Arkansas has moved forward with banning the purchases of candy and soda with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps.
Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was one of the first governors in the nation to submit a waiver to the federal government, asking for approval to limit SNAP. This week, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins approved the waiver.
“This approval sends a clear message: President Trump and his administration are tackling America’s chronic disease epidemic, and Arkansas stands with him in that fight,” Sanders said of the approval, as first <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/06/10/exclusive-arkansas-bans-junk-food-food-stamps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by The Daily Signal.
“I am incredibly grateful for Secretary Rollins’ quick approval of our waiver. Arkansas leads the nation in getting unhealthy, ultra-processed foods off food stamps and helping our most vulnerable citizens lead healthier lives,” she added.
Rollins has previously said she&#8217;s working closely with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to advance the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; movement. Kennedy, the figurehead of the MAHA movement, has called sugar &#8220;poison,&#8221; led the phasing out of petroleum-based food dyes, and encouraged states to limit SNAP.
Nebraska, another red state, has also been approved by the federal government to limit SNAP purchases to healthier options.
The Daily Wire spoke to Sanders earlier this month about Arkansas becoming a leading state in the MAHA movement. On SNAP limitations, Sanders said it only makes sense.
“It&#8217;s crazy to think that you can use food stamps to purchase soft drinks and candy, but not a hot rotisserie chicken,&#8221; she told The Daily Wire in a video interview. &#8220;The very definition of SNAP, if you look at the second word, it&#8217;s &#8216;nutrition.'&#8221; 
&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing nutritional about candy bars and Cokes,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;So making sure that we are actually helping the people who really need it, and help incentivize healthier choices is something we have to do.&#8221;
&#8220;The food stamp program is a $119 billion federally run program, but about $27 billion of that are spent on candy, soft drinks, and unhealthy desserts and snacks,&#8221; Sanders said. &#8220;So we are literally helping fund the epidemic crisis that we have going on of unhealthy lifestyles in our country, when we&#8217;re supposed to be helping these recipients of the food SNAP program.&#8221; 
&#8220;We can and we have to do a better job,&#8221; the Republican added. &#8220;I&#8217;m proud of the fact that Arkansas is again leading the way.&#8221; 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sarah-sanders-wont-back-down-after-cvs-threatens-to-leave-arkansas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sarah Sanders Won’t Back Down After CVS Threatens To Leave Arkansas</a>

Texas Bill Would Mandate Warning Label “Not Recommended For Human Consumption” On Some Foods

MAHA: Another Republican State Bans Candy, Soda Purchases With Food Stamps

Arkansas

brooke rollins

Food Stamps

Health

Politics

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

More than 81 years after D-Day, Private Rodger Dean Andrews, an American soldier killed in the historic battle, was laid to rest at Bethel Cemetery in Gravette, Arkansas, <a href="https://www.kark.com/news/state-news/burial-service-to-be-held-june-9-for-gravette-wwii-soldier-killed-in-d-day-invasion/">NBC News</a> reported. He received full military honors.
In June of 1944, Private Andrews was assigned to the 37th Engineer Combat Battalion in the European Theater. That same month, Operation Overlord commenced, in which American, Canadian, and British soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.
Andrews was killed during the battle, but his specific cause of death is unknown. After D-Day, his remains were recovered, but went unidentified until his family requested a renewed effort in 2014. In 2019, Andrews’ remains were exhumed, and his identity was confirmed through dental and anthropological analysis. They arrived in Arkansas on Sunday evening, where Bentonville’s Epting Funeral Home took them into their care.
His name at the Normandy American Cemetery will now be marked with a rosette.
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The United States commemorated the anniversary of the historic D-Day battle on Friday, June 6, when President Donald Trump delivered honorary remarks about the brave men who fought and died in the battle.
“To the men who sit behind me, and to the boys who rest in the field before me, your example will never, ever grow old,” he said. “Your legend will never tire. Your spirit — brave, unyielding, and true — will never die.”
The White House also released a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/06/presidential-message-on-the-81st-anniversary-of-d-day-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, which read in part: &#8220;We are grateful for those young men who answered their nations’ calls and faced the carnage of war in order to defeat tyranny—and we are eternally indebted to the souls who gave their lives in this noble struggle. It is our solemn obligation to remember their heroic stories, honor their sacrifices, and ensure that the freedom for which they died for may never again be in peril.&#8221;
On Monday, Private Andrews’ funeral procession departed from Epting Funeral Home, and the BCSO Motor Division escorted him to his final resting place. In a Facebook post, BSCO said that community members were &#8220;encouraged to line the route and pay their respects to honor the life and service of Private Rodger Dean Andrews, a true American hero.&#8221;

D-Day 80th Anniversary Ceremony At Normandy American Ceremony

D-Day Soldier Identified After 80 Years Laid To Rest In Arkansas

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Soldiers

U.S.

