This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A new U.S. Senate report released by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Wednesday asserts Biden administration health officials knew about the risks of myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccines, but downplayed the concern and delayed informing the public about the risks of taking the jab.
Fox News reports Johnson, chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has been investigating the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Earlier this year, he subpoenaed the Department of Health and Human Services for records relating to COVID-19 vaccine safety data and communications about the pandemic.
The 55-page interim report states Biden administration officials "withheld crucial health information from the Subcommittee and the public." The report focuses on HHS' awareness of and response to cases of myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation, following COVID-19 vaccination.
Johnson says the records he obtained "contain evidence of the Biden administration's efforts to downplay and delay warning the public about the risks of myocarditis associated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines."
The report states that in May of 2021 officials initially considered issuing a formal warning about myocarditis but decided against it:
"Based on the subpoenaed records the Subcommittee has received to date, as well as public FOIA documents, this interim report will highlight records and present a timeline showing U.S. health officials knew about the risk of myocarditis; those officials downplayed the health concern; and U.S. health agencies delayed informing the public about the risk of the adverse event."
Fox News reports that the Senate report also highlights the fact the Israeli Ministry of Health notified officials at the CDC in February 2021 of "large reports of myocarditis, particularly in young people, following the administration of the Pfizer vaccine."
The report added that the Biden administration's decision "to downplay the COVID-19 vaccine health risks and delay warning the public about cardiac-related adverse events associated with the mRNA vaccines jeopardized the public's health."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Barack Obama had a so-called Iran nuclear deal that essentially did nothing but delay a time frame for the rogue Islamic regime in Iran, which has vowed repeatedly to wipe Israel from the map, to have nuclear weapons.
What the deal did do was turn over billions of dollars to the Islamists, who have sponsored financially multiple terror proxies around the world.
President Donald Trump, during his first term, pointed out the facts and pulled America out of the deal.
Joe Biden could accomplish nothing major during his term regarding Iran's agenda for nukes.
But Trump now has revealed that he's confident a new agreement will be reached soon.
"You probably read today that Iran has sort of agreed to the terms," Trump said. "They're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran. And we've been strong. I want them to succeed. I want them to end up being a great country, frankly, but they can't have a nuclear weapon. … And people are getting close to maybe doing a deal."
A report in the Washington Examiner noted that Ali Shamkhani, a nuclear adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had just confirmed that Tehran was ready at a moment's notice to sign a nuclear deal.
That agreement reportedly would allow Iran to enrich uranium only to levels needed for civilian use, not levels needed for weaponry. That would be in exchange for lifting of sanctions, the report said.
Shamkhani, on the topic of those conditions and an agreement, explained, "If the Americans act as they say, for sure we can have better relations. It can lead to a better situation in the near future."
The reported revealed, "His comments are the clearest indication yet of a breakthrough after four rounds of talks among senior Iranian officials, led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and U.S. officials, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff. The latest round of negotiations in Muscat, Oman, was described by Witkoff as 'encouraging' and Araghchi as 'difficult but useful.'"
Shamkhani did express frustration, according to the report, with Trump's hard line.
"He talks about the olive branch, which we have not seen. It's all barbed wire," he claimed.
There also have been reservations expressed by key members of the Senate. They have criticized Obama's efforts as doing nothing more than allowing Iran "to play for time."
The Washington Examiner noted, "Iran, meanwhile, finds itself in its worst position in decades. Blistering strikes from Israel last year devastated its proxies and allies across the Middle East, including its primary nonstate ally, Hezbollah in Lebanon, which saw its entire leadership killed in Israeli strikes. The sudden collapse of the allied Assad regime in Syria in December removed its foremost ally in the region."
Further, economic conditions inside Iran have been described as "dire."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Similar to significant spikes in military recruitment since President Donald Trump began his second term, applications to join the U.S. Secret Service are up roughly 214% compared to the first few months of 2024.
According to a report by Fox News Digital, the stats come from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The number of submitted applications from Jan. 20 to May 1 of last year was approximately 7,000 compared to 22,000 applicants in 2025.
In the wake of the first assassination attempt on Trump, July 13, 2024, which included several Secret Service failures, media reported on shortages of staff at the agency as well as moral issues among agents.
"For four long years, the previous administration demoralized and denied resources to our brave men and women in law enforcement, including in the Secret Service," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
"Our country suffered the consequences of that disastrous approach. President Trump himself nearly lost his life because of it. Now, after reforming the Secret Service and providing it with the resources it needs to do its job, we are seeing a historic surge in applications. Americans naturally want to protect and serve. We simply have to let them."
According to the Fox report, the Secret Service has a total of 8,210 employees and law enforcement officers, including 3,904 special agents, 1,560 in the uniformed division, 265 technical law enforcement personnel, and 2,481 administrative, professional, and technical staff.
