This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A "deeply conflicted" judge in New York, Juan Merchan, says he wants to sentence President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 10 in his case over apparent misdemeanor business records infractions that suddenly were felonies because an anti-Trump prosecutor claimed they were in pursuit of another, unidentified, crime.
The announcement Friday comes from Merchan in the case in which a leftist jury in Manhattan convicted Trump on 34 of those records violations.
The legacy media has styled the case the "hush money" case essentially because Trump's organization labeled his payments to his then-lawyer as legal fees when some of the money went to a woman to keep quiet about an alleged affair, which both alleged participants have denied happened.
Trump communications director Steven Cheung didn't waste time responding: "Today's order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court's Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence. This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed. President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts. There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead."
There are legal motions that can be filed that could stymie Merchan's agenda.
The Article III Project, which advocates for the judiciary, similarly responded, revealing some of the conflicts that face Merchan's plans.
"Democrat Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan—who donated to Trump's opponents and whose adult daughter Loren is raising money off of this bogus case—once again proves he is partisan, corrupt, and dangerous. The Supreme Court must end this immediately," said Mike Davis, who helped win Senate confirmation battles for Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
ABC reported the case sentence will include an "unconditional discharge."
The report said Merchan claimed such a ruling is the "most viable solution to ensure finality and allow Defendant to pursue his appellate options."
Merchan, who analysts have suggested is thumbing his nose at the Supreme Court's recent immunity ruling regarding the Trump cases, assumed the pulpit to lecture Trump over his "disdain for the third branch of government."
He accused Trump of going to "great lengths to broadcast on social media and other forums his lack of respect for judges, juries, grand juries and the justice system as a whole."
That "disdain" from Trump followed a years-long series of lawfare cases assembled by Democrats who appeared to be trying to jail him to keep him from running for the White House again.
For example, multiple charges were filed over the government documents Trump held after he left the presidency. However, federal prosecutors found Joe Biden liable for the same offense, but gave him a free pass for his actions. One jurisdiction even claimed an "organized crime" conspiracy involved Trump.
Merchan's scheme to give Trump a "discharge" would mean there's no penalty, but the conviction would remain on Trump's record.
The conviction already is facing an appeal, with constitutional experts aligned in the opinion that the case ultimately will be thrown out.
WND previously has reported when Merchan insisted on keeping his case going, when other lawfare attacks were being dismissed, Trump wrote, "In a completely illegal, psychotic order, the deeply conflicted, corrupt, biased, and incompetent Acting Justice Juan Merchan has completely disrespected the United States Supreme Court, and its Historic Decision on Immunity. But even without Immunity, this illegitimate case is nothing but a Rigged Hoax. Merchan, who is a radical partisan, wrote an opinion that is knowingly unlawful, goes against our Constitution, and, if allowed to stand, would be the end of the Presidency as we know it. Merchan has so little respect for the Constitution that he is keeping in place an illegal gag order on me, your President and President-Elect, just so I cannot expose his and his family's disqualifying and illegal conflicts…."
The case had shaky origins to start. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought business recording situations, which would have been misdemeanors had they been filed before the statute of limitations expired, to court, claiming they were felonies because they were in pursuit of another, unidentified crime.
Then Merchan allowed the salacious testimony of a former porn star in his courtroom and the leftist jury in leftist Manhattan returned guilty verdicts to 34 counts.
Trump continued, "….I am the only Political Opponent in American History not allowed to defend myself – A despicable First Amendment Violation! Merchan took the Manhattan D.A.'s Witch Hunt, that, according to all Legal Scholars, including Jonathan Turley, Elie Honig, Andy McCarthy, Alan Dershowitz, Gregg Jarrett, David Rivkin, Elizabeth Price Foley, Katie and Andy Cherkasky, Paul Ingrassia, and many others, is a nonexistent case, barred by the Statute of Limitations, and should have never been brought and, through his fraud and misconduct, gave it a semblance of 'life.' While Deranged Jack Smith was sent packing back to The Hague after losing all of his politically manufactured cases against me, Merchan, who is far worse and even more corrupt than Smith in his fight for my hopeless political opponents, just cannot let go of this charade. Is it because of his conflicts and relations that he keeps breaking the Law? This has to stop! It is time to end the Lawfare once and for all, so we can come together as one Nation and, Make America Great Again."
