This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A federal judge has ruled that the state of Virginia is not allowed to bar a qualified counselor, focusing on substance abuse, from helping those with addictions.

A report from the Institute for Justice explains that Melissa Brown was barred from seeing patients under a state "barrier crime" law that banishes those with convictions for any of 176 offenses from seeing patients.

That applies to substance abuse counselors and their supervisors.

"Melissa made mistakes when she was young and in the throes of addiction herself," the ID explained. "Those mistakes came to a head in 2001, when she stole a purse to fund her drug habit. She was convicted of robbery, which prompted her to stop using drugs and turn her life around."

"This decision is more than personal," Brown said. "It's a victory for everyone who believes in second chances. I hope this decision opens the door for countless others with lived experience to bring healing to those who are still suffering."

It was after her bout with robbery that she changed, and now she will be allowed to undergo a "screening assessment," then find work.

She had earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and began working with substance abuse victims, specifically heroin, after she left the drug scene.

She had been promoted to clinical supervisor in 2018.

"But, after new management took over the rehab center where she worked, she learned that, under Virginia law, she was banned from working as a counselor due to her decades-old conviction," the IJ said.

She now works at a different rehab center as chief growth officer, but wants to return to helping patients.

"The government should never stop people from working because of irrelevant criminal convictions," said IJ lawyer Andrew Ward. "We're thrilled the court recognized that. But there's still work to do. Every year, Virginia blocks hundreds of qualified professionals for convictions that are more than twenty years old. That has to change, and this decision is just the start."

Added Mike Greenberg, also a lawyer for IJ, "The Constitution requires that restrictions on the right to work be rational. The Court here recognized the obvious: No one could rationally think that barring someone with Melissa's experience and empathy protects people suffering from addiction. It just meant less help for the people who most need it."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday a Gaza map with representation of "withdrawal lines" to which Israel has agreed, nearly two years since the current conflict began.

"After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas," the president wrote.

"When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal, which will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE. Thank you for your attention to this matter and, STAY TUNED!"

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President Donald Trump has unleashed a warning to Democrats who opposed a resolution in the U.S. Senate that would have kept the government funded for another few weeks.

The video is about the "Reaper" who is coming, presumably for Democrat spending and funding programs.

Already, the White House has cut various green ideology funding programs, and blocked other grants to leftist cities and states.

It's happening because government funding from Congress expired earlier this week.

Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, demanded $1.5 trillion in lavish spending on illegal aliens, leftist propaganda and more, to support a GOP plan that simply continued most funding as it was.

Republicans declined to raid taxpayers' wallets for that amount, and the Democrats voted to shut down the government, a partial shutdown as essential services are continuing.

Now, amid multiple reports that Trump actually will take a hatchet to Democrat priorities and spending programs, eliminating many permanently, the video appeared:

The lyrics:

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A wide range of government services and offices are shut down during the current partial government closure.

The situation developed following demands by Democrats that the government hand out some $1.5 trillion for health care benefits for illegal aliens, leftist propaganda machines, and more.

Republican majorities in Congress declined to take that money out of taxpayers' pockets so Democrats responded by voting against a resolution that would fund the government for a few weeks.

One of the things shut down is the ability to have staff answer public calls to the government, including the White House.

There, a recorded message explains, "Thank you for calling the White House comment line. Hello America, this is White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Democrats in Congress have shut down the federal government because they care more about funding health care for illegal immigrants than they care about serving you, the American people.

"Until Democrats vote for the clean Republican-backed resolution to reopen the government, the White House is unable to answer your call or respond to your questions.

"We look forward to hearing from you again very soon. In the meantime, know that President Trump will never stop fighting for you."

Such recordings apparently appeared on a multitude of recordings government-wide, sending Democrats into a fury.

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., sent a letter demanding an investigation.

He complains it's a violation of a rule limiting political activity by government officials.

He pointed out Republicans control the White House and have majorities in both houses of Congress.

He blamed them for not "taking responsibility for their shutdown," and acquiescing to Democrat demands, for which they would have been rewarded with Democrat votes to keep the government running.

