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Over the past few weeks, there has been great speculation regarding the growing unrest in Iran and what action, if any, the United States will take in response. One fact that remains clear is that the Iranian regime finds itself at its weakest point since 1979. As such, the world has reached a pivotal crossroad — one that will define the course of history for generations.

First, let’s examine how we got to this point. After the attacks of October 7, Israel was determined to give new meaning to the phrase "Never Again" and has relentlessly gone after the terrorist networks that perpetrated the attack. With assistance from the United States, they tremendously degraded not only the nuclear capability, but also the missile capability and general military readiness of Iran. It is ironic to me that one of the main reasons Iran is so crippled stems from October 7, yet it serves as a silver lining that has sprung from one of the greatest atrocities in modern history, nonetheless.

The second major factor is that the people in Iran have risen up and taken to the streets by the millions. Daily life is miserable, and with no viable economic growth potential, the future remains hopeless as long as the ayatollah stays in power. The bravery of the protesters, combined with the military thrashing given by Israel and the United States, has placed this regime at a tipping point.

MORNING GLORY: WHAT WILL PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECIDE TO DO WITH IRAN?

The next question, arguably most important, is where do we go from here? President Donald Trump has two lines in the water: a diplomatic line and a military line. While diplomatic negotiations are always worth pursuing within reason, my ultimate hope is that regime change will be achieved. This will come about in one of two ways: either the current regime changes its ways — which I find unlikely — or the Iranian people will take over once the regime falls.

To those who resist regime change: why do you wish to see this regime continue as it is? The ayatollah and his henchmen slaughter people for protesting, they beat young women to death for wearing their headscarves improperly, and they have overseen the largest state sponsor of terrorism for decades. Who wants that to continue? I certainly don’t, nor do the Iranian people. The people are the ones demanding regime change, and we should stand behind them.

When asked by the world media what the protesters in Iran should do, President Trump boldly said, "Keep protesting. Help is on the way." I believe that to be the correct statement, and it will be historical in nature if the regime collapses.

Trump’s support for the protesters, in conjunction with America’s display of strength in Operation Midnight Hammer, has created the largest opportunity for peace and prosperity in the Mideast in over 1,000 years. If this regime is replaced, normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel becomes possible again. The people of Iran will chart their own destiny, and terrorist networks across the region, such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis will atrophy even further. My trip last week to Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia — three states facing threats from Iran and its proxies — reaffirmed to me that each of these possibilities are not only attainable, but would be extremely beneficial to the United States and our allies.

TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES 'RARE OPPORTUNITY' FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS

On the other hand, we must remember who we will be forced to reconcile with if the regime holds. At the helm is the ayatollah, a religious zealot who orchestrated an assassination attempt on President Trump’s life. When he chants death to America and death to all the Jews, he means what he says. If the ayatollah remains in charge after all this bluster, I fear the problems that will arise will haunt the region for decades and America even further.

With the fate of millions at stake, I am praying for President Trump as he makes one of the most consequential decisions any president can make. I know President Trump to be a man of his word. He is reluctant to get entangled in wars with no end, yet unafraid to use force.

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It is my strong view that history is watching every move we make. If we follow through by sending help to the protesters risking their lives, we will have a 21st Century Berlin Wall moment. Ronald Reagan's determination to stand up to communism paid dividends for the entire world when the Soviet Union crumbled under its own weight. What followed was a new birth of freedom around the globe, liberating millions who knew nothing but oppression.

If the ayatollah falls, it will set in motion a similar sequence of events across the Middle East. All the terrorist proxies will be left hanging, the Abraham Accords will expand exponentially, the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel will be back on the front burner, and the Iranian people will come to know what all human beings desire most: freedom. The ripple effects of this regime’s destruction will bring forth tremendous, positive change across the region that will echo across the world.

Only time will tell what will happen next. For now, we must be smart, and we must be bold.

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An official with the Department of Homeland Security told state election officials Wednesday that federal immigration agents will not be stationed at polling locations during the November midterm elections, as some Democrats have warned the Trump administration could attempt to interfere in the elections through intimidation or racial profiling.

Heather Honey, DHS' deputy assistant secretary for election integrity, told secretaries of state on a call that "any suggestion that ICE will be present at any polling location is simply not true," according to Arizona's Democrat Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.

