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FBI Bags Fourth Most Wanted Fraudster in Just Five Weeks [WATCH]
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FBI Bags Fourth Most Wanted Fraudster in Just Five Weeks [WATCH]

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The FBI has hauled another accused pandemic relief fraudster back onto American soil, and this time the destination is the Southern District of Florida.

Elaine Escoe, 41, is now facing federal charges tied to an alleged scheme that prosecutors say siphoned more than 32 million dollars from COVID relief programs.

Escoe was indicted in 2025 on charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and money laundering.

After a federal arrest warrant was issued in May 2025, prosecutors say she skipped court and fled to Jamaica.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made clear that the Justice Department views the case as another warning shot to those who treated pandemic aid like a personal jackpot.

“She fled the country believing she could escape justice but ultimately could not.”

According to federal officials, Jamaican authorities captured Escoe after receiving a tip.

She had reportedly been living under the fake identity “Harley Newman,” which apparently did not work out quite the way she hoped.

Her return to South Florida came through a coordinated effort involving the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service office at the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, the Jamaican Constabulary Force, and Jamaica’s fugitive apprehension team.

That is a lot of manpower for one alleged fraudster who thought a plane ticket could solve her problems.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division said the arrest sends a direct message.

“Elaine Angene Escoe’s arrest and return to the United States demonstrates that no one is beyond the reach of American justice,” he said.

McDonald added that the Fraud Division will not be letting up on those accused of raiding public funds.

“The Fraud Division will continue to vigorously prosecute those who steal from the American people.”

Court records allege that Escoe and her fellow conspirators submitted, or caused others to submit, fraudulent applications seeking more than 32 million dollars from multiple federal pandemic programs.

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Those programs included the Paycheck Protection Program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds.

Prosecutors say the applications included false claims about businesses, payroll, revenue, and operations.

In plain English, the alleged scheme involved inventing or inflating business activity so federal money could be pulled out of programs meant to keep legitimate employers afloat.

Authorities also say the conspirators created fake tax documents, fabricated bank records, and other phony financial materials.

Lenders and program administrators allegedly relied on those records when approving loans and grants, which is how the money kept flowing.

FBI Director Kash Patel pointed to Escoe’s capture as part of a broader crackdown under the bureau’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List.

He said the FBI and its partners have now captured four Most Wanted Fraudsters in five weeks, a pace that should make other fugitives overseas start sleeping a little less comfortably.

Patel also tied the enforcement push to President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

According to Patel, the four captured suspects were arrested across three continents and are accused of nearly 1.8 billion dollars in combined fraud after spending more than 3,500 days on the run collectively.

The alleged operation was not limited to applications tied to businesses controlled by the conspirators.

Prosecutors say some applications were submitted for third parties in exchange for massive kickbacks, sometimes reaching 50 percent of the loan proceeds.

Federal officials say the proceeds were then laundered among members of the group.

That detail adds another layer to what prosecutors describe as a sprawling abuse of relief programs created during a national emergency.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said Escoe allegedly helped orchestrate a scheme that took more than 32 million dollars from programs meant for American workers and businesses.

“Defendants cannot escape accountability simply by leaving the country,” he said.

Quiñones also credited the federal, state, and international partners who helped bring Escoe back.

“This coordinated effort demonstrates that we will pursue fugitives wherever they go and bring them back to face justice.”

Escoe is the last remaining defendant charged in the alleged scheme.

After a December 2025 trial, Alfred Davis, Cher Davis, and Latoya Clark were convicted by a federal jury, while James McGhow and Gino Jourdan previously pleaded guilty.

The sentences already handed down were not exactly a slap on the wrist.

Alfred Davis received 235 months in prison, Cher Davis received 87 months, Clark received 70 months, Jourdan received 46 months, and McGhow received 42 months.

The FBI Miami West Palm Beach Resident Agency is leading the investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Miami and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.

The case also fits into the Trump Justice Department’s wider push to claw back money stolen from the American people.

The FBI announced the Most Wanted Fraudsters List on June 4, and the results came fast.

Herb Kimble, accused in a 1.2 billion dollar telemedicine and medical equipment scheme, was arrested in the Philippines just four days later.

Escoe was added to the list on June 8 and was captured less than two months later.

For alleged fraudsters who thought the COVID money train would roll forever, the new message from Washington is blunt enough, the ride is over.

Minnesota Schools Push Taxpayer Funded Trans Dolls with Removable Genitalia for Preschoolers [WATCH]
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Minnesota Schools Push Taxpayer Funded Trans Dolls with Removable Genitalia for Preschoolers [WATCH]

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Taxpayer funded transgender dolls with removable genitalia are reportedly set to be made available in some Minnesota classrooms, reaching children as young as four years old.

According to the report, the dolls are being presented as a first of their kind educational tool for young students.

That detail alone should make parents sit up straight.

