This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A Houthi ballistic missile that struck Sunday morning near Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport has prompted a stern warning from the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"There will be blows" in response to the attack, Netanyahu vowed Sunday.

"We are acting against them," Netanyahu said concerning previous Israeli military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Faith leaders are warning that Colorado's newest transgender scheme actually codifies "evil."

Colorado, run for multiple years already by Democrats in the governor's office, Democrat majorities in the state House and Senate, and an all-Democrat state Supreme Court, has moved into realms where even leftist California has feared to tread.

Religious rights are suppressed, or at least the state tries. Abortion on demand is promoted. The state in recent years has lost twice at the U.S. Supreme Court after it tried to mandate the thoughts and beliefs of business owners, in its promotion of the LGBT ideology.

Now a report at CBN explains what faith leaders think of its newest agenda point.

It's a law that would define as child abuse a parent's use of a child's legal name, if that child has been encouraged by activists to claim to be transgender and have picked another name.

That's what the Democrats call "dead-naming." Equally criminal would be calling someone by the wrong pronoun.

"House Bill 1312 would add "misgendering" and "deadnaming" to Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Act if it becomes law. It has passed the House and now awaits a Senate vote that could send it to Gov. Jared Polis's desk," the report said.

"Well, first and foremost, it harms children. There's just no doubt about it," said Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. "It makes the state of Colorado this sort of safe haven for this radical transgender insanity. Moreover, it tries to insert the state in really horrible ways between parents and children."

"This bill regarding parental rights is really, really concerning — saying that, if a parent does not adopt a name that a child chooses for him or herself, that if a parent calls them by a name they gave them the day they were born, that that parent is guilty of child abuse — and that the implications of that is a child could be removed from custody," warned Meg Kilgannon of the Family Research Council.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced that the administration of President Donald Trump and officials in Ukraine have reached agreement on the long-awaited critical and strategic rare earth minerals deal that has been in the works for months.

The minerals deal, in fact, has become part of a larger "United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund" that was announced.

"In recognition of the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, this economic partnership positions our two countries to work collaboratively and invest together to ensure that our mutual assets, talents, and capabilities can accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery," the announcement said.

"Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the Treasury Department and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation will work together with the Government of Ukraine to finalize program governance and advance this important partnership."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained, "As the president has said, the United States is committed to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war. This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term. President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides' commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine. And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine."

A report at Washington Examiner said the deal started out as a plan to give the U.S. access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals so that it would be less dependent on China, from where many of those products now come.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Scandal-plagued New York Attorney General Letitia James, already referred to the Department of Justice for investigation of alleged fraud, now also is facing a possible investigation by the state bar association, for violating ethics rules that apply to lawyers.

The DOJ referral came just days ago from William J. Pulte, the chief of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, and alleged James, a Democrat who repeatedly has created cases to attack President Donald Trump, "In multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government-backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms."

Specifically, she's accused of falsely stating on a legal document that her main residence was in Norfolk, Virginia, to get a lower mortgage rate, and also misrepresenting the number of apartments in a building she owns, also in order to get more favorable loan terms.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Alan Schoenfeld is the lawyer hired by school officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, to defend their agenda to select explicit sex books and force children as young as three or four years old to study them.

And he got triggered when a Supreme Court justice, Neal Gorsuch, expressed observations that would be typical, given the material at hand.

Schoenfeld interrupted and objected, multiple times, when Gorsuch was explaining his perception of the book, "Pride Puppy," which formerly was used in the district but apparently now isn't.

The fracas arose during this week's oral arguments in a lawsuit brought by Muslim, Christian and Jewish parents against the district's decision to force that indoctrination on children, and refuse parents their rights to opt their kids out of such offensive material.

The district does allow opt-outs for other objectionable subjects, but refused to allow parents the same rights in this situation.

Hear the confrontation:

A report at Fox News explained Gorsuch was asking Schoenfeld about the book "that tells the story of a family celebrating Pride Day when their dog gets lost."

It leads readers to hunt for and identify items starting with the letters of the alphabet, incorporating words promoting the LGBT agenda.

Responding to Gorsuch's question, Schoenfeld confirmed "Pride Puppy" was used for pre-kindergartners, but no longer is.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The U.S. Court of International Trade has ruled that small businesses have failed to prove the "immediate and irreparable harm" they fear from President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The court declined to issue a temporary restraining order that the businesses had sought, which would have prevented the president's sweeping tariff program from taking effect.

A report from Fox Business explained it was "a win for the Trump administration."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Take a confirmed superstar in the entertainment world, Carrie Underwood, who has won multiple Grammys and sold millions of tunes, and add a song from the 1800s, and you get this:

It is what RedState confirmed as "unforgettable."

Her performance was of "How Great Thou Art," a Christian church hymn that started out as a poem, "O Store Gud," by Swedish poet Carl Boberg in 1885 whose words were wedded to a traditional Swedish folk song tune and first sung in a church in 1888.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has chosen to fight President Donald Trump's national security and closed border campaign by advocating for a state resident who has been in the United States illegally for a number of years, and was subject to deportation.

The illegal, Kilmar Garcia, was actually removed to El Salvador's famed anti-gang prison, and Trump critics have claimed he was not supposed to be sent to that country.

So Van Hollen went to El Salvador and hung around until officials let him have margaritas with the inmate, and came home to make a weekend-long round of talk shows on television.

So now four additional Democrats have made the trip, demanding to meet with Garcia, who El Salvador's president says is not being returned to the U.S.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic brought widespread resistance to the Biden-era military's vaccine mandate, COVID isn't the only mandated shot being resisted by some service members for religious reasons.

