This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
As memorial messages about Charlie Kirk, assassinated in cold blood yesterday, are arising from admirers around the world, one very moving and profoundly meaningful remembrance – and warning – comes from American author, speaker and radio host Eric Metaxas.
In his post, titled simply "My friend Charlie," Metaxas writes:
"Today is 9-11 and just as we will all remember where we were when that tragedy struck over two decades ago, I know I will never forget where I was yesterday. I was sitting on a weight bench in the gym. I read a text from a mutual friend confirming what I couldn't dare to imagine. It hit me hard. And I took my head in my hands and wept. The cliche is true: No words can suffice. Ever. And soon thereafter I realized that my friend Charlie is a martyr. Nothing less. He was murdered for his faith in Jesus. By forces that hate truth and hate love and hate God – and anyone who represents God."
Metaxas, who was a long-time friend of Kirk and his wife Erika, at first briefly reminisces about their relationship and good times together, but then gets to his stunning assessment of his friend, his work, and the meaning of his assassination:
Ever since meeting him I never had the slightest doubt that Charlie would be the president of the United States. Had he lived. And a truly GREAT president of the United States. He was simply one of the most naturally gifted human beings we have ever had. His level of talent – and what he did with that talent in such a short time – was truly awe inspiring and almost shocking.
But it's vitally important to say that at the center of his truly astonishing gifting was his deep faith in Jesus. He wasn't "sort of" Christian. He was outspokenly and boldly Christian. That was at the heart of everything he said and did – at the heart of his patriotism and conservatism. Jesus was at the heart of it all. Which is the one reason I don't need to mourn his death as the world mourns. No. Charlie is with Jesus. That is inescapably glorious, however much we will miss him, and of course we will miss him A LOT.
But we can rejoice that according to God's plans – which are not our own – Charlie fulfilled his assignment. And therefore Jesus says to him what we should all earnestly desire to hear more than anything in the world: "Well done, good and faithful servant." We should all live to hear those words from the Author of our lives. From the Author of goodness and truth and peace and love and joy and hope. There is nothing more wonderful. Nothing. I can rejoice today because I know that Charlie understood that and lived for that.
Metaxas compares Kirk's assassination with "the murders of JFK and MLK Jr. and RFK," the "inspiring leader[s] of a great movement – to whom millions looked for leadership, and who gave those millions hope," yet who were "killed in cold blood." He adds, "Everything in us recoils in horror at the very idea of it. It is inconceivable."
But then, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author zeroes in on the appalling current state of the American left.
[I]t has been a truly hideous and shocking thing to witness the degradation of the left in this country, to see what they have become since the Sixties. It seems that over the decades they have gone downhill and downhill and downhill. Today they seem to stand for nothing other than power and pleasure. It is truly horrifying to think of it.
When RFK was murdered in 1968 he represented a party that had noble aspirations. Caring for the poor. Ending the Vietnam War. Standing up for the little guy. What are their fundamentals now? They have stumbled downward to become the party of nothing much more than "I want total freedom to have sex for my own pleasure and gratification whenever I want WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES. And if there are consequences I want the right to legally murder those consequences." How horrifying.
But isn't that about it at this point? Is it any more complicated than that? So it follows that if anything gets in their way, whether it's an innocent baby in the womb or a brilliant young man who with his words makes me see the horrific emptiness of my positions – I will stoop to murder. I'm sorry to say that the left has become something seriously disturbing and ugly, has become the party of self-gratification and murder. But perhaps the murder of my friend Charlie will help some of them to see what they have become – and to ask God to lead them out of the abyss in which they now reside. May his tragic death wake some people up. May his murder lead some on the left to honest introspection about what they really believe and stand for. There is a way out of that abyss.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A sheriff trying his best to deal with crime in far-left Colorado is warning that state lawmakers forced him to release a suspect in an attempt murder case, and that person now is on the streets again.
"Someone's going to get hurt and someone's going to get hurt bad," explained Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams.
The suspect in question was caught on video allegedly punching one man until he fell backward, hitting his head and laying there unconscious. In a second situation, the suspect allegedly punched a man until he was lying flat on his back on the pavement, then continued to bash the man in the head.
