News (PNA) Archives - Page 129 of 470

Republicans have a majority in the Senate, but that majority could be even thinner, or lost, if the latest trend of Republican senators not seeking reelection in 2026 continues.

According to the New York Post, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) made the bombshell announcement this week that she's no longer interested in seeking reelection next year, leaving a swing state Senate seat much more vulnerable, presumably, than the Republican Party would like it to be.

Ernst joins a growing list of Republicans who aren't seeking reelection next year, giving some up-and-coming Republicans a chance but also decreasing the overall odds of the party keeping the majority in the upper chamber.

The Iowa Republican fell out of favor with MAGA supporters earlier this year after she initially fought back against the nomination of Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary.

What's happening?

Ernst reportedly broke the news to some of her inner circle, who spoke anonymously about her decision to throw in the towel before the 2026 election.

The news immediately sparked a race for new Republicans interested in taking her place, as CBS News noted.

The Republican senator has long hinted about her lack of desire to stay in the game, but vowed earlier this year at a talk that the state would stay in Republican control.

"Every day we get a new Democratic member of the House or Senate that decides to run for this Senate seat — bring it on," Ernst said at a meeting of the Westside Conservative Club. "Bring it on, folks. Because I tell you, at the end of the day, Iowa is going to be red."

Social media reacts

"Yassssss! Another RINO gone without having to primary her! Now do Grassley!!! Iowa, haven't we suffered enough?" one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "RINOs dropping like flies. Tillis and Ernst are out. Cornyn is toast. All we need to do is ditch Thune and we might see actual change."

President Donald Trump and his administration met extreme resistance on his aggressive tariff plan from an appeals court this week, and the president isn't happy about the ruling at all.

According to the Washington Examiner, the president expressed his frustrations with the "highly partisan" appeals court for ruling against the use of his tariffs using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The appeals court ruled in a 7-4 decision this week that the act doesn't grant the president the appropriate level of authority to execute such tariffs and then ruled them unlawful.

Democrats and those who were firmly against Trump's tariffs, especially those levied against Mexico, Canada and China, celebrated the appeals court ruling.

What happened?

The majority for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit released its opinion this week on Trump's tariff plan.

"We conclude Congress, in enacting IEEPA, did not give the President wide-ranging authority to impose tariffs of the nature of the Trafficking and Reciprocal Tariffs simply by the use of the term ‘regulate…importation,’” the majority opinion stated.

"Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end. If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country. It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong," Trump wrote.

He added, "If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America."

The president vowed to take the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court for a final decision.

"At the start of this Labor Day weekend, we should all remember that TARIFFS are the best tool to help our Workers, and support Companies that produce great MADE IN AMERICA products. For many years, Tariffs were allowed to be used against us by our uncaring and unwise Politicians. Now, with the help of the United States Supreme Court, we will use them to the benefit of our Nation, and Make America Rich, Strong, and Powerful Again!" Trump wrote.

Critics rejoice

"Today’s decision comes as no surprise. Every court that has looked at the substance of the IEEPA has concluded that it does not give the President power to evade congressional limits on tariff authority imposed in other statutes. Given the number of countries affected, this case calls for a ‘universal’ injunction—no hyperbole required!" the group said in a statement.

Hopefully, the conservative majority high court will come out on Trump's side on the issue.

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Dr. Demetre Daskalakis used the woke term "pregnant people" and put "he/his/him" pronouns in the signature line in a resignation letter posted to social media, Fox News reported. Daskalakis was the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases before resigning on Aug. 28 over President Donald Trump's attempt "to erase transgender populations."

One of the many reasons Trump was elected was to restore sanity after the left codified gender madness at all levels of government. This was objectionable to Daskalakis, a doctor and supposed man of science, who submitted his resignation to Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC's Chief Science and Medical Officer, over the policy.

Notably, his letter highlighted the very problems that Trump has been trying to root out. In his diatribe, Daskalakis slammed the administration's use of the CDC "as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health" while supporting anti-science woke nonsense.

Daskalakis's Letter

It's clear from the letter that Daskalakis did the American people a favor. "I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested," he said in the letter.

"This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough," Daskalakis continued.

"While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles," the doctor said.

Daskalakis objected to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s scrutiny of the vaccine schedule, which he says will "threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people." In a twist of irony, Daskalakis then goes on to say he has "always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again," while using non-scientific terms for pregnant mothers.

"I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of 'Making America Healthy Again,'" the doctor lamented before more self congratulations.

