INTERNACIONAL
Justice Kavanaugh’s attempted assassin sentenced to 8 years in prison
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A federal judge sentenced Nicholas Roske, who now goes by Sophie, to eight years in prison on Friday for attempting to murder Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the weeks leading up to the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision.
The sentence is far lower than what the Department of Justice had sought. Prosecutors said Roske should face at least 30 years, while Roske’s defense team had asked for eight.
Judge Deborah Boardman said during the sentencing hearing that while Roske’s actions were «reprehensible,» the judge also considered a string of mitigating factors, including that Roske «spontaneously confessed to and cooperated with police.»
FEDERAL JUDGE TO SENTENCE JUSTICE KAVANAUGH’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN
«I believe Ms. Roske understands that what she did was terribly wrong. I find her remorse sincere,» Boardman said.
DOJ prosecutor Coreen Mao said the sentence «must send the very strong, very clear message that the ends never justify violent means.»
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh attends a breakfast in Washington, D.C., March 12, 2025. (Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)
Kavanaugh also received a death threat in April from someone who invoked Roske’s name and referenced shooting the justice in the head, Mao said, stressing a need to deter such behavior. That revelation comes as judges say they have faced a rise in threats from people across the political spectrum in recent years.
During the hearing, Boardman referred to Roske as a transgender woman, and Roske’s attorneys told the court recently that while their client’s legal name is Nicholas, Roske goes by the name Sophie and uses female pronouns.
Boardman, a Biden appointee, said she factored into the sentence her concern about Trump’s executive order requiring transgender inmates to be detained in prisons that correspond to their sex at birth.
Roske pleaded guilty in April to one charge of attempting to murder a Supreme Court justice, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
On June 8, 2022, Roske flew from California to Virginia and took a taxi to Kavanaugh’s address, armed with a pistol, knife, lock picking set, duct tape, hammer, crowbar and tactical gear.
INDIANA WOMAN FACES FEDERAL CHARGES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS TO DISEMBOWEL TRUMP
The facade of the Supreme Court (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
In the weeks leading up to the incident, the defendant searched extensively online for information about several justices, mass shooters, ways to harm people and graphic images of people with knife wounds. One search read, «Does twisting or dragging a knife cause more damage.»
Roske’s internet history also signaled a desire to affect the outcome of the then-looming Dobbs decision, in which the Supreme Court was expected to overturn the federal right to abortion.
The assassination attempt came at a time when activists were protesting in front of conservative justices’ homes, leading the DOJ to deploy U.S. marshals to their houses to provide around-the-clock security.
Roske acknowledged noticing marshals at Kavanaugh’s house, which prosecutors said prompted Roske to change course and walk down the street before self-reporting to 911.
Roske’s «goal explicitly was both to alter the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case, a consequential case,» and «to change the composition of the court for decades to come,» Mao argued to the judge.
FEDERAL JUDGE RELEASES WOMAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING TO KILL TRUMP
Crowds outside the court reacting to the Dobbs ruling in June 2022. (Joshua Comins/Fox News)
Roske’s attorneys played part of the 911 call for the courtroom, in which Roske tells a dispatcher about having «suicidal and homicidal thoughts.» The lawyers emphasized that Roske has long been severely depressed and has been seeking treatment.
Appearing in a yellow jumpsuit in the courtroom, Roske apologized for terrorizing Kavanaugh and his family and for «contributing to the fear judges experience as a result of doing their jobs.»
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«I have been portrayed as a monster, and this tragic mistake I made will follow me for the rest of my life,» Roske said.
The judge also sentenced Roske to a lifetime of supervised release. The DOJ is able to appeal the sentence because it is well under the sentencing guidelines.
supreme court,judiciary,assassinations murders,crime world
INTERNACIONAL
Conservatives torch media after Mamdani avoids Musk-level backlash over ‘identical’ on-stage gesture
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Conservatives are calling out what they say is a media double standard after newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen extending his arm during his inauguration Thursday — a gesture they argue mirrors a motion Elon Musk made a year ago that ignited widespread headlines accusing the tech billionaire of delivering a «Nazi salute.»
«Not a single one of these legacy media outlets reported on Mamdani’s identical hand gesture which they called @elonmusk a nazi for Do you see what’s happening?» popular conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted Friday, accompanied by screenshots of media outlets stretching from the Guardian to Vox reported on accusations that Musk delivered a «Nazi-style salute» to Trump supporters Jan. 20.
Liberals and critics frequently attacked Trump while he was on the campaign trail by calling him a Hitler-esque fascist, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, who compared Trump to the German dictator during a town hall in the final stretch of the 2024 election cycle. Musk attended Trump’s inaugural parade in 2025, where he spoke to supporters and was accused of giving a Hitler-style salute to the crowds — a narrative that was promoted by Democrats such as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Musk and Republicans lambasted and mocked the accusations when they cropped up, including the tech billionaire floating a potential defamation lawsuit against Walz for promoting the claim.
