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Hundreds of Noncitizens in Michigan Jury Pools Under Jocelyn Benson, Dozens Linked to Voter Rolls [WATCH]
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Hundreds of Noncitizens in Michigan Jury Pools Under Jocelyn Benson, Dozens Linked to Voter Rolls [WATCH]

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Rep. John James criticized Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson during a recent interview, accusing her of mismanaging election-related matters and arguing that his background in military service, business and Congress makes him better suited to serve as Michigan’s next governor.

Appearing with Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany, James responded after McEnany suggested Benson was attempting to claim credit for election integrity efforts.

“Election integrity, but she’s trying to take some credit here.”

James rejected that characterization and accused Benson of overseeing election-related controversies during her tenure as secretary of state.

“Exactly the opposite. You’re exactly right, Kayleigh.”

He continued by criticizing Benson’s dual role as secretary of state while seeking higher office.

“This is the exact same woman who’s presiding over her own election for governor.”

James also referenced litigation involving Benson’s office.

“The same woman who’s lost five lawsuits due to her malfeasance in elections, not the least of which was putting her thumb on the scale in 2020 in the state of Michigan.”

He further alleged that coordination between state and local officials had been inadequate regarding election administration.

“She is actually not coordinating with feds and not coordinating with local county officials.”

James then turned to concerns involving jury duty rolls and voting records.

“But the fact they’ve let hundreds of illegals on our jury duty rolls, and there are over a dozen that we found who voted in our elections.”

According to James, those issues warrant additional explanation from Benson.

“Jocelyn Benson has a lot of explaining to do.”

He also questioned Benson about what he described as her past involvement with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“Again, also what her role was on the SPLC board when they gave money to the KKK.”

James summarized his criticisms by arguing that Benson lacks the qualifications needed to lead Michigan.

“She is the least transparent, least cooperative, and least qualified human being to possibly be governor of the state of Michigan.”

He then contrasted Benson’s record with his own experience.

“Which is why I’m excited to bring my experience as a combat veteran fighting after 9/11 in Iraq.”

James also highlighted his business background.

“A business leader who’s created jobs in Detroit.”

He concluded by pointing to his current role in Congress and his work with the Trump administration.

“And someone who’s in Congress working with the president to actually bring resources back to the state of Michigan to make Michigan great again.”

McEnany closed the interview by thanking James for joining the program.

“Congressman John James, we are watching.”

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Throughout the interview, James argued that Michigan voters should compare his military service, private-sector experience and congressional record with Benson’s tenure as secretary of state.

He maintained that his focus would be on working with the federal government to secure additional resources for Michigan while promoting economic growth and improving state government.

James also reiterated his concerns about election administration under Benson’s leadership, saying voters deserve answers regarding the issues he raised as Michigan prepares for the next gubernatorial election.

Barbarians Inside the Gate: Speaker Johnson Issues Dire Warning Ahead of the Midterms [WATCH]
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Barbarians Inside the Gate: Speaker Johnson Issues Dire Warning Ahead of the Midterms [WATCH]

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House Speaker Mike Johnson is warning that the socialist fringe is no longer shouting from outside the Democratic Party.

With Republicans clinging to a 219 to 212 House majority and four seats vacant, November could decide whether President Donald Trump faces a supportive Congress or a chamber captured by the radical left.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, made his case during a Saturday appearance with Kayleigh McEnany on the Fox News program Saturday in America.

His message was blunt: younger activists and insurgent candidates are pulling Democrats toward an ideology with a bloody record and a fresh marketing campaign.

The Democratic Socialists of America and its Gen Z recruits may prefer polished slogans, viral clips, and promises of government provided comfort.

Johnson argued that beneath the shiny packaging sits the same philosophy that has repeatedly produced repression, poverty, violence, and misery.

Asked whether socialism has ever worked, Johnson answered no and described 2026 as a “contrast election.”

He said voters will be choosing between “common sense versus communism,” a formulation that cuts through the left’s fashionable branding and gets straight to the consequences.

Johnson stated, “Communism and this philosophy has led to the murder of more than 100 million people in the last century. It has never worked anywhere it’s been tried.”

He then explained why: “And the reason is because it runs completely counter to human nature and to the principles that made our country the greatest nation in the history of the world. We believe in individual freedom.”

“We believe in limited government. We believe in free markets and free enterprise and the dignity of work, and all these things that have made America exceptional. They want to turn all of that upside down.”

