President Donald J. Trump is addressing a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, with the speech due to begin just shortly after an Iranian drone attack on the state of Israel began.
The 45th President is almost certain to address the matter, as well as his New York “hush money” trial which begins this week.
WATCH:
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MeidasTouch, the far-left news organization responsible for the “bloodbath” hoax, boasts former Republican legislator Denver Riggleman as a contributor. Riggleman previously won plaudits from the left for collaborating with the Democrat-dominated January 6 Committee, which employed him as a senior staffer.
Riggleman began his transformation into an anti-America First crusader after local party officials censured him for failing to oppose “out-of-control spending” or mass migration in Congress. He was also criticized for failing to support “traditional family values, and other conservative principles,” and in particular for officiating a homosexual wedding for two of his staffers. This helped precipitate a successful primary challenge by now-Rep. Bob Good in 2020.
Described as an “intel expert” on his MeidasTouch profile, Riggleman was best known as a comic figure prior to the aforementioned controversies, with his 2018 election campaign marred by revelations concerning his penchant for “Bigfoot erotica.”
Democrat opponent Leslie Cockburn unearthed social media posts by Riggleman featuring Bigfoot or Riggleman himself as Bigfoot with oversized genitals for a fictitious book about the cryptid’s “mating habits.”
Riggleman self-published at least two tomes on Bigfoot titled Bigfoot Exterminators, Inc. and Bigfoot… It’s Complicated. Cockburn claims she has read a third Riggleman book on Bigfoot titled Bigfoot Assassins, featuring a “key plot point about witches and menstrual blood.”
Bigfoot… It’s Complicated, published after Riggleman’s election, is “absolutely jam-packed with Bigfoot sex,” according to reviewers, with its very first chapter being titled, ‘A Discussion on Simian Genitalia.’
Riggleman claims in the book that he does not personally “dabble in monster porn,” though he plaintively asks: “How could someone kink-shame those gentle souls who take delight in the soulful, passionate moan of Sasquatch?”
MeidasTouch involves many unpleasant characters, including ‘Coach D,’ who believes America’s Founders were all white supremacist racist pedophiles.
show lessMy opponent Denver Riggleman, running mate of Corey Stewart, was caught on camera campaigning with a white supremacist. Now he has been exposed as a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. This is not what we need on Capitol Hill. pic.twitter.com/0eBvxFd6sG
— Leslie Cockburn (@LeslieCockburn) July 29, 2018
Iran has reportedly launched multiple drone attacks against Israel, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has outlined certain restrictions aiming to protect Israeli civilians throughout the region, including the pausing of a number of educational events, and the closure of Ben Gurion airport.
More wars and deaths have occurred under three years of a Biden presidency than in the first Trump term, despite the oft-repeated claim that the “adults” are back in charge of global foreign policy.
The drones are believed to be aimed at overwhelming Israel’s air defenses for further attacks later in the night, though U.S., UK, Saudi, and Jordanian air defenses are already bringing many down.
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A majority of Americans who identify as Catholic are not — rejecting many of the core teachings of the Catholic Church.
A recent survey by Pew found that 60 percent of self-described Catholics in the U.S. believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Thirty-nine percent said it should be legal in most cases, while nearly a full quarter — 22 percent — said abortion should be legal in all cases. Just 28 percent of Catholics in America said abortion should be illegal in all cases.
The report also found that a substantial proportion of U.S. so-called Catholics advocate for more progressive changes within the Church, including acceptance of contraception, married priests, female priests, and same-sex marriage recognition.
Eighty-three percent of respondents said they want the church to allow contraception, 69 percent said priests should be able to marry, 64 percent said women should be allowed to become priestesses, and more than half — 54 percent — believe the Church should recognize same-sex marriage.
The new survey and its findings come on the heels of Pope Francis’s decision in December 2023 to allow priests to bless individuals in same-sex relationships — however such blessings are not marriage and cannot take part during Church services. Last year, the Catholic Church, which has become increasingly liberal under the guidance of Pope Francis, decreed that transgendered individuals could be baptized.
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A group of Muslim clerics recently went on a “fact-finding” mission to Afghanistan, subsequently praising “beautiful” Taliban leaders for revitalizing the nation’s “freedom.” Their trip, organized by UK-based non-profit Prosper Afghanistan and the Human Aid & Advocacy group, sought to dispel alleged myths and distortions about the war-ravaged Middle Eastern nation following the U.S. military withdrawal in 2021.
Speaking at a recent event at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), the group credited the Taliban-led government with instilling peace and reducing the corruption persistent under two decades of Western-backed leadership.
“We went to Afghanistan with a very open mind… it brought back to me the stories of the Sahaba (the companions of Muhammad) that we read,” said Mufti Ismail Satia, a member of the group. “They reminded me of those who sacrificed for Islam and those who were willing to do anything for Islam.”
Hamid Mahmood, the founder of an Islamic girls’ school in London, told the audience he felt freedom in the Taliban’s theocracy. “It was somewhat a quite sad and painful experience leaving that land because I will be very honest and I’ve said this very clearly that there was something there, a feeling [of] outright freedom,” he said. “After speaking to many ministers we realized what freedom meant. They were trying to free themselves not just from physical oppression, physical subjugation, and colonialism but also financial, economic, and also intellectual enslavement.”
Shaykh Haitham Al-Haddad, another member of the group, defended the Taliban’s restricting girl’s education. “Western secular influences were being driven into the minds of the students who were speaking against the Shariah and many vices were creeping in… when it is time to rebuild the country we cannot tolerate division and therefore temporary suspension of liberal, secular education took place.”
The UK has struggled to integrate its large Muslim population, many of whom hold extremist views and sympathize with terrorism.
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Law enforcement officials in Chambers County, Texas, announced they have detained ten individuals at an East Texas home – suspected of being illegal immigrants from Asia and Guatemala – for allegedly possessing child pornography. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) further alleges the house, located 33 miles east of Downtown Houston, was being used to facilitate human trafficking.
The Chambers County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) says the suspects were detained and taken into custody after a Thursday morning raid. The operation necessitated forced entry after occupants declined to allow officers access to the property. According to a Fox News report, Homeland Security officials are still working to determine the legal status of the arrested individuals.
Government officials say the operation was prompted by information gleaned from the Internet Crimes Against Children database, which suggested possible child pornography downloads associated with the location. Bryan Baker, a CCSO Captain, emphasized the local law enforcement’s commitment to maintaining zero tolerance for such illegal downloads.
Inside the house, law enforcement encountered ten people suspected to be illegally residing in the country, as well as multiple electronic devices. The officers also found supplies commonly associated with restaurants at the scene.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted local officers at the scene. All suspects are said to have been transported to the Chambers County Jail, where they await processing by federal agents. Currently, criminal charges against the suspects have not been made public. The CCSO noted that the investigation into potential human trafficking or human smuggling, among other crimes, is ongoing.
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A petition calling for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis‘s disqualification from former President Donald Trump‘s election interference case has garnered over 60,000 signatures. Willis is currently prosecuting Trump and 14 others alleged of trying to illegally overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
The petition comes amid ongoing efforts to remove Willis from the prosecution over allegations that she engaged in ethical improprieties by appointing her romantic partner, Nathan Wade, as a special prosecutor. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee recently ruled that either Willis or Wade would have to withdraw from the case — Wade resigned shortly thereafter.
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a conservative Christian legal organization, is pushing the petition. “This case isn’t just about President Trump. This is about ending the two-tiered system of justice and defeating political prosecutions… We’re filing on behalf of every American because this impacts you, your vote, and our entire constitutional system of justice,” the ACLJ petition reads. Jay Sekulow, the ACLJ’s chief counsel, formerly served on Trump’s legal team — including as outside counsel during the former President’s first impeachment trial.
An appeal of the decision allowing Willis to remain on the case is currently before the Georgia Court of Appeals. The ACLJ says along with the petition, they’ve filed an amicus brief during the appeals court to hear the appeal and move to disqualify Willis.
Last month, attorneys for former President Trump argued for the case’s dismissal on First Amendment grounds. Judge Scott McAfee denied the motion but did dismiss six charges due to insufficient details regarding the alleged crimes.
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Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a temporary injunction this week, halting the enforcement of a Florida law barring transgender teachers from using pronouns that do not align with their biological sex in schools.
“Once again, the State of Florida has a First Amendment problem,” Judge Walker wrote in his injunction.
“Of late, it has happened so frequently, some might say you can set your clock by it,” he continued. “This time, the State of Florida declares that it has the absolute authority to redefine your identity if you choose to teach in a public school… the question before this Court is whether the First Amendment permits the State to dictate, without limitation, how public-school teachers refer to themselves when communicating to students. The answer is a thunderous ‘no.’”
Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, often characterized as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill by opponents, was challenged in December by two trans teachers and one “non-binary” teacher, but only one of them, “Katie” Wood, was awarded a temporary injunction by Judge Walker.
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New York police took custody of an unlicensed firearm belonging to anti-Trump activist E. Jean Carroll following a report from The National Pulse.
In January 2024, we reported that Carroll disclosed holding a firearm at her home during her defamation trial against former President Donald Trump. This revelation, according to a police report, led Warwick, New York police to visit Carroll’s residence on February 15 to address the weapon.
During the trial, Carroll informed the federal court in lower Manhattan that she kept the firearm, a “high standard revolver, nine chambers”, along with ammunition at her home, next to her bed. She also admitted to not possessing a firearm license.
Following the on-site discussion, reporting officer John Rader arranged for the firearm’s safekeeping at the police station. The next day, Carroll and a member of her team handed over the gun. Under NY state law, possession of an unregistered firearm can lead to a criminal possession charge with a maximum sentence of four years.
In the same trial, after a contentious debate around Carroll’s gun ownership, the jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million for defamation. Trump was previously found liable for defaming Carroll during his presidency. He has denied the accusations and has filed an appeal against the judgment after securing a $91.6 million bond.
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Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, employees and co-defendants of Donald Trump in Jack Smith‘s documents prosecution, are slated to appear in court to contest the charges they face.
Both Nauta, who started as Trump’s valet and later ascended to a personal aide position, and De Oliveira, who also started as a valet and rose to Mar-a-Lago property manager, are pivotal in Smith’s larger narrative against the former President. The special prosecutor alleges they helped their employer try to conceal boxes containing classified information from the authorities — charges they deny.
Nauta’s lawyers are seeking to persuade Judge Aileen Cannon to throw out charges against him centered on allegations he moved 64 boxes from a Mar-a-Lago storage room to Trump’s living quarters before a lawyer was due to examine them for classified material requested in a federal subpoena.
Nauta’s lawyer, Stanley Woodward Jr., argues Smith’s indictment does not even allege Nauta “knew that there were classified documents on premises” at Mar-a-Lago and that he could not have committed a crime simply by moving boxes with contents of which he was unaware.
“How could providing documents for President Trump to review prior to subpoena compliance be an act that obstructs justice?” Woodward’s filings ask.
Lawyers for De Oliveira, accused of helping Nauta move around 30 of the boxes, also argue he did not know what was in them or that they were wanted for a federal investigation. They also note the boxes were “reviewed only hours after they were moved” for subpoena compliance in any case.
The pair also deny asking Mar-a-Lago technician Yuscil Taveras to delete security footage of the boxes being moved. Even if such a request was made, Taveras did not comply with it, and the footage was preserved.
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