Earlier this month, the world of Florida politics was shaken by the news that a beloved former state legislator had unexpectedly died.

Last week, family, friends, and former colleagues gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Geraldine Thompson, who succumbed to complications from knee surgery amid a career marked by service in both the Florida House and Senate, as NBC affiliate WESH reported.

Thompson's career remembered

Mourners gathered at Orlando's Majestic Life Church to remember and pay tribute to Thompson, who died at age 76 due to complications from a knee replacement procedure.

As the Tallahassee Democrat noted, Thompson's career in the state House began back in 2006, where she served until 2012, the year in which she ascended to the state Senate, where she remained until 2016.

The lawmaker returned to service in the House between the years of 2018 to 2022, then securing re-election to the state Senate just last year from Orange County's District 15.

Also boasting a background in education, Thompson was pivotal in the establishment of Orlando's Wells'Built Museum of African American History and Culture.

Thompson also served as part of a task force assigned to choose a site for the construction of a Florida Black History Museum.

Tributes pour in

The sizable turnout for Thompson's viewing and the expected attendance numbers for her funeral came as no surprise to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who underscored the undeniable impact the state lawmaker had over the years.

“Geraldine Thompson lived a life that was all about selflessness and giving to others, and so a good testament to her life and legacy is all of these people you're seeing here coming today for viewing,” he said.

Reginald McGill, constituent services staffer for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was similarly effusive in his praise of Thompson, stating, “She was more than a legislator. She was more than an educator. She was more than a mother, grandmother. She was really a friend to those who needed a friend.”

A statement from Thompson's family articulated the scope of her impact not just on her family and local constituents, but the entire state of Florida.

“She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose love, wisdom, and compassion shaped their lives and the lives of so many in their community and across the state. Her tireless work in education, health care, and civil rights, including her leadership to establish the Wells'Built Museum of African American History and Culture in Orlando reflected her unwavering commitment to creating a better world for future generations,” the family said.

Enduring legacy remains

According to an obituary posted by Mitchell's Funeral Home in Orlando, Thompson is survived by Judge Emerson Thompson, II, to whom she was married for 54 years.

Also left to mourn the late lawmaker are her three children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, as well as a world of friends, constituents, and co-workers who admired the dedication she exhibited throughout her public service career.

The FBI has returned boxes of personal property seized in their raid of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, The Hill reported. In August 2022, the agency took 33 boxes from the home ostensibly to recover mishandled classified documents.

"The FBI is giving the President his property back that was taken during the unlawful and illegal raids. We are taking possession of the boxes today and loading them onto Air Force One," Steven Cheung, White House communications director, said in a statement Friday.

Trump's counselor, Alina Habba, posted to X, formerly Twitter, that she witnessed the return of his boxes. "I just personally loaded the infamous 'boxes' back onto Air Force 1 to head home where they belong. Justice has been and will continue to be restored in this country under President Trump. TRUTH AND JUSTICE ALWAYS WIN IN THE END. God Bless America."

Trump's Triumph

Habba noted that the FBI's raid on Trump was unnecessarily intrusive. Agents rummaged through closets belonging to wife, Melania Trump, and son, Barron Trump, and took things like newspaper clippings and photos that had nothing to do with the investigation.

Moreover, the premise of the government's argument that justified the raid didn't hold up under judicial scrutiny. Last July, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon effectively dismissed Trump's case by ruling that special counsel Jack Smith's appointment to investigate Trump was unconstitutional.

Now, after years of lawfare being waged against him, Friday's move was a win that took Donald Trump one step closer to restitution. "They [boxes] are being brought down to Florida and will someday be part of the Trump Presidential Library," Donald Trump said on his Truth Social Friday.

"Justice finally won out. I did absolutely nothing wrong," the president added.

"This was merely an attack on a political opponent that, obviously, did not work well. Justice in our Country will now be restored," Donald Trump concluded.

