After weathering months of divorce rumors, Michelle Obama is wading back into politics with criticism of President Trump's immigration policies.
The former first lady said she is worried for immigrants living in the climate of "fear" surrounding Trump's deportations.
“And that … frightens me, it keeps me up at night,” she told the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast.
“How do you how do you feel comfortable going to work, going to school, when you know that there could be people out here judging you and who could upend your life in a second — that’s who I worry for right now.”
Michelle Obama has been mostly quiet about politics since failing in her efforts to elect Kamala Harris last fall.
Obama avoided naming Trump in her latest remarks, as she persisted in a passive-aggressive protest of Trump's historic comeback.
Her decision to skip Trump's inauguration in January - and Jimmy Carter's funeral - led to speculation of divorce that is ongoing.
Democrats have repeatedly accused Trump of skirting due process for those facing deportation, but Trump has said it is not possible to give trials to the millions of unlawful aliens on U.S. soil. And Trump and his team say Democrats are cozying up to foreign criminals while ignoring their victims.
Like she has often done, Obama attributed Trump's agenda to a supposedly pervasive "racism" in American society that she said has impacted her family, as she suggested immigrants are being targeted because of their skin color.
"And we know that those decisions aren’t being made with courts and with due process,” she said.
“There’s so much bias and so much racism and so much ignorance that fuels those kind of choices,” she claimed. "I worry for people of color all over this country, and I don’t know that we will have the advocates to protect everybody."
Obama pointed to immigration raids in her hometown of Chicago - which was overwhelmed by an influx of immigrants during the Biden-era border crisis - as an example of what she "fears" most about the second Trump administration.
"I drive around in a four-car motorcade with a police escort. I’m Michelle Obama. I do still worry about my daughters in the world even though they are somewhat recognizable,” Obama said.
“So, my fears are for what I know is happening out there in streets all over the city," she said.
President Donald Trump's administration has revoked some 4,000 student visas primarily from those with criminal records, the New York Post reported in an exclusive. Some 90% were charged with a crime, including at least 500 who were accused of assault.
The other crimes included domestic abuse, DUI, child endangerment, wildlife and human trafficking, arson, and robbery. "They came and they were breaking the law with no consequences," a source told the Post.
"We set up a special action team to handle this," the source added. The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security cross-checked criminal records to target only the most "serious" offenders.
"There were cases like where it was not a serious thing, like littering, or somebody had charges that were dropped, where we didn’t revoke those. Because it should be a serious matter," the source explained.
The administration has been going full steam ahead to address immigration problems in Trump's first 100 days. "Perhaps in the future other visa categories, not just students, will be looked at," the source promised.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has committed to Trump's "zero tolerance" policy for those on student visas who sided with pro-Palestine protestors. "No one’s entitled to a student visa," Rubio noted during a cabinet meeting.
"If you come to this country as a student, we expect you to go to class, study, and get a degree. If you come here to vandalize a library, take over a campus, and do all kinds of crazy things, we’re going to get rid of these people," Rubio added.
Notices were sent out to the impacted students who were largely from nations in the Middle East and Asia. Already, several students have self-deported after the State Department removed their legal status, while others could face immigration authorities.
Trump made fixing immigration one of his campaign promises, and he is clearly intent on keeping it. While some are crying foul over these moves, the State Department emphasizes that this is all part of its routine responsibilities.
When Fox News Digital reached out for comment, a spokesperson for the State Department said it "revokes visas every day in order to secure America's borders and keep our communities safe – and will continue to do so." The spokesperson stated that they do not track statistics on revoking student visas.
However, this aspect is important to the safety of the U.S. "The Trump Administration is focused on protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process," the spokesperson said.
"Every prospective traveler to the United States undergoes interagency security vetting. Prohibiting entry to the United States by those who might pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety is key to protecting U.S. citizens at home," the spokesperson explained.
"The Department of State will continue to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to enforce zero tolerance for aliens in the United States who violate U.S. laws, threaten public safety, or in other situations where warranted," the person added. This is a far cry from how his predecessor viewed illegal immigration, but that's exactly the aim.
Trump is doing precisely what he was elected to do when it comes to closing the borders and kicking out criminals. People who are not citizens don't have the same rights as Americans, and student visas are just another privilege that can and should be withdrawn any time there is a crime.
Meghan Markle insisted her marriage to Prince Harry is in the "honeymoon period," Fox News reported. Rumors persist about the pair, who have been married for seven years, and whether they may be getting a divorce.
