Masood Farivar, a senior analyst at the government-funded Voice of America (VOA) news organization, has become the subject of public scrutiny after Frontpage Magazine exposed his history as a jihadist and noted his frequent use of public funds to attack President Donald Trump and his MAGA agenda.
“…[o]ver the last eight years, Farivar had a new enemy, cranking out dozens of articles for the VOA with titles like, ‘Can Trump Be Indicted for Obstruction of Justice?’, ‘Has Trump Done Enough to Fence Off His Business Interests?’ and ‘Hush Money Troubles for Trump?’,” writes Daniel Greenfield.
He adds: “When a Muslim terrorist drove a truck into a French crowd on Bastille Day, killing 86 and wounding over 400, Farivar responded with an article titled, ‘‘Learn to Live With Terrorism’ Strikes Some as Good Advice’.”
USAID – FROM TERRORIST TO JOURNALIST.
Farivar was part of jihadist factions that were associated with Taliban leadership and collaborated with Al Qaeda, according to his own book, Confessions of a Mullah Warrior, published in 2009.
His trajectory is rooted in training delivered through a USAID-funded initiative intended to pivot jihadis into journalism. This program, however, has led to instances where former jihadists became involved in media settings.
“USAID provided funding to set up a Mujahadeen propaganda network known as the Afghan Media Resource Center. The terror media network, which reportedly required all personnel to ‘sacrifice for holy jihad’, operated under the auspices of the United States Information Agency (USIA): the parent organization of Voice of America,” writes Frontpage Mag.
Farivar’s memoir details his engagement with radical figures, including Osama bin Laden’s mentor, Yunus Khalis.
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Masood Farivar, a senior analyst at the government-funded Voice of America (VOA) news organization, has become the subject of public scrutiny after Frontpage Magazine exposed his history as a jihadist and noted his frequent use of public funds to attack President Donald Trump and his MAGA agenda.
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ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s primary fundraising platform, is engulfed in turmoil following the resignation of at least seven senior officials. The walkouts come amid an investigation led by Republican members of Congress into the platform’s security and fraud-prevention protocols, with particular attention to illegal, foreign contributions.
Noteworthy departures include the associate general counsel and the chief revenue officer. The situation has implications for the Democratic Party’s fundraising capabilities, given ActBlue’s significant contributions, totaling over $16 billion, to Democratic campaigns since its inception in 2004.
Zain Ahmad, who remains as the sole attorney in ActBlue’s general counsel’s office since February 26, has accused the organization of retaliating against him. He claims the company restricted his access to email and internal systems and deleted certain communications on the Slack internal company messaging platform.
Reacting to these developments, two unions representing ActBlue employees described Ahmad’s allegations as “unsettling and disturbing,” highlighting what they termed a “growing pattern of volatility and toxicity” under current leadership.
In a communication to ActBlue’s board of directors, the unions called for an independent investigation to review the leadership’s performance and the organization’s overall stability.
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ActBlue, the Democratic Party's primary fundraising platform, is engulfed in turmoil following the resignation of at least seven senior officials. The walkouts come amid an investigation led by Republican members of Congress into the platform's security and fraud-prevention protocols, with particular attention to illegal, foreign contributions.
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The foreign-born judge behind a ruling forcing President Donald J. Trump to authorize around $2 billion in payments from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is a Canadian-American jurist. United States District Court Judge Amir Ali, who serves on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, was one of the last appointees named by former President Joe Biden, becoming the first Arab American Muslim on the federal bench.
Ali assumed office less than two weeks after Donald J. Trump won the 2024 presidential election and has quickly emerged as one of the more troublesome judges in the early days of the America First leader’s second term.
Judge Ali has aggressively intervened against President Trump’s plans to wind down USAID, with most of the agency’s core functions being absorbed by the U.S. State Department. However, the judge’s ruling also presents a potential conflict of interest both as a Canadian and as someone with ties to the very NGO communities the judge says Trump must fund.
A HISTORY WITH FAR-LEFT CAUSES.
