Iran is set to execute its first female protester tied to the January 2026 uprising in Tehran, according to multiple human rights organizations. Bita Hemmati was named in a collective death sentencing alongside three other defendants, including her husband, Mohammadreza Majid-Asl, 34, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).The couple’s reported neighbors, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, were also sentenced to death, while a relative, Amir Hemmati, received five years in prison.The verdicts mark some of the most recent capital punishment decisions amid the government’s broader crackdown on suppressing unrest. Possibly thousands of protesters have reportedly been killed since demonstrations erupted this year.TRUMP DETAILS SWEEPING ‘ALL OR NOTHING’ BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ AFTER FAILED IRAN TALKS”Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl and Bita Hemmati are a couple living in Tehran, and Amir Hemmati is a relative of the two,” a source told HRANA. “Kourosh Zamaninejad and Behrouz Zamaninejad were living in the same residential building, and their arrests took place simultaneously.”No execution date has yet been given.The Tehran Revolutionary Court reportedly accused the defendants of multiple offenses, including national security disruption in connection with the “hostile government of the United States,” according to HRANA.On Jan. 8 and 9, the defendants allegedly used explosives and weapons, threw objects such as concrete blocks and incendiary materials from rooftops, injured security forces, and engaged in “propaganda against the regime” in an effort to undermine security, according to federal authorities.IRAN THREATENS TO HALT RED SEA TRAFFIC IN RESPONSE TO US MILITARY BLOCKADE OF PORTSAlongside the capital punishment verdicts, the court also issued five years of discretionary imprisonment and ordered the seizure of their personal assets. Officials added that the fifth associate, Amir Hemmati, was specifically convicted of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime,” the groups said.Human rights activists further raised concerns that the defendants’ confessions may have been coerced, citing allegations of torture and interrogation.The organizations, which are urging a halt to the executions, also claimed a lack of specific evidence linking the accused to the alleged crimes, and argued that Tehran is seeking to intimidate the public in order to prevent future civilian unrest. Widespread protests first erupted in late December 2025 in Tehran amid an economic crisis marked by a collapsing currency and soaring inflation. Tensions then quickly escalated into broader anti-government unrest that spread across multiple cities.Washington officially joined the conflict with the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, 2026, when it conducted massive joint airstrikes with Israel that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
FAFO: American YouTuber Sent to Prison in South Korea for Disrespecting Public Statue (VIDEO)
Screencap of Twitter/X video.
An American YouTuber who goes by the name ‘Johnny Somali’ has been sentenced to prison time in South Korea for disrespecting a public statue and basically gyrating and twerking on it.
This was not only disrespectful but incredibly stupid.
Johnny is going to learn a whole new level of respect for American freedom from this episode. It’s amazing how time spent in a foreign prison can make someone appreciate how great things are in the USA.
The Associated Press reports:
American YouTuber sentenced to 6 months in South Korean prison for offensive stunts
An American YouTuber who sparked national outrage in South Korea for provocative stunts, including dancing on a statue honoring victims of wartime sexual slavery, was sentenced to six months in prison Wednesday.
The Seoul Western District Court found Ramsey Khalid Ismael, a self-proclaimed internet “troll” known online as Johnny Somali, guilty of multiple charges, including obstruction of business and distributing fabricated sexually explicit content.
Prosecutors had sought a three-year term for Ismael, who also faced accusations of harassing staff and visitors at an amusement park, disrupting a convenience store by blasting music and upending noodles onto a table, causing similar scenes on a bus and subway, and distributing non-consensual deepfake videos.
The court said the 25-year-old displayed “severe” disrespect for South Korean law, noting that he offended countless people with livestreamed stunts aimed at generating YouTube revenue. The court ordered his immediate detention following the verdict, citing him as a flight risk.
Stay with this video to the end:
American streamer Johnny Somali got sentenced to 6 months in a South Korean labor prison for disrespecting a monument to wartime sex abuse victims.
He filmed himself doing a lap dance on the Statue of Peace.
Asian countries skip the woke-ism nonsense.
FAFO?
A. Yes B. No pic.twitter.com/WfBIgqV5Ui
— Karoline Leavitt (@WHLeavitt) April 16, 2026
What an absolute dope.
Perhaps he will be more respectful in his future travels.
The post FAFO: American YouTuber Sent to Prison in South Korea for Disrespecting Public Statue (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Human Smuggler Extradited From Brazil To US: DOJ
Human Smuggler Extradited From Brazil To US: DOJ
Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
A Bangladeshi national, alleged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to be a “prolific” alien smuggler, made his first appearance Monday in a Laredo, Texas, federal courtroom following his extradition from Brazil, according to a DOJ statement.