World War II

Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is not backing down after pharmacy giant CVS has threatened to leave the state over a new state law targeting drug middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.
In an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqAe_rGGNek">interview with The Daily Wire</a>, Sanders said she would not allow CVS, which owns one of the &#8220;Big Three&#8221; PBMs called Caremark, to &#8220;manipulate and control the market simply so that they keep a few stores in our state open.&#8221; 
“It shows where their priorities are,&#8221; the governor said over CVS&#8217;s response to the law. &#8220;They would rather own the PBM than keep their pharmacy open and provide care to the patients they claim to care about. I think it tells us everything that we need to know, that they care more about their bottom line.&#8221;
&#8220;Look, I&#8217;m all for private industry making money, but not on the backs of the people who really need access to care, really need access to some of these specialty drugs that they&#8217;re inflating the market on,&#8221; Sanders continued. 
The Republican told The Daily Wire that other pharmacies are willing to take CVS&#8217;s place if need be.
&#8220;We have a number of other pharmacies that I know will be happy to step up and take CVS’s place if they decide to take their ball and go home,&#8221; Sanders blasted. 
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/every-cvs-pharmacy-in-red-state-might-close-after-crackdown-on-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last month, CVS said it might have to close all 23 of its pharmacies in Arkansas over the new policy. The company issued similar threats before Sanders signed the bill into law in April.
The law in question is a first-in-the-nation targeting of PBMs, and is set to go into effect in January 2026. It bans PBMs from holding permits for prescription drug sales in Arkansas.
PBMs are supposed to lower drug prices for Americans. They act as middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, and pharmacies, and negotiate prices. 
However, over the last decade, PBMs have consolidated, and now there are just three companies overseeing prescriptions for more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html">270 million Americans</a>. They’ve been accused by both Republicans and Democrats of inflating prices for their own benefit and driving small pharmacies out of business. 
“What was happening is you have these pharmaceutical companies, they’re supposed to use PBMs to negotiate better drug prices between the insurance companies and the pharmacies,&#8221; Sanders explained. &#8220;But what was actually happening is the pharmacies were buying the PBMs and completely controlling and monopolizing the market. We call &#8217;em drug middlemen, because that’s exactly what they are.&#8221;
&#8220;They’re over-inflating prices and passing that inflation down to the consumer,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;You had three of the largest PBMs in the country controlling 80% of the pharmaceutical market – complete control allows them to charge more.” 
Sanders also stressed that this law in Arkansas is intended to help small pharmacies keep their doors open. PMBs reportedly pay lowball prices to small independent pharmacies, forcing many to close their doors. 
“We&#8217;re optimistic that prices will come down not only in our state, but also that our local pharmacies will be able to keep their doors open, which was another big priority for us, so that people in rural communities don&#8217;t lose that access to care,&#8221; Sanders said. 
In a statement sent to The Daily Wire on Wednesday, CVS called the law in question &#8220;harmful&#8221; and &#8220;unconstitutional.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve filed a lawsuit to block Act 624, a harmful law that will shut down 23 CVS Pharmacy locations, eliminate hundreds of jobs, and drive-up costs for Arkansans,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;This unconstitutional law puts local politics ahead of patients, restricting their access to life-saving medications and undermining fair competition.&#8221;
The company notes its PBM reimbursing small independent pharmacies in the state more than it does CVS pharmacies.
About a month after Sanders signed the Arkansas bill, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting PBMs. The EO encourages direct consumer purchases, cutting out PBMs, and mandates more pricing transparency. 
Sanders said momentum is building across the country to tackle this issue. 
&#8220;I think the big thing here is that this isn&#8217;t just going to be something that takes place in Arkansas,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You&#8217;re seeing Louisiana look at passing similar legislation, New York, Texas, other states all over the country. It&#8217;s not even a Republican or Democrat issue. This is something that I think a lot of governors, as well as this president, are recognizing and actually taking action on something that&#8217;s been needed for a long time.” 
Sanders said she&#8217;s optimistic that consumers will have more access to prescription drugs and lower prices soon after this law goes into effect in 2026. 
WATCH the Morning Wire interview with Governor Sanders:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Illegal Immigrant Terror &amp; Lowering Drug Prices" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tqAe_rGGNek?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>
This post has been updated to include comment from CVS. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/every-cvs-pharmacy-in-red-state-might-close-after-crackdown-on-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Every CVS Pharmacy In Red State Might Close After Crackdown On Drug Middlemen</a>