That warning lands because the modern socialist project still depends on giving government greater power over work, property, enterprise, speech, and the daily choices of ordinary citizens.

Johnson also said, “these insurgent left candidates are winning the Democrat primaries all across the country.”

The concern is not some distant ideological shift dreamed up by political consultants, but a movement already competing successfully inside one of America’s two major parties.

“The barbarians are inside the gate. It’s very, very serious stuff. Communism begins with the premise that there is no God. The state is the god, effectively.”

That contrast goes beyond budget disputes or the normal squabbling over congressional procedure.

America was built around rights granted by God, restraints on government, private property, personal responsibility, and the belief that citizens do not exist merely to serve the state.

“It never works, and it ends in poverty, destruction, political violence, human suffering. That is the story of Communism.”

Johnson told McEnany, “This is what we’re facing right now,” making clear that Republicans cannot afford to treat the socialist turn as a campus fad.

He added, “This election really does draw a contrast in a sharp way for the American people.”

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In earlier remarks, Johnson asked Americans to consider how quickly the political ground has shifted during the past decade.

As the nation marks its two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, voters are confronting a choice between preserving the constitutional republic and empowering candidates who openly reject its basic economic and cultural foundations.

The danger is especially serious because many young voters have never received an honest education about communism’s historical record.

They are often handed sanitized theories, emotional promises, and class warfare rhetoric while the mass graves, political prisons, empty shelves, and crushed liberties are quietly edited out.

“And so we are here as the Republican Party to stand on the founding principles of the greatest nation in the history of the world. It is our duty to do that, and we’re doing it on behalf of everybody.”

For Republicans, the 2026 midterms are therefore about far more than protecting Johnson’s narrow majority.

Control of Congress will determine whether Trump’s America First agenda advances or collides with a Democrat majority increasingly comfortable marching behind socialism in trendier clothes.

Good Samaritans Save Woman Swept Underwater at Sabino Canyon Flooded Bridge [WATCH]
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Good Samaritans Save Woman Swept Underwater at Sabino Canyon Flooded Bridge [WATCH]

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TUCSON, Arizona. A frightening rescue unfolded Thursday after floodwater swept a young woman from a bridge and into Sabino Creek.

The incident delivered a blunt reminder that monsoon danger can persist long after the rain clouds have moved elsewhere.

A family was attempting to cross Sabino Canyon Bridge number one while water from Sabino Creek rushed across the bridge surface.

The crossing looked dangerous, and the current quickly proved that appearances can be dangerously deceiving.

A 20 year old woman riding her bicycle was knocked from the bike and thrown into the rushing water.

The current dragged her beneath the surface and carried her under the bridge, putting her life in immediate jeopardy.

Family members and Good Samaritans rushed to help despite the obvious danger to themselves.

Their quick response became a desperate effort to pull the woman from water powerful enough to overwhelm even experienced swimmers.

When the woman emerged on the other side of the bridge, rescuers began performing CPR near the edge of the creek.

Those critical moments showed just how quickly an ordinary outing can become a fight for survival during Arizona monsoon season.

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Early information from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department indicated that two people were taken to a hospital.

Both were reported to be in stable condition following the harrowing rescue.

The dangerous conditions began developing hours before the incident.

KGUN9 weather radar showed steady rain, with periods of heavy rainfall, falling on Mount Lemmon shortly before midnight and continuing for more than five hours.

That prolonged rain flowed down the mountainside and poured into Sabino Creek.

By the time the water reached the bridge, it was moving rapidly and carrying tremendous force through the canyon.

Monsoon storms do not need to be directly overhead for conditions to become deadly downstream.

Sunshine at one location can create a false sense of security while runoff from distant rainfall races through washes, creeks, and canyon crossings.

KGUN9 spoke with hikers Alek Shapiro and Enzo Mele as they returned from a hike in the area.

Both men said they had been carefully watching the rising and fast moving floodwater.

Shapiro warned visitors against treating the conditions casually.

“I think if you’re joking around and not willing to be cautious and take Mother Nature for what it is, things can get out of hand very quick.”

Mele offered similar advice for anyone considering hiking during the remainder of monsoon season.

“I would say just you know if you’re going to hit the trails this weekend or any time really for the rest of summer monsoon season, just you know really be vigilant out there.”

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the public must understand the enormous power of rapidly moving water.

A current capable of moving a heavy vehicle is not something a pedestrian, cyclist, or even a strong swimmer can safely challenge.

Nanos dismissed the idea that training or confidence makes such a crossing acceptable.

“I don’t care what level of expertise you have, what you think your skill sets may or may not be. Why are you risking that? There’s five or six people there, who thank goodness, but really scary. They risked their lives to save these two people, and and and I am so grateful for them.”

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The rescue ended with both hospitalized people reportedly stable, but the outcome could easily have been far worse.

The civilians who entered the danger to save them also faced the possibility of being pulled into the violent current.

The episode offers a clear lesson for anyone traveling through Arizona canyon country during monsoon season.

If water is crossing a bridge or trail, turning around is not cowardice, it is common sense, something nature has a brutal way of teaching.

Minnesota Election Chief Threatens Journalists as Voter Vouching Sting Exposes Stunning Loophole [WATCH]
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Minnesota Election Chief Threatens Journalists as Voter Vouching Sting Exposes Stunning Loophole [WATCH]

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Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon lashed out at James O’Keefe and Cam Higby after the pair used concealed cameras to examine the state’s voter vouching system.

Instead of squarely confronting concerns raised by their footage, Simon announced that law enforcement was reviewing their conduct.

The controversy centers on a Minnesota law allowing a registered voter to affirm that another person lives in the same precinct.

That individual may then register at the polling place without producing the standard documentation normally used to prove residence.

O’Keefe described the rule this way: “Under Minnesota’s Statutes § 201.061, a registered voter can sign an affidavit affirming that they know another individual resides in the same precinct, allowing that person to register at the polls without presenting standard proof of residence. One registered voter can vouch for up to eight people,” O’Keefe said.

That generous allowance was precisely what O’Keefe and Higby set out to test inside Minneapolis polling locations.

“We wanted to find out what this actually looks like inside a polling place and how far election workers would let us take it,” he said.

O’Keefe wore a thobe while Higby appeared in a black burka, with the pair presenting themselves as voters while secretly recording their conversations.

O’Keefe also used an exaggerated Middle Eastern accent during exchanges with election workers.

“I have a question about the vouching program, yeah? Vouching? I can vouch for them but they are not registered,” O’Keefe asked the poll workers.

His questioning then moved directly toward how many additional people one voter could bring into the process.

“Ahhh good. Can I bring five more” O’Keefe asked the poll workers.

After learning the stated limit, he replied, “Up to eight? Okay, that’s a good thing,” O’Keefe said.

One poll worker explained the procedure in remarkably plain terms.

“If you’re all in the same precinct and you are already registered, you can vouch for them as ID. Eight people,” a poll worker told James O’Keefe.

The explanation became even more striking when the worker clarified the role of the person providing the voucher.

“You’re the ID,” the election worker told O’Keefe, a statement that quickly became central to the dispute over whether Minnesota’s rules contain adequate safeguards.

WATCH:

Simon did not respond by promising an audit, legislative review, or public examination of whether the system could be exploited.

Instead, the Democrat secretary accused the investigators of misconduct, challenged their credibility, and raised the prospect of legal consequences.

In his statement, Simon said O’Keefe and Higby had visited multiple Minneapolis polling places while impersonating Minnesota voters.

He also accused them of using costumes, imitating foreign accents, making false claims about their registration, and publishing what he called a heavily edited video.

“Poll workers immediately reported these visits to local election officials and law enforcement is reviewing the situation,” Simon said.

That declaration turned an undercover investigation into a potential law enforcement matter, while leaving the public debate over vouching largely unanswered.

Simon further declared, “The misconduct by this group is outrageous and totally unacceptable. We have zero tolerance for lying, lawbreaking, and disruptions at our polling places.”

Strong words came quickly from the state’s top election official, but direct answers about possible abuse of vouching were considerably harder to find.

He also defended election workers and said polling locations should remain calm.

“Voters deserve better, as do the tens of thousands of our neighbors and friends who serve as poll workers. Our aim, as always, is to ensure that our polling places are islands of calm. Minnesota laws are there to ensure that outcome.”

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O’Keefe and Higby responded to Simon’s warning, with O’Keefe defending the reporting and emphasizing what election officials told him during the recorded encounters.

His central point remained that workers said a registered voter could serve as identification for as many as eight other people.

Minnesota officials may object to the costumes, accents, and hidden cameras, but theatrics do not erase the underlying policy question.

