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.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President Donald Trump boldly attacked European leaders at the United Nations in New York City on Tuesday, telling them to their faces that their countries "are going to hell."
"It's time to end the failed experiment of open borders. You have to end it now," Trump declared. "I'm really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell."
"In America, we've taken bold action to shut down uncontrolled migration. Once we started detaining and deporting everyone who crossed the border and removing illegal aliens from the United States, they simply stopped coming. They're not coming anymore."
Trump touted the success of the American energy industry, while letting his world counterparts know that so-called renewable energy such as wind and solar are "a joke."
"The United States is now thriving like never before. We're getting rid of the falsely named renewables. By the way, they're a joke. They don't work," Trump explained.
"They're too expensive. They're not strong enough to fire up the plants that you need to make your country great. The wind doesn't blow. Those big windmills are so pathetic and so bad, so expensive to operate and they have to be rebuilt all the time. They start to rust and rot.
"The most expensive energy ever conceived and it's actually, you're supposed to make money with energy, not lose money. You lose money, the governments have to subsidize. You can't put 'em out without massive subsidies."
Without specifically naming them, Trump berated both the United Kingdom and France for recognizing a Palestinian state this week while the Islamic terror group Hamas continues to hold hostages it took in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
"Now as if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state," Trump indicated.
"The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities. This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities including October 7th."
"This could have been solved so long ago. But instead of giving in to Hamas' ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: Release the hostages now."
On a humorous note, Trump began his speech by pointing out that both the U.N. escalator he and First Lady Melania Trump got stuck, and the U.N. teleprompter was out of order.
"These are the two things I got from the United Nations, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter," Trump noted.
"I don't mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working," he said.
"I can only say that whosever operating this teleprompter is in big trouble."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A transgender activist has issued a graphic call to assassinate other Americans who think like Charlie Kirk, the Christian conservative champion who was gunned down Sept. 10.
Video of the activist, whom social media users identify as Kimberly McNeely, a purported tarot-card reader from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, reveals a disturbing call for blood recorded a day after Kirk was struck by a bullet while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
"F*** Charlie Kirk," the individual begins. "I don't want to see people hurt. Nobody deserves that. Some people do deserve that. People whose lives are causing death and harm to others, they f***ing deserve it.
"I hope he's the first of many because it's not like our kindness, our empathy is keeping our people from getting killed. It's not."
"It's time for minorities to stop being small, to stop being quiet, to stop being digestible. It's time for minorities to rise the f*** up, to fight f***ing back. And sometimes fighting is messy, sometimes it's bloody. And that's the f***ing way it has to be. I'm not gonna apologize for that. I will die on this f***ing hill.
"Show me a better way, because nothing so far is working," the activist continues.
"Capitalism is growing and growing. Patriarchy is growing and growing. Nothing's getting better. I think people are afraid to do what it takes, you know? Like even when you're not the one getting your hands dirty, don't condemn those who are so f***ing done that they did what they had to do to take a stand."
"No, killing one person isn't gonna fix things. But making people afraid to speak that kind of rhetoric, making people think twice, making people feel not empowered, yeah, that will."
Libs of TikTok noted: "Lgbtq+ t*rrorism is a massive problem."
Others indicated: "This is terrorism and should be treated as such."
"This is just unacceptable. Conservatives are being told they cant live their lives at all, let alone be safe, or exercise their rights. This is absolutely incitement to violence and from the same radicalized subgroup of people who have been disproportionately violently killing people."
"I wonder if this guy knows what he's really asking for. I wonder if he understands how much skilled firepower the right could bring against transtifa? Does he really want to find out?"
Others have been sharing Turning Point USA clips demonstrating Kirk's kindness and empathy toward transgender individuals.
In one video, speaking to a 19-year-old biological male who was transitioning to female, Kirk said: "I'm gonna have an opinion that very few people will ever tell you, which is I want you to be very cautious putting drugs into your system int he pursuit of changing your body.
"I instead encourage you to work on what's going on in your brain first. I think what you need first and foremost is just a diagnosis, just someone that is going to listen to what you'e gone through, listen to what else is going on."
"My prayer for you, and again, very few people will say this, I actually want to see you be comfortable in how you were born. I know that you might not feel that way, but I think that is something that you can achieve."