Unfit to Serve

As Daskalakis's letter went on, so did the grandstanding as he referenced the shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta. The doctor spoke of his own bravery, but insinuated it was about Trump. "I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed," Daskalakis continued.

"For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision," Daskalakis added.

His commitment to these issues was celebrated in a publication dedicated to HIV-positive individuals, where he was featured wearing bondage gear shaped like a pentagram. "Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest," Daskalakis claimed.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis echoed the sentiments of many others who pointed out that "‘trusting the science’ really means following the political science and perpetuating the prevailing narrative," the Florida Republican wrote on social media. "Embracing evidence-based medicine should be the bare minimum for working at the CDC," DeSantis added.

With Deskalakis' departure from the CDC, there is one less woke ideologue who is unfit to serve in the government, and that's a good thing for America. Hopefully, Trump's agenda will drive them all out of the government and allow common sense and real science to prevail in America's vital government agencies.

President Donald Trump's nearly $5 billion "pocket rescissions" of a foreign aid package is legally sound, a White House official said Friday, according to Breitbart. Trump signed the rescissions drafted under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act, which allows the president to cancel funding that has been legally passed by Congress.

A president hasn't used this provision in nearly half a century, but Trump is serious about getting spending under control. Much of what was cut were wasteful projects for foreign nations, which adds insult to injury as the bloated federal budget continues to increase. Trump has chosen a route to cut spending that does not require Congressional approval.

"I herewith report 15 rescissions of budget authority, totaling $4.9 billion," Trump wrote in the letter Thursday, which accompanied a list of the projects being cut. The signed letter was shared to X, formerly Twitter, by Eric Daugherty. "BREAKING: President Trump cancels nearly $5 billion in wasteful FOREIGN AID at USAID and the State Department via a pocket recission. Let's go," Daugherty captioned it.

Official Weighs In

During a press call on Thursday, the White House official shared what was on the chopping block. "Just to give you a rundown of some of the things that this would defund: $3.2 billion for USAID development assistance–has funded things like $400 million for climate– global climate projects, building a greenhouse gas calculator, promoting vegan food in Zambia, electric buses in Rwanda, research on feeding insect powders to children in Madagascar, $22 billion for the gender equality and women’s empowerment hub," the official told the reporters on the call.

"There’s a number of provisions in the law set by Congress that are what we would call earmarks that we’re now at a point in the fiscal season where we don’t have an ability to spend outside of these other than to not spend them. There’s nothing that we can do within these accounts, because of the way they’re written, to shift them to things that the president would support in the foreign aid space," the official added.

"And just to give you an example of some of these things: $340 million for global climate adaptation, clean energy, sustainable landscapes; $297 million for foreign biodiversity programs; $40 million for development initiative ventures; $3 million to unionize workers in Bangladesh," the White House official mentioned. A pocket recission doesn't require Congressional approval, and the funding simply expires at the end of the year.

In July, Trump sent a rescissions package through Congress, which lawmakers approved. “What is different about this versus the earlier package is that it is a pocket rescission. This is not something where we submit a rescission and we’re expecting Congress to vote," the official clarified.

“This is a unique aspect of the Impoundment Control Act, where it looks the same as a rescission package, but the fact that it’s at the end of the fiscal year, within 45 days of the fiscal year, by virtue of you sending it up, it will automatically sunset at the end of the fiscal year," the White House official told reporters. "This is something that we’ve begun to send up to the Hill. We’ll continue those conversations with the legislators. But this is something that does not need a vote…these savings will automatically accrue to taxpayers at the end of the fiscal year,” the official continued.

Legal Justification

The official went on to explain that Trump's use of the law was on "firm legal ground" and that the General Accounting Office had previously approved of the move. "We’re not obviously big fans of the General Accounting Office...but we have been encouraged by Congress to use the Impoundment Control Act to send up rescissions, in this case, a pocket rescission–the General Accounting Office said that this was a legal path," the official noted.

"They weren’t wild about it, but they said Congress should consider closing this path off because future presidents would use it, and then when there were more than one opportunity where this was specifically the type of bill that would be used for GAO’s recommendation to be put into law and Congress chose not to do this. So GAO has now changed their position," the White House official went on about the partisanship in the agency.

"As you probably can tell, GAO changes their position with every administration. If there are Republicans in office, they decide against us on every single question that they consider, and if a Democrat is in office, they take the exact opposite position. They’re like the wind. So we are on very firm legal footing, and we will be making that case, and I think the courts, if they do consider this, will decide along the lines of what we’ve articulated," the official said.

Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing the narrative that Republicans are gunning for a government shutdown. "That is not true. This, in some respects, we believe will help with those members who are not normally accustomed or willing to vote for a continuing resolution that will, in fact, keep the government open. So we believe this is in no way contributing to the argument put out there by Democrats that this will lead to a government shutdown."

Too much of taxpayer money has been sent to foreign nations for frivolous projects, and Trump is ending that. The Democrats don't like it because it is popular with voters and lays bare their fiscal irresponsibility for all to see.

America First Legal has launched a bombshell lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration concerning the side effects of puberty blockers on children.

AFL is trying to get its hands on Biden-era records related to the government's internal guidance on the use of puberty blockers and the negative side effects on children.

This lawsuit comes after the AFL filed a Freedom of Information Act request, which uncovered communications from the Biden administration to the FDA recommending the use of puberty blockers despite the knowledge that they caused mental health problems.

Essentially, it appears that the Biden administration was totally aware of the damage puberty blockers could do but recommended their use anyway to appease the demands of radical transgender activists pushing transition on minors.

The FDA's deadline to present documents has already passed, and now AFL is taking them to court. The fact that bureaucrats at the FDA are obstructing this request demonstrates how entrenched leftist ideologues are in federal agencies eight months into Trump's presidency.

Biden Pushed Transitions On Minors

The Biden administration was clearly pushing the use of puberty-blocking drugs on minors despite knowing about the negative side effects.

AFL counsel Will Scolinos pointed this out by saying, "The Biden administration pushed gender-denying treatments on American kids. Now, it’s time to expose what officials really knew." Those officials must be held accountable for their reckless political agenda.

What's worse is that leftists have insisted for years that there are no life-altering "treatments" being pushed on children who supposedly are "transgender."

So far, AFL has obtained documents proving that Biden's Division of General Endocrinology recommended puberty blockers despite the fact that they cause increased depression, suicidality, and seizure risks in children.

In an email, one FDA official from the agency's endocrinology division explained, "There is definitely a need for these drugs to be approved for gender transition," while acknowledging that they "increased risk of depression and suicidality, as well as increased seizure risk," in the very same email.

Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to children's healthcare, but now the AFL has confirmed that the Biden administration knowingly pushed a treatment that would damage the mental health of children who are likely already experiencing mental health issues due to transgender social contagion.

Puberty Blockers Lifelong Consequences

Puberty blockers are typically used to combat precocious puberty and ensure children go through puberty at the right time. However, transgender activists have pushed for their use to delay puberty entirely into adulthood.

Leftist activists want children to take puberty blockers to increase the "effectiveness" of transition surgery. These ideas fly in the face of proper medical ethics, as puberty blockers can disrupt puberty even after blockers are removed.

In cases, puberty blockers can cause infertility and damage bone density, and lead to lifelong hormonal disruption and dysfunction.

The transgender movement's insane ideas prey on vulnerable, confused children and leave them with lifelong scars, both mentally and physically. Those in the medical field who have allowed these ideas to run rampant must be held accountable.

Ashli Babbitt, the unarmed woman shot by Capitol Police during the riot on January 6, 2021, will receive full military honors at her funeral, the Daily Caller reported. Then-President Joe Biden's administration had denied the privilege to the U.S. Air Force veteran in February 2021 because Babbitt participated in the demonstration.

President Donald Trump's administration is righting the wrongs of its predecessor on many issues. In this case, Babbitt's family will receive a $5 million wrongful death settlement as well as the proper military burial owed to her as a veteran.

According to Fox News, Babbitt was shot and killed by a U.S. Capitol police officer as she attempted to enter the building's interior. Three months after the shooting, the officer involved was cleared of any wrongdoing, even though the Air Force veteran was unarmed. Now the family has gotten the settlement it deserves and will receive the closure it needs.

"On behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, I write to extend the offer for Military Funeral Honors for SrA Ashli Babbitt. After reviewing the circumstances of Ashli’s death and considering the information that has come forward since then, I am persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect," the undersecretary of the Air Force wrote to Babbitt's husband, Aaron, on Aug. 15, the family's attorneys said.

No Apologies

This outcome is a long time in the making and came only after years of excuses from the government and the media. In an interview with NBC News' anchor Lester Holt, Lt. Michael Byrd, the man who ended Babbitt's life, blamed the dead woman and the chaos of the day for his decision to use deadly force.

