This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A settlement agreement has been approved by council members in Castle Hills, Texas, and the vote brings to an end a years-long fight over the retaliatory arrest of a former councilwoman.
According to the Institute for Justice, the vote follows a landmark free speech victory at the Supreme Court by Sylvia Gonzalez in 2024.
That decision revived her First Amendment retaliation claim and sent the case back to federal district court. With this vote, the case is over and Sylvia's victory against the city is now final, explained the IJ.
"The council's vote closes one chapter for Castle Hills and opens a new chapter for free speech," said Anya Bidwell, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice who argued Sylvia's case before the Supreme Court. "The First Amendment doesn't come with handcuffs. This outcome sends a message to officials everywhere: if you retaliate against critics, you can be held to account."
The deal involves city payment of about a half a million dollars and also a commitment from officials to work with the Texas Municipal League to offer a statewide training on First Amendment retaliation.
Reportedly up to 1,100 cities will learn the lessons of the fight.
"It's been more than five years, and today I can finally breathe," Gonzalez said, in a statement. "I never wanted to end up in a Supreme Court fight, but I kept going because what happened to me shouldn't happen to anyone. Those who went after me have been held accountable. I didn't do this just for myself. I'm proud that this win will make it easier for ordinary people to stand up when officials try to punish them for speaking out."
The attacks on her began after she was elected the first Hispanic councilwoman and helped spearhead a citizen petition calling for the removal of the city manager.
During a heated council meeting, Sylvia was accused of briefly and inadvertently having the petition among her papers – an allegation the city used to orchestrate her arrest under a rarely used law.
Prosecutors dismissed the charge but not before the authorities confined her to jail for a day.
She then charged retaliation in her arrest – for her criticism of city officials.
The Supreme Court agreed.
"Now as always, retaliation by government officials is a clear threat to our constitutional rights," said Will Aronin, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice. "By sticking her neck out and fighting back, Sylvia paved the way for countless others to hold power to account. This settlement closes the chapter on her story, but it will live on as binding precedent—and as a testament to Sylvia's courage."
Two members of a submarine crew have been detained after President Donald Trump's latest Caribbean boat strike, making this the first time that anyone has survived the president's bombing campaign against suspected drug vessels.
The two survivors were rescued by helicopter and are being detained on an American ship, ABC News reported.
Speaking with reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said that a drug-carrying submarine had been taken out, and no "innocent" lives were lost. This is now the sixth boat strike since September.
Latin American drug lords commonly use custom-designed submarines, or "narco-subs," to transport large shipments of cocaine and other illicit drugs over sea.
"We attacked a submarine," Trump said, saying the vessel was designed to carry "massive amounts" of drugs. "Just so you understand. This was not an innocent group of people,” he said. “I don’t know too many people that have submarines. That was an attack on a drug-carrying, loaded-up submarine.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more details would be released later Friday and that the people on board were “terrorists.”
Trump has taken an aggressive military posture in the Americas in order to stop the flow of deadly drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Democrats in Congress have attempted to limit Trump's war powers as critics accuse him of conducting illegal extrajudicial killings of potentially innocent people.
Meanwhile, the military commander who oversees operations in Latin America is stepping down. Admiral Alvin Holsey is reportedly retiring at the end of the year.
The Pentagon dismissed a New York Times report that said Holsey voiced concerns about the boat strikes. “This is a total lie. Never happened. There was no hesitation or concerns about this mission,” said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
Trump's Caribbean campaign is part of a show of force against Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, whom Trump accuses of covertly funneling deadly drugs to the United States.
The presisdent's buildup in Latin America has brought thousands of troops to the region, along with guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, and a nuclear submarine.
This week, Trump confirmed that he is considering direct strikes on land as he authorizes the CIA to conduct operations inside Venezuela, fueling speculation of a plan to topple Maduro.
"We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea under control,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“A lot of Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea. So you get to see that, but we’re going to stop them by land also," he added.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) suffered a fall at the Capitol on Thursday while he was being confronted by left-wing protesters.
The incident was captured on film by activists with the Sunrise Movement, who approached the 83-year-old Republican to question him about President Trump's immigration raids, the New York Post reported.
He was quickly helped to his feet and is reportedly doing fine.
In a video of the incident, McConnell was seen walking through a hallway as a woman approached to ask if he supports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "kidnapping" people.
Sen. Mitch McConnell fell in the Russell basement, while being questioned my members of The Sunrise Movement, who took this video. pic.twitter.com/BeGNEE5SgP
— Erik Rosales (@ErikRosalesNews) October 16, 2025
Moments later, McConnell lost his balance and fell to the ground.
After getting back up with help from his aide and a Capitol Police officer, McConnell turned to the person filming, waved, and shuffled away.
