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After decades of parental rights victories, Connecticut may become the first state to go backwards on homeschool freedom in the past 50 years. The Connecticut Senate advanced a bill attacking homeschooling families by a vote of 22 to 14, mostly along party lines. Three Democrats joined all Republicans in opposition. The measure cleared the House 96-53 last week, with four Democrats crossing the aisle to stand with Republicans.

Those margins fall short of the two-thirds supermajority required in both chambers to override a gubernatorial veto.

Connecticut families now have only one remaining safeguard. Leadership should respect the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children and block this Orwellian legislation.

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The proposal would force homeschooling families to prove their innocence to the government before they can educate their own kids at home. It requires annual notices of intent and background checks by the Department of Children and Families when a child is withdrawn from public school. Families would be barred from homeschooling altogether if a parent or any other adult in the household faces an active DCF investigation or appears on the state’s abuse and neglect registry.

For decades, states across the country have steadily expanded parents’ rights to direct their children’s education. This legislation reverses that progress in one stroke.

"Everyone agrees that child abuse is a serious concern and the government has an important role in addressing it," Home School Legal Defense Association attorney Ralph Rodriguez said. "But expanding regulation over thousands of homeschooling families is unlikely to solve failures that occur within the child protection system itself."

Added Mr. Rodriguez: "The more effective approach is to strengthen the institutions responsible for identifying and responding to abuse rather than placing new regulatory burdens on families exercising their constitutional rights."

Democrat-led states have launched similar assaults on homeschooling in recent years. Proposals surfaced in California, Illinois, and New Jersey. Those efforts stalled or failed — for now. Connecticut has now emerged as the latest battleground. During floor debate, Sen. Rob Sampson (R) delivered a powerful closing statement: "Parents are not subjects–they are citizens–and they do not need the permission of this state government or anyone in this room to educate their own children."

Such a broad attack on parental rights is blatantly unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed the primacy of parents over the state when it comes to child-rearing decisions. If the proposal becomes law, parents should challenge it in court, where it deserves to be struck down.

In Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), the Supreme Court declared that "the child is not the mere creature of the State." The state cannot override parents’ authority without compelling justification. Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) protected Amish parents’ right to direct their children’s education beyond the eighth grade. Meyer v. Nebraska (1923) struck down a state law restricting foreign-language instruction, affirming parents’ liberty "to establish a home and bring up children" and "to control the education of their own."

Homeschool Legal Defense Association President James R. Mason put the problem plainly: "As the US Supreme Court has affirmed, a state cannot treat every parent as a potential threat simply because some parents do wrong. That presumption of suspicion — applied universally, before any evidence of harm — is, in the court’s own word, ‘repugnant’ to American tradition."

Mr. Mason also noted that "the way Connecticut places families on the registry has been ruled unconstitutional by the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, which includes Connecticut."

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Even if approved, the bill may have little immediate bite. During the May 4 floor debate, it was even admitted that the legislation as written lacks an enforcement mechanism. Parents denied approval by the government could simply continue homeschooling their children with no consequences for noncompliance.

That admission raises an obvious question. If the bill carries no real penalties, why adopt it at all? The rational explanation is that this might be the opening move in a longer campaign. Collecting data and establishing oversight on innocent families today sets the stage for clamping down with real enforcement teeth tomorrow.

Connecticut has no business targeting homeschool families while its own public schools are failing spectacularly. In Hartford, only 16 percent of students are proficient in math and 18 percent are proficient in reading. This dismal performance comes despite annual per-student spending exceeding $25,000. Lawmakers should focus on fixing the government monopoly schools under their control before harassing families who have chosen to raise and educate their own children.

Connecticut should block this proposal and send a clear message that the state stands with parents, not against them. Parental rights are not privileges granted by the state. They are fundamental liberties that government exists to protect.

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A New York man was convicted Wednesday of helping operate a secret Chinese government-linked police station in Manhattan used to monitor dissidents, federal prosecutors said.

