This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Janet Mills, the Democrat governor of Maine who openly defied President Donald Trump's executive orders regarding men who say they are women and insist on competing in sports events reserved for women, now is facing a recall effort.
She earlier was targeted by the Department of Education for apparently violating Title IX laws after she slashed with Trump at a meeting of the National Governors Associatin.
The fight was over Trump's landmark executive order signed on February 5, which provided that biological men could not compete in women's sports. States that allow it will be subject to losing federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
Mills issued a statement publicly that she was refusing the president's order.
Now a report from the Center Square explains a recall campaign has been launched against her.
The report notes that it appears unlikely that the recall to remove her from office would succeed in the Democrat-majority state, but an online petition already has gathered some 30,000 signatures in just a week.
"The petitioner, Melissa Moulton, said she is 'deeply disappointed' in Mills' policies and the governor's pushback on President Donald Trump's efforts to prohibit transgender males from competing in women's sports," the report explained.
"I believe strongly that her policies are not in alignment with the wishes and values of the majority of Mainers," Moulton explained. "The feeling of disconnect between the populace and leadership is palpable and widespread."
The dispute is happening more and more often these days as advocates for the transgender lifestyle choice have been getting more and more aggressive.
They claim that it's discrimination to refuse permission for a man who says he is a woman to compete in women's sports. Actually, that argument ignores the rights of women in those sports, including the rights to privacy in intimate settings like showers and locker rooms.
The report noted, "Trump has vowed to withhold federal funding from any states that fail to comply with his executive order banning transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports."
Her response to the president was, "See you in court."
The report noted the investigation, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, determined that the Maine Department of Education is in violation of Title IX, a 1972 civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has the option of taking the state to court over the violations.
In Maine, while the law allows lawmakers to remove the governor by petition, it does not give the same right to citizens. And the Maine legislature is dominated by leftist Democats.
The report said Moulton wants residents to sign anyway, to "voice our collective dissent" to Mills' agenda.
President Donald Trump has nominated Ret. Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin'" Caine as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Daily Caller reported. Caine would replace outgoing Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, who was ousted because of his support for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
One of Trump's improvements to the military is to dispense with DEI policies that have arguably harmed wartime readiness. While the chairman usually serves through several administrations, Brown is leaving over the difference of opinion.
The president chose Caine as a suitable replacement based on his vast experience. He had served during Trump's first term as the commanding general of the U.S. Central Command Special Operations Component in Iraq.
In a post to his TruthSocial, Trump called Caine a "warfighter" who was "instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate." This change came at a time when a shakeup was needed most.
Caine enlisted in the Air National Guard and served with the 138th Fighter Squadron at Syracuse Air Force Base between 1994 and 1998. Later, he was deployed to Iraq for a tour in 2001 and another in 2003 before becoming the Counterterrorism and Strategy based out of Washington, D.C.
The 56-year-old later served as the Special Access Programs Central Office director in 2019 and special assistant to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau in September 2021. Caine became the associate director for Military Affairs at the CIA in December 2021 before retiring in December 2024.
Even during his time in flight school, it was clear that Caine was exceptional. "He always kept striving for more and striving for perfection," his former flight instructor, Ret. Col. Gary Atkin recalled.
"There’s guys that sit around the squadron and drink beer, and then there’s other guys that keep trying to do more stuff, you know. So that was Dan," Atkin said, referring to the latter.
"He was working on the test center out in Tucson, going to fighter weapons school. He was always kind of looking for all of these other things," Atkin added. Caine made a positive impression on Trump when he promised to help eliminate ISIS then did just that.
One of the highlights of Caine's career came during Operation Iraqi Freedom, destroying SCUD missile sites. Former pilot James Rennan was one of the members of the 149th Lone Star Gunfighters who joined Caine on this clandestine mission that was particularly difficult.
"That was a pretty complex mission for the F-16. Partially because of our speeds, we were getting used to new targeting pods, night vision goggles, all this kind of stuff. And although most of us were proficient F-16 pilots, very few guys have the discipline to be the resident expert, and it became evident Raisin’ was the smartest guy in the room," Rennan said of Caine.
"He could hang out on the pro level, very relatable, very friendly, but like when he spoke, he was our subject matter expert on power. SCUD was a mission that none of us had really flown," Rennan explained.
He noted that Caine made quite an impression on military leaders. "I think he’s put himself in a really good position, from operational fighter pilot, worked his way through the ranks, lots of jobs, special access, CIA; He’s really provided himself with some broad perspective to be an effective leader," Rennan said.
