This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Kristi Noem, President Donald Trump's head of the Department of Homeland Security, has announced that the "Quiet Skies" program, used by the government to surveil airline passengers, is being shut down.
"Today, I'm announcing TSA is ending the Quiet Skies Program, which since its existence has failed to stop a SINGLE terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers roughly $200 million a year," she announced.
"DHS and TSA have uncovered documents, correspondence, and timelines that clearly highlight the inconsistent application of Quiet Skies. The program, under the guise of 'national security,' was used to target political opponents and benefit political allies of the Biden administration," she continued.
"In addition to conducting our own internal investigation, I am calling for a full and thorough congressional investigation to uncover further corruption through this program. TSA will continue performing important vetting functions to stop security threats and ensure the safety of the American traveler. REAL ID, implemented on May 7 of this year, will further help bolster TSA security. The Trump administration will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public. This includes restoring the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans."
The program dates back several administrations, to Barack Obama in 2012, and was "to gather intelligence on passengers who presented a national security concern."
"It is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden administration — weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends," Noem said in a statement.
Multiple members of Congress had already criticized the program, including Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul, who revealed the TSA actually tracked Tulsi Gabbard, now the director of National Intelligence.
The report this week also said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, contacted TSA about her husband, William "Billy" Shaheen, being subjected to enhanced screening and seeking an exemption.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A North Carolina school is set to deliver an apology along with $20,000 to a student who was suspended for three days for saying "illegal alien."
The student, Christian McGhee, is a minor, so a court hearing is needed before the agreement is finalized.
But a report from CarolinaCoastOnline explained the deal is to resolve a federal lawsuit that challenged the school's punishment for his speech.
Court documents say an agreement is just awaiting a judge's approval.
The report explained that the 16-year-old who was suspended last year is "set to receive a public apology from the Davidson County Board of Education for mischaracterizing the student in a racially biased manner."
The First Amendment fight erupted last year when the student, at the time a sophomore at Central Davidson High School in Lexington, near Charlotte, asked his English teacher whether she was referring to "space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards" during a vocabulary lesson.
School officials attacked him for "making a racially insensitive remark that caused a class disturbance," the lawsuit charges. The disturbance was a threat from another student reacting to his words.
The settlement will include an apology, but the parties have agreed that it will not be recorded or publicly discussed.
"Because Christian is a minor, a court hearing is required before the settlement can become final," said Dean McGee, in an interview with the DailyMail.com. He is no relation, but is with the Liberty Justice Center.
The deal also includes the board removing all references to racial bias that it inserted into his school record, and providing $20,000 in compensation.
The funds are to help with the costs of a new private school to which the student moved.
The lawsuit argued there was no legal justification for any suspension because his words were protected under the First Amendment. Further, the board refused even to respond to his mother when she tried to appeal the suspension.
His mother had confronted board members at a meeting: "Two members of this board, too busy to hear a mother's cry, yet not too busy to assault her character and one more attempt to hurt her child," she said, naming Alan Beck and Ashley Carroll. "Through your reckless attempt to slander my name, you have successfully re-traumatized my family. Your weak attempt to assault my character has failed, but your malicious character has been highlighted. It is my opinion that two members on this board are highly corrupt."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
According to defense lawyers for three boys arrested for throwing rocks at vehicles, they were "seniors in high school with nothing else to do," and they really didn't mean to hurt anyone.
The result was that a teen girl died when she was hit by a rock one boy threw, and he now has been sentenced, under state guidelines, to life in prison without parole, plus 60 years, according to a report from Denver television channel 7.
It was Alexa Bartell, 20, who died in the deadly rock-throwing attack that happened on a rural road in a small area between Denver and Boulder, Colorado, in 2023.
Arrested were Joseph Koenig, now 20, Zachary Kwak and Nicholas Karol-Chik. All were 18 at the time of the attack.
All initially faced first-degree murder, attempted murder, second-degree assault and attempted second-degree assault charges for the landscaping rock that was chucked through her car windshield as she drove in Jefferson County.
Kwak and Karol-Chik reached plea agreements, with Karol-Chik getting 45 years in the Department of Corrections to be followed by eight years of parole for second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder, and Kwak getting 27 years for first-degree assault, in addition to five years for second-degree assault and a concurrent eight years for attempted second-degree assault.
They told the court Koenig was the one who threw to rock that caused Bartell's car to crash.
