Top Threats

Every week, you’ll receive an expanded Top Threats feature that highlights the most important and impactful threats to our freedoms. If you want a deeper dive into some of the issues that influence American freedoms today, these articles are for you.

In Top Threats, we’ll tackle ongoing threats to personal freedoms. We will also share information about regulations that tie our hands and prevent us from living and working freely. Together, we’ll defend and preserve the American rights we hold dear.

Ivanka Trump Allegedly Targeted in Revenge Plot

Authorities say the accused Iraqi operative linked the threat to retaliation for the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani. NEW YORK, N.Y. — Federal prosecutors and media reports this week described an alleged assassination plot targeting Ivanka Trump that investigators say was connected to an Iraqi man accused of organizing attacks for Iran-backed militant groups across Europe and North America. The allegations surfaced after the arrest and extradition of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a 32-year-old …

Iran Drone Strike on California Possible, Emerges in FBI Alert

Federal authorities warned California law enforcement in late February that Iran had allegedly considered a surprise drone attack against unspecified targets in the state if the United States struck Iran, according to a bulletin reviewed by multiple news organizations. The warning drew wide attention on March 11 because it surfaced publicly as the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran entered its 12th day. But the newly public bulletin came with major limits. It …

Highly Contagious Virus Outbreak, 130 Children Exposed

California health officials said as many as 130 children may have been exposed to measles at a Sacramento County educational enrichment program, adding fresh urgency to a six-case regional cluster that has drawn in county agencies, hospitals and contact tracers across two counties. The exposure matters now because it pushed what had been a small chain of linked cases into a wider community response involving children outside the original households. State and county officials say …

Travelers Sprint for Cover as Cartel Violence Sparks Panic at Airport

Videos of passengers sprinting through Guadalajara’s international airport spread across social media after Mexican authorities reported the killing of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, the longtime head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, setting off a wave of gunfire, road blockades and torched vehicles that rattled several states. Mexico’s security officials said the cartel’s response to the operation turned major highways into choke points, shut down schools in parts of Jalisco and forced businesses to lock …

Tourist Dies After Shark Attack off Beach

A 56-year-old American woman died Thursday after a shark attacked her while she swam near the marked buoys at Dorsch Beach on St. Croix’s west end, authorities said. Bystanders helped pull her to shore as emergency crews arrived around 4:30 p.m., and she was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police identified the victim as Arlene Lillis of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The incident, described by territorial officials as rare, set off a …

Disaster at Resort Kills 40 During New Year Celebration

Swiss authorities are investigating a predawn blaze that swept through a basement bar in this Alpine resort around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, killing about 40 people and injuring at least 115 more during New Year festivities. Police said the fire broke out at Le Constellation, a popular late-night spot in the town center, as hundreds celebrated the turn of the year. The scale of the tragedy and the setting magnified the shock at one of Europe’s …

University Shooting Suspect Found Dead in Storage Unit

The suspect in last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University was found dead Thursday night inside a storage unit in southern New Hampshire after an intensive multi-state search, authorities said. Investigators identified him as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national and one-time Brown graduate student, and said he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials said Valente was wanted in the fatal shooting of two Brown students and the wounding of nine others …

Two Found Dead in Quiet Neighborhood

A tragic incident unfolded in the quiet town of Nyack when a man and woman, 52 and 55 years old, were discovered dead in their home from gunshot wounds. The authorities are currently investigating the case as a potential domestic violence incident. The shocking discovery was made at their residence on 290 North Midland Avenue on a Saturday afternoon, leaving the community reeling. Police recovered a shotgun from the scene, which is believed to be …

Mass Shooting After Football Game Leaves Two Dead, 14 Injured

A devastating event occurred in Montgomery, Alabama, on a Saturday evening, leading to the loss of two lives and leaving 14 others injured. The fatalities included a woman, while two children were among those injured, with one in a critical state, as reported by Montgomery Police Department’s Chief, James Graboys. The incident happened in the city’s bustling tourist district, shortly after a football match between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College, two historically black universities in …

New Highly Contagious COVID-19 Strain Surges Cases

As the United States braces for the fall respiratory illness season, a highly contagious strain of COVID-19, informally known as “Stratus,” is causing a surge in infections. This variant, officially designated as XFG, has surpassed the previously dominant strain, NB.1.8.1 or “Nimbus,” due to its enhanced ability to evade the immune system. This uptick in COVID-19 cases coincides with the typical increase in common cold, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus cases that occur during the …