Author name: Keith Burns

Psychotherapist Explains Just How Bad Donald Trump Has Broken 75% of His Patients
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Psychotherapist Explains Just How Bad Donald Trump Has Broken 75% of His Patients

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A New York–based psychotherapist says a significant portion of his patients report experiencing stress, anxiety, and disrupted sleep connected to President Donald Trump and ongoing political news.

Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist who appeared on Fox News, said Friday that a substantial number of the individuals he works with express intense emotional reactions to the President.

Collin Rugg of Trending Politics reported that Alpert stated that approximately 75 percent of his patients express a strong dislike of the President and remain highly focused on political developments.

According to Alpert, “They can’t sleep,” adding that the patients he described “feel traumatized by Mr. Trump.”

During the Fox News appearance, Alpert described one example involving a patient who struggled to detach from political coverage even while traveling.

“I had one patient who said she couldn’t enjoy a vacation because anytime she saw Trump in the news or on her device, she felt triggered….” he said.

He added that he viewed the pattern as significant, saying, “So this is a profound pathology, and I would even go so far as to call it the defining pathology of our time.”

Alpert’s remarks referenced a phenomenon often described in political discussions related to Donald Trump’s time in politics.

While the term has been used informally in political settings, Alpert’s comments centered on patients reporting consistent emotional reactions tied to ongoing coverage of national politics.

The reported reactions described by Alpert involve individuals who continue to follow political developments closely.

According to his account, those who express the symptoms he described report ongoing engagement with news content and say they find it difficult to disconnect from political events.

The discussion on Fox News focused on the relationship between political events and emotional well-being for certain patients, with Alpert stating that some individuals report difficulty maintaining normal routines while political news remains prominent.

Alpert described repeated examples of patients who said they struggled with daily focus, rest, and overall calm due to their reactions to coverage involving the President.

Alpert’s comments also referenced broader national debates involving the President’s administration, political rhetoric, and the way political information is consumed.

He said the intensity with which some of his patients follow political events contributes to the reactions he observes during counseling sessions.

The interview did not suggest that all patients experience similar responses, nor did it claim that the reactions were universal across political perspectives.

Alpert’s description focused on individuals who reported emotional distress connected to the President specifically, and he noted that many of those individuals continued to engage with political information at a high level.

The comments come at a time when political discussions and reactions to national leadership remain widely covered across media outlets.

Alpert’s remarks reflect one therapist’s account of the emotional themes raised by a portion of his patients, particularly regarding stress tied to political news cycles and reactions to the President.

Alpert did not discuss treatment details, diagnoses, or individual mental-health information beyond the broad examples provided.

His remarks centered on the general trends he says he has observed and the extent to which political developments remain part of discussions with patients seeking support for stress and anxiety.

The interview adds to the ongoing public conversation regarding how political news and national events affect emotional well-being for certain individuals who report heightened reactions during politically active periods.

Reelected Mayor Charged With Felonies for Voting Without Citizenship
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Reelected Mayor Charged With Felonies for Voting Without Citizenship

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Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced criminal charges this week against Coldwater Mayor Jose (Joe) Ceballos, alleging that the recently reelected official cast ballots in multiple U.S. elections despite not being a United States citizen.

The charges were filed on November 5 in Comanche County District Court, one day after Ceballos won another term as mayor.

According to the attorney general’s office, Ceballos faces six felony counts — three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury — for allegedly voting in the November 2022, November 2023, and August 2024 elections.

Ceballos is a legal resident of the United States but is not a U.S. citizen. Under both federal and Kansas law, noncitizens are prohibited from voting in any U.S. election.

All six charges are categorized as nonperson felonies. If convicted, Ceballos could face more than five years in prison.

Kobach emphasized that the case highlights a broader issue of noncitizen voting occurring in the United States.

“In Kansas, it is against the law to vote if you are not a U.S. citizen. We allege that Mr. Ceballos did it multiple times,” Kobach said at the announcement.

“Voting by noncitizens, including both legal and illegal aliens, is a very real problem. … Every time a noncitizen votes, it effectively cancels out a U.S. citizen’s vote.”

Federal immigration officials echoed those concerns.

Matthew Tragesser, a spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said the situation was “absolutely unacceptable and, sadly, no surprise given the years of lax voting security in the United States.”

He noted that the Trump Administration has expanded states’ access to tools used to detect noncitizen voting, including improvements to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.

The program allows state agencies to verify an individual’s immigration and citizenship status when determining eligibility for services or voter registration.

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab credited the current administration for improving state-level efforts to identify noncitizen voters.

“We now have tools, thanks to the current White House, that we haven’t had in over 10 years,” Schwab said.

“That we can check through the SAVE program, to find out if folks end up on our voter rolls. And they could be a legal resident, but they’re not a citizen. We want to make sure that gets clarified.”

The charges against Ceballos follow a separate case earlier this year involving a noncitizen public official in Iowa.

In September, authorities arrested Ian Andre Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, after discovering he was an illegal alien with a final order of removal issued in May 2024.

Roberts, a native of Guyana and former Olympic athlete, allegedly fled from immigration officers attempting to take him into custody.

According to ICE, Roberts sped away in his vehicle before abandoning it and attempting to escape on foot.

Officers, with help from the Iowa State Patrol and a police dog, located him in a wooded area near the road.

A search of Roberts’ vehicle led to the discovery of a loaded firearm, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash.

ICE also confirmed that Roberts had a weapons arrest in 2020, although the outcome of that case remains unclear. At the time of his arrest, Roberts was listed as an active voter in Maryland.

Both cases have intensified scrutiny over noncitizen participation in elections and the vetting processes used for public officials at local and state levels.

Scientists Flag Ice Age Risk While UN Pushes ‘Boiling Planet’ Rhetoric
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Scientists Flag Ice Age Risk While UN Pushes ‘Boiling Planet’ Rhetoric

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A new study by climate researchers from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of California, San Diego, warns that changes in a major Atlantic current could potentially trigger conditions associated with a new ice age.

The findings were published in Communications Earth & Environment and have drawn wide attention due to their contrast with long-standing claims about accelerating global temperature increases.

The research focuses on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, a system of ocean currents that moves warm water from the tropics toward the Northern Hemisphere.

The AMOC includes the Gulf Stream, which flows from the Gulf of Mexico up the U.S. East Coast and across the Atlantic to Europe.

Scientists describe the current as a “conveyor belt of the ocean,” essential to maintaining milder climates in Europe, the United Kingdom, and parts of the United States.

The New York Post summarized the study’s focus, noting that the researchers examined how warming temperatures have affected the Greenland Ice Sheet.

According to the report, meltwater runoff is entering the North Atlantic and contributing to stagnation in the current that helps regulate marine temperatures.

The study links these changes to a pattern described as a “distinctive temperature fingerprint” found between roughly 3,280 and 6,560 feet below the ocean’s surface.

“Here we identify a distinctive temperature fingerprint in the equatorial Atlantic that signals the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation change,” the authors wrote.

“The robust physical mechanism and reliable detection make [this fingerprint] a valuable metric for AMOC monitoring in a warming climate.”

According to the Daily Mail’s coverage, the fingerprint suggests the current has been weakening for decades.

The study states this decline could continue and possibly lead to a complete collapse before the end of the century.

The Mail also reported that Iceland has formally identified AMOC’s potential failure as an existential threat.

Iceland’s climate minister, Johann Pall Johannsson, said: “It is a direct threat to our national resilience and security.”

If the AMOC were to collapse, researchers say widespread cooling could follow across northern Europe.

Some scientists have projected that parts of the United Kingdom could experience temperatures as low as -30°C under such conditions.

The study arrives shortly after Bill Gates publicly downplayed the broader impact of temperature fluctuations, urging policymakers to prioritize what he viewed as more immediate risks to humanity. The publication also comes as claims of accelerating global temperature increases continue to dominate international discussions.

In 2023, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered some of his starkest warnings during remarks from U.N. headquarters in New York.

“The era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived,” he said during a streamed address.

He described scenes of “children swept away by monsoon rains, families running from the flames, workers collapsing in scorching heat.”

Guterres has repeatedly issued similar warnings throughout his tenure.

At the COP27 climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, he said, “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.”

He also asked, “How will we answer when baby 8 billion is old enough to ask: What did you do for our world and for our planet when you had the chance?”

Earlier, in 2019, he said climate-related damage was striking “on a weekly basis” and urged immediate global action.

His comments at the time aligned with demonstrations by climate activists calling for stronger international intervention.

While declarations about rising temperatures have dominated much of the climate discourse, predictions of a potential new ice age have been rare.

The new study’s findings have drawn significant attention because they suggest that the same warming trends widely cited by international organizations may also be contributing to dramatic regional cooling if AMOC continues to weaken.

Dan Bongino Puts Thomas Massie on Blast, Drops Receipts of Calls on X
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Dan Bongino Puts Thomas Massie on Blast, Drops Receipts of Calls on X

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FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino pushed back Thursday against accusations from Rep. Thomas Massie that the bureau was attempting to retaliate against a whistleblower connected to the investigation of the January 6 pipe bomb incident.

Bongino’s response followed Massie’s publication of a letter from an attorney representing an FBI whistleblower who alleged efforts within the bureau to identify the individual who made disclosures to Congress.

Bongino released a detailed statement outlining steps he said the FBI has taken to advance the long-running investigation.

He wrote that he and FBI Director Kash Patel “had our hands full” upon joining the administration, but “despite the multitude of challenges we faced, one of our first initiatives was to aggressively pursue a new strategy to investigate the January 6 pipe bomb, terror attack.”

According to Bongino, the FBI added new personnel to re-examine the case and brought in police officers and detectives serving as task force officers to review the bureau’s previous work.

He said the FBI carried out multiple internal reviews, held numerous in-person and secure video teleconference meetings with the investigative team, significantly increased investigative resources, and raised the public reward for information to draw crowd-sourced tips.

“This is only a small sample of the work the FBI personnel and leadership team have put into this critical investigation,” he wrote.

Bongino stated that he spoke with Massie on Wednesday morning “a little after 8am ET” and offered to provide an in-person briefing.

He said the two spoke for ten minutes.

He wrote that he called again “a bit after 7:30pm ET” to repeat the offer but did not receive an answer.

“Despite this, you continue to imply that the Director and I are targeting investigators in the case,” Bongino wrote.

“This is disgusting, even by the low standards many have for politicians. You know my number, and you’re free to call me anytime. But it’s easier to tweet and throw BS bombs.”

Bongino said the FBI’s leadership team would meet Thursday with FBI personnel and provide whistleblower resources to report any “evidence of malfeasance in the prior administration.”

He added that the FBI would ask about investigative leads that may not have been pursued previously.

“A week of near 24-hour work on RECENT open source leads in the case has yet to produce a break through,” he wrote, adding that “some of the media reporting regarding prior persons of interest is grossly inaccurate and serves only to mislead the public.”

Bongino closed by saying he was committed to the bureau’s mission.

“I proudly serve in this administration, and I proudly work with Director Patel to reform and advance the crime fighting and national security missions of the FBI. We would love to have you as a partner in this mission, rather than a dog barking behind a fence.”

Massie had raised concerns Wednesday evening when he posted a letter from an attorney representing an FBI whistleblower tied to the pipe bomb investigation.

The letter asserted that FBI leadership at the Washington Field Office planned to hold a meeting Thursday morning and alleged that the purpose of the meeting was to identify the whistleblower.

According to the letter, “it is obvious from the information provided by senior leadership in the Washington Field Office that this meeting is an attempt to identify the FBI whistleblower who made the protected disclosure to the US Congress.”

It stated that efforts to identify the individual “is a reprisal and violation of 28 CFR part 27.”

The letter cited previous decisions by the Department of Justice’s Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management affirming the right of FBI employees to make anonymous protected disclosures.

“Identifying the whistleblower serves only one purpose, which is to allow FBI management to retaliate,” the attorney wrote.

Massie posted the letter with his own comments, writing, “I received this troubling letter today from the attorney representing the most recent FBI whistleblower regarding the J6 pipe bomb investigation. Just a reminder to FBI Director Kash Patel, in case this letter is warranted, federal law prevents retaliation against whistleblowers.”

Shocking Allegations: Wealthy Elites Paid to Shoot Civilians in Sarajevo
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Shocking Allegations: Wealthy Elites Paid to Shoot Civilians in Sarajevo

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Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into claims that wealthy foreigners paid tens of thousands of dollars to shoot civilians during the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, an allegation described as one of the most disturbing to emerge from the Balkan Wars.

The probe was launched after Italian investigative writer Ezio Gavazzeni alleged that affluent gun enthusiasts, referred to as “sniper tourists,” paid Bosnian Serb forces up to $90,000 to take part in so-called “human safaris,” targeting residents of the besieged city between 1992 and 1996.

Additional fees were allegedly paid to shoot children, according to the claims first reported by The Guardian.

More than 10,000 people were killed in Sarajevo by sniper fire and shelling during the four-year siege, one of the longest and most devastating conflicts in modern European history.

Gavazzeni said his research suggests that some of those responsible were not soldiers, but civilians who traveled to Bosnia for sport.

“There were Germans, French, English … people from all Western countries who paid large sums of money to be taken there to shoot civilians,” Gavazzeni told reporters.

“There were no political or religious motivations. They were rich people who went there for fun and personal satisfaction. We are talking about people who love guns who perhaps go to shooting ranges or on safari in Africa.”

Gavazzeni said he first encountered reports of so-called sniper tourism in Italian media during the 1990s but began investigating the claims more thoroughly after viewing a 2022 documentary.

The film featured a former Bosnian Serb soldier who alleged that foreigners joined combatants in the hills surrounding Sarajevo to shoot at civilians trapped in the city below.

His current findings reportedly rely on testimony from a former Bosnian intelligence officer who claimed to have firsthand knowledge of foreign nationals participating in the attacks.

Gavazzeni said he has identified several individuals, including Italian citizens, who may have been involved.

Prosecutors in Milan are now examining the material and plan to question some of the individuals named in his investigation in the coming weeks.

The Milan prosecutor’s office has not publicly commented on the scope of the investigation but confirmed it is reviewing evidence related to possible war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law.

Authorities are focused on whether any Italian citizens directly participated in sniper activities during the siege.

The Bosnian Consulate in Milan issued a statement welcoming the investigation and pledging cooperation.

“We are impatient to discover the truth about such a cruel matter in order to close a chapter of history,” a consulate spokesperson said.

“I am in possession of certain information I will be sharing with the investigators.”

While the allegations have not yet been independently verified, the case has drawn renewed attention to the atrocities committed during the siege of Sarajevo, where snipers routinely targeted civilians, including women and children, from elevated positions around the city.

Gavazzeni’s claims, if confirmed, would represent one of the most shocking revelations linked to the conflict, suggesting that foreign civilians may have paid to take part in war crimes for sport.

Italian prosecutors have indicated that the investigation will continue in coordination with Bosnian authorities and international legal bodies.

Judges Halt FBI Search of Activist’s Phone in Stephen Miller Threat Investigation
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Judges Halt FBI Search of Activist’s Phone in Stephen Miller Threat Investigation

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Two Virginia judges and Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti have restricted federal investigators from examining the cellphone of activist Barbara Wien, who allegedly doxed Stephen Miller, Donald Trump’s White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, and his family.

The Justice Department had sought access to Wien’s phone to determine whether she coordinated with others in targeting Miller and his relatives.

Magistrate Judge Lindsey Vaala denied the FBI’s request for a search warrant earlier this week, according to Axios.

Federal officials argued that Wien’s communications could reveal whether a wider network of activists was involved in threatening or stalking Miller.

Wien, a 66-year-old academic and self-described peace studies scholar, has been accused of placing flyers in her Arlington neighborhood that displayed Miller’s home address.

The flyers contained his photo with a red circle and line drawn through it and read, “NO NAZIS IN NOVA.”

A QR code on the flyers linked to the activist group Arlington Neighbors United for Humanity.

Video evidence from the Secret Service reportedly shows Wien walking outside Miller’s residence and making a gesture toward his wife by pointing two fingers from her eyes toward the home.

The incident occurred 24 hours after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in Utah, according to case records.

The FBI initially seized Wien’s phone on October 1 as part of its investigation but said she misled agents during questioning.

Investigators requested another warrant to review the phone’s contents, but Judge Vaala declined to approve it.

Vaala previously made political donations to former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden before being appointed to the bench.

In a separate proceeding weeks earlier, Dehghani-Tafti, a Democratic prosecutor elected in 2019, supported Wien’s defense motion to restrict what data the FBI could access.

Her argument convinced another Virginia judge to limit the scope of the federal search.

A senior Trump administration official expressed frustration with the outcome, saying, “The position of the judge and the justice system in Northern Virginia is, Stephen Miller deserves this, so it shouldn’t be investigated. This is just about gathering evidence to see if there should be an arrest. And the judges are blocking it.”

Wien’s attorney maintains that she did not commit any crimes and characterized her as an academic focused on nonviolence.

Federal law enforcement officials, however, continue to treat the incident as a potential threat against a protected person.

“A lot of administration officials feel it’s a problem that you have to live in Virginia or D.C. or Maryland. But the criminal justice system will not protect you and your family,” a White House official said of the case.

Many former Trump officials have relocated to secure housing after repeated doxing and harassment incidents.

Dehghani-Tafti’s social media accounts have drawn scrutiny for containing negative posts about both President Trump and Miller, as well as for following the same activist group linked to Wien.

Responding to questions from Axios, the prosecutor said, “[I] performed my duties with integrity and objectivity, and I continue to do so. I have acted in every way to uphold the rule of law.”

A counselor to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said the prosecutor’s involvement was highly irregular.

“A prosecutor is usually on the same team as the investigators trying to make a case,” the counselor told Axios.

“But in this case, it’s the opposite. She’s been stymying the investigation, it appears.”

The case remains open as the FBI weighs further options to pursue the investigation.

Federal officials have not indicated whether they plan to appeal the warrant denial or seek other avenues to review Wien’s communications.

Republican Sheriff Leads California Governor’s Race as Democrat Campaign Spirals
Election

Republican Sheriff Leads California Governor’s Race as Democrat Campaign Spirals

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Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter has fallen six points in the race for California governor, according to a Berkeley Institute of Government Studies (IGS) poll released Friday, which shows Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco now leading the crowded field.

The IGS survey found Porter dropping from 17 percent in August to 11 percent, while Bianco climbed from 10 percent to 13 percent.

Porter, who had been viewed as the Democratic frontrunner for months, now trails as voters shift toward the Republican sheriff known for his criticism of Sacramento’s leadership.

The poll included six other Democratic contenders, but none secured more than 3 percent support apart from former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Becerra placed third at 8 percent, down one point from the previous survey, while Republican candidate Steve Hilton rose two points to also reach 8 percent.

Five percent of respondents said they would support another candidate, and 44 percent remained undecided.

Among those surveyed, 23 percent held a favorable view of Bianco, 26 percent viewed him unfavorably, and 51 percent said they had no opinion. Porter’s favorability stood slightly higher at 26 percent, though 33 percent viewed her unfavorably and 41 percent were undecided.

In an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation, Bianco said Californians “need a sheriff” to restore accountability in state government.

He criticized Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom for what he described as reckless spending and misplaced priorities.

“Sacramento is home to more crime than any other city due to Gavin Newsom and his enablers stealing from Californians,” Bianco told the DCNF.

“They are spending billions to fund government programs for illegal immigrants, fund political power grabs, building a new temple to government with little to no oversight, and in the meantime, there is no money for first responders, families trying to rebuild their lives, or tax relief for families,” he said.

“Californians need a Sheriff as their next Governor to restore sanity in Sacramento.”

The poll’s release follows a series of negative headlines for Porter in recent weeks, including two widely circulated videos that reignited questions about her temperament.

On October 7, Porter abruptly ended an interview with CBS News California’s Julie Watts after being asked how she planned to reach the 40 percent of state voters who supported President Donald Trump.

Porter responded that she didn’t “need” Trump voters “in order to win.”

When Watts attempted to follow up, Porter pushed back repeatedly before cutting the interview short, saying she was no longer having a “pleasant, positive conversation.”

A day later, Politico resurfaced a 2021 video showing Porter yelling at a staffer during an online meeting with then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

In the clip, Porter shouted, “Get out of my f**king shot!” as she appeared to lose patience during the virtual event.

The IGS poll, conducted online in English and Spanish between October 20 and October 27, surveyed 8,141 registered California voters.

Invitations were distributed by email and text message to a stratified random sample of the state’s voter rolls.