"Attorneys for the three men argued that they were seniors in high school with nothing else to do and did not intend to harm anyone," the report explained.
Koenig's term was required by Colorado law for defendants convicted of first-degree murder.
He also faced 18 other counts, and was handed 60 years in the Department of Corrections to be served consecutively to his life sentence.
In victim statements delivered at the sentencing, the girl's father said her dreams and goals had "all been stolen." He said a death sentence was appropriate.
Her family and friends urged the judge to impose a maximum sentence.
"A part of me died with her that day," explained a friend of the victim.
She had tracked Alexa and arrived at the crash scene.
"I replay opening the car door to… I beg God to get that vision out of my head," she said.
The judge noted the horror of the situation, in that one of the paramedics to arrive on the scene "had to medically retire after the incident."
Other statements described how friends and family members now struggle to drive down two-lane roads and encounter oncoming traffic.
"I try to position myself behind the frame of my car when passing," a cousin said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Trump warns attacks on Jewish interests 'WILL NOT BE TOLERATED'
State criminal charges are being filed by prosecutors against Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the 45-year-old Egyptian national who is in the United States illegally and is accused of launching a flamethrower and Molotov cocktail attack on participants of a "Run for their Lives" event in Boulder, Colorado, in support of the hostages held by the terrorists in Hamas.
Now he's facing a federal "hate crime" charge, too.
Soliman was taken into custody immediately after the attack on marchers in Boulder Sunday, who had been protesting in support of the hostages in the Middle East.
Authorities in Boulder said the suspect arrived at the rally after noon on Sunday, "waited for participants to begin their walk," then throwing incendiary devices at them, "igniting a fireball that left multiple victims with serious burns.
He also allegedly had an improvised flamethrower to use, as well as 16 additional unlit Molotov cocktails and a backpack sprayer filled with gasoline in his care.
A Washington Examiner report said Soliman is being charged with "violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 249(a)(1) and (a)(2), federal hate crime statutes involving acts of violence motivated by actual or perceived religion or national origin"
Various state charges also are pending.
Twelve people were injured as they were attacked by a suspect shouting "Free Palestine."
The report said, "According to an FBI affidavit filed Monday, Soliman confessed after his arrest that he researched how to make Molotov cocktails on YouTube, purchased the materials, and traveled to Boulder specifically to attack the event."
"He stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead," the affidavit said.
President Donald Trump said such hate "WILL NOT BE TOLERATED" in the U.S., blaming Joe Biden's open borders strategy for allowing him in.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told the Examiner, "The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world.":
Soliman came into the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022, and then sought asylum while staying in the country illegally. The Biden administration later gave him a work permit.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
State's highest court abandons cake artist ordered to violate Christian faith
The highest court in the state of California has stayed the course in the state's agenda to destroy religious beliefs.
Under the guise of equal access and public accommodation, the state repeatedly has ruled against cake artist Cathy Miller, whose Christian faith is being threatened by demands she promote and endorse same-sex weddings.
That leaves only the U.S. Supreme Court, where the case is headed next and which in fact twice in just the past few years has come to the rescue in religious rights fights that have come out of the leftist and anti-Christian state of Colorado, to protect her.
According to the legal team at Becket, which is working on Miller's case, the war on faith began in California when the state opened an investigation into the cake artist.
She had explained to a same-sex duo her faith did not allow her to personally design their wedding cake, but she would refer them to someone who would.
That's almost a decade ago now.
Since then, "California has ridiculed Cathy for her religious beliefs about marriage and argued that Cathy's actions harm 'the dignity of all Californians,'" the legal team said.
The lawyers described their client: "Cathy Miller is a faithful Christian and custom cake artist. For over a decade, Cathy has brought her unique touch to custom cakes and cookies at Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield. As a former teacher, Cathy's process for designing wedding cakes is unique: she meets with each couple for over an hour, and spends time teaching them the religious and symbolic meaning behind the wedding cake they're commissioning to celebrate their union."
Adele Keim, senior counsel for Becket, pointed out the U.S. Supreme Court already "has made clear twice … creative professionals like Cathy Miller shouldn't have to choose between following their faith and practicing their art."
She said, "California should have dropped its campaign against Cathy years ago and let her design in peace. We plan to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court to defend Cathy's right to make custom creations that are consistent with her faith."
The legal team explained Miller had been approached multiple times for designs that were in opposition to Christianity.
