the_squad_gi

Dems’ ‘Cult Of Hatred’ Reveals Hard-To-Ignore Pattern After Another Assassination Attempt

Democrats

Political Violence

President Trump

White House

President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Justice on Friday directed the Bureau of Prisons to bring back the firing squad and lethal injection for federal executions.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-takes-actions-strengthen-federal-death-penalty">announced a series of new measures</a> to strengthen enforcement of the federal death penalty, clearing the way for the DOJ to carry out executions once inmates exhaust their appeals.
&#8220;Among the actions taken are readopting the lethal injection protocol utilized during the first Trump Administration, expanding the protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad, and streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases,&#8221; Blanche said.
&#8220;These steps are critical to deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones,&#8221; he added.
The directives fulfill a campaign promise for Trump, who on his first day back in office <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-the-death-penalty-and-protecting-public-safety/">ordered the attorney general</a> to &#8220;pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use.&#8221;
The policy marks a reversal from the Biden administration&#8217;s handling of federal executions.
In 2021, former President Joe Biden imposed an indefinite moratorium, effectively blocking all federal executions. In December 2024, he commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 inmates on federal death row at the urging of then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Those granted mass clemency included Thomas Sanders, who was convicted of murdering <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-commutes-sentences-of-dozens-of-murderers-two-days-before-christmas">12-year-old Lexis Roberts</a> and hiding her body in the woods. Another included Daryl Lawrence, who killed 33-year-old Ohio police officer Bryan Hurst during a 2005 bank robbery in Columbus.
&#8220;These actions inflicted untold damage on countless lives and, ultimately, on the public’s confidence in the rule of law itself,&#8221; Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1437806/dl?inline">said</a>.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-commutes-sentences-of-dozens-of-murderers-two-days-before-christmas">three inmates</a> excluded from the commutations were the Boston Marathon bomber, the Tree of Life synagogue shooter, and the man who murdered nine people at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Trump’s DOJ has lifted the federal execution moratorium and is seeking death sentences against <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-takes-actions-strengthen-federal-death-penalty">44 defendants</a>, including three MS-13 gang members, two of them illegal immigrants, according to the department. During Trump&#8217;s first term, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/us/politics/trump-firing-squad-executions-death-penalty.html">13 federal death row inmates</a> were executed.
“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” Blanche said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”

Dublin Federal Correctional Institution

Biden Commuted Death Sentences. Trump’s DOJ Is Bringing Back The Firing Squad.

Death Penalty

Trump Administration

A new poll finds that a plurality of Gen Z would hop in a time machine and leave their life behind as many young people grow disillusioned with modern technology and increasingly pessimistic about their economic futures.
If given the option, nearly half (47%) of 18-29-year-olds said they&#8217;d choose to live in the past, according to an <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28059030-genz-nbc-news-decision-desk-poll-march-2026-topline/">NBC News Decision Desk Poll</a>. One in three surveyed said they’d pick a time period less than 50 years ago, while another 14% would choose more than 50 years in the past. Only 38% of young people said they’d prefer to live in the present.
Members of this generation, born in 1997 or later, yearn for an era “right before social media and computers mediated life,” Clay Routledge, a nostalgia researcher and existential psychologist, said in an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/discomfort-modern-technology-gen-z-desire-live-past-poll-rcna340897">interview with NBC News</a>.
Ben Isaacs, a 20-year-old Colorado student, said he’d choose to live in the 1990s, arguing smartphones are eroding young people’s ability to connect face-to-face and live beyond “the realm of the phone,” according to NBC.
The survey captures Gen Z’s deepening dissatisfaction with the country’s trajectory, social cohesion, and their financial futures.
A whopping 80% of Gen Z—more than any other generation—said the United States is headed in the wrong direction, according to the NBC poll, and 62% expect their lives will be worse than those of previous generations.
Plus, a majority rated the economy—especially inflation and the cost of living—as their top political concerns.
Artificial intelligence, which is transforming the higher education landscape and entry-level job market, is adding to the uncertainty and economic anxiety. <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/704087/college-students-weigh-impact-majors-careers.aspx">One in six college students</a> has changed their major because of AI, and 48% of Gen Z workers now say its negatives outweigh its benefits—an 11-point increase from 2025, according to a recent Gallup poll.
Unemployment among recent college graduates has risen since the pandemic, reaching 5.6% at the end of 2025 and extending well beyond the humanities, according to the <a href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market#--:explore:unemployment">Federal Reserve Bank of New York.</a> Computer engineering now has one of the <a href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market#--:explore:unemployment">highest unemployment rates</a> among college majors at 7.8%, a sharp reversal from 2021, when it ranked among the lowest at 3.2%.
Economic, cultural, and political turbulence is helping drive a cultural shift among some young people, especially men. Another Gallup poll released this month indicates that young men have become more religious in recent years.
<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/708410/young-men-religious-young-women.aspx">The survey</a>, released April 16, finds that 42% of men ages 18–29 now say religion is “very important” in their lives, up sharply from 28% in 2022–2023. Monthly religious attendance among young men also rose to 40% from 33%, the highest level in more than a decade, surpassing women for the first time.
&#8220;When there’s a lot of disruptions — political divisiveness, or, you know, worries about AI or other kinds of societal, technological or social, cultural changes — people tend to become more nostalgic for the past to help them with the things that they’re worried about,” <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/discomfort-modern-technology-gen-z-desire-live-past-poll-rcna340897">Routledge told NBC</a>.

