- The Democrats of America
Sunday, October 19, 2025
‘Priceless’ jewellery stolen from Louvre in raid by ‘experienced’ thieves
“Priceless” historic jewellery has been stolen from the Louvre in Paris after a highly professional robbery by men who used an angle grinder to break through glass and enter one of the museum’s most ornate rooms.
The world’s most-visited museum was suddenly closed for the day after the break-in targeted pieces in two glass cases in its Apollon gallery, where the French crown jewels are held.
The French interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, visited the scene and told France Inter radio that “priceless” jewels “of unmeasurable heritage value” were stolen after what was clearly a well-organised raid.
The thieves struck at 9.30am local time on Sunday and Nuñez said it took them seven minutes to make off with the jewels. He said: “They stole jewels which have a real heritage value, an inestimable heritage value.”
The thieves approached the building from the outside, at an area where building work was taking place. A truck and a goods lift were used to access the museum. They used an angle grinder to break windows and enter. Nuñez said it was the work of “an experienced team who had clearly scouted the location”.
He said three or four suspects had fled – their route was known and police were investigating whether it was a gang known to them for other crimes. Investigators were studying footage from security cameras.
Nuñez would not confirm what jewels were taken but said the thieves targeted two glass cases. The Apollon wing of the Louvre has a set of historic crowns, diadems and sovereign jewellery.
Nuñez said the museum was evacuated to preserve evidence and to allow investigators and forensics teams to carry out their work. The Paris prosecutor has opened an inquiry into the theft.
The French culture minister, Rachida Dati, was first to announce the incident. “A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum,” she wrote on social media. She used the French word braquage, which can mean robbery or hold-up.
She added: “No injuries reported. I’m on site with museum staff and police.”
Dati confirmed that one stolen piece of jewellery was recovered outside the museum where the thieves had fled.
At least one person had entered the museum, a member of her team told Agence France-Presse, without adding anything about any possible theft.
The Louvre, said it was closing for the day “for exceptional reasons”, without providing further details on what had been stolen.
One of the largest arts centres on the planet, the Louvre attracts more than 8 million visitors a year. Its works range from classical sculpture to the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s 16-century masterpiece and the world’s most famous portrait.
In January, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced a major renovation of the museum after its director said that visiting the overcrowded building had become a “physical ordeal”.
In a note to the cultural ministry leaked to the media in January, the Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars, had said the space below the museum’s glass pyramid entrance was not properly insulated from the cold or heat, tended to amplify noise, and was uncomfortable for both the public and the staff.
Des Cars also raised the alarm over water leaks, failing infrastructure and temperature swings that endanger the conservation of works of art. Visitors faced overcrowding and substandard facilities, she said.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/19/louvre-closed-after-robbery-french-culture-minister-says
♦️𝐖³𝐏 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝
Welcome to the W³P Daily News Open Thread.
Post whatever you got in the comments section below.
This feature will post every day at 6:30am Mountain time.
At a Certain Point the War Must End – Trump Announces No More Facilitation for Bloodshed
At a certain point facilitating an extension to conflict becomes an enabling of killing. It appears that President Trump has reached the end of his support for delivering mechanisms of war.
Writing on Truth Social, President Trump notes:
According to media reports, President Trump has decided not to sell Tomahawk missiles to NATO for transfer to Ukraine. Nothing good can come from putting more offensive weapons into the conflict other than more bloodshed.
The expressed position of the White House is to freeze the Ukraine war at current “property lines” of control, and enter negotiations to stop fighting. Toward that end, it appears President Trump is no longer willing to facilitate expanded conflict.
This position comes after an extended two-hour conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and also a meeting on Friday with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
AXIOS – President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a tense meeting on Friday that he doesn’t intend to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles, at least for now, two sources briefed on the meeting tell Axios.
He stressed that the current U.S. proposal for a diplomatic solution is for the war to end with the front lines frozen in place — a difficult proposition for Ukraine to accept.
Zelensky’s number one priority from the visit was to get commitments from Trump not just on Tomahawks but on a variety of weapons systems Ukraine wishes to obtain, his chief of staff told Axios ahead of the meeting. Trump offered no such commitments.
Zelensky, meanwhile, held a conference call with European leaders immediately after the Trump meeting. Several of them seemed puzzled about Trump’s apparent change of heart, a source who was on the call said.” (more)
Hopefully, President Trump’s approach in the Middle East conflict has provided him enough armor to withstand the onslaught that will follow from the EU/NATO intelligence community and industrial war machine. President Trump wants peace, but peace is against the economic interests of European leaders.
The EU/NATO coalition will likely keep supporting Zelenskyy’s goals; however, President Trump has solidified his position on the cornerstone of peace – stop the killing.
If Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President Trump come to terms in Budapest, Hungary, it will be interesting to see how the unwillingness of Zelenskyy/NATO to negotiate peace plays out.
The economic leverage of President Trump over the EU is somewhat weaker than before. The EU economy is contracting, which would normally create leverage; however, the EU economic recovery plan appears to include war with Russia. Things will be interesting over the next few weeks.
From Gaza to Louisiana: The Terror Case That Exposes Biden’s Immigration Policies
This week, federal authorities arrested Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi in Lafayette, Louisiana. It's the city I live and work in, where I am on the air every day talking to conservatives (and anyone else who decides to stay a while and listen). To say our community was shocked would be an understatement. How in the world did an (alleged) 10/7 terrorist end up in our town?
The 33-year-old man stands accused of being a senior operative in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s military wing. He’s been living and working in Lafayette since May. Before that, he was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Before that, according to federal prosecutors, he crossed into Israel on October 7, 2023, armed himself, recruited additional attackers, and participated in the massacre at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where 62 people were murdered and 19 were kidnapped.
Al-Muhtadi entered the United States on September 12, 2024—under the Biden administration—via Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after obtaining a green card through visa fraud. He lied about his background. He lied about his activities. The Biden administration’s immigration system approved his entry.
A man allegedly involved in an attack that killed 1,200 people—including American citizens—received approval for permanent residency in the United States and lived in our state for months. The Biden administration made deliberate policy choices that prioritized processing speed over security screening. Those choices produced this outcome.
The Data
Since fiscal year 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has recorded more than 10.8 million encounters nationwide, including over 8.72 million at the Southwest border alone. That represents roughly the combined population of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, crossing with minimal vetting.
The terrorist watchlist encounters tell the story more clearly. Since fiscal year 2021, 382 aliens on the terrorist watchlist have been caught illegally crossing our Southwest border. Under the Trump administration, that number was 14 encounters over four years. The increase—from 14 in four years under Trump to 382 in just over three years under Biden, 268 in Biden’s first three years alone—represents a 3,000 percent jump.
Of the more than 250 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist encountered by Border Patrol at the southwest border between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, the Department of Homeland Security released at least 99 into American communities. The Biden administration encountered suspected terrorists attempting illegal entry and released them into the country.
The Vetting Process
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas repeatedly told Congress that everyone entering the country is “vetted.” The reality of that “vetting” deserves examination. When Border Patrol or CBP officers apprehend an illegal alien, they ask for their name, date of birth, and nationality. They run that information through databases for matches. That concludes the vetting process.
The system depends entirely on subjects providing accurate information and on those subjects already existing in U.S. databases. When someone lies—as Al-Muhtadi allegedly did—or when they haven’t been previously flagged, they pass through unchallenged.
Consider an October 2023 case in San Diego. A former Afghan general and advisor to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani attempted illegal entry. Database checks returned no results. He was identified only because an administrative employee recognized him from a college research project years earlier. A high-ranking foreign military official nearly entered undetected because the vetting system amounts to self-reporting plus database queries.
Al-Muhtadi followed the same path. He received a green card in 2024 through the U.S. embassy in Cairo. His application stated he would live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and work in “car repairs or food services.” Based on that false application, he obtained authorization to travel to the United States and Legal Permanent Resident status. The comprehensive vetting that Secretary Mayorkas described failed to identify a terrorist operative.
What Happened on October 7, 2023
Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups launched a coordinated assault on southern Israel during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah on October 7, 2023. The attack killed 1,200 people—most of them civilians—and resulted in 247 kidnappings.
At Kibbutz Kfar Aza—where federal prosecutors allege Al-Muhtadi participated—approximately 250 Palestinian militants attacked the kibbutz. The assault resulted in 62 residents murdered and 19 abducted. Investigators found many victims with their hands bound or decapitated.
Federal prosecutors cite Al-Muhtadi’s telephone calls from the morning of the attack. The transcripts show him telling one person to “get ready” and another to “bring the rifles.” Additional transcripts show him requesting a “full magazine.”
The criminal complaint describes Al-Muhtadi as an operative who coordinated and executed mass murder. The Biden administration approved his green card application.
The American Public—Then and Now
Fox News and Harvard/Harris polls from March 2024 identified “immigration/border security” as President Biden’s biggest failure, cited by 31 percent of respondents—more than double any other issue.
By January 2024, 35 percent of voters named immigration their top concern, surpassing inflation. Among Biden’s critics, immigration was the single most cited factor at 19 percent.
ABC News/Ipsos polling from mid-January 2024 recorded 18 percent approval for Biden’s handling of immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border—roughly half his spring 2021 numbers—while 63 percent disapproved. Biden’s immigration rating was the lowest for any president in ABC News/Washington Post polls since January 2004.
