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Oh, So This Is Why Luigi Mangione Pleaded Guilty…

Authored by Matt Margolis via PJMedia.com,

Luigi Mangione, the man whose assassination of a health insurance executive turned him into a folk hero to many on the left, shocked the country on Friday when he finally admitted to the killing and changed his plea to guilty.

“I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan. I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death of bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal,” Mangione told the judge.

He admitted to stalking his victim, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, in the weeks before he gunned him down. The guilty plea locks in a consequence few outside the courtroom seemed to notice at first: a state court can no longer try Mangione for murder.

Mangione had spent more than a year cultivating an image as a martyr willing to fight the system to the end.

So why did he suddenly fold and admit everything?

According to Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley, the answer has nothing to do with a guilty conscience. Turley discussed the plea with host Charlie Hurt on Fox & Friends Weekend on Saturday, and argued the move was a calculated legal gamble aimed at avoiding a life sentence rather than any sign of remorse.

Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges connected to Thompson’s murder. He still faces a separate state trial in New York scheduled for September. That’s where things get interesting, because the two cases carry sharply different stakes. The federal charge carries a possible sentence of life without parole. New York’s state system has no such option available.

“The New York case is the case that involves the murder charges, but it is also the case that has a lower potential ceiling for the sentencing,” Turley said.

Turley described the plea as “something of a Hail Mary throw,” suggesting Mangione is hoping a judge eventually reduces his sentence enough to allow release at an advanced age rather than locking him away for life without parole. The real target, Turley explained, is the state murder case itself. The defense wants it dismissed entirely on double jeopardy grounds, and New York’s double jeopardy standard is easier for a defense to clear than in most other jurisdictions.

“The odds are in his favor, if you look at past cases, that that may in fact be dismissed,” Turley said.

If Turley is right, a man who executed a father of two on a Manhattan sidewalk in broad daylight could walk away from the murder charge entirely on a technicality, having already secured the lighter of his two possible sentencing outcomes.

Turley also had sharp words for Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who stood outside the Manhattan courthouse after the plea and told reporters the system had treated her client unfairly, pointing to his chronic back pain and laying blame on the healthcare industry.

Turley noted that the judge overseeing the case has already faced heavy criticism for dismissing key charges against Mangione before trial. Grandstanding to the cameras, he suggested, made little strategic sense.

“I don’t think it helps to go in front of her courthouse and say, ‘My client’s a victim and has been unfairly treated in the system,'” Turley said.

A guilty plea usually means accountability. In Mangione’s case, it looks more like a legal chess move by a defendant hoping the math works out in his favor.