McConnell, a defense hawk, went on to vote for a full-year spending bill for the military that failed 50-44. Republicans proposed the bill to bring pressure on Democrats to end the government shutdown, which is now in its third week.
“He’s all good,” McConnell’s spokesperson told The New York Post. “[He] went on to vote and [is] ready to vote again … to see if Dems decide to fund our nation’s defense priorities or not.”
McConnell announced his retirement in February following a series of falls and a few incidents of blank staring that raised health concerns.
In 2023, McConnell was hospitalized after a fall that left him with a fractured rib and a concussion. When he eventually returned to work, he had two separate incidents of freezing up at press conferences that prompted more questions.
Last December, McConnell sprained his wrist and cut his face after a fall at a Republican lunch. Months later, in February 2025, McConnel fell down a set of stairs at the Capitol.
McConnell still has more than a year left of work before he retires in January 2027.
The veteran lawmaker, who led his party in the Senate for almost two decades, plans to use his remaining time in Congress to advance his hawkish defense agenda, the Lexington Herald Leader reported.
“I can guarantee Ronald Reagan would roll over in his grave if he knew that we were reluctant to give the Ukrainians what they need to shoot Russia,” McConnell said at a recent event.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
John Bolton, formerly an official in President Donald Trump's first term who after he was removed from his post unleashed vicious criticism of the president, has pleaded not guilty to a long list of serious charges.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of mishandling classified materials.
He was accused of transmitting and retaining national defense information, "over allegations he sent 'diary-like entries' to two relatives about his day-to-day as Trump's adviser and kept classified records at his home in a Maryland suburb after leaving the position," said the Hill.
"Not guilty, your honor," Bolton said during a court appearance in Greenbelt, Md., on Friday.
The report noted, "Bolton is the third of President Trump's proclaimed foes to face federal charges from his Justice Department."
He is facing 18 counts.
He agreed to surrender his passport to counsel and was ordered released after processing. The next hearing in the case is set for Nov. 21.
A federal grand jury in Maryland indicted Bolton, who served during Trump's first term from April 2018 to September 2019.
The Daily Caller News Foundation revealed documents with "confidential" and "secret" markings "were found inside Bolton's Washington, D.C. office during an Aug. 22 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid, including some with references to weapons of mass destruction, according to a September court filing. Federal agents searched Bolton's Maryland home that same day but did not find classified materials at the location."
"These materials, many of which are documents that had been previously approved as part of a pre-publication review for Amb. Bolton's book, were reviewed and closed years ago," Bolton's attorney Abbe Lowell previously has said.
The DOJ resumed investigating him for possibly infringing the law over Bolton's book, which he used to level scathing criticism at Trump.
Previously indicted were ex-FBI chief James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress, and Democrat New York Attorney James over alleged mortgage fraud.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In a case that is believed to be the first time an indictment has been handed down against members of Antifa, the 'left-wing terrorist organization" that has been striking over and over at America, two defendants are accused of helping plan an attack on a federal facility in Texas.
And constitutional professor and expert Jonathan Turley, who has advised Congress in constitutional disputes and even has represented members, pointed out the irony.
Because, he explained, that according to many extremists on the left, there is no such thing as "Antifa."
"I recently wrote about the effort of leading politicians, pundits, and the press to deny the existence of Antifa as violence on the left rises around the country. Even Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) insisted that 'nobody' knows what the left-wing terrorist organization Antifa is and that it does not exist," he explained.
He noted Ellison is on record promoting the "Antifa Handbook" and praising the organization, while Rep. Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, dared "anyone" to name a single member of Antifa.
Done, the Justice Department has now confirmed.
Prosecutors, in fact, have named Cameron Arnold and Zachary Evetts, two Texas men, for "helping orchestrate" the attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas on July 4.
"They are charged with providing material support to terrorists, attempted murder of officers and employees of the U.S., and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence," the report explained.
"On the night of July 4, several masked individuals dressed in black vandalized vehicles and security cameras in the ICE parking lot and then opened fire on an Alvarado police officer who approached them, seriously wounding one officer.
Arnold allegedly yelled, "Get to the rifles," and the indictment explains, "Seconds later, coconspirator-1 [Arnold] opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado officer in the neck area as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. The wounded officer fell to the ground but was able to return a few shots. Coconspirator-1 continued to fire additional rounds until his rifle jammed. The attackers then left the scene."
It is the DOJ that now has defined Antifa "as a militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to a revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology, which explicitly calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law."
Turley noted that in his book, "The Indispensable Right, Free Speech in an Age of Rage," that Antifa is "the most violent, anti-free speech group in the nation."
He said the organization, by design, avoids structures and dates back a century, but always has worked for anonymity and secrecy to violate, and avoid, the law.