Illegal immigrants who are believed to have crossed the border from Mexico into the United States are seen after the truck they were being transported in was interdicted by law enforcement officers in Laredo, Texas, on Sept. 13, 2022. Department of Justice/Handout via Reuters
The indictment against Saiful Islam, 39, in the Southern District of Texas accuses him of being part of a conspiracy that smuggled numerous illegal immigrants through Central America to the United States, the DOJ said.
“Islam participated in a wide-ranging human smuggling operation,” the agency said.
The Bangladeshi man also allegedly helped other smugglers by facilitating the travel of aliens from São Paulo, Brazil, and other locations in South America, Central America, and Mexico, eventually instructing them in how to illegally cross the Rio Grande River or jump the border fence.
Islam’s charges include conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States, multiple counts of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, and conspiracy to encourage or induce an alien to enter the United States, according to the DOJ statement. He also faces potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
A conviction on the charge of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain carries a mandatory minimum sentence of three to five years in prison, depending on additional factors, and a maximum of 15 years.
Islam would face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the other two charges if he is convicted of them.
There is no listed attorney for Islam yet in his online docket, which shows his case was assigned to a judge in August 2020.
Several agencies are coordinating in the investigation of Islam, including Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection’s International Interdiction Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, and INTERPOL.
The DOJ credited its Joint Task Force Alpha, the agency’s lead effort in fighting human smuggling and trafficking by cartels and other criminal organizations, in investigating, charging, and prosecuting Islam.
Joint Task Force Alpha’s main goal is targeting leaders and organizers of cartels throughout the Americas, Mexico, and the “Northern Triangle countries” of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, the Justice Department said.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi announced last September an expansion of the agency to cover Canada, the Caribbean, maritime borders, and elsewhere.
“This Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before,” Bondi said.
Joint Task Force Alpha has, to date, arrested more than 450 domestic and international leaders, organizers, and facilitators of alien smuggling or trafficking. According to the Monday DOJ statement, the agency’s work has resulted in more than 395 U.S. convictions, more than 345 “significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.”
Tyler Durden
Wed, 04/15/2026 – 21:45
Guards at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ beat, pepper-sprayed detainees, lawyer says
Guards severely beat and pepper-sprayed migrant detainees at “Alligator Alcatraz,” an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, causing injuries to their heads, shoulders and wrists, according to a lawyer for two detainees.The guards targeted several detainees at the state-run facility after they complained about a lack of phone access one day earlier this month, lawyer Katherine Blankenship said in a court declaration.The phones are the primary method for detainees to communicate with family and their legal representation while held at the detention center, but the phones were not functioning.The guards first started to taunt the detainees as they were in a cell. Blankenship said the guards then became “more aggressive and were yelling and threatening to enter the cage.”DOJ SUES CONNECTICUT, NEW HAVEN OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES: ‘OPEN DEFIANCE’One detainee was punched in the face after walking up to a guard. The guards then began beating other detainees in the cell.Blankenship said one of her clients was punched in the right eye, thrown to the floor and beaten by several guards. She said guards kicked him in the head and injured his shoulder and arm. A guard also put his knee on the detainee’s neck while restraining him, according to the attorney.Included in the declaration is a photo taken during a video call nearly a week after the beating showing the detainee with a bruised eye.”The officers beat several people during this incident and broke another detained individual’s wrist,” Blankenship wrote, noting that the detainee whose wrist was broken is not among her clients.Phone service was restored the following day, although officials failed to provide any explanation as to why it was cut off.HOCHUL ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO ALLOW NEW YORKERS TO SUE ICE AGENTS: ‘POWER DOES NOT JUSTIFY ABUSE’Blankenship’s declaration was part of a court filing alleging that state and federal officials have not complied with a federal judge’s preliminary injunction last month ordering the detention center to offer detainees access to timely, free, confidential, unmonitored and unrecorded calls with their attorneys.U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell directed officials to provide at least one operable telephone for every 25 people held in the facility.The judge’s order came after a lawsuit that argued that officials at the facility were violating detainees’ First Amendment rights.State officials have denied claims of restricting detainees’ access to their attorneys, pointing to security and staffing issues for any cutoffs. Federal officials, who are also defendants in the case, denied that detainees’ First Amendment rights were violated.Last week, state officials filed a notice saying they intend to appeal the judge’s ruling.The facility has been slapped with several lawsuits since it was built over the summer.The detention facility was constructed last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to support President Donald Trump’s plan to mass detain and deport migrants. Officials in the Sunshine State also built a second immigration detention center in northern Florida.During a visit last week to the detention center, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said she was not given the opportunity to speak with detainees. The lawmaker also described conditions at the detention center as “inhumane” and “cruel.””The way the detainees are housed is cruel and unnecessary,” she said.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