Four year olds are still learning how to tie shoes, share crayons, and get through a school day without a nap, yet some adults apparently believe they need dolls designed around gender ideology.

The report says the dolls will be available to children in certain Minnesota classrooms.

It is the latest example of public education drifting far from reading, counting, and basic classroom structure, while taxpayers are expected to smile and keep writing checks.

Parents have every reason to ask why public money is being used for this kind of material.

A classroom is not supposed to be a laboratory for whatever cultural experiment activists want to test on children who still need help opening juice boxes.

Conservative families have warned for years that the left was moving its gender agenda into younger and younger grades.

Every time parents objected, they were told they were overreacting, spreading panic, or falling for right wing outrage.

Now the report describes dolls with removable genitalia being made available to children as young as four.

That is not a math lesson, a phonics lesson, or a civics lesson, no matter how many consultants try to dress it up in academic language.

The obvious question is who decided this belonged anywhere near preschool aged children.

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Another question is whether parents were fully informed before these materials were introduced or approved for classroom use.

Supporters of this agenda often hide behind words like inclusion and representation.

Those words sound soft and harmless, which is exactly why they are useful when adults want to smuggle highly controversial ideas into settings where children are too young to understand the debate.

This is the familiar playbook.

Push a radical concept into schools, insist it is just about kindness, then accuse parents of cruelty when they object to age inappropriate material being handed to their children.

The use of taxpayer funds makes the issue even more insulting.

Families struggling with groceries, gas, housing, and property taxes are now expected to fund classroom materials that many of them would never allow in their own homes.

Minnesota has become one of the states where progressive politics often moves through government institutions with very little concern for ordinary families.

The attitude from the activist class is simple, they know best, parents can catch up later.

A classroom for four year olds should be one of the least political places in America.

It should be filled with alphabet charts, picture books, building blocks, and patient teachers helping children develop basic social and learning skills.

Instead, stories like this keep convincing parents that public schools are being used to normalize ideas that belong far outside early childhood education.

The left keeps demanding trust while giving parents fresh reasons not to offer it.

The report also arrives in a media environment where many major outlets would rather ignore stories that make progressive institutions look extreme.

Independent reporting has become essential because the establishment press frequently treats parental concern as the real problem.

For parents, this is not complicated.

They want transparency, age appropriate instruction, and schools that respect the family instead of trying to outrank it.

If school officials believe dolls with removable genitalia belong in classrooms for four year olds, they should be willing to say so plainly and defend it publicly.

No jargon, no hiding behind committees, no pretending parents are the issue.

The bigger fight is over who gets to shape the minds of young children.

In Minnesota, this report suggests too many people in education are still confused about the answer.

Suspected Islamic Extremist Hunted After Berlin Pride Van Attack Kills One, Injures 16 [WATCH]
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Suspected Islamic Extremist Hunted After Berlin Pride Van Attack Kills One, Injures 16 [WATCH]

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A deadly attack shattered Berlin’s Christopher Street Day celebration Saturday night after a white van plowed into a crowd near the route of the city’s massive LGBTQ+ event, killing one person and injuring at least 16 others.

Authorities said the driver fled after the crash, setting off an urgent police manhunt across the German capital.

The suspect was identified as Abdul B., age 21, and officials said he was already known to law enforcement.

“The suspect is known to police.

He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin, and our search for this person is proceeding at full speed,” police spokesman Florian Nath said.

That detail will sound painfully familiar to Europeans who have watched officials repeatedly discover, usually after blood is on the pavement, that dangerous extremists were already somewhere in the security files.

Once again, the public is left asking why known threats remain free to turn crowded streets into crime scenes.

The attack happened around 10 p.m. near Tiergarten park, along a route that had been used earlier by the pride march.

Police said the van drove into the park area, struck multiple people, and then crashed into a tree.

The event had drawn hundreds of thousands of people to Berlin for what organizers and city officials described as a major celebration of tolerance and public life.

Within minutes, that atmosphere gave way to sirens, panic, and a heavy police presence.

At least one victim died, while several others reportedly suffered life threatening injuries.

Officials also said investigators were looking into witness accounts suggesting some victims may have had stab wounds in addition to injuries from the vehicle impact.

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Police stressed that it was too early to make final conclusions about those reports.

Authorities urged witnesses to provide videos, photos, or any other evidence that could help reconstruct what happened.

Event attendee Julian Meithig said he had been celebrating near the Brandenburg Gate and was planning to head to an afterparty when a friend warned him that “something bad happened there and there are a lot of fire trucks, a lot of emergency vehicles, ambulances.”

Meithig walked toward the scene and saw the aftermath of the attack. He later said “it’s a dark day for our community.”

About 15 minutes after the assault, the Christopher Street Day event was canceled.

Police flooded the area as emergency responders treated victims and investigators began searching for the suspect.

Berlin officials also activated a crisis hotline for people unable to locate loved ones after the attack.

In a city packed with visitors and residents for one of its largest annual public events, families were left scrambling for answers.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said that “following a peaceful and vibrant pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner.”

“This is an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society.”

“I have confidence in the police and security authorities, who will be working around the clock to investigate,” Wegner said.

The mayor’s words captured the official mood, but they also highlighted the uncomfortable reality facing Germany and much of Western Europe.

Leaders talk endlessly about open societies, but open societies still require serious borders, serious policing, and serious consequences for extremists who make their intentions clear.

For now, police say the suspect remains at large as of Sunday morning.

The manhunt is continuing, with officers seeking the public’s help as they work through evidence from one of Berlin’s most disturbing public attacks in recent memory.

Berlin has seen what happens when a known extremist threat allegedly reaches a crowded street, and the bill for that failure was paid by innocent people.

Maine Dems Crown Troy Jackson as Senate Nominee After Platner Collapse [WATCH]
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Maine Dems Crown Troy Jackson as Senate Nominee After Platner Collapse [WATCH]

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Maine Democrats have now made it official, Troy Jackson is their new U.S. Senate nominee after the party moved on from scandal plagued Graham Platner.

The state party declared Jackson the winner of its U.S. Senate Nominating Convention, setting him up to face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.

The Maine Democrat Party said Jackson secured the nomination over the weekend with support from 566 delegates from across the state.

Party leaders are trying to project unity, because nothing says confidence like swapping candidates and insisting everything is perfectly normal.

“Congratulations to Troy Jackson on earning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate,” Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman said in a statement.

The party chair praised the process as if Democrats had just pulled off a master class in democracy instead of a rapid repair job.

“Maine Democrats engaged in this tightly scheduled nomination process with energy and enthusiasm.

Tens of thousands of Democrats participated in selecting delegates, and today our delegates chose our nominee in a process that was open, representative, and transparent,” Dingman continued.

He added that Maine Democrats are now “united to support our nominee and focus on what matters most: defeating Susan Collins this November.”

Dingman also tried to frame Jackson as the man for working Mainers.

“Mainers are looking for a senator who will fight for working families, lower costs, protect our freedoms, and stand up for Maine. We’re excited to get to work to elect Troy Jackson and build a stronger future for our state.”

Jackson, a former president of the Maine Senate, was widely expected to walk away with the nomination.

Most delegates had already pledged to support him over qualifying contenders David Costello, Dan Kleban, and Saundra Pelletier.

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One name apparently absent from the qualifying field was Ashley Webb, the self described transgender intersex candidate who previously drew attention for claiming to experience a monthly period through his rectum.

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Even by Democrat primary standards, that one apparently did not make the convention cut.

Jackson now becomes the face of the Democrat effort against Collins, but he is not exactly arriving without baggage.

He has long carried a reputation as a hot tempered political figure, which could complicate the party’s attempt to package him as a calm and steady alternative.

Earlier this month, the far left group Progressive Victory aired a serious allegation against Jackson.

The group claimed that he “struck a female colleague with a bottle he threw at her” during a disagreement, and said the account was supported by multiple witnesses.

The Washington Post has also described Jackson as someone who “once angrily threw a water bottle in a meeting after he couldn’t persuade a lawmaker to vote his way.”

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That is not exactly the kind of biography line campaign consultants usually put in glossy mailers to suburban voters.

Democrats, naturally, are hoping voters will look past all of that and focus on their usual talking points about costs, freedoms, and working families.

The problem is that voters in Maine may wonder why the party keeps producing candidates who require so much explaining.

Some Democrats are acting pleased with the switch, but not everyone sounds thrilled.

According to NOTUS, Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii laughed when she was asked whether Jackson had a better chance of winning than Platner.

“Let’s just say that we have a candidate,” she said.

That is the kind of ringing endorsement that usually belongs on a warning label, not a campaign brochure.

For Collins, the Democrat shuffle could be a political gift if her campaign can keep the focus on competence, stability, and the left’s increasingly odd candidate bench.

Maine voters may now get to choose between a familiar Republican incumbent and a Democrat nominee whose party had to reassure everyone that its emergency nomination process was open, representative, and transparent.

The Maine Senate race was already expected to draw national attention, and Jackson’s nomination will likely intensify the fight.

Democrats want to convince voters they have found their champion, but Republicans will have plenty of material to argue that the party simply traded one headache for another.

Jessica Tarlov Tried a Socialist Gotcha and Got Flattened on Live TV [WATCH]
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Jessica Tarlov Tried a Socialist Gotcha and Got Flattened on Live TV [WATCH]

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Friday night on The Five delivered another tidy reminder that liberal talking points tend to sound much better in the green room than they do once Greg Gutfeld and Jesse Watters start asking basic questions.

Jessica Tarlov came into the segment ready to accuse her conservative colleagues of hypocrisy over the Trump administration taking equity stakes in companies such as U.S. Steel and Intel.

She clearly thought she had a neat little socialism trap set and waiting.

