Author name: LifeZette

Insane Tornado Rips Through Long Island Beach Club as Terrifying Video Captures Chaos [WATCH]
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Insane Tornado Rips Through Long Island Beach Club as Terrifying Video Captures Chaos [WATCH]

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A violent waterspout swept ashore on Long Island Thursday evening, transforming into a small tornado that ripped apart beach club structures and sent debris flying across the sand.

Stunning video captured the funnel advancing toward East Atlantic Beach as stunned witnesses watched the chaos unfold.

The massive spout formed just offshore in Nassau County before gradually moving inland around 6:45 p.m.

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It tore through businesses and cabanas near the boardwalk, then dissolved shortly after reaching land.

Nassau County declared a state of emergency as officials responded to the exceptionally rare weather event.

Emergency crews began checking damaged structures while authorities worked to determine whether anyone had been trapped beneath the wreckage.

“A tornado touched down in Nassau County minutes ago in Atlantic Beach,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said in a statement.

He added that “so far there are no reports of casualties or serious injuries.”

The tornado peeled roofs from beachside cabanas and battered several shoreline structures.

Splintered wood, broken furniture, roof sections, and other debris were left scattered throughout the clubs and surrounding beach.

“There is property damage at Silver Point Beach Club and Sun and Surf that is being assessed right now, and a search team has been mobilized to make sure no one is trapped within the cabanas,” Blakeman said.

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Unlike the usual government shuffle, crews had no time for paperwork while the beach looked like a lumber yard.

Long Beach resident Matthew Stark, 28, was inside the Sun and Surf Beach Club with nine relatives when the storm arrived.

The tugboat mate and lifelong club member said the family had taken shelter inside a wooden cabana as torrential rain pounded the area.

Stark was closing the cabana door when the wind suddenly intensified and tore away the roof.

He said everyone heard and felt a powerful rush before beams, roof material, and other debris began crashing down around them.

“I’ve never felt or experienced anything like that, kind of surreal. One second, it’s like no big deal. The next second, everything was turned upside down, quite literally,” Stark told The Post.

The damage reminded Stark of devastating tornado scenes more commonly associated with the Midwest, not a Long Island beach club.

“I’ve never seen carnage like that. It looked like the videos you see in the Midwest of like a tornado ripping through a town,” he said.

Stark called the experience “crazy,” but he and his relatives escaped without serious injuries.

He suffered only a scratch on his finger and a small bump on his head, an extraordinary outcome considering the roof and wooden beams came down around the group.

“Someone was watching out for us for sure,” Stark said.

His family’s narrow escape offered a rare piece of good news after a sudden storm turned an ordinary evening at the shore into a terrifying scramble for survival.

AccuWeather said the footage from East Atlantic Beach appeared consistent with a waterspout, which is essentially a tornado that develops over water.

The National Weather Service said the waterspout “may have come on land,” but officials needed to inspect the damage before issuing an official determination.

The weather service also reported that another possible waterspout turned tornado may have reached the Rockaways in Queens at roughly the same time.

A tornado warning covered southwestern Nassau County and portions of Queens, including Oceanside and Baldwin Harbor, from approximately 6:50 p.m. until 7:05 p.m.

Heavy rain compounded the danger across Long Island by flooding roads and trapping motorists.

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Sources reported that a woman became stuck inside a flooded vehicle near Cherry Valley Avenue and West Hempstead Turnpike.

Two or three additional vehicles were reportedly stranded on North Central Avenue in Valley Stream beneath the Southern State Parkway.

There were also reports of motorists trapped on the highway as emergency crews confronted flooding, storm damage, and the aftermath of a tornado that arrived with almost no mercy.

Tulsi Gabbard Shares Emotional Update After Her Husband’s Bone Cancer Surgery [WATCH]
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Tulsi Gabbard Shares Emotional Update After Her Husband’s Bone Cancer Surgery [WATCH]

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Tulsi Gabbard has delivered the update countless supporters had been praying to hear.

Her husband, Abraham Williams, is now cancer free after surgery for an exceptionally rare bone tumor, though his recovery remains demanding.

The former director of national intelligence shared the news in an emotional video posted Thursday on X.

Gabbard explained that doctors believe the operation successfully removed the cancerous bone and surrounding tissue.

“A few weeks after the surgery was done, the pathologist and the doctors said that they are confident that they were able to cut out all of the cancerous bone and tissue,” Gabbard said in the video.

Williams has since entered a rigorous physical therapy program nearly three months after the procedure.

Recovery has tested his patience as well as his physical strength.

