Could the Catholic Church have done more to fight the Nazis? Conventional wisdom says yes, but newly-released information from the Vatican suggests otherwise.
Beginning August 13, Daily Wire host Michael Knowles will correct the historical record surrounding the papacy and Nazi Germany in &#8220;The Pope and the Führer: The Secret Vatican Files of World War II.”
Using once-secret files, made public in 2020 by Pope Francis, Knowles takes viewers through private correspondence and long-buried testimony that reshapes the legacy of a pope long accused of silence during Hitler’s reign. Knowles — a devout Catholic — is joined by a range of leading historians and Vatican scholars, offering new insight into the man who led the Catholic Church through one of history’s darkest chapters.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/the-pope-and-the-fuhrer-the-secret-vatican-files-of-world-war-ii-the-official-trailer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH &#8216;THE POPE AND THE FUHRER&#8217; TRAILER HERE.</a>
“For eighty years, the world has condemned one man as the ‘Pope of Silence,’ the man who stood by in the face of shocking evil,” Knowles says in the trailer. “This is not just a story about Hitler and the Holocaust. One of the worst lies ever told about the Catholic Church is what she did or didn’t do in one of modernity’s darkest hours. Now, for the first time, the Vatican Secret Archive is open, and the truth is far more shocking than the fiction.”
In the four-part series, Knowles traces Pius&#8217; rise to the papacy, Rome&#8217;s fight against Hitler, and the Church’s response to the rising Soviet Union.
Knowles is the host of &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show,&#8221; &#8220;Michael &amp;,&#8221; and &#8220;Yes or No&#8221; on Daily Wire, as well as &#8220;The Book Club&#8221; on PragerU. In addition to his digital content, Knowles is the author of &#8220;Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds&#8221; and &#8220;Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide.&#8221;
“The Pope and the Führer” premieres August 13 on DailyWire+. New episodes every Wednesday.

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Michael Knowles Reveals The Truth About The Vatican And The Nazis

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The North Carolina General Assembly overrode Gov. Josh Stein&#8217;s veto to ban state funding of transgender medical procedures for minors.
&#8220;No State funds may be used, directly or indirectly, for the performance of or in furtherance of surgical gender transition procedures, or to provide puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones to a minor, or to support the administration of any governmental health plan or government-offered insurance policy offering surgical gender transition procedures, puberty-blocking drugs, or cross-sex hormones to a minor,&#8221; the law says.
The ban also ends transgender medical procedures for prisoners incarcerated in the state prison system.
The legislation was part of H.B. 805, which also states that there are only two sexes, defines &#8220;female&#8221; and &#8220;male,&#8221; restricts pornographic content to prevent exploitation of women and minors, and gives parents more control in schools and libraries.
Conservative activist Riley Gaines celebrated the bill&#8217;s passing on social media.
&#8220;NC legislature just overrode Gov Stein&#8217;s veto of HB 805,&#8221; she said. &#8220;BOOM.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NC legislature just overrode Gov Stein&#8217;s veto of HB 805.
This bill: 
&#8211; defines &#8220;woman&#8221; &amp; &#8220;man&#8221; 
&#8211; restricts pornographic content 
&#8211; prohibits state funding for chemical/surgical castration for minors and prisoners 
&#8211; gives parents more control in schools
BOOM👏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/Yb4lWETEF2">pic.twitter.com/Yb4lWETEF2</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1950219969163125073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
Stein vetoed multiple bills in early July, including H.B. 805, calling them &#8220;mean-spirited.&#8221;
&#8220;At a time when teachers, law enforcement, and state employees need pay raises and people need shorter lines at the DMV, the legislature failed to pass a budget and, instead, wants to distract us by stoking culture wars that further divide us,&#8221; Stein said. &#8220;These mean-spirited bills would marginalize vulnerable people and also undermine the quality of public services and public education.&#8221;
Stein is a Democrat, but Republicans hold a majority in the state House and Senate. Despite being one seat short of a supermajority in the House, Republicans were able to override Stein&#8217;s veto of multiple bills thanks to Democrats breaking with their party.
Another override was H.B. 318, the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act.
&#8220;This commonsense law requires sheriffs to check immigration status when someone is charged with a serious crime — and if they&#8217;re here illegally, they must be turned over to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)],&#8221; Majority Leader Brenden Jones said on social media.
A few bills passed the Senate override, but are waiting on votes in the House, CBS17 <a href="https://www.cbs17.com/news/capitol-report/slew-of-bills-become-law-in-north-carolina-as-veto-overrides-pass-senate-and-house/">reported</a>. They include bills banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in higher and public education; a bill requiring cooperation with ICE; and a bill allowing individuals over 18 to carry a gun without a concealed carry permit. It is unclear if those bills will clear the supermajority threshold in the House.