Instead, she stepped in it herself.

Tarlov began by insisting that conservatives have spent years tossing around the words socialist and communist without meaning them. “You’ve been calling every Democratic candidate for over a decade a socialist or communist ,” Tarlov said.

That might have sounded clever if the modern Democratic Party were not currently hosting an open socialist movement in broad daylight. Gutfeld immediately pointed out the obvious flaw.

“The socialists are calling themselves socialists! We didn’t name them the DSA,” he said.

That was the central problem with Tarlov’s argument from the start.

Conservatives did not invent the Democratic Socialists of America, nor did they force leftist candidates to campaign under the socialist banner while demanding government control, wealth redistribution, and the usual fantasy land economic agenda.

Tarlov wanted viewers to believe Republicans are simply using the word socialist as a lazy insult.

The trouble is that the left keeps supplying actual socialists, then acts shocked when people notice.

Still, she pressed ahead with the claim that government stakes in private firms under Trump amount to socialism, or perhaps communism, depending on whatever label might make her point sound scarier.

Gutfeld asked her to explain the supposed connection.

“Explain the stake and how it works, please. Like, how is that the same as socialism?” he said.

That question mattered because there is a real difference between the government supporting strategic industries and the government seizing control of production.

Democrats love blurring that line when Trump is involved, then suddenly rediscover nuance when their own side is writing checks.

Watters jumped in with the plain answer. “He’s not controlling the company, he’s just putting money into it, it’s industrial policy,” Watters said.

That should have been enough to end the lecture, but Tarlov kept digging.

“They have to pay a tithe to the U.S. government. Everyone knows that, that’s why they show up in the Oval Office.”

Gutfeld then brought up Tesla, a useful example because government loans and support for private industry are hardly some new Trump invention.

“What about Tesla? This happens a lot, the government gives money, loans, money gets paid back,” he said.

That is where the liberal argument really started to wobble.

If every government investment, loan, or stake in a company is socialism, then Democrats have been cheering socialism for a very long time while pretending it only becomes dangerous when Trump is attached to it.

Tarlov tried to draw a distinction by focusing on ownership.

“It is part ownership of an American company that is supposed to be distinct from the government. If you are not being massive hypocrites, but you are, and we are out of time,” she said.

The problem is that calling something hypocrisy does not make it so.

There is a practical difference between limited government involvement in strategic sectors and the left’s preferred model of turning the economy into a playground for bureaucrats, activists, and politically connected winners.

Then Watters delivered the line that cut straight through the performance.

“So you should love it then, right? Because you’re a liberal,” he said.

That was the moment the whole gotcha collapsed.

If Tarlov truly believes this is socialism, then why was she not celebrating it as a grand leap toward the left’s beloved government managed economy?

By the time she pivoted to polling and tariff revenue, the segment had lost any remaining pretense of seriousness.

Watters finally said what many viewers were probably thinking.

“You’re just rambling,” he said.

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Tarlov walked into the discussion convinced she was about to expose conservative inconsistency.

What she exposed instead was the familiar liberal habit of changing definitions on the fly, especially when Donald Trump is involved.

The left wants to call everything socialism, except actual socialists, unless those actual socialists are useful for energizing the base.

Tarlov tried to run that routine on live television, and Gutfeld and Watters made sure it did not survive contact with reality.

IRS Goons Try to Steal Tennessee Farmer’s Land Over Their Own Stupid $20K Screw-Up [WATCH]
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IRS Goons Try to Steal Tennessee Farmer’s Land Over Their Own Stupid $20K Screw-Up [WATCH]

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Newsmax host Carl Higbie highlighted the case of a Tennessee farmer who spent years trying to return an IRS refund sent in error, arguing the situation illustrates systemic failures within the federal tax agency. Higbie also credited country music singer John Rich with helping bring the case to the attention of senior Trump administration officials.

“You know, one of my favorite things to do is stand up for the little guy,” Higbie said. “That’s literally the backbone of the show. There is no better example of the little guy getting the shaft than when we have to deal with the IRS.”

Higbie praised what he described as increased responsiveness under President Donald Trump’s administration.

“Fortunately, under the Trump administration, we have people that are actually in touch with the public,” he said. “John Rich, for example, special envoy to American landowners has stepped in and listen to how this went.”

Rich explained that he had learned about the case involving Mr. Kirby, a Tennessee farmer.

“Just heard about Mr. Kirby, the farmer in Tennessee, who the IRS is threatening to seize his property for him not making payments on a refund that he never asked for, nor was it his,” Rich said.

“According to the facts, is how I know them now. He tried to return the money, and as we all know, sometimes the IRS just is a labyrinth of complexity.”

Higbie then detailed the dispute, saying it began in 2021 when Kirby filed his tax return expecting a refund of approximately $1,100.

“So, in 2021, under Biden, a local Tennessee farmer named Mr. Kirby filed his taxes dutifully, like he does every single year, and was supposed to get an $1,100 refund,” Higbie said.