Gabbard said her husband wants to regain his mobility faster, sometimes pushing himself beyond what his body is ready to handle.

“He gets frustrated a lot because he wants to be able to make progress faster, and sometimes he’s pushed a little bit too far, but overall, Abraham is progressing very well,” Gabbard said.

“The reality is that the battle isn’t over yet.”

Williams was diagnosed earlier this year with sacral chordoma, a rare and slow growing cancerous tumor that forms in the sacrum.

The sacrum is the triangular bone located at the base of the spine, just above the tailbone.

“Earlier this year, my husband Abraham was diagnosed with cancer,” Gabbard said.

“I picked up the phone, and Abraham’s voice was different. He said that he got a call from his doctor, and the doctor told him that he has sacral chordoma, very, very rare , one in a million type of cancer.”

After weighing treatment options, the couple chose surgery instead of radiation.

Williams remained under heavy anesthesia for nearly eight hours as surgeons performed the difficult operation.

Gabbard said the period immediately following surgery was especially punishing because his body reacted badly to the drugs.

“His body, as he started to come out, started reacting to the drugs that were in his body,” she said. “It was tough.”

Even while becoming sick as he tried to walk, Williams kept forcing himself to take a few steps with assistance from nurses.

He also refused narcotic pain medication, choosing to endure the intense postoperative pain without it.

The surgery brought encouraging results, but doctors will continue watching closely for any return of the cancer.

Gabbard said Williams will need frequent magnetic resonance imaging scans to determine whether the disease reappears in the original location or spreads elsewhere.

The health crisis prompted Gabbard to resign from President Donald Trump’s administration in May so she could support her husband through treatment and recovery.

She officially departed the Cabinet at the end of June, putting family and faith ahead of Washington status.

Predictably, some Democratic officials and media personalities attempted to politicize her departure even as the couple confronted a frightening diagnosis.

Critics including Adam Schiff and Nira Tanden drew condemnation for turning a family health emergency into another excuse for partisan attacks, proving that Washington’s outrage machine apparently never takes a day off.

Gabbard instead focused her message on gratitude, faith, and the medical professionals who cared for Williams.

“We are so grateful to God for His unconditional love, for being our shelter, for being our peace and our strength,” she said.

She also thanked the doctors, surgeon, pathologist, anesthesiologist, nurses, and supporters who sent prayers and kind messages. Williams then joined her on camera, and the couple shared a close embrace that conveyed more than another polished political speech ever could.

“This has been a challenging time for us and is hard to talk about,” Gabbard wrote on X.

“But so many of you have reached out asking how he’s doing, and sharing your prayers and well wishes with us.”

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The hopeful report marks a major victory in Williams’ fight, though the couple knows continued monitoring and rehabilitation lie ahead.

For now, they are celebrating successful surgery, steady progress, and the prayers of Americans who stood with them when partisan Washington chose cheap shots instead.

Alina Habba Crushes White House Press Secretary Speculation as Leavitt Exit Nears [WATCH]
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Alina Habba Crushes White House Press Secretary Speculation as Leavitt Exit Nears [WATCH]

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Alina Habba has firmly dismissed speculation that she could replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary, puncturing the latest burst of Beltway guesswork surrounding President Donald Trump’s communications team.

The rumor gained traction as Leavitt prepared to leave the podium at the end of August.

The 28 year old press secretary recently returned from maternity leave and said she wanted to devote more time to her two young children.

Leavitt’s departure has triggered a closely watched search for a successor, particularly as the Trump administration approaches crucial midterm elections.

The next press secretary will inherit the daily task of confronting an openly hostile establishment press corps.

Habba quickly emerged as a favorite among bettors using the prediction market platform Kalshi. At one point, traders gave her a 35 percent chance of receiving the appointment, even though public betting enthusiasm was apparently running ahead of reality.

Habba ended the chatter Wednesday with a direct post on X. “Flattered by the Kalshi odds, but I’m not in the running for any job,” she wrote.

She then took a familiar swing at the anonymous sourcing that fuels Washington speculation.

“However, if I’m getting a new one, I’d love for one of these anonymous sources to let me know first,” she continued.

“Fake news remains the undefeated champ…well…until I come at them.”

Habba currently serves as senior adviser to the attorney general for U.S. attorneys.

Her legal background, fierce defense of Trump, and willingness to challenge hostile media narratives made her an easy name for political watchers to place near the top of the list.

This is not the first time Habba has been floated for the press secretary position.

After Trump’s 2024 election victory, she said she was “flattered” by the possibility but believed she would “be better served in other capacities.”

She later served for slightly more than two months as counselor to the president before becoming interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.