Long Overdue

The effort to take Donald Trump out began with his first presidential run in 2016 when the Russia collusion hoax began. According to the Associated Press, that charge was leveled on a faulty premise that allowed the government to spy on his campaign before it ultimately fell apart.

Still, the charge hung over him during his first term and was routinely a line of attack. By the time he left the White House in 2021, Donald Trump was impeached twice and called an "insurrectionist" over his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Then, as Donald Trump announced he would once again seek the presidency in 2022, his enemies were at it all over again again. In all, Donald Trump faced four separate criminal cases while building up his campaign.

As each case would crumble one by one, Trump promised he would be vindicated in the end. Now, he finally got that chance as the FBI turned his things back over to him after its case fell apart.

Donald Trump will never get back the time and money he wasted defending himself against all of these attacks. However, he has prevailed against everything they could possibly throw at him, and now he will get at least a portion of the long-overdue restitution.

Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu was taken into custody for questioning Wednesday after already having his winning election results annulled, Fox News reported. Many are wondering if this is Vice President J.D. Vance's warning come true about European politics.

Georgescu had won the first round of voting in the since-canceled election in his nation. Now, officials from the Romanian government announced he had been "taken in for questioning at the General Prosecutor’s Office" along with several others.

Romanian authorities raided 47 addresses over alleged campaign finance and weapons violations along with the Orwellian charge of creating an organization "with a fascist, racist or xenophobic" individual. Georgescu said on Facebook that he believes officials were "looking to justify the theft of the elections and to do anything to block my new candidacy for the presidency."

On Dec. 8, Romania's Constitutional Court threw out the election results just two days before a runoff election that would have decided the winner. They thought that Georgescu's upset win was suspect since he said he spent no money on campaigning and polled with just single-digit support.

Defending Georgescu

Current Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu claimed it happened because "the judiciary is independent & the law must be applied regardless of persons." However,  Tesla billionaire Elon Musk has repeatedly expressed skepticism about the process.

"They just arrested the person who won the most votes in the Romanian presidential election. This is messed up," Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

Musk also called Judge Marian Enache, the chief of Romania's highest court who sealed the deal for tossing the results of the election Georgescu won, a "tyrant." The Trump administration has also spoken out against the idea that Romania would cancel the results it didn't like.

"Romania straight up canceled the results of a presidential election based on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors. The argument was that Russian disinformation had infected the Romanian elections," Vance said in December.

Familiar Playbook

It seems that Romania is using a familiar playbook taken from the American Democratic Party and the media against Trump. Armed with this perspective, Vance spoke at the Munich Security Conference last week and warned about the "threat from within" for Europe.

"What I worry about is the threat from within – the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America. Now, I was struck that a former European commissioner went on television recently and sounded delighted that the Romanian government had just annulled an entire election," Vance said.

"He warned that if things don't go to plan, the very same thing could happen in Germany too. Now, these cavalier statements are shocking to American ears," Vance acknowledged.

"For years, we've been told that everything we fund and support is in the name of our shared democratic values. Everything from our Ukraine policy to digital censorship is billed as a defense of democracy. But when we see European courts canceling elections and senior officials threatening to cancel others, we ought to ask whether we're holding ourselves to an appropriately high standard," Vance said.

It is frightening that an election can be canceled on a vague suspicion and the top candidate held for questioning. Vance is right to warn the world of what's coming, but only time will tell if anyone is actually listening.

The White House publicly acknowledged that Amy Gleason is the administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, the Associated Press reported. Gleason is a former U.S. Digital Service expert but has maintained a low profile in her new role.

Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to appoint an administrator for DOGE. While Tesla billionaire Elon Musk has been the face of DOGE and has taken the slings and arrows of the left, he's only an adviser to the president.

Earlier this week, an attorney for the administration denied knowing who was running DOGE when asked by a judge. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to reveal Gleason's name during a news briefing.

"There are career officials, and there are political appointees who are helping run DOGE on a day-to-day basis," Leavitt said. However, the leftist media did not let this go and continued to push for names.