LIV Golf CEO sends rallying memo to staff after reports Saudi funding could end after this season
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil sent a memo to his staff Wednesday in response to reports the Public Investment Fund will no longer use its resources for the league.Sources told Fox News Digital the Saudis will stop funding LIV after the 2026 season.”Team, (f)ollowing up on my previous message, which I realize may have led to some confusion on where we stand as a business,” O’Neil wrote in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital. “I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM”While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organization that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before.”The life of a startup movement is often defined by these moments of pressure. We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. We have faced headwinds since the jump, and we’ve answered every time with resilience and grace. Now, we answer by doing what we do best: putting on the most compelling show in sports.”GOLF ANALYST BRANDEL CHAMBLEE RIPS LIV GOLF AS REPORTS FUEL SPECULATION ABOUT ITS FUTURE: ‘LAME-BRAINED TOUR’O’Neil then praised LIV golfers for contending at the Masters, noting Tyrell Hatton finished tied for third, and hyping up Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm as the faces of the league.”To the teams in New York, London, and those on the ground here with me in Mexico: lean into this moment,” O’Neil continued. “The noise you hear is simply the sound of a movement that is working. Embrace it. We are pioneers, and while the road isn’t always smooth, the destination is worth every mile. Let’s go out and show the world why LIV Golf is the future of the game. It matters. You mattered. Now, let’s go win.”Long LIV Golf.”LIV began in 2022 and has produced two major winners in Brooks Koepka, who has since rejoined the PGA Tour, at the 2023 PGA Championship, and DeChambeau at the 2024 U.S. Open. They are currently playing in Mexico City.LIV Golf shifted from its 54-hole format, a draw for golfers defecting from the PGA Tour, to 72 beginning this season. Patrick Reed is also set to rejoin the tour.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter
NYC Mayor Mamdani calls threat of rich people leaving NYC over taxes ‘imagined’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani claimed on Wednesday that threats of the city’s wealthiest residents leaving the city over high taxes were “imagined.” Mamdani held a Tax Day public forum with economists Gabriel Zucman and Joseph Stiglitz to discuss his plans to further tax the rich, starting with a new tax on luxury properties valued at $5 million or more.”For all of the discussion of the imagined exodus that would take place were we to tax the wealthiest New Yorkers by the appropriate amount—I say imagined because before I was a mayor I was a state legislator and I was part of an effort to increase taxes on millionaires at that time—we were told the same thing then—and what we find now is that we have more millionaires today than we did at that time even after having passed that tax,” Mamdani said.MAMDANI’S ‘PAINFUL’ TAX HIKE THREAT MOCKED BY WASHINGTON POST FOR PROVING ‘SOCIALIST UTOPIA IS EXPENSIVE’Mamdani acknowledged New York City losing many of its residents in recent years, pointing out that the city lost 200,000 Black residents between 2000 and 2020. However, he claimed that this was an “exodus” of working-class people who can no longer afford to live there.”And so for all of that conversation about this imagined exodus, we have to reckon with the very real exodus that we are seeing in the city, an exodus of working-class people, an exodus of those who cannot afford to live here and for many who work here who now find their residence in Jersey City or in Connecticut or in Pennsylvania, anywhere else where their dollar can go a little bit further,” Mamdani said.SOCIALIST NYC MAYOR MAMDANI CLASHES WITH HOCHUL OVER TAX HIKES AS SOME CRITICS WARN OF CATASTROPHEDuring the forum, Mamdani also highlighted his past campaign goals for free busing, universal childcare and five city-run grocery stores.Though Mamdani was able to launch a universal childcare program within his first 100 days in office, he has yet to deliver on his plans for free busing or a city-run grocery store. The first of the proposed grocery stores is currently slated to open in late 2027.Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST WARNS MAMDANI’S BALLOONING NYC BUDGET PLAN GIVES REPUBLICANS A READY-MADE MIDTERM MESSAGEMamdani’s comments came in stark contrast to previous ones made by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who encouraged wealthy former state residents to move back and support social programs.”There are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up. OK, cut me the checks. If you want to be supportive — but maybe the first step should be [to] go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home, because our tax has been eroded,” Hochul said last month.