The Duchess of Sussex appeared on an episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast released Monday. In an effort to address persistent rumors of divorce, host Lima asked Markle if she thinks she "will be married forever" to the Duke of Sussex.
Markle gave a firm "yes" to the question before protesting a little too much. "He’s also a fox, if you haven’t noticed. My husband’s very, very handsome. But his heart is even more beautiful," Markle responded.
As part of a softball setup, Lima quoted Harry's recent praise of his wife that was given to the press. "I'm so happy for my wife and fully support absolutely everything she’s done and continues to do," Harry said, no doubt also trying to dispel rumors of an impending split.
"He’s such a great partner. I feel that every day, how supportive he's been and is, but I didn't know he said that, so that's really nice," Markle responded to Harry's supportive words.
"That man loves me so much and, you know, look what we’ve built. We’ve built a beautiful life, and we have two healthy, beautiful children." However, this life they built came after Harry and Meghan famously left the royal family to pursue their current endeavors.
Markle leaned into the royal angle, perhaps having learned that it was the only thing that made her and her husband interesting. "I always think about it like the end of Super Mario Brothers, and you get to the final final level, and what’s the goal in Super Mario Brothers? Slay the dragon, save the princess," the 43-year-old As Ever founder claimed.
"I’m like, that’s my husband. He’s just out there constantly… going to do whatever he can to make sure our family is safe and protected and uplifted, and still make time for date nights," Markle claimed.
Markle's over-the-top praise for her husband and their marriage continued when she claimed they were more in love now than ever. "You have to imagine, at the beginning, everyone has butterflies, and then we immediately went into the trenches together right out of the gate, six months into dating," Markle claimed.
"So now, seven years later when you have a little bit of breathing space, you can just enjoy each other in a new way, and that's why I feel like it's more of a honeymoon period for us now," Markle claimed. The host then gave the duchess a letter "via Papa" from her children, Archie and Lilibet.
"We love your cooking. We love your pancakes and we love love love your hugs," they purportedly wrote.
"You're the best mummy, and we love you," Markle read from the letter. Of course, this all seemed a little too on the nose since, Markle has been trying to brand herself as a homemaker and mom influencer in her With Love, Meghan series on Netflix.
Whatever is happening in their marriage is their business. However, Markle seems to be trying extra hard to be more likable while also trying to convince everyone that her marriage is solid, and this smacks of overcompensation.
A federal judge ruled Friday to temporarily prevent President Donald Trump from stopping collective bargaining activity for federal employees whose jobs deal with national security, a move that could prevent hundreds of thousands of federal workers from joining unions.
The sticking point is a law passed by Congress to strengthen federal employees' collective bargaining rights, which the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) argued the Trump executive order bans.
The March order applies an exception in the law to employees in the departments of Treasury, State, Defense, Justice, Veterans Affairs, and parts of Health and Human Services, Interior, Energy, Commerce, and Homeland Security, among others.
The NTEU argued in the suit that the exception was narrow and applied to the FBI and a few other agencies, not to jobs in the agencies above.
In the NTEU's view, the president just wants to be able to fire federal employees more easily.
“The President’s sweeping Executive Order is inconsistent with the narrow exception that Congress provided,” the NTEU said. “None of the NTEU-represented agencies that the Order targets … do national security or intelligence work. Indeed, the Administration’s own issuances show that the President’s exclusions are not based on national security concerns, but instead a desire to make federal employees easier to fire and to weaken federal sector unions.”
The Department of Justice countered these arguments by saying that union negotiations could harm the readiness of federal employees to defend the nation.
After all, if union workers necessary for national security decide to strike, it could leave a gaping hole in the country's defenses.
National security is a part of many federal jobs, even if indirectly.
National president of NTEU Doreen Greenwald said after the order was issued that it was a “victory for federal employees, their union rights and the American people they serve.”
“NTEU will continue to use every tool available to protect federal employees and the valuable services they provide from these hostile attacks on their jobs, their agencies and their legally protected rights to organize,” Greenwald added.
Could Trump be trying to make it easier to fire federal workers?
It's possible he wants to expand the cuts made by DOGE so far into other areas, combine jobs, or reduce staff in certain areas to save some of the vast trillions of taxpayer dollars currently spent by agencies.
On the other hand, maybe he just wants to keep the country more secure and keep our enemies from exploiting weaknesses.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The American Bar Association, which for now has been the only "federally recognized accreditor for Juris Doctor programs," through its Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, soon may be losing a huge amount of its influence on American lawyers.
