Tag: Trump

Trump announces Gaza breakthrough but uncertainty remains

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Shattered rifles overtaken by green plants desert

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced what he described as a historic agreement to secure the disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza – months after he first announced a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. “Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.” An official from the Board of Peace, a Trump-led international body overseeing Gaza’s transitional governance, said Hamas and other armed factions would ultimately hand over their weapons to the committee, with police weapons transferred first and personal weapons last.

While Hamas didn’t formally respond to Trump’s announcement, senior official Ghazi Hamad confirmed to CNN that the group has reached an agreement with the Board of Peace to surrender its weapons, contingent on the deployment of an International Stabilization Force to Gaza and Israel upholding its obligations under the October ceasefire agreement. “The agreement is a package,” Hamad said. “We will not begin any weapons-related steps until Israel implements these commitments. Frankly, if Israel does not implement them, we will not proceed.” Hamad said Israel must first cease fire, stop all targeted killings in Gaza, withdraw its troops to the Yellow Line and allow for a surge of humanitarian aid consistent with the October ceasefire agreement. The Yellow Line is a demarcation line that Israeli troops withdrew to under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement. It encompassed roughly 53% of Gaza, but the line has been shifting towards the Mediterranean Sea as Israel expands its control, cramming Gaza’s population into a shrinking strip of land. Hamad told CNN that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a Palestinian technocratic committee appointed by the Board of Peace, must also enter Gaza and take over governance of the strip.

The NCAG would assume control of weapons belonging to Hamas’s police force in Gaza, he said. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, another militant group in Gaza, said early Friday that reports of the agreement were “inaccurate.” The group was party to the ceasefire along with Hamas. Trump would be ‘very disappointed’ if Israel fails to comply Disarming Hamas is a critical step in implementing Trump’s multi-phase peace plan to end the war in Gaza and moving to set up a technocratic government for the strip. Mediators have been trying to negotiate with Hamas for months on implementing the plan, but there is skepticism in the region that Hamas will hold up its end of the bargain. “If this is implemented, if gathered demilitarized weapons are handed over, the transitional authority takes control. Hamas steps away from government, governance, all of these things are done that actually reignite the prospect for a political horizon for the Palestinian people,” the official said. Earlier this month, Hamas announced that it would dissolve its government in Gaza, a move that experts say put pressure on Israel as progress from the US-brokered ceasefire plan stalled.

Their statement on the move made no mention of disarmament. For this disarmament agreement, Washington coordinated with Israel “every step of the way,” a US official said, later acknowledging that Israel remains skeptical Hamas will disarm while arguing that “this isn’t really a trust deal.” Trump would be “very, very disappointed” if Israel doesn’t adhere to its end of the peace plan, the official said. “With all the different issues they have going on, it seems like they’re, you know, this is not something I think (Israel wants) to escalate as an issue right now. So we believe that they’ll continue to be a good partner in this and comply.” CNN has reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for comment. ‘A negotiation conducted over our heads’ An Israeli official told CNN Thursday that the issue of Gaza did not come up during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump at the White House this week. The official said that, before Trump’s announcement Friday, Israel was demanding the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the full demilitarization of the strip, as a precondition for any process.

A reported 15-point document currently under discussion does not provide an adequate response to these demands, the official said. There has been no official comment from the Israeli government on the deal but on Friday, Israeli minister Orit Strouk, a member of far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist party, strongly rejected Trump’s announced agreement. “This is a negotiation conducted over our heads, in complete contradiction to our position, and it is being signed with strange ceremony while expecting it to be binding on us as well. Well, absolutely not,” Strouk, who is also the settlements minister, wrote on Facebook. The Board of Peace, however, presented the agreement as a historic breakthrough offering security to Israelis and a better future for Palestinians in Gaza. “For the first time, Hamas officially has committed to an actionable plan for relinquishing all its weapons, which will be followed by Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. It holds the promise of delivering significant benefits to the people of Gaza, who have waited for too long for a better future, and security to the people of Israel,” the Board of Peace said in a post on X after Trump’s announcement. Trump said the agreement would pave the way for Gaza to be governed by “a new Palestinian government” working alongside his Board of Peace, while ensuring “Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”

The US president asserted that the agreement would be implemented in phases. As armed groups are disarmed, he wrote, Israeli forces will withdraw and an International Stabilization Force, working alongside a new Palestinian police force, will assume responsibility for security in Gaza. Asked about the timing of Hamas’ disarmament, the US official noted the complexity of the issue and the importance of getting it right, rather than sticking to a strict timeline. “I think over the next couple weeks we’ll continue to refine the the details of everything, and I think we can see progress in the next month or two,” the official said. US and Board of Peace officials on Thursday described the agreement as the result of months of “very delicate negotiations” that produced a “breakthrough,” where there is an understanding of “what needs to be done,” while cautioning it remains “a conditions-based deal.” Trump in his post thanked mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, as well as his administration, for helping broker the agreement. “The threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!” Trump wrote, adding,

“Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.” “CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ON THIS AMAZING DEVELOPMENT, THAT EVERYBODY SAID COULD NEVER BE ACHIEVED!” Trump concluded. Officials said implementation will take time, with detailed conditions expected to be published within two weeks, adding that movement between phases will occur only after “verified completion of the previous” approved by an implementation verification committee.

Source: Trump announces Gaza breakthrough but uncertainty remains | CNN Politics

Thoughts to Ponder

The announcement of a proposed agreement for Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza to surrender their weapons represents a significant development in the ongoing effort to bring peace to one of the world’s longest-running conflicts. While many details remain contingent upon both Hamas and Israel fulfilling their respective commitments, the possibility of disarmament offers a glimpse of hope for countless civilians who have endured years of violence, loss, and uncertainty. Scripture reminds believers that peace is a gift from God and that peacemakers reflect His character (Matthew 5:9). Christians should pray that any agreement reached would protect innocent lives, encourage justice, and create opportunities for lasting reconciliation rather than simply providing a temporary pause in hostilities.

At the same time, followers of Christ recognize that true and lasting peace cannot be achieved through political agreements alone. The Bible teaches that lasting peace begins with transformed hearts through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and extends outward into relationships, communities, and nations. As leaders negotiate and difficult conditions are weighed by all sides, Christians are called to pray for wisdom for government officials, compassion for those suffering on every side of the conflict, and a spirit of forgiveness that can overcome hatred. While diplomatic progress is encouraging, believers ultimately place their hope in God’s sovereign plan and look forward to the day when Christ establishes His perfect and everlasting peace (Isaiah 2:4).

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:2-3

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Supreme Court expands presidential firing power, overturning 90-year-old ruling

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US Supreme Court building with columns and American flag at sunrise

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that removal protections for members of the Federal Trade Commission are unconstitutional and overturned a 90-year-old decision that allowed Congress to shield members of certain independent agencies from being fired by the president at will. The decision from the high court expands the president’s power over many independent boards and commissions, which Congress had insulated from political pressure by saying their members could only be removed by the president for cause. In a 1935 decision in a case known as Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, which involved removal protections for the FTC, the Supreme Court said Congress could restrict the president’s ability to fire officials from multi-member agencies at will.  But the ruling from the high court’s conservative majority in the case Trump v. Slaughter overturns that 90-year-old decision and marks the culmination of a years-long weakening of the New Deal-era precedent. 

The court’s ruling The ruling was 6 to 3, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing for the majority, joined by the other conservative justices. The three liberals dissented, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor read a summary of her dissent from the bench, a rare occurrence that signals strong disagreement with a decision. Roberts wrote that limits on the president’s ability to fire those who wield executive power on his behalf infringe on his constitutional authority. The FTC of today, the court’s majority found, “unquestionably” exercises executive powers and therefore must be under the president’s control. “Although it is up to the Senate to decide whether to confirm those with whom the President would prefer to work, neither Congress nor the courts may saddle him with those with whom he cannot work,” Roberts wrote. “Subordinates who exercise the President’s power are subject to removal by him. Then, and only then, can they remain accountable to the President, and the President to the people.”

The decision is likely to have ramifications beyond the FTC. Congress has created more than two dozen multi-member agencies led by officials who can be removed by the president only for cause, which typically means instances of inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. Among those agencies likely to be affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling are the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the National Labor Relations Board. In a dissenting opinion joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sotomayor warned that while those agencies remain, they now take on a new form that differs from what Congress intended when they were created. “Put simply, today the majority reshapes our Government. Dozens of independent commissions are now likely to become purely executive agencies, shifting tremendous power over broad swaths of American life into the President’s hands,” she wrote. President Trump cheered the decision as the “Greatest Increase in Presidential Power in the last 100 years. Such a Monumental Ruling at such an important time!”

The Slaughter case Mr. Trump has sought to test the bounds of his executive power since returning to the White House for his second term in January 2025, including by firing a slew of officials appointed by Democratic presidents at multi-member boards and commissions without cause. Among those was Rebecca Slaughter, whom Mr. Trump appointed to the FTC during his first term. She was reappointed to the trade commission by President Joe Biden.  Slaughter was informed in March 2025 that her service on the FTC was “inconsistent” with the Trump administration’s priorities and was fired from her post without cause. That clashed with the law that established the FTC in 1914, when Congress said commissioners could only be removed for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. Slaughter filed a lawsuit challenging her removal and argued Mr. Trump broke the law when he fired her. A federal district court ruled in her favor and ordered Slaughter to be reinstated to her post. The U.S. appeals court in Washington, D.C., eventually agreed that she could continue in her job at the trade commission, but last September, the Supreme Court allowed Mr. Trump to fire her while it considered the legality of removal protections for FTC members.

Before agreeing to decide Slaughter’s case, the Supreme Court had also cleared the way for Mr. Trump to oust members of the National Labor Relations Board, Merit Systems Protection Board and Consumer Product Safety Commission. But the high court has so far spared two other officials from removal while litigation continues: Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, and Shira Perlmutter, the register of copyrights. The justices heard arguments in January over whether to allow Mr. Trump to fire Cook from the Fed Board. The Supreme Court has indicated before that it views the Fed differently than other independent agencies, calling it a “uniquely structured, quasi-private entity that follows in the distinct historical tradition of the First and Second Banks.” In an opinion also authored by Roberts, the high court rejected Mr. Trump’s attempt to fire Cook while the challenge to her removal moved forward.  The Supreme Court reiterated in its ruling involving the FTC that it does not implicate the constitutionality of the Fed’s removal restrictions. It also stressed that the decision does not address tenure protections for judges on the U.S. Tax Court or the Court of Federal Claims, with Roberts writing that the justices are leaving “those questions for another day.”