A federal appeals court eventually upheld a ruling that her later service as acting U.S. attorney was unlawful.

Habba resigned from that position and was subsequently appointed senior adviser to the attorney general for U.S. attorneys.

Before entering the administration, she served as Trump’s personal attorney and became a high profile surrogate during his successful 2024 presidential campaign.

With Habba publicly removing herself from consideration, CNN political commentator Scott Jennings moved into the top position among Kalshi bettors.

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Leavitt’s deputy, Anna Kelly, followed him in the prediction market rankings.

Jennings previously worked as an aide to President George W. Bush and was reportedly considered for the press secretary position after Trump’s 2024 victory.

Leavitt was ultimately selected and became one of the administration’s most recognizable public defenders.

Trump has promoted Jennings’ recent book and called him a “patriot” who “gets it.”

Jennings has also built a national following by delivering calm but pointed conservative arguments on CNN panels that often appear shocked to encounter an unapologetic Republican.

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said personal trust with Trump will be essential for whoever takes the podium next.

“The next press secretary will undoubtedly be someone who has a strong existing relationship with President Trump,” Spicer previously told Fox News Digital.

Former press secretary Dana Perino has also weighed the potential candidates as the search continues.

The selection carries unusual importance because the administration needs a disciplined communicator capable of defending Trump’s agenda while keeping the media circus from driving the daily message.

The White House had not announced a successor or publicly commented on Habba’s statement.

For now, Washington’s favorite guessing game continues, but Habba has made one point unmistakably clear: the betting markets do not get to hand out West Wing jobs.

Was This ‘Justice’ or Political Theater? Chauvin Moves to Vacate Convictions in George Floyd Case [WATCH]
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Was This ‘Justice’ or Political Theater? Chauvin Moves to Vacate Convictions in George Floyd Case [WATCH]

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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is asking a Minnesota court to throw out his state conviction in the death of George Floyd.

His attorney argues that the prosecution was never lawfully placed before the court because no grand jury reviewed the charges.

Attorney Greg Joseph presented that argument in a 31 page petition filed Tuesday.

The motion accuses state and Hennepin County officials of fraudulent and unlawful conduct while claiming that fundamental protections owed to Chauvin were ignored.

Joseph contends that Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill oversaw a yearlong due process violation by allowing the case to proceed without convening a grand jury.

According to the petition, that failure deprived the court of jurisdiction from the beginning.

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The attorney wrote that no grand jury considered the state evidence between the time Cahill received the case and the eventual verdict.

Joseph declared, “He lacked jurisdiction over the charges, as this Court does, because they were never lawfully brought.”

The petition challenges the foundation of one of the most politically explosive prosecutions in modern American history.

It argues that officials raced ahead under enormous public pressure while bypassing legal procedures that should have been addressed before a trial ever began.

Joseph also disputes Governor Tim Walz’s decision to appoint Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to lead the prosecution.

The filing argues that the appointment was unlawful and that Ellison lacked proper authority to expand the complaint against Chauvin.

Ellison added a second degree murder charge after taking control of the case.

Chauvin was eventually convicted and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison on the state charges, while also receiving a concurrent 21 year federal sentence for civil rights violations.

The filing further points to the departure of Hennepin County prosecutor Amy Seasy from the prosecution team.

According to the petition, Seasy “disagreed with a decision to add additional charges against Chauvin.”

Joseph claims the initial county charges were viewed as insufficient amid the political fury surrounding Floyd’s death.

The petition alleges that Walz then moved the case to Ellison, who electronically filed another complaint containing the murder charge demanded by activists and political leaders.

That accusation goes directly to the atmosphere surrounding the prosecution, when street unrest and political pressure dominated public discussion.

The filing portrays the case as a rush to satisfy an angry mob rather than a careful effort to follow established constitutional safeguards.

Joseph did not merely argue that isolated mistakes occurred during trial.

He wrote, “It is impossible to assess the trial errors in State v. Chauvin because the entire trial was a fraud; it was based on unfounded charges that were never properly before the Court.”

The motion therefore seeks more than a review of disputed evidence or jury instructions.

It asks the state court to recognize that, in Joseph’s view, the entire prosecution was jurisdictionally defective and that the resulting conviction cannot legally stand.

Speaking with Alpha News, Joseph explained why these arguments had not surfaced during earlier proceedings.

He said, “In a very short period of time there were very fundamental and basic violations of due process.”

Joseph continued, “And those aren’t necessarily things that defense attorneys normally look for.”

His explanation suggests the alleged defects were so basic that prior lawyers may have assumed the government and court had properly handled them.