Here is a local news report describing how the sheriff was forced, by leftist state lawmakers in Colorado's Democrat-majority legislature, to release the suspect, Debisa Ephriam.
He's a refugee from Tanzania, and was arrested on charges of criminal attempt to commit second-degree murder, first-degree assault and engaging in a riot, as well as aggravated menacing with a weapon and first-degree burglary in a second case.
A report at Not the Bee explained:
Under Colorado HB24-1034, passed in 2024, those deemed unfit to stand trial get taxpayer-funded psychiatric care that is provided "in a timely manner," but the state cannot hold them indefinitely in such facilities, meaning they end up back on the streets. Sheriff Reams said that Colorado lawmakers have "created a crisis where very dangerous individuals are being released to the street to reoffend over and over."
Unfortunately, that was the point of the "social justice" and BLM movements. It has happened the country over, from Weld County to Charlotte, North Carolina. We were told that systemic racism was unfairly prosecuting non-white Americans, so the scales of justice were tipped to allow preferential treatment for those seen as "marginalized."
The law had been signed by Colorado's homosexual governor, Jared Polis, who has fought President Donald Trump's Make America Great Agenda in a variety of ways.
The report explained, "Colorado's 'social justice' laws allow violent offenders to be released back into the public if they are deemed too stupid and/or crazy to stand trial. No, that is not satire. Not the Bee recently covered the case of a sex offender who was released despite trying to abduct a child."
Social media comments were not polite to the state:
"This is why you need to be armed at all times. Of course the same demons that released this guy are constantly trying to disarm you … hmmm…"
"So he got 5 free months room, board and meals and now he's in your neighborhood. Yay!"
The sheriff's office actually released video evidence in the case, accompanied by a warning about the violence documented:
The sheriff's office said, "Content Warning the videos in this press release may be disturbing to some viewers as they depict acts of violence. Both video clips were edited to redact personal identifiable features and information."
It explained Ephraim was being released "per Colorado statute."
Competency was raised in two of his criminal cases, and the courts found in July of this year his competency could not be restored, and therefore he would "not be able to stand trial."
He had been arrested last April in Greeley on the long list of criminal counts.
"The first video in this post is believed to have occurred in the Fort Collins area a few weeks prior to the second video, which allegedly happened in Greeley. Although the videos in this post could not be authenticated, they were found on social media and given to law enforcement by one of the victim's family members in the Greeley Police Dept's case," the report said.
"The state legislature and the governor have continued to weaken the criminal justice system by handcuffing law enforcement, prosecutors and judges for the sake of criminals. Colorado HB24-1034 has created a crisis where very dangerous individuals are being released to the street to reoffend over and over, this is the latest example. I pray this individual doesn't hurt another innocent victim but the public deserves to know of his past violent actions so they can protect themselves accordingly. God help this State," Reams said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A "bikini barista" at a drive-thru coffee stand near Seattle was grabbed by the arm and yanked by a customer – leaving her with bruises and him with a first-degree attempted kidnapping charge.
Surveillance video shows the woman leaning out the window to hand drinks to a vehicle's driver, who grabs her and apparently tries to pull her into the car.
Fox 13 Seattle had the story:
According to the report, the incident occurred at a Ladybug Bikini Espresso stand in Lakewood, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, on Aug. 13.
The suspect, an apparent L.A. Dodgers fan, ripped the woman's shirt in the incident. The New York Post reports the barista was left with red marks on her wrist, bicep and shoulder
Fox 13 reports authorities tracked down the man in the footage, 19-year-old Ezekiel Guerrero, about a week later using information from his credit card receipt.
According to the report, the incident occurred at a Ladybug Bikini Espresso stand in Lakewood, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, on Aug. 13.
The suspect, an apparent L.A. Dodgers fan, ripped the woman's shirt in the incident. The New York Post reports the barista was left with red marks on her wrist, bicep and shoulder
Fox 13 reports authorities tracked down the man in the footage, 19-year-old Ezekiel Guerrero, about a week later using information from his credit card receipt.
The incident comes as attention is drawn to high-profile crimes against young women, most notably the stabbing murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zrutska in Charlotte, North Carolina, which President Trump has pointed to as evidence of the need for tougher sentencing of criminals, especially repeat offenders.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Artificial intelligence may end up being good. Or bad. It may end up creating jobs. Or costing them.
