An illegal immigrant with an Illinois driver&#8217;s license allegedly sped away after striking a preteen boy in Pennsylvania, leaving him seriously injured in the roadway, authorities said.
Yorgelis Alexandra Matos-Bravo, a 29-year-old Venezuelan national living in Chicago, was allegedly speeding in a red 2016 Chevrolet Cruze when she struck the boy at the intersection of Fallowfield Avenue and Third Street in Charleroi on Sunday afternoon.  
The boy suffered serious injuries to his head and right arm. He was initially taken to Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital before being flown to UPMC Children&#8217;s Hospital of Pittsburgh with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, <a href="https://www.heraldstandard.com/news/local_news/2026/aug/25/boy-struck-by-hit-and-run-driver-in-charleroi">according</a> to court documents.
Another juvenile who witnessed the crash recorded the vehicle&#8217;s Indiana license plate number and gave it to investigators. Officers used the information to identify the car in footage from nearby surveillance cameras.
While police searched the area, Matos-Bravo&#8217;s brother arrived and used a translation app to tell officers she was returning. He said Matos-Bravo had stopped at a nearby park, where she was crying about what had happened.
Matos-Bravo returned after calling her brothers, who urged her to go back to the scene, police said. She allegedly told investigators through a translation app that she had struck the child but fled because she was shocked and nervous.
Police said the vehicle had handprints and a significant dent on its hood.
Matos-Bravo faces seven charges, including felony aggravated assault of a child under 13, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, careless driving, speeding, disorderly conduct, and leaving the scene of an accident.
She was taken to the Washington County jail after failing to post a $25,000 cash bond. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 3.
The Department of Homeland Security said Matos-Bravo illegally entered the United States through Texas in July 2022 under the Biden administration and later obtained a driver&#8217;s license from Illinois. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer asking Washington County officials to transfer her to federal custody if she is released.
“This criminal illegal alien now faces seven charges after a hit-and-run that injured a young child in Pennsylvania,&#8221; Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. 
&#8220;She would not have been in our country in the first place if it weren’t for the Biden Administration’s open borders, and she wouldn’t have been on our roads if it weren’t for J.B. Pritzker’s sanctuary Illinois issuing her a driver’s license,” Mullin continued. “This was a completely avoidable crime that was enabled by the reckless, America Last policies of sanctuary politicians.&#8221;
Mullin added that ICE wants to ensure that Matos-Bravo is &#8220;never released onto our streets again.”
Illinois <a href="https://www.ilsos.gov/content/dam/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_tvdl22.pdf">allows</a> illegal immigrants who meet identification and residency requirements and pass vision, written, and road tests to obtain driver&#8217;s licenses. In 2024, the state replaced its Temporary Visitor Driver&#8217;s License program with standard licenses for undocumented residents and other noncitizens without Social Security numbers.

Gemini_Generated_Image_gq8vl5gq8vl5gq8v (1)

