This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Letitia James, the New York attorney general who campaigned on a platform to "get" President Donald Trump, then worked with a leftist judge to decide on a $500 million "fraud" penalty that turned out to be unconstitutional, now has been indicted herself.
The charge comes from a federal grand jury in Virginia and names her on a count of bank fraud.
She already had been under investigation by the Department of Justice over allegations she lied on federal forms to get better interest rates on mortgages.
James won a civil case last year against President Donald Trump and his Trump Organization over her claims of faulty business dealings, but the $500 million penalty created by Arthur Engoron, the New York judge in the case, and James was found to be unconstitutional and thrown out.
Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte had alleged that James may have committed mortgage fraud by making false or misleading statements on property records, "like a loan application that said her property in Virginia is her primary residence, a building record stating her multifamily Brooklyn property incorrectly has five residences instead of four, and a mortgage application that falsely stated James was her father's spouse," Fox News reported.
It was U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, appointed by Trump after her predecessor, who returned the indictment.
WND has reported that the mortgage fraud allegations aren't the only problem for James.
It's minor, but it's still a problem that was cited. It's that the height of a fence at a five-unit apartment structure she owns in Brooklyn.
It's the same address that triggered a federal mortgage fraud investigation into her, as she obtained an interest rate on a mortgage for the property that was based on it having four units, when it actually has five, according to building records.
The Washington Examiner said James could face $500 in fines because the fence at the brownstone is five feet, five inches tall, beyond the 48-inch limit.
The New York Department of Buildings served James with a violation notice recently that deemed her front fence exceeded height limitations.
It was James who, after campaigning to "get" Trump, came up with a claim that his business operations committed fraud. She worked with Engoron on the case, which alleged that there was fraud even though the business entities that supposedly were victimized said their loans were repaid on time and in full, and they would like to do more business with Trump.
Despite the lack of evidence, the judge created a penalty for Trump and his businesses of almost half a billion dollars, a decision that subsequently was tossed by an appeals court ruling that said it violated the U.S. Constitution.
Further, WND reported that constitutional expert Jonathan Turley revealed that James may not be done losing to Trump.
A New York appeals court ruled that the civil penalty issued by Engoron in February 2024 violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against excessive fines. Turley told "Faulkner Focus" guest host Aishah Hasnie that while the ruling was a "tremendous victory" for Trump, more wins could be coming for the president.
"This is obviously a tremendous victory for President Trump, but it's long overdue. During this litigation, many of us described this entire effort as a grotesque use of this New York law. No one lost money in this case. The banks actually wanted more business from President Trump," Turley said. "No one had ever seen an effort like this. It was an effort by Letitia James to have a trophy win against Trump and what this opinion has done is reduce what was a mounted marlin to something of a guppy. It has removed the fine and left in place the injunctive relief that President Trump can now appeal. So, it is possible that even that could go to the wayside."
"The good news is really for the New York court system. This regains some of the credibility that was lost during this process," Turley continued. "Many of us stood there in disbelief that James was allowed to do this. She succeeded in securing or she was fortunate enough to secure a very favorable judge, Judge Engoron, and I want to note, by the way, that both the judge and James tried to effectively price Trump out of even appealing the case. They insisted that he would have to pony up half a billion dollars just to question what they did in the case and it was an outrageous effort to effectively price out an appeal. It didn't work. Now we can see that the appellate court said this should never have happened in terms of the fine."
James sued Trump in September 2022, alleging he overstated the value of real estate holdings to obtain loans after vowing to investigate Trump during her initial campaign for attorney general in 2018, during which she labeled him an "illegitimate president." Turley said the appeals court ruling would also calm businesses in the state.
"There are still legitimate questions here with regard to the injunctive relief," Turley told Hasnie. "The court obviously fractured on these issues. The good news for New Yorkers is that the court of appeals really sent a message to the business community, the legal community, that they are not going to allow raw lawfare."
Late Thursday, James posted a video saying the indictment is "nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Congress opens its sessions with prayer. Many school boards, town and county councils and state legislatures did for many years.