"I think the reality is that the Secret Service is returning to the core mission and the standards that made it great and that inspires a lot of really good people to want to be part of it," former Secret Service agent Tim Miller told Fox News Digital. "I think now under the new director, they are trying to get back to having highly qualified people that are very mission-focused."
Continued Miller: "I know when I got hired, I had been a U.S. Marine Corps officer and a police officer, it was a high standard to get hired. I think many now want to be one of the best of the best, and the Secret Service is trying to get back to that gold standard."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
'It is one of those election crimes we are told does not happen, despite so many opportunities'
Democrats for years have insisted that theft of mail-in ballots and subsequent election fraud, from those ballots being submitted with forged signatures, doesn't happen.
Or at least so rarely that it's not really worth addressing.
A Colorado guilty plan now confirms that it has happened, and does happen.
The Federalist report explains Vicki Stuart, 64, a former postal worker in Mesa County, Colorado, is awaiting sentencing after she pleaded guilty to stealing – and casting – mail-in ballots in the state's 2024 general election.
"It is one of those election crimes we are told does not happen, despite so many opportunities for fraud in the ballot chain of custody," the report said.
Colorado, in fact, some years ago went to all mail-in ballots, over which there have been multiple accusations of theft and fraud.
The report explained Stuart and an alleged accomplice, Sally Jane Maxedon, 60, were accused of identity theft, attempt to influence a public servant, and forgery.
Maxedon has yet to enter a plea but is scheduled to appear in court this week.
Prosecutors in the county said the case developed when elections workers started getting telephone calls from people who said they'd been told their ballot was rejected because of a signature conflict.
However, they hadn't yet gotten their ballots.
Investigators noted the complaints came from people in proximity to one another, and they noted some of the ballots were mailed to locked boxes used by the USPS. Stuart was a mail carrier in the area at the time.
She confirmed delivering some ballots, but also revealed she inappropriately marked "return to sender" on some because their names weren't on the mail boxes.
There's no requirement that all people living at an address have their names listed on those boxes.
Eventually investigators found and identified a fingerprint from Maxedon on at least one ballot and she admitted casting ballots that did not belong to her but said she had been given them by an unknown man who wanted to "test" the system.
She eventually confirmed she knew Stuart, and said the two wanted to "test" the signature verification system.
The report warned, "The more hands on a ballot, the more opportunity for fraud. Mail-in ballots take voting outside election offices and trusts the USPS with bags of ballots. From election worker, to postal sorter, to postal carrier, to voter, to postal carrier, to county election envelope opener, to ballot counter — each time a new hand touches a ballot, there is an opportunity for fraud."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Federal judges have imposed virtually no limits on themselves in taking over control of America's foreign policy regarding illegal aliens since President Donald Trump took office.
Protect illegals from deportation? Sure. Bring back illegals already deported? Of course. Turn deportation flights around in mid-air? Why not.
But in Florida, a case has developed where a judge issued her orders to people who were not party to the underlying lawsuit, and the state attorney general says that's too far.
James Uthmeier, the state's AG, explained the state law "does nothing more than exercise Florida's inherent sovereign authority to protect its citizens by aiding the enforcement of federal immigration law."
It was his memo to state law enforcement officials that triggered the judge.
The AG said Kathleen Williams, a judge, was just wrong to claim that all Florida law enforcement agencies are barred from enforcing a state law because "no law enforcement are party to the lawsuit."
The ACLU had sued on behalf of illegals, prompting the judge to intervene in the state's law enforcement.
A report at Fox News said Uthmeier explained, "I explained that I believed her after-the-fact expansion of her order to nonparties was wrong, and that my office would be arguing as much in short order. Today, my office filed a brief explaining why her order cannot possibly restrain Florida's law enforcement agencies from enforcing Florida Statutes Sections 811.102 and 811.103. We will continue to argue that position—including on appeal as soon as possible."
The law in question allows for misdemeanor charges against illegal immigrants who enter Florida and hope to avoid federal immigration officials.
"The judge wants me to put my stamp of approval on an order prohibiting all state law enforcement from enforcing Florida's immigration laws when no law enforcement are party to the lawsuit," he said. "I'm just not going to do that. We believe the court has overstepped and lacks jurisdiction there, and I will not tell law enforcement to stop fulfilling their constitutional duties."
The judge is using the power of her office to threaten Uthmeier with contempt, the report said.
"I do not believe an AG should be held in contempt for respecting the rule of law and appropriate separation of powers. The ACLU is dead set on obstructing President Donald Trump's efforts to detain and deport illegals, and we are going to fight back. We will vigorously defend our laws and advance President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration," he said.
The ACLU has complained that state officials tried to make it a crime "simply to exist as an immigrant in this state."
However, under federal law, those who enter the nation illegally, are, in fact, criminals.