Lu Jianwang, 64, a U.S. citizen also known as "Harry Lu" from the Bronx, was convicted by a jury on two counts related to operating an overseas police station in New York City on behalf of China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS), as well as obstruction of justice for destroying evidence.

According to prosecutors, Lu and his co-defendant, Chen Jinping, acted as illegal agents of the Chinese government beginning in 2022 and established what authorities described as the first known overseas Chinese police station in the United States.

Chen pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China in connection with the operation.

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Prosecutors said the station operated out of an office building in Lower Manhattan, where investigators found a blue banner reading: "Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station, New York, USA."

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. said the conviction disrupted a Chinese government operation on American soil.

"A police station operating in New York City at the direction of the Chinese government has been exposed, its sinister purpose disrupted, and its founder held accountable for blatantly disregarding the law and our country’s sovereignty," he said in a statement. 

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"Our Office remains resolute in protecting the rights of people seeking freedom from repression and speaking out to bring democracy, reform, and human rights to China," he added.

James C. Barnacle Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said the verdict should send a message to foreign agents operating in the U.S.

"May today’s verdict send a message to other foreign agents – the FBI maintains its unwavering resolve to reveal and disrupt the clandestine operations of adversarial nations," he said in a statement.

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Prosecutors said the Manhattan outpost was part of a broader Chinese government effort to monitor and intimidate dissidents abroad, including in the United States.

According to the DOJ, Lu gathered information for the Chinese government, including helping locate a pro-democracy activist who fled China for the United States.

The FBI searched the outpost in October 2022 and seized phones belonging to Lu and Chen. Investigators later discovered WeChat messages between the men and their Chinese government handler had been deleted.

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Prosecutors said Lu admitted to FBI agents that he established the Manhattan outpost, communicated with his handler through WeChat and deleted the messages.

Lu spoke briefly to supporters outside federal court following the verdict but declined to answer questions from reporters.

His attorney argued the outpost functioned as a community center where Chinese residents could renew driver’s licenses and gather socially.

"This is not espionage. This is not spying. This is not intelligence gathering," attorney John Carman said outside the courthouse. "He wasn’t charged with any of that."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A new exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial Museum is keeping the memory of that day and its aftermath alive, even for those who didn’t live through it, as the museum highlights 15 years since the raid that killed Usama bin Laden.

"A third of the U.S. population has been born since then, so it’s not just kids," Jay Weinkam, executive vice president of government and community affairs at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, told Fox News Digital. "It is 25 years later, and it’s our teachers, our first responders, men and women in our military forces, educating them on what happened and what the response was."

"Our Flag Was Still There" showcases flags related to 9/11 as the nation marks 25 years since the 2001 terrorist attacks and celebrates its 250th anniversary.

The history-altering terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

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But many Americans are too young to remember.

"It hit me pretty hard when I realized all of the kids there weren’t even alive during 9/11," Will Chesney, a retired SEAL Team operator and dog handler, told Fox News.

"As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we realize how many people aren’t old enough to remember it," Elizabeth L. Hillman, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, told Fox News.

The exhibit, which can be found in the museum’s Foundation Hall, features flags with stories from first responders, veterans and Americans who lived through it, along with artifacts and photos spotlighting the American flag.

Marking 15 years since Usama bin Laden was killed in Operation Neptune Spear, a flag now on display was once tucked into a lead Chinook pilot’s flight gear. After returning to base, he wrote "5/1/11 Geronimo ‘NS’" on the pole base to signal the mission’s success.

Chesney said former President Barack Obama's 2011 announcement that the mission had ended signaled a turning point.

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"Seeing America just so excited and unified and coming back together, that might’ve been one of the best parts of the whole night, was seeing that on the news," he said. "I just, I really wish it would’ve lasted longer."

The museum hopes its exhibit can keep that same sense of unity.

