A senior official at the Department of Veteran Affairs pushed one of the largest healthcare companies in the country to improve its &#8220;diversity profile&#8221; while accepting thousands of dollars in poker chips and lavish gift cards from minority business executives, federal investigators say.
John Windom, a 64-year-old Navy veteran, was tasked with spearheading a billion-dollar revamp of the VA&#8217;s electronic health records system. He used that perch to steer business to his lover and rake in thousands of dollars worth of luxury gifts and push government contractors to embrace DEI, according to federal prosecutors. 
Windom, who is black, is accused of forming a self-described &#8220;Power Group&#8221; composed of executives from minority-owned businesses that allegedly sent him expensive gifts while some earned federal DEI contracts. These unreported gifts included $8,200 in Louis Vuitton gift cards, $2,000 in cash, a $631 HEPA filter, concert tickets, and $3,800 in casino chips, according to an indictment. 
Members of the Power Group were left anonymous in federal charging documents though one was described as a &#8220;romantic partner&#8221; of Windom. Some of the contracts with Power Group companies were related to the VA electronic record project, though not all were. 
Dr. Kurt Miceli, the chief medical officer of Do No Harm, told The Daily Wire that the case showed the danger of implementing DEI initiatives at the federal level. 

“Diversity initiatives in federal contracting elevate race, gender, or other demographic traits over merit and proven capability when awarding taxpayer‑funded work,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The result: set-asides and preferences that explicitly discriminate based on identity rather than awarding projects through competitive bidding and qualifications.&#8221;
Windom was, until recently, the executive director of the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization at the VA. In August 2017, he was tasked with bringing the department&#8217;s records system — part of the VA&#8217;s notoriously broken healthcare system — up to par with the rest of the federal government.
Prior to his involvement with VA, Windom <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110555/witnesses/HHRG-116-AP18-Bio-WindomJ-20200227.pdf">rose</a> to the rank of captain in the Navy, where he mostly held HR-related management positions involving training personnel and overseeing the Pentagon&#8217;s electronic health record system overhaul. He retired from the Navy in 2017 to take the position with the VA.
Two years into leading the electronic records project, Windom allegedly created a “Power Group” of seven executives and employees from minority-owned businesses that contracted with VA. These executives gave Windom a variety of kickbacks while he worked to get them access to federal benefits, federal investigators said. One of the individuals, identified only as &#8220;Person 4,&#8221; was in a romantic relationship with Windom from August 2016 to December 2018. 
In communications with these executives, Windom reminded them that “loose lips sink ships,” asked one for concert tickets, and told another one to “get the f**k off this ride,” if the arrangement was making them uncomfortable, according to messages included in the indictment. 
“As alleged, the defendant exploited his senior position for personal gain and concealed gifts and financial relationships that created serious conflicts of interest in the health care of our nation’s veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Such conduct is not only a betrayal of the public trust — it undermines confidence in the institutions dedicated to serving those who have sacrificed for this country.”
<div id="attachment_1074327" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1074327" class="size-full wp-image-1074327" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360.jpg" alt="Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for the District of Columbia, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. A man suspected of being responsible for the deadly 2012 attack against the American embassy in Benghazi, Libya, is in US custody, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Jeanine Pirro (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Windom has been charged with concealment of material facts, false statements, and falsification of a record. His first court appearance is set for April 14. 
The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/media/1432916/dl?inline">charges</a> come as the Trump administration moves to crack down on DEI practices among federal contractors. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/addressing-dei-discrimination-by-federal-contractors/">directing</a> that contractors not engage in &#8220;any racially discriminatory DEI activities” for federal government work. 
In June 2017, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin announced that his department would adopt the same electronic health record standards as the Pentagon. Since that time the program has been plagued with problems, including ballooning costs and patient deaths. The program, which has been paused the last few years, is set to start up again this month. 
A few months after the project was announced, Windom was placed in charge. He directed $10 billion to be allocated to the company Cerner, which has since been acquired by Oracle, for the project. At the time, the contract was one of the biggest information technology contracts for the federal government. 
Soon after, investigators say he created the Power Group of minority business executives and employees. 
“Between August 2017 and June 2021, in multiple locations, Defendant WINDOM attended events with other Power Group members and routinely accepted personal benefits such as gifts, meals, alcohol, entertainment, and other services from members of the Power Group,” the indictment says. 
These events took place at restaurants and bars in and around the MGM National Harbor casino, as he used his position to “coerce” improper personal benefits, investigators said. He would routinely &#8220;demand&#8221; poker chips for games at the casino, the indictment alleges. 