Instead, the IRS allegedly sent Kirby more than $20,000.

“The IRS actually sent him over $20,000,” Higbie said. “Kirby was like, ‘Hold up, wait a minute, something ain’t right.'”

According to Higbie, Kirby repeatedly attempted to notify the IRS of the mistake.

“So he makes multiple calls-not one, not two-multiple calls to the IRS to let them know that they’ve made a mistake,” Higbie said.

He added that Kirby also wrote letters and later had his accountant attempt to contact the agency.

“He wrote them letters and things like that,” Higbie said. “He has his accountant reach out. They couldn’t get in touch with anybody either.”

Higbie said Kirby eventually placed the money into a separate account while waiting for guidance from the IRS.

“So he puts this money in this side account and just lets it sit there until he could get somebody on the phone,” Higbie said. “This went on for four years.”

According to Higbie, the IRS later demanded repayment of the money plus interest.

“Then in early January of 2025, Mr. Kirby received a letter from the IRS telling him to send the $20,000 back with interest,” he said.

Higbie said Kirby immediately returned the entire $20,000 but disputed the interest charges because the overpayment resulted from an IRS error.

“According to his accountant, he immediately sent all the money back-the full $20,000 amount-to the IRS,” Higbie said.

He explained that Kirby later met with an IRS employee, who instructed him to file an abatement request seeking relief from the interest.

“Mr. Kirby went with the agent, and the agent had him fill out this like abatement form to explain why he didn’t owe the interest on this money.”

Higbie said the IRS rejected that request after another lengthy delay.

“The IRS waited 18 more months from that time, and then they denied his petition,” he said.

He added that the IRS also withheld Kirby’s later tax refund to collect the disputed interest.

“This year, the IRS withheld Mr. Kirby’s $1,873 refund that was due to him from his regular income as a payment towards the interest on the 20k that they sent him in error four years ago.”

According to Higbie, the dispute escalated further this year.

“So fast forward to this month, July 4 of all days, 2026. The IRS sent him a letter stating intent to put a levy against his farm to pay the interest on the 20k.”

Higbie said Rich intervened after learning of the situation.

“Thankfully, to avoid armed conflict, John Rich has stepped in, and as of this afternoon, it looks like this actually may be solved.”

Rich said the Trump administration has prioritized cases involving ordinary Americans.

“These are the kinds of things that I think the Trump administration cares about-just regular citizens who are running into situations that are so maddening nobody’s ever listened to them before.”

He added, “Rest assured, Mr. Kirby’s farm ain’t going anywhere. It’s going to stay right there with him.”

Higbie said Rich later informed him the case was receiving attention from senior officials.

“Now, I spoke to John Rich… and he said this is being expedited to a resolution at the highest levels. The White House got involved.”

While praising the reported progress, Higbie questioned why the situation had persisted for years.

“When you have CPAs and yourself not able to get in contact with a civil servant serving, you can’t penalize people for that,” he said.

Higbie argued the IRS should have resolved the issue immediately once Kirby met with agency personnel.

“How could any human with an IQ above a pineapple not see this and say, ‘Yep, sorry about that. We’re going to take care of it, and it’s over.'”

He also cited what he described as a federal law requiring the IRS to abate interest in cases involving erroneous refunds.

“There’s a law that says they can’t do this,” Higbie said, referring to “26 U.S. Code 6404e2, the provision on mandatory abatement of interest on certain erroneous refunds.”

Quoting the statute, Higbie emphasized the word “shall.”

“The secretary shall not may not should shall abate the assessment of all interest on any erroneous refund under section 6602 until the date demanded for repayment is made.”

Higbie argued that Kirby’s repeated efforts to return the money should have ended the matter years ago.

“And since he tried like hell to pay it back and no one picked up the phone at the IRS, it must be forgiven.”

He concluded by calling for accountability among government officials involved in the case.

“These laws are in place to protect you, me, and Mr. Kirby, and every everyone in America,” Higbie said. “Not a single IRS agent or federal worker will change a thing after this story unless there are real consequences.”

Comparing the government’s actions to how taxpayers are treated, Higbie added, “If I stiffed the IRS for 20 grand over five years, they would lock me up.”

He ended by appealing directly to President Trump.

“So, Mr. President, how about we send a message that the people paid by our tax dollars cannot violate the laws they are taxed to enforce without consequences?”

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First Amendment? Not If Liberals Get Offended! Shiloh Hendrix Case Exposed [WATCH]
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First Amendment? Not If Liberals Get Offended! Shiloh Hendrix Case Exposed [WATCH]

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Political commentator Brittany Hughes criticized the outcome of the case involving Minnesota resident Shiloh Hendricks, arguing that the prosecution reflects unequal treatment under the law and raises constitutional concerns about free speech protections.

Hughes opened by revisiting the incident that brought Hendricks national attention.