“All we do today is recognize what has been clear for a century — that those who fall within the President’s ‘general administrative control’ must be removable by the President at will,” he wrote. The high court’s decision in Slaughter’s case is the latest in a line of recent decisions that chipped away at Humphrey’s Executor and expanded the president’s power over independent agencies. The Supreme Court invalidated removal protections for the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2020 and the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency in 2021.

Source: Supreme Court expands presidential firing power, overturning 90-year-old ruling – CBS News

That I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
Romans 15:32

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Associated Press Dislikes Trump Remarks on Communism at Mount Rushmore

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Donald Trump speaking at a podium with Mount Rushmore and a crowd holding American flags behind him

Communism is an evil philosophy. Communist regimes have killed hundreds of millions of people, and made millions more live in a police state. But somehow, speaking ill of communism alarms the same journalists that constantly suggest democracy is in peril under Donald Trump. Authoritarianism is bad – unless it’s communist. Trump denounced communism in a July 3 speech underneath Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. A three-person team at Associated Press — Steven Stone, Steve Peoples, and Michelle Price — penned a story headlined: “Trump hails US exceptionalism before veering into darkly political speech to usher in America 250.”

AP began by claiming Trump offered “soaring rhetoric about American exceptionalism before veering into a darkly political speech with warnings about a sinister threat of communism that evoked one of the country’s ugliest chapters.” Trump said communism was a “mortal threat to American liberty.” That’s considered “darkly political,” even if it’s factual. American liberty and Soviet communism were polar opposites in the Cold War, democracy and tyranny. Somehow, reporters don’t like “dark” words about Stalin and Mao and Castro and Pol Pot. They were somehow never a “sinister threat” to anyone. As for the ugliest chapter? The AP trio lectured: “Indeed, Trump’s language evoked the Red Scare of the 1950s, when alleged communists were persecuted and blacklisted from jobs across America, from Washington to Hollywood.” This is a mind-boggling sentence.

They’re still saying “alleged communists”? Every journalist should have taken the time to learn that there were communist spies in the federal government and there were communists in powerful positions in Hollywood. Leftist journalists spent decades claiming Alger Hiss wasn’t a Soviet spy, but post-Soviet records clearly established he was. There are a shelf of books underlining the evidence, including Blacklisted by History by M. Stanton Evans. As for the entertainment world, Allan Ryskind, whose father was a Hollywood screenwriter, wrote an engrossing book that came out in 2015 called Hollywood Traitors about the communists that infiltrated the movie business. Sen. Joseph McCarthy might have gotten the number of Soviet spies wrong, but journalists have spent decades ridiculously pretending the number was zero.

It’s a little humorous that this anti-anti-communist story was picked up online by both NPR and PBS. NPR’s headline was “In Mount Rushmore speech, Trump veers from U.S. exceptionalism to warnings about communism.” The PBS headline put communist “threat” in quote marks, like it was crazy talk. Right after their “Red Scare” laments, the AP scribes uncritically added “Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, delivered his own address that cast America as a nation of contradictions ‘working each day towards the perfection in which it was conceived.’” That’s their only Mamdani speech quote in this piece. Mamdani has openly spoken of seizing the “means of production,” but that would only make him an “alleged communist.”

Graham Platner identified himself as a communist on Reddit, and Darializa Avila Chevalier spoke warmly of Marx and communist dictators on her X account “Darializabonet,” until she took it down. But an AP Fact Check genius wrote an article objecting to anyone claiming there are communists in the Democratic Party, because none of them were actually members of the Communist Party. They missed the obvious point: They’re pro-communist members of the Democratic Party. Journalists who constantly smear President Trump and his supporters as “fascists” (with no fuss from the “fact checkers”) find it “darkly political” when someone does a version of what they do – except conservatives have the actual facts on their side. 

Source: Associated Press Dislikes Trump Remarks on Communism at Mount Rushmore

Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day.
Psalm 71:8

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Cuba hit with nationwide blackout as US pressure continues

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Coastal city skyline at night with lit windows and waterfront road

Cuba suffered a nationwide blackout on Monday as it faces an ongoing energy crisis, worsened by an effective US blockade on fuel shipments. Cuba’s energy ministry said the national electrical grid had suffered a total collapse. The country’s grid operator said it is investigating the cause. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said officials were working to restore energy and that they’ve already activated emergency “microsystems” that power vital services. Cuba has experienced several nationwide blackouts over the past few years, as the country’s aging electricity infrastructure struggles to meet demand. The country’s power crisis worsened this year after the US forced Cuba’s main suppliers to stop oil shipments. In March, it had at least two total blackouts within a week. On Monday, Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized the US for blocking fuel imports on X, claiming Washington is trying to induce “a social explosion through asphyxiation.”

The island’s energy crunch has strained essential services, including education, transportation and medicine. Fresh sanctions by the US have also further deteriorated the Cuban economy and prevented many tourists from visiting the island. The US says the economic stranglehold is meant to force the Cuban government to pry open the island’s hermetic political system and allow direct foreign investment. Last month, Cuba’s National Assembly approved a broad set of reforms aimed at opening its economy. The foreign trade minister told CNN that the measures were not passed in response to external pressure. A spokesperson for the US State Department described the reforms as “modest, long overdue and ultimately superficial smoke signals” from the government. US and Cuban officials have held multiple talks over the past few weeks. In May, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuba’s spy chiefs in Havana, and the commander of US Southern Command met with senior Cuban military officials on the perimeter of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

The US has accused Cuban officials of hosting Russian and Chinese listening posts on the island and thwarting US interests in the region. Cuba denies the claims and has pushed back against the US. When CNN asked Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga about the island’s humanitarian crisis, he accused the US of collective punishment, saying: “What is happening today against our people is a genocide.”

Source: Cuba hit with nationwide blackout as US pressure continues | CNN

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

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President Trump Delivers Remarks at Mount Rushmore, Jul. 3, 2026

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Political rally at Mount Rushmore with a speaker at podium and American flags

President Donald Trump delivers speech at Mount Rushmore before Americas 250th birthday. A celebration of the Greatest civilization and country that has ever been created.

Source: (630) President Trump Delivers Remarks at Mount Rushmore, Jul. 3, 2026 – YouTube

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
1 Peter 3:15

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‘Second-class citizens’: Angel Families describe two-tiered justice system for illegal immigrants

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Roadside memorial with crosses, flowers, candles, and photos at dusk by a winding road

President Donald Trump has made fighting illegal immigration the centerpiece of his second administration, but for too many families across the country, finding justice has been elusive. Many illegal immigrants who have committed crimes have escaped justice under the Biden administration, while the families of the victims faced ineffective investigations, protracted legal cases, and, in some cases, saw the perpetrators receive light prison sentences. “These people are shown so many privileges in this country and American citizens are really considered, in my opinion, second-class citizens when it comes to crimes committed against them by illegals,” says Mary Ann Mendoza, whose police officer son was killed in 2014 in a head-on collision by an illegal immigrant.

Families torn apart by illegal immigrants who were never caught Mendoza, who founded Angel Families, spoke to Just the News about the Inman family, who were irreparably broken after a fishing trip in 2000 in which an illegal immigrant crashed into their car, killing 16-year-old Dustin and the family dog. Dustin’s mother, Kathy, was in a coma for weeks following the crash, and remained in a wheelchair until she died in 2021 from complications caused by the car accident. The Inman family says that Dustin’s father, Billy, was in the hospital so long he wasn’t able to attend his son’s funeral. He died of a heart attack in 2019, which Mendoza believes was caused by the stress he faced in the decades following the crash and death of his son.

The illegal immigrant who caused the crash, Gonzalo Harrell-Gonzalez, fled to Mexico after the crash but continued to cross between the U.S. and Mexico for several years without being arrested. He was indicted by a grand jury in January 2001 and was placed on ICE’s “Most Wanted” list before being removed during the Biden administration, as noted by the Center for Immigration Studies. He is still a fugitive. The Inmans are not alone when it comes to a lack of justice. Joe Storie, 51, was killed on October 5, 2011, when Luis Alberto Rodriguez-Castro ran a flashing red light and hit Joe, his sister, and his wife. Joe’s sister and wife survived the crash but were critically injured.

Rodriguez-Castro was also injured in the crash and taken to a nearby hospital, where he escaped from police supervision but was later recaptured. Even though Rodriguez-Castro was deemed a flight risk by the prosecution, a Georgia superior court judge granted him a bond reduction, and he was allowed to remain out of prison. He subsequently missed a court date and vanished. Rodriguez-Castro remains on ICE’s “Most Wanted” list. Blake Zieto, 20, was killed in a 2006 head-on crash by Mexican national Jesus Maltos-Chacon, who fled and has remained a fugitive for the past 20 years.

President Joe Biden sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, signing papers.

Maltos-Chacon’s name was removed from the ICE “Most Wanted” list under the Biden administration but re-added on April 27, 2026. He remains at large. The high emotional cost to Angel Families in sanctuary states Hailey King was just 18 years old when she was riding on the back of her friend’s scooter on November 7, 2016. According to a crash reconstructionist hired by her mother, King and her friend were hit by an illegal immigrant driving 71 miles per hour in a 35mph zone. Hailey ended up on the hood of Sergio Rodriguez-Larios’ truck, while her friend, David, was pinned underneath.

David lost both of his legs in the accident and died a few years later. Hailey died at the scene. Her mother, Kathy Hall, tells Just the News that the black box was never recovered from Rodriguez-Larios’ truck, and no autopsy was performed on Hailey. Rodriguez-Larios was initially charged with second-degree murder and faced 58 years in prison, but was allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter and received just 17 years – 10 years for killing Hailey, 5 for injuring David, and 2 for fleeing the scene of the crash. Rodriguez-Larios was one-and-a-half years into his sentence when he first came up for parole.

Now Hailey’s family has to go to a new parole hearing every other year to ensure he actually remains in prison for his crimes. “There is no justice in that,” Kathy tells Just the News. “We have not been able to heal because we can’t stop reliving it.” In a similar case, Patti Fox’s daughter Carissa was riding on the back of her friend’s motorcycle in 2025 when they were hit by an illegal immigrant who had run a stop sign and crossed three lanes of traffic. The illegal, Valeria De Los Angeles Bermudez Marcano, and the passengers in her car got out after the crash and quickly fled, abandoning the vehicle, according to Fox.

