This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
On the one-year anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, the commander in chief was asked was going through his mind when he woke up on Sunday.
"God was protecting me," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
"Maybe because God wanted to see our country do better or do really well. Make America Great Again.
"But God was protecting me," Trump repeated. "The more you think about it, the more you see it."
"I don't like to think about it much, you know. I have a job to do," he added.
"It's a little bit of a dangerous profession being president, but I really don't like to think about it too much. I think you're better off not thinking about it."
The president was also asked about FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who has been rumored to be considering leaving the bureau over the non-release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
"I spoke to him today," Trump said. "Dan Bongino is a very good guy. I've known him a long time. He's in good shape."
Trump also commented on the recent success of the U.S. military's destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities, saying: "From zero to 10 with 10 being the best, that attack was a 15."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a millionaire many times over, died allegedly by his own hand several years ago while waiting in a New York Jail for development of more sex charges against him.
People across America of multiple political ideologies have anxiously awaited the release of details about his death, and his associates during his lifetime, including a long list of high-profile personalities to include Bill Gates and Bill Clinton.
That, more or less, had been part of a commitment made by Trump administration officials just weeks ago.
But then came the Department of Justice notification, in an unsigned note, that little more information about Epstein and his lifestyle should be expected.
Obviously, the sudden change triggered an explosion of criticism and demands for details, which have not yet come.
But one explanation is being offered why Epstein information apparently, suddenly, went through a paper shredder, more or less.
Maybe he was a government asset?
That suspicion comes from things including his relatively gentle treatment when he first was convicted several years ago, and the currently handling of his record.
It is the Daily Caller that explains that the federal prosecutor, Alex Acosta, who went after Epstein on sex charges years ago allegedly confirmed, "I was told Epstein 'belonged to intelligence' and to leave it alone."
The report noted that Attorney General Pam Bondi was questioned at a Cabinet meeting this week on that topic.
Bondi responded, "I have no knowledge about that. We can get back to you on that."
She had been asked, "Your memo and release yesterday with Jeffrey Epstein left some lingering mysteries, one of the biggest ones is whether he ever worked for an American or foreign intelligence agency. … The former labor secretary and Miami U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, he allegedly said that he did work for an intelligence agency. So could you resolve whether or not he did?"
Bondi, months ago, had told Fox News that Epstein's "list" was "sitting on my desk right now to review."
Acosta was part of the prosecution team that in 2007 gave Epstein immunity as part of a plea deal. Epstein pleaded to state charges and served time in a county jail.
The issue arose again when Epstein was arrested in another case in 2019.
The Daily Caller said:
The Miami Herald spent five years in a legal battle to obtain documents related to Epstein, while extensively covering both the current case and earlier proceedings against him in Florida, according to a Vanity Fair report.
"It's not beyond the realm of possibility that Epstein had connections to the [Israeli intelligence community]," Julie K. Brown, investigative reporter for the Miami Herald, told the Times of Israel in a 2021 interview.
She pointed to Epstein's convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell's father, Robert Maxwell.
"Robert Maxwell certainly had those kinds of connections, and Epstein had a close relationship with Robert Maxwell," she told the outlet.
Maxwell's 1991 burial on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives drew Israeli political leadership, according to a New York Times (NYT) obituary.
Ehud Barak, the former Israeli prime minister, allegedly visited Epstein numerous times, taking private jet flights and spending time at Epstein's homes in both Florida and New York, according to documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in 2023.
Further reported was that Iraseli officials met with Epstein at times early in the 2000s.
And, the report said, "William Burns, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under the Biden administration, had three scheduled meetings with Epstein in 2014 during his time as deputy secretary of state, according to a separate 2023 WSJ report. Tammy Kupperman Thorp, former CIA spokeswoman, told the publication that Burns 'did not know anything about [Epstein] other than that he was introduced as an expert in the financial services sector and offered general advice on transition to the private sector.'"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A newly published commentary notes that Colorado Democrats in the state legislature, who with other Democrats control virtually every aspect of Colorado's government, are fleeing – en masse.
