Trump asks Supreme Court to block sentencing in hush money case : NPR

January 8, 2025

President-elect Donald Trump speaks to members of the media during a press conference at the Mar-a-Lago Club on Jan. 7 in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 20.

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President-elect Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his Jan. 10 sentencing in the New York hush-money case.

The move comes after a New York appeals court rejected a similar appeal Tuesday.

President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced Jan. 10 in the New York case.

Following last summer’s Supreme Court ruling that president enjoy broad immunity from prosecution, Trump has argued that as president-elect he is immune from all prosecution and sentencing.

“This court should enter an immediate stay of further proceedings in the New York trial court to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government,” Trump’s lawyers argued in their application to the Supreme Court. The court ordered prosecutors to respond by Thursday morning. Trump’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday, just 10 days before his inauguration.

Special Counsel Jack Smith arrives to give remarks on an indictment against Trump in 2023 in Washington, D.C.

The hush-money case is the only one of Trump’s multiple criminal cases to go to trial.

A state jury convicted Trump for 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump’s legal team had sought to delay or scrap the entire case, arguing the president-elect was immune from prosecution.

New York Judge Juan Merchan had previously delayed the sentencing multiple times but recently said Trump’s lawyers failed to prove the president-elect was immune from the charges.

BROOKE GOLDSTEIN: Here’s how Trump can take on surging antisemitism in America

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January 8, 2025

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The magnitude of radicalization and Jew-hatred in America cannot be understated. It has become systematized in our education from kindergarten to college. It’s become normalized in our media and daily lives.

Progressive politicians and academics are accelerating the entrenchment of an anti-American agenda to destroy our democratic values and replace them with failed Marxist-Islamist ideologies. “Death to America” and “Death to the Jews” have been chanted steadily on our streets and campuses by people carrying Hamas and ISIS flags.

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The so-called Intifada has been globalized and its effects are being felt on the streets of New Orleans and on our campuses. The Trump Administration has promised it will use the tools – and people – necessary to coordinate a whole-of-the-government approach to this crisis.

In prior administrations, the government office tasked with combating Jew-hatred has been the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, an ambassadorial role whose main responsibilities are tracking antisemitism globally and representing the United States in addressing the subject internationally. However, the special envoy will not be regarded as a moral authority if we are unable to effectively manage extremism within our borders.

During the hearing on antisemitism, Magill, Gay, and Kornbluth all gave “evasive” answers when asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate their institution’s policies on bullying and harassment. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Given the magnitude of the problem, and the fact that domestic antisemitism is inherently linked to systemic radicalization, either the special envoy role needs to be expanded to include tackling domestic Jew-hatred and its causes, or the administration would benefit from an additional position – an “Antisemitism Czar” to coordinate the government’s response at home.

Modern antisemitism in America stems from a broader anti-American ideology often labeled as “progressive,” which has adopted elements of Marxism, embraced radical Islam and promotes narratives of “oppression” to justify violent actions. Such radicalization has taken root in our media, academia, and among certain individuals in government. It’s being expressed in Diversity Equity and Inclusion doctrine, critical race theory, efforts to defund the police, and occupy campuses.

During the Biden-Harris administration, we witnessed a troubling surge in domestic ideologies that justify the murder of insurance executives in New York, pedestrians in New Orleans, and endorse the Hamas kidnapping of American hostages as “resistance by any means.”

President-elect Donald Trump has decried rising antisemitism in the U.S. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images)

President-elect Trump has demonstrated unwavering moral clarity in addressing Jew-hatred as part of the larger, more systemic problem that it is, making the protection of Jewish Americans’ civil rights a key part of his vision to restore democracy and make America great again.

An “expanded” special envoy or an antisemitism czar would coordinate the federal law enforcement response to Jew-hatred and its underlying causes, ensure the National Guard is employed when needed, root out malign foreign influence and dark money, help prosecute unregistered foreign agents, coordinate investigations into shadowy entities parroting terrorist propaganda, and oversee Office of Civil Rights investigations to ensure Jew-hatred is remedied.

After Oct. 7, 2023, people are waking up to the threat that anti-Jewish hatred poses not just to Jews and Israel, but to the stability of the West.

Many of the tools used by previous administrations to combat anti-Black extremism can also effectively address Jew-hatred: assuring that the FBI opens field offices where they’re most needed, directing resources to ensure federal laws are enforced, and closing loopholes in the law that have allowed Jew-haters and other bigots to escape legal consequences for their actions.

