The town of Ada, Oklahoma was hit with a second destructive tornado in only two months on Saturday night as severe thunderstorms moved through the area.
The EF-1 tornado was spawned from high winds and caused damage to homes and businesses in its path.
A local Quality Inn hotel had to be evacuated because of the dangerous conditions, and the North Hills Shopping Center was heavily damaged in the storm.
Debris was reportedly carried eight miles into the air during the tornado and windows at the shopping center were blown in.
Because it was night, no one was in the mall when the damage occurred, authorities said.
Emergency operators in Pontotoc County even lost power when the tornado brought down power lines in the area.
An estimated 1,200 residents were still without power on Sunday, but some resident had already regained their power.
One person was reported injured, but no fatalities were reported.
The tornado on Saturday is less than two months after a March 4 storm also spawned an EF-1 tornado that also damaged the town, which has a population of 16,000.
The earlier tornado injured one person and displaced two dozen families. Recovery efforts from that tornado were still underway when the second one hit.
Residents wasted no time on Sunday helping to clear the debris with chainsaws and helping each other in any way they could.
A shelter has been set up at the Ada Arts and Heritage Center to provide water, food and lodging for people who need it.
Oklahomans call helping and supporting each other the "Oklahoma Standard," and it is in full force in Ada right now.
The Trump administration has, in recent days, taken strong action against a number of America's top universities, withholding federal funding due to the schools' failure to address antisemitism on campus, remedy discriminatory admissions processes, and cease DEI programming deemed contrary to federal directives.
Harvard University is among those facing stringent sanctions from Trump, spurring a viral rumor that the president's particular ire at the Cambridge, Massachusetts institution stems from its supposed decision denying admission to his son, Barron, as the Hindustan Times reports.
The rumors regarding Barron Trump's thwarted aspirations began to emerge online last week, with X user @BraddrofliT asserting, “Want to understand the feud between [Trump] and Harvard? They rejected Barron, also Stanford, and Columbia.”
That theory was echoed by another social media user, James Tate, who said on X, “Guess what colleges didn't accept Barron Trump? Harvard. Stanford. Columbia. Any college Trump is attacking -- are the ones that with all of his money they said 'no endowment will let him in.'”
X user Alex Cole piled on, suggesting that a decades-long family grudge was at play, writing, “Trump's just angry that even his rich dad couldn't get him into Harvard. President Obama got into Harvard.”
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) also appeared to stoke the flames of speculation, posting on Threads, “Can't help but wonder how many Trumps got rejected by Harvard.”
Despite all of the mean-spirited comments about the president and his son's college admissions histories, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that Barron Trump sought to attend Harvard or was rejected by the school.
The first son has attended New York University's Stern School of Business since last fall, making his way back to the Big Apple after graduating from Florida's Oxbridge Academy.
Notably, Barron's father was quoted last year as saying that the young man was accepted “everywhere” he had applied, though no specifics on targeted schools were offered.
“He's amazing actually, in a certain way. He's tall good-looking...a very good student. And he's applied to colleges and gets into everywhere he goes,” Trump said at the time.
The then-presidential hopeful added, “He's very sought after from that standpoint; he's a very smart guy. He's a very tall guy. And he's a great kid. He's cool, he's pretty cool, I'll tell ya.”
Since matriculating at NYU, Barron Trump has been the subject of much on-campus curiosity, with People reporting, “He's really popular with the ladies” and noting, “Even liberal people like him.”
With the Trump administration already implementing a freeze on billions in grants and contracts to Harvard, it appears that the battle over the school's direction is unlikely to end anytime soon.
As the Associated Press notes, the administration is reportedly considering halting Harvard's ability to enroll international students and endeavoring to pull its tax-exempt status, but whether these moves are the result of personal animus or a more substantial ideological stance will likely remain a topic of popular debate.
A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump's administration from deporting illegal immigrants outside of their country of origin, Breitbart reported. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy imposed a due process standard.