Teens in circle holding smart mobile phones – Multicultural young people using cellphones outside – Teenagers addicted to new technology concept

Why Gen Z Wishes They Could Time Travel

Economy

Gen Z

Polls

Social Media

U.S.

Conservative organizations that have faced years of vicious attacks from the Southern Poverty Law Center feel vindicated after a sweeping federal indictment accused the left-wing group of secretly funneling millions to white supremacist groups.
On Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, the same city where the SPLC was founded, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-grand-jury-charges-southern-poverty-law-center-wire-fraud-false-statements-and">returned an 11-count indictment</a> charging the organization with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of making false statements to a federally insured bank, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
SPLC “secretly funneled more than $3 million in funds to white supremacist &amp; extremist groups,” according to the indictment, including Aryan Nations, members of the Ku Klux Klan, and a member of Unite the Right, the group that infamously staged the neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, Virginia.
For Tina Descovich, CEO of Moms For Liberty, the charges were not a surprise. 
&#8220;I was shocked that people were shocked. The biggest target for the Southern Poverty Law Center over the last three years has been our organization,&#8221; Descovich said in an interview with The Daily Wire. &#8220;We make up over half of their hate map, and we have watched their unethical tactics over the last three years. We have watched them fabricate and manipulate.&#8221;
In 2023, SPLC designated Moms for Liberty, a grassroots group that fights for parental rights in schools across the country, as a<a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/06/07/1180486760/splc-moms-for-liberty-extremist-group"> pro-segregationist hate group.</a>
&#8220;Immediately, the floodgates of hate were opened against us,&#8221; Descovich said. The intimidation tactics started immediately, as a result of them placing us on the hate map.&#8221;
Weeks after the designation, thousands of protesters descended on the Moms for Liberty’s national summit in Philadelphia, where vandalism the night before prompted a significant police response to secure the event. An anonymous international organization followed with a cyber attack that managed to take down their website.
The SPLC cost Moms for Liberty key vendor relationships, community engagement events, and new members, as some mothers feared the “hate group” label could carry professional consequences.
&#8220;The attacks for a small nonprofit, not well-funded organization of moms advocating for their children, were unconscionable,&#8221; Descovich said. &#8220;At our 23 Summit, one of our members&#8217; daughters was outside of the hotel, and the protesters threw an egg at her, hit her in the face, and broke her retainer.”
 Following the indictment, Descovich said she&#8217;s in contact with attorneys and exploring legal options.
&#8220;When I think about all of the money that they brought in off of the backs of campaigning and lying and smearing conservative organizations like ours, not just ours, but others too, the real damage that they&#8217;ve brought to people&#8217;s lives. You know, I believe that there should be financial payments to organizations like mine to make up for what they have done to us,&#8221; she said.
Her organization is not alone.
SPLC classified The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which advocates for ending illegal immigration, as a hate group with <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/federation-american-immigration-reform/">&#8220;ties to white supremacist groups and eugenicists.&#8221;</a>
&#8220;The SPLC creates imaginary bogeymen who they use to rake in millions of dollars from donors who were scammed by them,&#8221; FAIR said in a statement to The Daily Wire. &#8220;Too many mainstream groups have had their reputations tarnished, banking relationships canceled, and worse.&#8221;
&#8220;The media and political classes should finally treat the SPLC as the pariah organization it is,&#8221; FAIR added, a sentiment shared by Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), a think tank that supports restricting immigration.
“It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of creeps,” Krikorian said in an interview with The Daily Wire.
&#8220;The part, of course, that&#8217;s so hilarious is that, apparently, the supply of racism didn&#8217;t wasn&#8217;t meeting the demand, so they had to create more of it,&#8221; Krikorian said. He described the group as a &#8220;fundraising racket,&#8221; whose co-founder, Morris Deese, demonstrated &#8220;proficiency at raising money from, you know, old ladies on the Upper West Side.&#8221;
 Following Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, the SPLC  labeled the CIS as a &#8220;hate group.”
 &#8220;And that was pretty clearly a strategic decision, because immigration was what he ran on. So they needed to try to delegitimize the outside groups that study immigration,” Krikorian said. &#8220;What they hoped was that it would be that the fear of violence would be so ever-present that people on the right would self-censor so that they didn&#8217;t get shot.&#8221;
The threat of violence was not a possibility, but a reality, for the Family Research Council (FRC), a Christian nonprofit group that promotes traditional family values. 
Over a decade ago, a gunman, who <a href="https://www.frc.org/frcactionpressreleasestemplate/family-research-council-responds-to-splc-indictments-says-accountability-should-include-restitution-for-those-harmed#gsc.tab=0">cited SPLC material</a>, entered the Family Research Council building and shot a security guard. He intended &#8220;to kill as many people as possible&#8221; and was later sentenced to 25 years in prison, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/virginia-man-sentenced-25-years-prison-shooting-security-guard-family-research">according to the Department of Justice. </a>
&#8220;That&#8217;s why this moment matters,&#8221; FRC President Tony Perkins said. &#8220;Accountability should not stop with individual convictions. If wrongdoing is proven, justice should include restitution to those harmed. With over $750 million in their endowment, which includes offshore accounts, the SPLC should be held responsible not only for what was done, but for the damage left behind.&#8221;