Caine is the perfect choice for the position at the top of the Department of Defense, given his experience. He will likely be confirmed in the Senate even if Democrats vote for him kicking and screaming.
Friends of the late Gene Hackman told Fox News that he kept busy in the years before his death by taking golf lessons, practicing boxing, and other hobbies like painting and flying before his Alzheimer's diagnosis.
Mike Anaya worked with Hackman on boxing after an injury as part of his rehab.
Anaya said Hackman's background in the military meant he knew how to stand and throw punches. He also shared that Hackman asked Anaya to call him Gene when they got to know each other and that he was a "good man."
Golf instructor Mike Putnam agreed, saying he "enjoyed his time with both Hackmans and that it was a "nice, fun relationship to have."
Hackman, who lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, made friends with Stephen Marshall, a retired FBI agent who trained them as part of a citizen's academy.
Marshall considered Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman friends and they socialized together until a few months before their deaths in February.
Gene was "starting to have some issues with age. And so I was seeing them less and less often. They were going out less," Marshall recalled.
Marshall also said Hackman had been bothered by the idea of getting old and didn't like seeing old movies where he looked younger.
He refused an invitation to see a screening of "Night Moves," one of his older movies, because he didn't want any comparisons with his younger self.
"When we went out, he didn't want to advertise who he was," he said. "I remember the first time we went out, we're walking down the street in Santa Fe, and I noticed people noticing him. And I said, ‘Do you get used to the idea of people going, "Hey, that’s Gene Hackman"’? And he said, "Yeah, but now they add, ‘And he got so old.’"
"So I thought he looked much younger," Marshall added. "I thought he looked great, but he was concerned that he had aged and that bothered him."
Investigators said Hackman died from heart disease and not getting needed medications to treat it about a week after his wife died from hantavirus, a disease contracted from contact with an infected rodent or its excretions.
Because of his Alzheimer's, he might not have been aware enough of his situation to help himself.
Apparently, the couple had become reclusive and been out of contact with family and friends for a while, so no one thought to check up on them.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's recent comments regarding the relevance of climate change programs within the Department of Defense have ignited substantial criticism and debate.
On Sunday, according to reports, Hegseth expressed his view that climate change initiatives are not part of the military's core mission, prompting a wave of condemnation from various quarters.
Critics argue that addressing climate change is vital for maintaining military readiness and ensuring national security.
Hegseth, serving under former President Donald Trump, has consistently been a controversial figure. His confirmation process was notably arduous, marked by allegations of past inappropriate conduct and divisive remarks concerning women in the armed forces. Despite these challenges, he was appointed to the high-profile role of Secretary of Defense.
The controversy began when Hegseth dismissed climate change programs at the Department of Defense as unnecessary. He publicly supported Pentagon Spokesperson John Ullyot's similar stance, which characterized climate initiatives as outside the department's mission. Hegseth stated that the primary focus should be on traditional military activities such as training and combat operations.
This perspective has not gone uncontested. CNN reporter Haley Britzky covered the developing situation, highlighting the efforts to cut climate-related programs at the Pentagon and the associated risks. Britzky reported that some officials and experts warn that eliminating climate efforts could adversely impact military readiness, potentially compromising the safety and effectiveness of the troops at a time when climate-related threats are growing. Such threats include extreme weather events, which can impact military installations and operations.
Pentagon Spokesperson John Ullyot's stance, echoed by Hegseth, was that these initiatives detract from the core mission of defense. However, as pointed out by Britzky, by ignoring the connection between climate change and military preparedness, the Department may inadvertently expose troops to heightened risks.
Several critics have taken to social media and public platforms to voice their concerns. Richard Angwin, a commentator, drew attention to the potential dangers of this policy perspective. He asserted that Hegseth's prioritization of traditional military objectives over scientific understanding of environmental challenges might imperil troops facing increasingly severe climate threats. These include issues such as rising temperatures and intensified storms, both of which are predicted to escalate in frequency and severity due to climate change.
Mark Raymond noted that climate-related instability could be a catalyst for future conflicts worldwide, suggesting that the Department's decision to sideline climate concerns might be shortsighted. He argued that ignoring climate change for political gains could have long-term global repercussions, undermining peace and stability.
The backlash extended to public figures like Paul Rieckhoff, who characterized Hegseth's views as outdated and oblivious to contemporary challenges. Rieckhoff's comments reflected a widespread sentiment that such traditionalist perspectives fail to recognize the evolving nature of global threats, including those posed by environmental changes.