ICE Offers a $10 Million Reward for the Capture of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, the Fugitive Leader of Los Chapitos
This is a Gateway Hispanic article.
The post ICE Offers a $10 Million Reward for the Capture of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, the Fugitive Leader of Los Chapitos appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Bessent Keeps Running Tally Of China As “Unreliable Global Partner” – Count Now Stands At Three
Bessent Keeps Running Tally Of China As “Unreliable Global Partner” – Count Now Stands At Three
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Tuesday that Beijing’s panic hoarding of crude and refined products, while refusing to join the rest of the world in releasing supplies to offset the Gulf energy shock, has now demonstrated for the third time in five years that China is an “unreliable global partner.”
“China has been an unreliable global partner three times in the past five years; once during COVID, when they hoarded healthcare products, second on rare earth,” Bessent said, referring to Beijing’s move last year to weaponize rare earth exports against the US in the tit-for-tat trade war that disrupted US supply chains, including temporary factory shutdowns such as production lines briefly shuttered by Ford Motor Company.
Bessent said China continued to purchase tanker loads of crude instead of helping ease the global supply crunch caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, despite already holding a massive strategic reserve. He also noted that China restricted exports of crude products early in the conflict.
Reuters noted that China’s strategic petroleum reserve “was roughly the same size as that of the entire reserve held by the 32-member International Energy Agency, but it was continuing to purchase oil.”
Bessent added, “They continued buying, and they’ve been hoarding, and they have cut off exports of many products.”
On US-China relations, he told reporters he’s been in contact with Chinese officials about the hoarding issue.
He declined to comment on whether the dispute and elevated tensions will derail an upcoming Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, which has been pushed to mid-May.
“I think the message for the visit is stability. We’ve had great stability in the relationship since last summer; that emanates from the top down,” he said. “I think that communication is the key.”
Bessent added that the US military blockade would ensure that no Chinese tankers or other ships would pass the strait: “So they’re not going to be able to get their oil. They can get oil. Not Iranian oil.”
Last week, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned that governments must avoid panic hoarding and refrain from imposing fuel export bans as the Gulf energy shock continues to ripple outward to Asia, Africa, Europe, and eventually reaches the US West Coast.
“I urge all countries not to impose bans or restrictions on exports,” Fatih Birol emphasized in a Financial Times interview. “It is the worst time when you look at the global oil markets. Their trade partners, their allies and their neighbors will suffer as a result.”
The FT noted that Birol was “careful not to name China directly,” but made very clear his warning was likely aimed at Beijing.
So Bessent is clearly keeping a running tally of Beijing’s behavior as an “unreliable global partner,” and by his count, the number now stands at three.
What comes next is unclear, but the next signal will likely come from the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 04/15/2026 – 21:20
Federal Reserve Stonewalls DOJ Prosecutors Investigating Headquarters Construction: Report
Federal prosecutors made a surprise visit Tuesday to the construction site of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation project.
Workers at the site refused to admit them, saying they did not have clearance in advance of the visit, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The $2.5 billion project has been under review by the administration, and the prosecutors came from the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
“Any construction project that has cost overruns of almost 80 percent over the original construction budget deserves some serious review,” Pirro said in a statement.
“And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?” she asked.
Robert Hur, an attorney representing the Fed, said prosecutors Carlton Davis and Steven Vandervelden appeared “without prior notice” and sought a tour to check the work’s progress.
President Donald Trump has praised Pirro “for having the courage” to investigate the Fed.
As noted by ABC News, Trump has continually pushed for lower interest rates and also sparred with Fed Chair Jerome Powell about the cost of the $2.5 billion building project.
On Wednesday, Trump said he would fire Powell due to the economist’s “incompetence” if Powell does not leave when his term ends in May.
Trump has nominated former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to replace Powell, according to Fox Business.
“I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial, you know?” he said in a Fox Business interview.
Trump said the renovation project involved a “building that I would have done for $25 million that’s going to cost maybe $4 billion.”
“Don’t you think we have to find out what happened there?” he asked.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has threatened to oppose Warsh’s confirmation.
When asked about Warsh’s chances, he said, “We’re going to have to find out [if he will be confirmed]. He might not, but that’s why Thom Tillis is no longer a senator.”
Tillis is not seeking re-election.