CRITICS SAY MAMDANI’S VOW TO SWAP ‘RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM’ WITH ‘WARMTH OF COLLECTIVISM’ HAS SINISTER UNDERTONE
Fast-forward nearly a year, conservatives are questioning why Mamdani has not faced similar accusations after he was seen extending his arm in a gesture similar to Musk’s.
«Zohran Mamdani did the same exact gesture today at his swearing in that the left called a ‘Nazi salute’ when @elonmusk did it,» former liberal and WalkAway — a movement encouraging people to leave the Democratic Party — founder Brandon Straka posted to X.
«They lie,» Musk posted to X Friday in response to Libs of TikTok’s message showing a swath of headlines from earlier in 2025 reporting that the tech billionaire allegedly gave a Nazi salute.
«HOLY CRAP! Zohran Mamdani just did the EXACT SAME gesture as Elon Musk When Elon does it, it’s a ‘Nazi salute.’ When communist Zohran does it, the media is silent. The media is the enemy of the people,» conservative commentator Eric Daugherty posted.
«Did Mamdani do a nazi salute?!?! Literally shaking rn I’m sure CNN and MSNBC will be all over this,» Libs of TikTok posted in another message mocking Democrats over their January comments targeting Musk.
BERNIE SANDERS DITCHES ICONIC MITTENS LOOK WHILE SWEARING IN SOCIALIST ZOHRAN MAMDANI AS NYC MAYOR
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s 112 mayor on Jan. 1, 2026. (Fox News)
«When Elon signals his heart goes out to the crowd he’s a ‘NAZI’. When Mamdani does it, its perfectly fine… The left tried to use that signal from Elon to gaslight people into people into thinking he is a Nazi because they saw it as politically useful.. They are not ideologically consistent and their hypocrisy knows no bounds. They do NOT care about any of that. They just care about political power and feeling virtuous,» another posted.
«Zohran Mamdani can make this gesture and everyone loves him for it, but when Elon Musk does it? The leftist media wasted no time calling him a Nazi,» the Media Research Center posted to X.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, Jan.20, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP/ Getty Images)
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, took office Thursday, with ceremonies that included a public swearing-in outside City Hall and an earlier private oath at the decommissioned City Hall subway station. Mamdani was seen lifting his hand from his heart to the crowds of supporters at the end of his speech during the public ceremony.
«I was elected as a Democratic socialist, and I will govern as a Democratic socialist,» he said.
FLASHBACK: INSIDE THE POLITICAL MOVEMENT THAT PUT A SOCIALIST IN CHARGE OF NEW YORK CITY
«Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously,» Mamdani said, acknowledging that his agenda may not always succeed but insisting it would be bold. «To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.»
Democrat Mayor Zohran Mamdani becomes the first Muslim mayor of New York City, with the inauguration ceremony at City Hall, Manhattan, New York City, Jan. 1, 2026. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office regarding conservatives’ comments over the salute considering previous coverage of Musk, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Musk served as the Trump administration’s public leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Trump established at the start of his second administration to weed out fraud, government overspending and mismanagement from the federal government.
Musk was a common fixture of the administration — serving as a special government employee — until May, when Musk criticized Trump’s «big, beautiful bill» for raising the debt ceiling, fracturing the relationship. Musk and Trump have since been spotted at public events together, including chatting with one another.
MEDIA OUTLETS ACCUSE ELON MUSK OF GIVING ‘FASCIST SALUTE’ AT TRUMP INAUGURATION RALLY
Musk slammed comparisons to Nazis toward the end of his DOGE tenure, pointing to it as another example of the long-running attacks against Trump and his supporters.
«Well, I mean, look, it’s a relentless propaganda campaign, which obviously President Trump has experienced for a very long time, 20 years, maybe longer,» Musk said on Fox News’ «My View with Lara Trump» in May. «And politics is a blood sport, so they’re going to come up with whatever attacks they can to destroy the public perception of someone.»
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«Now, obviously, I’ve not harmed anyone in my life, so it’s an outrageous thing to claim that I’m a Nazi,» he added.
zohran mamdani,elon musk,politics,socialism
INTERNACIONAL
Protests spread across Iran as regime threatens US forces as ‘legitimate targets’ after Trump warning
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As nationwide protests continued to spread across Iran on Friday, the regime’s hardline Parliament speaker warned the U.S. that American forces and bases in the region would be considered «legitimate targets» if Washington intervenes in the country’s ongoing political unrest.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf made the comments after President Donald Trump said earlier Friday that the U.S. would take action if Iran uses force against demonstrators. It comes as protests entered a sixth day and appear to be spreading, with Iranian opposition groups claiming at least eight deaths.
«The disrespectful President of America should also know that with this official admission, all American centers and forces across the entire region will be legitimate targets for us in response to any potential adventurism,» Qalibaf wrote in Persian on X.
«Iranians have always been united and determined to act in the face of an aggressor enemy,» he added.
IRANIAN PROTESTERS CLASH WITH SECURITY FORCES AS TEAR GAS FILLS TEHRAN STREETS AMID NATIONWIDE UNREST
A protester faces Iranian security forces during clashes amid nationwide unrest, according to images released by the Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) (NCRI )
Qalibaf’s threat emerges as the United States maintains a substantial military presence in the region.