At least 20% of the lawmakers who sit in Denver making rules and regulations for their taxpayers have not been elected; they were appointed by party elites, much like Kamala Harris was appointed to be the party's 2024 presidential candidate.
Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, wrote, "Democratic Rep. Said Sharbini left, citing 'the polarized and contentious climate in the state House.' Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis said the job was emotionally and physically tough when she recently split. But these spoiled kids can have anything they want. They're not squabbling with Republicans. Republicans aren't even in the equation. Republicans are hiding in the janitor's closet hoping not to be found and slapped around. These Democrats are backbiting fellow Democrats. The 'sensationalistic and vitriolic' unhealthy environment is amongst themselves. The polarization and emotional toll isn't coming from the feckless Republicans. Team Left is beginning to eat their own. More than 20% of our legislators were never voted into office in the first place. They were appointed to fill vacancies of those who wanted to get out."
Absolute Democrat control in the state that used to swing back and forth regularly between Democrat and Republican majorities developed two decades ago. That was when, according to a report from American Majority, that the "Gang of Four" billionaires and lowly multi-millionaires essentially bought the state government.
Rutt Bridges, now-Gov. Jared Polis, Tim Gill and Pat Stryker, all pushing the extremes of the leftist agenda, conspired to use their wealth to organize a new Democrat party, "from policy generation to leadership recruiting, coalition building to grassroots activation."
Stryker is a billionaire heiress to a medical tech fortune, and she donated $1.5 million in support of Hillary Clinton's failed 2016 campaign; Gill started Quark, Bridges once said he had "more money than I could spend," and Polis took advantage of early dot-com miscalculations, selling online rights to his parents Blue Mountain Arts greeting card slogans to another company for hundreds of millions of dollars, which then collapsed, and he bought them back at a fraction of the original price.
He spent $1 million to his political start, a seat on the Colorado Board of Education which is an unpaid, part-time time. His GOP opponent raised $10,000, and, reports said, had offered to drop out if Polis has split the difference and given him $500,000.
The report noted what the "Gang" did was flood races with money that no local Republican candidate could hope to compete with, using "dozens" of 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and 527 organizations that they personally funded.
The result? "The Democrat Party didn't win Colorado: the progressive left did. They simply used the Democrat Party as a vehicle by which to achieve their political ends."
Since then, there's been a long list of Democrat governors. The state House and Senate have near veto-proof Democrat majorities. The state's top officials are all Democrats.
The agenda has been made clear by their goals and actions.
An all-Democrat state Supreme Court tried to remove President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot, only to be reprimanded by the U.S. Supreme Court. The state repeatedly has launched attacks on Christianity, demanding its own messaging and disregarding constitutional rights. In one case it got scolded by the Supreme Court for its hostility to Christianity, but it immediately launched the same allegations against another defendant, to be struck down again.
It tried this year to force a Christian children's camp to allow boys in the girls cabins, and showers.
It right now is arguing before the Supreme Court that it has the right to control the speech of Christian counselors who want to help patients to come to them with unwanted same-sex feelings.
The state essentially says, in that case, that counselors are allowed to promote the LGBT ideology, but are not allowed even to mention anything negative about the lifestyle.
Polis, of course, the openly homosexual governor who pundits already have mentioned as a possible future Democrat nominee for president, has been part and parcel of the agenda, apparently from its beginning.
It is, in fact, the leftist CPR which has confirmed, "There will be at least 21 members of the Colorado General Assembly this year who at some point were appointed to the House or Senate by or through a vacancy committee made up of a small number of party insiders, according to a Colorado Sun analysis. That includes 12 state representatives and nine senators. All but three are Democrats:"
It continued, "The number — which represents about a fifth of the 100-member General Assembly — is down from last year, when 29 legislators had at some point landed a job in the General Assembly thanks to a vacancy committee."
Caldara explained, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen "in any other state" would be "looking to run for governor." Instead, he's fleeing.
"So that Paul doesn't feel alone in his escape from the asylum — I'm sorry, the 'unsupervised mental health facility' — the equally sane House Minority Whip Ryan Armagost is bolting out of the state for an undisclosed 'fantastic professional opportunity' in Arizona," Caldara wrote.
But the majority fleeing are Democrats.