Trump's lawyers, citing Joe Biden's recent complaints about unfair prosecutions, had insisted Merchan, who inexplicably had told the jury their verdict did not have to be unanimous, dismiss the case entirely.
Trump's lawyers had told Merchan, "President Donald J. Trump respectfully submits this motion to dismiss the Indictment and vacate the jury's verdicts… The Presidential immunity doctrine, the Presidential Transition Act, and the Supremacy Clause all require that result, and they require it immediately."
Experts have noted the trial itself was "replete with layers of reversible error."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The Houston mosque reportedly attended by terrorist Shamsud Din Jabbar, who killed 15 and injured dozens more in a truck rampage early New Year's Day, has told its members to shun questions from the FBI and refer them instead to the radical CAIR organization.
A statement from Masjid Bilal ISGH, a mosque in Houston, said, after the attack, "Assalamu Alaikum brothers and sisters. I'm sure many of you have heard about the tragic events that took place in New Orleans this morning that are now being classified as an 'act of terror' by the FBI.
"I want to emphasize the importance of everyone to stay very vigilant and aware of your surroundings. The safety of our community is the most important thing."
It continued, "If anyone is contacted by the media, it is very important that you do not respond. If approached by the FBI and a response is necessary, please refer to CAIR and ISGH. It is crucial that we stay united at this time as we condemn these terrible acts. Please stay safe."
It is signed off by JazakAllahu Khairun, "Masjid Bilal Management."
CAIR is the radicals Council on American-Islamic Relations and ISGH is the Islamic Society of Greater Houston.
Jabbar, 42, was discharged from the Army Reserve in 2020 and a report at the Gateway Pundit explained he "converted to Islam before spiraling into erratic behavior, according to family members who spoke with far-left New York Times."
"Dwayne Marsh, married to Jabbar's ex-wife, noted the suspect's increasingly bizarre actions, including cutting his hair drastically and displaying erratic behavior that prompted them to restrict his access to his daughters," the report said.
Law enforcement continues to investigate the motive for the horrific mass murder on Bourbon Street even as authorities have confirmed the terror aspect of the crime.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Israel took responsibility Wednesday for carrying out a commando raid back in September, which destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile manufacturing site deep into Syria; an operation, which at the time was widely attributed to Israel's military.
Taking place less than two weeks before the infamous beeper and walkie talkie operation over the border in Beirut, security sources immediately pointed the finger at Israeli commandos for carrying out the raid on Syrian soil on Sept. 8. Initial reports about the raid, which targeted the Scientific Studies and Research Center, known as CERS or SSRC, in the Masyaf area, and demolished an underground facility used by Iranian forces to manufacture precision missiles for Hezbollah, did not emerge until a few days later.
Members of the Israel Air Force's elite "Shaldag" unit struck the site, which lies approximately 120 miles north of Israel, although merely a quarter of that distance from Syria's western coast, according to the Times of Israel.
Under the cover of darkness and with the air-to-surface missiles blasting the area around the facility to prevent Assad regime soldiers access, opposition Syria TV network claimed Israeli military helicopters did not land on enemy soil, rather hovering above it to allow special forces troops to rappel down to the ground.
Combat helicopters and drones were also in close attendance to the military choppers. Israeli troops removed equipment and documents. They also mined the facility from the inside, largely destroying it, and were then able to evacuate under air cover.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The chief of America's Border Patrol union is warning "sanctuary" ideologues, those officials who set up their own cities and towns as "sanctuaries" for illegal aliens and claim they will not help, or even allow, federal deportation plans, to beware.