So she adopted a set of written standards to follow.
"For example. Tastries will not design custom bakery items that depict gory or pornographic images, celebrate drug use, or demean others. Cathy will also not design wedding cakes that celebrate ideals that violate the Christian sacrament of marriage."
The California Civil Rights Department, which started the state's war on Christianity, in 2017 sued Miller after she told a same-sex couple that she could not personally design and create their wedding cake, and offered to put them in touch with another custom baker.
"Cathy has always been clear that she was only trying to follow her faith and her conscience in standing up for what she believes in—and did so in a respectful, polite, and loving way," said Charles LiMandri, of LiMandri & Jonna LLP and Thomas More Society special counsel. "While it is disappointing the California Supreme Court has refused to correct the injustice Cathy has endured, we hope the U.S. Supreme Court will chart a different path and restore Cathy's religious liberty."
Colorado, when it tried to force cake artist Jack Phillips to violate his Christian faith by promoting same-sex weddings, lost at the Supreme Court and in addition got scolded for its "hostility" to Christianity.
Colorado suffered another defeat when its attack on a web design company, 303 Creative, trying to force it also to promote same-sex relationships, ended up with the same result as the Phillips case.
Taxpayers in that state have been billed for millions of dollars for legal fees in the failed leftist fights.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The organization governing California's high-school track and field championship has changed its rules regarding qualifying for the upcoming meet after President Donald Trump posted a threat in response to the participation of males in girls' events.
As WND reported, in a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump said: "California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS.'
"This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won 'everything,' and is now qualified to compete in the 'State Finals' next weekend.
"As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable.
"THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.
"Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to" – a reference to his February order that barred males from women's sports for entities that receive federal funds.
The California Interscholastic Federation, or CIF, provided a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, just hours after Trump sent his Truth Social post. The competition will now include biologically female athletes that missed out on qualifying for the competition that may have placed higher were it not for a male athlete's participation.
The federation claims it came to the decision at the end of last weekend's CIF Masters Qualifiers round, days before Trump's statement. The statement also refers to the female competitors as "biological female student-athlete."
"The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law and Education Code. With this in mind, the CIF will be implementing a pilot entry process for the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships," the statement read.
"Under this pilot entry process, any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships. The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes."
According to Fox News, this change will result in at least two competitors qualifying to compete for the state title after falling just shy of the typical qualification threshold on Saturday. A trans-identified athlete competing as a girl for Jurupa Valley High School took first place in the triple jump and long jump on Saturday. min
The case involves AB Hernandez, a biological male.
Hernandez scored first place in the long jump and triple jump at the recent California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet.
Andrew Powell, a sports blogger at the Daily Caller, noted: "Parents at the meet were understandably livid, with one mother furiously confronting Hernandez's mom and asking why her son was both allowed and encouraged to compete."
"What a coward of a woman you are allowing that," yelled the angry mother.
"Your mental illness is on your son, you coward," she added.
Powell concluded: "It's sad how you can't even enjoy Memorial Day Weekend anymore without some transgender flubbing up something, but this is unfortunately the society that we live in today … That woke ish really is a cancer."
In his post, Trump noted that California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently admitted it was "deeply unfair" for males to compete in women's sports. The president vowed to speak to Newsom about the upcoming state track and field championship.
The CIF is already under a federal Title IX investigation by the U.S. Department of Education.
After Trump signed the "No Men's in Women's Sports" executive order on Feb. 5, the CIF was one of the first high school sports leagues in the country to announce it would not follow the order, and instead comply with California's state law.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, a new report indicates Islamic terrorists in Hamas have gone without pay for close to three months as they face severe financial pressure after Israel stopped humanitarian aid from entering Gaza in March.
The Jerusalem Post quotes a report by the London-based Saudi Asharq al Awsat newspaper, which indicates the military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, "has struggled not only to pay its fighters but also to buy military equipment."
"Palestinian Authority employees affiliated with Hamas have also been impacted, getting paid only 900 shekels a month," the report added.
The Jewish News Syndicate reports: "Hamas is under 'great pressure' with the terror organization having lost most of its assets and control of Gaza, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared during a Sunday tour of the Strip."
"We are intensifying our activity according to a structured plan," Zamir told Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Gaza.
"Hamas is under tremendous pressure; it has lost most of its assets and its command-and-control structure. We will use all our tools to bring the hostages home, to defeat Hamas and to dismantle its rule."