SPLC hate map

SPLC’s Favorite Conservative Targets Get The Last Laugh

Southern Poverty Law Center

The Trump administration on Thursday <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-places-fda-approved-marijuana-products-and-products-containing-marijuana">moved to reclassify</a> state-licensed medical marijuana, easing research restrictions on the substance and marking the most significant shift in federal drug policy in decades.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1437441/dl">signed an order</a> reclassifying FDA-approved products containing marijuana as a Schedule III drug, placing them alongside prescription medications. The administration also announced an “expedited” hearing on June 29 to consider the formal reclassification of cannabis.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Today is another promise made, promise kept day&#8230; The Acting Attorney General this morning signed an order that moves into Schedule III medical marijuana products that are FDA approved or that are state licensed. This is a giant move forward to implement your promise.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ewTDXJpEyX">pic.twitter.com/ewTDXJpEyX</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2047402410784473227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
“These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana&#8217;s safety and efficacy, expanding patients&#8217; access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions,” <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2047291538653241488?s=20">Blanche said</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Under the decisive leadership of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, this Department of Justice is delivering on his promise to improve American healthcare. This includes:
• Immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule IIl
• Ordering a new,… <a href="https://t.co/DUtqKQgavl">pic.twitter.com/DUtqKQgavl</a>
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2047291538653241488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
Since 1970, marijuana has remained in Schedule I—the most restrictive category—alongside substances like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.
Scheduling of a drug is &#8220;based upon the substance&#8217;s medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/csa">Drug Enforcement Administration</a> (DEA).
<a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling">Under the Controlled Substances Act</a>, Schedule III drugs are defined as substances with a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” The DEA considers Schedule I drugs to have &#8220;no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
The Trump administration&#8217;s move does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law, but allows cannabis companies to deduct standard expenses like rent and payroll for the first time, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/trump-administration-reclassifies-cannabis.html">CNBC reported</a>.
“Today’s order is reflective of the Department of Justice’s continued dedication to common-sense policies and the prioritization of the safety and well-being of all Americans,” Blanche said.
In December 2025, Trump first signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/increasing-medical-marijuana-and-cannabidiol-research/">executive order</a> directing federal agencies to increase medical marijuana and CBD research.
Over the weekend, Trump voiced frustration with the pace of the rescheduling process while signing another directive easing restrictions on psychedelics alongside podcast host Joe Rogan.
“You’re going to get the rescheduling done, right? Please? Will you get the rescheduling done, please?” Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xrI-_qo64E">said to White House staff in the Oval Office</a>. “Joe, they’re slow-walking me on rescheduling, okay? You’re going to get it done.”
Two dozen states, along with Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana use, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-marijuana-rescheduling-justice-department-trump-cannabis-1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268">according to the Associated Press.</a> About 40 states have medical marijuana programs, and eight others permit low-THC cannabis or CBD oil for medical purposes. Only Idaho and Kansas maintain a full ban on marijuana.
In November 2024, voters in Nebraska approved a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana. Ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana failed in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Obama Admin. Unveils New Policy Easing Medical Marijuana Prosecutions

