The 30-year-old creep caught on camera terrorizing a California family, screaming “Where’s your daughter?!” while kicking down their door and ripping off their doorbell, has now been hit with additional felony charges for “annoying or molesting a child under 18.”
Jason Thomas Nichols became an internet sensation for all the wrong reasons after a chilling home invasion in Fairfield, California.
Doorbell footage showed Nichols pacing outside a family’s home, demanding to know “Where’s your daughter?” while threatening violence and attempting to force entry.
At one point, the suspect bizarrely claimed to be “Harry Dresden,” a fictional wizard detective before escalating into outright terror.
Moments later, he forced entry through a sliding glass door, with a woman and child inside, triggering a violent confrontation with the homeowner, who rushed back and defended his family.
WATCH:
Scary encounter captured on Ring camera as man demands, “Where is your daughter?” … I’m trying to learn more about the situation and if any arrests were made. pic.twitter.com/vabWa9PqUc
The video depicts a resident of the 1700 block of Burbank Court using a shovel to battle the intruder on Tuesday before police arrived.
Police praised “the actions of the homeowner, who worked to protect his family while officers were responding to the scene.”
A man later identified as 30-year-old Jason Nichols attempted to break into the residence occupied by a woman and child by kicking the front door, police said. When that failed, he gained entry through a sliding glass door.
“The homeowner’s husband, who was away at the time, observed the suspect through a home security camera and immediately returned to the residence,” police said.
As the suspect entered the home, the homeowner “armed himself with a shovel, and confronted Nichols,” police said.
“A physical altercation ensued, during which both the homeowner and Nichols sustained head injuries,” police added.
According to Fairfield Police, the new charges stem from a disturbing April 5, 2026, encounter – just two days before the viral home invasion on April 7.
A witness contacted police on April 12 to report an incident involving Jason Thomas Nichols and the witness’s child.
Update Regarding April 7, 2026 Incident – Fairfield Police Department Statement
On April 12, 2026, a witness contacted the Fairfield Police Department to provide information regarding an encounter involving 30-year-old Jason Nichols and the witness’s child on April 5, 2026. Based on the investigation, officers determined there was probable cause to arrest Nichols for additional crimes. While Nichols remained in custody for the previous incident, he was additionally booked for one count of 647.6 PC, annoying or molesting a child under 18.
Fairfield Police detectives are actively investigating this incident. Due to the sensitive nature of this case and the involvement of a minor, no further information will be provided. The Fairfield Police Department remains dedicated to ensuring the safety of our community and supporting those affected by these crimes.
Vice President JD Vance, a man who converted to Catholicism as an adult and has repeatedly proven himself one of the most devout and principled Catholic voices in American public life, just delivered a stinging message to Pope Leo XIV: Stick to matters of morality and leave American public policy to the President of the United States.
Pope Leo has doubled down, condemning war and warning against using religious messaging to justify violence, insisting he will “continue to speak loudly” for peace.
Vance, speaking on Fox News with Brett Baier, didn’t mince words as the radical left and their Vatican allies continue their latest meltdown over President Trump’s America First agenda.
Bret Baier: Do you think that when the president says it’s hurting him very badly—going catering to the radical left—that it’s hurting the Catholic Church? Do you agree with the president there?
JD Vance: Well, look, I think the president has the prerogative to set American foreign policy. He’s got the prerogative to set American immigration policy. He has to look out for the interests of the United States of America. And that inevitably means that when the Vatican comments on issues of public policy, sometimes there’s going to be agreement—of course—and sometimes there’s going to be disagreement.
I think that’s a reasonable thing, Bret. Again, I don’t think that it’s particularly newsworthy, but I certainly think that in some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality—to stick to matters of, you know, what’s going on in the Catholic Church—and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.
But when they’re in conflict, they’re in conflict. I don’t worry about it too much, Bret. I think it’s a natural thing. I’m sure it’ll happen in the future, and it’s not that big of a deal that it happened in the past.
WATCH:
Fox News’ Bret Baier: “Do you think that when the president says it’s ‘hurting him very badly,’ ‘catering to the radical left’ is hurting the Catholic Church?’ Do you agree with the president there?”
Vance also addressed the media firestorm surrounding Trump’s viral AI-generated image. Vance dismissed the outrage as media-driven hysteria.
WATCH:
JUST NOW — JD VANCE on Trump’s deleted post after religious backlash: “He doesn’t send everything through a communications professional.”
“The president was posting a joke and of course he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor… pic.twitter.com/oFiRV6ry1d
Disgraced California Rep. Eric Swalwell was caught on video looking completely bleary-eyed and wearing nothing but a robe while partying with a rotating crew of young “yacht girls” during a luxury blowout off the coast of St. Tropez.
According to a report from New York Post’s Page Six, the video shows Swalwell aboard a luxury yacht surrounded by a group of young women, described by sources as a rotating cast of mostly British and American guests, during what insiders called a “hush-hush” getaway.
The video was shared on Instagram by Nik Richie, CEO of Warrior Network Agency, a full-service public relations and marketing firm based in Newport Beach, California.
Sources familiar with the trip told the news outlet that the week-long excursion was alcohol-fueled and chaotic, with jet skiing, partying, and a constant flow of guests cycling on and off the vessel.
The yacht, reportedly a 200-foot luxury vessel chartered in the French Riviera, hosted a small group of men alongside numerous young women, many of whom allegedly did not know each other prior to arriving.
The attendees were allegedly told to keep Swalwell’s presence quiet.
Sources tell us that in early September 2022, two of Swalwell’s pals jetted by private plane from Las Vegas to the French Riviera town where they chartered the 200 ft Arience yacht, and called Swalwell to come join them.
We’re told the now-former Congressman arrived by commercial flight and joined them by tender on the stunning luxury craft.
We’re told there were some four or five men on the boat, including Swalwell, and a group of beautiful young women.
According to our source, one of the women, a Brit believed to be in her late teens, appeared to be romantically involved with one of the men in the group. But the five or six other women, a mix of Brits and Americans who were a little older (apparently in their 20s), seemed otherwise unacquainted both with the group or with each other.
“The people on the boat were told to keep it hush-hush about Swalwell being on the trip,” said a source familiar with the week-long excursion around the French Riviera. “They were told everything stays on the boat.”
[…]
“It didn’t seem like a politician,” said a source familiar with the antics aboard, “More like president of a frat house.”
We’re told some of the women seemed to be shipped back to shore, never to return, while others arrived to “replace them.”
Bombshell new details have emerged that could finally send the serial scandal-plagued congressman straight to prison.
As The Gateway Pundit has been reporting for days, Martin Shkreli and Jack Posobiec dropped the bombshell videos exposing Swalwell’s bizarre hotel room antics with an alleged sex worker.
On Monday, Luna wrote on X that more “disgusting” information about Eric Swalwell is expected to be released within the next 24 hours. She also issued a warning to Swalwell regarding the person who recorded the video.
“I am being told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swallwell in the next 24 hours. For the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swalwell, I think after the information drops you will be thinking otherwise. Eric, why dont you tell us a little about who was filming the video of the female sex worker.”
