Author name: Robert Walsh

Over 30 Kids Rescued from Human Traffickers and Child Predators in Big Blue City
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Over 30 Kids Rescued from Human Traffickers and Child Predators in Big Blue City

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Federal and local authorities rescued over 30 missing children and dismantled several trafficking operations targeting vulnerable youth during a coordinated law enforcement effort across Texas, officials confirmed Monday.

The mission, known as “Operation Lightning Bug,” focused on the San Antonio area and led to multiple arrests, felony warrants, and new investigations.

The joint effort involved the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) offices in San Antonio, Del Rio, Midland, and Pecos, along with the San Antonio Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit, Special Victims Unit, Street Crimes Unit, and undercover teams.

Through combined investigative work, teams analyzed national and state crime databases to locate at-risk juveniles and coordinate recovery efforts.

The operation produced the following results:

  • Three arrests for harboring runaways
  • Nine felony warrants executed
  • Six sex trafficking survivors rescued and connected to services
  • Five new trafficking investigations opened
  • More than 30 missing juveniles located
  • More than 120 additional juveniles voluntarily returned home, clearing their names from missing persons databases

Each recovered child was interviewed by the San Antonio Police Department’s Special Victims Unit to determine whether they had been victimized.

Survivors were referred to agencies including Health and Human Services to receive long-term care, counseling, and protection.

U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau of the Western District of Texas said in a statement that the operation reflects the Marshals Service’s ongoing commitment to protecting children.

“The safety of our children is the safety of our communities, and justice demands that we protect those who cannot protect themselves,” Pamerleau said.

“Through Operation Lightning Bug, we reaffirm our promise to safeguard the most vulnerable and strengthen the safety of our communities.”

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus also commended the multi-agency effort, emphasizing its results.

“Every suspect arrested, juvenile returned home and survivor taken out of harm’s way matters,” McManus said.

“This operation demonstrates what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies unite to protect children.”

The U.S. Marshals carried out the initiative under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.

That law authorizes the agency to recover missing or endangered children, even when the cases do not involve fugitives.

It also established the USMS Missing Child Unit, which conducts similar operations nationwide to locate and rescue minors in danger.

Kirsta Leeberg-Melton, founder and CEO of the Institute to Combat Trafficking, told Fox News Digital that trafficking remains a widespread problem across Texas and the nation.

“Trafficking is something that the city of San Antonio and the state of Texas and the nation have been grappling with for a considerable period of time,” she said.

Leeberg-Melton explained that traffickers often prey on instability and target children without steady housing, food, or family support.

“They are easy pickings for traffickers to take advantage of,” she said.

“They exploit these needs by offering those items and then calling in debts and putting those kids in a position where they are able to exploit them for sex or for labor.”

She added that public awareness has not kept pace with how the crime has evolved, particularly online.

“Trafficking is the exploitation of men, women and children for forced sex or forced labor by a third party for their profit or gain. That’s been around forever,” Leeberg-Melton said.

“What hasn’t really been around is people’s understanding of that crime and their knowledge that it’s happening everywhere.”

According to Leeberg-Melton, traffickers have increasingly used the internet to reach victims and expand operations.

“As technology advances, traffickers…are early adopters and adapters of technology,” she said.

“The internet allows them to connect with victims and buyers far beyond their local area.”

She also emphasized that human trafficking is not confined to border regions.

“American citizens can traffic American citizens on American soil,” Leeberg-Melton said, noting that most U.S. trafficking cases involve domestic perpetrators and victims.

“The biggest myth is that it happens somewhere else, and it happens to someone else,” she added.

“Until we start recognizing that people have value, no matter who they are, where they come from, what they’ve done or what’s been done to them, we will continue to excuse some level of exploitation.”

Leeberg-Melton also cited “sextortion” as a growing form of trafficking that uses coercion or threats to obtain sexual content.

“When you have someone that you are holding something over their head and then you are asking them for additional photographs or additional sexual conduct with the threat…that is a form, frankly, of human trafficking,” she said.

Authorities said Operation Lightning Bug remains ongoing as investigators continue to pursue new leads generated during the crackdown.

