This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
What could involve major law enforcement operations, tracking down and arresting illegal aliens, and assignment of National Guard troops, soon could be coming to Chicago, one of the most crime-ridden cities in America.
A report at CNN confirmed the administration of President Donald Trump is making preparations for a "major immigration enforcement operation."
It could be happening as early as in a few days.
The report said the information was from sources "familiar" with the arrangements.
"President Donald Trump and his aides have repeatedly slammed Chicago over policies that limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration enforcement," the report said.
The city still is feeling the effects of the millions and millions of illegal aliens allowed into the country under the administration of Joe Biden, and his open borders practices.
Many ended up in Chicago when authorities in Texas, flooded with wave after wave of border crossers, shipped them north.
Chicago already has been put in a bull's-eye by the Trump administration, which sued over its so-called "sanctuary" practices in which illegal aliens purportedly are protected from federal law.
Now the operations are expected to expand, with officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and possibly other agencies, involved
Reportedly armored vehicles already are being moved to Chicago.
The plan already has been developed and put into operation in Los Angeles, where officers flooded locations where illegal aliens were known to be. Some 5,000 arrests have been made there.
White House border czar Tom Homan said that planning for Chicago was still underway.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, "Without getting into specifics and repeating any operational details, the president has been clear repeatedly that we're going to be prioritizing enforcement in these sanctuary jurisdictions as a matter of public safety and national security."
A report at the Gateway Pundit said it's part of Trump's moves against sanctuary locations.
He said, "I think Chicago will be our next, and then we'll help with New York."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
It's not the biggest move in President Donald Trump's agenda to bring jobs, business, investment and more back into the United States, but every job likely will be an impact for someone.
Now Global News in Canada has announced that a bottler is moving some of its operations from that nation south, into the United States.
The report explained Diageo, a maker of spirits, will reduce operations at a bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ontario, early in 2026.
The jobs will move to the U.S.
The operation bottling Crown Royal products now is set to close in February as part of a strategy for the company that involves making its North American supply chain better.
"Bottling at the Amherstburg facility intended for the U.S. market would be shifting stateside, while bottling for Canadian consumers would move to its Valleyfield, Quebec location," the report said.
In the report, Marsha McIntosh, the company's executive for North American supply, explained, "This was a difficult decision, but one that is crucial to improving the efficiency and resiliency of our supply chain network."
The company promised to "engage" with the community to help employees through its changes.
It reminded Canadians it still will have a "significant" presence in Canada, with its headquarters in the Toronto area and other bottling and distilling operations in Manitoba and Quebec.
The Federal Reserve issued a statement obliquely pushing back on President Trump's shock firing of board member Lisa Cook, which has disturbed business as usual in Washington, D.C.
The central bank didn't directly acknowledge that Trump had fired Cook, instead noting that the Biden appointee is taking legal action to challenge her removal for alleged mortgage fraud.
"As always, the Federal Reserve will abide by any court decision," the Fed said in its statement.
Behind its measured language, the bank insinuated that it views Cook's removal as a threat to the so-called independence of the Fed, which is said to be insulated from politics.
In a pointed comment, the Fed suggested that Cook's firing was improper, noting that Fed governors "may be removed by the president only ‘for cause.'"
“Long tenures and removal protections for governors serve as a vital safeguard, ensuring that monetary policy decisions are based on data, economic analysis, and the long-term interests of the American people,” the Fed spokesperson said.
Trump explained his decision to fire Cook in a letter Monday, citing a mortgage fraud allegation forwarded to the Justice Department that accused Cook of claiming two different homes as her primary residence simultaneously.
Cook's lawyer, former Hunter Biden attorney Abbe Lowell, filed a lawsuit Thursday in Washington D.C., arguing that an unproven allegation does not meet the "for cause" threshold.
The case was assigned to judge Jia Cobb, a Biden appointee, who set a hearing Friday morning to weigh Cook's request.
Lowell noted that Cook is “the first black woman to sit on the Federal Reserve’s Board in its 111-year history."
Lowell further added that even if the allegations are true, they should not count against her because they concern "private" conduct that occurred before she joined the Federal Reserve.
The White House has argued, however, that Cook's alleged conduct is disqualifying for a top financial regulator.
In a statement, White House spokesman Kush Desai said Trump “exercised his lawful authority to remove a governor” based on being “credibly accused of lying in financial documents from a highly sensitive position overseeing financial institutions.”
Congress has given presidents the authority to fire Fed governors "for cause", but no president before Trump has invoked this power.
