This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Federal judges are getting better at stopping jet flights returning foreigners to their home.
This time, Judge Sparkle Sooknanan ordered jets not to take off that were part of a program by the administration of President Donald Trump to repatriate children from Guatemala to their home country, and families.
Earlier, Judge James Boasberg infamously ordered several jets carrying illegal alien criminals being deported to turn around mid-flight, without acknowledging the fact they might not have enough fuel for a return flight.
The Trump administration did not comply, as the flights already were in international airspace and Boasberg, about whom ethics complaints already have been filed, had no jurisdiction there.
This time, the judge ordered the flights not to take off, leaving some children sitting in the aircraft on the runway.
A report at RedState explained the Trump administration was sending illegal alien Guatemalan children back to their home country, after requests by Guatemala and their parents.
That wasn't good enough for Sooknanan.
She issued a temporary restraining order halting the repatriation efforts "even as kids were already sitting in their seats."
The Trump administration had hoped to reunite nearly 700 kids with parents or guardians in Guatemala.
The judge stepped into the program and shut it down after "charter buses had already rolled up to planes in Harlingen and El Paso and, in some cases, children were seated on board awaiting departure," the report said.
Drew Ensign, a lawyer for the Department of Justice, said, "These are not removals under the statute. These are repatriations. All of these children have parents or guardians in Guatemala who have requested their return."
And Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, wasn't pleased with the court's decision to deny the children to opportunity to be reunited with family.
Sooknanan claimed her order was justified because the plan to return the children was happening in the "wee hours" of a holiday weekend.
Miller said, "Cleaning up the mess that Biden made was never going to be easy—his dereliction of duty (or purposeful malfeasance) led to millions of illegal aliens flooding our borders. Now the mainstream press and the Democrats cry foul and shriek 'cruelty' at any efforts to rectify the situation, when in reality it was they themselves who created this humanitarian disaster."
It is Boasberg whose antics have prompted accusations that he is a threat to the rule of law.
The DOJ has filed a complaint warning that he is undermining the nation's judiciary.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has explained the complaint over "misconduct" by Boasberg, a federal judge who once wildly ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to turn around airplanes that already were in international airspace to return the illegal alien criminals they were deporting to America, involved his "making improper public comments about President Trump and his administration."
These comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary," she confirmed.
A DOJ official confirmed, "Judge Boasberg first tried to persuade Chief Justice Roberts and other federal judges that the Trump administration would not follow court orders, despite having no basis for his belief. Then he acted on his baseless belief again and again in litigation over which he was presiding. Judge Boasberg violated the Canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, including the requirement that he 'promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.'"
Boasberg has fought the administration's agendas, including that for securing the borders and deporting illegal aliens, especially criminals, for months.
WND has reported it was the Federalist that obtained access to comments Boasberg made at a recent judicial conference undermining the president.
He disparaged the president, even though he's required to be neutral on issues and people in his court, where Trump is a defendant in a number of cases brought by activists trying to undermine his agenda for America.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche later described Boasberg as a "threat to the rule of law" for using his own agendas in his court rulings to try to control the decisions of the Executive Branch.
A report at the Washington Examiner said Blanche was responding to Boasberg's comments and said, the judge was in "serious breach of the judicial oath and a threat to the rule of law."
"This memo confirms that at least some federal judges were predisposed against the Trump administration," Blanche wrote. "Every litigant, regardless of politics, is entitled to a fair forum."
The report noted, "Other senior DOJ officials, including Chad Mizelle, called the report 'very troubling' and said it 'perhaps explains the completely lawless order issued by Judge Boasberg (which was unsurprisingly stayed by the D.C. Circuit).'"
The judge's misbehavior was revealed by the Federalist which confirmed investigative reporter and senior legal correspondent Margot Cleveland uncovered the fact that Boasberg, based in Washington, D.C., complained to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts that his colleagues were "concern[ed] that the Administration would disregard rulings of federal courts leading to a constitutional crisis."
Boasberg is the chief judge in the judicial district and has been at center of a judicial campaign to prevent Trump's agenda to secure the American borders and deport illegal aliens, those who are in the United States illegally, and often have committed subsequent crimes.
