Midwest
Illinois man loses job, dedicates life to traveling to all 195 countries
A man with a mission has set out to accomplish his goal of visiting all 195 countries in the world.
Connor Michalek is a 33-year-old blogger originally from Chicago, Illinois, who, at the age of 18, took a break from college to travel.
He told SWNS that he was studying economics at Texas Christian University when he decided to take a hiatus and travel to Bolivia.
COUPLE PULLS THEIR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL TO TRAVEL THE WORLD: ‘SLOW DOWN AND LIVE IN THE MOMENT’
“I booked a trip to Bolivia and spent three months there staying with families,” he said, adding, “I really caught the travel bug from there — it [was] all about meeting new people and doing something out of [my] comfort zone.”
Connor Michalek (pictured here in Tunisia) lost his job at the end of 2022 and decided to travel full-time. (SWNS)
While there, Michalek organized homestays and took Spanish classes while also doing volunteer work.
Over the years, Michalek has never let his travel bug die.
He decided to take it to the next level after losing his job at the end of 2022.
CHICK-FIL-A EMPLOYEES FULFILL TEXAS COUPLE’S ALL-AMERICAN DREAM: ‘BUCKET LIST’
With a dream of visiting all 195 countries across the globe, Michalek chose full-time traveling as his next path.
“I flew into Morocco as it was a starting point where I could travel east around the world,” he told SWNS.
Michalek (pictured here in Nepal) said he’s always had a travel bug. (SWNS)
CAR IS BETTER FOR HOLIDAY TRAVEL THAN PLANE, MANY AMERICANS SAY
From there, Michalek went to Mauritania and Senegal before going to Tunisia and beyond to Europe.
Michalek, who said he saved money over the years and sold big-ticket items to fund the trip, said that although it’s been an amazing journey, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
Now, 55 countries in, Michalek can admit he’s put himself in some “dodgy situations.”
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews/lifestyle
“In Senegal, we had problems at border control, but that was the only incident we ever had that was a problem for us,” he told SWNS.
Michalek, a travel blogger from Chicago, Illinois, has been to 55 countries (pictured here in Africa) and hopes to visit all 195. (SWNS)
Michalek loves the continent of Africa — stopping in 22 countries within the last year.
When in Malawi, Michalek helped raise awareness of HIV, saying that although “the people don’t have a lot, they are definitely rich in some aspects.”
Michalek told Fox News Digital that his favorite country to visit is Mexico for its beaches and tourist spots.
“The depth of its culture, with traditions and celebrations that go back centuries, is something you can feel in every place you visit,” he said.
Michalek (pictured here in the Sahara Desert) said that his travel journey hasn’t all been smooth sailing. (SWNS)
Next on his list is French Polynesia for Christmas before going to Austria to spend time with his partner’s family, he said.
Michalek believes there’s no better time to start traveling than when you’re young, saying, “When you’re young, you’re open, curious and still figuring out who you are.”
“If travel is something you’ve been dreaming about, make it happen now. The world has so much to teach us, and every experience, every challenge, every friendship you make along the way will be something you carry for the rest of your life,” he said.
“Embracing the unknown, stepping out of your comfort zone, and taking those risks will show you what life is really about.”
Other notable countries Michalek has explored include Peru, Albania, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, India, Japan, Nepal, Turkey, Egypt and Mozambique.
Read the full article from Here
Tazjah Smith, Domonick Farmer
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County prosecutors accuse two people of attacking their neighbor inside her home earlier this month.
Charges filed
In court:
Court records show 22-year-old Tazjah Smith and 21-year-old Domonick Farmer are each charged with burglary and battery to an elder. Farmer is also charged with pointing a gun at the neighbor.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Both Smith and Farmer made their initial court appearance on Thursday. Smith’s bond was set at $5,000, while Farmer’s was set at $2,500.
Neighbor attacked
The backstory:
It happened on Jan. 2. A criminal complaint said a 72-year-old woman said she was home when her upstairs neighbor, Smith, pounded on her door and accused her of “stealing groceries.” Smith then forced her way into the home and hit the victim in the face.
Court filings said the victim told police she was on the floor when she saw Farmer, who also lives upstairs, come in and tell Smith to “bear her a**.” The 72-year-old said Smith then hit her several more times before Smith and Farmer went upstairs.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
A witness said Smith also told Farmer to “get the gun,” and that Farmer came back with a gun that he “placed to the head” of the victim, according to the complaint. The witness said he told Farmer that it was “not worth it.” The witness also said Farmer demanded $20,000 and searched the home before they left without any money.
At the scene near 12th and Locust, court filings said police found “signs of a struggle” – including a cabinet door off its hinges, clumps of hair on the floor and a dented can of vegetables. The victim’s face and eye were swollen, and she was taken to a hospital.
Police found Smith and Farmer in the upstairs unit. Prosecutors said Smith “appeared to be covered in sweat with fresh scratches.” Officers searched the unit and found two guns, which matched descriptions provided by the victim and witness, and “small amounts” of methamphetamine and marijuana.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwauke County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.
If another civil war were to break out in the United States, I imagine it would begin with an altercation similar to what took place in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
That’s what made the instantaneous and pejorative response to it by the Trump administration so jarring.