A spokeswoman for Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, also a Democrat, said Honey likewise assured officials that immigration agents would not be stationed at polling locations. Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican, also posted on X that DHS "confirms to Secretaries of State that ICE agents will not be at voting locations this year."

Honey, who has previously endorsed claims that President Donald Trump won the 2020 election against former President Joe Biden, participated in the call, which also included representatives of the FBI, US Election Assistance Commission, Postal Service and other federal agencies to discuss coordination ahead of the midterms.

SCHUMER SAYS DEMS WILL FIGHT VOTER ID PUSH 'TOOTH AND NAIL,' BALKS AT DHS ROLE IN ELECTIONS

Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment.

This comes as several Democrats have expressed concern that immigration agents may be placed at polling locations to intimidate Americans who fear they could be racially profiled and targeted if they show up to vote.

"I'm talking about something that I think would be extraordinary in American history, which is uniformed and masked ICE agents encircling polling places," Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said at a recent congressional hearing. "And it's not fantasy, and it's not made up. We need to be clear-eyed about that. These are things that the president and his cabinet have suggested."

The Department of Justice has been filing lawsuits seeking detailed voter data, though the department has not publicly detailed its specific rationale for each request.

Trump has also renewed his claims that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election, claims that have been widely disputed and rejected by courts, and has called on administration officials to investigate that election.

Earlier this month, the FBI executed a search warrant at an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing ballots and other voting records from 2020, according to local officials. A Democratic stronghold, Fulton County includes Atlanta. The Peach State went to Biden in 2020, but Trump carried the state in 2024.

Democratic officials and public interest lawyers across the country have been concerned for months about the possibility of Trump's interference in the midterms voting and ballot counting.

Democrats have pointed out that Trump was willing to attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss, pardoned those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and has filled his administration with allies who backed his attempts to overturn the election defeat.

The U.S. Constitution affirms that states run elections, not federal officials. Most states have their Secretary of State oversee elections.

NOEM BACKS SAVE AMERICA ACT, SLAMS 'RADICAL LEFT' OPPOSITION TO VOTER IDS AND PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP

Participants on the call said Democrat secretaries of state asked Honey several questions about the administration's cuts to election security funding and its efforts to root out noncitizen voting, which is already illegal and rare, as well as concerns about federal law enforcement officers appearing at polling places.

The White House has dismissed those concerns, saying there was no disruption during last year's election when Democrats performed well.

During a congressional hearing earlier this month, Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott both said they were not involved in any efforts to patrol voting places.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Thursday that his country could "completely destroy" South Korea if it feels threatened, escalating rhetoric while ruling out renewed talks.

Speaking at North Korea’s week-long Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, Kim labeled South Korea the "most hostile enemy" and said "the conciliatory attitude that South Korea's current government advocates on the surface is clumsily deceptive and crude," according to state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim said North Korea "can initiate arbitrary action" if South Korea engages in "obnoxious behavior" directed at his country, dismissing recent efforts by Seoul to improve relations.

"South Korea's complete collapse cannot be ruled out," Kim said, according to KCNA.

TRUMP SAYS HE'D BE WILLING TO EXTEND ASIA TRIP TO MEET WITH NORTH KOREA'S KIM JONG UN

During the congress, Kim outlined sweeping five-year policy goals centered on expanding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. The country is believed to possess around 50 warheads and enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more, according to an estimate last year from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The North Korean leader said the country's "international status has risen extraordinarily."

"It is our party's firm will to further expand and strengthen our national nuclear power, and thoroughly exercise its status as a nuclear state," Kim said, according to KCNA. "We will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means."

NORTH KOREA RELEASES IMAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE

Kim laid out plans for North Korea to develop more advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches, along with artificial intelligence-driven weapons systems and unmanned drones, KCNA reported.

Kim, who met with President Donald Trump three times during Trump’s first term, signaled he may be open to future negotiations with Washington but placed responsibility squarely on the United States.

"Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make," he said.

NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN'S DAUGHTER SEEN AS FUTURE SUCCESSOR: SPY AGENCY

Kim said that if the U.S "withdraws its policy of confrontation" with North Korea and acknowledges the country's "current status," there would be "no reason why we cannot get along well with the U.S."