He made no apologies, but instead explained that it was one of the few choices he had given the circumstances. "Once we barricaded the doors, we were essentially trapped where we were. There was no way to retreat. No other way to get out," He told Holt.

"If they get through that door, they’re into the House chamber and upon the members of Congress," he added. Byrd said that it was difficult to get information about what was happening outside of the building, and some of what he heard on his radio alarmed him, including an officer reporting that "his fingertips were blown off" by a rioter.

"It was literally broadcast over the air. I said, ‘OK, this is getting serious,'" Byrd said to himself in what would become his justification for using shooting a person who arguably posed no threat. In fact, the settlement reached in July confirms that to be the case as demonstrated by the large payout.

Perpetuating the Narrative

Trump's enemies have held so tightly to the narrative that Jan. 6 was a "deadly" day in Washington, D.C. in an effort to make him and his supporters seem violent and cruel. Even more than four years later and months into Trump's second term, they can't seem to let that go, even with the perspective of time and the facts coming to light about Babbitt's death.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who participated in the Democratic witch hunt known as the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, continued to smear Babbitt after the settlement was reached. "[Ashli] Babbit dishonored her service by committing insurrection against her country," Kinzinger said.

"While her death is absolutely tragic and I wish it hadn’t happened, the Air Force giving her honors is in itself a dishonor," Kinzinger added. Former Capitol Police Officer Aquilino Gonell trotted out another one of the false narratives of the day by invoking the name of Officer Brian Sicknick, who was originally reported to have been hit by a fire extinguisher but later was found to have died of natural causes, the BBC reported at the time.

Gonnell, who said that Jan. 6 was the "worst day of his life," said that giving Babbitt military honors was disprectful in light of her participation in Jan. 6. "Not to officers, like Brian Sicknick, who served in the Air National Guard, but the member of the mob who stormed the Capitol and put herself and other’s lives in danger. Wtf," Gonnell eloquently wondered.

Biden punished Babbitt's grieving family to further Democrats' cynical agenda to smear Trump and his supporters. Now justice has been served, as they have been compensated for the damages and will have the burial Babbitt deserved.

The Department of Homeland Security has canceled thousands of contracts through the Federal Emergency Management Agency after watchdog groups found billions of dollars in fraud and waste, the Daily Caller reported in an exclusive. This move comes under the direction of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, following years of agency failures.

Some of the most egregious examples include nearly $10.7 million allocated to contracted media marketing for the Ready Campaign, as well as an additional $3.3 million funded to FEMA's internal marketing department, which was intended to encourage employees to complete an internal survey. Meanwhile, FEMA spent $645,000 on hosting meetings that had as few as 15 attendees and lasted just an hour.

An additional $1.6 million was wasted on setting up a pair of routine workshops, and $1.27 million was allocated for a "conference center concierge" to provide basic services, including preparing meeting rooms and reserving audio equipment. Within the Employee Relations Branch, FEMA contracted a company to shred documents and file paperwork for $594,000 and paid another $500,000 for social media recruiting.

Latosha G. who was paid for her endorsement as part of the half-million-dollar effort, boasted online about the process. "I applied that night, and I actually got a call the next day to do an interview. And I actually ended up getting a job as a local hire. A position came open as a data management specialist. I applied, I actually got an interview, and I actually got the position," Latosha added.

Troubling Pattern

The flagrant waste uncovered by DHS's inspector general and the Government Accountability Office is part of a troubling pattern within the agency. Both entities have been attempting to bring FEMA's spending under control by curbing excessive spending and promoting proper stewardship of its budget allocation, but has met extreme resistance.

"Any American who opened the books at FEMA and saw their lackluster spending controls and policies would be horrified. Secretary [Kristi] Noem has been an extraordinary leader, bringing spending best practices, fiscal responsibility, and mission alignment to an agency that has run amok for far too long," a FEMA spokesperson said.

President Donald Trump's administration has attempted to rectify some of these issues, including monthly check-ins with disaster survivors to monitor progress toward "realistic" and "achievable" housing goals based on their living standards prior to the disaster that left them homeless. Predictably, FEMA leadership is reluctant to relinquish control over the purse strings and continues its wasteful spending.

That was quite evident during Noem's confirmation hearing when Cameron Hamilton, who was acting FEMA administrator at the time, dug in his heels when questions about the agency's spending habits came up. He was gone from the agency just days later, and David Richard was tapped to replace him.