"Take President Trump and his administration at their word," explained union chief Paul Perez, "They're going to do the job of protecting Americans. And so it would be incumbent upon those sanctuary cities and jurisdictions to understand one thing. Federal law supersedes state law.
"Any municipality, anybody that's going to get in the way is going to be dealt with. … And so they need to take this incoming administration at its word because they're going to have some of the best legal minds working within the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. So it's not something that they're taking lightly. They're going to do the job."
An open-border practice is one of the key points of Joe Biden's legacy as he prepares to leave the White House in weeks. Millions and millions of illegal aliens have crossed the border because of his policies and practices, and America will face headaches for years because of that, even though President-elect Donald Trump has promised tight security measures going forward, and deportation plans for the illegals already in the country.
Some of the impacts of that Biden policy have been schools overwhelmed with non-English speaking children, a tighter job market, huge new demands on all sorts of social service and government aid efforts, and, too, the threat of criminal illegal alien gangs that now are in the U.S.
Trump has named Tom Homan the new border czar, and he has confirmed there will be immediate repercussions for illegals in the country.
"We'll be ready to launch the day of the inauguration," he said. "Day one will there will be ICE officers across the country will be out on the streets. The priority right out of the gate is public safety threats and national security threats.
He cited the millions now in the U.S. illegally.
"We've got a lot of them look for too, so the public safety threats are plenty, and it's going to keep us busy," he said.
A commentary at Twitchy explained, "Many commenters hope Homan is quick to arrest any local or state officials who dare to obstruct the federal government from fulfilling its duties to round up illegal aliens. … A few arrests will go a long way towards showing officials what will happen if they chose illegal aliens over the law."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Israel's attorney general calls for investigation into Sara Netanyahu
Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman have called for an inquest into Sara Netanyahu after an investigative report alleged her involvement in witness intimidation and interference in her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption case, according to the Media Line.
The report, aired last week on Channel 12's "Uvda" program, claimed that Sara Netanyahu directed the late Hanni Bleiweiss, a former aide to the prime minister, to organize protests and online campaigns targeting Hadas Klein, a key witness in the corruption trial. The allegations are based on internal communications recovered from Bleiweiss's phone.
Sara Netanyahu is a polarizing figure in Israel's political life. She has no official mandate – having neither stood nor ever won an election – yet she is reported to wield enormous political power, including advice given to her husband.
Houthis claim to have busted CIA, Mossad spy ring as leaders in Yemen fear assassination
U.K.-based Arabic-language outlet Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday reported that Yemen's Houthis carried out arrests in the provinces of Saada, Sanaa and Hodeidah over fears of "Israeli infiltration" into their ranks. According to the report, the Houthis are concerned that the terrorist organization's senior leaders could be targeted as Hezbollah leaders were in Lebanon.
The report noted that the arrests came only days after the Houthis claimed to have uncovered a spy network in Yemen allegedly led by international intelligence agencies including the CIA and Mossad, according to Ynet.
"The enemy tasked the spies with conducting intelligence operations, including surveillance and pinpointing the locations of missiles, drones, naval forces and other military sites," according to the Houthis. They also alleged the "spies" were instructed to track and locate military, political and security leaders, as well as prominent social figures.
Israel's beeper operation nearly compromised after Hezbollah technician suspected devices
The truth they say is a time-release pill. As we draw closer to the end of the year, additional information is beginning to leak out about one of the stories of 2024 – namely the Mossad exploding beeper operation against Hezbollah terrorists.
The New York Times on Sunday reported that Israel detonated thousands of boobytrapped pagers, which it had covertly sold to Hezbollah, six days after learning the terrorist group was sending some devices to Iran for closer examination, according to the Times of Israel. The newspaper's account of the years-long deep penetration of the terrorist group by the Mossad and Israeli military intelligence is the most detailed to be published to date.