“So you might recall Shiloh Hendricks,” Hughes said. “She’s the white mom who was filmed in Minnesota last year, calling a black kid the N-word after catching him stealing stuff out of her toddler’s diaper bag on a playground.”

According to Hughes, Hendricks was recorded by a Somali migrant who continued filming her after the confrontation.

“She was recorded by a Somali migrant who then followed her around the playground and pestered her,” Hughes said. “But of course, we’re not supposed to care about that. We’re only supposed to care about the fact that this white lady used a slur against an autistic child that we were told at the time was five years old.”

Hughes said testimony presented during the trial established that the child was eight years old.

“Well, turns out the kid was actually eight, and we know that from court testimony this week because Shiloh Hendricks was actually on trial for using what prosecutors called fighting words,” she said.

Hughes criticized the prosecution’s legal theory, saying, “Apparently the First Amendment doesn’t apply to white ladies using words that non-white people don’t like.”

She compared Hendricks’ case with another criminal case she said has experienced significant delays.

“Oh, by the way, just your friendly reminder that De Carlos Brown stabbed Irina Zarutska to death on a train and was caught on camera, and he still has yet to go to trial because he’s been deemed incompetent,” Hughes said. “But this lady says a mean word and finds herself in front of a jury a few months later. So make of that what you will.”

According to Hughes, the jury convicted Hendricks of disorderly conduct in connection with the confrontation involving the man who recorded her.

“The jury ultimately found her guilty of disorderly conduct against the migrant man who walked around filming her and sentenced her to 200 hours of community service and $1,000 fine,” Hughes said. “And now she’s got a misdemeanor on her record.”

Hughes also referenced the criminal history of the man who filmed Hendricks.

“Which is even more insane when you consider the fact that the migrant man who was following her around with a cell phone, he was arrested and charged in 2022 with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old that he and another man had reportedly abducted, but he was released from jail.”

Hughes argued the differing outcomes illustrate unequal enforcement of the law.

“So in 2026, America, if you’re a Somali migrant, you can come to the United States, sexually assault a child, and get off scot-free,” she said. “But if you’re a white woman who says a mean word to a kid that you just caught stealing from you, and then have the audacity to say something to a man shoving a camera in your face, well, now that’s a bridge too far.”

Hughes concluded by arguing that the case raises broader constitutional concerns about free speech.

“The First Amendment does not exist to protect polite speech that everybody agrees with,” she said. “It exists to protect speech that other people find offensive. That’s literally the entire point.”

She closed by stating, “And make no mistake: what we just saw in this case was not only a gross miscarriage of justice, but a clear double standard based on the color of someone’s skin.”

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CNN Host Finally Admits Illegal Alien Voting Happens After New Jersey Fraud Bombshell [WATCH]
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CNN Host Finally Admits Illegal Alien Voting Happens After New Jersey Fraud Bombshell [WATCH]

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CNN and SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish said he no longer believes it is accurate to claim that noncitizen voting never occurs after New Jersey officials disclosed that a software error resulted in thousands of noncitizens being registered to vote, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

Smerconish made the remarks during a recent conversation with political analyst Mark Halperin.

Their discussion centered on New Jersey’s disclosure that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered to vote because of a software error and that fewer than 400 ballots were cast by those individuals.

Software Company Fires Back At Democrat Governor Over Illegal Voter Scandal

The discussion came days after President Donald Trump delivered a national address focused on election integrity.

During that speech, Trump alleged that noncitizen voting was occurring in multiple states.

According to a report cited from Fox News, Smerconish acknowledged that the New Jersey disclosure caused him to reconsider previous statements he had made on the subject.

“I can’t say that any longer,” Smerconish said. “I don’t know how often it does happen, but I can’t say any longer, ‘This never happens.’”

Smerconish explained that his earlier position had been influenced by a January analysis published by The New York Times titled “Initial Review Finds No Widespread Illegal Voting by Migrants, Puncturing a Trump Claim.”

According to the source, that analysis reported that investigators found no evidence of widespread illegal voting by migrants while also noting that noncitizens had at times appeared on voter registration rolls.

During the conversation, Halperin agreed that the New Jersey disclosure challenged categorical claims that noncitizen voting never occurs.

At the same time, he said additional information would be necessary before drawing broader conclusions about how frequently such cases happen.

“Based on what we now know, the thing that Democrats said doesn’t happen happened,” Halperin said.

“And it’s not right to take the word of the Democratic governor of New Jersey about what actually happened.”

The discussion focused on the distinction between isolated incidents and broader claims regarding election integrity.

Smerconish indicated that while he was changing his position on whether such incidents ever occur, he was not making a broader claim about their prevalence.

The New Jersey disclosure has generated renewed attention on voter registration procedures and election administration.

Questions surrounding the accuracy of voter rolls and safeguards intended to prevent ineligible registrations have remained part of the national debate over election integrity.