"I think that with the right team and the right people, you don't have to wage war on your body. You can learn to love your body."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
During Sunday's memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, for Christian martyr Charlie Kirk, the executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show" and spokesman for Turning Point USA proclaimed Kirk was a modern day "prophet."
"I see it now clearly," said Andrew Kolvet, "that Charlie Kirk was a prophet – not the fortune-telling kind that could predict the future, but the biblical kind.
"He confronted evil and proclaimed the truth and called us to repent and be saved. Amen.
"And he wasn't mean about it. He was kind. He was loving. And you could hear in his voice that he desperately wanted the best for you and for all of us."
Kolvet had the same message earlier in the day, telling Maria Bartiromo on "Sunday Morning Futures" on Fox News: "I believe that Charlie is a modern-day prophet. And prophets go into a culture, into a town, into a city and they call it to repent. And if you don't want to repent, then you're not gonna like that message. That's the history of Scripture."
"Charlie was a guy that confronted evil head-on. He didn't pull punches. He said exactly what the truth was. And if you don't want to hear the truth, you will despise the truth. And that's why they despise Charlie."
Kolvet summarized how Kirk wanted people to spend their time on Earth: "Live a life so remarkable … so extraordinary so true to who you are and what God has called you are that your enemies even in death would still not be willing to concede an inch and still revile you. That's a testament to how effective Charlie is and was and will continue to be."
Kolvet concluded his speech at the memorial service by declaring: "We do not grieve as the world grieves, because it says in Scripture, 'O death where is your victory? O death where is your sting?' (1 Corinthians 15:55) Christ has overcome death!"
Also at the service was Elon Musk, who noted: "Charlie was murdered by the Dark for showing people the Light."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In the shadow of a weaponized deep state that devours its own patriots like so many discarded ballot stubs, Tina Peters – grandmother, Gold Star mom and election watchdog – languishes in a Colorado prison hellhole, her iron bars a monument to the radical left's unquenchable thirst for vengeance.
Rather than justice, most see it as the result of a Stalinist show trial, scripted by election-denying Democrats who fear the sunlight she dared to shine on their rigged machines.
And now, from the bully pulpit of the White House, President Donald J. Trump has roared his defiance of the corrupt system, branding Peters a "brave and innocent Patriot" tortured by "Crooked Colorado politicians" and demanding her chains be shattered immediately.
Trump, the unbowed warrior who survived impeachments, indictments and an assassin's bullet, sees in Peters the mirror of his own crusade: a lone truth-teller crushed under the boot of a fraudulent regime that stole 2020 and now silences anyone who exposes the crime.
Thus it is that, in a chilling tale of justice gone awry, a small-town election official currently sits behind bars, her life upended by a system that seems determined to silence her.
Tina Peters, once the trusted Mesa County clerk, now faces a staggering nine-year prison sentence, convicted of crimes her own prosecutors essentially admit she didn't commit.
Her "crime"? Daring to protect election records in the wake of the contentious 2020 presidential election, a fight that has left her career and life in tatters, her freedom stolen and her name smeared by a corporate press eager to paint her as a villain.
Yet, buried within the prosecution's own words lies a stunning admission: Tina Peters may be innocent, a patriot punished simply for upholding the law.
As her appeal fights its way through a Colorado court, the real question is whether truth will prevail, or will a rigged system keep her caged?
Tina Peters' appeal challenges conviction, alleges prosecutorial contradictions
Peters is appealing her October 2024 conviction on seven charges, including three felonies for "attempting to influence a public servant," "conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation" and "first-degree official misconduct."
Her appeal, filed May 30 in the Colorado Court of Appeals, argues that the district court erred in denying her immunity under the Supremacy and Privileges or Immunities Clauses, claiming her actions were lawful efforts to preserve federal election records. Peters' attorneys assert the evidence was insufficient to support her convictions, that she was denied due process and that her nine-year sentence for alleged nonviolent crimes violates her First, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
The appeal highlights prosecutorial statements that appear to undermine their own case, suggesting Peters had the authority to act as she did and lacked the intent required for the criminal charges.
Prosecutors' statements undermine their case
Peters' appeal brief cites trial testimony that appears to exonerate her. David Underwood, a prosecution witness, testified that Peters, as the county's chief election official, had the sole authority to decide who could access the voting system for a software upgrade known as the "Trusted Build."