Following the congress, Kim’s teenage daughter attended a military parade in Pyongyang on Wednesday, according to KCNA. Ju Ae, believed to be 13 or 14, was photographed standing beside her father and senior military leaders.

Her appearance comes after South Korean media reported that Kim recently gave her a leadership role in the regime’s powerful "Missile Administration," which oversees Pyongyang’s nuclear forces.

Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey, along with Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Tuesday urged spring breakers with plans to visit Mexico to cancel their trips due to violent clashes in the country triggered by the Mexican army's killing of cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," earlier this week.

Mullin made the comments during an appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box," in which he said his chiropractor was still planning to visit a popular tourist destination in Mexico.

"Anybody that’s planning on going to Mexico for spring break … I mean, my chiropractor called me yesterday and said he’s still planning on going to Cancún, I said, 'Are you crazy?'" Mullin said.

"No one should be going down there right now, it is very volatile and the United States is laser-focused on watching what’s taking place," he continued.

WHO IS EL MENCHO? INSIDE THE RISE OF CJNG’S FALLEN KINGPIN AND THE CARTEL HE BUILT

The senator's comments come after Mexican troops conducted operations on Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco, targeting El Mencho, a former police officer who became the leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, which U.S. authorities have identified as a major supplier of fentanyl to the United States.

El Mencho carried a $15 million U.S. bounty and rose to power following the arrest of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel. Over roughly the past 15 years, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación has expanded from a regional criminal group into a global trafficking organization operating from its stronghold in Jalisco.

The Mexican Defense Department said the operation was conducted as part of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the U.S., and that U.S. authorities provided complementary intelligence that contributed to El Mencho's killing.

After El Mencho's death, cartel members burned cars and blocked roads in several Mexican states. Violent clashes were also reported in parts of western Mexico.

Mexican authorities later said that the security situation had been "stabilized."

"The security situation has now stabilized following targeted operations in Jalisco," the Mexican Embassy in the U.S. said on Tuesday.

"Federal and State authorities are proceeding to reopen transit corridors and restore public services smoothly," the embassy continued. "Airline operations are normal, and international carriers are resuming flights today. Puerto Vallarta International Airport has reopened to domestic traffic."

The embassy added: "If traveling through Jalisco, some local security measures remain in place, while authorities are restoring airport operations to full capacity. We are working with international partners to ensure safety and stability at all transit hubs and tourist destinations."

But the U.S. State Department’s travel advisory for Mexico remains in effect. The U.S. government earlier issued a shelter-in-place order for Americans in Mexico, but that order has since been lifted.

STATE DEPT SLAMMED WITH HUNDREDS OF CALLS FROM AMERICANS TRAPPED IN MEXICO

The Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación is considered the most powerful cartel in Mexico with an estimated 19,000 members and operations across 21 of the country's 32 states.

The Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.

Mullin said on Tuesday that cartels splitting after Mexico's operation is a "great opportunity for us, and Mexico, to take them all out."

"Now, are we going to eliminate all the drug trafficking in the world? Absolutely not. But can we get a handle on it again? Absolutely," he added.

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War Secretary Pete Hegseth moved to reignite his high-profile clash with Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., on Tuesday, appealing a federal court ruling that blocked the Pentagon from punishing the Democratic lawmaker over a video urging U.S. service members to defy "illegal orders."

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on behalf of Hegseth, the Department of War, the U.S. Navy and Navy Secretary John Phelan.

The filing follows a ruling earlier this month by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who determined the Pentagon likely violated Kelly’s First Amendment rights, and those of "millions of military retirees," when it formally censured him on Jan. 5.

Leon blocked the Pentagon from demoting Kelly’s retired rank of captain or reducing his military retirement pay, prompting Hegseth to swiftly vow an appeal.

MORE DEMOCRAT REPS INVOLVED IN ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ VIDEO REPORT RECEIVING INQUIRY FROM US ATTORNEY

Kelly reacted to the latest move while reposting coverage of the appeal on X.

"These guys don’t know when to quit," he wrote. "A federal judge told Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth that they violated my constitutional rights and chilled the free speech of millions of retired veterans."

