This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A Florida judge has been asked to dismiss a complaint by the manager of a condo association that seeks to prevent a church from holding services in the property it owns.

"Because the gravamen of plaintiff's complaint is the enforcement of a discriminatory restriction on defendant's land use for religious worship services in violation of Florida law that declared all such restrictions and covenants to be unlawful, plaintiff cannot state a cause of action. The complaint should be dismissed," explained the motion to dismiss from Liberty Counsel.

The fight involves Coastal Family Church in Flager Beach and Flagler Square-JAX, a condo association that sued to close down the church.

The church purchased part of a strip mall that is organized as a condo association, and a manager for that organization claims he can stop a church from holding services.

Liberty Counsel said it filed a motion in Seventh Judicial Circuit Court on behalf of one of the pastors of the church to dismiss a meritless lawsuit.

In July 2025, Pastor Roderick Palmer purchased a unit in the Flagler Square strip mall to use as a church home. But when services launched, the condominium association that supervises the structure with four units sued Palmer for holding "public assemblies."

The claim was that those services violate the "condominium declaration."

The complaint cited an issue with parking, which Liberty Counsel said would leave some 160 spaces available during services.

The association wants an outright court ban on "assemblies."

Liberty Counsel said that wasn't allowed under state law.

"The Florida legislature has rendered null and void all such discriminatory land use restrictions and covenants … Further, plaintiff's requested prohibition on religious services substantially burdens defendant's religious exercise in violation of the Florida Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act."

The legal team said the city commission approved the church meetings at the strip mall location, and other residents raised "no objections."

Other occupants include "Junque in the Trunk," a Dollar Tree and a police lodge, which, in fact, advertises that it holds public gatherings periodically, and is available for "rent for meetings, parties, and commercial classes."

The team said, "The entire premise of plaintiff's complaint centers on and arises from a discriminatory restriction that has become wholly inoperative, unenforceable, null, and void."

Liberty Counsel said, "Whether the association's proposed restriction is phrased as a ban on public assemblies or an outright prohibition on religious services, it violates Florida's nullification on discriminatory covenants, as well as the church's constitutional rights to religious exercise and so the case must be dismissed."

"Florida law is clear that Pastor Roderick Palmer and Coastal Family Church have the right to hold church services on church property and that restrictive covenants cannot ban religious assembly. Flagler Square – JAX, Inc. cannot target Pastor Palmer or his church while ignoring other tenants' non-religious gatherings. This meritless lawsuit must be dismissed," explained Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

 

President Donald Trump has turned the focus to the trigger behind extremism in America.

And it's the devil.

America has been beset by leftist violence, such as the hundreds of billions of dollars in damages in the Black Lives Matter riots a few years ago, radical terrorism, such as shooting children while they are praying in a Catholic school, and extremists, including those who insist on trying to surgically change boys into girls.

Trump, during a ceremony that honored the late Charlie Kirk, identified the issue;

"We watched legions of far-left radicals resort to desperate acts of violence and terror because they know that their ideas and arguments are persuading no one," he said. "They know that they're failing. They have the devil's ideology."

The video clip was reposted dozens and dozens of times from those who noticed the message.

Some endorsed his criticisms.

And others were revealed to have been delivering the same message for some time already.

TikTok star RigoStaRR delivered a sermon on the devil's messaging and goals (Be forewarned about language in video):

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The anti-Christian Communist regime in China long has been known for hating Christians and trying to obliterate either their beliefs, or them.

It previously has bulldozed Christian churches, forced faith organizations to promote the leftist ideologies of communism, censored and restricted Bibles, and much more. Arrests of Christians, especially leaders, are common.

Now its latest crackdown has cost Pastor Ezra Jin his freedom.

He's founder of Zion Church and was jailed recently, along with "dozens of church leaders and members," according to a report from the American Center for Law and Justice.

Zion Church is described as a large "underground house church," meaning it is not "authorized" by the government and therefore does not preach only messages that the communist regime approves.