“He’s on his way out… and I think he doesn’t want the legacy of stopping a great person who could be great… I know he said what he said, and maybe it’s true, in which case I’ll have to live with it,” Trump said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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Looking for Growth ETFs? These 7 Stand Out Right Now
It hasn’t been a great year for growth stocks so far. After a long stretch of dominant outperformance, growth stocks are struggling to keep pace with the broad market in 2026. A growing skepticism around artificial intelligence-related stocks has driven investors away from growth stocks and toward value stocks instead.But Morningstar chief US market strategist Dave Sekera says investors shouldn’t count out growth stocks; they should instead balance them with high-quality value stocks in a barbell portfolio. “A barbell-shaped portfolio provides exposure to the further upside potential we see in technology and AI stocks, while high-quality value stocks help protect against the potential for ongoing volatility in 2026,” he explains. “As value stocks have traded higher and AI and technology stocks have sold off, now is a good time to lock in some profit on those value stocks and reallocate into undervalued and oversold growth stocks.”Investors who’d like to pursue Sekera’s barbell strategy or contrarians who want to play a potential bounce in undervalued growth stocks can get exposure to this part of the market via an inexpensive exchange-traded fund.7 Top Growth ETFs for the Long TermTo find good growth ETFs to buy, we screened for those earning a Morningstar Medalist Rating of Gold with 100% analyst coverage. All the ETFs on the list fall into the small-growth, mid-growth, or large-growth Morningstar Categories and have at least $100 million in assets. All data is as of April 13.Capital Group Growth ETF CGGRNatixis Loomis Sayles Focused Growth ETF LSGRVanguard Growth Index Fund VUGVanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund MGKVanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund VONGVanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund VOOGVanguard Small Cap Growth Index Fund VBKMorningstar expects the Gold-rated growth ETFs on this list to outperform their peers over a full market cycle. But even though all the ETFs on our list fall in the same category, they may practice different strategies and therefore behave differently from each other. Investors need to do some homework to understand exactly what a particular ETF invests in before buying.Here’s a quick look at each of the top growth ETFs for the long term. Be sure to review a fund’s complete report for more details.Capital Group Growth ETFIndex Fund: NoMorningstar Category: US Fund Large GrowthProspectus Net Expense Ratio: 0.39%Increased confidence in Capital Group Growth ETF’s seasoned leadership and strong supporting cast drives a People rating upgrade to High from Above Average, while the fund maintains an Above Average Process rating.Although this exchange-traded fund only launched in early 2022, it’s overseen by firm veterans with extensive experience running a similar vehicle. Seven named managers each run individual sleeves here, all with at least 20 years of experience at the firm, and have the flexibility to pursue their highest-conviction ideas. Alan Wilson heads up the strategy and has more than 35 years of investment experience, serving as a manager on the comparable longer-dated vehicle since 2014.The managers employ a flexible, diversified growth approach that looks different from the concentrated Russell 1000 Growth Index Morningstar Category benchmark. They diversify across sectors and companies and can invest in overseas firms generating meaningful US revenue. As the growth index has become more top-heavy—Nvidia and Apple each exceeding 10% of index assets—the strategy has remained less concentrated. As of February 2026, its top 10 holdings represented 41% of assets versus 61% in the index.A complementary mix of managers has supported solid results. Since this ETF was launched in February 2022, through February 2026, it outpaced the growth index by 13 basis points annualized and substantially outperformed the large-growth category average. The ETF is similar to a longer-dated variable-insurance series offering, American Funds IS Growth 1. Since Wilson joined that vehicle in May 2014 through February 2026, the series 16.6% annualized gain bested the S&P 500’s 13.6% (its broad-market prospectus benchmark) and the category index’s 16.3%. (The ETF has similar fees to the insurance vehicle.) Early on, the variable-insurance series vehicle benefited from manager Andraz Razen’s long-term conviction in Tesla. In 2025, the ETF landed in the top quintile of its peers, thanks in part to a handful of tech picks such as Micron Technology, SK Hynix, Broadcom, and Shopify outperforming.This ETF’s 0.39% net expense ratio places it among the large-growth category’s cheapest actively managed funds, and its ETF structure enhances tax efficiency, making it a topnotch option.Stephen Welch, senior analystRead Morningstar’s full report on Capital Group Growth ETF.Natixis Loomis Sayles Focused Growth ETFIndex Fund: NoMorningstar Category: US Fund Large GrowthProspectus Net Expense Ratio: 0.59%Natixis Loomis Sayles Focused Growth ETF’s ties to another successful strategy make its future promising.The exchange-traded fund’s pedigree is impressive. Manager Aziz Hamzaogullari developed