When asked if Peters made the decision to allow an observer, Underwood confirmed, "Yeah – she made the request. … She made the decision, correct? Not you." (Trial Transcript, 8/5/24, 92:22-25).
Similarly, Danny Casias, another witness, could not identify any decision he was influenced to make due to alleged deceit by Peters (Trial Transcript, 8/5/24, 167:24-168:4).
Regarding Jessi Romero, a third witness, evidence showed Peters was not involved in communications that could have influenced Romero's decisions (Exhibit 18, R. p. 26).
These statements, Peters' attorneys argue, prove she acted within her authority and lacked the intent to deceive, a critical element of the felony charges.
Alleged voter fraud in Mesa County
Peters' actions stemmed from concerns about voter fraud in Mesa County following the 2020 election. Her appeal notes that forensic reports revealed "shocking vulnerabilities and defects" in the county's voting systems, raising major questions about their reliability.
These findings prompted Peters to preserve election data, as federal law (52 U.S.C. §20701) mandates retaining election records for 22 months, and Colorado law (C.R.S. §1-1-110(3)) extends this to 25 months.
Reports of irregularities, such as unexplained vote-count discrepancies and potential software manipulations, fueled her investigation.
Peters sent letters to the county board of commissioners, district attorney and county attorney, warning that the voting systems were "fundamentally flawed, illegal and inherently unreliable," placing her office in legal jeopardy if data was destroyed.
Tina Peters' path to prison
Elected as Mesa County clerk in 2018, Peters served as the county's chief election official, responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state election laws.
In April 2021, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold ordered all counties to install a software update for voting machines, which Peters learned would delete 2020 election data – a violation of federal law.
When Mesa County's IT department declined to oversee the update due to lack of expertise, Peters engaged Conan Hayes, an IT consultant with a federal security clearance, to observe the "Trusted Build" and create forensic images of the election management system (EMS) hard drive.
On May 23, 2021, under Peters' supervision, Hayes made these backups, preserving data that would otherwise have been lost. The prosecution alleged that Peters misrepresented Hayes as her employee, Gerald Wood, to gain access to the update process, accusing her of sneaking him into the facility.
However, the indictment itself acknowledges that county clerks were instructed to "back up any election projects on your voting system to removable media before our arrival" (Indictment, March 8, 2022, p. 10, ¶ 4).
Peters' actions aligned with this directive, performed after hours to avoid system interference.
Despite this, she was indicted on March 8, 2022, and convicted after a trial in August 2024.
On Oct. 3, 2024, Judge Matthew D. Barrett sentenced her to nine years in prison, a term her attorneys call disproportionate for alleged nonviolent offenses.
The corporate press vs. Tina Peters' defense
The corporate press and Wikipedia have portrayed Peters as a conspiracy theorist linked to figures like Mike Lindell, alleging that she orchestrated a security breach to undermine election integrity.
Wikipedia's entry on Peters claims she "allowed unauthorized access" to voting systems, a narrative echoed by outlets like CNN and the New York Times.
In contrast, her appeal brief argues that she acted lawfully to fulfill her duty under federal law. Her attorneys emphasize that Peters first sought qualified government experts, only turning to Hayes when they declined.
The brief also refutes claims of a security breach, noting that prosecutors admitted in court that Peters' actions caused no actual harm, and that the data preservation was consistent with legal requirements.
What Peters did – explained simply
Tina Peters, as Mesa County's election official, was responsible for keeping election records safe. Federal law says she had to keep 2020 election data for 22 months. Thus, when she learned a software update would erase this data, she hired Conan Hayes, an IT expert, to watch the update and make a backup of the data.
She let him into her office to do this, which as the official in charge she was allowed to do. The prosecution said she lied about Hayes being her employee, yet their own witnesses admitted Peters had the power to decide who could be there.
Peters didn't trick anyone, and her actions followed the law to protect election records.
Prosecutors' admissions of Peters' innocence
The prosecution's case hinges on Peters allegedly deceiving officials to allow Hayes access, but their own evidence contradicts this.
The appeal brief highlights that Underwood, Casias and Romero – the subjects of the felony counts – either confirmed Peters' authority or failed to show that she influenced their decisions through deceit.