Further, Boasberg also was at the center of activism during President Trump's first term when Trump was under attack in the fabricated Russiagate conspiracy theory launched by the Hillary Clinton campaign and others with lies about Trump campaign collusion with Russia.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Texas authorities have delivered cease-and-desist letters to groups and organizations that are shipping the deadly abortion pills into the state.
A report at Live Action News explains the letters are from the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton, and targeted three "radical organizations."
The state demands include an "immediate end to the unlawful advertising, sale, and shipment of abortion-inducing drugs into the State of Texas."
The warnings went to Plan C, Her Safe Habor, and California doctor Remy Coeytaux, who have been cited as shipping agents for the pills.
On social media, Paxton explained, Texas will not "tolerate the murdering of innocent life through illegal drug trafficking."
There's a law in Texas, as well as the federal Comstock law, addressing the shipment of deadly drugs into the state.
The AG's letters explain that "performing, inducing, or attempting an abortion is prohibited in the State of Texas…."
Further, it informs the abortion cartel players that the federal Comstock Act of 1873 bars the carriage in interstate commerce of "any drug, medicine, article, or thing designed, adapted or intended for producing abortion."
Paxton said, "This legal action follows two tragic cases in Texas in which radical abortion activists and organizations facilitated men illegally purchasing abortion-inducing drugs."
In one recent case a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against a virtual abortion pill business, accusing them of a forced chemical abortion that killed a child of a Texas woman against her will.
Further, Coeytaux is warned, "You have been named in a recently filed lawsuit as having shipped abortion pills into the State of Texas via your affiliation with Aid Access. … In Rodriguez v. Coeytaux, the plaintiff alleges that the abortion pills which caused the death of two preborn children were obtained from Aid Access via an order prescribed by you…. This conduct violates multiple state and federal laws."
"Texas also prohibits false, misleading, or deceptive trade practices under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), Tex. Bus. & Comm. Code § 17.46," the AG's cease-and-desist letter to Plan C said."
Civil penalties for violations can reach up to $100,000 per violation.
The letter warns a refusal to comply could mean a formal investigation and "injunctive relief."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Tina Peters, nearly 70, is imprisoned in Colorado in a Democrat lawfare case that erupted after the 2020 election.
She was convicted in the leftist courts of the leftist state of infringing their rules regarding passwords for elections systems and jailed, even though the state's current secretary, Democrat Jena Griswold, unleashed hundreds of active passwords online and was given a free pass by Democrat prosecutors.
Her case is being appealed, and even President Donald Trump has told the DOJ to check for options to intervene in the state case.
"If you're just going to stand after you've done all those things. Yeah. A lot of people won't do that. They'll throw it on haphazardly, and then the armor, and then they'll go hide somewhere, wait for a miracle to happen. You got to stand. You got to stand no matter what," she said in an interview with Joe Hoft.
WND reported only days earlier that President Donald Trump renewed his call for freedom for "Patriot" Peters, a former Colorado county elections official jailed by the leftists in the state on their charges of election interference.
She was indicted, convicted, and jailed for allegedly releasing one inactive password to an elections system several years ago.
However, Griswold was given a free pass for having hundreds of current passwords online.
Griswold earned the backing of the Democrat political machine in her failed attempt to remove President Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot, a move that was approved by her own all-Democrat state Supreme Court but reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Continuing the "torture" of Peters will bring bad things to Colorado, Trump promised.
"FREE TINA PETERS, a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians, including the big Mail-In Ballot supporting the governor of the State. Let Tina Peters out of jail, RIGHT NOW. She did nothing wrong, except catching the Democrats cheat in the Election. She is an old woman, and very sick. If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!!"
During her sentencing, Matthew Barrett, the judge handling her state case, attacked her political speech, and denied her bond.
Peters' legal team has appealed her case to federal court, challenging the First Amendment violations and asking them to decide whether Tina Peters is being unlawfully imprisoned for her political speech.
The Post Millennial reported what Peters actually was accused of was providing someone with a security pass to review her county's elections system after she developed suspicions about the veracity of the voting system's conclusions.
Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser, another activist Democrat, has asked the judge to dismiss Peters' petition to be released on bond pending the appeals process. Weiser, while claiming "No one is above the law," also has been completely inactive regarding any charges against Griswold for her involvement in released
Hoft prayed with Peters during her telephone call to him, from her prison location.
"Our dear Lord Jesus, we're so grateful to hear from Tina today. It lifts my spirit and heart, and we'll share more about what Tina's going through. Keep this story alive. We love Tina, and we thank you for protecting her and granting her safety in such a terrible situation. We know that you're going to be there for us until the end. We just need to hang in there, keep our faith, and have trust in you. Miracles, more miracles are going to happen by the day. In your name, we love you. Thank you, Tina."
Peters, whose case recently saw a new filing, explained, "Well, I'm still fighting, but I have a lot of hope. We got a lot of people praying for me, and I know a lot of people praying for you. And ultimately, that's what's going to save us all."
She explained, "You don't know how much courage you have until that's the only choice you have. You don't know. Some people will run, some people will freeze, and some people go forward into the fight. And people like you and me, we go forward into the fight. I mean, we just, you know what I'm used to say, it raises a Navy seal for nothing. It's like, we can't back down, we can't give up, and we can't give in."
WND previously reported that Peters "was a conservative in the far-left state, where the all-Democrat state Supreme Court partisanly tried to remove Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot. Where virtually all of the top state leaders in the governor's office and legislature are virulently anti-Trump."
Further, it's where "leftists in population centers like Denver and Boulder openly advocate for Americans' rights to be violated in order to protect illegal alien criminals. Where abortion was made a state constitutional "right" and the state constitution's protection for voters against massive overtaxing plans routinely is undermined. For example, Democrat lawmakers, faced with constitutional limits on raising 'taxes,' routinely hike them anyway and then simply call them 'fees.' For example, state residents who license vehicles and pay taxes have to pay a 'fee' for roads and bridges. Visitors to the state using the same roads and bridges don't pay that 'fee.'"
Complete Colorado has noted there are multiple "missteps" by Griswold that now could come under review.
Previously, Griswold earned infamy among elections officials by sending postcards to some 30,000 non-residents, telling them how to register to vote.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
American business already has a long history of companies that "go woke, go broke," and now there's a new song celebrating the lunacy of wokeness.
Without apparent reason, except for the fact some of the companies' executives have fallen into leftist ideologies and can't get out, company after company has gone over the edge regarding social issues, and watched stock prices plummet.
The latest is Cracker Barrel, which just a day ago confirmed it is backtracking on some of its moves.
The company said it is scrapping its new logo, which inexplicably left off the "Old Timer," or "Uncle Herschel."
"We thank your guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel," the restaurant chain posted on X. "We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our 'Old Timer' will remain. At Cracker Barrel, it's always been – and always will be – about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family."
The new spoof song online animates Cracker Barrel's "Uncle Herschel," as it takes aim at the corporation's apparent goals:
The song cites Calvin Klein, Nike, Bud Light, "whack jobs Ben and Jerry" and more, various corporations or products that have actively pursued the "Go woke, go broke" business plan.
"Try selling folks what they don't want, you'll find there's hell to pay," the lyrics explain.
Social media? "EPIC," "Fabulous," "Love it" and "BRILLIANT MASTERPIECE."
President Trump reacted to the company reversal on Truth Social Tuesday night, saying: "Congratulations 'Cracker Barrel' on changing your logo back to what it was. All of your fans very much appreciate it. Good luck into the future. Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!"
He also shared an image of himself with an oil barrel "America First" logo.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A high-school girls' volleyball team hasn't played all its scheduled games recently but keeps "winning" thanks to opponents forfeiting – due to a biological boy playing on the team.
Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County, California, includes on its team AB Hernandez, a biological male "identifying" as a girl. In the name of safety, other teams have forfeited games, the latest being Orange Vista High School.
According to the U.K.'s GBN, the decision emerged following deliberations between student-athletes and their coaching staff regarding the scheduled Aug. 29 match.
Orange Vista emphasized that student welfare remained their primary concern throughout the decision-making process.
Riverside Poly High School initially brought attention to the issue after forfeiting its Aug. 15 match against Jurupa Valley.
"After thoughtful discussions our student-athletes had with coaching staff, it was decided to cancel our upcoming Girls' Varsity volleyball match against Jurupa Valley High School," said a statement from Orange Vista.
The report notes that Jurupa Valley High School defended its having a male on the roster by stating that they must comply with California state law protecting students from gender identity discrimination.
The district referenced California Education Code 221.5 (f), which mandates student participation on athletic teams matching their "gender identity."
According to his mother, Nereyda Hernandez, AB doesn't know the reason for the forfeits, i.e., his presence on the team.