The judge ruled Friday that the federal government could not send deportees to a third country outside their "order of removal without first allowing them to raise concerns about their safety." A deportation order would typically include the migrants' homeland or another destination of their choosing.
Murphy said that the administration is attempting to send deportees to nations "where they may be immediately tortured and killed, without providing that person any opportunity to tell the deporting authorities that they face grave danger or death because of such a deportation." The judge cited a supposed myriad of precedents in his written memorandum.
NEW: A federal judge in Massachusetts grants a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from deporting people to third countries without telling them where they're going and allowing them to raise fears of persecution or torture.
The opening lays out the stakes. pic.twitter.com/lXNs9XtBVt
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) April 18, 2025
The Trump administration has been aggressive on border security, having campaigned on the issue during the 2024 presidential election. One of the ways he has sought to do that is by deporting criminal illegal aliens under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
The Supreme Court backed Trump earlier this month by overturning a U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's block. However, The New York Times described the decision as "narrow and focused on the proper venue for the cases," rather than granting blanket permission.
Notably, the individuals being deported in these cases are members of gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Still, Murphy slammed the administration for "removing aliens to third countries without notice and an opportunity to be heard on fear-based claims — in other words, without due process."
The judge has further restricted the administration's power to remove these dangerous criminals in Friday's decision. "The irreparable harm factor likewise weighs in Plaintiffs’ favor," Murphy pointed out about the challenged deportation.
"Here, the threatened harm is clear and simple: persecution, torture, and death. It is hard to imagine harm more irreparable," Murphy claimed.
Because the Democrats will oppose Trump on anything and everything, they have gone all in on defending criminal illegal aliens. This has made for strange bedfellows as Democratic lawmakers fall all over themselves for an alleged MS-13 gang member, Abrego Garcia.
Initial reports said that Garcia was deported by mistake, and Democrats ran with that, according to Fox News. Oregon Democratic Rep. Maxine Dexter was only the latest to appeal for his release from El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center on Friday.
"This is not just one family’s nightmare; it is a constitutional crisis that should outrage every single one of us. I will travel to El Salvador to confront this crisis head-on. Our constitutional rights are on the line," she claimed.
The only problem is that the White House confirmed Garcia was indeed a member of the gang, with tattooed fingers and a record of violence to prove it. He was accused of domestic violence against his wife and human trafficking.
The lengths the left will go to defend illegal immigrants is shocking. Trump's administration will keep fighting even as the Democrats and their cronies on the court attempt to thwart the president and the will of the people.
President Donald Trump's administration is considering closing as many as 30 consulates and embassies worldwide, the Kenya Times reported. This would impact Europe and Asia, but more than half of the closures could affect Africa.
The State Department is looking to cut 50% of its yearly budget and hopes to slash foreign aid by nearly 75%. The closings of foreign outposts would go a long way toward getting that plan in action.
On the chopping block are European embassies in countries like Luxembourg and Malta, as well as consulates across Asia and Europe. However, as shown in a map from CNN shared to X, formerly Twitter, Africa would have the most embassies cut, while Europe would see several of its consulates disappear.
Trump Admin to close down nearly 30 embassies and consulates.
CNN Map here pic.twitter.com/zgSNLR3YNU
— Rashid Abdi (@RAbdiAnalyst) April 16, 2025
Running embassies and consulates is expensive and may have arguably small benefits in certain nations. Still, the left is breathlessly warning about the dire consequences of this cost-cutting measure.
For instance, State Department internal documents indicate that the diplomatic arrangements in Iraq and Somalia could impact the ongoing counterterrorism activities from there. However, the initiative wouldn't eliminate the U.S. presence but tighten up the coverage.
Some consulates and embassies are redundant when there is a nearby outpost that can easily cover for both areas. The purpose of these entities is to help American citizens with issues while in the countries where the outposts are located.
They can process visas or provide other help to American citizens, but they are also tasked with diplomacy. This is especially important in adversarial nations like China, where information gathering helps officials in Washington, D.C. make policy decisions from afar.
