This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President Trump, under his Make America Great Again agenda, is ending the profligate use of the nation's flagpoles to promote various race and gender ideologies.

A report in the Washington Free Beacon confirms the State Department has adopted a "One Flag Policy" that bars U.S. flagpoles from flying flags other than Stars and Stripes, with one or two special patriotic exceptions.

The publication reported obtaining a copy of the order that bans Pride, Black Lives Matter and other flags that Joe Biden had allowed to use the gravitas of the American government.

"Starting immediately, only the United States of America flag is authorized to be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestic and abroad, and featured in U.S. government content," the State Department said, "The flag of the United States of America united all Americans under the universal principles of justice, liberty, and democracy. These values, which are the bedrock of our great country, are shared by all American citizens, past and present."

"Disciplinary action" is promised to those who violate the policy, which could be up to "termination of employment."

"The only other flags that will be permitted to fly are the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) emblem and the Wrongful Detainees Flag," the report said the government allowed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "The U.S. flag is a powerful symbol of pride and it is fitting and respectful that only the U.S. flag be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestically and abroad."

The report noted the White House said, "On the President's direction, the State Department will have an America-First foreign policy."

Biden had allowed an assortment of gender-ideology and racist flag emblems to be flown, including the Pride flag that usurped the Stars and Stripes on occasion at the White House.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A "Radical left hard line Trump hater" preacher who was given the privilege of speaking at the Washington National Cathedral for the National Prayer Service the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration politicized the event by scolding the president over two of his "common sense" agenda points, the security of the nation and the end of the promotions of transgenderism.

And she's earned not only herself, but her church, a public scolding from the president.

It was in an overnight post on social media that Trump responded to Mariann Budde's decision to verbally berate him in what was expected to be a religious event.

"The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!"

In fact, Budde promoted herself later on CNN, when she admitted using the event to berate the president publicly.

"(I was) reminding us all that the people that are frightened in our country, the two groups that I mentioned, are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed all throughout the political campaign in the harshest of lights. I wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community. I was speaking to the president because I felt that he has this moment now where he feels charged and empowered to do what he feels called to do, and I wanted to say there is room for mercy. There is room for a broader compassion. We don't need to portray with a broad cloth in the harshest of terms some of the most vulnerable people in our society, who are in fact our neighbors and our friends," she said.

"The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list," said Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., on social media.

The Daily Mail commented that Budde's public scolding went viral after her "wild lecture claiming trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' now Trump is back in the White House."

Budde had told the president to have "mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now."

She lectured, "God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger," then charged, "There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives."

She stereotyped illegal aliens, "The people who pick our crops, and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, they might not be citizens or have the proper documentation. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away."

The Mail revealed Budde has a "long history of criticizing President Trump during his first term."

WND reported earlier on Budde's rant.

Reports confirmed how Budde "blindsided" the president.

Budde's diatribe:

"I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops, and clean our office buildings who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, they might not be citizens or have the proper documentation. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The latest outbreak of what is a growing problem – schoolchildren accessing X-rated and other explicit content on school iPads or websites – has left a government education official demanding action.

It is the Christian Institute that is reporting the Scottish Government's education secretary is calling for action, following an episode where children as young as 10 in Edinburgh were able to access porn on school iPads.

Jenny Gilruth, MSP, contacted local councils across Scotland to ensure that "safety protocols are regularly reviewed" to guarantee that the issue "is not replicated in other parts of the country," the institute reported.

One parent confirmed that students as young as 10 and 11 were able to view explicit images like "erotic hanging, strangulation and drowning … and theoretically unlimited porn" by misspelling blocked terms, the report said.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief

Trump pulls Bolton security detail despite alleged threat from Iran to former NSA

U.S. president Donald Trump has ended Secret Service protection for John Bolton, his former national security adviser turned political antagonist, despite an alleged threat to Bolton's life from Tehran, reported Iran International.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Most of the J6 protesters were subjected to the harshest treatment the Joe Biden Department of Justice could hand out.

They were jailed, without bond, sometimes without even hearings, for months or years. They were charged with inappropriate charges. Prosecutors tried to enhance their sentences with claims of obstruction. Judges, mostly Democrats in the District of Columbia, went along.

The result was a level of punishment not ever seen before in American justice.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President Donald Trump says he would like to do Russia, and President Vladimir Putin, a "favor," by allowing them to settle their war in Ukraine now.

"We can do it the easy way or the hard way – and the easy way is always better," Trump said in a posting on social media:

He explained, "I'm not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left's Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX."

He said, "We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War!"

He explained, "IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let's get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It's time to 'MAKE A DEAL.' NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!"