JB Pritzker Calls Chicago’s Violent Summer ‘Amazing’ as 123 Homicides Are Committed, Shootings Continue
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JB Pritzker Calls Chicago’s Violent Summer ‘Amazing’ as 123 Homicides Are Committed, Shootings Continue

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Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker praised Chicago’s summer as “amazing” during an appearance Thursday on Pod Save America, despite data showing 123 murders occurred across the city during June, July, and August, according to WBEZ Chicago, as reported by The Independent Review.

While the outlet reported that the total represented Chicago’s lowest summer homicide count since 1965, it still averaged more than one killing per day.

Aug 20, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAYpritz

Pritzker defended the city’s reputation, dismissing former President Donald Trump’s description of Chicago as a “hellhole” and pointing to record-breaking tourism numbers.

“We’ve had truly an amazing summer,” Pritzker said.

“And I would point out we’ve had greater tourism than ever before in the history of Chicago and in the state of Illinois. So the idea that people are continuing to come to Chicago to visit us and yet somehow it’s a hellhole and crime-ridden, and people are wearing flak jackets, and murders are happening right and left around you — it’s ludicrous.”

Pritzker acknowledged ongoing crime but compared Chicago’s current homicide rate favorably to past years. “I recognize we’re a big city. We’ve had crime in the past. I think every big city’s had a wave of crime that they’ve had to deal with,” he said.

“But four years ago to today, half the number of homicides in the city of Chicago… the state of Illinois, including the city, doesn’t rank in the bottom half in terms of violent crime. We’re 19th. I would like to be first, best, most, you know, safest. That would be first. We’re 19th safest.”

Despite his optimism, Chicago’s violence continues to generate concern. During Labor Day weekend alone, 58 people were shot and eight were killed, according to NBC 5 Chicago.

When pressed about the spike by reporter Mary Ann Ahern on September 1, Pritzker said crime was an unavoidable part of urban life.

“Look, big cities have crime. There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “But let’s just pay attention to what President Trump is doing [by] targeting Chicago. He’s overlooking red states that have much higher crime rates, much higher.”

Over the past 12 months, Chicago recorded 455 homicides as of August 26, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

Pritzker has faced criticism for downplaying the city’s violence and rejecting federal assistance to address it.

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith weighed in on the issue during an appearance on NewsNation’s CUOMO on September 3, arguing that the governor should work with federal authorities.

“When you look at Pritzker — right now, what you should be doing is this: ‘Excuse me, we gon’ get this together. I’m gon’ let the president do what he suggested. I’m gon’ get the help of the federal government to put a stop to this,’” Smith said.

“He could say something that simple — but it would be giving the president credit. It would be giving the other side credit.”

Peru’s President Dina Boluarte Removed by Congress; Successor Declares ‘War on Crime’
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Peru’s President Dina Boluarte Removed by Congress; Successor Declares ‘War on Crime’

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Peru’s Congress voted early Friday to remove President Dina Boluarte from office on grounds of “moral incapacity,” and swiftly swore in congressional leader Jose Jeri as the nation’s new head of state, as reported by The New York Post.

The move came amid growing anger over violent crime, corruption allegations, and a major political scandal involving the outgoing president.

Boluarte, one of the most unpopular leaders in Peru’s modern history, was ousted just after midnight following a unanimous vote in Congress.

Lawmakers cited her handling of the country’s worsening security crisis, economic instability, and the so-called “Rolexgate” scandal involving undeclared luxury watches.

Within an hour of the vote, Jeri was sworn in as Peru’s seventh president since 2016. The 38-year-old congressman from the conservative Somos Peru party pledged an aggressive campaign against criminal organizations that have fueled widespread unrest.

“The main enemy is out there on the streets: criminal gangs,” Jeri told lawmakers as he donned the presidential sash. “We must declare war on crime.”

Jeri, who became Congress president in July, now joins the ranks of the world’s youngest heads of state. He inherits a deeply divided country facing economic uncertainty and public distrust in government institutions.

The vote to remove Boluarte came just hours after a violent incident added to national outrage.