He has congregations across China with thousands of members.

 

 

 

Jin, a pastor and father of children with U.S. citizenship, was arrested at his home in Beihai, Guangxi, just days ago, the report said. His daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, said the events have been "very scary" for the family.

The report explained more than 30 other pastors and church staff members also "simply vanished."

A church statement said, "They broke into homes, handcuffed even the elderly, and took them away. One pastor's mother had a heart attack during the arrest. Another woman was dragged from her newborn baby."

Subsequent charges claimed "illegal dissemination of religious information via the internet."

The report said police used violence to take people into custody.

"These attacks are a stark reminder of the severe persecution Christians face in China simply for worshiping according to their faith. Though China's constitution promises religious freedom, the Chinese Communist Party, an officially atheist regime, restricts worship to government-controlled, state-approved organizations," the ACLJ explained.

The hate campaign caught the attention of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who insisted that China allow all believers, including those in house churches, to worship without fear of attacks.

According to UPI, Rubio said, "We call on the CCP to immediately release the detained church leaders and to allow all people of faith, including members of house churches, to engage in religious activities without fear of retribution."

Church official Sean Long said, "We strongly appeal to the global church society to hold the Chinese government accountable. They cannot do whatever they want without letting people know. Let our ministers and staff members be released as soon as possible. Stop arresting our members."

Long, in an interview said, "We are not criminals but Christians. We are not anti-CCP, we are not anti-China. We love our people, love our society, love our culture. We are not a western political force. That is 100% wrong. We are a Chinese house church adhering to historic Christian faith. We are believers of Jesus. We have nothing to do with the U.S.-China tension or competition."

The organization has an estimated 10,000 participants in 40 cities.

The communists attacked the same church several years ago, when it declined to install security cameras that government officials could use in its structures.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

As President Donald Trump was signing the Mideast peace deal this week securing the release of all living hostages held by Hamas, the Islamic terror group was posting graphic videos of its members publicly executing Palestinian civilians it called "criminals and collaborators with Israel."

The gruesome action came just hours after Trump voiced the "end of an age of terror and death," inking a document with his 20-point peace plan.

The horrific clip shows eight beaten and blindfolded men on their knees before they're all shot on the street as a crowd cheers.

Two years of the world screaming "genocide" without a single instance of the IDF doing what Hamas is doing to Palestinians today.
https://t.co/jlWIhFa6Kd

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) October 14, 2025

 

 

Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. CENTCOM, issued a statement on Wednesday, saying: "We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza – in both Hamas-held parts of Gaza and those secured by the IDF behind the Yellow Line."

 

"This is an historic opportunity for peace. Hamas should seize it by fully standing down, strictly adhering to President Trump's 20-point peace plan, and disarming without delay. We have conveyed our concerns to the mediators who agreed to work with us to enforce the peace and protect innocent Gaza civilians. We remain highly optimistic for the future of peace in the region."

American conservative commentator Avery Daye indicated: "I thought we were all about the wellness and the safety of Palestinians, 'cause look at Hamas' terror hasn't stopped."

"The problem is the majority of Palestinians actually do support Hamas and support this kind of terror because they love death as much as the Jews love life. They tell us that over and over and over again."

 

Daye continued: I think they've forgotten to keep continuing to push the narrative because they're now posting videos of very healthy children that do not like they've been through a genocide."

"They have new clothes on. They look very well-nourished. … I don't see a starving child, a suffering child in sight."

 

Swedish journalist Peter Imanuelsen noted: "Hamas is now publicly executing civilians in Gaza. Will Greta Thunberg organize protests against this?"

 

On Tuesday, Trump reminded everyone that the bodies of deceased hostages have still not been returned.

"ALL TWENTY HOSTAGES ARE BACK AND FEELING AS GOOD AS CAN BE EXPECTED," Trump exclaimed on Truth Social.

"A big burden has been lifted, but the job IS NOT DONE. THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED! Phase Two begins right NOW!!!"

