A man has pleaded guilty to unsafely operating a drone that collided with firefighting aircraft during the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
Peter Tripp Akemann agreed to a plea deal that would see him pay full restitution for the damage on the plane and do 150 hours of community service in wildfire relief in exchange for no time in prison.
Acting U.S. attorney Joseph McNally confirmed the details of the plea deal for the charges Akemann faced that carried a potential sentence of one year in prison.
Akemann's unsafe drone operation resulted in a collision that grounded a firefighting aircraft for several days in early January while wildfires devastated the affluent Pacific Palisades area.
As there was no evidence suggesting Akemann acted with malicious intent in operating his drone in an unsafe manner, prosecutors were willing to negotiate for no prison time.
While Akemann had no malicious intent, Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, stated "Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges."
The aircraft that hit Akemann's drone was from Canada and owned by the Government of Quebec and Akemann has agreed to pay $65,000 in repair costs.
On January 9th, Akemann launched his drone from a parking structure in Santa Monica and flew it over 1.5 miles toward the Palisades Fire.
At a certain point, Akemann lost sight of the drone after which the drone then hit the wing of a Super Scooper firefighting plane punching a hole in the plane's left wing.
Thanks to the skilled actions of the pilots, they were able to land the aircraft safely despite the hole in the wing averting a potential tragedy that could have cost the lives of the two pilots as well as others had the plane crashed in an urban area.
While the plane survived, it was grounded for days restricting the ability of firefighters to contain the out of control wildfires that consumed thousands of structures.
Private citizens operating drones must pay attention to emergency orders in case authorities issue a grounding order for all personal craft.
During firefighting operations, drones must be grounded to avoid collision with helicopters and planes which are a key asset in fighting massive wildfires.
Davis explained, "The FAA has very strict guidelines about registering drones and where drones can be flown. The onus is on the pilot, if firefighters are putting out a fire with aircraft that should be a clue."
Hopefully, Akemann's case will be a reminder to all private operators to make better decisions and not interfere with firefighting operations by compromising the airspace.
President Trump's aggressive push to reform the federal government has reached the FBI, where at least six top officials have been told to resign or face termination.
The individuals affected were at the executive assistant director level or special agent in charge level, CNN reported, and were promoted by former director Christopher Wray, who resigned before Trump took office. Dozens of FBI agents who worked on the prosecutions against Trump are also facing termination, CNN reported.
A current FBI official complained to NBC News that the shakeup is "highly disruptive," a description the Trump administration would probably agree with.
Trump has repeatedly pledged to clean house at the FBI and turn the page on a dark era of weaponized government. The Justice Department has already fired a dozen lawyers who worked with Special Counsel Jack Smith on the unsuccessful, and unprecedented, effort to prosecute Trump during his re-election campaign against former President Biden and, later, vice president Kamala Harris.
The Justice Department ordered an additional round of firings Friday, terminating over a dozen D.C. prosecutors who worked on January 6th cases. Trump's acting deputy US Attorney General Emil Bove blasted "subversive" last-minute attempts by the Biden administration to make those jobs permanent.
“I will not tolerate subversive personnel actions by the previous Administration at any U.S. Attorney’s Office. Too much is at stake,” Bove added.
CNN reported Friday that dozens of FBI agents who worked on the Trump and January 6th cases are also facing termination. The purge has rattled FBI insiders, who say individual agents have little control over their caseloads and in some instances were reluctant to move forward with the politically sensitive investigations.
Still, the FBI's troubling interventions in politics - including the infamous raid of the president's Florida home - have convinced many that a clean slate is needed to restore trust in the agency.
President Trump has been feuding with the FBI for years, beginning with the agency's unprecedented surveillance of Trump's 2016 campaign on the basis of spurious opposition research collected by Trump's rival Hillary Clinton.
The FBI's public reputation was further tarnished by its handling of Hunter Biden's laptop, the notorious raid of Mar-A-Lago, and efforts to combat so-called domestic terrorism that targeted conservative parents and traditional Catholics.
The news of Trump's FBI purge was leaked Thursday as his FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, was grilled by Senate Democrats over his loyalty to the president. Patel pledged to "de-politicize" the FBI and disavowed any plans to pursue retribution against Trump's political enemies.