The conversation between Smerconish and Halperin followed public reporting that New Jersey officials attributed the registrations to a software error.

The disclosure has prompted renewed discussion among commentators and public officials about how voter registration systems operate and whether additional reviews or safeguards are needed to identify registration errors.

Video of the exchange between Smerconish and Halperin circulated online after the interview, drawing attention to Smerconish’s acknowledgment that he no longer believes it is accurate to state that noncitizen voting never happens.

Halperin likewise emphasized that the available information warrants additional examination before conclusions are reached regarding the overall scope of the issue.

Pentagon Taps Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral to Command U.S. Army Europe and Africa
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Pentagon Taps Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral to Command U.S. Army Europe and Africa

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The War Department on Thursday nominated Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral to become the next commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, placing a seasoned III Corps leader in line for one of the Army’s most visible overseas commands.

Admiral currently commands III Corps and Fort Hood, Texas, a major Army post with deep ties to armored warfare, rapid deployment, and large scale ground combat power.

If confirmed, Admiral would succeed Gen. Christopher Donahue, who stepped away from the Europe and Africa post earlier this month after only 18 months in command.

That early exit was unexpected, and it left Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie serving as acting commander while the War Department sorted out the next move.

The U.S. Army Europe and Africa command is not some ceremonial desk job for PowerPoint generals and diplomatic ribbon cutters.

It sits at the center of American land power on two continents, with Russia’s war in Ukraine still grinding on and NATO allies looking to Washington for steady leadership.

If confirmed, Admiral would also serve as commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command.

That role involves coordination across a massive area of responsibility involving 104 countries, which is a polite way of saying the job requires more than just smiling through multinational meetings and pretending every ally carries its weight.

Admiral would remain a three star general in the position, even though the job has previously been held at the four star level.

That detail will draw attention inside Army circles, because rank structure often tells its own story about how Washington views a command’s weight, mission, and political importance.

Before taking command of III Corps and Fort Hood, Admiral led the 1st Cavalry Division, one of the Army’s most recognizable formations.

His time with the division included service out of Fort Hood and in Poland, giving him direct experience in Europe’s tense security environment.

Pentagon Taps Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral to Command US Army Europe and Africa
The Pentagon nominated Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral to replace Gen. Christopher Donahue as the top Army officer for Europe and Africa. Admiral is currently the commanding general of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, Texas. Army photo by Sgt. Tanner Dibble.

According to his official Army biography, Admiral also served as director of force management in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G 3 5 7.

That background matters because force management is where strategy meets reality, including troop structure, readiness demands, and the never ending fight over resources.

Donahue’s departure came during a wider round of senior leadership changes under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth, serving under President Trump’s national security team, has moved aggressively to reshape the top ranks after years of military leadership that many conservatives viewed as too comfortable with political fads and too slow to restore warfighting focus.

In April, Hegseth asked U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and retire before completing the usual four year term.

That move signaled that the new leadership at the War Department was not interested in sleepwalking through inherited timelines simply because the old Pentagon establishment liked its routines.

Since taking office, Hegseth has removed more than a dozen senior military leaders.

That list includes former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown and former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, both prominent figures from the previous era of uniformed leadership.

To the usual Washington crowd, these changes are automatically treated like a crisis.

To many troops, veterans, and Americans outside the Beltway bubble, they look more like long overdue housecleaning after years of questionable priorities and uneven readiness.

Admiral’s nomination now lands in that broader context.

Pentagon Taps Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral to Command US Army Europe and Africa
Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral previously commanded the 1st Cavalry Division and the 3d Cavalry Regiment.

The Army needs credible, experienced commanders in Europe and Africa, especially as NATO manages Russian aggression, instability across Africa, and the constant demand for American leadership in regions where power vacuums do not stay empty for long.

Fort Hood, now again a central part of Admiral’s resume, has long been tied to major combat formations and the operational muscle of the Army.

A commander coming out of III Corps brings firsthand familiarity with heavy forces, deployment cycles, and the kind of large formation command that still matters when serious adversaries start moving armor and artillery.

The Senate confirmation process will determine whether Admiral formally takes the post.

If approved, he will inherit a command that must balance NATO coordination, Army readiness, partner relationships, and the hard reality that Europe is no longer a quiet rear area for American military planning.

The nomination also shows that Hegseth’s War Department is continuing to move quickly on senior personnel decisions.

Whether the Beltway class likes it or not, the message is increasingly clear: the Trump era War Department is putting its own stamp on the chain of command, and the old automatic promotion club is no longer guaranteed a comfortable ride.

For Admiral, the mission ahead would be demanding and politically watched.

For the Army, the question is whether this nomination brings stability to a key theater after Donahue’s sudden departure and helps sharpen American land power where it is needed most.