The petition arrives years after the Chauvin trial became a national political spectacle, with activists, elected officials, and establishment media figures treating the desired verdict as virtually mandatory.

Now the court must decide whether the missing grand jury issue has legal merit or whether the conviction will remain untouched.

Joseph believes the consequences stretch well beyond his client’s imprisonment.

As he put it, “The political fruits of this unlawful prosecution have shaped the trajectory of this State and the world.”

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The court has not yet ruled on the request, and the petition’s accusations remain arguments from Chauvin’s attorney.

Still, the filing forces Minnesota officials to answer an uncomfortable question about whether political urgency replaced lawful procedure in a case that helped reshape the country.

Texas Prosecutors Strip Trinidad Police of Power After Outrageous Free Speech Arrests [WATCH]
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Texas Prosecutors Strip Trinidad Police of Power After Outrageous Free Speech Arrests [WATCH]

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A stunning prosecutorial rebuke has effectively stripped the Trinidad Police Department of its ability to bring meaningful criminal cases.

Henderson County prosecutors announced that they will no longer accept cases investigated or filed solely by the troubled department until further notice.

The Henderson County District Attorney and County Attorney delivered the decision in a letter obtained by local media.

The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office will now handle criminal investigations inside Trinidad city limits, while existing cases face individual review.

The prosecutors also requested an audit by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, according to FOX 4.

That inquiry adds another layer of scrutiny to a department already facing serious questions about arrests, warrant applications, and years of alleged misconduct.

This extraordinary intervention follows Trinidad’s heavy handed response to citizens who dared to question local government.

The East Texas town, home to fewer than 1,000 residents, has spent years dealing with discolored water, sediment, foul odors, and alarming chemical readings.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality later confirmed major problems with the water system.

Those findings reportedly included chemical levels more than 300 percent above federal limits and a distribution network that was failing residents who depended on it.

Citizen journalist Jennifer Combs, who operates the Southern Belle Watch Facebook page, said she had received reports that residents were hospitalized because of bacteria in the water.

She asked residents to share their experiences so the information could be provided to state regulators.

Instead of treating those concerns seriously, then Police Chief Charles Gregory moved against the messenger.

Combs was arrested on a state jail felony charge of false alarm or report after Gregory claimed her post “creates fear, panic, or unnecessary emergency response within a community.”

Combs, a mother with no criminal record, was removed from her home in handcuffs and held in jail for 23 hours.

A Henderson County grand jury later declined to indict her, leaving the department’s dramatic prosecution effort in tatters.

Combs responded by filing a federal civil rights lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas against Trinidad and several officials.

Her complaint alleges First Amendment retaliation, malicious prosecution, and a deliberate campaign to punish her for reporting on the town’s water problems.

Those allegations remain pending and have not been decided by the court.

The case, Combs v. Gregory et al., could bring further examination of how city officials and police treated constitutionally protected speech as though it were a criminal threat.

The warrant process also came under sharp judicial scrutiny.

Henderson County Judge R. Scott McKee wrote that two Trinidad officers omitted important information about citizen complaints, water concerns, and the context surrounding Combs’ statements when seeking a Facebook search warrant.

McKee ordered those officers to appear personally for future warrant requests so the court could question them under oath when necessary.

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According to KLTV, the judge explained that omissions can distort a probable cause decision just as affirmative misrepresentations can.

The trouble only grew after FOX 4 aired its first report about Combs.

YouTube journalist Winston Noles, known online as Otto the Watchdog, traveled to Trinidad and stood outside city hall with a profane sign condemning “bad cops” while broadcasting live.

Police arrested Noles for misdemeanor disorderly conduct just 18 minutes into his livestream.

Municipal Judge Shellena Bivens dismissed the charge, a decision that apparently did not sit well with officials who seemed more comfortable punishing critics than answering them.

The City Council then fired Bivens, while the city administrator was also removed.

A flood of employee resignations followed, and City Hall temporarily closed as the town’s government descended into a spectacle of retaliation, dysfunction, and bureaucratic panic.

Bivens and her attorney maintain that her removal was unjust and legally defective.

Former Chief Gregory later resigned, while interim Chief Cameron Beckham acknowledged that the state investigation involves “bad policing for 15 years.”

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement is now auditing the police department, and the Texas Rangers are investigating city officials.

Meanwhile, Trinidad’s water system remains under state scrutiny, leaving residents stuck with the consequences of government failure on several fronts.

For a town of fewer than 1,000 people, Trinidad has produced a remarkably large scandal.

