedly — especially against Israeli targets,” Ostovar said. “In contrast, repressing their own people is something they can do easily.”

He warns that Iran could become “more insular, more autocratic — more like North Korea than what it is today.” While regime collapse is always a possibility, Ostovar believes autocracies are often resilient. “Look at Venezuela or Cuba — they’ve run their countries into the ground but still hold on to power.”

Ostovar thinks change — and not for the better — could come via generational shift. “The IRGC’s younger cadre is less religious but no less hardline,” he said. “They may not care about hijabs, but they’ve spent the last two decades fighting the U.S. and Israel in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. That’s the war they know.”

Some reformist elements within the regime envision a different path — one focused on normalization and growth. “They want to preserve the regime not by fighting the world, but by opening up to it,” Ostovar said. “They look more to Vietnam or China as models.”

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Taleblu warned that despite recent setbacks, the IRGC’s grip remains strong. “Right now, the Guards have power without accountability, wielding political, economic, and military influence in Iranian policy. How this influence is channeled by the next generation of Guardsmen remains to be seen.”

‘Exodus of talent’ follows alleged ‘queer’ cuts to Pixar’s box office bomb

Multiple Pixar employees are reportedly very unhappy with the theatrical cut of Pixar’s latest film, “Elio.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), staff at the beloved animated film studio, which is owned by Disney, are upset that LGBTQ elements of the film were removed before its final theatrical release. 

“It was pretty clear through the production of the first version of the film that [studio leaders] were constantly sanding down these moments in the film that alluded to Elio’s sexuality of being queer,” an anonymous artist who worked on the film told the outlet.

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Several Pixar staff members revealed to the outlet that “Elio” – the latest Pixar offering about a boy who is mistakenly beamed up from earth to interact with an intergalactic body of alien races – was heavily edited to be less overtly LGBTQ.

“According to multiple insiders who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, Elio was initially portrayed as a queer-coded character, reflecting original director Adrian Molina’s identity as an openly gay filmmaker,” the piece stated. 

After Molina screened his cut of the film for Pixar leadership, the director exited the project. Rumors circulated that his post-screening conversation with Pixar COO Peter Docter “hurt” him. Molina was replaced by co-directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi. 

Elements cut from the film were said to include Elio performing in his own makeshift fashion show, his love for environmentalism, as well as scenes suggesting he had a crush on another boy. 

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As the outlet noted, “this characterization gradually faded away throughout the production process as Elio became more masculine following feedback from leadership.”

Despite these changes, the movie became the worst box office bomb in Pixar’s history, earning only $20.8 million domestically during its opening weekend. The movie cost over $200 million to make and had been delayed for about a year, after it was initially slated for release in March 2024.

Sarah Ligatich, a member of Pixar’s internal LGTBQ group PixPRIDE, told The Hollywood Reporter that she was “deeply saddened and aggrieved by the changes that were made.”

She added that there was an “exodus of talent” after staff saw Sharafian and Domee’s cut of the film, noting that the exit was “really indicative of how unhappy a lot of people were that they had changed and destroyed this beautiful work.”

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The anonymous artist characterized the changes to the film, telling THR, “Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and Elio just becomes about totally nothing. The Elio that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian’s best version of the original.”

Reports of “Elio” having its LGBTQ themes sanded down follow Pixar courting controversy for LGBTQ themes in its other films. Pixar’s 2022 film “Lightyear” featured a same-sex kiss that was reportedly removed and then reinstated for the film’s theatrical version. 

Pixar’s 2020 film “Onward” features a female cyclops character who mentions her girlfriend at one point in the film.

The anonymous Pixar artist called out company executives for the cuts to “Elio,” saying, “I’d love to ask Pete and the other Disney executives whether they thought the rewrite was worth it. Would they have lost this much money if they simply let Adrian [Molina] tell his story?”

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Docter, Pixar and Disney did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. 

Riley Gaines fires back at ex-ESPN host over transgender athlete controversy

Riley Gaines and Keith Olbermann were at it again on social media this week after the ex-ESPN host took aim at the former University of Kentucky swimmer following the resolution agreement between the University of Pennsylvania and the Education Department that resulted in the school stripping program records previously held by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. 