The survey carries a margin of error of approximately plus or minus two percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Bianco’s narrow lead marks the first time in months a Republican has topped the IGS governor’s poll, signaling potential volatility in California’s 2026 race as both parties test their messages in one of the nation’s bluest states.

National Kart Champion Killed in Targeted Home Invasion in North Carolina
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National Kart Champion Killed in Targeted Home Invasion in North Carolina

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A North Carolina national kart racing champion was fatally shot in front of his fiancée during what police described as a “targeted” home invasion that ended in his death and the arrest of two career criminals, as reported by The New York Post.

Tyler Weaver, 25, was found dead on the floor of his home in Forest City on October 24 after police responded to reports of a break-in just before 10 a.m., according to local authorities. Weaver’s fiancée, Nevaeh Quintero, managed to escape and call for help after two armed suspects allegedly entered the home and opened fire.

Weaver, a two-time Maxxis Kart Racing National Champion in 2018, was shot multiple times. His death was ruled a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.

Forest City Police Chief Chris LeRoy told WLOS that the home invasion was a “targeted” act and appeared to be a “robbery gone bad.”

The two suspects, identified as Quitez Watkins, 35, and Jaquavious Craig, 26, fled the scene and remained at large for several days before authorities tracked them down.

Arrest warrants were issued three days after the murder, and both men were captured on October 28. Watkins was arrested by the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, led by the U.S. Marshals Service, while Craig later surrendered to Rutherford County police.

Both suspects have been charged with first-degree murder and are being held at the Rutherford County Detention Center without bond.

According to court documents, Watkins has an extensive criminal record, including charges for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to cause serious injury, possession of a firearm by a felon, methamphetamine trafficking, and possession of cocaine, heroin, and opium.

Craig’s criminal history includes assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, robbery with a dangerous weapon, felony breaking and entering, and assault on a female. Some of Craig’s prior cases were dismissed in Cleveland County due to insufficient evidence.

Weaver, who also worked as an electrical tradesman, was widely remembered by friends, family, and the racing community.

His sister, Taylor Weaver, posted on Facebook, “Losing my brother has been the hardest thing we’ve ever gone through. He was such a kind, beautiful soul with the biggest heart, and he was taken from us far too soon.”

His mother, Amanda Rogers, also shared a statement reflecting on her grief, saying, “My child didn’t deserve this. He had a heart of gold, always willing to lend a helping hand, regardless of one’s background. His kindness knew no bounds. I’m struggling to find the strength to get through this. I’m humbly asking for prayers.”

Maxxis Kart Racing North America issued a statement honoring Weaver and his late father, Danny Weaver, who died in September 2021.

“Tyler and his late father, Danny Weaver, were an inseparable team — their love for racing and the pride they carried in that championship defined what this sport is all about. Tyler was one of the most proud champions we’ve ever had, and his legacy will always be part of the Maxxis family. Once a champion, always a champion.”

Authorities said the investigation remains active as police continue gathering evidence on the events leading up to the shooting.

Pam Bondi Rips Obama Judge for Diverting School Lunch Funds to SNAP
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Pam Bondi Rips Obama Judge for Diverting School Lunch Funds to SNAP

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Attorney General Pam Bondi sharply criticized U.S. District Judge John McConnell, an Obama appointee, after he ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use federal funds originally set aside for school lunch programs to continue financing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the ongoing government shutdown, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

During a Thursday hearing, Judge McConnell chastised Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys representing the administration and directed the federal government to fully restore SNAP benefits to states by Friday, arguing that millions of Americans would otherwise go without food assistance.

Pam Bondi recognizes family and friends in attendance as she delivers opening remarks during a Senate Judiciary committee hearing on her nomination to be Attorney General of the United States on Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

“The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur,” McConnell told DOJ lawyers.

“Last weekend, SNAP benefits lapsed for the first time in our nation’s history. This is a problem that could have and should have been avoided.”

The ruling affects more than 40 million Americans who rely on SNAP benefits.

Federal officials said the $5 billion emergency fund allocated earlier in the shutdown was insufficient to sustain the program through November, prompting McConnell’s order for the USDA to redirect funds from child nutrition programs — including school lunch allocations — to cover the shortfall.