Of utmost importance is making the connection between international lawfare and domestic radicalization, particularly regarding the efforts to pervert international law and delegitimize Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism. These actions serve as justifications for domestic radicalization and the motivating factors behind acts of homegrown antisemitism.

Sen. Bernie Sanders would not say if he would hold HELP committee hearings on campus antisemitism. (Getty Images)

After Oct. 7, 2023, people are waking up to the threat that anti-Jewish hatred poses not just to Jews and Israel, but to the stability of the West. The call for the genocide of Jews is part of the larger call for the destruction of Western democracy, and I have long argued that combating Jew-hatred must be an instrumental part of addressing the issues affecting all minority communities and upholding the civil rights of all Americans.

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President-elect Trump has outlined several critically important measures to fight Jew-hatred, including withholding accreditation and federal financial support from universities that continue permitting antisemitism, revoking the visas of foreign students involved in pro-Hamas activities, and banning refugee resettlement from terrorist hotspots like Gaza.

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Americans voted for Trump believing he can accomplish this, and I have every reason to believe that he can. He understands, as I do, that antisemitism isn’t just an attack on the Jewish people. It’s an attack on all of us. Expanding the role of Special Envoy, or appointing an antisemitism czar, would be monumental.

Whichever option President-elect Trump chooses, treating Jew-hatred as a domestic civil rights issue with national security implications will be essential to an effective approach.

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Why Does Trump Want the Panama Canal? Here’s What to Know

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January 8, 2025

President-elect Donald J. Trump on Tuesday refused to rule out using military force to retake the Panama Canal, which was returned by the U.S. to that country’s control decades ago.

Last month, Mr. Trump falsely accused Panama of allowing Chinese soldiers to control the vital shipping route, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and of overcharging American ships.

He has also claimed Panama charges U.S. vessels “exorbitant prices,” and warned that if they are not reduced after he takes office next month, he will demand that the United States be granted control of the canal “in full, quickly and without question.”

While it is unclear what prompted Mr. Trump’s recent obsession with the Panama Canal, some Republicans have long objected to a decades-old treaty that turned the shipping lane over to Panamanian control. When Ronald Reagan ran for president, he said the people of the United States were the canal’s “rightful owners” and brought audiences to their feet with the line: “We bought it; we paid for it; we built it.”

Who owns the Panama Canal?

After a failed attempt by the French to construct a canal, it was ultimately built by the United States between 1904 and 1914. And the U.S. government managed the canal for several decades.

The U.S. also played a role in the creation of the state of Panama. At the beginning of the 20th century, the isthmus of Panama was part of Colombia. When Colombia rejected a proposed canal treaty, the U.S. government encouraged a rebellion. Colombia’s northern provinces eagerly seceded, forming the Republic of Panama. The United States Navy then kept Colombian troops from suppressing the rebellion.

U.S. control of the canal created significant tensions with Panama. In 1964, anti-American riots broke out in the U.S.-controlled canal zone.

The riots led to the renegotiation of the Panama Canal treaties. In 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and the Panamanian leader Omar Efraín Torrijos signed the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. The agreements guaranteed the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal. After a period of joint custody, the treaties called for the United States to relinquish control over the canal by the year 2000.

Panama took full control in 1999, and has since operated the canal through the Panama Canal Authority.

Mr. Carter, who died on Dec. 29, always considered the treaties to be signature achievements, and they figured prominently in his obituary.

“Through a bizarre accident of timing, we now have one president fantasizing about taking back the canal at just the time the world recognizes the canal transfer as an important part of a late president’s legacy,” said James Fallows, who was Mr. Carter’s speechwriter at the time and accompanied the president on that 1978 trip to Panama.

How has Panama responded?

In a statement of rebuke to Mr. Trump last month, President José Raúl Mulino of Panama wrote “every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to PANAMA.”

Mr. Mulino also said U.S. vessels are not being overcharged. Rates being charged to ships and naval vessels, he insisted, are “not on a whim.”

Panamanian officials said all countries are subject to the same fees, though they would differ based on ship size. They are established in public meetings by the Panama Canal Authority, and take into account market conditions, international competition, operating and maintenance costs, Mr. Mulino said.

Rates have gone up recently, however. That’s because starting in 2023, Panama experienced severe drought, driven by a combination of El Niño and climate change, which Mr. Trump has called a hoax. With water levels at Gatun Lake, the principal hydrological reserve for the canal, at historically low levels, authorities reduced shipping through the canal to conserve the lake’s fresh water.

A Trump spokeswoman said that because the United States is the biggest user of the canal, the increase in fees hits its ships the most.

What is China’s role in the Panama Canal?

Chinese soldiers are not, as Mr. Trump has claimed, “operating” the Panama Canal.