Conservatives Gather For Annual CPAC Conference In Washington DC

Sarah Sanders Won’t Back Down After CVS Threatens To Leave Arkansas

Sarah Sanders Won’t Back Down After CVS Threatens To Leave State

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Morning Wire

ICE arrests the family of the Colorado illegal alien terror suspect as the Trump administration rounds up 1,500 illegal immigrants in another sanctuary state. Drug giant CVS could be closing all of its pharmacies in Arkansas due to a first-in-the-nation law targeting pharmaceutical middlemen. And the FTC probes whether a dozen major advertising and watchdog groups illegally coordinated to blacklist platforms.
It’s Wednesday, June 4, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/illegal-immigrant-terror-lowering-drug-prices-6-4-25/id1576594336?i=1000711132840" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>Immigrant Terror Rising?</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-928913" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_20_08.Still001.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_20_08.Still001.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_20_08.Still001-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: Immigration enforcement continues to ramp up as the Trump administration prioritizes criminal and national security threats.
Senior Homeland Security officials <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/1929955057421738215">told Fox News&#8217;s Bill Melugin</a> on Tuesday that federal authorities have arrested the immediate family of the Boulder terror suspect, Mohamed Soliman. Sources say the family is “being processed for expedited removal.”
The arrest came a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a general policy of expected removal for immigrants with ties to terrorists. “All terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathizers here on a visa should know that under the Trump administration we will find you, revoke your visa, and deport you.”
Meanwhile, in South Carolina, a group of <a href="https://abcnews4.com/news/state/six-illegal-migrants-charged-in-murder-of-sc-woman-defies-any-sense-of-decency">illegal aliens</a>, ranging from just 13 years old to 21, were recently arrested in connection with the brutal murder of Larisha Thompson. She was driving down the road when she was fatally shot. Authorities have charged six illegal aliens of uncertain national origin in connection with the murder. Investigators on the scene found evidence linking the firearm used in the attack to a <a href="https://wach.com/news/local/six-arrested-in-death-of-sc-woman-all-wanted-by-immigration-officials-larisha-sharell-thompson-lancaster">recent burglary</a>. An individual fired at a security camera while burglarizing a gas station convenience store. The SWAT team raided the home of the 21-year-old. The six illegal aliens have each been charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, and second-degree burglary.
And ICE has announced nearly 1,500 arrests in Massachusetts, a sanctuary state. Of those arrested, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/ice-massachusetts-raids-todd-lyons-boston/">790 illegal aliens</a>, more than half of them, had criminal records or pending charges. Patricia Hyde, the acting director of the Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Field Office, explained that Massachusetts’s sanctuary state policies force immigration enforcement agents to go into the community rather than simply pick up illegal aliens from jails.
<h2>Drug Middleman Crackdown</h2>
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Topline: A first-in-the-nation law takes on pharmacy benefit managers, the drug middlemen both sides of the aisle have blamed for inflating prescription drug prices.
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) act as middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, and pharmacies – and by extension, patients. They negotiate with drug companies and pay pharmacies for filing prescriptions. In theory, they’re supposed to lower costs for Americans. However, over the last decade, PBMs have consolidated – now just three companies oversee prescriptions for more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html">200 million Americans</a>. They’ve been accused by both Republicans and Democrats of inflating prices for their own benefit and driving small pharmacies out of business.
A new Arkansas law, Act 624, bans PBMs from holding permits for prescription drug sales. In response, pharmacy giant CVS has said it might have to close all 23 of its pharmacies in Arkansas. CVS owns one of the Big Three PBMs, called Caremark. CVS has also <a href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2025/05/29/express-scripts-sues-arkansas-over-new-law-banning-pbms-from-owning-pharmacies">filed suit</a> against the state to prevent the law from going into effect – Express Scripts, another of the Big Three, has also sued the state.
“PBMs [are supposed] to negotiate better drug prices between the insurance companies and the pharmacies,” Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) told The Daily Wire. “But what was actually happening is the pharmacies were buying the PBMs and completely controlling and monopolizing the market. We call ‘em drug middlemen because that’s exactly what they are. They’re over-inflating prices and passing that inflation down to the consumer. … You had three of the largest PBMs in the country controlling 80% of the pharmaceutical market – complete control allows them to charge more.”
Sanders told The Daily Wire that this law is intended to help small pharmacies keep their doors open and criticized CVS for its response. “It shows where their priorities are. They would rather own the PBM than keep their pharmacy open and provide care to the patients they claim to care about. … I&#8217;m all for private industry making money, but not on the backs of the people who really need access to care.”
About a month after Gov. Sanders signed the act into law, President Donald Trump targeted PBMs with an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-announces-actions-to-put-american-patients-first-by-lowering-drug-prices-and-stopping-foreign-free-riding-on-american-pharmaceutical-innovation/">executive order</a>. The order encourages direct consumer purchases, cutting out the middlemen, and mandates more pricing transparency. Sanders said this momentum is building across the country and told The Daily Wire that she hopes consumers will have more access and see lower prices for prescription drugs once this law goes into effect next year.
<h2>FTC Probes Ad Collusion</h2>
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Topline: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Media Matters and about a dozen other groups for allegedly pushing advertisers to boycott social media platforms over controversial content.
The FTC is probing whether Media Matters and these other groups violated antitrust law by mobilizing advertisers to boycott platforms like X – to prevent their ads from appearing next to content deemed controversial. The commission is also targeting Ad Fontes Media, which rates media outlets’ biases, investigating the group for “possible collusion.”
Some of the groups that are under investigation help brands choose where to place ads across the internet, and some of the groups, like Media Matters, call out so-called “hateful content” online. More than a dozen organizations are under investigation, and lawyers for the groups said the FTC requested broad information about their business practices.
“I’m concerned about advertiser collusion,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwAPMhdq5c4">said</a> last week. “If you’ve got an idea and you want the world to know it, you need eyeballs. … You talk online, and advertisers advertise next to what you’re saying, and they make money off of that, but if advertisers are getting into a back room somewhere and agreeing, &#8216;we’re not going to advertise next to that guy’s speech,&#8217; right, that is a real problem, and it is a form of concerted refusal to deal that the antitrust laws have long prohibited.”
Ferguson also argued that the FTC’s investigation was nonpartisan – while he agreed that conservatives were disproportionately being targeted, the same principle would apply to progressive speech. “I don’t think anyone on the Left would be comfortable with the idea of a bunch of large businesses getting into a back room and saying, &#8216;hey, whenever anyone says anything favorable about abortion, we’re not advertising next to that, right?&#8217; I don’t think the Left would like that any more than the Right would like the idea that such collusion could be affecting their speech.”
X CEO Elon Musk sued Media Matters in 2023 over this issue, accusing the leftist group of trying to stop advertisers from purchasing ads on X. That lawsuit is ongoing.

