This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A major milestone was reached Monday in the campaign for peace in the Middle East, specifically between Israel and the terrorists of Hamas who attacked the democratic nation in 2023, slaughtering 1,200 and kidnapping hundreds more.
The last 20 living hostages were released by Hamas.
It came as part of a multi-point plan developed under the administration of President Donald Trump that called for the release of the hostages. Future points will set up a governing organization to make decisions for Gaza, where Hamas has ruled in recent years.
Trump, in addressing Israel's Knesset on the agreement between Israel and Hamas, pointed out that previous American administrations, under Barack Obama and Joe Biden, failed in pursuit of that very goal.
"All of the countries in the Middle East that could have what we're doing now, it could have happened a long time ago, but it was strangled and set back almost irretrievably by the administrations of Barack Obama and then Joe Biden," Trump said, citing the then-"hatred" toward Israel.
"We had a very weak [Biden] administration. Worst president in the history of our country by far, and Barack Obama was not far behind, by the way," Trump said.
The violence, however, may not be gone forever.
Previous peace pauses often have been broken up by violence of the Islamists, and some of those groups issued a warning even as the peace deal was beginning to take effect.
"Factions stressed that they have no intention of laying down their weapons, and that they plan to continue military activity to achieve their objectives," explained a report at the Middle East Media Research Institute.
The statement from various "factions" said, "At this decisive historic moment, we reiterate and emphasize our loyalty to the martyrs, to the prisoners, to the wounded, and to the resistance fighters, and our adherence to our people's rights to their land, homeland, holy sites, and dignity. [We also emphasize] our determination to continue with the resistance in all its forms until our rights are achieved – first and foremost the removal of the occupation, self determination, and the establishment of an independent state with full sovereignty with Jerusalem as its capital."
The statement was identified as coming from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
They also rejected "foreign guardianship" of the Gaza Strip and demanded to be part of the region's administration.
That means, the report said, Hamas would be rejecting vital components of Trump's peace plan, even though they officially had agreed, and had released hostages as part of the bargain.
"Underlining that the factions' negotiating team was keeping in mind 'our people's demands to stop the war of extermination,' it called this first stage of the ceasefire 'an essential step towards the urgent demand of our people – a final cessation of the criminal war, an end to the aggression against Gaza, the withdrawal of the occupation, and the lifting of the siege,'" the report said.
The factions suggested that international oversight was only for reconstruction and development.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Nearly 20 people are missing and multiple deaths are feared in an explosion at a Tennessee bomb factory.
Reports revealed that there is a list of 19 names of people missing after the disaster at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant at the Hickman-Humphreys county line west of Nashville.
County emergency responders confirmed 19 people were inside the building that was vaporized, and all remain missing.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been called to the scene as there were concerns about subsequent explosions.
People in the area have been asked to avoid the location.
AES calls itself a "leader in the energetics and explosives industry."
Online, the company said, "Whether for military acquisition offices, defense and aerospace primes, or commercial demolition sectors, AES is your partner in achieving superior energetic solutions."
Reports confirmed the facility makes and stores explosives, including bulk explosives, shaped charges, demolition kits, and specialized items for military, defense, aerospace, demolition, mining, and oil industries.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A video obtained by Politico reveals a strained Katie Porter, then a member of Congress during the Joe Biden administration, delivering a rant about the benefits of electric vehicles. Then she suddenly explodes on her own staff member who wandered into the camara's line of sight.
"GET OUT OF MY F*CKING SHOT!" Porter, who also recently melted down in another interview, said.
Editor's note: Be aware of offensive language:
Politico reported Porter is the frontrunner in next year's race for California governor.
The video is of a conversation, being recorded apparently to support Biden's war on America's energy industry and his demands for those costly electric vehicles, and includes comments about how work is going on to make them affordable for low- and middle-income Americans.
Porter is on audio with Jennifer Granholm, who at the time was energy secretary.