“There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal, for the love of God,” Mr. Mulino said in a speech Thursday. “The world is free to visit the canal.”

A Hong Kong-based firm, CK Hutchison Holdings, does manage two ports at the canal’s entrances. And some experts have said that does raise valid competitive and security concerns for the United States.

Ryan C. Berg, the director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, noted that CK Hutchison would likely have data on all ships coming through the Panama Canal. China has been using its shipping and maritime operations to gather foreign intelligence and conduct espionage.

“China exercises, or could exercise, a certain element of control even absent some military conflagration,” Mr. Berg said. “I think there is reason to be worried.”

Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said Tuesday that China “will as always respect Panama’s sovereignty” over the Panama Canal.

China is the second-largest user of the Panama Canal after the United States. In 2017, Panama cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognized the island as part of China, a major win for Beijing.

Can the United States reassert control?

Not easily.

Mr. Mulino has made clear the Panama Canal is not for sale. He noted that the treaties established permanent neutrality of the canal and “guaranteeing its open and safe operation for all nations.” And the Senate ratified the Panama Canal treaties in 1978.

Mick Mulvaney, Mr. Trump’s former chief of staff, suggested that the provocations were merely part of a negotiating tactic to get rates down.

“You know, I don’t envision American troops going in to retake the canal, but you got to think that someone is out there scratching their head going, ‘Is Donald Trump crazy enough to do something like that?’” Mr. Mulvaney said Tuesday on “The Hill” on NewsNation.

Mr. Berg said the neutrality agreement made it unlikely that Panama would even be able to grant special rates to the United States. And, he noted, Mr. Mulino is “incredibly pro-American” and likely eager to help the incoming Trump administration deal with issues like illegal immigration.

“President Mulino is going to be a great ally with the United States,” Mr. Berg said. “We should not want this to devolve into some kind of political fight because we’re going to need President Mulino on a number of other issues.”

But there is, as Mr. Trump has threatened, a military option. Mr. Trump could as president order an invasion of Panama. Under the terms of its constitution, Panama has no army. But experts dismissed Mr. Trump’s threat on Tuesday as empty intimidation.

“If the U.S. wanted to flout international law and act like Vladimir Putin, the U.S. could invade Panama and recover the canal,” said Benjamin Gaden, director of the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program in Washington. “No one would see it as a legitimate act, and it would bring not only grievous damage to their image, but instability to the canal.”

Hawks’ Trae Young sinks desperation 3-pointer from beyond half-court to give team win

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January 8, 2025

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young has proved time and time again he can nail a long-range 3-pointer when called upon, and Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz was no different.

The Jazz tied the game with under three seconds left to play. Atlanta inbounded the ball to Young, who took one dribble and pulled up before half-court and nailed the 49-foot game-winner.

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Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, #11, reacts to a game-winning half-court shot against the Utah Jazz during an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, #11, shoots a three-point shot from half-court over Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton, #2, at the buzzer to win an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Young’s teammates mobbed him at half-court.

“This is part of what I do,” Young said after the game. “I always get guys involved, always been able to find people. I feel like I’m the kind of guy who can pass you open. You don’t just have to be open for me to get you the ball. I can see things and get you into a good spot.”

Young had 24 points and 20 assists in the 124-121 victory.

“I knew we had three seconds,” Young said. “I could take a couple of dribbles and be closer to half-court, and then I made sure I used my legs and put some air into the ball and that was important.”

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Hawks head coach Quin Snyder praised Young’s efficiency. The veteran guard was 6-for-16 from the floor but only had two turnovers.

“He has taken a lot of pride in being efficient and knowing when it is time to give the ball up and when it’s time to impress himself on the game from a scoring standpoint,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.

Atlanta improved to 19-18 with the win.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, #11, dribbles with the ball against Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, #24, during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen had 35 points, two rebounds and two steals to lead the team. Collin Sexton, who tied the game with only a few seconds left, had 24 points.

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Utah fell to 9-26 on the year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Ukraine Strikes Oil Depot Near Russian Air Base, Ukrainian Military Says

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January 8, 2025

Ukraine attacked an oil depot near a critical military airfield in southern Russia on Wednesday, the Ukrainian military said, the latest strike in a campaign to inflict pain deep inside the country even as Kyiv’s forces are losing ground at home on the battlefield.

The military said it had struck the Kristall oil storage facility in Engels, around 300 miles from the border between the two countries. It said the depot supplied fuel to the Engels airfield, which it has said is a staging ground for Russia’s long-running attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and which hosts some of Russia’s long-range nuclear-capable bombers.

