Category: Security

President Donald Trump issued pardons on Monday for over 1,500 individuals connected to the Capitol Hill protest on January 6, 2021, who had been prosecuted by former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.

As he was signing the executive order for the January 6 pardons, Trump was asked whether the January 6 protesters would be receiving commutations or a full pardon. In response, the 47th president said, “Full pardon.” Trump added that there are roughly six January 6 commutations that his administration is conducting “further research” on.

Addressing the January 6 protesters imprisoned under the Biden-Harris administration, Trump said, “We hope they come out tonight, frankly.”

Prior to signing the pardons at the White House, Trump addressed his supporters at the Capital One Arena, promising to release the January 6 “hostages.”

“Tonight I’m going to be signing on the J6 hostages, pardons to get them out,” Trump said. “I’m going to the Oval Office, and we’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people.”

“You see, take a look at what went on and look what happens in other parts of the country. In Portland, where they kill people, they destroy the city, nothing happens to them,” Trump added. “In Seattle, where they took over a big chunk of the city, nothing happened. Minneapolis, where they burned down the city, nothing happened. Essentially nothing happened.”

Contrasting the way left-wing protesters have been treated with the way the January 6 protesters were treated, Trump said, “All they want to do is go after the J6 hostages.” The president pointed to one case where a 76-year-old grandmother was arrested for her alleged involvement in the storming of the Capitol. Trump added, “We’re not going to put up with that crap anymore.”

READ MORE: Biden issues pardons for Fauci, Ret. Gen. Mark Milley, and Jan 6 Committee

Following Trump’s mass pardon for the January 6 protesters on Monday, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “The President’s actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution.”

Pelosi claimed it was “shameful” for Trump to make the January 6 pardons “one of his top priorities.” The former House speaker also claimed that Trump’s action on the first day of his presidency represented the “abandonment and betrayal” of the police officers who confronted the January 6 protesters to “stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power.”

President Joe Biden issued pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, Retired General Mark Milley, and members of the January 6 committee on Monday just hours before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics,” Biden said in his statement on the last-minute pardons. “But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.”

“Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families,” Biden’s statement continued. “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong—and in fact have done the right thing—and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”

This is breaking news that will be updated as more information becomes available.

Joan Plowright, the English actor whose decadeslong career included an Oscar-nominated turn in “Enchanted April” and films “The Entertainer” and “Stalin,” has died.

The actor died Thursday at Denville Hall, a retirement home for actors in southern England, her family said Friday in a statement to the Associated Press. She was 95.

“She enjoyed a long and illustrious career across theatre, film and TV over seven decades until blindness made her retire,” her family said. “We are so proud of all Joan did and who she was as a loving and deeply inclusive human being.”

Plowright may be remembered as the third and final wife of British acting legend Laurence Olivier, but she leaves behind an impressive legacy of her own that spanned theater, film and television.

By the first year of her marriage to Olivier, Plowright was a Tony-winning actor (she won for “A Taste of Honey” in 1961) who had graced stages on Broadway and in London, including as a member of the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre. She was also a BAFTA-nominated star who earned critical praise for her performance in Tony Richardson’s 1960 film, “The Entertainer,” which also starred Olivier as her father.

Plowright, however, saw even more professional success after Olivier’s death in 1989, as she delivered memorable performances in films throughout the ’90s and early aughts, including “Enchanted April,” “Stalin,” The Scarlet Letter” and “The Spiderwick Chronicles.”

In director Mike Newell’s “Enchanted April,” Plowright shared the screen with Alfred Molina, Miranda Richardson and Polly Walker as the elderly Mrs. Fisher, one of four women seeking respite on an Italian vacation. Plowright’s “Enchanted April” performance earned her her first and only Academy Award nomination, for supporting actress. At the 1993 Golden Globes, Plowright earned two awards: a supporting actress in a motion picture prize for “Enchanted April,” and a supporting actress in a series, miniseries or TV movie for “Stalin.”

