Chinese Drone Giant DJI Removes Geofencing That Protects White House, Airports, Wildfires

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China’s DJI, the world’s leading drone manufacturer, has decided to remove its long-standing geofencing feature, which previously prevented drones from flying over restricted areas such as airports, wildfires, and the White House.

The Verge reports that Chinese drone manufacture DJI has made a significant change to its flight control software, effectively removing geofencing restrictions that have been in place for over a decade. Geofencing drones effectively creates invisible walls around sensitive locations like airports, preventing drone operators from purposefully or accidentally flying their drone into an area where they shouldn’t.

The geofencing feature, voluntarily implemented by DJI, had been designed to automatically prevent drones from flying over sensitive areas such as runways, power plants, public emergencies, and critical government buildings. However, the company has now chosen to place control back in the hands of drone operators, offering only a dismissible warning instead of enforcing strict no-fly zones.

DJI’s global policy head, Adam Welsh, explained to the Verge that this decision aligns with the introduction of Remote ID technology, which publicly broadcasts the location of a drone and its operator during flight. Welsh suggests that this technology provides authorities with the necessary tools to enforce existing rules, making the geofencing feature less critical.

However, the incident involving a sub-250-gram DJI drone damaging a Super Scooper airplane during the Los Angeles wildfires has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Remote ID in preventing such occurrences. The FBI expects to rely on investigative means to identify the drone operator responsible for the incident, as these smaller models may not require Remote ID to operate. (Read more from “Chinese Drone Giant DJI Removes Geofencing That Protects White House, Airports, Wildfires” HERE)

Trump’s Entire Family ‘In Crosshairs of Assassins’ as Secret Service Protection Is ‘Running on Fumes’

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Donald Trump’s family is in imminent danger of possible assassination as the already embattled U.S. Secret Service will be stretched to the max in efforts to protect his vulnerable wife and teen son.

RadarOnline.com can reveal the Trump clan is an easy target for homegrown maniacs and trained terror groups in the wake of two recent assassination attempts on the incoming 47th president – as well as a pre-election plot by Iran to erase him.

“The threat level is high now because the country is so divided,” renowned private eye and security pro Paul Huebl warned. . .

The stunning security assessment comes as the agency in charge of protecting high-ranking officials has only 8,000 employees despite a wish-list budget, which never materialized, to hire 2,000 additional workers for fiscal year 2026.

“We do the best we can with the resources we have, but we have been constrained for well over a decade now in terms of resourcing and hiring,” Matthew Noyes, director of the agency’s cyber policy and strategy, said at a recent global security forum. (Read more from “Trump’s Entire Family ‘In Crosshairs of Assassins’ as Secret Service Protection Is ‘Running on Fumes’” HERE)

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FBI’s Wray Reveals Right Before Resigning That China Has Penetrated U.S.’s Critical Infrastructure

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Outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed during an interview on Sunday, a week before he steps down, that China has penetrated America’s water treatment plants, electric grid, and other critical civilian infrastructure, and is lying “in wait” for an opportunity to cyberattack at a time and place of its choosing.

Asked on CBS’s 60 Minutes about Chinese penetration of U.S. cyber and infrastructure, Wray said China’s cyber program is the largest in the world and has stolen more of Americans’ personal and corporate data than every nation combined. Then, he added:

But even beyond the cyber theft. There’s another part of the Chinese cyber threat that I think has not gotten the attention publicly that it I think desperately deserves. And that is Chinese government’s pre-positioning on American civilian critical infrastructure. To lie in wait on those networks to be in a position to wreak havoc and can inflict real-world harm at a time and place of their choosing.

Wray said China has already infiltrated malware into critical American infrastructure.