Bondi denounced the move, saying it effectively “raids children’s school-lunch money” to fund the food-stamp program.

“That TRO purports to force the government to divert some $5 billion from the school lunch program to SNAP by the end of today,” Bondi said in a statement Thursday.

She also accused McConnell and the First Circuit Court of Appeals of manipulating the timing of the order to disadvantage the government’s ability to respond.

“Why could we file this brief only this morning, with that clock ticking? The First Circuit clerk’s office made it impossible to file sooner,” Bondi said.

Bondi added that her office had notified the court in advance of the likelihood of fast-moving litigation, but the court clerk’s office “refused to answer its phones until this morning and refused to offer any means of filing this emergency request until it processed certain paperwork during regular business hours.”

According to Bondi, McConnell’s late-day ruling created a “manufactured emergency,” forcing the government into a position where it could not file an appeal in time.

“We ask the First Circuit to get courts out of the business of deciding how to triage scarce funds during a shutdown,” Bondi said, emphasizing that judicial interference in funding priorities undermines executive branch authority and disrupts ongoing federal operations.

The USDA has not yet confirmed whether it will comply with McConnell’s order before pursuing an emergency appeal.

The Department of Justice said it continues to review its legal options as the administration faces mounting pressure to resolve funding disputes affecting food assistance programs, school nutrition, and other federally funded services during the shutdown.

Blue City Voters Just Elected a Convicted Killer to City Council in Maine
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Blue City Voters Just Elected a Convicted Killer to City Council in Maine

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Voters in Bangor, Maine, have elected a convicted killer to the city’s governing body, more than two decades after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the brutal death of a Canadian tourist.

Angela Walker, who was convicted in 2003 under the name Angela Humphrey, won one of three open seats on the Bangor City Council in Tuesday’s municipal election.

According to official results, Walker received 2,231 votes, finishing third in a nine-candidate race. Democrats Susan Faloon and Daniel Carson also won council seats.

All three successful candidates were endorsed by Food and Medicine, a progressive nonprofit based in the Bangor area, the Bangor Daily News reported.

Walker’s past, however, has drawn renewed public scrutiny following her election.

Court records show that in 2002, Walker pleaded guilty to manslaughter and perjury in the death of 47-year-old Derek Rogers, a Canadian tourist who was beaten and suffocated on Old Orchard Beach.

Prosecutors at the time described the killing as a violent and senseless act.

They said Rogers had encountered Walker, her brother Benjamin, his girlfriend, and a 13-year-old on the beach in July 2002.

Following a heated exchange, Walker shoved sand into Rogers’ nose and mouth, suffocating him.

At first, Walker tried to shift blame to her brother and his girlfriend.

But investigators determined that she was lying about her role in the crime.

“The indictment against Ms. Humphrey is stronger than against her brother,” Assistant Attorney General Fernand LaRochelle said at the time.

To avoid a prolonged trial that could have been complicated by the defendants accusing each other, prosecutors reached a plea agreement.

The state dropped a murder charge in exchange for Walker’s guilty plea to manslaughter.

She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

According to Seacoastonline, Walker also pleaded guilty to perjury for giving false statements during the investigation.

At the time of the killing, she was already incarcerated for violating probation in an unrelated assault case.

Walker later claimed that she acted out of anger after Rogers made what she described as a racist remark about her Sioux heritage.

Prosecutors did not dispute that words were exchanged but maintained that the killing was a disproportionate and violent response.

Walker’s election marks her first entry into public office since her release from prison.

Her campaign focused on housing, public health, and community engagement, issues she said were central to improving life in Bangor.

Her victory has prompted mixed reactions among Bangor residents, with some calling it a sign of redemption and others expressing disbelief that someone with a homicide conviction could now hold public office.

Maine law does not prohibit individuals with felony convictions from running for or holding local elected positions once they have completed their sentence.

Walker’s election adds to a growing number of cases nationwide in which formerly incarcerated individuals have sought and won public office, arguing that their experiences provide valuable perspectives on criminal justice and social reform.

For now, Walker is set to begin her term on the Bangor City Council as one of nine members.

Her swearing-in is expected later this month.

His death, once described by prosecutors as an act of “senseless violence,” remains a painful memory for those who remember the 2002 case that shocked coastal Maine.


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