Plowright often portrayed the grandmotherly type in a variety of films, including family-friendly titles “101 Dalmatians” and “Dennis the Menace.” In a 1996 interview with The Times, Plowright said she didn’t mind.

“When you get such interesting and amusing film roles, it doesn’t seem dreadfully exciting to be in the 257th revival of ‘The Rivals,’” she said. “And it’s fun setting off all over the world — and being extremely well-paid.”

In film, Plowright’s credits include “Tea With Mussolini,” “Surviving Picasso,” “I Love You to Death,” “Avalon” and “Drowning by Numbers.” Her television appearances include “Encore! Encore!” and the movies “On Promised Land,” “A Place for Annie” and “Back to the Secret Garden.”

The actor was also one of four subjects of the Roger Michell documentary “Nothing Like a Dame.” The 2018 project celebrated the careers of Plowright and her fellow actor-dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

Plowright was born Oct. 28, 1929, in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, England, to journalist and editor William Ernest Plowright, and his wife, Daisy Margaret. She began her acting in plays put on by her mother. At age 15, she won a drama cup and with it the chance to spend a week in a minor role with the Harry Hanson Players. After she was rejected for the role (Hanson told her, “Go home, my dear, go home”), she received a scholarship to study at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Her first marriage was to Roger Gage in 1953; they divorced in 1960. Plowright first caught Olivier’s eye in a Royal Court production of “The Country Wife.” In 1957, they shared the stage in the original production of John Osborne’s “The Entertainer” in London.

“I realized Larry was falling in love with me,” she told The Times in 1996, when he called her by a pet name while they were in rehearsals.

Olivier and “Gone With the Wind” star Vivien Leigh ended their marriage after 20 years in 1960 amid the former’s affair with Plowright. A year later, Plowright and Olivier wed. After the marriage, Plowright’s acting career became secondary to that of a wife and mother — she and Olivier had three children together.

“He was a world-famous figure, and I sensed the responsibility I had in helping to keep his life going in an enormously important, highly stressful job,” she recalled to The Times. “Larry didn’t want us to be ships that passed in the night.”

Plowright also published “And That’s Not All: The Memoirs of Joan Plowright” in 2002. The memoir chronicled her upbringing, her romance with Olivier (portrayed through their love letters) and the rumors that surrounded her husband’s sexuality.

In 2004, a few years before her final film appearances, Plowright was named Dame Commander of the British Empire during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Plowright said the award was “a kind of crowning in one’s life achievement.”

“It’s a bit confusing. I’ve got so many names: Dame Olivier and Lady Plowright,” she joked, according to the BBC. “I just say call me Joan.”

Plowright was preceded in death by Gage and Olivier. She is survived by children Julie Kate Olivier, Tamsin Olivier and Richard Olivier, and three grandchildren.

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After having to evacuate his Pacific Palisades home amid the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, Ben Affleck returned to find a massive military vehicle outside the home Thursday.

Photos published by TMZ show a man dressed in military fatigues and a khaki-colored Humvee parked right outside the 52-year-old Oscar winner’s Brentwood estate.

The “Gone Girl” star was seen driving by nonchalantly, though it’s unclear whether he engaged directly with anyone outside the residence, which sits toward the edge of the evacuation zone. The National Guard was deployed in the area to assist last week.

Earlier in the week, the outlet reported FBI agents and sheriff deputies went to Affleck’s house after a private drone and firefighting aircraft collided, damaging the latter.

Affleck, who settled his divorce from Jennifer Lopez earlier this month, was forced to flee his house amid the deadly fires and head to the home of ex-wife Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares three children: Violet, 19, Seraphina, 16, and Samuel, 12.

The Palisades fire, currently 31% contained, has killed at least eight people and burned through nearly 24,000 acres. The Eaton fire, which is 65% contained, has ravaged over 14,000 acres and taken the lives of at least 16.

As of Friday afternoon, at least 27 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the multiple wildfires that began devastating the L.A. area last week. On Thursday, Yale Climate Connections reported the eventual death toll is expected to be far higher, “once the health effects from the toxic smoke from the fires are fully realized.”

