This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has confirmed that his former chief of staff "no longer serves in this administration" after her arrest on charges including bank and wire fraud.
The comments from Newsom, whose aspirations to be the Democratic nominee for president are apparent, came in response to the case against Dana Williamson and other co-conspirators who are facing 23 counts of obstruction of justice, false statements and bank and wire fraud, a report at the Gateway Pundit confirmed.
"Williamson, who left the Governor's Office in December 2024, is named along with Greg Campbell, Sean McCluskie and two others on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. There are 23 counts in total; the 18 bank and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines," The Sacramento Bee reported.
Newsom's office issued that statement about Williamson no longer being in the Democrat administration in California, and added, "While we are still learning details of the allegations, the Governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity. At a time when the President is openly calling for his Attorney General to investigate his political enemies, it is especially important to honor the American principle of being innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of one's peers."
Federal prosecutors allege that from February 2022 to September 2024, Williamson and others diverted $225,000 in funds from a dormant political campaign for personal use.
The report said it was run through several business operations and "disguised" as pay.
Further, the indictment charges Williamson conspired with others to create false, backdated contracts after receiving a civil subpoena in January 2024 from the U.S. Attorney's Office regarding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans made to Williamson's business.
The report continued, "Williamson also subscribed to false tax returns claiming more than $1 million in business deductions for what were actually personal and nondeductible expenditures, such as private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, home furnishings, and designer handbags, as well as deductions for no-show jobs for friends and family."
"Today's charges are the result of three years of relentless investigative work, in partnership with IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office," Sid Patel, of the FBI, said. "The FBI will remain vigilant in its efforts to uncover fraud and corruption, ensuring our government systems are held to the highest standards."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals California has issued 17,000 commercial licenses to "dangerous" foreign-born truck drivers.
"After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday.
"Now that we've exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked."
"This is just the tip of the iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses."
The announcement comes in the wake of an ongoing Trump administration probe into fatal highway crashes involving illegal-alien truckers and how they received their licenses.
Those who currently possess an illegal commercial driver's license from the Golden State have been notified their CDL will expire in 60 days.
Additionally, the U.S. DOT department will examine California's audit of its CDL system to "verify that every illegally issued license has been revoked and that the failures that allowed these licenses to be issued are corrected."
Duffy began his crackdown after an Indian national truck driver made an illegal U-turn in St. Lucie County on Florida's Turnpike, causing three people to be killed in a subsequent wreck. The driver, 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, was arrested in August. He is an illegal alien and was issued his trucking permit by California.
DOT figures released in September revealed more than 25% of non-domiciled CDLs reviewed in its audit were improperly issued by California.
"California's reckless disregard is frankly disgusting and an affront to the millions of Americans who expect us to keep them safe," Duffy said at the time.
"California must get its act together immediately or I will not hesitate to pull millions in funding."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Attorney General Pam Bondi Tuesday announced the Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the anti-Turning Point USA violent protest that occurred Monday at UC Berkeley.
As WorldNetDaily reported, a riot erupted outside a Turning Point USA event, leaving participants bloodied – and under arrest.
"During the brawl, two men were seen fighting each other, one of whom had blood gushing from his face. Video taken by Fox News Digital also shows a crowd of agitators gathering around the fight. Many demonstrators wore keffiyehs and carried signs with left-wing messages," the New York Post reported.
Police donned shield masks and brandished batons to try to bring the rioters under control.
Bondi posted to X:
"Antifa is an existential threat to our nation.
"The violent riots at UC Berkeley last night are under full investigation by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force. We will continue to spare no expense unmasking all who commit and orchestrate acts of political violence.
"Under President Trump's leadership, and pursuant to his Executive Order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, the Department of Justice and our law-enforcement partners are dismantling violent networks that seek to intimidate Americans and suppress their free expression and First Amendment rights."
Earlier Tuesday Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon posted, "In America, we do not allow citizens to be attacked by violent thugs and shrug and turn our backs. Been there, done that, not on our watch."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President Donald Trump on Monday said he believes Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has "lost her way," saying he's "surprised" by the MAGA lawmaker who has been one of his staunchest supporters.
Trump was answering a question in the Oval Office, as CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked: "Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is a big ally of yours, said that she would rather see you focused on non-stop domestic policy meetings here at the White House, instead of non-stop foreign policy meetings. What's your response to her saying that, and also saying that grocery prices are up and not down, as you've said?"
"I don't know what happened to Marjorie. She's a nice woman, but I don't know what happened. She's lost her way I think," Trump responded. "I'm surprised at her."