Illegal Immigrant With Sanctuary-State License Charged In Child Hit-And-Run

Hit and run

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Republican leaders are increasingly turning against data center development even as the Trump administration remains staunchly in favor of building them. 
Across red states, Republicans who once welcomed the economic investment promised by artificial intelligence infrastructure are beginning to pump the brakes as constituents raise concerns about electricity prices and water consumption. 
Texas State Sen. Charles Schwertner said a July hearing revealed growing unease among Texas landowners. “After hearing hours of testimony from Texas landowners, one thing is clear: landowners deserve a fair and transparent (Certificate of Convenience and Necessity). Texans’ property rights must be protected,” he <a href="https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/texas-transmission-lines-landowners-puc-permian-22366999.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a>. 
Republicans elsewhere are not just sounding the alarm, but introducing legislation to block the tech industry’s newest wave to please their constituents. Oklahoma State Senator Kendal Sacchieri <a href="https://oksenate.gov/press-releases/senator-sacchieri-files-legislation-address-unknown-impacts-data-centers-oklahoma">wants</a> to impose a three-year statewide moratorium on new data centers. “By pausing further development, the state can gain empirical evidence on how large-scale data centers interact with Oklahoma’s infrastructure and environment, and tailor regulations that protect residents and ratepayers without undermining economic prospects,” she said. 
In key 2026 races, battleground candidates like Mike Rogers in Michigan, Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin, and Ken Paxton in Texas have all signaled increased opposition to data centers in recent weeks.
But while Republican lawmakers face pressure to slow data-center development at home, they are receiving the opposite message from the top of their party. President Donald Trump has made expanding America&#8217;s artificial intelligence infrastructure a major component of his economic and national security agenda, but in July, the president seemed to offer his fellow Republicans a compromise to bring back home. Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/07/president-trumps-ratepayer-protection-pledge-secures-american-ai-dominance-protects-consumers/">hosted</a> an event where over 200 utilities, tech companies, and governors agreed to ensure artificial intelligence data centers are paying for their energy infrastructure without raising residential bills. This allows states to keep building data centers, but makes them pay for themselves by requiring them to BYOE (bring their own energy). 
One week later, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who was one of the governors who signed President Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge at the July event, appeared to embrace that approach. Abbott announced that his administration would subject data centers seeking to connect to the Texas electric grid to an energy audit. Projects that demonstrate they can supply their own electricity could move through the review process, while those planning to draw heavily from the Texas grid could see their requests to build getting denied.
“Texans must come first,” Abbott <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-directs-comprehensive-data-center-audit">said</a>. “Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas must be denied connection to the Texas grid.” The governor did not say how long the review process would take. But the scale of the requests facing Texas regulators illustrates why the issue has become politically difficult to ignore.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is weighing connection requests that, if granted, would total more than five times the state&#8217;s record peak electricity demand, with roughly 90% of those requests coming from data centers. Texas lawmakers have warned that the “unprecedented load growth could endanger the reliability and stability of the Texas electric grid.” 
Abbott&#8217;s response seems to have left Texas business interests pleased but angered his rural base. Venture capitalist Jason Calacanis, who left Silicon Valley for Texas, emphasized that Abbott&#8217;s action was not a ban on development. “Governor Abbott announced this week an energy audit,” Calacanis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVzYGVJ8zUk">said</a>. “Not that he’s going to slow things down, not that it’s a moratorium but that everybody has to go through an energy audit.” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller seemed to have the same read as Calacanis, calling Abbott’s latest move “all smoke and mirrors.” 
“He [Abbott] hasn’t done anything really,” Miller <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/06/sid-miller-republicans-elections-data-centers-abbott/">said</a>. “It’s all smoke and mirrors and campaign fluff to gain votes. It’s not about the people of Texas or protecting our grid or protecting our water or protecting our land base.”