A Russian official wrote on the Telegram messaging app that a “massive” drone attack had targeted Engels. Roman Busargin, the governor of the Saratov region, said that air defenses had intercepted the drones but that falling debris had hit an “industrial facility” and ignited a fire. No one was hurt, Mr. Busargin wrote.

Kyiv has repeatedly targeted the base, trying to limit the strikes on Ukraine’s energy system, which have plunged cities into darkness, battering the Ukrainian grid and forcing officials to scramble for alternative power options.

The latest attack came as Ukrainian forces are pressing what appears to be a renewed offensive in the Kursk region in western Russia. Both sides have reported fierce fighting over the past few days in Kursk, where Ukrainian troops seized about 500 square miles of territory in a surprise cross-border incursion last summer.

Russia has since regained roughly half of the territory it lost. Analysts have said the renewed offensive appears to be Ukraine’s attempt to regain momentum and project strength before President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration.

Mr. Trump has vowed to bring the war to a quick end, without saying how. That has spurred concerns his administration might cut off military aid to Ukraine. The Biden administration has been rushing to get additional assistance to Kyiv before Mr. Trump takes the oath of office on Jan. 20.

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III is traveling to Germany for a meeting on Thursday with a coalition of allies he convened to discuss Ukraine’s security needs after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. It will be Mr. Austin’s 25th — and last — meeting with the group, which includes about 50 countries.

The meeting “will focus on the need to ensure continued delivery of key capabilities including air defense systems, artillery munitions, and armored vehicles,” according to the Pentagon.

When asked by reporters on Wednesday whether there was concern about the future of the coalition once Mr. Trump takes office, Pentagon officials said they were confident European allies would carry on the work — regardless of whether the new U.S. administration decreases its support.

While the scale of the new Kursk offensive remains unclear, military analysts have suggested that it could also be an attempt to force Russia to divert troops away from the front lines of eastern Ukraine, where they have been steadily wearing down Kyiv’s defenses to seize new ground.

On Monday, Russia’s defense ministry said its forces had captured Kurakhove, a strategic town in eastern Ukraine, after months of heavy fighting.

Trump energy plan will avoid Europe’s energy disaster

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January 8, 2025

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President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would declare a national energy emergency on his first day in office, ending President Joe Biden’s restrictions on energy production, doing away with the electric vehicle mandate, ending incentives for renewable energy, and canceling Biden’s natural gas export ban.

This is welcome news. America faces a national energy emergency because the Biden administration has created a serious and dangerous energy situation so damaging to ordinary people and our country that it requires immediate action.

Trump can ensure that America does not walk down the same yellow brick road of Europe’s energy and climate policies.

BLUE STATE GOVERNOR’S CLIMATE LAW A PLOT TO ‘GET THE LEFT ALIGNED WITH HER,’ JOURNALIST SAYS

The danger of climate change measures is already hurting Europe. Europe’s manufacturing sector is closing down due to climate change regulations. Germany used to be renowned for its industry, but German industry expects a 3% fall in production in 2024, the third year of decline, with no uptick in 2025.

President-elect Trump has vowed to unleash American energy and declare a national energy emergency. (Getty Images)

German workers are losing their jobs because of climate regulations, with auto industry layoffs due to inexpensive Chinese EV imports.

Biden’s climate change rules need to be changed to commonsense measures to prevent strengthening Chinese workers at the expense of Americans.

His regulations have caused prices of electricity and transportation to rise, raising inflation. Higher electricity prices drive up inflation, disproportionately hurting poor people, small businesses and farmers.

The worst is that these poorly considered climate regulations impoverish Americans and make China rich without lowering global emissions or temperatures. Four more years of Democrat green energy policies will indebt the nation through subsidies and high energy costs while only reducing global temperatures by a fraction of a degree by 2100.

Trump’s energy emergency will help reverse the damage that Biden has caused.

Final Environmental Protection Agency regulations require 70% of new cars sold in 2032 to be battery-powered electric or plug-in hybrid, up from 8% today, or face fines and mandatory purchases of credits. These cars are more expensive than gasoline-powered vehicles. The popular Chevy Silverado is $96,000 for an electric, $42,300 for a regular truck.

Auto companies also have to deal with California auto regulations, and California’s Advanced Clean Car II Rules require all new vehicles sold in the Golden State to be plug-in hybrid or pure battery powered by 2035. This month EPA granted California a waiver for its rule because the Clean Air Act does not allow states to set more rigorous vehicle emission standards than the federal government.