Olbermann posted a message on X on Tuesday calling Gaines “whiny” in response to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announcement that it had reached an agreement with UPenn following its investigation into Title IX violations that centered on Thomas’ participation on the women’s swimming team during the 2021-22 season. 

“Wanted to congratulate Whiny Gaines on now being able to say she finished tied for FOURTH not tied for FIFTH in the Lia Thomas race,” Olbermann wrote in his post, referencing the 2022 NCAA Division I swimming championships when Gaines tied with Thomas for fifth place in the 200 free. 

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Gaines, the host of OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast and a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, responded promptly to Olbermann’s slight and reminded the ex-ESPN host that Thomas ranked lower in the men’s competition before transitioning to the women’s team.

“Thank you! And while you’re keeping track, make sure to congratulate Emma Weyant, the right National Champ in the 500 freestyle, too,” Gaines said, referring to Thomas’ title in the 2022 championships.  

Gaines continued, “(If you’re insinuating 5th in the nation is bad, what do you call a man who ranks 462nd nationally in the men’s category?)” 
 

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Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title. During competition, Thomas set multiple individual program records. On Tuesday, UPenn announced that a trio of records set by Thomas that season would be updated to reflect the female competitor’s records. 

A note on the school’s website, however, still recognized Thomas’ records based on the NCAA’s eligibility requirements at the time. 

“NOTE: Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season,” the annotation read. 

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Earlier this year, in compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order, the NCAA announced it was updating its gender eligibility policies to ban all biological males from competing in women’s competition.

In UPenn’s statement on Tuesday, Penn President J. Larry Jameson said the university plans to “fully comply” with Title IX and the NCAA’s current policies. 

“The University will not – on the basis of sex – exclude female students from participation in, deny female students the benefits of, or subject female students to discrimination under, any athletics programs. In addition, in providing to female student-athletes intimate facilities such as locker rooms and bathrooms in connection with Penn Athletics, such facilities shall be strictly separated on the basis of sex and comparably provided to each sex,” the school wrote. 

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Trump announces Vietnam trade deal, says US given ‘total access’ to their markets

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has struck a trade deal with Vietnam. 

“It will be a Great Deal of Cooperation between our two Countries. The Terms are that Vietnam will pay the United States a 20% Tariff on any and all goods sent into our Territory, and a 40% Tariff on any Transshipping,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. 

“In return, Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade. In other words, they will ‘OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,’ meaning that, we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff,” Trump added. 

Trump says he reached the deal after speaking with To Lam, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. 

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“It is my opinion that the SUV or, as it is sometimes referred to, Large Engine Vehicle, which does so well in the United States, will be a wonderful addition to the various product lines within Vietnam. Dealing with General Secretary To Lam, which I did personally, was an absolute pleasure,” Trump also said. 

Vietnam was previously hit with a 46% tariff as part of Trump’s “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariff announcements. 

That tariff was later suspended for 90 days, with the suspension set to expire next week. 

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said in late June that he was expecting to reach a trade deal with the U.S. before the deadline, according to Reuters. 

“I hope that you will see that the result will come earlier than two weeks,” Chinh reportedly said. “Vietnam and the U.S. share a deep understanding on tariffs… I hope that all the positive things will come for us.” 

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The Office of the United States Trade Representative said “U.S. goods trade with Vietnam totaled an estimated $149.6 billion in 2024” and “U.S. goods exports to Vietnam in 2024 were $13.1 billion, up 32.9 percent ($3.2 billion) from 2023.”

“U.S. goods imports from Vietnam totaled $136.6 billion in 2024, up 19.3 percent ($22.1 billion) from 2023. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Vietnam was $123.5 billion in 2024, an 18.1 percent increase ($18.9 billion) over 2023,” it added.

The Southeast Asian nation has been caught in a delicate balancing act as it tries to preserve trade with the U.S., its largest export market and a security partner, while not antagonizing China, which serves as a top source of investment and a neighbor.