"Recall, Democrats have near veto-proof majorities in both houses, all statewide offices, including governor and attorney general, and judges almost completely appointed by progressive Democrat governors. Like your sibling whom your parents love more than you, Democrats get whatever they want. Your wallet is their oyster," Caldara wrote.
In fact, lawmakers, faced with a constitutional requirement for voter approval for tax increases beyond the rate of inflation and increased population, have resorted to imposing new taxes and then calling them "fees."
For example, vehicle owners are required to pay a "fee" for roads and a "fee" for bridges. Likely they sometimes use them. But out-of-state travelers use those same public facilities, with no fee.
Caldara noted that first, there needs to be reform of how vacancies are filled.
"The bigger question is, what are the Democrats doing to make the place so unlivable?"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In a time when Americans face mounting student debt, stagnant wages and increasing job competition, a little-known government program continues to certify hundreds of thousands of permanent jobs for foreign workers, even when qualified U.S. citizens are available, willing and able.
The labor certification process known as "PERM" (Program Electronic Review Management) allows employers to sponsor foreign nationals for green cards only if no qualified U.S. worker is available. According to federal law, employers must first complete a good-faith test of the U.S. labor market, which includes specific recruitment steps such as two Sunday newspaper ads, internal postings and three additional recruitment methods from a Department of Labor-approved list.
But in practice, employers can exploit the outdated list of approved recruitment methods by avoiding major online platforms and even their own company career sites. Instead, they often use limited-access alternatives such as obscure job boards, local or ethnic newspapers, or short-duration radio ads that technically satisfy the rules on paper, but drastically reduce the chances that qualified U.S. workers will ever see or apply for the position.
In 2024, the Department of Labor processed 116,427 PERM applications to hire foreign workers, approving nearly 88% of them. Only 5.4% (6,364) were denied. This means tens of thousands of U.S. jobs were certified for foreign workers without a transparent or fair recruitment process. The Department of Labor publishes quarterly data on employer applications to sponsor foreign workers, including both H-1B and PERM filings, which offers insight into the hiring and immigration practices of U.S. employers and their immigration attorneys.
An analysis of PERM filings from 2020 to 2024 reveals how major U.S. technology companies use the green card sponsorship process to secure foreign labor for high-paying roles, often without conducting genuine or competitive hiring searches. The data show consistent reliance on minimal recruitment efforts, including outdated tactics like requiring U.S. applicants to submit paper resumes by mail.
These methods, previously flagged by the Department of Justice as barriers to American workers, were often used even by large tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Google and Workday.
For example, PERM-required job ads published in the May 9, 2021, print edition of the Mercury News instructed jobseekers to apply via postal mail, despite the fact that these companies already had digital hiring systems in place.
Similar tactics triggered a high-profile federal investigation involving Facebook – now Meta. In 2021, the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor reached a settlement with Facebook after alleging it had intentionally implemented PERM recruitment in a way to deter U.S. applicants. According to the complaint, Facebook did not post PERM roles on its public careers page and it required submission of resumes by physical mail, methods the DOJ concluded discouraged American workers from applying:
"Facebook created a separate hiring process for PERM positions that intentionally discouraged U.S. workers from applying. For example, while Facebook typically accepts applications online, it required that applications for PERM positions be submitted by mail only."
"Facebook used recruitment methods for PERM positions that were less effective than those it used for other positions, intentionally deterring U.S. workers from applying to positions that the company sought to fill with temporary visa holders."
As part of its settlement, Facebook was required to change its PERM practices, posting jobs on its public website, accepting electronic applications and using the same hiring processes for PERM roles as for other jobs. The company also agreed to federal oversight, employee training and regular reporting on its hiring activity.
Since then, industry reports on the platform Blind show that Meta has seen a rise in PERM denials, suggesting that when forced to conduct fair recruitment, companies do in fact encounter qualified American candidates.
The evidence is overwhelming that companies like Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Google and others, despite consistently lobbying for more foreign-worker visas on the basis of a so-called "talent shortage," are fully capable of finding qualified Americans when they are actually required to recruit them.