One of Trump's pledges during his campaign was that he would work to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, to which the U.S. under Joe Biden sent billions and billions of dollars, soon.

The Daily Wire noted the "various" other countries likely would include China, as Beijing and Moscow "have grown closer in recent years."

The report said, "Russia has also received help in the war from North Korea, which recently dispatched thousands of its own soldiers to join the fight against Ukraine."

The Trump plans are the latest example, the report said, of Trump's "willingness to wield the United States' economic might to pressure other countries. Trump has also threatened Canada and Mexico with tariffs unless they take action on issues such as securing their borders against illegal immigration and drug smuggling."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – The game of claim and counter-claim moved on apace Wednesday, as Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer – one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest political confidants – responded to a question from a member of the Knesset inside the parliamentary chamber denying Israel had agreed to a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, which included recognition of a Palestinian state.

Israel and Saudi Arabia, who were thought by many analysts to be well on the road to normalization following the signing of the 2020 Abraham Accords, were in an even more advanced stage in 2023. These moves were almost entirely suspended following the brutal Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 of that year and the war which followed it, which is currently suspended by a fragile ceasefire. The now deceased former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar admitted one of the catalysts for the attack was the growing cooperation between Jerusalem and Riyadh.

During the Biden presidency, the Saudis seemed to harden their approach to Israel and make creating a pathway to Palestinian statehood a prerequisite of normalizing relations and burying decades of mutual enmity. However, this was neither defined nor outlined in any clear and concise manner. It was Washington's dalliance with unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state, which pushed Mohammed bin Salman toward a similar position; to not have done so would have been to lose face.

Dermer, who is a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, made the remarks in the Knesset – in which he is rarely seen, partly as a result of being appointed and not elected – in response to a question from MK Oded Forrer of Israel Beitenu, who asked: "You act as … the messenger of the prime minister to the Americans and the Saudis. Are there any commitments you have given verbally or otherwise from the prime minister or you, as his messenger, agreeing to a Palestinian state in negotiations?"

Dermer responded: "About a Palestinian state – there is no such promise at all."

The PM's advisor was also quizzed about the civilian administration of Gaza and the current ceasefire in Lebanon, which is set to expire Sunday, and which to-date has survived repeated Hezbollah violations, amid continued but limited Israeli strikes against terrorist targets in the country's south.

Dermer said he was working "on the day after" in Gaza, although he would not be drawn into specifics as he claimed previously leaked information had made negotiations more tricky. "Since it's an Israeli initiative," he said, "we must align with both the United States and regional powers. I'm very optimistic that we can achieve effective management in Gaza post-conflict, fully in line with the Prime Minister's framework."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – If there were an X hashtag to describe the current moment in Israel, it would probably read #AllEyesonJudeaSamaria. As the fragile ceasefire in Gaza continues to hold – with the first small tranche of hostages released and another planned for Saturday – immediate attention is being drawn to Israel's spine and the biblical heartlands of Judea and Samaria.

It has largely been a forgotten front, especially in comparison with the south-eastern border so infamously penetrated by thousands of Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, and the northern border over which Hezbollah was firing missiles, drones and rockets on a daily basis. That arena too is somewhat bequieted as an imperfect ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah still holds. There are growing fears Judea and Samaria will shortly become the locus of attention for several different reasons, and could spill over into Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem.

Analysts such as veteran journalist Khaled Abu Toameh and Joe Truzman of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies have pointed out a third intifada effectively broke out in June 2021, it's just nobody officially got round to declaring it. There is significant evidence Iran has taken advantage of Israel's long and porous border with Jordan to smuggle weapons of increasing power into Judea and Samaria. And the IDF has been conducting operations – sometimes significant in scale and lasting for days at a time – in and around towns such as Jenin and Tulkarem for the last few months.

Indeed, on Tuesday, the IDF in cooperation with the Israel Border Police and the Israel Security Agency launched drone strikes on several targets. The military has reportedly said the operation will continue for as long as is needed.

"The operation has clear objectives: continue to maintain the IDF's freedom of operation in all of Judea and Samaria and to destroy and neutralize terrorist infrastructure and 'ticking time bombs,'" the IDF stated. The operation's codename is "Iron Wall," a nod to early revisionist Zionist history and the treatise which Ze'ev Jabotinsky penned more than 100 years ago in 1923, in which he outlined the need for a strong military presence to fight back against the Arabs who would do everything in their power to prevent a Jewish presence in its biblical homeland.

The operation also comes on the back of a reserve soldier's fatality Monday – and the wounding of several others – when their military vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device while taking part in a counterterrorism action near the northern Samaria town of Tammun.