Before Biden appointed him to the bench, Amir Ali served as executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center, an NGO group established through the J. Roderick MacArthur Foundation. The late J. Roderick MacArthur, the namesake, is the son of John D. MacArthur, who established the massive John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which funds countless progressive NGO projects.
The MacArthur Justice Center is best characterized as a far-left dark money group that seeks to undermine the American criminal justice system, arguing it is replete with systemic racism. Additionally, the organization has lobbied against federal government efforts to boost the number of Border Patrol agents, and has played an integral role in the adoption of soft-on-crime policies in New Orleans that resulted in an explosion of urban violence.
Since 2018, Ali served as a professor at Harvard Law School and oversaw the academic institution’s criminal justice appellate clinic. Notably, Amir Ali also served on the board of directors for the progressive Appellate Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the legal appellate field.
Before his judicial nomination, Amir Ali’s legal work predominantly focused on progressive criminal justice. As an attorney, Ali successfully argued Welch v. United States before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016, which retroactively extended changes made under Johnson v. United States to the Residual Clause of the Armed Career Criminal Act. This, in essence, expanded due process rights against federal criminal statutes deemed excessively vague.
NOMINATION TO THE BENCH.
Amir Ali was one of the last appointments nominated by former President Joe Biden to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. During his Senate confirmation hearing in early 2024, Ali was hammered by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over the MacArthur Justice Center’s support for abolishing police departments and statements by former employees in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
After being advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on an 11 to 10 partisan-line vote, Ali’s nomination languished in the Senate for seven months, with Democrats unable to secure a cloture vote. However, in November, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) began pushing the nomination forward and secured cloture 50 to 48. Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) was absent from the vote, being in Indiana to prepare for his transition as the state’s newly elected governor. Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) joined Republicans in voting against cloture and final confirmation, but with Sen. Braun absent, Amir Ali was confirmed by the Senate on a partisan 50 to 49 vote.
At the time, Vice President Kamala Harris was in Hawaii and would have been unable to cast a tie-breaking vote.
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The foreign-born judge behind a ruling forcing President Donald J. Trump to authorize around $2 billion in payments from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is a Canadian-American jurist. United States District Court Judge Amir Ali, who serves on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, was one of the last appointees named by former President Joe Biden, becoming the first Arab American Muslim on the federal bench.
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Sebastien Lai, the son of imprisoned Chinese-British pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, is expressing hope that U.S. President Donald J. Trump might assist in securing his father’s release by Communist China. Jimmy Lai, founder of the outspoken Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong, is embroiled in a national securitytrial that could result in a life sentence. The charges include colluding with foreign forces, allegations widely criticized internationally as politically motivated.
“Donald Trump’s presidency gives me a lot of hope. But at the end of the day, it is a joint effort,” Sebastien Lai said in a recent mediainterview. He added: “My father has been treated inhumanely. But he is defiant and strong.”
Sebastien Lai underscored the urgency due to his 77-year-old father’s declining health, citing diabetes and significant weight loss while in solitary confinement. He emphasized that Trump’s past assurances and the intervention of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could be pivotal.
While Prime Minister Starmer raised the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping last year, Sebastien has not yet secured a meeting with him despite persistent requests. “It is ridiculous that in his display of bravery, the Prime Minister [Sir Keir] will not meet with me,” the younger Lai said, continuing: “I need to meet with Sir Keir. It is now or never. I don’t know what else to do.”
Legal representatives, including Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, have argued that direct talks with Beijing are essential. Gallagher stressed the need for face-to-face negotiations, asserting that a resolution lies with the Chinese leadership.
The national security trial, initiated in December 2023 after a year’s delay, is part of a broader crackdown under Hong Kong’s national security law, instituted following significant pro-democracy protests in 2019. Lai, already convicted on other protest-related charges, continues to deny the accusations, calling them unfounded. The trial has reached its 144th day, with no verdict expected until potentially October 2025.
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Sebastien Lai, the son of imprisoned Chinese-British pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, is expressing hope that U.S. President Donald J. Trump might assist in securing his father’s release by Communist China. Jimmy Lai, founder of the outspoken Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong, is embroiled in a national security trial that could result in a life sentence. The charges include colluding with foreign forces, allegations widely criticized internationally as politically motivated.