White House Strikes Back

By Wednesday, Leavitt struck back that she had been "hounded" by the media for the names of DOGE employees. "Amy Gleason has been the DOGE administrator for quite some time, I believe several weeks, maybe a month..." she told the press in a clip posted to X, formerly Twitter.

"She's a career official. She's doing her job as the administrator of this organization. I know everybody's very interested in her name, who she is, and what she does," Leavitt went on.

"There's a lot of people who work for the federal government. They're just trying to do their jobs, and that's what she's doing. " Leavitt pointed out.

"Everybody knew, and we said who she was to all of you because you are hounds in the media who are so obsessed with this for some reason," she shot back after Leavitt asked if this information was known. The left is apoplectic over the existence of DOGE, and zeroing in on Gleason is just another way to express their ire that Trump was elected and is doing his job.

Taking the Heat

It's clear that the media is interested in smearing Gleason as they have done with Musk, and now she will be the one taking the heat from them. The 53-year-old was employed with the United States Digital Service, now renamed DOGE, between 2018 and 2021.

Gleason was part of the agency's COVID-19 federal response team and reported the White House. After leaving that role, Gleason became chief product officer for a pair of small healthcare start-ups in Nashville.

She rejoined the agency after Trump was inaugurated in January when the newly minted president promised to slash waste, fraud, and abuse in the government. More than 20 agency members resigned after Musk's involvement and rebranding of the former Digital Service.

According to the New York Post, DOGE has already cut $55 billion in government spending and is looking to slash $1 trillion. Those who rely on an over-bloated government for grants, programs, and employment are going after anyone who tries to stop the gravy train.

Americans are tired of throwing their hard-earned tax dollars into the government money pit. What Musk and Gleason are doing is necessary to stop it, but the left is intent on doing whatever it can to hinder this mission, including outing the people involved in DOGE.

President Donald Trump is eager to restart the Keystone XL Pipeline project, which was axed in one of former President Joe Biden's first executive orders, Just the News reported. The Department of Energy estimated Biden's move cost $9.6 billion in revenue and as many as 59,000 jobs.

Trump championed the pipeline project during his first term and committed to new permits after Biden wasted no time in halting the project. It's unclear whether investors will want to take the risk again, but Trump is enthusiastic about reversing Biden's edict.

“I know they [the pipeline owners] were treated very badly by Sleepy Joe Biden, but the Trump Administration is very different — Easy approvals, almost immediate start! If not them, perhaps another Pipeline Company. We want the Keystone XL Pipeline built!” Trump said on his Truth Social Tuesday.

Embattled Project

According to the Associated Press, the project began in 2010 under then-President Barack Obama but has faced several setbacks since. After years of waffling during the Democratic administration, Trump was the first to give the green light through permits.

However, Biden canceled the project on the day he took office, Jan. 20, 2021. It was a hardship that lasted for years for some of the people involved in the project, such as pipeline construction foreman Neal Crabtree.

"It did surprise us when it happened. I was upset over it. I literally cried about it. I was a foreman on one of the compressor stations. We'd been there for three weeks," Crabtree, who was on the Nebraska section, told Fox News two years after the order to cancel it.

"We were excited to start this project. You know, we have to work to keep our insurance hours going, we have to work to build our retirement," he continued.

"And when you just spent a whole year [during the COVID-19 pandemic] not working and then we think we got this huge project that's going to provide millions of man-hours for people in our industry and then the rug is pulled out from under you, it was devastating. It was numbing, I can tell you that," Crabtree added.

Energy Independence

In contrast to his predecessor, Trump signed an executive order, "Unleashing American Energy," on his first day in office. He committed to regaining ground Biden ceded with many environmental initiatives and executive orders.

"America is blessed with an abundance of energy and natural resources that have historically powered our Nation’s economic prosperity.  In recent years, burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of these resources, limited the generation of reliable and affordable electricity, reduced job creation, and inflicted high energy costs upon our citizens," the order explained.