I am being told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swallwell in the next 24 hours. For the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swalwell, I think after the information drops you will be thinking otherwise.
Following this threat, Swalwell resigned from Congress and suspended his gubernatorial bid amid the avalanche of allegations, but the hits just keep on coming.
During an appearance with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Luna claimed that new forensic evidence and witness accounts suggest the now-viral hotel room video allegedly involving Swalwell is not only authentic, but may involve an underage individual behind the camera.
Anna Paulina Luna: So what I will say is that many people on the Hill knew about this. Many reporters have come forward—even in talking to me—saying that they had heard stories about this. But I do think that he has serious criminal problems on his hands, and I do think that he might end up in jail, Jesse.
And if I could just share with you for a moment—not only did I receive forensic reporting showing that that infamous video of him in the hotel room was indeed him, and that it was not AI-generated—but I’m also being told that: A) more stuff is going to be dropping in the next 24 hours; and B) potentially, the individual who recorded that video in that hotel room, Jesse, was a female—and she was underage.
Jesse Watters: Oh, just so the audience is aware, there’s a video that’s circulating. Fox hasn’t confirmed it yet. It appears to show Swalwell on a bed, maybe another guy, making out with a girl. That’s it—that’s all we know.
But if what you’re saying is true—and we don’t know—but if that’s true, that is very, very, very bad news.
WATCH:
Based on a forensic report I’ve seen, Eric Swalwell could be facing jail soon. He did the right thing by resigning but his troubles aren’t over yet. pic.twitter.com/1TgwscDG4k
Iran’s radical Muslim President Masoud Pezeshkian has rushed to praise and defend Pope Leo XIV after the Chicago-born pontiff launched yet another attack on President Donald Trump for standing up to the bloodthirsty Iranian regime.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Trump delivered a blistering takedown of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, slamming the Vatican leader as weak on crime, disastrous on foreign policy, and far too cozy with the radical left.
Trump also noted that he recently hosted the Pope’s brother, Louis, at the White House, a man who actually understands the MAGA movement.
When asked by the Associated Press about Trump’s post, Pope Leo XIV refused to back down. He stated that he is sharing the message of the Gospel and suggested that Trump had no clue of its meaning.
“I’m sorry to hear that (from Trump)…I do not look at my role as being political or a politician. I don’t want to get into a debate with him; I don’t think the message of the Gospel is to be used in the way some people are doing,” Pope Leo told reporters.
“And I will continue to speak loudly against war and to promote peace, dialogue, and multilateral relationships among states.
“Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed, and someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
Critics, however, note that the pope has remained silent on atrocities committed by the Islamic regime.
Now, the leader of a terrorist-sponsoring, nuclear-obsessed Islamic theocracy, one that executes women for defying hijab laws, has killed tens of thousands of its own citizens for protesting, bankrolls Hamas, Hezbollah, and other proxies, and routinely chants “Death to America,” is now sending “glory by Allah” to the Pope for bashing Trump’s America First foreign policy.
Pezeshkian took to X on Monday to publicly condemn President Trump’s fiery response to Pope Leo’s meddling:
“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.
This is the same regime that has driven thousands of Christians out of Iran, persecuting them, imprisoning them, denying them the ability to worship freely, and in some cases subjecting them to torture or death. Now that same regime wants to posture as a defender of Christianity and weigh in on Church matters?
As we’ve reported here at The Gateway Pundit, this isn’t the first time the new Pope has waded into U.S. politics to undermine Trump.
From migration to the Iran conflict, Leo XIV has shown himself to be far more interested in left-wing globalist talking points than in the traditional defense of Western civilization and Christianity.
The radical Left in Sacramento has finally done it.
In a move straight out of a totalitarian playbook, the California Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 11-2 on Monday to advance AB 2624, the so-called “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” a disgusting Democrat power grab designed to make it illegal for brave citizen journalists like Nick Shirley to expose the rampant fraud bleeding American taxpayers dry in immigrant service centers.
This is nothing less than an all-out assault on the First Amendment by the radical left in the People’s Republic of California.
The bill, authored by far-left Assemblywoman Mia Bonta (wife of Attorney General Rob Bonta), would slap investigative reporters with massive civil sanctions starting at $4,000 minimum if a fraudster from one of these “immigrant service centers” decides they don’t want to be caught on camera committing their scams.
The crook can then run to court for an injunction banning the journalist from filming or exposing them on camera for up to four years.
And if the journalist refuses to take down the original video? Triple the damages, $12,000, just for telling the truth!
In the worst cases, if the journalist is accused of “doxxing” or creating an “imminent threat” by simply reporting the facts, they could face criminal charges and $10,000 fines.
The bill classifies legitimate investigative journalism as “harassment” when it targets these so-called “immigrant service centers” you know, the fake Somali daycares and Los Angeles hospice operations that Nick Shirley has been courageously exposing.
What a disgrace! This is Democrats in action: protecting fraud artists over the American people.
California State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is among those raising urgent concerns about the legislation, warning that AB 2624 (Bonta) represents a dangerous escalation in government efforts to control investigative reporting.
CA State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is slamming state Democrats for voting to advance a controversial new law (AB 2624) to silence citizen journalists and shield taxpayer-funded organizations from public scrutiny.
DeMaio has gone as far as dubbing AB 2624 the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” for the chilling effect it will have on free speech.
AB 2624 comes as independent journalists like Nick Shirley have used viral videos to expose fraud and abuse in government-funded programs using on-the-ground footage and firsthand documentation.
AB 2624 claims to be about protecting immigrant organizations from “threats of violence,” when in fact the legislation would apply to any left-wing group that claims to provide any services to legal or illegal immigrants. For example, under AB 2624 entities like the Somali “Learing” Daycare centers would all be covered if they operated inside California.
During a recent Assembly committee hearing, DeMaio directly confronted the bill’s author, Mia Bonta, over language that would allow individuals affiliated with certain organizations to demand the removal of video recordings — even if taken in public — and even impose costly financial penalties against those who publish the videos online.
DeMaio warned the bill would be used to block investigative reporting and intimidate journalists, watchdog groups, and members of the public documenting wrongdoing.
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Full Statement on AB 2624:
“California Democrats are trying to intimidate citizen watchdog journalists and protect waste and fraud happening in far-Left-wing NGOs. AB 2624 can only be described as the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ — a bill designed to silence citizen journalists exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
Instead of fixing the fraud problems being uncovered, Sacramento politicians are trying to shut down the people exposing them.
AB 2624 would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence — even if it captures misconduct in plain view — and threatens journalists with massive financial penalties.
That’s not about public safety — it’s about protecting powerful interests.
If this bill becomes law, the message is clear to every journalist in California: expose corruption and you will be punished. AB 2624 is an unconstitutional direct attack on transparency and the First Amendment – and it needs to be defeated.”
Nick Shirley blew the lid off over $110 million in Somali daycare fraud in Minnesota back in December 2025, empty facilities billing taxpayers while kids were nowhere to be found.