"There is only one reason to appeal that ruling: to keep trampling on the free speech rights of retired veterans and silence dissent," Kelly continued. "I went to war to defend Americans’ constitutional rights and I won’t back down from this fight, no matter how far they want to take it."

KELLY FIRES BACK AT HEGSETH OVER CENSURE, SAYS HE'S NEVER BACKING DOWN

Hegseth previously fired back on X following the district court ruling, writing: "Sedition is sedition, ‘Captain.’"

In November, a group of Democratic lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds found themselves in hot water after posting a 90-second video urging service members to "refuse illegal orders."

The video, which was first posted by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., also included military veteran Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.

MARK KELLY PRESSED ON WHETHER HE WOULD REFUSE ORDERS IF HE WAS STILL IN UNIFORM

Hegseth previously said an investigation was launched into Kelly's actions because he was the only lawmaker formally retired from the military and under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction.

A grand jury in Washington, D.C., rejected a DOJ effort to indict the group, further escalating tensions between the administration and its critics.

In his ruling, Leon wrote that Kelly is "likely to succeed" on the merits of his free speech claim and found he demonstrated irreparable harm.

President Donald Trump previously accused the group of lawmakers of "sedition at the highest level."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of War and Department of Justice for comment. Sen. Kelly's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

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Over 10 years ago, billionaire businessman Donald Trump announced he was running for the biggest office in the land. Three presidential races and two victories later, one thing is clear. Trump won his war with the media hands down. The press set out to destroy him. They failed. And he crushed them instead. At no time since the founding of our republic has the traditional media been less influential.

President Trump has won lawsuits against two different news networks, watched as other news organizations refused to endorse his competitor in the presidential race and celebrated as public media had its taxpayer funding ripped away. This is another classic Trump upset victory that is reminiscent of David smiting Goliath. It didn’t go well for Goliath either time.

Who could have predicted the turn of events? The establishment left-wing press have influenced everything in America for decades — politics, culture, sports and more. They helped decide both party's presidential candidates, destroyed political careers, covered up scandals (Hunter Biden, anyone?) and helped push every issue in the world to the left — from taxes, to transgenders to the media itself.

TRUMP UNLOADS ON CBS' '60 MINUTES' OVER MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE'S INTERVIEW, DEMANDS APOLOGY AND RIPS OWNERSHIP

They had survived the many threats to their power — the internet, blogging, social media, declining ad revenue, everything the world threw at them. Even the first term of Trump. The press pushed hard for and celebrated two Trump impeachments, an election defeat and enough lawfare to keep Perry Mason busy. They looked like they could take on anything.

Anything, that is, but Trump Part II. This time everything has been different. And, as Trump prepares to deliver his State of the Union speech, Tuesday, February 24, the state of his opponents in the media is in a shambles.

Just look at his overwhelming victory against NPR and PBS. Republicans warred against so-called public media for decades. Both networks were overflowing with leftist staffers, guests and agendas and it all was paid for by American taxpayers. But, every attempt to chip away at funding became a battle against Big Bird. The right was humiliated each time it tried to nibble funding away from two of the most openly leftist networks in the nation. The result made Republicans unwilling to try. Trump was willing and pushed Congress to axe the funding and won. Former CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta had urged more funding for public media, calling for it to be "too big to fail in this country." Yet, fail it did.

All of those claims that the federal money didn’t make up much of public media’s budget turned out, unsurprisingly, to be a lie. Both networks are struggling with finances. PBS canceled "PBS News Weekend" and blamed Trump: "PBS cancelled the show due to the loss of federal funding for public media," it declared. You can pretend to be sad now.

BOZELL, GRAHAM: TRUMP SUCCESSFULLY DEFUNDS NPR AND PBS AND HE'S JUST GETTING STARTED

Trump hit the press with lawyers of his own and won. Both ABC and CBS settled lawsuits against Trump, fearing worse outcomes. ABC agreed "to pay a $15 million ‘charitable contribution’ to a future presidential foundation for construction of Trump’s presidential library, covering $1 million in legal fees, and appending a statement of regret to the segment," according to The Washington Post.