"I have no interest, no desire, and will not, if confirmed, go backwards," Patel said at his confirmation hearing. "There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Members on a list of leading FBI executives have been ordered to retire, resign, or be fired as early as Monday, according to reports.
CNN confirmed that the notifications extend "a purge that began last week at the Justice Department across the street."
It reported the officials "are at the executive assistant director level or special agent in charge level and include those who oversee cyber, national security and criminal investigations."
At DiscernReport was the explanation that the "significant shakeup" includes a "clear intent by the Trump administration to reshape the leadership of these key law enforcement agencies."
Officials overseeing the transition to the new administration of President Donald Trump have been positive about their plans to address those who were promoted by ex-FBI chief Christopher Wray.
Already, the lawyers in the Department of Justice who worked on special counsel Jack Smith's lawfare cases against Trump and been relieved of their duties, and FBI agents who worked on those cases now also are concerned and "are on edge."
Those cases included federal charges against Trump because of his opinions about the 2020 election process and his possession of presidential papers after he left office.
Smith and his team assembled a long list of felonies to sling against Trump, when in fact the same DOJ found Joe Biden had held government papers to which he was not entitled after his vice presidency, but gave him a pass on the offenses.
The changes already had begun before the latest development, the report said.
It said with the departure of the FBI's top chiefs, "Tom Ferguson, a former agent and aide to Rep. Jim Jordan, known for his critical stance against the FBI, has recently joined the FBI headquarters as a policy adviser, further illustrating the administration's direction."
Fox News said the notice apparently was given "to senior employees promoted under … Wray."
Ivanka Trump volunteered in Los Angeles for hours, helping those affected by the recent California disasters with practical necessities and offering moral support, as Page Six reported.
The again-first daughter came to the devastated area just days after her newly-reelected father once again took up his residence in the White House.
She helped fire-affected families at the LA Dream Center and Expressions Church as part of her work with the charity group CityServe.
Trump, like the rest of her family, is no stranger to the glitz and glamour of life in the Golden State. With their considerable wealth and connections, the line between the Trumps and Los Angeles has traditionally been strong.
Ivanka was seen working with volunteers during her visit in casual clothes consisting of jeans, sneakers, and a black windbreaker jacket.
Wearing an apron and disposable gloves, she distributed emergency supplies like diapers and food while also seen providing hot meals to fire victims in the kitchen.
One photo even shows her helping to load a carton of supplies into cars for low-income households.
In a recent statement, CityServe’s co-founder, Dave Donaldson, highlighted the significant impact of Ivanka’s efforts.
It was noted that she dedicated significant time to connecting with victims, providing them with support and attentively listening to their accounts, proving an outstanding level of empathy.
“Many of the families Ivanka helped have lost everything,” Donaldson said in a statement posted on Instagram.
“Their needs are desperate. Ivanka wrapped her arms around them and listened to their stories with enormous empathy.”
Donaldson commended Ivanka for her commitment and the extensive time she devoted to community service.
The statement continued, "She spent hours encouraging volunteers and first responders and distributing emergency supplies to families at Expression Church and the LA Dream Center.”
On the same day, actor Ben Affleck was spotted lending a hand at a homeless encampment alongside a team of staffers.
The Palisades Fire has devastated more than 23,000 acres in Pacific Palisades, while the Eaton Fire has impacted the Altadena area, resulting in numerous individuals being left homeless or compelled to evacuate their residences.
President Donald Trump has been clear that he believes the mismanagement of resources is what caused the intense devastation.
Among the notable figures affected by recent events are Paris Hilton, Heidi Montag, and Spencer Pratt, all of whom have reported losing their homes.
Fashion editor Anna Wintour is continuing her feud with Melania Trump, using Vogue to launch a vicious attack on the First Lady's White House portrait.
The fashion magazine published a scathing review comparing Melania's look to that of a "freelance magician," the Daily Mail reports.
It's the latest example of the left-leaning bias of the publication, which famously glorified Jill Biden and Kamala Harris but has yet to feature Trump, a former supermodel, on its cover.