Turley noted, "Former House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) was widely ridiculed for denying the existence of Antifa. Others on the left have joined Goldman in this absurd claim. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel committed part of his monologue to assure viewers that Antifa is no more than a mythical 'chupacabra.'"
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's plane made an emergency landing in England over a cracked windshield, the Daily Mail reported.
The incident occurred as Hegseth was returning from a trip to Europe, where he gave a stern warning to Russia over the war in Ukraine.
According to reports, Hegseth's C-32 jet was flying over the Atlantic when it was forced to turn back for an unscheduled stop in the United Kingdom. No one was injured.
"On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe," said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
Hegseth confirmed he is doing fine in a post, writing, "All good. Thank God. Continue mission!"
During his meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, Hegseth warned that America will "impose costs" on Russia if necessary.
“If there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression,” Hegseth said. “If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do.”
Trump is facing a critical decision as Ukraine seeks Tomahawk missiles from the U.S. that are capable of striking deep into Russia.
When asked about Tomahawks on Thursday, Trump said "we can't deplete" the US stockpile, noting "we need them too... so I don't know what we can do about that."
Trump will host Ukraine's President Zelensky at the White House on Friday, and their meeting is expected to be much friendlier than Trump's Oval Office smackdown in February, when Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance upbraided Zelensky for failing to show gratitude for U.S. support.
Since then, Trump has pivoted sharply towards a more pro-Ukrainian stance as he grows frustrated with Vladimir Putin for prolonging the war with his continued military aggression.
Last month, Trump expressed his view that Ukraine could win back all of its land from Russia, which Trump called a "paper tiger."
But Trump is not abandoning diplomacy, either.
A day before meeting with Zelensky, Trump announced that he and Putin had a "very productive" talk and that they will meet soon in Hungary to continue negotiating.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A nurse arrested for driving under the influence has been dismissed from her job after a video of her being taken into custody confirmed she promised the officers she would let them "die."
"I'm a f—— nurse. When you come through my hospital, don't worry, I'll let you die. All your family members, and this is all on recording," the video reveals her to be saying.
According to a report at Law & Crime, the nurse was identified as Crystal Tadlock, who used to work at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital in Houston.
She was stopped and arrested by police from the Magnolia, Texas, department.
Tadlock allegedly added, "Greater Heights, b—. Don't go there."
The arrest documentation, Law & Crime said, charged that she was pulled over for speeding.
"[Tadlock] stated she was unaware she was traveling 66 mph and mentioned she was returning home from a concert at the Cynthia Woods Pavilion," the report alleges. "She indicated she had dropped off friends who had been drinking and was on her way home."
The officer reported a smell of alcohol coming from the vehicle when he pulled her over, and she allegedly failed field sobriety tests.
"During transport, Crystal became increasingly belligerent, making derogatory remarks and threats. She initially stated that the reason I was doing this was because ICE had not picked me up yet. Crystal also made racist comments about my ethnicity and stated that she is going to be getting out of this because she is white. She also stated that she had an issue with me because I was not white," the arresting officer reported.
The hospital, when officials were given details, released a statement that the employee was suspended pending investigation, and subsequently terminated.
"Once she arrived at jail, staff stated that she had also made the same comment to them that she uttered earlier, saying 'that if any of them went to the hospital where she works, she would ensure they die as well,' according to the arrest report," Law & Order said.
Police officials claimed there is "no excuse" for such actions.
The arrest of a pair of criminal illegal immigrants in Virginia is drawing attention to the lingering impact of the Biden-era border crisis, as Democrats continue to provide safe harbor to dangerous foreigners.
Two teenagers from Honduras were charged with shooting up a busy suburban highway, the Department of Homeland Security said. They were charged with shooting from a vehicle, possession of a firearm under age 18, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reckless handling of a firearm, Fox News reported.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the two "thugs" entered the United States as unvetted unaccompanied alien children (UACs) during the Biden administration, which oversaw a record-breaking, uncontrolled influx of illegal aliens, including alien children.
The two suspects, both 17-year-olds from Honduras, led police on a dangerous high-speed chase on Interstate 295 on October 5.
ICE moved to deport them after they were arrested and sent to the Merrimac Juvenile Detention Center in Williamsburg, where the pair is currently in custody.
A Hanover County Sheriff's deputy had noticed the suspects' silver BMW speeding northbound on I-295 and matched the vehicle to a reported shooting.
A police pursuit ended with the two teens crashing their car on a side street, sources told Fox.
“These criminal illegal alien thugs whipped around in their BMW with complete neglect for the safety of Virginians when they decided to open fire on an interstate highway,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
“These illegal aliens were released unvetted by the Biden Administration into our country. ICE lodged an arrest detainer to ensure these public safety threats are not released back onto Virginia’s roads. We are not going to allow criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens.”