The changes at CBS were even more profound. The network settled for $16 million for the future Trump library. But that wasn’t all. CBS hired Free Press founder Bari Weiss as its new editor-in-chief. Most in the media were furious, even though she’s no conservative. The New Yorker referred to it as a, "Hostile Takeover of CBS News." Weiss has battled with network staff to try to get them to be more even-handed, which has infuriated journalists who mostly complain anonymously to others in the press.

One producer resigned, complaining, "Stories may instead be evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations." Journalists who thrilled at the network’s openly leftist ideology, now whine if it shifts slightly closer to center. To top things off, CNN anchor and "60 Minutes" correspondent Anderson Cooper didn’t renew his contract either.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: HOW MEDIA WENT FROM 'WATCHDOG TO ATTACK DOG' OVER TRUMP AND RUSSIA COLLUSION NARRATIVE

Ideological expectations were changing in newspapers, as well. Last February, Post owner Jeff Bezos, of Amazon fame, announced a huge shift in the editorial pages. He declared they would promote, "personal liberties and free markets." Two things most journalists hate. The exodus of staffers that followed reads like a Who’s Who of leftist Posties — including columnists Jonathan Capehart and Philip Bump, and its hilariously titled fact-checker Glenn Kessler.

The entire journalism world had erupted in anger when the Post and 43 other of the nation’s top newspapers refused to endorse a candidate for president in 2024. That tally included both the L.A. Times and several top chains, according to journalism’s Nieman Lab. The Post reportedly lost over 200,000 subscribers. This January, the paper had massive layoffs of somewhere between a third and half its staff. One Hill op-ed described the cuts as, "Darkness descends with Washington Post mass layoffs."

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The Post was far from alone. There were 2,254 job cuts at news outlets in 2025, including cuts at CNN, CBS, NBC and more.

Even social media no longer bans Trump. And Trump went from being a minor player there to founder of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., which includes Truth Social. It has a market cap of about $3 billion.

Not too shabby for the man who called the media "the enemy of the American people" after he first took office in 2017 and has warred with them ever since. Now, journalists face three more years of defeats at the hands of their arch enemy and a future filled with conservatives who learned how to take down media giants from a master.

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A suspect was taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with the fatal shooting of a Missouri deputy, according to officials.

Richard Dean Bird, 45, was apprehended early Tuesday morning following the fatal shooting of a Christian County deputy that occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Monday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said on social media.

The incident triggered a manhunt for the suspect, who was considered to be armed and dangerous.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol described the suspect as a bald white man with brown eyes standing about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 145 pounds.

MANHUNT UNDERWAY AFTER MISSOURI DEPUTY SLAIN, SUSPECT'S TRUCK SPOTTED HEADING TOWARD ARKANSAS BORDER

The suspect vehicle was earlier identified as a white 2001 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup truck with Missouri license plate 9MGX36.

The truck was seen in the area of the shooting and was later reported traveling southbound on U.S. Route 160 from Route HH in Christian County. U.S. 160 runs south through southern Missouri and crosses into north-central Arkansas east of Harrison.

"Truck has been located," the Stone County Sheriff's Office, which assisted in the search, wrote Monday night on X.

Several lawmakers earlier reacted to the death of the deputy.

"A deputy in my home county was shot and killed today. Erin and I are praying for his family. May justice be swift," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said the incident was "a devastating loss in Christian County."

"As local law enforcement works to bring the suspect to justice, my prayers are with the deputy’s loved ones and those who served shoulder to shoulder with him to keep Missouri safe," Schmitt wrote on X.

Missouri State Rep. Jamie Ray Gragg said on Facebook: "My heart is broken for our deputy’s family. While they understood that this profession carries risk, senseless acts like this are beyond comprehension."

OFF-DUTY DEPUTY SHOT AND KILLED WHILE WORKING SECURITY JOB IN TEXAS, SUSPECT REMAINS AT LARGE

Blue Alerts like the one initially issued in this case, are similar to Amber Alerts in that they are designed to quickly notify the public. However, a Blue Alert is issued when a suspect is believed to have seriously injured or killed a law enforcement officer and may pose an ongoing threat.

"Blue Alert cancelled. Suspect in custody," the Missouri State Highway Patrol said on X early Tuesday.

Fox News' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

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