Williams said she was "offended" that her orders would not be followed.
Law enforcement officers apparently were not expressly included in the case, because of a decision by the plaintiffs.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Faces hearing where she could lose her $200,000-a-year job
A possibly "brutal" punishment is looming for yet another judge accused of helping an illegal alien escape, according to a new report.
In just the past few days, an ex-judge in New Mexico and his wife were arrested for harboring illegal aliens, and a Wisconsin judge was suspended from her duties and arrested for enabling an illegal alien criminal to avoid arrest by waiting ICE agents.
Now a Daily Mail report reveals a hearing is scheduled for a Boston judge, being paid more than $200,000 a year by taxpayers, who is accused of letting "a twice-deported illegal immigrant slip out a side door of her courtroom to avoid ICE agents."
The report said Shelley Joseph, being paid to be a Boston Municipal Court judge, is facing removal from the bench when a hearing is held on June 9 over the April 2018 stunt.
"She has been accused of allowing Jose Medina-Perez, an illegal immigrant originally from the Dominican Republic, walk out a back door of the Newton District Courthouse to avoid getting arrested by the ICE agents on duty," the report said.
She was indicted by former U.S. Attorney Andrew Leiling, but those charges were dropped when she agreed to refer herself to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct and that organization, in a report called "scathing," determined she committed "willful judicial misconduct."
She further failed "to cooperate and be candidate and honest" with investigators.
The report said the hearing will be an opportunity for lawyers for the judge, and lawyers for the commission to present evidence to a hearing officer who has the authority to take away her job.
Medina-Perez was arrested for drug possession and being a fugitive from justice and went to a Newton District Court hearing on April 2, 2018. The commission found Joseph found out that ICE agents were on hand, and had a "civil immigration detainer" to take custody of the illegal alien.
"The defense attorney for Medina-Perez allegedly colluded with the trial court officer to let his client sneak out a 'sally-port door' in the lockup downstairs to avoid the ICE agents, the commissioners said," according to the report.
Part of the evidence is that Joseph ordered a clerk to shut down the courtroom recording system and she held an off-the-record discussion with the lawyers in the case.
On the record, she then granted a defense request to let Medina-Perez "go downstairs" to a lockup, but he fled through a sally-port door.
WND has reported on the two other judges caught in recent cases.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a warning.
"No one's above the laws in this country," she said. "And if you are destroying evidence, if you're obstructing justice, when you have victims sitting in a courtroom of domestic violence and you're escorting a criminal defendant out a back door, it will not be tolerated, and it is a crime in the United States of America. Doesn't matter who you are, you're going to be prosecuted."
The latest arrest was of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was taken into custody by the FBI for allegedly hiding a previously deported illegal immigrant in her jury room in order to stop him from being arrested by ICE, and on Tuesday was relieved of her official duties.
Fox News reported Dugan was charged with obstruction.
In an interview on "American Reports," Bondi explained how the Trump administration will handle judges who obstruct and block federal efforts to secure the border and remove illegal aliens.
"We are going to prosecute you, and we are prosecuting you. I found out about this the day it happened," she said.
"We could not believe, actually, that a judge really did that. We looked into the facts in great depth… You cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her. It was a domestic violence case of all cases, and she's protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime."
Dugan is accused of protecting illegal alien Eduardo Flores-Ruiz after his criminal court hearing before Dugan just days ago.
"Dugan demanded that the (federal) officers proceed to the chief judge's office and – after his hearing ended – escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint," the report said.
Bondi pointed out then Flores-Ruiz fled on foot, creating a threat to the public.
The earlier arrests were of ex-New Mexico Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, and his wife, Nancy Cano.
They allegedly harbored suspected Tren de Aragua terror group member Cristhian Ortega-Lopez.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Wikipedia is viewed by many as an online resource for a lot of information, information on just about anything and anyone.
But those who look more closely have noted the leftist ideology to the point it actually contains wrong information on topics disliked by the left.
Now a prosecutor has put those concerns into words, announcing accusations that Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia among other projects, violated its 501(c)3 tax-exempt status by "allowing propaganda and misinformation from 'foreign actors' to flourish on the platform," according to a report at Breitbart.
Wikimedia Foundation is the organization that runs various projects including Wikipedia, Wiktionary and others.
Now, Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin is accusing the Wikimedia Foundation of lawbreaking.
The report explained the group's tax-exempt status has been questioned in a letter Martin dispatched to the foundation.
"As you know, Section 501(c)3 requires that organizations receiving tax-exempt status operate exclusively for 'religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or education purposes … [.] It has come to my attention that the Wikimedia Foundation, through its wholly owned subsidiary Wikipedia, is allowing foreign actors to manipulate information and spread propaganda to the American public," Martin charges.