It is unsurprising that the Fed would assert its long-standing independence against Trump's unprecedented move, but the central bank does not come out looking good, either, by defending a member who it appears has been credibly accused of unethical conduct.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Republicans in California are a minority, often measuring in the 30% range when votes are counted.
Even so, they're still under-represented in Congress, as some 80% of the state's delegation is Democrat.
That means they vote futilely, in elections, as the majority party always gets its way.
But there could be a solution, as Republicans are calling for a change, which would require the approval of Congress, to create a second state made up of California's 35 inland counties.
"I want to take a step back from all of the chaos we had and talk about the forgotten people of California," Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher confirmed.
According to a Center Square report Gallagher and others are working on Assembly Joint Resolution 23, known as the "Two State Solution."
"It would allow the creation of the state under Article, Section 3, of the U.S. Constitution and would require approval by the state Assembly and Senate as well as Congress. Democrats hold supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature, meaning Republicans would have to sway a number of Democrats to back it," the Center Square documented.
Residents of those inland counties now "feel they're victims of the policies of the Democrats" in the state, the report said.
"I think this is about the trucker in the Inland Empire who is told he has to get rid of his truck because of the regulations in this state. I think of the single mom who's trying to get by when the rent's too high and gets her PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) bill, which once again is increased, and struggles to get into that first house because costs are way too high," Gallagher explained.
He explained secession is appropriate because the Democrat legislature has done nothing to make the state more affordable.
The move is being launched just as Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is working with Democrat lawmakers to try to eliminate some of the small representation Republicans in the state now have.
He wants to "redistrict" his state so that Democrats are in the majority in even more districts.
The report said the Democrats' Proposition 50 purportedly would give Democrats an advantage in another five districts, on top of the 30-some they already hold.
"Whether you are from the North State, Central Valley or the Inland Empire, life has become harder and completely unaffordable," Gallagher said. "We have been overlooked for far too long, and now they are trying to rip away what little representation we have left."
The plan is for the new state to have about 10 million residents of Northern California, the Sierra Nevada, Central Valley and Inland Empire. The coast still would belong to Democrats.
Gallagher noted that voters approved splitting the state in two, because of political representation disputes, back in 1859, but nothing happened in Congress because of the Civil War.
Newsom's office responded with a personal attack on Gallagher, claiming he "does not deserve to hold office…"
President Trump's deal to make the federal government a partial owner in the computer company Intel has led to backlash from free market Republicans, who say Trump is dabbling in "socialism" - but the president is pushing ahead.
A handful of Republican senators have voiced complaints about Trump's move to give the U.S. a 10% stake in the company, which was once the top American chipmaker before falling into decline.
"If socialism is government owning the means of production, wouldn't the government owning part of Intel be a step toward socialism? Terrible idea," said Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) wrote.
The Trump administration says its deal with Intel is about national security and keeping America competitive against China - which has a form of state-run capitalism - in the race for artificial intelligence.
Trump has said America "paid nothing" for the shares, which were converted from $11 billion that was pledged by the Biden administration under the CHIPS Act.
"The United States paid nothing for these Shares, and the Shares are now valued at approximately $11 Billion Dollars. This is a great Deal for America and, also, a great Deal for INTEL. Building leading edge Semiconductors and Chips, which is what INTEL does, is fundamental to the future of our Nation. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump wrote in a post.
The overall lack of Republican pushback demonstrates how Trump has nudged the GOP from its "free market" moorings, which have been crucial to the party's identity since the Reagan era.
From Trump's early days as a politician - and even before then - Trump has advocated economic measures that most free market conservatives reject, such as tariffs, which Trump views as a tool to boost domestic manufacturing, enrich the public treasury, and help "forgotten Americans" who were left behind by globalization.
Trump's approach has been called many things - populism, protectionism, mercantilism - but his basic economic instinct is that the system should serve America and its interests. This is anathema to many free market conservatives, who see markets as ends unto themselves - and government interventions as inherently misguided and doomed to failure.
Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is retiring after clashing with Trump, invoked China while criticizing Trump's Intel deal.
"I don't care if it's a dollar or a billion dollar stake," Tillis said. "That starts feeling like a semi-state owned enterprise, à la CCCP. I don't believe that the U.S. government should be picking winners and losers because you won't always be right."
A White House spokesperson said to Newsweek that the administration is "ensuring that taxpayers are able to reap the upside of the federal government's investments into safeguarding our national and economic security."
To some extent, Trump's deviations from economic orthodoxy have been overstated: his "Big, Beautiful Bill" codifies traditional Republican priorities like corporate and individual tax cuts, and he has pushed to deregulate AI.
But Republicans who disapprove of Trump's market interventions should buckle up, because Trump has more coming.