"These high energy costs devastate American consumers by driving up the cost of transportation, heating, utilities, farming, and manufacturing, while weakening our national security. It is thus in the national interest to unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources," the executive order said.

One of the many promises was to "facilitate the permitting and construction of interstate energy transportation and other critical energy infrastructure, including, but not limited to, pipelines..." This will not only help the energy sector but also ease inflation.

Trump is committed to fixing what Biden broke in the nation with his horrible policies. This project can now get off the ground with Trump at the helm and ready with the permits as Americans cheer him on.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is set to cut another 1,400 workers as part of a cost-cutting measure that will save over $83 million, Fox News reported. This comes after the VA slashes diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The cut employees were in "non-mission critical positions" that wouldn't impact care. "Those dismissed today are bargaining-unit probationary employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment or who have served less than two years in an excepted service appointment," a news release noted Monday.

The cost savings will allow the agency to "redirect all of those resources back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries." The measure comes with the "additional safeguard" of allowing the "first Senior Executive Service (SES) or SES-equivalent leader in a dismissed employee’s chain of command can request that the employee be exempted from removal."

The move adds to 1,000 cuts that were announced earlier this month. "These and other recent personnel decisions are extraordinarily difficult, but VA is focused on allocating its resources to help as many Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors as possible," VA Secretary Doug Collins said.

Outrage Begins

Democrats are apoplectic about these cuts despite the obvious necessity of them. The VA has assured the public that benefits will not be impacted, but that didn't stop Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) from raging on X.

"Donald Trump's VA fired an additional 1,400 workers—on top of the over 1,000 fired earlier this month. There are no 'non-critical' VA positions when it comes to ensuring Veterans receive the care they've earned," Duckworth claimed in a tweet Tuesday.

"Another betrayal. Another middle-finger. Another promise broken," Duckworth added.

Meanwhile, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Richard Blumenthal slammed Collins for the decision. "Doug Collins continues to put the interests of veterans last with additional indiscriminate firings of VA employees," the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement.

Goodbye DEI

These cuts come as part of Trump's larger agenda to streamline the government and get rid of the leftist policies that hinder efficiency. With that in mind, Trump issued an executive order outlawing DEI in the federal government as one of his first orders of business.

While it has met with some snags in the courts, it's already working as intended. The VA cut at least 60 employees after dispensing with its diversity, equity, and inclusion department, Military Times reported.

On Jan. 22, then-acting VA Secretary Todd Hunter announced that he would be closing the DEI offices to comply with Trump's order. Hunter noted that the "programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination."

Although it didn't impact many employees, it marked a quick compliance with Trump's agenda. That has predictably enraged the left, but it seems to have set the agency's efficiency efforts in motion.

Trump is slashing government waste and abuse in the hopes that the existing entities will become more efficient. There's no reason to object to any of this except that Democrats exist to expand government and spend taxpayer dollars.

Billionaire Elon Musk reacted with surprise on X to leaked texts by Ashley St. Clair that said she was trying to seduce him so she could benefit from having his child.

Musk, who owns X, commented "Woah!" and "Yikes!" in response to posts from people who know St. Clair and shared messages she sent to them before becoming pregnant with what she claims is Musk's child.

He has not denied that the child is his, but has not acknowledged it either.

St. Clair filed lawsuits against Musk to establish paternity and asking for full custody of her son.

The baby trap

Influencer Isabella Moody said on X, “I wasn’t going to post these, but now that @stclairashley has leaked her private signal messages with @elonmusk after lying and saying she ‘wanted privacy’, here’s more evidence Ashely [sic] planned to baby trap Elon," and tagged Musk in the post.

“She doesn’t care about ‘privacy.’ She planned to seduce him by her own admission and now she’s leaking his texts,” Moody continued.

“Elon followed me. I need his rocket babies,” St. Clair allegedly wrote to Moody.