The indictment's own acknowledgment that clerks were indeed advised to back up data further supports Peters' actions as lawful.
Her attorneys argue that the prosecution's failure to prove criminal intent, coupled with their own witnesses' testimony, amounts to an admission that Peters did not commit the crimes charged.
Trump's fiery stand for a fallen patriot
Enter President Trump, the indomitable force who has made liberating political prisoners like Peters a cornerstone of his second-term agenda, wielding the full might of the executive branch against the deep state's election-fraud enablers.
On Aug. 21, Trump unleashed a blistering Truth Social missive that cut through the fog of leftist rhetoric like a red-hot branding iron: "FREE TINA PETERS, a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians, including the big Mail-In Ballot supporting the governor of the State. Let Tina Peters out of jail, RIGHT NOW. She did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election. She is an old woman, and very sick. If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!!"
This wasn't mere rhetoric from the man who exposed the 2020 "steal" and reclaimed the White House. It's a battle cry, echoing his earlier May directive to the Department of Justice to "take all necessary action" to spring Peters from what he called a "Communist persecution" dungeon.
With Peters having just turned 70 this month and her open letter to Trump pleading for deliverance as a Gold Star mom stripped of her dignity, the president's vow signals the storm to come: Federal habeas challenges, DOJ interventions and perhaps even the thunder of executive clemency if Colorado's corrupt overlords – led by the sneering Jena Griswold – refuse to yield.
Trump, who knows the sting of lawfare all too well, isn't just amplifying Peters' cry; he's weaponizing it, turning her plight into a rallying fire for every American weary of the two-tiered justice system where election truthers rot while the real crooks walk free.
As the Colorado sun sets over Mesa County, Tina Peters sits in a cell, her fate hanging in the balance.
A woman who courageously stood for transparency – but branded a criminal by a corrupt system.
While prosecutors' own words betray their case, and Trump's unyielding voice shakes the prison gates, the question remains: Will the courts now see through the fog of accusations?
Or will Peters, like so many patriots before her, pay a terrible price for daring to challenge a broken system?
The appeal moves forward, but time is running out.
For Tina Peters, it's not just about her freedom. It's about the truth, and whether that still matters in America today.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Five police officers are down in Pennsylvania after a barrage of gunfire erupted as they were serving a warrant.
Reports say a gunman is dead, and three officers have died. Another officer was reported in "grave" condition and another in critical. Names were not released immediately.
A York County deputy also was injured, officials reported.
Federal officials said Washington's resources were being offered to help, and FBI chief Kash Patel said, "Our prayers are with the officers, their families, and the entire York County community."
Officers reportedly were serving a warrant when an alleged suspect fired on them, NBC reported.
"The alleged shooter is believed to be dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound, the sources added," according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Nearby schools and hospitals were locked down.
One witness told a local broadcaster that at least 30 shots were fired.
The Daily Mail said a witness reported an officer lying in the middle of a road.
"More police were still rolling and they were coming from all directions. It wasn't long til I heard a helicopter."
Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was en route to the scene.
The Mail noted the Mexican Consulate said it was monitoring the situation but it was unclear why the consulate was involved.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, "'We are working with our interagency partners and will share more information as soon as it becomes available. We are praying for the victims and their families. This violence must stop."
"Violence against law enforcement is a scourge on our society and never acceptable," Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a statement on X. "Pray for the officers involved."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Prosecutors in Utah working now on the case against Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk last week, have released copies of social media chat between Robinson and his transgender roommate.
The conversation released by Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray was between Robinson and his "transgender (male) lover, Lance Twiggs."
Robinson: Drop what you're doing. Look under my keyboard.
Note under keyboard: 'I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it.'
Twiggs: What? You're joking, right?
Robinson: 'I am still okay, my love, but am still stuck in Oren for a little while longer yet. Shouldn't be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest, I had hoped to keep this secret until I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.
Twiggs: You weren't the one who did it, right?
Robinson: I am. I'm sorry.
Twiggs: I thought they caught the person.
Robinson: No, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. It's quiet, almost enough to get out, but there is one vehicle lingering.
There's more:
Twiggs: Why?
Robinson: Why did I do it?'
Twiggs: Yeah.
Robinson: I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again. Hopefully they have moved on. I haven't seen anything about them finding it.