Because others may be able to offer law schools accreditation.
The move would be a massive blow to the significance of the ABA, which has positioned itself as an extreme leftist in American society in recent years.
An analysis recently called it a "proxy for the left wing of the American legal community," and it said the ABA has been using its power as a monopoly "to promote an ideological agenda."
The change is being done through an Executive Order from President Donald Trump.
That order said, "The American Bar Association's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (Council), which is the sole federally recognized accreditor for Juris Doctor programs, has required law schools to 'demonstrate by concrete action a commitment to diversity and inclusion' including by 'commit[ting] to having a student body [and faculty] that is diverse with respect to gender, race, and ethnicity.' As the Attorney General has concluded and informed the Council, the discriminatory requirement blatantly violates the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. 181 (2023). Though the Council subsequently suspended its enforcement while it considers proposed revisions, this standard and similar unlawful mandates must be permanently eradicated."
The order continued, "American students and taxpayers deserve better, and my Administration will reform our dysfunctional accreditation system so that colleges and universities focus on delivering high-quality academic programs at a reasonable price. Federal recognition will not be provided to accreditors engaging in unlawful discrimination in violation of Federal law.
"The Attorney General and the Secretary of Education shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, investigate and take appropriate action to terminate unlawful discrimination by American law schools that is advanced by the Council, including unlawful 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' requirements under the guise of accreditation standards. The Secretary of Education shall also assess whether to suspend or terminate the Council's status as an accrediting agency under Federal law."
While Trump's order addressed the issue of accreditation generally, where accreditors "have … abused their enormous authority," it was the ABA that was singled out for special mention.
The order gave power to the secretary of Education to "hold accountable, including through denial, monitoring, suspension, or termination of accreditation recognition, accreditors who fail to meet the applicable recognition criteria or otherwise violate Federal law, including by requiring institutions seeking accreditation to engage in unlawful discrimination in accreditation-related activity under the guise of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' initiatives."
The secretary, along with the attorney general, shall investigate and "take appropriate action to terminate unlawful discrimination by American law schools that is advanced by the Council, including unlawful 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' requirements under the guise of accreditation standards."
In fact, the ABA could be canceled entirely as an accrediting agency.
The order also banned accreditors from "engaging in practices that result in credential inflation that burdens students with additional unnecessary costs."
A commentary at Legal Insurrection had just warned that the ABA was preparing to "mandate race-focused study as a prerequisite to graduating from law school. It's another instance of woke ideology being forced on the nation, and may necessitate that states revisit the ABA's government-granted near-monopoly accrediting power."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden's legacy may end up including a lot of different things: his leftist promotions of abortion for all and transgenderism for children likely will be there.
Also, possibly there will be his record as a president who continued in office even though his mental powers were obviously declining, to the point that a special counsel gave him a pass on a potential criminal case involving secret government documents because of his lack of mental powers.
But also will be his decision to open America's borders, allowing in millions of illegal aliens, including criminals and even terrorists.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt explained, "We are in the process of carrying out the largest deportation campaign in American history. After four years of being vilified by the Biden-Harris administration, our heroic ICE officers can finally do their jobs."
And Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Tom Homan pointed out that Joe Biden was the first president in the nation's history "who came into office and unsecured a border on purpose."
He noted he'd worked for six presidents.
"Every president I ever worked for took border security seriously because you can't have national security if you don't have strong border security."
He said even Barack Obama and Bill Clinton acknowledged the need for border security.
"Joe Biden was the first president in the history of this nation who came into office and unsecured a border on purpose," he said.
Homan noted that under President Donald Trump, the number of illegal aliens found at the border have dropped from 15,000 a day, during Biden's tenure, to 178.
"When 96% less people are coming [across the border], how many women aren't being sexually assaulted by the cartels? How many children aren't dying making that journey? How many women and children aren't being sex-trafficked into this country? How many known and suspected terrorists aren't making it into this nation? How many pounds of fentanyl isn't getting into this country to kill young Americans?"
A report from Fox News said, "Recent high-profile deportations have seen migrants deported to an El-Salvador mega prison after the president invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime immigration law, to deport Venezuelan gang members. That move has since been held up in court with the Trump administration opting to deport 17 alleged members of Tren de Aragua to El Salvador from Guantánamo Bay on Sunday night via Title 8."
The Trump administration also on Monday posted pictures of illegals who have been arrested, with a list of charges against them, on the White House lawn.