If one person can effectively become the identification for eight others, citizens are entitled to ask what prevents organized abuse and how election officials verify the claims.

Simon’s response appears focused on the messengers rather than the mechanism they examined.

For voters already skeptical of election bureaucracy, threatening investigators while defending an unusually permissive registration practice is not likely to inspire the confidence Minnesota officials insist the system deserves.

Um, Wut?”: Ted Cruz Sums Up James Talarico’s Attack on the Bible Perfectly [WATCH]
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Um, Wut?”: Ted Cruz Sums Up James Talarico’s Attack on the Bible Perfectly [WATCH]

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Texas Democrat James Talarico is facing a wave of criticism after a resurfaced video showed the United States Senate candidate condemning Bible related education in public schools as propaganda and indoctrination.

The remarks quickly caught the attention of conservatives, including Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

Talarico, a Texas state representative and Christian seminarian, made the comments during a 2025 video hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

He was asked about his legislative fights with people described by the host as Christian Nationalists.

The Democrat pointed to what he called the “most insidious” legislation he had opposed while serving in state government.

He claimed a proposed Texas curriculum would present Christian Bible stories as historical fact to children who were too young to form their own beliefs.

“It was a new state curriculum that would teach Christian Bible stories as historical fact, as the only truth to our youngest students, and I mean kindergarten, first graders,” Talarico said.

“These are kids who aren’t able to think for themselves yet. They haven’t formed their own worldviews.”

He went further, warning that the alleged effort to “push propaganda, to push indoctrination on those youngest students is deeply immoral and should trouble all of us.”

That accusation did not sit well with Texans who viewed the curriculum as an effort to improve cultural knowledge and reading comprehension.

Cruz shared the resurfaced clip and responded with a short but unmistakably bewildered question, “Um, wut?”

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Other conservative commentators soon joined the criticism, arguing that Talarico had badly distorted what the Texas curriculum actually contained.

Mary Elizabeth Castle, director of government relations for Texas Values, called Talarico’s description misleading.

She said the Bluebonnet curriculum was an English Language Arts program adopted in 2024 to help students understand the many biblical references found throughout American history and literature.

“The references to the Bible in the Bluebonnet curriculum help students understand the thousands of everyday idioms that people use every day that have some context to Scripture,” Castle said.

In other words, recognizing biblical references is basic cultural literacy, not some sinister plot dreamed up in a church basement.

Castle also said the curriculum was supported by religious liberty attorneys and prominent officials, including Dr. Ben Carson.

She noted that its biblical material was intended to strengthen reading scores and comprehension, while a majority of Texas parents and stakeholders who testified supported its adoption.

“The majority of Texas parents and stakeholders testified in favor of the curriculum, which passed at the State Board of Education,” Castle said.

She added that several school districts have already purchased it, suggesting Talarico’s view is hardly the dominant position among Texas families.

First Liberty executive general counsel Hiram Sasser said courts have repeatedly recognized the Bible’s influence on Western culture, literature, and history.

“No education is complete without understanding the Bible and its influence, as even the ACLU recognizes,” he told Fox News Digital.

Sasser argued that Talarico had managed to position himself to the left of the ACLU, which agreed in a legal settlement that the Bible may be taught in Texas schools.

That is quite an achievement, though probably not the kind a statewide candidate should advertise in deeply religious Texas.

Tim Graham, executive editor of the Media Research Center’s NewsBusters, highlighted what he viewed as the left’s convenient double standard.

“Democrats have a funny way of defining ‘indoctrination,’” Graham said, arguing that liberal ideology is routinely presented as inclusion while biblical teaching is treated as dangerous.

Talarico’s campaign defended him as a Christian seminarian committed to the teachings of Jesus Christ and opposed to politicians using Scripture for political advantage.

The campaign also accused Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and other politicians of attacking Talarico’s faith.

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During an appearance with podcaster Joe Rogan, Talarico explained that his concern centered on children from minority faiths or those without religious beliefs.

“As a Christian, I think my concern is for the Muslim kid and the Jewish kid, the Hindu kid, the atheist kid who’s sitting in a classroom who now has a poster on the wall forced by the government that says, you know, your religion is inferior, or you’re not welcome here,” he said.

Talarico has also faced conservative criticism for supporting parents who raise children as transgender, although he has opposed gender reassignment surgeries for minors.