“Things like water treatment plants. We’re talking about transportation systems. We’re talking about targeting of our energy sector, the electric grid, natural gas pipelines. And recently we’ve seen targeting of our telecommunications systems,” he said. (Read more from “FBI’s Wray Reveals Right Before Resigning That China Has Penetrated U.S.’s Critical Infrastructure” HERE)

‘I Will Be Supporting Pete’: Sen. Joni Ernst Backs Hegseth Following Conservative Pressure Campaign

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Following a widespread conservative pressure campaign, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, revealed on Tuesday evening that she will be voting to confirm Pete Hegseth as President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of defense.

“I am breaking news. … Yes, I will be supporting President Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth,” Ernst said during an interview on Simon Conway’s radio show.

The Iowa Republican’s announcement came hours following Hegseth’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he endured grotesque slanders and unhinged tirades from the body’s Democrat members. The former Fox News host also fielded policy-related questions from the panel’s GOP members, including Ernst.

Tuesday’s announcement marks a major win for Hegseth and conservative voters, the latter of whom galvanized to pressure GOP senators to confirm Hegseth following revelations that Ernst was leading a behind-the-scenes effort to nuke his nomination.

Trump world sources told The Federalist last month that Iowa’s junior senator was spearheading an “aggressive” personal jihad against Hegseth. This included Ernst making calls to Trump to convince him to dump Hegseth and enlisting Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to lobby the president-elect to replace Hegseth with Ernst. (Read more from “‘I Will Be Supporting Pete’: Sen. Joni Ernst Backs Hegseth Following Conservative Pressure Campaign” HERE)

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DOJ Fines Restaurant for Verifying Immigrant Work Permits

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The Justice Department reached an 11th-hour settlement with a Minnesota-based restaurant chain for a $95,000 civil penalty in addition to mandatory employment training after the company required “more documents than necessary” to verify workers’ permits.

According to the 7-page settlement, Brick & Bourbon, a restaurant group with three locations in Minnesota, will be required to post forms outlining employees’ rights in both English and Spanish and undergo additional reviews into employment practices.

“It is unlawful for employers to impose additional or unnecessary requirements on employees because of their citizenship status when checking their permission to work,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a press release Monday. “Discriminatory treatment during any step of the employment process harms workers who are lawfully participating in our economy and can deprive employers of their talents.”

The Justice Department’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section notified the restaurants of the federal investigation in February 2023.

“The investigation found that Respondent required lawful permanent residents, but not similarly-situated U.S. citizens, to present more or different documents than required by law during the employment eligibility verification process,” the settlement read. An example includes “requiring lawful permanent residents to present a Social Security card” after applicants “already presented a valid Permanent Resident Card.” (Read more from “DOJ Fines Restaurant for Verifying Immigrant Work Permits” HERE)

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Philippines ‘Pushed to the Wall’ as It Sends Warning to Beijing Ships in South China Sea

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Filipino officials warn that tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea are reaching a breaking point.

China’s hostility in a disputed part of the South China Sea is “pushing [the Philipines] to the wall,” according to Filipino security official Jonathan Malaya, who serves as the assistant director-general of the National Security Council.

The comments come after the Philipines Coast Guard claimed it recently discovered a large Chinese Coast Guard ship in the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

“The presence of the monster ship in Filipino waters… 77 nautical miles from our shoreline, is unacceptable and, therefore, it should be withdrawn immediately by the Chinese government,” Malaya said at a news conference alongside senior military and coast guard officials.

The spotting is among several that PCG has reported in recent months, which the Philipines views as provocation and intimidation from China. (Read more from “Philippines ‘Pushed to the Wall’ as It Sends Warning to Beijing Ships in South China Sea” HERE)

GOP Lawmakers Demand Release of $17M ‘Congressional Sexual Slush Fund List’

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Reps. Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene called on Congress Thursday to release the names of current and former members on a secret list of lawmakers that have used taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment claims.

“Congress has secretly paid out more than $17 million of your money to quietly settle charges of harassment (sexual and other forms) in Congressional offices,” Massie (R-Ky.) wrote on X.

“Don’t you think we should release the names of the Representatives? I do,” he added.