Israel's Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi recently told troops they must be prepared for significant operations in Judea and Samaria in the coming days, which was given even greater urgency following the return of convicted murderers from Israel's prisons as part of the hostage release shakedown.

FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz painted a grim picture. "The very success with which Israel has neutralized Iranian proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria has turned the West Bank into an increasingly significant threat. For Tehran, it represents one of the few remaining avenues to strike at the Jewish state. This danger is set to escalate as numerous freed terrorists return in the coming weeks, many eager to resume their jihad."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

One of the more controversial pardons unleashed by Joe Biden on his way out the door of the White House was for Anthony Fauci, the former federal health official.

He reportedly was involved in the origins of COVID-19 to the extent of allowing American funding of the dangerous gain-of-function research in China, and then he demanded that Americans submit to the COVID-19 shots that were created in response to the pandemic that killed millions around the globe.

Those shots themselves have now been confirmed as carrying side effects that could be fatal.

And don't forget the masking and social separation demands.

He once boastfully proclaimed that he is the "science" on the questions of COVID.

WND reported that Fauci promptly expressed his appreciation for the pardon but proclaimed his innocence.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

KATZRIN, Israel – While all of Israel is celebrating the return of three girl hostages from 471 days of Hamas nightmare, some are struggling with deep concern over the U.S.-brokered deal that forced Israel to pay a heavy price for their release, leaving Israeli society broken and divided.

This divide was evident as people took to the streets. On Saturday night, hours before the deal was to take effect, thousands of Israelis protested across the country. Protesters in Jerusalem demanded a comprehensive agreement that would free all the captives at once, rather than in stages, to avert the risk that some of the 98 hostages could be left behind throughout the multi-stage deal.

At the same time, thousands gathered on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv, where families of hostages spoke. This protest has been held weekly and is highly critical of the Netanyahu-led coalition, blaming them for not cutting a deal earlier.

The ceasefire deal contains three phases, the first of which is a temporary ceasefire in which 33 hostages are to be released in a staggered fashion, with hostages in the "humanitarian" category being released first – women, children, and wounded or sick hostages.

Hamas has pledged to release 33 hostages in the 42-day first phase of the deal. Most but not all of them are believed to be alive. In exchange, Israel will hand over up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including several serving multiple life sentences for deadly terrorist attacks and murders. Four more women hostages are supposed to be released by Saturday.

Some of these Palestinian murderers will be released into Gaza, where they will undoubtedly enter the ranks of Hamas as honored heroes. Others will be released into Samaria, where they will return to their previous career of murdering Jews. Israel used to have a strict policy of not negotiating with terrorists, leading to such endeavors as the rescue of 102 hostages from the Entebbe Airport in 1976. But that policy was changed, culminating in the deal that exchanged more than 1,000 Palestinian terrorists for one IDF soldier, Gilad Schalit, in 2011.

In a recent study, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar presented data to the ministers in the security cabinet, stating that "82% of those released in the Gilad Shalit deal in 2011 returned to terrorism" and that 15% of them carried out attacks themselves after their release in the deal, or planned the attacks.

One of those terrorists released in the Schalit deal was Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the Oct. 7 attack.

Bar also told the cabinet the current release of terrorists is expected to increase the motivation to carry out attacks in Judea and Samaria.

Israelis are painfully aware of this reality. In a poll aired Friday on the Kan public broadcaster, 65% of the Israeli public expressed support for the first phase of the deal, which will see the release of 33 hostages over six weeks. Only 55% of voters support adhering to the terms of the deal through all three phases, which would require Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire at the end of the second phase.

However, 46% of coalition voters told Kan that Israel should resume fighting in Gaza after the first phase.

The social divide is also expressed in politics. The Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party led by Itamar Ben Gvir broke from the coalition due to criticism of the ceasefire deal. The Religious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smotrich threatened to leave the coalition, leaving the future of the government in doubt.

Even if all of the elements on the Israeli side coalesce in support of the ceasefire, it could also implode from the side of the Palestinians. The current agreement calls for the dismantling of Hamas, one of the stated goals of Israel's war in Gaza. Hamas leaders have rejected this aspect of the ceasefire agreement. Despite Hamas' brutal rule, the terrorist organization remains popular in Gaza and Samaria; more so in the latter case than the official Palestinian Authority.

The deal also threatens to separate Israel and the U.S. While Trump threatened there would be "hell to pay" if the hostages were not released by his inauguration, it was his negotiator, Steve Witkoff, who engineered the terms that favored Hamas and threatened to leave the terrorist group in power, falling far short of the promised retribution.

