This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – Israel's security services arrested three citizens Tuesday, suspected of committing security offenses – which Iran's intelligence apparatus is thought to have directed.

The three were arrested separately over the last two weeks, and the investigation revealed that following interrogation, one suspect – 21-year-old Elimelech Stern, a member of the Vishnitz Hasidic community in Ramat Beit Shemesh, approximately 20 miles or so west-south-west of Jerusalem – received his instructions over Telegram.

He was in contact with a profile under the name of "Anna Elena," where he was directed to hang posters, hide money in various locations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, deliver packages including some containing decapitated stuffed animals and dolls, as well as threatening messages to be delivered along with a knife, and placed at certain Israeli civilians' doorsteps.

He was also tasked with setting fire to a forest and more. It was also revealed Stern refused to either commit murder or arson.

Stern recruited two other Israelis – who have yet to be publicly identified – for his "missions," for which they received payment from "Anna Elena" in cryptocurrency – and sometimes for the sum of just a few hundred shekels.

His Iranian handlers told him via Telegram that "Anna" was living in London and she "was looking for brave people to carry out missions in Israel for pay ranging from 100 to 100,000 dollars."

Another message read, "I will test you with a simple mission of $100. If you do well and send me a video and photo of that work, and I can trust you, I will give you more missions with more reward."

During one exchange between the Iranian operatives and Stern, they wrote: "We need a brave man. Are you brave for a lot of money? I currently have 2 missions. One of them has a bonus of $7,000, and one of them has $350."

Stern expressed interest in the higher-paying mission, replying: "Tell me about the $7,000 one."

The Iranian operative responded, "Alright. First, you need to purchase two 20-liter containers at a gas station." It seems this may have been intended to be used to set the forest fire.

On Tuesday, Jerusalem's District Attorney's Office filed an indictment against Stern, charging him with contacting a foreign agent. Following their interrogation, the security services released his two accomplices, and they now await the prosecutor's decision about whether or not to indict them.

"Approaching Israeli citizens through social networks, under the false representation of the identity of the person making the request, is a well-known method of operation of the Iranian intelligence agencies," the Shin Bet and Israel Police said in the statement. They added since Oct. 7 there has been a significant uptick in Iranian intelligence agencies using Telegram as well as other social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and X.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

GOP presidential hopeful Donald J. Trump, just as the Republican National Convention was getting under way on Monday, announced U.S. Sen. JD Vance as his 2024 running mate.

Vance of Ohio has been a vocal ally of Trump, and at 39, would be one of the youngest vice presidents ever.

Vance long had been considered a top option for Trump, and the choice was announced only days after Trump escaped an assassin's bullet during a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally.

Vance, over the weekend, blamed Democrats for the rhetoric, the atmosphere, and the political weaponization that Democrats have brought against Trump and resulted in the shooting.

"The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination," the senator explained on social media.

Leftist publications immediately pointed out that the choice means that "the Republican Party's 2024 ticket with (sic) have neither a woman nor a person of color on it."

Kamala Harris, vice president for Joe Biden, is a woman and a person of color, and has had a noticeably small impact on American policy and practice during her time as lady-in-waiting on Biden.

Trump's announcement noted, "After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of vice president of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the great state of Ohio. J.D. honorably served our country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was editor of The Yale Law Journal, and president of the Yale Law Veterans Association.

"J.D.'s book, 'Hillbilly Elegy,' became a major best seller and movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our country. J.D. has had a very successful business career in technology and finance, and now, during the campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American workers and farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond…."

Conservatives and pro-life activists, who have been concerned about moves in the GOP to ease up on its agenda for a nationwide pro-life law, were enthused.

SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said, "J.D. Vance is an exceptional selection as President Trump's running mate. His courage in exposing the Democrats' agenda of abortion for any reason, even in the seventh, eighth, or ninth month, helped propel him to a decisive victory in the 2022 midterm elections.

"Vance's hardscrabble upbringing informs his compassionate approach to this issue. He saw firsthand how the deck can be stacked against women facing unexpected pregnancies if they do not have the support and resources they need, even though most would rather choose life. His ability to compellingly share these stories on a national stage will surely be an asset. During his time in the Senate, he has earned an A+ on our Scorecard. With approximately 750,000 babies in states like California and New York still lacking basic protections, we need champions whose boldness will not waver."

Vance grew up in Jackson, Kentucky, and Middletown, Ohio, and detailed his memories of a children impacted by poverty and abuse in his memoir, released in 2016.