But one is sure: It's providing a sarcastic, insulting, politician-skewering view of public officials.
Like ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who in fact with her husband has become a millionaire hundreds of times over while she was serving the public in Congress.
The redubbed version of her "statement" was reposted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social:
Editor's note: Be forewarned about very offensive language.
And it immediately made it onto another platform, X.
The rant is fabricated to make it look as if Pelosi is being interviewed, and she complains about what is happening as she's no longer in power.
""Since I left Congress my trades are sh**. I can't get any insider information any more. These f***ers won't tell me anything anymore. So I've been drinking a lot more. My husband's still in love with the homeless hammer guy. Visiting him in jail and sh**. It hasn't been easy."
The commentary at Gateway Pundit pointed out, "Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not having a happy morning after President Trump absolutely destroyed her with a hilarious video on Truth Social that is now going viral. On Monday, Trump mocked Pelosi for her alleged insider trading schemes and her husband's unfortunate run-in with a homeless thug in their home. In the video, Pelosi is seen bemoaning her run of stock market losses since 'retiring' from Congress, while Paul Pelosi is having an affair with the man who brutally attacked him."
Among other accolades, Trump is being described now as a troll king:
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Muslims long have had a history of exercising incredible influence in societies where they live, even when they are minorities. Just look at the "no-go" zones created throughout the United Kingdom by Islamists who have taken over neighborhoods and made certain anyone from another religious group is unwelcome.
Now a new report contends they are working toward an Islamic caliphate in Bangladesh, where they already are in the majority with some 90% of the population, to replace the secular government.
The report from Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, an editor of the publication Blitz, was posted at Gatestone Institute.
He said it's Jamaat-e-Islami — the Bangladeshi ideological offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood — that now is imposing a jizya tax on Hindus and other non-Muslims.
The move is seen as an open declaration of their intent to replace the country's democratic framework with Islamic Shariah law.
"Backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, and linked to global jihadist networks, including al-Qaida, Jamaat-e-Islami's move comes just months after a coup that brought Muhammad Yunus to power, triggering a rapid rise in radical Islamic influence," the report said.
The result is a new and significant threat to Bangladesh's fragile democracy but also the strategic security in South Asia.
Media there confirmed that Shafiqur Rahman, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, announced that now Hindus and other non-Muslims must pay the tax Shariah demands.
One media outlet explained, "Non-Muslims living in Bangladesh should be made to pay the 'Jizya tax.'. Since Muslims pay 'Zakat' (A portion of their wealth donated for religious purposes), if equal rights are desired, then Hindus should pay the Jizya. This is what is correct as per Shariah law, said a leader of the political party Jamaat-e-Islami in a public gathering."
The jizya is considered symbolic of being subjugated by Islamists.
"Its collection in present-day Bangladesh marks a dangerous shift from the country's secular founding principles toward a theocratic order," the Gatestone report explained.
It continued, "The imposition of the jizya tax by Jamaat-e-Islami is not an isolated incident. It is a clear signal that Bangladesh's religious minorities are being systematically targeted under a creeping Shariah-based agenda. This action not only violates the secular principles enshrined in Bangladesh's 1972 Constitution, but also undermines international human rights norms."
And the silence from the current government could be a warning sign.
"Is this the beginning of state-sanctioned religious persecution in Bangladesh? And if so, how far will it go before the international community intervenes? If the jizya tax collection is allowed to continue unchecked, Bangladesh risks sliding into a medieval-style religious apartheid, where Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and other non-Muslim minorities are reduced to second-class citizens in their own country. This development is not just a domestic issue — it is a warning to the world about the resurgence of militant Islamism in South Asia.
"The international community, particularly democratic nations that value religious freedom, must act decisively before Bangladesh becomes yet another cautionary tale of a secular state devoured by theocratic extremists."
Further, the report notes the troubling links between Jamaat-e-Islami and American organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Islamic Circle of North America.
"According to the Observer Research Foundation, these organizations have succeeded in securing funding from U.S. federal agencies — particularly USAID, the Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)," the report said. "In 2020, Sam Westrop documented in the Middle East Quarterly that millions of federal taxpayer dollars have flowed to US-based Islamist groups with alleged terror connections … ."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The police department in Dearborn, Michigan, which has a large population of Muslims, has gone for "unity" with a new Arabic-language patch for officers to wear.