He faced death threats and doxxing for his work, which we reported on extensively. Then in March 2026, Shirley dropped another bombshell: $170 million in similar fraud in California daycares and hospices, with ghost operations registered to empty lots and strip malls.
Tyler Robinson’s legal team is bringing in expert witness Dr. Bryan Edelman, who played a significant role in securing a change of venue in the Bryan Kohberger murder case in 2024.
Robinson, 22, has been charged with murder for allegedly assassinating conservative commentator Charlie Kirk back in September 2025 on Utah Valley University’s campus during a Turning Point USA event.
Edelman is a co-founder of the trial consulting group “Trial Innovations” and will give expert testimony at the April 17 evidentiary hearing about cameras in the courtroom, The Post Millennial reported.
A defense motion stated that Edelman believes “the modern internet and social media ecosystem — especially algorithmic curation and personalization — has fundamentally altered how news is consumed and makes local, high-profile publicity substantially harder to avoid for residents of the locality where the events giving rise to the case occurred and the case is being tried.”
He will also reportedly testify about polling results related to the case and speak to the demographics of Utah County’s adult population, from which the jury pool will be drawn.
Robinson’s defense team claimed that modern online content can “bias juror judgments, increase the likelihood of guilty verdicts in experimental settings, and contribute to memory and source-monitoring errors, including misattributing pretrial information as trial evidence.”
As for Edelman’s resume, he testified in favor of a change of venue for Kohberger, who was ultimately sentenced to life in prison after killing four University of Idaho students in 2022.
Edelman’s testimony did, however, help Kohberger secure a change of venue with the case being moved to Ada County.
“People here have demonstrated they would experience fear, stress, panic in this community,” he testified in the case, according to The Post Millennial. “There’s significant rumors and misinformation that have been spread and people have been exposed to in this community. There’s a feeling of pressure to convict.”
Edelman is based in California and holds a Ph.D. in social psychology.
He also conducted a telephone survey for the defense team before reporting his findings on March 13, per Fox News.
Robinson’s attorneys — Kathryn Nester, Michael Burt, Richard Novak, and Staci Visser — have argued that the pretrial publicity affects potential jury pools, resulting in more guilty verdicts.
Recently unsealed records revealed letters and messages between Robinson and his roommate, Lance Twiggs, in which he mentioned “an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk.”
“If you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission, and set an auto text. I am likely dead, or facing a lengthy prison sentence. I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it,” he wrote.
“I don’t know if I will/have succeeded, but I had hoped to make it home to you,” Robinson continued.
“I wish we could have lived in a world where this did not feel necessary. I wish I could have stayed for you and lived our lives together.”
Scott Jennings of CNN recently spoke at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Summit and gave a speech that deserves attention.
He begins by saying that he wants to tell you ‘something that you must understand about the left’ and then launches into some basic truths that must be repeated.
He talks about the left’s basic world view, the way they look at America, and then transitions seamlessly into the subject of Charlie Kirk.
“Here’s something that you must understand about the left,” Jennings said. “They hate success. They hate it when people make it on their own. They hate it when you don’t need them.”
“Think about what they teach our kids. That America was founded on racism. That our country is rotten at its core. That capitalism is evil. That hard work is for suckers. That merit is a dirty word. That the nuclear family is oppressive, especially to women. That faith is for idiots and rubes for people who are from Kentucky and Texas,” he continued. “They run people for the United States Senate who think there are six genders. And that we can solve the climate crisis by taking away all of your bacon. Is it any wonder that Charlie spent his life on college campuses trying to reach young people? He saw what was happening.”
“I think when that shooter pulled the trigger and killed my friend in Utah, he thought he was ending a movement,” Jennings said. “He thought if he killed Charlie Kirk, he could kill what Charlie stood for. That the rest of us would get the message. That we would heed the warning. Silence yourselves, or we will do it for you. I think that’s what he thought. Certainly, what the people who cheered on the assassination thought. And make no mistake, there were thousands who cheered it on.”
“But in trying to silence one voice, I think they created thousands,” he said. “In trying to end a conversation that day, I think they started millions. And that is the thing we learned about faith and freedom. You can’t kill them. You can try to suppress it, and you can try to silence it. But it always finds a way. Like water finding cracks in a dam.”
Today on CSPAN, former house speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked if she or other Democrats had any advanced knowledge of Eric Swalwell’s behavior or the things he has been accused of.
The host framed it as an accusation that Republicans are making, rather than pointing out that people all over the country are now admitting that Swalwell’s issues were an open secret for years.
Pelosi denied the whole thing, saying it is “absolutely not true.”
Here’s the clip:
A flustered Nancy Pelosi denies that Democrats knew what Swalwell was doing and turned a blind eye:
Pelosi’s comments are in direct conflict with a new report from ABC 7 in California (emphasis is ours):
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell has suspended his campaign for California governor following sexual assault allegations, announcing the decision Sunday as scrutiny intensified around the Democratic primary race.
In a statement, Swalwell said he would step aside to address the claims.
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made – but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
The suspension immediately reshaped a closely watched contest in which Swalwell had held a narrow lead among Democrats.
Criticism of Swalwell has circulated in Washington for years, according to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who spoke on ABC’s “This Week.”
“Every member in Congress knows not to let any young staffer around Swalwell or Matt Gaetz, it’s not a secret there,” McCarthy said.
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said the allegations were not unexpected, citing longstanding talk among Democratic leaders.
“No, I’m not surprised frankly because there have been rumors after rumors after rumors, his colleague in Washington pretty much said that. That’s what Adam Schiff said, that’s what Nancy Pelosi said,” Brown said.
Of course, Nancy Pelosi would never lie, would she?
Tom Friedman of the New York Times just admitted something that is true about countless people in media and Democrats. They do not want the effort in Iran to succeed because they simply don’t want it to be a win for Trump.
At least Friedman was honest enough to come right out and say it.
This is just another example of people on the left hating trump more than they love the country.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, there’s been some leadership change. Obviously, certain people have been killed. But this is the Iranian regime. It goes right down to the mayoral level. All the institutions are the same.
Yes. I find myself, Michael, in a situation where I really want to see Iran defeated militarily because this regime is a terrible regime for its people in the region. And nothing would improve the region more than the replacement of this regime in Iran with one was focused on enabling its people to realize their full potential and integrating peacefully with other countries and stop occupying Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
So I’m all for that. The problem is I really don’t want to see Bibi Netanyahu or Donald Trump politically strengthened by this war because they are two awful human beings. They are both engaged in anti- democratic projects in their own countries. They’re both alleged crooks. They are terrible, terrible people doing terrible things to America’s standing in the world and Israel standing in the world.
And so I really find myself torn. I want to see Iran militarily defeated, but I do not want to see these two terrible people strengthened.
Here’s the video:
Don’t want Iran to lose if it means Trump wins. @TomFriedman of @NYTimes really wants “to see Iran defeated militarily because this regime is a terrible regime for its people and the region,” but on CNN’s @Smerconish he fretted “the problem is I really don’t want to see Bibi… pic.twitter.com/rgPngGXkGc
They are incapable of setting aside their pathological hatred of Trump, even in matters of national security. They rise and sleep seeing themselves in competition with Trump and seethe at any perceived win on Trump’s part.
Do they not realize that they lost already in November?
Like many people in media, Brian Stelter has an inflated sense of the worth of mainstream journalists. We are used to this fact about him, but sometimes, even we are surprised by the lengths he will go to heap praise on his broken industry.
Today on the air, Stelter gave journalists the credit for ending Eric Swlawell’s bid for governor of California.
This is amazing when you consider the fact that people are coming out of the woodwork now, claiming that Swalwell’s behavior has been an open secret among Democrats and the media for years.
And by the way, don’t his victims who have come forward deserve more credit than the media?
CNN’s chief media analyst is applauding the mainstream media for exposing sexual misconduct allegations against the top Democratic candidate for California governor, including an alleged rape, and now faces the wrath of online critics.
California Rep. Eric Swalwell had a tenuous lead above the other Democrats, but he has suspended his campaign in the wake of allegations of sexual assault from a former staffer and accusations from others about sexual misconduct. He has denied the claims.
On Monday, Brian Stelter of CNN said the report was a victory for journalism while ignoring that many had looked the other way for a decade about rumors of the allegations.
Stelter said it was a “testament to the power of investigative reporting” and credited CNN and the Chronicle for ending Swalwell’s gubernatorial hopes.
Watch the video of Stelter below:
Eric Swalwell ending his bid for California governor is, among other things, a testament to the power of investigative reporting pic.twitter.com/4xzUg944dt
And all it took was seven terms in Congress and about a half-dozen victims for investigative journalists to break the news of behavior apparently everyone knew about.
10 years late. Imagine how many people might have been saved from Swalwell had the media done its job at the start, rather than covering for a fellow Democrat.
I realize you're tying to take a victory lap here but why couldn't anyone investigate this story before last week? Apparently lots of people knew for years. Echoes of Joe Biden coverage all over again.
A new report revealed that American officials believe China is helping Iran in the war with the United States and Israel.
According to The New York Times, U.S. intelligence agencies believe China sent shoulder-fired missiles to Iran. The weapons can be used to down low-flying planes.
The report said the intelligence has some uncertainty, and it is also not clear if Chinese missiles were used in Iran’s recent attacks on U.S. or Israeli targets.
The report said American officials believe China, which heavily controls its private sector, is allowing chemicals, fuel, and parts for weapons to be sent to Iran.
If this report about CCP supplied missiles through Pakistan to Iran is true, this is an act of war and China (and Pakistan) should be put on notice immediately and the CCP should NOT be allowed to send another 500K students to attend our U.S. colleges and universities, never… https://t.co/tPK8Kbwlpb
The report noted that sending missiles to America’s foe “would be a significant escalation and an indication that at least some of China’s leaders are working actively to bring about an American military defeat in a war that has engulfed the Middle East.”
A CNN report indicated that China is planning to send the missiles to Iran, and will route them through a third-party nation to cover up the shipment’s origin.
“The intelligence also underscores how Iran may be using the ceasefire as an opportunity to replenish certain weapons systems with the help of key foreign partners,” CNN reported.
A representative of the Chinese embassy said, “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
“As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations. We urge the U.S. side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions,” the representative said.
U.S. intelligence sources say China is preparing to send air defense systems—MANPADS—to Iran. Some believe a MANPAD shot down our F-15E on the 3rd of this month. President Trump should impose his 50% additional tariff on Chinese goods now.
China is not alone. Russia has sent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps satellite information to help it attack American ships and installations. Russia, however, has not sent Iran any weapons, The New York Times said.
Although China is publicly neutral, it has been sending dual-use parts to Iran that are destined for weapons. By virtue of sending goods with civilian applications, China can claim it is not fueling Iran’s war effort.
The New York Times report noted that although China needs the Strait of Hormuz open in order to get the oil it needs, the war offers the chance to weaken the U.S.
China is heavily dependent on oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and it is keen not to do anything that extends the war, according to American officials. At the same time, at least some Chinese officials are interested in supporting Tehran in a war that is seen as weakening American standing and strength.
China is Iran’s largest oil buyer and its largest economic partner.
The reports about China’s activities come as President Donald Trump prepares for a trip to China next month to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The government of Nicaragua banned at least 18 Christian groups from operating within the country as persecution from the Latin American nation’s regime worsens.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide said in a report published last month that they were able to identify 15 Protestant groups and 3 Roman Catholic groups stripped of legal status in 2025.
“Affected institutions were schools, religious radio and television outlets, and faith-based charities, including Lutheran World Relief and Food for the Hungry,” the group said.
The Independent Fundamentalist Baptists were also stripped of their legal status.
After revoking legal status, the government has in some cases taken their property.
One religiously affiliated school was allowed to operate for nine months after having its status revoked, with leadership told it would eventually be turned into a state school.
But the premises were instead used as a police station.
A Protestant nonprofit had the perimeter of their headquarters sectioned off with yellow tape, and leaders were told that the buildings and its contents thereafter belonged to the attorney general.
Any group deemed disloyal to the Nicaraguan regime faces repercussions in the country.
Christian leaders also experience severe consequences.
Some have been “questioned about the content of their sermons, prayers, and other teaching.”
“Threats were regularly reported in retaliation for statements or other forms of expression perceived as critical of the government,” Christian Solidarity Worldwide said.
In some cases, Nicaraguan Christians have been arbitrarily stripped of their citizenship upon leaving the country.
Jalder Hernandez, a Roman Catholic priest, was visiting the United States last year when he was told in an email from the airline that he would not be allowed to board the plane, and that any questions he had could be directed to the government of Nicaragua.
A journalist and Protestant pastor who wrote about religious issues faced similar expulsion.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide therefore recommended in their report that citizenship should be restored “to all those, in and outside the country, from whom it has been arbitrarily removed.”
They also suggested that the regime “reinstate the legal status of all civil society organisations which have been arbitrarily made illegal,” including by unfreezing their bank accounts.
Brian Hooker, the American man who was taken into custody after his wife, Lynette Hooker, disappeared in the Bahamas was released by Bahamian authorities on Monday without charges.
The investigation is ongoing.
“Brian Hooker, an American man who told investigators his wife fell overboard and vanished in rough waters in the Bahamas, has been released from custody without charges after being arrested and questioned in his wife’s disappearance, his attorney said Monday night,” CNN reported.
“It is unclear whether Hooker will be required to stay in the Bahamas as the investigation continues or whether he is free to leave the country.”
“Hooker was arrested Wednesday and questioned in the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker, who was reported missing April 5, police have said,” the outlet reported.
Fox News also reported that Brian Hooker was released without charges.
Brian Hooker was spotted as he was being released from custody.
WATCH:
BREAKING: Brian Hooker, the man arrested after his wife Lynette vanished during a boating trip in the Bahamas, is being released from jail, his attorney tells Fox News Digital. pic.twitter.com/FHEwfbcAqK
Last Wednesday, the US Coast Guard launched a criminal investigation into the disappearance of an American woman who went overboard near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas.
Last week authorities were searching for Lynette Hooker, 55, after she went overboard late Saturday night while she was on a dinghy boat with her husband, Brian Hooker.
Brian Hooker, 59, said his wife fell from the boat late Saturday night during inclement weather and rough seas.
On Wednesday, Lynette Hooker’s daughter shared a voicemail her stepfather left her after her mother disappeared.
Brian Hooker did not sound distressed or upset.
“I found the flotation device that I threw to mom after she went overboard,” Brian Hooker said.
AUDIO:
Lynette Hooker’s daughter is sharing a voicemail she says her stepfather left after her mother vanished during a boat trip in the Bahamas as she questions his account of what happened at sea. Authorities have now shifted to a recovery operation for the 55-year-old Michigan… pic.twitter.com/3WrSAZYLZ3
Three progressive American Cardinals, Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of San Diego, and Joseph Tobin of Newark, crashed CBS’s failing Sunday night propaganda hour “60 Minutes” to publicly flog President Donald Trump for daring to criticize the newly elected Pope Leo XIV.
This was a coordinated election-year hit job designed to fracture President Trump’s exploding Catholic voter base just months before the critical 2026 midterms.
Pope Leo XIV has already waded into U.S. politics by slamming President Trump’s decisive military action against Iran and his record-setting mass deportation operation that is finally securing our southern border.
On national television, Cupich, McElroy, and Tobin, seized the moment like seasoned Democrat operatives. They didn’t defend Catholic teaching.
They didn’t talk about the 70 million aborted babies since Roe. They didn’t mention the flood of fentanyl killing American families thanks to open borders. Instead, they lectured the President and, by extension, every Catholic who supports him.
WATCH:
“I hate Trump and I LOVE open borders” -D.C. Cardinal McElroy
This is a FULL TDS meltdown from a man as his Church cashes BILLIONS from trafficking illegals through Catholic Charities.
Robert Barron, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester and a member of President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, also issued a statement criticizing the president:
“The statements made by President Trump on Truth Social regarding the Pope were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful. They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life.
In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of good will can and do disagree. I would warmly recommend that serious Catholics within the Trump administration–Secretary Rubio, Vice President Vance, Ambassador Brian Burch, and others–might meet with Vatican officials so that a real dialogue can take place. This is far preferable to the statements on social media.
I am very grateful for the many ways that the Trump administration has reached out to Catholics and other people of faith. It has been a high honor to serve on the Religious Liberty Commission. No President in my lifetime has shown a greater dedication to defending our first liberty. All that said, I think the President owes the Pope an apology.”
The statements made by President Trump on Truth Social regarding the Pope were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful. They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the…
Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton weighed in on X, blasting the optics of the appearance and the glaring double standard:
“America kills about 1,000,000 unborn human beings a year through abortion and yet three leading cardinals go on 60 Minutes to promote left-wing talking points on Trump, the illegal immigration invasion, etc.”
Commentator Mike Cernovich also warned that the media push appears coordinated and strategic—aimed squarely at reshaping Catholic voting behavior ahead of the midterms.
“The Catholic vote swung big for Trump in 2024… So the issue now, of course, is what can be done to bring the Catholics back to the Democrats. So you have an op coming on multiple fronts.”
Cernovich pointed to what he described as a contradiction in messaging from Church leadership:
“The Pope plays this game where he goes, well, of course a country can have a border… But then the bishops are on 60 Minutes going, these mass deportations are inhumane. Well, how can you have a border if you don’t have deportations?”
He continued, questioning the selectivity of moral outrage:
“Where’s the Pope’s moral authority when it comes to condemning official Democrat policies on abortion? You’re not seeing it. You’re seeing an op.”
Cernovich also criticized what he sees as a broader pattern of political alignment:
“Understand that we’re being attacked by false doctrine… You have to take the straight narrow path right in between that.”
WATCH:
The Pope and Bishops work with Bari Weiss and Obama-era Democrat operatives / 60 Minutes to undermine Trump’s domestic policy on immigration. pic.twitter.com/NMNK0hGzSM
At least four prosecutors who weaponized the FACE Act under Merrick Garland and jailed Christians for praying at abortion clinics have been fired.
Nearly two dozen pro-life activists were charged with the FACE Act for praying at an abortion clinic in October 2020.
In one of the more egregious acts of abuse, the Biden DOJ convicted Paula Harlow last year of federal conspiracy against rights and FACE offenses for peacefully protesting an abortion clinic in DC back in 2020.
US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee, sentenced Harlow to 24 months in prison.
She was the tenth defendant to be sentenced by the Biden Regime related to the peaceful abortion protest.
Paulette Harlow, who was 75 years old at the time, participated in a peaceful protest at an abortion clinic in 2020 and didn’t hurt anyone.
Here is video of Paulette Harlow praying and peacefully protesting in an abortion clinic:
According to Catholic News Agency, Harlow suffered from significant health issues. Her husband at the time feared she would die in prison.
Judge Kotelly, a Clinton appointee, mocked Paula Harlow’s Christian faith when she sentenced her to prison as her husband begged for mercy expressing his fear his wife would die alone in prison.
The judge taunted the elderly woman and mocked her Christian faith and told her to honor the “tenets” of her religion and not die in jail.
Four prosecutors from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division were fired, according to CBS News.
The Justice Department has fired at least four prosecutors who were involved in prosecutions under the FACE Act during the Biden administration, a government official familiar with the firings told CBS News.
Among those fired Monday is Sanjay Patel, a longtime federal prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division’s criminal section who was placed on administrative leave last month, sources told CBS News at the time. The terminations occurred at about the same time a report on the FACE Act and the Biden Justice Department was being finalized.
Congress passed the FACE Act in 1994 to address rising concerns about threats and intimidation that women were facing at reproductive health clinics. Nonviolent and first-time offenses of the law are misdemeanors, while repeat offenses or violations that result in bodily injury or death can be treated as felonies.
The FACE Act report is being drafted by the Justice Department’s “weaponization working group,” established in the first days of former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s tenure.
A Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement that the department “has terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act who still remained at the department.”
After an attack targeted at Christians rocked the nation of Syria, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders within the country restricted worship on Easter to inside churches only.
According to a report from The National, assailants on motorcycles carried out an attack in late March in Suqaylabiyah, a city in western Syria.
They fired guns, damaged storefronts, and smashed cars as citizens were forced to hide — an attack which followed the expulsion of two Sunni villagers who allegedly entered the town and harassed a woman.
The inhabitants of the village are largely Greek Orthodox.
After the attack, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox authorities said in a statement that “the Patriarchs extended their blessings and greetings to the faithful, while directing that celebrations be limited exclusively to prayers within the churches.”
On the eve of Palm Sunday and Holy Week, in the ancient Christian town of Suqaylabiyah, Syria, groups of armed Islamists are attacking Christian shops, homes, and churches. The Al-Qaeda/ISIS-aligned Syrian government is encouraging these attacks and has been a catastrophic… pic.twitter.com/TPHukOiLx6
— Iraqi Christian Foundation (@iraqschristians) March 28, 2026
“With deep concern and a sense of responsibility, the Patriarchs addressed the challenges facing Syria that threaten the country’s shared coexistence between Muslims and Christians,” the statement said.