Several members of the popular cumbia group Agua Marina were injured in a shooting during a concert held Wednesday night at a military-owned venue in Lima, intensifying criticism of the government’s failure to contain crime.

Crowds gathered outside Congress and near the Ecuadorian embassy after the vote amid speculation that Boluarte might seek asylum. Some supporters of her removal celebrated, waving Peruvian flags and playing instruments as word of Jeri’s inauguration spread.

Boluarte addressed the nation from the presidential palace shortly after her removal. “The same Congress that swore me in late 2022 has now voted for my removal, with the implications this has for the stability of democracy in our country,” she said. “At every moment, I called for unity.”

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum had summoned Boluarte to defend herself Thursday night, but she did not appear before Congress. Legislators proceeded with the impeachment process, citing sufficient votes for her removal.

Boluarte, 63, has denied all allegations of corruption and misconduct. Her approval rating had fallen to between 2% and 4% following accusations of excessive force during protests after the 2022 removal of her predecessor, President Pedro Castillo.

Her ouster continues a pattern of political instability in Peru. Three former presidents remain in prison on corruption charges.

The latest impeachment succeeded with backing from right-wing parties that once supported Boluarte, including Keiko Fujimori’s Popular Force and Rafael Lopez’s Popular Renewal. Both are expected to run in the 2026 presidential election.

Boluarte’s presidency began in December 2022 after Castillo’s arrest for attempting to dissolve Congress. His removal sparked deadly demonstrations, especially in Peru’s Andean and Indigenous regions.

Jeri’s government faces immediate challenges, including restoring public security and rebuilding trust after years of political turmoil.

Famous Lifelong Democrat ‘Totally Frightened’ by Party, Vows to ‘Campaign For Republicans’
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Famous Lifelong Democrat ‘Totally Frightened’ by Party, Vows to ‘Campaign For Republicans’

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Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz said Tuesday that he plans to campaign for Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections, marking a significant departure from his six-decade affiliation with the Democratic Party.

During an appearance on The Record with Greta Van Susteren on Newsmax, Dershowitz said that the Democratic Party’s embrace of political extremism and abandonment of constitutional values left him no choice but to support Republican efforts to retain control of Congress.

“They’re [Democrats] not succeeding in persuading the American people that they’re up to a leadership role, which is why, after me being a Democrat for 60 or more years, I am now going to campaign very hard for the Republicans to maintain control of the House and the Senate,” Dershowitz said.

“Not because I love the Republican agenda. It’s because I’m totally frightened if the Democrats were to gain control of either House. Who they would appoint as chair people? Who they would put in the position of inquisitors, and how they would deny rights to people, and how they would introduce a kind of McCarthyism that we haven’t seen since I was a college student in the 1950s.”

Dershowitz, who has long described himself as a liberal Democrat committed to civil liberties, said the party’s current leadership has prioritized attacking President Donald Trump rather than focusing on governance or bipartisan cooperation.

He cited what he described as “left-wing McCarthyism” that has taken hold within Democratic circles.

“It’s left-wing McCarthyism. We’re seeing it throughout the Democratic Party with a few exceptions, like the great Senator Fetterman, who you interviewed, who really is the one person who represents principle, represents honesty, and really nonpartisan approaches in the Democratic Party,” Dershowitz told Van Susteren.

The Harvard Law professor added that he wished more of his former Democratic colleagues would follow the example of Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, whom he praised for taking independent positions on policy issues.

“I wish his colleagues would learn from him, but they don’t. They are moving toward the extreme, extreme left, and the only thing they care about is trying to hurt President Trump,” Dershowitz said.

His comments come as several Democratic lawmakers have escalated rhetoric toward the president and his administration.

Kamala Harris referred to President Trump as a “fascist” during the 2024 campaign, while Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas compared him to “Hitler” in multiple interviews.

Dershowitz said that such language reflects a broader problem within the Democratic Party, which he believes has moved away from constitutional principles and due process in favor of political vendettas.

The remarks also come as new polling data suggests that President Trump continues to maintain steady approval ratings among voters.

According to CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, 52 percent of voters believe Trump is following through on his 2024 campaign promises.

Enten added that Trump’s consistent 43 percent approval rating indicates public confidence in his handling of key issues such as border security, inflation, and crime.

In October 2024, President Trump’s approval stood at 44 percent, and recent surveys suggest his support could pose a challenge for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

A New York Times poll shows Democrats leading Republicans by two points in generic ballot matchups, while a Yahoo/YouGov survey shows a four-point advantage.

Dershowitz’s decision to campaign for Republicans is yet another example of the ongoing political realignment among prominent figures who previously identified with the Democratic Party.

His statements mark one of his strongest public rebukes of Democratic leadership to date and signal his growing concern over the direction of the party heading into the next election cycle.

Trump Warns Dems of Deadline: Open Up Or These Firings Will Be Permanent
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Trump Warns Dems of Deadline: Open Up Or These Firings Will Be Permanent

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President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that prolonged inaction in Congress could lead to significant reductions in the federal workforce and cuts to government programs, as the standoff over government funding entered another week.

The warning came one day after Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), voted to block a continuing resolution that would have temporarily reopened the government.

The rejection extended the ongoing shutdown, which began after both chambers failed to agree on a short-term funding bill.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump said he expected to make decisions about potential layoffs and program eliminations within days if the shutdown continues.

“I’ll be able to tell you that in four or five days. If this keeps going on, it’ll be substantial, and a lot of those jobs will never come back,” Trump said.

“You’re going to have a lot closer to a balanced budget.”

The president’s comments followed questions about how many positions could be affected.

When pressed about whether he had identified specific programs for elimination, Trump said his administration had already identified multiple targets but declined to provide details.

“Oh, sure. We have a lot, I’m not going to tell you, but we’ll be announcing it pretty soon,” he said.

“But we have a lot of things that we’re going to eliminate and permanently eliminate.”

Trump described the shutdown as an opportunity to review government spending and address inefficiencies within the federal system.

“You know, one of the things that we have as some advantage, you could say, but because of the shutdown, which I think they made a big mistake, we’re able to take out billions and billions of dollars of waste, fraud and abuse, and they’ve handed it, you know, to us on a silver platter,” the president said.

The current impasse stems largely from disagreements over health care funding.

Democrats have insisted that any spending bill include expanded Medicaid reimbursements for states covering illegal aliens and increased subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

Republicans, meanwhile, have pushed for a short-term “clean” funding measure to maintain current spending levels while broader negotiations continue.

Administration officials have been reviewing cost-cutting measures in preparation for the possibility that the shutdown could continue.

Last week, President Trump met with his Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director to discuss potential layoffs and areas for permanent spending reductions.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the discussions in a statement to the Daily Caller, saying the administration was prepared to act if the deadlock persisted.

“Unfortunately, because the Democrats shut down the government, the president has directed his cabinet and the Office of Management and Budget is working with agencies across the board to identify where cuts can be made and we believe that layoffs are imminent,” Leavitt said.

Although no layoffs have been announced, officials said agencies have been instructed to begin identifying non-essential positions and duplicative programs for possible elimination.

During his remarks, President Trump said he had received calls from several Democratic lawmakers seeking meetings but suggested that the party’s leadership was disorganized.

“I’ve been getting calls from Democrats who want to meet with me and are claiming to be the leader of the party,” he told reporters.

“Some of the names I’ve never heard of.”

With no resolution yet in sight, the administration continues to signal that it will move forward with cost-saving measures if Congress fails to approve a new funding plan.

The president reiterated that he remains open to negotiations but will not agree to what he characterized as excessive partisan spending demands.

The shutdown marks one of the most consequential fiscal standoffs of Trump’s second term, with both sides standing firm on issues of health care funding, immigration policy, and federal spending priorities.

Mainstream Media Goes All In On Woke Pronouns Over Kavanaugh’s Would-Be Assassin
Culture War

Mainstream Media Goes All In On Woke Pronouns Over Kavanaugh’s Would-Be Assassin

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Corporate media outlets drew criticism over the weekend for describing the would-be assassin of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh as a woman after the defendant received an eight-year prison sentence.

Nicholas Roske, who now goes by the name Sophia, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday after being found guilty of plotting an assassination, according to the sentencing order.

Prosecutors had recommended a 30-year sentence.

Reports and social media posts from several outlets described Roske as female.

NBC News posted on X: “A woman who pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh three years ago was sentenced to more than eight years in prison.” The phrasing prompted immediate pushback online.

Libby Emmons, editor-in-chief of The Post Millennial, responded on X that news reports failed to accurately identify Roske’s sex.

“NBC News should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. Nicholas Roske was no ‘woman’ when he showed up to murder Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh and he’s no woman now,” she commented.

Other outlets used similar language in initial headlines or coverage.

CBC published, “California woman sentenced to more than 8 years over plot to kill Supreme Court justice.”

A Fox News contributor on air used “she” and “her” when referring to Roske after the sentencing.

CNN headlined its story, “Person who admitted to trying to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh is sentenced to more than 8 years in prison,” and in the body of the article wrote that Roske “identifies as a woman.”

The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, a judge appointed during the Biden-Harris administration.

Court filings showed prosecutors sought 30 years. The final judgment imposed eight years in prison.

The case drew renewed national attention as the Trump administration signaled plans to appeal the sentence.

The written order accompanying the sentence described the conduct and intent at issue in the case.

“The defendant’s actions and intent — which were determined, focused, and undeterred for months — were extremely dangerous to the lives of multiple sitting judges, their family members, and the Constitutional judicial order.”

The court’s filing further stated, “The sentence imposed in this case must send the powerful message, both to the defendant and to others who contemplate committing assassination to obstruct judicial independence, that these ends never justify the means and that the consequences are not worth engaging in these acts.”

Roske’s case stems from a 2022 plot targeting Justice Kavanaugh at his Maryland residence.

Authorities said the defendant traveled with a firearm and other items and contacted emergency services before being taken into custody near the justice’s home. Subsequent proceedings resulted in a conviction and Friday’s sentencing.

The reaction to coverage centered on how legacy outlets described Roske’s gender identity and whether headlines and captions clearly conveyed the facts of the case.

Critics said the use of female descriptors was misleading given Roske’s sex at birth and the details of the 2022 incident. Supporters of the language noted that some outlets opted for gender-neutral terms such as “person,” while others reported that Roske identifies as a woman.

The eight-year sentence contrasted with the government’s request for a longer term. While prosecutors argued that the planning and stated intent warranted a 30-year sentence, the court concluded that eight years, followed by supervision, was appropriate based on the record.

The order emphasized deterrence and the protection of judicial independence in setting the penalty.

As of the weekend, outlets updated some headlines and social posts while retaining references to Roske’s stated gender identity within articles.

The case remains under public scrutiny due to the target — a sitting Supreme Court justice — and the ongoing debate over language used in crime reporting.

Officials did not release new details on additional conditions of confinement.

Further filings related to any appeal are expected to be made through the standard docketing process.

DHS Releases Long, Violent Criminal Record of Illegal Alien Iowa School Chief
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DHS Releases Long, Violent Criminal Record of Illegal Alien Iowa School Chief

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The Department of Homeland Security on Friday released a summary of criminal charges, convictions, and immigration records for Ian Andre Roberts, an illegal alien who served as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools until his recent arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Roberts is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the Polk County Jail, DHS said in a statement that described his “rap sheet and immigration history” as revealing “a long record of criminal conduct in the United States,” adding that “he should never have been serving in a role overseeing children in Iowa’s largest school district.”

Roberts is facing illegal weapons possession charges tied to firearms found during a federal search.

According to the Department of Justice, agents executing a search warrant at his residence located three guns: a loaded and chambered 9mm pistol tucked under a living-room seat cushion, a loaded rifle in a master-bedroom closet, and a shotgun behind the master-bedroom headboard.

DHS listed prior offenses and convictions in multiple states. In Maryland, Roberts was convicted in 2012 of reckless driving, unsafe operation, and speeding.

In Pennsylvania, he was convicted in 2022 of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm. New York charges include criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of narcotics, criminal possession of a forgery instrument, and possession of a forged instrument dating to 1996, as well as second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and fourth-degree weapon charges in 2020.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said its civil division served Roberts with a sealed restraining order from Jackson County, Missouri, in August 2023.