In defense of his position, Hegseth reiterated his belief that the Department's role is confined to warfighting and training. Despite this, skepticism remains, particularly among experts who see an undeniable link between a changing climate and national security risks.
Haley Britzky further reported that while the Department of Defense plans to reduce climate programs, the connection to military readiness cannot be overlooked. Many argue that comprehensive military preparedness should incorporate an understanding of, and planning for, climate-related effects, which have the potential to disrupt operations and endanger personnel.
The discourse surrounding this issue underscores a broader debate about the role of military organizations in addressing climate change. As the effects of global warming become increasingly apparent, questions arise as to how military strategies and priorities need to evolve to remain effective.
Critics maintain that failing to integrate climate considerations within military planning not only jeopardizes current operations but also sets a precarious precedent for future conflict resolution. The potential for climate-related crises to fuel instability and displacement underscores the need for a reassessment of military priorities.
Donald Trump Jr.'s former lover, Kimberly Guilfoyle, helped set up an interview for California governor Gavin Newsom (D) as he attempts to pivot to the political middle for a possible White House run.
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a guest on the first episode of Newsom's new podcast, credited Guilfoyle, a longtime Trump supporter and Newsom's ex-wife, with arranging the interview.
It comes as term-limited Newsom is facing political uncertainty, with criticism pouring in over his handling of the Los Angeles wildfires in January.
Despite his reliably liberal politics, Newsom has made occasional gestures of moderation, leading some to label him a shrewd operator in comparison to some of the "woke" ideologues on his side.
He faced backlash over his chat with Kirk, which Newsom used to distance himself from the Democratic party's unpopular backing of males in women's sports.
Guilfoyle was married to Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco in the 2000s. After their divorce in 2006, Newsom went on to become one of the most famous progressives in the country while Guilfoyle joined Fox News and eventually entered President Trump's inner circle, getting engaged to his eldest son Donald Jr.
Newsom and Guilfoyle traded barbs in 2023, with Newsom claiming Guilfoyle "fell prey" to right-wing media culture while Guilfoyle said it was Newsom who changed.
"I didn’t change, [Newsom] did," Guilfoyle told Kirk at the time. "He used to be so proud to fight for small business, for entrepreneurs, for those hard-working men and women. And he’s fallen prey to the left, the radical left, that is pushing him so far to the left that it's unrecognizable."
Guilfoyle also predicted at the time that Newsom would run for president against Donald Trump in 2024. Newsom instead deferred to President Biden, who crashed and burned in his only debate with Trump, who went on to defeat vice president Kamala Harris.
As Democrats wander through the post-election wilderness, Newsom is widely seen as a 2028 presidential contender. Guilfoyle, despite her strained past with Newsom, apparently threw him a lifeline.
"I got a phone call from Governor Newsom two weeks ago, we connected through Kimberly Guilfoyle - obviously, they have a shared past... ," Kirk told Fox 11 when asked about the podcast appearance.
"This is a guy who wants to be President more than any other human being alive," Kirk added.
Guilfoyle's engagement to Donald Trump Jr. unraveled last year as reports of Trump Jr.'s affair with his current girlfriend, Bettina Anderson, emerged.
While the president's son has never addressed the breakup directly, he struck an amicable tone to PageSix, saying he shares a "special bond" with Guilfoyle, who was recently appointed by President Trump to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece.
President Trump is "tightening his grip" on the FBI and DOJ, fulfilling a campaign pledge to uproot the so-called Deep State and sparking backlash from critics in the media.
A new article about Trump's efforts in the Wall Street Journal, a newspaper skeptical of Trump, accuses the president of eroding the supposed "independence" of the FBI and DOJ by installing trusted allies to advance his priorities on crime and immigration.
Trump has pitched his overhaul of the FBI and DOJ as a campaign to end "weaponization," but Trump's critics have accused him of a hostile takeover that threatens the rule of law.
The president has given top DOJ jobs to his former defense lawyers like Emil Bove, now the second-highest ranking DOJ official. Bove sparked controversy last month when he ordered charges against New York mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, to be dropped, citing his cooperation on immigration enforcement.
The Journal's article is especially critical of Trump's choice in FBI director, Kash Patel. A longtime Trump loyalist, Patel has excited backlash over his alleged plans to seek retribution on Trump's behalf.