a patient, principled approach to large-growth equity investing in the mid-2000s. After a few successful years elsewhere, he joined Loomis Sayles in 2010 and brought his investment philosophy and three analysts with him. They then began a strong run on Loomis Sayles Growth, a US mutual fund, which continues to this day. This ETF, which uses a variation of the mutual fund’s approach, launched in June 2023.Both strategies follow key tenets. Hamzaogullari and his team believe in long-term, price-conscious investing. They seek—and find—companies with obvious competitive strengths, which, in turn, generate a lot of cash. Extensive, careful research, usually over months at a time, informs their decisions. Even the team itself is a strength. Hamzaogullari has added five more analysts to his original three, and his time spent training and developing each member has resulted in team stability.Yet the ETF differs from its mutual fund cousin in certain respects. It typically owns a subset of the mutual fund’s holdings—roughly 20–25 stocks out of the mutual fund’s 30–40. Unlike the mutual fund, it won’t sprinkle in non-US stocks. It can also take larger individual positions—up to 12% or 8 percentage points greater than the stock’s portion of the Russell 1000 Growth Index. That flexibility could be an advantage when large benchmark constituents such as Nvidia lead markets higher, because this strategy could at least match or exceed those stocks’ weightings in the index. But it also increases the risk that single stocks drive performance.So far, though, those differences have worked to the ETF’s advantage. It avoided recent weakness in Novo Nordisk, a non-US holding in the mutual fund, while it capitalized on relatively large positions in Alphabet, Netflix, and Meta Platforms—let alone a sizable position in semiconductor leader Nvidia. The trick is continuing to manage these positions—and their risks—effectively, and Hamzaogullari’s history suggests he’s worthy of trust.Tony Thomas, associate directorRead Morningstar’s full report on Natixis Loomis Sayles Focused Growth ETF.Vanguard Growth IndexIndex Fund: YesMorningstar Category: US Fund Large GrowthProspectus Net Expense Ratio: 0.03%Vanguard Growth Index effectively represents the contours of the large-cap growth market, while its low price tag helps remedy the shortcomings of its relatively concentrated portfolio.The fund tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index, a market-cap-weighted bogy that captures the growth-oriented side of the large-cap market. Market-cap weighting is a cost-efficient way to size holdings because it harnesses the market’s consensus opinion of each stock’s relative value. Stocks that grow in size take up a larger share of the portfolio, while shrinking companies that may be struggling will have less importance. Generous buffers around the fund’s size and style borders improve the breadth of the portfolio and help tame turnover, leading to reduced trading costs.Investors’ lofty expectations can lead to high valuations for growth stocks, which may not be justified. Few companies currently match the positive sentiment embedded in the stock prices of technology giants Microsoft, Nvidia, and Apple. These three stocks represent 34% of the portfolio together, while the fund’s top 10 holdings, which include other behemoths like Amazon.com and Meta Platforms, account for 64% of assets. That’s 12 percentage points more than the large-growth Morningstar Category norm, as of February 2026.The market’s largest stocks heavily influence this fund’s return and risk. That can be a boon or a burden. With so much riding on the largest stocks in the market, the fund should do well when those stocks outperform and suffer when they fall. For example, the exchange-traded fund share class gained over 25% annualized since the beginning of 2023, nearly 6 percentage points better than its average peer. But weak performance from the heaviest hitters spelled a 33% drawdown in the bear market of 2022, 3 percentage points more than its average peer.Over the long term, investors should expect periods of outperformance when the largest stocks lead the charge. But those stocks can leave the portfolio vulnerable from time to time, potentially resulting in greater losses than better-diversified peers during broad declines.Zachary Evens, analystRead Morningstar’s full report on the Vanguard Growth Index.Vanguard Mega Cap Growth IndexIndex Fund: YesMorningstar Category: US Fund Large GrowthProspectus Net Expense Ratio: 0.05%Vanguard Mega Cap Growth index effectively represents the contours of the large-cap growth market, while its low price tag helps remedy the shortcomings of its relatively concentrated portfolio.The fund tracks the CRSP US Mega Cap Growth Index, a market-cap-weighted bogy that captures the growth-oriented side of the mega-cap market. Market-cap weighting is a cost-efficient way to size holdings because it harnesses the market’s consensus opinion of each stock’s relative value. Stocks that grow in size take up a larger share of the portfolio, while shrinking companies that may be struggling have less importance. Generous buffers around the fund’s size and style constraints improve the breadth of the portfolio and help tame turnover, leading to reduced trading costs.Investors’ lofty expectations can lead to high valuations for growth stocks, which may not be justified. Few companies currently match the positive sentiment embedded in the stock prices of technology