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Another 13 states have signed up for California’s Advanced Clean Car II Rules. With the waiver, California and Biden can push car manufacturers to stop producing gasoline-powered vehicles. Trump seems likely to reverse the California waiver, which allows California to set standards in automobiles for the rest of the country.

In order to get electric vehicles to sell, auto companies must price them lower and gasoline-powered vehicles higher. That means ordinary people face higher prices on the pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans that they want to buy. Higher new car prices translate into higher used car prices too, driving up transportation prices and contributing to inflation.

The residential cost of electricity has risen by 32% since January 2021. With 50 states, each with their own ways of producing electricity, it’s clear that the required use of renewables leads to higher prices. This is because intermittent energy is more complicated to produce than continuous energy. The wind blows for free, and the sun shines for free, but integrating their energy into the electricity grid is more complicated and costly than running a natural gas generator continuously.

The average U.S. residential electricity price is 17 cents per kilowatt-hour, and rates range from 11 cents per kilowatt-hour in Utah and Louisiana to 33 cents in California. (Hawaii, in the Pacific, has a higher rate.) Of the 10 states with the highest electricity prices, all but one has required use of renewables. Of the 10 states with the lowest electricity prices, all but one have no requirements for renewables.

The worst is that these poorly considered climate regulations impoverish Americans and make China rich without lowering global emissions or temperatures. Four more years of Democrat green energy policies will indebt the nation through subsidies and high energy costs while only reducing global temperatures by a fraction of a degree by 2100.

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Trump can do away with incentives for wind and solar, which reduce production of electricity from natural gas, coal and nuclear power, and send electricity bills higher. He can also end the ban on new natural gas exports, which hurts our allies.

Trump’s urgency is eminently sensible, because Biden’s solutions to climate change, which he calls “an existential threat,” are making people poor. An emergency is a threat to ordinary people, and Americans are facing higher car prices, higher electricity prices, and job loss to China. This is a national energy emergency.

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Italy Says Cecilia Sala, Journalist Detained by Iran, Has Been Released

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January 8, 2025

Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist who was detained last month in Iran while on a reporting trip, was released and on her way back to Italy on Wednesday, the Italian government said in a statement.

“The plane that is taking journalist Cecilia Sala home took off a few minutes ago from Tehran,” the Italian government announced Wednesday morning, adding that “thanks to intense work on diplomatic and intelligence channels, our compatriot has been released by the Iranian authorities.”

Ms. Sala, 29, had been held for 20 days and told her family that she was kept in an isolation cell, with only two blankets and constant light, her family has said.

Fars, a news agency affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, also reported the news of Ms. Sala’s release, citing Italy’s prime minister.

On Wednesday Ms. Sala’s partner, Daniele Raineri, said she had called him and told him, “I am free.”

“I am so happy,” Mr. Raineri said as he prepared to go to the airport to greet Ms. Sala. He said the wait was “excruciating” but that Italy had done “exceptional work.”

Mr. Raineri said that Ms. Sala’s plane was scheduled to land in Rome at about 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Ms. Sala, who had a journalist visa, was arrested on Dec. 19 on charges of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but officials there did not provide any further details.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy called Ms. Sala’s parents on Wednesday to tell them that she was returning, according to the government statement.

This is a developing story.

Leily Nikounazar contributed reporting.

Top tech stealing the show at CES 2025

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January 8, 2025

Get ready for some pretty cool innovations that are lighting up CES 2025, the world’s biggest annual tech event. From AI-powered smart glasses to revolutionary TVs and mind-blowing gadgets, this year’s show is proving that the future isn’t just knocking. It’s bursting through the door. We’ve scoured the show floor to bring you the most exciting tech that’s not just pushing boundaries but completely obliterating them.

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CES app (CES) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

1) Solar beach umbrella

Anker’s solar beach umbrella is way more than just shade. This umbrella is part of Anker’s SOLIX lineup and does something pretty unique. It charges your devices while you’re chilling outdoors. What makes it special? Perovskite solar cells that are seriously impressive. These cells are about 30% more powerful than traditional solar cells in bright sunlight and perform twice as well in low light. The umbrella can pump out 80 watts of power through USB-C and even has an XT-60 connection to power things like Anker’s new EverFrost electric cooler. So you could literally keep your drinks cold and your phone charged at the same time. While they haven’t announced the price yet, you can expect to see this tech to hit stores sometime in spring or summer.

