NEW YORK — Russia is trying to scare Europe into backing off its defense in the region, claims European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who warns it will only lead to Moscow becoming more aggressive if it succeeds.

"Their goal is to intimidate us from not supporting Ukraine, from refraining to support them and pressuring Russia," Kallas told Fox News Digital in an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

"What is important for us is that we are not afraid," she continued. "Because otherwise this kind of intimidation actually pays off, and then we will see more of it across the world."

For Kallas, Russia’s attempts to intimidate its European neighbors carry a history that reaches well beyond the war in Ukraine.

Her mother, Kristi, was just six months old in 1949 when Soviet authorities deported her — along with her mother and her grandmother — to Siberia during Stalin’s mass deportations from the Baltic states. Kallas’ maternal grandfather was separately sent to a Siberian prison camp.

Kallas has recounted how her mother was transported east in a cattle car, with fellow deportees drying the infant’s diapers against their own bodies during the freezing journey. The family spent roughly a decade in Siberia before they were allowed to return to Soviet-occupied Estonia in 1959.

Kallas was born in Tallinn in 1977 and spent the first 14 years of her life under Soviet rule. Estonia restored its independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union collapsed.

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Her family would go on to become deeply entwined with the new democratic Estonia. Her father, Siim Kallas, became the first president of the Bank of Estonia after gaining its independence, later serving as foreign minister and prime minister before moving to Brussels as a European commissioner.

Kaja Kallas followed her own path from lawyer to member of Estonia’s parliament and then the European Parliament.

In 2021, she became Estonia’s first female prime minister and three years later was chosen as the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. It was a historic moment — putting a politician who grew up under Soviet occupation at the center of Europe’s response to Russian aggression on the continent.

That history has made Kallas one of Europe’s most prominent voices on Moscow — even as officials in her native Estonia and elsewhere along NATO’s eastern flank now caution against interpreting Russia’s recent provocations as preparations for a conventional invasion.

Russia invaded Ukraine more than four-and-a-half years ago and shows no signs of backing off despite repeated promises that negotiations for an end of war are ongoing.

Asked whether she agreed with Estonian and other Baltic officials who say they do not currently see Russia preparing for such an attack, Kallas instead pointed to Moscow’s growing use of sabotage and the importance of deterrence.

"We see that Russia is actually increasing their sabotage acts in Europe," Kallas said. "But of course how far they will go depends very much on us and whether we are investing enough in defense so that it acts as a deterrent."

The debate comes as NATO countries confront a string of Russian aircraft and drone incursions, along with suspected sabotage and other hybrid activity across Europe. The incidents have fueled warnings in some European capitals that Moscow is probing the alliance for weaknesses, while officials closer to Russia have cautioned against equating those provocations with preparations for an invasion.

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Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told Fox News Digital in a separate interview this week that his country's intelligence services see no indication Russia is preparing for a full-scale attack on NATO.

"We have more and more this kind of panic in Europe that Russia will invade and will be full-scale aggressive against NATO and Europe and the Baltic states, Poland, but we don’t see it," Tsahkna said. "Our intelligence, we see very, very deep into Russia, we don’t see any change."

Kallas, however, argued that Moscow's actions are designed to weaken Western support for Ukraine rather than simply test NATO's defenses.

"Their goal is to intimidate us from not supporting Ukraine, from refraining to support them and pressuring Russia," she said.

The pressure campaign comes as Washington continues its push for a negotiated end to the war. Kallas said Moscow has yet to demonstrate that it is serious about reaching one.

"They should start with stopping bombing the civilians," she said, pointing to recent Russian attacks on Kyiv. "If they are serious about this, they should agree to a ceasefire, sit down at the negotiation table and talk to the Ukrainians."

Kallas said Ukraine has already agreed to an unconditional ceasefire while "Russia is just playing games," arguing that coordinated pressure from Washington and its European allies could change Moscow's calculations.

"If America, Europe, UK, other strong players are all acting together in the same way to put in the sanctions, then actually we could have the effect that Russia understands that this is serious and they will sit down and negotiate," she said.

As one who has had the honor to consult for NASA and the Space Shuttle team in the past; work space-defense related issues in the Pentagon; speak with all twelve men who walked on the Moon; and author tens of columns on the subject, I have been "Johnny One-Note" over the last decade or so warning that the People’s Republic of China is seeking to establish itself as the dominant military power in space for decades to come. Did anyone in authority care? Not so much.

That may now be changing. Two recent stories in the news have certainly elevated not only interest, but apprehension.

The first being when Air Force Secretary Troy Meink recently confirmed that the U.S. has weapons stationed in Earth orbit. Said Meink, in part, presumably as a warning to China and, to a lesser extent, Russia at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference: "Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist. This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action…"

PENTAGON REVEALS SECRET SPACE WEAPONS ARE ALREADY IN ORBIT — BUT WON'T SAY WHAT THEY DO

The second — and potentially much more intriguing — was highlighted in the site "Defense One" via the headline: "The Pentagon must prepare for battles around the moon: Joint Chiefs chair."

During the same Air, Space, and Cyber conference in which he delivered the Keynote address, it was reported that General Dan Caine — who is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — said in part: "Our task, my friends, is to adapt right now, so the Joint Force is prepared to fight, endure, and win, in global contested environments, from the seabed to cislunar space…"

NASA ANNOUNCES THREE NEW MOON MISSIONS AS AGENCY RACES TO BUILD PERMANENT LUNAR BASE BY END OF 2026

"Cislunar" in this case means not just in lunar orbit, but on the surface of the Moon. The stuff of fiction? In the past, yes. Today, it must all be about the national and economic security of our nation.

On that fiction front, several years ago I authored a novel — based on some real-world information from a Soviet General — titled "The Dawn of a Nazi Moon." While hopefully an entertaining and historically accurate story, the major premise of the book was to outline how an adversary could use the Moon as the ultimate "High Ground" against an enemy on Earth.

The belief by some that once humans cut through Earth’s atmosphere into the vacuum of space, our flaws, greed, prejudices and military ambitions will be left behind is not only naïve, but quite dangerous. No one understood that better at the time than President John F. Kennedy.

During his now iconic speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962, on the need for the U.S. to become the "preeminent spacefaring nation," President John F. Kennedy rightfully stressed in part:

TRUMP TO HONOR ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS WHO TRAVELED FARTHER FROM EARTH THAN ANY HUMANS IN HISTORY

"We mean to be a part of it — we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the Moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace… Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war."

Thanks to Kennedy, the United States did once occupy "a position of preeminence" in space. But no more. China now holds that title.

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER CREATING NEW SPACE ACADEMY AKIN TO WEST POINT; ITS LOCATION WILL BE DETERMINED

A China — with its entirely military-controlled space program — which is targeting all our satellites in low and geosynchronous orbit. Satellites that control the fate of our military, our economy and our nation.

But much more alarmingly, it is also a China which is taking dead aim at the Moon. Both for its own military ambitions as well as for the future energy and economic security of its nation. One way it is doing so is by targeting the helium-3 that litters the surface of the Moon.

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Helium-3 is an isotope which could provide a potentially limitless supply of safe, clean, green energy. Some experts estimate the Moon’s surface holds millions of metric tons of helium-3, and that just 25 metric tons could fuel America’s energy needs for a year.

China is not waiting to find out. Via its lunar landers, it has already returned samples of Helium-3 to its laboratories to be studied.

China has every intention of conquering near-space for its military and economic needs. It appears the United States is now waking up to that power-shifting reality. And not a moment too soon.

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OXFORD, Miss. – An Ole Miss student says she was drugged at a bar over the weekend, days before two students were found dead, as bars around Oxford tighten security with fears running rampant through the college town.

Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said in a news release that investigators are looking into the deaths of two college-aged individuals whose bodies were discovered at separate locations. Authorities have not established a connection between the deaths, though packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was recovered in each investigation.

"We do not have confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death," the agency said.

WHAT IS KRATOM? RISKS OF POPULAR SUBSTANCE REVEALED AFTER COLLEGE STUDENTS' DEATHS

Ole Miss student Mary Harvey told Fox News Digital that she went out to the bars on Saturday night to watch the Rebels' football game against Louisiana State University, where she says she was drugged and couldn't recall much of what happened that night.

"Later into that night, around the time when the game ended, I do not remember a single thing. And I was told by a boy that was there that I fell down," Harvey said.

TWO OLE MISS STUDENTS FOUND DEAD AS PACKAGED KRATOM IS RECOVERED AT TWO SITES: OFFICIALS

Harvey said police put her in an Uber where she was taken to her dorm, where other students needed to help her get to her room.

"Later after that, my roommate got in the shower and she said while she was in the shower, I went missing. And she left the dorm to find me and was searching everywhere, searched every floor. But on her way back from searching, she found me passed out in the hall of my dorm," Harvey said.

STUDENTS AT TOP PARTY COLLEGE ON EDGE AFTER RAPE, STRANGULATION REPORTED IN CAMPUS HOUSING

Harvey says she no longer feels "safe in my dorm building." She said on Facebook that "people are scared to leave their dorm rooms."

"I feel like everything is just kind of getting swept under the rug and covered up when it should be addressed like immediately," she said.

Ole Miss student Kenneth Tonos, who works security for several fraternities and sororities on campus, told Fox News Digital that at least three Greek life events have been canceled following the two students' deaths. Tonos said bars are also taking more precautions, with some tightening their screening to track exactly what people bring in.

POLICE AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY INVESTIGATE 2 DEAD MEN FOUND ON CAMPUS

A spokesman for the University of Mississippi told Fox News Digital that both of the deceased were students there.

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Law enforcement is treating the deaths as two separate investigations, and officials have not confirmed whether any substance contributed to either death. Both of the students were males, the county's coroner's office told Fox News on Wednesday. The younger victim died in a dorm room and was 18, while the other died in an off-campus home and was 20.

The coroner's office said their names aren't being released yet, and noted that toxicology reports are pending and could take weeks.

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Officials asked the public "to avoid speculation regarding the circumstances or cause of either death while these investigations remain ongoing."

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"Local, state and federal partners are working collaboratively to gather the facts and provide answers as quickly and responsibly as possible. We are also working closely with the families involved and ask that their privacy be respected during an incredibly difficult time," Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said.

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A University of Mississippi spokesman told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that several viral claims about drugs on campus are false, including that additional students were unaccounted for.

POLICE ANNOUNCE ARREST AFTER 5 WOUNDED IN VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SHOOTING: REPORT

WATCH: Ole Miss student newspaper editor voices frustration after student deaths

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Daily Mississippian Editor-in-Chief Raegan Settle told Fox News Digital that she wants more transparency from campus officials after the deaths of two students and subsequent drug investigation, urging leadership to issue safety warnings as national media attention mounts.

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"The one main thing that I've heard repeatedly today is students being frustrated with the university that they haven't said more," Settle told Fox News Digital. "I think people are just waiting for more warnings and communication from the university and not just local law enforcement."

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Settle urged her peers to carry life-saving harm reduction tools like naloxone (Narcan).

"Getting a high or getting a nicotine feel is really not worth your life and risking your safety," Settle warned. "And also... be the one who keeps Narcan in your purse. I know that I keep it in mine just in case."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Oxford Police Department and Ole Miss for comment.

"Tax the billionaires." You think this is what you hear from Democratic Social Candidates, but it might be time you start reading their websites and examining their policies.

While these are easy campaign slogans, there is a far more dangerous tax villain lurking in the alleyways. It’s called taxing middle America and the legacy they want to leave their kids when they don’t even know it.

Some of the tax proposals being advanced by democratic socialists don't stop with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. They start with the average family living on Main Street America.

LET SOCIALISTS ROB FROM THE RICH 100% AND YOU STILL WON’T BE ABLE TO PAY THE BILLS

Policies start hitting at $1 million.

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's tax platform is a fascinating example.

He supports taxing capital gains above $1 million as ordinary income.

He wants to eliminate stepped-up basis. This means your kids pay taxes on that appreciated Nvidia or Apple you own, your real estate that has gone up in value, and even those baseball cards you’ve been storing the attic.

PROGRESSIVES WANT TO TAX BILLIONAIRES FIRST, AND YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LIST

He supports taxing inheritances greater than $1 million as ordinary income. Did you realize that life insurance you own is INCLUDED in your estate? So even if you aren’t considered wealthy, those life insurance proceeds may be income tax free, but they won’t escape estate taxes under Sayed’s policies unless you put more thought into your plan.

He wants higher marginal income-tax rates above $1 million.

EL-SAYED ADMITS FREE HEALTHCARE MEANS PAYING 'A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TAXES' REGARDLESS OF INCOME

He supports a progressive tax on wealth held in trusts.

Then there's a separate wealth tax on billionaires. Duh? Wait until you see what happens on the ballot in California when my prediction is that the billionaires tax passes.

And he wants to eliminate the Social Security payroll-tax cap.

That's quite a list.

Here's what Americans need to understand. Income and wealth aren't the same thing.

Someone who earns $1 million every year is doing extremely well.

THE CURE FOR SOCIALISM IS GIVING MORE AMERICANS A STAKE IN CAPITALISM

But, someone who realizes a $1 million capital gain after building a business for 30 years is an entirely different financial situation. You are talking about the owner that’s spent a lifetime running the local convenience store, the bridal shop in your town, and even the people who own a franchise in every strip mall in America.

Imagine your local plumber, electrician, or HVAC owner.

They start with one truck.

Thirty years later they have 10 trucks, 20 employees and finally sell the company.

That business may represent most or all of their retirement savings.

Under El-Sayed's proposal, capital gains above $1 million would be taxed at ordinary-income rates rather than today's preferential long-term capital-gains rates.

That's not taxing some imaginary billionaire sitting on a yacht.

That's taxing the American Dream when somebody finally cashes it in.

Now suppose our plumber dies and leaves assets to his children.

El-Sayed proposes eliminating stepped-up basis and taxing inheritances above $1 million as ordinary income.

For perspective, the federal estate-tax exclusion in 2026 is $15 million per individual.

That's an enormous difference in where tax policy begins touching accumulated family wealth.

And $1 million isn't what it used to be.

A house, retirement accounts and a small business can push a family across that line without anyone remotely resembling a billionaire. This doesn’t even include the life insurance I mentioned.

Social Security currently taxes employee wages at 6.2%, matched by another 6.2% from employers, up to $184,500 in 2026.

El-Sayed wants to eliminate that ceiling. Take somebody earning $1 million.

At today's rates, removing the cap entirely would produce roughly another $50,000 of employee Social Security tax and another $50,000 from the employer, before considering how future benefits would be treated.

Call that whatever you want.

It's a major tax increase on labor and a backhanded tax on corporate America.

Then there's wealth held in trusts.

Trusts aren't exclusively toys for billionaires.

Families use trusts for estate planning, business succession, children, grandchildren and asset management.

El-Sayed specifically proposes a progressive tax on wealth held by trusts.

Think about the philosophy underneath all these proposals.

Earn substantial money? Tax more of it.

Sell the asset you built? Potentially tax more of the gain.

Pass wealth to your children? Tax the inheritance and eliminate stepped-up basis.

Put assets in a trust? Tax the wealth there.

Earn above the Social Security ceiling? Remove the ceiling.

Become a billionaire? Add another wealth tax.

Supporters argue these policies would make wealthy Americans contribute more while El-Sayed's proposed federal tax exemption on the first $50,000 of income would help working households. We know half the country doesn’t pay federal tax anyway.

That's an important part of his proposal.

But Americans should also understand the other side of the equation.

Taxes change incentives.

They affect investing. Why should I take risk with no reward?

They affect business sales. Why sell my business when I will lose half of what I get?

They affect succession planning. Why work a lifetime to set your family up when the Government takes it away?

They ultimately affect how much entrepreneurs ultimately keep after taking enormous risks.

And they affect whether accumulated family wealth survives from one generation to the next.

The Democratic Socialists of America's national program explicitly calls for "aggressive wealth taxes" on wealthy individuals and corporations.

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El-Sayed's proposals are just one example that show what that philosophy can look like when somebody starts putting actual policies on paper. Problem is most people will hear the headlines and won ’ t read the fine print.

And that's why the most important number in his tax plan is NOT $1 billion. IT IS $1 million.

Because once the conversation moves from taxing billionaires to taxing million-dollar gains, million-dollar inheritances, high incomes, we're no longer talking exclusively about America's 800 or so billionaires.

We're talking about the fundamental question of crushing the American Dream of capitalism where we’ve always been encouraged to build, keep and pass to the next generation.

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Presley Gerber’s death at age 27 has renewed questions about overdose risk, withdrawal complications and the challenges of addiction recovery.

The son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber died Sunday at a California rehabilitation facility, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office records.

Presley's death was confirmed by his mother’s representative to Fox News Digital, who shared a statement from the family: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."

CINDY CRAWFORD’S SON PRESLEY GERBER SAID HE WAS ‘TERRIFIED’ IN RAW ADDICTION POST MONTHS BEFORE DEATH AT 27

While an official cause of death has not yet been confirmed, audio recordings obtained by People suggest that police received a 911 call Sunday morning reporting a cardiac arrest at a facility in the 1000 block of Berkeley Street. A separate dispatch identified the response as a potential overdose.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed that an autopsy had been completed, but the cause of death remained undetermined pending further testing.

Gerber had spoken publicly over the years about his struggles with substance use and mental health.

Nicholas Kardaris, Ph.D., CEO and chief clinical officer of the New York Center for Living in Manhattan and a clinical professor at Stony Brook Medicine’s School of Social Welfare, spoke with Fox News Digital about what families should know about relapse, overdose risk and seeking help for a loved one.

As Gerber’s official cause of death has not yet been released, Kardaris — who has not treated Presley Gerber and is not connected to the case — cautioned against drawing conclusions from the fact that he died at a rehabilitation facility.

Possible explanations could include an acute medical or cardiac event, an undiagnosed condition or a medication-related complication, he said.

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People in residential treatment facilities may have complex medical histories, and some conditions may not be immediately apparent when someone enters a program.

"Younger people can sometimes die suddenly, and we don’t know whether they had an underlying medical issue," Kardaris said.

"It’s not impossible to have a medication-related event, particularly if someone has an underlying heart disorder," he continued. "Certain medications can trigger a cardiac episode."

Entering treatment does not necessarily mean that a person’s issues have been resolved or that no danger exists, Kardaris emphasized.

"People are in rehab because they’re struggling with addiction. It doesn’t mean they’re cured of their addiction," he said.

While treatment facilities work to create a controlled environment, they cannot eliminate every risk associated with addiction, withdrawal, relapse or medical complications, according to Kardaris.

"Facilities take great pains to make sure substances don’t come in, but it’s not a perfect system."

He stressed that this is a general observation about treatment settings and not an indication of what occurred in Gerber’s case.

Another potential risk during rehab is withdrawal itself, which can range from uncomfortable to life-threatening depending on the substance involved and the person’s level of physical dependence, according to Kardaris.

"People can die from withdrawal, but the substances that are most dangerous to withdraw [from] without proper medical supervision are benzodiazepines, such as Valium or Xanax, and alcohol," he told Fox News Digital.

While opioid withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable, it is generally not fatal by itself, the expert said.

Benzodiazepine withdrawal can trigger seizures, delirium and other life-threatening complications. The FDA warns that abruptly stopping or reducing drugs such as Xanax or Valium too quickly can cause serious withdrawal reactions, including seizures.

"Someone might disclose heroin use but not mention that they’re also withdrawing from a benzodiazepine, such as Valium," Kardaris noted. "If they don’t receive medication to treat that withdrawal, they can have a seizure that can lead to fatal complications."

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One of the most dangerous periods for someone with opioid use disorder may come after detox because a person’s tolerance may have decreased — increasing the risk of overdose if they return to a previously used amount, he added.

"If someone relapses after rehab, they may use the same amount they were using before treatment — but their tolerance has gone down, and that amount can now be fatal."

Gerber had previously posted on social media about undergoing an ibogaine treatment in Mexico. Kardaris cautioned that ibogaine is not FDA-approved for any medical use in the U.S. 

Although it has been studied experimentally as a possible treatment for opioid use disorder, its safety and effectiveness remain uncertain. Kardaris grouped ibogaine with other psychedelic or psychoactive substances that have drawn public interest.

"Ketamine, ayahuasca and ibogaine are psychoactive or psychedelic treatments that have become increasingly popular," he said. "There is some research indicating potential benefits, but they remain largely unregulated."

Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic but is not approved to treat psychiatric disorders, although some clinicians use it off-label in mental health settings.

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Ibogaine and ayahuasca are not FDA-approved treatments in the U.S., and the evidence and regulatory oversight vary considerably among these substances.

Overall, Kardaris described the field as unsettled. "It’s a bit of the Wild West right now."

He emphasized, however, that Gerber’s prior ibogaine treatment does not establish which substances he may have used and should not be interpreted as evidence of what caused his death.

Families should investigate a treatment center and make sure it is licensed before enrolling a loved one, Kardaris advised.

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That includes confirming that qualified medical professionals are involved in patient care and that the facility has appropriate protocols for withdrawal, medication management and emergencies.

"Families should make sure licensed professionals are working there and that the program has a strong reputation," he said.

"There are bad actors in every profession — so families should look for a well-regarded treatment program with qualified people who know what they’re doing."

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK — More than 100 presidents and prime ministers will descend on New York this week for one of the busiest gatherings on the diplomatic calendar, arriving at a United Nations confronting wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, economic pressure from disrupted energy markets and fresh questions about the institution’s ability to respond to an increasingly fractured world.

The U.N. expects 73 heads of state and 45 heads of government, alongside 49 ministers, 11 vice presidents and one crown prince, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters Friday. Member states have already submitted roughly 1,000 requests for bilateral meetings, while 168 events are scheduled during high-level week, according to Dujarric.

Asked Friday to characterize the atmosphere inside U.N. headquarters as the delegations prepare to arrive, Dujarric described it simply as "high stress."

INDIA'S MODI-IRAN MEETING COMES AMID US WARNINGS OF SANCTIONS ON TEHRAN'S TRADING PARTNERS

The General Debate of the 81st U.N. General Assembly begins Tuesday, Sept. 22, under the theme, "Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all."

But beneath the speeches, motorcades and closed-door meetings across Manhattan is another competition: nearly every government represented in New York will be trying, in one way or another, to capture the attention of the United States.

"This is their moment to grab a piece of American mindshare for sure," Frank Ahrens, head of BGR Analytics, told Fox News Digital.

A new analysis released ahead of UNGA attempts to measure which countries already have it.

The 2026 BGR Impact Index, produced by BGR Analytics, the data practice of Washington-based BGR Group, ranks 197 countries and economies according to their overall footprint in the United States, combining economic, cultural, diplomatic, institutional and geopolitical measures. Japan holds the top position for a third consecutive year, followed by Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Korea.

That competition is especially consequential this year.

TRUMP THREATENS 'MAJOR MILITARY PUNISHMENT' FOR IRAN OVER FUTURE HOUTHI ATTACKS

President Donald Trump will return to the General Assembly on Tuesday with the US-Iran war entering its seventh month, while fighting involving the Iran-backed Houthis has placed new pressure on shipping through the Red Sea and raised fresh concerns among Gulf states about regional security. Reuters reported Sept. 18 that European and Asian allies have largely resisted U.S. calls to become more directly involved in the Iran conflict and that the prolonged war has strained Washington’s relationships with some partners.

The stakes extend well beyond Iran. The General Assembly agenda is expected to be dominated also by Russia’s war against Ukraine, Israeli-Palestinian tensions, Sudan, climate change and artificial intelligence. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are among the prominent leaders or representatives expected to speak.

That combination of military power, diplomatic access and public perception gets at the central question behind BGR’s index: what does influence actually mean?

BGR compiled more than 100 indicators, ranging from GDP, population and foreign investment to international students, cultural presence and lobbying activity in Washington.

But one of the most consequential variables in this year’s analysis came from a much newer arena: social media.

"We looked at 4.9 trillion pieces of data across an entire year because we know that a social media campaign can really move a country's perception in the U.S.," Ahrens said. "And that was really the big takeaway from this year's index."

Social-media sentiment accounts for 20% of the index, second only to cultural imprint at 24%. Institutional ties and outward orientation each make up 16%, geopolitical nexus accounts for 10%, economic size 8% and lobbying and Washington influence 6%. BGR says its underlying data comes from publicly available sources, primarily the U.N., U.S. government agencies and established research institutions, while its social-media data is supplied by Meltwater.

For smaller countries, the analysis suggests reputation can produce particularly large swings.

Bahrain was the biggest riser, climbing 22 places, from No. 97 in 2024 to No. 75 in 2026. BGR attributed much of that increase to improved U.S.-facing online sentiment and increased visibility tied to Bahrain’s election to a rotating U.N. Security Council seat, its Arabian Gulf Cup victory and a USS Nimitz port call.

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Georgia moved in the opposite direction, falling 31 positions, from No. 73 to No. 104. BGR said its deteriorating U.S.-facing online sentiment coincided with political unrest and arrests of journalists and opposition leaders.

Ahrens acknowledged that generating attention is not the same as wielding political influence. "Countries that make a lot of noise about themselves do get on the radar, but to stay on the radar, you have to have real accomplishments."

The index attempts to address that distinction by combining sentiment with harder measures such as economic links, institutional rankings, lobbying expenditure and participation in international organizations.

Perhaps BGR’s most unusual example of how national perception can change did not come from a president, diplomat or lobbying operation.

It came from a German soccer fan.

BGR calls it the "Freddy Effect," after a German World Cup visitor whose enthusiastic posts about traveling through the United States went viral this summer.

Ahrens said BGR found that positive sentiment toward Germany increased 13% over roughly three weeks during Freddy’s rise online. BGR links a substantial part of that increase to the reaction generated by his posts, although the data does not independently establish that he alone caused the change.

"Can you recreate a Freddy? I don't know if you can reverse engineer him to that effect," Ahrens said. "But what it shows you is how authentic communication really breaks through on social media."

It is a lesson that may resonate with delegations arriving in New York this week, where hundreds of leaders will have only a few days to secure meetings, shape headlines and make their country’s case.

A nationwide business-aid fraud crackdown — highlighted by a bizarre Missouri scheme involving alleged stolen corporate identity — is among the enforcement actions being highlighted during the federal push dubbed "Fraud Week."

The announcement is part of the Department of Justice's National Fraud Enforcement Division's nationwide summer surge. It netted more than 160 criminal defendants and approximately $245 million in intended losses to taxpayers, according to DOJ, as the agency announced busts from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.

"This is the problem of our day," said U.S. Attorney Matt Price of the Western District of Missouri, whose office was one of 44 involved in the greater "Heartland Fraud Surge" that encompassed June through Sept. 1. "And this is a response to what happened over the previous four years,"

WHITE HOUSE PUSHES 'WATERSHED' FRAUD-FIGHTING REFORM IN CONGRESS AS VANCE CONVENES TASK FORCE

"After 9/11, there was a huge lean-in, [an] all-of-government approach to national security issues," Price said, comparing the Bush-era interagency pivot to terror threats with the coordinated response to the current push against fraud in taxpayer-funded programs.

Price headlined the extensive Small Business Administration (SBA) and COVID-19-related fraud probes under division chief Colin McDonald.

In the "Fur Lives Matter" case, a Missouri man allegedly claimed to operate 19 separate businesses, including some focused on pet care like "Fur Lives Matter," "Fur Lives Matter LLC," "Chows & Pals" and "God’s Chow Chow."

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There was one glaring problem: "Fur Lives Matter" was a real company in another state — and prosecutors say it had no connection to Gray.

Using "Fur Lives Matter" and the other purported companies, Jamie Gray allegedly sought to fraudulently obtain nearly $56 million in Paycheck Protection (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) funds from the Small Business Administration through 29 applications.

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Most cases involved entirely fictitious businesses, and only "Fur Lives Matter" was operational at the Feb. 15, 2020, eligibility cutoff.

"Gray effectively stole this company’s identity," the DOJ said in a statement, alleging the legitimate business had no knowledge of him and that his claims about ownership, employees, revenue and operations were fabricated. Gray nevertheless received about $820,000 in SBA funds, prosecutors said.

The case stood out even among a summer surge of alleged fraud schemes for its unusual details.

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"If you screwed the American taxpayer, the federal government is now going to say you're cut off, no more," Vice President JD Vance said this week on the matter of the larger administration crackdown. "You shouldn't be applying anymore, and if you do apply, you're no longer able to get those benefits."

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Price said the effort is expanding beyond Operation No Doze, the SBA-focused enforcement action conducted as part of the broader Heartland Fraud Surge.

His office and Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, along with other state officials, have also launched Operation Show-Me the Money, a new state-federal effort targeting fraud in state benefit programs.

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"No fraud is too small to prosecute, but leveraging all state resources in the state of Missouri from the top down [is believed to be] a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the state and the feds, working to identify and prosecute this type of fraud," he said Saturday.

Price also credited SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler with "leading from the front" as the agency is suspending suspected fraudulent borrowers and sending demand letters seeking repayment.

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He said the Heartland Surge depicts a new approach to countering fraud, characterizing the Biden administration’s attempts to recoup lost dollars as a "pay and chase" model.

Attorney General Todd Blanche has instructed prosecutors to charge fraud cases of all sizes, in that the smaller cases sends the message to bigger scofflaws that, no matter the amount of money involved, "if you ripped off the American taxpayer… we will find you, we will identify you, we will hunt you down, we'll prosecute you," said Price.