Almost a year out from the Democrats' losses in 2024, the party is doubling down on unpopular anti-ICE and open border policies, while Republicans seek to highlight the immigration issue to their advantage.
Despite border crossings dropping to historic lows under President Trump, aliens who entered the United States under Biden continue to cause havoc, especially in Democratic "sanctuary" jurisdictions.
Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP candidate in Virginia's high-stakes gubernatorial race, tied Democratic opponent Abigail Spanberger to the October 5 highway shooting.
"Two illegal aliens—released due to Joe Biden and Abigail Spanberger’s failed open border policies and sanctuary agenda—opened fire on Virginia police. Abigail Spanberger can’t run from this—she’s is responsible for it," Earle-Sears wrote on X.
During a televised debate this month, Spanberger insisted she would "absolutely" cooperate with ICE to take down illegal immigrants wanted for criminal offenses. Still, Spanberger has pledged to reverse an immigration order from term-limited governor Glenn Youngkin (R) that directs local police to assist federal immigration officials.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
While President Donald Trump is usually complimentary of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, often saying she's doing a great job, the commander in chief again on Sunday called her out for lack of action concerning the revelation of 274 FBI agents in the Capitol crowd on Jan. 6, 2021.
Before his trip to the Middle East on Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social: "THE BIDEN FBI PLACED 274 AGENTS INTO THE CROWD ON JANUARY 6.
"If this is so, which it is, a lot of very good people will be owed big apologies. What a SCAM – DO SOMETHING!!!"
Christopher Wray, the former FBI director, lied under oath when he told Congress he was not aware of any FBI agents in the crowd.
"Chris Wray lied to the American public," noted Jim Hoft at the Gateway Pundit. "He set up the good American patriots who attended January 6th protest and then sat silent as the Biden DOJ ruined their lives."
"Pam Bondi needs to act! She cannot continue to run out the clock and allow there to be no consequences for the lawlessness of the Deep State operatives who hoped to take down the sitting president and destroy our country in the process."
As Trump urges Bondi to take action over the government actions in the mayhem of Jan. 6, he previously called her out as "all talk, no action" over the progress on investigations into former FBI Director James Comey, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California, and Democratic Attorney General Letitia James of New York.
"Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, 'same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, Leticia??? They're all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,'" Trump posted. "Then we almost put in a Democrat supported U.S. Attorney, in Virginia, with a really bad Republican past. A Woke RINO, who was never going to do his job. That's why two of the worst Dem Senators PUSHED him so hard."
"He even lied to the media and said he quit, and that we had no case. No, I fired him, and there is a GREAT CASE, and many lawyers, and legal pundits, say so," Trump continued. "Lindsey Halligan is a really good lawyer, and likes you, a lot. We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!! President DJT"
China will always do whatever it takes to infiltrate any level of U.S. government, and its spies are everywhere. One Foreign Service Officer (FSO) was just fired by the Trump administration for having a romantic relationship with the daughter of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) affiliate.
According to Breitbart, Daniel Choi, a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, was terminated by Sec. of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump after undercover video surfaced that showed him admitting his secret relationship.
James O’Keefe’s undercover journalists caught Choi making the bombshell admission, and the video quickly made its way through the Trump administration and ended with a firing.
The O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) made the video public.
The video was damning, to say the least. In it, Choi admitted the secret romantic relationship and even said, “I defied my government for love."
🇺🇸 Secretary of State Marco Rubio has fired Daniel Choi, a State Department Foreign Service officer who admitted in an undercover video that he had a romantic relationship with a woman linked to the 🇨🇳 CCP.
“Today, after Presidential review and approval, the Secretary of State… https://t.co/vgpxitalNn pic.twitter.com/qWC9UaVyM1
— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) October 9, 2025
The U.S. State Department issued a statement on the situation, noting that President Trump signed off on the termination.
“After Presidential review and approval, the Secretary of State has terminated a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) who concealed a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with ties to the Chinese Community Party," the State Department said.
Breitbart noted:
A Department spokesperson told OMG that to their knowledge, this firing marks the first time such an action was taken, citing President Trump’s Executive Order 14211 for making the termination possible.
The outlet added:
Executive Order 14211 states that “All officers or employees charged with implementing the foreign policy of the United States must, under Article II, do so under the direction and authority of the President.”
“Failure to faithfully implement the President’s policy is grounds for professional discipline, including separation,” President Trump’s executive order adds.
Users across social media weighed in on the firing, with many applauding the revelation.
"The Daniel Choi case isn’t an isolated slip-up—it’s a symptom of systemic rot. Look at Linda Sun, Hochul’s aide funneling CCP cash into NY politics, or Elaine Fan’s family legacy of CCP propaganda. These aren’t coincidences," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "This highlights the risk of personal connections in international relations."
Thankfully, this one was noticed and caught. There are probably many more like it.