“They emphasized the urgent need to control unregulated weapons and to maintain security and stability. They also stressed the importance of safeguarding the dignity of all citizens without exception.”
The statement added that “this must be grounded in the principles of citizenship, equal rights and duties, and respect for both personal and public freedoms.”
That means Syrian Christians cannot enjoy marching bands and egg hunts in the streets — traditions which usually mark the resurrection of Jesus in their country.
Easter for western Christians was on April 5, and eastern Christians will celebrate the holiday on April 12.
BREAKING:
Armed attack on the Christian city of Suqaylabiyah in Hama, Syria.
HTS-aligned residents of Qalaat al-Madiq were seen attacking properties belonging to the Christian population in Suqaylabiyah.
They also targeted a statue of the Virgin Mary in the city.
Christians in Syria have faced heightened persecution since the end of Bashar Al Assad’s regime at the end of 2024.
Assad was an Alawite — an offshoot of Shia Islam — meaning that religious minorities were treated relatively better under his governance.
The population of Suqaylabiyah has declined from 20,000 to 16,000 after the new Sunni Muslim government took over, which prompted Assad loyalists in the town to flee.
Sanchez and his wife, Gomez, were charged with influence peddling and bribery
The ‘good’, old socialist corruption.
The socialist Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez leads one of the most scandalous governments in Europe, and it’s getting worse.
Just imagine a head of government whose wife, brother, and all top party officials are under investigation for corruption, and whose party is sinking under multiple accusations of sexual assault.
Now, the situation has escalated further, as Sanchez’s wife Begoña Gómez is to face trial for influence peddling and bribery.
This comes as a hard blow to the premier in runup to the 2026 elections.
“Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, has been charged with corruption after a two-year criminal investigation, according to a court ruling.
Gómez is accused of using her relationship to advance her private career through a position at Madrid’s Complutense University. She is also accused of using public resources to advance private interests.”
Sanchez: surrounded by scandals
“She was charged with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds, the ruling said. It is now up to the courts to decide whether she will stand trial.”
PM Sanchez dismissed the allegations as ‘an attempt by the right-wing to undermine his coalition’.
“When the investigation started, Sánchez suspended public duties for five days to ‘stop and reflect’ on whether to remain in the job due to ‘the mud’ that the right and far-right were trying to drag politics into.”
Shortly after Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress on Monday, GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales announced his retirement.
Rep. Gonzales was also facing expulsion from Congress after it was revealed he was having an affair with a staffer who died by suicide.
“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales said.
There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.
Recall that it recently came out that Tony Gonzales had an extramarital affair with a staffer who took her own life.
Last year a report came out that revealed Gonzales’ staffer who died in September after she caught on fire in her home, doused herself in gasoline and set her body on fire.
After reviewing surveillance video, authorities determined Regina Santos-Aviles was in her backyard alone when she caught fire on September 13.
Santos-Aviles was alive when first responders arrived at her home late in the evening on September 13; however, she passed away the next morning.
Firefighters also had to put out burning gas cans, according to the report obtained by Uvalde Leader-News.
Texas officials did not disclose whether Santos-Aviles deliberately set herself on fire; however, her family insists it was an accident.
“Her last words were, ‘I don’t want to die,’” a family member previously told KSAT.
Last month, Tony Gonzales admitted to having an extramarital affair with his staffer.
“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said on “The Joe Pags Show” last month. “Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever.”
“When you make mistakes like this, it’s never easy. It humbles you,” he said.
Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, says he will not veto European escalation in Ukraine. The world just moved closer to war with Russia. Photo courtesy of the European Policy Centre.
Viktor Orbán’s concession on Sunday following Hungary’s parliamentary election removes the most consistent single-state obstacle to EU consensus on Ukraine, and in doing so raises the probability of European escalation in a conflict the continent lacks the military capacity to sustain without American backing.
Orbán conceded defeat after early results showed the opposition Tisza party on course for a two-thirds majority, with Tisza projected to win 135 of 199 seats and Fidesz taking 57. Voter turnout surpassed 77%, the highest since the fall of communism in 1989. Tisza’s leader, Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider who founded the party two years ago, will become prime minister.
Orbán had functioned as a structural brake on EU Ukraine policy. For more than a year, joint EU summit communiqués on Ukraine carried an asterisk noting the position “was firmly supported by 26 heads of state or government” rather than all 27, because Orbán refused to sign any statement backing Kyiv. He vetoed a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine, tying the bloc to a dispute over a damaged pipeline carrying Russian oil. He also blocked a 6.6 billion euro lethal aid package from the EU’s European Peace Facility, satellite image sharing with Ukraine, and EU accession talks for Kyiv.
Magyar stated Monday that Hungary would maintain its opt-out from participating in the €90 billion (approximately $100 billion) loan financially but would not veto it, allowing the EU to proceed. His personal reservations about weapons transfers and Ukraine’s EU accession bid are structurally irrelevant. Measures requiring unanimity were blocked by Orbán. Magyar will not block them. The brake is gone.
The significance of Orbán’s removal is that, without a veto blocking consensus, the EU is more likely to agree on additional weapons, money, and equipment transfers to Ukraine. That trajectory increases the probability of a Russian reaction. The question is whether European leaders have accurately calculated the risk.
European behavior suggests they have not. Countries that genuinely believe they must confront a nuclear-armed adversary, the world’s number-two military power, alone would be pushing for negotiations, not escalation.
The fact that Europe continues to increase support for Ukraine and celebrates Magyar’s victory indicates European leaders privately calculate that American intervention remains available despite the Trump administration’s rhetoric. That calculation may be wrong. When the Strait of Hormuz was threatened, and European energy security was directly at stake, Europe did not mobilize a naval coalition to support the U.S.
Even if they did not want to support Trump, they should have been willing to fight for their own oil and their own self-interest, but they were not. A bloc unwilling to deploy forces to the Strait of Hormuz and face Iran, which lacks a navy, in order to protect its own oil supply, is not a bloc prepared to fight Russia, the world’s number-two military power, over Ukrainian territory.
Trump has considered withdrawing the US from NATO and has stated he no longer wants involvement in the Ukraine war. The only basis on which Europe might still expect American intervention in a full-scale war with Russia is Article 5. But Article 5 is a collective defense obligation triggered by an external attack on a member state. It does not apply if NATO member actions provoke a Russian response.
If escalating weapons transfers or intelligence support crosses Russian red lines and Moscow retaliates, the legal and political basis for invoking Article 5 becomes contested. Russia has already argued that Western weapons used to strike Russian territory constitute co-belligerence. A substantial number of European countries are not NATO members, and Russia could strike any of them without triggering Article 5 at all.
There has been a lot of hollow talk from Canada and Europe about going it alone without the U.S. Most European militaries spent three decades configured for peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, not peer warfare. Their doctrine, training, and institutional culture reflect that.