Carissa was flung into a concrete barrier, which “obliterated” the left hemisphere of her brain, Fox tells Just the News. The grieving mother also says that the driver of the motorcycle Carissa was on was given a breathalyzer test, but when Marcano turned herself in the next day, she refused to take a breathalyzer and was never tested. She was released within days without the district attorney’s or victim’s advocate’s knowledge, Fox says.  Fox also says she was told initially that the occupants of the other vehicle were U.S. citizens, but after months of not hearing about any advancements in the case, she learned that ICE was involved. 

Over many months, Marcano would receive seven continuances, have five charges reduced to one, and only be required to pay restitution to the driver of the motorcycle, not Carissa, who remains in a wheelchair, is non-verbal, and requires a feeding tube. During Marcano’s eighth arraignment, Fox says she brought Carissa to the court so that they could see her daughter’s condition. At that time, Marcano took a plea deal, which was not discussed with the victim’s families, according to Fox. “I don’t think Americans realize how different the experiences are between citizens and when they’re charged versus illegal aliens and when they’re charged,” Fox says. She also says that she and her husband had been in a car accident shortly before Carissa, but the U.S. citizen in that case had “the book thrown” at him.

He received multiple charges and the case was resolved in a matter of weeks, unlike her daughter’s case with an illegal immigrant. Fox realized that, in a sanctuary state like Colorado, Marcano likely wouldn’t see any serious prison time for her crime, so she says she reached out to the Trump administration’s hotline for families impacted by illegal immigrants and “within days,” Marcano was deported. Chrishia Odette was 13 years old when she was hit by an illegal immigrant with outstanding warrants. Her father, Chris, tells Just the News that the only charge Ramiro Guevara received for killing his daughter was a ticket for driving without a license, for which he was already wanted.

Man entering county correctional facility through open gates carrying a backpack and blanket

He reportedly spent a mere 35 minutes in jail and posted a cash bond. He remained free for years and became a fugitive from ICE. “Court system like a revolving door” for illegal immigrants, Angel Mom says “I grew up believing the justice system was meant to put killers behind bars. I served the country believing in law and justice,” Chris tells Just the News. Lacey Marie Ferguson was fatally shot on August 24, 2003, outside a convenience store in Modesto, California, by an illegal immigrant gang member. Her case went cold but was reopened in 2014 following pressure from her mother, Boni Driskill. The suspect, David Aguilar, had been arrested around a dozen times prior to Lacey’s murder. He was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to 61 years to life, plus life, Boni tells Just the News.

“He went through the court system like a revolving door, being repetitive with another crime, another crime, another crime, and I found twelve times where they could have at any point, you know, saved my daughter’s life,” Boni tells Just the News. “And they failed to do it.” I understand something will fall through the cracks once, twice, maybe even three times, but 12 times is wanton disregard.” Fentanyl poisonings part of border security but not investigated Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids account for nearly 70% of all overdose deaths in the U.S., according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says that Mexico and China are the primary source countries trafficking fentanyl into the U.S., yet so many fentanyl deaths are not fully investigated.

Families of those who have died due to fentanyl poisoning are included in the Angel Families definition because it is a trafficked substance and thus part of border security. Laura Woody lost her son Jimmy in 2021, telling Just the News that his death wasn’t investigated because her son was a drug addict. She found evidence that the coroner called her son “just a druggie,” and the people who sold him the substance were never found. “Having a substance use disorder does not void a person’s right to justice,” Laura says, adding that the judicial system treats drug addicts as “less than human.”

She says that a police report wasn’t even written for her son until a week after he was found dead when she asked for the report. She also says it was full of incorrect information that was written from memory, and questions why these deaths aren’t investigated to find the dealers and those above them responsible for trafficking fentanyl. “Every death could have been prevented if the previous one had been investigated,” she tells Just the News. Debbie Santini also lost her son to fentanyl, but says the circumstances surrounding his death are suspicious, yet police didn’t conduct a full investigation. Her son, Jesse, died on February 16, 2022, just five days after entering a recovery house.

Even though there were 10 people in the house besides Jesse, only four were interviewed, and Jesse’s name was spelled incorrectly throughout the police report. “They did not even care to spell my child’s name right,” Debbie tells Just the News. Debbie dealt with rotating investigators and never found the answers to how her son died in a house full of people without any drugs around him. She also says her son was shy and wouldn’t have used drugs in such a crowded house, that he would have gone to his vehicle or another private place, yet her suspicions were never answered.

“Living with a permanent hole in our lives” The men and women who make up the Angel Families have previously written to Congress seeking a border fence, more Border Patrol agents and deportations, detention expansion, and screening of unaccompanied minors for gang ties. “Every single one of us is living with a permanent hole in our lives because an illegal immigrant, who never should have been in this country, was allowed to stay and take an innocent life,” the families wrote through the American Border Story, a conservative-leaning 501(c)(4) nonprofit that tells their stories. “These were preventable tragedies.”

Source: ‘Second-class citizens’: Angel Families describe two-tiered justice system for illegal immigrants | Just The News

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

Robin Williams as the American Flag

Robin Williams portrays the American flag in “I Love Liberty,” a two-hour television special created by Norman Lear and presented by People For the American Way. Source: (630) Robin Williams as…

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Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance

When is the last time you heard the pledge of Allegiance recited like the great late Christian comedian red Skelton? Give it a listen ! Source: (630) Red Skelton’s Pledge of…

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The Story of America: John Adams

The White House Salute to America 250 Task Force has partnered with Hillsdale College to provide a history series that tells the remarkable story of American Independence. It will highlight the…

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George Washington on Freedom of Speech

George Washington never wrote a single famous statement that exactly says “freedom of speech” in the way many internet memes claim. However, throughout his writings and public addresses, he strongly supported…

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Why Waiting on God is Always Worth It

What feels late to us is often perfectly timed by God. Heaven’s clock never runs behind schedule. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise… but is longsuffering to us-ward.” —…

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Supreme Court Backs Trump on Asylum Policy, TPS Deportations

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The U.S. Supreme Court handed the Trump administration two major victories on immigration Thursday, allowing stricter asylum enforcement and clearing the way for the removal of temporary protected status from hundreds of thousands of migrants. In a 6-3 ruling, the court found the administration can end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 300,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrian refugees. The decision means many people who have legally lived and worked in the United States for years after fleeing war or natural disasters could now face deportation. The court’s conservative majority ruled that lower courts exceeded their authority by blocking the Department of Homeland Security’s decision and rejected claims that ending protections for Haitians was discriminatory.

In a separate 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that migrants who present themselves for asylum while still in Mexico are not entitled to seek asylum because they have not yet entered the United States. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing the ruling could encourage more dangerous illegal border crossings. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said the decision reflects a straightforward reading of federal law. The rulings come as advocacy groups representing DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers, have filed a new lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of delaying renewals that allow recipients to legally work and study in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security said DACA recipients are not automatically protected from deportation.

Source: Supreme Court Backs Trump on Asylum Policy, TPS Deportations

Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
Psalm 112:6

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Trump’s religious liberty report calls for building ‘bridges’ between church and state

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A draft final report from President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission released Friday calls for “building bridges between church and state,” a reversal of a long-standing U.S. legal principle.  “Americans must know their rights and stand with courage when those rights are challenged,” the commission’s report read. “To preserve this freedom, we must build bridges, not walls, between the City of God and the City of Man. If we do so, we will pass on a free and prosperous nation to the next generation,” it continues. The argument is a stark reversal of the legal principle that calls for the separation of church and state.

The phrase “separation of church and state” does not explicitly appear in the Constitution, but the Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who is a vice chair on the president’s commission, argued on Friday that the political left has used the phrase “to batter and hammer people of faith for the last 70 to 80 years.”  “This report will speak very clearly that Americans understand that they can not be attacked by that phrase any longer,” Patrick said, speaking alongside Trump, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and members of the commission.  In addition to calling for “bridges” between church and state, the commission’s report also calls for the scrapping of the tax code provision known as the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits nonprofit groups, including religious organizations, from endorsing or opposing political candidates. 

Trump created his Religious Liberty Commission last year, appointing Patrick and Dr. Ben Carson to serve as vice chairs. Phil McGraw was also tapped by the president to be a part of the commission. 

Source: Trump’s religious liberty report calls for building ‘bridges’ between church and state

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth.
Job 19:25

States That Allow Bible in the Classroom

Texas public schools will now require students to read Bible passages and stories as part of the latest conservative push to expand the role of religion in public education—a move bound to…

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The event that made the rest of the world realize how Awesome the USA is!

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Torn newspaper headlines about global crisis and stock market falls over illuminated city skyline at twilight

As Americans have been told over and over again how bad we suck by celebrities and the media, and so many more. We have had an awesome invasion people from around the world that are discovering just how great of a country we are. I has been such a uplifting a welcoming gift for 250th birthday.

Source: World Cup Fans Discover America, FIFA 2026 Tourists Were Lied To? Youtube

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Psalm 46:10

Judge PROTECTS ILLEGAL Immigrant Voting

Judge Sparkle says you cannot remove illegal immigrant from voter rolls because maybe it removes citizens blocking Trump from securing US elections Source: (604) Judge PROTECTS ILLEGAL Immigrant Voting |…

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Psalm 2:1-12; The One True King

The One True King Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against…

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Matthew 4:7; It is Written

Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.” This verse records Jesus’ response to Satan during His temptation in the wilderness: “It is…

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A Father After God’s Own Heart

The world does not need perfect Dads, it needs godly fathers who are willing to follow God and lead their families with faith, humility, and love. A father who walks…

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Trump kicks off Great American State Fair celebrating America’s 250th anniversary

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President Trump declared “the best is yet to come” for America at a rally Tuesday night kicking off festivities commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary. “We are the ones who are carrying forward the light of Western civilization,” Trump said at the Freedom 250 event on the National Mall, describing the US as “young by comparison some but superior to any nation that’s ever been built, no matter how many years it took.”  “This is the very beginning of the Golden Age of America.

We’re in the Golden Age,” the president continued. “There has never been an age like this.  4 President Trump headlined a rally to kick off the Great American State Fair in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary on the National Mall in Washington, DC. REUTERS “This anniversary is a time to be proud of our past. But it is also a time to lift our sights, expand our ambitions, and raise our expectations of what America can be … the best is yet to come.” The event near the Washington Monument marked the opening of the 16-day “Great American State Fair.”