President Donald Trump has made it clear that he would support a law forbidding members of Congress from trading stocks. He specifically pointed to Nancy Pelosi's past financial activities as a case in point of why such legislation is necessary.
Despite bipartisan backing, attempts to pass a bill prohibiting congressional stock trading have not successfully cleared both legislative chambers, The Hill reported.
Trump's willingness to endorse this kind of restriction comes amid a broader discussion about the financial dealings of elected officials. During his initial 100 days as President, Trump remarked that if such legislation reached his desk, he would "absolutely" sign it into law. He justified his stance by citing instances where former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and others allegedly benefited financially from insider knowledge.
Nancy Pelosi, who has faced scrutiny over her and her husband's stock trading activities, dropped her opposition to this type of legislation in 2022. Her husband, Paul Pelosi, is noted for having accumulated significant wealth through trades in the stock market. These actions have resulted in public and political calls for increased transparency and accountability among elected officials.
The concerns over trading are not limited to one political party. Allegations have been directed at Republicans, accusing them of manipulating market information to financially benefit presidential allies. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene recently attracted attention for purchasing stocks shortly before a Trump announcement led to a market rally.
Greene defended her actions by stating her financial dealings are managed by an advisor. However, her situation underlined the need for cautious consideration of how insider information could be misused by those in power.
There has been a concerted push in both political parties to enforce tighter restrictions on stock trading by members of Congress. The Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks Act saw some movement when it was advanced by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. Nevertheless, the proposal stalled in the Senate, and a full vote did not occur.
Timing may also play a crucial role in the legislative dynamics, as the control of the Senate has shifted from Democratic to Republican since the act was passed in committee. This shift could reshape the priorities and prospects for such a bill moving forward.
Efforts to curtail insider trading at the congressional level have been discussed for years but have yet to achieve legislative success. Proponents argue that outlawing stock trading among legislators is essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring that officials act in the public's best interest rather than their financial gain.
Trump's recent remarks have rekindled interest in the topic, potentially adding momentum to these legislative measures. By explicitly stating his openness to sign the legislation, he could incentivize lawmakers to revisit previously stalled proposals.
While the idea enjoys support across party lines, tangible progress remains to be seen. For now, members of Congress continue to operate under existing rules that critics argue are insufficient to prevent conflicts of interest.
This dichotomy between support and action has frustrated advocates who believe legislation is long overdue. By continuing to spotlight individual cases of alleged insider trading, they hope to underscore the urgency of reform.
While Trump's commitment to the cause may add weight to calls for legislative change, it remains to be seen whether his stance will lead to actionable outcomes. However, the public discourse indicates a growing appetite for concrete measures to address potential abuses.
If such legislation were to pass, it would mark a significant shift in the ethical standards applied to congressional members. Legislators would face new limitations, potentially reshaping how they engage with financial markets and investment opportunities.
A new autopsy report is filling in the picture of Gene Hackman's grim last days at his New Mexico home, where he and his wife both died days apart in February.
While his main cause of death was heart failure, the 95-year-old Hackman had not eaten for days before he died, according to the medical examiner. A toxicology analysis found a trace amount of acetone in Hackman's system, indicating a prolonged period of fasting.
The celebrated actor, who had Alzheimer's, likely spent his final days unaware that his 64-year-old wife and caregiver, Betsy Arakawa, was dead.
Hackman tested negative for hantavirus, the rare rat-borne respiratory illness that killed his wife. His carbon monoxide levels were normal.
The report makes note of Hackman's history of heart problems, including congestive heart failure, an aortic valve replacement and an irregular heartbeat.
The autopsy also identified "neurodegenerative features consistent with Alzheimer's Disease" and “severe chronic hypertensive changes” to his kidneys.
"Autopsy showed severe atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with placement of coronary artery stents and a bypass graft, as well as a previous aortic valve replacement," the report states.
“Remote myocardial infarctions were present involving the left ventricular free wall and the septum, which were significantly large," the medical examiner wrote.
Investigators believe Hackman died on February 18, which is the last day cardiac activity was recorded on his pacemaker. His wife died roughly one week before on February 11.
The couple's property was later found to be infested with rats, which likely caused Arakawa to contract hantavirus, a rare but fatal pulmonary disease that spreads through rodent droppings.
Her final phone calls, internet searches and e-mails indicate she was seeking medical care around the time she died. She researched flu-like symptoms online and ordered supplemental oxygen canisters to help with breathing.
An autopsy for Arakawa has not been released yet.
