Chinese Nationals Arrested Over Plot To Recruit American Military Personnel
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly working on behalf of a Chinese intelligence agency to recruit members of the United States military to betray America, the Justice Department announced.
The Justice Department said Tuesday that the FBI on June 27 had arrested 38-year-old Yuance Chen, a Chinese national who has legal permanent residency in Oregon, and 39-year-old Liren “Ryan” Lai, a Chinese national who entered the country on a tourist visa in April. Both were charged with operating within the United States as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the attorney general.
The criminal complaint against them says that they were working on behalf of the Ministry of State Security (MSS), Communist China’s primary foreign intelligence service. Specifically, they are accused of attempting to recruit members of the Navy to be assets for the MSS. Click here to read more.
America Has Plenty of Experience With Government-Run Stores, and It Isn't Pretty
In the recently concluded Democratic primary for New York City mayor, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani emerged victorious, beating out former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, among others, for the nomination.
One proposal that galvanized both supporters and opponents was Mamdani's plan to open five city-owned grocery stores—one in each borough. In a campaign video, he called the stores a "public option" like in health care; he said they would not pay rent or property taxes, they would "operate without a profit motive," and their "mission [would be] lower prices, not price gouging." (As of January 2025, the grocery industry's average net profit margin was under 2 percent.)
Some have come to Mamdani's defense, saying city-owned grocery stores are not as radical as they sound—in fact, some states already have them, without becoming socialist hellscapes. Some have compared this plan to states that control liquor sales. But in each case, the comparison is unflattering to Mamdani's proposal. Click here to read more.
Saginaw, Michigan city councilwoman convicted of election fraud — but will serve out term
Saginaw City Councilwoman Monique Lamar-Silvia, convicted last week of felonies including forging signatures on election petitions, is expected to continue to serve out her City Council term, at least until she’s recalled or sentenced to prison.
A jury in Saginaw County Circuit Court on Friday convicted Lamar-Silvia and former council candidate Eric Eggleston of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from the July 23, 2024 incident caught on video at City Hall.
Saginaw City Councilwoman Monique Lamar-Silvia, convicted last week of felonies including forging signatures on election petitions, is expected to continue to serve out her City Council term, at least until she’s recalled or sentenced to prison.
A jury in Saginaw County Circuit Court on Friday convicted Lamar-Silvia and former council candidate Eric Eggleston of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from the July 23, 2024 incident caught on video at City Hall.
It took the jury just two hours to reach a verdict following a two-day trial that pit the former allies against each other, with Lamar-Silvia arguing the evidence against her is circumstantial, and Eggleston alleging he had nothing to do with the forged signatures on his nominating petition for city council. Click here to read more.
Noncitizens on Food Stamps in Michigan Jumped 60% in 2023
LANSING, Mich - The state of Michigan saw a 60% increase in the number of noncitizens receiving food benefits in 2023.
That’s the most recent data released from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on citizenship status of people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The USDA states that illegal immigrants are not eligible for the supplemental food program. Michigan’s noncitizens on SNAP increased from 20,000 in 2022 to 32,000 in 2023, a 60% increase.
The number of noncitizens refugees in this state jumped from 8,000 in 2022 to 15,000 in 2023. The number of other noncitizens increased from 12,000 to 17,000.
Noncitizens include refugees who are defined as individuals admitted as refugees or granted asylum or a stay of deportation. Click here to read more.
Father defends right to build go-kart track for son on his property
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) – A Maryland father is in court defending the go-kart track he built on his property for his son.
Unhappy neighbors and environmental concerns are hindering the track’s use and permit approval.
Sang Oh, Chris Siperko’s attorney, called up two experts: Robert Vogel, a civil engineer and Jeffrey Straw, a vibration and acoustic consultant.
Oh and the experts shared why Siperko’s conditional use application for his go-kart race track should be approved, going over the standards under Howard County code, like noise and odors.
Vogel said the fumes released into the air by the track should not be an issue.
G. Macy Nelson, the lawyer representing Siperko’s neighbors, honed in on the environmental impact of the track.
“This is a paved track, over a dirt track maybe we would look at that, but this is a paved track,” he said.
He noted the existing track is on wetlands and that the track could potentially encroach on neighboring properties. Click here to read more.