Construction At The First Stargate AI Data Center

Republicans Are Turning Against Data Centers, Fast

Data Centers

Greg Abbott

Michigan

Mike Rogers

Rural America

Texas

Tom Tiffany

Wisconsin

Cities across the country are giving in as residents eagerly push for the removal of Flock cameras, but after the cameras were taken down in some cities, multiple crimes remain unsolved. 
The consequences played out in almost textbook fashion across three cities this summer after the cameras went dark. Beginning in June, California’s El Cerrito decommissioned 40 cameras after its city council voted 3-2 not to renew its contract with Flock. But just two days after the last cameras were removed in August, a <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/el-cerrito-slaying-happened-days-after-last-license-plate-cameras-removed">man was killed</a> in a fatal shooting, and the shooter and getaway driver fled the scene and remain at large. 
Authorities would typically have turned to the two Flock cameras positioned at the intersection, but they had been removed just 48 hours before the shooting. Instead, investigators obtained footage of the suspect’s vehicle from a resident’s home security camera, but the license plate was unreadable. They ultimately relied on a neighboring agency — whose cameras were still operating — to identify the vehicle.
Residents in Framingham, Massachusetts, weren’t so lucky. The city ended its Flock contract in June following a months-long campaign by residents. Months later, a 39-year-old man was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver who remains at large. Investigators only have a description of the vehicle and have not identified the driver. 
The city’s own transparency records show that in past situations, Framingham police used Flock cameras as an investigative tool to find the city’s most wanted suspects. During the city’s four-year run with the cameras, authorities cited Flock cameras in more than 200 police reports. 
Similarly, Houston police hoped to use the city’s Flock cameras to identify a suspected child predator accused of trying to lure a child into his car. But vandals had disabled several of the city’s Flock cameras in the past month, including three that investigators <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-vandalism-22399562.php">said</a> could have potentially identified a man who attempted to lure a child into his vehicle. 
“Unfortunately, some person that’s not really cool with the license plate reader technology chose to cut the three down,” Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz said.
Flock founder Garrett Langley, who launched the company with a mission to eliminate crime, said the incidents demonstrate what happens when investigators lose access to the technology.
“Every day, Flock helps solve crimes that would otherwise go unsolved. From finding missing children, to solving murders, violent crime, and recovering stolen vehicles, Flock gives investigators leads they didn’t have before,” Langley <a href="https://fortune.com/2026/08/24/flock-8-billion-startup-backed-a16z-tiger-surveillance-camera/">said</a>. “That impact is why we started Flock, and it drives every decision we make about how this technology should be built and governed.” 
Langley and his company have come under the microscope this summer after reports showing that authorities can also use Flock’s network to commit crime. Between September 2024 and June 2026, police officer Christopher Goodson used Flock cameras in Florida to track his estranged wife’s car more than <a href="https://fortune.com/2026/08/24/flock-8-billion-startup-backed-a16z-tiger-surveillance-camera/">700</a> unauthorized times. 
To solve crime, Flock has built the most expansive surveillance system ever deployed in the United States with <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/flock-cameras-the-surveillance-state-and-a-political-reckoning-dd155412">120,000</a> cameras in 49 states. Criticism over the mass surveillance has emerged from both sides of the aisle as Americans digest whether the cameras are worth their benefit. 
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) <a href="https://truthout.org/articles/sanders-vows-to-introduce-legislation-to-stop-flocks-ai-mass-surveillance/">said</a>, “Do we want to live in an America where AI companies like Flock can work with the government to track our every movement?” 
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) echoed his statements, <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/hawley-kicks-off-senate-probe-into-flock-cameras/">saying</a>, “Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school, or go to church.” Hawley called the network of cameras an “unprecedented national surveillance network.”
The White House has not released an opinion on the camera network. President Donald Trump told Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese earlier this month, “You know, you have pros and cons, right? It’s being studied right now. We’ll have an answer sort of as to our views on it over the next couple of weeks.”

Flock Safety camera at the intersection of West Sylvania

What Happened When Flock Cameras Went Dark

Cameras

Flock

mass surveillance

In preparation for the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation sent a memo to its staff with instructions on how to refer to the 2001 terrorist attacks — specifically, not to call the events terrorist attacks.
“Do not refer to September 11 attacks as terrorist attacks,” the memo read. “The hijackings led to passenger jet crashes in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Manhattan. The World Trade Center (WTC in second reference) was destroyed.”
The memo was attributed to “BB” — identified by the Toronto Sun as Basem Boshra, the senior director of journalistic standards and public trust at CBC News.
Rachael Thomas, a conservative member of Canada’s Parliament, slammed the outlet’s memo and argued it was attempting to rewrite its southern neighbor’s history. “Refusing to call it an act of terrorism dishonours the victims, their families, the survivors, and the first responders who witnessed the horrors of that day,” she wrote on X. “Trying to sanitize or rewrite that history is deeply offensive and does a disservice to everyone who was affected by the attacks.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reacted in a post on X, writing, “Maybe we shouldn’t call Canada a ‘friendly country.’&#8221;
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) offered a similar take, adding, “Wow, The Canadian Broadcast Center told staff NOT to call 9/11 a terrorist attack. 9/11 is one of the darkest days in our history — nearly 3,000 Americans were murdered by terrorists. Say the word terrorism.”
In a statement defending the outlet, CBC director of public affairs Kerry Kelly pointed to a 2023 editor&#8217;s blog that argues using labels like “terrorist attacks” would make the outlet appear less impartial.
“Our focus is to report the facts of such atrocities with accuracy, clarity and detail; to convey the scale and scope of violent acts wherever they occur; to quote the people affected, and to convey the views of officials and experts on these events. We bear witness,” CBC Editor-in-Chief Brodie Fenlon wrote in the blog. “But CBC News does not itself designate specific groups as terrorists, or specific acts as terrorism, regardless of the region or the events, because these words are so loaded with meaning, politics and emotion that they can end up being impediments to our journalism.”
CBC <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/guantanamo-khalid-sheik-mohammed-trial-date-9.7322450">published</a> an article Thursday titled, “Khalid Sheik Mohammed, accused of masterminding 9/11 attacks, set for military tribunal trial in 2028.” The word “terrorist” appeared only once in the article — in a description of Al-Qaeda that read, “Al-Qaeda, which the U.S. designated a terrorist entity in 1999, claimed responsibility for the attacks.”