giants Microsoft, Nvidia, and Apple. These three stocks represented 35% of the portfolio at the end of February 2026. Its top 10 holdings, which include other behemoths like Amazon.com and Meta Platforms, accounted for 66% of assets. That’s 14 percentage points more than the large-growth Morningstar Category norm.The market’s largest stocks heavily influence this fund’s return and risk. That can be a boon or a burden. With so much riding on the largest stocks in the market, the fund should do well when those stocks outperform and suffer when they fall. For example, the exchange-traded fund share class gained nearly 27% annualized since the beginning of 2023, over 7 percentage points higher than its average peer. But the fund lost 34%, or 4 percentage points more than its average peer, in the bear market of 2022.Over the long term, investors should expect periods of outperformance when the largest stocks lead the charge. But those stocks can leave the portfolio vulnerable from time to time, potentially resulting in greater losses than better-diversified peers during broad declines.Zachary Evens, analystRead Morningstar’s full report on Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index.Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth IndexIndex Fund: YesMorningstar Category: US Fund Large GrowthProspectus Net Expense Ratio: 0.06%The fund tracks the Russell 1000 Growth Index, which is derived from the broader Russell 1000 Index. The parent index encompasses the largest 1,000 US stocks that meet its liquidity criteria, which represent roughly 93% of the US stock market. Russell divides stocks into value and growth segments using three key variables: book/price ratio, earnings growth forecasts, and historical sales growth. Stocks in the most growth-oriented quartile are fully allocated to the growth index, while those in the cheapest quartile are fully allocated to their value counterpart. Those with mixed characteristics are partially allocated to each index based on the strength of their value and growth characteristics. The index implements buffer rules and reconstitutes annually.Market-cap weighting works in the large-growth Morningstar Category because large-cap stocks usually reflect new information quickly, making it hard for active managers to gain an edge. Market-cap weighting also helps lower trading costs. Index funds in this category are susceptible to growth traps: stocks with high valuations owing to heroic growth estimates that aren’t realized. Market-cap weighting can give those stocks more square footage than they deserve. Overall, though, the market has priced stocks reasonably well in the long run.The portfolio fits the mold of the opportunity set. Its growth characteristics, such as valuations, revenue growth, and historical earnings growth, match peers’, on average. At times, the index’s average market cap differs from the average large-growth fund, but in the long term, it has tracked nicely. The index contains more stocks than its average peer, but it stowed 7 percentage points more than peers in its top 10 holdings as of March 2025.The index allocates heavily to technology stocks compared with its average peer, a trend that started in 2020. It held 8 percentage points more in technology, as of March 2025. The remaining allocations closely matched peers’ portfolios, with no other sector deviating more than 3 percentage points.The fund is fully invested, so it can lose more than peers that keep cash on hand during market downturns. However, it captures the large-growth opportunity set well, and its low fee should drive sound category-relative performance.Note: The Process Pillar rating and analysis are indirectly assigned by an analyst. When an analyst covers a passively managed vehicle that tracks a particular index, Morningstar associates the Process Pillar rating assigned to that vehicle with the index concerned. Morningstar then maps the Process Pillar associated with a given index to any other uncovered passive strategies that track the same index. This ensures that the analyst’s view is leveraged whenever available and promotes consistency when analyzing passive vehicles associated with a given index.Brendan McCann, associate analystRead Morningstar’s full report on Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index.Vanguard S&P 500 Growth IndexIndex Fund: YesMorningstar Category: US Fund Large GrowthProspectus Net Expense Ratio: 0.07%The fund tracks the S&P 500 Growth Index, which is derived from the broader S&P 500. This parent index encompasses the largest 500 stocks in the US market that pass its liquidity and profitability screens, weighting each by market cap. Stocks are ranked based on value-growth scores that consider metrics like price multiples, sales growth, earnings growth, and 12-month price change. The fastest- and slowest-growing third by market-cap are fully assigned to the growth and value indexes, respectively. Stocks in the middle third are partially allocated to each based on their scores. The index reconstitutes annually and uses buffer rules to minimize turnover.Market-cap weighting is a reasonable approach for the large-growth Morningstar Category because large-cap stocks usually reflect new information quickly, making it hard for active managers to gain an edge. It follows the wisdom of crowds and takes the guesswork out of stock selection. Market-cap weighting also generates lower trading costs. The index’s turnover is lower than the category average