<div id="attachment_1074335" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1074335" class="size-full wp-image-1074335" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346.jpg" alt="OXON HILL,MD-NOV30: The first anniversary of the MGM Casino at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, November 30, 2017. (" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />(Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)</div>
In November 2019, Windom asked for concert tickets for himself and another member of the Power Group from one of the business leaders, according to text messages.
“Damn near sitting on the stage,&#8221; he wrote the day of the concert. &#8220;You da man.&#8221;
These benefits were hidden from VA officials and the Office of Government Ethics, according to investigators. 
At the same time, Windom used his position “to encourage, monitor, and facilitate contracting and subcontracting opportunities for members of the Power Group,” both connected and not connected to the electronic health record project, the indictment said. 
While pushing for personal benefits from members of the Power Group, Windom allegedly pressured them “to make business decisions unrelated to” the electronic records project that “advanced” his “diversity objectives” before he “demanded to be rewarded.” 
He also “threatened economic and reputational harm to members of the Power Group, particularly but not only when they were not meeting his diversity-related networking expectations,” according to the indictment. 
In July 2018, Cerner entered into a diversity contract with Windom&#8217;s romantic partner as the lead after he “demanded” that it “improve its diversity profile and inclusion efforts,” the indictment said. Around that time, Cerner started increasing its DEI efforts and it released a DEI report in 2019 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220411175937/https://www.cerner.com/-/media/cerner-media-united-states/pdf-downloads/cerner-hr-diversity-report-2019.pdf?vs=1&amp;hash=B80E8A916E1B68223F4AE46D6AA8CBDE701E80BD">showing</a> how the company took steps to &#8220;expand&#8221; on &#8220;diversity and inclusion efforts.&#8221;
In 2019, Windom allegedly worked to “pressure” a Power Group member “to complete diversity contract renewal negotiations with Cerner.”
Miceli said pushing DEI in contracting led to the most &#8220;qualified contractors&#8221; being sidelined and was particularly concerning when done in the healthcare realm. 
&#8220;When pushed aggressively at the federal level, DEI policies erode public trust, foster resentment, and violate core principles of equal treatment under the law, while inviting legal challenges and wasteful litigation that further burdens taxpayers,&#8221; he said. 
Messages included in the indictment paint a picture of Windom appearing to threaten Power Group members to stay silent about their relationship. 
In an October 11, 2017, message, Windom texted two Power Group members that one had made “a good comment to get you cut out” after that person suggested bringing another VA employee to where Windom was having drinks with a Power Group member. 
“Don’t mention to another person that you know me, interact with me or have any type of relationship with me,” he wrote on August 5, 2019.
One email included in the indictment appears to show that Windom was inadvertently announced to be in the audience of an event hosted by one of the Power Group members. 
“Weird last night. Not your fault personally but cleanup required. Can’t say I like [Person 4&#8217;s] cavalier response to these issues either. I was already exhausted but did not want to miss your event,” he wrote in an email. “The PA announcement of me let alone [Person 4] and me was ridiculous and did not kick the evening off right. I am a very discrete person as you know.”
<div id="attachment_1071187" style="width: 1197px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1071187" class="size-full wp-image-1071187" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM.png" alt="" width="1187" height="271" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM.png 1187w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM-300x68.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM-1024x234.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM-768x175.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1187px) 100vw, 1187px" />Indictment.</div>
In January 2020, Windom sent an email to the Power Group reminding them that “loose lips sink ships.” 
When one of the Power Group members expressed some concern about the contracting arrangement, Windom reacted angrily, according to a text message included in the indictment. 
“If you don’t like it, get off. You can get the f**k off this ride,” Windom said. 
In June and November 2021, Windom allegedly lied to federal law enforcement when they asked him if he had received any gifts from Power Group members. After being approached by investigators, Windom told Power Group members to tell law enforcement he paid for their meals, according to the indictment. 
Costs of the electronic health records project have quickly climbed from the $10 billion originally estimated. The department now estimates that costs could exceed $37 billion, while the Government Accountability Office <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2025/12/03/veterans-administration-va-hospitals-health/">said</a> costs could approach the hundreds of billions. 
Over 4,000 veterans have been harmed due to the health record modernization, which has led to four fatalities, <a href="https://fedscoop.com/va-ehr-six-cases-catastrophic-harm/">according</a> to lawmakers. The Government Accountability Office has continued to pressure the VA to take steps to speed up the rollout. 
The Daily Wire reached out to a publicly listed phone number for Windom and no lawyer has yet been listed yet in court records for his case.

MixCollage-08-Apr-2026-10-33-AM-4651

DEI, Louis Vuitton, And Casino Chips: Inside A Billion-Dollar VA Scandal

Corruption

Department of Justice

Department of Veterans Affairs

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Health Care

The Texas State Board of Education faces pressure from leftist activists and conservative lawmakers as it meets Friday to consider a push to place more positive references to Islam in the state’s history curriculum. 
Officials in the Lone Star State are reviewing social studies standards amid a push from Muslim advocacy groups, which claim current proposals are “exclusionary and Islamophobic.” At the same time, congressional Republicans are urging the board not to give Islam a more prominent role, particularly in response to lobbying from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a group that has been designated as a terrorist organization by Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott. 
“It has come to our attention that an extensive lobbying effort is underway to have the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) alter curriculum standards in a way that would diminish American and Texas history,” Rep. Brandon Gill and other Texas Republicans wrote in a Friday <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1024602690/Rep-Gill-Letter-to-Texas-SBOE?_gl=1*1gq3kdd*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjgyMzMyMjg3LjE3NzU4MzYzNTA.*_ga_Z4ZC50DED6*czE3NzU4MzYzNDkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzU4MzYzNTMkajU2JGwwJGgw*_ga_8KZ8BV0P5W*czE3NzU4MzYzNDkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzU4MzYzNTMkajU2JGwwJGgw">letter</a> first obtained by The Daily Wire. The letter went on to describe CAIR as a &#8220;transnational criminal organization.”
CAIR has denied any connection to terrorism and has sued the state over the designation. Members of CAIR-Texas have <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/texas-education-officials-pushed-delay-175944847.html?guccounter=1">attended</a> recent board meetings to voice their opposition to how Muslims are currently represented in state curriculum. 
Republicans also pushed back on claims they say are being introduced into the standards.
“The petitioners’ efforts claim that Islam influenced our founding, culture, and way of life,&#8221; the letter states. &#8220;For instance, the (board) recently responded to public testimony asserting that the Alamo is an Islamic building.” 
&#8220;Such claims are intended to introduce sensationalized or false history into our curriculum, and it is not the (board&#8217;s) responsibility to accommodate flagrant lies or cultivate spurious claims of their belonging.”
The fight over the standards has been raging for weeks, with local Muslim groups organizing in support of changes. In March, an Islamic center in Houston <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWRUs5Bjk-U/">hosted</a> a discussion on “challenging Islamophobia in Texas schools.” 
Gill said that Islam played no major role in the founding or development of Texas and warned against what he described as &#8220;revisionist history.&#8221;
“Students should be taught age-appropriate facts and hard-truths, even when it is uncomfortable. Islam did not play a role in the founding or development of Texas, and to say so would be an outright lie,” he wrote.
The other lawmakers who signed onto the letter include Reps. Chip Roy, Wesley Hunt, Michael Cloud, Nathaniel Moran, Ronny Jackson, Lance Gooden, Brian Babin, Keith Self, and Pat Fallon.

MixCollage-10-Apr-2026-09-46-AM-265

One Of America’s Most Iconic Symbols — Now ‘Islamic’? The New History Fight

Brandon Gill

CAIR

History

Islam

Texas

The Trump administration has launched a recruiting campaign aimed at gamers as it looks to address a nationwide air traffic controller shortage. 
A recruitment video released on Friday by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tells gamers they can put their skills to work directing airline traffic while earning high salaries. The hiring window opens on April 17 and will be capped at 8,000 applicants, the New York Times reported. 
“Become an air traffic controller. It’s not a game. It’s a career,” the text of the campaign says. “You’ll keep millions of people safe every day. (And make a lot of money).”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Air Traffic Control Hiring: It&#039;s Not a Game. It&#039;s a Career." width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9MczWfLpBcw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The video blends clips of people playing video games like Fortnite with footage of busy airports, noting that average salaries can reach $155,000 after three years. 
“To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/10/us/politics/air-traffic-controller-gamer.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Z1A.kfxQ.LtxjXYxBFWA0&amp;smid=url-share">told</a> The New York Times, adding that the campaign “taps into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller.”
The FAA currently has around 11,000 air traffic controllers on staff, short of its target of 14,663 positions. 
“We’re really going to start to see gains about two and a half to three years from now,” Heather Fernuik, the executive director of the FAA’s human resources office, told The Times. 
The hiring process can be lengthy, with certification taking up to six years, including initial screenings, a four- to six-month FAA training course, and on-the-job training. 
The FAA <a href="https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/fy25-air-traffic-controller-workforce-plan_0.pdf">hired</a> more than 1,800 controllers in fiscal year 2024, exceeding its hiring benchmarks. The agency plans to bring on at least 8,900 new controllers through 2028 and has moved to speed up hiring by increasing starting pay and streamlining the process.  
Still, a shortage persists. A January 2026 <a href="https://www.gao.gov/blog/while-thousands-applied-become-air-traffic-controllers-theres-still-shortage-we-looked-why">report</a> from the Government Accountability Office found that while applications have surged in recent years, the number of controllers has fallen by about 6% even as flights have increased by roughly 10%.  
The report blamed government shutdowns, the COVID pandemic, and a high number of people dropping out of the workforce from 2019 to 2024.