"I understand the discomfort some may feel, because I was once there, too. The difference is, I chose to learn, to grow, and to open my heart," she explained to GBN.
"This is a child, and I can assure you that she sees your daughters as peers, as teammates, as friends, not through a lens of anything inappropriate," she stated.
Jurupa Valley High School told Fox News, "We understand and acknowledge the disappointment of our Jurupa Valley High School athletes who are ready and prepared to play. Decisions to cancel matches were made by teams in other districts."
Hernandez is the athlete who drew controversy last spring when he competed and won several track and field competitions in California girls' events, including two state titles.
A teammate of Hernandez, Alyssa McPherson, told Fox News it isn't fair for the other players, stating, "I just feel like it's so unfair that not only am I missing out on my senior season, but my other teammates, our JV team, and our freshmen team aren't playing either. And it's just so disheartening that they're not gonna have a season and we just want to be able to compete, play, and have fun."
She continued, "To me, I feel like this is just a fairness issue. … It's just so sad."
Since taking office in January, President Trump has taken action to try to inhibit the practice of boys playing on girls' sports teams and the presence of opposite-sex athletes in locker rooms. Multiple states and school districts have taken legal action against executive orders and other actions of the White House.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Members of a women's swim team at Roanoke College in Virginia could end up being paid damages because the school subjected them, against the law, to having a male member on their team.
That's according to a ruling from Attorney General Jason Miyares.
Fox News Digital reported there are multiple lawsuits now pending over damages from women or girls on teams for females when the school involved demands they allow a male on the team.
But none has yet reached the stage of determining financial damages.
The Roanoke case may add light to that dispute now.
The report explained Miyares' investigation followed the school's demand that a male swimmer, who identified himself as female, be on the women's team in 2023.
"Miyares concluded that the college denied the female swimmers accommodations, advantages, and privileges on the basis of sex, caused the women emotional, physical, and dignitary harms and violated the Virginia Human Rights Act," the report explained.
He also suggested the state law allows the women swimmers who were injured to seek financial damages, as the school violated the Virginia Human Rights Act.
"A private complainant who has received a notice of right to file a civil action may file a civil action under the Act for compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief," the report said.
Fox reported it obtained documents confirming that six women on the school's women's team "applied for May Term Travel Courses run by the school three days before a press conference took place in which some expressed their displeasure with having a transgender swimmer on their team."
Miyares noted, "Two weeks after the press conference, the Roanoke professors in charge of the Japan and Greece travel terms rejected the female swimmers' applications."
But, the report said, state law bars "unlawful discrimination and retaliation by educational institutions on the basis of sex" and said, "No educational institution may 'refuse, withhold from, or deny' any accommodations, advantages, or privileges on the basis of sex."
The result, the report said, affirmed, that, "Any implementation of a discriminatory policy would be considered discrimination under the law."
Roanoke's practice "that forces women participating in sex-separated collegiate sports to compete against individuals with the biological advantages of male puberty deprives those women of accommodations, advantages, and privileges made available to others on the basis of sex and violates the VHRA."
Miyares, about his report, said, "Men and women in competitive sports are separated for a reason. A male who has undergone puberty has a significant undeniable athletic advantage over females that no intervention can undo… the women's swim team endured, and is still enduring, emotional, physical and dignitary harm because of Roanoke College's failure to follow the law."
School officials at the time claimed they were working on "fairness" in athletics, but also insisted on an agenda of "supporting" the LGBT agenda.
Multiple Roanoke women's swim team members now are part of a lawsuit over the controversy.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Target, just a few years ago, went totally woke by promoting LGBT, specifically transgender, products in its stores. Its stock fell, stores faced headwinds staying open and even now it's busy replacing its CEO.
And don't forget Bud Light, which partnered with a man who says he's a woman, and its popularity collapsed like a really bad souffle, and never has recovered.
Now it's Cracker Barrel restaurants, with a new "wokey-type" CEO, that is turning itself inside out, and gets a 7% stock plunge in just a day, or a collapse of $100 million.
A report at CBS said the company "shed almost $100 million in market value after its stock plunged … following the release of a new logo."
It now says "Cracker Barrel," after eliminating the "drawing of an overall-clad man leaning against a barrel, in favor of a cleaner logo featuring just the chain's name."