Twiggs: How long have you been planning this?
Robinson: A little over a week, I believe. I can get close to [the rifle] but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don't want to chance it.
Robinson: I wish I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle. I'm worried what my old man would do if I didn't bring back grandpa's rifle. IDEK if it has a serial number, but it wouldn't trace to me. I worry about prints. I had to leave it in a bush where I changed outfits. I didn't have the ability or time to bring it with. I might have to abandon it and hope that they don't find prints. How the F will I explain losing it to my old man? Only thing I left was the rifle wrapped in a towel."
Then Robinson delivers some specific instructions:
Robinson: Delete this exchange.
And he warned Twiggs not to talk to anyone or answer any questions.
Robinson, 22, now has been charged with capital murder and other counts that could result, if he is convicted, in the death penalty.
According to the Daily Caller News Foundation the suspect's mother told authorities that her son "had become more political and had started to lean more to the left – becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Vice President JD Vance says his own young children have now become victims of raging vitriol being spewed by leftists in a politically charged America.
As Vance hosted "The Charlie Kirk Show" on Rumble on Monday, the vice president, who was a close friend of the assassinated civil-rights leader, recounted how he and his family were viciously hollered at during a recent visit to Disneyland in California.
"'You should disown your dad, you little sh**!' one middle-aged woman yelled at my 5-year-old. 'Tell the Secret Service to protect the Constitution – not your father!' screamed another.
"Are these women violent? Probably not. Are they deranged? Certainly. And while our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left."
Vance, who was broadcasting from his office in the West Wing of the White House, continued: "After Charlie died, one of his friends and one of our senior White House staffers had left-leaning operatives in his neighborhood passing out leaflets telling people what he looked like and where he lived, encouraging neighbors to harass him or, God forbid, to do worse.
"While he was mourning his dead friend, he and his wife had to worry about the political terrorists drawing a big target on the home he shares with his young children. Are these people violent? I hope not. But are they guilty of encouraging violence? You damn well better believe it!"
Vance also went "scorched earth" on individuals celebrating Kirk's assassination.
"There is no unity with people who scream at children over their parents' politics," Vance said. "There is no unity with someone who lies about what Charlie Kirk said in order to excuse his murder.
"There is no unity with someone who harasses an innocent family the day after the father of that family lost a dear friend.
"There is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk's assassination!"
"There is no unity with the people who fund these articles, who pay the salaries of these terrorist sympathizers, who argue that Charlie Kirk, a loving husband and father, deserved a shot to the neck because he spoke words with which they disagree."
Vance concluded: "I can't promise you that this is gonna be easy. I can't promise you that all of us will avoid Charlie's fate.
"I can't promise you that I will avoid Charlie's fate, but the best way to honor him is to shine the light of truth like a torch in the very darkest places. Go do it!
"We owe it to our friend to ensure that his killer is not just prosecuted, but punished. And the worst punishment is not the death penalty, but the knowledge that Charlie's mission continues after he's gone. St. Paul tells us in Ephesians to put on the full armor of God."
Elon Musk saw Vance's statement, and noted: "Unity is impossible with evil fanatics who celebrate murder."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
As Americans continue to try to make sense of last week's assassination of Christian champion and civil rights leader Charlie Kirk, videos are emerging of the outspoken Jesus worshiper issuing a challenge to fellow believers about what he calls "the most ignored commandment" of the Ten Commandments.
"I speak at hundreds of churches of all different denominations," Kirk told the Wisdom Pearl, "and I will challenge the Christian church because I believe this is the most ignored commandment of the Decalogue to our own detriment."
"We do a horrible job of honoring the Sabbath," he explained. "We do a really bad job of that as American Christians."
And what may come as a surprise to millions of Christians, the Sabbath he observed and promoted is NOT Sunday when many congregate to worship on the first day of the week, but rather the seventh day of the week, when Jews and some Christians cease from their work.
The founder of Turning Point USA indicated, "The Sabbath is one of my favorite topics to talk about honestly 'cause I'm so sick of talking about politics all day long, it's all I do. So it drives me crazy. This is actually way more important than that."
Kirk said he'll go "a step further" than merely challenging fellow Christians about ignoring the instruction from God.