MixCollage-10-Apr-2026-07-53-AM-1322

Trump Admin Turns To Gamers For Critical Safety Roles

air traffic controllers

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Sean Duffy

Trump Administration

A far-left politician rolled out a tongue-twister of an identity acronym while claiming that transgender people were facing a genocide in Canada. 
Member of Parliament Leah Gazan complained Wednesday about budget cuts she said would not stop the genocide of the “MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+” community. 
“When the Budget was released, I was shocked to find out that Prime Minister Carney is cutting $7 billion between Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations,” Gazan said. “They provided $0 to deal with the ongoing genocide of MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Today I joined Indigenous women’s organizations condemning the Liberal government&#8217;s appalling $7 billion cuts to Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations, two ministries that are already grossly underfunded.
And it&#8217;s especially disturbing that at the same time… <a href="https://t.co/eFRFUtyKro">pic.twitter.com/eFRFUtyKro</a>
— Leah ProudLakota (she/her) (@LeahGazan) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeahGazan/status/2041961680461078721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The 16-character acronym stands for “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual,” with the plus sign for anyone else who may have been left out. 
Gazan is a member of Canada&#8217;s New Democratic Party, which pushes for more government involvement in housing and healthcare and capping prices on certain grocery items. On Tuesday, she was lamenting cuts to the Canadian government’s Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations. 
“It&#8217;s especially disturbing that at the same time they&#8217;re investing billions into the military industrial complex, ignoring their legal obligations to end the ongoing genocide against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people,” Gazan <a href="https://x.com/LeahGazan/status/2041961680461078721">said</a> in a social media post. 
“Without delay, it must reverse these callous cuts and immediately commit to providing long term, sustainable funding to organizations, agencies and family groups to address the growing violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people,” she added. 
Last week, Gazan <a href="https://x.com/LeahGazan/status/2039056934398038499">celebrated</a> “Transgender Day of Visibility,” claiming transgender-identifying people were under attack by “far-right-wing” politicians. 
“It’s far too common for hateful actors to attack the rights of trans people. Against these corrosive, cowardly attacks, it’s a testament to the bravery and strength of trans people who continue to push back against bigotry and small-mindedness,” she said. 
The Canadian government itself has embraced the linking of MMIWG and 2SLGBTQQIA+ identities. 
The government created a plan for “departments to support systemic change to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls (MMIWG) and Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (2SLGBTQI+) people.&#8221;
In February, a transgender-identifying 18-year-old male <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youtube-confirms-trans-themed-page-is-linked-to-canada-mass-shooting-suspect">opened fire</a> on a rural Canadian school, killing six people at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia. While discussing the attack, Canadian police routinely referred to the attacker as a &#8220;female&#8221; and described him as a &#8220;gunperson.&#8221;

MixCollage-09-Apr-2026-01-53-PM-3597

A New Left-Wing Brain Rot Acronym Has Appeared: MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+

Canada

Identity Politics

Transgender

Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman said it was a “surreal” and inspiring experience to be completely cut off from Earth for about 40 minutes while the Orion spacecraft rounded the far side of the Moon.
Wiseman made the comments during a media call from space on Wednesday night as he and his fellow astronauts continued their journey back to Earth. During their record-breaking journey around the Moon on Tuesday, communications were temporarily lost when the Moon blocked radio signals between Orion and NASA. The communication disruption was expected.
“I&#8217;m actually getting chills right now,” Wiseman told reporters. “My palms are sweating, but it is amazing to watch your home planet disappear behind the Moon.&#8221;
He described watching Earth gradually vanish from view as the spacecraft moved along the Moon&#8217;s far side.
&#8220;You could see the atmosphere, you could actually see the terrain in the Moon, projected across the Earth as the Earth was eclipsing behind the Moon. It was really, it was just an unbelievable sight. And then it was gone.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LIVE: Artemis II astronauts answer media questions as they continue their journey toward Earth following their record-breaking lunar flyby. <a href="https://t.co/iAN74RMaRk">https://t.co/iAN74RMaRk</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2042071557938323456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Communication was restored once Orion emerged from behind the Moon.
After regaining contact, Wiseman said the crew paused briefly to take in the moment before continuing their scientific observations. 
“We shared maple cookies that [astronaut Jeremy Hansen] had brought, and we took about three or four minutes, just as a crew, to really reflect on where we were, and then it was right back into the science,” he said. “And it is a surreal feeling, but we had a lot of work to do, too, and I think that kept our focus.”
Wiseman also reflected on an emotional moment during the mission, when the crew named a lunar crater after his late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. That moment came shortly after the astronauts surpassed the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
“We all pretty much broke down right there, and just for me personally, that was kind of the pinnacle moment of the mission for me,” Wiseman said. “That was, I think, where the four of us were the most forged, the most bonded, and we came out of that really focused on that day ahead.”
The Orion spacecraft is expected to splash down Friday in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at around 8:07 p.m. EST.