In an incident that recalls the National Guard shooting of student anti-war protesters at Kent State University in 1970, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and a mother of three. She had seemingly interjected herself into a major immigration enforcement operation that dispatched 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis at the direction of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
There is a dispute over whether the shooting was in self-defense, and the Trump administration has doubled down on defending the actions of the ICE officer, labeling Good a “domestic terrorist.” Vice President JD Vance alleged on Thursday that Good was part of a left-wing network.
But it’s hard to see the incident as anything other than a complete breakdown in moral clarity about responsibility and the limits of force by the government — and how it is discussed publicly before information could even be known.
Video shared online of the incident, allegedly taken by the officer involved, indicates the confrontation was already off to a bad start. Is filming, easily interpreted as a form of intimidation by law enforcement, standard training for ICE officers?
The ICE removal officer has been identified as Jonathan Ross, a former Army National Guard machine gunner and ex‑Border Patrol agent with extensive experience. He had been dragged by a suspect during a 2025 arrest.
Perhaps he should not have returned to active duty so quickly. The impetus is on law enforcement, whether police officers or ICE officers, to preserve life and contain an unruly and even reckless situation to the best of their ability.
Filming a potential suspect before a government-sanctioned interaction and then physically circling her vehicle to put oneself in danger calls his judgment into question.
Many questions remain about the confrontation, and no doubt instinctual psychology played a larger role in Good’s actions and in Ross’s than we will ever know.
But the immediate, callous response of Noem and Vance to this tragedy is part of a growing pattern of disregard for the collateral damage caused by implementing difficult, controversial policies. This cowboy culture that is causing serious division and violence on the nation’s streets needs to be called out and off.
Sometimes the government has to kill; it doesn’t appear that Good’s death was necessarily one of those instances. No death should ever be celebrated, or the victim castigated as a “deranged leftist,” as Vance called Good, an activist who was reportedly trained to aggressively confront ICE agents.
Despite the immediate escalation, it’s clear that while Good was driving in the opposite direction from Ross, the officer continued to shoot at her. Good lay in the driver’s seat, dying, while onlookers scream in horror.
Such a staunch and certain defense of the totality of his actions is indefensible.
No one — U.S. citizen or otherwise — should be gunned down on America’s streets this casually by agents of the government.
It also points to why perhaps immigration operations at the scale Noem directed in Minneapolis shouldn’t be deployed so provocatively. Such a confrontation was bound to occur.
Public safety requires restraint as much as it requires the enforcement of law and order.
When that restraint fails, it is the duty of the heads of government to call for patience, calm and the truth — and if necessary, take some responsibility.
Americans on all sides should demand accountability for Good’s death and a renewed commitment by the Trump administration to policies and practices that were written to prevent exactly this kind of tragedy.
Kaitlyn Buss’ columns appear in The Detroit News. Reach her at kbuss@detroitnews.com and follow her on X @KaitlynBuss.
Anti-ICE protesters line up on East 86th Street in Indianapolis
Peter Moore, a 48-year-old resident of Carmel, talks about why he joined an anti-ice protest on East 86th Street in Carmel on Jan. 10, 2026.
Anti-ICE protesters lined up on both sides of East 86th Street, near the Monon Trail crossing, in Indianapolis on the afternoon of Jan. 10, 2026.
The group of roughly 200 people chanted, “this is what democracy looks like” and held up signs as vehicles drove by, with some drivers beeping in support.
“Since President Trump took office for his second term, it’s not normal and we can’t be conditioned anymore,” Peter Moore, a 48-year-old resident of Carmel, told IndyStar when asked why he was attending the protest. “The more we protest, the more of an effect we’re going to gradually have. I’m very encouraged by the response out here.”
More than 1,000 anti-ICE protests are scheduled nationwide for Jan. 10, and Jan. 11, following the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Good, 37, was shot and killed on Jan. 7 by Jonathan Ross, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal officer based in Minnesota.
“We’re seeing U.S. citizens at risk, we’re seeing people’s safety at risk,” said Brittany Miller, 27-year-old Indianapolis resident, when asked why she was attending the protest. “Silence is compliance. If we don’t do something, if we don’t say something , I think we’re headed in a really scary way. If we keep showing up and keep pushing back, there’s power in the people.”
Anti-ICE protesters line up on East 86th Street in Indianapolis
Patti Freeman Dorson, a 69-year-old resident of Indianapolis, talks about why she attended an anti-ICE protest in Indianapolis on Jan. 10, 2026.
Anti-ICE protesters line up on East 86th Street in Indianapolis
Brittany Miller, a 27-year-old resident of Indianapolis, talks about why she joined an anti-ice protest on East 86th Street on Jan. 10, 2026.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19.
Red Sox shed light on plans for outfield, including Ceddanne Rafaela’s role
Broncos designate LB Drew Sanders for return from injured reserve
Paul Arriola, Pedro de la Vega and the Seattle Sounders return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Hundreds take to the streets across San Diego County to protest ICE
Milwaukee woman attacked inside her home, neighbors charged
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Raising a Baby in Altadena’s Ashes
Trump signs order to protect Venezuela oil revenue held in US accounts
What Canada, accustomed to extreme winters, can teach Europe
New video shows fatal Minnesota ICE shooting from officer’s perspective
Federal judge blocks Trump from cutting childcare funds to Democratic states over fraud concerns
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology4 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX6 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Dallas, TX2 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Iowa4 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Delaware2 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Health6 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska4 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska