The Texas Supreme Court last week revived a young woman&#8217;s case against medical professionals who put her on the path to have her body irreversibly damaged in the name of transgender healthcare, paving the way for similar lawsuits.
The unanimous ruling allows Soren Aldaco to continue her medical malpractice suit against her former therapist and Three Oaks Counseling. Her suit states that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties and that their medical interventions led to Aldaco’s “permanent disfigurement and profound psychological scarring.” Aldaco is seeking upwards of $1 million in damages.
Aldaco&#8217;s win is notable because the court agreed that the statute of limitations was more complex than the transgender medical industry argues. While the statute of limitations would have prevented Aldaco from suing after she was injured, the court agreed that lawsuits can continue in cases where a minor is put on a path to medical transition.
Aldaco, an activist who suffered greatly from a medical gender procedure, is no longer &#8220;timed out&#8221; of suing those who harmed her. The ruling could set a precedent for other detransitioners and puts the transgender medical industry on notice.
Independent Women&#8217;s Forum said the ruling &#8220;establishes a renewed lens for determining when the statute of limitations begins in cases involving minors who later allege harm from medical providers who facilitated irreversible &#8216;gender-transition&#8217; interventions.&#8221;
“Today the Texas Supreme Court unanimously ruled that my case deserves to be heard, and that providers implicated in harming vulnerable patients can’t twist the statute of limitations to escape accountability,&#8221; Aldaco said in a statement issued Monday. &#8220;This ruling is a watershed moment.&#8221;
&#8220;The Court’s opinion is already sending shockwaves far beyond Texas,&#8221; she added. &#8220;The direct impact will be felt here at home — but providers across the country, and federally, will now think twice about their responsibility to patients. And patients will see, through the model established here in Texas, that they deserve to be protected and taken seriously.”
Aldaco began identifying as transgender around 11 and was started on hormone replacement therapy at age 17, as outlined by Kelsey Bolar, a senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Forum. At 19, Aldaco underwent surgery to remove her healthy breasts and, just two weeks later, ended up alone in an emergency room for eight hours as doctors reopened her wounds from the double mastectomy.
“At the time, I thought I was going to die,” Aldaco told Independent Women’s Forum. “I just remember being on zero pain meds at the time.”
“Her traumatic medical complications opened her eyes to the ills of so-called ‘gender-affirming care,’ which she said enabled her to believe hormones and surgery could provide her with the sense of self she craved growing up,” Bolar said of Aldaco. “Detransitioned and now working to heal from her ordeal through mindfulness, Soren has become a vocal critic of the ‘enabling’ she sees happening within the gender medical industry.”
The ruling comes on the heels of another high-profile victory for a detransitioner. Fox Varian received $2 million following a verdict in New York in January. Her case centered around the removal of her healthy breasts at age 16 for reasons of supposed transgender care.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-one-has-a-right-to-sterilize-a-child-two-detransitioners-sue-doctors-over-medical-interventions">‘No One Has A Right To Sterilize A Child’: Two Detransitioners Sue Doctors Over Medical Interventions</a>

Soren Aldaco

How A Detransitioner’s Legal Win Marks ‘Watershed Moment’ For Victims Of Gender Procedures