"The flag was a source of strength, resilience and hope… people should have pride and remember how we responded," Weinkam said. "Obviously, learn about what happened, but have some pride in how we came together."

"They remind us how people can come together across the lines that divide us in service of a common cause, and that service inspired by unity is another big theme we can remember from 9/11," Hillman added.

The exhibit includes the Ground Zero flag raised by FDNY firefighters, the flag draped over the Pentagon by soldiers and firefighters and a flag raised over the last column of the South Tower.

Weinkam educators will be crucial to carry on the memory and the 9/11 Memorial Museum has placed an emphasis on programs that help teachers in classrooms across the country educate students on what occurred on that consequential day.

LET'S TEACH OUR KIDS WHY AMERICA IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR

Future police officers and firefighters can also use the exhibit to learn how their departments helped, Weinkam said.

"We do a lot of training with federal agencies for new recruits," he said. "Every NYPD cadet and every FDNY probie [probationer] is required to come here as part of training to learn how their department responded on 9/11."

He said honoring 9/11 heroes is more important than ever for younger generations.

"With fewer and fewer people in those leadership positions back then or even with those forces, it’s important to remind those coming up of what happened and what could happen again," he said.

Hillman also hopes the exhibit can help young people emotionally connect to what happened.

"The museum can connect people to the events of that day in a really powerful way, and having artifacts from the important historical events before, on 9/11, and after 9/11, like Operation Neptune Spear, is a great way to connect our visitors to the stories of 9/11," she said.

Personal artifacts may be the key, she said.

"When we see the spaces, when we see the material, the artifacts, the models, the axe that a firefighter carried, those sorts of real experiences, material experiences, and firsthand experiences with eyewitnesses, they help move people to understand and appreciate what came before," she said.

Retired U.S. Navy four-star Adm. William H. McRaven told Fox News that even in the worst moments, people come together, and that is something worth remembering.

"It really showcased the American spirit," McRaven said. "It showed that in our most dire moments, we can come together, unify and get the job done. But as you point out with the fire truck behind us and this incredible museum and memorial we’re in, this is about making sure we never forget," he said.

The exhibit will remain open to the public through February 2028.

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Caitlin Clark was assessed with her first technical foul of the season on Wednesday night after a heated exchange with a referee.

During the Indiana Fever's game against the Los Angeles Sparks, with 20 seconds remaining in the first half, Clark was called for an offensive foul, giving Los Angeles possession.

Clark later walked over to referee Jason Alabanza and appeared to engage in a verbal spat.

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Alabanza gave Clark a technical before Indiana headed to the visiting locker room for halftime.

Still, the Fever went on to win 87-78.

Clark now has nine technicals in her WNBA career, with six in her rookie season and two in an injury-plagued 2025.

Clark appears to have had a combative dynamic with referees since the beginning of her professional career. In the Fever's season-opening loss to the Dallas Wings, Clark appeared to suggest certain fouls were not called on her throughout the game.

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"I think especially if they're going to call it the way they're going to call it this year, I think I honestly could have probably got a couple more calls on a few of them, but that's okay," Clark said to reporters after the game when asked about plays when she drove to the basket on Saturday.

Whether officials are calling enough fouls against Clark has been a point of controversy since she entered the league in 2024. Many fans complained that Clark was frequently being targeted with hard contact by opposing players and referees weren't doing enough to protect her.

Meanwhile, Clark came one technical foul shy of taking a one-game suspension during her rookie year.

Clark herself has also made comments seemingly directed at referees in the WNBA. During the WNBA postseason in September, while Clark was injured, she said she was fined $200 for tweeting "Refs couldn’t stop us" after Indiana’s Game 2 win over Atlanta in the first round.

"Got fined $200 for this lol," she wrote on X, adding a series of crying laughter emojis. "BENCH MOB WILL BE EVEN MORE ROWDY TOMORROW LETS GOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Clark was previously seen getting into disagreements with referees during a game against the Connecticut Sun last July.