It's not just that the agency wasted taxpayer dollars in the course of its bureaucratic business. FEMA leaders did this while also, at times, abandoning the very mission for which they were given that money: disaster relief.

Dropping the Ball

The agency arguably exists primarily to deploy federal help in times of natural and other disasters. Unfortunately, a 2022 inspector general's report revealed that FEMA also struggled to deliver aid to affected Americans in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

The agency lost nearly 40% of the supplies sent to Puerto Rico and failed to distribute funds to those impacted by the storm's devastation for several years. In 2024, a video emerged that purportedly showed pallets full of bottled water kept locked in a 43,000 square foot warehouse after Maria made landfall on the island nation in September 2017. It caused outraged after it was widely shared to social media.

These palletts of water were just a portion of the $257 million in supplies that went missing while people on the island went without clean water. FEMA also gave $156 million to a sole proprietor who promised to provide 30 million meals to hungry islanders. Shockingly, only 50,000 were ever distributed.

Government waste is always outrageous, but FEMA has taken it to a new level by doing so while disaster-affected Americans waited for relief that would never come. Noem is right to clean house and cancel contracts until the agency is running as it should be and helping those in need.

During one of her morning press conferences, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum contended that deportations of Mexicans were higher during Bill Clinton's presidency between 1993 and 2001 than they are now under President Donald Trump.

“The largest period of deportations from the United States to Mexico was with Bill Clinton, from 1993 to 2001,” she said. “There was one year, 2000, with 1,150,906 Mexicans deported.”

Another former President, Barack Obama, deported 601,356 Mexicans during his first year in office.

So far, Trump has only deported 86,017 in the roughly seven and a half months of his second term.

"Important reduction"

Sheinbaum attributed the lower number of deportees to a sharp decline in attempted border crossings after Trump ended asylum when he took office.

“We have to say that there are fewer migrants entering,” she said. “There was a very important reduction in persons from Mexico and other nationalities after President Trump’s decision to close … to close the asylums.”

Admittedly, it is much easier to deport migrants when they are caught trying to cross the border than rounding them up and sending them back months or years later, as Trump is trying to do.

Surely there are many more Mexican illegal immigrants in the U.S. than that 80,000, but the process of deporting them will be slower and much more labor intensive, if the administration chooses to go after all or most of them rather than just those who have committed crimes.

Trying to negotiate

For her part, Sheinbaum had not been Trump's biggest fan before he took office and even condemned his immigration raids as recently as June.

“We did not agree with the use of raids to detain people who work honestly in the United States,” she said at the time.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blamed Sheinbaum's comments in part for the violent protests in California that targeted ICE agents, Breitbart Texas reported at the time.

Sheinbaum seems to have come around in part because she's trying to negotiate a new agreement with Trump on trade and tariffs. She can't afford to look too hostile if she hopes to get favorable terms from Trump.

But her admission that Trump's border policies are working far better than those of his predecessors should resound throughout the world.

In a controversial decision, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota turned down requests for security funding from the state's Catholic schools, despite a substantial budget surplus and similar funding granted to public schools, as Breitbart reports.

Amid a record $17.6 billion surplus, nonpublic schools were left out of Walz's security funding initiative, spotlighting an unequal distribution of state aid.

Over two consecutive years, the Minnesota Catholic Conference, representing six dioceses, appealed to the state government for funds aimed at bolstering security against potential school shootings, yet their pleas remained unaddressed.

Security concerns amplified

The urgency of these requests was magnified by a tragic event in March 2023, where a school shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, led by 28-year-old Audrey Hale, shook the nation. This incident underscored the vulnerability of educational institutions to such attacks.

In Minnesota, nonpublic schools, which include a mix of Catholic, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim institutions, serve approximately 72,000 students, echoing the plea for enhanced security measures to protect these young learners.

Yet, despite their substantial enrollment and heightened security risks evidenced by past events, nonpublic schools remain ineligible for the Safe Schools Program benefits that their public counterparts enjoy. This program, crucial for emergency response training and security improvements, exclusively supports public school districts through a levy-only funding structure.

Failed legislation, calls for equitable treatment

In response to the denied requests, the Minnesota bishops intensified their efforts in 2022. They lobbied for a special session to discuss a bill that would extend Secure Schools funding to non-public schools, providing $44 per student for necessary security precautions. Despite bipartisan support, the progress stalled under Walz's administration.