‘Watershed Moment’: Why This Legal Win For A Detransitioner Is So Important 

Court

detransitioner

Texas

Transgender

transgender surgery

In a stunning rebuke of one of America&#8217;s biggest airlines, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a <a href="https://firstliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Brown-Opinion.pdf">blistering decision</a> this week, ruling that flight attendants Lacey Smith and Marli Brown deserve their day in a jury trial after Alaska Airlines booted them from their jobs for questioning the Equality Act.
The attendants were fired after Brown posted a comment on the company&#8217;s internal messaging board, saying the Equality Act would &#8220;endanger the Christian church&#8221; and threaten religious freedom. Smith asked the question — &#8220;As a company, do you think it&#8217;s possible to regulate morality?&#8221; The Equality Act, a bill proposed in 2019, sought to extend civil rights protections to people based on their so-called gender identity.
Alaska Airlines called their posts &#8220;hateful,&#8221; &#8220;offensive,&#8221; and &#8220;discriminatory.&#8221; One company VP testified that Brown&#8217;s use of the phrase &#8220;opposite sex&#8221; was discriminatory because — in his view — it implied only two sexes exist. A lawyer in Alaska Airlines&#8217; legal department declared in an internal email that &#8220;employees actually do not have the right to believe that LGBTQ rights are &#8216;immoral.'&#8221; A colleague shot back: &#8220;I 100% agree.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Huge victory at the U.S. Court of Appeals for our clients Lacey Smith and Marli Brown! The legal battle is ongoing, but this is an incredible step towards a final victory that will restore Lacey and Marli’s religious freedom. <a href="https://t.co/SSJ3PkqxUV">pic.twitter.com/SSJ3PkqxUV</a>
&mdash; First Liberty Institute (@firstliberty_) <a href="https://x.com/firstliberty_/status/2069871461242708403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, the flight attendants&#8217; own union — which typically defends employees — was privately cheering their destruction. The union&#8217;s top executive called Smith a &#8220;bigot&#8221; in text and told Alaska Airlines management to send her &#8220;bigoted a** packing.&#8221; Another union rep suggested putting both women in &#8220;a burlap bag and drop them in a well.&#8221; That same rep then showed up to represent Brown at her disciplinary hearing.
The appeals court wasn&#8217;t buying any of it. The judges found that a reasonable jury could absolutely conclude Alaska Airlines used its anti-harassment policies as cover to punish two women for their faith — especially given that the airline itself had invited employees to &#8220;openly share ideas&#8221; and &#8220;understand one another&#8221; on the very forum where Brown and Smith posted their remarks.
The court noted with particular withering clarity that Alaska &#8220;created a forum for employee discussion on controversial issues, then fired Brown after she made religious objections of the kind Alaska anticipated.&#8221; The Notice of Discharge against Smith — who had asked a single philosophical question — characterized her words as speech that &#8220;targets a group of individuals based on their legally protected characteristics.&#8221; A jury, the court said, could easily find that description &#8220;overwrought or inaccurate.&#8221;
Both women had exemplary records. Brown had never been disciplined once in eight years.
The case now heads back to trial. For Lacey Smith and Marli Brown, the fight for their careers — and their faith — is far from over.
But for the first time in years, they have a fighting chance.

Alaska Airlines At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Fired Flight Attendants Win Big After Major Airline Canned Them For Their Faith