Massie’s suggestion was quickly endorsed by Greene (R-Ga.).

“Yes. I want to release the congressional sexual slush fund list,” the congresswoman wrote on X.

(Read more from “GOP Lawmakers Demand Release of $17M ‘Congressional Sexual Slush Fund List’” HERE)

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Thomas Massie Removed From Powerful House Rules Committee

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Rep. Thomas Massie, one of the most outspoken critics of House Speaker Mike Johnson, is off the powerful House Rules Committee, which plays a critical role in the functioning of the lower chamber of Congress.

Massie (R-Ky.), the lone Republican to vote against Johnson’s (R-La.) speakership bid on Jan. 3, revealed in December that he had offered to step down from the panel in the 119th Congress — and told Punchbowl News Johnson was “thinking” about obliging.

During the last Congress, Massie had been one of three Republicans — along with Freedom Caucus Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Chip Roy (R-Texas) — who often gave leadership headaches.

All three were put on the Rules Committee as part of a deal made by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in 2023 during his protracted battle for the gavel.

The Rules Committee determines the parameters for considering each piece of legislation, setting out the restrictions on debate and amendments. (Read more from “Thomas Massie Removed From Powerful House Rules Committee” HERE)

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After Running on ‘Protect Democracy’ Platform, Tim Walz Is Silent as State House Dems Refuse to Let GOP Take Control

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Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who ran his vice presidential campaign on defending democracy during the 2024 election, has notably remained silent as Democratic lawmakers in his state are threatening a legislative session boycott to deny GOP lawmakers a quorum to elect a speaker and conduct legislative business.

The start of Minnesota’s legislative session begins Tuesday, but Democratic House lawmakers may not be in attendance after breaking precedent by holding a covert mass swearing-in ceremony Sunday in a location outside of the state capitol with no media present or accompanied press release. Members are usually sworn into office at the state capitol during the first day of the session.

“It was shocking to hear that House Democrats held an unprecedented secret swearing-in ceremony behind closed doors, with no public notice,” Republican Minnesota Rep. Lisa DeMuth, the GOP’s speaker-designate, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “If the [Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party] DFL believes what they’re doing is right, why not hold a public swearing-in? They didn’t even confirm it happened until House Republicans called out their actions after the fact.”

Republican lawmakers have criticized Walz, who ran for vice president on a platform to “protect democracy,” for appearing to condone House Democrats’ threats to deny their Republican colleagues a necessary quorum to conduct legislative business on behalf of their constituents that elected them in November.

“It’s outrageous that Tim Walz has given Minnesota Democrat legislators blanket approval for a secret, behind-closed-doors, swearing-in last night (no public, no media) and a green light to not show up for work on Tuesday, the first day of the legislative session,” Republican Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber wrote on his campaign account on X Monday. “Minnesotans deserve better!”

(Read more from “After Running on ‘Protect Democracy’ Platform, Tim Walz Is Silent as State House Dems Refuse to Let GOP Take Control” HERE)

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Laughter Erupts During Senate Hearing As Pete Hegseth Quips About His Military Service In Response To Elizabeth Warren

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Laughter erupted during the Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday as Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth retorted Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s questioning.

Hegseth has publicly expressed his belief that military generals should be banned from serving in the defense industry for 10 years after their departure from service, leading the senator to ask if he would commit to that same standard after exiting his potential role as the next defense secretary. After Warren pressed him on the topic, Hegseth concluded his response with a quip about his military record.

“But the question I have for you is, will you put your money where your mouth is and agree that when you leave this job, you will not work for the defense industry for 10 years?” Warren asked.

“Senator, it’s not even a question I’ve thought about,” Hegseth said. “Because it’s not one, my motivation for this job has never been about what could conceivably come next.”

The Massachusetts senator interrupted Hegseth to accuse him of not living up to his own standards. (Read more from “Laughter Erupts During Senate Hearing As Pete Hegseth Quips About His Military Service In Response To Elizabeth Warren” HERE)

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