“I will make deals like that for our Country all day long," the president posted on Truth Social. “I want to try and get as much as I can."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The federal government has withdrawn the "emergency authorization" that allowed the COVID shots to be given to Americans without being fully evaluated and tested.
The Food and Drug Administration said it had approved COVID "boosters," but canceled the emergency use authorizations.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of Health and Human Services, confirmed the moves on social media.
He explained he promised to "1. to end covid vaccine mandates. 2. to keep vaccines available to people who want them, especially the vulnerable. 3. to demand placebo-controlled trials from companies. 4. to end the emergency."
He said that now has been accomplished.
"The emergency use authorizations for COVID vaccines, once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration, are now rescinded. FDA has now issued marketing authorization for those at higher risk: Moderna (6+ months), Pfizer (5+), and Novavax (12+). These vaccines are available for all patients who choose them after consulting with their doctors. The American people demanded science, safety, and common sense. This framework delivers all three."
Federal officials, however, including FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and a top vaccine regulator, Vinay Prasad, have suggested the risks of COVID vaccines outweigh the benefits for healthy children and noted that uptake of the shots, both for children and adults, has been low in recent years.
In fact, there have been a long list of side effects linked to COVID shots, including heart ailments, especially in young men. Some of the side effects have proven to be fatal.
Kennedy already has decided months ago to stop recommending the shots for healthy children and pregnant women.
The FDA explained its "Emergency Use Authorization," used get the COVID shots on the market, allowed the "use of unapproved medical products, or unapproved uses of approved medical products in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions when certain statutory criteria have been met, including that there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives."
In fact, however, previously available medications such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin were documented to provide benefits against COVID. The medical deep state, however, constantly belittled them.
According to the Gateway Pundit, "In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Trump administration formally updated the safety labeling on all mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to reflect what many Americans have been warning about for years: a disturbingly high risk of myocarditis—particularly in young men—and the possibility of long-term, irreversible heart damage. The revised warnings apply to both Pfizer's Comirnaty and Moderna's Spikevax vaccines and follow months of mounting pressure over transparency and accountability regarding the true risks of these experimental injections."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A Wisconsin judge's claim to have absolute immunity again charges she helped an illegal alien criminal escape from ICE agents waiting outside her courtroom to arrest him has failed.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman has adopted a recommendation from U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph that Hannah Dugan's motion to dismiss the criminal case against her because of "immunity" should be denied, according to a report in the Washington Examiner.
The decision means the prosecution will continue, opening the door for a possible plea bargain, or ultimately a trial and if there's a conviction, a sentencing.
"There is no basis for granting immunity simply because some of the allegations in the indictment describe conduct that could be considered 'part of a judge's job.' As the magistrate judge noted, the same is true in the bribery prosecutions, concededly valid, where the judges were prosecuted for performing official acts intertwined with bribery," the judge said.
"Even if a more limited version of judicial immunity exists, it does not support dismissal of the instant indictment."
Dugan had claimed that her "judicial immunity" prevented the Department of Justice from even investigating her.
Adelman also set a hearing for Sept. 3 to address scheduling for the case.
Dugan was on video instructing ICE agents to go elsewhere, then she allowed Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal alien before her court on charges of attacking other people, out a private back door of her courtroom, leading to a nonpublic area of the courthouse.
Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit judge, now faces obstruction charges.
Joseph had concluded, "A judge's actions, even when done in her official capacity, do not bar criminal prosecution if the actions were done in violation of the criminal law."
The charges carry a maximum prison term of six years and a fine of $350,000 if there's a conviction.
Constitutional expert Jonathan Turley pointed out that Dugan has a "lack of a credible defense."
"Indeed, despite having high-powered lawyers such as Paul Clement, her recent social media posts seem more like a pitch for jury nullification."
He noted the criminal complaint explains "a six-person arrest team (including an ICE officer, a Customs and Border Protection officer, two FBI special agents, and two DEA agents) came to the courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican immigrant facing three misdemeanor battery counts they intended to deport. He is accused of hitting someone 30 times during a fight that erupted over complaints that his music was too loud and assaulting three separate individuals, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported."
Flores-Ruiz had been deported previously and came back illegally again, a felony, so he was issued an order for expedited removal, which means he could be deported with no further court hearings.
Dugan facilitated his escape, then was arrested and charged with obstruction.
"Recently, Dugan went public with an interview that notably lacked any discernible defense, other than stating that she helps defendants use the 'backdoor' when she considers circumstances that 'warrant it,'" the report said.