Despite all the handwringing, it appears that the closures will be strategic and not leave territories completely uncovered. The State Department documents recommend "resizing" of some missions using the plan already undertaken in Canada and Japan "as a model large mission by consolidating consulate support into a specialized unit," where possible.
According to Fox News, the embassy and consulate closures are part of a larger cost-saving plan. However, lawmakers like Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is the leading Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, warned that these cuts "would leave our country alone and exposed and allow China and Russia to fill the vacuum made vacant by this administration."
However, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, these fears are overblown. "Throughout the history of the United States, everyone has a budget plan and everyone has ideas for budgets," she explained.
"And every president has a budget plan and sends it to Congress. And then Congress either accepts it or they have their own ideas, which happens more often than not," Bruce said.
"There is no final plan, final budget," Bruce added. There are many checks and balances in place for these sorts of moves, but that doesn't stop the left from pouncing at the first hint of cuts anywhere.
It's crucial for the U.S. to have an international presence, but there are certainly ways to streamline it. Trump has been working hard to cut the waste out of government spending, and that's what he was elected to do, whichever way he sees most fit to do so.
Bipartisan senators introduced a bill Tuesday that would increase the penalties for certain crimes committed by foreign governments, including assassination, Fox News reported. This law was in response to an alleged Iranian murder-for-hire plot against an American journalist.
The bill was introduced by Republican Sens. Jim Banks of Indiana, Joni Ernst of Iowa, and Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. The legislation, dubbed the Deterring External Threats and Ensuring Robust Responses to Egregious and Nefarious Criminal Endeavors Act, targets crimes committed by foreign actors in the U.S.
There are stiffer penalties for crimes against federal officials, including assassination, attempted murder, and murder for hire. It would also inflict more severe punishment on those who target former officials based on their official conduct while in office.
Attempted kidnapping and stalking were also included in the bill. These crimes would carry an additional 10 years in jail for foreign governments that either commit or direct these crimes to be committed in the U.S.
The lawmakers involved in introducing the bill explained how the move would be a positive move for the U.S. Ernst said the legislation is necessary to prevent America's enemies from continuing to "fund crimes against Americans on our own soil," such as Iran.
She added the move is a "peace through strength" proposition that serves as a deterrent to the "Death to America" crowd. This echoes the sentiments of former GOP President Ronald Reagan during the Cold War.
Meanwhile, Slotkin used the legislation as a warning not to "commit crimes in America on behalf of foreign adversaries" or risk facing "serious consequences," including increased prison time. She also touted the national security aspect of the legislation.
"The bipartisan DETERRENCE Act helps strengthen penalties for these crimes and sends a clear message about how seriously we take our national security and how we will hold accountable those who commit crimes against our nation," Slotkin added. This is an uncommonly strong and logical take from a Democrat.
Shockingly, Hassan similarly had the same selling point, noting that the law would deter those seeking to harm Americans. "Foreign adversaries are working with gangs and criminals in the United States to try to kill people on our soil, which is a national security risk," Hassan noted.
Like many bills, there was an inciting incident that led to the introduction of this legislation. Two foreign nationals, Rafat Amirov of Iran and Polad Omarov of the Czech Republic and Slovenia, allegedly were hired to kill Masih Alinejad.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted the Iranian-born journalist for a hit. The foreign adversary allegedly hired the members of the Russian mafia to kill Alinejad, who was living in New York at the time.
Amirov and Omarov pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court appearance last month while Alinejad rejoiced in getting justice. "Finally, I will face the men hired by the Islamic Republic to kill me, right here in New York," the journalist said.
Although it wouldn't apply retroactively, President Donald Trump surely would have rejoiced had this been in place for his would-be Iranian assassin. According to Reuters, Iranian man Farhad Shakeri was charged with plotting to kill the then-candidate in October 2024 at the direction of the Iranian government.
The penalties against foreign nationals who commit crimes should indeed be stiffer as a way to deter crime from being perpetrated on citizens. The fact that it has bipartisan support is promising for its eventual passage if it makes it to Trump's desk.