Trump Takes Major Step On Marijuana

Drug Enforcement Agency

Drugs

Executive

Marijuana

Politics

Todd Blanche

Trump Adminstration

Earth Day, the annual event focused on climate change and environmental action, can be traced to a charismatic founder with a secret dark side.
Held on April 22, Earth Day celebrates &#8220;<a href="https://www.earthday.org/history/">the birth of the modern environmental movement,</a>&#8221; which began in 1970 in the United States and has since grown into a global movement.
Supporters use the day to raise awareness of climate-related issues, encouraging consumers to change their behavior and urging governments to enact regulations in the name of protecting the planet. In many respects, the movement has achieved significant success.
In 1970, the first Earth Day led to a wave of legislation, including the creation of the sprawling Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is tasked with enforcing federal environmental laws and setting national policies and regulations from Washington.
Ira Einhorn, a self-proclaimed environmental activist, was the master of ceremonies at the first Earth Day rally on April 22, 1970, according to NBC News. Nine years later, police raided his apartment and found the &#8220;composted&#8221; body of his ex-girlfriend.
Einhorn gained attention among environmental circles in the 1960s and ’70s by embracing the persona of a tie-dye-wearing “ecological guru” and Philadelphia&#8217;s “head hippie,&#8221; according to NBC News. Einhorn, who had a long beard and gap-toothed smile, called himself &#8220;Unicorn&#8221; and promoted a message of &#8220;peace and free love&#8221; while studying at the University of Pennsylvania.
The &#8220;charismatic and flamboyant personality&#8221; also claimed to have played a pivotal role in founding Earth Day, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/us/ira-einhorn-dead.html">according to the New York Times. </a>
But Einhorn appeared to unravel after his girlfriend of five years ended their relationship and moved to New York.
On Sept. 9, 1977, Holly Maddux returned to the Philadelphia apartment she had shared with Einhorn to retrieve her belongings and was never seen again.
Einhorn told investigators that Maddux left the apartment to buy some tofu and sprouts but never returned, according to NBC News. About 18 months later, police searched his apartment after a neighbor complained of a &#8220;reddish-brown, foul-smelling liquid&#8221; leaking from the ceiling.
Inside a closet, authorities found Maddux’s dead body concealed in a trunk that was also packed with Styrofoam, air fresheners, and newspapers. Her remains were partially mummified, NBC News reported in 2011.
After evading authorities for more than two decades, Einhorn was extradited to the United States to stand trial. NBC reported that Einhorn claimed CIA agents were responsible for killing his ex-girlfriend, and said they&#8217;d framed him for knowing too much about classified &#8220;paranormal military research.&#8221;
He was convicted of the charges and sentenced to life in prison without parole. In 2020, Einhorn died in prison at the age of 79.
“The chapter is finally, for real, closed,” Elizabeth Hall, one of Ms. Maddux’s sisters, <a class="css-yywogo" title="" href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/ira-einhorn-dead-unicorn-killer-earth-day-holly-maddux-20200403.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told The Philadelphia Inquirer </a>at the time. “I think a lot of people in Philadelphia were waiting to hear that he had died. He became part of the city’s consciousness in an ugly way.”
Since the salacious scandal, Earth Day&#8217;s organizers have sought to separate themselves from Einhorn&#8217;s activism and roots in the movement. Many, including the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/history/epa-history-earth-day">official EPA website</a>, cite former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as Earth Day&#8217;s official founder and organizer.

Youth Climate Strikes Break Out Across The U.S.