Indeed, when employers go to such lengths to avoid recruiting qualified U.S. workers, even under a program like PERM that explicitly requires a good-faith labor market test, their own actions contradict claims of a shortage. The evidence suggests it is not that they can't find qualified Americans, it's that they are deliberately avoiding them.
If this is happening in a program like PERM, which includes at least some legal safeguards and penalties, the risks are far greater under programs like H-1B and STEM OPT, which contain no such protections for U.S. workers. Without enforcement or accountability, these visa channels allow companies to bypass the domestic workforce entirely, undermining both the integrity of the labor market and the future of American employment.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that lawmakers are "delivering on our promise to make America great again."
Then the legislators voted 218-214 to adopt Senate changes to President Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill."
It's a landmark for tax cuts and spending that includes many of Trump's priorities. The $3.3 trillion measure installs in America budget priorities and spending – or not spending – points adopted by Republicans.
Trump, on social media, said, "The USA is on track to break every record on growth. Go Republicans, beat the Crooked Democrats tonight! Pro-growth tax cuts never fail."
The nearly 900-page bill, read aloud on demands from Democrats who were trying to delay, and possibly even derail, the plan, extends the president's 2017 tax cuts and further eliminates taxes on tips and overtime – a marquee promise that the president pledged repeatedly on the campaign trail.
The child tax credit is doubled and Trump's new plan for $1000 "MAGA account" for new babies is included.
The tax cuts alone will cost $4.5 trillion over the next ten years, according to projections from the Congressional Budget Office. To offset the massive price tag Republicans included $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, mainly trimming Medicaid.
Lawmakers used a tactic called reconciliation, so the tax and spending bill did not need 60 votes in the Senate, which had approved the plan 51-50 with the tiebreaker from Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday.
The House originally adopted the plan late in May.
The primary component is the permanent extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts that would have expired this year.
The plan also exempts pay from overtime and tips from federal income taxes – a fulfillment of one of the Trump's campaign promises.
According to the Daily Mail, "In addition, the bill allows individuals in high-tax states to deduct up to $40,000 per year for half a decade in state and local taxes (SALT) from their federal taxes – a top priority for conservatives in blue states."
And, it added, "Border security efforts will also be getting a major cash infusion estimated to be around $150 billion for increased immigration enforcement. It includes $46 billion for Customs and Border Patrol to build border wall and enhanced security measures and around $30 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
Also in the plan is $150 billion for Trump's "Golden Dome" national defense plan.
Gone are billions of dollars for "green energy" schemes, and cash in federal programs that aided noncitizens.
There also now are work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP plans.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Raphael Warnock was a preacher at an Atlanta church before he was elected to the United States Senate.
And he still faces controversies over the money, tens of thousands of dollars, he continues to take from the congregation each year, and the lavish, luxury home, owned by the church, that he occupies.
In fact, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust has asked the Senate Select Committee on Ethics to investigate what "appears" to be his violation of Senate ethics rules by accepting the "lavish" housing scheme and then refusing to report it on his financial disclosures.
Notwithstanding his own behavior, the senator now is insisting that Christians abide by his beliefs about the Bible.
He recently delivered a lengthy diatribe against Republicans, accusing them of being Robin Hood in reverse and taking from kids to give to the wealthy.
"We're taking away health care from kids and then burdening them with the debt," Warnock said. "We are engaged in Robin Hood in reverse, this body of stealing from the poor in order to give to the rich. This massive transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top. This is socialism for the rich."
A report at RedState explained, "The Democrat senator and reverend, then, took a swipe at the opposition, who are of faith, claiming they weren't reading the same book as he was when he tried to claim Scripture supports the use of the government to aid the poor."
He continued, "But, if I'm honest, there are days when I have to ask people of my faith tradition as a Christian, 'Are we reading the same book?' The book I know says I was hungry, and you fed me. I was sick, I was in prison, and you visited me; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me…. The book that I love says learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and the needy."
He was addressing GOP plans for legislation that would implement some of President Donald Trump's goals, including cutting social agenda spending by the government, and more.
The report explained, "When the clip surfaced, it went as well as you can imagine, as one person after another absolutely torched the senator for missing the part about the Bible calling on the church to help people, not the government."