"Several minutes in, Porter's staffer interjected to correct something the Democratic representative had said about electric vehicles. Porter then reprimanded her employee, who had also previously appeared periodically in the background during the recording," the report said.
Porter unleashed, "You also were in my shot before that. Stay out of my shot."
When the Department of Energy eventually released the final version, the comments were concealed.
The report explained, "For years, Porter has contended with accusations that she was a difficult boss or abusive to employees during her time in Congress, along with unrelated domestic disputes."
Porter responded to a request for comment with, "It's no secret I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress. I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work."
She also complained on the video she had not visited the White House "despite" raising a lot of money for Biden.
The behavior apparently is a pattern with Porter, as WND reported only a day earlier on what was being described as a "bizarre scene" when she had a meltdown during a TV interview.
She apparently was upset that she was being asked questions by a news reporter.
Porter was being interviewed by Julie Watts of CBS affiliate KOVR-TV in Sacramento when she objected to follow-up questions, stressing she did not wish to have an "unhappy experience with you and I don't want this on camera."
"I don't want to keep doing this. I'm gonna call it, thank you," Porter told Wells, indicating she was done with the interview.
"You're not going to do the interview with us?" an incredulous Watts asked.
"Nope, not like this I'm not. Not with seven follow-ups to every single question you ask," Porter responded.
"Every other candidate has answered our follow-ups," the investigative reporter noted.
"I don't care," Porter replied.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reposted the video, saying: "Crazy lady freaks out when journalists asks her actual 'questions.'"
Republican congressional candidate Ken Calvert said: "Her tirade is a window into the mentality of radical CA Democrat politicians. They can't stand those who disagree with them."
Martha MacCallum of Fox News told anchor Bill Hemmer on Wednesday: "I just love when she goes, 'Not if you have seven follow-ups. Six is my limit.' This is not going to serve her well."
And Hemmer quipped: "I think they were just sitting too close to each other."
John Ziegler, host of "The Death of Journalism" podcast, also reacted to the meltdown, saying: "When Katie Porter is our next governor here in CA, it will make us long for the days of the evil Gavin Newsom. She's a lot like him, only dumber.
"How are Democrats not enraged that she overtly states here that she plans to make sure she runs in the general against a Republican?!"
Kristinn Taylor at the Gateway Pundit opined: "It was a bizarre scene, like in a movie where the nurse is trying to calm the agitated mental patient in the psych ward before she picks up a tray and bashes her in the head."
In 2023, the New York Post reported on other alleged behavior by Porter, as her ex-husband in a 2013 divorce filing accused her of pouring scalding hot mashed potatoes on his head during a dispute.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A church in Florida is being sued … for holding church!
In its own property.
The fight involving Coastal Family Church in Flagler Beach is being handled by Liberty Counsel, which reported on the dispute that involves state law, religious rights, property rights, civil rights, and the odd attack on the faith organization by a condominium association that apparently opposes Christian meetings.
"We will not allow churches and places of worship to be evicted from their property. We will not only stop this eviction; we will demand that the offending party be held financially responsible for its unlawful actions," warned Liberty Counsel in a statement about the war.
The odd circumstances developed when Coastal Family bought a space in a strip mall to serve as a church home.
The report said, "Flagler Square is a strip mall in Flagler Beach, FL. The corporate entity that oversees the mall is organized into a 'condominium' association, which governs the allowable actions and uses of each of the units (storefronts) in the mall. There are four 'units' in the strip center: a discount national brand retail store, a resale consignment store, and the Fraternal Order of Police."
Coastal Family Church owns the fourth.
But after the congregation bought the facility, paid for renovations, and moved in, holding Sunday services, the "condominium association" purported to order a halt.
The association's officials objected to any and all "public assemblies" by the church.
The report noted Flagler Square-JAX Inc., one of the original organizers of the condominium, sued Pastor Roderick James Palmer and the church for meeting in the property owned by the church.
"The plaintiff alleges that the church services violate the Condominium Declaration, which includes an attachment titled 'Prohibited Uses,' which prohibits several things, including competing discount stores as well as 'a banquet hall, auditorium, or other place of public assembly,'" Liberty Counsel charged.