Solar beach umbrella (Anker) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

6 NEW INNOVATIONS TO HELP SENIORS LIVE BETTER

2) Wireless earbuds with a case that sticks to the back of your phone

Artronic just unveiled Komutr, a super-slim set of wireless earbuds with a genius magnetic charging case that attaches right to compatible phones, chargers and accessories. The charging case is just 0.47 inches thick and is designed to stick to the back of your MagSafe-compatible phone. No more digging through bags or forgetting your earbuds at home. The case even has a clever flip-up lid that works as a kickstand for watching videos. These earbuds pack some serious battery power, up to 10 hours of listening time per charge and a total of 30 hours when you include the charging case. For those without MagSafe phones, Artronic promises “adjustable options,” but let’s be real: The magnetic attachment is where the magic happens. Want to get your hands on these? Mark your calendar for January 15th when preorders open. The Komutr will start shipping in May and will set you back $129. It’s not bad for a pair of earbuds that basically become one with your phone.

The Komutr earbuds (Artronic) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

BEST WIRELESS EARBUDS EXPERT REVIEWED

3) Samsung’s new TV uses AI to serve up recipes

Have you ever binge-watched a cooking show and suddenly craved that exact dish? Well, Samsung’s got your back with Samsung Food, a mind-blowing TV feature that uses AI to recognize dishes on screen and instantly serve up their recipes faster than you can say “bon appétit.” The tech isn’t just about recipes. Samsung Food can track your grocery deliveries, build shopping lists from your fridge contents and even suggest meal plans. Samsung’s calling it the “ultimate AI sous chef,” and honestly, they might be onto something. Sure, the AI won’t actually cook for you (bummer, right?). But for wannabe home chefs who get inspired by every cooking show and movie, this could be a total game-changer. Just don’t blame Samsung if you end up spending more time watching cooking shows than actually cooking. Of course, you’ll need a 2025 Samsung TV to access this culinary magic. Samsung Food will be available on the QN90F, QN80F and QN70F model TVs.

Samsung Food app (Samsung) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

BEST LAPTOPS FOR 2025

4) Robot vacuum tidies more than just floors

The Roborock Saros Z70 is changing the game by doing what most robot vacuums can’t: intelligently handling stray items. When a sock or pair of underwear drops on the floor, this smart device doesn’t just push them around or get stuck. Instead, it extends a hidden mechanical arm, carefully moving the items to a designated area, keeping your space neat and preventing cleaning interruptions. Robot vacuums have evolved from simple floor cleaners to intelligent assistants that can navigate around obstacles, handle pet hair and now even manage misplaced clothing.

Saros Z70 (Roborock) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

BEST HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS

5) LeafyPod, the smart planter that listens

Ever wished your leafy friends could tell you exactly what they need? Well, get ready to have your mind blown because LeafyPod is here to turn that dream into reality. This nifty little gadget has all sorts of high-tech sensors that keep an eye on things like soil moisture, light and humidity. LeafyPod uses its AI smarts to figure out exactly how much water your plant needs and doles it out accordingly. No more drowning your poor succulents. LeafyPod’s water reservoir can keep your green buddies hydrated for up to four weeks. That’s right. You can finally take that monthlong vacation without coming home to a jungle of crispy leaves. It’s like having a tiny plant whisperer right in your living room.

Smart planter (LeafyPod) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

SKYROCKET TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE WITH THIS GEAR IN 2025

6) The lawnmower that tackles any terrain

The Lymow One is a beast. With its “Savage Traverse System” of tank-like tracks, this robot mower isn’t playing around. It chews through leaves, pine cones and small branches like they’re nothing, using powerful mulching blades and a centrifugal fan to keep things tidy. Pet owners, relax. Its advanced obstacle recognition means Fluffy and Fido stay safe while this lawn-taming machine does its work. It’s basically a robotic landscaper that turns your yard into a perfectly manicured paradise. However, it doesn’t come cheap. It will set you back $3,000.

Robot mower (Lymow) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

IS THIS AUTONOMOUS SECURITY GUARD ROBOT THE PROTECTION YOU NEED?

7) Mirokaï: The humanoid robot ready to revolutionize service

The Mirokaï robot from Enchanted Tools is turning heads at CES 2025, offering a unique blend of utility and charm. This humanoid robot is designed to excel in various professional settings, from health care to hospitality, with the ability to perform tasks like moving equipment in hospitals, providing customer service and offering guidance. Drawing crowds at the event, the Mirokaï showcases how characterful robots can reshape interactions in workplaces and service environments, promising a future where technology meets human-like engagement.