His mother struggled with drug addiction and he spent years with his grandmother.

He joined the Marines after high school and served in Iraq.

His wife, Usha Vance, is a litigator for a law firm based in San Francisco and Washington. They met at Yale Law and married a year after they graduated, in 2013.

They have three young children: Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.

He was elected to the Senate in 2022, when he defeated ex-Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat, in the race for an open Senate seat.

He's been critical of Trump in the past, but adjusted his comments for his 2022 Senate run, crediting Trump for his accomplishments while in the White House.

Vance supports tariffs on trade and opposes U.S. military intervention in foreign wars, especially between Russia and Ukraine, and he's opposed potential cuts to Social Security.

His Senate accomplishments include bipartisan work on rail safety and failed banks.

He's also unabashedly conservative, with legislation proposed to ban what trangender-promoting activists call gender-affirming "care," actually the use of chemicals and body mutilating surgeries to try to change a boy into a girl, or vice versa, even though that, scientifically, is impossible.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

There's ample evidence that the U.S. Secret Service failed in multiple ways – to allow a sniper to unleash a barrage of shots at President Donald Trump on Saturday – one of which apparently nicked his ear, and an expert on that topic, former agent Dan Bongino, credits Trump himself with saving his own life.

"If he moves his head an inch to the left or right, guys, this is a really different show today. I mean, this is – it's bad enough we have to do this show about this topic. Can you imagine what would have happened if Donald Trump had not ducked?" he said.

"There's only one entity out there that saved Donald Trump's life yesterday and it pains me to tell you guys this, you know who that is? It's Donald Trump," Bongino explained.

Trump himself, moved quickly to social media on the issue, but his opinion differed slightly.

"It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening," Trump said on the Truth Social social media platform.

Franklin Graham, chief of the worldwide Christian ministry Samaritan's Purse, pointed to the statement.

"Former President Donald J. Trump released a very powerful statement on his Truth Social this morning. He is an amazing man, and he credits GOD ALONE for saving his life," Graham wrote.

He the quoted from Trump's statement:

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed. In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win. I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – The Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals court convicted 53 defendants, leaders or members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organization, in a mass trial Wednesday.

According to WAM, the official Emirates news agency, "The court sentenced 43 defendants to life imprisonment for the crime of creating, establishing, and managing the terrorist 'Justice and Dignity Committee' Organisation for the purpose of committing terrorist acts in the country."

In addition, the court sentenced five defendants to 15 years jail time for cooperating with the "Reform Call" Organisation and advocating for it in articles and tweets posted on social media platforms. The court decided the defendants either knew or should have known its purpose was to take action against the UAE.

Five other defendants were handed 10-year prison sentences and an AED 10 million ($2.72 million) fine for the crime of laundering money with the intent of establishing and financing a terrorist organization.

The court also ruled in favor of fining six companies, impose on each of them an AED 20 million ($5.4 million) fine, as well as dissolving and closing their headquarters, and confiscating their assets. Meanwhile, 24 defendants had their cases dismissed.

The rulings – which are not final and can be appealed at the Federal Supreme Court – drew the ire of leftist humanitarian organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. In a statement, Amnesty alleged defendants were "held in prolonged solitary confinement, deprived of contact with their families and lawyers, and subjected to sleep deprivation through continuous exposure to loud music," according to The Media Line.

The UAE, which under the leadership of Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was one of the first signatories of the Abraham Accords with Israel, establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, has taken a zero tolerance policy toward Islamists and Islamism. Firmly aligned with conservative Sunni branch of Islam – or kingdom states such as Jordan, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia – the UAE has for more than a decade cracked down on activities it deems harmful to its peace and prosperity. It too is acutely aware of the threat radical Islam poses, including Iranian millenarianism, which through its nuclear program and the "ring of fire" it has ostensibly established to threaten Israel, can also be turned against Muslim Arab states, too.

Deporting pro-Palestinian protester

Although the incident occurred at a graduation ceremony at New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus in May, reports of the expulsion of a student protester only surfaced Wednesday. The UAE deported the student who wore a keffiyeh and yelled "Free Palestine!" as he crossed the stage to receive his diploma.

Although the UAE has offered material support to the Palestinians in Gaza in the form of humanitarian aid – much of which Hamas terrorists were recorded stealing – it has maintained a careful path between backing Arab brethren and taking too harsh a line against its Abraham Accord partner, Israel. On the domestic front, political parties are illegal and the Emirati authorities have clamped down sharply on any attempts to hold mass demonstrations against the war, the likes of which have been seen both on the Arab street, and obviously large-scale pro-Hamas protests in many Western capitals. Indeed, at cultural events in Abu Dhabi, the authorities have barred people wearing keffiyehs from entering.

