This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A suburb of Atlanta is being challenged for a scheme it created that allows anyone to silence the speech of anyone else, if they don't like the speech.

The dispute, which appears to be a direct challenge to the First Amendment, erupted because someone objected to the Christian message being offered on a city street, and with a city permit, by preacher Jason Cantrell.

It is the American Center for Law and Justice that explained he has, for years, shared the Gospel on a public sidewalk outside an abortion business.

"He preaches to passersby and offers encouragement and prayer to women entering," the organization said.

Like many speaking in public areas, where street noise and more can interfere, he used, with a city permit, a small system to amplify his voice.

This summer, Forest Park police issued him a citation anyway.

He was cited "after officers claimed he had been asked three times to turn the volume down. The problem wasn't that Jason didn't have a permit – he did. Instead, the city's permit includes a troubling clause stating that it becomes 'null and void' if any complaints are received about the noise level," the legal team noted.

The officers simply declared his permit void and ticketed him.

"In other words, the city has created a system in which anyone who dislikes a message can silence a speaker simply by complaining. That is not how the First Amendment works," the ACLJ explained.

Under the city's scheme, "officials have made lawful speech entirely contingent on whether listeners react favorably. Once anyone complains – regardless of whether the sound exceeds legal limits – the city automatically treats the permit as void. That means police can punish a speaker who was fully in compliance with the permit's terms, simply because others objected to the message being spoken," the ACLJ noted.

That's called a "heckler's veto" and long has been demanded by critics of Christian messaging, but also long has been struck down by the Supreme Court.

"The Constitution does not allow speech to be restricted based on listener reaction or public hostility," the legal team said, and the Forest Park plan "does exactly" what the high court has forbidden.

Cantrell's efforts to follow the requirements were confirmed because the city renewed his permit even after police ticketed him, although the faulty condition remained.

"Jason's case underscores how such policies operate in practice. When the government ties speech rights to audience approval, unpopular or religious expression will always be the first target. A preacher's message about faith or the sanctity of life may be deeply meaningful to some and uncomfortable to others – but under our Constitution, discomfort is not a basis for censorship," the ACLJ said.

While Cantrell now faces a misdemeanor municipal court case, the ACLJ said the problem is far bigger.

"The First Amendment guarantees that government officials cannot suppress speech simply because someone complains about it. That protection applies equally to street preachers, political advocates, and protestors of every viewpoint. Forest Park's policy violates those principles by giving private citizens – and by extension, the government – uncontrolled discretion to silence speech they dislike."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Media corporations across America long have opposed, privately and publicly, President Donald Trump. Negative stories? Every day. Reports on his successes? A rarity.

But now a federal appeals court has cleared the path for a lawsuit brought by Trump over a last-minute polling before the 2024 election that exhibited a lot of suspicious factors, and it literally tried to give a huge boost to failed Democrat nominee Kamala Harris.

The polling was done by J. Ann Selzer for The Des Moines Register, and claimed Harris held a three-point edge over Trump in Iowa, 47% to 44%.

It was pushed to the headlines just two days before the election.

And it was a "stunning" reversal from shortly before, when Trump was confirmed to have a four-point lead.

According to a documentation from Americafirstreport.com, "Released just days before voters headed to the polls, the numbers lit up cable news and social media, painting a false picture of momentum for the Democratic ticket in a reliably red stronghold. In reality, Trump crushed Harris by more than 13 points, his widest margin in Iowa yet and the biggest Republican presidential win there since Ronald Reagan's era."

Trumps court filing in Polk County District Court charged that the defendants, Selzer, the Register and others, of "brazen election interference" through a "leaked and manipulated" poll intended to sway undecided voters.

"The complaint lays out a pattern of suspicious shifts: sample sizes skewed toward urban areas, questionable weighting that favored younger and minority respondents, and a sudden leak to friendly outlets that amplified the Harris lead without scrutiny," the report said.

Now the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has cleared the way for the defamation lawsuit to proceed in state court.

"This move strips away what Trump's lawyers called a shield of 'unlawful gamesmanship' by the defendants, forcing them to face accountability where the wrongs took place," the report said.

The report pointed out that the huge fail by Selzer, who strangely decided to abandon polling days after this was released, "smacks of something more coordinated, especially given the timing and the media echo chamber that treated it as gospel despite her spotted track record…"

The report noted, "Her polls have always tended to favor whoever she personally supports."

The defendants had tried to move the case from state to federal court, but Trump's lawyers argued that the federal venue move was a delay tactic as state law governed the claims.

The 8th Circuit agreed.

The report noted this case, ultimately, "could crack open doors to similar suits against pollsters nationwide reminding the press that free speech doesn't license fraud."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The war brought by Democrats and other leftists against President Donald Trump's agenda to secure the nation's borders and deport illegal alien criminals is taking a serious turn.

It's that local and state officials in some venues have been threatening to arrest and prosecute federal officers doing their jobs.

If that happens, it likely won't turn out well for those local officials.

That's according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who wrote to California officials who are guilty of making those threats to federal officers.

"Stand down or face prosecution," Blanche told them. "No one threatens our agents. No one will stop us from Making American Safe Again."

He noted "The Department of Justice views any arrests of federal agents and officers in the performance of their official duties as both illegal and futile. … Numerous federal laws prohibit interfering with and impeding immigration or other law-enforcement operations."

His promise is that the U.S. "will investigate and prosecute any state or local official who violates these federal statutes (or directs or conspires with others to violate them)."

Those officials now have been ordered to save any records regarding their own "attempts or efforts to impede or obstruct federal law enforcement" because that could be evidence in cases against them.

The Washington Examiner commented the new instructions are "a bright red line for officials in state and local governments who are threatening to arrest federal immigration officials for enforcing federal law in Democrat-run areas."

Those making such threats including Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, and Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois.

The report said they have claimed to have plans "to pursue legal action over what they say are abuses by federal immigration officers in their states."

Pelosi and Rep. Kevin Mullin, another California Democrats, said in a joint statement federal officers "could be arrested for violating state laws," the report noted.

"It is important to note that California law protects communities and prevents federal agents from taking certain actions here that we have witnessed in other states. While the President may enjoy absolute immunity courtesy of his rogue Supreme Court, those who operate under his orders do not," they threatened. "Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law — and if they are convicted, the President cannot pardon them."

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has joined in making threats.

"If there is excessive use of force, shootings that aren't legally justified, things of that nature, then I have to step in and do my job with respect to them, like I do with anyone else," Jenkins threatened.

And Pritzker has ordered the creation of a state commission to monitor federal immigration enforcement, "for future prosecutions against agents," the report said.

"Once this all ends, I believe there will be people of good faith who will review what the Commission has recorded and will demand answers and accountability," he said.

Blanche's letter was to California officials.

"We urge you and other California officials to publicly abandon this apparent criminal conspiracy, to stop threatening law enforcement, and to prioritize the safety of your citizens," Blanche said. "In the meantime, federal agents and officers will continue to enforce federal law and will not be deterred by the threat of arrest by California authorities who have abdicated their duty to protect their constituents."

Constitutional analysts have said state officials clearly are out of line if they try to violate federal law, or stop enforcement.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

More and more evidence is coming out that all was not right with the Joe Biden administration.

The newest evidence comes from a letter signed by House Judiciary Committee chief Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and others.

It informs FBI Director Kash Patel that Biden's FBI "used a security-clearance process to potentially retaliate against a whistleblower, and even tried to interrogate his wife while denying her repeated requests for an attorney."

A report at Fox News outlines the allegations of egregious conduct.

The attack was on Special Agent Valentine Fertitta and his wife, in 2024.

The report noted Fertitta had revealed details of the FBI's misuse of "law-enforcement authorities," for which the Biden administration pushed for his "security clearance evaluation" to be extra long.

"During that time, the FBI made attempts to interrogate his wife, Emily Fertitta, and asked her to participate in a two-day interview," the report said.

She asked for her lawyer to be present, and the DOJ essentially said no.

"Documents available to the Committee show that SecD investigators denied Mrs. Fertitta the right to receive advice from an attorney during her interview and the opportunity to review FBI guidelines regarding the interview process beforehand," Jordan's letter warned.

She was told "policy guides, manuals, and an agenda or outline concerning the interview will not be provided."

Further, the administration warned her: "'An attorney may not be able to give you advice during the interview, nor ask any questions or prevent you from answering your questions during the interview. Essentially, he/she will just sit there silently."

The report noted such demands went "against the standard process for security clearance evaluations."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat member of the U.S. House representing a district in Texas, is known for her leftist extremism and a long list of scandals.

There have been claims she abused her staff, she mocked the disabled and has made dangerous, even threatening statements, about law enforcement.

But now a report has been released in the Free Beacon that could become actionable.

The report is that Crockett, "owned stocks in at least 25 companies that she did not disclose to the public during her first congressional run in 2022, even though she'd quietly admitted to the holdings the previous year as a Texas state legislator. Crockett also didn't reveal the stock holdings once she got to Washington in 2023."