"This is not an endless war; we will shorten it as we achieve its goals," Zamir continued.
"We aim to win and will do so with determination, thoroughness, and while maintaining the safety of our forces."
The popularity of Hamas in Gaza has plunged dramatically since the outset of the war, as residents are "openly criticizing and protesting the terrorist group," the Jerusalem Post noted.
"In late March, hundreds of Gazan citizens marched in the northern town of Beit Lahiya carrying white flags, calling to end the Hamas rule, and even calling to hand over the Israeli hostages," the Post reported.
"In the West Bank, Hamas members have faced arrests and crackdowns by Israeli and Palestinian security forces. Many cells have been dismantled or lost funding, limiting their ability to carry out terrorist attacks," according to the report.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In recent years, discussions around foreign labor and its impact on American workers have intensified, revealing significant challenges for U.S. contractors, particularly in fields such as information technology and consulting. This ongoing situation raises serious questions about the fairness of the competition and the integrity of the labor market.
For decades, American workers, especially those in contracting and consulting, have been vital to the nation's economic framework. These professionals, from IT contractors who fueled the digital revolution to independent consultants who delivered innovative solutions, formed the backbone of the U.S. economy. However, over the past 15 years, many of these individuals have faced mounting challenges as a result of a significant influx of foreign workers, primarily facilitated by firms based in India and supported by various corporate interests.
Major consulting firms, including Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro and HCL, have leveraged connections with the Indian government to navigate the U.S. visa system, effectively. This has resulted in a dramatic shift in the contracting landscape, where foreign workers now dominate a market that once thrived on merit-based competition.
The influx of temporary visa holders, through H-1B, L-1, Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) programs, has been accompanied by reports of unethical practices, such as shell companies and dubious credentials, which have effectively marginalized American talent.
The landscape has evolved to the point where many U.S. businesses now view American contractors as "too expensive" or "not a cultural fit," often driven by agreements that prioritize cost over quality. Consequently, American professionals find themselves sidelined, receiving fewer opportunities and facing reduced compensation. The reliance on foreign workforce has not only replaced individual workers but has also systematically dismantled local ecosystems that once thrived on American talent and expertise.
Moreover, the prevalence of fraudulent practices among some foreign-operated firms has raised alarms. Instances of falsified resumes, ghost employees and manipulated job postings designed to exclude U.S. applicants reflect a concerning trend that undermines the integrity of hiring practices in the industry.
Corporate entities, including major players in technology and finance, have also been implicated in this shift. By outsourcing roles to lower-wage labor, these companies have optimized profits at the expense of experienced American workers. This trend, coupled with substantial government contracts awarded to these outsourcing firms, raises further concerns about the long-term implications for the American workforce and economy.
As the labor landscape continues to evolve, the need for reform becomes increasingly evident. Advocates argue that addressing visa abuses and reconsidering the role of outsourcing in federally funded contracts are essential steps in protecting American jobs and fostering economic resilience.
The challenges faced by U.S. contractors and independent professionals signify a crucial moment in the conversation about labor, competition, and economic fairness in the United States. It is imperative to acknowledge these issues and push for policies that prioritize the integrity of the American workforce, ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to thrive in a fair and competitive environment.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A federal judge appointed by Joe Biden has threatened to order the federal government to return to the United States a list of criminal illegal aliens that were removed from society for their crimes.
And the White House has responded, by releasing to the public the long list of convictions that the eight illegals accumulated.
They include homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, battery, trafficking, "lascivious acts" with children, sexual assault, aggravated assault, and more
The threat came from Brian Murphy, a district court judge in Massachusetts who previously has made decisions on how the executive branch of American government can deal with border security and issues involving criminal illegal aliens.
His threat came as he said plans to deport people to Libya without notice would violate what he wants.
The Trump administration released a statement on the judge's behavior: "It's another attempt by a far-left activist judge to dictate the foreign policy of the United States – and protect the violent criminal illegal immigrants President Donald J. Trump and his administration have removed from our streets."
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin added, "We conducted a deportation flight from Texas to remove some of the most barbaric, violent individuals illegally in the United States. No country on earth wanted to accept them because their crimes are so uniquely monstrous and barbaric … Thanks to the courageous work of the State Department and ICE and the president's national security team, we found a nation that was willing to accept custody of these vicious illegal aliens."