White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller says a Salvadoran national was "not mistakenly deported" as the media was led to believe, the Daily Wire reported. Miller says the erroneous claim comes from a "saboteur" Justice Department attorney who has since been dismissed.
Miller was a guest on Fox News Saturday to set the record straight about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. President Donald Trump's administration deported him to his native El Salvador, but reports claimed that it was done in error.
Abrego Garcia was identified as an illegal alien who was also identified as a member of the dangerous MS-13 gang. The left used the narrative that he was not supposed to be deported to hammer Trump, but Miller said they got the story all wrong.
Fox News host Bill Hemmer noted that the administration claims there were misconceptions about the case and said Miller was on air to "straighten it out." Miller got right to it without holding back.
"He was not mistakenly sent to El Salvador. He is an illegal alien from El Salvador. In 2019, he was ordered deported," Miller charged.
He [has] a final removal order from the United States. These are things that no one disputes. Where is he from? El Salvador. Where is he a resident and citizen of? El Salvador. Is he here illegally? Yes. Does he have a deportation order? Yes," Miller went on.
Although Miller didn't name names, he said that the initial reports came from a particular Justice Department attorney with an agenda. "A DOJ lawyer–who has since been relieved of duty, a saboteur, a Democrat–put into a filing incorrectly that this was a mistaken removal," Miller noted.
"It was not. This was the right person sent to the right place," Miller added.
Miller said that there was a strong case that even with the withholding order, Abrego Garcia had to go. "Now some have said, 'well, but he had a thing called a withholding order' – so a withholding order means you’ve been ordered deported, but an immigration judge is saying you cannot go back to a particular country," Miller said.
"Here’s the thing: if you are a member of a foreign terrorist organization, you cannot have a withholding order. Since he’s in MS-13, there is no withholding order," Miller added. Trump designated the gang as a terrorist organization as one of his first executive orders after taking office.
"Furthermore, the gang he is accused of being persecuted by doesn’t exist anymore in El Salvador. The 18th Street gang is gone," Miller noted.
The left believes Abrego Garcia's assertion that he is not a gang member despite evidence to the contrary. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents used a tip from a confidential informant to verify Abrego Garcia's membership as an MS-13 gang member.
The left hates that the Trump administration is clearing dangerous illegal immigrants from American streets, and they will do anything they can to undermine him. Abrego Garcia appears to be someone who was correctly deported despite the hysterical claims otherwise.
The Justice Department filed federal charges against Jamison Wagner Monday following a pair of allegedly politically charged attacks, Breitbart reported. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the 40-year-old's arrest for a firebombing at a New Mexico Tesla dealership and the New Mexico Republican headquarters.
Bondi announced the arrest in a statement that followed her tough-on-crime philosophy "We have made an arrest in connection to the February firebombing of a New Mexico Tesla dealership and the March attack on the New Mexico Republican Party Headquarters," Bondi announced.
"We will be prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law. We are seeking up to 40 years in prison—no negotiating," Bondi continued.
She went on to thank the agencies who made it happen, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "More details to come," she promised.
Wagner is accused of firebombing a dealership that sells the vehicles made by Elon Musk's Tesla company. He also allegedly set fire to a doorway of the political headquarters, which caused interior smoke damage as well.
The Justice Department released a statement on the alleged crimes, stating Wagner was connected "to both incidents through surveillance footage and scene evidence." Bondi made it clear that these moves would not go unpunished.
"Let this be the final lesson to those taking part in this ongoing wave of political violence," Bondi is quoted in the statement. "We will arrest you, we will prosecute you, and we will not negotiate," she promised.
"Crimes have consequences," Bondi added. Federal agencies got involved on the basis that these attacks were domestic terrorism motivated by political bias.
Kash Patel, director of the FBI, credited his agency's "aggressive efforts to investigate and hold accountable those who have targeted Tesla facilities in various states across the country" for the arrest. "Thank you to our agents and support teams in Albuquerque who did an outstanding job executing the mission," Patel said before also thanking Bondi.