Army Sergeant Dan McGriff (a pseudonym) spoke to WorldNetDaily on the condition of anonymity, anticipating reprisals. He emphasized that his views do not reflect those of the Department of Defense or the Department of the Army.

In the summer of 2021, during the thick of the pandemic, the non-commissioned officer "saw the writing on the wall," suspecting a COVID-19 shot mandate was on the way for military service members. So, in August 2021, he was not surprised to see the rollout of former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's now-rescinded mandate.

After conferring with his wife, he made the decision to seek exemption, not only from the COVID-19 shot, but for all future vaccines as well.

"Some people were getting responses back within 30 to 90 days at most, but mine took about six months, going all the way up to the Army surgeon general to be denied or accepted," McGriff told WND. "And in March 2022, I received my initial denial."

While the decision could be appealed, the Army sergeant said there was no guidance available. "I sent my appeal within seven days, and from that moment on, I was a ghost." He explained that even though he had approved orders for a new duty station, he was not allowed to move because he was "unvaccinated."

During this period, he was also barred from attending schools or training that could have advanced his career.

\With a large family to care for, McGriff grew increasingly worried about his future, knowing he could be separated from military service for refusing the shot. In September 2021, his fears were compounded as his appeal was denied. Subsequently, he received a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand, or GOMOR, a permanent stain on his record for so-called misconduct.

McGriff spent the next several months fighting for his career, to no avail. And on the brink of administrative separation near the end of 2022, he said the former Defense secretary suddenly rescinded the mandate on Jan. 10, 2023. "After turning in all but one uniform, my career was saved about 30 days prior to facing an administrative separation board," he recalled.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

'The choices before Khamenei are no longer between good and bad – or even bad and worse. They are between disaster and catastrophe'

The second round of negotiations between Iran and Western powers is unfolding amid escalating internal tensions within the Islamic Republic. At the heart of this internal strife is a clan known as the "hard core of the regime," which is no longer merely at odds with rival political factions, but seems at times openly defying Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself. This comes after Khamenei expressed tacit support for the talks and the Iranian negotiating team in a recent speech.

This "hard core" comprises elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, plainclothes security forces and key branches of the intelligence apparatus. Though numerically in the minority, they represent the foundation of the Islamic Republic's power structure. These forces are responsible for widespread repression in the streets and for orchestrating acts of violence and executions within the country's prison system.

From its inception, the Iranian regime has based its identity on rigid religious dogma with roots in medieval theology. It has projected this identity outward through slogans like "Death to America" and "Death to Israel," while simultaneously enforcing brutal repression at home. The IRGC was created to serve this dual mission: exporting terrorism abroad and quelling dissent domestically.

Leveraging this ideological hostility, the regime succeeded in consolidating a loyal base of repressive forces internally, while building a network of proxy militias across the region. Yet now, the very regime that once dubbed the United States "the Great Satan" and "enemy of the revolution" finds itself seated across from its former nemesis – negotiating and shaking hands.

Two diverging paths before the regime

Today, the Iranian regime faces a stark binary choice:

Engage in negotiations with the United States and Western allies, which would require abandoning its nuclear program, halting support for proxy forces and stepping back from military interference in the region.

Or, refuse to yield, risking airstrikes on nuclear sites, the full reimposition of maximum sanctions and a scenario comparable to the dismantling of Hezbollah's military infrastructure.

Reports from political circles in Tehran suggest that senior IRGC commanders, along with high-ranking officials – including newly elected president Masoud Pezeshkian – have warned Khamenei that the second path, which entails escalating international pressure and military confrontation, could lead to the inevitable collapse of the Islamic Republic.

It is worth recalling that on March 2, at the onset of Ramadan, Khamenei addressed a gathering of current and former IRGC and government officials, declaring that negotiations with the United States were "neither wise" "nor honorable," and "not rational."

The ideological origins of the regime's hard core

According to an investigative report by the semi-official Etemaad website, the "hard core" of the regime – also called the "ideological-security circle" – consists of factions that define their legitimacy through unwavering allegiance to the revolution's founding ideology: implementing sharia law, rejecting Western engagement and sustaining permanent hostility toward the United States.

This faction emerged in the 1990s and has since remained ideologically rigid. For its members, any compromise – whether on hijab enforcement, foreign policy or diplomatic relations with the West – is viewed as a direct existential threat to the regime.

Historically, their relationship with Khamenei has been one of mutual reinforcement. He saw them as the regime's shield against internal dissent – "the force that paralyzes opposition from within" – and in return, they defined their mission as the "unconditional defense of the Supreme Leader."

Reformists vs. the hard core?

If negotiations proceed, it is expected that so-called moderate and reformist factions will gain momentum, while the hard core will lose influence. "Reformists" oppose measures such as strict hijab enforcement in public that could ignite new waves of civil unrest. They view such policies as accelerants to regime collapse. Still, despite their reformist rhetoric, these groups have largely remained silent amid the rising tide of executions, failing to issue clear condemnations or take meaningful action.

The crumbling pillar of power

Should the regime proceed with an agreement that includes halting its nuclear and missile programs, it will likely weaken the foundational power base that has supported it for decades.

This would empower the so-called reformists or moderates, who believe that negotiating with the United States is not just permissible but essential for the regime's survival. However, these factions appear blind to a critical truth: Any serious engagement with the West will, inevitably, lead to demands for political openness and reform.

And this would come at a perilous moment. In the most recent presidential election, only about 8% of eligible voters participated, many under pressure and amid an atmosphere of intimidation. Such a lack of public legitimacy could become the final accelerant in the regime's collapse.

Can Khamenei really be unaware?