Tyler Durden
Sun, 08/16/2026 – 21:00

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday said he supports U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after her office moved to dismiss the vandalism case involving the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.Federal prosecutors on July 31 moved to drop the case against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the $14 million project after cracks, algae growth and peeling sealant were discovered. Prosecutors cited evidence indicating the damage may have stemmed from a botched renovation rather than vandalism.Blanche said he and President Donald Trump both support Pirro, but acknowledged that he could not fault the president for his reaction to the case dismissal, as “potential vandalism” may still be involved.”I absolutely support U.S. Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”TRUMP URGES JEANINE PIRRO TO REVISIT DROPPED LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM CASE”Now, that’s different than whether the president is extraordinarily frustrated at what happened in that case. And I don’t in any way fault him for that.”Blanche clarified that the court filings did not conclude that all of the damage was caused by faulty construction, noting that a witness reportedly claimed to have seen Hearn vandalizing the reflecting pool. However, he acknowledged that witness accounts alone are not sufficient evidence to prove the case.”Well, there’s a witness that said, ‘I observed the defendant vandalizing the reflecting pool.’ Now, that’s different than whether ultimately we have the proof.”Hearn has maintained his innocence. TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM ALLEGATIONS, CITES NEW WITNESS ACCOUNTDespite the evidentiary issues surrounding the case, Blanche said Pirro is doing a “phenomenal job” prosecuting vandalism involving memorials and monuments. His comments came after Pirro’s office pursued a separate $1,000 property-destruction case involving a veterans memorial last Thursday. A female suspect, Melissa L. Farris, allegedly spray-painted the words “clean hands, diary money” in bright pink paint and dumped bubble soap into the memorial’s fountain.”U.S. Attorney Pirro is doing a phenomenal job enforcing that, going after anybody who’s doing it. And I think judging her on a single case because of the evidence that we had is not fair,” he said.Blanche also said he would also consider last Thursday’s White House request asking the Justice Department to explore whether a new misdemeanor prosecution could be brought against Hearn after Pirro’s office dropped the original vandalism case.WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ON NATIONAL MALL VANDALIZED WITH PINK SPRAY PAINT; FOUNTAIN OVERFLOWING WITH BUBBLES”Will I take the President of the United States’s view on something into consideration? Yes, of course,” he said.”That’s certainly something that I listen to.”The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Rob Schneider’s relationship with estranged daughter Elle King may be strained, but he has hope for the future.Schneider, 62, admitted on Andrew Gold’s “Heretics” podcast that he’ll always be there for the “very talented” country singer despite challenges with the past.The “Grown Ups” actor recalled a previous public appearance where he admitted he “wasn’t the dad” that his daughter needed.KELSEY GRAMMER URGES AMERICANS TO LOOK TO FOUNDING FATHERS FOR GUIDANCE AS NATION FACES DEEP DIVISIONS”I wasn’t prepared emotionally for the outpouring of what I received after that,” Schneider said. “There’s an endemic – and I don’t know if in other cultures, but in the United States – an endemic of kids who went off to college and came back and said, ‘My daughter doesn’t want to have a relationship with me anymore,’ or, ‘I can’t see my grandkids.'””It’s an attack on the culture in a way that the culture is vulnerable.”In 2024, King shared insight into her at-times “toxic” childhood during an appearance on BunnieXO’s “Dumb Blonde” podcast. King confessed that her dad was “just not nice” and would go “four or five years without talking” to her.”I put out my record and people finally started asking about my dad,” she said. “My dad called me, and was like, ‘Don’t f—ing talk about me in the press.'”DENISE RICHARDS SAYS SAMI ‘STANDS UP’ TO DAD CHARLIE SHEEN AND THAT HE NEEDS ITShe remembered, “If I would ever spend a summer with my dad, it would be on a movie set. I would just get lost in the shuffle. If I ever messed up a shot, if I ever was talking, like, I would get in f—ing trouble.””He also didn’t have a very good reputation. I don’t want to be associated with him. He’s just not nice. You can want someone to change so much; you can’t control anyone else’s actions. You can’t control people’s feelings. All you can control is how you react and what you do with your feelings, and sometimes I f—ing boil up, and I boil over and I f—ing bust my lid.”CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERKing added, “You try every different angle. I would try letters. I would try soft. I would try yelling … my dad forgot about every single birthday. I spent my 18th birthday in a summer school, and they brought me cupcakes, and I came home and my dad forgot my birthday.”Schneider later apologized for the past, and admitted he wasn’t sure if his daughter accepted his words.LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS”The door’s open, and I would say, you know, I love you and … I’m there when you want,” he said. “We had an exchange, and I’ll leave it at that. The thing about, as a parent, you just have to love and be available and be an open door. My door’s always open.”He added, “The second she needs me, I’ll be there. That’s all you can do, and the idea that I’m going to somehow … that I need something, that I can force my way or force … no. It has to be something that … an openness.”Schneider conveyed the importance of recognizing a “higher power” to help guide him through difficult times.”When things get taken away, and if that’s everything – your fame and your attachment to this stuff – if that gets taken from you, and that’s all you have, then you have nothing,” he said.”But if you realize there is something higher than all of that and your connection to that, then at that point there’s nothing that anybody could do to you.”He added, “The thing about Christianity, it’s really … it’s love others, and it’s really about forgiveness. And forgiveness isn’t something you give to somebody else. It’s a gift you give to yourself. You can’t carry stuff. You have to let go.”King’s representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Democrat nominee for US Senate, crazy America-hater, Peggy Flanagan.
The left is lawless.
If you don’t understand that the United States is currently under assault by radical communists, you’re not paying attention.
Wild-eyed far-left radical Peggy Flanagan won her primary last Tuesday in Minnesota.
Flanagan defeated a more centrist opponent to clinch the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota.
She is as radical as they come.
This America-hating leftist cheered the destruction of a Christopher Columbus statue by a violent leftist mob.
Flanagan posted this on her Facebook page:
I can’t say I’m sad the statue of Christopher Columbus is gone. I’m not.
All Minnesotans should feel welcome at the Minnesota State Capitol, and our state is long overdue for a hard look at the symbols, statues, and icons that were created without the input of many of our communities.
The arrival of Christopher Columbus to what is now the Americas set in motion centuries of violence and genocide against the Indigenous people who already lived here. As the highest-ranking Native woman elected to executive office in the country, I have often reflected on the fact that I could see a statue honoring that legacy from my office window. It was a constant reminder that our systems were not built by or for Native people or people of color, but in many cases, to exclude, erase, and eliminate us. Tonight, I’m thinking of all the Native children who might now feel more welcome on the grounds and in the halls of their state government.
She hates her country.
Why would any sane person elect this destructive, angry woman?
Flanagan made the same comments in a speech.
Via Dustin Grage.