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Morning Brief: ICE’s Anti-Terror Offensive And The Crackdown On Prescription Drug Middlemen

Colorado

Federal Trade Commission

Media

Prescription Drugs

A former police chief serving a life sentence for murder and rape, dubbed the &#8220;Devil in the Ozarks,&#8221; escaped from an Arkansas high-security prison on Sunday by disguising himself as a law enforcement officer.
Grant Hardin, 56, was serving a 30-year sentence for the 2017 murder of James Appleton, a Gateway water department employee, and an additional 50 years for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher, according to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-prison-escape-police-chief-grant-hardin-934e7fe6a45d3eafb18443f5b2bc5680">report</a> by the Associated Press.
He escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit, a high-security facility in Calico Rock where he had been incarcerated since 2017, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/27/us/grant-hardin-prison-escape-arkansas">according</a> to CNN.
Rand Champion, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, confirmed Hardin wore a &#8220;makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement&#8221; during his escape, prison officials stated.
&#8220;That was not a standard inmate uniform, not a standard correctional uniform,&#8221; Champion said. &#8220;There&#8217;s nothing inside the prison that looks like that, so that&#8217;s one of the challenges we&#8217;re going through to find out what that was and how he was able to get that or manufacture it.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_925979" style="width: 534px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-925979" class="size-large wp-image-925979" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/499909563_1131975885632996_2765357824958232388_n-524x576.jpg" alt="" width="524" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/499909563_1131975885632996_2765357824958232388_n-524x576.jpg 524w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/499909563_1131975885632996_2765357824958232388_n-273x300.jpg 273w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/499909563_1131975885632996_2765357824958232388_n.jpg 662w" sizes="(max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px" />Via the Arkansas Dept of Corrections on Facebook</div>
Hardin had a short tenure as police chief for the small Arkansas town of Gateway in 2016, just a few miles away from Walmart headquarters, and throughout his law enforcement career, he was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/26/us/arkansas-grant-hardin-prison-escape.html">plagued</a> with accusations of excessive force, bad performance, and eventually resigned as chief after he was caught falsifying a police report, according to The New York Times.
Authorities have deployed canines, drones, and helicopters to search the rugged Ozark Mountains terrain, with the search area expanding as time passes.
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Champion noted the region&#8217;s challenging topography, stating, &#8220;It&#8217;s called Calico Rock for a reason, because it&#8217;s very rocky,&#8221; adding that recent heavy rainfall has further complicated search efforts &#8212; although he added it could also hinder Hardin’s escape effort.
Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton urged residents to lock their homes and vehicles and call 911 if they notice anything suspicious.
Cheryl Tillman, sister of James Appleton, who Hardin murdered in 2017, expressed alarm about the escape since she and other family members were witnesses at Hardin&#8217;s trial, but she was not surprised upon hearing of Hardin’s escape.
&#8220;He&#8217;s just an evil man,&#8221; she said, per the AP. &#8220;He is no good for society.&#8221;
Craig Caine, a retired inspector with the U.S. Marshals with 30 years of experience handling escaped inmates, told the AP, &#8220;At some point in time, he&#8217;s going to run out of provisions.&#8221;
Though Caine isn&#8217;t involved in this manhunt, he noted that investigators are likely examining Hardin&#8217;s court documents and tracking individuals who might be assisting him. He added that it is extremely unlikely for Hardin to evade capture indefinitely in the isolated region, where he is likely to stand out in small, rural communities and be turned in by residents.
The ex-police chief&#8217;s notoriety in the region led to the production of a 2023 documentary titled &#8220;Devil in the Ozarks,&#8221; which chronicled his crimes.
Hardin&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10-inmates-some-charged-with-murder-escape-from-louisiana-jail">escape</a> comes just weeks after ten inmates fled a New Orleans jail by crawling through a hole behind a toilet. Eight of those fugitives have since been recaptured as of Tuesday.

Grant Hardin

Arkansas Residents On Edge After Violent Ex-Police Chief Escapes Prison

Crime

Murder

Prison

Prison escape

Rape

Last month, Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill banning drug middlemen from holding permits for prescription drug sales in the state. Now, CVS might have to close its pharmacies there.
The new law, which will go into effect on January 1, 2026, revokes permits for pharmacies affiliated with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The drug middlemen have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-little-known-health-care-middleman-is-becoming-more-powerful-independent-pharmacies-say-that-spells-disaster-for-patients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrutinized</a> by multiple states and even the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pharmacy-benefit-managers-marked-up-specialty-drugs-by-over-1000-ftc-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal government</a> in recent years, as locally owned independent pharmacies say they are subject to the dictates of PBMs, which give an unfair advantage to large pharmacy corporations such as CVS.
CVS — which owns pharmacy benefits manager, Caremark Rx — said over the weekend that it is &#8220;looking at all available options to stay open and continue to serve Arkansans&#8221; after Gov. Sanders signed the crackdown on PBMs. Beginning in 2026, CVS must either close all of its 23 locations in Arkansas or change its PBM business model, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette <a href="https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/may/24/cvs-says-its-looking-at-ways-to-keep-arkansas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;For far too long, drug middlemen called PBMs have taken advantage of lax regulations to abuse customers, inflate drug prices, and cut off access to critical medications. Not anymore,” <a href="https://www.medben.com/pbm-owned-pharmacies/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFor%20far%20too%20long%2C%20drug,House%20Bill%201150%20into%20law." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Sanders after signing House Bill 1150 into law.
The three largest PBMs in the country —  which are owned by CVS Health, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group — manage nearly 80% of prescription drug claims for all Americans, according to the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Trade Commission</a>. An FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-releases-second-interim-staff-report-prescription-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published in January found that &#8220;the three major pharmacy benefit managers hiked costs for a wide range of lifesaving drugs, including medications to treat heart disease and cancer.&#8221;
CVS ripped the new Arkansas legislation after it was signed by the governor, calling it &#8220;bad policy&#8221; that &#8220;forces the closures&#8221; of its pharmacies.
&#8220;The Governor and legislature have chosen to pass HB 1150 which forces the closure of all CVS pharmacy operations by 1/1/26 &#8212; this includes CVS Pharmacy, CVS Specialty, and Omnicare,&#8221; a company spokesman said. &#8220;Our stores and pharmacies remain open, and our teams are continuing to serve patients and customers.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day Sale – Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Arkansas Pharmacy Association Chief Executive Officer John Vinson, who supported the legislation, told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette that there are steps for CVS to take to continue operating its pharmacies in Arkansas, such as giving up its PBM license in the state.
&#8220;There are ways to do it &#8230; if they don&#8217;t, they&#8217;re choosing the conflict and the business model over customers,&#8221; Vinson said.
Independent pharmacy owners told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-little-known-health-care-middleman-is-becoming-more-powerful-independent-pharmacies-say-that-spells-disaster-for-patients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last year that PBMs have a direct negative effect on local pharmacies, often paying them lowball prices for filling prescriptions. With PBMs putting their hands on the scales of the prescription drug industry, patients are also directed toward pricier options and charged steep markups, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
Other states, such as Oklahoma, Tennessee, and North Carolina, have moved to regulate PBMs and reel in their control over the prescription drug industry. At the federal level, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/lowering-drug-prices-by-once-again-putting-americans-first/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an executive order in April to improve transparency of &#8220;the direct and indirect compensation received by pharmacy benefit managers.&#8221;
Two bipartisan bills were <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-cantwell-reintroduce-bills-to-lower-prescription-drug-prices-drive-pbm-accountability#:~:text=Pharmacy%20Benefit%20Manager%20(PBM)%20Transparency,spread%20pricing%20and%20pharmacy%20fees." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> in Congress earlier this year to &#8220;combat the high cost of prescription drugs and provide greater transparency of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).&#8221;
This article has been updated to remove a mention of Walgreens since Walgreens does not own a PBM and is not affected by the new law. We regret the error.