MixCollage-09-Apr-2026-09-38-AM-5832

The ‘Surreal’ Moment Artemis II Lost All Contact With Earth

Artemis II

Moon

NASA

Space

The FBI has arrested a former Army employee accused of leaking classified information to a journalist.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Wednesday that Courtney Williams, 40, a former employee at Fort Bragg who previously held top security clearance, has been charged with transmitting classified national defense information. 
“FBI and our partners have arrested a former [Special Operations Command] employee, who supported our top-level military warfighters, for allegedly transmitting classified information to a member of the media. Outstanding work by [FBI Charlotte] and the FBI Counterintelligence &amp; Espionage Division &#8211; as well as our [Justice Department] partners,” Patel said. 
“Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests. This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm’s way,” he added. 
In a subsequent <a href="https://x.com/fbidirectorkash/status/2042199396738080809?s=46">post</a>, Patel suggested that more arrests over leaks were “coming.” The arrest follows statements by President Donald Trump threatening jail time for reporters who decline to identify sources in connection with a leak about a downed American aircraft. 
Williams held top security clearance from 2010 to 2016. Authorities say that from 2022 to 2025, she communicated with an investigative journalist through more than 10 hours of phone calls and 180 text messages. She allegedly shared “tactics, techniques and procedures” related to a special operations force. 
While not named in court documents, the journalist appears to be Seth Harp, the author of “The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces.” An excerpt from the book appeared in POLITICO under the headline, “My Life Became a Living Hell: One Woman’s Career in Delta Force, the Army’s Most Elite Unit,” and focused on Williams&#8217; experience in Delta Force. 
In a post on X, Harp <a href="https://x.com/sethharpesq/status/2042037022336934195?s=20">claimed</a> that Williams had done nothing criminal. 
“Trump&#8217;s unhinged DOJ will not even say what ‘classified information’ she allegedly leaked,” he said. “Her arrest and imprisonment is an outrage.”
Harp <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/former-fort-bragg-employee-charged-leaking-classified-military-information-journalist">told</a> WRAL-TV that &#8220;the government is going after Courtney for the sole reason that she exposed sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit,&#8221; adding, &#8220;This is a vindictive act of retaliation.&#8221;
Text messages cited in court documents suggest Williams was aware of potential legal risk following the publication of Harp’s book. In one message, she allegedly expressed concern about “the amount of classified information being disclosed,” and in a separate message wrote, “I might actually get arrested . . . for disclosing classified information.” 
Another message attributed to Williams said that she knew she was “probably going to jail for life.”
Court documents show that Williams will be appointed counsel from the Eastern District of North Carolina Federal Public Defender’s Office. An attorney has not yet been publicly identified.

FBI Director Patel And Eastern District U.S. Attorney Nocella Holds News Conference On Major Illegal Sports Gambling Schemes

Department Of War Leaker Nabbed In Journalist Tip Case As Kash Patel Signals Next Move

Army

classified documents

kash patel

U.S. Military

ICE agents detained an illegal alien from Ghana convicted on 15 counts for stealing more than $8 million through an online dating fraud scheme targeting the elderly, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire. 
Convicted three years ago in Boston, Massachusetts, for defrauding the elderly through fake dating profiles, ICE agents detained Kofi Ib Osei on Tuesday. Osei was convicted in March 2023 on seven counts of false statement to a bank, six counts of wire fraud, aiding and abetting, and two counts of money laundering. 
“Kofi Osei is a criminal illegal alien who committed fraud throughout New England,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. “On April 6, 2026, ICE arrested Osei from jail and took him into custody in Virginia. This is why we need local cooperation.”
Osei first entered the United States in 2010 and was convicted on March 22, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 
The indictment against Osei revealed that he targeted victims across the country, from Florida to California, from 2016 to 2020, through a romance scheme that involved tricking individuals into sending money to bank accounts operated by Osei under fake names. This money was then used for buying cars and other personal items, according to the indictment.
To open bank accounts, Osei would use passports from South Africa and Lesotho under various names. 
One victim in the indictment included a woman who met Osei on eHarmony under the name “William Karlsen.&#8221; They communicated by phone and text, and Osei claimed he needed her to send him money so he could leave the oil rig he claimed to work on to visit her. Eventually, the victim transferred Osei over $200,000, according to the indictment. 
A second scheme involved Osei using the name “William Woodcox” and getting money from a woman he targeted on the dating website Plenty of Fish. That victim transferred him around $65,000 to help him after an accident in which he&#8217;d claimed to be involved. 
In total, the Justice Department said that Osei scammed hundreds of people out of $8 million. He was sentenced to 54 months in prison over the scheme. 
Osei was just one of the illegal immigrant criminals arrested this week by ICE. 
Others arrested by ICE this week included Pedro Joel Martinez, an illegal alien from El Salvador convicted for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14-years-old; Miguel Angel Vazquez-Garcia, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted for dealing child pornography in Wilmington, Delaware; Ader Aldair Ramirez-Quiroz, an illegal alien from Honduras convicted for importation of fentanyl in San Diego, California; and Anyeli Carolina Peley-Herrera, an illegal alien from Venezuela convicted for acquisition of personal identification by false authority in Bonneville County, Idaho, according to DHS. 
“Yesterday, the heroic men and women of ICE arrested child predators, child rapists, drug traffickers, and other scumbags,” Bis said. “Under President Trump, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return.”

MixCollage-08-Apr-2026-01-36-PM-7534

No Love Lost: ICE Nabs Illegal Who Scammed Grandmas In Online Dating Scheme

Department of Homeland Security

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Massachusetts

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said he believes the ceasefire between the United States and Iran will hold after being asked by The Daily Wire about reports of Iranian strikes overnight. 
“We were monitoring it last night in real time. Of course, we are. Iran would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations, to know not to shoot, not to shoot any longer,” Hegseth said. “It takes time sometimes for ceasefires to take hold. We&#8217;re watching it. We&#8217;re prepared, if necessary, but we hope and believe that it&#8217;ll hold.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryMargOlohan</a> that the Strait of Hormuz is OPEN and commerce will FLOW, despite Iran noting technical limitations.
Hegseth added that the administration &#8220;hopes and believes&#8221; the ceasefire will hold when asked about this morning&#8217;s Iranian strikes:
&#8220;Iran would… <a href="https://t.co/iwFShQ21sa">pic.twitter.com/iwFShQ21sa</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2041860553719619612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hegseth made the remarks during a briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday morning after being asked by Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan about reports that Kuwait, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates faced Iranian strikes after President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire. 
Hegseth also told reporters that American troops in the Middle East are &#8220;not going anywhere&#8221; and will remain in the region to ensure Iran abides by the ceasefire agreement &#8220;and ultimately comes to the table to make a deal&#8221; on a broader peace agreement. 
&#8220;Our troops are prepared to defend, prepared to go on offense, prepared to restart at a moment&#8217;s notice with whatever target package would be needed,&#8221; he said.
Olohan also asked Hegseth about what the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would look like and what restrictions Iran might place on ships. 
“What we know is that Iran is going to say a lot of things. A lot of people are going to say a lot of things, claim a lot of things,” Hegseth said. “What has been agreed to, what&#8217;s been stated, is the strait is open. Our military is watching. I’m sure their military is watching, but commerce will flow. And that&#8217;s what you saw the market reacts to, is that reality.”
In a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116367088879643074">post</a> early Wednesday, Trump suggested Iran was ready to reach a broader peace agreement and said the United States would help manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
“A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else! The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process.”
Trump added that the United States would be “loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well.” 
“I feel confident that it will,” he said.

US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR-HEGSETH

Daily Wire Asks Hegseth About Iran Ceasefire Slip-Ups As Shaky Truce Takes Hold

Iran

Operation Epic Fury

Pete Hegseth

Strait of Hormuz

NASA released 22 photos taken on Monday during the historic lunar flyby by Artemis II, revealing stunning views of the Moon and the crew at work.
The photos were taken after Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen broke the record for farthest distance traveled from Earth. They conducted a roughly seven-hour flyby, capturing photos of Earth, the Moon&#8217;s surface, and recording observations for the NASA science crew back on the ground.
&#8220;Hello, Moon. It’s great to be back. Here’s a taste of what the Artemis II astronauts photographed during their flight around the Moon,&#8221; NASA posted on X Tuesday, sharing a link to photos taken during the lunar flyby.
One <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-detail/art002e009288/">photo</a> of an &#8220;Earthset&#8221; showed Earth starting to creep up over the rugged surface of the Moon, revealing &#8220;daytime for Australia and Oceania and night for rest of the Earth.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1073611" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073611" class="size-full wp-image-1073611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-scaled.jpg" alt="art002e009288 (April 6, 2026) – Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface.The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater has terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks. Central peaks form in complex craters when the lunar surface, liquefied on impact, splashes upwards during the crater’s formation." width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009288orig-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />NASA.</div>
A similar photo showed a much smaller Earth peaking over the heavily cratered edge of the moon.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1073621" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009289large.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1280" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009289large.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009289large-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009289large-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009289large-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009289large-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009289large-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009289large-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
Another photo showed the Moon&#8217;s rugged topography highlighted by &#8220;the boundary between lunar day and night – where low-angle sunlight casts long, dramatic shadows across the surface,&#8221; NASA said.
<div id="attachment_1073629" style="width: 1930px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073629" class="size-full wp-image-1073629" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009281large.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1280" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009281large.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009281large-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009281large-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009281large-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009281large-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009281large-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009281large-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />NASA.</div>
A photo captured from inside the Orion spacecraft showed Glover, Wiseman, and Hansen working on setting up a camera for the lunar flyby.
<div id="attachment_1073635" style="width: 1930px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073635" class="size-full wp-image-1073635" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009294large.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1440" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009294large.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009294large-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009294large-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009294large-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />NASA.</div>
Another picture of the Moon&#8217;s surface showed the &#8220;Vavilov Crater on the rim of the older and larger Hertzsprung basin. The right portion of the image shows the transition from smooth material within an inner ring of mountains to more rugged terrain around the rim,&#8221; NASA said.
<div id="attachment_1073641" style="width: 1930px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073641" class="size-full wp-image-1073641" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009282large.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1280" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009282large.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009282large-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009282large-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009282large-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009282large-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009282large-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009282large-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />NASA.</div>
An &#8220;Earthrise,&#8221; where &#8220;a striking alignment of Earth and Moon, with the Moon in the top foreground and the Earth below&#8221; can be seen in the photo.
<div id="attachment_1073645" style="width: 1290px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073645" class="size-full wp-image-1073645" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009280blarge.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="1920" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009280blarge.jpg 1280w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009280blarge-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009280blarge-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009280blarge-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009280blarge-1024x1536.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" />NASA.</div>
During the middle of the lunar flyby, the four astronauts took a selfie. Routinely throughout the mission, the crew would rotate who was taking the photos, documenting, and communicating back with NASA.
<div id="attachment_1073651" style="width: 1930px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073651" class="size-full wp-image-1073651" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009296large.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1440" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009296large.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009296large-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009296large-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009296large-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />NASA.</div>
One photo shows Wiseman looking out the window of the Orion spacecraft as he prepares to start his observation shift.
&#8220;Throughout the course of the sixth day of the mission, Wiseman and his crewmates took turns at the windows, capturing images and video of the Moon, along with recorded observations. The astronauts are members of the science team, and the data they collect will shape the future of lunar science,&#8221; NASA said.
<div id="attachment_1073653" style="width: 1930px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073653" class="size-full wp-image-1073653" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009290large.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1280" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009290large.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009290large-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009290large-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009290large-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009290large-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009290large-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/art002e009290large-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />NASA.</div>
The rest of the photos can be viewed at the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/gallery/lunar-flyby/">NASA gallery</a>.
On Monday night, the Artemis II completed its trip around the moon and began its journey back to Earth. The Orion spacecraft is expected to splash down on Friday in the Pacific Ocean, completing its 10-day mission.