Alaska Airlines

Christianity

So-called racial justice activist and civil rights attorney Lee Merritt was tapped by the Karmelo Anthony family to assemble the convicted murderer&#8217;s new legal team.
Anthony was convicted earlier this month for the murder of Austin Metcalf, 17, and has been sentenced to 35 years behind bars. The Anthony family has made clear that they will fight the conviction.
&#8220;Immediately after the conviction, Karmelo Anthony’s father reached out to me and asked for help assembling a new legal team to fight for his son’s future,&#8221; Merritt posted to X on Tuesday. &#8220;From that moment, we have been working nonstop to bring together experienced appellate and civil rights attorneys to review every aspect of this case and pursue relief through the courts.&#8221;
Merritt has worked with the families in high-profile racially-charged cases, including those of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. He&#8217;s also known for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX_ked2jJGs">advancing</a> false rape and kidnapping claims against a Texas trooper, before body cam debunked the accusations.
&#8220;Today’s filing, formally replacing prior counsel and placing this new team on the record, is the first step in that process,&#8221; Merritt continued. &#8220;We remain committed to ensuring that Karmelo receives a full and fair review of his conviction and sentence, consistent with both the evidence and the law.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not about headlines; it is about due process, accountability, and the pursuit of justice for a young man whose life now depends on what happens on appeal,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Immediately after the conviction, Karmelo Anthony’s father reached out to me and asked for help assembling a new legal team to fight for his son’s future. From that moment, we have been working nonstop to bring together experienced appellate and civil rights attorneys to review… <a href="https://t.co/m4UQoDxlCv">pic.twitter.com/m4UQoDxlCv</a>
— Lee Merritt (@LeeMerrittesq) <a href="https://x.com/LeeMerrittesq/status/2069226547605639631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
The new legal team includes Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, appellate lawyer Russell Wilson II, and civil rights attorney Brooke Cluse, as first reported by TMZ. Journalist Sarah Fields highlighted on Tuesday that Cluse joined Ben Crump Law in 2023 and currently serves as chief of staff and executive liaison to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/from-michael-brown-to-makhia-bryant-meet-the-lawyer-whose-false-claims-fueled-a-generation-of-black-lives-matter-violence">Crump</a>, another widely known racial activist and attorney. Crump was involved in the racially charged cases of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, and Michael Brown, wherein he notably propagated the false “hands up, don’t shoot!” narrative.
Fields reported that Bledsoe was recently called out by a judge for potential misuse of artificial intelligence in a filing, but was able to dodge sanctions after an apology.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW LEGAL TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR KARMELO ANTHONY APPEAL
A team including Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, appellate attorney Russell Wilson II, and civil rights attorney Brooke Cluse has announced it is taking over Karmelo Anthony’s case and “will pursue all available avenues of… <a href="https://t.co/CWDkSepFSP">pic.twitter.com/CWDkSepFSP</a>
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) <a href="https://x.com/SarahisCensored/status/2069180441312313622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
Days after Anthony was sentenced for the Metcalf murder, he claimed in a court filing that he was broke and couldn&#8217;t afford legal representation, despite the Anthony family receiving more than $635,000 through a crowdfunding campaign.
A filing formally requested a court-appointed appellate attorney, stating that Anthony is a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal,” <a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/frisco-murder-trial/one-day-after-conviction-karmelo-anthony-files-notice-of-appeal-and-says-he-cant-afford-a-lawyer/287-6c56a100-fea6-4d7e-87b6-b95370305c3f">according to WFAA.</a>
During an interview on &#8220;The Will Cain Show,&#8221; Jeff Metcalf, father of Austin Metcalf, <a href="https://x.com/WillCainShow/status/2069185680962416684">said</a> the Anthony family was monetizing his son&#8217;s death. Jeff said Anthony&#8217;s parents left the courtroom for the reading of victim-impact statements and for their son&#8217;s sentencing.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fck-austin-karmelo-anthony-supporters-harass-threaten-friends-of-slain-teen-outside-courthouse?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘F*ck+Austin%21’%3A+Karmelo+Anthony+Supporters+Harass%2C+Threaten+Friends+Of+Slain+Teen+Outside+Courthouse">‘F*ck Austin!’: Karmelo Anthony Supporters Harass, Threaten Friends Of Slain Teen Outside Courthouse</a>