The order’s basis was not disclosed because the document is sealed.

DHS said Roberts was also discovered to be illegally registered to vote as a Democrat in Maryland, raising questions about voter registration safeguards.

The agency’s chronology said Roberts nevertheless advanced through leadership roles in public education across Baltimore, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, California, Pennsylvania, and Iowa.

Des Moines Public Schools first placed Roberts on paid administrative leave following his arrest, then switched him to unpaid leave, and later accepted his resignation.

He had served as superintendent since 2023.

Questions were also raised about academic credentials listed on Roberts’ LinkedIn profile.

Morgan State University confirmed his attendance from 2003 to 2007 but said he “did not receive a degree.”

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology stated, “has no record of enrollment for a person with the name Ian Andre Roberts, and similarly, there is no record of enrollment in the MIT Executive MBA program at the MIT Sloan School of Management,” according to the MIT Registrar’s Office.

According to DHS, Roberts is a native of Guyana who first entered the United States in 1994 “classified as a visitor for pleasure.”

DHS said he departed at an unknown date and reentered before his 1996 New York drug charges.

He reentered again on a student visa in 1999.

He received employment authorization documents three times—in 2000, 2018, and 2019—each valid for one year, which means the last authorization expired in 2020.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a notice to appear in immigration court in 2020.

On May 22, 2024, an immigration judge in Dallas, Texas, ordered Roberts removed in absentia, DHS said.

ICE, assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, arrested Roberts on Sept. 26. ICE said Roberts attempted to flee and was found hiding in brush.

Agents said they recovered $3,000 in cash, a fixed-blade knife, and a loaded Glock 9mm pistol from the vehicle he had been driving.

Those findings led to additional criminal counts alleging an illegal alien in possession of firearms.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the agency’s public safety concerns extend to school environments.

“Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien with multiple weapons charges and a drug trafficking charge, should have never been able to work around children,” McLaughlin said.

She added, “Under Secretary Noem, ICE will continue to arrest the worst of the worst and put the safety of America’s children FIRST.”

Chicago Chaos: Armed Suspect Shot By Agents As Mob Surrounds Border Patrol
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Chicago Chaos: Armed Suspect Shot By Agents As Mob Surrounds Border Patrol

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U.S. Border Patrol agents shot an armed woman in Chicago on Saturday after multiple vehicles surrounded a team of officers during a patrol, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The incident occurred near 39th Place and South Kedzie Avenue on the city’s South Side.

DHS said a group of agents was conducting a routine patrol “when they were attacked and rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars.”

The department added that “The officers exited their trapped vehicle, when a suspect tried to run them over, forcing the officers to fire defensively.”

DHS described it as “an evolving situation” and said FBI agents were on the scene.

The suspect is a U.S. citizen and was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said.

She said the woman was already known to federal authorities.

“The armed woman was named in a CBP intelligence bulletin last week for doxing agents and posting online ‘Hey to all my gang let’s f**k those mother f**kers up, don’t let them take anyone,’” McLaughlin wrote on X.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said additional federal resources were being directed to the area.

“Today in Chicago, members of our brave law enforcement were attacked—rammed and boxed in by ten vehicles, including an attacker with a semi-automatic weapon. I am deploying more special operations to control the scene. Reinforcements are on their way,” she wrote on X.

“If you see a law enforcement officer today, thank them,” Noem added.

After the shooting, the woman drove herself to seek treatment “to get care for her wounds,” McLaughlin said.

A Chicago Fire Department spokesperson told the Chicago Sun-Times the woman was later found and transported to a local hospital in stable condition. Authorities did not immediately release the precise time of the shooting.

“Thankfully, no law enforcement officers were seriously injured in the attack,” McLaughlin wrote.

She also criticized state and local authorities, saying, “Unfortunately, [Gov.] JB Pritzker’s Chicago Police Department is leaving the shooting scene and refuses to assist us in securing the area. There is a crowd growing and we are deploying special operations to control [it].”

The Sun-Times reported that a crowd gathered near the scene and that federal agents used tear gas.