"I think the government and the laws of the country don't necessarily align with wanting to create an environment that appeals to the West as well, if we’re talking about freedom of speech and so on," said one student, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, reported The Times of Israel.

Responding to questions from AP, NYU Abu Dhabi said it has been "guaranteed academic authority" on campus but "in none of our locations… are members of the NYU community immune from local law."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Joe Biden's administration, which long has made a political talking point out of its claims that President Donald Trump doesn't support "democracy," now stands accused of exactly that offense, according to a new report.

It is U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who said, "The United States is built upon the principle of free and fair elections, but the Biden administration seems to not care about upholding our democracy."

Her comments, according to a Fox News report, came as a letter from the entire Michigan House GOP delegation was sent to a top state official demanding answers about the possible use of federal tax dollars to promote the Democratic Party.

The letter, organized by Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, went to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, long a leftist activist, calling for an investigation into the use of public funds for a voter registration "push" that was "weaponized" to help Biden's re-election bid.

The report said it was an agreement between the Small Business Administration and Benson's agency that Williams' subpoenaed in May that used Biden's 2021 executive order to promote "access" to voting that triggered the inquiries.

At issue is the charge from Williams, head of the House Small Business Committee, that there is documentation that shows that voter recruitment efforts were set up to favor Democrats.

For example, the letter explains 39 of 52 "scheduled small business outreach events in Michigan" were in counties with demographics specifically targeted by the Democratic National Committee, the report said.

"Additionally, 100 percent of the visits to Michigan from the SBA administrator and deputy administrator have taken place in counties with the highest populations of DNC target demographics," it continues.

The letter insists on an explanation about why so much of the federal outreach is focusing on Democrat priorities.

"It is curious that the SBA administrator, appointed to help all small businesses thrive, has concentrated her efforts in areas key to the Biden campaign securing re-election," the charge states.

McClain said the coordination between the federal agency and a Democrat activist is an "abuse of power" that undermines election integrity.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – The family of Daniela Gilboa – who has been held in Hamas captivity since being kidnapped on Oct. 7, permitted the release of a video Tuesday, which shows the 19-year-old Israeli soldier on her 107th day in the Gaza Strip.

"170 days have passed since the release of the video where I last saw my daughter," said Orly Gilboa, Daniela’s mother. "In the footage, she appears strong and determined, but psychological assessments we’ve received indicate her poor mental state. Who knows what my daughter has endured in the 170 days since then?"

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Every day, prominent voices sound an ever-more-urgent alarm over the Biden administration's border policies and the multiple threats to the nation's security they are causing.

* In late June, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas concerned about the poor vetting procedures of Afghans by the Biden administration.

* Around the same time, U.S. officials claimed there was no imminent threat to the homeland from eight men from Tajikistan residing in Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia, even though sources said the individuals have ties to ISIS.

* Earlier in June, the Daily Caller reported that a Chinese government agent ran a private social network to provide thousands of illegal immigrants with resources to enter the U.S. and evade authorities at the border.

* And in May, a pair of Jordanian nationals were arrested for attempting to ram their way into Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia with a box truck. One of the two had recently been screened by the Border Patrol, but was subsequently allowed into the U.S. with no restrictions anyway.

But for global security expert and Army veteran Ben Varlese, the Jordanians' attempted terror attack "was nothing more than a test run."

WND spoke in-depth with Varlese, a former Army Mountain Infantry Platoon Sergeant who served in domestic and overseas roles from 2001-2018, including as a sniper section leader. Since 2018, Varlese has also provided security consulting services for public and private sectors, including tactical training, physical and information security, executive protection, protective intelligence, risk management, insider threat mitigation and anti-terrorism.

"There have been several incidents in previous months," Varlese told WND, "that serve to highlight the continued national security threat presented by this administration's encouraged flood of illegal aliens over the last three and a half years."

The number of people entering the U.S. illegally is concerning beyond explanation, said Varlese. "At least 8 million illegal aliens from over 100 countries have crossed the southern border in the last three-and-a-half years," he noted, adding that "almost all have been released and even transported to 48 states by the DHS or various non-governmental organizations."

What about security vetting?