So it shouldn't surprise that an executive in a White House administration that has recognized America's Judeo-Christian foundation and heritage should open a meeting with prayer.
Just as Kristi Noem, chief of President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security, did.
It was at a meeting with ICE officials in Portland, Oregon.
She said, "Lord, I just ask that you would continue to put a hedge of Protection around these officers, keep them safe, Lord, but that also that you would continue to bless each and every one of them and their families…"
Raw Story reported, "Noem asked God to give her agency 'wisdom and discernment to make the best decisions not just for the people that are here enforcing the law but also for the citizens of this country.'"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Homeschooling and homeschoolers have been under attack across America in a number of ways over recent years.
Despite those barrages, the industry is growing hugely.
But there have been special exams demanded, invasive interviews, physical exams, odd requirements for homeschool teachers and much more at times. In one case state officials rejected a college diploma submitted by a homeschool teacher because it was written in Latin.
Now one Maine town is going to an extreme – an attempt to bar those connected with homeschooling from serving on a local public board, the school board.
According to the Institute for Justice, "Town officials in Dexter, Maine are considering a proposal that bars homeschool co-op leaders and private-school employees from serving on the local school board."
While supporters for the barrier claim it would prevent conflicts of interest, the IJ reported it actually is "retaliatory."
The IJ noted that last summer, Dexter voters recalled school board member Alisha Ames, leader of the town's only homeschool co-op, Power Source Ministries.
"The recall came after a campaign by the Facebook group 'Stop the Power Trip,' which accused her of putting the co-op ahead of public schools," the IJ noted. "Even if the recall of Ames was warranted, the proposed ordinance goes much further. Instead of addressing one individual, it would bar homeschool co-op leaders and private-school employees from serving on the school board, shutting out many other residents from their right to serve their community."
The backlash already has begun. State Rep. Heidi Sampson, of the Maine Education Initiative, warned town officials in a letter they are refusing to abide by First Amendment precedents, and that "exposes the town to significant liability."
The plan should be dropped and officials should recognize "the right of all Dexter citizens to serve their local public schools," the letter said.
"The ordinance is overly broad, sweeping in not just paid employees but also volunteers, former leaders, and even homeschooling parents who work together," the IJ said. "It defines a co-op as any 'organized group of parents or guardians who collaborate to provide educational instruction or services to children who are being educated at home.'"
Sampson said the apparent assumption by scheme planners that those individuals cannot have the best interests of public schools at heart is "baseless and narrow-minded."
"The government cannot strip someone of the right to run for office just because it disagrees with how they exercise … fundamental freedoms," the IJ said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Federal agents Saturday were rammed and boxed in by 10 cars in Broadview, Illinois, near Chicago, where crowds have been gathered for days protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. So reports DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
"Pritzker's Chicago Police Department is leaving the shooting scene and refuses to assist us in securing the area. There is a growing crowd and we are deploying special operations to control the scene," McLauglin wrote in an X post.
Reportedly, the agents were unable to move their vehicles and had to exit, Fox News reported. One of the drivers accused of ramming into the law enforcement vehicle was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, according to McLaughlin. She said officers "were forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots at an armed U.S. citizen."
The post indicated that the armed woman "drove herself to the hospital to get care for wounds."
McLauglin noted the woman, who was a U.S. citizen, was named in a CBP intelligence bulletin. She reportedly doxxed agents and posted online, "Hey to all my gang let's f–- those motherf––– up, don't let them take anyone."
According to DHS, no law enforcement officers were seriously injured during the incident.
According to Fox, the agents were reportedly performing a routine patrol in Broadview when the alleged assault occurred.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said on Friday that she and her team were blocked from accessing the Village of Broadview Municipal Building to use the restrooms. The secretary and her team were apparently stopping for a "quick bathroom break."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Nicholas Sortor, an independent, on-the-street reporter who has become famous for his documentation of anti-government actions across America, has announced that the Department of Justice has assured him of an investigation into his arrest by Portland police late Thursday.
The Washington Examiner said the conservative influencer was arrested late Thursday, then released several hours later, early Friday.
He was accused by local police of "second-degree disorderly conduct" while he was documenting violent protests near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Oregon's largest city.
Other reports from the scene at the time said Sortor was defending himself from a woman who attacked him.
"Sortor, a 27-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., was arrested alongside two Oregon residents, according to a press release from the city's police department. All three people were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on the same misdemeanor charge," the Examiner reported.
But later Sortor confirmed the review of his "wrongful arrest" will be conducted by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon.
He said Attorney General Pam Bondi called him personally with the news.
"The Trump DOJ WILL NOT allow Portland Police to continue to do the bidding of Antifa," he wrote on X, telling Portland police to "f*** around and find out."
The report said he explained he was recording footage of federal agents macing protesters when he was surrounded and assaulted, forced to defend himself.
"Nick says he swung back and missed, then disengaged and walked over to a group of Portland PD. He says he was then shocked to be arrested by them, and he sat in the back of a police cruiser while officers figured out what to charge him with," a witness reportd.
Protests in Portland were triggered by the deployment of National Guard troops to crack down on rampant crime there.
The Gateway Pundit commented, "The woman who attacked him was not arrested."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A longtime liberal lawyer who has support Democrats for, well, decades, now is pledging his support for Republicans during the 2026 midterm elections.
It was Alan Dershowitz, whose fame in legal circles is unparalleled.
Defendants to whom he contributed advice at different times include O.J. Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein, Julian Assange, Harvey Weinstein, and even Donald Trump.
His new announcement has just made social media.
"I'm going to be supporting the Republicans in the midterm elections," he said.
He continued, "I'm hoping the Republicans maintain control … both of the House and the Senate. The last thing I want is Chuck Schumer to be head of the Senate or Liz Warren to be chairperson of a committee or AOC to be chairperson of a committee."
He explained, "The Democrats not only have lost my votes, but they have made me an enemy."
He blamed the party for having essentially "moved away from American values, Israeli values and values of decency."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Students attending a football game for the University of Colorado, well known as a party school at least partly because its location in far-left Boulder, Colorado, and its proximity to ski resorts for students to reach during winter months, chanted a slogan.
It was highly critical of CU's opponent in the game, Brigham Young University.
In fact, they said, "F— the Mormons."
And that display of hate and religious bigotry is costing the school $50,000.
The students will be punished, the school said, if they can be identified.
Channel 7, a Denver broadcast outlet, said the Big 12 Conference announced not just the fine but a "public reprimand" for the school.
Shortly after the chant, CU officials condemned the words and called the behavior "deeply disappointing," and then conference commissioner Brett Yormak announced the punishment.
He said "hateful and discriminatory language" has no home in the league.
CU's coach claimed the derogatory slurs are "not indicative of who we are, our student body. Our kids are phenomenal, so don't indict us just based on a group of young kids that probably was intoxicated and high simultaneously."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
With the threat of a looming government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared on "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox News Channel to discuss whether a shutdown can be avoided.
After meeting with President Trump, Speaker Johnson said the president has asked Mike Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries to "stop playing political games."
Regarding the national debt, Johnson said: "What's really important to point out here … the statutes in federal law require Congress to do 12 separate appropriations bills every year. That's the only way to ensure stewardship of taxpayer funds – to spend less money and make government more responsible. The problem is, as you and I both know … Congress hasn't really worked that way in a long time. Typically what we hae instead is a giant omnibus spending bill at the end of the year because the can is kicked down the road all the way to that point."
Johnson stated that the Trump administration is "forcing the muscle memory back" and have gotten "Congress to work again."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The FBI has confirmed that the suspect in this week's sniper attack on a facility used by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in Dallas, a suspect now dead from a self-inflicted gunshot, had wanted to deliver "real terror" to the federal law enforcement agents.
The confirmation came in a statement from FBI chief Kash Patel about the shooting that left ICE detainees dead and injured, but no federal officers were hurt:
He confirmed the FBI in Dallas and at its headquarters "have been working 24/7 to seize devices, exploit data, and process writings obtained on location and in the subject's person/residence/bedroom."
The suspect has been identified in several documents at Joshua Jahn, 29.