Patel is upholding his reputation as an outsider to the agency he now leads, requesting a secure line to contact the president directly, the Journal reported, noting the FBI chief usually reports to the deputy attorney general. The Journal painted Patel's closeness with Trump as a corrupt throwback to the era of J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI's first director, who dabbled heavily in politics during his 50 years at the helm.
Meanwhile, Patel has asked about hiring his own private security detail, making it clear he does not trust the FBI agents tasked with protecting him, the Journal reported.
"Director Patel is aggressively working to deliver on removing criminals from our streets, restoring law and order, and ensuring agents have the resources they need to perform their duties effectively," FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson said.
According to the center-right Wall Street Journal, the president's moves risk undermining the "traditionally independent ethos" of the FBI and DOJ.
Defenders of Trump's reforms would likely object that the FBI has been aligned with the left for years, regardless of the political affiliation of the president. Patel's predecessor Christopher Wray, a Republican appointed by Trump during his first term, oversaw an unprecedented raid of Trump's home in 2022.
The FBI has had a hostile relationship with Trump since his first presidential run in 2016, when the agency infamously spied on his campaign using opposition research funded by his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Under President Biden, the FBI and DOJ intervened in electoral politics like never before, with Trump facing two federal prosecutions as he campaigned for re-election against Biden, and then vice president Kamala Harris.
With Trump back in office, the DOJ's focus is shifting away from "lawfare" and the hunt for so-called domestic extremism - a term the Biden administration often used loosely to target the MAGA movement - as Trump's deputies emphasize traditional law-and-order priorities like border security.
The Journal's sources said that Stephen Miller, the longtime Trump adviser known for his hardline immigration views, regularly talks to top DOJ officials.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
'We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved'
The popular social media site X, run by billionaire Elon Musk, is the victim of a "massive cyberattack" Monday.
"There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X," Elon Musk said in a post at 1:25 p.m. Eastern.
"We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved. Tracing …"
Worldwide users of the site formerly known as Twitter, on Monday have been experiencing intermittent outages.
Monday afternoon, Musk told Larry Kudlow on Fox Business: "We're not sure exactly what happened but there was a massive cyber attack to try to bring down the X system with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area."
Reports confirmed posts were not loading for users in the United States, United Kingdom, France and India over various time frames.
A report from Newsweek said the hacking group called "Dark Storm Team" reportedly was claiming responsibility for the DD0S attack.
Dark Storm is known, according to the report, "for its sophisticated cyber warfare attacks and successful hacks of high-security systems."
The report explained, "According to Orange Cyberdefense, the group was formed in 2023 and has a pro-Palestinian focus."
It recently had promised cyberattacks on various sites involving NATO countries, Israel and nations that support Israel.
Cloudflare said the obvious signs of a DDoS attack, which involves simultaneously directly millions of queries to one website, are "when a website or service suddenly becomes slow or unavailable."
The Independent described the outage as "major and global."
The report said, "More than 40,000 users in the U.S. reported having issues at the peak, according to the monitoring website Down Detector. Elon Musk, who bought X in 2022, didn't mention the outage on his own account. He posted earlier on Monday that X is 'the top source for news on Earth.'"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
'Virtually any joke or off-putting remark could result in the speaker being forced to navigate the investigative process'
A leftist university's apparent campaign to suppress speech with which it disagrees has gotten it sued.
Student Zoe Johnson, a leader for Young Americans for Freedom, of the University of Colorado at Boulder has filed an action, through the Gessler Blue and Dhillon law firms, seeking a judgment that declares the institution's "Anti-discrimination policy" violates the First and 14th Amendments, a permanent injunction against it, monetary damages and lawyers' fees.
The fight is over Johnson's expression of her beliefs, and the school's "reporting" system for such comments that, the lawsuit charges, "chills expression."
"Because the university defines 'experiences of bias' to encompass behavior, speech, or expression that 'has a negative impact,' virtually any joke or off-putting remark could result in the speaker being forced to navigate the university's investigative process or 'an educational resolution process,'" Ross Marchand of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said, according to a report at the College Fix.
"While cutting jokes and demeaning comments can be hurtful, the Supreme Court has repeatedly and clearly held that meaningful freedom of speech must protect expression others find offensive or even hateful."
He explained the "complicated, bureaucratic processes explicitly intended to 'stop the behavior' flies in the face of the First Amendment by chilling protected speech."
"UC Boulder needs to make clear that, in order to be reportable, offenses need to violate the law or university policy," Marchand said.
The school's "equity and compliance" bureaucracy now is called the "Office of Collaboration," and it enforces the so-called "nondiscrimination" rules.
