This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Exclusive: Roger Simmermaker comments on Packard-Juniper merger plan

There is a lot of talk these days about national security and American competitiveness regarding China, and for good reason. And it certainly didn't start after the November 2024 elections. China's push to displace the United States as the world's number one superpower extends into virtually every category of industry, including the all-important tech sector.

That is why the Department of Justice (DOJ) needs to drop its challenge to the Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE)-Juniper merger – a challenge that began prior to Pam Bondi being confirmed to run the current administration's DOJ. This is one area where the market must be allowed to prevail to protect American tech and its potential future advances.

It's no secret that China wants to delete American tech completely. China made its intention during the Biden administration in what is referred to as "Delete A" (the "A" stands for "America") in a paper titled Document 79, which China issued in September 2022.

The Chinese communist government has made it clear that it wants to completely muscle out American technology in China. That is why we need to support American tech champions here at home in the U.S. The DOJ dropping its challenge to the HPE-Juniper merger is a vital step in the right direction.

Unblocking the HPE-Juniper merger would not only massively help advance American tech and national security, it could also keep Chinese companies in check. companies like Huawei, which commands an alarming 30% of the world's telecom market. Cisco, the closest American-owned competitor and formerly a technological powerhouse in the Land of the Red Dragon, has only 6%.

Database provider FactSet estimated that HPE, which makes servers, data storage, and networks, received 14.1% of its earnings from China in 2018. By 2023, that percentage had plummeted to 4%.

In December 2020, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe labeled China as the No. 1 national security threat to the U.S., suggesting the current struggle is equal to or possibly more severe than our previous struggle against Moscow in the Cold War. He also stressed that America's allies need to wake up and respond appropriately to the challenge.

We beat the Soviets in that former challenge, and now we must win the battle with Chinese communists in this current challenge.

In the next 10 years, 5G is predicted to usher in global economic output topping over $13 trillion, aiding in creating 22 million jobs globally. If the U.S. leads in 5G, we will have the advantage in shaping future waves of economic growth worldwide. We would also stand to reap trillions of dollars in economic benefits and set technological development standards across the world.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
'Both neutrality and objectivity were discarded years ago by many in journalism schools'

The media never were friendly to President Donald Trump during his first term, perhaps because their ideology aligned with Barack Obama's agenda, which was being deconstructed and replaced, and with Hillary Clinton, who was defeated in that presidential race.

Verbal violence against the president was common, and organized attacks were routine. Included were "reports" on the falsified "Steele dossier," the "Russia collusion" conspiracy and more.

It was during the four years between his terms that the media's attacks escalated, with its reporting on the various Democrat lawfare cases against Trump, the FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago and more.

But now, in his second term, the media "hostility" to Trump has "moved into hyperdrive."

That's according to constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley.

He said "as expected," the media's treatment of Trump "resumed where it ended in the first time in outright warfare."

Now the Gridiron Club journalism dinner has confirmed it will omit its traditional toast to the U.S. president, instead toasting the First Amendment.

And the "open contempt" has gone to the level that the White House Correspondent's Dinner has invited a comedian "who promptly declared that no one wants Trump to come because no one wants to be in the same room with him."

"The media is doubling down on its identity as part of 'the resistance.' In the meantime, the public is rushing to new and alternative media for their information," Turley explained.

While his criticisms have included Trump over some of his statements, "the media has also been wrong in its unrelenting attacks and hostile stance toward the Trump administration."

He called out the media's move into "hyperdrive" when Joe Biden left the White House and Trump moved in.

"The press's hostility has only grown despite Trump's unprecedented access to reporters. He has allowed the greatest level of access to the media in decades, giving long interviews and press conferences," he explained. "One would think that this change in access would at least produce some interest in covering the White House with neutrality and objectivity. However, both neutrality and objectivity were discarded years ago by many in journalism schools."

His warning?