But, the legal team noted, one tenant is a discount consignment store and another a police organization, where regularly public speaking events and other meetings are held.
"But ONLY Coastal Family Church is being prohibited from holding public assemblies. That's clear-cut religious discrimination," Liberty Counsel charged.
A legal response is being filed, the team said.
"By the way, Florida law clearly states that deed restrictions that violate civil rights and religious free exercise are not enforceable," it explained.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A Muslim who claimed it his was First Amendment right to vandalize a Christian church in Texas has found out that the jury, whose members returned a guilty verdict in his case, disagreed.
The initial ruling in the case that continues involved one defendant, Raunaq Alam, who was convicted of vandalism, according to a report at the Center Square.
He was one of three accused of a vandalism case at the nondenominational Uncommon Church in Euless, in Tarrant County.
The three allegedly spray-painted "[expletive] Israel" and attached other pro-Hamas terrorist stickers on the church building.
They were caught on security cameras.
They originally faced felony criminal mischief counts in the case filed by District Attorney Phil Sorrells, but those later were increased the felony hate crime, which carries a sentence of two to 10 years in prison, the report said.
"It was increased to a hate crime because the perpetrators allegedly targeted a church because of religion, the prosecution argued. The case was also transferred to County Criminal Court No. 9 under Judge Brian Bolton," the report said.
Alam, taken to trial last month, was convicted of criminal mischief, for which he was sentenced to five years of probation, $10,000 in fines and $1,700 in restitution.
His probation includes 180 days in jail.
Alam still faces perjury and drug charges, the report said.
During the fight, which came in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and amid multiple instances of "unprovoked violence by Muslims" on Christians and Jews in Texas, multiple "pro-Palestinian/Hamas rioters" have argued "their actions are protected by the First Amendment," the report said.
Gov. Greg Abbott has directed Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to arrest suspected offenders.
In the church vandalism case, Afsheen Khan, a co-defendant, was charged with felony criminal mischief. A third defendant, Julia Venzor, testified against Alam and Khan and pleaded guilty, getting five years of probation.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The suspect accused of ramming his vehicle into a synagogue in Manchester, England, this week, then stabbing several people before being shot down by police, has been identified as Jihad al-Shamie.
A report in the Guardian said the "synagogue terrorist" was on police bail for an alleged rape at the time.
Al-Shamie, 35, was born in Syria and reportedly had criminal convictions, although he was not being sought presently by counter-terrorism officers or MI5, the report said.
He "was shot dead by armed police after killing a Jewish man and seriously injuring several others when he attacked the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in north Manchester on Thursday," the report said.
Manchester police also confirmed officers apparently shot – accidentally – one of the two victims killed in the attack when they opened fire on the attacker.
And investigators were reviewing whether Shamie was responsible for a death threat sent to a lawmaker in 2012, the report said.
The victims were identified as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.
The report said Cravitz' relatives described him as a "gentle giant, and a Muslim neighbor of Daulby described him as a "fantastic man."
Rabbi Daniel Walker, leading worship at the time of the attack, confirmed the attacker shouted, "I'm going to get you" as he tried to force his way into the building.
"The Guardian has been told that Shamie was not known to counter-terrorism agencies and had not been referred to the anti-radicalization scheme Prevent but he had been prosecuted for criminal matters," the report said.
The Guardian revealed Faraj al-Shamie, the alleged attacker's father, called the violence "heinous" and said the family wished to "fully distance" themselves. However, it also was reported he had been online in praise of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israeli civilians, in which some 1,200 were killed and hundreds more kidnapped.
Stephen Waston, the chief police constable in Greater Manchester, explained what apparently happened with the shooting.
"It is currently believed that the suspect, Jihad al-Shamie, was not in possession of a firearm and the only shots fired were from GMP's authorized firearms officers as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm to our Jewish community. It follows therefore that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end …"
He added, "We have also been advised by medical professionals that one of the three victims currently receiving treatment in hospital has also suffered a gunshot wound, which is mercifully not life-threatening. It is believed that both victims were close together behind the synagogue door as worshippers acted bravely to prevent the attacker from gaining entry."
WND reported when the violence happened that the attacker rammed his vehicle, then jumped out and started stabbing people.
Police said the attack was on Yom Kippur, a holy day in the Jewish calendar.
Video shared on social media appeared to show armed police officers pointing guns at a man on the ground as one screamed to onlookers: "Everybody else, get back. If you're not involved, move back, get away… he has a bomb, go away."
Some online videos showed the suspect starting to get up, but falling back after another shot. And they showed a victim on the street in a poll of blood.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Tina Peters, the embattled former county clerk in the radically left state of Colorado – run by a homosexual governor and dominated by Democrats in the legislature – who was jailed by extremists there for protecting presidential election records, has gone to social media and has gotten blunt with the U.S. Department of Justice.
"Why is the DOJ defying Trump's demands? Get off you're a—- and get me out!" she posted.
The attacks on her came amid the scandalous revelations about voting system insecurities in the presidential election. She was accused, among other things, of allowing a voting system password to be online.
Incidentally, Jena Griswold, Colorado's Democrat secretary of state and a key player in the prosecution of Peters, was confirmed to have posted online hundreds of election system passwords, but she was never charged.
Peters was sent to prison for years.
And she's fed up:
Her statement said:
UPDATE FROM TINA PETERS: 364 Days of Injustice As I approach 365 days in this hellhole—tomorrow marks one full year, and Friday is the anniversary of the day they shackled me and dragged me out of the courtroom—my chest hurts just thinking about it. It's seared into my mind. I've been deprived of everything everyone else takes for granted: going to a restaurant, driving somewhere, flying, being with whoever I want, seeing my granddaughter, visiting my mother who'll be 97 next month. All of that, gone.
Where is everybody? I did what I was supposed to do—legally—to expose their crimes. Who has my back now? Where are the people who benefited? Has it been decided that I will be made the SACRIFICIAL LAMB to give the networks something to rally behind? The President has demanded my release four times—twice on Twitter, twice verbally. Why is the DOJ defying Trump's demands? Get off you're a—- and get me out! This is not right.
The state never had jurisdiction to indict, prosecute, or imprison me because of the Constitution, the Supremacy Clause, and Immunities Clause. I was protecting federal election records. Colorado violated federal law by locking me up. The federal government could come in right now, pluck me out, and say, "No, you're violating her constitutional rights. She was performing a federal duty." Send in the marshals—get me! Not just because I'm a whistleblower, but because they had no right to do this. This is straight-up lawfare.
I'm a political prisoner suffering cruel and unusual punishment, just like Tore called out in her amicus brief. How many whistleblowers, reports, and proofs do we need? We have already proven it all—yet here I am, in a medium-security prison with murderers, the worst of the worst. People serving life for gruesome murders, featured on Dateline and 20/20. I was just in the gym with one—she's sweet to me, but that's the reality I'm living every day. For what? Protecting elections?
The same biased judges who denied my bond with no explanation will drag out any appeal for years. They're not normal; they were put in place illegally, selected by benefactors in these blackmail rings like Epstein and P. Diddy. They collect their dues. Forget the appeal—optics don't matter. Just do it, and deal with the court later. And the prosecutor calls me a danger to society? A flight risk?
Meanwhile, they let out a criminal with 39 convictions, 25 felonies, who then murdered that poor little girl. Her father's been yelling about it on Fox News every day—bring that up. It just validates I'm a political prisoner in a state that could be criminally prosecuted for this. Something's got to break. Go to http://tinapeters.us to see the filings and the latest. And if you can support me, I need your help. I cannot pay my attorneys and my appeal still has a very long time to go. If you can help please donate at http://Tinapeters.us —Tina Peters
WND previously reported on the case involving Peters, a grandmother, Gold Star mom and election watchdog.