Melania's official portrait strikes a serious tone, with the First Lady making a power pose in a black tuxedo jacket. The black-and-white image is a stark contrast from her more conventional portrait in 2017, which was in color and showed Melania smiling.
In a vicious review of the new portrait, writer Hannah Jackson dissed the First Lady for bucking tradition and compared her to a "freelance magician."
“The choice to wear a tuxedo — as opposed to a blazer or blouse — made Trump look more like a freelance magician than a public servant," Jackson wrote.
The fashion critic invoked President Trump's past as a reality TV host in her unflattering review, adding, "Trump looked more like she was guest starring on an episode of ‘The Apprentice’ than assuming the role of first lady of the United States."
"It’s perhaps unsurprising that a woman who lived in a gold-encrusted penthouse, whose fame is so intertwined with a reality television empire, would refuse to abandon theatrics—even when faced with 248 years of tradition."
Melania appeared on Vogue's cover in 2005 following her wedding to Donald Trump, but she was blacklisted by the fashion world after her husband's rise to the White House in 2017.
Vogue never featured Melania on its cover during her husband's first term, but the magazine went on to provide glamorous treatment to First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Look, I’ve been there on the covers — on the cover of Vogue, on the covers of many magazines before,” Melania told Fox News in a recent interview.
“We have so many other important things to do than to be on the cover of any magazine. I think that life would not change for anybody if I’m on the cover,” she added.
While Melania is returning to the White House with more confidence - and more public acceptance - than she had the first time, it appears the left-wing media isn't finished hating on her just yet.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A radio station that is owned by radical leftist and open borders advocate George Soros reportedly has doxed federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who were hunting for criminals in a region of San Jose, California, known for its violent gangs.
Such doxing – the public identification of vehicles or individuals – could allow gang member suspects to evade arrest, or even turn on the officers and injure them.
The report from the Post Millennial said the Bay Area station "reported live the vehicle descriptions of three alleged undercover vehicles in east San Jose, an area with violent Latino migrant gang activity."
The report warned, "The information put the law enforcement officers at serious risk while an operation was ongoing targeting violent, criminal foreign nationals."
The situation developed just days ago, on Jan. 26, "KCBS 740 AM radio host Bret Burkhart described the unmarked vehicles being used by ICE and the exact locations where ICE agents had been operating."
The report explained Burkhart was using information that appeared on social media from a leftist group called the Rapid Response Network, which fights deportation for illegal aliens.
"Here's what's happening," Burkhart said. "San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and head councilmember Peter Ortiz confirmed today that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are currently carrying out an operation on the east side of town. The Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network, which is a community defense projecting system for immigrant communities against deportation threats, first reported the activity on its platforms."
Then followed the identification of three vehicles and their locations.
The apparent attempt to foil law enforcement comes, the report said, "as federal authorities are currently carrying out mass deportation operations across the United States at the direction of President Trump, targeting violent illegal immigrants convicted and/or charged with serious crimes, including murder, child rape, and assault with deadly weapons."
Soros last year bought Audacity, the parent company for KCBS.
On the website for Soros' Open Society Foundation he brags that it supports those groups working on issues for "migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
High school sports team cannot be for boys or girls, under the leftist ideologies demanded by Joe Biden while he was in office, ideas that President Donald Trump now is purging from the government. They had to be "equitable."
So had to be hiring practices even for jobs that demand extraordinary skills, such as military positions.
Federal grants, likewise. Literally everything had to be "equitable."
So with Los Angeles facing a massive rebuilding program after wildfires destroyed an estimated 12,000 buildings, mostly homes, the mayor's priority is to be "equitable."
"The owners of Palisades better get those recall petitions ready," explained one social media post about the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of mega-fancy homes and properties, as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a longtime leftist, "plans to hire an outside consultant to rebuild Palisades 'in a more equitable and environmentally sustainable way.'"
Elon Musk warned, "The mayor of LA is going full communist," while citing reports of her intention to rebuild through an "outside consultant."
"Recall her before it is too late," he warned.
Others cited evidence of her mismanagement.
A report from the Independent Sentinel noted she's made her decision "without any consultant with the residents."