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North Carolina Lawmakers Override Dem Gov’s Veto, Ban State Funding For Trans Procedures On Minors

The University of California, Los Angeles, will pay more than $6 million to settle discrimination complaints that included a &#8220;Jew Exclusion Zone&#8221; on campus.
The school agreed to enter consent judgment and pay $6.13 million to the plaintiffs in the largest private settlement of its kind, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/29/us-news/ucla-to-pay-6m-to-settle-discrimination-complaints-including-campus-jew-exclusion-zone/">reported</a>. It will be in effect for 15 years if approved by a judge.
“Campus administrators across the country willingly bent the knee to antisemites during the encampments,” Mark Rienzi, president of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and an attorney for the students, said in a statement. “They are now on notice: treating Jews like second-class citizens is wrong, illegal, and very costly. UCLA should be commended for accepting judgment against that misbehavior and setting the precedent that allowing mistreatment of Jews violates the Constitution and civil rights laws. Students across the country are safer for it.”
The settlement includes damages to each of the plaintiffs, charitable contributions to pro-Jewish organizations, and attorneys&#8217; fees and costs. The university also agreed to a permanent court order preventing it from enabling the exclusion of Jewish students and faculty from campus, <a href="https://becketfund.org/media/breaking-ucla-agrees-to-permanent-court-order-stopping-campus-antisemitism-pays-6m-in-damages-and-fees/">according</a> to a press release from the Becket Fund.
Last year, a video <a href="https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/1785030056617611457">showed</a> masked protestors wearing keffiyehs blocking a Jewish student from entering campus, even though he was an enrolled student.
&#8220;I’m a UCLA student, I deserve to go here, we pay tuition,&#8221; the student said as he tried to pass the students to reach his class building. &#8220;This is our school and they are not letting me walk in.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re not engaging with that behavior,&#8221; one protestor replied without moving.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said the behavior was &#8220;really inappropriate,&#8221; and students &#8220;could be&#8221; expelled for discriminating against any student because of race, religion, or ethnicity.
Students sued after Block and the Board of Regents admitted they had taken no action against the protestors who blocked the Jewish student.
Yitzchok Frankel, a recent UCLA Law graduate and one of the plaintiffs in the case, called UCLA&#8217;s actions &#8220;shameful.&#8221;
“When antisemites were terrorizing Jews and excluding them from campus, UCLA chose to protect the thugs and help keep Jews out,” Frankel said in a statement. “That was shameful, and it is sad that my own school defended those actions for more than a year. But today’s court judgment brings justice back to our campus and ensures Jews will be safe and be treated equally once again.”
UCLA&#8217;s settlement comes after Columbia University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/columbia-university-retreats-as-trump-scores-historic-220m-settlement">agreed</a> to pay more than $200 million to settle with the Trump administration over its handling of anti-Israel protests. Harvard University is also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-open-to-paying-500m-settlement-amid-trump-crackdown-on-campus-antisemitism">considering</a> settling with the administration for $500 million over alleged civil rights violations.

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UCLA Will Pay $6 Million To Settle Antisemitic Discrimination Complaints

Harvard University is reportedly willing to pay up to $500 million to settle a dispute with the Trump administration over alleged civil rights violations.
Negotiators are still discussing the exact terms of a settlement, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/us/politics/trump-harvard-payment.html?unlocked_article_code=1.aE8.2qHi.ecIDeUuspHot&amp;amp;smid=url-share">reported</a> on Monday. The amount is more than double the $220 million that Columbia University recently agreed to pay to resolve accusations that the school failed to address antisemitism on campus.
&#8220;The Trump Administration’s proposition is simple and commonsense: Don’t allow antisemitism and DEI to run your campus, don’t break the law, and protect the civil liberties of all students,&#8221; White House spokesman Harrison W. Fields said before Harvard&#8217;s most recent hearing.
Fields said the administration was &#8220;confident that Harvard will eventually come around and support the president’s vision, and through good-faith conversations and negotiations, a good deal is more than possible.&#8221;
Harvard is reluctant to pay the federal government directly, the Times reported. Officials have been skeptical of Columbia&#8217;s agreement for an &#8220;outside monitor,&#8221; suggesting it could infringe on academic freedom.
President Donald Trump is insistent that Harvard pay more than Columbia, according to The Times. Harvard has a $53 billion endowment.
The school and its administration are waiting for a court ruling on federal funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-squares-off-with-harvard-in-court-over-federal-funding">reported</a>. The judge previously ruled against the government&#8217;s attempt to block the university from enrolling foreign students.
Harvard sued after the government cut federal funds, saying the move violates its First Amendment rights.
“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” said Harvard President Alan M. Garber.
In the past, Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-harvard-an-anti-semitic-threat-to-democracy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+Harvard+%E2%80%98An+Anti-Semitic%E2%80%A6Threat+To+Democracy%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> Harvard “Anti-Semitic,” “Far-Left,” and “a threat to Democracy.” The administration has found the university in violation of federal civil rights law, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-finds-harvard-discriminated-against-jewish-students-threatens-funding">reported</a>.
But Trump has seemed pleased with recent talks.
&#8220;They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right,&#8221; Trump said in a June social media post.
In Columbia&#8217;s settlement, the school agreed to review Middle East-related programs; explore ways to improve and support Jewish students; and end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)  policies.
The administration is using Columbia&#8217;s settlement as a model for dealing with other schools.
&#8220;Harvard wants to settle, but I think Columbia handled it better,&#8221; Trump told reporters Friday.