The confrontation followed increased tensions around federal immigration enforcement activities in the Chicago area.

Last month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced “Operation Midway Blitz,” an effort the agency said was designed to “target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets,” according to an ICE post on X.

Since the announcement, crowds have repeatedly gathered outside an ICE processing center near where Saturday’s shooting occurred.

Fox News reported that more than a dozen demonstrators were arrested in the streets near the facility on Friday.

DHS said federal officers have faced vehicle attacks around Chicago in recent days.

On Wednesday, the department reported that “criminal illegal aliens weaponized their vehicles in deliberate attempts to ram and injure officers carrying out their sworn duty to uphold our nation’s immigration laws” during incidents in Bensenville, Ill., and Norridge, Ill.

DHS said no members of law enforcement were killed in those attacks.

McLaughlin blamed elected leaders who oppose federal immigration enforcement for fueling hostilities toward officers.

“This is exactly what happens when Governor Pritzker, [Chicago] Mayor [Brandon] Johnson, and other sanctuary politicians demonize ICE and encourage illegal aliens to resist law enforcement,” she said.

She added that federal agencies would respond firmly to threats against personnel. “Comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences,” she said.

“The men and women of ICE and CBP are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer. Like everyone else, they just want to go home to their families at night. The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must stop. We are praying for our law enforcement and their families,” McLaughlin said.

Elizabeth Warren Comes Unglued When CBS Host Calls Out Healthcare for Illegals
News

Elizabeth Warren Comes Unglued When CBS Host Calls Out Healthcare for Illegals

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Democratic Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren forcefully denied that her party supports taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants during a heated exchange Thursday morning on CBS Mornings.

The interview came as Democrats face renewed criticism for provisions in their government funding counter-proposal that Republicans argue would restore healthcare benefits to certain non-citizens.

During the interview, host Tony Dokoupil pressed Warren on the issue, noting that the Republican continuing resolution (CR) was blocked after Democrats introduced their own plan, which Republicans said would reinstate healthcare benefits for non-citizens.

The benefits had previously been rolled back under a Trump-era law that Republicans referred to as the “big, beautiful bill.”

“Republicans say what you’re really fighting for is taxpayer dollars, as they put it, for illegal aliens. I know that’s not strictly true, but there is a provision—” Dokoupil began.

Warren interrupted sharply, saying, “Excuse me, not strictly true. It is a flat-out lie. It is a flat-out lie! There is nothing in Medicaid, there is nothing in Medicare that permits one undocumented immigrant to get one dollar of assistance. None, zero.”

Dokoupil attempted to clarify, stating, “In the Democratic counter offer, the proposal for funding, there is a restoration for Medicaid benefits for certain non-citizens that had been taken away in the big, beautiful bill as Republicans put it. Republicans don’t think those people should be getting healthcare on the taxpayers’ dime, I’m not asking on the merits. Politically, putting that in there exposes you to this talking point, this lie as you put it. Why put it in there? Why is it worth it?”

Warren rejected the framing, insisting that Democrats are working to ensure hospitals are reimbursed for emergency care provided to patients, regardless of immigration status.

“We want hospitals to be able to provide emergency care to any patient and still get reimbursed,” Warren argued.

The dispute comes in the wake of Wednesday’s government shutdown, which occurred after Senate Democrats voted against the GOP-led continuing resolution.

Democrats opposed the measure in part because it did not include an extension of Obamacare subsidies first expanded under the Biden-Harris administration.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that permanently extending the tax credit tied to those subsidies would increase the federal deficit by $350 billion between 2026 and 2035.

Republicans insisted Congress should focus on passing a clean government funding measure before considering any long-term healthcare subsidies.

Despite most Democrats voting to reject the Republican CR, a handful broke with the party.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, along with Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, voted to keep the government open.

Fetterman described his vote as choosing “our country over [his] party,” calling the shutdown a “sad day for our nation.”

The shutdown is already raising concerns about the potential impact on federal workers.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned Thursday that “thousands” of federal employees could face layoffs in the coming days if Congress does not move to reopen the government.

The exchange between Warren and Dokoupil highlights how the debate over healthcare for non-citizens continues to play a central role in the broader funding battle.