One on social media said, "The book he reads says to be willing and joyful givers. The book he reads says to give of yourself, not by force. The book he reads says taking care of the poor and the hungry is the job of the church, not the job of the government."
Said another, "Yes, 'when I was hungry…' means we help. It does not mean we take it as a dependent. If someone shows up and is in need, I would bring them in, feed them, let them get some rest, and maybe even help them get on their feet. But no, they cannot 'move in.' They have to be working towards self-sustainment. In the case of illegal immigration, well, they came in, invited their friends, wrecked the house, ate all my food, and drove me into poverty while contributing almost nothing. Oh, and they shot my dog!"
Explained RedState, "The Democratic senator from Georgia is all for allowing illegal aliens to stay in our country after former President Joe Biden's policies encouraged the invasion of illegals at our southern border, as RedState's Mike Miller reported. This is the same guy who, in mid-January, voted against the deportation of illegal aliens who commit sexual assault and other violent crimes."
Regarding Warnock, FACT charged:
Since 2005, Senator Warnock has served as a Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and continued to do so in some capacity after his election to the U.S. Senate in 2021. When he was initially elected, Sen. Warnock disclosed that he received a $7,400 monthly housing allowance from his church. The stipend amounted to nearly $90,000 in annual income, which appeared to far exceed his housing costs and was exempt from income taxes.
Then, in October 2022, Ebenezer Baptist Church purchased a "luxury" home in Georgia for $989,000, which was described as a lavish five-bedroom home, with "a plethora of luxury accommodations, including a 100-bottle wine fridge, a Bluetooth-enabled stainless steel cooking range, custom crown molding, and a walk-in closet affixed to a 'stunning' European bathroom with a remote-controlled privacy curtain." Shortly after it was purchased, Sen. Warnock moved into it for free (and also sold the home he previously owned in Georgia and purchased a home in Washington D.C.). Since moving into the luxury home, Sen. Warnock has not included any information about being provided housing on his financial disclosures. In addition to the un-disclosed housing, he has reported receiving an annual income from the church just under the maximum outside earned income limit, for instance $31,815.12 in 2023.
Senate Ethics Rules states the Senate "may discipline a Member for any misconduct, including conduct or activity which does not directly relate to official duties, when such conduct unfavorably reflects on the institution as a whole." One theme throughout federal law and Senate Ethics rules is that Members may not generally accept anything of value unless an identified exception applies, and if they do accept something it must be disclosed to the public. These laws address both conflicts of interest and corruption of Members of Congress. Sen. Warnock's acceptance of lavish housing and failure to disclose it implicates federal law and several Senate rules.
FACT chief Kendra Arnold explained, at the time, "There are tax laws and ethics rules which allow for a Senator to accept reasonable lodging or housing, but they are only applicable in a narrow set of circumstances—they are not an open-ended loophole that can be abused. Among other factors, it's critical that the value of the housing provided be commensurate to the work done—and then the value be disclosed. It's difficult to fathom any citizen could look at this situation (a U.S. Senator that is a part-time employee of an organization, which pays him a salary and then happens to buy him a million-dollar house to live in for free after he was elected to Congress) and not think something potentially wrong is afoot. Given the combination of the known facts here, the timeline in which they occurred, and the various governing ethics rules, a closer look is clearly warranted."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
There was a team of reporters back in 2018 who "reported" on the "politically timed" – and unsubstantiated – claims against then-Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, that he approached little girls, even kissed them.
Moore earlier had been twice elected chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and then was removed over his decision to acknowledge the Ten Commandments. He long had been a target for Democrats and other leftists who are anti-Christian, who feared such a presence in the U.S. Senate.
That team eventually was honored with a Pulitzer prize for its published hit pieces on Moore, who ended up not winning the election.
Now one of those team members is under arrest – in an irony too massive to miss: Child porn charges.
A report at Revolver News explains it is Thomas Pham LeGro, 48, who is accused of possessing child porn.
He is a journalist at the Washington Post and resident of the District of Columbia.
"The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Pirro thanks FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department for their ongoing efforts in this investigation. On June 26, 2025, FBI agents executed a search warrant at LeGro's residence and seized several electronic devices. A review of LeGro's work laptop revealed a folder that contained 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse material," the report said.
FBI agents and members of a task force charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against suspects in the exploitation of children are investigating.
The report explained the background, "In 2018, the liberal media patted themselves on the back for taking down Roy Moore, a Republican Senate candidate from Alabama. The takedown followed the usual pattern. Moore was attacked over allegations from 40 years ago. Allegations that were unproven, disputed, and oh-so-perfectly politically timed. The Washington Post, naturally, led the charge. They published the hit piece, won their little gold trophy, and got their high-fives in the newsroom."
Those reports were based on statements from various individuals who made claims about Moore.
The publication's biography on LeGro reveals how he participated in the anti-Moore campaign, and has been promoted multiple times since.
"Federal agents found a folder with eleven child porn videos. LeGro was so panicked, he even tried destroying the hard drives right as agents arrived," the report said.
"During the execution of the search warrant agents observed what appeared to be fractured pieces of a hard drive in the hallway outside the room where LeGro's work laptop was found," authorities explained.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President Donald Trump on Sunday pushed a "temporary pass" for immigrant farmworkers in America, while he blasted "lunatics" in Biden administration for bringing prisoners from other countries into America, calling it "a sin that we can never forget."
"This to me was the worst part of Biden," Trump said in an exclusive interview on "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox News Channel. "The worst thing he did was the whole thing on immigration."
"They would empty their prisons into the United States," Trump said. "Not just South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, parts of Europe, rough parts of Europe.
"Their prisons were emptied into the United States and the people, you saw the people.
They run into the country. To me, that's a sin that we can never forget. We can never forget what Biden and that group of lunatics that work for him have done to our country."
"If I didn't get elected, I'm telling you, we wouldn't have had a country left."
Trump also says he's working on a temporary pass for immigrants working on American farms.
"We're gonna work it so that some kind of a temporary pass where people pay taxes, where the farmer can have a little control, as opposed to you walk in and take everybody away. But no, I want, the criminals are going out of this country."
"I cherish our farmers, and when we go into a farm and when we take away people that have been working there for 15 and 20 years, who are good, who possibly came in incorrectly, and what we're gonna do is we're gonna do something for farmers where we can let the farmers sort of be in charge.
"The farmer knows. He's not gonna hire a murderer. But when you go into a farm and he's had somebody working for him for nine years doing this kind of work, which is hard work to do, and a lot of people aren't gonna do it, and you end up destroying a farmer because you took all the people away."
"It's a problem. You know, I'm on both sides of the thing. I'm the strongest immigration guy that there's ever been, but I'm also the strongest farmer guy that there's ever been. And that also includes also hotels and places where people work, a certain group of people work."
Regarding this week's victory of socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York City's Democratic primary in the race for mayor, Trump called him a "radical left lunatic."
"He's a communist. I think it's very bad for New York. I don't know that he's gonna get in. It's inconceivable. But he's a communist and he's a pure communist. I think he admits it," Trump explained.
"I can't imagine it, but let's say this. If he does get in, I'm gonna be president, and he's gonna have to do the right thing or they're not getting any money. He's got to do the right thing."
Trump avoided saying whom he'd like to see as NYC mayor, but added: "I can tell you this. Who's ever mayor of New York is gonna have to behave themselves or the federal government is coming down very tough on them financially."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A huge thumbs up was being offered to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday from multiple high-profile organizations that work to protect the rights and freedoms of Americans.
In the Mahmoud v. Taylor case, the justices, 6-3, said Montgomery County, Maryland, schools could not force LGBT indoctrination on young children, and the constitutional issues involve religious rights of families, parents, and children.
The decision provides an injunction that parents now can opt their children out of the ideological teachings of the leftist school district.
Liberty Counsel chairman Mat Staver said, "This U.S. Supreme Court has once again upheld that parents have the right to direct the education and provide for the welfare of their children. The First Amendment simply does not allow government schools to require families to sacrifice their religious beliefs for their children to attend school. Parents in all states should be given adequate opportunity to review any instructional material and must be given the ability to opt their children out of instruction that violates their faith."