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said, "As a career law enforcement officer and a career officer with ICE, I've been dealing with these recalcitrant countries for years — having to see repeated murders, sex offenders, violent criminals re-released back into the United States because their home countries would not take them back. Under President Trump and under the leadership of Secretary Noem, we are now able to remove these public safety threats so they won't prey on the community anymore."
Those deported:
McLaughlin said, "A local judge in Massachusetts is trying to force the United States to bring back these uniquely barbaric monsters who present a clear and present threat to the safety of the American people and American victims. While we are fully compliant with the law and court orders, it is absolutely absurd for a district judge to try and dictate the foreign policy and national security of the United States of America."
Federal officials confirmed that the home countries for each of the illegal alien criminals have refused to take them back.
Another judge previously ordered Trump to turn around two jets loaded with illegal aliens that apparently already had left U.S. airspace and were over international territory.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an unsigned order on Tuesday instructing the Maine state legislature to revoke its censure of Republican state Rep. Laurel Libby.
Libby had been in the penalty box of the Democrat majority in the legislature since February when she commented on social media about a boy who won a girls' athletic competition in the state.
Expressing an intolerance for her beliefs about transgenderism, the Democrat majority demanded she apologize before she could speak – or vote – in the legislature again, effectively depriving her constituents of their constitutionally protected right to representation.
Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau had demanded an apology from Libby for her beliefs and she refused.
The court's order said, "The application for injunction pending appeal presented to JUSTICE JACKSON and by her referred to the Court is granted pending disposition of the appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and disposition of the petition for a writ of certiorari, if such writ is timely sought. Should the petition for a writ of certiorari be denied, this order shall terminate automatically. In the event the petition for a writ of certiorari is granted, the order shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court."
Two of the extremists on the Supreme Court bench, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Jackson, would have kept the punishment on Libby.
Sotomayor didn't comment on her opinion but Jackson, the justice who as a nominee before the Senate famously was unable to, or refused to, define what is a woman, ranted for pages about what she wanted.
"We have long recognized that this injunctive relief is appropriate only when 'critical and exigent circumstances' exist necessitating intervention," and she didn't consider the fact that thousands of Maine residents were being deprived of their legislative voice important enough.
She claimed there are not "any significant legislative votes scheduled in the upcoming weeks" and the First Circuit already has arguments scheduled.
It had only been reported hours earlier that the U.S. Department of Justice had joined the battle on the side of the Maine lawmaker who was censured by Democrats in the state legislature over her beliefs.
Republican state Rep. Laurel Libby has been banned from speaking in the legislature or representing her constituents by voting since February over her social media posting about a boy who won a pole vault competition in girls track in the state.
She's sued to have that move, which effectively punishes her constituents by depriving them of a voice in the lawmaking body, reversed and her request now is pending before the Supreme Court.
A report at Fox explained the DOJ and Attorney General Pam Bondi now have come out in her support.
The department has filed a friend-of-the-court document supporting Libby's request and Bondi has spoken out personally.
The DOJ explains that the Democrats in Maine are in violation of the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause, which allows for "one-person, one-vote," because they have deprived her voters of their rights over a "private act."
"Stripping District 90's voters of their house representation and vote because their chosen representative will not apologize for fulfilling this obligation is well beyond the bounds of an appropriate sanction," the DOJ explains.
Bondi told Fox, "The Department of Justice is proud to fight for girls in Maine and stand alongside Rep. Libby, who is being attacked simply for defending girls in her home state. As our lawsuit against the state of Maine illustrates, we will always protect girls' sports and girls' spaces from radical gender ideology."
Bondi has a separate action going against Maine now as the state's Democrats, led by Gov. Janet Mills, have refused to comply with President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" plans.
Democrats in Maine are demanding Libby apologize, but they have insisted the apology is for her "actions" and their punishment does not affect her "beliefs.
Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau and House Clerk Robert Hunt have claimed that the punishment over Libby's beliefs is like punishment for other members at times.
Surveys have revealed that Maine's residents are in opposition to the Democrats' agenda to push transgenderism for children, and in sports.
Fox reported, "A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is 'only fair to restrict women's sports to biological women.'"
WND earlier reported Libby's case to the Supreme Court questions whether Democrats can remove the representation rights of thousands of state residents in a dispute over personal beliefs.
The state of Maine also is under investigation and has had federal grants withheld because it refuses to accept the biological reality that men do not become women, or vice versa. The state now is in noncompliance with Title IX.