Remembering The Dark Origins Of Earth Day

Climate Change

Earth Day

Ira Einhorn

A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed Texas to enforce a law requiring public schools to display posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. 
In a 9–8 vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that S.B. 10 does not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, marking a significant victory for conservatives who support a greater role for religion in public schools.
“S.B. 10 looks nothing like a historical religious establishment,” <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.226084/gov.uscourts.ca5.226084.507945887.1.pdf">the 5th Circuit’s opinion said.</a> “It does not tell churches or synagogues or mosques what to believe or how to worship or whom to employ as priests, rabbis, or imams. It punishes no one who rejects the Ten Commandments, no matter the reason. It levies no taxes to support any clergy. It does not co-opt churches to perform civic functions. These are the kinds of things “establishments of religion” did at the founding. S.B. 10 does none of them.” 
In June 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) signed <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/pdf/SB00010I.pdf">Senate Bill 10</a>, which requires public elementary and secondary schools to display in each classroom a &#8220;durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.&#8221; In December 2025, a coalition of parents filed suit and obtained preliminary injunctions blocking the law in certain parts of the state. 
Challengers of the law argued that they didn’t want their children to “be forced to observe and venerate a state-mandated version of the Ten Commandments” every day at school, <a href="https://www.aclutx.org/press-releases/judge-orders-texas-school-districts-remove-ten-commandments-displays-response-second/">according to the ACLU.  </a>
Judges on the conservative-leaning Fifth Circuit disagreed, arguing the law does not mandate any religious exercise. 
&#8220;Students are neither catechized on the Commandments nor taught to adopt them. Nor are teachers commanded to proselytize students who ask about the displays or contradict students who disagree with them,” <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.226084/gov.uscourts.ca5.226084.507945887.1.pdf">the opinion said.</a> “It puts a poster on a classroom wall. Yes, Plaintiffs have sincere religious disagreements with its content. But that does not transform the poster into a summons to prayer.&#8221;
Republican Gov. Gregg Abbott hailed the ruling as a “HUGE WIN.” 
“The foundation of Western law &amp; morality belongs in our classrooms. Texas stands for faith, freedom, and the values that founded our great state,” he said on social media. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
HUGE WIN
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Ten Commandments can remain in Texas public school classrooms.
The foundation of Western law &amp; morality belongs in our classrooms. Texas stands for faith, freedom, and the values that founded our great state.…
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/2046758634986590304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX), who faces a contentious May 26 runoff with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), also took a victory lap. 
“This is a major victory for Texas and our moral values,” Paxton said. “My office was proud to defend SB 10 and successfully ensure that the Ten Commandments will be displayed in classrooms across Texas. The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨WIN: This is a major victory for Texas and our moral values. My office was proud to defend SB 10 and successfully ensure that the Ten Commandments will be displayed in classrooms across Texas.
The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important… <a href="https://t.co/6sh3uLnFpI">https://t.co/6sh3uLnFpI</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2046718781964378358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
The ACLU expressed &#8220;disappointment&#8221; with the court’s ruling and vowed to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. 
“The Court’s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority,” <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/fifth-circuit-upholds-law-requiring-display-of-ten-commandments-in-public-school-classrooms">the ACLU said.</a> “This decision tramples those rights. We anticipate asking the Supreme Court to reverse this decision and uphold the religious-freedom rights of children and parents.”
Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama have passed laws requiring Ten Commandments posters in public schools, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/19/us/ten-commandments-schools-states.html">according to the New York Times</a>, with several other conservative-led states debating similar legislation.