CVS Pharmacy

Every CVS Pharmacy In Red State Might Close After Crackdown On Drug Middlemen

Economy

Pharmaceuticals

Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders took a big step toward protecting her state from the Chinese Communist Party and other nefarious foreign agents.
She signed a bill demanding representatives acting on behalf of hostile foreign adversaries such as the People&#8217;s Republic of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea register publicly, disclose who bankrolls them, and spell out exactly what they are doing in Arkansas politics.
Although this foreign-agent registration is the first statute of its kind in the country, other legislatures should explore similar laws as a defense against hostile foreign actors and their agents covertly swaying policy or political activities at the state level.
Our country is facing a new kind of warfare waged through manipulation, money, and misinformation. Our adversaries are well-funded and coordinated, working relentlessly to sow division and destabilize our society. They’re attacking at the state and local level more and more, hiding behind layers of nonprofits and advocacy groups.
Take Students for Justice in Palestine, for example – a shadowy group that played a prominent role in riling up violent mobs on college campuses last year. This group and others like it (Within Our Lifetime, Jewish Voice for Peace, Palestinian Youth Movement, etc.) routinely accept secret money, raising concerns about potential support from hostile foreign actors.
Some of these organizations are not even registered as nonprofits, and alarmingly, many pro-Hamas groups have established local chapters on college campuses and receive funding from student activity fees.
The CCP perfected this playbook long ago. There are Confucius Institutes embedded on college campuses masquerading as language centers while disseminating the Party’s propaganda. Other groups such as Code Pink echo CCP talking points, attacking American energy policy and championing topics that align with China’s geopolitical objectives.
Research has shown that the CCP’s influence stretches far beyond college campuses. It targets state pension funds, critical infrastructure, farmland near military bases, and even municipal procurement of drones and surveillance tech. Every contract, endowment, or protest it bankrolls is another opportunity to steal American intellectual property, map supply chains, and erode public trust.
It’s no surprise the Federal Bureau of Investigation has labeled the Chinese Communist government a “grave threat to the economic well-being and democratic values of the United States,” and national security agencies from some of our top allies have warned the CCP is engaging in the most “sophisticated theft of intellectual property and expertise in human history.&#8221;
Arkansas has taken the first step in combating this foreign interference. The law will shine a spotlight on every foreign‑funded front group operating in the state. Agents who fail to register face stiff penalties; those tied to hostile nations risk even higher fines.
<div id="attachment_916433" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-916433" class="size-large wp-image-916433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-865x576.jpg" alt="DustyPixel. Getty Images." width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />DustyPixel. Getty Images.</div>
The new law also strengthens campaign finance disclosure laws, exposing individuals and organizations seeking to undermine democratic values through covert influence operations. The law is singularly focused on hostile foreign actors; international businesses and lobbyists representing allied nations are unaffected.
It is encouraging that this effort is also a part of a larger “Communist China Defense” suite of bills from Governor Sanders, with proposals to divest state resources from China and ban land purchases near critical infrastructure.
These measures are a timely reminder that safeguarding our communities begins in the statehouse, not just in Washington. Other legislatures should move quickly to adopt similar protections and fortify America’s democracy and sovereignty against those determined to erode them.
 * * *
Joe Gebbia is the CEO and Founder of State Shield, an organization dedicated to educating state leaders and uniting state and federal efforts to combat the growing threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to America’s security, supply chains, and core values.
The views in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Arkansas Strikes First Blow Against Foreign Influence In U.S. Politics

