American climber Alex Honnold has completed a ropeless ascent of Taipei 101, scaling the landmark skyscraper in just over an hour and a half.

The 40-year-old, famous for tackling extreme climbs without safety equipment, reached the summit of the 508-metre tower on Sunday after a 90-minute climb.

Taipei 101, once the tallest building on earth, has 101 storeys and rises more than half a kilometre above the Taiwanese capital.

Crowds gathered below erupted in applause as Honnold reached the top. The climb had originally been planned for Saturday but was postponed due to rain.

“What a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day,” Honnold said after finishing the ascent.

“It was very windy, so I was like, don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance nicely. But it was, what an incredible position, what a beautiful way to see Taipei.”

ALEX HONNOLD AFTER COMPLETING HIS FREE SOLO OF TAIPEI 101: “Sick.”

The 101 story climb took 1 hour and 35 minutes #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/TIzeRqiUcM

— Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026

Taipei 101 was completed in 2004 and was the first skyscraper in the world to surpass 500 metres in height.

Its distinctive design features stacked sections often referred to as “bamboo boxes,” with the central portion of the building proving the most technically demanding for the climber.

The structure is divided into eight segments, each containing eight floors of steep overhangs followed by balcony sections.

He used these ledges to pause briefly as he worked his way upward.

awesome! Taipei 101 pic.twitter.com/hOXgQnriMb

— Otto Huang  (@OttoHuang120) January 25, 2026

Honnold first gained international attention in 2017 after becoming the first person to free solo a full climbing route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

That achievement was later documented in the Academy Award-winning 2018 film Free Solo.

Although other climbers have previously scaled Taipei 101, Honnold is the first to do so without using a rope.

French climber Alain Robert completed a roped ascent of the building in four hours on Christmas Day in 2004 during its opening celebrations.

Unlike many of his previous climbs, which are typically carried out in remote locations, Sunday’s ascent took place in front of a live audience and was streamed by Netflix with a 10-second broadcast delay.

“When I was leaving the ground, you’re like, oh it’s kind of intense, there’s so many people watching,” Honnold said. “But then honestly, they’re all wishing me well.”

”I mean basically it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.”

The post American Successfully Climbs Taiwan’s 508 Meter Skyscraper in Staggering Ropeless Ascent (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Miami International Airport was abruptly evacuated on Sunday evening, and hundreds, if not thousands, of travelers were forced out of the airport during an apparent security issue. 

Meanwhile, a massive snowstorm across the Eastern US is already causing widespread flight delays and cancellations.

Travelers were reportedly seen rushing outside at approximately 5:30 pm ET.

Reports suggest that unattended luggage was the culprit, and the Bomb Squad was called in to investigate.

CBS Miami reports that a “suspicious package” is under investigation, per the County Sheriff’s office. At least three concourses were evacuated.

WATCH:

Videos circulating on social media show a large crowd gathered outside the airport. According to pro poker player Eugene Katchalov, “There was some kind of ‘pop’ and a huge panic started. Everyone started to run for the exits.”

“I saw 3 people being walked out in handcuffs. Though the police and the handcuffed people appeared to be very calm and stood around waiting outside with everyone for the first 5mins or so before they rushed everyone downstairs,” he said.

Didn’t catch it on video as I was on the phone, but shortly prior to the video above I saw 3 people being walked out in handcuffs. Though the police and the handcuffed people appeared to be very calm and stood around waiting outside with everyone for the first 5mins or so before…

— Eugene Katchalov (@EugeneKatchalov) January 25, 2026

They’ve asked all the airport employees upfront, so hopefully means they’ll be letting them inside soon and resuming operations. pic.twitter.com/G0X4cLAzUf

— Eugene Katchalov (@EugeneKatchalov) January 25, 2026

Per the Daily Mail:

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said they found an unattended luggage near a door at Departures and launched the evacuation as a precaution.

Bomb Squad officials were also called to the scene.

This comes as delays and cancellations stemming from the historic snowstorm – which has already claimed at least 12 fatal victims – have already sparked travel disarray.

One woman who shared a video from the chaotic scene said people hoping to board their flights were ‘just told to leave’ without any further explanation.

This is a developing story.

The post DEVELOPING: Miami Airport Evacuated as Bomb Squad Called in for Suspicious Package (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Virginia Democrats have introduced House Bill 863 (HB 863), which seeks to remove mandatory minimum prison sentences for a slew of serious offenses, including rape, manslaughter, child pornography possession and distribution, assault on law enforcement officers, and repeat violent felonies.

The bill, sponsored by Democrat Delegate Rae Cousins, was filed shortly after the new Democrat-controlled General Assembly convened under Governor Abigail Spanberger.

The legislation amends over 30 sections of the Virginia Code, striking language that imposes mandatory minimum sentences for these crimes.

For example, under current law, rape carries a mandatory minimum in cases involving minors or certain aggravating factors, such as life imprisonment for raping a child under 13 if the offender is over 18. HB 863 would eliminate these floors, allowing judges full discretion to impose sentences as low as probation or suspended time, while keeping maximum penalties intact.

Similar changes were made to the laws regarding forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated involuntary manslaughter, and child pornography offenses.

Supporters of the changes argue that the bill promotes “fairer outcomes” by ending “one-size-fits-all” sentencing and giving judges greater flexibility in individual cases.

Critics, however, warn that the changes could endanger public safety by allowing violent offenders back on the streets sooner.

Josh Ederheimer, a retired law enforcement officer and assistant professor at the University of Virginia’s Center for Public Safety and Justice, told Fox News that eliminating minimums raises concerns about re-offending, especially in violent felonies. 4

“From a law enforcement standpoint, I think police generally want offenders to be held accountable, and frustration among law enforcement officers grows when individuals are released quickly and subsequently re-offend,” Ederheimer said.

“I think that the police and public alike have expectations that convicted criminals will be held accountable, and that full sentences should be served,” Ederheimer added. “Mandatory minimums assure victims – and the community – that a convicted person will serve their sentence.”

Of course, there is also a major concern that those who receive a slap on the wrist will have no incentive not to reoffend.

“For violent felonies, however, the biggest practical concern is that the defendant will re-offend, and that the public is not alerted or aware that the defendant has returned to the community. It’s an accountability concern that falls on the shoulders of judges and prosecutors.”

The post Virginia Democrats Push Bill to Eliminate Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Rape, Manslaughter, Child Pornography, and Other Violent Crimes appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Trump on Sunday issued a blistering statement and list of demands for local Democratic leaders, namely Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, amid the ongoing violent riots in Minneapolis. 

The President further called for Congress to “immediately pass Legislation to END Sanctuary Cities, which is the root cause of all of these problems.”

“American Cities should be Safe Sanctuaries for Law Abiding American Citizens ONLY, not Illegal Alien Criminals who broke our Nation’s Laws.”

As The Gateway Pundit reported, Border Patrol fatally shot a man, identified as 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, during a struggle on Saturday morning after the suspect pulled his gun on agents, sparking riots and further attacks on law enforcement.

Anti-ICE rioters immediately began clashing with ICE and setting fires as law enforcement deployed crowd control measures following Pretti’s death. Thousands of anti-ICE rioters established an “autonomous zone” after overwhelming Minneapolis police and driving them out of the area.

On Sunday, a viral video from the riots shows a mob of rioters violently attacking and tackling a federal officer.

SHOCKING VIDEO: Federal Officers Attacked and Tackled by Violent Minneapolis Rioters

The Trump Administration has recently placed roughly 1,500 active-duty soldiers on standby for deployment to Minnesota as President Trump weighs invoking the Insurrection Act. Additionally, Minnesota National Guard troops have been mobilized in Minneapolis to support law enforcement.

On Saturday, in an apparent warning to Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and other Democratic leaders nationwide, Trump went off, condemning leftist politicians for "encouraging Leftwing Agitators to unlawfully obstruct their operations to arrest the Worst of the Worst People" and "putting Illegal Alien Criminals over Taxpaying, Law-Abiding Citizens." He further credited the Democrats for the shooting deaths of Renee Good, who attempted to ram an ICE agent with her car, and Alex Pretti, who clashed with agents while armed with a pistol.

"I won the Election in a Historic Landslide, and Republicans won Majorities in both the House and Senate, in large part, because we pledged to SEAL THE BORDER, which we have done, and launch the largest Mass Deportation of Illegal Alien Criminals in American History," Trump declared. "This Deportation effort is underway, and in Republican run Cities and States, these operations are going peacefully and smoothly, because Local Law Enforcement Officers are allowed to work with their Federal counterparts."

"That is why I am hereby calling on Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor in the United States of America to formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation’s Laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence," Trump said.

Trump gave the following four commands to Democratic officials, all of which are "rooted in COMMON SENSE, and will provide the best possible circumstances to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," he said:

1. Governor Walz and Mayor Frey should turn over all Criminal Illegal Aliens that are currently incarcerated in their State Prisons and Jails to Federal Authorities, along with all Illegal Criminals with an active warrant or known Criminal History, for Immediate Deportation.

2. State and Local Law Enforcement must agree to turn over all Illegal Aliens arrested by Local Police.

3. Local Police must assist Federal Law Enforcement in apprehending and detaining Illegal Aliens who are wanted for Crimes.

4. Democrat Politicians must partner with the Federal Government to protect American Citizens in the rapid removal of all Criminal Illegal Aliens in our Country. Some Democrats, in places like Memphis, Tennessee, or Washington, D.C., have done so, resulting in safer streets for ALL.

The Trump Administration is standing by, and waiting for ANY Democrat to do the right thing, and work with us on these important matters of MAKING AMERICA SAFE like it is in all sections of our Country where we are, together with Local Leadership, participating and involved," Trump said.

Full statement below:

During the four years of Crooked Joe Biden and Democrat failed leadership, Tens of Millions of Illegal Alien Criminals poured into our Country, including Hundreds of Thousands of Convicted Murderers, Rapists, Kidnappers, Drug Dealers, and Terrorists.

I won the Election in a Historic Landslide, and Republicans won Majorities in both the House and Senate, in large part, because we pledged to SEAL THE BORDER, which we have done, and launch the largest Mass Deportation of Illegal Alien Criminals in American History. This Deportation effort is underway, and in Republican run Cities and States, these operations are going peacefully and smoothly, because Local Law Enforcement Officers are allowed to work with their Federal counterparts. For example, in the five Republican run States of Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Louisiana, ICE has arrested 150,245 Criminal Illegal Aliens over the past year — with ZERO protests, riots, or chaos. Why? Because Local Police and ICE are cooperating and working together.

Meanwhile, Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States are REFUSING to cooperate with ICE, and they are actually encouraging Leftwing Agitators to unlawfully obstruct their operations to arrest the Worst of the Worst People! By doing this, Democrats are putting Illegal Alien Criminals over Taxpaying, Law-Abiding Citizens, and they have created dangerous circumstances for EVERYONE involved. Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos.

That is why I am hereby calling on Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor in the United States of America to formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation’s Laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence:

1. Governor Walz and Mayor Frey should turn over all Criminal Illegal Aliens that are currently incarcerated in their State Prisons and Jails to Federal Authorities, along with all Illegal Criminals with an active warrant or known Criminal History, for Immediate Deportation.

2. State and Local Law Enforcement must agree to turn over all Illegal Aliens arrested by Local Police.

3. Local Police must assist Federal Law Enforcement in apprehending and detaining Illegal Aliens who are wanted for Crimes.

4. Democrat Politicians must partner with the Federal Government to protect American Citizens in the rapid removal of all Criminal Illegal Aliens in our Country. Some Democrats, in places like Memphis, Tennessee, or Washington, D.C., have done so, resulting in safer streets for ALL.

In addition, I am hereby calling on the United States Congress to immediately pass Legislation to END Sanctuary Cities, which is the root cause of all of these problems. American Cities should be Safe Sanctuaries for Law Abiding American Citizens ONLY, not Illegal Alien Criminals who broke our Nation’s Laws.

All of these requests are rooted in COMMON SENSE, and will provide the best possible circumstances to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The Trump Administration is standing by, and waiting for ANY Democrat to do the right thing, and work with us on these important matters of MAKING AMERICA SAFE like it is in all sections of our Country where we are, together with Local Leadership, participating and involved.

DONALD J. TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The post JUST IN: Trump GOES OFF – Demands Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, and EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor to Cooperate with Federal Government Amid Minnesota Insurrection, Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation Ending Sanctuary Cities appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Peter Schweizer of the Government Accountability Institute was on “Sunday Morning Futures” with host Maria Bartiromo to discuss the national security threat that China poses to the United States. One of the examples he states was their exploitation of birthright citizenship.

“I’m back with Peter Schweizer, author of the new book, ‘The Invisible Coup.’ Peter, what else did you learn and report? What were your big takeaways out of this book?” Bartiromo asked.

“That we’ve been looking at immigration the wrong way. We’ve viewed it primarily in terms of the economy and violent crime, which is very important. But the motivation of foreign actors is to weaponize immigration,” Schweizer said.

“China has a very sophisticated program of exploiting birthright citizenship,” Schweizer said.

“Our federal government has no idea, no idea how many children are being minted as US citizens using this technique,” Schweizer continued.

“China has looked into it. China has encouraged this. They have pushed it,” Schweizer said.

“They are taken back to China, raised in China. When they turn 18, they are gonna be US citizens. They can vote in elections, donate to political campaigns, get government jobs. That’s more than a million voters,” Schweizer said.

“It’s a massive exploitation of our immigration laws. Other entities like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Mexican government are doing the same sort of thing,” Schweizer warned.

Watch:

Today, exclusively on @SundayFutures with @MariaBartiromo, President for the Government Accountability Institute Peter Schweizer @peterschweizer spoke about the threat of China to U.S. National Security. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/MrD3GqhR9w

— SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) January 25, 2026

Schweizer also discussed the anti-ICE protests and agitators. He explained that there are outside organizations that are working to help perpetuate the chaos in Minnesota.

“Do you believe there are any outside agitators on the ground right now in Minneapolis and what is your reaction to a second fatal shooting at the hands of Border Patrol?” Bartiromo asked.

“I think the chaos in Minneapolis is absolutely horrifying and I think that foreign actors benefit from that,” Schweizer said.

“We know that foreign powers like Mexico are actively involved in organizing what they call the resistance to Donald Trump,” Schweizer continued.

“If you look on the ground in Minneapolis there are a couple of groups that are very actively involved in the anti-ICE protests. One of them is in the same building as the Mexican Consulate and has worked aggressively with them,” Schweizer warned.

Watch:

Today, exclusively on @SundayFutures with @MariaBartiromo, President for the Government Accountability Institute Peter Schweizer @peterschweizer spoke about the Anti-Ice protests across the U.S. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/oVGudCwbzw

— SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) January 25, 2026

The post Peter Schweizer on Threat China Poses to National Security, Exploits Birthright Citizenship (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.