"I believe that honoring the Sabbath is the commandment that allows you to honor the other nine commandments, and that the enemy has gone after the honoring the Sabbath because then it is easier to weaken the other nine. And I'll prove it to you," he said.
"If you're honoring the Sabbath, it's definitionally easier to honor your mother and father because you're not working that day and are with family. If you're honoring the Sabbath, it's easier not to covet your neighbor's wife because you're not around your neighbor's wife. You're with your family and you're filled with gratitude that day.
"When you're honoring the Sabbath, it's easier to have no other gods before God because that day is built in time as a temple, as a sanctuary to put God first, to not have idols, to not take the Lord's name in vain. The other nine commandments are made easier, are made more accessible for our broken fleshly depraved nature if we prioritize the Shabbat."
Prior to his shocking assassination Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Kirk had completed a book on the subject titled "Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Change Your Life," which is now set for release posthumously in December.
"It's honestly how the Sabbath saved my life and helped preserve my family and helped preserve my career," Kirk noted of the book.
Kirk was willing to talk about his personal religious background as he explained his awakening to resting on the seventh day of the week.
"I grew up in a Presbyterian background. We left that church, we went to what would be best called as a Bible-believing, evangelical church. So not quite Calvinist, not Pentecostal, somewhere in the middle," he recounted.
"We believe in many of the same stuff, guys. I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. I believe you need Jesus Christ. I believe in grace not works. I believe that there is heaven awaiting us."
He indicated two prominent figures helped open his eyes to resting on the seventh day: Pastor David Engelhardt, a board member at Turning Point USA, and Dennis Prager, the nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and WorldNetDaily columnist who is also the founder of Prager University.
"I was exhausted, it was the summer of 2021. I sat down with [Pastor Engelhardt], I said, 'I'm not sleeping well, I'm fatigued.' And he asked me very bluntly: Are you honoring the Sabbath?' And I gave him very weak theological arguments honestly [such as] 'Oh, I'm not bound to that,' or 'No, I'm not really interested in that, I don't have to do that.' And he really challenged me and I didn't have good responses to be perfectly honest with you."
Of Prager, who is Jewish, Kirk said he "is the premier Torah teacher of this generation. He's amazing, he's a phenomenal mind."
"He would always talk about the Shabbat, always taking about the Sabbath. And I found myself, after a couple of years of hearing this, getting really jealous of him, being like, 'Wait a second! You're just able to unplug for one day and not work and be with friends and family and worship God? I want that!' And I would start to get really jealous in the worst possible way.
"And then I realized it's not something that you go purchase at the store. It's not something that you have to take out a loan for. It's simply the prioritization of the question of: Who's in charge? It's that simple.
"And if you believe God is in charge and if you believe Genesis 1:1 – because Shabbat is a question of whether or not you believe Genesis 1:1 – and if you believe Genesis 1:1, then you honor the Sabbath.
"If you have questions about Genesis 1:1 – 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth' … it's the first truth-claim of the Scriptures, then on the seventh day you rest because God created the heavens and the earth. It is the longest standing celebration of time of the creation of the heavens and the earth. And so that realization changed my life."
Kirk admitted when he first started resting on the seventh day, "it was really hard at first. But I just do it religiously regardless of where I am. No one can contact me. And I just read, I take notes, whatever, and it's been an unbelievable blessing."
Kirk stressed The Decalogue, which are the Ten Commandments, "says very clearly that we have to honor the Sabbath."
"I believe truly that the Sabbath is the commandment that makes the other nine possible. And so, let's think about it. If you're a parent that is growing disconnected from your child, are you having a Sabbath dinner with them with no devices on?" he asked.
"Probably not. I believe the Sabbath dinner is one of the great traditions that mankind has always had. And whether we like it or not, Jesus had plenty of Sabbath dinners. We know that.
"And also He had a Passover dinner. I'm not saying you're bound by it. But this is a thing that's in the Bible that's kind of like, 'Wow! Am I doing that? Am I taking advantage of that?'
"So I call on every Christian, if you want your life to improve, maybe you don't, maybe you want your life to remain awful and miserable, but if you want your life to improve, the happiest people, the least depressed people in the world are those that honor the Sabbath, or some form of a day of rest."
"They live longer, they're healthier, less disease and all of it. So for me it's been a great blessing, and it's a way just to totally tune out of all this kind of nonsense that's happening around you."