The Mirokaï robot (Enchanted Tools) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

FACIAL RECOGNITION GLASSES TURN EVERYDAY LIFE INTO A CREEPY PRIVACY NIGHTMARE

8) Halliday’s smart glasses

Halliday’s smart glasses are making waves at CES 2025 with their innovative “DigiWindow” technology, featuring a 3.5-inch private display positioned in the upper-right corner of your vision that remains completely invisible to others. Weighing just 35 grams, these lightweight glasses are designed to look like traditional eyewear while packing cutting-edge technology. The unique near-eye display projects directly onto the user’s retina, offering a proactive AI assistant that can summarize meetings, provide real-time translations, handle notifications and offer turn-by-turn navigation. Priced between $399 and $499, the glasses are expected to ship by the end of Q1 2025 and can be controlled through voice commands, a frame interface or a smart ring with a trackpad. Halliday’s smart glasses support prescription lenses and boast an impressive eight-hour battery life.

Smart glasses (Halliday) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

SMART RINGS THAT CAN TRACK YOUR SLEEP, FITNESS, COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE

9) Bird Buddy unveils innovative garden monitoring camera

Bird Buddy’s innovative new camera is designed to transform how gardeners interact with their outdoor spaces. The Petal camera offers users a comprehensive view of plant life and insect activity through a sleek, intelligent device. Featuring 4K resolution and advanced AI recognition technology, the camera allows users to live stream garden interactions directly to their smartphones with unprecedented clarity and detail. The device comes with an optional solar panel, ensuring continuous operation without the need for frequent battery changes. Users can expect to track and identify various insect and plant interactions, turning their garden into a dynamic, observable ecosystem. Bird Buddy plans to launch the Petal camera on Kickstarter this spring, continuing their mission of connecting technology with nature in engaging and user-friendly ways.

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Garden monitoring camera (Bird Buddy) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

10) Mirumi: The adorable bag-clinging robot that steals hearts

Mirumi is a charming clip-on robot that transforms an ordinary bag into an interactive experience. This furry companion from Yukai Engineering spontaneously turns its head, mimicking a shy infant’s curiosity. Unlike complex AI robots, Mirumi offers pure, simple charm; it doesn’t speak, move independently or require advanced programming. When your bag moves, Mirumi peeks around; if someone approaches too quickly, it bashfully turns away. Priced at an affordable $70 and launching via crowdfunding in mid-2025, this little robotic mascot is less about technological complexity and more about bringing a smile to your face.

Mirumi the bag-clinging robot (Yukai Engineering) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

5 WAYS TECH CAN HELP YOU FEEL LESS ALONE

Kurt’s key takeaways

From Halliday’s discreet smart glasses to Samsung’s AI-powered TVs and Roborock’s intelligent vacuum, this year’s show is proving that innovation knows no limits. These aren’t just products; they’re glimpses into a future where technology becomes a seamless, intelligent extension of our daily lives.

So, which of these innovations has you counting down the days until they hit the market? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

A Far-Right Government in Austria Would Be a Jolt, but Not Unexpected

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January 8, 2025

The political party on the verge of leading Austria would take an already conservative country into a growing group of nations shifting to the far-right of European politics. It has flirted with Nazi slogans, cozied up to Russia and drawn warnings from Holocaust survivors’ groups. It campaigned on promises to deport immigrants and ban political forms of Islam.

The Freedom Party, known as the FPÖ, and its firebrand leader, Herbert Kickl, were given the chance to form a governing coalition this week, after efforts to bar them from power collapsed. If they succeed in forming a government, it would be a shock to the Austrian political system and a further jolt to Western Europe, where similarly far-right parties are surging in France, Germany and elsewhere.

But it would not be a surprise.

The Freedom Party’s rise follows years of growing acceptance of the far right in Austrian politics. Its growth has been helped by scandals and an ideological shift in the more mainstream conservative party that has led Austria’s governments for 15 of the last 25 years.

Unlike in neighboring Germany, where all other parties have refused to include the right-wing-populist Alternative for Germany in federal ruling coalitions, other parties in Austria have allowed the Freedom Party to share power for years as a junior partner.

The Freedom Party has broadened its appeal in recent elections with an anti-establishment message that harshly criticizes immigrants, Covid restrictions, the European Union and support for Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion. The party has gained support from blue-collar workers, university graduates and, critically, women. In elections for the European Parliament this summer, it was the most popular party among Austrian voters under the age of 35.

“The idea that the FPÖ is somehow politically taboo, that train has long left the station,” said Laurenz Ennser-Jedenastik, a political scientist at the University of Vienna.

The Freedom Party was founded by former members of the SS, the Nazi paramilitary force, in the 1950s. It was largely shunned in its early years, but then slowly became part of the political establishment.

The party first entered a national government with progressive Social Democrats in 1983 and has served in four ruling coalitions since, the most recent just six years ago. It’s also active on the state level and is in coalitions in the majority of Austria’s nine states.