Roughly 40,000 active-duty U.S. troops and War Department civilians are deployed across the Middle East, according to Military Times, citing Pentagon officials. Forces are stationed in countries including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Syria, according to Reuters.
Trump said earlier Friday that the United States is «locked and loaded and ready to go» if Iranian authorities violently suppress demonstrators.
«If Iran shoots and ‘violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,’» Trump wrote on Truth Social.
US AIRSTRIKE ON NUCLEAR FACILITIES FOLLOWS YEARS OF IRANIAN PLOTS ON AMERICAN SOIL
The Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claimed Friday that protests have spread to at least 44 cities across 19 provinces, with at least eight people killed in clashes with security forces over the past two days. The group said the youngest victim was 15 years old. The claims could not be independently verified.
According to the NCRI, demonstrations and street fighting intensified overnight, with protesters blocking roads, throwing stones and setting fire to police vehicles in multiple cities, including Marvdasht, Semirom, Darreh-Shahr, Ramhormoz and Azna.
The group also claimed demonstrators burned a statue of slain Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Lali, in Iran’s Khuzestan province.
Funerals of those killed in the uprising turned into angry demonstrations against the clerical dictatorship, NCRI reported.
Protesters hold signs during a demonstration in Iran amid ongoing unrest, according to images released by the Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran. (NCRI )
In Zahedan, in Iran’s southeast near the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, demonstrators rallied after Friday prayers, chanting slogans including «Death to the dictator» and «Death to Khamenei.»
The unrest marks Iran’s most significant protests since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations. Iranian officials say the current unrest has not reached the same scale or intensity.
EXILED PRINCE WARNS IRANIAN MILITARY OF ‘FINAL CHANCE’ TO STAND UP TO THE REGIME
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf speaks during a public event in Iran in 2024 (Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)
In recent demonstrations, some of the most severe violence has been reported in western Iran, where videos circulating online appear to show fires burning in streets and the sound of gunfire during nighttime protests.
In a message to the protesters, the President-elect of the NCRI, Maryam Rajavi, said that the protesters have «struck fear into a weakened enemy.»
«Scenes of your courage, valor, and steadfast resistance captivate the conscience of the world,» Rajavi said. «Therefore, from here, I say to the clerics, the Revolutionary Guards, the Basij forces, and their intelligence agents: whatever measures you take, you will not be able to silence a people who have resolved to overthrow the clerical regime.»
«You may kill, you may wound, you may arrest and imprison, but you will not escape the relentless wrath of this nation. And let this stand as an explicit warning to all those who order and carry out these crimes and killings: the courts of a free Iran are awaiting you.»
Meanwhile, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of Iran’s former shah, praised Trump’s «decisive leadership» and tough stance against Iran’s ruling clerics.
Pahlavi said Iranians are risking their lives to end 46 years of rule by the Islamic Republic.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«[The people] have entrusted me with a message along with a great responsibility: to strive for the revival of the relationship that Iran once had with America; a relationship that brought peace and prosperity to the Middle East,» Pahlavi wrote on X.
«I have a clear plan for a stable transition in Iran and enjoy the support of my people to achieve it. With your leadership in the free world, we can leave behind a lasting legacy of enduring peace.»
Iranian security forces are seen near a crowd during demonstrations amid ongoing unrest, according to images released by the Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). (NCRI )
Fox News’ Bradford Betz, Greg Norman, Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
world,iran,middle east,donald trump,world politics,defense
James Luckey-Lange, de Staten Island, Nueva York, fue dado por desaparecido en Venezuela por su familia a principios de diciembre. Foto Eva Aridjis Fuentes.Casos
DNU 941: el Gobierno dice que trabaja en un protocolo que regule las aprehensiones hechas por agentes de inteligencia
Sonríe Scaloni: un campeón del mundo vuelve al ruedo antes de la Finalissima
La venganza de Facundo Peres contra Zaira Nara y comenzó un romance con una famosa modelo: La íntima foto junto a Chechu Bonelli que desató un escándalo
Reforma laboral: salario, indemnización, jornada de 12 horas y más cambios clave para el trabajador
El Gobierno ultima los detalles del decreto para la creación de la Agencia de Seguridad Migratoria
Adiós a la bikini con flores: el modelo que es tendencia en el verano 2026
Jorge Lanata, a un año de su muerte: el periodista más original, influyente y popular de su generación
Axel Kicillof insistirá con la reelección indefinida de intendentes, pero evita el debate de la Boleta Única
Documento clave: la empresa de Faroni pactó con la AFA quedarse con el 30% de sus ingresos comerciales en el exterior
Sueldo empleada doméstica: cuáles son los nuevos montos por hora y mes para enero 2026
ECONOMIA3 días agoSueldo empleada doméstica: cuáles son los nuevos montos por hora y mes para enero 2026
- POLITICA2 días ago
El mensaje de Año Nuevo de Javier Milei: “Hemos cumplido con todas nuestras promesas de campaña”
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
El Gobierno avanza en un REPO por u$s2.000 millones para enfrentar los vencimientos de deuda