Military Air Traffic Controller Shortage Puts Safety, Missions on the Line, Watchdog Warns
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Military Air Traffic Controller Shortage Puts Safety, Missions on the Line, Watchdog Warns

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A serious shortage of civilian air traffic controllers working for the military is now hitting safety, readiness, training, and mission execution, according to a federal watchdog report that should have every commander paying attention.

The problem is not complicated, which makes it even more frustrating. Civilian controllers who work for the services are leaving for better paying jobs elsewhere, and the military is struggling to compete.

Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force officials told investigators they cannot keep pace with the civilian sector when it comes to hiring and retaining air traffic control personnel. That is not exactly a small matter when pilots, aircraft, and operational timelines depend on people safely managing crowded skies.

According to the Department of War Inspector General report released last week, the average air traffic control specialist across the Air Force earns about $113,032. The average pay at the Federal Aviation Administration is $161,150, a gap of roughly 43 percent, based on a 2026 RAND report cited by investigators.

That kind of pay difference does not require a think tank to decode. If Washington wants skilled controllers to stay in uniformed service airfields and support military operations, it cannot pretend that patriotism alone pays the mortgage.

The watchdog also found that the services are using inconsistent job grades that do not always reflect the real demands of the job. Those federal classifications help determine pay and career progression, meaning bad grading can quietly bleed talent over time.

RAND noted that the FAA pay bands “provide greater pay flexibility and address pay disparities.” In plain English, the FAA can offer a more attractive deal while the military side is stuck watching trained people walk out the door.

The FAA controls the National Airspace System, including controlled and uncontrolled airspace over the United States and surrounding waters. The military services operate their own air traffic control workforce, coordinating with the FAA for military flights and operations.

F-22s Recalled From Super Bowl Flyover as Urgent Missions Take Precedence
An F-22 Raptor aircraft performs a ‘tail slide’ maneuver during an aerial demonstration at the SkyFest air show in Spokane, Washington, June 22, 2019.

The Inspector General said the Department of War controlled 29 percent of national airspace traffic in fiscal year 2024, while the FAA controlled 71 percent. That is a massive operational responsibility, and it does not get easier when the personnel pipeline starts cracking.

The report said the Department of War air traffic control shortages “negatively impact” aviation safety and overall readiness. Air Force officials said the shortage has forced them to limit airfield hours, reduce airspace availability, and close “critical safety functions.”

At Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, investigators found that the problem “created risks to aircraft and airfield maintenance and caused overseas mission delays.” That means this is not just a human resources spreadsheet problem, no matter how much the bureaucracy may wish it were.

Collision with Ducks Forces Emergency 'Flameout Landing' of U.S. Air Force F-16 in Alaska
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron out of Eilson Air Force Base, performs aerial maneuvers during the Arctic Thunder Open House at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 30, 2018. This biennial event hosted by JBER is one of the largest in the state and one of the premier aerial demonstrations in the world. The event features multiple performers and ground acts to include the JBER joint forces, U.S. Air Force F-22 and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstrations teams, June 30-July 1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Peña)

Pilots are also paying the price because fewer controllers means fewer opportunities to train, move, and operate efficiently. “The shortages are causing a reduction in [air traffic control] services, decreased operational efficiency, and less pilot training because [air traffic control] personnel are not available to manage the aircraft’s movement along air routes,” the report said.

The controller shortage is not limited to the military. The FAA has also reported being short thousands of controllers because of recruiting struggles, retention problems, and expected retirements in the coming years.

Even so, the watchdog report shows the military side is being hit harder in some ways because it is losing its own trained workforce to the FAA. That is a brutal cycle, because the services invest in skilled personnel only to see them leave for better pay and more flexible structures.

Investigators warned that these shortages “hinder” the military’s ability to meet homeland defense goals laid out in the 2026 National Defense Strategy. That strategy includes a renewed focus on countering unmanned aerial threats, a mission set that demands tighter airspace awareness, not fewer qualified controllers in the tower.

Marines Bet Big on F-35, Turning Stealth Jet Into a Battlefield Data Engine
A Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II takes off from the USS Boxer in the Pacific Ocean, March 28, 2026.

“To maintain its warfighting advantage and align with its strategic priorities, the [Department of War] must address these civilian [air traffic control] shortages to improve the Department’s overall readiness and lethality,” the report said. That is about as direct as government watchdog language gets.

For Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, this is exactly the kind of readiness issue that deserves a hard look and a sharper fix. The military cannot claim to be serious about lethality while allowing basic aviation control functions to erode because civilian pay tables are out of step with operational reality.

President Trump has repeatedly emphasized rebuilding military strength and restoring common sense to national security. This report offers another reminder that readiness is not only about ships, jets, missiles, and headlines, but also about the trained Americans in control towers making sure missions launch safely and on time.

The left loves to throw money at fashionable programs and bureaucratic pet projects, but the force still needs functioning airfields, trained controllers, and pilots who can actually train. If Washington cannot get that right, all the glossy strategy documents in the world will not keep aircraft moving when the mission clock starts ticking.


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