According to the New York Post, Wagner is identified as a "lipstick-wearing" man "listed as a member of LGBT group 500 Queer Scientists." The Breaking911 account on X, formerly Twitter, shared his photo and those of the alleged crimes.
"Jamison Wagner, 40, charged federally for arson attacks at Tesla, Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters. Wagner face 2 counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives," the post is captioned.
"If convicted, he faces between 5 & 20 years in prison for each count," the account added. The photo of Wagner indeed shows the man wearing a long hairstyle and dark purple lips.
JUST IN: Jamison Wagner, 40, charged federally for arson attacks at Tesla, Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters.
Wagner face 2 counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives. If convicted, he faces between 5 & 20 years in prison for each… pic.twitter.com/32SIgCd2j1
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 14, 2025
These kinds of attacks have happened more frequently since President Donald Trump took office. However, it seems the alleged perpetrators like Wagner will face justice now that the Justice Department and others are finally serious about crime.
While King Charles was on a trip to Italy with his wife Queen Camilla, he needed a royal family stand-in for the Sovereign's Parade at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, but his replacement was not who you'd think.
It wasn't his son William, the heir to the throne, who took his place. Instead, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh and wife of Charles's brother Edward, did the honors.
Why would this be the case?
Well for starters, William and Kate are on spring break with their children and were not available.
The royal family has been wracked with a double cancer diagnosis with King Charles and Princess Kate both receiving treatment.
At age 74, the King's disease is much more dire. He's still getting treatment, while Kate is already in remission.
Still, the medical issues have made the family more eager to spend time with loved ones rather than fulfill endless royal duties.
In addition, Prince William has been working triple duty whenever possible to help his wife and father have time to rest and heal largely out of the public spotlight.
Thankfully, there are plenty of other royals who can fulfill the obligation, even with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pretty much out of commission in the U.S.
Sophie's appearance at the parade made history, since it was the first all-female banner party at Sandhurst.
It's always a special time for the family since both William and Harry got their own military training there.
A source reported to Cosmopolitan, “William has been incredibly supportive through Kate’s cancer battle—he’s really proven himself to be a remarkable partner when the going gets tough."
The source also said the couple is making the most out of their time together and that there have been "more romantic dinners, more long walks and more holidays."
They will celebrate 14 years of marriage next month.
With every passing year, the ranks of those justifiably deemed members of the Greatest Generation continue to dwindle, and earlier this month, the nation lost a veteran who was present for one of America's darkest days.
As NBC News reports, Vaughn Drake Jr., the oldest known survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died on April 7 at the age of 106.
Drake, who at the time of the attack was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers, recounted his remarkable experience in a 2016 interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader, according to Stars & Stripes.
Working on-site at a temporary power plant meant to assist in the construction of new barracks at Kaneohe Naval Air Station, which was on the opposite side of the island from Pearl Harbor, Drake saw things on that fateful day in December that he would never forget.
“We were getting ready to go to breakfast, and we heard all these planes flying over and making a lot of noise,” he remembered. “We just figured it was the Army Air Corps carrying out maneuvers for practice, like they did a lot. We didn't pay much attention to it.”
While he stood waiting for his food, Drake recalled, planes could be seen diving directly toward the air station, prompting him to think, “Boy, they're really putting on a good show,” and while he and his fellow servicemembers did see Japanese markings on the aircraft, “We still couldn't believe it [was an enemy attack].”
“We knew by then it was more than maneuvers. It had to be a real attack. It just didn't seem possible. Even while it was happening, we didn't believe it,” he stated, later adding that while he did feel he was “part of history,..I haven't made it the big thing in my life.”
Drake's obituary offers insight into the honorable and accomplished life he lived after the war, noting that he spent decades working as a registered professional engineer.
An integral part of the General Telephone Company, Drake designed and oversaw the construction of the underground telephone conduit systems in Lexington, Morehead, and Ashland, Kentucky, also authoring the GTE company manual Conduit Engineering for Telephone Engineers.
Drake's professional honors include membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers, charter membership and past presidency of the Bluegrass Chapter of the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, and recipient of the organization's 1979 award for “Outstanding Engineer in Industry.”