Garcia accused the Trump administration of using government sites for their "political agenda."

It was at the Small Business Administration that a template for an out-of-office email said, "I am out of office for the foreseeable future because Senate Democrats voted to block a clean federal funding bill … leading to a government shutdown."

A GOP House Oversight official told the Washington Examiner that the recordings simply state the facts, and do not mention elections or campaigns, suggesting they are perfectly legal.

Under the administration of Joe Biden, then-Education Secretary Miguel Cardona blamed "Republican elected officials" for court rulings in a widely distributed email to student loan borrowers, and that was not ruled to be a violation of the Hatch Act.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Rep. Maxine Waters, the California Democrat known for going over the edge with her comments just about every time she speaks, even to the point of advocating hate against her political critics, has gone there again.

This time she's gone after a reporter, insisting, "You don't have to ask that question."

The question was about her party's government shutdown, and whether her demands for taxpayer funded health care for illegal aliens was that important.

And that came immediately after she confirmed that is exactly her party's top line.

President Donald Trump reacted:

"Maxine Waters admitted that she is demanding Healthcare for Illegal Aliens, and it's going to be Top of the Line, taking American Taxpayers' Healthcare away from them!"

Here are her comments:

A report at Yahoo News explained that she snapped at the question.

"Quit it. Stop it," she said, interrupting the reporter. "This is the kind of journalism we don't need."

The comments from Waters came as she was approached by LindellTV reporter Alison Steinberg outside the Capitol.

"Do Democrats want to prioritize the healthcare of illegal aliens over a government shutdown because if the government does shut down, Americans workers are going to be furloughed," Steinberg began.

"Excuse me. Stop it right there," Waterr charged. "We're not prioritizing. What we're saying simply is that we want to keep the government open and we want to work with the Republicans and have a bipartisan agreement to keep this government open, and healthcare is at the top of our agenda."

The reporter continued, "But are Democrats demanding healthcare for illegal aliens?"

Waters: "Democrats are demanding healthcare for everybody. We want to save lives. We want to make sure that healthcare is available to those who would die [without] having, having the help of their government."

Steinberg pressed: "So you're good with the government shutdown even if it means giving healthcare to people who aren't Americans."

"That's what you're pushing on. What you're trying to do is you're standing here and you're trying to make me say that somehow we are going to put non-citizens over Americans. Quit it! Stop it!" Waters demanded.

The government shutdown actually developed when Democrats demanded some $1.5 trillion in lavish spending in a funding bill lasting only a few weeks. It would hand out cash for healthcare for illegals, fund propaganda machines, and more.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President Donald Trump is signing a new executive order that specifically is expected to bring down the costs of prescription drugs for Americans.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt explained that the order "will help bypass costly middlemen and bring the prices Americans pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by other nations."

The order is the result of a "historic" deal with Pfizer "to slash drug prices," reports Tuesday confirmed.

The announcement said now Pfizer "is committing to offer" all of the company's prescription medications to Medicaid at the prices also paid by its "most favored nations."

In addition to Medicaid, all consumers also are expected to benefit through access to those medications.

A report at the Washington Examiner explained the result will be a direct-to-consumer website for Americans to purchase their medications.

Leavitt announced the "TrumpRx" website.

The report noted details still are being addressed.

"It is unclear what drugs will be offered on the website and whether or not it will be accessible to patients with private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid," the report said.

Further, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the industry's chief lobbying group, said it is launching a similar effort to make connections between patients needing medications and direct purchasing programs.

The report said, "Increasing access to direct-to-consumer prescription plans was a central pillar of Trump's "most favored nation" executive order in May, which was intended to reduce U.S. drug prices in parity with other developed countries."

Trump's goal was triggered by the fact Americans pay three times more for brand name prescriptions than do people in other developed countries, the White House has revealed.

According to Newsweek, Trump's plan will allow consumers to buy prescriptions directly, rather than through insurance.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A hearing largely to handle housekeeping duties was held Monday in court in Utah for the suspect charged with the assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk.