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At least forty people were killed as fierce winds and tornadoes ripped across the country over the weekend, slamming the Midwest and the South. 
Twenty-four of the deaths were attributed to tornadoes, while wind-fueled dust storms and fires resulted in another 16 deaths. At least 12 people <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/tornado-outbreak-live-updates-18-dead-dozens-injured/?id=119832914" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were</a> killed in Missouri, three in Alabama, eight in Kansas, six in Mississippi, four in Texas, three in Arkansas, and four in Oklahoma. 
Tens of thousands of customers are still out of power after the storms raced across the country up into Pennsylvania and New York. More than 25,000 customers are without electricity in Missouri, 56,000 in Pennsylvania, and 23,000 in New York, <a href="https://poweroutage.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to PowerOutage.us. 
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he had activated the National Guard in response to the storms. 
“We are actively monitoring the severe tornadoes and storms that have impacted many States across the South and Midwest — 36 innocent lives have been lost, and many more devastated,” he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114174243289152293">posted</a> on Truth Social on Sunday. “The National Guard have been deployed to Arkansas, and my Administration is ready to assist State and Local Officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage. Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!”
<div id="attachment_892677" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-892677" class="size-full wp-image-892677" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205026292.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="1024" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205026292.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205026292-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205026292-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205026292-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205026292-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photo by Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images.</div>
In Kansas, a wind-fueled dust storm <a href="https://www.ksn.com/news/state-regional/dust-settles-on-71-vehicle-pileup-8-fatalities-near-goodland/">caused</a> a 70-car pileup on Interstate 70 that killed eight people near Goodland on Friday. 
“I’ve seen it before, but this is probably the worst I’ve ever seen,” Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod Hileman told KSNW. 
Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama were all slammed by tornadoes, as at least 56 developed across 10 different states, <a href="https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/severe-weather-tornadoes-dust-storm-blizzard-midwest-plains-southeast-east-coast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Fox Forecast Center. Southeast Missouri was hit particularly hard after storms ripped through Wayne, Ozark, Butler, and Jefferson counties. 
Videos posted online also showed widespread tornado damage in Mississippi.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
FOX Weather exclusive video shows the extensive damages in Tylertown, Mississippi after a tornado ripped through the area this weekend. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mississippi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mississippi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tornado?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tornado</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Farm?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Farm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FoxWeather?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FoxWeather</a> <a href="https://t.co/bwwXZqbCM9">pic.twitter.com/bwwXZqbCM9</a>
— FOX Weather (@foxweather) <a href="https://twitter.com/foxweather/status/1901393041736228951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey said on Sunday that most of her state had been impacted by the storms. 
“We have reports of damage in 52 of our 67 counties. Our damage assessment continues. The sun has risen in Alabama, though. We pray for those lives we lost, as well as those who were injured. And we pray for our first responders, emergency management officials and linemen who are doing incredible work on the ground right now,” she said.

Tornadoes Rip Through Missouri

At Least 40 Dead After Tornadoes, Dust Storms Ravage Several States

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A doctor was indicted by federal authorities this month for an alleged massive child porn ring, almost exactly three years after The Daily Wire exposed how high schools across the country were referring students to an apparent pervert who offered a “scholarship” and “grooming.”
Philip Taylor Sobash was arrested last Friday in Austin, Texas, according to an <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.102213/gov.uscourts.tnmd.102213.3.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment</a> unsealed by the Middle District of Tennessee federal court December 13. The FBI concluded this year that Sobash was a notorious child pornographer called “DiscreetGent,” who was responsible for a “collection of sexually explicit images and videos of about 70 young women and girls.”
The Daily Wire reported on December 15, 2021, that a large number of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-high-schools-steering-students-to-alleged-porn-producer-for-scholarship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high schools were putting students directly in touch with Sobash,</a> despite his having been sued at least four times over his alleged sexual conduct and stripped of his medical license in Arkansas.
In October 2021, Sobash put out a press release saying he “decided to contribute to the next generation of doctors via an effective mentorship program,” that he wanted to “<a href="https://apnews.com/press-release/prcom/medical-schools-b7236c3bbf0a93a3b3803843f32edcd3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">groom</a> and encourage” students, and that “mentoring goes beyond what most medical students think about the medical field.” He also set up a website advertising a $1,000 “Dr. Philip Sobash Scholarship” to “give back to the future medical doctors of America.”
Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver, Washington, instructed high schoolers “with an interest in becoming a medical doctor” to email Sobash their full name, bio, phone number, and address for a chance at $1,000. A sampling of the many other high schools promoting the scholarship include Pearl River High School in New York, the North Ridgeville City Schools in Ohio, the Prairie du Chien Area School District in Wisconsin,  the Starmont Community School District in Iowa, the Vinton County, Ohio schools, and Alfred Ely Beach High School in Savannah, Georgia.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-847967" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/vancouver.png" alt="" width="924" height="908" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/vancouver.png 924w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/vancouver-300x295.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/vancouver-586x576.png 586w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/vancouver-768x755.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 924px) 100vw, 924px" /></div>
At the time, red flags about Sobash were evident. His medical license was surrendered in Arkansas on October 7, 2021, and numerous lawsuits had been filed by women alleging that he exploited them into producing sexual material after luring them with promises of money, then sold it online without their consent. The Daily Wire described four lawsuits that were dropped after apparent cash settlements.
When Sobash practiced at the White River Health System in Batesville, Arkansas and the hospital posted about him online in 2020, numerous women took to the comments section to say he was a predator. One girl from Tennessee wrote that “he tried to fly me out to have sex with him at 16! had to get fbi involved bc he posted nude pics &amp; vids of me at 15!! bc i wouldn’t go see him. not to mention, with ALL my personal info. i’m 20 now &amp; still receive death threats, he’s ruined my life forever.”
That may have been the case that triggered federal charges. Prosecutors said between October 2018 and May 2019, while Sobash lived in Austin, he met a minor from Tennessee on a website that connects women with “sugar daddies.” She told him she was a minor and sent a photo of her driver&#8217;s license, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/texas-man-indicted-child-sexual-exploitation-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prosecutors said</a>. Sobash allegedly sent her thousands of dollars and requested that she send him sexually explicit images of herself. She sent hundreds of such images, and although Sobash promised they would be private, he distributed them online; they were sold online with her first and last name, which led to others contacting her and attempting to blackmail her into producing more child sexual abuse material, they alleged.
Sobash is <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.102213/gov.uscourts.tnmd.102213.3.1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with sexual exploitation of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt of child pornography, facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years on the first charge, 10 years on the second, and five years on the third, in addition to a maximum $750,000 fine.
The <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-victim-information-in-philip-sobash-discreet-gent-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI has asked</a> other victims of Sobash to come forward. “The FBI believes he primarily targeted females between the ages of 15 and 25 from January 2014 through his arrest in December 2024” and that “Numerous victims have reported that after sending sexually explicit images to Sobash, they would be threatened and coerced into producing more imagery,” it said. “The FBI has found dozens of victims&#8217; sexually explicit images for sale online. Sobash used various monikers online, including DiscreetGent, Discreet Gentleman, Discreet Spoiling, Sugar Daddy, Interesting Fun, Honest and Fun, and Excited Guy.”
“Numerous victims have settled civil lawsuits against Sobash and may be bound by non-disclosure agreements. Such agreements are likely unenforceable if designed to prevent victims from reporting crimes to law enforcement,” it said.
Some of the schools did not respond promptly when The Daily Wire notified them in 2021 that they were putting high schoolers in touch with an alleged abuser. Craig Daughtry, the principal of Alfred Ely Beach High School, and Kurt Hetager, communications director for the Savannah-Chatham County (Georgia) Public School System, did not respond to an email whose subject line was “Urgent media request – school website directing students to contact alleged pornographer,” and the school was still advertising the scholarship when the story ran.