The public identified the border crisis accurately. They recognized that dangerous actors were entering the country. They understood the vetting was insufficient.
Current polling shows 32 percent of respondents identify the Biden administration as “most responsible” for the immigration crisis—ahead of any other political or structural factor.
Cases like Al-Muhtadi’s validate the conservative argument: When processing speed takes priority over security screening, when enforcement mechanisms are weakened, when millions cross illegally with minimal consequences, the result includes dangerous actors alongside economic migrants.
The Biden-Harris administration released millions of inadmissible aliens without adequate vetting. That figure excludes roughly two million known gotaways. In Louisiana terms, the scale equals releasing the combined populations of Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and every small town between them without meaningful background checks.
The National Security Threat
Immigration and Customs Enforcement data from July 2024 documented nearly 650,000 criminal illegal aliens on ICE’s Non-Detained Docket. These individuals remain in the country with criminal records but without detention.
Between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, Border Patrol encountered terrorist watchlist aliens from 36 countries at the southwest border: Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
Fiscal year 2024 encounters included tens of thousands from nations presenting potential national security risks: 2,134 Afghan nationals, 33,347 Chinese nationals, 541 Iranian nationals, 520 Syrian nationals, and 3,104 Uzbek nationals.
Each encounter represents a threat that should have been stopped before reaching this depth in our immigration system.
Louisiana’s Response
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana stated: “Let this arrest serve as a reminder both that those who perpetrate acts of terrorism cannot evade justice by hiding in our communities and that state, local, and federal law enforcement are working tirelessly to bring these people to justice.”
The FBI, Louisiana State Police, Lafayette Police Department, and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office spent months tracking and investigating a terrorist suspect who should never have entered the country. These resources could have addressed local crime, drug trafficking, or homegrown threats. Instead, they corrected federal failures.
“Anyone involved in the October 7th attacks committed a crime against humanity and deserves to be behind bars," said Sen. Bill Cassidy, and he's right, but incarceration should have occurred elsewhere, not in Lafayette, Louisiana, after a compromised immigration system granted entry.
Security Versus Compassion
I understand the humanitarian arguments for immigration. America has historically served as a destination for people seeking better lives. The American dream should remain accessible to those willing to work hard and contribute to our nation.
Compassion divorced from security becomes recklessness. The Biden administration chose processing speed over safety, numerical throughput over background verification, expedited passage over thorough vetting. They made these choices, understanding they would create security gaps. They made them while knowing dangerous individuals would exploit those gaps.
The result? A man allegedly involved in one of history’s worst terrorist attacks lived in Lafayette, worked at a local restaurant, and maintained a normal daily routine despite his alleged participation in the murder of 62 people.
The Federal Government’s Responsibility
The federal government’s fundamental duty is to protect American citizens from foreign threats. When Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before Congress in June 2024, he stated: “I’m worried about the possibility of a terrorist attack in the United States.”
The Biden administration’s own Attorney General expressed concern about terrorist attacks stemming from border security failures. Yet policy remained unchanged. The administration continued implementing procedures that their own officials recognized as inadequate.
Political calculation explains this decision. The administration prioritized avoiding “anti-immigrant” accusations over addressing security vulnerabilities. That political choice created conditions where Americans could have been killed.
Current Status and Future Implications
Al-Muhtadi remains in custody at St. Martin Parish jail, facing federal charges for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and visa fraud. Conviction carries significant prison time.
He represents one known case. The complete count of dangerous individuals who entered during this period remains unknown. How many people with threatening backgrounds currently live in American communities because vetting processes proved inadequate?
We cannot determine the full scope. But each encounter with suspected terrorists, each criminal alien released into communities, each case resembling Al-Muhtadi’s, demonstrates federal failure at the most basic level—protecting citizens from foreign threats. Voters understood these failures before November 2024. They elected Donald Trump partly because they demanded secure borders and functional vetting. They wanted leadership that would prioritize American security, even when that required strict enforcement and intensive screening.
Repairing the Biden-era damage will require years. Criminals and terrorists who entered during that period remain in the country. Weak vetting systems persist pending reform. The institutional culture favoring processing speed over security continues.
The Bottom Line
A terrorist suspect allegedly involved in the October 7 massacre—among the worst attacks on Jewish civilians since the Holocaust—lived in Lafayette, Louisiana. Why? Because the Biden administration approved his green card based on fraudulent claims, and because their vetting procedures failed to identify him.
Americans expect to feel secure in their communities. They expect the federal government to verify who enters the country. They expect that terrorist suspects cannot fabricate their way through the system and establish residence in American neighborhoods. The Biden administration failed that test. They failed it spectacularly. And a man who allegedly helped orchestrate mass murder was walking around Lafayette as a result.
We got lucky this time. The FBI, working with Israeli authorities and local law enforcement, tracked him down and arrested him before he could do any harm here. But how many times can we count on getting lucky? into the country. They want to believe that suspected terrorists can’t just lie their way through the system and end up living next door.
The Biden administration failed that basic test. They failed it spectacularly. And a man who allegedly helped orchestrate mass murder was walking around Lafayette as a result. We got lucky this time. The FBI, working with Israeli authorities and local law enforcement, managed to track him down and arrest him before he could do any harm here. But how many times can we count on being lucky?
The next administration needs to learn from this failure. Real vetting means more than running names through a database. It means thorough interviews, cross-referencing with international partners, and taking the time to verify claims rather than rushing people through. It means prioritizing security over processing speed, even if it means longer wait times.
And most importantly, it means understanding that compassion without security isn’t compassionate at all—it’s dangerous.
The American people deserve better. Louisiana families deserve better. And the memory of the 62 people murdered at Kibbutz Kfar Aza deserves better than having their alleged killer approved for permanent residency in the United States.
This can never happen again.
The White Houses Response to the 'No Kings' Protests: 'Who Cares?'
The 'No Kings' protests are set to kick off Saturday, October 18th, across the United States. Organizers say more than 2,500 rallies are set to take place across all 50 states, led by a coalition of over 200 progressive groups spearheaded by Indivisible, whose sole goal is to "resist the Trump agenda."
Major demonstrations are expected in Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Protesters have been encouraged to wear yellow "to show collective strength in the face of oppression." The organizers have accused President Trump and his administration of "sending militarized agents into our communities, silencing voters, and handing billionaires giveaways while families struggle."
When asked about the demonstration, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital, "Who cares?"
Other republicans have also dismissed the nationwide protests.
The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, told Fox News that the protests are being fueled by “the pro-Hamas wing and the Antifa crowd.” He accused the Democrats of stalling negotiations over the Schumer Shutdown to appease their base.
Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas told Newsmax, "The agitators show up. We’ll have to get the National Guard out. Hopefully it will be peaceful. I doubt it."
The first of the "No Kings" rally took place earlier in the summer to protest the Army’s 250th anniversary military parade. While the protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, several devolved into violent riots, with several people arrested and at least one person killed. Organizers said that they only expect peaceful protesters, but some people have voiced concerns over paid agitators or professional protesters with different goals in mind.
200 Capitol Police Officers Secure 'No Kings' Rally For No Pay
About 200 Capitol Police Officers are working without pay to secure the ‘No Kings’ rally in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
The protest marked the 18th day that the federal government has been shuttered because Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on funding priorities. If the shutdown stretches much longer, more federal employees will miss paychecks.
Police posted on rooftops with sniper rifles, accounts noticed.
The Senate requires 60 votes to reopen the government, and there are only 53 Republicans in the Senate.
The irony of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, advertising the “no-kings” rally is that he’s held political power for decades, and he's one of the few people who can reopen the government.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, also attended the rally, a man who’s been in political power for over 30 years, accounts noted on X.
Since 1981, the federal government has shut down four times, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
- Nov. 14-18,1995
- Dec. 16, 1995 - Jan. 5, 1996
- Oct. 1-16, 2013
- Dec. 22, 2018-Jan. 24, 2019
This is now the third-longest shutdown. If it stretches much longer, then millions of low-income families won't receive food and other safety nets provided through the federal government.
Snipers Protecting 'No Kings' Rally Trigger CNN Reporter, Crowd
The liberal media is triggered that police are protecting the “No Kings” rally in Washington, D.C..
CNN reporter Edward-Isaac Dover said that the crowd was apparently upset that police were protecting the rally.
Conservative debater Charlie Kirk was publicly assassinated on Sept 10 during the first stop of his American Comeback tour in Utah. The shooter appears to be a leftist who was in a relationship with a transgender person.
Since then, other leftists have attacked conservatives and state and federal law enforcement at immigration facilities in Illinois and Texas.
Dover posted again that the residents are braving the police who are… protecting the rally.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, championed the rally. He claimed that President Donald Trump acts like a king.
But voters chose Trump over Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who didn't even have to defend her title from a challenger since former President Joe Biden refused to run again.
On her book tour, Harris has repeatedly claimed that the race was the closest race of this century. But it wasn't.
The closest presidential race in the 21st century was in 2000 when Al Gore faced George W. Bush, according to the American Presidency Project.
Bush won the electoral college vote 271-266. Bush beat Gore by just over 547,000 votes for the popular vote. In comparison, Harris lost the popular vote by nearly four times that margin, by 2 million votes.
Still, the rally goers claim that Trump wants to be a king.
While the Democrats saw the rally as a show of strength, Republicans saw it differently.
The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 and has now stretched to the third-longest shutdown since 1981.