September 11

News Outlet Tells Staff Not To Call 9/11 A ‘Terrorist Attack’

9/11

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

terrorist attack

Los Angeles Democratic mayoral candidate Nithya Raman drew ridicule after proudly celebrating the completion of a crosswalk requested late last year, even as her before-and-after photos showed the cracked pavement beneath it remained unrepaired. 
“The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council alerted our office in late 2025 to the need for a crosswalk at Sunset Dr. and Bates St., which has just been completed,” Raman, a far-left member of the Los Angeles City Council, wrote Wednesday. “Thank you to our incredible CD4 Field Team for continuing to problem-solve, push for solutions, and make our streets safer.” 
Raman did not specify when in late 2025 her office received the request, adding to the uncertainty of precisely how long the project took to complete. Her post also did not identify which city agency installed the crosswalk.
Spencer Pratt, the former reality television star who finished third behind Raman in the June mayoral primary, mocked the announcement. 
Pratt wrote: “Nithya Raman&#8217;s big accomplishment is taking 9 months to paint 7 yellow stripes over a cracked street? How dumb do you have to be to post this?” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council alerted our office in late 2025 to the need for a crosswalk at Sunset Dr. and Bates St., which has just been completed!
Thank you to our incredible CD4 Field Team for continuing to problem-solve, push for solutions, and make our streets safer. <a href="https://t.co/AmNAyPAhdR">pic.twitter.com/AmNAyPAhdR</a>
— Councilmember Nithya Raman (@cd4losangeles) <a href="https://x.com/cd4losangeles/status/2092727636959346891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
Raman’s graphic, labeled &#8220;Street Infrastructure,&#8221; showed that yellow crosswalk stripes had been added to the intersection. Large cracks visible in the pavement before the project remained afterward.
Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro called the post “beyond parody.” 
&#8220;Eight months to paint some yellow lines,&#8221; Shapiro said. &#8220;Huge infrastructure victory! Make her mayor!” 
Pratt initially held second place on election night in L.A.&#8217;s nonpartisan mayoral primary. Raman overtook him as additional vote-by-mail ballots were counted and ultimately advanced to the November runoff against incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass.
Raman has represented L.A. City Council District 4 since December 2020 and won a second term in 2024. She has prioritized rent control, supporting climate initiatives, and alternatives to traditional law enforcement responses. She also supported expanding sanctuary-city policies.

Families for Nithya event

Left-Wing L.A. Mayoral Candidate Touts Yellow Paint On Cracked Street As ‘Infrastructure’

An HHS-commissioned study found an association between support for &#8220;radical gender ideology&#8221; and a greater willingness to justify political violence. 
The <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/gender-ideology-report.pdf">report</a>, released Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Services, was written by researchers affiliated with Rutgers University, the Manhattan Institute, and the Network Contagion Research Institute.
The preregistered survey asked more than 1,200 U.S. adults to rate their agreement with five transgender-affirming positions and whether six politically motivated acts of violence could be justified.
Those scenarios involved killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, killing President Donald Trump, killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, setting fire to ICE buildings, damaging wealthy people&#8217;s property, and attacking police officers.
Strong support for the transgender-affirming positions was positively correlated with greater justification for all six acts. The strongest association involved killing Trump, which had a correlation of 0.35, followed by setting fire to ICE buildings at 0.34 and killing Kirk at 0.31. 
The correlations were weaker for damaging wealthy people’s property at 0.28, killing Thompson at 0.27, and attacking police at 0.23. 
The researchers measured left-wing authoritarianism separately, which the report describes as a psychological disposition characterized by aggression toward perceived oppressors, support for censorship and institutional enforcement, and hostility toward conventional institutions.
Left-wing authoritarianism showed a stronger association with justification of political violence, with correlations ranging from 0.47 to 0.54 across the six scenarios.
Both transgender-affirming beliefs and left-wing authoritarianism remained significantly associated with greater justification of all six acts after researchers controlled for respondents&#8217; political identities.
“Together, these findings support the paper’s core claim: gender ideology may function as an ideological accelerant, telling left-wing authoritarian psychology who the enemy is, why the situation is urgent, and — in those already disposed toward force — that violence is legitimate,” the researchers wrote.
Both the researchers and HHS <a href="https://health.gov/hhs-releases-study-finding-individuals-who-associate-left-wing-authoritarian-beliefs-and-radical">acknowledged</a> that the study found an association but could not establish causation.
The report comes as the political views and transgender associations of several people accused or convicted of targeting prominent conservatives face ongoing scrutiny.
Tyler Robinson, the man charged with Kirk&#8217;s September 2025 murder, was living with a male roommate and romantic partner who identified as transgender, according to court documents.
Prosecutors say Robinson sent his roommate messages confessing to the shooting and saying he &#8220;had enough of [Kirk&#8217;s] hatred.&#8221; Robinson’s mother <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-the-disturbing-texts-between-tyler-robinson-and-his-trans-love-after-charlie-kirk-assassination">previously told investigators</a> that her son became more political and left-leaning in the year before Kirk&#8217;s killing and had grown more supportive of pro-transgender views.
Ryan Michael English, 26, also known as Raleigh Jane English, was sentenced last week to 73 months in prison for bringing a knife and two improvised incendiary devices to the U.S. Capitol as part of a plot to kill then-Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent.
English, a man who identifies as a transgender woman, approached a U.S. Capitol Police officer in January 2025 and turned himself in. English later pleaded guilty to two federal weapons charges.
A second study is currently being designed to further investigate the correlation between left-wing ideology, trans-ideology, and political violence.

Diverse people holding transgender flags

HHS Study Links Transgender Ideology To Justification Of Political Violence

Charlie Kirk

Luigi Mangione

Political Violence

Research Study

Transgender

Tyler Robinson

A West Virginia man who used the online alias “MrChildPorn” has been charged with possessing child pornography.
Authorities nabbed 20-year-old Garrett Highlander after he allegedly boasted online about his “large cache of child porn.” Highlander appeared to operate in plain sight, using “MrChildPorn” as his username on Discord. In other channels, he used the name “MrToxix,” authorities said.
According to investigators, Highlander sent child sexual abuse material to other Discord users through shared chats and direct messages. After receiving 48 cyber tip reports, troopers uncovered “numerous chat conversations” in which Highlander allegedly searched for sexually explicit images of children and asked other users “if anyone was willing to trade ‘cp’ with him.”
When state troopers <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending/man-with-user-name-mrchildporn-accused-sharing-illicit-images-children/BIMSH5WJCVCUFP5RAXEF2CWFCM/?utm_term=Autofeed&amp;utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1787761112">executed</a> a search warrant, Highlander reportedly claimed that he had made the statements merely “to be inflammatory” and that he found it funny to troll and “rage bait” other members of the online communities.
However, after searching “MrChildPorn’s” devices, the state troopers found child porn. He later admitted to participating in “chat servers … in which young, often juvenile females were groomed or talked into self-harm,” but insisted that he was merely a bystander and was “never involved in this activity.”
Highlander was arrested and was being held at West Virginia’s North Central Regional Jail on a $100,000 bond. On Wednesday, he <a href="https://mcrsearch.courtswv.gov/Inquiry/CaseDetail?q=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">posted</a> bond and is scheduled to be back in court on Monday, August 31.