It explained, "The firm will represent the city's interests in the wildfire recovery process, including performing damage assessments, monitoring air and water quality, interacting with various federal agencies, and ensuring that the city gets as much federal reimbursement as possible, according to chief recovery officer Steve Soboroff."
Soboroff also hinted that the city would control any federal money allocated, the report said.
President Donald Trump recently, visiting the stricken zones, said people needed to be allowed to get to their properties and start work as they wish, more or less immediately.
A commentary at HotAir explained that the city's response to the catastrophe has been so bad that its mostly leftist residents are revolting.
In fact, the report cited a polling that said 43% of residents now would consider Republican leadership in the city. While still 46% said no, the support for the GOP is at the highest level in years.
"Rather than follow predictable partisan patterns, voters in LA are fed up with failure and are demanding more competence from their elected officials," said Madison McQueen, of Owen Brennan. "Clearly there is an opportunity for new leadership, new ideas, and new direction for Los Angeles. Across LA County, most voters say fire hydrants running dry should be cause for political leaders to lose their jobs. Voters also blamed one-party rule for the lack of sufficient water storage."
The FBI secretly warned about an increase in threats from "domestic violent extremists" following the controversial raid of Mar-A-Lago, newly obtained documents show.
The eight pages of records, obtained by Judicial Watch, are further evidence of the Biden administration's vigilance toward so-called domestic extremists who were often conflated with President Trump and his MAGA movement.
“The FBI raid on President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home was an incredible abuse of power based on false allegations. The raid was followed by the FBI distracting the public with a politicized document slyly tying President Trump and other critics to threats over this abuse,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “I don’t trust the FBI.”
The internal documents show that Biden officials were concerned that the unprecedented raid of a former president's residence could radicalize some Americans to commit violence.
Within days of the raid, FBI Special Agent in charge Bob DeWitt sent a mass e-mail to numerous agencies warning about an uptick in threats to law enforcement.
Trump is mentioned nowhere in an enclosed intelligence bulletin, which dryly alludes to "the FBI’s recent execution of a court-authorized search warrant in Palm Beach, Florida."
"Colleagues, I wanted to provide you an update on the FBI’s response to the heightened threats against law enforcement following the FBI’s recent investigation actions in Palm Beach, Florida," DeWitt wrote. "Attached is a Joint Intelligence Bulletin that provides information on the potential threats posed by domestic violent extremists following this event."
"To date we have received [redacted]. I wanted to thank all of you for your continued partnership and support of the Miami Field Office. [Redacted]."
The intelligence memo cites the case of an armed man who was shot dead during an August 2022 standoff after he tried to breach an FBI office in Cincinnati.
The partially redacted document includes a list of behaviors to look out for, such as the purchase of military-style tactical equipment or the "unusual" acquisition of weapons. The memo predicted that the 2022 midterm elections could inspire violence from so-called extremists, a forecast that did not come to pass.
"Many of these threats include references to the perception that the 2020 election was fraudulent and other claims of government overreach, which are narratives that have mobilized DVEs in the past," the document said.
The Biden administration made combatting so-called domestic extremists a focus of its national security agenda, often tying the nebulous threat with President Trump's MAGA movement. The government's efforts against so-called terrorists sparked opposition from Republicans, who accused the administration of targeting civilians engaged in protected political speech.
As part of its effort to end the weaponization of government, the Trump administration has reassigned a top DOJ official who lobbied for the Mar-A-Lago raid and notoriously dismissed the "optics" of it in an argument with the former head of the FBI's Washington field office, who preferred a voluntary search.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Now it is the Jan. 6 prosecutors who are under investigation.
They were the government prosecutors who jailed those who trespassed at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They are the ones who piled charges on top of charges, including the inappropriate claims about trespassers "obstructing" the government. They are the ones who demanded long prison sentences for those who did nothing more than walk into the building, often through doors held open for them by security officers.
It is the Epoch Times that reports a federal prosecutor confirmed recently "he's investigating why federal prosecutors brought a felony obstruction charge against hundreds of people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol."
It is Ed Martin, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, who has directed employees to hand over files, emails and other documents that address the issue.
He described the use of the obstruction charge, a felony that later was disallowed by the Supreme Court, as "a great failure of our office."