Vietnam’s Government Office, a body that coordinates between its ministries, held an emergency meeting with government trade experts on April 3, hours after President Donald Trump announced the tariffs. The aim was to address Washington’s concerns over alleged intellectual property theft and transhipment abuses, according to a person briefed on the meeting.

At the meeting, trade ministry and customs officials were told to tighten controls and were given two weeks to devise a plan to clamp down on illicit transshipment, which is when one country sends goods to a nation facing lower tariffs from a third country, to which the product is re-exported without having value added.

Many of the goods exported by Vietnam to the West have Chinese-made inputs, and Chinese companies have also established factories in the country to serve U.S. customers. In many instances, Vietnamese workers process the goods, which are then legally shipped to the U.S. under a “Made in Vietnam” label.

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U.S. officials have alleged that China uses Vietnam as a conduit to obtain lower tariffs for goods that do not have significant Vietnamese involvement. 

‘Matter of months’: Lawmakers push for US bunker busters as Iran threat looms

FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan pair of lawmakers has proposed authorizing President Donald Trump to transfer B-2 stealth bombers and 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs to Israel if Iran is found to still be developing a nuclear weapon after last week’s strikes. 

Proposed by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., the Bunker Buster Act would allow Trump to “take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon.” 

B-2 bomber pilots launched 14 bunker buster bombs on Iran’s top three nuclear sites, in a move that Trump claims “totally obliterated” the Iranian regime’s nuclear program. 

Israel, for its part, hit a number of Iranian sites and took out top military brass. However, it doesn’t possess the 30,000-pound GBU 57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, precision-guided munition bombs developed for the U.S. Air Force. The 20-foot-long weapons can travel 200 feet deep inside a target before exploding. 

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As of 2024, the U.S. had 19 B-2s in operation. It does not transfer custody of its B-2 stealth bombers to any of its allies. 

“Iran, the leading state sponsor of terror, and one of America’s top enemies, can never have a nuclear weapon. That’s why I strongly supported our military actions earlier this month. Iran has killed scores of Americans, including our service members, and repeatedly attacked our key democratic ally, Israel. Israel must be able to defend herself against Iran, and ensure that Iran cannot rebuild its nuclear capabilities,” Gottheimer said in a statement. 

“This bill gives the President the authority to equip Israel with the tools and training they need to deter Tehran and make the world a safer place,” said Lawler. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Chair Rafael Grossi told Radio France Internationale the centrifuges at Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear site are “no longer operational,” after the U.S. strikes.

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However, some have questioned whether Iran may have attempted to move its stock of enriched uranium away from the sites that were targeted, but Grossi told CBS over the weekend that Iran may again begin enriching uranium in a “matter of months.” 

“The capacities they have are there. They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that. But as I said, frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there,” he said.

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“It is clear that there has been severe damage, but it’s not total damage,” Grossi added. “Iran has the capacities there; industrial and technological capacities. So if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.”

Meanwhile, after a Houthi strike on Israel, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested the U.S. send B-2 bombers to Yemen to strike Houthi targets. 

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“We thought we were done with missiles coming to Israel, but Houthis just lit one up over us in Israel. Fortunately, Israel’s incredible interception system means we go to the shelter & wait until all clear. Maybe those B2 bombers need to visit Yemen!” 

B-2 bomber planes traveled to Yemen to strike Houthi targets in October 2024. 

‘High bacteria’ warnings on beaches across country ahead of Fourth of July

Americans heading to the beach for Independence Day weekend may want to check if the waters are OK for swimming or wading.

Warnings of high bacteria levels from public health officials have begun popping up in various states coast to coast.

Vibrio is a bacterium that naturally lives in coastal waters, causing fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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On the West Coast, California officials in San Diego issued many warnings and closures of popular beaches, noting that some “bacteria levels exceed health standards.”

Two counties in Long Island, New York, have issued similar advisories. 

Suffolk County health officials posted, “Benjamin Beach in Bay Shore, Ronkonkoma Beach in the Town of Islip, and Sayville Marina Park Beach in Sayville are closed to bathing due to the finding of bacteria at levels in excess of acceptable criteria.”

The beaches will reopen when further testing reveals bacteria levels have dropped to acceptable levels, said the press release.