Ten Commandments Display in Texas

Court Hands Massive Win For Judeo-Christian Values in Public Schools

ACLU

Bible

Free Speech

Texas

Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a sweeping redistricting referendum that paves the way for a new congressional map that could give state Democrats a 10–1 advantage in Congressional representation. 
With 82% of the vote counted, the ‘YES’ side is leading with 50.30% of the vote, <a href="https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/virginia-special-general-results-question-1/">according to the Associated Press</a>, delivering a significant win for Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who previously said she had &#8220;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5469556-governor-spanberger-redistricting-plans/">no plans</a>&#8221; to pursue redistricting. The AP called the race at 8:49 pm local time.
If fully implemented, the plan could help to reshape the balance of power in Washington. Right now, Democrats control six of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats. Under the new maps, Democrats could take over 10 of the 11 districts, boosting their party going into the November midterm elections. 
With voter approval, the ballot measure amends Virginia’s constitution to temporarily hand over redistricting powers from a bipartisan commission to the state’s Democratic-majority General Assembly. 
David Richards, chair of the political science department at the University of Lynchburg, said the new districts will extend into urban areas while diluting the political influence of the state&#8217;s rural communities. 
“I think at the end of the day, the result is, of course, that for the South side, Central Virginia and the West part of Virginia, they are kind of losing their representation in the House because they&#8217;re all being packed into this new district, and that&#8217;s going to kind of reduce the amount of influence that part of the state has on the national level,” Richards said in an interview with The Daily Wire. 
Tuesday&#8217;s vote may not be the final word. A legal challenge is currently pending before the Virginia State Supreme Court.
Political leaders across the aisle rallied their voters ahead of Tuesday&#8217;s election, including President Trump, who participated in a tele-rally with Speaker Mike Johnson Monday night. 
Former President Barack Obama filmed television advertisements for the “YES” campaign, framing the vote as a way to repudiate the White House and Congressional Republicans. 
&#8220;By voting yes, you can push back against the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms,&#8221;<a href="https://x.com/BarackObama/status/2045138583934447660?s=20"> Obama said in the video.</a> &#8220;By voting yes, you can take a temporary step to level the playing field. And we&#8217;re counting on you.&#8221;
Virginia is the latest state to act amid an escalating redistricting race that began when Texas passed new maps favoring Republicans. California voters, at the urging of Gov. Newsom, passed a similar ballot referendum to gain five blue seats. North Carolina and Missouri have also redrawn maps for partisan purposes. 
Last week, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis delayed his plans to call a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional maps.
A case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court could weaken or outright eliminate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which would allow red states in the South to potentially <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/upshot/supreme-court-voting-rights-gerrymander.html">redistrict dozens of Democrats out of office. </a> A ruling in that case is expected by the end of June.

Richmond Prepares To Host Gubernatorial Inauguration Of Abigail Spanberger

Virginia Dems Pull Off Massive Power Grab, Win Vote To Redraw Political Map

Congress

Elections

Redistricting

Virginia

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL.) resigned from Congress on Tuesday, just hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to issue a recommendation on whether she should be expelled.
The resignation, which takes effect immediately, follows the bipartisan ethics panel finding that Cherfilus-McCormick committed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ethics-cherfilusmccormick-516fe4e2159beda8c8576c736547b53d">25 ethics violations</a>, including breaking campaign finance laws. In November 2025, the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/south-florida-congresswoman-charged-stealing-5-million-fema-funds-and-making-illegal">Department of Justice</a> indicted the congresswoman for allegedly stealing $5 million in federal disaster relief funds to finance her campaign.
&#8220;This was not a fair process,&#8221; Cherfilus-McCormick <a href="https://x.com/CongresswomanSC/status/2046649247408288135?s=20">said in a statement.</a> &#8220;The Ethics committee refused my new attorney&#8217;s reasonable request for time to prepare my defense. By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself.&#8221;
&#8220;I will not stand by and pretend this has been anything other than a witch hunt,&#8221; she added.
Last week, a federal judge in Miami postponed Cherfilus-McCormick&#8217;s criminal fraud trial until February 2027, citing a <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/nation-world/florida-congresswoman-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-5-million-criminal-case-delayed-until-february-2027-wire-fraud-money-laundering-crime-congresswomans-brother-edwin-cherfilus">trove of evidence</a> still under review.
Cherfilus-McCormick is the third House member to resign since April 13. Former representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX) resigned following sex and misconduct scandals.
Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), who was a local representative for 12 years, described a disconnect between Washington elites and everyday Americans.
&#8220;People know where you shop. They know where you eat. They know where your kids go to school. They know where you go to church. And I would just never think to do some of this stuff,&#8221; Duyne said in an interview with The Daily Wire on Tuesday. &#8220;The further away you get, I guess, from your constituents, the more you think you can get away with it.&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/u1lLBxfrI6">pic.twitter.com/u1lLBxfrI6</a>
— Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (@CongresswomanSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CongresswomanSC/status/2046649247408288135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
This is a breaking news story. Stay with The Daily Wire as more details unfold.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

