INTERNACIONAL
WATCH: Gaffe-prone Seattle socialist mayor cuts off police chief in yet another awkward interview
Already known for awkward, gaffe-prone interviews and public appearances, Seattle socialist Mayor Katie Wilson is being mocked again for another uncomfortable on-camera moment.
This time, Wilson, a Democrat and self-identified socialist, is being criticized for a strange interview about the city’s gun violence reduction plan alongside Seattle Police Assistant Chief Nicole Powell and Amy Barden, chief of Seattle’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department. At one point during the interview, Wilson interjected after a long pause when Powell was questioned by a reporter about the usefulness of new Flock-type surveillance cameras being installed in the city.
KOMO News reporter Chris Daniels had asked Powell whether the new cameras could assist with Seattle’s slate of unsolved cases. The assistant police chief hesitated, looked down and began to speak twice before Wilson interjected.
«Cameras are obviously a useful tool, right? We’ve seen in the ‘Bite of Seattle’ shooting there’s been camera footage from businesses around Seattle center, we have cameras at Seattle center, those cameras have been useful tools in solving crime, there’s no doubt about that,» said Wilson.
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Visibly uncomfortable after Wilson interjected, the assistant police chief chuckled, motioned to the mayor and repeatedly looked off camera.
The reporter continued pressing them, saying, «What’s going to be the metric of success?»
Powell looked to Wilson, whose voice cracked slightly as she answered, «Ultimately, we want to see zero homicides, we want to see fewer homicides, and we want to see fewer guns shot.» While Wilson spoke, Powell nodded along and looked to the side off camera again.
The reporter persisted, asking, «Would either of you like to answer that question?» as he motioned to Powell and Barden.
Barden jumped in quickly, steering the conversation away from Flock cameras.
«From my side, in addition to shots fired and homicides, you want to look at referrals in the services and whether or not somebody is making meaningful improvement in their life,» said Barden.
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After Barden finished speaking, the reporter turned the floor over to the assistant police chief, who laughed and finally answered, «Just to piggyback, taking a holistic approach, this strategy works.»
«It is proven in other cities like this, and it takes all of us,» Powell added, as she looked back at Wilson and Barden.
This comes as debate continues over the expansion of surveillance cameras in Seattle and other cities across the country. During her campaign last year, Wilson argued against expanding surveillance cameras in the city but has taken a different tone since becoming mayor.
Last September, Wilson remarked that «turning on more cameras won’t magically make our neighborhoods safer. But it will certainly make our neighbors more vulnerable,» reported The Urbanist.
However, after becoming mayor, Wilson announced that she would pause expansion of Seattle’s surveillance-camera system pending a privacy and data-governance audit, while allowing the existing cameras to remain in operation. She said the city would use the audit’s findings to determine whether and how to proceed with further expansion.
During the KOMO News interview this week, Wilson was pressed on when she would set a date for a decision. She answered, «I’m going to sound like a broken record on this, but we’ve been conducting this audit of our data security and storage and privacy practices, we’re expecting the results of that audit around the end of this month and so, at the end of this month, we’ll be making that information public, and then I’ll be making a decision about that expansion.»
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The awkward on-camera moment was quickly called out by many online.
Popular conservative account «End Wokeness» called it an «incredible moment.»
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«Seattle Assistant Police Chief Nicole Powell gets asked if turning back on Seattle CCTV cameras would help[,] she looks nervously at Mayor KatieWilson (who turned off the CCTV) Look at the face she gives the camera,» the account wrote.
Some voiced their frustration, such as political advocacy group Future 42, which posted, «Daniels asks the SPD Chief sitting beside the mayor if the crime cameras ‘could be a tool to help in any of these unsolved cases.’ The Chief’s facial expression and silence say it all, which is then followed by Katie Wilson interjecting that cameras are in fact a ‘useful tool’, even though she personally made the decision to turn them off,» the group wrote, adding, «What else can we say, except Katie Wilson still has no idea what she is doing as Mayor of Seattle?»
blue city crime, woke, socialism, seattle, controversies state and local, privacy
El exdirector de la Dirección General de Ingresos (DGI), Publio De Gracia, permanecerá detenido provisionalmente mientras avanzan las investigaciones por presunto enriquecimiento injustificado y blanqueo de capitales. El Tribunal Superior de Apelaciones del Primer Distrito Judicial confirmó la medida cautelar, al considerar que persisten riesgos procesales y una posible afectación de las pruebas.