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American Express Co. will pay about $230 million to resolve a long-running investigation into some of the firm’s prior sales practices which regulators said misled small-business owners.

Amex reached agreements with federal prosecutors and the Federal Reserve to settle the allegations, according to statements from the parties involved.

The misconduct stems from a practice where Amex workers offered products — including its Premium Wire service — as a scheme to lower taxes and earn credit-card points. Amex discontinued the Premium Wire offering and sales practices in 2021 and fired workers over the misconduct.

“When financial companies engage in deceptive sales tactics or falsify information to cover up a failure to follow applicable regulations, they threaten the integrity of our financial system,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton said in a statement. “Today’s settlement makes clear that the department will hold accountable those who violate the trust placed in them to follow the rules governing our financial institutions and to be truthful about their business practices.”

“We cooperated extensively with these agencies and our regulators and took decisive voluntary action to address these issues,” a spokesperson for Amex said in a statement. As well as discontinuing the products and disciplinary action, the company undertook an internal review and boosted policies, compliance and training programs, it said.

The $230 million penalty comprises $138 million for the Eastern District of New York and the Justice Department, according to the federal prosecutors. Amex will also pay a portion to the Fed after striking an agreement-in-principal to be finalized in the coming weeks. The costs were largely reserved for in earlier periods and don’t impact the company’s 2024 guidance, according to Amex.

Amex has faced a slew of regulatory probes over the matter for years. It began responding to investigations by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Justice Department in 2020, and received a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in 2021. In October, Amex said the New York Department of Financial Services and the Fed were also looking into the matter.

In 2023, Amex paid $15 million in civil penalties to settle with the OCC. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau similarly looked into the practices but closed its inquiry without levying a financial penalty in 2023.

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Former President Joe Biden pardoned his family approximately 15 minutes before President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

According to a press release obtained by CNBC, Biden announced pardons for his brother, James Biden; James Biden’s wife, Sara Jones Biden; his brother, Francis Biden; his sister, Valerie Biden Owens; and his sister’s husband, John Owens.

A picture of Biden’s pardon was shared Monday on X, formerly Twitter, by Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk. In Biden’s “executive grant of clemency,” the former president noted that his pardon applied to “any Nonviolent Offenses against the United States which they may have committed or taken part in” from January 1, 2014 to January 20, 2025.

“Biden just pardoned his entire family on the way out,” Kirk tweeted. “An unrepentant crook. Worst president of all time. Justice is coming.”

“My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics,” Biden said in Monday’s press release. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”

While Biden emphasized his belief in the rule of law and said he was “optimistic” that the “strength” of America’s legal institutions “will ultimately prevail over politics,” he claimed that “baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families.”

READ MORE: Videos/Pics: Inauguration Day: Trump sworn in as 47th President, declares ‘Golden Age of America’

The former president added, “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage their reputations and finances.”

According to Fox News, Biden’s last-minute pardons of his family members comes after House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) asked Trump’s Justice Department to investigate James Biden over allegations that the former president’s brother made false statement to Congress. The outlet also reported that House Republicans previously sent criminal referrals for both James Biden and Hunter Biden to the Justice Department regarding the House’s impeachment inquiry into the former president.

In Monday’s press release, Biden said, “The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.”

In addition to pardoning his family members on Monday, Biden also issued preemptive pardons for Retired General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of the January 6 Committee.

Following Biden’s announcement of pardons for Milley, Fauci, and the members of the January 6 Committee, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) tweeted, “Implication is that they needed the pardons… So, let’s call them all before Congress and demand the truth. If they refuse or lie – let’s test the constitutional ‘reach’ of these pardons with regard to their future actions.”

Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., on Saturday ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

According to Fox News, thousands of protesters, primarily females, met in Washington, D.C, for the People’s March, which was previously known as the Women’s March. The outlet noted that the crowd was only a tenth of the size of the original Women’s March in 2017.

Mini Timmaraju, the head of the Reproductive Freedom for All advocacy group, told the protesters, “It’s really healing to be here with all of you today in solidarity and togetherness, in the face of what’s going to be some really horrible extremism.”