In Afghanistan, at the peak, roughly 40,000 of the 130,000 troops were non-American, the majority European. Many were restricted by their own governments from engaging in combat and instead focused on reconstruction, training, base security, and logistics. British combat deaths exceeded those of 26 other EU nations combined.
The UK suffered 454 deaths, including 404 killed in action, along with 615 seriously wounded and 2,187 wounded in action, with troop levels peaking at 9,500. In total, more than 850 non-U.S. NATO personnel were killed in Afghanistan, compared to over 2,400 Americans.
The Texas National Guard alone deployed approximately 23,000 personnel to Iraq and Afghanistan, maintained 3,000 to 5,000 troops in theater each year in an almost continuous cycle from 2001 onward, held divisional-level command in both wars, and operated without national caveats restricting combat. That is a single American state’s part-time force.
European naval capacity presents the same problem at sea. Europe fields six aircraft carriers on paper, two each for the UK and Italy, one each for France and Spain, but realistically 2-3 are operational at any given time. The Royal Navy operated without a carrier from 2014 to 2021. Spain decommissioned its dedicated carrier without replacement.
The number of UK Type 23 frigates available for operations at any given time fluctuates between five and six hulls out of eight nominally in service. During the 2011 Libya operation, against a military that was not a peer adversary, European coalition members quickly exhausted their supply of naval cruise missiles.
European nuclear submarine capacity is concentrated entirely in two countries. The UK operates 10 nuclear submarines, comprising 4 Vanguard-class ballistic missile boats and 6 nuclear attack submarines, with a sixth Astute-class commissioned in 2025 and a seventh expected in 2026. France operates 10, comprising 4 Le Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarines and 6 Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarines, with all six to be delivered by 2030 and approximately 4-5 currently operational.
Every other European country operates zero nuclear submarines. Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, and Portugal rely entirely on conventional diesel-electric boats that must surface or snorkel regularly, have limited range, and cannot sustain prolonged open-ocean operations. Europe’s total operational nuclear submarine force is approximately 18-20 vessels, split between two countries. The US Navy alone operates more than 50 nuclear submarines.
Even if Europe had the submarines, aircraft carriers, manpower, weapons, and munitions to take on Russia, European defense continues to depend on American logistics, intelligence, satellites, and nuclear deterrence. In short, Europe doesn’t stand a chance against Russia without U.S. backing.
Europe is making political decisions that increase the probability of conflict with a military power it cannot independently confront. With Orbán gone, there is no longer an institutional mechanism inside the EU to slow that process down.
His comments come despite the fact that Orban was vociferously endorsed by President Trump.
Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary last month, Trump described Orban as a “strong leader who’s shown the entire world what’s possible when you defend your borders, your culture, your heritage, your sovereignty and your values.”
US President Donald Trump just threw his full support behind Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán ahead of the elections, sending a strong message to CPAC.
“Viktor Orban has mu complete and total Endorsement – They are attacking him as they attacked me.” pic.twitter.com/1ExHY0dmaH
Hungary’s election was won by former Orban ally Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party.
Magyar has styled himself as a staunch globalist who will end Hungary’s relationship with Russia and restore warm relations with the European Union.
Orban, meanwhile, conceded shortly after the polls closed.
“I congratulated the victorious party,” Orban told supporters in Budapest. “We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well.
Orbán’s defeat and his immediate concession both cut against the repeated claim that Orbán is a fascist strongman, a narrative left-wing critics have falsely pushed for years.
He has since pledged to “regroup and continue fighting for the Hungarian people.”
The work begins now. We will regroup and continue fighting for the Hungarian people! pic.twitter.com/3PKz3UTOrR
Guest Post by Pro-life Leader Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life
Protecting our children, always a priority for people with a conscience, has been thrust into our awareness more than ever by tragic events in the news.
So what would you do if you knew of a child who was being abused by cruel parents, kept hidden from the world because her infirmities were an embarrassment?
If you lived early in the 13th century in Italy, would you have stood up for St. Margaret of Castello, patron saint of the unwanted?
Her story is almost too hard to contemplate. Born around 1287 blind, lame and apparently with dwarfism, her socially prominent parents, who had wanted a boy, were horrified thinking word would get out that their baby was less than perfect. They spread the lie that she had died at birth.
They gave her to a servant who loved and cared for her, but the servant slipped up once and almost let guests at her parents’ castle catch a glimpse of Margaret. To ensure that never happened again, her father had a single-room cell built next to a church in the forest and walled her into it. An interior window allowed Margaret to hear Mass; another window on an exterior wall let servants pass food into the girl.
The priest there discovered Margaret had a fine mind and loved God, so he spent time teaching her the faith. When her family fled from their home when she was a teenager, they took Margaret with them, only to lock her away in an underground vault near their new home.
A year later, her parents brought her to a tomb in Castello where people were said to be receiving miraculous cures of various ailments. But when their daughter was not healed, her parents literally and physically abandoned her there.
Instead of despairing, Margaret was taken in by the poor people of the city. She chose to live a life of deep faith, eventually joining the Third Order of St. Dominic, a lay religious community. She was canonized a saint on April 24, 2021.
Had they known their daughter would be born less than physically perfect, they may well have ignored the Church’s strong condemnation of abortion and sought out one of the ways to kill the child in her mother’s womb. The world never would have known St. Margaret of Castello, and we all would be poorer for it.
But if we had lived in St. Margaret’s time, and were aware that she was spending her life banished to a single-room cell, would any of us have spoken up for her? Might we have kept vigil outside her window, praying for her deliverance, or challenged her parents to end this cruel charade?
Or would we have done what so many do today both in the civil and ecclesiastical arenas, and stepped back in silence, paralyzed with fear of the elite and powerful?
It’s a key fork in the road, and it doesn’t require the drama of a 13th century saint for this choice to present itself to us. It’s there more often than we’d like, whether it’s speaking up against abortion, the Islamic terrorism of the deranged Iranian regime, transgender mutilation, the tyranny of the Democrat Party, or the complicity of compromised bishops.
What happens with this fork in the road is not hard to understand. When we see the injustice, a voice of protest (a well-formed conscience) arises within us. “No!” it shouts, “this is unjust and cannot be tolerated!”
Then, either we heed the voice and do something about it, keeping in mind that we will suffer as a result, or we mute the voice of protest and begin giving ourselves all kinds of reasons why we cannot intervene.
And in either case, the choice we make becomes easier to make the next time we face such a decision.
The Church canonizes saints in order to have us follow their example of heroic virtue, and Margaret of Castello is no exception. But when I think of this Patron of the Unwanted, it seems to me that the challenge flows even more from considering what was done to her, and what the appropriate reaction to it should have been.
Because we face that fork in the road every single day.
Prolife Leader Frank Pavone (@frfrankpavone) is the National Director of Priests for Life, the President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, and the Pastoral Director of Rachel’s Vineyard and Silent No More. See www.ProLifeCentral.org.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) did not mince words when he pulled back the curtain on where some American tax dollars are going this past week.