It states, "Dearborn Heights Police," in Arabic.
A report at Fox News said the patch for now is "optional."
But U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., suggested there is reason for concern.
"They said their goal was to bring sharia law to America. You should've believed them. Pray for Michigan."
The department announced, ""The Dearborn Heights Police Department is proud to share a new optional patch that our officers may wear as part of their uniform."
It added, "This patch was created by Officer Emily Murdoch, who designed it to reflect and honor the diversity of our community – especially the many residents of Arabic descent who call Dearborn Heights home. By incorporating Arabic script alongside English, this patch represents unity, respect, and our shared commitment to service. We are proud of Officer Murdoch's creativity and dedication in helping our department better represent the people we serve."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as President Donald Trump's secretary of Health and Human Services, appeared before a Senate finance committee for a hearing on Thursday, and some reports described him as having brought with him a flamethrower.
Given his responses to some of the claims made by Democrats, those descriptions were not far wrong.
The fight, of course, is over the massive failures in America's health care industry that allowed COVID to kill millions, and the "vaccines" for the China virus, which actually are treatments, to injure, even kill, more. Democrats are insisting he push for more "boosters" even though the data doesn't necessarily support such a need.
All factors of the nation's health care were on the table, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., deliberately tried to provoke Kennedy with, "I hope you tell the American people how many preventable child deaths are an acceptable sacrifice."
Kennedy responded by pointing out Wyden "sat in that chair for 25 years while the chronic disease in our children went up to 76% and you said nothing … You never asked the question why is this happening."
Kennedy also had a pointed exchange with Sen. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat from New Hampshire.
She accused him of working behind closed doors making it harder for children to get a vaccine.
He responded, "This is crazy talk. You're making stuff up… It's not behind closed doors." And he said the vaccines are available.
Further, he delivered a bombshell, that the pharmaceutical industry could not deliver a study that documented a shot's effectiveness on children.
It was the FDA that said it would start requiring additional evidence for what has been described as the "repeat-booster-shots-forever" plan that suggests even healthy adults get an annual COVID shot, like a flu shot.
Vice President JD Vance soon sounded off on the badgering Democrats were delivering.
"When I see all these senators trying to lecture and 'gotcha' Bobby Kennedy today all I can think is: You all support off-label, untested, and irreversible hormonal 'therapies' for children, mutilating our kids and enriching big pharma. You're full of s— and everyone knows it," he said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., didn't escape Kennedy's barbs, either, citing the massive cash totals she's gotten from pharmaceutical companies.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reported, in fact, Warren got nearly $820,000 from employees or political action committees linked to the industry during the 2020 election cycle alone.
Kennedy, with her, turned blunt: "We're not going to recommend a product for which there's no clinical data for that indication. Is that what I should be doing?"
Kennedy pointed out America "became the sickest country in the world," and he's there to "make sure this doesn't happen again."
He said the science is a priority for his decision-making.
That contrasts with Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden's COVID adviser, who claimed that he actually was the science, even as he was recommending treatments for COVID that left behind side effect injuries, and discounting treatments that were documented to be helpful.
Kennedy put the safety of "76 million children" above any recommendation, plan or scheme pushed by Democrats.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
An American Olympic star who helped put competitive diving on the map has sold two of his gold medals and moved out the United States.
"I told the truth; I needed the money. While many people may have built businesses and sold them for a profit, I had my medals, which I am grateful for," explained Greg Louganis, diving legend from the 1980s.
In a Facebook post, Louganis says he also sold his home in preparation for moving to Panama.
One of the honored Wheaties box athletes, Louganis, 65, won four gold medals and one silver in the 1976, 1984 and 1988 Summer Games.
According to the New York Post, Louganis made $437,000 auctioning the three medals.
In his post, the diving champ explained he is getting rid of more possessions than just the medals.
"I decided to donate, sell what can be sold, give gifts, and give where things might be needed or appreciated," Louganis noted.
He likened the downsizing to friends who lost all their possessions in the Los Angeles fires earlier this year.
Part of Louganis' move to Panama is a desire for self-discovery.