Prosecutors have now made clear that they do not trust the police department to independently deliver cases, a humiliating result for officials who tried to handcuff criticism instead of cleaning up their own mess.

Atlanta Horror: Bodycam Shows Cops Rescuing Two Little Girls From Stifling Tow Trailer [WATCH]
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Atlanta Horror: Bodycam Shows Cops Rescuing Two Little Girls From Stifling Tow Trailer [WATCH]

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Atlanta police rescued two young sisters from a locked, sweltering trailer after an intensive search that stretched across nearly two terrifying days.

Officers arrested their babysitter, 42-year-old Lakesha Brown, on kidnapping and child cruelty charges.

Zola Cooper, 4, and her 11-month-old sister, Norah Cooper, were reported missing Saturday night.

Investigators found them Monday afternoon inside a cluttered trailer at an Atlanta apartment complex.

Police reviewed cell phone information and followed tips from residents before focusing their attention on the trailer.

Detective Sherrod Stancil said he heard what appeared to be “a baby cooing.”

That faint sound soon became the break officers desperately needed. “Detective Berhalter then proceeded to bang on it a lot louder,” Stancil said during a press conference.

The response left little doubt that children were trapped inside.

“Once he had done that, I heard what I knew was the sound of a child crying,” Stancil said.

Body camera video released by the Atlanta Police Department showed officers scrambling to force their way into the trailer.

They used a cinder block and bolt cutters to break through the locked entrance as the children cried inside.

Officers discovered Brown with both girls and quickly carried the children into the open air.

The footage captured Norah crying in an officer’s arms while another officer brought Zola out of the trailer and away from the horrifying scene.

An arrest warrant obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta stated that the temperature had reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit when officers located the girls.

Police said the trailer had no air conditioning, with only a box fan offering relief from the brutal Georgia heat.

Investigators also described a cramped and cluttered space that apparently served as Brown’s living quarters.

“We also noticed that there seemed to be a mini fridge and a television. In my opinion, that’s clearly where [Brown] was living,” Stancil said.

The conditions raised even more alarming questions about how the children were treated during their disappearance.

Stancil said Norah’s diaper was full and that it did not “look like there were any restroom facilities” near the trailer.

Despite the dangerous heat and disturbing conditions, police said the children were “reunited with their mother in good health.”

That outcome came only because officers followed the evidence, listened closely and acted before the suffocating trailer became the scene of an unspeakable tragedy.

Brown was arrested and charged with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of first degree cruelty to children.

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The Atlanta case, however, was not the first time authorities had connected her to allegations involving a missing child.

After the arrest, investigators learned Brown had an active warrant for failing to appear in an Alabama case involving the kidnapping of a newborn.

That separate case concerned a baby who was only four days old when the alleged kidnapping occurred in August 2021.

Brown denied involvement in the Alabama incident, but authorities said she posted photographs of the newborn boy on her social media account.

The unsettling similarity between the cases now adds another urgent layer to the investigation of her conduct and possible motives.

The Atlanta girls disappeared after their mother, Elica Redding, left them with Brown at about 6 p.m. Saturday so she could go to dinner.

When Brown failed to return the children, Redding called 911 at roughly 10 p.m.

“[Brown] told me there was an accident, but she’s not answering her phone,” Redding told the dispatcher, according to audio obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta.

Brown allegedly claimed the children had been taken to a hospital, but Redding could not find any hospital with a record of them.

Lieutenant Christapher Butler said Redding first met Brown through social media and later met her in person six or seven times.

Police said Brown had presented herself as a babysitter inside a Facebook group for pregnant mothers, gaining enough trust to get access to the children.

“It really just looks like the suspect preyed on her,” Butler said. “And then she was able to gain her confidence enough to take her children.”

Brown cooperated with investigators after her arrest, but police have not released additional information concerning a possible motive because the case remains open.

For parents, the episode is a chilling warning about the predators who may hide behind friendly profiles and offers of help.

Unearthed Footage Exposes ‘Jimmy’ Talarico Leading Push to Gut Austin Coal Power [WATCH]
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Unearthed Footage Exposes ‘Jimmy’ Talarico Leading Push to Gut Austin Coal Power [WATCH]

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Unearthed video shows Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico leading a student campaign against the Fayette Power Project, the coal fired facility that remains Austin’s largest single power plant. The plant currently supplies about 10 percent of the city’s electricity.

Talarico appeared as one of three speakers at an October 2009 press conference called “Rise Up Against Coal.”

Introducing himself as “Jimmy Talarico,” the University of Texas student government representative urged Austin leaders to abandon the plant and embrace solar energy.