“Look ill take one for the team, seduce elon, and get in a rocket to see what’s up,” Moody also said she wrote in 2023.

Evidence

St. Clair released some text messages allegedly between her and Musk after filing the lawsuit, ostensibly to further her case.

"I want to knock you up again," one text by Musk allegedly read.

When St. Clair asked to meet in person about their child, Musk allegedly responded, “Hmm ok,” adding, “Well, I do have a legion of kids to make.”

The lawsuit filing also included a photo of Musk holding the infant, which would be his 13th child if paternity is established.

The 53-year-old SpaceX founder has had several long-term relationships, but has also fathered children with an executive of one of his companies and others.

He believes in "extreme breeding" to combat population collapse and has offered his sperm to some of his acquaintances in an effort to have many children.

The world of show business was saddened on Friday to learn that a beloved character actress who appeared in a number of highly regarded film and television productions had died at the age of 78.

As Variety reports, Lynne Marie Stewart, known for her roles in Pee-wee's Playhouse and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, passed away following a brief illness, with her passing confirmed on social media by Cassandra Peterson, a friend of the actress.

Successful showbiz career remembered

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Stewart got her start in the entertainment industry as part of the California-based comedy sketch group “The Groundlings," work that first brought her into contact with Paul Reubens, with whom she would later collaborate in multiple projects.

From there, she went on to perform in a host of television and film roles, including portrayals on popular shows such as M*A*S*H, Laverne & Shirley and Night Court.

Some of Stewart's brief, yet noteworthy big screen roles included appearances in 1973's American Graffiti and the 1987 thriller The Running Man.

However, Stewart's most recognizable portrayals came in conjunction with former “Groundlings” colleague Reubens, whose Pee-wee Herman Show and subsequent Pee-wee's Playhouse brought broader notoriety.

Stewart will also be remembered by fans of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which benefitted greatly from her portrayal of Charlie Kelly's mom, Bonnie.

Reactions pour in

As CBS News noted, the sudden and unexpected nature of Stewart's passing brought forth a range of reactions, including from Bette Smith, a spokesperson for the well-loved actress.

Smith explained of Stewart, “She was a genius with her craft. The work was most important to her she never cared about the money or fame. She was the kindest, most honorable person to know.”

Also paying tribute was Always Sunny actor Charlie Day, who wrote on Instagram, “The brilliant and talented Lynne Marie Stewart. Rest in peace. Thank you for all the years of laughter.”

Echoing his TV co-star's praise was legendary actor Danny DeVito, who wrote on X, “Gonna miss Lynne. Lynne Marie Stewart...So wonderful a spirit to work with on Sunny! All love to her family.”

Peterson, in addition to confirming her friend's death, described Stewart as “One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women who ever lived.”

Leaving a legacy of laughter and love

According to CBS News, Stewart leaves behind a sister, Gayle, as well as several grandchildren, in addition to Emily Hudson and Zac Hudson, who are the children of her best friend, Cindy Williams.

Also joining Stewart's friends and family in mourning this noteworthy loss are the legions of fans the world over who took joy and comfort in the celebrated actress's decades of work on both the big and small screens.

Vice President J.D. Vance was vindicated in his warning about the state of free speech in Europe after a 74-year-old woman was charged for silently praying to end abortion in Scotland, Breitbart reported. This is the first time someone has been prosecuted under Scotland’s new Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act.

The vice president spoke at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Feb. 14, about the crackdown on freedoms, including through the use of buffer zone laws limiting access around abortion mills. It makes silent prayer near these facilities punishable by law.

Vance rightly warned that this proved that Europe is going the wrong way regarding basic rights. "In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat," Vance said.

Proven Correct

Less than a week after Vance made this speech, an elderly woman became the first to be arrested for a "silent vigil" in Glasgow, Scotland. Critics believe the charge is akin to a "thought crime," a term coined by George Orwell as a warning about tyranny.