READ MORE: Trump inauguration a ‘target’ for ‘violence,’ officials warn: Report

A video shared by comedian Chad Prather shows protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., to protest against the second Trump administration.

THEY’RE BACK!!! Thousands of childless women and they/thems have arrived in Washington D.C. to protest Donald Trump!!

They were seen chanting, “We will not go back.” NEWSFLASH! Donald Trump will be sworn in as our next President in two days! pic.twitter.com/DOyOvL09wZ

— Chad Prather (@WatchChad) January 18, 2025

Another video shared by journalist Sarah Fields shows the anti-Trump protesters marching with banners featuring sayings of “Our Freedom. Our Future. Our Fight,” “We Rise. We Resist. We March,” and “We Will Not Be Silent.” Meanwhile, the protesters can be heard repeatedly chanting, “We will not go back.”

*Protest in opposition to Trump and his inauguration.*

I hate to be that person who says, “What do you notice?” However, I want everyone to look at this crowd and tell me… what is the one thing missing?

These people hate America.pic.twitter.com/OUHMEYCb40

— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) January 18, 2025

While a significant number of law enforcement officials were deployed ahead of the People’s March and Trump’s inauguration, Fox News noted that law enforcement officials were not expecting the violence that preceded Trump’s inauguration in 2017. During the anti-Trump protests in 2017, over 200 individuals were arrested as protesters burned cars and damaged storefronts prior to Trump’s inauguration, according to Fox News.

However, a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows anti-Trump protesters vandalizing property in Washington, D.C., prior to Trump’s second inauguration.

Watch: Protestors in Washington DC are seen vandalizing property in protest of Donald Trumps Inauguration. Who thinks they should be arrested?

pic.twitter.com/06k7JnL84v

— Based DK (@Back_2TheMiddle) January 18, 2025

One social media user shared a picture of the anti-Trump protesters on Saturday, tweeting, “Not a single American flag in the ‘Peoples March’ protest against President Trump. Are you surprised?”

In addition to the protest in Washington, D.C., roughly 1,000 protesters gathered for the People’s March in New York City, according to The New York Post.

Left-wing protesters brought a guillotine to Washington, D.C., on Monday as part of a demonstration against President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“Left-wing protestors bring a guillotine to Trump’s inauguration. It says, ‘Come get sum,’” former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates Derrick Evans posted on X along with video of the scene.

The protesters were also seen holding an LGBTQ rainbow flag and a sign that read, “ONE PEOPLE DIVIDED IN 2. RICH WHITE PEOPLE VS ALL OF US.” The word “white” on the sign was crossed out.

Another protester held a sign that read, “The revolution is now.”

Journalist Julio Rosas shared a photo of the guillotine on X.

This is breaking news that will be updated as more information becomes available.

The first three Israeli hostages were released on Sunday by the Hamas terrorist organization following last week’s ceasefire agreement that came amid President-elect Donald Trump’s threat that there would be “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas did not release the hostages prior to his inauguration.

Fox News reported that Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari were released to the Israeli Defense Forces on Sunday after being held captive by Hamas terrorists for 471 days following the terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. The outlet noted that the three female hostages were transported to Israeli Defense Forces in Red Cross vehicles as part of the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas.

According to Fox News, during a call with Israeli Defense Forces Coordinator Brigadier General (Res.) Gal Hirsch, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “These three women have endured unimaginable darkness. Today, they step into the light, free at last, thanks to the heroic sacrifices of our soldiers. We will not stop until every last hostage is returned.”

READ MORE: Video: Hamas agrees to ceasefire, hostage release after Trump warns ‘all hell to pay’

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Netanyahu shared pictures of the three hostages who were released on Sunday and promised that Israel “will bring everyone home.”

רומי, דורון ואמילי – עם שלם מחבק אתכן, ברוכות השבות הביתה. הרגע הזה הושג בזכות ההקרבה והלחימה של לוחמינו הגיבורים – גיבורי ישראל.