Members of Congress are required to list their investments, and values, in broad ranges, so that the public knows if they are voting for issues that will benefit them financially.

The scandals for the woman called by some a "rising star" for Democrats includes her alleged abuse of staff members and her reputation as the "Boss from hell."

Also she's been accused of demanding staff members open doors for her, and drive her around in rented luxury vehicles like Escalades.

Her statement about law enforcement was, "Law enforcement isn't to prevent crime, law enforcement solves crime, okay? That is what they are supposed to do. They are supposed to solve crimes, not necessarily prevent them from happening per se."

And she mocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who is in a wheelchair because of an accident years ago, as "Governor Hot Wheels."

She been accused of cutting in line ahead of two wheelchair passengers to get on a flight.

There's been more but the Free Beacon focused on her stock holdings and financial interests.

Her ownership includes bits and pieces of "Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, General Motors, Uber, DuPont, ExxonMobil, American Airlines, AT&T, Aurora Cannabis, Ford, and 'Corporate Cannabis,' and 'Stocks Worldwide,' the records show. Crockett also reported in her last Texas financial disclosure owing debts of at least $110,000—none of which she divulged in her first congressional financial disclosure covering the same calendar year," the report revealed.

The details were obtained from public records requests, and they clash "with her image as an eco-warrior and beacon of progressivism."

She was trying to open marijuana stores in Ohio, "even as she represented, as a defense lawyer, a man accused of murdering someone in a marijuana deal gone bad. Both in the Texas statehouse and in Congress, Crockett has pushed bills to decriminalize marijuana."

The report found her stock holdings included companies that could have benefited from her work as a lawmaker.

She admitted owning stock in "pharmaceutical, fossil fuel, technology, automobile, and marijuana" industries as a Texas lawmaker, but they "did not disclose owning any of those same stocks in her first congressional financial disclosure, which also covered her financial holdings during the 2021 calendar year," the report said.

"False or incomplete financial reports can lead to civil and even criminal penalties," the report said.

"Personal financial disclosure rules are in place to make sure Members of Congress do not engage in conflicts of interest while working for the American people. The concerns surrounding the extreme discrepancies between Representative Crockett's state and federal financial disclosures are certainly legitimate. If she is found to have improperly reported her assets and liabilities, further inquiry and possible penalties would be warranted," charged Cailin Sutherland, of Americans for Public Trust.

The report said it wasn't clear what her portfolio's current status is, as she didn't respond.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The war launched by terrorists in Hamas against Israel two years ago, when an invasion cost the lives of some 1,200 Israeli civilians with another 250 were kidnapped, apparently is winding down, under a multipoint plan authored by President Donald Trump.

It called for the release of the last living hostages, which has happened. The bodies of dead hostages still are being located. The Gaza region is ultimately to be run by a multi-party coalition.

But for now, Hamas still retains huge political influence in the region, and a journalist now is warning Arab Gulf states against contributing to the reconstruction process there until that status changes.

Until Hamas is out of power.

"The potential for embezzlement and re-channeling of funds for terrorist purposes is not a theoretical concern but a tangible reality. The fundamental question today is: who can guarantee that this scenario will not repeat itself? Hamas still holds power, the civil administration is in a state of collapse, and prospects for a political solution are nowhere in sight. Reconstruction through traditional channels without strict oversight guarantees is a costly venture. The massive reconstruction bill could turn into a long-term economic and political trap, the price of which generations of Gulf citizens will have to pay without any real redeeming value for ordinary Palestinians," explained Salem Al-Ketbi, an Emirati political analyst, in a report compiled by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

MEMRI explained that Al-Ketbi charged that financial involvement in Gaza "is a very risky venture, given that aid provided in the past to Hamas-controlled Gaza, intended for building schools and hospitals and other civilian purposes, was largely seized by Hamas and channeled to military projects."

He wrote there's increasing pressure for funding to pay for the reconstruction of a region decimated in the war triggered by Hamas. In fact, many schools and hospitals there have been destroyed as Hamas terrorists often would use those locations as shields for their military campaigns.

"Behind the slogans of humanitarian obligations lurk complex interests and political stakes that may not match the true intentions. Discussions of [the] aid in question [go] beyond emergency relief. They extend to massive investments in an environment still under Hamas control. The estimated cost of reconstruction exceeds $70 billion, and the effort could span three full decades," he wrote.

"Based on past precedents one cannot be very optimistic. UN reports in 2023 revealed that more than $7 billion have been transferred to Gaza since 2006, including $2 billion provided by the Gulf states. Funds were allocated to the building of schools and hospitals, but most of the money was diverted to illicit purposes," Al-Ketbi said.