Philip Sobash / Instagram

Doctor Who Got High Schools To Send Him Students For ‘Scholarship’ Indicted For Sexual Exploitation

Child Abuse

Department of Justice

Education

Tennessee

The University of Arkansas School of Law promoted a free &#8220;name and gender correction&#8221; pro bono session on Thursday that involved law students helping out.
The law school said the event would provide &#8220;free legal assistance&#8221; to people who wanted to change their legal name and gender designation.
Trans-identifying people often legally change their name and gender on their government documents — a man who identifies as a woman might change his gender to &#8220;female&#8221; and his name to &#8220;Sarah,&#8221; which would show up on his driver&#8217;s license, for example.
The event was scheduled for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Fayetteville Public Library and was hosted by Legal Aid of Arkansas, a nonprofit that provides free legal aid to low-income people.
&#8220;Volunteer law students and local attorneys will provide free legal assistance to those seeking name or gender marker changes. This event is open to the public,&#8221; the school <a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1456625425284725&amp;id=100028118456460&amp;rdid=arPdSghpy9CEewTj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Facebook.
<div id="attachment_818379" style="width: 369px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-818379" class=" wp-image-818379" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/464108656_1456624725284795_4805314509689803066_n-232x300.jpg" alt="" width="359" height="464" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/464108656_1456624725284795_4805314509689803066_n-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/464108656_1456624725284795_4805314509689803066_n-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/464108656_1456624725284795_4805314509689803066_n-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/464108656_1456624725284795_4805314509689803066_n.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px" />(Facebook)</div>
In the comments of the post, people expressed interest in taking advantage of the free legal services.
&#8220;What all is required for a name or gender change? I would love to come and change my name,&#8221; someone commented.
&#8220;I was wondering the same thing,&#8221; wrote someone else.
The law school said the event was part of &#8220;Pro Bono Week.&#8221;
Law students often offer their services for free to people who cannot afford representation because it gives the students real-world experience practicing law.
The University of Arkansas School of Law celebrates students who do many hours of pro bono work.
On Wednesday, students who had completed the most pro bono hours were treated to “Dessert with the Dean&#8221; to &#8220;celebrate their contributions to the law school and the community,&#8221; the school posted on Facebook.
Arkansas is one of the country&#8217;s <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/compare/political-ideology/by/state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more</a> conservative states — about 42% of adults identify as conservative, according to Pew Research.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
The University of Arkansas is the state&#8217;s flagship school, and it <a href="https://financial-affairs.uark.edu/PDFs/2022annualrept.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">receives</a> hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in state and federal funding every year.
Tuition is nearly $40,000 a year for an out-of-state student and nearly $18,000 a year for an Arkansas resident.
Gender ideology exploded as a controversial issue several years ago and it has continued to loom large this election cycle.
Conservatives have pushed back on medicalizing children with gender dysphoria with drugs like puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones or surgeries like double mastectomies and genital surgeries.
At least 24 states, including Arkansas, have <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2023-03-30/what-is-gender-affirming-care-and-which-states-have-restricted-it-in-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> these treatments for minors. Arkansas&#8217; ban on gender procedures for minors was struck down by a federal judge last year.

Image lawyer businessman sitting at the office with a woman customer explaining the agreement of advice.