"The report said she has been "investigated" because of her criticism of identity politics, and a question about a piece of clothing.
She was not formally punished under the bureaucracy, but now "lives in constant fear that anything she says could be considered 'unwelcome conduct," the report said.
The legal action cites the school's decision to threaten her with investigation for her comments about protected classes.
She said, according to the report, "Why do we need two months of this? Didn't we do this back in June?" regarding a choir class about LGBT ideologies.
She also allegedly offended students by asking what a "do-rag" was, seeing one on a male student's head, the report said.
When confronted by a choir director, she explained, "I truly never meant to hurt anyone but I believe that students should have the emotional maturity to resolve any issues they have with me on their own."
The choir director had become part of the attack earlier by criticizing her comment about white privilege. She explained, "I don't care about your identity, I care more about what you have to say as a person, more than how you look."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
PALM BEACH, Florida – U.S. fighter jets were again forced to scramble near President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home over the weekend as two violations by civilian pilots took place in what has become a disturbing pattern.
The first occurred at about 8:50 a.m. Saturday as a general aviation aircraft violated the TFR zone, or temporary flight restriction.
F-16 fighter jets intercepted the plane to escort it out of the area.
"NORAD and the FAA work closely together to keep the skies over America safe, with close attention paid to areas with Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR)," said Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command.
"Adherence to TFR procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President. The procedures are not optional, and the excessive number of recent TFR violations indicates many civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the FAA, and has resulted in multiple responses by NORAD fighter aircraft to guide offending aircraft out of the TFR. Should the pilot of an aircraft happen to find itself intercepted by one of fighters or helicopters, they should immediately come up on frequency 121.5 or 243.0 and turn around to reverse course until receiving additional instructions on one of those frequencies."
Then on Sunday afternoon at approximately 1:15 p.m., another civilian plane entered the restricted zone, and NORAD F-16s were again dispatched, having to deploy flares to get the pilot's attention before escorting him out.
Guillot says there have been more than 20 similar violations in Palm Beach since Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20.
Last weekend, as WorldNetDaily reported, at least three similar incidents took place in a short period of time, as military jets were forced to intercept and escort aircraft away from the area.
In February, another three violations of airspace took place while President Trump was staying at the so-called "Winter White House" at Mar-a-Lago.
The Palm Beach Post reported: "A spokesperson for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, confirmed Wednesday that there were three airspace violations of the imposed presidential protected space during Trump's six-day visit to Mar-a-Lago, his mansion in Palm Beach. Two occurred on Feb. 15 and one on Presidents Day, Feb. 17."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Part of the years-long lawfare war waged by Democrats against Donald Trump, former and now current president, was aimed not just at keeping him from running for the Oval Office again, or putting him in jail, it was to cost him financially and dearly.
What else would explain a New York judge's claim that Trump owed nearly half a billion dollars in a "fraud" case brought against him in which there were no victims, and those who testified about doing business with him wanted to do more business with him.
But now a door has opened that might allow, if state lawmakers in Georgia approve, a path for him to recover some of the defense costs incurred by the multiple Democrat prosecutors' cases that were created against him.
A report at TownHall explains there's a proposal in the Georgia legislature that would allow him to seek compensation for the legal fees he incurred because of Willis' claims.
"The state's Senate unanimously passed the legislation, Senate Bill 244, by a vote of 55 to 0 on Thursday, paving the way for defendants in Georgia to recover attorney-related expenses and other court costs in proceedings where the DA is kicked off a criminal case due to prosecutorial misconduct," the report said.
Fees also could be recovered if a judge dismisses an indictment, and the county where the charges were filed would be liable.
The report noted records show Trump has paid his top attorneys about $2.7 million, and the Georgia GOP spent at least $2 million on the legal defense of other Trump allies.
Willis has been trying to convince the Georgia state Supreme Court to return her to her flailing case against Trump, but no ruling has come yet.
Steve Sadow, a lead lawyer for Trump, said the move, if adopted by the legislature and signed into law, would be a good start. But what he said really would provide an incentive for prosecutors to play by the rules is to hold them individually liable for those expenses.
Democrats also have tried arguing that Willis didn't really commit any misbehavior in her decision to hire her paramour for more than $700,000 to create allegations against Trump, then take exotic vacations with him.
Lawmakers in Georgia, who have tried repeatedly to summon Willis to answer questions, also voted to increase their own authority to issue subpoenas.
Willis repeatedly has blamed racism for her own failures in assembling the Trump case.