"Almost none have been properly vetted," Varlese told WND, including many thousands of individuals from "hostile or terror haven countries" like Afghanistan, Venezuela, Syria and China. He also pointed out, chillingly, that, "Most of the illegals that have flooded the southern border since … Biden undid all of President Trump's border policies are military-age males."

Although "most are likely here for economic reasons," he said, "there are undoubtedly a significant number of bad actors that have been given a free pass to create sleeper cells in almost every American urban area."

Example: "Because there are tens of thousands of Chinese nationals, hundreds on the terror watch list, and millions of unvetted individuals scattered across the country," warns Varlese, "it is not a question of if something bad will happen, but when."

Moreover, adds Varlese, "The Biden regime welcomed this disaster."

He pointed to a brand-new threat with great terror potential: "This threat will only be exacerbated if [Biden] allows unrestricted access to so-called Palestinian refugees, who, let us not forget, celebrated the wanton murder of innocents on Sept. 11, 2001 and Oct. 7, 2023."

Apart from the Islamist threat, Varlese told WND that the Chinese communist regime poses a nearly equal threat.

"In recent years," he said, "there have been an unusual number of physical infrastructure and agricultural – food processing plants, stockyards and herd/flock deaths 'attacks' or curious circumstances connected to U.S. logistics and supply chains that have already been strained from tyrannical COVID-19 lockdowns in years past."

"As a result of the illegal immigration crisis," he warned, "the threat of sabotage – physical or digital – from Chinese interests is exponentially compounded because of the illegal immigration crisis."

"Similarly," Varlese told WND, "individuals from Iran and Venezuela, as well as other bad actors connected to the Taliban, Al-Qaida and Da’esh (Islamic State/ISIS) have infiltrated the U.S. and could cause no end of havoc domestically."

Whatever the stated altruistic motives of the Biden regime, said Varlese, in reality "they're inviting disaster."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The Philadelphia radio host for whom the White House provided questions in advance of her interview with Joe Biden has been fired.

WURD Radio made the announcement Sunday concerning broadcaster Andrea Lawful-Sanders.

"The interview featured pre-determined questions provided by the White House, which violates our practice of remaining an independent media outlet accountable to our listeners. As a result, Ms. Lawful-Sanders and WURD Radio have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately."

Lomax said WURD "remains an independent voice that our audience can trust will hold elected officials accountable. As Pennsylvania's only independent black-owned talk radio station, WURD Radio has cultivated that trust with our audience over our 20-year history.

"This is something we take very seriously. Agreeing to a pre-determined set of questions jeopardizes that trust and is not a practice that WURD Radio engages in or endorses as a matter of practice or official policy."

She continued, saying her station "is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other administration. Internally, we will commit to reviewing our policies, procedures, and practices to reinforce WURD's independence and trust with our listeners. But mainstream media should do its own introspection to explore how they have lost the trust of so many Americans, black Americans chief among them."

"Black media matters. As always, we will listen, dialogue and engage with our community, bringing credible information, experts and insights to address the needs, concerns and interests of our people. This is essential as black Philadelphians gear up to be a pivotal player in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime."

In the pre-recorded interview that aired Thursday, Joe Biden famously told Lawful-Sanders he's proud to be the first black woman to serve with a black president.

"And by the way, I'm proud to be – as I've said – the first vice president – first black woman to serve with a black president," Biden said.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Midway through 2024, members of the U.S. Armed Forces continue to demand answers regarding the thousands of denials of religious accommodation service members requested in response to the military's controversial 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

One of them is Lt. Chad Coppin, who retired Monday after 22 years, three months and five days in the U.S. Coast Guard. Toward the end of his career, Coppin faced an uphill battle against the Department of Homeland Security's enforcement of the now-rescinded mandate.

Like thousands of others across all branches of service, Coppin's request for religious accommodation was initially denied. In the months to follow, his appeal of the decision was also denied. He found himself in the process of being discharged via an administrative separation board for refusing to comply with the mandate.

"The only reason I did not get discharged when others did was because it is much more difficult to get rid of a commissioned officer as per U.S. law," Coppin told WND. "An enlisted member is on a contract and can be kicked to the curb for little more than the 'needs of the service.'"

For Coppin, he was in the middle of the formal separation process from the Coast Goard when the mandate was rescinded in January 2023. "I was left in my job to continue on as normal, as if nothing happened," he told WND.

"Meanwhile, the fallout was huge, trust was lost and hundreds of Coast Guard families lost their careers and were treated horribly."