After the Christopher Columbus statue was torn down by far-left activists, Peggy Flanagan responded by emboldening them.
“I’m not sad that it’s gone.”
She’s encouraging this kind of behavior to happen again.
This is the Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate in Minnesota.
H/t… pic.twitter.com/jTUU4702kI
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) August 16, 2026

For the record, a native American group objected to Flanagan promoting violence.
Yet, despite her radical views, Flanagan has a real chance to win in Minnesota if the elections continue to enable fraud.
** VOTE FOR MICHELE TAFOYA – as if your country depends on it!

The post Crazy Peggy Flanagan: Minnesota Democrat Senatorial Candidate Cheered Destruction of Christopher Columbus Statue by Leftist Mob appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025 (Photo by Matt Bailey)
Did President Donald Trump just give away the identity of Karoline Leavitt’s replacement as White House press secretary?
During an interview with Alexis McAdams of Fox News, the journalist asked the president: “Is there somebody you have in mind that you’d like to see up at the podium to take over?”
Trump responded: “You! How about you?”
President Donald Trump and Alexis McAdams of Fox News
With Leavitt standing off-camera, Trump pointed to McAdams and said, “She could do the job. I think so. What do you think, Karoline? I like it. I’ve always liked you, that’s why I’m doing this.”
“You have done a great job,” the president continued.
Trump was initially asked by McAdams if Leavitt were replaceable, and he replied: “No she’s not. She really isn’t.”
“She’s done a great job. I found out she likes her children more than she likes Trump. I’m very concerned about that.”
WATCH:

President Trump tells me @karolineleavitt is NOT replaceable as press secretary. pic.twitter.com/lO3wyxCONs
— Alexis McAdams (@AlexisMcAdamsTV) August 16, 2026

McAdams had plenty of high-profile, on-air exposure covering the assassination attempt against Trump when he was struck by a bullet while campaigning for his second term in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.

Former President Trump was shot on stage during a rally in Butler PA. We were standing in the media area & heard what sounded like fireworks.
Then, we saw people drop to the ground for cover.
The former president was down on the ground until police yelled out shooter down.… pic.twitter.com/By7Ovrr4tA
— Alexis McAdams (@AlexisMcAdamsTV) July 14, 2024

Back in Butler, PA, one year after President Trump was nearly assassinated and Corey Comperatore was killed.
After months of silence Corey’s family tells me she is finally getting some answers about what happened that day.
She will meet with the Secret Service director soon.… pic.twitter.com/hJ8bT8nBQa
— Alexis McAdams (@AlexisMcAdamsTV) July 11, 2025

If McAdams is indeed being considered for press secretary, she faces competition from a large amount of names being floated for the job.
Potential candidates feature Anna Kelly, principal deputy press secretary at the White House, who has been the leader on the live-betting site Kalshi regarding possible successors.
Just behind Kelly on Kalshi are Alina Habba, former acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, and Scott Jennings, a pro-Trump CNN analyst who is a former aide to President George W. Bush.
Other possibilities include:
Tricia McLaughlin, former Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary;
Steven Cheung, White House communications director;
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center and who served as deputy communications director during Trump’s first term;
Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff;
Katie Miller, podcaster and wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller;
Elizabeth Pipko, former model and Republican National Committee spokesperson;
Monica Crowley, U.S. chief of protocol and former Fox News analyst;
Lara Trump, Fox News host and daughter-in-law of President Trump;
Jason Miller, senior adviser for Trump’s 2024 White House campaign;
Harrison Fields, former principal deputy press secretary;
Sage Steele, former ESPN anchor;
Rachel Campos-Duffy, Fox News weekend anchor;
Spencer Pratt, former reality TV star and candidate for Los Angeles mayor.
“There will be plenty of people who try to drum up noise,” Erin Maguire, a Republican strategist and spokeswoman for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, told CNN.
“If anybody seems too eager or like they’re pushing too much, that could turn the president off.”

As WorldNetDaily reported, Leavitt announced last week she would step down from her position at the end of August, saying: “Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least.

On May 1st, Viviana aka “Vivi” joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love.
She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble.
Thank you to… pic.twitter.com/wM1P1zEGsa
— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) May 7, 2026

“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary – and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life.”
Is the news we hear every day actually broadcasting messages from God? The answer is an absolute yes! Find out how!
Follow Joe on X @JoeKovacsNews
‘Phenomenal’: Karoline Leavitt quitting role as White House press secretary

An official with the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile said Sunday that the war with Iran has underscored Diego Garcia’s strategic importance to U.S. forces and Middle East regional stability, with the Pentagon shifting logistics to the remote U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean after an Iranian strike on a major American installation in Bahrain.The base, in the southern Chagos Archipelago, has reportedly supported carrier strike groups including the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose forces have conducted air operations and helped enforce the blockade of Iranian ports.The U.S. military’s wartime logistics network now stretches across a roughly 2,200-mile maritime supply route to Diego Garcia, allowing forces to avoid coastal facilities vulnerable to Iranian attacks but requiring longer shuttle runs and slower replenishment, according to The New York Times.”That is an inconvenience, but it shows the importance of the base,” James Tumbridge, an international lawyer who serves as attorney general for the Chagossian government-in-exile, told Fox News Digital.UK DEFENSE SHORTFALLS HIGHLIGHTED AS BRITAIN AVOIDS IRAN OFFENSIVE ROLE AMID TRUMP CRITICISM”The base is integral to regional security for the U.K., U.S. and our allies. This latest news emphasizes it.””Bahrain is a far easier target, so the U.S. change of supply arrangement makes sense,” Tumbridge said, adding, “Hopefully the new British PM will not deny the U.S. this change of use.””It shows the importance of the base and asking a third country for permission is not what the U.S. will want, and so I hope this means Trump will still oppose the handover,” Tumbridge went on to say, referring to a proposed agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.In 2025, the U.K. and Mauritius signed a treaty that would recognize Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while allowing the U.K. to retain control of Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period.The British government later put implementation of the agreement on hold amid renewed U.S. concerns over the sovereignty transfer.STARMER IN ‘SEISMIC’ CRISIS, UK DEFENSE CHIEF QUITS BEFORE HIGH-STAKES TRUMP NATO SUMMITReports emerged in June that U.S. officials had drafted a proposal to bypass Britain and strike a deal to take control of Diego Garcia, one of several alternatives to then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius.The first minister of the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile responded that month and said the Chagos Islands were not for sale or “for stealing either,” but argued that he “can’t blame” Trump for “looking to secure the military base.””Trump cannot buy the islands. That suggestion made by some is unhelpful to us all. Only the U.K. can sell the islands, as only the U.K. owns them,” Tumbridge also said on Sunday.”The arguments over sovereignty do not get fixed via a sale, and Mauritius cannot sell them unless the U.K. first gives them away,” he added.”It is not in the U.K.’s interest to sell them. Whether we keep them and continue our support for the U.S. base or we cede them to Mauritius is the choice — my desire is the former.”Mauritius has long claimed sovereignty over the archipelago, a position backed by a 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice and subsequent U.N. action.The U.K. government, however, permitted the U.S. to use Diego Garcia for limited defensive operations targeting Iranian missile capabilities in March after initially withholding approval for offensive strikes.GULF COUNTRIES STRONGLY CONDEMN IRAN’S DRONE ATTACK ON BAHRAIN AS RISING TENSIONS THREATEN MOU”The U.S. wanted to use Chagos Diego Garcia for air strikes at the very beginning. The U.K. consulted Mauritius and refused — hence Trump finally appreciating why sovereignty transfer was a problem,” Tumbridge said.”After the attacks on Cyprus, the U.K. allowed certain so-called defense uses, and Iran did fire at Diego Garcia, but they missed.”On March 20, Reuters reported that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia.One missile failed in flight, while a U.S. warship fired an interceptor at the other, though it was initially unclear whether the interception succeeded. British officials later said one missile fell short and the other was intercepted.”No serious concerns have been shared — the earlier attempt showed a lack of range and targeting ability,” Tumbridge said.”The British Government and the Commissioner for the Territory have already tried to say the last attack makes the islands unsafe. No one seriously believes that Iran would try to target the outer islands that presently only have a population of six people.”PENTAGON RACES TO BUY 10X MORE MISSILES AS IRAN WAR DWINDLES ARSENAL, THREATENS READINESS FOR CHINA AGGRESSIONThe reported U.S. logistical strains and renewed focus on Diego Garcia came as the USS Abraham Lincoln approached nine months of continuous deployment in the region.Speaking at Joint Base Andrews on Aug. 14, Trump said a new aircraft carrier was heading to the Middle East to replace it.”That ship is moving,” Trump said when reporters asked about the carrier.Meanwhile, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, also met with service members aboard the carrier, which is expected to be relieved amid concerns raised by families over the extended deployment.Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.

Newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche rejected NBC host Kristen Welker’s request Sunday on “Meet the Press” that he pledge the Justice Department (DOJ) would always act independently of the White House, arguing the agency must remain able to carry out lawful presidential policy priorities.”No, I’m not going to pledge that. And no attorney general should ever pledge that,” Blanche said.Blanche used President Donald Trump’s directive to target violent criminals to distinguish lawful presidential direction from political interference in an individual case.TRUMP’S DC LAW-AND-ORDER BLITZ MARKS ONE YEAR WITH EYE-POPPING HAUL OF SUSPECTS”If President Trump says, ‘I want the Department of Justice to go after every violent criminal in this country,’ which is what he has said, what you’re saying to me is I should say, ‘No, sir, I’m not going to do it,’” Blanche said.According to the Justice Manual, the department’s own rules draw the distinction Blanche described. They permit coordination between the White House and DOJ on policy matters unrelated to pending cases, while limiting contacts about cases to senior officials to protect enforcement decisions from partisan or improper influence.Blanche also gave a similar answer when Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., asked whether the Justice Department was independent from the White House during his confirmation hearing in July.”The Department of Justice, like every single Department in the executive [branch], is part of the executive,” Blanche said.BLANCHE SURVIVES REPUBLICAN DEFECTORS AS TRUMP GETS HIS NEW ATTORNEY GENERALThe Justice Department pointed Fox News Digital on Sunday to a post from Emily Covington, director of DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs, in response to questions about Welker’s exchange with Blanche. NBC News and the White House did not immediately respond.”DOJ is part of the executive branch. Are you suggesting that the focus of the Department should not align with the policy goals of the President, who was elected by the American people? Elected because the people voted for the priorities of that President,” Covington said.Welker followed Blanche’s explanation by asking whether he would comply if Trump directed him to cross an ethical or legal line. Blanche rejected the premise and pointed to his constitutional oath.”He never has. He never will,” Blanche said. “I swore to the Constitution of the United States like every cabinet secretary has done and like every attorney general before me has done.”DOZEN GOP REBELS FAIL TO PERMANENTLY KILL TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUNDDOJ separately told Fox News Digital that Blanche had addressed the issue publicly and raised the Biden-era investigation into classified records at Mar-a-Lago.”The AG has addressed this at length publicly,” a DOJ spokesperson said.FBI records released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley showed officials in the Washington Field Office said they had not established probable cause for a search warrant and favored seeking Trump’s cooperation through a consensual search. The DOJ’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section maintained that probable cause existed and pressed forward with the warrant. A federal magistrate approved the warrant before the August 2022 search.A separate May 2022 FBI communication showed coordination among DOJ, the White House Counsel’s Office and the National Archives during the classified-records investigation. Plans to interview Trump aide Walt Nauta depended on the timing of a Biden briefing and coordination between White House Counsel and DOJ. The publicly reported excerpt concerned the Nauta interview and executive-privilege questions, rather than an explicit White House directive to conduct the later search.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREThe National Archives said the White House transmitted a DOJ-backed statutory request for the FBI to access 15 boxes Trump had returned, but distinguished that process from the later search and said NARA had no prior knowledge of or involvement in it.Blanche later said he would consider Trump’s views on an individual prosecution but would stand up for what he believed was right. He also denied that the president directs him to prosecute specific people.Blanche’s confirmation faced opposition as some Senate Republicans demanded that he rescind a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund and narrow IRS audit protections for Trump and his family. Senators Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, ultimately joined every Senate Democrat in opposing his nomination.”Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation,” Collins said.Blanche sought to reassure DOJ employees during his first workforce address as attorney general Thursday by promising fair and impartial enforcement.”I promise you that I will lead this department with integrity,” Blanche said. “I promise you that I will focus on our core mission, which is to uphold the rule of law fairly and impartially.”