The law, enacted last year, gives police the power to arrest anyone silently praying near these clinics where unborn babies are massacred with abandon. While it states that it is a crime to hold protests or vigils within 200 meters of abortion facilities, that prohibition now includes prayer.

Footage of the arrest was posted to social media, and the police seemed to confirm the criminality of an elderly woman making silent supplications. The woman asked the officers, "Am I committing an offense?"

A male officer replied, "Yes, I believe you are conducting a silent vigil." Though critics balked at his speech, this is precisely what Vance warned about.

No Shame

Despite the obvious attack on free speech, Scottish politicians clearly have no shame about such a crackdown on fundamental freedoms. Gillian Mackay, the Scottish Greens Party parliament member who crafted the legislation, lauded the actions of police at the Glasgow hospital, the BBC reported.

"The protests that have taken place outside Queen Elizabeth have been utterly shameful, and I am grateful to Police Scotland for acting so quickly. This kind of intimidation has no place in a modern or progressive Scotland," Mackay claimed.

"Everybody deserves to have access to healthcare without harassment," she added. This "harassment" includes the silent prayer organized by the pro-life organization 40 Days for Life, which Mackay Personall called on by name to "think again" before protesting near the facilities.

The organization's website states that "40 Days for Life is an internationally coordinated 40-day campaign that aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses." However, this is still considered a threat by the tyrants in Europe.

Vance is correct in sounding the warning about threats to free speech. People who embrace abortion already disregard the lives of the unborn, so they see no problem in restricting the freedoms of others, and that's dangerous.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has lost two top staffers as many in his orbit are becoming disillusioned by his willingness to side with Republicans on some issues, Fox News reported. This departure comes after Fetterman lost three on his communications team in the last year.

Since his election in 2022, Fetterman has ruffled feathers as he willingly crosses the aisle on some issues. His office has been plagued by staff turnover as Democrats won't tolerate dissent.

People close to the matter shared that Fetterman lost Communications Director Charlie Hills as well as Deputy Chief of Staff Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director Tré Easton. Easton released a carefully worded statement announcing the departure. 

"Working for John afforded me the opportunity to build a diligent policy team from scratch. Together we created a legislative body of work that I think is a blueprint for how Democrats should be governing when they have power. I’ll forever be grateful," Easton said.

Making Enemies

It seemed like Fetterman would be a radical leftist given his time as the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania under former Gov. Tom Wolf. However, the exact opposite has happened, as Fetterman seems to have moderated on some key issues.

This has not sat well with the die-hard Democratic staffers who work for him. Early last year, three of his communications team members abruptly left in one month's time.

Former Digital Aide Emma Mustion left to work for another progressive, while former Communications Joe Calvello and former Deputy Communication Director Nicholas Gavio went to work for another Democrats. The origin of this rift came from Fetterman's pro-Israel stance following the attack from Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

While the left was siding with the terrorist organization, Fetterman stood by America's ally. This led to another public embarrassment in August 2024 after Fetterman's newest communications head Carrie Adams told the Free Press that she dissented from her boss's stance.

"I don’t agree with him," Adams was quoted by the news outlet in black and white. Adams would drop out of sight for months until Fetterman's office finally acknowledged last month that she had left.

Sounding Republican

The more Fetterman talks, the worse it gets for Democrats, as the Pennsylvania lawmaker sounds more like Republicans. This was most evident when he co-sponsored the GOP's Laken Riley Act, which Democrats hated for cracking down on illegal immigrant crime.

"Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence," Fetterman said when championing the legislation.

"Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system," he added.

Fetterman has also committed the cardinal sin of supporting some of President Donald Trump's cabinet nominees while his Democratic counterparts object to all of them. Democrats will tolerate all sorts of weird behavior from their lawmakers except cooperation with the GOP.

Fetterman's habit of teaming up with Republicans for common sense legislation will be popular with voters even if it isn't so with staffers. The American people voted against the left's radicalism in Trump's decisive win, and Fetterman will benefit from distancing herself from his Democratic colleagues.

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