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His latest controversy leaves Texas voters with a clear question about whether teaching the Bible’s historical influence constitutes education or, as Talarico insists, propaganda.

Socialist Lawmaker Says ‘Biological Need’ Gives Shoplifters a Free Pass [WATCH]
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Socialist Lawmaker Says ‘Biological Need’ Gives Shoplifters a Free Pass [WATCH]

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Brooklyn socialist Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher has offered New Yorkers a remarkable new theory of retail law.

Stealing basic goods should apparently be excused when the thief claims a “biological need,” a standard that sounds more like activist theater than responsible government.

Gallagher presented her argument Thursday outside Manhattan Criminal Court while appearing with leftist politicians and criminal justice advocates from Court Watch NYC.

The organization said it monitored 360 arraignments across four days and found that more than half involved misdemeanor offenses.

The Greenpoint lawmaker characterized many of the cases as crimes rooted in poverty, pointing to people accused of taking soap and toothpaste.

“And that means if you’re stealing those things, you need them,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher portrayed the issue as a contest between struggling residents and wealthy corporations such as CVS and Walgreens.

She argued that the greater offense was the city’s wealth disparity, claiming people could face jail simply because of their “biological need.”

That framing conveniently skips past the neighborhood businesses, employees, and honest customers who absorb the cost of theft.

Corporations do not magically swallow losses forever, since higher prices, reduced hours, locked merchandise, and closed locations usually follow.

Gallagher, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, also promoted “treatment” instead of jail as the proper response.

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Yet first-time shoplifting defendants rarely receive jail sentences, while years of weak enforcement have encouraged retailers to place everyday products behind plastic barriers.

The assembled activists also urged socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani to fulfill his campaign pledge to end broken windows policing.

That approach targets quality-of-life offenses such as graffiti and fare evasion before public disorder becomes something much uglier.

Shoppers at Food Universal supermarket in the Bronx were not impressed by Gallagher’s ideological spin.

“It’s foolish to think one should not be punished for stealing. It is a crime,” said Rev. Susan Webb, 68.

Academic adviser Jeanette Mack, 49, said politicians are enabling shoplifters rather than helping them.

“People are going to feel entitled because they know they can walk in and walk out and nothing will happen,” she said.

Mack, a single mother who once worked four jobs, said she never considered stealing.

She also worried that relaxed enforcement could force her local supermarket to close, leaving residents to travel farther and spend more money on gasoline.

Food Universal manager Edwin Pichado said Gallagher appeared detached from the financial reality facing neighborhood stores.

“We cannot run a business like that,” he said, noting that businesses must cover rent, workers, utilities, and inventory.

Pichado warned that thieves will return when they discover there are no consequences, and they will spread the word to others.

That is how an isolated theft problem becomes what he called a “free for all.”

The latest NYPD figures cited in the report showed retail theft down 14.7 percent through August 9 compared with the same period last year.

Petit larceny was also down 5.4 percent, progress that could quickly disappear if politicians formally turn theft into an excused activity.

Gallagher has generated controversy since entering the Assembly in January 2021.

She once used GoFundMe to raise money for emergency surgery for her cat, while also collecting dozens of traffic and parking tickets despite advancing an anti car agenda in Albany.

In 2024, Gallagher attended an anti Israel phone bank sponsored by the New Jersey chapter of American Muslims for Palestine.

Leaders connected to that organization have faced criticism over antisemitic rhetoric, while Virginia authorities have investigated possible financial links to terrorism.

Councilwoman Vickie Paladino accused Gallagher of deliberately enabling conduct that devastates retailers.

“People like Emily Gallagher try to obfuscate reality because they want to enable this very activity,” Paladino wrote, while former Queens Councilman Robert Holden called Gallagher “a major dope.”

Councilwoman Joann Ariola said businesses already struggling to keep their doors open could be pushed toward closure by politicians excusing thievery.

Gallagher did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment, leaving taxpayers and shopkeepers to contemplate another dose of socialist logic.

Newsom and Whitmer Congratulate Themselves in Painfully Cringeworthy Pandemic Victory Lap [WATCH]
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Newsom and Whitmer Congratulate Themselves in Painfully Cringeworthy Pandemic Victory Lap [WATCH]

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California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer have apparently decided that the public needs a fresh round of pandemic nostalgia, complete with mutual praise and remarkably little humility.

Their new video looks less like an honest reckoning and more like an audition for a future Democrat ticket.

Together, the two governors revisit how they managed their states during the COVID pandemic, a chapter millions of Americans remember through closed classrooms, shuttered businesses, arbitrary restrictions, and elite exceptions.

Newsom and Whitmer, by contrast, seem eager to congratulate each other for making the hard calls.

The exchange begins with Newsom raising the former federal health official who became the face of pandemic policy.

He asks, “What did you make of Fauci and all that?”

Whitmer responds, “I feel bad for him, ya know?…people were trying to do the right thing with the information we had…”

Her defense leans heavily on good intentions, the familiar refuge of officials who imposed sweeping rules and now prefer not to dwell on the wreckage.

That is a convenient framing. Families were not dealing with an academic exercise; they were living under orders that disrupted work, education, worship, health care, and ordinary human contact.

Whitmer also acknowledges the fury over school closures, saying, “Everyone was so pissed off that I pulled kids out of school.”

That anger did not materialize from nowhere, and parents did not need a government lecture to understand what prolonged isolation was doing to their children.

She follows with another broad defense: “We were doing what we thought was the right thing to do at the time.”

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The phrase may explain their thinking, but it does not erase the consequences or settle whether those choices were justified.

The video is especially rich coming from Newsom, whose pandemic image remains tied to his notorious French Laundry dinner while Californians endured restrictions.

Nothing says shared sacrifice quite like powerful officials enjoying privileges unavailable to the people expected to obey them.

Whitmer brings her own baggage to this effort, including restrictions remembered for preventing shoppers from buying seeds to grow food.

Those policies became symbols of an approach that often looked less like careful public health and more like bureaucratic control for its own sake.

Now, with years of distance and future elections looming, both governors have every incentive to polish the old record.

The video gives them a friendly setting where each can validate the other without facing sustained questions from parents, business owners, workers, or students.

That political context makes the pairing hard to ignore.

Whitmer has said she is not running for president in 2028, but such a declaration would not prevent her from joining someone else as a running mate.

Newsom has spent years cultivating a national profile, while Whitmer remains a prominent Democrat from a crucial Midwestern state.

A polished conversation between them naturally invites speculation about whether viewers are watching simple partisan backslapping or an early ticket preview.

Whatever the electoral purpose, the larger project is obvious.

They are trying to recast controversial pandemic mandates as courageous leadership, with the passage of time serving as a substitute for accountability.

Americans are entitled to remember the record without assistance from a glossy political production.

They remember children kept from classrooms, livelihoods placed at risk, rules that shifted without warning, and politicians whose own conduct did not always match the sacrifices demanded from everyone else.

Newsom and Whitmer may believe a warm conversation can soften those memories, but voters have long memories when government power reaches into their homes and families.

Their mutual victory lap is not likely to impress people who paid the price for decisions the governors still insist were right.

Massachusetts Dem Mayor Busted in Alleged $1.5 Million COVID Relief Cash Grab [WATCH]
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Massachusetts Dem Mayor Busted in Alleged $1.5 Million COVID Relief Cash Grab [WATCH]

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Federal agents armed with a bullhorn and battering ram descended on the home of Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña as authorities accused him of treating pandemic relief funds like his own private bank account.

The Massachusetts Democrat allegedly diverted roughly $1.5 million from a federal program created to rescue struggling businesses.

DePeña, 61, was arrested Aug. 14 on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges following the dramatic FBI operation.

The case centers on money obtained through a Small Business Administration disaster loan program during the COVID pandemic.

“The FBI arrested Mayor Brian DePeña for allegedly cashing in on a public health crisis and blatantly defrauding a government program meant to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic,” FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks said in a press release.

According to federal prosecutors, the matter began with what appeared to be a legitimate request for help. In 2020, DePeña obtained a $150,000 disaster loan for Tenares Tire Services, Inc., his tire and automobile service business in Lawrence.

The federal program was supposed to provide emergency assistance to companies battered by government restrictions and economic turmoil during the pandemic.

It was not designed to become a convenient pile of campaign cash or a rescue fund for unrelated real estate debts.

Authorities allege DePeña faced mounting financial pressure the following year.

His mayoral campaign needed money, he owed back taxes, and several Lawrence properties were tied to expensive loans carrying high interest rates.

Rather than tightening the belt like ordinary Americans were forced to do, DePeña allegedly pursued repeated increases to the federal loan.

Prosecutors say the original $150,000 amount eventually swelled to approximately $1.5 million.

The government alleges that much of that money never served its intended purpose at the tire business.

Instead, more than $880,000 allegedly went toward paying mortgages with high interest rates on other properties and businesses connected to DePeña.

Another $90,000 was allegedly steered into DePeña’s mayoral campaign before the 2021 election, according to federal officials.

DePeña won that contest, giving voters little reason at the time to suspect their new mayor’s campaign may have benefited from pandemic relief money.

DePeña later secured another term in November 2025.

The allegations now raise obvious questions about whether federal funds intended for battered businesses helped fuel his political rise while taxpayers were left holding the bag.

The mayor, who holds citizenship in both the United States and Dominican Republic, appeared in Boston federal court on Aug. 14.

A judge released him under several conditions, including surrendering his passport, reporting to probation officials, and remaining in Massachusetts.

DePeña is also barred from applying for additional loans without approval from the court.

Considering the accusations surrounding his previous borrowing, federal supervision of any future loan applications appears to be more than a minor administrative detail.

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Outside the courthouse, attorney Carlos Apostle rejected the idea that DePeña would step down as mayor.

“No, he’s done a great job in Lawrence,” the lawyer said, offering a defense that may not satisfy residents reading through the federal affidavit.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley accused DePeña of betraying the trust placed in him by Lawrence residents.

She said the arrest demonstrated that federal prosecutors would pursue suspected fraud “even [by] public officials,” an important message in a state where political machines are hardly unfamiliar.

Docks said that “When elected officials misuse federal funds for personal gain, they’re breaking the trust of their constituents” and violating federal law.

He also warned, “You’ll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” making clear that public office provides no shield from accountability.

If convicted, DePeña could face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and up to 10 years for money laundering.

The charges could also bring substantial fines and supervised release, while neither DePeña nor his attorney responded to requests for further comment.

Woman Faces Felony Charges After World War II Memorial Vandalism Outrage
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Woman Faces Felony Charges After World War II Memorial Vandalism Outrage

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A woman has been taken into custody and charged with two federal felonies following the vandalism of the World War II Memorial in Washington, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.

The charges could bring a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Pirro announced Friday that Melissa Farris was charged with depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans’ memorials.

Both counts stem from the damage discovered Thursday at the prominent memorial on the National Mall.

The World War II Memorial was covered with soap suds and splattered with red and green paint.

The words “Clean hands Dirty $” were painted across one surface while bubbly soap caused the memorial fountain to overflow.

Images posted by Pirro on the social media platform X appeared to show a woman holding a can near the red paint.

Pirro did not identify the source of those photographs or provide additional information about how authorities located Farris.

Reuters reported that it could not immediately verify the images. Farris also could not immediately be reached for comment, and Pirro’s office did not respond to a request seeking further details about the case.

The vandalism quickly drew outrage because the memorial honors the Americans who served and died during World War II.

Defacing that ground is not some harmless prank, regardless of whatever muddled political message the graffiti was supposed to convey.

Federal officials vowed to identify whoever was responsible after the damage became public.

Pirro’s announcement indicates investigators moved quickly, although the charges remain allegations and will have to be proven in court.

President Donald Trump condemned the vandalism and appeared to connect it with recent damage involving the Reflecting Pool.

He described the attack on the World War II Memorial as an insult to Americans who sacrificed their lives during the conflict.

“First the Reflecting Pool, now this,” Trump wrote on social media Friday. “We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???”

Trump’s response followed an earlier controversy involving Pirro’s decision to drop charges against four people accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool.

The pool had undergone renovations overseen by the Trump administration before its condition began to deteriorate.

Problems at the Reflecting Pool reportedly included a peeling liner and blooms of algae.

Pirro attributed the damage to faulty installation rather than vandalism and dropped the cases against the four accused individuals.

Trump was plainly dissatisfied with that decision and said Pirro had “folded like an umbrella.”

The new memorial case now places her office under added scrutiny as federal prosecutors move ahead with two serious felony counts.

Unlike the dispute over the Reflecting Pool, the World War II Memorial incident included visible graffiti and paint across federal property dedicated to the nation’s veterans. That evidence has intensified public anger and increased pressure for firm consequences.

The memorial sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and commemorates the service of 16 million members of the United States Armed Forces during World War II. It also honors the more than 400,000 Americans who died during that global struggle.