Trump and his team seem to be sending mixed signals regarding whether they'd support Israel continuing the war in Gaza until Hamas is entirely eliminated. During a call last week, Trump reportedly told Netanyahu to "keep doing what you have to do" but added, "This has to end. We want it to end."

Trump's incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said last week the U.S. would back Israel if it needs to re-enter Gaza. But two days later, he reportedly told a group of hostage families that the incoming administration would make sure that all three phases of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement were implemented.

The recent hostage deal was especially painful for Israelis whose loved ones were murdered by terrorists. Rabbi Leo Dee's wife, Lucy, and his two daughters, Maia, 20, and Rina, 15, were murdered by Palestinian terrorists in April of 2023. The IDF found and killed their three killers, members of Hamas, in a shootout in Shechem (Nablus). Rabbi Dee was critical of the recent deal, explaining that it violated Jewish law.

"While every Jew is relieved to see the return of our hostages, the idea of exchanging them for thousands of terrorists is strictly against Jewish law," he said. "The Rabbis of the Talmud gave two reasons why it is forbidden for a Jewish state to pay excessively for redeeming hostages: either because it would encourage further hostages to be taken or because it would exact a price higher than the state could afford."

"Sadly, from recent experience, namely the exchange of 1,000 terrorists for one soldier in 2011, we see that both reasons are valid. Not only did the previous deal encourage 250 hostages to be taken, but the leader of the attack on Oct. 7, Sinwar, was one of those released 14 years ago. Indeed, the price we are paying is dangerously high, and the ideal method of returning the hostages remains in defeating the enemy, once and for all until they surrender both themselves and the hostages."

A similar view was held by Avi Abelow, whose lifelong friend, Ari Fuld, was murdered by a 17-year-old Hamas terrorist in 2018. Ari's murderer is one of the prisoners being released in the deal, so Abelow understands how the ceasefire deal is dividing Israeli society.

"We are all struggling," Abelow said. "Israelis are struggling to deal with two contradictory emotions. One is the emotion of happiness on the release of some of our hostages. On the other hand, we are all dealing with anger and fear of the repercussions of this deal. Everybody knows these terrorists are going to go back and kill more people… we just wish the deal would have been much better and not one that rewarded terrorism."

Abelow has experienced the loss of a loved one and understands the pain.

"It is horrifying that any family of a victim of terrorism has to live knowing that the monsters who murdered their loved ones are now free," Abelow said. "But even more horrifying is that now, every person in Israeli society has to live, knowing there are thousands of murderers walking the streets who come from a society which teaches them from the cradle to murder Jews."

"But not just Israelis," Abelow warned. "These Islamist terrorists are now able to run all over the world and kill any freedom-loving person, motivated by their genocidal Islamic jihadist ideology and a hatred for Western society. This empowers the thousands of Islamist believers who live in America and Britain and France and Germany and Australia."

Abelow acknowledges the decision faced by the Israeli government was incredibly difficult, forcing them into a deal with the devil. Ironically, he suggested that Israel was forced to make concessions at Trump's bidding they would not have made for Biden.

"It's always been easier for Netanyahu to say no to blatantly anti-Israel policies from the Democrats than to Republican policies, where they couch it as being friends of Israel," Abelow said. "And it's even harder to say no to Trump because of his personality. It seems that Netanyahu's goal was just to start Trump's presidency on the right foot because we believe that so much good will come out of this administration.

"This is a terrible deal, but I'd rather get started with Trump on the right foot. Netanyahu did what Trump wanted and gave him a big win to begin his second term. So it'll be easy to accomplish everything else we need to in the long term.

"The fact that we're even in this situation, that we're being forced to make a deal, highlights the immorality of the Western world today, which cared more about the rights of supposed noncombatants in Gaza, than rescuing innocent people kidnapped from their homes or a music festival after their families and friends were massacred in cold blood."

Abelow related his experience as an IDF soldier in the Golani Brigade.

"We were taught that after an engagement, after you shot the enemy, even if you thought you had killed them, you make sure they are dead, shooting them again before you advance," Abelow said. "The most dangerous thing you can do is to move forward and leave an enemy soldier behind you who can jump up and kill you."

"This is what Israel is doing by releasing terrorists with blood on their hands; we are allowing the enemy to come up behind us and attack us again. Terrorists with blood on their hands should not be kept in prison. It just becomes a waiting room until they can attack us again.

"Israel should be implementing the death penalty for terrorists who we know have murdered. These are not cases in which the truth is unknown, for which there is no video or hundreds of witnesses. These are animals who not only confessed but who shouted their crimes from the rooftops and were proud that they murdered Jews. The death penalty could not be more appropriate."