Military Contractor’s Spy Aircraft Quietly Flying Southern Border On Mysterious Mission

The Pentagon says it does not discuss contractor support to particular missions. The gear aboard mimics cell towers.

Private military contractor Metrea has spent months quietly operating two surveillance-equipped aircraft along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the Arizona Mirror.
Via the Arizona Mirror

The planes have traversed Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, circling at high altitude over border cities including Bisbee and Douglas in Arizona, and Laredo and El Paso in Texas.

Metrea holds multiple contracts with the U.S. military, including a $5.7 million award to support training for U.S. Special Operations Command. The company also conducts simulated training missions for the Marine Corps.

It performs comparable border work overseas, providing what it describes as advanced aerial surveillance to the Australian government for monitoring that country’s border regions.

Arizona Mirror reports:

One of the major pieces of equipment installed on the aircraft is a DRT 3300, also sometimes referred to as a “dirtbox.” A dirtbox is a piece of equipment that mimics a cell phone tower and acts in a similar manner to “stingray” devices that track cell phones and reportedly can even intercept messages.

It isn’t the only equipment on the aircraft meant for “signals intelligence” either. Signals intelligence refers to the collection of information that is transmitted through the airwaves such as radio, wifi or other electronic means. One of the aircraft lists a “Windjammer System” as a piece of equipment that has been installed.

The Trump administration declined to say what the aircraft are doing over the border, or which agency they are working for.

A DHS spokesperson told the Mirror that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection were not flying with Metrea along the southern border. The department did not answer whether the flights support a DHS or a Defense Department mission.

“The Department of War contracts with a number of companies, including Metrea, to provide capabilities in support of military operations across the globe. For operations security reasons, we do not discuss specific contractor support to particular missions or operations,” a Defense Department spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Arizona Mirror. “These activities are governed by Attorney General approved procedures that ensure the activities are conducted in a manner that protects the constitutional and legal rights and the privacy and civil liberties of U.S. citizens.”

Metrea did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Meanwhile, Metrea’s are not the only contractor aircraft working the border. The Mirror reports that a jet belonging to Tenax Aerospace, equipped with high-end mapping technology and previously spotted over the South China Sea and Nigeria, has flown the same route since July.

Civil liberties advocates contend that the secrecy itself is the problem.

“Whatever security rationales are used to justify mass surveillance, whether it is patrolling the border or pursuing the war on drugs, if you’re intent on pursuing those policies you have to do it in a way that respects the privacy and constitutional rights of Americans,” said Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, in a statement to the Arizona Mirror.

“Number one, you need policies that ensure transparency so we know what government agencies are doing with the brand new powers that technology is giving them that humans have never had in history,” Stanley added. “No matter what your position is, you should agree that it is done in the democratic process and not done by government officials behind closed doors.”

Tyler Durden
Sun, 08/16/2026 – 20:25

Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., urged Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated her in Michigan’s fierce Democratic primary election, to sever ties with controversial, far-left streamer Hasan Piker on “The Sunday Briefing,” saying the party’s nominee should now turn his attention toward Michigan voters as he pivots to the general election.Stevens maintained her primary-season criticism of Piker even while backing El-Sayed, describing herself as still committed to the party.”It certainly makes sense to get rid of this Hasan Piker affiliation,” she said, also asserting that the Democratic plans for healthcare, democracy and Black-owned businesses are better than those of Republican Mike Rogers, who will oppose El-Sayed in the Senate race.Asked whether El-Sayed had said or done anything other than winning the Democratic nomination to earn the support and assuage the concerns of groups that voted for Stevens, such as Jewish voters, Black voters or Reagan-era Democrats, Stevens pointed to her own good performance with those demographics, identifying herself as a Zionist Democrat and asserting that her party had room for all those communities.HASAN PIKER TORCHED OVER PLAYBOOK TO DODGE HIS PAST CONTROVERSIES: ‘BATS— CRAZY’DSA BRAND ON TRIAL AS EL-SAYED STRUGGLES WHERE DEMS CAN LEAST AFFORD IT”I came really close [to winning the primary] and I’m still a Democrat. I’m still out here talking about my views and values. I want the people who share my views and values to feel safe and to feel heard in the Democratic Party.”The face-off to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who backed Stevens, is a must-win contest for Democrats and one of roughly a dozen general election Senate races expected to determine whether Republicans retain their narrow majority.A new Fox News poll indicates that the progressive El-Sayed trails Republican candidate Mike Rogers by four points in the general election race, and that he is underperforming with Black voters, women and suburban voters compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.Rogers and El-Sayed are set to face off in the swing state’s Senate election on Nov. 3.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese gave the WNBA an overtime thriller Sunday evening at State Farm Arena.Clark scored 26 points, hit two enormous free throws late in overtime and grabbed the game-sealing rebound as the Indiana Fever beat Reese and the Atlanta Dream, 95-91.ANGEL REESE’S LATEST WNBA CONTROVERSY SHOWS HOW VICTIMHOOD BECAME CENTRAL TO HER BRANDIt was a real team win for the Fever. But Clark and Reese were right in the middle of the biggest moments, including Reese’s missed layup at the end of regulation that sent the game to overtime.Indiana had to earn it, too.The Fever trailed by eight after Atlanta scored 28 points in the third quarter to open a 72-64 advantage. But for a team known for its offensive firepower, it was Indiana’s defense that made the clutch plays down the stretch. The Fever held the Dream to nine points in the fourth, outscored Atlanta 17-9 and forced overtime.It was the lowest fourth-quarter scoring output for the Dream this season. But it almost didn’t matter.The Dream had the ball in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied 81-81. Rhyne Howard missed a 3 with 5.5 seconds left, but Reese grabbed the offensive rebound and had a clean look at the basket.She clanked the layup attempt off the backboard and then the front of the rim. Naz Hillmon collected the rebound and threw up a desperation shot before time expired, but she also missed and the game went to overtime.Reese opened the extra period with a basket off a teammate’s miss, but Indiana scored the next eight points. Kelsey Mitchell’s layup with 13.6 seconds left stretched the Fever’s lead to 93-88 and gave her 20 points, extending her streak to 19 consecutive 20-point games.Then came the wild finish.A controversial foul call on Clark with 10 seconds remaining sent Howard to the line for three free throws. Indiana challenged the call and ESPN broadcasters said they thought the call would be overturned. Instead, officials upheld the call.Howard made all three, cutting Indiana’s lead to 93-91.WNBA SILENT AFTER CAITLIN CLARK SAYS LEAGUES SHOULD DETERMINE WHO SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN WOMEN’S SPORTSAtlanta had no choice but to foul Clark on the other end.She calmly made both free throws to essentially seal the victory.The Dream missed their final shot, Clark grabbed the rebound and alertly heaved the ball to the other end of the court to run out the remaining few seconds.Clark finished with 26 points and nine assists, though she needed 20 shots to get there and committed five turnovers. Still, she was there when Indiana needed her most, both at the line and on the glass.Mitchell added 20 points on 9-for-22 shooting. Makayla Timpson was terrific with 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including six points in OT. Aliyah Boston posted 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, five steals and three blocks.Sophie Cunningham had just three points, but they came on a clutch and-1 to give the Fever a 78-77 lead with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter.Reese put together another active stat line with 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. But she shot just 5 for 16 from the field, committed four turnovers and had five fouls. Allisha Gray carried Atlanta offensively with 32 points, while Howard added 17.The Dream made nearly everything at the foul line, going 25-for-26. It still wasn’t enough.Clark and Reese have played in plenty of big games before. Sunday’s game had a little of everything: early runs, a late defensive stand, a missed shot at the buzzer, overtime drama and Clark sealing it at the line.That’s a pretty good new chapter.