"Are you f----ing kidding me?" Clark appeared to say while Fever assistant Briann January dragged her back to the bench.

As officials continued to look at the replay, the ESPN broadcast showed Clark yelling over toward the officials again: "That’s just rude. Grow up. Come here, come here. Unbelievable."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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As President Donald Trump and hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials prepare to travel to China, many will leave behind one of the most basic tools of modern government: their everyday cellphones.

Instead, officials entering China often travel with stripped-down "clean" devices, temporary laptops and tightly controlled communications systems designed to minimize the risk of surveillance, hacking or data collection in what U.S. officials consider one of the world’s most aggressive cyber environments.

The precautions can transform even routine tasks into logistical headaches. Messages that would normally travel instantly through encrypted apps or synced devices are instead routed through controlled channels, temporary accounts or relayed in person. 

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Contacts disappear. Cloud access is limited. Some officials operate for days without their normal digital footprint.

Current and former officials say the measures reflect a longstanding assumption inside the U.S. government: anything brought into China — phones, laptops, tablets or even hotel Wi-Fi connections — should be treated as potentially compromised.

"China is a mass surveillance state," said Bill Gage, a former Secret Service special agent and now director of executive protection for Safehaven Security Group. "Briefings for U.S. officials begin well before the president arrives, and they make clear that everything is monitored."

"We always tell people to assume everything you say and do — both in person and digitally — could be monitored," said Theresa Payton, former White House chief information officer and CEO of cybersecurity firm Fortalice Solutions. "And to conduct themselves accordingly."

Ahead of Trump’s high-stakes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the digital precautions underscore the broader mistrust shaping the relationship between Washington and Beijing, where cybersecurity, espionage and surveillance concerns now permeate nearly every aspect of official engagement.

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The precautions will extend beyond government officials. The delegation traveling with Trump also is expected to include executives from major American firms, including Apple, Boeing, Qualcomm and BlackRock — companies operating at the center of the U.S.–China economic and technological relationship.

In Washington, officials are often told to leave their phones behind when entering places like the Chinese Embassy. Those same concerns are amplified when traveling to China itself, where U.S. officials operate under the assumption that devices, networks and even hotel rooms could be monitored.

Even charging a phone can become a security concern.

Federal cybersecurity guidance has long warned travelers to avoid plugging devices into unknown USB ports or untrusted charging systems because compromised hardware can potentially be used to extract data or install malicious software — a tactic commonly referred to as "juice jacking."

As a result, officials traveling to high-risk countries often carry preapproved charging equipment, external battery packs and government-issued accessories rather than relying on local infrastructure.

"There are no safe electronic communications in China," Gage said, noting officials are advised to limit digital activity to only what is necessary for the mission.

The Chinese government has rejected claims that it engages in improper surveillance.

"In China, personal privacy is protected by law," Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Fox News Digital. "The Chinese government places a high priority on protecting data privacy and security in accordance with the law. It has never required—and will never require—enterprises or individuals to collect or store data in violation of the law."

Payton said officials may also be issued temporary devices configured with known "golden images," allowing security teams to detect whether a device has been altered or accessed during the trip.

"You may see executives issued loaner phones with a known ‘golden image,’ meaning security teams can compare the device before and after use to see if it’s been tampered with," she said.

"There may be controlled ‘safe zones’ set up where officials can communicate back to the U.S., but everything is tightly managed," Payton added.

When sensitive conversations need to happen, the logistics become even more complex.

U.S. officials traveling overseas frequently rely on temporary sensitive compartmented information facilities, or SCIFs — secure spaces designed to prevent electronic surveillance and eavesdropping. Those facilities can be established inside hotels or other controlled locations during major diplomatic trips.

"The White House Military Office and communications teams create controlled spaces where they can monitor both physical and digital access to ensure sensitive conversations remain secure," Payton said.

The precautions can create a surprisingly analog environment for a modern presidential delegation. Paper documents become more common, digital access is restricted and aides accustomed to constant communication often operate through tightly controlled channels.

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment. 

U.S. officials have spent years warning about Chinese cyber espionage campaigns targeting American government agencies, critical infrastructure, defense contractors and telecommunications networks. 

Intelligence officials have accused Beijing-linked hackers of infiltrating everything from federal systems to power grids and water utilities, while repeatedly attempting to collect information on senior American officials and policymakers.

"China will conduct extensive research on every member of the U.S. delegation — from senior officials down to junior personnel," Gage said, describing the level of intelligence targeting officials are warned about before traveling.

Payton said the high-profile nature of a presidential visit only increases the risk.

"This is a well-publicized event, so you have to assume everything from nation states to opportunistic actors may be trying to listen in," she said.

The issue exploded into public view in 2023, when a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon crossed the continental United States before being shot down by the U.S. military after traversing sensitive military sites. U.S. officials later said the balloon was part of a broader surveillance effort linked to Beijing.

More recently, federal officials have warned about sophisticated China-linked cyber groups such as Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon, which U.S. authorities say targeted critical infrastructure and telecommunications systems in ways that could support espionage or disruption during a future conflict.

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The Trump administration is ramping pressure on China over what U.S. officials describe as Beijing’s economic and material support for Iran and Russia ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A senior administration official told reporters Sunday that Trump already has spoken "multiple times" with Xi about "the revenue that China provides to both those regimes and therefore as well as dual use goods, components and parts, not to mention the potential of weapons exports."

"I expect that conversation to continue," the official said during a White House preview call ahead of Trump’s trip to Beijing.

The comments underscore how deeply Iran and Russia have become intertwined with the broader U.S.–China relationship, with the administration increasingly framing Beijing not only as an economic competitor but also as a critical enabler of adversarial regimes.

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"You've seen some actions, meaning sanctions coming out from the U.S. side just in the last few days that I'm sure will be part of that conversation," the official added.

China ordered firms in early May to ignore U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian oil, a direct test of the U.S. crackdown.

A new directive, issued through China’s Commerce Ministry Sunday, invokes a 2021 "blocking statute" that prohibits firms from complying with foreign sanctions deemed illegitimate. The order applies to several Chinese refiners accused by the U.S. of purchasing Iranian crude, including major independent processors known as "teapot" refineries.

The move represents a shift from years of opaque workarounds to more explicit state-backed resistance, as Beijing signals it will not cooperate with U.S. efforts to cut off a key source of revenue for Iran.

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U.S. officials increasingly have accused China of helping sustain Iran’s military and economic capabilities through oil purchases, dual-use exports and intermediary networks tied to Tehran’s drone and missile programs.

Chinese officials pushed back on the allegations, saying Beijing follows strict export controls and accusing Washington of mischaracterizing its role.

"China always acts prudently and responsibly on the export of military products, and exercises strict control in accordance with China’s laws and regulations on export control and due international obligations," Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said.

"China opposes groundless smear and ill-intentioned association," Liu added. "The pressing priority is to make every effort to prevent by all means a relapse in fighting, rather than exploiting the conflict to maliciously smear other nations."

Liu also emphasized that China is prepared to work with the United States to "expand cooperation and manage differences in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit."

"China, let’s see them step up with some diplomacy and get the Iranians to open the strait," Bessent said in a Fox News interview May 4.

"Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism … China has been buying 90 percent of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of terrorism," he added.

Chinese officials have repeatedly defended Beijing’s trade relationship with Iran as "normal economic cooperation" and criticized U.S. sanctions as unilateral measures that interfere with legitimate trade.

China has become Iran’s largest economic lifeline in recent years, purchasing the overwhelming majority of Iranian oil exports despite U.S. sanctions. Analysts and U.S. government reports have said those purchases generate billions of dollars in revenue for Iran and help fund the regime’s military activities and regional proxy networks.