When traditional Christians told Kirk they were too busy to have a Sabbath rest, Kirk would respond: "I hate to pull rank on this, but if I can do it, you can do it."
"Try it for a month, try it for two months and you'll find your relationship with God and your loved ones will dramatically improve and that hardened hearty that you are worried about I think will soften very quickly."
In another interview, Kirk lamented: "I think that to our own detriment and to our own failure, we as Christians have decided to cast away resting on one of the seven days. God rested after creation, that comes before the Hebrews, it comes even before the creation of the modern world and civilization as we know it.
"And it says very clearly in the Scriptures: For six days you shall work, and the seventh day you shall rest. If you are feeling overrun by society, you might be feeling depressed or anxious, here's this one way that you might be able to improve. Turn your phone off for one day. No contact. No social media. No work. Your mental health will improve dramatically.
"That is a day to go be with God, that is a day to read your Bible and be out of the busyness and the hurriedness and just the anger and the noise of this world. Go back to God's natural rhythm. And it's made our family much tighter knit. And I could be traveling for five or six days, but if I at least get one good Sabbath with my family, it charges all back up."
He noted: "I want to be remembered for courage for my faith, that would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith."
Charlie's wife Erika Kirk was asked about the impact resting on the seventh day of the week has had on their family.
"As the wife, I have seen it transform him in a way that is so powerful that when he turns his phone off and it goes in that drawer, and he and I know that it's, you know he's all on for the family," Erika explained, adding there were "no distractions and he finally gets to reset his brain. He finally gets to breathe."
"And as a wife, there is nothing more precious than my husband's sanity when it comes to the echo chamber and everything that he's dealing with in his world. So I have seen it change him and impact our family in one of the most beautiful ways."
Rachel Cohen Booth, a senior policy correspondent for Vox who happens to be Jewish, admits she was stunned by Charlie Kirk's move toward observing a Sabbath as Jews do from from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
"I found this surprising – he was an outspoken evangelical Christian. I also found it unexpectedly moving," Booth wrote. "This famous Christian figure shared in the precious ritual that Jews like me all over the world have practiced for centuries."
In 2008, WorldNetDaily published an in-depth report on when precisely is God's Sabbath day to be observed, titled "Deception': Christians war over worship day."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Police sometimes arrest the wrong people. Usually, the officers figure out the mistake quickly and besides a huge amount awkwardness, there's little other damage.
Not always.
And now a federal judge has allowed a Texas woman's lawsuit against officers of the Broward County sheriff's office to move forward, withdrawing from them the ordinary immunity that officers mostly have.
According to the Institute for Justice, which is handling the case on behalf of Jennifer Heath Box, "In the opinion, Judge [Melissa] Damian wrote that it violates the Fourth Amendment to put the wrong person in jail when there are 'observable differences between the individual and the person described in the warrant and there was plenty of time for officers to verify the identity of the person being arrested but the officers ignored red flags and arrested the person anyways.'"
The ruling also said the deputies are not entitled to qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields government officials from being held liable when they violate someone's rights unless that right is "clearly established."
The ruling rejected the county's attempt to get the case dismissed.
"This Court finds that 11th Circuit case law provides several materially similar decisions that would provide the Deputies a fair warning that their conduct was unlawful," the judge said.
Box was arrested while getting off a cruise ship in Port Everglades following a family trip on Christmas Eve 2022, and spent three days in jail, before finally being released.
The IJ said, "Police had a warrant for a different Jennifer—Jennifer Delcarmen Heath—who was 23 years younger; five inches shorter; and had a different hair color, eye color, skin tone, social security number, and home address. Deputies Peter Peraza, Monica Jean, Jasmine Hines and Anthony Thorpe all at various points overlooked the evidence on the warrant which proved they had the wrong Jennifer, but moved forward with the arrest and detention anyway."
Box said she was pleased her case will move forward.
"When I was in jail, nobody would listen to me that they had arrested the wrong person, and now it feels like somebody is finally listening," she said.
The decision "makes it clear that when police overlook obvious evidence that they're arresting the wrong person, they'll be held accountable," said IJ Attorney Jared McClain. "Anyone who looked at Jennifer should have been able to tell she was not the person police wanted."