Although he is now retired after two decades of honorable service, Coppin still questions the Coast Guard's blanket denial of religious accommodation, particularly the "Religious Accommodations Appeal Generator" that allowed Coast Guard adjudicators to "select from a pre-populated list of two dozen possible religious objections or noted defects that applicants had raised in the initial dismissal decision."

According to Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda L. Fagan alleged that the nation's premiere maritime first responder "created a digital tool to assist in more efficiently denying appeals."

Knowing this, Coppin told the Gateway Pundit he began to investigate the Coast Guard's refusal process. Working for Fox News at the time, Kelly Laco shared a document with him that had "wording on how to deny religious accommodation based on where an individual was stationed." For example, the locations included an air station, a cutter or a land unit, he explained.

Upon reading the document concerning his own religious accommodation denial, he noticed that the job description did not match his actual assignment as a Chief Inspections Division of Sector Southeast Alaska. "I worked shoreside," Coppin told WND, "but it made it sound like I was attached to a cutter or small boat station."

In other words, said Coppin, "[The Coast Guard] copied and pasted the wrong paragraph into [my] denial, one that would have fit best with a member of a small boat station – the exact opposite of my actual job!"

Coppin responding by writing an affidavit and entering the error into the court record. He also approached senior leadership and a Coast Guard headquarters office to no avail. Despite explaining the "ridiculous" mishap, he was simply told by a commander at Coast Guard Headquarters (CG-133) to resubmit his religious accommodation request. For Coppin, this was a "foolish response."

In March 2022, Coppin submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S. Coast Guard Commandant (CG-6P), asking for any and all information related to the denial of his religious accommodation request and denial.

"I've asked for everything electronic, voice-related, or written," he told WND, adding that "I submitted a signed statement that I would pay their $192 estimated fees for their response as they requested."

"It's now closing in on two-and-a-half years and I still haven't received any of the information I requested," he said. To date, the only information he has received from the Coast Guard FOIA office was "a 38-page document about all these other people's FOIAs information and requests, including private entities and various law firms." For Coppin, this should be "an incredible embarrassment" to the sender.

"At a minimum, they just committed a Privacy Act violation and they don't care. They've never gotten back to me or acknowledged their blunder," he explained.

"It's not like I asked one time and I quit," Coppin noted. "I've asked multiple times for follow-ups on all this and I've been ignored." He is aware of other "Coasties" who have been subject to the same situation and have also had their FOIA requests ignored. Still others, he said, "have gotten their FOIA requests, and they've come to them so heavily redacted that you can't make any sense of them."

"These heavily redacted FOIA requests are not new for the Coast Guard," he told WND. "On June 11, 2024, at an oversight committee hearing with Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Fagan," he said, "Sen. Johnson held up an almost all-blacked-out piece of paper the USCG had submitted in relation to the Operation Fouled Anchor sexual assault scandal that the USCG is being accused of covering up." Redacted documents can be viewed at the 14-min mark on the video hearing covered by C-SPAN.

"The Coast Guard is not being transparent, and Congress needs to hold them accountable. Someone needs to ramp up their oversight efforts," Coppin asserted. "I and the other 1,200-plus Coast Guard members that were unjustly denied, just want the truth and accountability because we know 100% that they illegally used a method to deny us all."

"If the Coast Guard was serious about us being a family and looking out for each other as shipmates," he argued, "they need to start with accountability." For Coppin, "Accountability is the foundational element to bring back trust in senior leadership, and until that happens, we will have a broken service. … The American public deserves so much better."

"Our Coast Guard exists to safeguard and serve the American public, to rescue those in distress, stop illegal drug trafficking and protect our environment," he stated. "How are we to continue to do that well if we can't trust our own leadership? The COVID shot mandate debacle is just one instance of many, as to why the efforts of the Declaration of Military Accountability are so important for the integrity of our military to our nation." Readers can sign the petition there, in support of 231 service members and veterans who originally signed the declaration.

"Is there any chance Congress will hold someone accountable for the unlawful mandate and its ridiculous implementation?" Coppin asked.

Coast Guard Office of FOIA and Privacy (CG-6P) didn't respond to requests by WND for comment about the status of Coppin's request.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The legacy media has not given up on Joe Biden, despite his debate performance that left many shocked by his confusion, stumbling, slurring, staring eyes, and more.

The event triggered open discussion among many, even some Democrats, about replacing him on the 2024 Democrat ticket.

It was AP that said, of Biden "at 81: Sharp and focused but sometimes confused and forgetful…"

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida wanted to make sure people knew it was a real article, not satire: