***

Gordon S. Wood spent more than half a century explaining to Americans why their country was worth understanding.

He died on a Sunday in June, struck by a motorist in the parking lot of a Shaws supermarket on Taunton Avenue in East Providence, Rhode Island. According to the East Providence Police Department, he sustained critical injuries and later died at the hospital. He was 92.

His death came just weeks before the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and it is a true tragedy that one of the most celebrated historians of the Revolution and the Founding did not live to see this milestone. Just last year Wood reached his largest audience yet thanks to his appearance in Ken Burnss PBS documentary The American Revolution.

That his death should come on the eve of the semiquincentennial has weighed heavily on those who knew his work. Fellow historians and admirers have mourned that the man who spent his career illuminating the Revolution, for scholars and ordinary readers alike, would not be present for the anniversary he did so much to prepare the country to mark.

The grief has been personal as much as professional. John T. Lowe, a senior history lecturer at the University of Louisville, was set to meet Wood at Clemson University for the John Adams Fellowship, a two-week scholarly deep dive into the American Revolution.

Wood embodied for me what it means to be a historian, someone who studies not just events but the ideals behind them, Lowe said via email. That I will never have the chance to meet the man whose work shaped my own is a loss I am always going to feel.

Aaron N. Coleman of the University of the Cumberlands recalled fondly that Wood was the first scholar ever to cite him.

As a then-young historian, it was a humbling experience, Coleman said. It was less than a year after I got my degree. I told him that two years ago and he just laughed. But I cant think of any other scholar who a citation would mean more. At the same time, I worried that having Wood cite my work so fresh from my degree meant that my career had already peaked!

One of Woods former doctoral students at Brown University, C. Bradley Thompson author of Americas Revolutionary Mind and executive director of the Snow Institute for the Study of Capitalism at Clemson University reflected on his mentors influence: Gordon S. Wood was a gentleman and a scholar of the highest order. We will never see the likes of him again. May his memory be a blessing for all of us.'

The outpouring from former students, colleagues, and admirers online has been tremendous. Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur now running for governor of Ohio, credited Wood on X with shaping my understanding of the American founding, adding that he and Wood corresponded as recently as November about what makes America special. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis echoed Ramaswamys hope that the next generation of Americans would learn from Wood, calling him on X one of the best historians on the American Revolution and creation of the republic. And the body of work behind that affection was immense.

After studying under Bernard Bailyn at Harvard University, Wood published his first book in 1969, The Creation of the American Republic, 17761787, based on his doctoral dissertation. It won the Bancroft Prize, establishing him as a rising star in the field. In 1993, The Radicalism of the American Revolution won the Pulitzer Prize for History, while Empire of Liberty, his sweeping volume in the Oxford History of the United States, was a Pulitzer finalist in 2010.

Along the way came The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, Revolutionary Characters, Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and many others. In 2010, he received the National Humanities Medal for scholarship that provides insight into the founding of the nation. Wood would even have a second-hand brush with Hollywood thanks to Good Will Hunting, when Matt Damons character name drops him to demolish a pretentious grad student in a bar. An impressive reference for a historian, even though the dialogue doesnt accurately represent Woods work.

Yet for all this recognition, Wood was not without critics, and late in his career, they grew louder.

He found himself increasingly at odds with a younger, more progressive cohort of historians who came to view his work with suspicion. Where Wood saw the Revolution as a genuinely radical transformation that unleashed democratic and egalitarian forces, these critics dismissed such celebratory accounts as Founders Chic a nostalgic approach that, in their telling, sanded down the negatives of the founding and lent itself too easily to a so-called patriotic mythology.

The friction sharpened in 2019, when Wood emerged as one of the most prominent scholarly critics of the New York Timess 1619 Project. In an open letter, debates, and numerous interviews, he objected to its claim that the American Revolution had been waged, in significant part, to protect slavery from a looming British threat. For Wood, this claim was not merely arguable but unsupported by the documentary record. To his detractors, Woods resistance confirmed that he had become a defender of an outdated and sanitized narrative. But to his admirers, it was the stand of a scholar unwilling to bend rigorous history to the demands of contemporary politics.

Nowhere is that divide more visible than in The Radicalism of the American Revolution, which remains a fixture of college seminars precisely because it still provokes such fierce disagreement. Wood argued that the Revolution was not merely a political break from Britain but the most radical social upheaval in American history. A wholesale dismantling of monarchy, hierarchy, and patronage that set loose the democratic and egalitarian energies that define the nation still.

To show how completely the Revolution remade daily life, Wood looked past the battlefield to the small habits of a rank-bound world: who got to have a portrait painted, who was owed a title like esquire, who had to doff his cap or bow as a gentleman rode past. That whole apparatus of deference dissolved so thoroughly that the leader of the new nation would be addressed not as His Highness but simply as Mr. President and was eventually replaced by the once-radical premise that ordinary people were fit to govern themselves.

Some historians bristled at the thesis, arguing that a revolution that left women without the vote, Native peoples dispossessed, and the enslaved still in bondage hardly deserved to be called radical at all. But Wood turned the objection on its head: to dwell on what the War of Independence failed to finish, he insisted, was to miss what it had set in motion. By toppling monarchy and its logic of inherited and fixed superiority, the American Revolution made possible the antislavery and womens rights movements of the nineteenth century and in fact all our current egalitarian thinking.

The complaint has only sharpened in recent years, as a younger generation of historians came to see Woods celebratory account as the very thing the field needed to move past. Wood, for his part, had long understood how his book was received across the aisle. When then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich praised Radicalism, Wood joked on C-SPAN in 2002 that the endorsement had been the kiss of death for me among a lot of academics, who are not right-wing Republicans.

What critics often missed was that Wood was never a flatterer of the past. He knew the Foundings failures intimately but refused to let them become the whole story. His was not the reflexive patriotism that turns away from hard facts, but the harder kind that looks straight at them and still finds something extraordinary in what a handful of provincial colonists managed to build. Ever wary of presentist agendas that lambaste the past for failing to meet our standards, Wood answered such criticism with a reminder in the New York Review of Books: If history teaches anything, it teaches humility. Americans, he believed, were not born believing themselves free and equal but came to believe it, slowly and unevenly, because the Revolution gave them both the ideals to measure themselves against and the language to do so.

As Wood explained to the Library of America, The Revolution is the most important event in our history. It not only legally created the United States, but it infused into our culture our noblest ideals and highest aspirations, our beliefs in liberty, equality, and the happiness of ordinary people. Since there is no American ethnicity, these ideals and values are the only thing holding us together as a nation.

There is a certain poetry in the timing of his death. We remember how the Founding bends toward the calendar, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both dying on July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration. But we forget James Madison, who slipped away on June 28, 1836, six days short of the 60th. Similarly, Wood, who spent his life interpreting figures like Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, has died on the threshold of Americas 250th anniversary, denied by weeks the celebration he taught Americans to study and appreciate. But when Americans gather to mark it, they will be reading him still, and few have done more to explain what there is to celebrate.

***

Daniel N. Gullotta is an assistant professor at the Ohio State Universitys Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society.

Although authorities banned watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden due to security issues around the attendance of President Donald Trump, other locations throughout the city were still open for large crowds to gather and watch the game if they couldnt afford the absurd ticket prices to get in the Garden.

 

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After the Spurs pulled out a 115-111 victory over the Knicks, some fans on the streets got violent. Videos posted on social media show Knicks fans across the city fighting with fellow Knicks fans and Spurs faithful. 

The NYPD estimated that roughly 7,000 people gathered near Bryant Park for the watch party Monday night.

In one video, New Yorkers appeared to be ganging up on a man wearing a San Antonio jersey as he was simply walking down the street. The Spurs fan was forced to fend off numerous attackers.

 

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Some Knicks fans were seen clapping and cheering on other individuals who were attacking and ripping Spurs jerseys off bystanders. According to the NYPD, the crowd took over 42nd Street, blocked traffic, and ignored repeated police orders to disperse.

People climbed on top of scaffolding, light poles, police cars, and NYPD trucks, causing significant damage. The crowd was throwing glass objects at each other and police officers, and they ripped bus signs and trees out of the ground to throw them, the NYPD said in a statement.

????INSANITY????

SPURS FAN gets ASSAULTED by a rabid mob of New York Nicks fans

Police is nowhere to be found pic.twitter.com/p57KAD8vln

PartiKing (@parti_king) June 9, 2026

Police were notably absent in several videos, but authorities finally arrived and arrested some of the troublemakers after the fights. Twenty-one people were reportedly taken into custody following the events.

Of the 21 people police took into custody, officers arrested and charged eight and released 13 with criminal court summonses. Police charged two people with assault on a police officer and one with attempted assault on an officer. Five NYPD officers suffered injuries during the disorder, according to a statement from the department.

Neither the NYPD nor Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said how the city will prevent similar disorder at future games. Game 4 takes place Wednesday night in New York City.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform report released on Monday documented testimony from officials who accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Attorney General Keith Ellison of knowing about the fraud and doing nothing to stop it.

Stolen funds 'likely ended up in the hands of international terrorist networks and certainly funded the lavish lifestyles of criminal fraudsters.'

"I've referred these allegations to DOJ's new Fraud Division for criminal investigation," Vance wrote in a social media post Monday evening. "Minnesota state officials are not above the law, and if they facilitated fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and intimated whistleblowers, they must face justice."

Gov. Walz, Vance's one-time vice presidential opponent, had been forced to drop his gubernatorial re-election campaign after being accused of collusion in the Minnesota fraud schemes, many of which were centered in the Somali community.

He has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that his administration took many steps to curb the fraud.

The committee claimed Walz and Ellison knew about the scams as far back at 2019. Even worse, Walz allegedly retaliated against whistleblowers speaking out to expose the fraud.

The scams put $300 million of federal child nutrition funds and up to $9 billion of Medicare-related funding at risk.

The committee also claimed that the stolen funds "likely ended up in the hands of international terrorist networks and certainly funded the lavish lifestyles of criminal fraudsters, while vulnerable populations were harmed."

Vance called on the National Fraud Enforcement Division to investigate the allegations against Walz and Ellison.

RELATED: FBI RAIDS 'Quality Learing Center' and nearly 2 dozen more in Minnesota FRAUD investigation

A spokesperson for Walz called the Republican claims a "joke" in a statement to KSTP-TV.

"This committee has proven time and time again to be nothing more than a joke," the spokesperson said. "They continue to rehash COVID-era fraud to distract from endless wars, gas prices, ICE, and the president's insider trading. Governor Walz is glad to see fraudsters are going to prison. If the committee is concerned about corruption, they should investigate why President Trump continues to let fraudsters out of prison."

Ellison also released a statement claiming the accusations are "riddled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations in an effort to politicize the issue of fraud, instead of actually helping Minnesota protect tax dollars and go after fraudsters."

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Bryan Fair, the SPLCs interim president and CEO, hid behind his lawyers at nearly every turn repeatedly deflecting to counsel in the Middle District of Alabama as Jordan methodically walked through the superseding federal indictment against the organization.

According to the indictment, the SPLC used donor money to pay confidential field sources to infiltrate extremist groups but the scheme allegedly went far beyond mere surveillance. Jordan pressed Fair on charges that the groups operatives actually hosted extremist rallies, grew existing chapters of hate groups, recruited new members into those organizations, and even purchased materials for cross burnings. Fairs response to nearly every charge was a variation of our counsel will respond to all the allegations.

It seems to me if the answer is no, you could just say no, a visibly frustrated Jordan told Fair, who acknowledged only that weve alleged that those allegations are false.

The indictment also names a web of alleged shell companies Fox Photography, North West Technologies, Tech Writers Group, Rare Books Warehouse, Imagery Ink, J&J Electronics, Center Investigative Agency, and Kellys Marine which Jordan suggested were used to launder payments to field sources and keep the paper trail obscured. Fair claimed knowledge of the companies came only through attorney-client privileged conversations, and refused to say whether they were fronts.

The reported total price tag for the alleged program? A staggering $4 million funneled to field sources, according to the indictment.

Then came the gut-punch moment. Jordan asked whether the SPLCs fundraising spiked after the deadly 2017 Charlottesville rally where, the indictment alleges, one of its own paid field sources helped coordinate transportation for participants. Fair acknowledged donations surged, but credited President Donald Trumps 2016 election rather than Charlottesville. Jordan pointed out the groups haul jumped from $51 million to $133 million in a single year.

Fair finally offered one voluntary admission: the SPLC ran the program to protect our staff and to protect the public. The group has since announced it is shutting down the field source program.

Jordans parting shot asking Fair if he knew the president of the National Socialist Party was met with the now-familiar refrain: Thats an allegation in the indictment that will be responded to by counsel.

Anthony was 17 when authorities charged him with murdering high school star athlete and fellow 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in a stabbing at a Frisco, Texas, track meet in April 2025.

'These guys are much bigger than you. Do you turn your back and walk away and take a chance with these teenage boys with their raging hormones?'

The murder charge is a first-degree felony, the station said, and if the jury decides to convict Anthony on the murder charge, he would face a sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison.

According to Texas law, murder means a defendant "intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an individual," KTVT said but manslaughter means the defendant "recklessly causes the death of an individual."

A conviction for manslaughter a second-degree felony would mean a sentence of two to 20 years in prison, the station said.

Criminologist Alex del Carmen told KTVT in a separate story he believes Anthony's case meets the threshold of manslaughter: "He didn't get up with the intent to kill someone, but he knew the risks taking that knife to campus and pulling it out. Self-defense or not, rational choices needed to be made."

In addition, Anthony's defense objected to jury instructions that didn't include criminally negligent homicide as a lesser charge available for consideration, KTVT reported.

Criminally negligent homicide is a state jail felony, the station said, adding that it's the lowest level of felony offense in Texas law and would bring a sentence of six months to two years in prison, KTVT said.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye argued that criminally negligent homicide shouldn't be an option for jury consideration since there is not "any evidence in the record that the defendant was unaware that his actions could lead to death," the station said.

Collin County Judge John Roach overruled the defense's objection, KTVT said.

RELATED: Karmelo Anthony murder trial: All prospective black jurors dismissed; 1 said he'd have 'hard time putting a brother in jail'

In addition, the defense objected to jury instructions saying they can find Anthony's self-defense argument not viable if they believe the defendant provoked the attack, the station said.

However, the prosecutor argued that a rational jury could find Anthony provoked the altercation, KTVT said, and therefore the instruction should remain. Judge Roach agreed with the prosecutor, overruling the defense's objection, the station said.

The prosecutor waived the right to begin closing arguments Tuesday morning, so lead defense attorney Mike Howard was the first to address the jury, KTVT said.

Howard focused on his client's self-defense argument, saying, "Austin Metcalf had no legal right to use force to eject Karmelo Anthony from that tent," the station reported.

Howard added that "he had no legal right to put his hands on Karmelo" and that "Karmelo is in a public place," KTVT noted.

Howard also asked the members of the jury to put themselves in Anthony's shoes, noting that it was raining, the station said: "You want to get out of the rain. ... Sure enough, one of the people at Memorial says, 'Yeah, come on over.'"

KTVT said the defense attorney added that "Hunter Metcalf, or Austin, say, 'Who are you? You need to leave.' ... These guys are much bigger than you. Do you turn your back and walk away and take a chance with these teenage boys with their raging hormones?"

"Austin and Hunter had the right to tell Melo to leave, but they did not have the right to use deadly force to make him leave," Howard told the jury, according to the station. "Melo had an absolute right to [defend] himself against that."

Howard also asked the jury, "How do you know in a split second of chaos when it's too late? ... Because if you wait too late to defend yourself, self defense is meaningless," KTVT reported.

Anthony did not take the stand in his defense.

Following the defense's closing argument, prosecutor Wirskye began speaking to the jury and rebutting Anthony's self-defense claim, the station said.

"This is one of those rare cases where every important fact can be boiled down to one sentence: You do not get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove," Wirskye said, according to KTVT.

"Why didn't [Anthony] just not walk away?" Wirskye asked jurors, according to the station. "You see [he] had a choice to walk away and abandon the encounter."

The prosecutor added that "you can meet deadly force with deadly force in Texas, but you can't meet force a shove with deadly force a stab. Size differential, it doesn't work in this case; you don't get to kill someone just because they are bigger than you," KTVT reported.

Wirskye also told the jury that "self-defense has to be a reasonable belief a reasonable belief means a belief that would [be] held by an ordinary and prudent person in the same situation as the defendant," the station said.

"It has to be immediately necessary. Where was the immediate necessity to plunge a knife into an unarmed, young man?" Wirskye asked the jury, according to KTVT. "It's not self-defense, folks it's murder. Murder, plain and simple."

Notably, all prospective black jurors were dismissed during jury selection last week and one reportedly said he'd have a "hard time putting a brother in jail." Anthony is black; Metcalf was white. They attended different high schools and didn't know each other.

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The organization has also funded LGBTQ and racial equality groups, while heavily backing Democrat political candidates and political action committees, according to a report by the American Accountability Foundation, a watchdog group.

Last August, United Steelworkers criticized raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a social media post that said, we look to a powerful legacy of resistance. The following month, the union held a two-day workshop titled Anti-Immigrant Policies that it said would help members facing anti-immigrant policies & workplace challenges. This included loss of work authorization, ICE detentions, and how to plan for & respond to ICE raids.

This came roughly a year after Reuters reported in September 2024 that at a United Steelworkers conference about six weeks before the 2024 election, leadership did not promote the officially endorsed candidacy of Kamala Harris. The story also noted that at past gatherings of the union, dozens of members wore red MAGA baseball caps.

The American Accountability Foundation report, first shared with the Daily Signal, is titled, MAGA Membership & Woke Leadership United Steelworkers.

The United Steelworkers (USW) is the largest steel union in North America, representing over 850,000 members and retirees across the continent, the report says.

United Steelworkers has contributed $33,000 to Pride at Work, an LGBTQ group within the larger AFL-CIO, which has helped sponsor No Kings Rallies in March of this year and has decried MAGA Republicans, according to the report, citing social media posts.

USW had made no secret of their allegiance, working against the Trump-Vance agenda, constantly critiquing the administration for any action, endorsing Democratic politicians, and instructing members on how to plan for ICE raids, the report adds. These actions cast aside the members of the union who support the Trump administration, instead choosing to use the unions funding and media to push their own agenda.

The union spent more than $40 million on politics from 2017-2024, according to the report. United Steelworkers gave more than $800,000 to the Economic Policy Institute, a labor-union-aligned think tank, and more than $300,000 to the Blue Green Alliance, a labor-aligned environmental group.

The United Steelworkers Political Action Fund directs the overwhelming majority of its political resources to Democratic candidates and Democratic Party infrastructure, the report says. The committee sent $1,162,893.12 to Democratic Party committees compared to $0.00 to Republican committees.

The federal candidate breakdown is just as lopsided. The fund contributed $440,000.00 to Democratic federal candidates and only $35,000.00 to Republican candidates, the report continues. That means 92.63% of federal candidate dollars flowed to Democrats and just 7.37% to Republicans.

The political fund sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democrat-aligned and liberal groups, including $385,000 to former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfs campaign; another $345,000 to the Democratic Governors Association; $340,000 to the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a union-aligned racial and economic justice organization, and $250,000 went to the House Majority PAC, a Democratic group.

In 2024, the USW PAC contributed $590,622, or 97.49%, to Democrats and $5,000, or 0.82%, to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks money in politics.

Trumps 2024 performance among overall union members was the strongest of any Republican since Ronald Reagan carried 49 states in 1984, according to U.S. Polling Data, a website that tracks various polls.

Trump, who shed some Republican orthodoxy on trade and other economic issues, made an appeal to working-class voters in 2016, when he got the support of 37% of union members and 43% of the vote from union households, according to data from the Roper Center.

Also, weeks before the 2024 election, a poll found that 59.6% of Teamsters union members wanted the union to endorse Trump, compared with 34% responding in favor of Harris.

The United Steelworkers did not respond to inquiries for this story by publication time.

Im very interested in the timeline here. Now, you know whos not interested is the mainstream media, Gonzales says.

The legacy media, not interested in that at all because of course their entire existence is just to run cover for Democrats in any of these inappropriate workplace relationships, she continues, before pointing out that theres a deeper rabbit hole when it comes to Talaricos workplace relationships.

He seems to have a history of preying on young female staffers in the Texas Legislature. Id like to introduce you to another Texas legislative staffer that he was in a relationship with, Irma Reyes, she explains, showing a post on X from the former staffer.

Reyes did not deny a relationship with Talarico and instead simply requested privacy.

Now I really have questions because the left has consistently told us through the Me Too movement that that kind of workplace imbalance of power is actually sexual harassment and that it doesnt matter if the women consents because its just inherently wrong, Gonzales says.

Its inherently abusive if the man is in a position of power over the woman. Youre not allowed to do that. Thats a no-no. Thats been their whole thing, she continues, calling Talarico a total weirdo.

And I think if the Democrats had any actual real principles or morals or values, they would be willing to call it out. But they dont because theyre just evil ghouls, she adds.

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Jack Fowler:  So, Victor, lets start out local. California election. This thingno, theres no state in America, and in fact, Ive read theres no country, non-first-world or first-world country, that counts votes like California does. 

And we saw the other day there was a dump of votes that came in one tranche, 10,000 votes exactly, for the mayoral race, and not a single one of those 10,000 votes went to Spencer Pratt. They were divided amongst the two Democrats, Karen Bass and, Im sorry, I cant remember the lady whos probably gonna prevail. [Nithya Raman] 

And then, as the votes keep getting counted, [Spencer] Pratts second-place status keeps diminishing. Were watching thievery live. Victor, your thoughts? 

Victor Davis Hanson: Well, the betting platforms have all said that Raman is gonna win, not because they had any great insight from polling. They just assumed that left-wing Los Angeles would not allow him to win. 

The theft or the alleged theft or the irregularities are not actually in the counting. Theyre in the mail-in ballots. And in California, almost any time you come in contact with a state agency, youre going to And all you have to do is say yes, and you will get an automatic mail-in ballot, and there is no ID. 

Theres no way to determine whether youre You can use different names, and that happens all the time. So when you start to see things, that these ballots are coming in and not just hes getting less than half what she is or a quarter what she is.  

But whats even more interesting is Bass was way ahead of her. Of course, she was in third. 

And yet, in some of these tranches that come in, shes ahead of Bass. And that, I know they say theyre younger voters, but what it suggests to me is if people thought that they needed ballots for her because Bass had already clinched it, then maybe people were voting en masse for her, voting in quotes. 

But the other thing about it is its only going to cement the reputation of California that its a third-world dysfunctional state, even if it was not crooked, that you take this long.  

And here in the Central Valley, I can think of three races, and its kind of so cynical of Republicans in purple districts. 

And they have won on Election Day, clearly. And then theyve even had victory celebrations. And then it starts just like this. You start to see the mail-in ballots and then trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle, trickle. And the portions have nothing to do with the proportions that were counted before. 

So if a Republican is 52-48 across mail-in early that have all been counted on Election Day, it doesnt matter. The asymmetries will grow. And the suspicion is always, with Democratic candidates, wait till the California Teachers Association and the SEIU votes come in and all of the dubious votes from people who may not be legal residents but got mail ballots at their residencies. 

And the Democratic Party then calls it racism if you want a voter ID or anything like that. No one in Europe does this. No one in the United States does this, allows the mail-in ballots to come in way after Election Day.  

And what can you say? Its designed for fraud. Its designed for the Democratic Party. 

Its designed for mass registration-voting by people who otherwise would have no intention of voting and may not exist because As I said before, when my son was living here while he was finishing his college at a local college, then he moved out and bought a home. But for three years, I kept getting his ballot. 

Maybe it was four years. Even though he was registered, and he didnt know it, I didnt know it. It just kept coming, and I just threw it away every year. And I left a message at the registrars once. I phoned in. It was like, Put you on hold. I just left a message. They dont care. 

But it would have been very evil for me to sign his name and maybe say, instead of William Hanson, say something like his middle name, Frank Hanson, W. 

Frank Hanson or something. So its really discouraging and just says that, in addition to the wildfires, in addition to the high-speed rail, which, by the way, now theyre talking another 81 billion just to get the first phase done. And in addition to 

Jack Fowler: Excuse me, an additional 81 billion? 

Victor Davis Hanson: Well, thats the cost of it to get the whole thing up and running. Thats with the cars and the tracks. 

Jack Fowler: Right. 

Victor Davis Hanson:  And then and I dont even know if that includes the Merced over to Palo Alto. I dont think it does. Thats gonna be a horrendous cost going through the Pacheco Pass, and its not gonna happen. 

Anyway, in addition to the water that I mean, here we had a pretty good water year and the reservoirs are not full because [Gov. Gavin] Newsom released water out to the Gulf.  

Weve talked about the indigenous takeover of water supplies up in Northern California in the wine country. Weve talked about Newsom blowing up four dams on the Klamath River while using money from a fund that was earmarked by the voters to create them and build them, which we never did. 

We never built three great reservoirs that the voters voted for, Temperance Flat, Los Banos Grandes, and the Sites Reservoir.  

And then you have In addition to that, we have the worst infrastructure. Reason Magazine, Jack, has a great survey thats out of all the transportation systems, but mostly highways in the United States by state. 

And they rank them according to not just fatalities, but miles driven, accidents, polls of what people think, maintenance, whether they have guard And guess what state is 49th? California. Forty-ninth. 

And thats with the highest gas taxes, the highest income taxes, and among the highest property taxes because of our assessed evaluation, actual taxes, and again, sales tax because of the add-ons on the counties. 

And so you get almost nothing with 21% below the poverty line, and then all this legislation thats coming down the line about a billionaire tax, which will morph very quickly into a millionaires tax, I think. 

So there Its a dysfunctional state, and then you hear about the election, and everybody you talked to said, Pratt and Hilton cant win. 

And youd say, Why? Why? Why? Why? Everybodys sick of whats going on. 

Yes, but they wont let it happen. The balloting is just so corrupt, and theyre not gonna fix it. Theres a proposition coming up in November, I think, to have voter ID, and I think itll pass, but itll be thrown out by a federalCalifornia federal judge. 

I bet you five bucks it will. Just like rejecting gay marriage, and two days later, a gay judge, a federal judge, ruled that unconstitutional. 

And so it just depresses people, and its already What I dont understand about the exodus is that after youve drained the state of 12 million middle-class and professional classes, you would think that the yearly exodus would go down, but its not. 

Its going up. Its up to 300,000 to 400,000 expected this year, 50,000 to 60,000 from L.A. city itself. Thats gonna really balloon. 

I dont know. I just had a friend that called me. I do business with him. Hes been a longtime California native, and he said, Im leaving. 

I said, What do you mean youre leaving? 

He said, Im leaving. 

I said, Well, where are you gonna buy a house? 

I bought a house. Ive already bought. Its just a matter of selling my house. And believe me, my house has much more than my California house, and its cheaper, and the taxes and gas and everything is just incredible where Im The state that hes going to. 

And so its sad because this state was not onlywith its thousand-mile coastline and Sierra Nevada and Mojave Deserteverything is here, and its the most naturally abundant state. 

Its number five with gas and oil reserves. Its got precious rare earth minerals in the desert. 

It was the third-largest timber state. It has huge timber potential. Of course, we shut that down, and then we let 60 million trees burn in the last three fires. Sixty million trees that could have been harvested. 

We had a big mining, as I said, mining industry. 

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

Even though Sorsby was apparently caught earlier this year gambling on NCAA games, he will still suit up for the Red Raiders this coming season.

'The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court's ruling in this case.'

Sorsby's gambling activity was unearthed in March, when he was found to have placed at least 40 bets on his team when he played for Indiana from 2022 to 2023. Not only did the quarterback wager approximately $90,000 over four years, per On3, he also allegedly used sportsbook accounts registered to friends and family members to do so.

The 22-year-old reportedly continued to gamble after transfers to Cincinnati for 2024 and 2025 and to Texas Tech, where he transferred in January.

Sorsby checked into gambling addiction rehab in April and has since been released with a diagnosis of gambling and anxiety disorder. Those issues, which Yahoo reported are officially recognized by the NCAA as mental health disorders, were not properly considered by the NCAA when the organization decided to rule him as ineligible, Sorsby's lawyers have argued.

Despite all this trouble, a judge ruled on Monday that Sorsby's college career will continue, for now.

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Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Ken Curry a judge in Lubbock County, Texas, where Texas Tech is located ruled that Sorsby shall continue to play for Texas Tech by way of injunction. According to Curry, Sorsby's attorneys were able to prove that he would "suffer a probable, imminent, and irreparable injury," monetarily speaking, if he was not allowed to play in the meantime.

The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the NCAA has filed an appeal, claiming that the court is corrupting college football's "integrity."

"The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court's ruling in this case and is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching, and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports," the NCAA reportedly said in a statement.

The college body added, "The NCAA is committed to supporting student-athlete mental health but must continue to aggressively defend against actions that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity, such as betting on one's own sport.

RELATED: Brazil sends off its World Cup team in the most Catholic way possible

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Although court filings reportedly showed that Sorsby admitted to betting with the caveat that he always bet on his teammates to succeed, his school's conference is apparently having talks about refusing to play against his team.

Kansas State Athletic Director Gene Taylor told Yahoo Sports that the Big 12 conference had "serious conversations" about the idea.

"It's f**king bulls**t," Taylor told the outlet on Monday. "I know the kid has a problem. Well, get well and focus on your problem. It is absolutely devastating for him to be able to play when every other sport, no matter the level, deems an athlete ineligible or they are punished severely for betting on their team."

A condition of the injunction requires Sorsby to sit out for the first two games of the season against Abilene Christian and Oregon State, neither of which are in the Big 12.

Sorsby would be eligible to return against the University of Houston, a Big 12 team, on September 18.

Other discussions about avoiding Texas Tech have reportedly taken place in conferences like the Big Ten and the SEC.

ESPN college football reporter Pete Thamel said on Monday night that Big Ten officials are expected to have a discussion about a possible conference refusal to play Texas Tech in any sport. He cited three unnamed Big Ten sources.

In the SEC, University of Georgia Athletic Director Josh Brooks issued an internal memo to coaches telling them not to schedule any contests against Texas Tech without approval, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

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I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz, Trump posted to Truth Social. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.

Trumps statement came after U.S. Central Command confirmed that an AH-64 Apache helicopter went down near the coast of Oman on Monday evening.

At 7:33 p.m. ET on June 8, two crew members from a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by American forces after their helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters, CENTCOM said in a statement.

The military said both soldiers were rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition. Officials added that the cause of the incident remains under investigation.

The rescue operation marked a historic first for the U.S. military.

The U.S. military reportedly used an unmanned surface vessel powered by artificial intelligence and operated by Task Force 59 to locate and rescue the helicopter crew after the aircraft went down. The drone boat transported the soldiers to another location at sea, where they were later hoisted aboard a helicopter for evacuation.

CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told CBS News that the rescue was carried out by an unmanned surface drone operated by Task Force 59, a unit within the U.S. Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain. Officials said it was the first time an unmanned surface vessel had been used in a real-world water rescue operation.

Rescue efforts were led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from Air Force and Navy assets, including Task Force 59 and units assigned to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and just days after Iran struck Israel with at least 24 missiles for the first time since the ceasefire went into place about two months ago. In response, Israel fired back before both sides agreed to halt attacks at Trumps request.

Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism that a broader agreement could soon be reached, telling reporters and posting on social media in recent days that negotiations are progressing and that the sides are moving closer to a deal.

I am troubled by the conduct and messaging of organizations that claim to fight hatred while profiteering from division, King told lawmakers.

At the heart of her testimony is a federal superseding indictment alleging that individuals tied to organizations the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) itself had labeled as hate groups including white supremacist, neo-Nazi, and Ku Klux Klan outfits received hundreds of thousands, and in some cases more than a million dollars in payments connected to the Montgomery, Alabama-based organization.

Americans who faithfully donate their hard-earned money many of them senior citizens like me deserve transparency and accountability about how those funds are being used, King said.

The rebuke carried unmistakable moral weight coming from King, 75, whose family lineage is a living testament to Americas racial history. Her grandmothers roots trace to the west coast of Africa. Her grandfathers family came from Ireland. Her mother carried Cherokee heritage. Her uncle gave his life for civil rights. She knows something about hatred and about fighting it honestly.

America is not a collection of competing tribes, she declared. America is one people under God.

The SPLC has long been a lightning rod for controversy far beyond Tuesdays hearing. In 2019, co-founder Morris Dees was ousted amid allegations of sexual harassment and racial discrimination within the organization itself an extraordinary scandal for a group that built its brand on fighting bigotry. Dozens of staffers signed a letter warning that the workplace culture contradicted its public mission.

Former employees and investigative reporters have accused the SPLC of operating what Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) has called a scam using inflammatory hate group designations to drive fundraising rather than to combat genuine extremism.

Critics also charge the SPLC has weaponized its hate-group list against mainstream conservative and religious organizations, lumping them alongside actual neo-Nazis to suppress political opposition under cover of civil rights work.

King didnt mince words on that score either. I reject racism. I reject hatred. I reject white supremacy, she said before pivoting: But I also reject the notion that Americans who hold traditional Christian beliefs should be treated as threats or terrorists simply because we disagree with a prevailing political thought.

King, a Fox News contributor, former Georgia state legislator, and founder of Alveda King Ministries, closed with a riff on her uncles most famous speech.

Today I still have a dream, she said. I dream that one day we will move beyond black power and white power and embrace Gods power and human dignity.

Her uncle would have recognized the cadence. The target, he might not have anticipated.

I dont opine about the next breakthroughs in AI or the newest generation of iPads that are set to be released at the end of Q3. Are there new iPads coming out in Q3? I dont know. Im not a technology writer.

But it is the most viable and scalable path forward in a world oversaturated with digital technology.

But I do think a lot about the role of technology in our lives. About the way we live differently alongside it and how we are shaped in strange ways by it.

Same but different

In some ways, its a very 21st-century concern. Technology digital technology in particular has been advancing at an unparalleled rate in our century, and it doesnt seem to show any signs of slowing.

But, of course, technology didn't begin with the digital. Cars are technology. The washing machine was once cutting-edge technology. Same for the printing press, the mechanical clock, and the wheel. Technology has been around, advancing, and disrupting for a long time.

We live in a post-assembly-line world. That term the assembly line isnt even particularly interesting to us. Same with the Industrial Revolution. Thats just something boring we learned about (and then promptly forgot) in middle school.

But the Industrial Revolution and the assembly line were quite radical at one point. They changed the way people work, and they disrupted society. A fair share of the carnage of the 20th century is due, in part, to the disruptions of the Industrial Revolution.

The train changed the way we move, the printing press changed how we learn, the telephone made us closer even when we were farther, the radio made mass society possible, the television made books less relevant, and the invention of the washing machine yes, the mundane washing machine played some role in the social revolutions of the 1960s.

All-consuming

In this sense, the age of AI is no different from the steam age. In another sense, however, it is unlike any technological revolution we have ever experienced: far more immersive and all-consuming than anything that came before.

Because it is more possible than ever to always be connected to everyone on earth in a perpetual state of latent distraction and worry, our time presents unique challenges for all thinking people who want to live a decent life that might be be hard to recognize to those who came before us.

For a few, the answer is blowing it all up. For many more, the answer is embracing every single aspect of every new form of digital technology imaginable like a dog lapping up fresh water. Both are wrong. The extreme answers are often the most alluring because they only require addressing one decision point. This way or that way? Once you settle on which, you just scale it out the whole way and set the cruise control.

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Ian Tyas/Getty Images

Split the difference

Yes, as with most things, the middle path is the way forward. I know, its not sexy, and its not at all alluring. Moderation never is. But it is the most viable and scalable path forward in a world oversaturated with digital technology.

Intentional technology use thats what it is, and thats what we will call it. That first word is the key word: intentional. Most of the drift into toxic technology consumption and brain rot is due to being less than intentional in terms of how one uses technology.

Defaulting to just using the phone or just asking Grok or just scrolling because you have some time to waste. Concluding that watching more, streaming more, scrolling more, and outsourcing more of your decision-making to technology because there isnt anything inherently wrong or immoral about it.

That kind of unintentional approach to technology can quickly lead to surrendering all of your agency to the bots. As the gamers would put it, you go from being a player to one of those automatons the player meets along the way: a non-player character.

Best intentions

To use technology intentionally is to ask if we can do it ourselves before enlisting digital help. Intentional technology use is asking ourselves if we like ourselves when we use some product, app, or digital service and, if the answer is no, changing course.

Intentional technology use is setting aside time apart from technology so we can remember what it means to be purely human. Intentional technology use is about balancing convenience and thoughtfulness. Its about managing the speed of the modern world without losing the pace of organic human society.

Intentional technology use isnt about making everyones choices regarding technology the exact same. People will decide differently. Everyones lives wont be alike. Thats a feature, not a bug.

The key is that first word intention. Without that, we're just floating down the stream, pushed wherever the currents of technological progress take us. The 21s century is unlikely to become less complicated. To thrive as humans in this most disruptive of times, we must keep asking ourselves the fundamental question: Who are we, and who do we want to be?

Knowles, during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, debated gay commentator James Barr over LGBTQ Pride Month and the conversation came to a screeching halt when Morgan discovered that Barr didnt even fully understand all the letters in the latest iteration of the acronym: LGBTQIA2SL+.

WATCH:

Piers Morgan asks his gay guest to spell out the full LGBTQ acronym.

He has no idea and thats when Piers Morgan completely loses it.

GUEST: Its LGBTQ+.

MORGAN: No, its LGBTQIA2SL+.

GUEST: Right, sure.

MORGAN: What does any of that mean?

GUEST: Are you now pic.twitter.com/3n7Fv6t5EH

The Vigilant Fox ???? (@VigilantFox) June 9, 2026

Its LGBTQ+, Barr said, but Morgan quickly pushed back.

No, its LGBTQIA2SL+, the host pointed out.

Right, sure, Barr agreed.

What does any of that mean? Morgan asked.

Are you now going to test me on what that is? Barr asked.

Because I have no idea, Morgan admitted.

Knowles interjected then, explaining, You know, 2[S] means two-spirit.

Two-spirit. Whats that? Morgan asked.

Barr, clearly unsure of his answer, guessed, I think that is a[n] American-Canadian

You have no idea, do you? Knowles interjected.

Brilliant! You have no idea! Morgan exclaimed. Were celebrating something. You have no idea what youre celebrating!

At that point, Knowles jumped in to explain further: In the interest of Pride, Ill tell you what it is: They say that Two Spirit was this ancient Native American sexual identity, but its not actually. It was invented in 1990

How does Michael Knowles know this and you dont?! Morgan asked, equally incredulous and amused by the direction the conversation had taken. He went on to take Barr apart over his blind support for a community described by an acronym that he clearly did not understand.

Were spending a month celebrating stuff that you cant even explain what were celebrating! Morgan concluded.

The Philadelphia Police Department said Billy Schmidt, 22, was close to home when the armed robbery attempt happened on Saturday around 1:30 a.m. When officers arrived, the college student was found with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m., according to police.

Schmidt can be heard saying, "Give me my phone," before a gunshot could be heard seconds later.

Bill Schmidt, his father, told ABC7 that his son was coming back from a bar where he was watching the NBA Finals with his friends. Additional security video shows a man throwing a cellphone before another individual can be seen running around a corner being chased by Billy Schmidt, who was then shot in the chest.

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"He was a really good person who cared about everybody and never hurt or bothered a soul, never bothered anyone and for him to get shot like that is a travesty," Bill Schmidt said. "I'm shocked when they stole his phone that he chased them."

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His sister, Anna Schmidt, told reporters she doesn't know how anyone could have killed her brother.

GOOD SAMARITAN GROCERY SHOPPER, DAD KILLED WHILE TRYING TO STOP TEEN ROBBERY SUSPECTS

"I miss him so much, and I don't understand how someone can do this," Anna Schmidt said.

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In a statement, Penn State University said Billy Schmidt was studying journalism at Penn State World Campus and was on track to graduate in December.

"We are heartbroken over the tragic death of William Schmidt and we share our deepest condolences with his family and friends," the university said.

Police have not made an arrest in connection with the college student's killing. One neighbor urged anyone with information to help police.

"I want justice, I want the kid that shot Billy to be found," a neighbor told FOX 29. "If anyone's out there that recognizes anything... they seem young to me. If anyone has any information or recognizes anything about the kids, I would love for them to come forward."

On Monday, a federal judge ruled that Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa sponsor fee is unlawful.

'They're hurting our country very badly.'

U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin, appointed by Obama in 2014, ruled that the $100,000 fee violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution.

Judge Sorokin of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts argued that the policy is effectively a tax, and Congress had not clearly delegated the prerogative of levying it to the president. The judge agreed with the states that "the substance and application of the $100,000 payment reveal that it is a tax."

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The lawsuit was brought in December by 20 states, many of which are led by Democrats and which draw heavily from the H-1B program.

Every day, thousands of people with H-1B visas serve New Yorkers as doctors, teachers, and other skilled workers, Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose state was among those who brought the suit, told CNBC.

Today a court put an end to this administrations illegal attempt to destroy this critical program and the many jobs it makes possible, James said.

When asked for a response to the ruling, Trump told a reporter, These federal judges are really giving us a hard time.

Its really crazy whats going on with the court system, Trump added, according to CNBC. Theyre hurting our country very badly.

The Trump administration intends to appeal the decision and expects it to be reversed.

In a statement to Reuters, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said, "President Trump has clear legal authority to restrict entry of any class of aliens he determines is not in Americas best interests, and that is exactly what he did."

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The lesson for American parents? Remain vigilant.

This isnt a left-versus-right issue; it is the common-sense crowda strong majority of left- and right-leaning Americansversus the crazies. But the problem reaches far beyond state legislatures; aggressive activists are seeking to upend society based on an exceedingly narrow ideology that isnt mainstream for Democrats or Republicans, and the impact is being felt all the way to school libraries.

One of the craziest segments of American society is the library-industrial complex, supported by the American Library Association (ALA). For years, radical librarians have been peddling sexually explicit material to children. Books like All Boys Arent Blue, Gender Queer, and Lets Talk About It are commonplace in todays libraries, introducing kids to everything from lube, masturbation, and oral sex to breast and vagina removal, sometimes via graphic images.

A battle is currently playing out in Wisconsin, where the Menomonee Falls School District is under fire for introducing toddlers and preschoolers to same-sex relationships. Middle school and high school students educating themselves about different sexual orientations is one thing; it is another thing entirely for two-year-olds to learn the lesson.

Unfortunately, ALA-backed librarians will go to any length to spread their ideology and indoctrinate our youngest generations, brainwashing them at the expense of parents who are often kept in the dark. And that is the best-case scenario: Too often, librarians lash out at parents who dare to speak out against the ideological indoctrination of toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school students.

I know firsthand. After Amanda Jones, a Louisiana librarian and ALA advocate turned Hollywood heroine, fought for minors to access sexually explicit material in public libraries, I argued that this content was not suitable for that environment. I also accused Jones of grooming children.

Jones then sued me in my home state of New Jersey for defamation and false light, with the ALAs backing. I filed an anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss the case on First Amendment grounds, only for a judge to dismiss our motion. I firmly intend to appeal, making the case that grooming takes many forms.

While it benefits ideological groomers to narrow the focus to sexuality alone, sources from ABC News to Oxford University and the European Unions executive cabinet suggest that ideological grooming is a very real phenomenon. This means brainwashing impressionable minds and indoctrinating them for years and decades to come.

Let my case be a warning to all parents. I have heard horror stories from countless parents across the political spectrumall testaments to the aggressive activism of the ALA, individual librarians like Jones, and other corners of radical America.

The ALA alone lobbies lawmakers and vilifies parents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, calling those who dare challenge sexually explicit content in public libraries as book banners. Apparently, objecting to porn for kids makes me equivalent to a book burner.

While the culture war rages, there are ways for parents to fight back. For instance, the National Book Rating Index (NBRI) is a free resource that aggregates reviews from multiple independent sources to assign a single National Rating for each book.

The NBRI reveals how content concernssuch as language, violence, sexual themes, or ideological elementsmay influence the final rating. This rating system educates parents about their kids potential reading habits when theyre not at home, allowing parents to make an informed choice in how to communicate with librarians and other educators. Good-faith librarians can use the resource themselves, and many do, along with teachers and administrators.

Why? Because they are good librarians, not bad-faith actors.

Above all else, the way to fight back is to be brave, courageous, and informed, speaking out when crazy town comes to school or the public library.

The First Amendment is our weapon for winning this particular war; we must speak truth to power, no matter the consequences.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

The event was part of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, a 2,000-mile journey stretching from St. Augustine, Florida, to Philadelphia. The theme of the event: One Nation Under God.

According to organizers, more than 20,000 people have participated in pilgrimage events across the East Coast as the procession has traveled through the original 13 colonies and other historic locations tied to Americas founding.

The Washington portion of the pilgrimage coincided with the Feast of Corpus Christi and brought large crowds into the streets of the nations capital for public Eucharistic processions, prayer services, and celebrations centered on the Catholic belief that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.

Standing before pilgrims at the St. John Paul II National Shrine, National Eucharistic Congress Vice President of Events and Operations Sarah Houde described the theme as ultimately a spiritual theme, not a political one.

As our country marks its 250th anniversary, we are reminded that our rights, dignity, and freedoms come from God, and that all human authority is accountable to a higher authority, Houde said.

The pilgrimage arrives at a moment when questions of faith, national identity, and civic unity have become increasingly prominent in American public life. Organizers repeatedly emphasized that the goal was not political advocacy, but spiritual renewal. One Nation Under God is not a slogan, pilgrimage organizers state on their website. Its an invitation to realign our lives, communities, and country under the sovereignty of Christ.

During a homily delivered before a procession through downtown Washington, Father Charles Trullols, director of the Catholic Information Center, told attendees that the phrase Under God only remains meaningful if Americans actively place God first in their lives.

A nation remains under God only if its people choose to place God first, Trullols said. The procession moved through some of the nations most recognizable landmarks, including areas surrounding the White House and the Washington Monument. Pilgrims described the experience as particularly powerful given the nations upcoming semiquincentennial celebration.

Another pilgrim, Mary Carmen Zakrajsek, noted that Catholic history in America predates the countrys founding by centuries. There was a consecration before there was a Constitution, she said, referencing the early Catholic presence in what would later become the United States.

One of the most striking moments of the weekend came on Saturday night when clergy elevated the Eucharist near the Washington Monument and offered a blessing over the nations capital.

Several pilgrims reflected on the symbolism of bringing the Eucharist into the nations capital ahead of Americas 250th anniversary. Its really meant to be a unifying moment of rededicating our country back to Christ, John Paul Flynn, a Northern Virginia native, said. To see Christ walking through the streets, especially right next to the White House, going up to the Washington Monument, places that Ive been many times throughout my life, it really just creates a newfound love for our country, for our church.

The event also highlighted what many Catholic leaders view as a broader religious revival occurring across the United States. Houde pointed to growing participation in Eucharistic processions, increasing devotion to Eucharistic adoration, and rising numbers entering the Catholic Church as evidence that many Americans are searching for something deeper than politics. I really do believe that were seeing the fruits, Houde said. People are hungry for an encounter with Jesus Christ.

When asked about tensions between Washington and the Vatican and what side American Catholics should take, organizers declined to enter the political debate.

Often were on the side of Christ, right? Pilgrim Zachary Dotson responded. My advice to every Catholic, to every soul whos wondering whats the path, whats the north star its Jesus Christ. I would say center yourself on Him, on His teachings, on the Church He established for us.

Houde added that Catholics should focus less on political camps and more on prayer. I dont think we can underestimate the power of praying for our leaders, our political leaders, our nations leaders, our Church leaders, our bishops, the Pope, she said. Pray for unity, pray for wisdom, pray for guidance. That message echoed throughout the pilgrimage. While Americas political class remains sharply divided, participants repeatedly emphasized prayer, gratitude, and renewal as the proper response to the countrys 250th anniversary.

The pilgrimage will continue north through historic sites connected to the American founding before concluding in Philadelphia on July 5.

Our nation continues to hunger for freedom, unity, healing, and hope, Houde said. The answer to that hunger is not found in greater division or louder arguments. It is found in a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ.

The law, known as the Jones Act, was signed by President Woodrow Wilson and requires that goods transported between U.S. ports be carried on ships that are American-built, American-owned, and American-crewed. The legislation was designed to rebuild Americas shipping industry after German U-boats decimated Americas merchant fleet during World War I. 

Trump initially waived the act for 60 days and then extended the waiver another 90 on May 18. Taylor Rogers, a spokeswoman for the Trump administration, said, The waiver extension provides both certainty and stability for the U.S. and global economies.

The American maritime shipping industry is a total failure, said associate director at the Cato Institutes Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies Colin Grabow. I think we need to move on from it.

Grabow is an advocate for permanently repealing the law Trump has temporarily put on ice. He says it has long distorted the market and driven up costs for American consumers: U.S.-built ships cost about five times more than those built overseas. They cost about four times more to operate. There arent a lot of them. So this adds up to some very costly shipping.

Due to the cost and limited number of vessels (there are only 93 Jones Act-compliant ships in existence), less than 4% of domestic freight is shipped by water, compared to 67% by truck, 20% by pipeline, and 6% by rail. The 4% via water moves goods from the continental United States to Hawaii, Guam, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii estimates the Jones Act costs the average Hawaii family about $1,800 a year and the state economy $1.2 billion a year.

Despite promises the Jones Act would bolster American ship manufacturing, that hasnt come to fruition. In 1960 there were 2,926 American-built ships, but that number declined 94% to just 188 ships in 2025.

The waiver immediately drew backlash from protectionist industry groups, who argue it undermines the American shipping industry. We are deeply concerned about this 60-day, broad waiver being abused and unnecessarily displacing American workers and American companies, the American Maritime Partnership said in a statement.

The group dismissed the Trump administrations claims that the policy would meaningfully lower gas prices, arguing the impact would be less than one cent per gallon. But critics of the Jones Act say that misses the bigger picture. 

Americans for Free Markets executive director David Ibsen told The Daily Wire he welcomes the change, and the positive impacts should be long-term. Its telling that whenever there is a national emergency, presidents from both parties move quickly to waive this outdated and unnecessary law, he said. If its so clear that the direct impact of the Jones Act is higher costs for energy and consumer goods, then there is little reason to keep it. It should be permanently waived or repealed.

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama waived the act after Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Hurricane Sandy (2012) to quickly move fuel and supplies to affected areas. Beyond natural disasters, Ibsen suggests that permanently waiving the act could reduce the amount of money flowing to Americas foreign adversaries by making it cheaper to buy American natural gas.

The Jones Act restrictions on shipping between U.S. ports means certain regions of the country are forced to import natural gas from foreign countries, including Russia, he argued. Its absurd and harms both American energy producers and consumers.

Permanently repealing the Jones Act, which would require Congress, would conflict with Trumps broader protectionist economic project. Instead of restricting foreign competition, it would invite it by allowing cheaper, foreign-built and foreign-crewed ships to operate in domestic routes.

A new report from the American Accountability Foundation obtained by The Daily Wire found that the majority of political committee spending from 2017 to 2024 by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers benefited Democrats. The watchdog organization found that the nations largest electrical worker union uses its funds for partisan spending, six-figure salaries, and golf outings. 

While the broad support for the Trump-Vance agenda by industrial union members has been widely reported on, news of this nearly decade old re-alignment has apparently yet to reach the leadership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union whose dues-paying members repeatedly cast ballots for President Trump, the report said. 

The report comes as some elected Republicans have adopted more pro-union rhetoric and positions. One pro-union bill set to soon get a vote in the House would allow either side in a labor dispute to bring in federal negotiators after 90 days, which is expected to be more advantageous to unions. 

The watchdog said that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents some 887,000 electricians, has a love of partisan political activism and wasteful spending that is disconnected from the views and lifestyles of most of its rank and file members.

Union President Kenneth Cooper has called Trump one of the worst presidents in American history and accused Trump of killing America over his claims of election fraud during the 2020 election. 

Examining the spending reports required for labor unions, the American Accountability Foundation found that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers spent $222,000 on political spending between 2017 and 2024, giving to Democratic Party groups while none went to Republican groups during the same time frame. 

Spending on party committees follows a similar pattern. The report found that about 98% of the $11,188,454 given to party committees went to Democrat organizations. When looking at candidate contributions, roughly 87% went to Democratic candidates. 

When the dollars are aggregated, the imbalance is not marginal, the report found. It is structural.

On an individual level, high-level officials with the union also contribute their funds to Democrat candidates. Ricky Oakland, the chief of staff at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers national headquarters, gave $155 to Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue earmarked for the Kamala Harris campaign in the closing months of the 2024 election. 

The spending disparity should come as no surprise when looking at the unions endorsement track record. In 2024, IBEW backed then-Vice President Kamala Harris claiming that she has listened to us, and we stand confident that she will continue this administrations extraordinary pro-worker record.

Throughout the campaign, the union mobilized for Harris and issued several calls to action leading up to and on Election Day for its members to vote for the Democratic ticket. Before the election, IBEW Secretary-Treasurer Paul Noble joined the liberal panic about Project 2025 and claimed that electing Trump would be a direct threat to progress made by the union. 

After the election, the union has publicly attacked Trumps economic policies on energy, including the administrations pivot from so-called green energy sources.

At the same time, the union has continued to support Democrats. It announced that it was endorsing Democrat Sherrod Browns campaign against incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted of Ohio. The IBEW described Brown as one of the closest friends Labor and the working families of Ohio have ever had.

Charlyce Bozzello, communications director at the Center for Union Facts, said that a massive divide existed between union members and their leaders.

The divide between the interests of rank-and-file workers and the agenda of union bosses has never been more apparent, she told The Daily Wire. Members deserve to know when their dues are funding bloated executive salaries and partisan political advocacy rather than advancing priorities that actually matter to workers.

The American Accountability Foundation flagged other expenses it found through a review of spending records. 

While IBEW funds should be invested in improving their members lives and careers, they are instead wasted on unnecessary items and events, the report found. IBEWs use of funds includes extravagant spending on swag, events, and a shocking amount [of] golf.

A review of union spending records filed with the Department of Labor found over $1.5 million spent on golf-related expenses between 2017 and 2024 by the union and its offshoots. 

At the same time that the union spends big money on golf and other entertainment expenses, a major salary discrepancy exists between the average electrician represented by the union and those at the top of the union. 

While Cooper earned a gross salary $1,135,609 in 2025, the average salary of a union electrician is $83,000. Union leadership salaries across the board come in higher as well a review by the American Accountability Foundation found that 30% of the unions national headquarters staff make more than $200,000, and 78% make over $100,000. 

Previous reports from the American Accountability Foundation exposed Left-wing bias at the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers.

In the immediate aftermath of Charlottesville, the SPLC received large donations or commitments from leading firms and personalities, including JPMorgan Chase, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and even Tim Cook at Apple. 
 
In 2018, it helped launch a coalition of left-wing organizations called Change the Terms. They understood that you dont have to win a debate with your opponents if theyre invisible, so the coalition targeted critical banking, payment processing, donor-advisory, technology, and digital communication firms. It embedded the SPLC within the infrastructure of corporate decision-making, allowing it to influence terms of engagement, flag business partners, and bully corporations into compliance. 
 
In short, the SPLC mobilized corporate America to crush mainstream conservative viewpoints and organizations. 
 
The Biden years saw the SPLC deepen its presence in Americas political and corporate infrastructure. The Biden DOJ and White House met regularly with SPLC officials. Amazon used the SPLC to blackball groups from its AmazonSmile giving program. So did the employee charitable giving platform Benevity, which serves nearly a quarter of the Fortune 1000. The list goes on. 
 
ADF saw tangible impacts. We lost access to the AmazonSmile program; nonprofit pricing from large technology providers like Microsoft, Adobe, and Intuit; web hosting on the Pantheon platform; and donor-advised funds at Fidelity. 
 
A partisan political organization like the SPLC should never have been allowed to function as an unaccountable private gatekeeper to critical financial, technology, and communication services. And corporations should never have accepted the word of an organization that itself is severely compromised. 
 
The SPLC has paid millions in settlements for defamation. Its co-founder and president left in 2019 amid staff reports of a systemic culture of racism and sexism that employees have since confirmed did not improve; it received an F from Charity Navigator for hoarding donor money to the tune of more than $820 million, much of it offshore; former employees have said that the SPLC is little more than a highly profitable scam. 
 
The time has come to uproot the SPLC from Americas financial and technology infrastructure. Congress can help. Investigations of the SPLC can reach beyond the indictment to examine the SPLCs relationships with financial institutions, technology companies, and digital communications platforms. Moreover, Congress can pass legislation barring federally insured financial institutions from delegating decision-making to private entities that discriminate based on First Amendment-protected activities. 
 
These would be critical steps toward dismantling the SPLCs shadow censorship regime. 

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal. 

Raman will go head-to-head with incumbent Karen Bass in the November general election.

'Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the LA runoffs after the big lead he had.'

Now, a week after Election Day and with 92% of the votes counted, Bass received 275,992 votes, Raman received 229,576, and Pratt received 207,757.

Many have criticized California for running a "rigged" election after Pratt had a 40,000-vote lead and a nearly 10-point advantage over Raman, which shrank rapidly over the weekend.

Raman, who gave a concession speech on election night, reacted on Monday to the latest vote-counting results.

Im incredibly honored that voters have given us the opportunity to advance to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles, Raman wrote in a post on social media.

Now our fight for a healthier, safer, more affordable, and more joyful Los Angeles continues. For too long, City Hall has prioritized giving political advantage to powerful interests that fund elections. Meanwhile, working people pay the price in higher rents, depleted services, and a city that has stopped working for them.

RELATED: Absolutely RIGGED: Critics question Ramans statistically impossible surge past Pratt in LA mayor race

HIGHFIVE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

If youre as frustrated by the broken status quo as I am, I hope youll join our movement to build a city that works for everyone, she added.

Libs of TikTok replied to Ramans post, calling her a cheater.

New Mexico state Rep. John Block (R) wrote, After you conceded, your handlers stuffed inconceivable amounts of statistically impossible fraudulent ballots, thereby successfully stealing another election in the Third World failed state also known as Los Angeles, California.

RELATED: Spencer Pratts 40,000-vote lead vanishes in Los Angeles mayor race as California continues counting ballots

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

President Donald Trump also called the election rigged.

Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had. 3rd World Nation. Rigged Elections! he wrote.

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Thats not a glitch in the system. Thats by designand its fueling questions about the integrity of the election and renewed efforts to pass the SAVE America Act.

Six years ago, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom joined other Democrats to make radical changes to the states elections. Then, in 2021, he made those temporary changes permanent.

Last year we took unprecedented steps to ensure all voters had the opportunity to cast a ballot during the pandemic and today we are making those measures permanent, Newsom boasted in a Sept. 27, 2021, statement that all registered voters in California would receive a vote-by-mail ballot.

For the June 2 primary election, California mailed 23 million ballots to registered voters.

What could possibly go wrong?

Crying Foul

As election officials continue to count, a growing chorus of Republicans are crying foul over reality TV star Spencer Pratts precipitous drop from second place in the Los Angeles mayoral contest to third beyond Councilwoman Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Last week, Pratt appeared poised to make the runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. But mail-in votes for Raman kept her in contention until she overtook him for second.

Vice President JD Vance, during a Fox News interview Monday with Jesse Watters, explained why so many Americans are skeptical of the situation.

Karen Bass was in first place, Spencer Pratt was in second place, and then this other woman was in third place, Vance said. You would expect these mail-in ballots to kind of meet that same basic pattern, where number one would get the most votes, and number two would get the second most votes, and so on.

Instead, the late-arriving ballots are flipping that order, pushing Pratt out of the top two and setting up a Bass vs. Raman runoff. That seems pretty shady to me, Vance added.

Counting Ballots

He also flagged something that should alarm everyone: California is not just still counting ballotsits still receiving them. Under the law Newsom signed, mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can legally arrive as late as June 9a full week after polls closedand still count.

Defenders of the vote-by-mail system will tell you that Democrats are more likely to utilize mail-in ballots than Republicans, and thats why Pratts lead evaporated. Even if thats true, the lengthy delay has led to growing erosion of public confidence in our elections.

Its also not just mail-in ballots that contribute to Californias problems. The state already scores worst in America on The Heritage Foundations Election Integrity Scorecard. Heritage analysts cite the states lack of voter ID requirements and minimal efforts to ensure the accuracy of voter rolls or the custody and security of mail-in ballots.

Fortunately, theres a plan to help fix this problem.

SAVE America Act

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, introduced the SAVE America Act this year in response to exactly the kind of vulnerabilities reflected in Californias system.

The bill does three things: It requires voters to present a photo ID before casting a ballot in federal elections, requires states to obtain proof of citizenship in person when registering voters, and mandates that states remove noncitizens from existing voter rolls.

Each of those three provisions is a direct remedy for a specific flaw in Californias system. The state requires no voter IDand, as Vance noted, actually threatens election officials with jail time for asking. California automatically registers voters through the DMV, a process that opens the door to noncitizens. And its voter rolls are notoriously unclean, with outdated and inaccurate registrations that create opportunities for abuse.

By requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship, the SAVE America Act will ensure that our federal elections are decided by U.S. citizensand U.S. citizens alone, Lee and Roy said in a joint statement.

California Chaos

Californias ballot harvesting laws compound the problem further. Any person is allowed to collect and return a completed ballot on behalf of a voter. The state calls it third-party ballot collection, and it is one of the most permissive such laws in the nation.

The SAVE America Act also addresses another problem prevalent in California: millions of illegal aliens who entered our country during President Joe Bidens open-borders era. Those illegal aliens now hold state-issued drivers licenses, a pathway to illegally register to vote in elections. The SAVE America Act would close that door.

In the wake of the California chaos, Lee called on the Senate to debate the bill until it passes, saying literally nothing is more important.

In light of the stunningly improbable LA mayoral election results, the Senate should turn immediately to the SAVE America Act, Lee posted X. Name a democratic country with less-secure elections than the U.S. We need voter ID. We need the SAVE America Act.

Lee is right. California is making a compelling case for the SAVE America Act.

During an event for the National Press Club, a protester shouted about Israel while Sanders was defending Senate hopeful Graham Platner, who has a Nazi-linked tattoo and has been accused of abusing former girlfriends.

Israel doesnt need defensive systems! Theyre a genocidal apartheid state! a male protester shouted at Sanders. And let me remind you, 59 years ago, Israel attacked the USS Liberty and killed 34 Americans! The man was escorted out of the venue.

At another point during the interview, a woman wearing a hijab stood up and shouted, Israel needs to be stopped!

How dare you continue to support Israel when they keep killing Palestinians, she continued. Theres a genocide! Shame on you, Bernie, for not speaking up! The woman was also escorted from the room.

Platner, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Maine, has previously claimed that he didnt understand the significance of his tattoo, which was a symbol used by Nazi Germanys SS. However, recent accounts reported in the New York Times seem to contradict that narrative.

Im gonna do everything I can to make sure that Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine, Sanders said at the event before the disruption.

After one protester was escorted out, Sanders turned his attention to Republicans to explain his support for Platner. Republican super PACs have already lined up some $99 million just on TV ads to defeat him. Why is that? Do you think theyre worried about his views or what his relationships to women has been? I dont think so. What theyre worried about is that hes going to be a strong voice against oligarchy.

The senator also connected Platners past controversies to having PTSD. Hes [now] gotten his life together, Sanders said. I dont know what is true or not true. There are people in the United States Senate right now who are not saints.

Sanders similarly dismissed Platners troubling background earlier this month, saying, Is he a saint? I guess not. I dont know too many saints here.

Platner is expected to cruise to victory in Tuesdays Democratic primary for Maines U.S. Senate seat after Democratic Governor Janet Mills suspended her campaign at the end of April. Mills remains on the ballot, however, having never formally withdrawn, and has reminded voters that her name will still appear in the primary. The winner of the Democratic primary will challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the November general election.

Related: Ex-Platner Staffer Calls BS On Dems Excuse For Nazi Tattoo, Troubling Behavior

Anthony is charged with murder in the April 2025 stabbing death of 17-year-old Memorial High School athlete Austin Metcalf during a confrontation at a Texas high school track meet. Anthony admits he stabbed Metcalf but claims he acted in self-defense.

Anthony's attorneys started off Tuesday by asking Judge John Roach to include criminally negligent homicide as an alternative option to manslaughter, but Roach rejected that request. The judge agreed to allow jurors to consider manslaughter, though, in addition to the murder charge against Anthony.

A murder conviction would carry a maximum sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison. A manslaughter conviction would carry a maximum sentence of two to 20 years in prison.

During the defense team's closing arguments, Anthony's attorney insisted Metcalf did not have the right to order Anthony out of a Memorial High School team tent while emphasizing his client was legally exercising his ability to defend himself. 

His attorney also pointed to the physical difference between the two teenagers with Metcalf standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 213 pounds, and Anthony coming in at 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds. 

After the defense's closing arguments, Collin County District Attorney Bill Wirskye told jurors that Anthony's words were a threat, not a warning, according to FOX 4. He argued that if Anthony had truly feared for his life, he could have called out to a coach for help, and added that the altercation was allegedly provoked by Anthony. 

"They want to talk about motive. What is not important is motive. What should be important is mindset. He took a knife to a track meet, and kept it hidden," Wirskye said. "There is a no weapon policy. He was the only one with a knife. He was always going to come out on top."

Wirskye reportedly added that Anthony allegedly provoked Metcalf, therefore invalidating Anthony's self-defense claim. 

"You don't get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove," Wirskye said. "That equals murder plain and simple. Unjustified murder."

Both sides rested Tuesday morning and jurors have started deliberations. 

The case has drawn national attention, fueled by debate over Texas self-defense law, questions surrounding race, competing narratives about what happened beneath a Memorial High School team tent and demonstrations outside the Collin County courthouse.

As the defense case neared its conclusion Monday, an unexpected delay in proceedings fueled speculation about what was happening behind the scenes.

DIDDY DEFENSE'S COURTROOM STRATEGY IS A 'CALCULATED RISK': EXPERT

Speaking on Fox News' "The Story," legal analyst Joshua Ritter suggested one possibility was that Anthony and his attorneys were discussing whether he should testify.

"Perhaps they're talking to Karmelo Anthony about whether or not he wants to testify," Ritter, a criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor, said on Monday.

WATCH: Suspect claims self-defense in deadly Texas stabbing trial

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No plea agreement materialized, and the defense ultimately rested without calling Anthony to the witness stand.

SELF-DEFENSE CLAIM IN AUSTIN METCALF SLAYING IS 'UPHILL BATTLE': EXPERT

Ritter suggested the defense may have been reassessing its strategy after several days of prosecution testimony.

"We're hearing that the defense case may not be going as they had hoped and planned," Ritter said.

According to Ritter, defense attorneys could have been searching for a final opportunity to strengthen Anthony's position before the case reached the jury.

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWS FATAL STABBING OF AUSTIN METCALF AT TEXAS TRACK MEET, OFFICIALS SAY

"Perhaps they're looking for some last-ditch effort to try to spare him a lifetime in prison," he said.

Ritter later offered a blunt assessment of the competing cases presented to jurors.

"The prosecution case went very strongly. The defense case doesn't look like it's going well," Ritter said.

KARMELO ANTHONY DEFENSE, PROSECUTORS WAGE FIRST-IMPRESSION WAR AS EMOTIONS ROCK OPENING OF TRIAL: EXPERT

Ritter was not the only Fox News legal analyst who questioned the strength of the defense's case.

Speaking on Fox News' "America Reports," criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor Donna Rotunno said testimony presented during the trial reinforced her belief that Anthony's self-defense claim faces significant obstacles.

WATCH: Self defense claim will not 'hold water' in Karmelo Anthony case: Donna Rotunno

"I never thought that this case rose to the level of self-defense," Rotunno said. "This is a sad, awful, tragic circumstance where a young person made a really horrible decision, but decisions have consequences."

AUSTIN METCALFS SUSPECTED KILLER INDICTED ON FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE IN TRACK MEET STABBING

Rotunno pointed to testimony from multiple student witnesses, including one witness who agreed under questioning that Anthony had provoked the confrontation.

"That one question could really turn the tide here," Rotunno said.

Rotunno also dismissed defense efforts to highlight testimony that the knife Anthony carried was legal under Texas law because its blade measured less than five inches.

PREPPY PARTY MURDER SUSPECT'S LAWYER SAYS CLIENT'S TESTIMONY KEY TO ACQUITTAL

"Whether you could have the knife legally doesn't mean that you could use it in the way that it was used," she said.

Addressing testimony that athletes from different schools commonly interact at track meets, Rotunno said jurors are likely to focus less on whether Anthony was permitted under the Memorial High School tent and more on how he responded after being repeatedly asked to leave.

"He obviously didn't want to leave," Rotunno said. "I think they're trying to show that he knew exactly what he was doing when he put his hand inside that bag."

GOT A TIP?

Prosecutors called 21 witnesses, including student athletes, police officers, investigators and the medical examiner.

Several students testified that Anthony was repeatedly asked to leave the Memorial High School tent before the confrontation escalated. Witnesses recalled Anthony telling Metcalf, "Touch me and you'll find out" and "If you want me to move, you have to move me."

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Multiple students testified that Metcalf did not appear to be looking for a fight. One witness recalled Metcalf saying, "I'm not going to fight you at a track meet."

Defense attorneys countered by highlighting testimony that athletes from different schools routinely mingle at track meets, that Anthony was smaller than Metcalf and that witnesses gave differing accounts of the physical interaction immediately before the stabbing.

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The trial has unfolded amid demonstrations outside the Collin County courthouse. Supporters of Anthony have gathered throughout the proceedings carrying signs reading "Justice for Karmelo Anthony."

Outside the courthouse Monday, Next Generation Action Network President Dominique Alexander urged Anthony supporters not to be "baited" into confrontations.

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"We do not support chaos. We do not support intimidation. We do not support threats," Alexander said.

The defense has argued Anthony feared for his safety when he stabbed Metcalf. Prosecutors contend the evidence shows Anthony escalated a verbal dispute into a deadly encounter.

WATCH: Father speaks out after son was stabbed to death at track meet

The case now rests on competing versions of what happened beneath the Memorial High School tent and whether jurors believe Anthony's actions were justified.

Fox News' Brooke Taylor, Peter Cuddihy and Lindsey Reese contributed to this report.

The victim was shot in the stomach on a Bx36 bus on East Tremont Avenue near White Plains Road around 2:30 p.m., police told the Daily News.

'It's really sad. ... I don't think I'll ever get back on a bus.'

Medics rushed the victim to Jacobi Medical Center, where he died, the paper said, adding that the victim's name was not immediately released.

The shooter was last seen fleeing south on White Plains Road and has not been caught, the Daily News added.

The shooter is estimated to be between 13 and 16 years old, the New York Post reported.

RELATED: 'White boy,' 'cracker': Subway rider dares to glance at hollering female behind him so she veers into beatdown mode: Cops

The shooter was wearing a white T-shirt and carrying a black handgun, law enforcement sources added to the paper.

RELATED: Thug punches, kicks, stomps man to death in subway station because he didn't like the way victim looked at him, officials say

The Post added that a bloodstain was still visible on the sidewalk after the shooting, and the area around the bus was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape as cops investigated.

"It's really sad," one man told WCBS-TV. "You know, I haven't gotten on a bus in probably 30 years, but I don't think I'll ever get back on a bus."

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Although he kept his head, the victim a citizen in his 40s was taken to the hospital in serious condition with "significant injuries to his face, neck, and back," according to a police press release.

'We do not have to live like this.'

The suspected attacker, a Sudanese national in his 30s whom the Police Service of Northern Ireland initially mistook for a Somali, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He remains in police custody.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said in a statement, "This brutal attack will have sent shock waves through the community, causing real concern. I want to reassure the local community that we are treating this attack with the utmost seriousness."

Citing the supposed risk of further traumatizing the victim, Henderson implored "members of the public not to share or repost" images or footage of the attack.

Despite the urging by police, remigration activist Tommy Robinson and other transparency-oriented members of the British public have shared the horrific footage, which shows a black male sitting atop a bloodied victim, shouting something in a foreign tongue, then carving into the victim's throat.

RELATED: British cop involved in Henry Nowak murder case resigns as fury intensifies over damning arrest footage

Tejas Sandhu/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

A burly gentleman armed with a hurling stick can be seen rushing into action and repeatedly hammering the suspect over the head. Another two men rush in to help one attempting to pull the victim to safety and the other giving a few well-placed kicks to the aggressor's head.

In the House of Commons on Tuesday, Hilary Benn, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, addressed the Good Samaritans who intervened, stating, "You showed the very best of humanity, and you have the profound gratitude of this entire House."

Gavin Robinson, a member of the British Parliament for East Belfast who pressed Benn to comment on the matter, claimed that the Sudanese suspect behind the "medieval" attack was in the country on a five-year visa.

"Having abused the privilege of our nation, the perpetrator living in the U.K. under a five-year visa needs to be convicted and deported on the first flight out on a one-way ticket," said Robinson.

While Benn refused to divulge whether the suspected attacker first entered Northern Ireland illegally, he said that "any foreign national who abuses the hospitality of this country to commit crimes should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them."

Rupert Lowe, a British lawmaker who serves as leader of Restore Britain, demanded on Tuesday that Prime Minister Keir Starmer who characterized the attempted beheading as "sickening" provide "full details of this savage's nationality, immigration status, and religion," stressing that the "British people need to know the full truth."

"I have had enough. The British people have had enough. We do not have to live like this," wrote Lowe. "There is another way. Death penalty, mass deportations, end mass immigration."

While British conservative politician Matt Vickers, the MP of Stockton West, did not advocate for the death penalty, he was among those who similarly demanded that the government release the relevant facts "to avoid speculation and prevent an information vacuum, which the independent reviewer of terror legislation has warned about."

"If there have been failings on our borders, this is yet another reminder that we do need stronger borders and this is why we believe it is time to leave the [European Convention on Human Rights,]" added Vickers.

While some politicians want answers, others have expressed concern that this latest apparent instance of imported violence might be used by the right in criticism of Britain's failed migration policies.

Colum Eastwood, an Irish politician who served as the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, stated, for instance, "The horrific scenes in North Belfast should not be used by English, right wing politicians to further their own ends."

The Green Party stated, "There are those who will seek to use this to further their aims, to create division, marginalise vulnerable communities, and undo the steps we have made toward a more cohesive society. We must not let them."

Mass protests are expected to rock Belfast on Tuesday evening.

Lowe cautioned protesters in advance: "Patriots if you are protesting tonight, in Belfast or elsewhere, do NOT give Starmer what he wants. Stay calm. Keep your heads. Do NOT attack the police. The state will show you no mercy. The dangerous far-right will be blamed, and your life will be ruined forever. It will be that brutal. However angry you are feeling now, it is not worth it. Protest but do it loudly, do it peacefully."

Tommy Robinson, who has advertised the protests, said in a statement, "Stop dumping these third world savages into our communities!"

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MANSLAUGHTER is now on the table with Karmelo Anthony, The Daily Mails MaryAnn Martinez reported. The lawyers and judge in this case have agreed to include it in the charging document that jurors will consider today after closing arguments.

Anthony, who fatally stabbed high school athlete Austin Metcalf at a track event in April 2025, was indicted on a first-degree murder charge. The trial has been speedy and closing arguments took place on Tuesday before the jury begins deliberations. Most legal commentators have speculated that the case presented by the state has been airtight, and a murder conviction was expected later today.

Anthony could face a significantly lighter sentence if convicted on the manslaughter charge instead of the murder charge. The manslaughter charge carries two to 20 years in prison, while a murder charge carries up to life in prison.

This is a breaking story. Refresh the page for updates. 

There was one hurdle that Trump supporters in the building seemingly had to overcome though their fellow Knicks fans.

'He's a genuine Knicks fan.'

The president attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals amid heightened security at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with the hometown Knicks hosting the San Antonio Spurs.

When the president made his first appearance on the in-arena big screen, it looked like Trump being the first sitting POTUS to attend an NBA Finals was not going over well with fans. A mixture of jeers and boos chorused through the building as Trump was shown alongside his granddaughter Kai during the national anthem; both of them smirked at the reaction.

However, as the night went on, Trump seemed to gain a bit more favorability, especially when the New York Fire Department made its way onto the court for a presentation.

The crowd erupted into chants of "USA! USA!" as the president pumped his fist along with some of the patriots in attendance.

RELATED: LA Dodgers pitcher refuses to comply with Pride Night, enraging progressive fans

The crowd seemed to cheer for the president later in the game when he was shown on-screen with Knicks owner James Dolan, but it is difficult to tell if the images of Trump shown on television were what garnered the reaction from fans.

Regardless of their support for the president, Knicks fans went home upset after their team lost 115-111, with the Spurs cutting into the Knicks' series lead, which now sits at 2-1.

Chaos filled the streets after the game, and fights broke out despite a heavy NYPD presence. New Yorkers also seemed to target Spurs fans with violence, according to multiple videos posted on X. One younger male had his Spurs jersey ripped off of him, while an older man in a Spurs jersey was chased by a group of fans who were throwing objects at him.

RELATED: The NBA is finally going with a pro-America stance: 'We're proud'

- YouTube

Before the game, there was plenty of contentiousness surrounding Trump's appearance, with multiple New York Democrats questioning his support for the team.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said it wasn't clear to him that Trump was a real fan, while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) suggested Trump couldn't name the "1993 championship team," which is a strange reference as the Knicks did not win the Eastern Conference or the NBA Finals that year.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver cleared up some of the controversy in an interview with ESPN when he said Trump was invited to the game by the Knicks owner, and he even described the president as a "fixture at Madison Square Garden" in the past.

"Back in the old days, he had courtside seats. He was here all the time. He was at the draft. So he's a genuine Knicks fan," Silver stated.

Regarding Trump attending the game, the commissioner concluded, "I think we should be using sports to create more of a sense of community with people, not less."

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A report of the House Oversight Committee released Monday alleges Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison were aware of widespread taxpayer fraud in federally funded social programs for years but did not attempt to stop it.

Minnesota state officials are not above the law, and if they facilitated fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and intimidated whistleblowers, they must face justice, Vance said Monday on X.

Vance, who heads the White Houses anti-fraud task force, wrote a letter to Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, who leads the agencys fraud enforcement division, asking him to respond to the report with all appropriate urgency.

It is imperative that the National Fraud Enforcement Division, in partnership with the appropriate investigative agencies and U.S. Attorneys Offices, open investigations to uncover the truth and bring any and all wrongdoers to justice, he said.

The House Oversight Committee interviewed nine current and former Minnesota state officials for its 200-page report The Cost of Doing Nothing: How Tim Walz and Keith Ellison Fueled Minnesotas Fraud Explosion.

The report included testimony and documents showing that state officials continued payments in social services programs to what turned out to be fraudsters. It detailed how failures to prevent fraud resulted in an estimated $300 million in federal child nutrition funds and potentially $9 billion in Medicaid-related funds being lost or placed at serious risk.

Despite warning signs of fraud, the state made the payments because of concerns about accusations of discrimination and used private investigators to look into whistleblowers, according to the report.

Walz and Ellison appeared to have known about the fraud problems as early as 2019, the report claimed. They both testified to the committee in March about the fraud scandal and defended the payments, saying they did not know about the fraud at the time of the payments.

Fred Lucas contributed to this report.

The claim goes like this: The president has become too isolated in Washington and too focused on his own bottom line. Rather than looking out for the working-class men and women who elected him, he has descended into the same D.C. swamp he once denounced.

Politicians often sell out their constituents, and corporate pressure on Capitol Hill is enormous. But in Trumps case, maybe, just maybe, a little hope is warranted.

Its a crazy argument, and one that collapses on contact with his record.

Trump may not hold as many Rust Belt rallies as he once did. That should not surprise anyone. Hes busy doing the job of president. But fewer rallies do not mean he has forgotten the voters who sent him back to the White House.

Look at his policies.

Start with his fight against fraud. The endless theft of taxpayer money in Democrat-run Minnesota shows how severe the criminal abuse has become. That is why Vice President JD Vance held a meeting with state attorneys general to discuss the issue and press them to act.

The meeting came as the Trump administration declared a full-scale war on fraud. White House adviser Stephen Miller has argued that Washingtons fraud problem is so large that eliminating it could effectively balance the federal budget. This is not abstract accounting. Fraud steals from working-class Americans who both pay into federal programs and rely on them.

Trump is also fighting on housing. The president understands that the cost of a new home keeps rising, often because state and local officials stand in the way of reform. They bury builders in red tape, restrict supply, delay construction, and then wonder why young families cannot afford a starter home.

Trump recently pushed back against those NIMBY nabobs with an executive order that cuts through anti-housing regulations at the federal level while pressuring states and municipalities to do the same. The order takes particular aim at green building codes, beloved by Democrats, that delay home construction and drive up costs.

Trump is also streamlining the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program, which underwrites loans to help working-class and rural Americans buy or build homes. He has also backed a bill to bar big financial firms from buying up single-family houses and driving prices higher by reducing competition.

Does that sound like a president who has forgotten his base?

Then consider prescription drugs. The global medicine market has become a racket. The United States develops and manufactures life-saving drugs while other wealthy countries impose price controls and pay below-market rates. American patients then get stuck making up the difference.

RELATED: Scott Bessent is the secret weapon for Trump's economic plan

Ludovic MARIN/AFP/Getty Images

Americans today pay two to three times as much for prescription drugs as people in other developed nations. For seniors living on fixed incomes, that can mean skipped doses, delayed refills, and impossible choices between medicine, groceries, and rent.

Trump is demanding that foreign nations pay their fair share. He recently dispatched U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and health adviser Chris Klomp to press the German ambassador and demand that Europes wealthiest country stop underpaying for American medicines.

The president has already struck a deal with the United Kingdom that will require it to pay 25% more for U.S.-developed drugs. That means less cost-shifting onto American patients, and Trump has pledged to take the same fight to other freeloading foreign governments.

Trump is also protecting the working class by defending their right to vote. He recently signed an executive order declaring that voting is reserved for American citizens while cracking down on fraudulent ballots and strengthening mail-in voting safeguards.

Every illegal immigrant who votes cancels out the lawful vote of an American citizen. Election integrity is not a boutique issue. It is the foundation of self-government, and working-class Americans have the most to lose when powerful interests dilute their voice.

From cutting taxes to expanding apprenticeship programs, from growing the job market to presiding over historic blue-collar wage growth, Trump has kept his focus where it belongs. He still believes in striking deals that help the forgotten men and women of this country get ahead.

The media may miss this while obsessing over New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs latest performance. But Trump is still fighting the good fight.

Pessimism in politics is understandable. Politicians often sell out their constituents, and corporate pressure on Capitol Hill is enormous. But in Trumps case, maybe, just maybe, a little hope is warranted.

When asked what concerns them morehigh prices or ICE and immigration enforcementHispanics cite inflation worries by a staggering 73% to 19%. The poll also found that Hispanics approve, by an 11-point margin, of removing illegal migrants who refuse the Trump administrations generous incentives for self-deportation, including paid trips home and the ability to reapply later for legal status. In addition, Hispanics support full cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities by a 20-point margin. 

The national poll of 1,000 Latino citizens, conducted by Wick, reveals both the challenges and opportunities facing the political right as it seeks to re-earn the trust of these voters. After all, Trumps performance among Hispanics in 2024 was one of the most consequential aspects of his return to power and helped drive his popular-vote victory. Trump won Hispanic men nationally, shocking the political world and proving that bad hombres do not subscribe to the Democrats radicalism. 

But Hispanics remain a flexible and politically mobile demographic, willing to swing materially between the parties. Right now, they express intense frustration with Trump and the GOP, and that frustration flows almost entirely from economic angst. 

At present, Trumps job approval among Hispanics sits at a dismal net -31%, with 30% approving and 61% disapproving. On inflation, the news is even worse for the administration, with only 21% approval. Overall, just 15% of Hispanics say their financial situation has improved under Trump, while 54% say things have gotten worse. 

As an overwhelmingly working-class population, inflation stings harder for Hispanics than for many other citizens. Hispanic households tend to be larger, meaning more mouths to feed. In addition, Hispanics are, on average, about a decade younger than the broader American population and therefore have not yet accumulated significant financial assets. As a result, many have not benefited to the same degree from recent increases in stock prices and home values. 

Consequently, the sooner the war with Iran wraps up, the better the economic trajectory will be for Hispanics and for every other American.

In addition, staying the course on immigration remains critical. Before the war, real wagesincome adjusted for the cost of livingwere rising meaningfully for American workers.

That bullish trend accelerated, in part, because so many illegal workers were leaving the country, either through self-deportation or through renewed enforcement actions. Once the war is resolved, America can quickly return to that trend of rising real pay, with disproportionate benefits for struggling Hispanics. 

In addition to providing economic upward mobility for hard-working Hispanics, the GOP and the America First movement need to do a better job of messaging to these citizens. For example, Hispanics remain culturally traditional, right in line with the values of the populist Right. This poll showed that a huge supermajority opposes trans males competing in female sports, by a 65% to 22% margin. Yet only 22% of Hispanics believe the GOP reflects their values. 

Clearly, the GOP agenda aligns far more closely with Hispanic values than the radical Democrats, so this gap points to a decided lack of effort and effective communication. If Republican policies align more closely with Hispanic voters on a range of cultural and social issues, party leaders have not effectively communicated that alignment. 

This polling should therefore serve as both marching orders and a warning sign. These patriotic Hispanics do not subscribe to the leftist extremism of the present Democratic Party. At the same time, they are understandably frustrated by an economy that is not working for them right now. Their voting behavior is fluid, and their support must be earned through both effective policies and effective communication. 

A huge component of making America great again involves securing the 2024 coalition as a permanent political constituency, with Hispanics serving as a foundation. Their continued support will depend on whether they see tangible improvements in their economic lives and hear a message that resonates with their values. 

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

The Philadelphia Police Department said Billy Schmidt, 22, was close to home when the armed robbery attempt happened on Saturday around 1:30 a.m. When officers arrived, the college student was found with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m., according to police.

Schmidt can be heard saying "Give me my phone" before a gunshot could be heard seconds later.

Bill Schmidt, his father, told ABC7 that his son was coming back from a bar where he was watching the NBA Finals with his friends. Additional security video shows a man throwing a cellphone before another individual can be seen running around a corner being chased by Billy Schmidt, who was then shot in the chest.

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"He was a really good person who cared about everybody and never hurt or bothered a soul, never bothered anyone and for him to get shot like that is a travesty," Bill Schmidt said. "I'm shocked when they stole his phone that he chased them."

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His sister, Anna Schmidt, told reporters she doesn't know how anyone could have killed her brother.

GOOD SAMARITAN GROCERY SHOPPER, DAD KILLED WHILE TRYING TO STOP TEEN ROBBERY SUSPECTS

"I miss him so much and I don't understand how someone can do this," Anna Schmidt said.

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In a statement, Penn State University said Billy Schmidt was studying journalism at Penn State World Campus and was on track to graduate in December.

"We are heartbroken over the tragic death of William Schmidt and we share our deepest condolences with his family and friends," the university said.

Police have not made an arrest in connection with the college student's killing. One neighbor urged anyone with information to help police.

"I want justice, I want the kid that shot Billy to be found," a neighbor told FOX 29. "If anyone's out there that recognizes anything... they seem young to me. If anyone has any information or recognizes anything about the kids, I would love for them to come forward."

Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) and former Fox News host and small-business owner Steve Hilton (R) received the most votes in Tuesdays primary election and will advance to the general election, according to Decision Desk HQ and RealClearPolitics. As of Tuesday morning, other election aggregators, including the Associated Press and NBC News, have confirmed Becerras spot in Novembers runoff election, but not yet Hiltons.

'Enough with this disastrous system universal mail-in chaos is killing election integrity and transparency.'

With 83% of the votes counted, Becerra received 2,177,556, Hilton received 1,975,062, and Democratic candidate Tom Steyer received 1,759,328. Hilton held a 2.7-point lead over Steyer as of Tuesday morning.

With many Democrats in the race and the party failing to coalesce behind one candidate, there was early speculation that two Republicans, Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, might be the two candidates to advance to the general election.

However, in the final days leading up to the primary, Becerra began to pull ahead in the polls. An Emerson College poll, which surveyed registered voters from May 27 to 28, reported Becerra with a stronger lead, securing 28% of the vote, followed by Steyer with 22%, Hilton with 21%, and Bianco with 12%.

RELATED: California Democrats search for a front-runner: Polls show 26% of voters undecided in fast-approaching gubernatorial race

Xavier Becerra. ETIENNE LAURENT/AFPGetty Images.

Steyer has criticized Becerra, labeling him a corporate Democrat.

For too long, weve had a system where corporations buy off politicians to protect their profits, Steyer said during a campaign rally.

If that sounds familiar, its because thats the story of Xavier Becerras campaign.

RELATED: Democrats narrow field in Californias crowded gubernatorial race to avoid primary disaster

Steve Hilton. Mario Tama/Getty Images.

Hiltons campaign criticized California for its vote-counting delay, calling it an ABSOLUTE DISGRACE.

Californias election machine is a slow-motion disaster deliberately dragging out vote counts for 35 DAYS while the rest of the world tallies hundreds of millions in hours, his campaign wrote. Enough with this disastrous system universal mail-in chaos is killing election integrity and transparency.

Hilton stated that he will wait for the AP to call the race before declaring a victory.

Thank you so much for all your congratulations! We always said we would wait for@AP_RaceCalls before declaring victory so we're not popping the champagne just yet ... but it's definitely time for a beer! Hilton said.

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Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who chose not to run for reelection to Congress, lost the GOP primary for attorney general. His job now has an inevitable term limit, but that isnt stopping him from legislating.

The Daily Signal has learned Roy is set to introduce a bill meant to limit terms in Congress to only six in the House and two in the Senate without limiting voter choice.

The catch is: They can stay if they want; they just become volunteers.

For too long, Washington has rewarded longevity with greater power, higher pay, and deeper entrenchment, Roy told the Daily Signal.

If members of Congress want to serve beyond 12 years absent from a constitutional amendment limiting them, they should do so without taxpayer-funded salaries and without monopolizing committee chairs and leadership positions, he continued.

Roys bill, the Statutory Term Limits on Congressional Pay & Power Act, proposes that if lawmakers want to stay in Congress beyond 12 years of cumulative service, they become rank-and-file volunteers. Across both chambers, they will receive no pay, no benefits, and cannot hold any leadership position or chair a committee.

If passed, it will go into place with the 121st Congressional session in 2029. If any members are continuously reelected until then, many will meet this 12-year threshold. In theory, it could be any combination of the 2-year terms in the House and the 6-year terms in the Senate.

This bill helps ensure that public service remains exactly that: service to the people, not a lifelong career in politics, Roy continues.

Notable members potentially affected beginning in 2029 would be Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; and many more in the Senate.

In the House, all Republican leadership would be affected, including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; James Comer, R-Ky.; Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Richard Neal, D-Mass.; and Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who has been in office for over 45 years.

Roy claims Americans overwhelmingly support term limits, which many polls have proven. However, its the members who are going to have to vote to essentially kill their job, which might be easy for Roy but not for members who have planned for long, powerful political careers.

The president is the only executive office with a two-term, four-year limit, enacted in 1951 by the 22nd Amendment after Franklin D. Roosevelt broke the long-standing tradition, set by George Washington, of serving only two terms.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has recently suggested legislation to set an 18-year term limit on Supreme Court justices, who currently serve for life. Per Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution, they serve during good Behavior, meaning until they retire, die, or are removed through impeachment. With increasing distrust in SCOTUS, this legislation might make its way to the floor.

If continuously reelected, Khanna would be one affected by Roys bill.

Law enforcement identified a Sudanese national as the man shown in an extremely graphic video pinning another man down and repeatedly stabbing the victim in the face and neck in the streets of Belfast. Bystanders stepped in and attempted to wrestle the man off the victim. 

???? NEW: A man has been arrested after an attempted beheading of another man in north Belfast tonight pic.twitter.com/CFQirpQDwL

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Hes trying to cut his head off! a person can be heard shouting in the video. 

The man was arrested on attempted murder charges, but authorities have yet to release his name. The victim, identified as a man in his 40s, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. 

Police first identified the attacker as a man from Somalia, but later determined he was from Sudan. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said that his understanding is the individual was given leave to remain in Northern Ireland, according to the Belfast Telegraph. 

Nigel Farage, the leader of the conservative Reform UK party, called for full transparency over the attack. Farage has been a critic of mass migration into the United Kingdom and has called for a freeze on immigration. 

What happened in Belfast last night is horrific, he said. The authorities must reveal the identity and status of the attacker immediately. The public are entitled to the truth.

In the wake of the brutal stabbing, Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was scared about backlash to minorities and said the attack should not be used to fuel dangerous narratives. 

I also know there are many people in our community people from ethnic minority backgrounds who are terrified today about any kind of retaliation or backlash against them, which we have seen in the past, she told the BBC. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, but did not note the identity or origin of the suspect. 

The horrific attack in Belfast last night is sickening, said Starmer. I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets. My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.

Hilary Benn, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, told people to remain calm while the investigation into the attack played out. 

The attack last night in Belfast was deeply shocking and all our thoughts are with the victim, who is seriously injured in hospital, and with his loved ones, he said. I would like to thank the individuals who showed extraordinary bravery in coming to his aid.

Immigration has long been a controversial issue in the United Kingdom as protesters urge an end to mass immigration from third-world countries. Protesters took to the streets in Ireland two years ago after another stabbing linked to immigration. 

Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is charged in the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian woman Iryna Zarutska, 23, while aboard the light-rail Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte on Aug. 22, 2025. 

Brown is expected to be committed to a special facility under the direction of the U.S. attorney general for treatment aimed at restoring competency. If he is later found competent, the federal case could resume.

Brown could face the death penalty if the federal case proceeds. However, a defendant who is found incompetent cannot be tried or executed while incompetent.

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Brown was federally indicted on a charge of committing an act of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death.

The hearing comes after a Bureau of Prisons evaluation found on May 7 that Brown was incompetent to stand trial for his state charges.

The finding followed what officials described as a lengthy process that included interviews and a review of medical records.

Brown is accused of murdering Zarutska on the Charlotte train. Surveillance video shows Zarutska entering the train car and sitting down in front of Brown.

Roughly four minutes later, Brown allegedly pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed her three times from behind before departing the train.

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Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.

Some believe President Trump already eliminated it. Others are convinced an executive order is about to slash prices at the pump.

Americans are asking why drivers in some states consistently pay dramatically more than drivers elsewhere.

The reality is more complicated.

Piece of the puzzle

Even if Congress suspended the federal gas tax tomorrow, fuel prices would remain far higher than many drivers expect. That's because the federal tax has become one of the smaller pieces of a much larger pricing puzzle.

And that's the part of the debate most headlines miss.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has announced plans to introduce legislation suspending the federal gas tax, which today adds 18.4 cents per gallon to gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon to diesel fuel. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has argued that the tax has largely outlived its original purpose, since the interstate highway system it helped fund is mostly complete.

The proposals immediately sparked headlines suggesting relief could be coming for drivers.

Even if Congress approved a suspension tomorrow, however, the savings would likely be smaller than many consumers expect. Most estimates suggest drivers might see roughly 15 cents per gallon in actual savings.

That's real money, particularly for families with long commutes and businesses that rely on transportation. But it wouldn't suddenly make fuel inexpensive again.

Because federal taxes are only part of the equation.

California scheming

The bigger story is what many states continue adding on top.

California remains the clearest example. While the national average for regular gasoline recently hovered around $4.17 per gallon, California drivers were paying nearly $6 per gallon on average, with some regions approaching $7. Diesel prices climbed even higher.

That gap isn't an accident.

California drivers face some of the highest fuel taxes and regulatory costs in the country. State excise taxes, special fuel-blend requirements, low-carbon fuel programs, cap-and-trade costs, environmental fees, and refinery regulations all contribute to higher prices.

Those costs become permanent parts of the system, and consumers pay them every time they fill up.

RELATED: Cheap Chinese cars: Trojan horse built to undermine US security?

Jade Gao/Bettmann/Getty Images

Policy pain

That's why Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) introduced the Gas Tax Reduction Act, which would reduce certain federal transportation funding to states imposing gasoline taxes above 50 cents per gallon.

Whether the bill advances or not, it highlights a reality many drivers already recognize: Policy choices can have a significant impact on fuel prices.

Drivers are often told that fuel prices are primarily the result of global events or market conditions. What receives far less attention is the role government policy plays in determining the final price consumers see at the pump.

Taxes, refinery capacity, fuel mandates, and transportation policy all play a role in determining what consumers ultimately pay at the pump.

Most consumers don't follow every detail of energy policy, but they understand what happens when they fill up their vehicles. Higher fuel costs ripple through nearly every part of the economy.

Higher diesel prices increase shipping costs. Grocery prices rise. Contractors, delivery companies, farmers, and small businesses all face higher operating expenses that eventually get passed on to consumers.

Road rage

The gas-tax debate is resonating because many Americans are beginning to connect fuel prices to broader policy decisions. They're asking why drivers in some states consistently pay dramatically more than drivers elsewhere. They're questioning why taxes and fees continue rising while road quality often fails to improve at the same pace.

Those are reasonable questions.

The federal gas tax was originally created to help build and maintain the interstate highway system. Today, many motorists feel they are paying more while receiving less in return. Roads remain in poor condition in many areas despite billions collected annually from drivers.

At the same time, governments are already looking for new sources of transportation revenue.

As electric vehicles and hybrids become more common, many states are experimenting with replacement taxes, including EV registration fees, mileage-based taxes, and road-usage charges. Officials understand that gasoline-tax revenue eventually declines when fewer people buy fuel.

Transportation taxes aren't disappearing. They're evolving.

Political theater

Which brings us back to the current debate.

The real issue isn't whether Congress temporarily suspends the federal gas tax and saves drivers a few cents per gallon.

The bigger question is how much of today's fuel pricing structure is driven by decades of taxes, regulations, mandates, and policy decisions layered onto the cost of energy.

That's the part many headlines overlook.

Americans don't need more political theater. They need honest conversations about energy policy, infrastructure spending, refinery capacity, and the real factors driving transportation costs.

Because drivers don't care about talking points when they're standing at the pump.

They care about affordability.

And right now, many Americans feel they're paying more every year while getting fewer answers about where all that money is going.

First, Congress could eliminate a major loophole in SNAP (called broad-based categorical eligibility, or BBCE). This loophole allows people to get on SNAP without being subject to any asset tests. This means that even people with large savings can receive SNAP if they have even a temporary setback in income.

The way the loophole works is that it allows states to qualify a person for SNAP if the person receives a service from another welfare programTemporary Assistance for Needy Families. What counts as a TANF service, though, can be as simple as receiving a TANF pamphlet or being referred to a TANF hotline.

The effect of this loophole is substantial. Roughly 70% of SNAP households qualify through BBCE. In 2018, an estimated 5 million individuals received SNAP benefits solely due to BBCE, at a cost of approximately $7 billion. SNAP benefits have climbed dramatically since 2018, so that amount is likely much higher today.

Another problem with BBCE is that it weakens SNAPs verification process, opening the program up to greater waste and abuse. Households that qualify for SNAP through BBCE have substantially higher rates of improper payments.

Congress could end broad-based categorical eligibility by limiting categorical eligibility to households that have been receiving meaningful assistance from other means-tested programs for at least six monthse.g., at least $50 per month in cash assistance or a substantial benefit like TANF childcare assistance. No more handing people a brochure and saying it counts as a welfare service.

Eliminating BBCE would save billions. The Heritage Foundation has estimated savings as high as $28.5 billion over a decade. The Congressional Budget Office has produced lower estimates, at about $8.1 billion over 10 years. Even assuming conservative estimates, the savings are substantial.

Ending BBCE has been included in legislation such as the SNAP Reform and Upward Mobility Act introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

Congress should also strengthen SNAP verification rules and improve household definition rules to reduce fraud and improper payments.

Currently, when people apply for SNAP they must report income and household size, and states may verify this information using sources like tax data from the IRS or Medicaid records. But applicants can override conflicting information through self-attestation. In practice, SNAP benefits are often issued immediately based on self-reported information, even when discrepancies exist between what people say and what secondary data sources show, and households continue to get benefits during any review.

Congress should require states to rely on secondary data sources as the default for verifying eligibility. Self-attestation should be used only if other data are unavailable, and benefits should be delayed while discrepancies are unresolved.

Household composition rules also weaken SNAPs integrity. SNAP applicants must include spouses and children as part of the household, but they are allowed to exclude other adults, such as a cohabiting partner, even when they share food with them. This allows applicants to exclude higher-income individuals from the household, which can mean higher benefits. It also creates a marriage penalty, since spouses must be counted but not cohabiting partners.

All household members should be included by default when determining SNAP eligibility. Exclusions should only be allowed when applicants provide documentation that shows separate financial responsibility.

If these reformsrelying on secondary data sources and including all members of a household by defaultreduced overpayments by half during the next decade, it would save an estimated $45.5 billion.

Ending broad-based categorical eligibility and strengthening verification would restore SNAPs focus, reduce improper payments, and ensure assistance is directed to those who need it most. Congress should take the opportunity now to make these important reforms.

In the announcement, Jesse wrote, Down syndrome isnt a blessing, it is objectively s**tty from a health perspective, and listed various medical challenges associated with the condition.

He concluded his announcement by thanking his audience for being understanding about their decision.

But the majority of responses the couple received were the opposite of understanding.

The Ridgways announcement sparked a furious response from pro-life and disability advocates, as well as parents of children with Down syndrome, many of whom called the couples decision evil and accused them of being murderers.

While Glenn Beck was heartbroken by the Ridgways decision, he is plagued by a fear that goes deeper than one couples decision to abort their child: What happens when society begins measuring human worth by intelligence, independence, health, or convenience?

Citing LDS premortal life doctrine, Glenn speculates that the valiant angels in heaven who fought on the front lines and cast Satan out and thus needed less mortal testing were perhaps sent to Earth as people with Down syndrome.

Have you ever met a Down syndrome kid? ... Their default is love; their default is kindness, he says, recalling his years working with Special Olympians.

As a father of a daughter with cerebral palsy who has taught me more than anyone I know, she is my hero. The way she deals with things, her spiritual connections, the way shes disciplined herself, the things shes overcome. Shes my hero, he continues.

While there have been many challenges that have come with raising a child with a disability, the hardest one, Glenn says, has been seeing your child left out of things, seeing your child not understood.

But through all the pain that our children face and all the pain that we face, it is so worth it, he says. But you have to realize that life is not about you.

But thats the problem with abortion advocates, Glenn argues. They do have a self-centered perspective of life, believing life is about only them their freedom, ambitions, and desires. Even those who claim that abortion benefits would-be disadvantaged children are merely masking their egocentrism, Glenn says.

He warns that when we make a practice of eliminating the weak, we become more and more like an animal and less and less like a human being.

To hear more of Glenns powerful monologue, watch the video above.

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The bill would require photo identification and proof of citizenship in federal elections and require local governments to regularly purge their voter rolls.

Whether its accurate or not, it sure doesnt look like it, Scott, R-Fla., told the Daily Signal of the result of the Los Angeles mayors race, in which registered Republican candidate Pratt lost to registered Democrat Nithya Raman in a battle for second place. 

Pratt initially led Raman in the election night tally, but subsequent post-election mail-in ballot batches heavily favored Raman, even over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, and Pratts lead evaporated. On Monday, the Associated Press declared that Raman will advance to the runoff election against Bass, who is also a registered Democrat.

Multiple other primaries remain unresolved.

Californias election laws require that any mail-in ballots postmarked before election day be counted for a week after election day. All voters receive a mail-in ballot, whether they request one or not. Photo identification is also not required in California elections.

To be sure, the tardiness of the results are not unprecedented in California.

For instance, in the 2022 midterms, the party in control of the U.S. House remained uncertain until mid-November, with the Associated Press calling Californias 27th Congressional District for Republican Mike Garcia on the 16th day of the month.

Look at California. They do nothing to make anybody feel comfortable that its fair, said Scott. Its all behind the scenes You have to assume the worst.

Alongside Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Scott has been one of the main Senate advocates of the SAVE America Act.

Last week, the bill got its first vote on the Senate floor, when Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduced an amendment to a border funding legislation which would have waived rules governing the budgetary process and allowed the bill to be added.

Ultimately, four Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting against waiving those rules, and the amendment failed 48-50, short of the 60 votes it needed to pass.

Scott says the vote should not be the end of the story for the SAVE America Act.

Im not going to give up on it. I know Mike Lee wont, Scott told the Daily Signal. Over 80% of Americans want voter ID.

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Californians will get a chance to vote for more secure elections this November after a voter identification and citizenship verification initiative qualified for the ballot. Following a successful signature-gathering campaign led by Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, the ballot question, if approved, would require government-issued identification for in-person voting. Californians voting by mail would need

If passed, it would provide federal grants to encourage states to submit their voter registration lists through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, a program recently redesigned to help states identify noncitizen and deceased voters.

Since federal law already prohibits illegal aliens from voting in federal elections (18 U.S.C. 611), this commonsense proposal merely assists states in quickly identifying those persons who, either intentionally or inadvertently, ended up on the voter rolls of the states.

The SAVE Program, expanded by the Trump administration in early 2025, now allows states and counties to compare their voter registration lists with citizenship and legal status information. The comparison would verify the citizenship status of applicants who register to vote or identify if a current registrant is a non-citizen. States may then receive the necessary documentation of citizenship or the legal status of applicants.

According to USCIS, only 26 states have established a memorandum of agreement for voter citizenship verification with SAVE. The proposed legislation is an attempt by Congress to increase the number of states participating by offering federal funds to use the federal SAVE Program and take steps to improve the accuracy of their voter registration lists.

Maintaining accurate and secure voter lists can incur costs, such as new technology and mailings. According to the press release from the co-sponsors, the federal grants could also potentially be used to fund other election priorities, such as election administration, election technology, and election security.

There have been examples of noncitizens who successfully registered to vote and illegally voted in multiple presidential elections.  For example, in North Carolina, a Canadian citizen was sentenced to federal prison for making false claims of citizenship to vote in 2022 and 2024. In Maryland, a Colombian national assumed the identity of a U.S. citizen, registered, and voted in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.

Of course, readers may remember Ian Roberts, the Guyanese national, who headed Des Moines Public Schools as superintendent, and who was found to be registered to vote in Maryland after being taken into custody. He was sentenced to two years for a variety of immigration and gun crimes, but has remained on the Maryland voter rolls.

There is increasing evidence that many states fail to implement any operational process of confirming citizenship, and significant failures have resulted in noncitizens being erroneously placed on official voter registration rolls across the country.

The improved SAVE Program has assisted states by providing a new online tool to fix an old problem in state-specific systems not often designed to catch noncitizens attempting to vote. In a recent federal legal complaint filed by Louisiana against the federal Election Assistance Commission to force the commission to approve proof of citizenship instructions in federal registration applications, the state detailed the irregularities and illegal voting they found when they compared the state registration rolls and voting history with the federal SAVE databases.

The analysis was shocking. It showed that 403 noncitizens had remained on Louisianas voter registration rolls over multiple election cycles. When officials took legal steps to remove the registrants by offering them the opportunity to provide evidence of citizenship, none of the 403 individuals were able to provide any valid documentation of citizenship. The noncitizen registrants were subsequently removed from voter rolls, and many were referred to prosecution.

Of the 403 noncitizens on the voter registration rolls, 83 had voted in at least one Louisiana election, and the remaining 320 had registered but had never voted in an election. Before their removal, 83 individuals had cast a total of 440 votes throughout their voting history before their removal. While the bad news was that hundreds of noncitizens were unfortunately identified on the official voter list, the good news is that the state made a concerted effort to review the voter list and made significant progress to remove known noncitizens from the voter rolls.

The SAVE Program does not just identify noncitizens; it also helps with identifying deceased voters. For example, North Carolina used the SAVE Program to review their entire voter registration list of 7.4 million records and identify approximately 34,000 deceased voters. The state is still reviewing the list of identified deceased and noncitizens prior to final removal.

The SAVE database was also able to identify deceased registrations of North Carolinians who had moved out of state prior to passing away. That information had never been communicated back to North Carolina election officials.

In explaining her proposal, Blackburn highlighted the popularity of maintaining accurate voter rolls, saying, More than 80% of Americans want government officials at every level of government to eliminate all voter fraud, and they are fed up with Congress not acting. I will not rest until we pass election integrity measures in any way possible, which is why I am introducing the Election Security Partnership Act to ensure every state is using the SAVE Program and following Tennessees lead to restore faith in Americas elections.

Graham pointed out that, free, fair, and secure elections are the bedrock of our republic. However, Democrat-led states across the country have failed to enact common-sense election integrity measures to combat fraud and cheating.

While the federal government should not have to pay states to clean up the voter registration rolls, the proposed grant program to use the SAVE database may incentivize states to do what they should already be doing and prioritize the accuracy of registration and voting.

According to U.S. Central Command, the two pilots were rescued at 7:33 p.m. ET within approximately two hours of the crash and are in "stable condition." CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Timothy Hawkins said that a U.S. Navy surface drone "found and rescued the crew from the water."

'I call all the shots.'

The rescue operation was led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division and aided by U.S. Air Force and Navy units, including U.S. 5th Fleet's Task Force 59.

After attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York City, President Donald Trump confirmed to reporters that "the pilots are fine" and said that nobody was injured in the crash. He would not specify what prompted the crash.

CENTCOM noted that an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.

The Apache is hardly the first American aircraft lost during the conflict with Iran.

RELATED: Trump boxes Netanyahu's ears over Lebanon offensive, calls him 'f**king crazy': Report

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

According to a May 13 report from the Congressional Research Service, 42 fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, including drones, have reportedly been lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury. The lost or damaged aircraft include:

• three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait early in the conflict and the F-15E shot down during combat operations over Iran;
• one F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft damaged by Iranian ground fire;
• one A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, which crashed after sustaining enemy fire over Iran; and
• seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, five of which were damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia during an Iranian missile and drone attack, and two of which were involved in an accident over friendly airspace.

The aircrew of all of the lost or damaged aircrew mentioned above survived with the exception of the six service members killed in the March 12 Stratotanker crash.

In his remarks to the press on Monday evening, Trump said that a deal to end the war is imminent.

Late last month, negotiators representing the U.S. and Iran appeared poised to advance the cause of peace between their respective nations, extend the fragile ceasefire that first went into effect in April, and open the Strait of Hormuz again to trade.

The peace talks quickly began to unravel, however, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's June 1 announcement that Israel was going to ramp up attacks in Lebanon and conduct a new round of strikes in Beirut.

Iranian officials subsequently indicated that Tehran was backing out of the talks, citing Israel's offensive in Lebanon.

Trump responded to the apparent sabotage of his deal by boxing Netanyahu's ears, calling him "f**king crazy" and insisting upon greater restraint. The American president managed to salvage the talks in part by securing a tentative truce between Israel and Lebanon.

This truce would not, however, hold.

Late last week, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem characterized the ceasefire plan agreed by Israel and Lebanon as a "roadmap to annihilate part of the Lebanese people" and said that "as long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue."

On Sunday, Israel attacked Beirut an attack that Netanyahu's office said was "in response to Hezbollah's firing at Israeli territory." Iran responded by firing missiles at Israel. Israel, in turn, attacked "military and economic targets throughout Iran," Netanyahu said.

As things were cooling off, Trump told reporters on Monday that Iran and Israel are "going to just leave each other alone for another week or something. It's been going on for a long time you could say about 3,000 years if you really want, but certainly it's been going on for 47 years."

"We're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not allow in any way, shape, or form nuclear weapons, et cetera, and the strait will open up right away," said Trump. "It'll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days."

Earlier in the day, Trump noted that the negotiations were proceeding, "subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way."

When asked by the Financial Times (U.K.) over the weekend whether Netanyahu would ultimately have to accept a deal with Iran, Trump said, "He won't have a choice."

The president emphasized, "I call the shots. I call all the shots. [Netanyahu] doesn't call the shots."

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Across the district's elementary and middle schools, students in grades 3 through 8 showed substantial improvements in reading and math scores on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests in the three school years since the Texas Education Agency (TEA) took control.

Furthermore, students in HISD high schools made significant year-over-year improvements from 2023 to 2026 in algebra, English, biology, and U.S. history, effectively narrowing performance gaps compared to state averages, according to data provided to Fox News Digital.

"People may have worried about the intervention, and I understand the politics of that, but really it was focused on kids, achievement, and their futurenot adult issues," HISD Superintendent Mike Miles told Fox News Digital. "And we have shown that we can make any district that's struggling, especially large or medium urban districts, move very quickly to do right by kids and raise achievement results."

TEXAS PARENTS RUSH TO ENROLL THEIR KIDS INTO STATE'S SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM

In 2023, the TEA officially took over HISD, replacing its elected leadership with a state-appointed board of managers and installing Miles as superintendent.

"When you have kids who are that far behind in reading and math, we came in with a high sense of urgency," Miles said of his efforts to reform what many viewed as a failing system.

Upon taking office, Miles introduced the New Education System (NES) model. The overhaul uses a centralized curriculum alongside specialized classes aimed at problem-solving and critical thinking. It also established "Team Centers," where students who excel on daily core subject lessons are sent to complete advanced, independent work.

TEXAS REQUIRES STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT 'PERILS OF COMMUNISM' IN SWEEPING NEW CURRICULUM OVERHAUL

The state takeover was initially prompted by years of chronic academic failure at Phillis Wheatley High School. The historic school is located in Houston's Fifth Ward, one of the city's most historically underserved areas.

Data shows that before the district's transformation in the 202223 school year, HISD had a combined total of 121 D- and F-rated campuses. Currently, there are only 18 D-rated schools and zero F-rated campuses across the entire district. Meanwhile, the number of A- and B-rated campuses more than doubled, jumping from 93 to 197.

However, critics have consistently argued that the 2023 intervention was a racially discriminatory action taken by conservative state lawmakers against a major city run primarily by people of color.

PARENTAL RIGHTS GROUP FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST OREGON SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR ALLEGED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

The ACLU of Texas, the Houston NAACP, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) previously filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, requesting a federal civil rights investigation. The civil rights groups argued that the state effectively stripped voting power away from communities of color when it dissolved the school board chosen by local voters and replaced it with state appointees.

At the time, the ACLU stated that the move had nothing to do with public education, but rather "political control of an almost entirely Black and brown student body in one of the country's most diverse cities."

Miles acknowledged that intervention from Austin, the state capital, was likely to generate criticism given how fast he moved to implement change.

UNDERPERFORMING CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAYING ENORMOUS SUM TO TEACH KIDS WITH A 'RAP CURRICULUM'

"We made comprehensive reformsnot just one change, not just two changes," Miles countered. "We made several systemic changes, and that's going to upset the apple cart for a lot of people."

"I also understand that when you have an outside group, the state, sidelining the elected board and putting in a board of managers, that also draws a lot of concern and anxiety about a process where your elected representatives don't have the same amount of power and influence," Miles added. "So, yes, all of that's understandable. Having said that, the things we're doing are focused on kids. The outcomes show that."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the ACLU, the NAACP, and the Houston Federation of Teachers for comment.

TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT SIGNS $1 BILLION VOUCHER PROGRAM INTO LAW, CAPPING OFF WIN FOR SCHOOL CHOICE ADVOCATES

Despite local criticism, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has heavily praised the intervention.

"Texas children deserve the best education possible, which requires a strong accountability system," Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott's press secretary, told Fox News Digital. "Since the appointment of a Board of Managers, Houston ISD has shown meaningful improvement in student achievement."

Mahaleris noted that state test scores for HISD students have consistently maintained an upward trajectory in math and reading since the takeover began.

"Governor Abbott is focused on making Texas number one in educating our students, and the progress in Houston is evidence that state accountability measures work," he said.

The state takeover of HISD is scheduled to continue through at least June 1, 2027, under a timeline set by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.

Lawyers for 22-year-old Tyler Robinson have asked Judge Tony Graf Jr. to push back the routine hearing as they appeal his denial of their motion to ban news cameras from the high-profile case.

"Defendant cannot show that a stay is necessary to prevent additional prejudice from media coverage of his preliminary hearing, when this Court has already found that he failed to show that a public preliminary hearing would prejudice him at all," Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard wrote in a court filing Saturday.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

Robinson's attorneys filed an appeal with the Utah Supreme Court and then asked Graf to push back the hearing while they await a response.

"Nor can Defendant show that he is likely to prevail on appeal (assuming one is granted), or that a stay is not adverse to the public interest in the prompt disposition of criminal trials," Ballard added. "Moreover, there is no need for this Court to stay the proceedings pending disposition of the petition for interlocutory appeal. If the Utah Supreme Court concludes that such a stay is warranted, that court can stay the proceedings."

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Robinson was arrested in September 2025 in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.

Much of the evidence prosecutors plan to use has already been revealed publicly, according to Ballard, and Robinson's defense hasn't proven a "realistic likelihood of prejudice" if the hearing is open to the public, he added.

The preliminary hearing, an early step in many criminal cases, has not yet been held, and as a result, Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

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The hearing requires prosecutors to show they had probable cause to arrest the defendant, thereby allowing the case to proceed toward trial.

The hearing was most recently delayed from the week of May 16 to the week of July 6.

LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST

Typically, to be granted a stay in a Utah criminal case, the defense must show a likelihood that their appeal will prevail, a likelihood of "irreparable harm" that outweighs any harm to any other party and that the stay "is not adverse to the public interest," according to Ballard's filing.

CHARLIE KIRKS WIDOW ERIKA KIRK DEMANDS SPEEDY TRIAL, ALLEGING 'UNDUE DELAY' FROM TYLER ROBINSON DEFENSE

He argued that Robinson's lawyers haven't met any of those criteria.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

"Defendant must satisfy all three elements," he wrote. "He hasnt satisfied even one. In fact, he ignores this rule."

Not only do delays hurt the prosecution, Ballard argued, they also hurt Erika Kirk, Charlie's widow and the designated victim's advocate in the case. She has invoked the victim's right to a speedy trial under Utah law.

Attorneys for two groups of media outlets, one of which includes Fox News and Fox News Digital, are also expected to file a response to Robinson's appeal this week.

In a separate, 51-page filing, Robinson's defense also asked the judge to block hearsay testimony at the hearing, arguing that Utah laws that permit it are unconstitutional.

The 2020s have seen the birth of a movement, a Christian revival bordering on a revolution. Pastors and Christian leaders see it, as do many secular observers. But nowhere is the trend more evident than in sports.

Content analysis shows a massive uptick in athletes sharing Christian messages. But you dont need a study or even be a believer to recognize that something is happening. Tune in to any postgame interview or press conference, and it wont be more than a minute before you hear someone giving a Jesus shout-out. Some of these events turn into full-blown testimonials.

You saw it within seconds of the biggest American sporting spectacle of every year. As the clock ticked down to zero on the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at the New Orleans Superdome, Fox Sports reporter Tom Rinaldi and his cameraman jumped in front of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.

Super Bowl champions, Rinaldi said, the timber of his voice capturing both excitement and gravity. What does the moment mean?

Gods blessed us very much, Sirianni said, drenched in Gatorade and looking upward while holding back emotions. He gave us all the talents to get here, so first and foremost, thanks to Him. This is the ultimate team game. You cant be great without the greatness of others. Thank God. Thank you, Jesus.

A few seconds later, another reporter asked Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts that same question. God is good, Hurts said, speaking solemnly, privately, as though unaware that his words in this moment were being broadcast to a record audience north of 127 million viewers. Hes greater than all the highs and the lows.

Neither reporter seemed even mildly annoyed by the faith proclamations; indeed, they would have been more surprised if those shout-outswhat television producers called the Jesus bitehadnt come. In the two previous Super Bowls, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes did the same thing in his postgame interviews; and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt had used the Lombardi Trophy ceremony to praise the Lord.

Why is this important?

Sports accounted for eighty of the top one hundred most-watched broadcasts in 2024, larger by levels of magnitude than any organized Christian outreach. But events like the Super Bowl are no longer one-night affairs. Since the 1990s footballs Big Game has become a weeklong extravaganza with concerts, banquets, awards, and more than six thousand members of the media on hand. Unlike the past, events surrounding the last few Super Bowls have sounded more like an old-time Christian revival than a sports contest.

During media day, a free-for-all where players and coaches rotate around the arena and answer questions from print journalists, podcasters, and every media member in between, the Eagles star running back Sequan Barkley said, I dont think its ironic that the year I try to home in on and grow my faith, I happen to have my best season. Im not going to sit here and tell you that I know the Bible like a hundred percent, in and out. Its something that Im learning, and Im challenging myself to get better at it with my family and my friends. Im lucky that my agent is a pastor and Im able to have Bible studies with him. But Im just growing. Thats the beautiful thing about it. Thats what religion and faith is, having a relationship with God and understanding who Jesus is. Thats what Ive been trying to do this year. But my faith is everything, and I know that I wouldnt be here without the man above.

Mahomes made similar professions. Praising God is important to me every single day, the Chiefs quarterback said. Its not about football. Its about giving glory to God for being able to walk around and live my life; to have a beautiful family; to be able to have an impact on others. Im going to use that stage and that platform, win or lose, to give glory back to Him and hopefully to bring others close to Him so that they can find the same love for life that I have because of that.

Those Christian messages were uttered an easy walk from Larry Flynts Hustler Club and Stripper King on Bourbon Street.

A year before, the Super Bowl was played in Las Vegas, a town that would make the residents of Gomorrah blink. There, Minkah Fitzpatrick, the safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, won the Bart Starr Award, which honors a player for his outstanding character, integrity, and leadership on and off the field. In his acceptance speech Fitzpatrick said, A good man is a man willing to pick up his cross and follow Jesus. A good man is a man willing to get up on that cross daily, pin his flesh to it and continue to follow Christ. As I receive this award for my good relationship with the Lord, I just want everybody to know that I am nothing but a product of sitting at the feet of Jesus. I am nothing but the product of a man sitting at the foot of the cross, letting God mold his heart and mold his mind. Im not a perfect man in any way, shape, or form. But if you want to be a good man, if you want to be a great brother and a great son, great husband, just sit at the foot of the cross. Sit in silence with Jesus, let Him mold you and work in your heart. Youll be everything that you want to be.

This was not in a one-on-one interview; it didnt air on a Christian talk show; it was on a stage in Sin City. The fact that Fitzpatrick dove so hard into his message, not just shouting out his faith, but making an evangelical plea to others, and no one blinked or blushed or booedin fact, he received thunderous applausedemonstrated the societal and cultural shift taking place in sports.

The most outspoken Christian in the NFL has been 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who used 2024 Super Bowl media day to say, Whether I do good or not, Im rooted in my faith in God. Thats it. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. That passage is saying I already have what I need. I have a Good Shepherd. Ive been studying Psalm 23 and its what I go back to every single day.

If this movement were relegated to American football, it could be easily dismissed, as many have tried to do in the past: too many blows to the head, or the contemptuous notion that its easy to pray when you know you are one bad hit away from a hospital bed. But casual observation reveals that the revival is not pigeonholed to a particular league or small group of players and teams.

It is being driven by athletes up and down the sports landscape. In ways big and small, athletes are stepping out of their sports-talk comfort zones and relaying a bigger message about the faith they rely on throughout their lives and careers.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

Vance referred the Walz administration to the DOJ on Monday night after the House Oversight Committee released a lengthy report accusing Walz and Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison of allowing their state to be systematically defrauded. The committee also accused Walz of targeting whistleblowers who tried to warn state officials about vulnerabilities in the system. 

Ive referred these allegations to DOJs new Fraud Division for criminal investigation, Vance announced on X. Minnesota state officials are not above the law, and if they facilitated fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and [intimidated] whistleblowers, they must face justice.

Leading the Trump administrations efforts to crack down on fraud, Vance sent the referral to Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, the head of the newly established National Fraud Enforcement Division. 

The 200-page report from the House Oversight Committee said that the Walz administrations lax efforts to combat fraud led to $300 million in federal child nutrition aid being lost and put up to $9 billion in Medicaid-related funds in jeopardy. 

The committee said that Walz and Ellison were aware of major flaws in Minnesotas administration of welfare benefits since 2019, but took no corrective action. Instead, Walzs administration took action to target whistleblowers, the House report said. 

If state officials in Minnesota or anywhere else in the country facilitated fraud or looked the other way while this theft was happening, if they actively prevented state and federal officials from stopping fraud and bringing fraudsters to justice, or if they intimidate and harassed whistleblowers who courageously tried to shine a light on the problem, they must be held accountable, Vance wrote to McDonald. 

The Trump administration has focused on Minnesota in its anti-fraud crackdown. The White House shut down federal assistance payments to the state after independent journalist Nick Shirley published multiple videos showing apparent widespread fraud at so-called daycare centers. 

The administration is also taking action in Vances home state of Ohio after The Daily Wire reported on Ohios administration of funds to questionable businesses that claim to administer home healthcare.

During an interview in GQ, Idris Elba stopped talking about how hates interviews long enough to discuss the future of the iconic franchise.

'In realistic terms, some markets just don't go for that.'

The 53-year-old Brit began by addressing the more than a decade of speculation that he would take over the role from Daniel Craig making him the first-ever black 007.

"It was never legit. It was always just a rumor," Elba told the outlet.

License to chill

The London-born Elba, whose mother and father hail from Ghana and Sierra Leone, respectively, said that fans simply took the rumor and ran with it.

"I've always felt that it's not a realistic thing," Elba continued. "James Bond was written how he was written for a reason. But I was complimented by it."

Elba suggested that for many fans, Bond's white, Anglo-Saxon ancestry is part of what makes him Bond.

"[S]ome markets just don't go for that," he said. "Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won't [all] go for a black male, an African male, playing Bond. That's not what they like in their culture. Period."

While Elba whose full legal name is Idrissa Akuna Elba said he was not opposed to other attempts to revamp Bond to appeal to modern audiences, he said he would draw the line at anything "woke."

RELATED: Iconic actress tells 'James Bond' star to his face: 'James Bond has to be a guy'

Mike Marsland/Getty Images/Omega

Shaken, not stirred

"Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let's not try and make it woke," Elba told the magazine. "I think you've got to be pure to what it is: escapism. Don't try and answer the world's taste. Just be Bond."

Elba is far from the only A-lister to come to Bond's defense. Last year, while doing press for "The Thursday Murder Club" with former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren shut down his musing that it was time for a woman to take on the role. "I'm such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy. You can't have a woman. It just doesn't work," said Mirren.

Brosnan, who played the spy in four films from 1995 to 2002, had previously suggested the recasting in September 2019. "Get out of the way, guys, and put a woman up there," Brosnan said at the time.

RELATED: Top 5 women who fought back when coming face-to-face with crooks

Keith Hamshere/Getty Images

Agents of change

Much of the impetus to change Bond's sex or ethnicity seems to come from the white males who have played him.

In 2008, just two years into his tenure as Bond, Daniel Craig opined that the next actor to play the spy should be black.

"If we can have a black U.S. president, we can have a black James Bond," Craig said after Barack Obama's election, per the Daily Mail.

Craig, who went on to play Bond for another 13 years, presumably meant when he was finished with the role.

The most recent actor to portray James Bond was Irishman Patrick Gibson, who portrayed and voiced the video game character of Bond in 007 First Light (2026).

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That news did not surprise me.

Universities constantly speak the language of inclusion, but they do not want disagreement. They want compliance.

For years, many of us who work inside higher education have watched American universities become captive to a worldview that divides human beings into permanent categories of oppressor and oppressed. These ideologies present themselves as enlightened and compassionate, but underneath the slogans is something much uglier.

They claim to fight racism, in effect, by being racist.

That is not rhetorical excess. It is the actual logic of these programs. If you are told that your moral standing is shaped by your race, if students are sorted into categories of guilt and grievance based on ancestry, if equity means treating people differently because of their race, then the old evil has simply been repackaged in new academic language.

I know this from experience.

The Arizona Supreme Court has now agreed to hear my case against Arizona State University and the Arizona Board of Regents over ASUs required DEI training. My challenge began because ASU forced employees to take its inclusive communities training.

The training, in some cases produced by Starbucks (I kid you not), told employees how to think about race, guilt, power, and identity, and it required assent to predetermined correct answers. I could not in good conscience affirm teachings that judged people by skin color, ethnic identity, gender, religion, and geography.

The Arizona Supreme Courts decision to hear my case goes to the heart of whether state universities can force employees into ideological training that violates state law and basic principles of equal treatment. Arizona law prohibits public schools, including universities, from using curriculum that engages in race blame.

The issue is technical in legal form, but simple in moral substance: When a public university imposes unlawful race-based ideology, does anyone have the right to challenge it?

RELATED: The left doesnt like it when minorities think for themselves

Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn

That question should never have had to be asked. But that is where our universities are.

The takeover has been so comprehensive that many campuses no longer even recognize dissent as legitimate. Faculty culture is overwhelmingly leftist (97% at ASU identify as left-wing). The ideological imbalance among professors is staggering. Conservatives, Christians, and others who reject the reigning orthodoxy are rarely hired, and when they are hired, they are often isolated or pressured into silence.

Universities constantly speak the language of inclusion, but they do not want disagreement. They want compliance.

When someone objects, the mask slips. The same faculty and administrators who preach compassion suddenly become contemptuous when the dissenter is someone outside the progressive fold. The slogans about empathy disappear and the sneering begins.

That is because DEI is not really about inclusion. It is about power.

Its basic framework is the old Marxist oppressor-oppressed dialectic, merely translated into race, gender, and sexuality categories. Students are taught to see the world through this lens from their first days on campus. The university no longer helps students pursue truth. It trains them to become activists for a ready-made ideology.

The ugly irony at the center of it all is that students are charged tens of thousands of dollars in tuition to sit in classrooms where they are instructed by self-appointed champions of the oppressed, many of whom enjoy comfortable salaries and taxpayer support while lecturing others about systems of injustice.

The university administrator or professor who denounces oppression does so while cashing a government-backed paycheck and enforcing ideological conformity inside a vast institutional bureaucracy.

That is not liberation. It is a racket.

The federal investigation into ASU is important not only for Arizona but for the whole country. The era of automatic deference to DEI bureaucracies may be ending.

If government investigators are asking whether ASUs programs have crossed the line into unlawful discrimination, then other universities should be asking themselves the same question. How many scholarships, support programs, admissions initiatives, and training sessions around the country are doing precisely what civil-rights law was supposed to forbid?

The answer, I suspect, is many.

American universities have largely abandoned the idea that education is the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness. In its place they have installed a therapeutic political religion in which redemption comes through identity confession, public denunciation, and endless activism.

The categories of the system are fixed: Someone must be blamed, someone must be oppressed, and the institution itself must always pose as the righteous mediator.

RELATED: The answer to university decline is hiding in plain sight

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The ideology has spread far beyond the office door. It lives in the curriculum, in hiring, in faculty trainings, and in the language administrators use to describe their mission. It is the very institutionalized bigotry that it claims to oppose.

What is needed now is moral reform and clarity.

Public universities should not be in the business of teaching students or employees to judge one another by race. They should not use tax dollars to promote theories that blame individuals for the sins of categories. And they certainly should not punish or marginalize those who object.

The Justice Departments investigation into ASU and the Arizona Supreme Courts decision to hear my case are both signs that resistance is possible. But much more is needed.

Americans must recover the courage to say plainly what too many in higher education have forgotten: Racism does not become justice when wrapped in the language of equity, and discrimination does not become virtue when blessed by a university bureaucracy.

Supporters call it essential to national security. Critics call it "Big Brother."

'FISA needs serious reform. Full stop.'

The House Freedom Caucus launched a #DontSpyOnMe campaign, demanding, in accordance with the Fourth Amendment, a warrant before the government can query Americans' data in Section 702 collection.

Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), one of the effort's loudest voices, was blunt on X: "The government has no right to your private communications without a warrant. FISA needs serious reform. Full stop."

"The Freedom Caucus is America First more than anyone else, as far as I'm concerned," Self added.

RELATED: The FBI should get a warrant before reading your messages

Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

For most Democrats, the objection isn't about the law itself it's about who Trump tapped to oversee the intelligence agencies involved with it.

On June 2, Trump named Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence the official who oversees all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. Pulte replaces Tulsi Gabbard, who announced she was resigning effective June 30. Confirmed as Federal Housing Finance Agency director in March 2025, Pulte will hold both roles simultaneously.

When pressed on Pulte's lack of any intelligence or national security experience, Trump was unfazed. "I think he does, actually, because he's smart," he said. "I wasn't greatly experienced in national security, and I think I've done a really great job with it."

At the FHFA, Pulte referred several anti-Trump Democrats and government officials including New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), and Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to the Justice Department for alleged fraud.

The Government Accountability Office opened an investigation into whether Pulte misused federal authority to do so. As DNI, critics argue, he would have far more power to continue targeting Democrats.

The backlash to his appointment was swift and bipartisan. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) put it plainly: "We don't need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there," and the Senate voted 47-52 against a motion to proceed on the FISA extension, with six Republicans crossing the aisle to kill it.

Punchbowl News reported that Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) privately warned Thune: no Pulte withdrawal, no Democratic votes for FISA.

Trump, for his part, has pushed for a clean extension but finds himself boxed in on all sides.

Congress has already passed two short-term extensions of the surveillance program this spring the last one, in April, bought just 45 days.

Something has to give before June 12 the White House blinks on Pulte, the Freedom Caucus gets its warrant requirement, or Congress slaps on another emergency patch.

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