The report cited two dozen current and former Israeli, American, and European officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss classified information. It detailed Israel's two decades-long surveillance of Hezbollah's leadership and the decision to keep Washington in the dark about the plan to assassinate the group's long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
According to the report, earlier in 2024, Israel carried out a drone strike to kill a Hezbollah technician who suspected there might be explosives in the walkie-talkies that, like the pagers, Israel had covertly sold the terrorist group.
Hoard of 160 gold coins belonging to ancient king discovered in Judean desert
Researchers at University of Haifa's Zinman Institute of Archaeology uncovered a rare hoard of coins that belonged to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, during a dig that took place over the Hanukkah season, reported Israel National News.
The excavation was led by Dr. Shay Bar, Dr. Yoav Farhi and Dr. Mechael Osband who made their exceptional discovery on Friday morning, as WorldNetDaily reported.
The finding is extremely rare as very few coin hoards belonging to Alexander Jannaeus have been discovered and this marks one of the largest coin hoards of its kind ever uncovered in Israel.
"All of our students and volunteers were very excited to find this Hasmonean relic, especially during Hanukkah. This gave the holiday an added sense of significance, especially during this difficult time for the Jewish people. I hope that people will be drawn to visit this place and it will become a protected archaeological heritage site in Israel," Dr. Bar said.
El Al cancels flights to Moscow until at least March 2025
El Al, Israel's national carrier, recently announced it is suspending flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow citing "developments over Russian airspace,"
reported Israel National News. This is in reference to the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was bound from the Azeri capital, Baku, to Grozny in Russia, and crash landed in Kazakhstan. While there has been no official confirmation, a finger of suspicion has been pointed at Russian forces bringing the plane down.
The company said they reached this decision after ongoing discussions with the Russian authorities.
Gulf countries meet to work out new Syria strategy
The Gulf Cooperation Council held an extraordinary meeting Thursday to discuss Syria, calling for sanctions to be lifted, condemning Israel's buffer zone occupation, and pledging support for Syria's transition and reconstruction.
Gulf states have historically diverged on Syria: Oman, the UAE, and Bahrain restored ties with Assad; Qatar backed the rebels; Kuwait prioritized humanitarian aid; and Saudi Arabia would tread cautiously. Now, the dynamics have shifted.
According to Semafor,Gulf nations are recalibrating their strategies to a new reality that affects their foreign and domestic policies, and may rattle other countries with restive populations.
While Gulf states have been relatively insulated from regime-change contagion, Egypt – a key ally – is more vulnerable. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has repeatedly warned of destabilization attempts. "They have already destroyed Syria. Their goal is to bring down the Egyptian state," he cautioned in a video heavy with military imagery aired by a government-linked TV channel.
Netanyahu in good condition after prostate surgery
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – Israel's longest-serving premier – is reportedly recovering well after undergoing surgery at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital to remove his prostate.
"The prime minister has awakened from the anesthesia [sic], is in good condition and is fully conscious He has been transferred to the underground, protected recovery unit. He is expected to remain in the hospital for observation in the coming days," according to a statement, published on the Jewish News Syndicate.
Last Wednesday, , 75, underwent an examination at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem's Ein Kerem, during which a urinary tract infection caused by a benign prostate enlargement was identified.
Israel's foreign minister extends country's condolences over South Korea plane crash
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar extended condolences on behalf of Israel to the government and people of South Korea following the horrific plane crash, which claimed the lives of 179 people – in the South Asian nation's worst aviation disaster.
"Deeply saddened to hear about the tragic plane crash in South Korea, claiming so many lives. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims," Sa'ar posted to X, and reported in the Jewish News Syndicate.
"Israel stands in solidarity with South Korea during this difficult hour," he added.
Netanyahu says Jimmy Carter's efforts on behalf of peace with Egypt 'show hope for future generations,' President Herzog recalls 'brave leader'
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the "Carter family and the American people" on the passing of 100-year-old former President Jimmy Carter.