ANTHONY TRIAL DAY 7_2026_0609

The Latest Development In Karmelo Anthony’s Case Comes With Baggage

Karmelo Anthony Family Taps Notorious Race Hustler For Appeal Fight

Austin Metcalf

Karmelo Anthony

Race

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro said in a court hearing on Wednesday that Luigi Mangione will argue a “psychiatric defense” for his upcoming state trial over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 
The man who is painted by many on the Left as an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/luigi-mangione">antihero</a> will now seek to present evidence that he experienced “extreme emotional disturbance” at the time of Thompson’s killing, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-reveals-luigi-mangione-pursue-psychiatric-defense-unitedhealthcare-ceo-assassination-case">Fox News</a> reported.
Mangione&#8217;s psychiatric defense could downgrade a murder conviction to a manslaughter conviction if the jury buys his argument. Mangione’s exact psychiatric issues are not clear, but the defense will have to inform the prosecutors of what malady the defendant suffers from and what caused his “extreme emotional disturbance&#8221; ahead of the state trial, which is set to begin on September 8.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/suspect-in-unitedhealthcare-ceo-assassination-charged-with-murder?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Suspect+In+UnitedHealthcare+CEO+Assassination+Charged+With+Murder">On December 4, 2024</a>, Mangione allegedly gunned down Thompson outside of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. He was arrested five days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Evidence of premeditation was found in a notebook he had on him during the arrest, detailing how to carry out the murder and why. He also carried a manifesto against insurance companies, specifically mentioning “United.”  
The judge ordered the defense to give further details to the DA&#8217;s office by Thursday.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, pointed out on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6398666923112">Fox News</a> that Mangione said himself in 2025 that “he doesn’t have mental illness, that he doesn’t suffer from drug abuse of any kind. … They’re gonna hang this on the fact that he had spinal fusion surgery in 2023, and he had been suffering in pain, and isolation, and anxiety.” 
Siegel doesn’t believe any of Mangione&#8217;s claims would “meet the bar of extreme emotional disturbance if it hadn’t been diagnosed previously, where he had some kind of delusional or psychotic disorder as a result.” 
Legal analyst Kerri Urbahn sees the defense linking the “emotional disturbance” to Mangione’s spinal fusion surgery back in 2023, arguing that excessive angst and anger built up over time, and then he eventually “exploded — reacted and gunned down the CEO.”
Mangione has already received a favorable ruling in his federal case, when a judge dismissed charges in the case that made him eligible for the death penalty. Mangione pleaded not guilty to all state and federal charges.

US-JUSTICE-CRIME-MANGIONE

The Defense Strategy Luigi Mangione Is Betting Everything On

Luigi Mangione

New York

Federal authorities recently uncovered a scheme carried out by court officials in Utah who helped illegal immigrants evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Jennifer Joma, 27, and Lauren Kelsey Morrow, 26, have been charged with assisting several illegal immigrants avoid arrest after ICE agents arrived at the Logan City Municipal Justice Court on April 9, according to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/two-former-utah-court-clerks-arrested-and-facing-federal-charges-after-allegedly-helping">Justice Department</a>.
When ICE agents showed up at the courthouse with an administrative warrant to arrest an illegal immigrant inside, Joma and Morrow allegedly misused court databases to identify who was illegally in the United States before escorting them out of the building, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
According to prosecutors, the two women began intercepting illegal immigrants, including ICE&#8217;s target, as they were leaving the courthouse and then moved them down several hallways before helping them slip through the back door, allowing them to avoid federal agents.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Two Former Utah Court Clerks Arrested and Facing Federal Charges after Allegedly Helping Illegal Aliens Evade ICE Arrest
PRESS RELEASE: 🔗<a href="https://t.co/eGOUlbFAPY">https://t.co/eGOUlbFAPY</a> <a href="https://t.co/qxKdfHystJ">pic.twitter.com/qxKdfHystJ</a>
— US Attorney Utah (@USAO_UT) <a href="https://x.com/USAO_UT/status/2064761031520350654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The department said Joma later drove three illegal immigrants away from the courthouse in her vehicle before returning to work alone.
Morrow and Joma were captured on surveillance video waving and smiling at the camera as Morrow flashed her middle finger, according to the press release.
Joma and Morrow were arrested and charged with conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens, and obstruction of proceedings before departments and agencies. Joma also faces an additional charge of transporting illegal aliens.
The case marks the latest prosecution of public officials accused of interfering with federal immigration enforcement.
It follows the conviction of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was found guilty of felony obstruction after helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE. She was acquitted on a misdemeanor charge of concealing a wanted person.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the Trump administration has &#8220;zero tolerance&#8221; for such behavior.
&#8220;You don&#8217;t get to choose which laws you&#8217;re going to enforce, just like we don&#8217;t pick and choose which laws we&#8217;re going to enforce,&#8221; Mullin said.
&#8220;Our biggest hindrance are these left, Democrat politicians that are defunding the police and that&#8217;s got to stop,&#8221; he added.

Untitled design – 2026-06-11T115045.545

Court Staff Helped Illegal Immigrants Evade ICE In Shocking Scheme

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Leftist civil rights leaders and race hustlers condemned the guilty verdict in Karmelo Anthony’s trial, claiming it was unjust and racist.
Anthony was convicted of murder on Tuesday after just two and a half hours of deliberations over the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025. While Anthony&#8217;s family peddled claims that he was targeted for his race and that Metcalf provoked him, video evidence shows that Anthony refused requests that he leave the track team&#8217;s tent before he stabbed Metcalf.
Despite the evidence and the quick verdict, some black leftists claimed the outcome was racially motivated. 
Dominique Alexander, a Dallas-based civil rights leader, political activist, and founder of the Next Generation Action Network, <a href="https://x.com/JayTC53/status/2064438950589354412">said</a>, “Black America should be very upset about what went on today.” He called the verdict “flawed” and &#8220;unjust.&#8221; 
The case’s result tells people that “black lives do not matter in the criminal justice system,” according to Alexander. It shows racism in law, Alexander said, demonstrating that black people will “be afforded the same laws as anybody else.” He added that he is not “playing the race card,” but presenting the fact that black people have suffered from these laws for 400 years.
A <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZYM6qEBiZ6/?igsh=MTk3NTdtOXVyb2g1aA%3D%3D">post</a> shared on Instagram by Dr. Umar Johnson, a motivational speaker and author who has dubbed himself &#8220;prince of Pan-Africanism,&#8221; compared the Anthony case to the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857, claiming that Anthony was “lynched by an all-white jury.” The post shared by Johnson also claimed that &#8220;black people aren’t allowed to defend themselves” and that there is “no justice!” 
<div id="attachment_1113393" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1113393" class="wp-image-1113393 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Instagram — Dr. Umar Johnson</div>
<a href="https://x.com/AttorneyCrump/status/2064443533365264462">Ben Crump</a>, a prominent American civil rights attorney, said the case presents “hard questions about fairness, justice, and whose actions earn the benefit of understanding.”
&#8220;Those questions are not new, and we owe it to every family touched by this to keep asking them,&#8221; Crump added.
Civil rights attorney and CNN contributor Areva Martin also <a href="https://x.com/ArevaMartin/status/2064457541699178591">said</a> that Anthony’s verdict “raises questions.”
&#8220;This case is far from over. We should expect an appeal, including challenges related to the exclusion of Black jurors,&#8221; Martin added. &#8220;Faith in our courts requires more than a conviction or an acquittal. It requires confidence that every defendant was afforded a fair trial.&#8221;
Martin said that the reason this verdict will be difficult for the “African American community” to accept is due to the exclusion of “all of the black potential jurors.” Multiple black witnesses, however, said that Anthony was in the wrong and spoke highly of Metcalf. Martin also argued that Anthony pulled out the knife because he was “fearful of his life” and believed he would be injured, despite the fact that Metcalf said he would not fight Anthony.
Not everyone in the black community is upset by the verdict. Judge Glenda Hatchett, the prominent American attorney, author, and television personality, said in a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DZYXUqhTSSh/">video</a> on Instagram that she did not find a “basis for self-defense.” The testimony did not show &#8220;his life was in danger” or that it “justified the fatal stabbing,” according to Hatchett.
Coming from a “mother’s heart,” Hatchett said that parents must teach their children how to “think clearly” in these situations.
“He was not supposed to be in the tent,” Hatchett said. “He was asked to leave the tent. Why not just leave the tent?”