Damage to such a site strikes beyond the cost of cleaning paint or removing soap from a fountain.

It represents contempt for the memory of a generation that fought across Europe and the Pacific so later generations could enjoy the freedoms vandals often take for granted.

Pirro has not disclosed whether investigators believe anyone else participated or whether authorities have determined a motive.

No details were released about when Farris was arrested, where she was taken into custody, or when she would make her first court appearance.

The prosecution will now test whether federal law can deliver meaningful accountability for an alleged attack on one of the nation’s most solemn military memorials.

Americans will be watching closely, especially after Trump made clear that treating attacks on national landmarks like routine mischief is no longer acceptable.

Pentagon Seals Boeing and RTX Deals to Supercharge SM-3 Production
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Pentagon Seals Boeing and RTX Deals to Supercharge SM-3 Production

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The Pentagon signed a pair of framework agreements Friday with Boeing and RTX aimed at expanding production of crucial components for the Standard Missile 3.

The interceptor serves as the Navy’s primary ship launched weapon for destroying ballistic missiles before they can reach their targets.

The agreements cover avionics and ejector assemblies supplied by Boeing to Raytheon, an RTX business and the prime contractor for the missile.

Those components support both the SM 3 Block IB and the more advanced Block IIA variant.

Both versions operate through the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, which equips American and allied warships with a powerful shield against ballistic threats.

The interceptors are designed to destroy incoming missiles outside the atmosphere, making them a key layer in the broader air and missile defense architecture.

“These agreements ensure our Warfighters get the munitions they need to win,” Michael P. Duffey, under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment, said in the Pentagon release.

“We are stabilizing our supply chains, expanding munitions production and putting our entire defense industrial base on a wartime footing.”

That wartime footing is more than bureaucratic language after years of growing global missile threats and shrinking American stockpiles.

The seven year frameworks are designed to give Boeing and its suppliers the confidence required to invest in additional manufacturing capacity.

Under the arrangement, Boeing can begin producing components before a final contract is formally in place while the Pentagon, Boeing and RTX negotiate a multiyear agreement.

Neither the Pentagon nor Boeing disclosed expected quantities or the potential dollar value of the deals.

“This gives us a clear demand signal to build and deliver SM-3 interceptors at the levels needed to counter threats,” Bob Ciesla, vice president of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems, said in a company statement.

“The SM-3 is an essential part of the layered air and missile defense architecture that protects the U.S. and its allies worldwide.”

That clear demand signal matters because suppliers cannot expand plants, hire skilled workers or order specialized equipment based on political guesswork.

Long range commitments can help prevent the production gaps and fragile supply chains that have repeatedly slowed efforts to rebuild the American arsenal.

The approach follows a similar seven year agreement Boeing reached in April involving seekers for the PAC 3 Missile Segment Enhancement.

That arrangement is intended to triple seeker production as the Pentagon locks in supplies from critical subcontractors instead of relying solely on agreements with prime contractors.

The Missile Defense Agency also awarded Raytheon a $745 million contract earlier this month to manufacture fully assembled SM 3 Block IIA interceptors.

Those weapons will be produced for the United States and Japan, which both face increasingly serious ballistic missile threats in the Pacific.

The urgency became impossible to ignore in April 2024, when Navy destroyers fired SM 3 interceptors in combat for the first time.

The missiles helped defeat an Iranian ballistic missile assault targeting Israel, proving that production charts in Washington can quickly become survival math at sea.

Additional SM 3 interceptors have been launched since that engagement, including missiles fired during Operation Epic Fury.

Combat success may validate the weapon, but every launch also removes an interceptor from an inventory that cannot be replaced overnight.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the SM 3 inventory stood at 414 missiles as of December 2025.

A separate analysis from the center in May estimated wartime expenditures at between 130 and 250 interceptors and warned that restoring those stocks would take years.

Congress has also moved to preserve production of the less expensive Block IB after the Missile Defense Agency proposed ending new purchases in its fiscal 2025 budget request.

Keeping that line operating gives commanders another option while maintaining industrial capacity that would be difficult and costly to rebuild after a shutdown.

The Boeing and RTX agreements represent a practical effort to stop managing munitions one short contract at a time.

With ballistic threats spreading and combat expenditure climbing, the Pentagon is finally giving manufacturers the stable orders needed to build weapons at the speed American forces may require.


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