"Hamas channeled most of the funds to its military projects, [and] the small share spent on construction benefited the movement's cadres and leaders, while ordinary Palestinians were left to simmer in dire conditions."

He noted that, for example, about $1 billion was spent on a network of hundreds of miles of military tunnels.

Embezzlement reached an estimated $350 million in just two years.

He said Gulf states should avoid entering a campaign in which terrorists could embezzle money, and use the purchased weapons against those very states.

"The glaring paradox lies in the position of certain regional states whose direct role in financing the terrorism of Hamas is well-documented. As a clear example, Iran publicly boasts that it has pumped $700 million annually into Hamas's coffers, according to statements by Tehran and the Palestinian militant group's leaders. Meanwhile, other regional countries have provided [a] safe haven to Hamas' leaders and supported them with hundreds of millions annually. These countries, which directly, publicly, and continuously fund Hamas, some of which harbour clear animosity towards Arab Gulf states, have not been held accountable for their role in supporting terrorism. So why should the Gulf states, which have been victims to Hamas' embezzlement, be asked to foot a huge portion of the $70 billion bill?"

He continued, "The wise position is clear and unequivocal: no money for Gaza, no billions for reconstruction, and no massive Gulf investments as long as Hamas remains in control of the Strip."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Pressure on the Democrat party to accept the Republicans' clean funding bill for the federal government and end the Schumer Shutdown exploded on Monday when the largest union representing federal workers told the party to give up and reopen operations.

It is the American Federal of Government Employees, representing more than 800,000 federal workers the biggest union in the fight, that said it's time to end.

It's called the Schumer Shutdown because of Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who has demanded an extra $1.5 trillion in spending on his pet projects in order for him to let his party support the clean continuing of funding that the Republicans had proposed weeks ago.

President Donald Trump has been able to mitigate some of the shutdown damage, like wages for military members that would have been lost, by redesignating various funds to be used for specific purposes, such as income from tariffs to be used for paychecks.

Democrats have been demanding taxpayer money for leftist propaganda, for Obamacare subsidy extensions, for health care for illegal aliens, and such.

The Washington Examiner said the union called for the shutdown to end "today."

That statement sided with Republicans "in their demand that lawmakers pass a 'clean,' short-term funding bill," the report explained.

AFGE chief Everett Kelley said both parties have made a point, but it's time to end the "avoidable crisis."

"The solution he endorsed, a funding measure without any controversial policy amendments, represents a setback for Democrats, who have demanded healthcare concessions as part of any vote," the report said.

Kelley's statement included, "This week, Congress pushed our nation into the fourth week of a full government shutdown – an avoidable crisis that is harming families, communities, and the very institutions that hold our country together. Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight."

He said Congress should focus on solving problems for Americans, "rather than on who is going to get the blame for a shutdown that Americans dislike. Because when the folks who serve this country are standing in line for food banks after missing a second paycheck because of this shutdown, they aren't looking for partisan spin. They're looking for the wages they earned. The fact that they're being cheated out of it is a national disgrace."

While federal workers mostly, in the past, have gotten back pay for government shutdowns, that likely will not happen for all affected workers this time, as Trump has used the open door of a closed government to confirm that there are layoffs being made.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he hopes the union's demand for a continuing resolution will prompt a "turning point" for Schumer.

Besides paychecks the military and others, a deadline soon will hit in that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is scheduled to run out of money next weekend.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A college staffer who publicly urged the murder of federal ICE agents, specifically saying they should be "shot and wiped out," has now been fired.

A spokesperson for Wilbur Wright College and the City Colleges of Chicago told WorldNetDaily on Monday regarding the case of Moises Bernal Puentes: "The individual is not employed by Wilbur Wright College or any affiliated colleges.

"Our college system does not tolerate violence nor incitement under any circumstances."

It was during the Oct. 18 "No Kings" protest in Chicago that the man who was the adult education manager at Wilbur Wright College was recorded on camera openly calling for the murder of federal law-enforcement officers.

"You gotta grab a gun!" he shouted.

"We gotta turn around the guns on this fascist system. These ICE agents gotta get shot and wiped out."

Internet sleuths identified the vocal supporter of lethal force as Bernal Puentes, a staff member at Wilbur Wright College. His name was listed in the school's employee directory last week, but has now vanished.

Last Monday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the case was referred to the Justice Department for potential prosecution.