La decisión fue adoptada por los magistrados Andrés Reyes, presidente del tribunal; Diego Fernández y Mauricio Marín. Durante la audiencia, los jueces concluyeron que la detención continúa siendo necesaria y proporcional en esta etapa del proceso, tras revisar los argumentos presentados por la Fiscalía Anticorrupción y la defensa particular del exfuncionario.
El fiscal anticorrupción Eduardo Rodríguez explicó que el tribunal tomó en cuenta el informe de auditoría elaborado por la Contraloría General de la República y los elementos reunidos por el Ministerio Público. Según indicó, ambos componentes revelan preliminarmente la posible existencia de hechos relacionados con los dos delitos imputados.
“El tribunal estimó que hay una vinculación comprometida, un hecho delictivo acreditado, enriquecimiento injustificado y blanqueo de capitales”, manifestó Rodríguez al explicar el resultado.
Añadió que los riesgos procesales continúan latentes y requieren ser asegurados, por lo que la privación de libertad fue considerada la medida más idónea en este momento.
La investigación comenzó en mayo de 2026, después de que una auditoría detectara un incremento patrimonial de $724,682.39 cuya procedencia legítima no habría sido acreditada.
La cifra forma parte de la tesis del Ministerio Público, pero todavía deberá ser debatida y demostrada dentro del proceso, pues De Gracia mantiene la presunción de inocencia.
Las autoridades sostienen que el exfuncionario habría efectuado transferencias de dinero hacia cuentas vinculadas con su esposa y otra mujer, además de cancelar préstamos hipotecarios y tarjetas de crédito mediante pagos en efectivo.
Para la Fiscalía, estas operaciones dificultaron establecer la trazabilidad bancaria y podrían estar relacionadas con la presunta conversión o movilización de fondos sin justificar.
De Gracia fue aprehendido el 10 de agosto durante la Operación Cuestor, desarrollada en diferentes sectores de Panamá y Panamá Oeste. En las diligencias participaron unidades de investigación e inteligencia policial, mientras las autoridades realizaron acciones sobre tres inmuebles, seis vehículos de alta gama y cuentas bancarias presuntamente vinculadas con el expediente.
Un juez de garantías legalizó posteriormente la aprehensión e imputó a De Gracia como presunto autor de enriquecimiento injustificado agravado y blanqueo de capitales. La detención provisional fue ordenada ante la gravedad de los hechos investigados, el eventual riesgo de fuga y la posibilidad de destrucción o alteración de elementos probatorios.
La esposa del exdirector, Elaine Salterio González, también fue imputada por presunto blanqueo de capitales, pero el juez rechazó mantenerla bajo detención provisional. En su lugar, deberá reportarse dos veces por semana, tiene prohibido salir del país y debe mantener su domicilio, además de cumplir las restantes restricciones impuestas judicialmente.
Una tercera persona vinculada formalmente al expediente es Ninoshka Madeleine Ríos Samaniego, exfuncionaria de la DGI, quien habría mantenido una relación con De Gracia. La mujer fue imputada por presunto blanqueo de capitales y recibió la medida cautelar de arresto domiciliario, mientras las autoridades continúan analizando sus movimientos financieros y bienes.
La defensa de De Gracia, quien dirigió la DGI durante el gobierno de Laurentino Cortizo (2019-2024), ha rechazado los señalamientos y cuestionó la forma en que la Fiscalía calculó el supuesto incremento patrimonial.
Entre sus argumentos sostuvo que las autoridades incluyeron un apartamento valorado en $60,000 que ya figura en otro proceso, situación que, según sus abogados, podría implicar una valoración repetida del mismo bien.
Durante la audiencia más reciente, la defensa estuvo representada por el abogado Javier Quintero, mientras Rodríguez compareció por el Ministerio Público. Después de conocerse la resolución, el fiscal adelantó que la investigación no ha concluido y continúan practicándose nuevas diligencias, algunas relacionadas con información localizada después de las primeras actuaciones judiciales.
“El Ministerio Público sigue haciendo actos de investigación y los hechos se están fortaleciendo”, afirmó Rodríguez. El funcionario anticipó que han surgido otros hallazgos que serán sustentados ante los tribunales, aunque no ofreció detalles sobre su naturaleza ni precisó si podrían derivar en nuevas imputaciones, aprehensiones o medidas sobre otros bienes y cuentas.
Europe
INTERNACIONAL
Unearthed clip exposes what ‘DEI Queen’ in razor-thin House race thought of ‘Back the Blue’ law
FIRST ON FOX: Christina Bohannan, an Iowa state legislator and the Democratic nominee in one of the country’s most competitive districts, once opposed an Iowa Back the Blue law passed in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd riots, calling it an «overreaction.»
«I think that we’re seeing a backlash and, frankly, an exaggerated backlash, an overreaction to all of that,» Bohannan said at a 2021 virtual legislative forum on social justice issues.
«That’s what’s happening. A lot of this is happening because they just don’t have a lot of minorities in their districts. They don’t interact with people on any kind of regular basis, and, so, they don’t see these issues.»
To some onlooking critics, her resurfaced comments are further proof of what they’ve characterized as her soft-on-crime stances, positions they believe are at odds with the electorate of the Hawkeye State as she wages her third campaign to unseat Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa.
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«Christina Bohannan achieved the ultra rare final boss level of woke where police are bad, criminals are good and anyone who disagrees is racist,» Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement to Digital.
«There is a reason why this DEI queen has been rejected twice by voters. She is straight up nuts, and her soft-on-crime agenda would endanger all Iowans.»
Bohannan launched her career in education, teaching at the University of Iowa College of Law, where she remained until 2020, when she won a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives, unseating a 20-year Democratic incumbent.
Bohannan has run for Congress before.
In 2022, she lost to Miller-Meeks in a 53.4% to 46.6% contest. She tried again in 2024 and got closer, losing by a fraction of a percent, 50.0% to 49.8%, and by just 799 votes.
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In all three races, Republicans have attacked her for her statements as an academic and her voting record as a state legislator, painting her as a soft-on-crime candidate.
In the resurfaced clip, Bohannan was referring to Senate File 342, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2021. Among other provisions, the bill raised penalties for rioting, making it a class D felony punishable by five years behind bars, and implemented more stringent punishments for unlawful assembly.
The law came amid a wave of anti-police sentiment that swept the country after George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis, died after Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck area during a restraint. The incident sparked widespread debate about law enforcement safety and profiling. Where states like Minnesota and Washington passed restrictions on police and other law enforcement officers, Iowa lawmakers rallied to their support.
Iowa Rep. Jarad Klein, a Republican and the bill’s sponsor, framed the legislation as a clear way to support embattled public servants in a floor speech.
«Let me be clear: If you support law enforcement, truly support law enforcement, you will be voting ‘yes’ tonight. If you stand up and say you support law enforcement, your words will become meaningless with a ‘no’ vote. Actions speak louder than words,» Klein said.
Gov. Reynolds echoed that thinking at her signing.
«I made it clear in my Condition of the State Address that Iowa’s law enforcement will always have my respect, and I will always have their back. Today’s bill embodies that commitment in a historic way. The public peace is too important, and the safety of our officers too precious to tolerate destructive behavior,» Reynolds said in a press release.
For her part, Bohannan said she opposed the legislation, arguing it went too far.
«The bill that’s coming over to the House from the Senate about the protestors actually would make it OK for a person to drive negligently or grossly negligently and hit a protester, and there would be immunity for that. It’s sick. These are kids, mostly,» she said.
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The final version of the bill does have a provision that protects drivers from civil liability. But it only applies to drivers «exercising due care» and who cause injury to someone engaging in disorderly conduct by blocking traffic on a public street or highway.
Bohannan’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Digital on her statements from 2021 or whether she stood by her views of the Back the Blue bill.
politics, blue city crime, house of representatives, iowa
INTERNACIONAL
Finnish foreign ministry official details how Russia’s ‘hybrid warfare’ reshaped border security
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Russian tactics designed to disrupt European nations forced neighboring Finland to fundamentally rethink its border security, culminating in the recent completion of a new border fence along its eastern frontier.
Finland constructed roughly 124 miles of fencing along its border with Russia — a secondary security measure intended to stem the flow of unauthorized Russian migrants, Petri Hakkarainen, political director for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital.
«We have in the past witnessed Russia’s attempts… to instrumentalize migrants at the Finnish border,» Hakkarainen said. «Basically pushing migrants towards our borders, forcing us then to take them on.»
A sudden influx forces the Finnish government to process large volumes of asylum claims, which could destabilize society if carried out on a massive scale, he explained.
In response, Finland closed its entire land border with Russia in 2023. Moscow swiftly filed a formal complaint, condemning the closure as «Russophobic.»
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Security cameras overlook the Niirala Border Crossing Station along Finland’s eastern border with Russia in November 2023 after Finland closed the checkpoint amid heightened border security concerns. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
The Kremlin expressed «deep regret» over the move, claiming it replaced decades of «pragmatic, mutually respectful relations» with an anti-Russian political stance.
Finland shares an 833-mile border with Russia — the longest of any European Union or NATO member state. The completed border fence supplements the border closures.
As Russia remains locked in a war of attrition in Ukraine, Western officials have accused Moscow of launching widespread destabilization campaigns, ranging from disinformation to state-sponsored economic coercion intended to erode public trust across Europe.
FINLAND’S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS UKRAINE ‘IS NOW HOLDING THE CARDS’ AS RUSSIA SIGNALS TALKS
Signs near the Niirala Border Crossing Station on Finland’s eastern border with Russia in November 2023 following the closure of the checkpoint. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
«We think it’s important to listen to those of us who live next door to Russia,» Hakkarainen said. «Listen to our analysis of the situation: we consider Russia to be a long-term threat to transatlantic security — not only to Ukraine, not only to Europeans, but to transatlantic security as a whole.»
Finland launched the border fence initiative after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a landmark conflict that prompted the historically neutral Nordic nation to join NATO in April 2023.
Moscow has long viewed NATO’s eastward expansion as a direct security threat, using it to justify reinforcing its western defenses.
When Finland officially joined the alliance, Helsinki saw an immediate reaction: over 1,300 migrants without visa arrived at its eastern border.
FINLAND’S PARLIAMENT VOTES TO LIFT DECADES-OLD BAN ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN HISTORIC NATO DEFENSE SHIFT
The Niirala border crossing point is seen along Finland’s eastern border with Russia in November 2023 after the Finnish government announced the closure of several border crossings amid concerns over migrant crossings. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
Finland accused Moscow of weaponizing migration as an act of «hybrid warfare,» a charge the Kremlin denied.
Closing the border checkpoints has proven «very effective,» Hakkarainen noted. Beyond physical barriers, Finnish lawmakers passed the Border Security Act.
The temporary law allows border authorities to restrict asylum applications and turn back migrants if a foreign actor attempts to destabilize the country by funneling people across the border.
NATO JETS SHOOT DOWN DRONE IN LITHUANIAN AIRSPACE AS RUSSIA GROWS ‘INCREASINGLY RECKLESS,’ RUTTE SAYS
Signs mark the Niirala Border Crossing Point on Finland’s eastern border with Russia in November 2023 following the Finnish government’s closure of the crossing. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
While the law sparked some initial debate over potential human rights and international law violations, Hakkarainen emphasized that national defense took priority.
«We take these concerns very seriously,» he said. «But national security and our own sovereignty… weighed more heavily in this conversation, though there is broad majority support for the act.»
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«We take our security and preparedness very seriously,» Hakkarainen added.
«I would say not despite that, but because of that, we are able to lead very normal lives here — regardless of the neighbor we have.»
the european union, russia, nato, conflicts, ukraine, border wall, world
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