"We will always remember President Carter's role in forging the first Arab-Israeli peace treaty signed by Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, a peace treaty that has held for nearly half a century and offers hope for future generations," the prime minister wrote on X.
Meanwhile, President Isaac Herzog referred to Carter as a "brave leader" whom he had the pleasure of thanking for his historic efforts to forge peace between Israel and Egypt, which "remains an anchor of stability many decades later," reported the Jerusalem Post.
New details emerge about Haniyeh assassination, and how it was nearly derailed
It was only a few days ago that Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz admitted the country's role in the assassination of Hamas terrorist leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, on July 31. Now, a report on Israel's N12 channel outlines just how close the plot came to failing.
Haniyeh was staying in the Neshat compound in the Saadat Abad neighborhood of Tehran when he was killed … The complex houses high-level Iranian officials and IRGC members and is protected by some of the most advanced security systems in the world, the report said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
"The Haniyeh assassination was at an even higher level than the pager operation. We penetrated the inside and outside of the most guarded Iranian facility," Iran expert Beni Sabti of the Institute for National Security Studies told N12.
Israeli man arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran
Israel's security services released for publication Monday information regarding the arrest of a 29-year-old man from the central city of Petah Tikva, who was apprehended for "committing security offenses after he was suspected of being involved in several vehicle arson on behalf of foreign elements," the Shin Bet and police said, according to the Times of Israel.
According to the investigation, since November, Granovsky was in contact with "terror elements" from abroad, and carried out "a large number of different security tasks for them," for monetary gain.
The Shin Bet says Granovsky knew that the tasks had "potential to harm the security of the state."
The tasks that Granovsky carried out, according to the Shin Bet, included: setting fire to eight vehicles across Israel; graffitiing "Children of Ruhollah," referring to Ruhollah Khomeini, the former supreme leader of Iran; photographing a state-owned facility in central Israel; photographing the entrance to the neighborhood where former defense minister and MK Benny Gantz lives and sending it to his handlers; sending his handlers information about an Israeli civilian for the purpose of examining his recruitment for various tasks; purchasing military uniforms for a video in which he would burn them; and more.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
For weeks there's been an epidemic of drone sightings over New York and New Jersey, without a definitive explanation available yet.
A variety of assumptions have been discussed, but none has yet relieved the concern Americans naturally have over such unexplained activities.
As WorldNetDaily indicated Dec. 15, there were reports suggesting the drones are part of a massive counter-terror operation hunting for a dirty bomb or another possible weapon of mass destruction on American soil.
Now that alarm level has just been boosted, with a Townhall report that radiation has been detected at "dramatically increased levels" in New York City.
The report said, "According to GQ Electronics' Geiger Counter World Map, high emissions levels were detected near the Bronx and the Upper West Side of New York City. The radiation reading scale measured 1048 counts-per-minute (CPM), or the number of particles detected. This exceeds the average number of particles detected by the 200 counts-per-minute safety threshold. In comparison, the average person is usually exposed to background radiation that measures about five to 60 CPM."
Gordan Chang, who authored "Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America," suggested a link between the drones and the radiation.
"There have been reports of spikes and radiation in the New York metropolitan area," Chang said in the report. "Two of them, one on each side of the Hudson. That leads to the conclusion that maybe they're looking for an implanted nuclear weapon."
It's not the first time China has been linked to strange events across the U.S. In 2023 Chinese spy balloons crossed the United States at altitude, and according to the report it was "an apparent failure of the federal government," both the military and the president, the protect the nation.
Now comes the drone mystery along with reports of radiation.
"When you talk about radiation, clearly this could be one of the things that the drones are doing," Chang explained. "And that would explain why they're over residential areas because the device could be planted in one of those places."
His warning noted that should a "dirty bomb" be detonated, Americans would be far from prepared.
"So, people need to be able to have enough food enough water they need iodine pills – this is not a conversation that the American people have had for a very very long time," he said.
