NYPD, FBI disrupt alleged plot to kill a Palestinian activist
In this May 15, 2025, file photo, Nerdeen Kiswani speaks at a Nakba day protest in Brooklyn, New York. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images, FILE)
(NEW YORK) — The NYPD and the FBI said they have disrupted an alleged plot to kill a Palestinian activist, according to law enforcement officials and unsealed court documents.
Authorities arrested Alexander Heifler in Hoboken on Thursday night on charges of unlawfully possessing and unlawfully making firearms. He is also accused of plotting to “go after” activist Nerdeen Kiswani, co-founder of Within Our Lifetime, who is an organizer of many of the pro-Palestinian protests in New York City.
Kiswani is not identified by name in the criminal complaint, but she posted on social media the FBI informed her she was the alleged target.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Smoke rises over the city center after an Israeli army launches 2nd wave of airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Last summer, the United States struck several nuclear weapons facilities in Iran.
In the wake of the strikes, carried out by the highly advanced American B-2 bombers, President Donald Trump declared that the Iranian regime’s nuclear capabilities had been “obliterated.”
However, questions arose in the wake of the strikes about what was actually destroyed.
In the intervening months, the U.S. has tried to negotiate with the Iranian regime to reach a nuclear deal and Trump has repeatedly threatened the regime.
Recently, the administration began to float a potential strike, while maintaining that the nuclear program had been “obliterated,” leaving the justification for doing so unclear. In his address after Saturday’s strikes, Trump mentioned “imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” missile and nuclear capabilities as well as regime change.
Iran has stated numerous times that it doesn’t want nuclear weapons but believes it has the right to use nuclear power for civilian purpose.
A recent Defense Intelligence Agency memo suggested Iran was looking to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035, but Trump suggested missiles could be capable of reaching the U.S. “soon.”
Here’s how the events have unfolded.
June 12, 2025: Israel launches a series of preemptive strikes against Iran, hitting military targets including the nuclear program. A dayslong conflict erupts.
June 22, 2025: U.S. launches Operation Midnight Hammer, with more than 100 planes, including seven B-2 stealth bombers, targeting three nuclear sites in Iran. In the wake of the strike, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the country’s nuclear ambitions were “obliterated.”
Hegseth said at the time that the scope of the operation was “intentionally limited” to give the Iranians a chance to negotiate and the attack was not about “regime change.” At the same time, Israel said that it struck “dozens of military sites” in Iran.
Trump floated the idea of regime change at the time writing on Truth Social – “It’s not politically correct to use the term, “Regime Change,” but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???”
December 2025-January 2026: Protests break out in Iran that become widespread. The protests turn deadly, with the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) saying that thousands were killed. Trump threated to hit the regime “hard” if protesters were killed.
Jan. 26, 2026: Trump tells Axios that Iran “wants to make a deal.” “They were going to hang 837 people, and I told them, if you do it, you’re going to pay a price like nobody’s ever paid before. They pulled back. I appreciated that, but a lot of people have been killed. So, we’ll see what happens. I can say this. They do want to make a deal,” he said.
Jan. 28, 2026: Trump says on Truth Social that a “massive armada is heading to Iran” and “Hopefully Iran will quickly “Come to the Table” and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.” He further warned that “he next attack will be far worse” than Midnight Hammer.
Jan. 30: Trump says Iran wants to make a deal.
Feb. 3: A U.S. official confirms talks are tentatively scheduled to take place in Turkey.
Feb. 4: Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is ready for Iran talks but “they will have to include certain things, and that includes the range of their ballistic missiles, that includes their sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region, that includes a nuclear program, and that includes the treatment of their own people.”
Feb. 6: U.S. and Iran engage in indirect talks in Oman. After the talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called them a “good start” according to state media.
Feb. 11: Vice President JD Vance says he wants a deal with Iran, but “if we can’t cut that deal, then there’s another option on the table.” He said regime change was “up to the Iranian people.”
Feb. 13: Trump says regime change is the “best thing that could happen.” He urged Iran to make a deal. “I will say they wanted to talk, but so far, they do a lot of talking, and no action,” he said.
Feb. 19: Trump gives Iran 15 days “maximum” to make a deal. “We’re either going to get a deal or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” he said.
Feb. 24: During the State of the Union speech, Trump issued a stark warning to the Iranian regime. “They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” Trump said. Trump insisted that Iran would not agree to not pursue a nuclear weapon. He said “no nation should ever doubt America’s resolve.”
Feb. 26: The U.S. and Iran hold high stakes talks in Geneva. The administration said that it wanted a full stop to Iranian uranium enrichment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the regime posed a “threat” and “you can see them always trying to rebuild elements of” the nuclear program. Vance says there is “no chance” of a drawn out war.
Feb. 27: Trump says he is “not happy” with negotiations with Iran. “I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have.” But he said a final decision had not been made as to whether to strike. Earlier in the day, it was announced that Rubio would travel to Israel on Monday and Tuesday.
Feb. 28: The U.S. launches Operation Epic Fury, which Trump called “major combat operations” alongside Israel. Trump justified the attacks to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” He also called on the Iranian people to rise up and depose the regime. Trump has not provided evidence of the threats posed by Iran and did not seek the approval of Congress.
Stock image of police lights. (Douglas Sacha/Getty Images)
(WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.) — Multiple people were shot, including two fatally, after a “planned fight” between two juveniles at a North Carolina park escalated and several people opened fire, authorities said.
Gunfire broke out at Leinbach Park in Winston-Salem on Monday morning, according to police.
“This stemmed from a planned fight between two young individuals,” the Winston-Salem Police Department said.
The two met shortly before 10 a.m., when the “situation escalated significantly, leading to multiple people exchanging gunfire,” the police department said.
Two people are dead, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Winston-Salem police said they have not confirmed the total number of victims and suspects are “still outstanding.”
The incident was isolated and remains under investigation, police said.
Leinbach Park, which is located near a middle school, remains closed, police said. Students at the school were safe, police said.
(NEW YORK) — The first of two storms has passed through the Great Lakes and is now moving through the northern tier of the Northeast, bringing widespread strong winds and snow from the eastern Great Lakes to northern New England.
On Friday, wind gusts greater than 70 mph were reported in Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Indiana. Wind alerts remain in place from northeast Ohio and central Pennsylvania up to Upstate New York and the higher elevations of Massachusetts through Saturday morning and afternoon for wind gusts between 45 and 60 mph.
Saturday morning, snow continues across Upstate New York and into northern New England. An additional widespread 1 to 3 inches of snow can be expected from northwest New York to Maine, with some localized areas possibly getting over 3 inches of snow.
Heavier snow and severe weather The next storm will be a stronger, cross-country storm that has been impacting the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies since Friday and will sweep into the northern Rockies and Plains Saturday and the Midwest later Saturday into Sunday.
Winter storm warnings stretch from the Idaho Panhandle to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with some flight agencies cancelling flights ahead of this major winter storm.
Blizzard Warnings have also been issued for parts of South Dakota and southwest Minnesota for snowfall of more than a foot and strong winds up to 60 mph possible, with the National Weather Service warning that travel will likely become impossible late Saturday and Sunday.
By Sunday morning, snow stretches from South Dakota and Nebraska into the Great Lakes.
On the southern side of the powerful system, a line of severe storms will develop from Michigan down to Texas Sunday afternoon into the night.
An “Enhanced” risk (Level 3/5) has already been issued for parts of the Midwest on Sunday, from Indianapolis to just north of Memphis. Widespread damaging wind gusts will be the main threat although a few tornadoes will be possible along with large hail.
Chicago could go from thunderstorms on Sunday night to snow and whiteout conditions on Monday.
On Monday, the major storm will continue to move east. There will still be snow and wind across the Great Lakes and rounds of heavy rain and strong winds moving into the Northeast.
More severe weather will continue across the East Coast on Monday late afternoon into the evening from the Florida Panhandle up to Pennsylvania.
An “Enhanced” risk (level 3 of 5) has been issued for parts of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. This includes Columbia, South Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C; Baltimore, Maryland; and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The main threat will be damaging winds, some large hail and a few tornadoes.
By the time this storm passes through, a widespread 3 to 6 inches of snow will be likely from Montana to the northern fringes of Upstate New York. The heaviest snow is expected from northeast South Dakota to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where 10 to 20 inches of snow will be possible, as well as gusty winds that could cause blowing snow and reduced visibility.