"The gratuitous insults on both sides do not bode well for the future relations. However, there is a difference in yielding to such impulses. Trump is a politician. The press is an institution. Regardless of how the subject of coverage may treat the media, there remains a professional and ethical obligation to report on stories fairly and objectively. Moreover, there are legitimate gripes against the media for its fostering false conspiracy theories and over-wrought rhetoric against Trump. Again, that does not mean that Trump is right to call the media the enemy of the people or recently to suggest that coverage should be treated as a crime. Trump only undermines his own case with such extreme positions. Yet, the media has far more to lose in engaging in tit-for-tat insults."

Media, instead of using the annual dinners to build bridges, now has "decided to use the events as a way of slapping back at Trump like hurt school children."

Turley pointed out, "The press remains at record lows in trust with the public. This is hardly going to help. It is a virtual invitation for the public, like Trump, to go elsewhere. The media is increasingly writing for each other rather than an increasingly disengaged public."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

'It's a crucial component of their ministry's outreach to those who might never step foot in a conventional church'

Los Angeles County has decided to ban meetings of Church on the Beach, a Christian group that for years has obtained a permit to meet on the county's public beach for worship.

And the American Center for Law and Justice is challenging the decision.

The legal team has sent a detailed demand letter to officials there, outlining the constitutional violations of singling out one organization because of its viewpoint and discriminating against members.

"Our letter made it clear that the county's actions violate well-established First Amendment principles as articulated by the Supreme Court in cases like Widmar v. Vincent and Lamb's Chapel. We've given the County until March 20, 2025, to provide assurances that this discriminatory policy will be ended and that churches will be free to use the beach under the same generally applicable rules as nonreligious gatherings," the legal team explained in an online report.

The church for 18 years has been serving its community faithfully by holding services on Redondo Beach, with proper permits from the county.

"Approximately 120 people gather every Sunday morning to worship in God's creation, with many attendees specifically choosing this setting because they have had difficult or negative experiences in traditional church buildings. The beach location isn't merely a preference – it's a crucial component of their ministry's outreach to those who might never step foot in a conventional church," the ACLJ reported.

Members have made sure their gatherings don't obstruct pathways, block traffic or cause any other disruption. They've even relocated when other events are scheduled.

But then just months ago the county changed its practices to target the church, telling the pastor the Department of Beaches and Harbors would no longer issue yearly permits for religious activities.

The county announced "grandfathered" groups would be allowed only six events per year, with $250 permit fees required for four.

It also is restricting the meetings to specific locations.

"The key fact: None of these rules apply to nonreligious groups. Even more concerning, a county official told the pastor that churches 'don't need the beach' because they can 'meet in a building' – a statement that demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of both religious freedom and the specific ministry of Church on the Beach," the ACLJ reported.

The report called the county's agenda a "textbook case of religious discrimination," as "Public beaches, like parks, are traditional public forums where the government cannot restrict speech based on its content without meeting the highest legal standard of strict scrutiny."

The ACLJ explained, "As the Supreme Court also stated in Perry Educ. Ass'n v. Perry Local Educators' Ass'n, streets and parks 'have immemorially been held in trust for the use of the public and, time out of mind, have been used for purposes of assembly, communicating thoughts between citizens, and discussing public questions. . . . In these quintessential public forums, the government may not prohibit all communicative activity.' A public beach is a type of public park and subject to the same rules; religious viewpoints cannot be targeted for discrimination."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

'Some bullying governments insist on negotiations. But their goal is not to resolve issues; rather, it is to impose their demands'

In response to the letter from U.S. President Donald Trump to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei seeking to put the brakes on that nation's rapidly expanding nuclear program, Khamenei responded at a gathering held during Ramadan and attended by current and former officials, stating belligerently:

"Some bullying governments insist on negotiations. But their goal is not to resolve issues; rather, it is to impose their demands. For them, negotiations are a means to introduce new expectations. The issue is not just the nuclear program; they continue to put forward new demands that Iran will certainly not accept."

Khamenei elaborated on these "new demands," citing his country's "defensive capabilities" – that is, its missile program – and Iran's "international capabilities" – meaning its various proxy forces throughout the region. He added:

"They tell us: 'Do not do this, do not meet that person, do not go to that place, do not produce that item, and do not allow your missile range to exceed a certain limit.' Negotiations are about these matters."

