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Tag: military

‘Catastrophic threat’: Conservative group’s roadmap shows how Trump can use military to thwart cartels

FIRST ON FOX: A top conservative group is offering a roadmap as to how President Donald Trump can effectively deploy the military to secure the southern border, arguing that there is a “substantial historic precedent” for such a use.

“A broad and diverse set of options and legal authorities are available to the second Trump Administration for using the resources and capacities of the U.S. military to ensure the integrity of the border with Mexico,” the Heritage Foundation report, obtained first by Fox News Digital, says. “Additionally, there is substantial historical precedent for an active U.S. military role in border security and managing migration crises.”

The report, “How the President Can Use the U.S. Military to Confront the Catastrophic Threat at the Border with Mexico,” argues that an “unchecked growth” of Mexican cartels, as well as illegal immigration and narcotics have “deepended and accelerated,” posing a destabilizing threat to the U.S.

TRUMP DHS MAKES KEY MOVE AGAINST MIGRANTS ALLOWED IN VIA CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN PAROLE PROGRAMS

This split shows the southern border wall and troops at the border. (Getty Images)

Simultaneously, it argues that there has been a “rapid deterioration” in U.S.-Mexico security cooperation and Mexico’s own anti-cartel operations.

It is a view shared by the new Trump administration. Trump issued an executive order on day one to deploy the military to the border as part of a slew of broader efforts to secure the southern border and crack down on illegal immigration.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

Authors Robert Greenway, Andres Martinez-Fernandez and Wilson Beaver argue for a number of follow-up measures to confront the threat of the cartels and what they see as a “reluctant” Mexican government.

“The first steps on this front should consist of measures, such as substantial bolstering of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) border security capacities, increasing restrictions on formal and informal border crossings, ramping up U.S. law enforcement efforts, targeting illicit financial flows tied to the cartels, and sanctioning corrupt Mexican officials,” they wrote.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave as they board Air Force One on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, for a trip to North Carolina and California. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The report stressed the need for appropriate funding from Congress and planning from agencies in order to prevent impacting other missions. It highlighted the potential for military equipment for immigration purposes, including deportation.

“When it comes to large-scale illegal-alien detention and deportation, some of the underused but most impactful resources include U.S. military transport vehicles and facilities around the world which could support detention and repatriation of illegal aliens, including to higher-risk and extra-hemispheric countries of origin,” it says.

As for direct military action against cartels, the authors say that it should be a “last resort,” with joint military action with Mexican coordination being the ideal condition.

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“However, in the appropriate context, unilateral U.S. military action may be employed to disrupt cartel activity and prompt cooperation from a resistant Mexican government,” it says.

It argues that Mexico is unlikely to change its stance with the election of President Claudia Sheinbaum, even in response to what the authors argue is a dramatically escalating threat from the cartels.

“Today, drug cartels are the fifth-largest employer in Mexico, with between 160,000 and 185,000 members,” they wrote. “Cartels are also equipped with military-level weaponry, including anti-aircraft weapons and armored vehicles, while increasingly employing advanced technologies, such as drones and signal jamming systems.”

The report also touts other uses for the military, including aiding border wall construction, helping supplement an overstretched Border Patrol, and the use of intelligence and surveillance methods to detect cross-border activity, as well as migrant detention at U.S. military facilities.

People are seen boarding a U.S. military aircraft. The White House announced on Friday that “deportation flights have begun” in the U.S. (White House)

The report comes after a flurry of activity from the administration, including the deployment of the military to the border, to tackle the border threat and limit illegal immigration.

Troops began arriving in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego on Thursday evening, providing 1,000 U.S. Army personnel and 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton in California.

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“This represents a 60% increase in active-duty ground forces since President Trump was sworn-in Monday,” then-acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement late Wednesday.

There are already 2,500 U.S. service members stationed at the southern border.

Fox News’ Christina Shaw contributed to this report.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

January 27, 2025
Trump plans to ban transgender troops from serving in the military

President Donald Trump is expected to sign a new executive order restricting transgender troops from serving in the military on Monday.

The new order requires Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to update medical standards to ensure they “prioritize readiness and lethality” and take action to “end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns” within DOD, per a White House document reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The order also restricts sleeping, changing and bathing facilities by biological sex. It’s not an immediate ban, but a direction for the secretary of Defense to implement such policies.

It revokes former President Joe Biden’s executive order the White House argues “allowed for special circumstances to accommodate ‘gender identity’ in the military – to the detriment of military readiness and unit cohesion.”

The order builds on another directive Trump issued last week that revoked a Biden-era order allowing transgender people to serve in the military.

DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH SAYS ‘NO MORE DEI AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE’: ‘NO EXCEPTIONS’

On the campaign trail, Trump promised to reinstate the ban on transgender troops he imposed during his first term. In his inauguration speech, he said he would formally recognize that there are only two genders: male and female.

Trump’s new order requires Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to update medical standards to ensure they “prioritize readiness and lethality” and take action to “end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns.” (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

There are an estimated 9,000 to 14,000 transgender service members – exact figures are not publicly available.

Between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent approximately $15 million on providing gender-affirming care (surgical and nonsurgical care) to 1,892 active duty service members, according to Congressional Research Service.

The move comes as part of a campaign taken up by Trump and Hegseth to weed out any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices across the military. And GOP lawmakers successfully included an amendment in their 2025 defense policy bill that bans irreversible transgender care for minors in the military healthcare system.

Advocates protest Trump’s transgender military ban in his first administration.

Hegseth, pictured embracing his kids after his confirmation, has promised to root out DEI within the military. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP)

WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

A day-one order banning DEI policies across the federal government has already sidelined 395 bureaucrats, Fox News Digital reported.

An order requiring the federal government to only recognize two genders has prohibited the use of taxpayer money for “transgender services” following reports that some inmates were receiving transgender care funded by the government. Medicaid, in some states, currently covers such treatments.

Also, under that order, federal prisons and shelters for migrants and rape victims are to be segregated by biological sex. It would block requirements at government facilities and at workplaces that transgender people be referred to using pronouns that align with their gender. Trump’s team says those requirements violate the First Amendment’s freedom of speech and religion.

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The order does not issue a nationwide mandate on which bathrooms transgender people can use or which sports competitions they can participate in, though many states have passed laws in those areas.

January 27, 2025
Mexico denies land access to US military plane

Mexico reportedly denied land access to a U.S. military plane slated to transport illegal immigrants to the country this week, a move highlighting tensions between the United States and its southern neighbor as the Trump administration continues to crack down on illegal migrants.

Citing two U.S. defense officials and a third person familiar with the situation, NBC News reported that two Air Force C-17s bound for Guatemala carrying about 80 people each flew deportees Thursday night out of the U.S.

A third flight bound for Mexico never took off after Mexico declined to consent to the landing, the report said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C.

‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’: TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

People board a U.S. military aircraft. The White House announced Friday that “deportation flights have begun” in the U.S. (White House)

Flying deportees into a foreign country requires the cooperation of that nation’s government.

It wasn’t clear why Mexico blocked the flight, but tensions over the Trump administration’s tough illegal immigration policies have strained relations between the countries.

TRUMP GOES TOE-TO-TOE WITH SANCTUARY CITIES OVER DEPORTATION AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN SET TO BEGIN

President Claudia Sheinbaum and President Donald Trump (Getty Images)

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she opposes Trump’s executive orders to combat illegal immigration, including reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires migrants to wait in Mexico while their asylum claims play out in the U.S.

Before taking office this week, Trump promised mass deportations, initially targeting criminal illegal immigrants and tougher immigration standards and vetting procedures.

Trump also ordered 1,500 active duty troops to the southern border to boost the military presence there.

Migrants deported from the U.S. to Mexico wave as they are transported to a shelter and cross El Chaparral pedestrian border bridge in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 21, 2025. (Felix Marquez/AP)

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In recent days, federal immigration authorities have made hundreds of arrests, including gang members and others with criminal histories, as part of Trump’s mass deportation efforts.

January 25, 2025
Israel’s military will remain in Lebanon as ceasefire deadline nears

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday confirmed that it will keep its forces in southern Lebanon as the 60-day truce comes to an end on Sunday.

Under the ceasefire deal agreed to in November, Jerusalem was to begin withdrawing troops from its northern neighbor – where it launched operations last fall in an effort to dismantle Hezbollah – and have all troops removed within 60 days.

But Israeli officials have argued that the IDF will not withdraw its forces, because stipulations under the deal, including the removal of Hezbollah terrorists and weapons from the southern region of Lebanon, and the deployment of Lebanese and U.N. troops to the area, have not been adequately fulfilled.

Israeli soldiers from the 769th Brigade continue to operate in southern Lebanon, rooting out Hezbollah threat. Image provided on Jan. 24, 2025. (Photo provided by the IDF)

LEBANON’S NEW PRESIDENT STRIKES A NATIONALISTIC TONE AMID REGIONAL SHIFTS, FURTHER WEAKENING OF HEZBOLLAH

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Friday, “Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese government, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States.

“The State of Israel will not endanger its communities and citizens,” the statement added, noting that the withdrawal of Israeli forces was “conditional” on the security guarantees from Hezbollah and Beirut.

The U.S. backed Israel’s decision and in a statement first reported by The Times of Israel said, “President Trump is committed to ensuring Israeli citizens can safely return to their homes in northern Israel, while also supporting President Aoun and the new Lebanese government.

“All parties share the goal of ensuring Hezbollah does not have the ability to threaten the Lebanese people or their neighbors. To achieve these goals, a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told the outlet.

“We are pleased that the IDF has started the withdrawal from the central regions, and we continue to work closely with our regional partners to finalize the extension,” he added.

Mourners react during the funeral of Hezbollah member Hassan Ghassan Hijazi, who was killed by an Israeli strike in Tayr Debba, in southern Lebanon, January 11, 2025. (Photo by Courtney Bonneau/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

The news that Israel may not be pulling all troops from Lebanon by the intended Jan. 26, 2025 deadline first emerged on Thursday.

Hezbollah, in return, issued a statement and called on the Lebanese government and the nations that helped broker the truce, including the U.S. and France, “to move effectively” to “[ensure] the implementation of the full withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the last inch of Lebanese territory and the return of the people to their villages quickly.”

The statement urged governments “not to give room to any pretexts or arguments to prolong the occupation.”

ISRAELI OFFICIAL REVEALS HOW ‘TO TRULY DEFEAT HEZBOLLAH’

More than 1.2 million people were reportedly displaced in Lebanon after fighting erupted amid Israel’s October incursion – a move prompted following months of missile exchanges with Hezbollah in the aftermath of the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

According to Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer, “There have been positive movements where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] have taken the place of Hezbollah forces, as stipulated in the agreement.”

However, these movements in southern Lebanon “have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do,” he told reporters on Thursday, according to Reuters.

Israeli soldiers from the 769th Brigade continue to operate in southern Lebanon, rooting out Hezbollah threat. Image provided on Jan. 24, 2025. (Photo provided by the IDF)

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Israeli reports on Friday suggested that Jerusalem had petitioned the Trump administration to grant it a 30-day extension on fully withdrawing its forces from its northern neighbor.

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the White House, State Department or Lebanese government for comment.

January 24, 2025
Dems rail against ‘egregious’ ICE raid after military veteran questioned

A New Jersey mayor and other leading Democrats have blasted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on a worksite which they say resulted in undocumented residents as well as a U.S. citizen being “detained.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka slammed the operation as an “egregious act” and a violation of the Fourth Amendment after agents reportedly swooped in to raid a business establishment “without producing a warrant.”

Baraka said that one of those detained is a U.S. military veteran who “suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned.”

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (Tanya Breen/USA TODAY NETWORK)

TRUMP BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN REVEALS ICE TEAMS ARE ALREADY ARRESTING ‘PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’

“This egregious act is in plain violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees ‘the right of the people be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures….’” Baraka wrote in a statement.

“Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized,” Barak said, adding that he is “ready and willing to defend and protect civil and human rights.”

It is not clear if the U.S. citizen in the Newark case was taken into custody, with an ICE spokesperson telling Fox News that the U.S. citizen was asked to produce identification.

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting field work and may request identification to establish an individual’s identity as was the case during a targeted enforcement operation at a worksite today in Newark, New Jersey,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox News in relation to Thursday’s Newark operation. “This is an active investigation, and, per ICE policy, we cannot discuss ongoing investigations.”

An exterior view of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency headquarters. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

ICE raids have ramped up across the country this week as President Donald Trump looks to clamp down on illegal immigration, a key campaign promise. Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan has said ICE agents will focus on the “worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they got a problem.”

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New Jersey senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim joined Baraka in condemning the raid.

“We are deeply concerned about the news of an ICE raid in Newark today. Our offices have reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to demand answers,” the senators said in a joint statement.

“Actions like this one sow fear in all of our communities — and our broken immigration system requires solutions, not fear tactics. We will continue to work with Mayor Baraka and other local officials to gather more information to ensure all New Jerseyans are safe and their dignity and rights are protected.”

Baraka, a progressive Democrat, has been mayor of Newark since 2014 and is running for New Jersey governor this year. He has called for a “progressive overhaul” of the blue state and his campaign agenda includes reparations, sanctuary state laws, baby bonds, and a universal basic income.”

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., also slammed the raid. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., also slammed the raid in a statement.

“Already, Trump’s attacks on immigrant communities are hitting home and we will not back down,” she said. “We will always fight for the dignity and rights of everyone in our district and across the country.”

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In the first days of the Trump administration, ICE has made more than 460 arrests of illegal immigrants, including those with criminal histories that include sexual assault, domestic violence and drugs and weapons crimes. Arrests took place across the U.S., including Illinois, Utah, California, Minnesota, New York, Florida and Maryland.

Agents arrested nationals from a slew of countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and Venezuela.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Stephen Sorace and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

January 24, 2025
Israeli military launches large-scale counterterrorism operation in West Bank city

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a wide-ranging counterterrorism operation in the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday. The IDF, Israel Security Authority and Israel Border Police announced the operation in a joint statement, but did not give details. Two people were allegedly killed in an Israeli strike that was part of the operation, France 24 reported, citing the Palestinian Health Ministry.

An Israeli military source allegedly told the Times of Israel that the operation began with drone strikes and is expected to last for several days. The strikes were reportedly on terror infrastructure used by terror organizations operating in Jenin.

“This is another step towards achieving the goal we set – strengthening security in Judea and Samaria,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “We act methodically and resolutely against the Iranian axis wherever it sends its arms – in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Judea, and Samaria.”

IDF counterterrorism activities in the city of Jenin and the Jenin Camp. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.)

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY UNDER PRESSURE AMID RISING RESISTANCE, POPULARITY OF IRAN-BACKED TERROR GROUPS

“The IDF began this counter-terrorism operation yesterday, focusing on protecting our civilians and dismantling terror infrastructure in the area,” IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“The IDF operated there a few months ago, in August. Over the past 15 months, there have been hundreds of terrorist attacks both in Judea and Samaria and the rest of Israel,” Shoshani said. “The threat of terrorism against civilians, whether from organized terrorist networks or lone-wolf attacks, continues to pose a grave and immediate danger.”

Prior to the IDF’s operation, the Palestinian Authority (PA) had been conducting a weeks-long campaign of its own to reassert control in Jenin and an adjacent refugee camp, which serves as a major hub for terror groups, Reuters reported.

Last month, as it was facing a growing challenge in Jenin, the PA launched an ongoing operation against local terror factions supported by Iran, a crackdown that has sparked violent clashes and highlighted the deepening rift between the PA and local communities.

Palestinian Authority security forces vehicles block a road amid clashes with militants in the Jenin camp in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Dec. 15, 2024. (ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

ISRAEL, HAMAS CEASE-FIRE DEAL COULD ENABLE REARMING OF GAZA TERRORISTS

“Iran has been funding militants to buy weapons, and now the Palestinian Authority is acting to stop that. They’ve taken measures to block the money and crack down on the factions. The PA knows Iran will keep supporting Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and this is the challenge they face. It’s the right time to confront Iran, especially after the wars in Gaza and Lebanon- public mood is not welcoming any military confrontation with Israel after what happened,” Mohammad Daraghmeh, Asharq News bureau chief in Ramallah, told Fox News Digital in December.

Palestinian security forces stand on guard during the funeral of Ibrahim Qaddoumi, a member of the Palestinian Authority who was killed during armed clashes between Palestinian security forces and gunmen in the Jenin refugee camp. (Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

HAMAS RELEASES 3 HOSTAGES UNDER ISRAEL CEASE-FIRE DEAL

The operation in Jenin comes at a turning point for the IDF’s war against Hamas in Gaza. As part of a cease-fire agreement, three Israeli civilian hostages were released on Sunday. Emily Damari, Romi Goren, and Doron Steinbrecher were reunited with their families after spending 471 days in Hamas captivity.

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Efrat Lachter and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

January 23, 2025
Israeli military chief steps down over October. 7 Hamas massacre: ‘weighs on me everyday’

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, announced his resignation Tuesday, taking responsibility for the military’s failures during the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.

His departure, set for March 2025, marks the end of a decorated four-decade military career and has ignited political turmoil, with opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on the Israeli leader to step down.

“On the morning of October 7, the IDF under my command failed in its mission to protect Israel’s citizens. This failure weighs on me every day and will do so for the rest of my life,” Halevi wrote in his resignation letter, addressing the IDF’s failure during the unprecedented assault by Hamas, which left over 1,400 Israelis dead and dozens abducted.

Despite the October 7 tragedy, Halevi highlighted the IDF’s achievements under his leadership, including operations that weakened Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran’s regional influence. “The IDF managed to rise from a very challenging starting point to conduct intense combat over more than a year and three months across seven theaters of operation,” he stated. “The military achievements of the IDF have transformed the Middle East.”

BITTERSWEET REJOICING AS FIRST HOSTAGES RETURN TO ISRAEL AFTER 471 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi holds a situational assessment and discussion with reserve commanders on the Lebanese border. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)

Halevi said, “The objectives of the war have not yet been fully achieved. The IDF will continue fighting to dismantle Hamas’s governing capabilities, secure the return of all hostages, and strengthen security conditions to ensure the safe return of residents to their homes.” He emphasized that his resignation followed the cease-fire and a new deal for hostage returns.

Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked Halevi for his service in a statement from his office: “The Prime Minister thanked the Chief of Staff for his many years of service and leadership during the War of Revival across seven fronts, which brought significant achievements to the State of Israel.” Defense Minister Israel Katz also praised Halevi’s contributions, noting, “He will continue to fulfill his duties and oversee an orderly transition process until the end of his tenure.”

Halevi’s resignation marks the most significant exit from Israel’s security establishment in the wake of the events of Oct. 7. Netanyahu has declined to take responsibility for those failures, repeatedly stating that accountability will come only after the war.

ISRAEL, HAMAS CEASE-FIRE DEAL COULD ENABLE REARMING OF GAZA TERRORISTS

Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Opposition leaders used Halevi’s resignation to escalate criticism of Netanyahu. Opposition leader Yair Lapid stated, “I salute Lieutenant General Halevi for his integrity. Now it’s time for the Prime Minister and his disastrous government to take responsibility and resign.” Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz echoed this, calling Halevi’s decision ethical and commendable. “The government must follow his example and establish a state commission of inquiry to restore public trust,” he added. Avigdor Lieberman also urged Netanyahu and his cabinet to step down.

To date, the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the events of Oct. 7 has not been approved by the Israeli government. Knesset member Orit Farkash-Hacohen announced that she will submit a bill on Wednesday to establish such a commission, following the resignation of the IDF chief of staff.

Families of Oct. 7 victims demanded accountability from both the military and government, calling for a state inquiry. “We will not rest until a commission is established to prevent future disasters,” they said in a statement.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday held meetings at Mount Hermon with senior defense and security officials. (IDF)

Halevi’s resignation adds to pressure on Netanyahu, whose government faces historically low approval from the public, according to recent opinion polls.

Speculation over Halevi’s successor has already begun, with leading candidates including Eyal Zamir, the current director-general of the Ministry of Defense who previously served as deputy chief of staff under former Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi. Other candidates for the position include Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Uri Gordin and the current deputy chief of staff, Amir Baram, who reportedly asked Halevi to step down several weeks ago.

January 23, 2025