The details from Hackman's autopsy paint a grim picture of his last hours alive. Left without his wife and caregiver, the celebrated actor died hungry and alone.
One of the couple's dogs was also found dead in his cage, likely due to starvation.
Police have shared bodycam video showing how they found the couple's remains, which were partly mummified, inside their squalid home.
In a heartbreaking display of affection, one of their surviving German Shepherds was found standing over Arakawa's body.
Washington Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was chased out of a town hall by constituents angered by her support of a Republican bill targeting voter fraud.
Gluesenkamp Perez was one of only four Democrats who voted for the Safeguard American Voting Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
The shouting started immediately and did not let up for an hour, leaving Gluesenkamp Perez unable to speak for most of the event.
She defended her vote on the SAVE Act, arguing that she was voting to uphold election integrity, not to disenfranchise anyone.
"Americans believe that only US citizens should be determining the outcome of American elections. And any idea that I am standing to disenfranchise people is patently false,” she told the crowd.
A local reporter from KOIN6 tried to ask Gluesenkamp Perez questions after the event, but she was quickly escorted out for "security reasons."
Gluesenkamp Perez has cultivated a moderate reputation, sometimes breaking with her party on votes. She won another term in her swing district in southern Washington, even as voters chose Donald Trump in presidential election.
The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, in order to register to vote. Most of Gluesenkamp Perez's fellow Democrats have dismissed concerns about non-citizens voting, however. They argue the bill's requirements will cause Americans to be disenfranchised.
Democrats have turned to familiar rhetoric to attack the bill, comparing it to a Jim Crow poll tax. Some have claimed the SAVE Act will cause married women who changed their names to lose their voting rights due to discrepancies between their IDs and their birth certificates, but Republicans say the bill was written to provide flexibility. Specifically, it instructs states to come up with supplemental forms of proof, which could include marriage certificates.
In addition to facing outrage over the SAVE Act, Gluesenkamp Perez was heckled about DOGE's cuts to the federal workforce and Trump's sweeping deportation agenda. Several constituents expressed disappointment that Gluesenkamp Perez is not being more combative towards the Trump administration.
“There is a really profound demand in our country for an efficient government,” Gluesenkamp Perez said, before being shouted down as a “traitor.”
Even as many Democrats double down on unpopular, "woke" positions, Gluesenkamp Perez is trying to keep the party at arms' length.
“I am committed to being here and present and available and accountable and trying to have as productive of a conversation as we can,” Gluesenkamp- Perez said.
Two illegal immigrants have been arrested for stealing Kristi Noem's luxury handbag at a restaurant where she shared an Easter meal with her family.
Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana was charged in Miami, one day after Mario Bustamante-Leiva was arrested in Washington D.C. for the brazen theft at Capital Burger.
Noem's bag contained $3,000 in cash, her passport, and her DHS badge. In a recent interview with podcaster Vince Coglianese, Noem said the "professionally done" theft involved some careful footwork.
“It was kind of shocking, actually, because it was sitting right by my feet. I actually felt my purse — he hooked with his foot and drug it a few steps away and dropped a coat over it and took it,” Noem recounted.
Surveillance video of the brazen theft shows a masked man walk past Secret Service agents who were seated at a bar inside the Washington D.C. restaurant. The suspect then sits down next to Noem's table and uses his feet to grab the purse.
Bustamante-Leiva later used Noem's stolen credit card to buy $200 of food and alcohol at another restaurant. He was charged Monday with aggravated identity theft, robbery and fraud.
The man was also charged over two past robberies in which "a suspect approached the victim as they ate in a restaurant, stole their purse from the back of their seat, and fled the scene."
Noem called Bustamante-Leiva a "career criminal" as she thanked the authorities for their swift response.
Thank you to @SecretService @ICEgov and our law enforcement partners for finding and arresting the criminal who stole my bag on Easter Sunday as I shared a meal with my family at a Washington DC restaurant.
This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) April 27, 2025
His accomplice, Montecino-Sanzana, was charged with driver’s license/possession of stolen or fictitious identification in Florida.
He is "implicated in a pattern of thefts and robberies with the primary defendant," according to Secret Service. Both men are from Chile.
According to the New York Post, Montecino-Sanzana was released into the U.S. in January 2021 despite being issued a notice of "expedited removal."
While both suspects are illegal aliens, the U.S. attorney in D.C., Eric Martin, says this was a crime of opportunity and does not appear to be related to Noem's government role.
"There is no indication it was because of that. It was frankly, it was a nice looking purse,” Martin told NBC News.