Leftist Race Hustlers Enraged After Karmelo Anthony Verdict: ‘Lynched By An All-White Jury’

Murder

trial

The father of slain teen Austin Metcalf unloaded on convicted murderer Karmelo Anthony while reading his victim impact statement inside the courtroom on Tuesday.
Anthony was convicted Tuesday of murdering Austin at a track meet in April 2025 and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Austin&#8217;s father, Jeff Metcalf, admonished Anthony for making the case about race and told him he&#8217;s been feeling &#8220;pure unfiltered rage&#8221; while grieving the loss of his son.
&#8220;I said from day one, this was never about race, please don&#8217;t politicize it,&#8221; Jeff said. &#8220;But what did you choose to do, both. It&#8217;s about right and wrong. We&#8217;re all humans. We all bleed the same color.&#8221;
Notably, Anthony&#8217;s family held a press conference after Austin&#8217;s murder and suggested Anthony was a victim of racial injustice. They forcibly removed Jeff from the presser when he said he wanted to speak with the Anthony family and possibly pray with them. The Anthony family also started a fundraiser in the wake of the murder, which accumulated more than $600,000. Many comments in support of the fundraiser were racially charged.
Continuing to address Anthony directly, Jeff told the 19-year-old to stop looking down and said his family had been robbed of Austin.
&#8220;A piece of me died with my son, and I&#8217;m expected to keep living,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You&#8217;re going to prison. I forgave you the day it happened. I don&#8217;t forgive what you did.&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;re free to make choices all you want, but you&#8217;re not free from those consequences,&#8221; the father continued. &#8220;You will face those consequences starting today.&#8221;
&#8220;People think that grief is sadness but it&#8217;s not. It&#8217;s rage! Pure unfiltered rage,&#8221; Jeff reportedly shouted while slamming his hands on the table in front of him. &#8220;You failed your parents, you failed yourself and you failed society, You don&#8217;t belong in this community.&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;re going to prison,&#8221; he added. &#8220;You can&#8217;t even look me in the eyes right now but you can stab my f*cking son in the heart.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Austin Metcalf&#8217;s dad, Jeff, just unloaded on Karmelo Anthony. 
&#8220;We were robbed, don&#8217;t look down, of all of these things.&#8221; 
&#8220;I said from day one, this was never about race, please don&#8217;t politicize it. But what did you choose to do, both. It&#8217;s about right and wrong. We&#8217;re all humans.…
— MaryAnn Martinez (@MaryAnnreports) <a href="https://x.com/MaryAnnreports/status/2064516855457611984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
Austin&#8217;s mother, Meghan Metcalf, also delivered a victim impact statement, telling Anthony he should consider himself fortunate given the pain he inflicted on the Metcalf family.
“My son was murdered,&#8221; she said. &#8220;He didn’t just die. He was taken from us, just as he was starting to live.&#8221;
&#8220;You may have just been given a sentence of 35 years — you should feel lucky because I&#8217;ve been sentenced to a life without my son,&#8221; she added.
Austin&#8217;s twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, told Anthony that he took &#8220;everything&#8221; away from him when he murdered Austin. Hunter notably held Austin as he died from Anthony&#8217;s vicious attack. Hunter also told Anthony that every morning he still sees Austin&#8217;s bedroom door shut, causing him immense pain.
Hunter also reportedly told Anthony to look him in the eyes when he was speaking. But Anthony refused, looking down instead. “If you could just look me in the eye while I speak, I would really respect that,” Hunter said.
Anthony&#8217;s murder trial started on June 1 with jury selection and wrapped in nine days. Video footage and witness testimony — even from defense witnesses — generally indicated that Anthony provoked the situation with Metcalf and deadly force was not needed, contradicting the self-defense argument from Anthony’s team. Anthony did not take the stand during the trial.

Jeff and Austin Metcalf

Slain Teen’s Dad Unloads On Karmelo Anthony In Courtroom: ‘Can’t Even Look Me In The Eyes’

Slain Teen’s Dad Unloads On Karmelo Anthony In Courtroom: ‘Pure Unfiltered Rage!’