 

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, an Oklahoma State University student is going public after a school official reprimanded him for his support of the slain civil-rights leader, saying some people could be "triggered" simply because he wore a Turning Point USA hat with the number 47 on it.

Student Joshua Wilson is exposing the actions of Melisa Echols, OSU's coordinator of student-government programs, who told him: "As a person who doesn't look like you and has not had the same lived experience as you, I have family who don't look like you who are triggered – and I will be very candid with you – who are triggered by those hats and by that side."

While Wilson told Echols he understood her concerns, he didn't believe wearing a Turning Point hat was partisan, and he rejected the claim it was somehow harmful to other students.

Echols at one point was angered that Wilson defended his stance.

"'But' cannot be the end of every statement. That's not a learned lesson," Echols said. "It cannot just be, 'yes, but' – cannot be every response that you give me. Otherwise, this year is going to be difficult for you."

Wilson viewed Echols' comment as "a veiled threat."

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs reported: "Wilson pointed out to Echols that he is Cherokee and noted he routinely interacts with people from different backgrounds and viewpoints."

"I don't like to pull that card," Wilson said. "But if you're going to pull that card on me, I might as well."

LibsofTikTok reports action has now been taken against Echols: "According to TPUSA, the staff member who reprimanded a student for honoring Charlie has been placed on administrative leave. Bye Bye."

Wilson has since given an interview to LibsofTikTok, stating: "When Charlie came to our campus last April, he brought a spirit of dialogue and liberty like I have never seen."

"The day that Charlie was murdered, students began to worry what might happen or what might result from these conversations now. Students were already participating in tearing down conservative club fliers, defacing club sidewalk signs or shouting at conservative clubs while they invited conversation. So what would happen now? That was their worry."

He is encouraging others to stand up for their rights in order to "spark the flames of positive change on your campus and community that will never be put out."

Kirk is being posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday by President Trump, the 47th president.

An Oklahoma State University spokesperson told Fox News Digital: "The OSU Student Government Association has a nonpartisan tradition. However, the organization has no official policies to restrict partisan expression, and the organization has not enacted or enforced such a policy. The student in question spoke freely during last month's SGA meeting and expressed his views without interruption or restriction."

"The university is committed to protecting, promoting and facilitating free expression for all students, regardless of their views, and clarification regarding SGA policies has been provided to appropriate university staff. OSU embraces its role as a marketplace of ideas, and we believe a robust public discourse is essential to the process of addressing society's most pressing challenges, which is our charge as a land-grant institution."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

In what's being called an "epic hot mic moment," President Donald Trump clowned with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Monday's peace summit in Egypt.

World leaders met with the American president in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, after he brokered an historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas, as all 20 living hostages held by the Islamic terrorists were freed.

At one point, Carney said to Trump: "I'm glad you upgraded me to president."

"Oh, did I say [that]?" Trump asked as Carney laughed.

"At least I didn't say governor," Trump continued, poking fun at former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom Trump numerous times suggested could be the "governor" of the "great state of Canada."

"It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada," Trump wrote last year on Truth Social.

"I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all!"

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chief of the House Judiciary Committee, is demanding testimony from ex-special counsel Jack Smith.

Smith needs to respond to questions about how his team "sought to silence President Trump by restricting his public statements about the case."

How Smith orchestrated an "unnecessary and abusive raid of his residence."

How Smith "attempted to improperly pressure defense counsel with the promise of political patronage."

And how Smith "manipulated key evidence."

That's according to letter from Jordan to Smith, in which he requires Smith's testimony "after several members of his special counsel team failed to fully cooperate with the committee's investigation of the Biden-Harris Justice Department's weaponization of the rule of law."

Smith, although his cases against Trump failed, did succeed in his plan to undermine "the integrity of the criminal justice system," Jordan said.

Jordan wrote, "To date, the committee has conducted transcribed interviews and depositions of several individuals detailed to your office, including Jay Bratt, J.P. Cooney, and Thomas Windom. In addition, the committee has obtained internal Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents that show the FBI, with the likely involvement of prosecutors that were later assigned to your team, surveilled Representative Scott Perry prior to seizing his cell phone in a stunning breach of constitutional separation of powers. Your abusive surveillance of sitting Members of Congress did not stop there. Earlier this week, the FBI, at the direction of Director Kash Patel, released an alarming document showing that your team requested and obtained private phone records for at least eight Senators and one Representative during an investigation known as 'Arctic Frost.' These documents reinforce the conclusion that your office conducted politically motivated investigations."

He explained, "Although the Committee has learned new information from these interviews, several members of your Special Counsel team failed to fully cooperate with the Committee's inquiry. For example, during a transcribed interview with the Committee, former Senior Assistant Special Counsel Thomas Windom relied on an overbroad and unreasonable interpretation of grand jury secrecy protections to refuse to answer the Committee's questions on important topics. After the Committee subpoenaed Windom to compel his testimony, he invoked various ill-defined privileges and objections, including the Fifth Amendment, to refuse to answer approximately 70 questions. According to Windom's counsel, 'the foundation of [Windom's] decision to decline to answer is his constitutional right to silence embodied in the Fifth Amendment.' For instance, Windom refused to answer 'how many other members of Congress were investigated as part of the Arctic Frost investigation and Jack Smith investigation' and if there are records of additional 'Members of Congress that were swept up by a legal process' pursuant to this investigation."

The member of Congress explained, "As the special counsel, Smith was ultimately responsible for the prosecutorial misconduct and constitutional abuses of his office."

Jordan noted another problem was Jay Bratt, who advised Smith, who "invoked the Fifth Amendment approximately 75 times during his interview with the Committee. He refused to answer key questions necessary for the Committee's oversight, including whether the purpose of the classified documents investigation was to affect the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, whether the raid on Mar-a-Lago was intended to capture political intelligence, who he met with during his three visits to the Biden-Harris White House, and why he pressured defense counsel using the promise of political patronage."

Jordan now wants from Smith details about his appointment, details about Smith's interactions and meetings with the Biden-Harris administration, and details about all of the investigations, decisions, and "tactics."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Apparently, in one Florida school district, some slain civil-rights leaders are more acceptable than others.

William Loggans, an economics and social studies teacher in Orange County, Florida, found that out after putting up a poster in his classroom honoring the late Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10 during a campus event in Utah.

Along with Kirk's image, the poster included one of his quotes: "Never underestimate the power of your voice and the impact you can have on the world when you speak up for what you believe in."

Loggans was forced to take the poster down and now is filing a grievance with the school district.

In an interview with Not the Bee, Loggans shared his motivation behind the poster, saying that he has a variety of such banners around his room featuring notable public figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Ronald Reagan.

Loggans, who started teaching at Horizon High School a year after it opened in 2021, says his students were deeply disturbed by Kirk's assassination.

One student, however, came to him and told him Charlie Kirk "is a Nazi and a fascist," and demanded the poster come down, but Loggans stood his ground.

According the Not the Bee report, the student then sent Principal Andrew Jackson an email, which necessitated his reporting the complaint to the district. After members of the district legal team assessed the situation, they determined that the poster needed to be removed – not because of Kirk's quote, but because Kirk himself is considered "divisive."

Subsequently, as a free-speech lesson for his students, Loggans filed a grievance with the district.

As of Tuesday, the district had not replied to him, but Loggans says he isn't backing down.

"I'm not gonna give up on this," he said, pointing out that many school districts have a double standard about what is an appropriate message to display in the classroom.

Noted Loggans, "In our school, there are several teachers that have Pride flags in their rooms or stickers on their doors … they did not consider them to be divisive or political."

The teacher says that throughout the process he has received considerable support from parents and some students.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Pope Leo, head of Catholicism worldwide, has handed over to Muslims a "prayer room" in the Vatican, the heart of the church.

It is in a report at the Independent Sentinel that explains the confirmation came from a "casual remark," not a formal statement or press release as the Vatican often uses.