The failure to advance this significant bill occurred in the same year when Walz opted to allocate state funds towards establishing a "trans refuge" for individuals seeking gender-affirming care, a move that drew mixed reactions from various community sectors.

The continuing resistance to include nonpublic schools in state-funded security initiatives has been labeled discriminatory by advocates, arguing that it overlooks the safety needs of thousands of nonpublic school students.

Community reactions, ongoing advocacy

"The exclusion of one sector of schools, as you know, nonpublic schools serve many students and families in need of services and resources, is a discriminatory act against our students," stated the Minnesota Catholic Conference in their request to be included in the Building and Cyber Security Grant Program.

This sentiment was further echoed in correspondence sent to Walz, where the conference emphasized, "The latest school shooting at a nonpublic Christian school in Tennessee sadly confirms what we already know -- our schools are under attack."

Despite the setbacks, nonpublic schools persist in their advocacy efforts. Since 2020, these institutions have been pushing to be part of the Safe Schools Program, hoping to secure the same level of preparedness and protection awarded to public schools. The community remains hopeful yet vigilant, awaiting a shift in policy that might safeguard the vulnerable student population across all sectors of Minnesota's educational landscape.

Looking ahead to continuing funding battle

The unfolding debate over educational funding in Minnesota continues to stir discussions at both the state and local levels. Governor Walz's decision has not only highlighted a funding disparity between public and nonpublic schools but also attracted criticism regarding the prioritization of state resources, especially given the sizable budget surplus.

The Minnesota Catholic Conference remains at the forefront of this issue, advocating for a reconsideration of the funding strategies to include nonpublic schools in future allocations. Their fight is not just about securing funds but ensuring equality in the treatment of all students, irrespective of the type of school they attend.

As the state moves forward, stakeholders from all corners of the educational spectrum are called upon to reconsider the broader implications of funding decisions that affect the safety and security of students statewide. The resolution of this issue will not only determine the immediate safety measures implemented but also set a precedent for how educational equity is perceived and acted upon in Minnesota.

Lisa Cook has been hit with a second criminal referral, adding new pressure on the embattled Federal Reserve Governor as she defies President Trump's decision to fire her for mortgage fraud.

The complaint, from federal housing regulator Bill Pulte, flags a third home that Cook owns in Massachusetts, while raising new questions about her properties in Georgia and Michigan.

“3 strikes and you’re out. Today, US Federal Housing sent a 2nd Criminal Referral in the matter of Lisa D. Cook, related to a mortgage on a 3rd property and alleged misrepresentations about her properties to the United States Government during her time as Governor of the Federal Reserve,” Pulte wrote on X.

"Extremely troubling"

According to Pulte, Cook got a 15-year mortgage in 2021 for a condo in Massachusetts priced at $361,000, listing it as her "second home."

Eight months later, Cook declared the home as an investment property and reported $15,000-50,000 in rental income.

“Second homes receive lower mortgage costs than investment properties, because investment properties are inherently riskier,” Pulte noted in his complaint.

“This is extremely troubling because, in addition to other reasons, by potentially falsely representing the property as a second home, Cook may have received savings by not declaring it as an investment property.”

Caught in the act

Earlier this month, Pulte filed a complaint with the Justice Department that accused Cook of claiming her Michigan and Georgia homes as her primary residences at the same time. The complaint triggered Trump to fire Cook, a Biden appointee, who filed a lawsuit Thursday to keep her job.

Her lawyers blamed the discrepancies in her mortgage statements on a "clerical error" that occurred before she joined the central bank, but the new criminal referral alleges Cook made "multiple false representations" to the government while working at the Federal Reserve.

For instance, Pulte alleges that there is reason to believe that Cook is currently renting out her Ann Arbor, Michigan property, despite listing it as a primary residence.

Furthermore, Pulte says that Cook has in the past or is currently renting out her Atlanta, Georgia property, which she declared a primary residence in government disclosures from 2022 through 2025; Cook joined the Fed in 2023.

Pulte is asking the DOJ to probe "further potential criminal violations as well as material misrepresentations to the United States Senate and the United States Government in order to, amongst other things, acquire and retain her position as Governor.”

Cook's lawyer, former Hunter Biden attorney Abbe Lowell, dismissed the fresh allegations as a "smear."

“This is an obvious smear campaign aimed at discrediting Gov. Cook by a political operative who has taken to social media more than 30 times in the last two days and demanded her removal before any review of the facts or evidence,” Lowell said.