The ruling itself warned that the materials the district was using for its indoctrination program were not merely providing information, they were making LGBT choices "normative," meaning they promoted the alternatives LGBT lifestyle choices as "normal" to the children.
"They are designed to present certain values and beliefs as things to be celebrated, and certain contrary values and beliefs as things to be rejected. Take, for example, the message sent by the books concerning same sex marriage. Many Americans 'advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned.' That group includes each of the parents in this case. The storybooks, however, are designed to present the opposite viewpoint to young, impressionable children who are likely to accept without question any moral messages conveyed by their teacher's instruction," the ruling said.
Further, said the ruling, "The storybooks present same-sex weddings as occasions for great celebration and suggest that the only rubric for determining whether a marriage is acceptable is whether the individuals concerned 'love each other.' The storybooks similarly convey a normative message on the subjects of sex and gender. Many Americans, like the parents in this case, believe that biological sex reflects divine creation, that sex and gender are inseparable, and that children should be encouraged to accept their sex and to live accordingly. The storybooks, however, suggest that it is hurtful, and perhaps even hateful, to hold the view that gender is inextricably bound with biological sex."
In fact, Montgomery County's books "impose upon children a set of values and beliefs that are 'hostile' to their parents' religion beliefs."
ADF spokesman John Bursch said, "The U.S. Supreme Court's decision is a monumental victory for parents and their fundamental right to make decisions consistent with their religious beliefs about the upbringing and education of their children. Government officials can't force parents to give up that right or violate their religious beliefs in exchange for a public education.
"In line with American history, tradition, and judicial precedent, the court affirmed that school officials cannot act like their job is to replace parents and their beliefs. Our Constitution forbids schools from indoctrinating children with uniform views on sexuality and gender—hotly debated topics—in conflict with their families' religious beliefs. We applaud the court's protection of parents' right to choose what's best for their children's education. We also congratulate our friends at Becket Fund for Religious Liberty for their hard-fought win in this important case."
Kayla Toney, of First Liberty Institute, said, "The U.S. Supreme Court today strengthened the rights of parents by ensuring that they have a say when it comes to the education of their children, especially when families' religious beliefs are at stake. Our children do not belong to the state, and the government should not be able to hide what it's teaching in schools simply because it doesn't agree with parents' values or religious beliefs."
Becket explained, "The new 'inclusivity' books were announced in 2022 for students in pre-K through fifth grade. Instead of focusing on basic principles of respect and kindness, however, the books champion controversial ideology around gender and sexuality. For example, one book tasks three- and four-year-olds to search for images from a word list that includes 'intersex flag,' 'drag queen,' 'underwear,' 'leather,' and the name of a celebrated LGBTQ activist and sex worker. Another book advocates a child-knows-best approach to gender transitioning, telling students that a decision to transition doesn't have to 'make sense.' Teachers are instructed to say doctors only 'guess' when identifying a newborn's sex anyway. The School Board revoked notice and opt-outs for these storybooks, which violates Maryland law, the Board's policies, and the advice of its own elementary school principals. "
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A previously classified letter written by Hamas leaders on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, has revealed the terror organization's detailed plans and motivations for the devastating attack on Israel, including their belief that the assault would lead to Israel's complete destruction.
This explosive intelligence document was recently reported in Hebrew-language Maariv news, following its discovery in a bunker used by Hamas military leadership after the elimination of Yahya Sinwar.
The lengthy personal letter was written by three top Hamas officials – Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar and Marwan Issa – and addressed to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Said Izadi, commander of the "Palestine Corps" within Iran's Revolutionary Guard Quds Force.
Intelligence assessments indicate the letter was sent on the morning of Oct. 7, either as the Nukhba fighters began their assault on Israeli communities or shortly thereafter.
The document provides rare insight into the religious ideology driving Hamas, a Sunni Islamist organization founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Unlike secular Palestinian nationalist groups, Hamas views the conflict with Israel through an explicitly Islamic lens, seeing the destruction of the Jewish state as a religious obligation. The organization's charter calls for establishing an Islamic state in all of historic Palestine and rejects any permanent peace with Israel on theological grounds.