Until the late 1980s, the Freedom Party was a small, elitist entity largely associated with certain nationalist university fraternities. A new leader, Jörg Haider, attracted more voters by adopting campaign rhetoric harshly critical of foreigners.

That focus has become the driving force of the modern party, sharpened and intensified by Mr. Kickl, who wrote speeches for Mr. Haider early in his career. Mr. Kickl steered the party into increasingly provocative slogans, including the xenophobic “Viennese blood — too many foreigners does no one any good.”

In 2017, the Freedom Party joined a governing coalition with the conservative People’s Party. Karin Kneissl, then the Freedom Party’s choice of foreign minister, was widely criticized for dancing at her 2018 wedding with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. She has since moved to Russia.

The administration and the coalition collapsed quickly in a scandal involving a hidden camera, a fake Russian heiress and a former Freedom Party leader in 2019.

During the administration, Mr. Kickl served as the country’s interior minister, putting him in charge of immigration control, a subject that has been integral to the party’s platform.

He made headlines back then for suggesting “concentrating” refugees in centralized facilities. Although Mr. Kickl later claimed that he was not trying to provoke, many believe that his use of a Nazi-era phrase referencing concentration camps was deliberate.

It was also not isolated. Mr. Kickl’s party has since repeatedly invoked the term “Volkskanzler” — “the people’s chancellor” — that was used by Hitler.

While others in the party have wanted to soften the anti-immigrant rhetoric, Mr. Kickl has capitalized on raw, emotional appeals to native-born Austrian workers. He tapped into discontent over an influx of refugees to Austria from the Middle East and, later, Ukraine. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, he rallied opposition to vaccine mandates, lockdowns and masks.

In last fall’s campaign, Mr. Kickl promised to build “Fortress Austria” — by resorting to strict border control measures, the forced deportation of immigrants and a suspension of asylum rights for refugees, which would require breaking from a European Union agreement on migration. He called for a reversal of measures meant to fight climate change and a renewed focus on fossil fuels.

He has also pushed for political changes that some analysts say would push Austria toward a more authoritarian model of government, akin to Viktor Orban in Hungary. Those changes include new referendum procedures that would allow a relatively small slice of the electorate to force a national vote to overturn the government or dismiss individual ministers.

Mr. Kickl’s platform appealed to many voters, with the party winning the most seats in the September election for the national assembly. “There’s more demand for a certain toughness from politics,” said Christoph Hofinger, an Austrian election researcher.

For some, it caused alarm. After the election, Christoph Heubner, the executive vice president for the International Auschwitz Committee, said that for Holocaust survivors, the victory had added “a new alarming chapter to their fears and concerns.”

The Freedom Party has benefited, in part, from the problems of the People’s Party. The group won the chancellorship handily in 2017, after turning toward the right on many issues. But the People’s Party quickly fell into a series of scandals, including one related to rigged opinion polls published in the press. It also faced voter discontent over inflation and Covid restrictions, along with its most recent coalition partner, the Green Party.

After the election loss, Karl Nehammer, the incumbent chancellor from the People’s Party, said he would not enter into a coalition with Mr. Kickl. Many saw the promise, made during the campaign, as a play to hold on to the chancellery, rather than an ideological stance, since the two parties have a long history of working together in state and federal governments.

“There was never any fundamental criticism of the FPÖ’s understanding of democracy or the rule of law” from the conservatives, Mr. Ennser-Jedenastik said.

Despite months of trying, the People’s Party was unable to form a coalition without the far right. And Mr. Nehammer announced his resignation from the chancellorship this week, paving the way for the Freedom Party to emerge on top in a coalition.

In a governing coalition, Mr. Kickl will not be able to deliver on all of his promises. The next Austrian government will need to close a budget deficit, which could hamper his economic agenda, including tax cuts and social spending increases.

But the party’s popularity will give him a strong voice as he pushes for policy changes directed at foreigners and refugees, according to analysts. Likely among them: cutting social services to those who don’t speak German or reducing financial aid for refugees.

During the fall election, 29 percent of Austrians voted for the Freedom Party. Current polling now puts voter support at more than 35 percent.

“If Kickl ever feels like the other side is not taking these talks seriously, he just gets up from the table and forces early elections,” said Mr. Hofinger.

Tech industry watchers see Meta's end of fact-checking as a move to appease Trump

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January 8, 2025

Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg announced the end of fact-checking on his social media platforms. Industry watchers say it’s another sign Silicon Valley is trying to get in President-elect Trump’s good graces.

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