In an interview with radio host Jesse Kelly, the Tennessee Republican described a system that sounds less like foreign aid and more like a revolving door of wasted cash and fraud.
Burchett said billions are flowing through so-called non-government organizations and international bodies with little to no transparency.
He pointed directly to the United Nations and a sprawling network of NGOs as conduits for that money.
Millions are sent to the Taliban’s Central Bank every week. The bill to stop the cash flow is stalled in the Senate. Urge @SenJohnBarrasso to pass the No Tax Dollars For Terrorists Act. He’s the Majority Whip. He can bring this bill to the floor for a vote. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/quMF3KZM2E
It is a bill that should be a political no-brainer for Senate Republicans.
Stopping money from reaching terrorists should be anything but controversial, yet here we are.
Why would anyone object to stopping taxpayer dollars from reaching hostile regimes?
Burchett even pointed out that passing his simple bill would be an easy messaging win for Republicans, but that assumes Republicans are willing to act.
This is why the story becomes less about Democrats and more about the GOP.
Senate Republicans have had repeated opportunities to pass meaningful legislation, such as the SAVE Act, but refuse to do anything.
Why would we expect Senate Majority Leader John Thune to schedule a vote that stops funding Islamist fanatics?
To be fair, not every dollar sent to Afghanistan is probably landing in the hands of terrorists.
Some of it is likely filtered through aid programs and administrative layers and ultimately laundered back into the U.S to Democrats and their allies.
Maybe some of that cash is also benefiting Republicans who refuse to stop sending it.
What other explanation could there possibly be for not voting to pass this bill immediately?
Pursuant to Committee Rule 7, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics (Committee) determined to release the following statement:
The Committee, pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a), has begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations that Representative Eric Swalwell violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities, with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.
The Committee notes that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred. No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules.
Eric Swalwell on Sunday evening dropped out of the California Governor’s race amid allegations of sexual assault.
Swalwell apologized to his family, staffers, and supporters and vowed to fight the “false allegations” against him.
Statement from Swalwell:
I am suspending my campaign for Governor.
To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.
I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.
I am suspending my campaign for Governor.
To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.
I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.
The Manhattan District Attorney has also launched an investigation into Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell over serious allegations of sexual assault.
The San Francisco Chronicle on Friday published a story about a woman who claimed that Democrat Eric Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice.
The woman, who worked as a staffer in Swalwell’s office for two years, told The San Francisco Chronicle that Swalwell began pursuing her just weeks after she was hired at the age of 21 in 2019.
After the San Francisco Chronicle dropped its bombshell report on Swalwell, three additional women spoke to CNN and provided evidence about alleged additional misconduct by the California Democrat.
The Swalwell staffer said she was sexually assaulted by Swalwell in 2019.
The staffer also said Swalwell raped her years later in 2024 after she left his employment.
Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar left behind an ecological mess
Talk about a dangerous invasive species.
Today, Colombian officials agreed on a plan to cull dozens of hippos roaming freely through the country.
The huge African beasts occupy a fertile and humid region in the center of the country, and there they are a menace to villagers and are displacing the native species.
Colombia will launch a plan in the second half of 2026 to control its invasive hippopotamus population, including euthanizing an initial 80 animals, Environment Minister Irene Velez said on Monday. https://t.co/vJcB9kSo2jhttps://t.co/vJcB9kSo2j
“Environment Minister Irene Vélez said the decision was reached because other methods to control their population have been expensive and unsuccessful, including neutering some of the animals or moving them to zoos. Vélez said that up to 80 hippos would be affected by the measure. She did not say when the hunting would begin.
‘If we don’t do this, we will not be able to control the population’, Vélez said. ‘We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems’.”
The Hippos are totally disrupting the ecosystem of Colombian rivers
Only in Colombia will you find a wild hippo population outside of Africa.
These fearsome beasts are the descendants of four animals from Pablo Escober’s private zoo in Hacienda Nápoles.
Hay preocupación por la presencia de hipopótamos en municipios de Antioquia, en Barrancabermeja (Santander) y hasta en Santa Marta. Las autoridades ambientales advierten sobrepoblación de estas especies.
“A study published by Colombia’s National University estimated that around 170 hippos were roaming freely in the country in 2022.
Recently, hippos have been spotted in areas that are more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the ranch, where Escobar initially introduced the water-dwelling pachyderms.”
Eric Swalwell is DONE. Out of the California governor’s race in a stunning collapse. But that’s not enough. Not even close. I’m calling for his immediate expulsion from Congress.
Because the real story is just beginning.
A mysterious video. Swalwell. An alleged sex worker. And a shadowy man no one can identify… yet. Who is he? Why was he there? And why does no one in the media seem interested in asking the obvious questions?
We are.
The hunt is on and what we’re uncovering could blow this wide open.
And then there’s the Catholic Church. Once a pillar of moral clarity. Now? Three archbishops and the Pope attacking Donald Trump, condemning deportations, and weighing in on war with Iran. Since when did the Church abandon law, order, and common sense?
DoorDash driver Sharon Simmons (L) joins President Trump (L) to celebrate ‘No tax on tips.”/Image: screenshot via CSPAN.
On Monday, President Trump ordered DoorDash to the Oval Office to highlight his ‘No Tax on Tips’ policy as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
DoorDash driver Sharon Simmons, AKA, “DoorDash Grandma” delivered McDonald’s to the Oval Office during the President’s surprise remarksto celebrate Simmons’ tax refund as a result of the bill.
On July 4th, 2025, President Trump made history by signing the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” delivering what many politicians have promised but never achieved: true tax relief for the middle class.
White House projections suggest a family of four could save between $10,000 and $13,300. A distributional analysis by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the bill provides over $600 billion in middle-class tax relief, with the largest proportional benefits going to households earning under $50,000.
This benefits approximately 4 million workers in jobs like waitressing, barbering, hairstyling, and taxi driving. Additionally, the bill increases income for more than 80 million hourly workers by up to $1,750 by eliminating income taxes on the overtime pay premium.
President Trump noted, “The reason for this is the fact that I heard you picked up an extra $11,000 that you didn’t think you’d get because the tax bill was so big, the refund was the biggest you’ve ever had, is that a correct statement?”
Simmons responded, “It definitely was. I saved over $11,000 by not having to claim.”
The President asked, “Was that surprising to you, actually?”
She replied, “It was very surprising.”
Watch:
WATCH IN FULL: @POTUS receives a @DoorDash delivery to the Oval Office.
In July 2025, the grandmother of 10, who has completed more than 12,000 deliveries, testified before the House Ways and Means Committee at a field hearing in Las Vegas on pro-worker tax relief.
She shared how the policy (which includes Dashers and other delivery drivers) would let her keep hundreds to thousands of extra dollars annually from tips/earnings.
She said during the hearing,“That’s why I’m very excited that Congress took action to include Dashers and other independent contractors in the No Tax on Tips.”
“For someone like me, that means hundreds or potentially thousands of dollars that stay in my pocket every year.”
“I plan to use these tax savings to cover follow-up medical visits for my husband and to travel to Missouri to see my mom, my kids, and my grandchildren.”