Khamenei was never going to accept negotiations

From the outset, it was evident Khamenei would reject any negotiations. His regime has faced persistent resistance from the Iranian people for 45 years. In 1988 alone, 30,000 political prisoners were executed, yet these brutal suppressions failed to quell the opposition. To date, more than 100,000 political dissidents have been killed by this regime.

The Iranian regime has consistently pursued aggressive policies and used terrorism as a tool to mask its internal repression. Whenever it feigned interest in negotiations, it was merely a ploy to buy time – ensuring the survival of both its nuclear program and its regional proxy forces.

Unrelenting executions – a sign of desperation

The Iranian regime has resorted to mass executions to suppress growing public unrest. In 2024 alone, more than 1,000 people were executed, and in the first two months of the new year, over 100 additional executions were recorded. This brutal crackdown underscores both the regime's deep insecurity and the explosive state of Iranian society.

At the same time, the regime has accelerated its nuclear weapons program, using it as leverage to threaten and blackmail the international community. Meanwhile, the Iranian Resistance has uncovered the regime's secret nuclear sites and exposed their covert plans.

Looming nuclear threat

The alarming rate of executions clearly signals a society on the verge of uprising.

To further intimidate the world, the regime has escalated its nuclear weapons program. The Iranian Resistance has disclosed classified details about these activities, revealing the extent of the regime's ambitions.

The so-called "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the 2015 nuclear agreement with the so-called "P5+1 nations" (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) only enabled the regime to move closer to acquiring a nuclear bomb.

As Iranian Resistance leader Maryam Rajavi stated Saturday, addressing the great rally of the Iranian community in Washington, D.C., "The first urgent step to prevent this warmongering and terrorism-exporting regime from acquiring a nuclear bomb is to completely dismantle its nuclear program."

Failure to do so would pose an immense threat to regional and global stability.

The final and definitive solution

The most effective and least costly solution for both the Iranian people and the international community is an Iranian solution: supporting the country's organized resistance.

As stated in the U.S. Declaration of Independence: " …[W]henever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends" – that is, of securing the "unalienable rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" for all – "it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Today, over 150 lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have publicly endorsed the Iranian people's right to overthrow the Supreme Leader's regime. Now, more than ever, there is a genuine opportunity to establish a free and democratic Iran. These lawmakers also support the Iranian Resistance's roadmap for change.

Iran's organized resistance movement, with thousands of active resistance units across the country, has the capacity to lead this transformation. The struggle of these resistance units to overthrow the regime must be supported – just as the French Resistance was backed in its fight against Nazi fascism.

Now, more than ever, a free and democratic Iran is within reach.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Social media has decided on President Donald Trump's "best line" during his address to a joint session of Congress:

"It turns out all we needed ,,, was a new president!"

"The media and our friends in the Democrat party kept saying we needed new legislation, we must have legislation to secure the border. But it turned out that all we really needed … was a new president," Trump said.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A man entered in the finals for the 400-meter race at the USA Track and Field Open Masters Championships in New York has won the event.

That was assured because he was the only competitor in the race.

A report from the Post Millennial explains how Sadie Schreiner, a man, took first place when two women who were qualified to compete against him refused to participate.

The report said the other competitors were scheduled to include Anna Vidolova, 17, and Amaris Hiatt, 16.

The report explained they refused to compete against the 21-year-old man.

The report explained, "Schreiner previously came under fire while competing for Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) after breaking numerous records in the 2023-24 indoor season. In the 2024 outdoor track season, Schreiner won multiple women's races in times that would have seen the athlete place last among the men."

When Schreiner competed in the 200-meter race, he was not alone, but there were multiple competitors who were marked DNS, for "Did Not Start."

The report said under USATF policy, men are allowed to compete in women's races under the requirements laid out by the International Olympic Committee.