Trump, in fact, has described Peters as a "brace and innocent Patriot" being tortured by "Crooked Colorado politicians.'
The report said, "Tina Peters, once the trusted Mesa County clerk, now faces a staggering nine-year prison sentence, convicted of crimes her own prosecutors essentially admit she didn't commit. Her 'crime'? Daring to protect election records in the wake of the contentious 2020 presidential election, a fight that has left her career and life in tatters, her freedom stolen and her name smeared by a corporate press eager to paint her as a villain."
The report noted within the prosecution's own claims is a "stunning admission."
She's serving nine years for "attempting to influence a public servant," "conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation" and "first-degree official misconduct."
But her appeal explains the district court erred in denying her immunity under the Supremacy and Privileges or Immunities Clauses and her actions were lawful efforts to preserve federal election records.
Further, David Underwood, a prosecution witness, testified that Peters, as the county's chief election official, had the sole authority to decide who could access the voting system for a software upgrade known as the "Trusted Build."
And Danny Casias, another witness, could not identify any decision he was influenced to make due to alleged deceit by Peters.
The prosecution's own statements, her lawyers charge, document how she acted within her authority and lacked the intent to deceive.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A renowned constitutional expert, Jonathan Turley of George Washington University, has called out a list of federal judges for inserting politics into their judicial rulings, which are supposed to be following the Constitution and the law, not necessarily the Democrat party.
Turley, whose commentary is valued online and in publications, by Congress where he has testified as an expert, and even by members of Congress who have chosen his representation, cited a recent opinion from William Young, who recently released his ruling about the pursuit of the administration of President Donald Trump to secure America's borders.
His opinion, finding the administration "in violation of the First Amendment over visa denials," was "bizarre," Turley concluded.
"With all due respect to Judge Young (who warrants considerable respect after his remarkable career), the captioning and conclusion are improvisational, impulsive, and injudicious. The court injected a political dialogic element in an opinion with sweeping implications for our constitutional system."
Young, relying on a quote from former Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, a Joe Biden appointee, said that the speech of illegal aliens in America, and those who may be pursuing entry into the United States, is protected by the First Amendment.
The Trump administration had sought to enforce deportation orders against those non-citizens radicalizing American college campuses with their pro-Palestinian riots.
Young also quoted his own wife as an authority, as she claimed Trump "seems to be winning. He ignores everything and keeps bullying ahead."
The judge claimed that "perfectly captures" Trump's public approach to power.
He found that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio "deliberately and with purposeful aforethought" used immigration powers to chill noncitizens' free speech.
The ruling undoubtedly will end up before at least one appellate court before it is concluded.
The judge claimed that his decision now "limits the government's ability to use deportation threats to stifle speech and reinforces academic freedom on U.S. college campuses."
And he wasn't finished, insisting on another hearing when he will purport to decide a "remedy."
But he stepped over the line, Turley explained.
"The bizarre captioning and conclusion in this case is another such example. It only served to undermine the opinion itself and the legal points raised by the court. It may have been cathartic, but it was also tedious and prejudicial. It has a certain chest-pounding element that is neither necessary nor compelling for a court to insert into an opinion," he explained. "Judge Young would be wise to issue a corrected opinion without the novel captioning and conclusion . . . and simply send a postcard to this curious penpal."
It was because the judge, in his opinion, included an image of a scrawled, disjointed question, "Trump has pardons and tanks.. .. What do you have?" which purportedly was from that "penpal."
The judge responded to "Dear Mr. or Ms. Anonymous…" with a comment about having the Constitution. Then he finished his opinion with an invitation to stop in at the courthouse to see where "burns the lamp of liberty."
Turley cited other political judges.
"Take District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, an Obama appointee who had previously presided over Trump's election interference case. Chutkan was criticized for failing to recuse herself from that case after she made highly controversial statements about Trump from the bench. In a sentencing hearing of a Jan. 6 rioter in 2022, Chutkan said that the rioters 'were there in fealty, in loyalty, to one man — not to the Constitution.' She added then, '[i]t's a blind loyalty to one person who, by the way, remains free to this day.' That 'one person' was still under investigation at the time and, when Trump was charged, Chutkan refused to let the case go," he explained.