The suspect, Tyler Robinson, was in attendance only virtually, but the judge scheduled another hearing for October 30 and said he expects Robinson to be present then.

Comments at PJMedia explained the hearing in Provo, Utah was "largely uneventful."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The impact of the life of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, dead at 31 from an assassin's bullet at a free speech event at a Utah college, almost certainly will surge over the coming years. What is fact is that there have been not just thousands, but tens of thousands of requests to launch local chapters of his organization already.

But for one Hollywood star, it was the words of his widow, Erika Kirk, that impacted.

Tim Allen, star of a long list of movies and television programs, wrote, "When Erika Kirk spoke the words on the man who killed her husband: 'That man … that young man … I forgive him.' That moment affected me. I have struggled for over 60 years to forgive the man who killed my Dad. I will say those words now as I type: 'I forgive the man who killed my father.'"

Allen added, "Peace be with you all."

Fox News reported the actor, who has voiced characters for Toy Story movies, starred in the Santa Clause series, the Shaggy Dog, was "Tim the Toolman Taylor" in Home Improvement and many more about which cult followings have developed, lost his father, Dick, a real estate agent, when a drunk driver's vehicle collided with his car when Allen was 11.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President Trump has made good on his plan to send U.S. military troops to Portland, Oregon, a city that has had more than its share of violent protests at the hand of Antifa and other left-wing agitators.

Trump posted the news on his Truth Social account Saturday, emphasizing the he's "authorizing Full Force, if necessary" to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Oregon's largest city.

Posted Trump: "At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Planned Parenthood, America's abortion industry giant, already is contending with what some have called an existential threat to its future because Congress adopted a law withholding federal Medicaid funds – hundreds of millions of dollars a year – from the abortionists.

Planned Parenthood actually went to court over that law, claiming it now has a constitutional right to be paid taxpayer money.

It has complained that it will have to shut down some of its abortion business locations if it doesn't take tax money to keep them open.

But there's also another threat, and this one, in the race to be an "existential threat," is far and away ahead.

According to a report in the National Catholic Register a court case accuses Planned Parenthood of taking hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayers that it was not allowed to take.

It was an anonymous activist, and the state of Texas, that brought the claim the abortionists improperly took money from Medicaid.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in the case, which is titled Doe v. Planned Parenthood, and a decision could come soon.

"When Planned Parenthood was exposed for selling fetal tissue and organs, Louisiana and Texas quickly moved to revoke the organization's Medicaid eligibility. Court orders delayed the revocation. As the courts debated Planned Parenthood's eligibility, the group continued to make Medicaid reimbursement claims despite the uncertain status until 2020, when the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the states," the report documented.

The lawsuit, from 2021, comes under the False Claims Act which requires "any person who knowingly submits, or causes to submit, false claims to the government is liable for three times the government's damages plus a penalty that is linked to inflation."

Jennie Bradley Lichter, chief of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, told the publication that taking money from the government "while ineligible" must be "repaid in full."

Planned Parenthood lawyer Susan Baker Manning said there's no grounds for the abortionists to worry.

"This case has one goal: to shut down Planned Parenthood and deny patients access to sexual and reproductive health care," she said.

The problem, however, is that, according to Katie Glenn Daniel of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, "The whistleblower in this case, Doe, is suing on behalf of the people to recover taxpayer dollars Planned Parenthood had no right to take and still has not voluntarily paid back, plus fees and interest."

She said Planned Parenthood for years after being disqualified continued billing Medicaid in Texas and Louisiana and taking the cash.

The Hill reported, "Planned Parenthood's access to tax dollars has also been limited by the Supreme Court ruling in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which upheld states' authority to decide whether abortion providers qualify for Medicaid reimbursements.

"Against this backdrop, the under-the-radar case of U.S. ex rel. Doe v. Planned Parenthood represents an existential threat to Planned Parenthood. Now, Planned Parenthood could be on the hook for treble damages, civil penalties, interest and legal fees, pushing its total potential liability in the pending case past $1.8 billion — a financial catastrophe for the abortion giant.

It actually could "hasten its end."