"I have to view the presidency as a worldwide situation, not locally," he continued. "I mean we could have a world that's on fire where wars come to our shores very easily if you had a bad president. We had a horrible president and we ended up with Russia-Ukraine. We ended up with other disasters too."
"When you're president, you really sort of have to watch over the world because you're gonna be dragged into it otherwise, you're gonna be dragged into a world war."
Investigative journalist Laura Loomer took note of Trump's opinion of MTG, and said: "President Trump just confirmed publicly what I have been telling you all for months.
"He can't stand her and she's lying about being close with him and lying about speaking to him regularly."
Does Greene have aspirations for higher office? NOTUS reported the Christian congresswoman "is telling people she wants to run for president in 2028."
"She has confided to colleagues that she wants to run for president, according to four sources familiar with the matter, including one who has spoken with her directly about it," the news outlet explained.
"One source says her conversations have centered around her belief she is 'real MAGA and that the others have strayed,' adding that she believes she has 'the national donor network to win the primary.'"
"After publication, Greene texted NOTUS, saying she 'saw you posted a baseless article.' NOTUS sent an inquiry to her communications director ahead of publication, but Greene asked why NOTUS had not reached out to a different person in her office.
"Who is your source? Laura Loomer? She claimed I was running for governor last week and announcing it in the view. Once again you publish baseless gossip. Very disappointing. Don't text me again," Greene said.
Meanwhile, Greene is excited about her first book, "MTG," which is set to be released Nov. 21.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., predicted the federal government shutdown would end Sunday, saying "cooler heads are prevailing" after President Donald Trump "gave us a breakthrough" on Saturday.
"I think this madness ends today," said Graham, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, on "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox News Channel. "The government will reopen today, we're not gonna talk about health care until it does."
"I think the government is gonna open today because cooler heads are prevailing on the Democratic side. Sen. [Jeanne] Shaheen, Sen. [Susan] Collins, Katie Britt and many others, I think we'll have a breakthrough today."
Graham continued: "This political terrorism Democrats have been using, shut down airports, people not getting paid, staff benefits going away, it's backfiring."
"They want us to do two things by terrorizing the country. Repeal the $1.5 trillion in savings we had from the Big Beautiful Bill making Medicaid more efficient. They want to change the prohibition against illegal getting health care that we had in that bill. And they also want us to continue for another year Obamacare which is the biggest scam on the planet.
"Under Obamacare, insurance companies' stocks have gone up about 1,000%. Your premiums have doubled. The only winner under Obamacare is insurance companies. They sign people, up, they get paid and these people don't even make claims; 190,000 people were signed up on Obamacare and didn't even know it. So it's a scam for insurance companies, it's not helping affordability, and Donald Trump gave us a breakthrough yesterday."
The breakthrough to which Graham was referring is Trump's declaration on X Saturday to have money sent directly to Americans instead of "money sucking" insurance companies attached to Obamacare.
Trump said: "I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over.
"In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare. Unrelated, we must still terminate the Filibuster!
On Sunday morning, the president followed up with additional lengthy messages about the situation, saying: "I am sorry that the American People are being terrorized by Democrats who have decided to shut the Government down to make me and other Republicans continue ObamaCare subsidies, which have been a windfall for Health Insurance Companies, and a DISASTER for the American People.
"The largest Health Insurance Companies have seen their Stock Prices soar (Some over 1000%!) since the passage of ObamaCare. Meanwhile, Americans' Premiums have more than DOUBLED, contrary to President Obama's promise. I believe that the money should go directly to THE PEOPLE to purchase better Healthcare, and create competition.
"This enrichment of Health Insurance companies must stop. It is long past time to lower Premiums, not enrich Insurance Companies. I stand ready to work with both Parties to solve this problem once the Government is open. Stop terrorizing the American People. Stop pushing failed policies!"
Trump continued: "Democrats claim to be working for 'the little guy,' and driving down your Health Insurance, but the OBAMACARE SCAM goes STRAIGHT TO THEIR BEST FRIENDS IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY. THEY ARE MAKING A 'KILLING,' while Health Coverage only gets WORSE.
"If Democrats get their way again, they're in for another HUGE Payday at the expense of the American People. NO DEAL! Republicans should give money DIRECTLY to your personal HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS that I expanded in our GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Expressing doubt whether explicit and graphic sex shows in front of children actually are protected by the First Amendment, a federal appeals court has allowed a Texas law barring those activities to take effect.
"The law is not facially invalid unless its 'unconstitutional applications substantially outweigh its constitutional ones,'" said a ruling from 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
"The district court did not conduct this analysis, nor did the parties brief the proper standard or adequately develop the record. Consequently, we are unequipped to undertake this task in the first instance, and remand for the district court to do so."