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Three Nassau County beaches — Hewlett Point, Island Park, and Phillip Healey Beach — are under advisory after heavy rainfall, according to the Nassau County Department of Health (NCDOH).

Beaches will reopen when further testing reveals bacteria levels have dropped to acceptable levels.

“Stormwater runoff may have impacted water quality at 3 South Shore beaches. As a precaution, NCDOH is advising against swimming at these locations. Stormwater runoff can raise bacteria levels, possibly exceeding NYS standards for safe bathing,” said an NCDOH press release.

In Massachusetts, nearly 20 beaches were closed as of Wednesday morning.

Seventeen beaches are listed on the Massachusetts Department of Health “Beaches Dashboard,” due to bacteria levels. 

Washington state lists advisories to “stay out of the water” at seven beaches with “high bacteria” in King County, according to its website.

The Prairie State lists 34 advisories on their Illinois government website. 

There are 80,000 cases of the infection reported each year, according to the CDC. 

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Michigan has nine beaches closed due to high bacteria levels from “wildlife” and “storm water runoff.”

Four beaches in the Great Lake State also have contamination advisories. 

Inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’: The new migrant detention facility at an abandoned airport

President Donald Trump on Tuesday visited “Alligator Alcatraz” — the newest illegal immigrant detention facility in the nation that’s located in the Florida Everglades and surrounded by swamplands teeming with alligators and pythons. 

“It’s known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ which is very appropriate because I looked outside, and that’s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon,” Trump said Tuesday during his tour. “But very soon this facility will have some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.” 

“We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only way out is really deportation,” the president added. “And a lot of these people are self-deporting back to their country where they came from.”

Trump toured the facility, which opens Wednesday, alongside Florida Gov. Ron Desantis and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. He was also joined by Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and other local and federal leaders. 

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Trump was taken to where the illegal immigrants will sleep and toured the common areas before their deportation from the U.S. 

Noem remarked that the facility’s remote location adds an extra layer of security protection, while celebrating the detention center is air-conditioned. 

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DeSantis authorized the construction of the illegal immigrant detention center on a 30-square-mile property in the Everglades’ swamplands of Miami–Dade County under an emergency order in June. 

The property is a former airport that has been outfitted with sturdy tent structures to house 5,000 illegal immigrants amid the Trump administration’s deportation blitz to remove the millions of illegal migrants who flooded the nation during the Biden administration. 

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The detention center earned its name due to its location in the heart of the Everglades, which is home to massive reptiles such as alligators and pythons. 

Idaho murders timeline: What led to Kohberger’s expected plea deal

BOISE, Idaho – The long‑running University of Idaho homicide case has reached a decisive turn: Bryan Kohberger, the former Washington State University criminology Ph.D. student accused of killing four undergraduates in 2022, is expected to plead guilty when he returns to court Wednesday after accepting a deal.

The deal involves Kohberger agreeing to plead guilty in exchange for four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, waiving all appeals and sparing himself the death penalty, according to sources close to the case.

A formal change of plea hearing is set for 11 a.m. local time Wednesday in Boise’s Ada County Courthouse. If the agreement is accepted by the judge, sentencing is expected before the end of July, closing one of Idaho’s most closely watched criminal cases.

Here’s a timeline of the events leading up to Kohberger’s plea deal.

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The night of the killings

“Saturday is for the girls,” read a sign seen hanging through one of the windows at 1122 King Road, an off-campus rental house in Moscow, Idaho, which was home to five University of Idaho students.

These included Madison Mogen, a 21-year-old senior majoring in marketing; her best friend Kaylee Goncalves, also 21, who had recently moved out but was visiting for the weekend; Xana Kernodle, a 20-year-old junior majoring in marketing; and two other roommates.

Though not a roommate, Ethan Chapin, Kernodle’s 20-year-old boyfriend, was staying overnight at the house and was among the four victims. The two surviving roommates were both home at the time but were unharmed during the attack.

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On the frigid night of Nov. 12, 2022, roommates Mogen and Goncalves ended an evening at Moscow’s Corner Club and a downtown food truck, while Kernodle and Chapin walked back from the Sigma Chi fraternity house only 200 yards away. 