Man Who Goes By ‘MrChildPorn’ Arrested For Possession Of Child Porn

arrest

Garrett Highlander

Porn

West Virginia

Six Flags Magic Mountain quietly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-mystery-that-forced-six-flags-to-shut-down-popular-ride">shut down</a> one of its roller coasters without saying why, but a new investigation found that the coaster left riders with life-altering disabilities, at least one coma, and two deaths. 
According to CNN&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/27/us/six-flags-rollercoaster-brain-injury-invs">review</a> of medical records, depositions, and legal filings, X2 is linked to more than a dozen serious injuries and hospitalizations since it opened in 2002. Originally named X, the ride was the world’s first “fourth-dimension” roller coaster. Its seats rotate a full 360 degrees independently of the track as the train travels at speeds of up to 76 miles per hour and plunges through a series of sudden drops.
X2, located in Valencia, California, has an average rating of 4.7 out of five stars from riders, but several negative reviews share a common complaint that the ride was enjoyable until its violent final moments. 
“Terrible, avoid this coaster,” one rider wrote. “It started off really fun until the last ‘raven drop,’ where it forces your head forward and then slams you back hard against the seat.” 
Another rider said, “The ride was fine until the last bit where it shakes you up. I felt like I was in a car wreck.” 
“I don’t know how this ride continues to operate,” another person added. “It seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
The ride officially closed on July 12, after two riders suffered brain hemorrhages in less than a week. Doctors told CNN that the injuries observed were typically seen in patients after high-speed crashes, not after riding an amusement park ride. Three neurosurgeons who treated the women wrote in an email reviewed by CNN that the injuries were “the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride.”
One of the women, 40-year-old Pamela Guillen, required emergency skull surgery after losing consciousness on the platform. Guillen immediately began vomiting after the ride, and paramedics said they found her unresponsive with her pupils looking “sluggish.” The other woman, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, lost consciousness shortly after exiting the coaster and remains in a coma, according to her family.
But X2’s history of incidents predates this summer. In 2022, 22-year-old Christopher Hawley died less than 10 hours after riding X2, with a neurosurgeon comparing his injuries to “shaken baby syndrome.” Hawley rode the ride with his cousin and brother, and court records stated that the three of them were flipped around like “rag dolls.” When the three exited the ride, Hawley said he felt lightheaded and then slumped to the ground. CNN reported that Six Flags had received over 70 complaints involving head and neck injuries linked to X2 from 2019 to Hawley’s death. 
State regulators shut down the ride after Hawley’s death, but days later, it reopened. According to CNN, regulators did not interview witnesses or medical experts but relied on safety data provided by Six Flags. Twelve years before Hawley&#8217;s death, 28-year-old Hilda Farias died after riding the coaster. She had a preexisting brain abnormality when she rode the coaster. Farias’s family settled in court for an undisclosed amount. 
Six Flags has defended the ride in litigation by arguing that it warns people about the coaster&#8217;s “inherent risks” and that the physical forces involved are not strong enough to cause brain injuries in a “normal” rider. But not every expert agrees.
“I personally don’t think head injury should be an expected risk from going on a roller coaster ride, and there is no reason a ride can’t be properly designed to prevent injuries like this,” Lyndia Wu, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of British Columbia who studies roller coasters’ effects on the brain, told CNN.
Six Flags has not said when, or if, X2 will reopen.

Inside Six Flags Magic Mountain Amusement Park Ahead Of Earnings Figures

Terrifying ‘Fourth-Dimension’ Roller Coaster Led To Brain Surgery, Coma, And Death

Brain Injury

hospital

Lawsuit

Rollercoaster

Six flags

The death toll continues to rise after a catastrophic flood swept through the Nepal-China border, with over 350 people dead and over 1,300 people missing, including at least 60 Americans. 
Officials in Nepal are worried that the situation could escalate even further with the possibility of a second flood. The director of the Center for Disaster Studies at Tribhuvan University in Nepal, Basanta Raj Adhikari, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c6y8mjmnpxv0t">said</a> “second and third waves” were possible but added, “We don’t know yet.” The flood’s sudden onset is part of what led to the high death toll. Water and debris can travel dozens of miles within hours, leaving the people in its path little to no chance to evacuate before it arrives.
That same unpredictability is now complicating the search itself. The potential for more floods threatens rescue crews working the disaster zone. On the ground, Nepal has mobilized nearly <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c6y8mjmnpxv0t">10,000</a> security personnel, pulling from the police, army, and armed police force for rescue operations. Search efforts continue to face a lack of resources as well. 
The death toll is expected to climb even higher. The flood swept the region, snapping bridges, toppling buildings, and leaving people stranded in its wake. The President of the Nepal Center for Disaster Management said the flood came like a “tsunami from the sky” before adding, “Everything on the way was completely washed out.” 
Countries are lining up to offer help amid the catastrophe, with over 700 foreigners — including at least 60 Americans — missing. Nepal, known for tourist attractions like Mount Everest, the Himalayas, and trekking trails, is in its peak tourism season. September through November is the best time for clear skies and mild temperatures, allowing climbers to have clear mountain views and moderate temperatures as they climb. 
Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-americans-among-missing-after-deadly-flash-flood-in-nepal">said</a> the State Department “stands ready to support the Government of Nepal” and offered $500,000 in emergency assistance to the region. Chinese President Xi Jinping also offered help and called for an extensive search, with over 250 reported missing on the Chinese side of the border. India also has a large proportion of citizens missing and has sent over 100,000 pounds of aid, including temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, lamps, and water bottles. The United Nations has also reportedly sent emergency supplies to assist with the response.