Democrat Accused Of Stealing Millions In FEMA Funds Resigns From Congress

Democrat

FEMA

Theft

FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday sued The Atlantic for $250 million over what he calls a “malicious and defamatory hit piece” that accused the federal law enforcement chief of having a serious drinking problem.
Patel is acting on a promise he made over the weekend to sue <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/04/kash-patel-fbi-director-drinking-absences/686839/">The Atlantic over a Friday story</a> whose sub-headline read, “Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.”
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The story portrayed an absent FBI chief concerned about his job security and allegedly struggling with substance abuse, which is said to be affecting key investigations, including the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Patel has forcefully denied all allegations of misconduct.
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&#8220;You wanna attack my character, come at me, bring it on, I&#8217;ll see you in court,&#8221; Patel said in an <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2045893562026353027?s=20">interview with Fox News</a>. &#8220;We have to fight back against the fake news.&#8221;
The piece, written by reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, cited more than two dozen anonymous sources alleging Patel engages in “excessive drinking,” as well as “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences&#8221; that &#8220;alarmed officials at the FBI  and the Department of Justice,&#8221; <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/fbi-director-kash-patel-sues-atlantic-court-records-show-2026-04-20/">according to Reuters</a>.
&#8220;Memo to the fake news &#8211; the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop,&#8221; Patel posted on April 18. &#8220;Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Memo to the fake news &#8211; the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2045549772044439803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
Patel’s <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291527/gov.uscourts.dcd.291527.1.0.pdf">19-page suit</a> was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., accusing The Atlantic of publishing a &#8220;sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece.&#8221;
&#8220;Defendants are of course free to criticize the leadership of the FBI, but they crossed the legal line by publishing an article replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office,&#8221; the lawsuit reads. &#8220;Indeed, Fitzpatrick could not get a single person to go on the record in defense of these outrageous allegations, instead relying entirely on anonymous sources she knew to be both highly partisan with an ax to grind and also not in a position to know the facts.&#8221;
The Atlantic provided the FBI a two-hour window to respond to &#8220;nineteen detailed allegations concerning complex issues of national security, personnel files, security-detail logs, internal facilities logs, and personal conduct,&#8221; according to the lawsuit.
On Monday, The Atlantic vowed to fight the lawsuit, which seeks $250 million in punitive damages.
&#8220;We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit,&#8221; the company said in response to the lawsuit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Statement from The Atlantic: <a href="https://t.co/ZoIldjSbzl">pic.twitter.com/ZoIldjSbzl</a>
— The Atlantic Communications (@TheAtlanticPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAtlanticPR/status/2046239419422675189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2026</a></blockquote>

Kash Patel

We Now Know How Much Kash Patel Is Suing The Atlantic For

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kash patel

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NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman shared a stunning iPhone video on Sunday showing Earth slowly fading from view behind the Moon.
Wiseman used his cellphone to capture the “Earthset” on April 6 as the crew’s spacecraft moved behind the Moon, about 252,000 miles from Earth.
During an &#8216;Earthset,&#8217; the planet &#8220;appears to sink below the lunar horizon,&#8221; <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/earthset-from-the-lunar-far-side/">according to NASA</a>.
&#8220;Only one chance in this lifetime,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/astro_reid/status/2046009031613907029?s=20">Wiseman said on social media</a>. &#8220;Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset.&#8221;
&#8220;I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view … this is uncropped, uncut with 8x zoom which is quite comparable to the view of the human eye,&#8221; he added.
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Only one chance in this lifetime…
Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset. You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Christina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Christina</a> is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those… <a href="https://t.co/8aWnaFJ69c">pic.twitter.com/8aWnaFJ69c</a>
— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) <a href="https://twitter.com/astro_reid/status/2046009031613907029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The viral video has racked up more than 10 million views on X. 
&#8220;Otherworldly … the Earth setting behind the Moon during the Artemis II mission &#8211; captured with an everyday smartphone. Makes it feel so much more ‘human’ and closer to home,&#8221; Special Communications Assistant to the NASA Administrator said.
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Otherworldly… the Earth setting behind the Moon during the Artemis II mission &#8211; captured with an everyday smartphone. Makes it feel so much more ‘human’ and closer to home. <a href="https://t.co/9SKhDt9TyJ">https://t.co/9SKhDt9TyJ</a>
— John Kraus (@johnkrausphotos) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/2046009592816050181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The four-member crew also photographed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bright-spot-artemis-ii-crew-names-moon-feature-after-mission-commanders-late-wife">terrain features</a>, &#8220;including impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface cracks and ridges formed as the Moon slowly evolved over time,&#8221; NASA said.
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Your close personal friends, the <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAArtemis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAArtemis</a> astronauts (and Rise), can&#8217;t wait to get home!
In the meantime, enjoy a few new pictures from their camera roll. And watch their return with us live at <a href="https://t.co/z1RgZwQkWS">https://t.co/z1RgZwQkWS</a>. <a href="https://t.co/gJBvWTdlWM">pic.twitter.com/gJBvWTdlWM</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2042714976767349088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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NASA’s Artemis II crew made history by traveling farther into space than humans had ever gone before.
Wiseman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-christian-symbol-that-brought-the-artemis-ii-commander-to-tears">previously described</a> the moment he called for the ship’s chaplain at the end of the historic lunar mission, saying he “broke down in tears” when he saw the cross on the officer’s collar.
“When I got back on the on the ship — I’m not really a religious person — but there was just no other avenue for me to explain anything or to experience anything,” Wiseman said of the moment they were retrieved after splashdown.
“So, I asked for the chaplain on the Navy ship to just come visit us for a minute, and when that man walked in, I’d never met him before in my life. But I saw the cross on his collar, and I just broke down in tears,” he continued. “It’s very hard to fully grasp what we just went through.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman reflects on being MOVED to tears by the Christian cross after returning to Earth from the historic expedition:
&#8220;When I got back on the on the ship — I&#8217;m not really a religious person — but there was just no other avenue for me to explain… <a href="https://t.co/yk2JBIkxrN">pic.twitter.com/yk2JBIkxrN</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2044852432891527539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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WATCH: Artemis II Commander Shares ‘One Chance In A Lifetime’ Shot From Space