Newsweek previously had reported the unexplained drone waves at night have drawn attention from lawmakers.
The FBI said it had gotten more than 3,000 tips about drones.
The report noted a video from John Ferguson of Saxon Aerospace, a drone maker in Kansas, which explained that drones would be operating at night mostly if an operator was "looking for something."
"My own guess is that these drones are not nefarious in intent. If they are, they are, but I doubt it. But if they are drones, the only reason why they would be flying, and flying that low, is because they're trying to smell something on the ground," Ferguson explained.
May gas leaks, or pockets of radiation, he suggested.
Newsweek noted the problem Americans face: "The absence of concrete answers as to the origins of the unmanned aerial vehicles has prompted some lawmakers to accuse government agencies of concealing information, and the vacuum has led to the propagation of theories as to what the sightings could mean."
Joe Biden's Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, suggested people could be seeing more drones at night simply because the FAA changed its rules to let drones operate in the dark.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One day after a lawsuit was filed over the issue, Congress reversed the federal government's position on filming in national parks.
A report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression explains that for years photographers and filmmakers have taken images inside the nation's national parks.
Suddenly, however, the government started demanding special permits, costly special permits, for that activity.
So FIRE filed a lawsuit, and the next day, Congress started the process to reverse the requirement.
The case was brought after Alex Rienzie and Connor Burkesmith risked punishment for taking images of the Teton Trifecta, in Wyoming.
FIRE and the National Press Photographers Association sued, charging the government engaged in arbitrary and unconstitutional demands that Americans apply for a permit and pay costly fees before exercising their right to film in national parks," the organization reported.
"The very next day, the U.S. Senate passed a bill addressing these same issues. The bill now goes to President Biden, who is expected to sign it in a huge victory for filmmakers — and for the First Amendment," the organization explained.
The challenged practice was to require filmmakers to get a permit and pay a fee if they intend to later profit from their footage in national parks, even if they are using the same handheld camera or phone that a tourist would use.
And, FIRE confirmed, "Permits are routinely denied for arbitrary and unpredictable reasons, making it difficult for people like documentary filmmakers, press photographers, and wedding videographers to earn a living.:"
The report said the new EXPLORE Act, pushed by West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and Wyoming Republican John Barrasso, allows filming where the public is allowed as long as it doesn't impact other visitors or damage the park.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden and his entourage of family members have left the White House and Washington, D.C., for the next few days to spend them in St. Croix, the Virgin Islands.
It's at least the third time he's vacationed, since becoming president, at that location. But his vacation days have been numerous, according to a new report:
In fact, Fox News is reporting that he's been on vacation 570 days since becoming president, which would be about 40% of his entire tenure there.
A report at Econotimes said the numbers come from RNC Research and include "visits to his private residences in Delaware and trips to Camp David."
The numbers, in fact, have "ignited a fierce debate about how the president prioritizes his time amidst mounting challenges both at home and abroad," the report said.
It said, "Critics argue that the time spent away raises questions about Biden's commitment to leadership during a presidency marked by significant domestic and international crises."
Biden's supporters say his trips are "working retreats" where he is able to "Manage the nation's affairs while also balancing personal downtime."
Econotimes said Republican lawmakers are saying his days away are evidence "of a lack of focus on pressing issues such as inflation, the southern border crisis, and rising global tensions."
In fact, consumers have seen prices rise by more than 20% since Biden took office, millions of illegal aliens have flooded into the United States under Biden's open borders practice and multiple armed conflicts now are raging around the world, none of which was there when Biden took office.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A new decision from the Iowa state Supreme Court now threatens the privacy rights of everyone in the state, according to a report from the Institute for Justice.
The fight was over random inspections demanded by city officials in Orange City, Iowa, of any – and all – rental properties.
The state's high court decided to overturn a lower court's decision that the city's mandatory rental inspection law violated the state constitution.
"The law was challenged by a coalition of tenants and their landlords, represented by the Institute for Justice," said the institute, explaining that the decision didn't even address the constitutional problem in the case.