Talarico promoted a student government resolution that endorsed divestment from the facility.

“It was a great success for environmentalists on campus … and also students who want to pay less with their energy bills and who want a sustainable economy and a Green Collar Economy when they come out of college,” he said.

After the event, Talarico and fellow activists planned to enter Austin City Hall and lobby officials directly.

Their proposed clean energy portfolio was designed to phase out fossil fuels, a fashionable demand among campus activists even when reliable power had to pay the price.

His reference to a “Green Collar Economy” apparently pointed to Democratic operative Van Jones and his 2008 book bearing that title.

Jones promoted a sweeping transition away from what he called a pollution based economy and toward a government directed green economy.

Former Vice President Al Gore praised the book for presenting “the best solutions for the survivability of our planet.”

The project helped preview the politics later packaged by Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez as the Green New Deal, a proposal experts estimated could cost $93 trillion.

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The footage creates an inconvenient contrast with the image Talarico now presents while campaigning statewide in energy rich Texas.

His campaign website celebrates Texas as “the energy leader of the world” and promises to “add to Texas’ hundreds of thousands of oil, gas, wind, and solar jobs.”

Talarico also released a New American Dream economic platform calling for cooperation with oil and gas producers through a broad energy strategy.

That is quite a transformation from the student activist lobbying Austin officials to pull out of a major coal facility.

His record in the Texas Legislature suggests the old climate agenda never disappeared entirely.

In March 2021, Talarico proposed requiring public school students to receive instruction about climate change caused by human activity, saying the effort could create another generation of climate activists.

That same month, he introduced the Texas Climate Action Act.

The proposal would have required Texas to reduce carbon emissions by half before 2030 and by 90 percent before 2050, targets closely resembling those pushed through the Green New Deal.

Talarico also joined a Youth Climate Strike at the Texas Capitol in September 2019.

Students left class and marched as part of the Fridays For Future movement associated with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

“So proud to stand with our young people during their Youth Climate Strike at the Texas Capitol,” Talarico wrote on Facebook.

“Students around the world are walking out of school to save our planet. It’s time for the grown ups to follow their lead. #ClimateStrike.”

Campaign spokesman J.T. Ennis dismissed the newly surfaced footage as a distraction from 17 years ago, but he did not directly explain Talarico’s present position on coal power.

Ennis instead emphasized the industry’s importance to Texas schools, employment, and the broader state economy.

The Fayette Power Project generates enough electricity to serve roughly 900,000 homes.

Austin Energy owns half of the facility, uses about one third of its output, and sells the remaining electricity to customers elsewhere in Texas.

Austin officials have repeatedly promised to close their portion of the plant.

A 2014 settlement with the Sierra Club targeted closure by 2022, a 2016 resolution moved the target to 2023, and the City Council renewed the pledge in 2020 through its net zero plans.

Those promises collided with economic reality, and the plant remains fully operational.

Energy economist Ed Hirs warned that abandoning the facility could leave Austin customers paying more, telling the Texas Tribune, “If Austin sold out of that coal plant, it might not be able to replace that energy with anything less expensive.”

Biden Era Illegal Alien Arrested in Brutal Fairfax County Killing of Virginia Woman [WATCH]
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Biden Era Illegal Alien Arrested in Brutal Fairfax County Killing of Virginia Woman [WATCH]

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A quiet Monday morning near a popular Northern Virginia trail became the scene of a horrifying discovery when a jogger found a woman dead in a parking lot near Difficult Run Trail in Great Falls.

The jogger immediately contacted authorities, launching a Fairfax County homicide investigation.

Police identified the victim as Carmen Lizet Puch, a 42 year old Reston resident.

Officers found Puch lying beside her vehicle with what authorities described as “trauma to her upper body.”

Investigators later arrested Alexis Antonio Cedillos Campos, 19, in connection with the killing.

Authorities have not yet released every detail surrounding the case, but the arrest has already raised serious questions about immigration enforcement and public safety.

Cedillos Campos is reportedly an illegal alien from El Salvador who entered the United States during the Biden administration.

A photograph shared by reporter Bill Melugin reportedly showed him in Border Patrol custody in 2024.

That detail transforms this case from another grim local crime report into another indictment of Washington’s immigration failures.

Federal authorities apparently had Cedillos Campos in custody, yet he remained in the United States and was later arrested in connection with the death of a Virginia woman.

Had immigration law been enforced when he first encountered Border Patrol, Cedillos Campos would not have been free in Fairfax County.

Carmen Lizet Puch might still be alive, while her family would not be confronting an unimaginable loss.

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The case also places fresh scrutiny on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and other Democrats who have resisted aggressive cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Their policies routinely treat deportation as the greater outrage, even when communities are left carrying the risk.

Fairfax County police were expected to provide additional information about the investigation and the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

Residents had already expressed alarm before authorities announced that Cedillos Campos was in custody.

One woman interviewed by 7News D.C. said, “Which is bizarre to have such a serious, horrible tragedy happening here,” before adding, “It’s very, very spooky, actually, to have no crime scene even that they’re still investigating.”

Her reaction reflects the shock of residents who believed violent crime of this nature was distant from their neighborhood.

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Unfortunately, sanctuary minded politics and lax enforcement do not stop at county lines or respect the assumptions of comfortable suburban voters.

Some residents may now wonder whether opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda was worth the consequences.

Democrats sold resistance as compassion, but ordinary Americans keep being asked to absorb the danger created by policies they never meaningfully approved.

The Fairfax case also deserves close attention because county prosecutor Steve Descano has faced intense criticism over his handling of violent offenders.

Critics accuse his office of declining charges or pursuing lenient outcomes in cases where public safety should have been the unmistakable priority.

Townhall previously reported that Descano’s office arranged transportation for a violent Islamic criminal to visit the Tajikistan embassy in Washington so he could obtain a passport.

The individual was then reportedly granted a 48 hour pass from a facility and fled the United States.

That episode did not inspire confidence in the county’s ability to manage dangerous defendants.

It instead offered a troubling picture of progressive criminal justice officials extending extraordinary accommodation while law abiding residents were expected to trust the process.

Cedillos Campos is entitled to the legal process that follows any arrest, and police must establish the facts surrounding Puch’s death.

Yet the immigration failure preceding this case is already visible, because the federal government had contact with him before this tragedy.

Americans have heard years of lectures about the supposed cruelty of enforcing immigration law.

The far greater cruelty is suffered by victims and families when officials ignore those laws, release illegal aliens into communities, and then pretend the resulting violence was impossible to foresee.

Three Year Old Found with Backpack Full of Cocaine, Alabama Couple Convicted [WATCH]
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Three Year Old Found with Backpack Full of Cocaine, Alabama Couple Convicted [WATCH]

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Convicted drug kingpin Glennie Antonio McGee received life in federal prison Friday in Mobile, Alabama, after prosecutors detailed a sprawling cocaine and fentanyl empire that exploited children and flooded the region with narcotics.

U.S. District Judge Terry Moorer made clear that mercy was not on the menu.

Moorer imposed another life sentence for McGee’s role in a sweeping scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and Small Business Administration.

The judge also ordered the convicted kingpin to pay a staggering $10 million fine.

At the center of the sentencing hearing was what Assistant U.S. Attorney George May called the “reprehensible and heartbreaking part of this case,” involving a three-year-old boy carrying a backpack filled with drugs.

Agents encountered the frightened child during a widely publicized raid on a stash house on Harvey Court.

Prosecutors said McGee learned that authorities were preparing to raid the property and desperately tried to dispose of the evidence through children.

When agents stopped the three-year-old, the terrified boy responded, “I’m not a bad boy.”

May described the encounter as “Just a horrifying scene, your honor.”

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The prosecutor argued that McGee had carved a trail of destruction across southern Alabama and deserved the harshest punishment available under federal law.

Moorer agreed, delivering a blistering assessment from the bench.

“If every federal judge, including myself, was arbitrarily limited to imposing a life sentence in only three cases, I would impose it in your case,” he said.

Investigators believe McGee returned to selling narcotics shortly after leaving federal prison following an earlier drug prosecution.

May told the court that few defendants had presented a clearer case for permanent removal from society.

The sentencing occurred one day after Moorer sentenced McGee’s wife, Echandza Dianca Maxie, to life for participating in the drug and gun conspiracy.

McGee’s sister in law, Edeszann Dailene Maxie, received 13 years and three months for her involvement in the fraud operation.

McGee had represented himself for months before telling the court that he had hired attorney Christine Hernandez.

His sentencing was delayed until Friday after confusion arose over when Hernandez would formally begin representing him, and she is expected to handle his appeal.

During the hearing, McGee repeatedly challenged statements from prosecutors but offered no character witnesses and made no recommendation for a lesser punishment.

Standby counsel Jason Darley said the enormous sentencing guidelines were the highest he had encountered during 21 years of legal practice.

A federal jury convicted McGee in January of operating a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiring to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, and possessing firearms connected to drug trafficking.

He was also convicted of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and using minors in drug operations.