Source: Trump kicks off Great American State Fair celebrating America’s 250th anniversary

One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.
Psalm 27:4

What is the definition of theology?

The word “theology” comes from two Greek words that combined mean “the study of God.” Christian theology is simply an attempt to understand God as He is revealed in the…

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A Father Who Stands Strong in Faith

The world continually challenges fathers to compromise their values and convictions. God calls fathers to stand firm in faith and lead their families with courage. “Be on your guard; stand…

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A Father Who Leads with Wisdom

Godly leadership requires more than strength; it requires wisdom. Dads are called to seek God’s direction so they can guide their families according to His truth.  Bible Verse:”Trust in the…

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A Father Who Leaves a Godly Legacy

Every father leaves a legacy. The question is not whether we will leave one, but what kind of legacy it will be.  Bible Verse:”A good person leaves an inheritance for…

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A Father Who Loves Like God

A Dad’s love can leave a lasting imprint on a child’s heart. God calls dads to reflect His unconditional love through patience, grace, and compassion. “Do everything in love.” 1…

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Not Meant For the Government

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” Patrick Henry Patrick Henry | Revolutionary…

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What is the Pentateuch?

At times, another person’s insight can help us see God’s Word in a fresh and meaningful way. In this article, we share content designed to encourage your faith, deepen your…

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When Silence Protects the Wrong

One of the deepest forms of church hurt happens when abuse, misconduct, or harmful behavior is ignored, minimized, or covered up—especially when trusted leaders or respected members are involved. The…

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Judge bans Trump from enforcing proof of citizenship requirement to vote

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Hand placing ballot into official ballot box at polling station with voters in line

A federal judge has permanently banned President Donald Trump from implementing most of his executive order on elections, specifically a portion of it which sought to require people to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Caper’s ruling on Wednesday replaces a preliminary injunction she imposed in 2025, in which she temporarily blocked most of Trump’s efforts to revamp elections, into a permanent ban.  The Associated Press reported that Casper spurned the Trump administration’s argument that the lawsuit to block the changes brought by Democratic state attorneys general was premature since the rules hadn’t yet taken effect.  Casper noted in her ruling that the Constitution gives states and Congress the power to regulate elections, and that Trump’s requirements violated the separation of powers.

Trump pushing for SAVE America Act

Dig deeper: The SAVE America Act has passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, leading President Donald Trump to push for eliminating the filibuster that is blocking the legislation. Trump’s order would have required people to provide documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote, preventing mail ballots from being counted if they arrive after Election Day, while penalizing states that failed to comply by withholding certain federal funds.

Trump signed an elections executive order, months after returning to the White House for his second term.  Since then, Trump signed another executive order on elections to create a national voter list and restrict mail balloting.  Trump canceled the signing of a bipartisan housing bill on Wednesday, saying in a social media post that he won’t sign legislation until Congress passes his proof of citizenship requirement for voting.

Source: Judge bans Trump from enforcing proof of citizenship requirement to vote | FOX 5 New York

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8

Seize Today’s Opportunities for Christ

This moment in history is not meaningless, it is merciful. Every sunrise is another opportunity for salvation and surrender. “ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the…

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The celebrity escape plan backfires as 2 iconic Trump haters just slunk back home

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Open suitcase packed with folded clothes, shoes, passport, and boarding passes

Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres are finding reasons to return to the United States despite fleeing after Trump’s election. When Trump won the presidency in 2024, several celebrities made good on their promise to evacuate the United States — but that’s not stopping them from coming back. Rosie O’Donnell famously fled to Ireland with her 13-year-old child, Clay, immediately after Trump’s win, and returned this June for the Tony Awards.

While O’Donnell had no issues getting back into the States, she made it clear that she was “worried” that it would be “problematic” the first time she returned on a secret trip in February. “I worried the first time I came back, whether that would be problematic, and I came alone without my child, who is 13 and has autism. She’s my youngest of five,” she told Page Six in an interview. “I wanted to make sure that if anything happened, it didn’t happen in her presence, so it was fine — as it should be.”

Source: The celebrity escape plan backfires as 2 iconic Trump haters just slunk back home | Blaze Media

The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
Proverbs 11:3

1 Peter 1:6–7

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though…

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1 Timothy 1:13-15

Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love…

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Psalm 1:1–3

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;  but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and…

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James 1:14–15

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown…

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Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. This reminds us that our choices have consequences. God is not fooled by…

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Proverbs 13:20

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. This reminds us that the people we spend time with have a powerful influence…

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1 Corinthians 15:33

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals. We can see here that Paul gives a powerful warning: the people and influences we allow into our lives can shape…

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Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who…

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Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. This verse reminds us that our words carry tremendous power.…

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Proverbs 23:7

For he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. This verse reminds us that our thoughts…

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Matthew 6:22

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, In this verse Jesus teaches that what…

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Luke 6:45

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the…

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Sen. Rick Scott Rallies Senate Republicans to Advance Trump’s Priorities

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Man in suit speaking at Senate podium in legislative chamber

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) called on Senate Republicans to work with President Donald Trump and advance the SAVE America Act, urging lawmakers in a Monday social media post to “hit the ground running” as Congress returns to Washington. “Let’s hit the ground running this week,” Scott wrote in a message posted on social media. “The Senate needs to come together, have conversations, work with President Trump, and get the SAVE America Act done.” According to Scott’s proposal, Republicans should focus on preventing another government shutdown and passing the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

“I hope we can continue to have robust conversations as a conference this week as to how we should spend our time between now and the November elections. President Trump is scheduled to be at our Wednesday lunch. I hope everyone will be vocal as to what they think is the best path forward, but here is mine,” Scott wrote in his letter obtained by the Hill. Scott said Republicans should make clear distinctions between the two parties on government funding and election security as lawmakers prepare for upcoming spending battles and the midterm elections. Scott said he does not expect Democrats to support passage of all 12 annual appropriations bills before the Sept. 30 funding deadline, saying that Republicans should instead pursue a continuing resolution to avert a shutdown. “We need to make it clear to all Americans that Democrats want to shut down government and don’t care how it impacts federal workers or the economy and Republicans want to fund the government,” he wrote.

“We need to make it clear Republicans want election security and Democrats want fraud.” President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Senate Republicans on Wednesday as lawmakers continue discussions on spending, government funding, and election-related legislation.

Source: Sen. Rick Scott Rallies Senate Republicans to Advance Trump’s Priorities

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
Hebrews 8:6

Christian Persecution June 2 – May 28, 2026

Christian persecution published between May 28 and June 4, 2026. These come primarily from specialized monitoring organizations like International Christian Concern (ICC) and Global Christian Relief. No large-scale violent incidents (e.g.,…

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God Sees Your Unseen Efforts

God has not overlooked a single act of your faithfulness, not one prayer, not one quiet sacrifice. Even when no one else sees, He remembers, and your labor in love is…

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Judge PROTECTS ILLEGAL Immigrant Voting

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County courthouse building with classical columns and a dome at sunset

Judge Sparkle says you cannot remove illegal immigrant from voter rolls because maybe it removes citizens blocking Trump from securing US elections

Source: (604) Judge PROTECTS ILLEGAL Immigrant Voting | Tim Pool – YouTube

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:20

A House Divided

Division within the church is one of the enemy’s greatest tools because it weakens unity, damages witness, and distracts believers from the mission of Christ. I personally believe that all…

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Ecclesiastes 3:1

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: In the Book of Ecclesiastes verse 3:1, we’re reminded that life moves in seasons, every moment…

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Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten…

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Trump says U.S. killed Tren de Aragua leader in airstrike in Venezuela

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dramatic fireball explosion in outdoor setting

The U.S. military has killed the alleged leader of Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua, President Trump announced Friday. The president said on Truth Social that U.S. Southern Command carried out a “swift and lethal kinetic strike” to “successfully execute” Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero. The mission was “closely coordinated” with the Venezuelan government, the president said, highligting the U.S.’s shifting relationship with Venezuela since its former leader was removed in an American military operation earlier this year. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X the strike took place earlier this week on a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela.

Venezuela’s communications ministry confirmed in a statement that Guerrero Flores was killed in a “combined operation” between U.S. forces and Venezuelan security services to target organized crime in the country’s Bolívar state. Mr. Trump’s social media post included a video that showed a projectile hitting a building, causing it to erupt in flames. “Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drugs lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong,” he wrote.

A video posted to Truth Social by President Trump on June 12, 2026, in connection with the killing of Tren de Aragua leader Niño Guerrero. President Trump / Truth Social In a statement on the strikes, U.S. Southern Command described Guerrero Flores, 43, as a “wanted fugitive.” He was indicted late last year in New York federal court on charges that included racketeering, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and cocaine conspiracy. The State Department offered up to $5 million for information leading to his capture. Also known as “The Unspeakable” or “The Big Eyebrow,” Guerrero Flores ran Tren de Aragua for more than a decade, helping to grow it from a Venezuelan prison gang to a transnational organization with a presence throughout the Americas, including in the United States, federal prosecutors say.

The indictment accused him of leading a criminal enterprise that trafficked drugs and people, extorted local populations and committed acts of violence. Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores U.S. Department of State Prosecutors allege that Guerrero Flores initially operated Tren de Aragua out of Tocorón Prison, directing gang members on the outside and collecting a fee from their activities. CBS News’ partner network, BBC News, reported that Guerrero Flores was in and out of Tocorón Prison for years: He escaped in 2012 and was rearrested a year later. He was sentenced to a 17-year prison term in 2018, but escaped again in 2023, remaining at large after that. Guerrero Flores lived “like a king” during part of his time in prison, BBC News reported. He occupied an entire floor monitored by bodyguards, and the prison had a swimming pool, a zoo and a nightclub. Last year’s indictment alleged the Venezuelan government allowed him to “control the day-to-day operations of the prison.”

The apparent collaboration between the American and Venezuelan governments to kill Guerrero Flores came five months after the U.S. military removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power in a daring nighttime raid.  Maduro was flown to New York, where federal prosecutors accused him of scheming to import cocaine into the United States, in part by allegedly partnering with Tren de Aragua and other cartels. The indictment against Maduro also charged Guerrero Flores as a co-conspirator. Maduro has pleaded not guilty. Since then, Venezuela has been led by Maduro’s former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez. The Trump administration has sought to work with Rodriguez’s government, lifting sanctions on her and pushing to collaborate on oil extraction.

Tren de Aragua has been in Mr. Trump’s crosshairs since he returned to the White House last year. He won a second term after frequently highlighting the gang’s violent presence in the United States — and, critics allege, exaggerating their power within some American communities — on the campaign trail in 2024. Mr. Trump argued the gang was fueled by a massive influx of Venezuelan nationals who traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border during the Biden administration, amid political and economic turmoil in Maduro’s Venezuela. Early last year, the Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua and other Latin American gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. The administration later cited those designations in its legal justification for striking dozens of alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific last fall, arguing the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with the groups. Some of those boats were allegedly operated by Tren de Aragua.

The administration also invoked the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on Tren de Aragua in March 2025, accusing the group of working with the Maduro government to perpetrate an “invasion” of the United States. It drew controversy for using that law to summarily deport hundreds of Venezuelan men, many of whom were sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Some of the deportees denied that they were gang members, and some judges found the men were denied due process.

Source: Trump says U.S. killed Tren de Aragua leader in airstrike in Venezuela – CBS Minnesota

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

The News Part 2

Dear Heavenly Father, as I enter this day please give me the words that I need to share who you are and help me present your love to all that…

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Daily Bread; Psalm 91:4

Daily Verse He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4 ESV Refuge: shelter or…

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The Reflecting Pool Controversy Is Absurd: Not Everything Trump Does Has to Be a Crisis

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washington monument in lincoln memorial reflecting pool at dusk

One must wonder whether President Trump’s least discriminating critics have ever read the fable of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” — or at least whether, if they have, they understood that it was not an advertisement in favor of unyielding panic. There are many, many things to criticize about our 45th and 47th president, but it cannot be the case that literally everything the man does is wrong. That even his decision to clear up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., became an occasion for condemnation, anger, and charges of presidential impropriety suggests that, eleven years into his domination of American life, some among us have yet to internalize this fact.

Before Trump decided to clean it up, the Reflecting Pool was a mess. This was not unique in recent American history. Under President Obama, the federal government spent $30 million renovating the Reflecting Pool and then, almost immediately, spent yet more money to deal with an algae outbreak. Between 2015 and 2016, further repairs were made after the eastern end was damaged during construction. And, in 2017, the pool was completely drained in response to an outbreak of parasites that proved harmful to ducks. Nine years later, when Trump announced his more substantial makeover, the Reflecting Pool needed attention once again. It was full of algae; it had several leaks that needed attention; and, in the estimation of Trump’s advisers, the basin required repainting to enhance the water’s reflective effect.

As part of a broader attempt to beautify Washington, D.C., Trump signaled his intention to take on the project and, in so doing, provoked some wild reactions. A near-endless supply of “preservationists” told the newspapers that Trump’s planned changes to the basin-coating would make the pool look like a residential swimming pool, and thereby deprive us of our “our shared cultural landscape heritage”; a series of reflexive partisans insisted wildly that the attraction was fine as it was, despite the presence of algae that had turned the pool a ghastly greenish brown; and Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, took to sharing photographs of the in-progress project, alongside captions that implied that the mere existence of a temporary construction site represented a terminal failure of planning. (Quite how Newsom squares this position with California’s ongoing high-speed rail debacle, he has never explained.) The opposition was breathless, fevered, and typically extremely silly.

The best argument made was that Trump had bypassed the usual channels before moving ahead with his plan. But, in this case, that was likely a net plus. It is not at all clear that there were any legal obstacles to the White House’s decision to ignore the usual review process, and, given that the usual reviewers are a bunch of pretentious naysayers, their involvement would most likely have served no purpose beyond slowing the restoration down. Clearly, President Trump wanted the pool to be presentable in time for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, and, clearly, the only way to achieve this was to cut out the network of groups, societies, fellowships, and other self-appointed arbiters of taste whose implacable opposition to him was foreordained. Absent those encumbrances, Trump put himself back into his old real estate developer mode, and got the thing done posthaste.

And it looks good! Which is why, despite the predictions of disaster, the new criticism of the cavilers is that the pool now looks exactly like it used to when it was working as designed. “The Reflecting Pool is full again — and looks almost the same,” the Washington Post declared this week. Which is exactly what one would want to say about a successful restoration project, is it not? (The “nearly” in that sentence, of course, is a grudging substitute for “better.”) A monument needed fixing, and it was fixed, quickly and competently. Not every development has to be a crisis. Not every moment calls for extended debate. Not all features of American life require interrogation by postmodernist bores. Sometimes, a pool is just a pool. 

Source: The Reflecting Pool Controversy Is Absurd: Not Everything Trump Does Has to Be a Crisis | National Review

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
Luke 11:13

The News Part 1

Dear Heavenly Father, as this is read give understanding and conviction to those reading this. May there be understanding where there needs to be understanding and conviction where there needs to be conviction.…

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The Light that Caused the Darkness

There is a deep kind of pain that comes when the people who we thought were family and were meant to reflect God’s light but instead become a source of darkness. Church hurt…

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🇺🇸 Memorial Day 🇺🇸

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives…

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Amos 3:7

 “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. This verse reveals that God does not act without warning His people first. The verse teaches that the Lord shares…

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Isaiah 11:2

And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord Isaiah 11:2 KJV…

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The tale of a Ford, a nest, and a Robin

A Ford dealership in Kansas can’t let a customer take home an already-bought F-250 Super Duty, and the reason is for the birds—quite literallySee, Olathe Ford of Olathe, Kansas, which posted its conundrum…

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The King is Coming

They shouted “Hosanna” like a King was arriving, but didn’t realize a Savior was surrendering. Don’t just celebrate Jesus for what you want Him to do, honor Him for who He truly is.…

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Trump tells ‘Pod Force One’ Graham Platner is a ‘major sleaze bag,’ but James Talarico is worse

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Man in suit and red striped tie speaking during a news interview

President Trump blasted the Democrats’ scandal-plagued Senate candidate Graham Platner as a “major sleaze bag” in an interview with The Post’s “Pod Force One,” but said Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is worse.  The president gave a blunt assessment of the Democrats’ top Senate contenders in an interview with The Post’s Miranda Devine in the latest episode, which is out Wednesday.

“They don’t appeal to anybody,” he said of Democratic candidates, calling them by his new nickname: “The Dumocrats.”  He expressed astonishment that Platner is beating Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the polls in their Maine Senate matchup. The embattled Democrat holds a 7.8% edge over Collins, according to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.

“He’s a major sleaze bag. I mean, you look at him, you can’t imagine that, but yet he’s up in the polls against Susan Collins,” Trump said. Still, he expressed optimism about Collins, whom he’s clashed with in the past. “But she’s always down in the polls, and she survives.”

Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, are standing by Platner even after a deluge of recent reports on the candidate’s racy text messages with other women while he was married.

Platner met with party officials behind closed doors in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, slipping in and out of a back entrance to avoid questions from the media.

Meanwhile, Trump has even harsher words for Talarico, who is running against state Attorney General Ken Paxton for John Cornyn’s Texas Senate seat. Paxton beat Cornyn for the GOP nomination after receiving Trump’s endorsement.

Source: Exclusive | Trump tells ‘Pod Force One’ Graham Platner is a ‘major sleaze bag,’ but James Talarico is worse

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:14

Break Free and Run the Race

Break free from sin, and run your race like it matters. We must understand, getting rid of our anchors will still keep us in the race. ⚓️ 📖Therefore, since we…

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Letting God Take the Lead

God doesn’t guide the loud, the proud, or the self-sufficient, He leads the humble who are willing to follow. Lay down your pride, and watch how clearly His path unfolds…

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Primary Elections; May 19, 2026

Today, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, is a major primary election day in six states: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. These are mostly partisan primaries (Democratic and Republican) to…

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What does Hosanna Mean?

Hosanna: Getting to Know Him Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter…

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Matthew 25:21

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy…

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2 Peter 2:1-3

But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them,…

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Recognizing the Trap of Offense

A wounded heart builds walls higher than pride ever could, harder to win back than a fortified city. Choose your words carefully, because one broken relationship can become a locked…

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Because They Are Above us All: Jill Biden on Hunter pardon: “We just could not let our son go to jail” under Trump’s DOJ

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Middle-aged man in a blue blazer and light gray shirt standing outside with autumn trees in the background

Jill Biden said she supported Joe Biden’s decision to pardon their son, Hunter, because they couldn’t let him go to jail under President Trump.  Joe Biden had repeatedly pledged not to pardon his son, but reversed course at the end of his presidency.  “And then the Justice Department changed. And I think that the process was not fair to Hunter,” Jill Biden told CBS News Sunday Morning’s Rita Braver in an interview airing Sunday on CBS. “When Trump was elected, things changed, and we knew that he would target Hunter. And we just could not let our son go to jail on a charge that no one would go, I mean, no one has ever gone to jail for.” Joe Biden repeatedly said he wouldn’t pardon his son, who was convicted in June 2024 of three separate felony charges related to his purchase of a revolver in 2018 when he was battling a drug addiction, which he lied about on paperwork to obtain the gun.

Hunter Biden also pleaded guilty to nine tax evasion charges in a separate case in September 2024. The elder Biden’s decision to pardon his son drew bipartisan criticism. When asked by Braver if she urged her husband to pardon Hunter Biden, Jill Biden said: “I truly supported it. I wanted him to pardon Hunter at that point, and I agreed with Joe.” Asked why Biden also preemptively pardoned several other family members before he left office, Jill Biden said: “I suppose for the same reason that he felt that they would be targeted.”  Jill Biden talked to Braver about the election, her husband’s 2024 debate performance, and her new book, “View from the East Wing: A Memoir.” 

Source: Jill Biden on Hunter pardon: “We just could not let our son go to jail” under Trump’s DOJ – CBS Atlanta

Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
Luke 9:16-17

Abortion Survivor; Michele’s Story

“My story began in the pre-Roe v. Wade era of 1962. As the youngest of seven children in a large, financially struggling family, my conception came at a particularly challenging time for my parents. With the assistance of her OBGYN, my mother attempted to end her pregnancy. Miraculously, I survived the abortion attempt, even after…

Black bear sightings confirmed in Flat Rock-Rockwood, Carleton areas

The Michigan DNR says residents in two Southeast Michigan communities have reported black bear sightings in recent days.  According to the DNR, the first sighting happened around 1:13 a.m. on May 10 when a black bear was captured on a cellular trail camera near Carleton in Monroe County.  Source: Black bear sightings confirmed in Flat…

Mountain lion sighting reported in Davis, residents urged to be on alert

Davis residents are being urged to be on alert after a possible mountain lion was spotted on the outskirts of town. According to the Davis Police Department, the sighting was reported Wednesday evening near Kestrel Place and the nearby bike path in the North Davis area. While mountain lions are known to usually try and…

Pennsylvania woman finds 3.09-carat white diamond at state park in Arkansas

A woman from Pennsylvania found a 3.09-carat white diamond at a state park in Arkansas. Keshia Smith found the diamond during a visit to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Pike County, Arkansas State Parks said in a post on Facebook on Monday.  Source: Pennsylvania woman finds 3.09-carat white diamond at state park in Arkansas…

Florida fire map shows live updates on wildfires burning in Broward and Miami-Dade

Two wildfires in Broward and Miami-Dade counties are now mostly contained after burning thousands of acres and impacting air quality across parts of South Florida for days, according to the Florida Forest Service and other state and local agencies. The fires are highlighted on Florida’s Active Wildfire Points map, an interactive tool that tracks current…

Visitors travel for miles to see Carley State Park’s wildflowers

There’s a place in Wabasha County, Minnesota, where people go wild for wildflowers. Each spring, Carley State Park, one of the smallest in the state, draws thousands of flower-seeking visitors. “Bluebells are absolutely what people come to Carley to see,” said Jeremy Darst, interpretive naturalist for the park. The bluebells are nature’s handiwork, and here…

❤️The Heart of Worship🛐

What the world calls waste, Jesus calls worship, your sacrifice for Him is never overlooked. Bold, extravagant faith stands out in a culture that misunderstands true devotion.  “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” — Mark 14:6 When a woman poured her expensive perfume on Jesus, she offered Him something costly and deeply personal.…

Chinese Communist Party Erasing Religion with Village Renaming Effort

The 630 changes exhibit a greater campaign within China toward eliminating all religious belief, according to Reggie Littlejohn, founder and president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers. Catalina Scheider Galiñanes, June 25, 2024 – National Catholic Register The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has enacted a campaign of widespread renaming of villages across the Xinjiang province, in…

Eileen Wang resigns, will plead guilty to acting as Chinese agent

A Southern California mayor has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, and has resigned from her city position, officials said Monday. Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, was charged in April with one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign…

Organ Harvesting in China

You may think you know about the illegal world of organ harvesting, but there’s an even a darker side to this practice than merely procuring an organ on the black market. In China, two groups in particular, Uyghur Muslims as well as Falun Gong practitioners, are often targeted to be killed for their organs, especially…

Burn ban lifted statewide as two large South Georgia wildfires reach 90% containment

Georgia’s statewide burn ban is over, but the fight against two massive wildfires in South Georgia is not. Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order Tuesday lifting the temporary burn ban that had been in place across Georgia counties as part of the state’s wildfire emergency declaration, citing improving weather conditions and decreased fire risk…

First Human Cornea Transplant Using 3D Printed, Lab-Grown Tissue Restores Sight in a ‘Game Changer’ for Millions Who are Blind

The first successful human implant of a 3D-printed cornea made from human eye cells cultured in a laboratory has restored a patient’s sight. The North Carolina-based company that developed the cornea described the procedure as a ‘world first’—and a major milestone toward its goal of alleviating the lack of available donor tissue and long wait-times…

Winter Storm Warning: 10 Inches of Snow, 50 mph Winds Coming This Week

Certain areas of the Midwest are experiencing higher snowfall and wind speeds this week. The National Weather Service has confirmed that snowy conditions will continue into next week across some areas of the Midwest. After a few weeks of heavy snowfall throughout the Rockies, conditions in Wyoming and Montana have calmed down over the past few days.…

🌹To the Mother Who Keeps Going🌹

Dear Mother, We know that you may not hear it every day, but what you do matters more than you know. Every early morning, every late night, every prayer whispered through tears, every sacrifice made in silence, God sees it all. You have moments when motherhood can and will feel exhausting. Sometimes you’ll wonder if…

Signs of the End Times; “When You See These Things…”

The world is searching for answers as fear, confusion, wars, disasters, and moral darkness continue to increase. But long before today’s headlines, Jesus warned humanity that these things would come, and He told believers not to fear, but to be ready. The Bible made it clear that right before the return of Jesus Christ, the…

Colorado’s A-Basin Ski Area extends season after recent snowfall

Thanks to the significant snowfall in Colorado’s mountains this week, Arapahoe Basin has announced it will be extending the ski season. The snowstorm totals from Tuesday and Wednesday ranged from a few inches in some places to over two feet in others. A-Basin said it received 9 inches of snow during the storm. In a…

Virginia Supreme Court tosses out congressional map that favored Democrats

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday tossed out a congressional redistricting referendum passed by Virginia voters last month, striking a blow to Democrats hoping to gain a more favorable map and increase their number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The decision overturns voters’ approval of a new congressional map that would have given…

Denver Public Schools considering banning cellphones during school hours

Denver Public Schools is now considering a bell-to-bell policy, which would mean students wouldn’t be able to use their cellphones, not even during passing periods and lunch. It would also include other personal devices such as laptops, smartwatches, and wireless earbuds to prevent students from working around the phone ban. All Colorado school districts must…

Red flag warning issued in central, northwestern Minnesota Friday afternoon

A red flag warning will go into effect Friday afternoon in northwestern and central Minnesota due to extreme fire risk conditions, the state’s Department of Natural Resources says. The warning is issued for 24 counties and will last from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.  The impacted counties include: Becker, Benton, Cass, Chippewa, Clay, Crow Wing,…

Two teens injured in Bloomington shooting

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Stolen truck runs red light, crashes into playground outside Southwest Philadelphia school, police say

A driver in a stolen utility truck sped through a red light and crashed into a playground outside S. Weir Mitchell Elementary in Southwest Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon, police said.  Police on Wednesday announced 18-year-old Robert Littlepage Jr., of Douglasville, Georgia, was arrested and will be charged with attempted carjacking, aggravated assault and related offenses.…

Apparent bear attack kills missing hiker in Montana’s Glacier National Park

The body of a hiker who was reported missing has been found by search and rescue crews in Glacier National Park in Montana, park officials said Thursday. His remains were spotted Wednesday about two-and-a-half miles up the Mt. Brown Trail, some 50 feet off the trail “in a densely wooded area with downed timber,” the…

Minneapolis City Council unanimously passes gun control ordinance

The Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a gun control ordinance on Thursday, which includes a ban on assault-style weapons, large-capacity magazines, ghost guns and would restrict firearms in some public places.  The measure’s future is unclear, however, because state preemption laws prevent cities from creating their own gun ordinances. A spokesperson for Mayor Jacob Frey…

Southwest passenger describes planes clipping at BWI airport: “It was a good jolt”

A Southwest Airlines passenger traveling out of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport shared a video with CBS News Baltimore after the plane he was on clipped another aircraft earlier this week. The video by Kevin White, who was heading home to Connecticut, showed the moments after two airplanes hit each other while leaving the gates on…

23 charged following ATV and dirt bike takeover on Bay Bridge, police say

Police in Oakland said nearly two dozen people have been charged so far in connection with Sunday’s takeover of the Bay Bridge by dozens of riders on ATVs and dirt bikes. A department spokesperson told CBS News Bay Area on Thursday that a total of 23 people were charged. Four people were arrested on felony…

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China fueling anti-data center sentiment across US: Trump admin

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server rack in modern data center

The Trump administration and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary claimed anti-data center sentiments across the US are being fueled by a Chinese propaganda campaign. O’Leary — whose 40,000-acre data center plans outside Salt Lake City have been met with protests — claimed in a Monday video that “nefarious accounts out of the country” tied to China were spreading misinformation about his project as part of a coordinated attack on American AI infrastructure. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum agreed during a Tuesday appearance on Fox Business.

Source: China fueling anti-data center sentiment across US: Trump admin

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Psalm 86:5

Tree falls on Massachusetts school playground, injuring 2 children, adult

Two children and an adult were injured after a large tree fell onto a school playground in Melrose, Massachusetts on Monday afternoon. The city is calling it a “serious accident.” It happened at the Winthrop Elementary School just moments after school was let out for the day. “It was after school; kids were playing on…

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Cyberattack shutters Canvas learning platform for schools across the U.S.

A system that thousands of schools and universities use was offline Thursday due to a cyberattack, creating chaos as students tried to study for finals and underscoring education’s dependence on technology. The hacking group named ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach at Instructure, the company behind the learning management system Canvas, said Luke Connolly, a…

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Matthew 1:22-23

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” This verse explains that Jesus’ birth fulfilled the prophecy spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child.” These verses reveal that Jesus was not…

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Romans 12:19

 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” This verse teaches believers not to seek personal revenge when they are hurt or wronged. As Christians we are called to trust God’s justice, knowing that He sees every situation and will…

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Good & Gather snack, other nut mixes recalled due to salmonella risk

An Illinois food manufacturer is recalling several snack products due to concerns that they may be contaminated with salmonella, according to a recall notice with the Food and Drug Administration. The recall affects nut mixes and a corn mix manufactured by John B. Sanfilippo and Son and sold under the brand names Southern Style Nuts, Fisher,…

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Food manufacturer Cento is committing “tomato fraud,” lawsuit alleges

Two California residents are suing Cento Fine Foods, alleging the company engaged in “tomato fraud” by claiming that the tomatoes in one of its canned products are the authentic “San Marzano Certified” version from Italy. The plaintiffs claim that Cento’s “Certified San Marzano” labeling is “false, misleading and unfair,” alleging that the product lacks an…

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Takedown Targets Open-Air Drug Market at L.A.’s MacArthur Park, Long an Area Run by Gang Members and Homeless Drug Users

LOS ANGELES – Eighteen defendants, including two people law enforcement believes are the main sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Los Angeles’s gang- and drug-infested MacArthur Park, have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging them with a federal drug trafficking offense, the Justice Department announced today. The complaint charges 25 defendants with possession…

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Dry conditions, high winds, feeding wildfire risk in parts of Michigan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says elevated fire danger has been observed across parts of the state.  The conditions are fueled by downed trees and branches left by the March 2025 ice storm. The severe weather at the time damaged around 3 million acres of land. “Even with the heavy rains this spring, recent drier…

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Sonoma County community uses sheep to reduce wildfire risk

With California’s fire season just around the corner, cutting down the tall dry grass is going to be a priority over the next few weeks. In the North Bay, tractors have been commonly used, but now grazing is gaining popularity. While many contract out grazing services, one woman has been trying to encourage homeowners to…

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Self-Defense: Another “Luxury” the Poor Can Do Without

“to the point about pricing poor people out of owning firearms, I think poor people don’t benefit from owning firearms.” Dr. Anthony D. Douglas Many years ago, Otis McDonald, a 76-year old retiree living in a high-crime area of Chicago testified that he had “been robbed numerous times in his Morgan Park home; [he’d] witnessed…

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Trump Administration Continues to Deliver for Gun Owners with Recent Initiatives

Amid a steady stream of headlines highlighting anti-gun legislative proposals in the states, ongoing litigation battles, and regulatory uncertainty, there is also good news to report on the Second Amendment front, courtesy of the Trump Administration. Recent news from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the United States Postal Service (USPS) provide reason…

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The Outlook for Immigration Policy

The Administration has taken sweeping actions to reduce both legal and illegal entry into the US, driving sharp declines in encounters at the US border and inflows of authorized immigrants. However, labor shortages in key sectors may influence the direction of policy moving forward. Trusted Insights for What’s Ahead® Uncertain Expectations The President made reshaping…

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Supreme Court unanimously slaps down blue state targeting pro-life group

The Supreme Court unanimously sided with a group of faith-based pregnancy centers on Wednesday that challenged the New Jersey attorney general’s investigation into whether the centers misled donors and the public about steering women away from having abortions. The case was brought by First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, a group of five Christian-based facilities in…

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5 injured in apartment building fire, reported explosion in Des Plaines

Five people were injured in an apartment fire and reported explosion in Des Plaines, Illinois, overnight.   Firefighters responded to a fire at a three-story building at 1279 Harding Ave just before 1 a.m. and found heavy flames and smoke.  Video from the scene shows firefighters on ladders working to control the flames as emergency…

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Guarding Your Heart

Your life is moving in the direction of your heart, whether you realize it or not. What you allow in today will shape who you become tomorrow. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 Your heart is valuable territory. Offense gains access when boundaries are weak.…

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Feds Investigating ‘8647’ Graffiti On Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

The National Park Service is investigating the vandalism of the National Mall’s reflecting pool with a phrase that many supporters of President Donald Trump view as an assassination threat. The term “8647” was found graffitied on the reflecting pool, which is currently under renovation, Friday, the NPS told the Washington Examiner. The United States Park…

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Woman found dead after house fire and collapse in Wilmington, Delaware

A woman was found dead after a house fire in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday morning, fire officials said. Crews were called out to the 2000 block of North Harrison Street for a reported blaze at a three-story building, Wilmington Fire Chief John Looney said in a news release. Source: Woman found dead after house fire…

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Brush fire outside Dodger Stadium snarls traffic on 110 Freeway

A brush fire near the 110 Freeway just outside Dodger Stadium caused “excessive delays into the downtown area” of Los Angeles, according to authorities. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the blaze was reported around 5:44 p.m. Saturday. It’s not yet clear what caused the fire, but it broke out near the southbound lanes of…

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Gopher Fire fully contained after burning nearly 70 acres in Riverside County

Riverside County firefighters have fully contained the Gopher Fire, which broke out in southern Riverside County on Saturday afternoon and temporarily forced evacuation orders for some residents.  The blaze, which was reported at around 2:40 p.m. near Highway 79 and Sage Road in the Aguanga area, burned just about 67 acres before Cal Fire/Riverside County…

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Judge Apologizes to Alleged WHCD Attacker for Treatment in Jail

Judge Apologizes to Alleged WHCD Attacker for Treatment in Jail Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images ELIZABETH WEIBEL4 May 20261,670 2:03 A judge issued an apology to Cole Tomas Allen, the alleged White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner attacker, for how he has been treated while being held in jail. During a hearing…

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Nancy Mace Names 6 House Lawmakers Allegedly Involved In Sex Scandal Cover Up

Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace named several lawmakers Monday who she claims used a congressional “slush fund” to cover up alleged sex scandals. Mace said she uncovered 1,000 pages of documents detailing how certain lawmakers allegedly evaded consequences for sexual scandals, according to a Monday post on X. Mace originally subpoenaed the House Oversight…

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Explosion at fireworks factory in China kills at least 26

An explosion at a fireworks plant in a central Chinese province has killed at least 26 people and injured 61, prompting the halting of all firework manufacturing near the site. The blast occurred in the city of Changsha, in Hunan province, on Monday afternoon, China’s official news agency Xinhua said. China Daily said the plant…

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Casualties in Leipzig Car Ramming May be as High as 80

Number of Casualties in Leipzig Car Ramming May be as High as 80 Getty Images OLIVER JJ LANE5 May 2026968 While the picture is unclear because many were ‘walking wounded’ who left the scene without talking to medics, it is thought the Leipzig car attack may have struck as many as 80 people on Monday.…

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California veteran known for pro-Trump display outside his home dies after assault

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man in blue crew neck t shirt standing near american flags

A southern California man has died after an assault last week in front of his San Diego area home, which was well known for its extensive collection of US flags and signs supporting Donald Trump. Authorities confirmed on Monday that Kerry Sheron, a 69-year-old US army veteran, died days after he was attacked on Wednesday outside his home in Escondido. Police have arrested Thomas Butler, a 32-year-old who media outlets have identified as a navy veteran, on multiple charges including attempted murder, elder abuse and battery.

Officers were called to the street where Sheron lived for a reported assault on the afternoon of 20 May and came upon a badly injured Sheron as well as a bystander who was injured after intervening, according to a report from Military.com. Police arrested Butler a short time later after searching the area. Ross Garcia, a deputy district attorney, said the violence against Sheron was unprovoked, CBS8 reported. “It was a single punch to the jaw. The victim then falls to the floor, and there are subsequent hits to the victim’s head area, requiring the victim to be transported to the hospital,” Garcia said. Law enforcement officials have told media the motive is still under investigation but that investigators do not yet have information suggesting the incident was politically motivated. Sheron’s family has described it as a “brutal and unprovoked attack”.

The incident has sparked outrage, and Sheron’s wife and some public officials have suggested it was a result of his political beliefs. Brian Jones, California’s senate minority leader from San Diego, called Sheron’s death “unconscionable” and said he was “ruthlessly murdered” because of his support “freedom, patriotism, and our president”. “It was callous and it was evil. To kill an elderly man over his political beliefs is not only heartbreaking, it is un-American to its core,” Jones said in a statement. The San Diego district attorney’s office said that Butler will return to court on 3 June and is currently in custody without bail.

Source: California veteran known for pro-Trump display outside his home dies after assault | California | The Guardian

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Romans 11:33

Grace, Not Perfection

God does not ask you to be flawless before coming to Him. He asks you to come as you are. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is…

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Prophesy and His Timeline

The God who created time is not controlled by time, He rules over it. Every prophecy fulfilled is proof that history is not random, but written by the hand of a sovereign…

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Watchfulness Without Fear

God never called His people to panic about the future. He called them to be awake, ready, and full of hope. “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth…

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Trump says U.S. has killed Islamic State leader in Nigeria

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four soldiers carrying rifles near helicopter under blue sky

President Trump announced Friday evening that U.S. and Nigerian military forces had killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a leader of the Islamic State group, in a “meticulously planned and very complex mission.” Mr. Trump described al-Minuki as the Islamic State’s second-in-command globally and “the most active terrorist in the world.”  “He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.” The Nigerian president’s office also confirmed the operation, and said that “early assessments confirm the elimination” of al-Minuki.

“Several of his lieutenants” were also killed, the office said.  The operation took place at al-Minuki’s compound on Lake Chad Basin, the Nigerian president’s office said. Nigeria’s defense department described it as a “meticulously planned and highly coordinated counterterrorism operation.”   A native of Nigeria, al-Minuki was described by the U.S. State Department in 2023 as a leader of the Islamic State, or ISIS, in Africa’s Sahel region. At the time, he served as a senior official in one of the Islamic State’s General Directorate of Provinces offices, which “provide operational guidance and funding around the world,” according to the State Department.

Source: Trump says U.S. has killed Islamic State leader in Nigeria – CBS News

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:20

School Teacher Misconduct April 23–30, 2026

In the past week (April 23–30, 2026), several U.S. teachers faced arrests, firings, or administrative actions, mostly over allegations of inappropriate relationships or contact with students. These cases come…

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God’s Delays Are Not Denials

What feels late to us is often perfectly timed by God. Heaven’s clock never runs behind schedule. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise… but is longsuffering to…

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The Outlook for Immigration Policy

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travelers with luggage at paros ferry port

The Administration has taken sweeping actions to reduce both legal and illegal entry into the US, driving sharp declines in encounters at the US border and inflows of authorized immigrants. However, labor shortages in key sectors may influence the direction of policy moving forward.

Trusted Insights for What’s Ahead®

  • The Administration’s actions have faced significant legal uncertainty, but courts have generally allowed many core elements of the Administration’s agenda to proceed while the challenges are adjudicated.
  • Data indicate that both legal and illegal immigration decreased in 2025. Many stakeholders have raised concerns about labor shortages in key sectors and enrollment of international students at US universities.
  • These trends may influence policy at the margins, but in response the Administration may pursue targeted changes rather than broad reforms of its approach.
  • Compliance risk and operational uncertainty will remain elevated for employers amid shifting regulatory requirements, court decisions, and changing labor force needs.
  • The direction of policy may be increasingly tied to broader economic conditions amid slowing job growth and global economic uncertainty.

Uncertain Expectations

The President made reshaping US immigration policy a core pillar of his first Administration, focusing on limiting both legal and illegal immigration. However, as the President prepared to start his second term in 2025, significant uncertainty surrounded policy the Administration would pursue and what impacts it would have on immigration flows. Analyzing the Administration’s actions since the start of President Trump’s second term provides insights into how this administration approaches immigration policy and what actions it may take in the future.

Pillars of the Administration’s Immigration Policy

On Inauguration Day in 2025, the President issued more than a dozen Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda related to immigration, some restoring policies from his first term or rescinding Biden Administration orders and others introducing new policies.

Border Security & Enforcement

The President declared a national emergency at the southern border and directed the Defense Department to assign the US Northern Command to “seal the borders and maintain [US] sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security.” The Administration also began transporting some deportees to countries other than their countries of origin, so called “third country deportations.”

An Inauguration Day Executive Order directed DHS to expand the use of expedited removal processes for those entering the US unlawfully “to the fullest extent authorized by Congress,” which allows the individual to be removed without a hearing or other review of the determination that they should be removed. Litigation challenging this action is ongoing. The President also issued a Proclamation in March 2025 invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to fast-track the deportation of individuals allegedly affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Litigation regarding this use of the Alien Enemies Act is ongoing. In January 2025 the President signed the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, including burglary, larceny, and shoplifting or any crime that results in the death or serious bodily injury of another person.

In June 2025, the President issued an Executive Order restricting nationals from 19 countries from entering the US, echoing a similar policy pursued in the President’s first term. In January 2026, the Administration additionally suspended the approval of immigrant visas (but not other types of visas) for people from 75 countries, arguing that it aims to ensure individuals from “high-risk countries do not utilize welfare in the United States.” By some estimates, the measure will block about half of all legal immigration to the US. This latest measure is currently being challenged in the Southern District of New York.

The Administration has also launched large-scale and controversial immigration law enforcement operations in several US cities. These deployments have spawned lawsuits from a range of parties, including state and local officials, advocacy organizations, and individuals. Proposed reforms to ICE and its operations have also led to the ongoing partial government shutdown. In February, an Executive Order directed agencies to identify Federally-funded programs that may provide public benefits to unlawfully present individuals and strengthen eligibility verification. The Administration has also targeted “sanctuary cities,” which limit cooperation between local law enforcement and Federal immigration authorities. In addition, the President has sought to end birthright citizenship for those born to parents who are present in the US illegally. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case April 1.

Source: Policy Backgrounder: The Outlook for Immigration Policy

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24

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Judge Apologizes to Alleged WHCD Attacker for Treatment in Jail

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Judge in black robe reviewing paperwork in a courtroom with observers behind

Judge Apologizes to Alleged WHCD Attacker for Treatment in Jail Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images ELIZABETH WEIBEL4 May 20261,670 2:03 A judge issued an apology to Cole Tomas Allen, the alleged White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner attacker, for how he has been treated while being held in jail. During a hearing on Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui expressed his apologies to Allen, who has been “held in the safe cell,” according to ABC7 News. Faruqui reportedly said the safe cell was “tantamount to solitary confinement.”

The judge also gave the Washington, DC, Department of Corrections a deadline of Tuesday “to notify when the jail’s housing board will” make a decision regarding “which section of the jail” Allen will be placed in, according to the outlet. Faruqui’s apology to Allen comes after Allen’s attorneys said in court filings that Allen “was placed on suicide watch shortly after arriving at the D.C. jail.” Due to Allen being placed on suicide watch, he was put in “what’s known as a ‘safe cell,’ a padded room with constant lighting and 24-hour lockdown conditions,” according to the outlet.

Source: Judge Apologizes to Alleged WHCD Attacker for Treatment in Jail

For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Acts 17:28

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Secret Service shoots armed man near White House; as Trump holds business event inside

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the white house in autumn

Secret Service officers engaged an armed man near the White House on Monday in what turned into a shootout that left the suspect and a juvenile bystander injured, according to the agency. The incident unfolded a few blocks south of the White House, along the National Mall and near the Washington Monument, when plainclothes agents on patrol “identified a suspicious individual that appeared to have a firearm,” Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said during a press briefing.

After spotting the “visual print of a firearm” on the suspect, the plainclothes agents called in support from uniformed Secret Service police. 

“Upon making contact, that individual fled briefly on foot, withdrew a firearm and fired in the direction of our agents and officers,” Quinn said. 

Secret Service officers returned fire and struck the suspect, who was transported to a local hospital.  

Source: Secret Service shoots armed man near White House — as Trump holds business event inside

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
1 Peter 3:15

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Man arrested at Trump’s Miami golf club for disorderly conduct, Secret Service says

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aerial view of golf course in hilton head

A man was arrested Saturday at President Trump’s Doral National Golf Club just outside of Miami after an alleged disturbance, the U.S. Secret Service said. Mr. Trump was not at the club at the time, Secret Service said. According to Secret Service Miami acting special agent in charge Michael Townsend, a man approached a security area at the golf club at around 4:15 p.m. He then became “disruptive and failed to comply with lawful orders,” Townsend said in a statement. 

The man “made physical contact with a member of the Secret Service and was taken into custody without further incident,” he said. The man, who was not immediately identified, was arrested by the Doral Police Department and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting without violence, Townsend said. “At no point did this situation impact the established security posture for the President’s visit to Trump Doral National Golf Club by Secret Service,” Townsend said. The alleged incident occurred one week after shots were fired during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., and Mr. Trump was rushed off the dais. A Secret Service agent was hit by a round but was protected by a bulletproof vest. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president. 

Source: Man arrested at Trump’s Miami golf club for disorderly conduct, Secret Service says – CBS News

He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.
Proverbs 17:9

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Obama is slammed for by X commentators while speaking out on WHCD shooting

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President Obama speaking at a podium with presidential seal and audience behind

Former US President Barack Obama has spoken out on X about the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, condemning “political violence”. He said, “Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy.” Obama continued in his post to praise the Secret Service Agents for their “courage and sacrifice.” “It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I’m grateful to them – and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay.”

Source: Obama is slammed for by X commentators while speaking out on WHCD shooting | Sky News Australia

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9

Recent Abortion News (April 8-15, 2026)

Here’s a concise overview of the main abortion-related developments from the past seven days. Activity focused on medication abortion access (especially mifepristone by mail), federal enforcement disputes, and state-level legislative pushes. No major…

Keep reading
by Drink of Jesus

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Shots fired at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump evacuated

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Newsroom control room with multiple monitors showing breaking news about shots fired near White House

Gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night — with President Trump and first lady Melania dramatically evacuated less than 30 minutes after making their grand entrance. Harrowing footage from the annual glitzy gala showed at least five shots ringing out from the lobby of the Washington Hilton, as more than 2,000 guests — including journalists and Trump officials — scrambled under tables for cover. Eyewitnesses told The Post at least four shots went off inside the Washington Hilton.

Source: Shots fired at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump evacuated

How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Isaiah 52:7

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Trump DOJ report reveals Biden targeted pro-life Americans unfairly

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I founded and built the largest grassroots movement in the history of the pro-life cause: 40 Days for Life. During its first decade, I mobilized more than 2,000 leaders and 750,000 volunteers in peaceful prayer outside abortion facilities across all 50 states and dozens of other countries. These, and others like them, are exactly the people the Biden Justice Department decided to hunt and criminalize. In early April, President Donald Trump DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group released an explosive 882-page report built on more than 700,000 internal records.

It confirms what pro-life Americans suspected all along: The Justice Department of the United States worked hand-in-hand with the National Abortion Federation, Planned Parenthood, and the Feminist Majority Foundation to spy on, build secret files against and prosecute peaceful pro-life citizens. Here is the stark reality the report lays out. When pro-life Americans were charged under the law, the Biden DOJ asked judges to send them to prison for more than twice as long as the people who firebombed and vandalized pregnancy centers and churches. Fifteen pro-lifers were prosecuted for every pro-abortion offender. A grandmother praying her rosary on a sidewalk was treated as more dangerous to the country than an arsonist throwing a firebomb through the window of a pregnancy center.

Source: Trump DOJ report reveals Biden targeted pro-life Americans unfairly | Fox News

Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
Matthew 22:37

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All The Ways China and Russia May Be Aiding Iran Against The U.S.

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Two men in suits, embracing in front of Chinese and Russian flags, smiling at each other

KEY FACTS:

  • Both the New York Times and CNN reported in the last week that China was preparing to ship new air defense systems to Iran, citing sources familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments.
  • These would include new shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, according to both reports, similar to the device President Donald Trump said Iranians used to shoot down an F-15 fighter jet earlier in April.
  • When asked by reporters about reports of China sending the weapons, the president said Saturday that “if China does that, China will have big problems, OK?” The Chinese government denied to CNN and the Times it intends to send weapons to Iran.
  • Russia, meanwhile, has reportedly supplied Iran with military intelligence, including satellite images of U.S. bases in the Middle East before they were targeted by strikes, according to Ukrainian intelligence assessments reported by Reuters last week.
  • Speaking to a British podcast after the Ukrainian intelligence was made public, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he did not receive a reaction from the U.S., adding, “the problem is they trust Putin.”

POSSIBLE PAYMENTS FOR MOVING THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

There have been unverified reports that Iran has been charging fees to allow ships to pass through the strait since mid-March. Among the slow trickle of foreign ships have been able to travel safely through it: Those owned by China and Russia. China, India, Pakistan and the Philippines, according to the BBC, have gone through the passage, and on Friday a Russian-flagged oil tanker made it through apparently without any difficulty. Iran has signalled it wants to charge ships tolls using cryptocurrency to use the strait in the future, with a spokesperson for the country’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union telling the Wall Street Journal last week this could be a tariff of $1 per barrel. On Sunday, Trump threatened to interdict any ships in international waters that paid a toll to Iran, raging in a Truth Social post “no one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”

Source: All The Ways China and Russia May Be Aiding Iran Against The U.S.

Trump says U.S. will blockade Strait of Hormuz and intercept ships that paid tolls to Iran

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scenic maritime traffic on bosporus at sunset

President Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. Navy will begin blockading ships from entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz and intercept vessels that have paid tolls to Iran, after marathon talks in Pakistan failed to yield an agreement to end the war. “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” the president said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday morning.  Mr. Trump also said he has instructed the Navy to “seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” and that the U.S. would begin “destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits.” 

“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he added.  At least two vessels that have traversed the strait have paid Iran fees in Chinese yuan to guarantee safe passage, analysts from Lloyd’s List Intelligence said in a recent report. Analysts wrote that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “has imposed a de facto ‘toll booth’ regime in the Strait of Hormuz, requiring vessels to submit full documentation, obtain clearance codes and accept IRGC-escorted passage through a single controlled corridor.” Iran has indicated that it might seek to impose a toll on all ships passing through the strait under a long-term peace deal.

Source: Trump says U.S. will blockade Strait of Hormuz and intercept ships that paid tolls to Iran – CBS News

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9