That organization, however, has been warned by the administration of President Donald Trump that when the Olympics are scheduled for Los Angeles in a few years, athletes who are found to be planning to compete as transgenders will be barred from U.S. soil.

The NCAA, which previously allowed men in women's events, now has reversed course after Trump issued an executive order that the nation now recognizes only two sexes, male and female.

That particular result left Schreiner outside looking in at collegiate events, and he complained, "They are hearing word that I was assigned male at birth and that is enough for them to ban any athlete they want to."

Social media had little sympathy for Schreiner.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President Donald Trump on Monday escalated the world's war against the terrorists of Hamas, who still are keeping hostages in their underground compounds, by calling for a noon Saturday deadline for them all to be released.

Sticking a fork in the Middle East routine of terrorists capturing innocent civilians and then releasing a few at a time as they make more and more demands, Trump said he wants all of the remaining hostages released or "all hell is going to break out."

Now, Fox News reports Trump's comments were followed by a strong endorsement from Israel's security cabinet.

The report explained, "The declaration comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet Tuesday after Hamas announced it is delaying the next release of Israeli hostages."

Netanyahu said, in a statement, "The decision I passed in the Cabinet unanimously is this: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense combat until Hamas is decisively defeated."

The latest version of the war between the Hamas terrorists and Israel has been going on since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas invaded Israel and slaughtered, often in horrific fashion such as burning whole families alive, some 1,200 civilians. At the time the terrorists also took hundreds hostage.

Netanyahu said, "In light of Hamas' announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I instructed the IDF last night to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip. This operation is currently underway and will be completed as soon as possible."

He also said he welcomed Trump's "revolutionary vision" for Gaza, where Hamas has maintained control and a stronghold for years. Trump's plan is to remove most of the residents of Gaza so the parcel can be cleared of wreckage, then rebuilt.

Trump insists on the release by Hamas of "all" hostages, "not in drips and drabs."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Tragically, it was a day of "nines." It occurred on 9 February 2001; it happened 9 miles south of Oahu, Hawaii; and the accident claimed nine lives.

Who would have thought it could ever happen? Due to the total unlikelihood of such an occurrence, one wonders how long it took for those onboard the Japanese fishing boat and research vessel – the 191-foot Ehime Maru – to even realize what was happening before it quickly sank.

It is a big ocean, yet on that day, the nuclear attack submarine USS Greenville (SSN-772), in an emergency surfacing maneuver, unwarily surfaced right underneath the Japanese ship. The sub's rudder sliced into the hull of the Ehime Maru, causing it to sink in a matter of minutes.

While 25 survivors were rescued, nine aboard the fishing vessel, including four high school students, died. But imagine the horror the survivors experienced being lifted up out of the sea as clear skies on a bright sunny day betrayed signs of any immediate danger.

As it turned out, there had been no real emergency on the submarine. It was simply conducting an emergency ascent from the depths below to demonstrate to civilian visitors onboard how quickly it could be done.

However, the accident put the lie to the concept that little ships operate in big oceans. In the Ehime Maru's case, it turned out to be a very small ocean indeed.

Due to this collision, however, the Navy made significant changes to submarine surfacing maneuvers. The absence of any repeat incidents almost a quarter of a century later demonstrates success in "enlarging" the ocean for surface vessels by implementing new measures for their safety.

Similarly, when it comes to aviation, the "Big Sky Theory" suggests that "collisions between aircraft are unlikely due to the vastness of airspace." Of course, that big sky is severely reduced as aircraft converge in proximity to the same airport. This was the scenario on the evening of Jan. 29, 2025 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

An American Airlines passenger jet on approach to the airport and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter on a night training mission heading for Ft. Belvoir in Virginia, collided in midair at 8:47 p.m.

There were no survivors as 67 people lost their lives (64 on the jet and three on the helicopter) as the two aircraft exploded and fell into the Potomac River.

Much more operating room existed for the two ships involved in the accident off of Oahu as the flight path of these two aircraft was restricted due to heavy traffic.