Prosecutors said the 42 year old defendant operated a multimillion dollar narcotics network for more than a decade.

The organization allegedly distributed hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and substantial quantities of fentanyl throughout the Mobile area.

Evidence showed that McGee was responsible for more than 450 kilograms of cocaine, an amount carrying severe consequences under federal sentencing guidelines.

Investigators also uncovered a photograph from supplier Gerald Castille showing 124 kilograms of cartel sourced cocaine arranged in boxes.

Agents intercepted another cocaine shipment intended for McGee in December 2022.

McGee himself told investigators that he was earning $120,000 in monthly profit, while accountants found $4.4 million in additional income during a period when he reported only $436,000 in legitimate earnings.

The government built its case using informants, fellow defendants, investigators, and hundreds of hours of surveillance recordings.

Agents installed a camera on a light pole near the home of McGee’s mother and obtained judicial permission to place closed circuit television equipment inside his Cadillac Escalade.

The footage included images of a child delivering cocaine to McGee inside his vehicle.

Prosecutors also presented a recorded call in which McGee discussed telling an eight year old boy to throw a bookbag containing drugs over a fence before officers arrived.

U.S. Attorney Sean Costello said “the streets of South Alabama are much, much safer” with McGee behind bars.

He added that the drugs, guns, fraud, violence, and exploitation of children all informed the sentence, declaring that McGee “earned every minute of every life sentence that he got sentenced to today.”

Swalwell’s Chinese Spy Girl Shows Exactly Why Congress Needs Real Background Checks [WATCH]
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Swalwell’s Chinese Spy Girl Shows Exactly Why Congress Needs Real Background Checks [WATCH]

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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna called for new security measures in Congress, arguing that recent revelations involving an alleged Chinese intelligence operation demonstrate the need for greater transparency and stricter vetting of lawmakers and congressional staff.

Speaking about the case involving Chinese national Fang Fang, also known as Christine Fang, Luna said the scope of the alleged operation extended beyond a single office and involved multiple political figures.

“And Fang Fang, if you actually look into the amount of offices that she had infiltrated, she was actually donating to a number of very high-profile Democrat candidates that were seeking reelection, incumbents and ultimately ended up running for office.”

Luna argued that Fang’s actions were intentional.

“And so I think that, you know, she knew exactly what she was doing.”

She then turned her attention to Rep. Eric Swalwell, discussing his reported interactions with Fang.

“I think Eric Swalwell at a certain point was briefed by the FBI. He knew what was going on, and then ultimately he tried to cover his tracks.”

Luna continued by criticizing Swalwell’s service on the House Intelligence Committee.

“And so the fact is is that he sat on Intel, he lied about certain things, and ultimately the entire time he was literally working with a Chinese national, and ultimately was being targeted and used by the CCP.”

Luna also credited investigative journalist John Solomon for reporting that she said helped bring additional information to light.

“So a lot of people forget that these findings were actually a result, and credit where it’s due to John Solomon for doing this, because again, these were formerly classified and they were not released.”

According to Luna, the release of that information aligns with what she described as the Trump administration’s emphasis on transparency.

“But ultimately this goes into ultimately what the entire motto of this administration has been, which is transparency.”

She said making such information public allows Americans to better understand potential national security concerns involving elected officials.

“And so it’s good for people to know.”

Luna argued that the case demonstrates why Congress should adopt stronger screening procedures for lawmakers and employees.

“But also remember, this is exactly why Congress needs to have background checks on members of Congress and their staff.”

She said those requirements should apply broadly throughout Capitol Hill to reduce the risk of foreign influence.

“Ultimately, you can be a member of Congress and be a dual citizen, that should also be changed as well.”

Luna argued that members of Congress should owe allegiance only to the United States while serving in federal office.

“I don’t believe that you can have allegiances to two countries, only to the United States.”

She called on House leadership to advance legislation addressing those issues.

“And so it’s time that, you know, Congress puts Kat Cammack’s bill on the floor that would require these background checks and other bills that would require members of Congress to disclose if they’re dual citizens.”

WATCH:

Luna said mandatory background checks for members of Congress and congressional staff, combined with disclosure requirements regarding dual citizenship, would improve transparency and strengthen public confidence in federal institutions.

She argued that the proposed changes would provide additional safeguards against foreign influence while ensuring that lawmakers are fully accountable to the American people.

Throughout her remarks, Luna maintained that Congress should respond to national security concerns by adopting stricter standards for vetting public officials and increasing disclosure requirements, describing those reforms as necessary steps to protect the integrity of the legislative branch.


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