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At Least 60 Americans Missing As Nepal Death Toll Rises And Second Flood Threat Looms

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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would &#8220;absolutely&#8221; prohibit Sharia law in the United States, joining a growing number of Republican lawmakers pushing measures aimed at preventing Islamic law from superseding American law.
&#8220;You do have pockets of it,” Trump told Glenn Beck, founder of Blaze Media. “You go to London, you go to Paris — it&#8217;s almost like their second way of life. &#8230; I would absolutely prohibit the Sharia law thing. &#8230; You have to take it out.&#8221; 
Several GOP lawmakers have similarly called for restrictions on the application of Sharia law in the United States.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), who <a href="https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/whip-emmer-joins-sharia-free-america-caucus">joined</a> the Sharia Free America Caucus earlier this year, has said that “Sharia is completely incompatible with the American way of life and threatens the very fabric of our society.” 
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced legislation in October to ban Sharia Law in the United States. 
“Sharia law is fundamentally anti-American and has no place in our country,&#8221; Tuberville said. &#8220;If you want to peacefully practice your religion, you have every right to do so under the Constitution. But if you want to come to the United States and advocate for the practice of Sharia law over U.S. law, you should not be here.”
Tuberville&#8217;s No Sharia Act would prohibit courts from enforcing judgments, decrees, or contracts based on foreign laws when doing so would violate constitutional rights. It would also bar the application of foreign law in matters including marriage, divorce, custody, adoption, and inheritance when it conflicts with U.S. law.
Some applications of Sharia have previously come into conflict with American law. In 2008, Maryland’s highest court <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/gender-justice/resource/aleem_v._aleem">refused</a> to recognize a husband’s unilateral divorce under Pakistani law incorporating Islamic law because doing so would have allowed him to avoid Maryland&#8217;s rules governing the distribution of marital property. 
Traditional interpretations of Sharia law can also differ from American law on marriage, divorce, inheritance, and the legal rights of men and women. For example, a man may have as many as four wives, while a woman may have only one husband. Men can also initiate divorce without establishing fault, while women generally face greater restrictions. In some legal proceedings, a woman’s testimony may receive less weight because of her gender, whereas American courts evaluate witnesses under the same standards regardless of sex. Sharia law also traditionally imposes stricter dress requirements on women than on men.
The debate over Sharia has also surfaced in the Michigan Senate race following renewed attention to comments Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed made as a 24-year-old medical student.
El-Sayed discussed his Islamic faith with The New York Times in 2009 while explaining his decision to use a Sharia-compliant mortgage, which was structured to avoid the payment of interest prohibited by Islamic law.
“Ultimately, the question is, when I die and I stand before God and go through everything I did in my life, I don’t want to say I did it the easy way instead of the Shariah-compliant way,&#8221; El-Sayed said. &#8220;Not because of fear but because of obligation.”
El-Sayed has repeatedly defended his adherence to Sharia while maintaining that his religious beliefs would not be imposed on others.
The renewed debate comes as the number of Muslim elected officials in the United States has grown. A total of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-disturbing-rise-of-muslim-political-power-across-america?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=The+Disturbing+Rise+Of+Muslim+Political+Power+Across+America">255</a> Muslims now hold elected office across multiple levels of government.
“This record-breaking number represents far more than a statistic. It reflects an American Muslim community that is increasingly engaged, organized, and committed to serving our nation,” said Executive Director Nihad Awad of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

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‘You Have To Take It Out’: Trump Vows To Ban Sharia Law

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Eight missing children were safely recovered last week during a multi-agency operation led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&#8217;s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and state officials in Arkansas. 
Operation HOPE Arkansas began on August 18 and brought together HHS, Arkansas State Police, the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Children and Family Services, and other law enforcement and child-welfare partners.
The operation began with four reported cases of missing foster children in Arkansas, with officials recovering three of them on the operation’s first day. Investigators responded to six additional cases that emerged during the four-day effort. 
In total, the operation involved 10 missing children, eight of whom were safely recovered or located, including two Colorado foster children found in Arkansas. The cases involved children missing from foster and residential placements, an alleged child abduction, and cases showing indicators of possible human trafficking. Authorities are continuing to search for two Arkansas foster children who remain missing.
“Every missing child case demands an immediate, coordinated response,” Arkansas Human Trafficking Coordinator Sgt. Matt Foster said. “Operation HOPE brought together the expertise and resources of law enforcement, child welfare professionals, and federal partners to locate vulnerable children, investigate the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, and ensure they receive the support they need once they are found.”
Operation HOPE was first launched in Mississippi in May during which officials recovered 13 of the 15 missing children they were searching for. The operation&#8217;s success in May prompted HHS officials to expand the initiative nationwide, making Arkansas the program’s second target.
“Every child in foster care deserves protection, so when they go missing, it is our utmost responsibility to bring them home,” Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams said. “When the Trump administration launched Operation Hope in May, we promised to replicate its success across the nation. We are proud to have done so with Arkansas, and we will keep working until every child in the nation is accounted for and safe.”
The operation builds on Arkansas’ VALOR initiative, a statewide coalition created in January 2024 to improve the response to missing and endangered children. At the time, Arkansas had between 40 and 50 foster children reported missing. Following Operation HOPE, the HHS Administration for Children and Families says that number has fallen to just two missing children.
Operation HOPE is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to support children in foster care. In April, Secretary Kennedy announced that his department would prioritize early intervention for parents battling addiction rather than waiting until families reach a crisis point. 
“Too often, government intervenes after addiction has already pushed a family into crisis, and a child is at risk of entering foster care,” Kennedy said. “We want to intervene before that happens.”
First lady Melania Trump has also spearheaded the administration&#8217;s effort through her Fostering the Future initiative, which seeks to expand housing assistance, educational scholarships, and financial literacy programs. Shortly before Trump Accounts launched on July 4, 2026, the first lady <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gavin-newsom-gives-full-throated-praise-for-recent-trump-policy?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Gavin+Newsom+Gives+Full-Throated+Praise+For+Recent+Trump+Policy">partnered</a> with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to allow state and tribal child welfare agencies to open and manage accounts for eligible foster children, ensuring they can get Trump Accounts even without a parent or guardian available to enroll them.

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EXCLUSIVE: How RFK Jr.’s HHS Is Finding America’s Missing Kids

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A high school teacher went viral after posting a video of himself breaking down in tears and claiming some of his senior students were struggling to read and write, but students at the school are pushing back on his account. 
One student <a href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/education/2026/08/14/559581/wheatley-high-school-houston-accountability-raiting-reading-writing-darius-williams/">told</a> Houston Public Media that Darius Williams, a new teacher at Wheatley High School, was “lying” in the video. Another student, Alexis Salgado, told the outlet that although some students struggled to draft essays and complete advanced English assignments, they could read.
While Wheatley High School has had past literacy issues, the school just celebrated its first “A” accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency. 
&#8220;At Wheatley High School, students have made significant academic gains, demonstrating that strong instruction, high expectations and targeted support are making a difference,” said the Houston Independent School District’s press office.
In the since-deleted video, which Williams recorded on his second day at the school, he said, “I simply don’t know where the problem is. This is only day two, and I have seniors who simply cannot read and seniors who cannot write.” 
“I basically completed the sentence for them,” he added. “These are 17- and 18-year-old kids, and they couldn’t fill in four words. Four words.”
Williams has a large social media following under the username “DariusCooks.” He has nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram and more than one million followers on TikTok, which he amassed largely through his cooking videos. 
Williams did not respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment about his apparent career change from online cooking personality to high school teacher, or why he decided to post the video on his second day on the job.
In addition to posting cooking videos, Williams sells cookbooks and dining experiences. The Better Business Bureau of Metro Atlanta, however, has <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/bbb-warns-customers-about-atlanta-food-personality-darius-cooks">warned</a> consumers about doing business with DariusCooks. 
“BBB advises consumers to use caution when doing business with DariusCooks, LLC,” the bureau said in a statement. 
Customers alleged that dining experiences were not honored and that they struggled to receive cookbooks they had purchased.
Williams also operated a credit-repair service but agreed in 2019 to pay <a href="https://consumer.georgia.gov/press-releases/2019-12-05/carr-announces-consent-judgment-above-701-inc-over-allegations-illegal">$145,750</a> to settle allegations that the business illegally charged customers upfront and made misleading claims about removing debts and bankruptcies from their credit reports. Williams operated the business in Georgia, but the state attorney general’s office required him to cease all operations there as part of the settlement.
Williams has since moved to Houston to begin a career in education. According to Wheatley High School’s directory, he is a career and technical education teacher.

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Viral Teacher Sob Story Doesn’t Fully Add Up

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