A Fox News report said the decision lifts the lower court's injunction against enforcement of the law.
The judges turned to the explicit nature of the shows: "We have genuine doubt, however, that pulsing prosthetic breasts in front of people, putting prosthetic breasts in people's faces, and being spanked by audience members are actually constitutionally protected—especially in the presence of minors."
The ruling from the three-judge panel tossed the 2023 decision from a trial court that blocked the law.
"While nude dancing receives some constitutional protection, 'intentional contact between a nude dancer and a bar patron is conduct beyond the expressive scope of the dancing itself. The conduct at that point has overwhelmed any expressive strains it may contain. That the physical contact occurs while in the course of protected activity does not bring it within the scope of the First Amendment,'" they instructed.
The ruling could be a preliminary to a Supreme Court decision, as the 11th Circuit court recently ruled that a similar statute in Florida likely is problematic.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Rep Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., recently announced she will not seek re-election to Congress, setting the stage for an end to her some 40 years in the halls of government in Washington.
And while Democrats undoubtedly will have honors for her as she exits, after years at the controls of government, including years in the powerful position of speaker of the House, the reality may be something else.
"Pelosi will be remembered as a Democratic leader who opposed some of the most positive things the federal government did during her time in office," charged a commentary posted at the Daily Signal.
Author Terence Jeffrey pointed out her agenda that even opposed plans that would "protect innocent human lives."
That particular agenda point, debated in 2000, involved the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
Despite significant bipartisan support Pelosi declared her "strong opposition" to the plan, insisting about abortions, "We want to keep them safe, and we want to keep them legal."
The fact is the plan was to avoid the procedures in which a living baby is delivered until the boy or girl is partly outside the body of the mother, then deliberately killed.
"When the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act came up again in the House in 2003, Pelosi again voted against it. But that year, then-President George W. Bush signed it into law," the commentary explained.
'Her support for taking the lives of unborn and partially born children will forever be at the dark center of her legacy," the commentary said.
She also demanded higher taxes from Americans often struggling to feed their families.
"When President Donald Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was considered in the House in December 2017, Pelosi was an adamant opponent. As analyzed by The Heritage Foundation, this act cut taxes for working Americans. 'The reform will produce larger incomes, more jobs, more investment, and ultimately, more economic opportunity,' said a Heritage Foundation report. 'In 2018, taxpayers will save an average of $1,400, and married couples with two children will save $2,917.'"
Pelosi misinterpreted this as a tax cut for the rich.
Then there is President Trump's border wall, a border security issue on which he had campaigned.
She demanded, "Democrats do not support the wall," because it was "immoral."
Explained the commentary, "From 2007 through 2010, during Pelosi's first term as speaker of the House, more than 2.5 million aliens were apprehended trying to illegally cross the southwest border, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Trump's strategy was to stop this massive flow of illegal migrants."
Joe Biden abandoned the border security efforts, but they have been resumed on Trump's return to the White House.
And CBS confirmed, "Unlawful crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2025 plummeted to the lowest level since the early 1970s, amid the Trump administration's sweeping clampdown on illegal immigration, internal federal statistics obtained by CBS News show."
Pelosi tried claiming there were fewer illegal aliens entering the country during Biden's term than during Trump's first term.
"I don't think we were clear enough by saying fewer people came in under President Biden than came under Donald Trump," she claimed.
Politifact quickly corrected her: "Border Patrol agents have encountered people trying to illegally cross the border between official ports of entry 7.2 million times under President Joe Biden's administration compared to 1.8 million times under President-elect Donald Trump."
Pelosi further was active in the Democrats' lawfare against President Trump, including creating a special partisan committee that creatively assigned blame to him for the protest-turned-riot at the Capitol in January 2023.
Twice her schemes to impeach him and remove him from the White House failed.
And long have there been questions about how she was able, on an admittedly healthy congressional paycheck, able to accumulate a net worth of hundreds of millions of dollars.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
During COVID, the federal government handed out trillions of dollars.
American taxpayers bought massages chairs for a teachers' lounge in Montana, spent $6.6 million on a sprinkler system at a Colorado Springs golf course, paid $2,000 for a bowling party in Connecticut, another $10 million on rodeos because of course rodeos are needed, $7,675 on a marching band and some $2,400 on "swag."
Stunningly, given the circumstances, some money wasn't spent. And one U.S. senator says in just one part of that program, intended to help state and local governments, there was $65 billion left over. She wants it back.