University Of Arkansas Law School Promoted ‘Name And Gender Change’ Pro Bono Session

University Of Arkansas Law School Promoted 'Name And Gender Change' Pro Bono Session

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LGBTQ

Transgender

Donations for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arkansas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arkansas</a> man named Aaron Spencer, 36, poured in online this week, after Spencer was arrested for killing 67-year-old Michael Fosler, whom Spencer found with his missing 14-year-old daughter.
According to a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/heathernmalachi/posts/10160398652855418?ref=embed_post" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from Spencer&#8217;s wife, the family had a no-contact order out against Fosler for allegedly stalking their daughter over the summer. Back in July, Fosler was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/11/arkansas-father-aaron-spencer-shoots-man-found-with-daughter/75627489007/?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-UN9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSv2S56AMWrsGfdqHDy_PX9uP9iUnkgEhg8eFYs0LGXRdDT9cZHhms37AA_aem_rIc6ZLLpz1nOCI7IkhCUjg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> arrested by another agency for internet stalking of a child and sexual assault.
&#8220;This man had a no contact order for stalking/graping (sic) our child,&#8221; Heather Spencer said in the Facebook post. &#8220;We absolutely called 911 during the entire event. We had no idea this man was in contact with our child again.&#8221;
&#8220;He was looking at the rest of his pathetic life in jail, and our daughter was the only witness,&#8221; the post continued. &#8220;We 100% in the moment thought he had taken her to kill her.&#8221;
Spencer, who&#8217;s been released since posting bond, was arrested on a preliminary charge of first-degree murder, which is a Class Y felony, and booked into Lonoke County Detention Center, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/arkansas-dad-accused-killing-man-he-found-with-daughter-14-could-use-heat-passion-defense-attorney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> this week.
Defense lawyers told Fox they suspect Spencer will see his charges reduced based on the circumstances of the incident.
When the public heard about Spencer&#8217;s arrest, more than $100,000 in donations reportedly poured in through a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-a-hero-legal-fees-for-a-brave-father?attribution_id=sl:87fcfe5f-8ec3-4026-bdbf-7b0c13838bf1&amp;utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash_ai&amp;utm_content=amp8_t4&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> account for legal expenses. However, the platform reportedly pulled the fundraiser without explanation.
&#8220;Our GoFundMe me was removed and people are being issued refunds,&#8221; Heather Spencer said. &#8220;If you donated I apologize I have no idea why this is happening.&#8221;
A <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/GDGSG?utm_source=sharelink&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_campaign=GDGSG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GiveSendGo</a> account was then created for Spencer. Currently, the account is closed, but offers the following message:
<blockquote>Words cannot express how deeply appreciative we are for the support coming in all over the world. We have reached far beyond our goal in less than a week. The rest of our fundraising will be done through Gun Owners of Arkansas and will be pinned across all socials. Update will follow soon. Please continue to share our story far and wide. Thank you and God bless you all.</blockquote>
<a href="https://gunownersarkansas.org/defense-fund/?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-VXdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHWhMXSggCqlcKObUoTL5kuMTQX6qwrHWiUldvtYvc-rra5MHs_rxOf6yYQ_aem_bggXQ9Wl-eUw8sQ_Z03row" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gun Owners of Arkansas</a>, a nonprofit, now has a fundraiser for Spencer, but it&#8217;s unclear how much has been raised.
&#8220;After conducting research and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the incident involving Mr. Aaron Spencer, Gun Owners of Arkansas has concluded that he was justified in his actions under Arkansas Self Defense Law, despite being preliminarily charged with first-degree murder,&#8221; the group said. &#8220;We have mobilized our Defense Fund Account to support a fellow gun owner.&#8221;
Heather Spencer said online that her daughter is a &#8220;victim&#8221; and &#8220;prayers&#8221; are holding her family together.
&#8220;At the end of the day, our daughter is a victim and we have a long road of recovery for everyone,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;We are so thankful for all the calls, messages and prayers. Despite the legal stuff, our family has been through something we don’t wish on anyone. Please keep us in your prayers, if you can donate, great, but prayers are holding us together right now.&#8221;

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Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power after Hurricane Francine made landfall in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/louisiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louisiana</a> on Wednesday, bringing torrential winds and rain. 
As of Thursday morning, Francine had been <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/121142.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">downgraded</a> to a tropical storm, and there were an <a href="https://poweroutage.us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> 391,159 customers without power in Louisiana and 64,247 without power in Mississippi. The storm system is expected to move through Louisiana on Thursday and impact other southern states. 
Francine made landfall as a category 2 hurricane at 5:00 p.m. local time in the southern Louisiana Parish of Terrebonne on Wednesday. Its maximum winds were up to 100 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center, and hit Morgan City hard with rain and wind. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s a little bit worse than what I expected to be honest with you,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-francine-louisiana-power-outages-wind-rain-flooding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Morgan City Sheriff Alvin Cockerham, according to CBS. &#8220;I pulled all my trucks back to the station; it&#8217;s too dangerous to be out there in this.”
In New Orleans, Miles Crawford <a href="https://www.wdsu.com/article/live-tv-rescue-hurricane-francine-new-orleans/62165066" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helped</a> save a man stuck in a truck submerged in water. He used a hammer to break open the vehicle&#8217;s window and helped pull the man out of the truck after going into the flooded street. 
A flash flood emergency was declared Wednesday in New Orleans as it was hit with six to eight inches of rain. 
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday morning that Francine will turn north in the next day or so and start slowing down. 
“On the forecast track, the center of Francine will move over central and northern portions of Mississippi through early Friday,” it said in an update. “Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 35 mph (55 km/h)  with higher gusts. Continued weakening is forecast, and Francine is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone later today.”
The storm is also expected to bring heavy rain to Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. 
“Francine is expected to bring storm total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches across portions of Mississippi, eastern Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle. Localized amounts up to 10 inches are possible within rain bands over portions of central and northern Alabama and over the Florida Panhandle. This rainfall could lead to locally considerable flash and urban flooding,” NOAA said. 
President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/09/10/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-louisiana-emergency-declaration-5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> an emergency declaration from Louisiana to mobilize federal assistance for storm response.

Louisiana Residents Prepare As Hurricane Francine Heads Towards Coastline

Thousands Left Without Power After Hurricane Francine Makes Landfall In Louisiana

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