Turley explained, "The lack of any cognizable claim in Dugan's public pitch suggests that she might be hoping for a juror to simply vote to acquit as a visceral or political statement. This is a liberal jury pool where jury nullification must be a concern for prosecutors even though such an argument cannot be made overtly by the defense to the jurors."
It was reported only a day earlier that Dugan had been given nearly $50,000 from taxpayers in paychecks during the time she's been suspended from her duties.
"Meanwhile, Dugan has established a legal defense fund to pay for a high-powered team of lawyers that includes former Solicitor General Paul Clement and former federal prosecutor Steve Biskupic. In its first three weeks, the fund had raised nearly $140,000, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Dugan doesn't have to report on who gave what until next year, the news outlet reported," according to a report by Federalist.
The charges against Dugan confirm she was "visibly angry" after being informed that ICE agents were waiting to apprehend the suspect.
"After sending the law enforcement officials to the chief judge's office, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his legal counsel out of the courtroom through the 'jury door,' which leads to a non-public area of the courthouse," the Federalist said, citing the charges.
In an interview later, she admitted she had the suspect leave "out the back door."
WND has reported a grand jury accused Dugan of knowingly concealing a person for whose arrest a warrant and process had been issued, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1071. She is charged in Count Two with obstruction of the United States Department of Homeland Security's removal proceedings, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505.
The records show, "Dugan knowingly concealed E.F.R., a person for whose arrest a warrant and process had been issued under the provisions of the law of the United States, so as to prevent the discovery and arrest of E.F.R., after notice and knowledge of the fact that a warrant and process had been issued for the apprehension of E.F.R., in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1071; Count Two On or about April 18, 2025, Dugan did corruptly endeavor to influence, obstruct, and impede the due and proper administration of the law under which a pending proceeding was being had before a department and agency of the United States, namely the administrative arrest of E.F.R. for purposes of removal proceedings conducted by the United States Department of Homeland Security, by committing affirmative acts to assist E.F.R. to evade arrest, including: a) confronting members of a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Task Force and falsely telling them they needed a judicial warrant to effectuate the arrest of E.F.R.; b) upon learning that they had an administrative warrant for E.F.R.'s arrest, directing all identified members of the ICE Task Force to leave…"
WND reported when a video showed Dugan's actions, sending two federal agents waiting to take an illegal into custody packing.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The gunman in a horrific shooting at a Catholic church and school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing at least two children and injuring 17 others has been identified as a transgender individual Robin Westman, formerly known as Robert Westman.
Westman opened fire through the stained glass windows of Annunciation Catholic Church during a back-to-school Mass filled with children 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. The assailant died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the back of the church.
KARE-TV reporter A.J. Lagoe reports Westman's mother "is believed to have worked at the church or school."
Westman underwent a legal name change in 2020, with his parents apparently signing off on the identity switch.
A series of videos linked to Westman have been posted online, including the individual holding weapons and ammunition marked with disturbing messages including: "Kill Donald Trump," "For the children," and "Where is your God?"
The manifesto posted online attributed to Westman voice an apparent final message for friends and family.
"I don't expect forgiveness and I don't expect any apology. I have to hold much weight, but to my family and those close to me, I do apologize for the effects my actions will have on your lives," the note begins.
"Please know I care for all of you so much and it pains me to bring this storm of chaos into your lives. This will affect so many more people than the ones that are immediately involved."
"I have wanted this for so long. I am not well. I am not right. I am a sad person haunted by these thoughts that do not go away. I know this is wrong but I can't seem to stop myself.
"I am severely depressed and have been suicidal for years. Only recently have I lost all hope and decided to perform my final action against this world. I don't want to kneel down for the injustices of this world. I want to die. I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees, constantly in pain."
"I think I am dying of cancer. It's a tragic end, as it's entirely self-inflicted. I did this to myself as I cannot control myself and have been destroying my body through vaping and other means.
"I think I have lung cancer. I have felt many pains that make me think I am past the point of recovery. I do not want to recover. I do not want to throw my life away by rotting in a hospital bed. I don't want the rest of my life to be as a cancer patient, in and out of hospitals, constantly being fretted about with people afraid to be too happy around me. F*** that!
"I want to go out on my own means. Unfortunately, due to my depression, anger and twisted mind, I want to fulfill in a final act that has been in the back of my head for years."
Two years ago, as WorldNetDaily reported, another high-profile transgender shooting at a Christian school in Tennessee made national headlines.
On March 27, 2023, shooter Audrey Hale, a woman identifying as a man, entered The Covenant School in Nashville and killed three nine-year-old students and three adults: an administrator, substitute teacher, and a custodian.