The Treasury Department also has repeatedly sanctioned Chinese and Hong Kong-based companies accused of helping Iran procure materials and components linked to ballistic missiles and drones, including parts tied to the Shahed drone program. U.S. officials have raised concerns about shipments of dual-use goods such as electronics, industrial equipment and missile-fuel precursor chemicals that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

While Beijing largely curtailed overt state-to-state arms sales to Iran years ago under international pressure, U.S. officials and outside analysts say Chinese firms and intermediaries continue to play a significant role in supplying sensitive technologies and materials through commercial channels and sanctions-evasion networks.

Officials said the leaders are also expected to discuss Taiwan, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and rare earth supply chains during the summit.

The White House previewed discussions around a potential "U.S.-China Board of Trade" and "Board of Investment," which officials described as possible government-to-government mechanisms for managing trade and investment issues between the two countries. 

Administration officials also emphasized there would be no change in longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan, while highlighting increased American arms sales to Taipei and calling for Taiwan to further boost defense spending.

Artificial intelligence is also emerging as a growing focus in the relationship. 

Officials said Trump and Xi could discuss establishing a formal communication channel on AI-related security concerns as both countries race to develop increasingly advanced systems with military and cyber implications.

Officials additionally pointed to ongoing discussions surrounding rare earth supply chains and access to critical minerals used in defense systems, electronics and advanced manufacturing.

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Democrats in the Michigan House have proposed a package of bills that aim to legalize medically assisted suicide for certain terminally ill adults.

The package, which would create a Death with Dignity Act, would allow certain terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to request and receive medication to end their own life.

As part of the package, patients would need to make multiple requests, both in written and oral form, and must wait at least 15 days between requests. They must also receive an evaluation from two doctors, potentially receive a mental health evaluation, be informed of alternatives such as hospice and pain care and be told they may change their minds at any time.

"A person who without authorization of the patient willfully alters or forges a request for medication under this act or conceals or destroys a rescission of that request with the intent or effect of causing the patient's death is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 20 years or a fine of not more than $375,000.00, or both," the legislation reads.

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The proposal also does not allow a doctor or anyone else to directly cause death through lethal injection, mercy killing or active euthanasia.

The package would protect doctors and others from criminal or civil liability if they follow the law, allow providers to opt out and protect patients from insurance discrimination.

Doctors, pharmacists and other licensed professionals cannot be investigated or disciplined simply for assisting in so-called death with dignity, as long as they follow the law, according to the measure.

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The state health department would review cases and publish annual reports. The department would have access to prescription records related to life-ending medication to monitor compliance.

Additionally, health insurers would not be allowed to deny or limit coverage because a person plans to end their lives under the Death with Dignity Act.

Existing insurance rules would be amended so that a patient choosing medical aid when dying would not be treated as having died by suicide for insurance purposes. Life insurance rules about suicide would not apply if a person dies under the Death with Dignity Act.

Michigan would join about a dozen other states and Washington, D.C., in adopting laws allowing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, including Delaware, New York and Illinois, which each approved legislation in 2025 that will take effect this year.

Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia and Colombia, have also legalized so-called death with dignity.

Supporters of the legislation, including medical-aid-in-dying advocacy groups, argue that it would give mentally capable, terminally ill adults an additional end-of-life option, while preserving safeguards such as multiple requests, physician review, waiting periods and the ability to rescind a request at any time.

Republicans and faith leaders, particularly within Catholic and Evangelical communities, have long raised concerns about assisted suicide, citing the sanctity of life, as well as moral and ethical concerns.

"So-called assisted death endangers the weak and marginalized in a society, and it corrupts medicine and erodes our obligations to family," U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., previously said. "And we will promote and respect every life, no matter how old or sick or weak those persons may be."

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