art002e009277~large

SEE IT: NASA Releases Stunning Photos From Lunar Flyby

The White House on Tuesday shared the first photo taken by the Artemis II mission from the far side of the Moon, showing a stunning view captured during the astronauts&#8217; record-breaking journey.
The photo was taken during NASA&#8217;s Orion crew&#8217;s historic flyby, which pushed astronauts farther from Earth than any humans before them.
&#8220;Humanity, from the other side. First photo from the far side of the Moon. Captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon,&#8221; the White House posted on X on Tuesday morning.
<div id="attachment_1073341" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073341" class="size-full wp-image-1073341" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-36-AM-4788.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-36-AM-4788.jpg 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-36-AM-4788-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-36-AM-4788-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-36-AM-4788-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-36-AM-4788-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-36-AM-4788-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />NASA.</div>
The White House also released another dramatic photo showing the Moon eclipsing the Sun from the spacecraft&#8217;s vantage point in lunar orbit.
&#8220;Totality, beyond Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon eclipses the Sun, revealing a view few in human history have ever witnessed,&#8221; the White House said.
<div id="attachment_1073349" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1073349" class="size-full wp-image-1073349" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-45-AM-5621.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-45-AM-5621.jpg 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-45-AM-5621-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-45-AM-5621-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-45-AM-5621-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-45-AM-5621-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-45-AM-5621-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />NASA.</div>
The images come as the Orion mission surpassed the distance record set by Apollo 13, traveling roughly 252,756 miles from Earth. The crew includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
On Monday night, President Donald Trump called into the spacecraft, praising the astronauts as &#8220;modern day pioneers.&#8221; 
“You&#8217;ve made history and made all America really proud, incredibly proud. We have a lot of things to be proud of lately, but there&#8217;s nothing like what you&#8217;re doing circling around the moon for the first time in more than a half a century, and breaking the all time record for the farthest distance from planet Earth,” Trump told the astronauts. “Humans have really never seen anything quite like what you&#8217;re doing in a manned spacecraft, it&#8217;s really special.”
He added that the mission represents a key step toward future space ambition, including establishing a permanent presence on the Moon and eventually traveling to Mars.
“We’ll plant our flag once again, and this time we won&#8217;t just leave footprints. We&#8217;ll establish a permanent presence on the moon, and we&#8217;ll push on to Mars,” Trump said. “That&#8217;ll be very exciting. I&#8217;m waiting for that so much. I&#8217;d love to be here, but maybe we won&#8217;t quite make it in terms of timing.&#8221;
Trump said he would like to get their autographs once they return to Earth, calling them “really something.” 
“When you want us, we will be there,” Glover replied.
Koch said that the mission had highlighted to her the importance of space travel. 
“It really just reminds you what a special place we have and how important it is for our nation to lead and not follow in exploring deep space,” she told Trump. 
Hansen thanked Trump on behalf of Canada, praising American leadership in space exploration. 
“A nation that leads like that, and creates and sets big goals for humanity that brings other countries along with it, is truly incredible,&#8221; he said.