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Kaitlan Collins, a chief White House correspondent for CNN, is reportedly in conflict with network executives for linking to a website dedicated to alleged murderer Luigi Mangione. The site included a link to a fundraiser for Mangione, accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the street in December.
Officially, CNN is standing by Collins’s excuse that she shared a link to the website in a now-deleted social media post because it was “newsworthy,” However, sources say the gaffe “comes at the worst possible time for CNN,” which is struggling with low trust and cratering ratings.
“Whatever the circumstances, they don’t need any more controversy—and certainly not one linked to Mangione,” the source explained, adding: “Her job is now really hanging in the balance. One more slip up and it looks like she’s toast!’
Mangione, 26, allegedly shot 50-year-old Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last December, using ammunition marked with words criticizing health insurers.
CNN already returned Collins to her former role as a White House correspondent as it attempted to make savings. She has been proving ineffective on her show, with President Donald J. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, handling her easily while discussing illegal immigration and deportations in January.
Hundreds of layoffs were announced by CNN in January, with personalities such as Chris Wallace and Jim Acosta departing or being sidelined by the network.
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Kaitlan Collins, a chief White House correspondent for CNN, is reportedly in conflict with network executives for linking to a website dedicated to alleged murderer Luigi Mangione. The site included a link to a fundraiser for Mangione, accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the street in December.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced plans to discontinue collective bargaining for Transportation Security Officers. The move is intended to address staffing issues within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
According to the DHS, this decision comes in response to findings that 86 percent of airports have more TSA employees performing “full-time union work” than conducting screening duties. Currently, out of 432 airports, 374 have fewer than 200 TSA officers qualified to perform screening tasks.
DHS states that full-time staff participating in union matters often do not maintain the certification necessary for screening operations. This reallocation of resources has hindered the TSA’s primary objective of securing transportation systems across the country.
According to a spokesman, the decision is part of broader efforts to revive merit-based employment policies, which are anticipated to foster productivity among Transportation Security Officers.
The move is just the latest development in President Donald J. Trump’s massive overhaul of the federal government. Trump, along with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has already reportedly saved taxpayers billions of dollars.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced plans to discontinue collective bargaining for Transportation Security Officers. The move is intended to address staffing issues within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
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Two Trump-affiliated attorneys, Bradley Bondi and Alicia Long, have announced their intentions to seek top leadership roles in the D.C. Bar Association, potentially increasing their influence over the legal organization. The D.C. Bar Association—a professional governing body for attorneys practicing law in the capital—served as a key institution through which Democrats waged lawfare against President Donald J. Trump and those who served in his first administration, including former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark.
Bondi, the brother of Attorney General Pam Bondi, is running for the position of president, while Long, associated with interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, is vying for the treasurer role. Per the D.C. Bar’s website, the election stretches from April to June.
Bar associations wield significant power, including overseeing lawyer admissions and addressing misconduct allegations. Situated in Washington, the D.C. Bar is a hub for federal attorneys due to its vast membership of over 120,000.
Both Trump-aligned candidates face a single opponent. Diane Seltzer, a Bethesda, Maryland-based employment law attorney, is squaring off against Bondi. Meanwhile, Amanda Molina, a cybersecurity attorney with Microsoft, is Alicia Long’s opponent.
The D.C. Bar’s role primarily involves recommending members for the D.C. Board of Professional Responsibility, which works closely with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel to address ethical complaints. Concerns have surfaced among local attorneys about the potential impact of pro-Trump leadership, with fears of repercussions for their past abuse of the Court of Appeals and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel to target pro-Trump attorneys following his first term in office.
Two Trump-affiliated attorneys, Bradley Bondi and Alicia Long, have announced their intentions to seek top leadership roles in the D.C. Bar Association, potentially increasing their influence over the legal organization. The D.C. Bar Association—a professional governing body for attorneys practicing law in the capital—served as a key institution through which Democrats waged lawfare against President Donald J. Trump and those who served in his first administration, including former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark.