Crime

A Collin County, Texas, jury on Tuesday found Karmelo Anthony, 19, guilty of murdering 17-year-old high school athlete Austin Metcalf.
Anthony, who was 17 years old at the time of the murder, was tried as an adult and is facing five years to life in prison for the first-degree murder conviction. Anthony broke down in tears when the verdict was read and was visibly shaking.
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Credit: Wired in Live
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CBS reporter J.D. Miles reported just before the verdict that more than two dozen deputies were outside the courtroom and a crowd outside the courthouse was gathering and chanting &#8220;Free Karmelo.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tense scene in and around Collin County Courthouse. More than 2 dozen deputies outside the courtroom alone. Outside a crowd is gathering with chants of &#8220;Free Karmelo&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Jy0e6jRNhl">pic.twitter.com/Jy0e6jRNhl</a>
— J.D. Miles (@jdmiles11) <a href="https://x.com/jdmiles11/status/2064424313713770967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
Anthony, who is black, fatally stabbed Metcalf, who was white, at a track event in April 2025 in Frisco, Texas. The case quickly garnered national attention, both due to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/family-of-karmelo-anthony-hosted-the-most-disgusting-press-conference-ive-ever-seen?author=Matt+Walsh&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Family+Of+Karmelo+Anthony+Hosted+The+Most+Disgusting+Press+Conference+I’ve+Ever+Seen">a narrative peddled by the Anthony family</a> and the glaring lack of coverage from the legacy media, which routinely highlights and escalates white-on-black incidents.
<div id="attachment_1112269" style="width: 904px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1112269" class="wp-image-1112269 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-894x576.jpeg" alt="" width="894" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-894x576.jpeg 894w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-300x193.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-768x495.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-1536x990.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot.jpeg 1694w" sizes=" (max-width: 894px) 100vw, 894px" />GoFundMe: Austin Metcalf Family</div>
The high-profile trial started on June 1 with jury selection and wrapped in a matter of nine days. Video footage and witness testimony — even from defense witnesses — generally indicated that Anthony provoked the situation with Metcalf and deadly force was not needed, contradicting the self-defense argument from Anthony&#8217;s team.
Notably, Anthony did not take the stand during the trial.
The race narrative advanced by the Anthony family was also quickly dispelled during witness testimony. For example, a number of teen witnesses called to the stand by the state were black; they all said Anthony was in the wrong and spoke highly of Metcalf as a person and friend.
In an emotional moment, a male witness who knew both Anthony and the slain teen broke down crying about the murder, saying of Austin, “That was my brother, that was my brother that got stabbed.” <a href="https://x.com/SarahisCensored">Investigative journalist Sarah Fields</a>, who was in the courtroom, said the teen was asked directly if this case was about race. He responded, “No, Austin was a leader and he protected us.”
Video evidence also showed that Anthony was never surrounded by a mob, but was confronted by Metcalf alone. Metcalf explicitly told Anthony he wasn&#8217;t going to fight him, according to witness testimony.
Supporters of Anthony have been outside the courthouse since the trial started. They have made racial remarks and denigrated Metcalf. In seeming anticipation of any protest over the verdict, authorities secured the area early Tuesday morning.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 NOW: It’s 2:15am here outside the Collin County, TX courthouse where Karmelo Anthony’s trial is being held
And sheriff’s deputies have this placed LOCKED DOWN
I spoke with a couple deputies, and they’ve assured me they are READY to combat any sort of rioting that follows the… <a href="https://t.co/GTwoWnWcdN">pic.twitter.com/GTwoWnWcdN</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://x.com/nicksortor/status/2064244936967377386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/family-of-karmelo-anthony-hosted-the-most-disgusting-press-conference-ive-ever-seen?author=Matt+Walsh&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Family+Of+Karmelo+Anthony+Hosted+The+Most+Disgusting+Press+Conference+I’ve+Ever+Seen">Family Of Karmelo Anthony Hosted The Most Disgusting Press Conference I’ve Ever Seen</a>