Republicans have said the provisions in the Democratic counter-offer amount to extending taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants, while Warren and other Democrats insist the claims are false.

The issue is likely to remain a key point of contention as negotiations continue over how to bring the shutdown to an end.

Ivy League Panel Applauded Guest Who Promoted Violence Against Political Opponents
Left-wing extremism

Ivy League Panel Applauded Guest Who Promoted Violence Against Political Opponents

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A resurfaced 2018 panel hosted by Harvard University’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights is drawing attention after three faculty members praised a guest speaker who defended armed left-wing political violence.

The panel, titled “You Don’t Stand Around and Let People Get Hurt: Antifascism After Charlottesville,” featured Professor Dwayne Dixon of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dixon was placed on administrative leave Monday following reports of his activism with the far-left gun group Redneck Revolt.

Video of the event was pulled from the Carr-Ryan Center’s YouTube page after UNC announced Dixon’s leave.

Harvard faculty members who participated in the discussion included Education Professor Timothy McCarthy, American History and African American Studies Professor Vincent Brown, and American History Professor Lisa McGirr.

Brown, who introduced Dixon, said, “Many of you are aware of the ongoing vigorous debate over whether it’s OK to punch a Nazi. I personally happen to believe that the ethical question was settled by WWII and Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

He added, “All four of [the panel members] are committed to study, interpretation and reasoned debate, but are well aware that deliberation might have distinct limits in the face of opponents who would prefer to see us eliminated.”

Dixon spoke for roughly 30 minutes, presenting Redneck Revolt as a group confronting neo-Nazis, White supremacists, and fascists during the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

While neo-Nazi groups were present, critics have noted that such labels have also been directed at ordinary conservatives and supporters of President Donald Trump for years.

Neither Dixon nor the Harvard faculty distinguished between extremist groups and mainstream right-leaning Americans.

During his remarks, McCarthy linked the Trump administration to fascism, stating that LGBTQ people had “a sense, perhaps quite real, that we are indeed at war and that this is a different kind of phase of war that is more specific, more linked to domestic insurgency of White supremacy, the rise of that, a fascist state under the Trump-Pence regime.”

He also described the moment as “an emergent fascist moment with all the signs of that from history that if we’re paying attention.”

Dixon referenced abolitionist Frederick Douglass in his argument.

“We’re given the enemy, the White supremacist capitalist slave farmer and the means to act. Douglass is not victim of some faint-hearted anxiety about the use of force to free slaves, and to dispatch those who would threaten their freedom or their lives. He plainly says the system must be met with its own weapons,” he said.

McCarthy later suggested that violent measures could be justified, saying, “This may indeed be a moment that calls for a more robust integration of tactics and strategies that include both violence and nonviolence.”

McGirr, who initially expressed doubts, ultimately endorsed Dixon’s message.

“This was a beautiful, brilliant, wonderful, very convincing talk. So, you know, I actually came in here relatively skeptical about your use of, you know, coming armed to Charlottesville, and what happened in North Carolina,” she said.

“And at the end, I’m kind of convinced, actually, you know, that there is a place for this.”

Redneck Revolt, which the Counter Extremism Project describes as a “far-left group” that “claims to be a community defense group against racism and fascism,” was sued by the city of Charlottesville for allegedly violating an anti-paramilitary law after the 2017 rally.

The group entered into a consent decree to avoid trial. It later disbanded in 2019, according to a message posted on its website.

In announcing Dixon’s administrative leave, UNC condemned political violence.

The episode comes as Harvard faces separate disputes with the Trump administration over federal funding.

Earlier this year, President Trump froze $2.4 billion in grants to the university amid campus protests and concerns over antisemitism.

This week, Trump confirmed that a deal had been reached to restore funding, with the university agreeing to allocate $500 million toward trade schools.

“We’re in the process of getting very close, and [Secretary of Education] Linda [McMahon] is finishing up the final details, and they’d be paying about $500 million,” Trump said.

“And they’ll be operating trade schools, and they’ll be teaching people how to do AI and lots of other things. Engines, lots of things.”


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