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Harvard Open To Paying $500M Settlement Amid Trump Crackdown On Campus Antisemitism

The Federal Trade Commission is requesting public comment on so-called &#8220;gender-affirming care&#8221; for minors.
The inquiry <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/07/ftc-requests-public-comment-regarding-gender-affirming-care-minors">seeks</a> &#8220;to better understand how consumers may have been exposed to false or unsupported claims about &#8216;gender-affirming care&#8217;, especially as it relates to minors.&#8221; The FTC will accept &#8220;comment on any issues or concerns,&#8221; including &#8220;written data, advertisements, social media posts, disclosures, or empirical research,&#8221; a press release <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/07/ftc-requests-public-comment-regarding-gender-affirming-care-minors">said</a>.
The FTC is investigating whether minors and consumers have been harmed by transgender medical procedures and if medical professionals &#8220;have violated Sections 5 and 12 of the FTC Act by failing to disclose material risks associated with &#8216;gender-affirming care&#8217; or making false or unsubstantiated claims about the benefits or effectiveness of &#8216;gender-affirming care.'&#8221;
The request for public comment is the latest in the FTC&#8217;s campaign against the transgender medical industry.
In May, The Daily Wire first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-federal-trade-commission-is-setting-its-sights-on-transgender-procedures-on-kids">reported</a> on an FTC memo about a workshop on &#8220;gender-affirming care.&#8221; The FTC, an agency tasked with protecting American consumers, often holds workshops before initiating legal action against an industry.
“Under the Federal Trade Commission Act, the FTC is provided broad authority to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive trade acts and practices,” the memo said. “There is now considerable reason to believe that the doctors and medical providers pushing [gender-affirming care] on minors are knowingly deceiving parents by exaggerating [gender-affirming care’s] ‘benefits’ and downplaying its harmful side effects.”
The agency held the workshop on July 9 and featured academics, commentators, detransitioners, parents, and doctors, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-blatant-consumer-fraud-inside-the-ftcs-panel-on-transgender-procedures">reported</a>.
“The issue of gender medicine has shattered political boundaries,” said Texas Children’s whistleblower Vanessa Sivadge. “Not because of ideology, but because of conscience. This is not a partisan battle, but a battle of good and evil.”
Detransitioner Claire Abernathy said medical professionals encouraged her to undergo transgender surgeries when she was too young to get a tattoo, too young to drive, and hadn’t even learned algebra.
“It’s not health care,” she said, “it’s blatant consumer fraud.”
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, who moderated the panel, told the detransitioners and survivors, “The FTC hears you, we hear all of you, and we want to understand how the law is being broken.”
Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle said the DOJ has issued almost 20 subpoenas against clinics that are engaged in transgender transition attempts. The Justice Department’s investigations include health care fraud, false statements, and more.
Mizelle asked Americans to come forward if they could provide information about deceptive practices in the transgender medicine industry.
Both the workshop and the request for comment build on President Donald Trump’s executive order ending the federal government’s support for so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors. The FTC memo about the workshop noted that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently called transgender procedures “in truth still experimental.”
Before being selected for the position, Ferguson reportedly pitched Trump on using the agency to fight “against the trans agenda” before he was selected for the post, according to a document obtained by Punchbowl News in December 2024.
At the workshop, Ferguson said he doesn&#8217;t care about backlash from Democrats over the FTC&#8217;s action against transgender medical procedures.
“If there is this material deception going on in this market, it is picking on the most vulnerable human beings in America at the worst possible moment of their lives and brutalizing them,” Ferguson said. “And frankly, the ability of people to turn away from this and say ‘no action should be taken’ boggles my mind. So at the end of the day, it is the right thing to do.”
The public has until September 26 to submit comments at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FTC-2025-0264">Regulations.gov</a>. Comments will be posted once submitted.

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FTC Takes Major Step In War On Trans Procedures For Kids

Leftist outlet Media Matters is facing financial struggles over lawsuits from X owner Elon Musk and legal fees related to investigations by the Trump administration.
The nonprofit &#8220;watchdog&#8221; group owes approximately $15 million, largely due to legal action by Musk and probes from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as Republican state attorneys general, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/us/politics/media-matters-musk-crisis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZE8.uS77.aCoRbTwphEFY&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Friday.
Musk&#8217;s lawsuit came after a Media Matters story in 2023 <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/musk-endorses-antisemitic-conspiracy-theory-x-has-been-placing-ads-apple-bravo-ibm-oracle">claimed</a> that his X social media platform was placing ads for major corporations alongside Nazi-related content, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-to-file-thermonuclear-suit-against-media-matters-over-contrived-story-on-x">reported</a>. Companies such as Apple and IBM pulled advertisements from X because of the story.
A Musk press release said the outlet &#8220;completely misrepresented the real user experience on X, in another attempt to undermine freedom of speech and mislead advertisers.&#8221;
The Times reported that Musk has continued pursuing the lawsuit, refusing settlements and appealing or filing elsewhere if Media Matters were to win in court. Musk even filed lawsuits in Ireland and Singapore.
The outlet is reducing its staff and trying to raise money from donors, the Times reported. Although publicly, Media Matters says &#8220;it has no plans to close,&#8221; sources told the Times it is considering shutting down as a last resort.
In May of this year, the FTC launched an investigation into the outlet over reports that it illegally coordinated advertiser boycotts against X, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-probe-media-matters-over-plot-to-defund-musks-x-silence-dissenting-voices">reported</a>.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, appointed by President Donald Trump, had signaled potential action in December, saying the agency “must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition,” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/ftc-probes-media-matters-over-musks-x-boycott-claims-document-shows-2025-05-22/">according</a> to Reuters.
Media Matters also faced investigations from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. A federal court blocked the Texas probe, and Missouri agreed to drop its inquiry; however, the outlet still incurred almost $2 million in legal fees, the Times reported.
Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters, said the legal problems were &#8220;a revenge campaign against Media Matters intended to stymie or stop us entirely from exercising our constitutional rights,&#8221; the Times reported.
The financial struggles come as multiple organizations have settled with the Trump administration. CBS News <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-and-important-win-trump-crows-over-settlement-in-cbs-paramount-lawsuit">paid</a> $16 million to settle a lawsuit with President Donald Trump, who alleged that the outlet deceptively edited a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Columbia University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/columbia-university-retreats-as-trump-scores-historic-220m-settlement">agreed</a> to pay a $200 million settlement over its handling of anti-Israel protests.
“Unlike some major media entities that have recently caved to pressure, we understand that this battle is larger than us,” Carusone told the Times in a statement. “That’s why we continue to carry out our mission and fight in court.”
However, the outlet is facing financial difficulties despite its extensive list of top Democratic donors, which includes billionaire George Soros.
A leaked list of donors revealed that the outlet has received millions in donations from Deborah Simon, the daughter of billionaire shopping mall developer Melvin Simon, and Bain Capital co-chairman Joshua Bekenstein and his wife, Anita. The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leaked-media-matters-donor-list-reveal-it-is-funded-by-democrat-mega-donors">reported</a> on this. Both Simon and Bekenstein were among <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2022/top-election-donors-2022/">the top 50 political donors</a> in the 2022 midterms.
Media Matters had raised $16.5 million in 2022, with Carusone collecting a salary of $406,000.
The outlet <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/about-us">describes</a> itself as combating misinformation and providing &#8220;resources to rebut false claims and to take direct action against offending media institutions.&#8221; However, the left-leaning N.Y. Times said its mission is &#8220;to help Democrats and undermine Republicans.&#8221;
Media Matters has repeatedly attacked Republicans and conservative groups, including The Daily Wire. In 2022, it attempted to cancel Daily Wire host Matt Walsh.
&#8220;I will never surrender even a single inch of ground to a pitchfork mob full of degenerate idiots,&#8221; Walsh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/to-the-leftist-vultures-at-media-matters-kiss-my-ass">responded</a> at the time.
&nbsp;

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Elon Musk’s Lawsuits And A Federal Probe Threaten To Bring Down Media Matters

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Michael Knowles Reveals The Truth About The Vatican And The Nazis

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