Then she took politics further into her courtroom, insisting in a proclamation that the pardons from Trump for January 6 protest offenders could not change the "tragic truth" of those events.
"Chutkan's colleague Judge Beryl Howell, also an Obama appointee, lashed out at Trump's actions, writing, "[T]his Court cannot let stand the revisionist myth relayed in this presidential pronouncement," he said.
Those comments, and the rants from "other judges," have been undermining "the integrity of the court system," he warned.
In fact, there have been multiple cases in which judges have given every appearance of being in cooperation with the prosecution against Trump, such as Arthur Engoron in his help to New York Attorney General Letitia James in her failed fraud case against Trump and his companies.
Engoron delivered a $500 million penalty to Trump at James' insistence, a decision that has been thrown out by an appellate court because it violated the Constitution.
Ironically, James herself now is under federal investigation for mortgage fraud. She's accused of lying on federal forms in pursuit of special, lower, interest rates for her own loans.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Police in one California city were conducting a DUI sting operation, and watched in disbelief as a car pulled a U-turn right in front of them.
An illegal U-turn.
So they pulled it over, and gave the driver … nothing.
There wasn't a driver.
It happened in San Bruno where police released a statement about DUI enforcement … "with a plot twist."
"During a grant-funded DUI enforcement operation, our officers observed something unusual: an autonomous vehicle made an illegal U-turn right in front of them at a light.
"That's right … no driver, no hands, no clue," police said.
Police stopped the vehicle and contacted Waymo, which was operating it.
A ticket couldn't be issued because there was no driver, and a state law allowing for those tickets still is in the future.
"Hopefully the reprogramming will keep it from making any more illegal moves," officers wrote on social media.
At Not the Bee a report explained officials at Waymo claimed the autonomous driving system was "designed to respect the rules of the road."
The company was investigating.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Jimmy Kimmel, a late-night television entertainer, was taken off the air briefly after he made a horrific comment, styled as a "joke," about the death of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk.
He suggested that conservatives were trying to portray the suspected killer, who could face the death penalty, as anyone other than one of them.
In fact, multiple testimonies have confirmed the suspect had turned far to leftist activities and agendas.
So Kimmel was silenced, briefly, before several networks that had objected to his joking about the death of a Christian man allowed his return.
On that night, his audience was huge.
Then it crashed.
His number plunged by 70%.
And online was an explanation: "People stopped to see the car crash for a minute, but then kept on driving."
A report at BizPacReview said his "comeback" "was embarrassingly short-lived."
"Since his return to the airwaves, Kimmel has enjoyed a significant boost in support from leftists who wanted to stick it to Republicans. On Tuesday, he saw a record 6.3 million average viewers, many of whom undoubtedly turned in to see what he would say about his suspension. But on Wednesday night, he only managed to pull 2,414,000 average viewership, which is leagues above his normal average of 1.7 million but constitutes a 70% drop from the previous day."
In fact, Kimmel's audience has been dropping steadily for a long time.
ABC, Sinclair Broadcast Group and others took him down, but then restored him to America's airwaves.
"Between Kimmel making around $17 million a year, his large staff, and the show's production out of Los Angeles, ABC is almost certainly losing money on the program," wrote Outkick's Bobby Burack. "For comparison, CBS is losing around $40 million per year by producing Stephen Colbert's competing late-night program, which draws 30% more viewers than Kimmel's."
Kimmel's contract is coming to an end, and that could offer a solution to the network with an unwanted drain in their budget.
The substance of Kimmel's offense was described online; "Jimmy Kimmel lied to millions of people and claimed Kirk was assassinated by a MAGA conservative. Charlie Kirk was gunned down by a far-left, pro-transgender radical who hated him for his conservative political views."