Apologies for not coordinating
The document opens with prayers and Quranic verses before delivering a stunning revelation: Hamas leadership apologizes profusely to Nasrallah for not informing him in advance of the attack timing.
"We are sorry we did not update you," the letter states, explaining that the "intelligence capabilities of the enemy" forced them to maintain radio silence and avoid sharing the attack timeline with external partners.
"When you read these words, thousands of jihad fighters from the Al-Qassam Brigades will be attacking targets of the criminal Zionist occupation," the letter declares, detailing plans to breach the security fence, engage Israeli forces and capture both military and civilian positions while taking hostages.
Religious justification and Al-Aqsa
The Hamas leaders justify their attack primarily through religious claims about Al-Aqsa Mosque, dedicating hundreds of words to alleged Israeli "crimes" at the holy site. They cite Jewish prayers at the Temple Mount, the presence of religious Jews in "priestly garments" and references to red heifers as evidence of Israeli intentions to "destroy Al-Aqsa and build the Temple."
"They no longer hide their intentions to destroy Al-Aqsa and build the Temple, and there is no greater proof of this than bringing red heifers," the letter states, referring to Jewish religious requirements for Temple service.
The document meticulously lists grievances including restrictions on Muslim worshippers, Israeli security operations in the West Bank cities of Jenin, Nablus and Hebron, and Israeli military actions in Syria and Iraq.
Strategic analysis of Israeli intentions
The letter reveals sophisticated strategic thinking, analyzing an Israeli Cabinet decision from Aug. 22, 2023, which Hamas interpreted as a shift toward confronting each member of the "resistance axis" separately rather than simultaneously. This analysis may explain Israeli intelligence concerns about "miscalculation" on the night of Oct. 7, as Israel sought to avoid appearing threatening to prevent Hamas from launching a preemptive attack.
"Instead of causing us to enter battle against him united to defend Al-Aqsa – an issue that would cause the entire region to explode in his face – he should retreat tactically to enter separate battles with each one individually," the Hamas leaders wrote.
Apocalyptic vision and call for unity
The letter's most chilling sections reveal Hamas' messianic beliefs about destroying Israel and transforming the Middle East.
Predicting their attack will eliminate the Oslo Accords and topple Arab regimes normalizing relations with Israel, they write: "This battle, by God's grace, will change the equations and the rules that have become conventions. We will wash away and erase the stage of struggles and conflicts that have struck the region and realize, with God's permission, the greatest historical turning point in Islamic history."
The Hamas leaders urgently plead with Nasrallah to join the assault: "Today Al-Aqsa, its women and Murabitun activists are crying out to you, and Jenin, Hebron, and the blood of martyrs are calling you to mobilize."
Military strategy and expectations
The letter outlines specific military tactics Hamas hoped Hezbollah would employ: concentrated rocket bombardments to overwhelm Iron Dome systems, targeting airfields and military headquarters to paralyze Israeli air power, followed by large-scale ground attacks to seize territory and population centers.
"Concentrated bombing with rockets on the occupation's basic arteries in large barrages … will disperse and destroy the Iron Dome," the letter details, predicting this would create "a state of shock and fear" leading to "rapid collapse."
The authors suggest a coordinated assault lasting two to three days would achieve their goals of completely destroying Israel.
International messaging strategy
Remarkably, the letter also reveals Hamas' propaganda strategy, instructing that public discourse should not speak of "eliminating or destroying Israel," but rather focus on international resolutions and political rhetoric to prevent other nations from fighting alongside Israel.
The aftermath
Twenty months after Oct. 7, the Middle East landscape has indeed been transformed, though not as Hamas envisioned. While the Oct. 7 massacre inflicted unprecedented casualties and trauma on Israel, the subsequent Israeli response has decimated Hamas leadership and capabilities.
Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, Marwan Issa, Hassan Nasrallah, and Said Izadi – all recipients or authors of this letter – have been eliminated, along with hundreds of senior operatives across the "resistance axis."
The letter stands as a chilling testament to the religious fanaticism and strategic miscalculation that led Hamas to launch its devastating attack, ultimately achieving the opposite of its apocalyptic vision, while causing immense suffering on all sides.