In a landmark move, the Colorado legislature has approved funding to support Medicaid reimbursements for reproductive healthcare providers, including those offering abortions, JustTheNews reported.
The passage of Senate Bill 25B-2 is designed to mitigate the impact of recent federal cuts to Medicaid funding.
Last Friday, the Colorado Senate gave its nod to SB 25B-2, followed closely by the House's approval on Sunday with a vote tally of 43-19. The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Jared Polis to become law.
Senate Bill 25B-2 emerges as a direct countermeasure to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which has reduced federal Medicaid funding for entities like Planned Parenthood. This federal act prompted state governments to reassess their approach to funding reproductive health services.
The bill permits the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to draw approximately $4.4 million from the state's General Fund. This allocation will be used specifically to ensure that providers denied federal funding continue to receive support.
Primarily, Democratic legislators pushed the bill through both houses, showcasing the prevalent party support despite robust Republican opposition, primarily concerned with the financial implications of the bill.
The partisan divide was evident in the legislative process, with Democrats advocating for the bill as a necessary step to protect healthcare rights following federal changes. In contrast, Republicans contested the fiscal strain imposed by the additional state funding.
Jack Teter, Vice President of Government Affairs at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, lauded the legislature's decision. He stated, "The Colorado legislation was essential to protecting Coloradans’ right to care," underscoring the significance of the bill in safeguarding access to healthcare services amidst federal cutbacks.
This bill highlights a crucial arena where state policy is being adapted to shield residents from the broader strokes of federal legislation that affect healthcare provision directly.
The financial implications of SB 25B-2 are substantial yet deemed necessary by its proponents. The nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff forecasts the immediate fiscal impact to be around $4.4 million for the current year, a figure that has stirred financial debate among legislators.
However, supporters argue that the investment is critical to maintaining comprehensive healthcare services for Colorado's Medicaid beneficiaries, particularly those needing reproductive health services that might otherwise be hampered by federal funding cuts.
In anticipation of Governor Polis' endorsement, stakeholders from various sectors are closely monitoring the implications of this legislative move, which could set a precedent for other states facing similar federal funding challenges.
If signed into law, SB 25B-2 is set to ensure that, despite federal adjustments, Colorado residents will continue to receive essential healthcare services without interruption. This state-level initiative reflects a growing trend among states taking proactive steps to fill gaps left by federal policy adjustments.
The enactment of this bill could prompt similar legislative endeavors in other states, reflecting a potential shift towards more localized control over healthcare funding, particularly in areas impacted by national policy changes.
This landmark decision marks a significant moment in Colorado's legislative history, setting a framework for future debates over state versus federal control of healthcare funding and the ongoing discourse on reproductive rights within the United States.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
(The Center Square) – California, New Mexico and Washington could risk losing federal funding if they fail to enforce English language proficiency requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday.
The move comes on the heels of an Aug. 12 deadly Florida Turnpike crash involving an 18-wheeler making an unauthorized U-turn. The driver, Harjinder Singh, failed an ELP assessment during an interview with the Federal Motor Carrier Administration following the accident. Singh missed 10 of 12 verbal questions on the proficiency test and was only able to correctly identify one of four traffic signs, according to officials.
During a Tuesday morning news conference, Duffy said the DOT is giving the three states 30 days to comply before withholding "up to 100% of funding" from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.
"States don't get to pick and choose which federal safety rules to follow," said Duffy. "As we saw with the horrific Florida crash that killed three, when states fail to enforce the law, they put the driving public in danger. Under President Trump's leadership, we are taking aggressive action to close these safety gaps, hold states accountable, and make sure every commercial driver on the road is qualified to operate a 40-ton vehicle."
The DOT says that an investigation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found "significant failures" by the three states to "properly place drivers out-of-service for ELP violations." They added that the California Highway Patrol has "publicly stated it has no intention of following this important federal regulation."
The DOT noted multiple ELP violations involving the three states between June 25 and Aug. 12. Duffy signed an order in May providing guidelines to "strengthen" English proficiency enforcement for truckers.
The secretary's latest announcement comes as Duffy pushes a DOT nationwide audit of "non-domiciled commercial driver's license issuance."
Singh was ruled to be an unauthorized alien by Florida Judge Lauren Sweet. Singh reportedly entered the U.S. via the southern border illegally in 2018 and was able to obtain a CDL in California. His attempts to obtain work authorization were rejected in 2020 by the first Trump administration, according to Homeland Security.
Singh is due back in court on Wednesday and is facing six charges – three each of vehicular homicide and manslaughter. He was denied bail after being deemed a "flight risk."