"Now I get to discover who is Greg Louganis? Without the distraction and noise from outside. At least this is my goal, and hey, I may not find that," he wrote.
"I think I may find it at times, in moments, my goal is to live it! Discover, allow, and nurture that human spirit through the experiences of life. To be joyful in the moments, embrace the grief, the anger, and the laughter, and embrace it all, feel it all in this experience we call our lives."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is coming under fresh fire for voicing what's being called a "fake ghetto" accent in an apparent attempt to appeal to black voters.
New video clips of the congresswoman have been posted on X, demonstrating two versions of Crockett, one sounding highly educated, and another less than erudite.
In the first clip, the so-called rising star of the Democrat Party says eloquently: "First of all it's good to see you in the new year. You know, no one could have told me that when I went down to Austin, now it looks like a little bit over a year ago that I would be running for Congress."
In the second juxtaposed clip, Crockett sounds more urban, saying: "Maybe 'cause these people, they are crazy. 'Cause they always talk about how Christian they is.
"Yeah, I don't know how many o' dem on dat side are getting divorced 'cause they gettin' caught up sleeping' with they coworkers, staffers, interns, all the things. Yeah, you ain't gotta believe me.
"Just go Google. You'll find some of it. I'm tellin' you, and the wives is bein' messy and petty. They puttin' in the divorce. I'm like, 'Woo! That's gotta be true 'cause your lawyer would know that they gonna lose it … .'"
Investigative journalist Laura Loomer said of the urban-sounding Crockett: "How the hell did this Shaniqua get into Congress? Can we get an Ebonics translator option on X?
"This is who @TheDemocrats call the new face of their party. A literal hood rat."
Other commenters online noted:
"I need it translated to English."
"It's a fake ghetto shtick. She's way upper middle class. And I predict she will drop that BS when she is up for reelection within new district parameters."
"Except that she's posing as a hood rat which to me is worse than wearing blackface on Halloween. She literally thinks she has to speak ghetto to identify with blacks because she's a privileged rich educated lawyer. Can you get anymore racist than that?"
"As a child, this woman attended Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School, in a zip code that is literally 2% black, and Rosati-Kain Academy, which is in Central West End, the most affluent neighborhood in St Louis. She grew up middle class with both parents at home."
"That's an act. And a poor one at that. I've said it before, it takes more to become a janitor working for the government than it does to become a congressperson."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Cakes are back on the menu at the Supreme Court, as a Christian baker tries to get out from under a concerted all-of-government attack on her in the state of California.
The high court already previously has ruled on the cakes from Jack Phillips, of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, scolding the state for its "hostility" to Christianity and barring the state from punishing him for rejecting demands he violate his faith by promoting the LGBT ideology with his artistry.
The arguments being made by Cathy Miller, of California, essentially are the same.
A report from Becket, which is representing Miller along with LiMandri & Jonna, and the Thomas More Society, explains Miller has asked the high court to protect her right to create custom-designed wedding cakes that reflect her faith.
The government in the state of California was weaponized against her when she told a same-sex duo that her faith did not allow her to personally promote their ideology by designing their "wedding" cake.
That was almost a decade back.
Since then, multiple agencies, courts and officials have attacked her for harming "the dignity of all Californians" with her beliefs.
Working out of her Bakersfield shop, she meets with each couple for over an hour and explains the religious and symbolic meanings of a wedding cake's components before accepting a commission.
She's developed written standards for her work, such as that she will not design custom bakery items that depict gory or pornographic images, celebrate drug use, or demean others.
Her case developed when she told a same-sex duo she could not work on their cake, but would refer them to another bakery.
Confirming the "tolerance" of the LGBT community, she was "flooded with angry social media posts, death threats, and harassing emails and phone calls," the report confirmed.
Even when a state court holding a trial ruled for her, concluding she served and employed "people of all sexual orientations" and her intent was only to follow her Christian beliefs, the state declined to admit defeat, convincing a leftist appeals court to resume attacking her.
"For eight long years, California has treated Cathy like an enemy – dragging her through court, smearing her name, and trying to force her to violate her faith," said Adèle Keim, senior counsel at Becket. "Enough is enough. We're asking the court to put a stop to this bullying campaign and let Cathy design in peace. Justice demands no less."