The court simply claimed, "[b]ecause there are situations where the City's inspection requirement can operate constitutionally, the citizens' facial challenge fails."
The court also claimed the law does not require the inspections to be conducted by a government official and speculated that the government can constitutionally force someone to open their doors for inspection by a "certified third-party" inspector.
"Today's ruling is incredibly disappointing and threatens the privacy rights of all Iowans," said IJ lawyer John Wrench. ""Orange City insists that it has the authority to forcefully search the homes of our clients and all renters using warrants that are not based on any evidence of a violation. By refusing to address the constitutionality of those searches, today's decision leaves Iowans without a clear path for challenging the government's forceful entry of their homes."
The town officials decided that they can use an "administrative warrant" to simply walk into any rental unit and inspect it, and all of its contents.
"Unlike a traditional warrant, which requires probable cause that a violation has occurred, administrative warrants require no proof that any violations or wrongdoing have occurred," the IJ said.
"My husband and I are private people, and we don't want to be forced to let people we don't know into our home to go searching around, when we've done nothing wrong," said Erika Nordyke, one of the tenants in the lawsuit.
A lower court had concluded the city did, in fact, violate the state constitution.
IJ lawyer Rob Peccolo explained earlier, "An administrative warrant is not the same as a traditional search warrant – the government doesn't need to suspect you of any wrongdoing to get an administrative warrant and enter your home without your permission. The home can contain the most private information about a person or family, including their religious, political and medical information. Iowans do not want government officials going through their homes for no good reason."
The IJ explained, "Inspectors can view everything about a tenant once they are inside the home: religious, political, and medical information, as well as information about tenants' children, families, and romantic lives. Inspectors can also learn about a tenant's socio-economic status – something tenants can find embarrassing and even humiliating. Most dangerous of all, inspectors can also report suspected criminal activity to the police, meaning rental inspections can lead to arrest."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – The incoming National Security Adviser Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., told conservative talk-show host Ben Shapiro there's a new sheriff in town with the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, and any terrorist organization which thought about holding U.S. hostages captive should think long and hard about whether the costs would outweigh the benefits.
Waltz pointed out the four remaining U.S. hostages held in Hamas captivity in Gaza have now been there for longer than the 444-day U.S. embassy siege in Tehran in February 1979.
"That's totally unacceptable, and I think writ large, there have never been enough consequences," says Waltz. "That's what we need to be talking about with these people. [If] You take an American … there is going to be all hell to pay. There are going to be nothing but consequences for you financially, and maybe even a bullet in your damn forehead."
"The next time you think about it … a lot of these groups are going to say, 'Whoa, it's just not worth it under Donald Trump,'" he surmised.
Waltz added there seemed to be a perverse incentive structure in place, which far from deterring terrorists seems to encourage them to chance their arm and take hostages, including Americans. He stated clearly in the interview that if the cost of capturing U.S. citizens became prohibitively high – which he expected to be the case under President Trump – then they would stop doing it.
Away from the Palestinian issue – although linked – Waltz claimed President Biden's victory in the 2020 election was a disaster, and particularly a foreign policy standpoint. He drew attention to how close Israel and Saudi Arabia were to inking a normalization deal following the successful signing of the Abraham Accords in Sept. 2020, between the Jewish state and four Arab/ Arab-majority countries.
Indeed, the incoming NSA drew a direct causal link between the proximity of a normalization deal between Saudi and Israel, and Iran's decision – despite its protestations of being kept in the dark – of lighting the fuse for the Oct. 7 attacks.
"We've had a lot of good discussions with the Saudis [about] normalization," the top Trump aide notes, adding that he is still reviewing the issue.
And to that point, Israeli news outlet Haaretz published an article last week, which suggested Saudi Crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman, who is de facto ruler of the kingdom, dropped his previously stated intransigence about a pathway to Palestinian statehood being a precondition for normalization with Israel.