אני מתחייב: נחזיר את כולם הביתה! pic.twitter.com/abe1Q5aFg7

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) January 19, 2025

In a statement obtained by Fox News, Mandy Damari said, “After 471 days Emily is finally home. I want to thank everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal, and who never stopped saying her name. In Israel, Britain, the United States, and around the world. Thank you for bringing Emily home. While Emily’s nightmare in Gaza is over, for too many other families the impossible wait continues. Every last hostage must be released, and humanitarian aid must be provided to the hostages who are still waiting to come home.”

Steinbrecher’s family also released a statement celebrating the release of Doron Steinbrecher and thanking Trump for his involvement in the return of the Israeli hostages.

“We are especially grateful to President Trump for his significant involvement and support, which meant so much to us,” the family said. “Our heroic Dodo begins her rehabilitation journey today. We remain committed to standing with all families until their loved ones come home.”

A video shared on X shows the Israeli hostages reuniting with their family members. The families can be seen expressing a range of emotions after being reunited with their loved ones who were held captive by Hamas for 471 days.

A picture shared by broadcaster Piers Morgan shows the moment each of the hostages was reunited with their family members.

An illegal gambling network that ran from strip-mall casinos to a warehouse in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood was taken down this week by state and local law enforcement agencies.

Authorities raided slot-machine parlors in suburban West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach and Zephyrhills, confiscating machines and cash. They also charged officers of a company in Miami that sold slot machines to illegal casinos. At least five people face various gambling and money-laundering charges after an operation led by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and involving several other agencies.

During the investigation, which started in 2022, undercover officers posed as gamblers played the slot machines and others posed as casino owners to gather evidence on the Miami company that supplied machines to the illegal gambling operations.

Among the casinos that were raided was VIP Sweepstakes at 2885 N. Military Trail, just outside West Palm Beach, a casino chronicled in a recent Sun Sentinel series on the spread of illegal casinos in Florida.

Lit with chandeliers and carpeted in maroon and gold, the casino offered free buffet breakfasts, lunches and dinners and a more upscale gambling experience than the spartan, dimly lit slots parlors more commonly found along Military Trail.

The approach turned out to be profitable. During a one-year period, the casino deposited $763,196 into its bank accounts, according to an affidavit filed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Florida law prohibits the possession or operation of slot machines except at 15 licensed gambling facilities, which include casinos run by the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes, as well as casinos and race tracks in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

But casinos known as “arcades” operate throughout the state, some openly, some covertly. Although illegal, they often operate undisturbed because investigations are difficult and the penalties low.

At a panel discussion this week in the Florida House’s Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee, law enforcement officers told lawmakers that the penalties for gambling offenses, typically misdemeanors, were too light to serve as a deterrent. Owners who are arrested typically get off without jail time, they said, unless investigators are able to bring more serious charges such as racketeering.

And while many people may regard the casinos as engaging in victimless crime, they operate without any oversight or taxation, allowing them to routinely cheat players and avoid paying the hefty taxes levied on the legal casinos.

The other casinos that were raided this week were Treasure Hunter’s Arcade in Fort Pierce, Pharoah’s Treasure Arcade in Vero Beach and Arcadia Arcade in Zephyrhills. The group that ran the casinos and warehouse used multiple shell and front companies, according to the affidavit.

It’s unclear how many people have been charged. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that the investigation resulted in the issuance of five arrest warrants. An affidavit filed by the sheriff’s office requests arrest warrants for six people. They are: Joseph Michael Pestana, Eric David Silverstein, Justin Earl Silverstein, David Roffey, Nova Revez Roffey, and Jana Barvircakova.

The slot machine company caught up in the investigation was Grand View Products Inc., 391 NW 24th St., Miami. Investigators learned about the company’s involvement from a man arrested for his involvement in a group that ran several illegal casinos, who told them he had bought several machines from that company.

Undercover officers posed as businesspeople planning to establish an illegal casino in Delray Beach and toured the warehouse, where they were offered used slot machines for $6,500 each.

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