Shortly after 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, police say a lone intruder entered 1122 King Road and fatally stabbed the four students in a blitz that lasted roughly 15 minutes.

Timeline of Nov. 13, 2022:

• 4 a.m.: Suspect arrives at house
• Between 4 and 4:17: Time of murders
• 4:19: Roommate calls three victims, no one answers
• 4:22 to 4:24: Surviving roommates text each other from inside the house
• 4:27: Roommate calls victims again, no one answers
• 4:32: Roommate texts Goncalves ‘Pls answer’
• 10:23: Surviving roommate texts victims, no one answers
• 11:39: Roommate calls her father
• 12 p.m.: 911 call placed from roommate’s phone.

Key moments in the investigation:

Dec. 30, 2022

The investigation led authorities to Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University. He was arrested in December 2022 in Pennsylvania after forensic evidence linked him to the murders, including DNA found on a knife sheath at the crime scene and cellphone data placing him near the victims’ home multiple times.

Jan. 4, 2023 

Kohberger was extradited to Idaho on Jan. 4, 2023. He had waived his right to an extradition hearing in Pennsylvania the previous day. He was booked into the Latah County Jail in Moscow, Idaho.

May 17, 2023

On May 17, 2023, a grand jury in Latah County, Idaho, indicted Kohberger on five felony charges: four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.

BRYAN KOHBERGER ALLEGEDLY SEARCHED PICTURES OF FEMALE STUDENTS, SOME WERE CLOSE TO ALLEGED VICTIMS

May 22, 2023

On May 22, 2023, Kohberger was arraigned in Latah County on charges including four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. During the arraignment, Kohberger chose to “stand silent,” meaning he did not enter a plea. 

As a result, the judge entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.

June 26, 2023

On June 26, 2023, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson filed a formal notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Kohberger. This filing occurred within the 60-day window mandated by Idaho law following Kohberger’s arraignment on May 22, 2023.

August 2023

Defendant waives right to a speedy trial, postponing proceedings. Kohberger’s attorney, Anne Taylor, cited the need for additional time to prepare the defense.

June 30, 2025

Kohberger accepts a plea deal: guilty pleas in exchange for life without parole and a waiver of appeals.

Terms of the plea deal:

Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students as part of a plea deal that allows him to avoid the death penalty. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Kohberger will plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary, according to sources close to the case. In exchange, prosecutors will recommend four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. 

He will also waive his right to appeal the convictions or sentences. 

He may not have to explain the crime as part of the plea agreement, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital Tuesday. The agreement must be approved by Judge Steven Hippler, with a formal plea hearing scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, at 11 a.m. MT.

“By taking a plea deal, Bryan Kohberger has insulated himself from a sentence that would require his execution,” Idaho defense lawyer Edwina Elcox, who has had cases in front of Hippler, told Fox News Digital. “Only a jury can sentence him to death. Regardless, he will likely spend the rest of his life in prison, without the possibility of ever being in society again.”

The Idaho defense lawyer further described the decision as “a good deal” for Kohberger, who could have faced execution by firing squad in Idaho if convicted of the four murders.

“[I]f death is off the table, this is a good deal. From all the information that came out, it was becoming an insurmountable task to mount a defense. I would expect that Judge Hippler will make him allocute to the crimes though,” Elcox said before more details of Kohberger’s deal emerged.

BRYAN KOHBERGER SELFIE FROM DAYS BEFORE ARREST SEEN FOR FIRST TIME

Idaho families react to plea deal:

Steve Goncalves told NewsNation Monday the plea deal decision is “anything but justice.” He further commended law enforcement for their work in investigating the case, noting that “the failure was at the court level.”

“The fault is in leadership and the people that you place this evidence upon. They were weak,” Goncalves said.

Members of Kernodle’s family also condemned the plea deal. Her aunt, Kim Kernodle, told TMZ that relatives were vehemently opposed to the idea when Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson’s office first raised it over the weekend.

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However, Chapin’s family indicated in a statement that they are “in support of the plea bargain” and will be present in Boise on Wednesday.