It was during an interview with La Repubblica just days ago that Giascomo Cardinali, vice-prefect of the Apostolic Library, confirmed, "Of course, some Muslim scholars have asked us for a room with a carpet to pray, and we have given it to them."

Despite the wide-ranging tolerance and cooperative agendas in the contemporary world, Islam and Christianity are fundamentally exclusive.

Islam denies the divinity of Christ, on which the salvation message in Christian churches globally for millennia has been founded.

The teachings also are directly in opposition, with the Christian message of love and compassion throughout the Bible conflicting with the Quran's instructions to "behead" non=Muslims.

The report said, "Pope Leo supports the invasion of millions of Islamists into Western countries although their values and culture are at great variance from that of the West. Now, he is arranging for a prayer room in the Vatican for them. However, we are still waiting for Vatican City to take in migratory Islamists to live."

The pope certainly has gone political in his so-far brief tenure, repeatedly criticizing America's agenda to secure its borders and control the number of migrants entering its boarders.

The report continued, "The priest's calm acknowledgment has since prompted a wave of critical commentary — not only because of what was offered, but because of where it was offered. They put the prayer room in the Vatican Apostolic Library. Some think this is admirable. Others say it's confusion of mission and identity."

The report continued, "It wouldn't bother me if the gesture was reciprocated. It's not. Churches in Europe are being transformed into mosques. Islamists are silencing and killing Christians throughout the world."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Ex-Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who held that office under Joe Biden, is giving credit for President Donald Trump's success in creating a peace plan for the Middle East and bringing a stop to the war Hamas launched against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, to himself and Joe Biden.

And he's getting blasted online for his wild claims.

Online, he said, "It starts with a clear and comprehensive post conflict plan for Gaza. It's good that President Trump adopted and built on the plan the Biden Administration developed after months of discussion with Arab partners, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It centers on temporary, transitional authorities for Gaza's governance, security, humanitarian assistance, and rebuilding, led by Arab and international partners alongside Palestinians, backed by the United States, and ultimately handed over to full Palestinian control."

Trump responded, "Everybody knows that's a joke. They did such a bad job. This should've never happened. This wouldn't have even happened. That was weak leadership same thing with Russia – Russia and Ukraine."

He continued, "Just a decent president – not a great president, like me … if a decent president was in, no Russia-Ukraine. And this is even more so. It was bad policy by Biden and Obama."

Responding to Trump's statement, online commenters unleashed:

"Magoo led the ground work??? Bwahahahahahaha."

And, "They all lie through their teeth!!"

And, "The leftist mouthpieces think they can still cast a spell on the whole country."

A report at the Gateway Pundit explained, "President Trump absolutely lit up Biden's worthless Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a gaggle aboard Air Force One on Sunday. Trump departed the White House en route to the Middle East after he secured a historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas. Hamas is releasing the 20 living hostages, and Israel will withdraw to an agreed-upon line, thanks to President Trump's courage and diplomacy. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken is giving Joe Biden credit for President Trump's historic ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas."

Those hostages were, in fact, released early Monday.

But Trump wasn't the only one pointing to Blinken's "pathetic" claim.

"How pathetic, from this inept failure as Secretary of State, who only got the job because he sucked up to Joe Biden for years and did favors for his crackhead son. This is the ineffectual toady who sat mute as Chinese officials yelled at him and disrespected America, who covered up his boss's obvious cognitive decline, who simped with Europeans in the hope they would accept him as one of them, who presided over the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, who helped his boss make every conflict in the world worse, who installed his childhood friend from their Parisian school, Robert Malley, as "Iran special envoy" only to see the guy stripped of his security clearance, suspended, and investigated for "mishandling" classified information — a mystery which still has not been explained. So, sure, try to take credit for what Trump achieved in eight months after your four years of humiliation on the world stage. No one buys it," charged commentator Miranda Devine.

Other social media comments had lower levels of praise for Blinken.

Trump had made clear his concerns months ago:

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