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President Donald J. Trump is threatening to place new sanctions on Russia, with a focus on the country’s banking industry, unless it agrees a ceasefire and long-term peace agreement with Ukraine. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, the U.S. President warned Russian and Ukrainian leaders Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky that they needed to begin talks as soon as possible.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” President Trumpwrote in his post, adding: “To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”
The United States has already imposed sanctions on most of the Russian economy. However, a series of exceptions implemented by former President Joe Biden and Russia’s use of third parties to access global markets have dramatically weakened the economic restrictions. President Trump could choose to enact sanctions similar to those he has implemented against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which impact companies and countries doing business with the Middle East pariah state, not just the Iranians themselves.
A move towards Iranian-style sanctions could devastate the Russian economy, which is already experiencing some turbulence as it becomes more dependent on the likes of China and North Korea as commerce partners. Some analysts believe that Russia is realizing that access to Western markets is necessary for its economic survival, which could explain the timing of President Trump’s sanction threat.
READ:
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President Donald J. Trump is threatening to place new sanctions on Russia, with a focus on the country's banking industry, unless it agrees a ceasefire and long-term peace agreement with Ukraine. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, the U.S. President warned Russian and Ukrainian leaders Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky that they needed to begin talks as soon as possible.
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A man convicted of murdering his former girlfriend’s parents is set to be the first person executed by firing squad in the United States since 2010. Brad Sigmon is set to be executed at a prison in South Carolina. Gerald “Bo” King, a lawyer who represented Sigmon, said that while officially Sigmon could have chosen between lethal injection, firing squad, or electrocution, only the first two options were viable.
“Unless he elected lethal injection or the firing squad, he would die in South Carolina’s ancient electric chair, which would burn and cook him alive,” King claimed. Sigmon murdered his two victims by beating them in the head with a baseball hat.
The last execution in the United States by firing squad took place in 2010 in Utah, which has seen two other firing squad executions in 1996 and 1977. The most common form of execution in the United States is lethal injection.
Only five states in the U.S. perform firing squad executions: South Carolina, Utah, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Mississippi. Sigmon’s execution will feature a 3-man firing squad, all armed with loaded rifles.
Some legacy media outlets have claimed that President Donald J. Trump has expressed support for executions by firing squad, which is currently banned federally, as well as other methods of execution, such as hanging. The President is on record as supporting the execution of serious criminals, including major drug traffickers.
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A man convicted of murdering his former girlfriend's parents is set to be the first person executed by firing squad in the United States since 2010. Brad Sigmon is set to be executed at a prison in South Carolina. Gerald “Bo” King, a lawyer who represented Sigmon, said that while officially Sigmon could have chosen between lethal injection, firing squad, or electrocution, only the first two options were viable.
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An illegal alienwho has been charged with setting a woman on fire while she was sleeping on a New York City subway is being protected from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by state sanctuary laws. Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, is accused of setting Debrina Kawam, 57, on fire and killing her last year.
Zapeta-Calil has been charged with murder and arson following the December 22 incident at Brooklyn’s Coney Island station. After allegedly setting Kawam aflame, Zapeta-Calil reportedly fanned the blaze with a shirt to intensify it before observing the scene from a platform bench.
Due to New York City’s sanctuary city policies, the Department of Corrections has not honored an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer for Zapeta-Calil.
ICE reports that Zapeta-Calil entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 and was subsequently deported, but re-entered the country at an unspecified time. Before his arrest, he was residing in a Brooklyn shelter and working as a roofer.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has urged Governor Kathy Hochul (D) to suspend sanctuary protections immediately. Mayor Eric Adams has also called for collaboration between the NYPD and ICE, requesting federal prosecutors charge Zapeta-Calil in addition to state charges.
Zapeta-Calil has entered a plea of not guilty.
NEW: The man suspected of lighting a woman on fire on a New York City subway has been identified as Sebastian Zapeta.
The man apparently sat on a bench and watched his victim burn.
Police, who clearly had no clue what was going on, reportedly told the man who is believed to… pic.twitter.com/dxYibgfncJ
An illegal alien who has been charged with setting a woman on fire while she was sleeping on a New York City subway is being protected from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by state sanctuary laws. Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, is accused of setting Debrina Kawam, 57, on fire and killing her last year.
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