"During the Chicago NO KINGS rally this previous weekend, violent rioters called for the cold-blooded murder of ICE agents. This rioter, and his statements have been referred to the DOJ," DHS said on X.

"There is no place in America for psychotic incitements of unlawful violence against ICE or CBP. To those who threaten violence against us: we will hunt you down, we will find you, and Justice will be served."

On Monday, the DOJ charged another man over a TikTok post that offered $45,000 to anyone who killed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Tyler Maxon Avalos allegedly posted an image of Bondi with a sniper-scope red dot on her forehead and a message stating: "WANTED: Pam Bondi' /'REWARD: 45,000'/'DEAD OR ALIVE' /'(PREFERABLY DEAD).'"

As WorldNetDaily reported earlier this month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revealed bounties of up to $10,000 have been put on the heads of federal agents, encouraging Americans to murder officers enforcing U.S. immigration laws.

"We have specific officers and agents that have bounties that have been put out on their heads. It's been $2,000 to kidnap them, $10,000 to kill them," Noem said.

"They've released their pictures. They've sent them between their networks and it's an extremely dangerous situation and unprecedented."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A student has been cuffed and badgered by cops because his school's artificial intelligence (or lack thereof) system told authorities that his bag of Doritos was, in fact, a gun.

In a video, cops actually explain to students at the Baltimore school that the AI blundered, with its report to authorities that the munchies were really a weapon.

The report cited a police officer's body cam, which shows the officers were forced to explain AI made the mistake and that's why they handcuffed an innocent person.

"Thanks for not running away. That would have been a real problem," the report said police explained after they "stormed" Kenwood High.

"Sixteen-year-old Taki Allen was surrounded by officers, ordered to his knees, and handcuffed. The 'gun' was an empty Doritos bag. A human reviewer had already marked the alert as no threat, but the message never reached the school in time. No weapon. No arrest. Now officials are demanding answers. How did a bag of chips nearly cost a teenager his life?"

A report at Not the Bee warned, "Get used to it, Baltimore students."

That was prompted by the school's "non-apology," which claimed, "We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident. Our counselors will provide direct support to the students who were involved in this incident and are also available to speak with any student who may need support. Please know that ensuring the safety of our students and school community is one of our highest priorities. We work closely with Baltimore County police to ensure that we can promptly respond to any potential safety concerns, and it is essential that we all work together to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all Kenwood High School students and staff."

The report noted the corporation whose blunder caused the problem, Omnialert, "refused to make any comments."

The student, Allen, told WBAL, "It was like eight cop cars that came pulling up for us. At first, I didn't know where they were going until they started walking toward me with guns, talking about, 'Get on the ground,' and I was like, 'What?'"

He said, "I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

While President Donald Trump continues his trade-focused mission in the Far East, the commander in chief is irked by what he calls "fake ads" showing his polling levels "at low levels," and is now urging a ban on such commercials.

Shortly after arriving in Japan on Monday, Trump posted a lengthy message on Truth Social, stating: "After winning THREE Elections, BY A LOT, I am now getting the best Polling Numbers that I have ever received.

"People see how strong the Economy is, the Trillions of Dollars of Investment pouring into our Country, the Record Setting Strong Border (After years of millions of criminals pouring through it, totally unvetted and unchecked!), ending 8 wars in eight months, no men playing in women's sports, no transgender for everyone, rapidly falling Energy prices, and much more!

"Despite all of this, the Radical Left Losers are taking fake ads, not showing REAL Polls, but rather saying that I'm Polling at low levels.

"These are the people that I've been beating for years, and am continuing to do so, but by even bigger margins. These ads should not be allowed to run because they are FAKE!

It was not immediately clear to which specific ads about polling Trump was referring.

Just last week, as WorldNetDaily reported, Trump pulled the plug on trade negotiations with Canada, where the economy relies in significant ways on the United States, over what he called a "FAKE" ad that appears to be trying to influence the U.S. Supreme Court's looming decision on tariffs.

Further, that Canadian ad may actually misrepresent President Ronald Reagan, whose words it uses.

Trump responded to that spot, saying: "The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs. The ad was for $75,000,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts. TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HERBY TERMINATED. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT."

The Hill explained, "Trump in August announced a 35 percent tariff on all Canadian goods, though products covered under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement were exempt. Canada is one of the United States' top trading partners, and their economies are heavily intertwined when it comes to certain products. But Trump has repeatedly argued the U.S. does not need Canadian goods, and that Canada is far more reliant on America for its economy."

In fact, the Reagan Foundation confirmed the ad manipulated Reagan's words, and it announced it was reviewing its legal options"