The slide appeared to halt on Friday.
The company has been working to change itself around.
The report noted, "It's unusual for a company's share price to plunge dramatically due to a logo redesign, although marketing missteps can cause investors to question a company' strategy. Cracker Barrel's overhaul has been overseen by CEO Julie Felss Masino, who last year described the chain as 'not as relevant as we once were,' and announced plans to update its down-home menu."
The company claimed, "Our values haven't changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven't changed."
But marketing experts have criticized the company's overhaul and many charged the company with going "woke."
And Bolt Health founder Kevin Dahlstrom, who has been marketing chief in several companies, said the rebrand is a "fiasco."
"The holy grail of marketing is to create a brand that customers give a damn about — and feel some ownership of. It's exceedingly rare and when you have that — as Cracker Barrel did — you NEVER EVER abandon it, you only double down on it," Dahlstrom wrote.
The company soared in the 1990s and its stock reached $180 in 2018. More recently, it has traded in the $55 range and its revenue has been growing by small numbers.
David Marcus, in a commentary said the company was abandoning customers and trading "authenticity for corporate slop."
"Few things in American life have felt as trapped in the amber of history as Cracker Barrel restaurants, with their recipe of comfort food served up in cozy confines that evoke a bygone era. It's little wonder Americans routinely wait for an hour to get a table after church, or welcome a road-trip diversion when they see the classic logo on a highway sign," he said. "Now, the cracker-jack whiz-kid marketing team at the iconic eatery's corprate headquarters has decided to forgo all of this, including possibly, based on public reaction to their changes, the long lines."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One of the most influential Christian leaders for decades, Dr. James. C. Dobson, has died at the age of 89.
His James Dobson Family Institute announced his passing on Thursday.
He was "tireless advocate for the traditional family."
"A psychologist, New York Times best-selling author, a Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster, and advisor to five U.S. presidents, Dr. Dobson dedicated his life to strengthening marriages, guiding parents, and defending biblical values by championing the central role of family in America," the JDFI confirmed.
"Dr. Dobson was a pioneer—a man of deep conviction whose voice shaped the way generations view faith, family and culture," said Gary Bauer, senior vice president of public policy at the organization.
"His bold leadership, integrity, and compassion helped equip countless families to thrive in a world of shifting values. He was a mentor, a counselor, and a steady voice of truth in turbulent times."
Born in 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dr. Dobson founded Focus on the Family in 1977, creating one of the largest faith-based organizations in the world. His daily broadcasts were heard on over 4,000 radio stations across North America and translated into 27 languages in more than 160 countries. Following his departure from Focus on the Family in 2010, Dr. Dobson launched the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute (JDFI), continuing his mission through Family Talk, a nationally syndicated radio broadcast offering timeless counsel for today's families, the JDFI said.
He played multiple key roles in presidential commissions, serving in positions to which he was appointed by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
He was instrumental in shaping national conversations around pornography, gambling, teen pregnancy prevention, and the sanctity of human life, and he served on President Donald Trump's Evangelical Executive Advisory Board.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley; their children, Danae and Ryan; daughter-in-law Laura; and two beloved grandchildren.
He wrote more than 70 books include "The New Dare to Discipline," "The New Strong-Willed Child," "Bringing Up Boys," "Bringing Up Girls," and "When God Doesn't Make Sense."
He worked to found several other very influential groups, including the Alliance Defending Freedom, a coalition of legal experts who have fought on behalf of religious rights before the nation's Supreme Court multiple times.
He also was integral to the founding of the Family Research Council and the Family Policy Alliance, and more.
"The world has lost a mighty voice for truth and an incredibly influential servant of Christ today," said ADF CEO Kristen Waggoner. "Dobson's bold leadership and commitment to the Gospel shaped the lives of so many and will continue to do so many years after his passing. We know that death is not the end, and we are confident he is walking victoriously into the arms of his Savior and hearing the words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' ADF is grateful for the vision and inspiration Dobson provided us, and we extend our warmest sympathies to Shirley and the rest of the Dobson family."
It was in 1994 that Dobson joined with Bill Bright, Marlin Maddoux, D. James Kennedy, Larry Burkett, and William Pew to launch the ADF.
Dobson had previously served with Alan Sears on the U.S. Attorney General's Commission on Pornography in 1986, which led to Dobson being a central figure in calling Sears to serve as CEO, president, and general counsel for ADF for 26 years.