It will undoubtedly take months for an investigation into the cause of the air disaster to be completed. Clearly, however, among the cast of characters involved both in the air and on the ground, someone dropped the ball.

Some factors possibly contributing to the disaster include the answers to the following:

• Did an understaffed control tower – while still in compliance with federal regulations – create an overburdened air traffic controller (ATC)?

• Was the helicopter crew undermanned? (An expert suggests there should have been two crew chiefs rather than one, thus enabling a pair of eyes to simultaneously scan both sides of the aircraft for any approaching planes.)

• Was the helicopter observing its maximum altitude restriction of 200 feet? The evidence is somewhat confusing on this as the tower detected it at a lower altitude than it actually was in order for the collision to have occurred. But it does appear the helicopter was definitely off-course from one of the standard routes helicopters were to fly when near DCA. One report indicates the helicopter was for some reason transitioning between two of these routes.

• As the helicopter was conducting an "annual evaluation" flight in which a senior instructor pilot evaluates a junior pilot and if the altitude restriction was exceeded, how could the former not have observed it unless, perhaps, there was an altimeter malfunction?

• Pilots on both aircraft were in direct contact with the ATC, but were they able to communicate with each other since they normally operate on different frequencies?

• Mysteriously, the responses from the helicopter to the ATC were sent via text, rather than audio. Why was this, especially when the situation warranted instantaneous communication via audio?

• A video of the collision gives the appearance that the helicopter targeted the jet, raising the question of who was flying it at the time – the senior or junior pilot – and was there anything in either pilot's personal history to suggest this may have been a suicide mission? Interestingly, the senior pilot's social media account was quickly scrubbed after the accident.

• Did a last-minute landing change for the jet by the ATC, resulting in an adjustment of its flight path to a shorter runway, cause any confusion?

• Did swirling crosswinds have an impact?

• Based on the communication exchange between the helicopter pilot and the ATC indicating the former had the jet in sight, was a misidentification made?

At a post-crash press conference, President Donald Trump implied that his predecessor's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policy could have been a factor but did not articulate exactly how. The investigation will undoubtedly focus on the training and experience of all involved and their superiors as well. If the senior helicopter pilot was inexperienced, the DCA flight corridor should never have been used for an annual evaluation.

Despite a nighttime sky, visibility was clear. ATC audio reveals less than 30 seconds before the crash, the helicopter was specifically asked if it could see the jet. The helicopter crew responded, "… aircraft in sight, request 'visual separation.'"

This term refers to an ATC method used to ensure aircraft are kept apart in such confined flight areas. While instructed to pass behind the jet, less than 13 seconds later the collision occurred.

While the loss of 67 souls is a great tragedy, an ultimate result of the investigation into this air disaster will lead – as it did to "enlarging" the oceans for safe travel by surface traffic due to the 2001 sinking – to a similar enlargement of the skies for safer air travel.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President Trump's agenda long has included making America's education system better, with one component being a plan to shut down the federal Department of Education and turn those responsibilities back to the states.

Now an order to begin that process is in the works, according to a report from NBC News, which cited sources "familiar with the plans."

Trump was on video during his campaign explaining, "One other thing I'll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington D.C., and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states. In total American society pours more than $1 trillion a year into public education systems but instead of being at the top of the list, we are literally right smack — guess what — at the bottom."

Trump already has moved on the nation's education industry, issuing an order to expand school choice and directing the federal bureaucrats to issue guidance to states about how they can use federal funds to promote that.

While Trump cannot unilaterally close down a federal agency, his orders can move the education industry that direction.

Last summer, Trump also said then nation would be helped by cutting federal funding for schools pushing the racist "critical race theory" and opening civil rights reviews of schools that discriminate against Asian Americans.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Just one of the big moves President Donald Trump, and his administration, took on Monday was the shutdown of USAID, the government agency that for years has been handing out billions of American taxpayer dollars to other nations.

The closure happened when the administration ordered the agency's headquarters closed down and told employees not to report.

Its exact future isn't known at this point, but later in the day Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly was named acting administrator.