Artemis II

Earth

Moon

Science

Turkish Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was held in ICE detention last year after her visa was revoked over alleged &#8220;activities in support of Hamas,&#8221; has returned home to Turkey following a legal settlement with the United States.
The State Department canceled Ozturk&#8217;s student visa after she co-authored an op-ed in her college newspaper calling on Tufts to recognize the “Palestinian genocide” and to divest from companies with ties to Israel.
In March 2025, ICE agents arrested Ozturk while walking on a street in Somerville, Massachusetts. She spent six weeks in federal custody before a judge ordered her release.
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WATCH 🔴
Federal agents have arrested Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk for her role in leading anti-Semitic, anti-Israel protests on her university campus. <a href="https://t.co/WsU1VraUfK">pic.twitter.com/WsU1VraUfK</a>
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1904951208432841138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
The government appealed the decision, but the case ultimately ended in a settlement after Ozturk completed her PhD in child study and human development.
Under the agreement, Ozturk returned to Turkey &#8220;without further interference by the Department of Homeland Security,&#8221; according to the ACLU.
&#8220;The time stolen from me by the U.S. government belongs not just to me, but to the children and youth I have dedicated my life to advocating for,&#8221; <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/after-earning-ph-d-rumeysa-ozturk-chooses-her-next-chapter">she said in a statement released by the ACLU.</a> &#8220;With them in mind, I am choosing to return home as planned to continue my career as a woman scholar without losing more time to the state-imposed violence and hostility I have experienced in the United States – all for nothing more than co-signing an op-ed advocating for Palestinian rights.&#8221;
The resolution is welcome news to the Trump administration, which has taken a more aggressive approach toward foreign students involved in anti-Israel activism.
“Attending elite colleges and universities in the United States is a privilege afforded to foreign students who respect our values and follow our laws,” a Justice Department official <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/17/rumeysa-ozturk-deportation-case-00878694?utm_medium=bluesky&amp;utm_source=dlvr.it">said in a statement to Politico.</a> “We will continue to seek the deportation of any foreign student who abuses their opportunity to study in America by engaging in vile antisemitism, harassment, or other illegal behavior.”
Ozturk&#8217;s detention became a flashpoint in President Donald Trump&#8217;s immigration enforcement efforts and emphasis on stopping antisemitism on college campuses.
Esha Bhandari, director of the ACLU&#8217;s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, accused the government of violating the Constitution.
“Rumeysa should never have been detained for expressing her opinions in a country that is supposed to protect freedom of speech,” Bhandari said.
As of early 2026, the State Department has revoked more than 100,000 visas, <a href="https://x.com/StateDept/status/2010740549469557010?s=20">including roughly 8,000 student visas. </a>
In a separate case, Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian green card holder who led anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, recently lost a bid to have his deportation case thrown out.
“The bottom line is if you come here to stir up trouble on our campuses, we will deny you a visa,” Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-faces-off-with-democratic-senator-during-heated-confrontation">Marco Rubio said last year.</a> “These kids pay money to go to school, and they have to walk through a bunch of lunatics who are here on student visas.”

Tufts PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk arrives at Boston Logan Airport

She Wrote An Anti-Israel Op-Ed. Trump Moved On Her Visa.

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Jacob Wheeler