The letter continues, explaining that the organization is allowing bad actors to be "rewriting of key, historical events and biographical information of current and previous American leaders, as well as other matters implicating the national security and the interests of the United States. Masking propaganda that influences public opinion under the guise of providing informational material is antithetical to Wikimedia's 'educational' mission."
Further, the letter explains, "Wikipedia's operations are directed by its board that is composed primarily of foreign nationals, subverting the interests of American taxpayers. Again, educational content is directionally neutral; but information received by my Office demonstrates that Wikipedia's informational management policies benefit foreign powers."
Further, "We are aware that search engines such as Google have agreed to prioritize Wikipedia results due to the relationship that Wikipedia has established with these tech platforms. If the content contained in Wikipedia articles is biased, unreliable, or sourced by entities who wish to do harm to the United States, search engine prioritization of Wikipedia will only amplify propaganda to a larger American audience."
Martin notes that the problem just gets worse, as "It has come to our attention that generative AI platforms receive Wikipedia data to train large-language models. This data is now consumed by masses of Americans and American teachers on a daily basis. If the data provided is manipulated, particularly by foreign actors and entities, Wikipedia's relationship with generative AI platforms have the potential to launder information on behalf of foreign actors."
His office said it wants answers to questions including, "What mechanisms does the Wikimedia Foundation have in place to fulfill its legal and ethical responsibilities to safeguard the public from the dissemination of propaganda, particularly in light of its designation as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and in light of the Foundation's longstanding hands-off policy regarding Trust & Safety (including content moderation and editor
misconduct)?"
Also, how does it handle "editor misconduct," how does it handle accountability and how does it "exclude foreign influence operations."
"What is the Foundation's official process for addressing credible allegations that editors or contributors have materially misled readers, engaged in bad-faith edits, or otherwise manipulated content in ways that undermine Wikipedia's commitment to neutrality?" Martin wants to know. And, "Does the Foundation maintain a public, formally adopted policy explicitly prohibiting hateful content and conduct by editors?"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President Donald Trump unleashed an attack on his own chairman of the Federal Reserve on Monday, calling Jerome Powell "a major loser" and "Mr. Too Late."
His verbal assault on Truth Social focused on the possibility of cuts in interest rates.
"'Preemptive Cuts' in Interest Rates are being called for by many," Trump began.
"With Energy Costs way down, food prices (including Biden's egg disaster!) substantially lower, and most other 'things' trending down, there is virtually No Inflation.
"With these costs trending so nicely downward, just what I predicted they would do, there can almost be no inflation, but there can be a SLOWING of the economy unless Mr. Too Late, a major loser, lowers interest rates, NOW.
"Europe has already 'lowered' seven times. Powell has always been 'To Late,' except when it came to the Election period when he lowered in order to help Sleepy Joe Biden, later Kamala, get elected. How did that work out?" Trump concluded.
With a history in investment banking, Powell became a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors after being nominated to the post by Barack Obama in 2012.
During his first term, President Trump elevated Powell to chairman of the Fed in 2018, succeeding Janet Yellen, and Powell was renominated to the position by Joe Biden.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
WATCH: President recognizes Christianity's biggest holiday
President Donald Trump has recognized Christianity's biggest holiday, Resurrection Day, celebrated on Easter Sunday.
He said, "It will always be In God We Trust. We will never change that … with God's help, we can overcome every challenge, triumph over every evil, and restore the spirit of faith in the United States."
A report in the Washington Examiner said Trump spoke at the White House Easter Dinner, reflecting on the biblical account of Jesus' death and resurrection.
He acknowledged a "whole new spirit" in America as his administration has begun standing up for persecuted Christians around the world.
He's not only set up the White House Faith Force but also ordered a task force at the Department of Justice to end "radical indoctrination" in schools, ideologies that often conflict with parents' faith values.
The report said he also pointed out, at the beginning of his administration, "God created two genders, male and female," sending the LGBT activists who held so much influence in the White House when Joe Biden was in attendance into a rage.
"So there's so much to celebrate this Easter. This is really, I hope, going to be one of the great[est] Easters ever because we have something going that I don't think this country has seen in a hundred years. And as we gather with family and friends, we'll not forget the true source of our joy and our strength. America has put our trust in God. It will always be 'In God We Trust.' We will never change that. You know, there's a movement to change it — it will not happen."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Aircraft was heading toward New Jersey when the 'chopper blade flew off'
The crash of a helicopter that spun out of control and crashed into the Hudson River in New York has killed a family of five plus the pilot.
The New York Post said the victims included Agustin Escobar, president of Siemens in Spain, along with his wife and their three children.
One witness reported the helicopter heading toward New Jersey when the "chopper blade flew off."
"I don't know what happened to the tail, but it just straight-up dropped. It dropped feet away from Holland Tunnel, and I can't imagine if it hit it," Avi Rakesh said to NBC.