"The COVID cash bonanza was a $4.5 trillion all-you-can-eat buffet of waste, fraud, and abuse, with the cost eaten by taxpayers," Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, confirmed. "At $38 trillion in debt, the federal government shouldn't have secret slush funds or be spending them on golf carts, bowling parties, and high school drag shows. While too much money has already been sent out the door, we have a chance to return the remaining $65 billion to the American people."
Her legislative plans targets money that was part of a $350 billion allocation for state and local governments to cope with the economic fallout from COVID and all those business shutdowns.
According to a report at the Washington Stand, the $350 billion went to the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, and the Economic Policy Innovation Center said the motivation there was "to replace state and local tax revenue based on the assumption that these governments would experience shortfalls like those experienced during previous recessions."
But, the organization revealed, "The reduction in state and local revenues never materialized to the extent that Congress anticipated at the time of enactment."
So various officials decided to use the money, allocated in a bill signed by Joe Biden, for other projects, and there was little to no oversight.
EPIC has confirmed, "More than $185 million has been approved for projects related to golf courses (such as updating irrigation systems or buying golf carts), more than $400 million has gone to improve swimming pools, almost $80 million has gone to sports stadiums, $34 million has gone to building tennis and pickleball courts, $10 million has gone to rodeos, and one town even got $15 million to install showers and a commercial kitchen at a site to host the circus and local flea market."
Enough, said Ernst.
She is going after unspent money in that allocation, as well as funds under "the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Divisions M or N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act of 2021, the CARES Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020."
Her bill calls for the funds to be put in the general fund of the nation's Treasury to be used for deficit reduction.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Just four days after President Trump warned of U.S. military action in Nigeria with "guns-a-blazing" over the killing of Christians, the commander in chief on Wednesday issued a video statement amplifying his threat, as he stressed, "The killing of Christians is not going to happen."
"Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed," Trump said. "Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern, that's a legal definition.
"When the Christians or any such group is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria – 3,100 vs. 4,476 worldwide, what horrible numbers – something has to be done."
The president continued: "I am asking Congressman Riley Moore together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee to immediately look into this matter and to report back to me – and I mean, like, immediately.
"The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries. It's not only Nigeria, it's all over. We stand ready, willing and able to save our great Christian population around the world. This is not going to happen. The killing of Christians is not going to happen."
The official designation for Nigeria came last Friday, and on Saturday the president went public with the military warning.
"If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," Trump said.
"I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!"
Pop star Nicki Minaj has already expressed her gratitude to Trump for highlighting the plight of Nigerian Christians.
"Reading [the president's statement] made me feel a deep sense of gratitude," wrote Minaj.
"We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don't have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other.
"Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it's dangerous to pretend we don't notice.
"Thank you to the president and his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let's remember to lift them up in prayer."
Speculation that ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi will retire is mounting, with Democrats saying they believe she will make an announcement after Election Day, NBC reports.
Rumors of retirement have dogged the 85-year-old Pelosi for years, but the leftist politician has kept a tenacious hold on power, defying her critics.
Insiders told NBC that Pelosi will likely leave on a high note after the expected passage of Proposition 50, Democrats' partisan redistricting proposal in California.
“I wish she would stay for 10 more years,” one House Democrat from California told NBC. “I think she’s out. She’s going to go out with Prop 50 overwhelmingly passing, and what a crowning achievement for her to do that.”
A fixture on Capitol Hill for years, Pelosi ranks as one of the most influential and wealthiest politicians in the country. Her finances have come under close scrutiny in recent years, fueling calls to ban stock trading by lawmakers.
A House Democrat leadership aide said, “I think she’s preparing to exit the stage," adding, "We will not fully appreciate the time we have spent with her."
Meanwhile, a Democratic official in Pelosi's San Francisco fiefdom said, “Most people think it is highly unlikely that she will run for another term."
Primary challengers have already started to line up for Pelosi's seat, including California state senator Scott Wiener, a notorious radical.
During a Monday appearance on CNN, Pelosi demurred when asked about her plans.
“I have said I won’t do anything until Preposition 50, so tomorrow night will be very fraught with meaning for all of us. I want to win big, I think we can win big, and I don‘t want to be spending time on whatever I might be doing. I want to spend my time on what we‘re doing, working together to get out the vote,” Pelosi said on CNN.
Pelosi's retirement, when it comes, will be a pivotal moment in American politics.
The first female Speaker of the House, Pelosi was the Democrats' ruthless leader in the chamber for nearly two decades, including the entirety of President Trump's first term. She served two separate stints as Speaker before resigning from leadership after the 2022 midterms elections.
She has played a more muted role in Trump's second term, which has been a difficult time for Democrats as they have drifted without a sense of direction.
Her handpicked successor in the House, minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, has struggled to lead Democrats with the same discipline that Pelosi had.