Artemis II Launches Manned Test Flight Around The Moon

White House Shares First Photo Taken From Far Side Of Moon

A congressional candidate running as a &#8220;100% pro-life&#8221; conservative with a “titanium backbone” once said a Georgia law banning abortion after an unborn baby’s heartbeat could be detected was “counter” to the majority of society and passed to satisfy the far right. 
Former Hollywood executive Ryan Millsap, who&#8217;s running for Congress in Georgia&#8217;s 10th Congressional district, says he is fully pro-life. But years ago he said that the state’s heartbeat law was bad for business and urged lawmakers to reconsider pro-life protections, according to multiple interviews unearthed by The Daily Wire. 
Millsap said Georgia&#8217;s heartbeat law, signed by Governor Brian Kemp in May 2019, was out of step with the western world in an interview with Deadline. He was CEO of the production company Blackhall Studios at the time. 
“It was a scary time for those of us in the entertainment industry because a law like that would certainly put Georgia in a very awkward position relative to the modern English-speaking world,” Millsap <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/06/reopening-hollywood-ceo-georgia-blackhall-studios-production-hub-1202956336/">said</a> in June 2020. “It is a huge disadvantage if you live in a state that has laws on its books that are counter to the majority of society.”
In the same interview, Millsap said that the law was only passed because Kemp was bowing to the far right.
“The governor’s farthest-right support base wanted it and the governor’s farthest right support base asked him for it and … played a key role in getting him elected,” he said. “That put him in a very complicated position. … I believe the political winds required a bill.”
After the bill was first passed by the legislature, Millsap said that boycotts from film studios targeting the state were economically, not politically driven. He said Hollywood was not “trying to impose its values” on the state. 
“The production companies don&#8217;t care, necessarily, about the moral consequences, one way or the other, of a law. They care about their supply chain and business. And when we pass laws that disrupt their supply chain, it makes us less competitive to London or Canada,” he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A75WXKgdj20">said</a> in October 2019. “I think that the biggest worry is just whether or not Georgian politicians understand the value of the entertainment industry, understand that it&#8217;s a non-political set.” 
Millsap also suggested that an injunction blocking the law after it went into effect allowed “business as usual” to move forward, but that the state had “some ground to make up” politically. 
The heartbeat law went into full effect in October 2024 when the state Supreme Court ruled in its favor. At least 12 Republican-led states have enacted heartbeat or total bans on abortion. 
“Ryan Millsap is a husband and father who believes in the miracle of life, has always been 100% pro-life and supports the state’s law now that the issue has been settled,&#8221; his campaign told The Daily Wire. &#8220;He believes that the Dobbs decision was correctly decided and that states should address this issue and that no federal funds should be used for abortion.”
Millsap, who launched his campaign last month, is running as a political outsider and is campaigning on deporting illegal immigrants, banning congressional stock trading, and supporting cryptocurrency. 
“I&#8217;m running to smash the status quo and fight back against the radical Left and the RINOs. I bought into their lies, too. But COVID and Antifa made me realize they sold us out,” he said in his campaign launch ad.
He <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/provocative-film-executive-enters-georgia-house-race-with-4m-pledge/">told</a> the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was running &#8220;because we need someone with a titanium backbone who doesn&#8217;t care about climbing the political ladder but is running to defeat the radical left once and for all and end the reign of radical lunatic liberals and impotent RINOs in Congress.&#8221;
The other two candidates running for the district are plumber Jeff Baker and state Rep. Houston Gaines. The Daily Wire reached out to both to ask for their position on abortion. 
Gaines <a href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/55445#17113">voted</a> for the heartbeat bill during his time in the legislature shortly after he flipped a state House seat back Republican. 
“As a Christian and a conservative, I&#8217;m proud to be pro-life and will always stand up for what&#8217;s right. When Democrats tried to threaten me, I stood strong and passed Georgia&#8217;s Heartbeat Bill,” Gaines told The Daily Wire. “While my opponent joined Hollywood to fight Georgia&#8217;s Heartbeat Bill with everything he had, we got it done. Georgia stands for life.”
Baker said he is &#8220;100% pro-life with exception to health of mother. Abortion in any other respect is murder and is against my Christian beliefs.&#8221;
&#8220;I would support a Constitutional Amendment that states life begins at conception,&#8221; he added.
Gaines has been endorsed by House GOP leaders like Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, and Tom Emmer.
A debate for the GOP candidates is set for April 26.

MixCollage-06-Apr-2026-02-13-PM-6398

GOP Candidate Running As Hardcore Conservative Once Sided With Pro-Abortion Hollywood

Abortion

Brian Kemp

Congress

Georgia

Heartbeat bill

Pro-Life Movement

School districts in Florida and Georgia are adopting a &#8220;revolutionary&#8221; security system that aims to stop mass shooters by deploying drones that can spray pepper gel, which can stick to and incapacitate a target.
The drones, created by Mithril Defense and known as “Black Arrows,” are part of a system called Campus Guardian Angel. The technology is being tested in several schools, with additional districts expressing interest.
The drones are equipped to emit disorienting lights and sounds, spray pepper gel, and collide with a suspected shooter. They are operated remotely by trained pilots in Austin, Texas, who can guide the drones using live video feeds. 
After a threat is reported, multiple drones can be deployed within seconds, transmitting real-time footage to both operators and local law enforcement. The Black Arrow drones can reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, the manufacturer said.
“We can take every corner, we’ll swing every door first, because we don’t care if we get shot, we’re metal and plastic,” Christian Van Sloun, Mithril’s chief drone pilot, told The Wall Street Journal. 
Officials in Volusia County, Florida, described the system as a potential shift in school security strategy.
“It’s revolutionary,” Florida’s Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Captain Todd Smith <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/a-startup-is-supplying-drones-to-high-schools-to-stop-mass-shootings-a7800ade?mod=hp_lista_pos1">told</a> The Wall Street Journal. “This is the future.”
More than $500,000 in funding has been allocated for drone use in school districts in Florida and Georgia. An installation is underway at Deltona High School in Florida. Some parents have expressed cautious support.
“To find out that we’re one of the first ones to get this pilot program was a little nerve-racking at first,” parent Jessica Clayton told The Journal. “But at the same time, you have to start somewhere, and I’m hoping this can be a positive influence for the community.”
Mithril believes its drone technology will reduce response times and improve safety in active-shooter situations. 
“Our vision is ultimately to be in every school in the nation and to eradicate mass shootings,” Mithril co-founder Billy Marston told The Journal. “We believe we can help in the vast majority of these mass shootings.”

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Schools Roll Out Armed System To Stop Shooters As Districts Bypass Old Rules

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