Patel said, "The perp downloaded a document titled 'Dallas County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management' containing a list of DHS facilities. – He conducted multiple searches of ballistics and the 'Charlie Kirk Shot Video' between 9/23-9/24. – Between 8/19-8/24, he searched apps that tracked the presence of ICE agents. – One of the handwritten notes recovered read, 'Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, 'is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?" – Further accumulated evidence to this point indicates a high degree of pre-attack planning."
Jahn is thought to have "fired indiscriminately" at the ICE building on Wednesday morning.
ICE detainees were being loaded out of a van when the gunfire erupted, authorities said.
Authorities confirmed one of the bullets left behind by the suspect was engraved with the phrase "ANTI-ICE."
WND had reported the violence follows a months-long campaign by leftist politicians and their supporting media corporations to unleash inflammatory rhetoric about President Donald Trump's agenda for border security and the deportation of illegal alien criminals.
"This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE," charged Kristi Noem, Homeland Security secretary. "For months, we've been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed.
"This shooting must serve as a wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE has consequences," Noem said.
In fact, on Rumble, a video of leftist California Gov. Gavin Newsom blasting ICE was posted just hours earlier:
The FBI said the attack happened early Wednesday morning and involved multiple gunshots.
Gov. Greg Abbott said his state supports border security and deportation efforts, and the shooting "will NOT slow our arrest, detention, & deportation of illegal immigrants. We will work with ICE & the Dallas Police Department to get to the bottom of the assassin's motive."
Noem chided those in leftist campaigns who demonize immigration authorities.
"Comparing ICE day in and day out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences," she added. "The men and women of ICE are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer. Like everyone else, they just want to go home to their families at night."
Newsom's state actually launched a campaign to ban ICE agents from wearing masks to conceal their identities – to prevent attacks on their families.
Federal authorities said that since state officials have no authority over federal officers, Newsom's campaign means little.
Activist Laura Loomer confirmed, "I did a background check on Joshua Jahn, the ICE shooter in Dallas, Texas. Joshua Jahn's profile picture from his now-wiped Facebook page, per the background check results, reveals ANTIFA and communist imagery. The profile photo is of an armed communist with the hammer and sickle. The text reads GLORIOUS EXPOSITION, COMRADE. He also has a previous conviction for selling Marijuana. Proof this was Leftist political violence against ICE officers.":
The link between leftists advocating for actions against ICE and the shooting, however, was noted over and over.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
When the Trump White House issued its recent proclamation attaching a $100,000 fee to H-1B petitions, it was billed as a measure to protect American workers. Indeed, the proclamation itself spelled out its pro-American intent in plain terms.
But only days later, federal agencies issued clarifications that narrowed its reach, with the new fee applying only to fresh petitions, leaving existing H-1B holders untouched.
That subtle change, in turn, sparked a reaction overseas most wouldn't expect.
India's Economic Times trumpeted the headline "As White House issues clarification, door opens for laid-off H-1B techies," celebrating the clarifications as a practical win for thousands of foreign workers recently caught up in U.S. tech layoffs.
The article noted that more than 145,000 workers have already been laid off this year by major U.S. tech firms, a wave of cuts they claim hit H-1B visa holders especially hard. For those workers, the clarification offers an easier path to latch onto a new employer, sparing them both the $100,000 fee and the risk of having to enter another visa lottery.
By casting the White House clarifications as a lifeline, they boasted that employers now had every reason to tap into this "ready pool of talent" at minimal cost – and free from any new restrictions.
Meanwhile, Americans who have seen their jobs shipped overseas or handed to contractors and visa holders view the situation very differently. The issue isn't the proclamation's stated intent, but the way its implementation preserves business as usual. The administration openly admitted that H-1B workers have displaced Americans, yet the carve-out exempts those very workers from the penalty meant to stop the abuse.
Instead of deterring corporations from gaming the system, the clarification shields the existing crop of H-1Bs, allowing them to maintain their foothold in the labor market while U.S. citizens remain sidelined.
Since the new rules punish only future entrants, the problem of massive foreign workers depressing Americans' wages and hollowing out the nation's middle class continues.