Of course, piling on charges, demanding no release before trial, insisting on long prison terms, and more aligned with the Democrat agenda of describing the incidents that day as the greatest "insurrection" against America since the Civil War.
Actually, it was a protest that got out of hand when a few hundred rioted. Protesters were objecting to what they saw as an unfair election system that, in fact, was under pressure from several undue Democrat influences, including the FBI's election interference.
"We need to get to the bottom of it," Martin explained in his messaging.
He's calling it the "1512 Project," because the offense falls under that section of the law, said the report, which explained Section 1512 of U.S. law bars people from obstructing, influencing, or impeding any official proceeding, or attempting to do so. It carries a prison term of up to 20 years.
Hundreds of the protesters on Capitol grounds that day were faced with that charge. Former policeman Joseph Fischer challenged that, and the Supreme Court said prosecutors were applying the law incorrectly.
"On the government's theory, Section 1512(c) consists of a granular subsection (c)(1) focused on obstructive acts that impair evidence and an overarching subsection (c)(2) that reaches all other obstruction," said the opinion, from Chief Justice John Roberts. "Even setting surplusage aside, that novel interpretation would criminalize a broad swath of prosaic conduct, exposing activists and lobbyists alike to decades in prison."
The government already had been dropping those counts against defendants before President Donald Trump took office and pardoned some 1,500 prosecuted by government officials in the leftist jurisdiction of the Washington courts.
Martin has, the report said, watched thousands of hours of video from that day.
"If you watch it for a while you realize that 99.9% of it is normal people doing normal things: sauntering around and through the Capitol grounds and building," he has explained on blog postings.
Ryan Michael "Reily" English was arrested Monday after showing up at the U.S. Capitol Monday with knives and Molotov cocktails, the Post Millennial reported. The Massachusetts man allegedly targeted some of President Donald Trump's newly confirmed Cabinet members before settling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday, English approached a Capitol Police Officer with an unusual admission that he had knives and incendiary devices. "I’d like to turn myself in," he told the officer.
A search of his person turned up a folding knife and two 50 mL bottles of vodka, each topped with a cloth soaked in hand sanitizer and tucked into his jacket pockets. English also had a lighter on him at the time.
His vehicle contained other knives, Molotov cocktails, and a gray sweatshirt, which the strips of fabric for the toppers were cut from. English settled on killing Bessent, who was confirmed that day as Trump's Treasury Secretary, despite initially setting his sights on others.
English left home Sunday, bound for Washington, D.C. with ill intent. He was intent on murdering "'Nazi' Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth, and/or the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and/or burning down the Heritage Foundation," the affidavit said.
"These actions were specifically to 'depose' these political offices and send a message," the document added. However, after seeing on Reddit that Bessent was about to be confirmed that day, English changed his plans.
"Originally, English’s thoughts were to use the small bottles of vodka to start fires and later to wrap them in rags soaked in alcohol, light them and throw them at Bessent’s feet," the affidavit noted. The document also notes that "in the event English was able to get close enough to Bessent, English would have stabbed him with the knife that English brought from home."
English understood that he "would have to kill, at least, three US Capitol Police Officers to get to Bessent and kill him," the legal filing went on. He knew carrying out this plan would put him "in grave danger and expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop" and proceeded anyway.
English is being held for violations including "Unlawful Receipt, Possession, and/or Transfer of a Firearm" and "Carrying a Firearm, Dangerous Weapon, Explosive, or Incendiary Device on the Grounds of the Capitol." As bad as this is, it's clear it could have been much worse.
English turned himself in before he could hurt anyone, which was a relief. However, evidence found on him indicates that he was headed down a path that could have changed the course of American history.
A chilling note was recovered from English's back pocket that had the fatalistic tone of a kamikaze. Although it's unclear who the recipient is, it appears English was ready to unleash harm on officials even if it meant death for him.
"Judith dear god I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart. This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters. I love you," English reportedly scribbled on a receipt.
"This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. F*ck them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive," he ended the note, adding seven hearts.
There is a growing threat to officials in no small part because of the constant barrage of attacks from the media. English was thwarted, but it only takes one person to be successful at one of these attempts, and that's frightening.