"I am sad to learn of the passing of my ally and friend, Dr. James Dobson," said Sears. "He gave us the greatest gift any person can give: his name and reputation. It was an incredible trust and turned out to be a gift that changed the world. Without Dobson in those early years, it's unlikely ADF would have become what it is today."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Some federal security grants intended for a variety of Muslims groups identified as having "alleged terrorist ties" have been canceled, and more are being reviewed, after a new report cited "extremist" agendas.
Fox News Digital is reporting that 49 projects "with alleged affiliations to terrorist activities" already have been canceled, a move that will save taxpayers $8 million.
And a review is moving forward of other cash handed out through FEMA's Nonprofit Security Grant Program that is intended to help churches, mosques, synagogues and other faith-linked institutions defend themselves from hate-driven violence.
Fox News reports the actions follow an extensive report by the Middle East Forum, a think tank, that charged more than $25 million in DHS and FEMA grants went to "terror-linked groups" from 2013 to 2023.
The new review is being done in the Department of Homeland Security.
Fox explained, "A DHS official said the department is conducting its own independent review of funding but added, 'We take the results of the MEF report very seriously and are thankful for the work of conservative watchdog groups.'"
For example, MEF cited a $100,000 grant in 2019 to the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Virginia, which has previously been described by Customs and Border Protection as a "mosque operating as a front for Hamas operatives in the U.S.," Hamas being the terrorist organization that, among other attacks, invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and slaughtered some 1,200 innocent civilians and kidnapped another 250 or so.
Now the review is being done so that current and future contracts do not send tax funding to such groups.
There also is consideration of a way to recover unspent funds.
"Funding for fiscal year 2024 has already been allocated. That includes $94 million for 500 Jewish organizations and another $110 million shared among 600 Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jewish institutions," the report said.
The 2025 fiscal year handouts now will have to go through "robust" vetting.
"We don't want to be empowering groups that could be causing a threat to our community here in the United States," a DHS official told Fox.
The MEF investigation and report documented "specific cases of funding that it claims went to groups with extremist ties. It said $10.3 million had gone to the Islamic Circle of North America, which the forum alleges is tied to the South Asian Islamist movement Jamaat-e-Islami," Fox explained.
And the report cited $250,000 handed to the Council on American Islamic Relations, "which DHS has accused of having 'Hamas ties.'"
The MEF report cited an additional $750,000 dispatched to Michigan and Texas mosques described by DHS as "outposts for Iran's revolutionary brand of Shi'a Islamism."
CAIR's charge to Fox was that "Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security is embarrassing President Trump by making decisions based on the ravings of the Middle East Forum, an Israel First hate website."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President Trump is getting ready to officially debut the newly updated White House Rose Garden by testing the new speakers – with Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American," of course.
Video on X Tuesday shows the refurbished area outside the West Wing of the White House, now consisting of white stone pavers instead of grass.
Criticism of the new look began months ago when Trump first talked of redoing the outside space with a more practical ground cover. That area of the executive mansion's grounds, often used for ceremonial and diplomatic events, has had a tendency to display the pitfalls of any American's backyard: wetness, mud and uneven ground.
According to an Aug. 4 report in Newsweek, Trump is more than enthusiastic about the makeover.
"We're getting great reviews of the Rose Garden, and we had to do it," Trump told reporters on Aug. 3, adding that the manicured lawn presented problems when hosting events.
"When we had a press conference, you'd sink into the mud. It was grass and it was very wet, always wet and damp and wet and if it rained it would take three, four, five days to dry out and we couldn't use it really for the intended purpose," Trump said.
The new look has been compared to Mar-a-Lago, the Trumps' "gaudy palace in Palm Beach, Florida," as The Guardian described it.
As Amuse on X points out, the Rose Garden has gone through several different iterations since the early 20th century:
"President Trump's decision to replace the grass lawn with a grid of stone pavers should be understood not as desecration, but as correction, and a long-overdue one at that. If anything, the outrage at this change reveals a profound ignorance of the Rose Garden's true nature. It is not, and has never been, a museum piece. It is a working space. It is a site of activity, visibility, and power. And it has always evolved."
Typical critiques slammed Trump's more practical approach to the space, like this post claiming it "looks worse than anyone could have ever imagined."