but higher than broad-market index funds, which hold stocks regardless of their growth or value characteristics.The portfolio closely matches the growth and size characteristics of its average peer. Metrics used to identify growth stocks, such as earnings and sales growth, align with the large-growth category. The index holds large-cap stocks, much like its peers, and its average market cap is identical to the category average. As of March 2025, the index holds nearly 210 stocks, 30 fewer than its average peer, and stashes 50% in its top 10 holdings, 2 percentage points less than peers.The fund’s sector allocations hewed closely to its average peer in March 2025, with no sector deviating by more than 4 percentage points. However, this hasn’t always been the case. Deviations of 5 percentage points or more are common. Before the fund reconstituted in December 2024, it held half its portfolio in technology stocks, 8 percentage points more than peers. Technology stocks still hold the largest allocation of any sector at nearly 40%, as of March 2025. The fund’s top three holdings, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple, occupy 23% of the portfolio. A heavy dose of tech stocks is expected for a large-growth strategy, but concentration in those three names and that sector poses a risk.Note: The Process Pillar rating and analysis are indirectly assigned by an analyst. When an analyst covers a passively managed vehicle that tracks a particular index, Morningstar associates the Process Pillar rating assigned to that vehicle with the index concerned. Morningstar then maps the Process Pillar associated with a given index to any other uncovered passive strategies that track the same index. This ensures that the analyst’s view is leveraged whenever available and promotes consistency when analyzing passive vehicles associated with a given index.Brendan McCann, associate analystRead Morningstar’s full report on Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index.Vanguard Small Cap Growth IndexIndex Fund: YesMorningstar Category: US Fund Small GrowthProspectus Net Expense Ratio: 0.05%Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index’s broad diversification and razor-thin expense ratio make it one of the best small-cap growth funds available.The fund tracks the CRSP US Small Cap Growth Index, which captures the faster-growing side of the small-cap market. Growth stocks tend to have high valuations because of investor sentiment around their superior growth prospects. These valuations represent the market’s consensus opinion, but they may not always be justified, making this a relatively volatile market segment. Small-cap stocks constitute most of the fund, but it holds some mid-cap stocks, which should temper volatility.Market-cap weighting is cost-efficient because it harnesses the market’s consensus opinion of each stock’s relative value. Stocks that grow in size take up a larger share of the portfolio, while smaller companies that may be struggling will have less importance. Generous buffers around the fund’s size and style constraints improve the breadth of the portfolio and help tame turnover.The portfolio is well-diversified. None of its nearly 600 holdings garners more than 2% of assets, with the top 10 holdings usually representing 10% or less of the portfolio. Sector allocations resemble the Morningstar Category average with few exceptions. Technology stocks lead the way, accounting for 27% of the portfolio, 3 percentage points more than the typical peer. Only a 5-percentage-point underweight position in financial services deviates from the norm by more. By most measures, the portfolio is similarly situated to the category and enables its low fee to carve a durable performance advantage.The exchange-traded fund share class outpaced the category average by 23 basis points annualized since it started tracking its current index in April 2013 through December 2025. Market-cap weighting pushes the portfolio up the market-cap ladder slightly. This should help control risk as smaller firms tend to be more volatile. Still, it was not enough to overcome a volatile technology allocation, so historical volatility has measured close to the small-growth category norm.Zachary Evens, analystRead Morningstar’s full report on Vanguard Small Cap Growth Index.What Are Growth ETFs?Growth ETFs invest primarily in the stocks of US companies that are projected to grow faster than the market. The definition of growth is based on fast growth (high growth rates for earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow) and high valuations (high price ratios and low dividend yields). Many of these funds focus on companies in rapidly expanding industries. This group covers a range of market caps, encompassing the large-growth, mid-growth, and small-growth categories.How to Find More Good Growth ETFs to Buy for the Long TermGiven their high Medalist Ratings, we expect the top-rated ETFs on our list to outperform over a full market cycle. That being said, investors may want to expand their search beyond this list, using parameters that matter to them. Here are more ways to find top ETFs:Use the Morningstar Investor Screener to create your own list of ETFs to investigate further.Explore Morningstar Medalist funds on our Best Investments page.Read our latest ETF insights and analysis on Morningstar.com.Editor’s Note: One or more of the Vanguard Funds mentioned in this article track an index created or licensed by Morningstar.