The distinguished veteran also served as a professional advisory board member for the Lexington-Fayette County Planning and Zoning Commission, was a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, and was a recipient of the Spirit of Lexington Award.
On a personal level, Drake was married to late wife Lina for 65 years and is survived by a son, two grandsons, three great-grandchildren, and a host of friends and family members sure to honor his legacy.
As the National World War II Museum in New Orleans reminds us, “memories of World War II are disappearing from living history” at a rapid clip, with the Department of Veterans Affairs noting that fewer than 1% of the Americans who served during the conflict are still among the living as of 2024.
With that in mind, the museum's leadership contends that it is incumbent on everyone to “ensure that the memories and experiences of the war will not be lost as those who lived through it leave this world,” and that is a priority with which it is difficult to disagree.
North Carolina’s state Supreme Court ruled Friday that the majority of ballots cast in the 2024 election must be counted despite missing information, The Hill reported. The 4-2 ruling is a blow to the GOP candidate's challenge to the election but could still sway it in his favor.
The case centers on nearly 60,000 ballots cast in the race for Supreme Court justice in the state. The Republican candidate, Justice Jefferson Griffin, was only a few hundred votes behind Democratic Justice Allison Riggs in the November 2024 race.
Thousands of ballots were submitted without required information, such as driver's license numbers and Social Security numbers, in the extremely close race. A lower court had determined that ballots missing key identifiers should be thrown out altogether.
While the state Supreme Court technically ruled in favor of the Democrat, this decision could help Griffin. The voters who cast the ballots must provide the missing information to identify themselves, or their votes will not count.
The high court found that problems with registrations shouldn't disenfranchise voters. "Under this Court’s longstanding precedent, mistakes made by negligent election officials in registering citizens who are otherwise eligible to vote will not deprive the citizens of their right to vote or render their vote void after they have been cast," the court's decision said.
Still, Michael Purser, director of data science at Decision Desk HQ, described the scenario that would give the race to Griffin. "Friday afternoon, the North Carolina Supreme Court struck a blow to Justice Allison Riggs, paving the way for challenger Jefferson Griffin to eventually win November's election (in June)," Pruser posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.
He noted that voters, including military personnel serving overseas via the Uniformed And Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, "would be given 30 calendar days to do so or have their ballots thrown out." Pruser also noted that the appeals court directed a subset of these ballots to be thrown out completely, which Friday's decision also confirmed.
"The court also left in place the appeals court decision to toss 273 UOCAVA ballots because these voters have never lived in North Carolina and were deemed ineligible to vote in non-Federal races," he went on. Pruser believes if Riggs can't successfully appeal this decision, Griffin has a good chance of winning.
Friday afternoon, the North Carolina Supreme Court struck a blow to Justice Allison Riggs, paving the way for challenger Jefferson Griffin to eventually win November's election (in June).
The high state court ruled that the 60,000+ ballots lacking proper registration details… pic.twitter.com/1RX87SmZD1
— Michael Pruser (@MichaelPruser) April 12, 2025
It's likely that many of the votes tossed will be from military personnel because of the particulars of the ruling. Riggs objected on those grounds to the court's decision in a statement Friday, NC Newsline reported.
"I’m the proud daughter of a 30-year military veteran who was deployed overseas, and it is unacceptable that the Court is choosing to selectively disenfranchise North Carolinians serving our country, here and overseas," Riggs said. She added that she was "gratified" by the decision to keep the votes, but noted it was "an attack on the fundamental freedoms" of "military members and their families."
North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein also railed against the decision. "The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that certain active duty military voters serving our nation must jump through hoops that other voters don’t," he posted to X.
"All voters have a constitutional right to be treated equally under the law — it is foundational to our democracy. It’s unconscionable, and this decision cannot stand," Stein added.
This issue is complex and encompasses many problems that arise due to modern voting methods. The high court's decision seems to have fallen favorably for the GOP, but this remains a close race at the ballot box and in the courts.