Jury Reaches Verdict In Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial

Verdict Rendered In Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial 

Special Reporting

A number of devastating revelations against the defense team came to light this past week in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony.
Anthony, who admitted to fatally stabbing 17-year-old student Austin Metcalf at a track meet in April 2025, is facing a first-degree murder charge and life in prison. The case has been tinged by race in the public, due to the glaring lack of mainstream media coverage and the narrative peddled by Anthony family advocates and supporters. Anthony is black and Metcalf is white.
<h3>Defense race narrative out the window </h3>
Though Anthony&#8217;s team has tried to make race a component of the murder — both inside and outside of the courtroom — witnesses have disrupted that narrative so far. A number of teen witnesses called to the stand by the state have been black, and they&#8217;ve all said Anthony was in the wrong, provoking the situation and not acting in self-defense. Though specific identities cannot be revealed because the witnesses are minors, Texas bureau chief for The Daily Mail, MaryAnn Martinez, posted on Friday that four out of the six teens who testified were black.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We have now heard from six teens who were at the stadium the day Austin Metcalf was stabbed by Karmelo Anthony. Four out of the six are black . All have testified that Karmelo Anthony was asked to leave the Memorial HS team tent, provoked Austin Metcalf, and pulled a knife… <a href="https://t.co/5pQh7S83Zm">https://t.co/5pQh7S83Zm</a>
— MaryAnn Martinez (@MaryAnnreports) <a href="https://x.com/MaryAnnreports/status/2063012479127654848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
In an emotional moment, one witness who knew both Anthony and the slain teen broke down crying about the murder, saying of Austin, &#8220;That was my brother, that was my brother that got stabbed.&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/SarahisCensored">Investigative journalist Sarah Fields</a>, who was in the courtroom, said the teen was asked if this was about race, to which he responded, &#8220;No, Austin was a leader and he protected us.&#8221; Fields also noted while reporting the testimony, &#8220;A large majority of these witnesses are not white.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Part three of thread <a href="https://t.co/4AGJVlhM3p">pic.twitter.com/4AGJVlhM3p</a>
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) <a href="https://x.com/SarahisCensored/status/2063769220215718219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
Martinez reported that one student, who is black, &#8220;wanted to attack Anthony&#8221; after the stabbing. &#8220;The teammate explained that he was on the football team with Austin and he considered him family,&#8221; Martinez said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New state witness Vincent Cooper, a coach at Frisco ISD, is now testifying how he was assigned to manage Karmelo Anthony after the stabbing and stop him from leaving the football stadium. Later, Cooper was asked to calm down a teammate of Austin Metcalf (pictured below) who was… <a href="https://t.co/NwwwB003dZ">pic.twitter.com/NwwwB003dZ</a>
— MaryAnn Martinez (@MaryAnnreports) <a href="https://x.com/MaryAnnreports/status/2062651763853873567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
Notably, the defense team unsuccessfully objected when the jury was selected since no one on the jury is black. Supporters of Anthony outside the courthouse have also made racial remarks and denigrated Metcalf.
<h3>Anthony provoked the encounter</h3>
The defense team is offering a self-defense narrative, saying that Anthony was under Metcalf&#8217;s school&#8217;s track tent to seek shelter from bad weather. Some witnesses, however, say Anthony was asked to leave up to 15 times by different people and refused. He insulted the school&#8217;s football team, called those under the tent &#8220;p*ssies,&#8221; and called Metcalf a &#8220;b*tch,&#8221; according to testimony.
Anthony threatened Metcalf, who told him, &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to fight you at a track meet, bro,&#8221; a witness said, according to Fields&#8217; reporting. Anthony fatally stabbed the teen after Metcalf softly pushed or shoved him.
Additionally, some witnesses said Anthony was not fully sheltered beneath the tent before the confrontation, suggesting he wasn&#8217;t merely seeking shelter from hard rain. Others also said heavy rainfall occurred after the stabbing.
<h3>Defense witness says Anthony was wrong</h3>
In another key moment for the prosecution, a witness who was called to testify by the defense team on Saturday plainly stated that Anthony was &#8220;in the wrong.&#8221; The following exchange, <a href="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/karmelo-anthony-murder-trial-frisco-day-3/4032788/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a> by NBC DFW, is between a teenage defense witness and Bill Wirskye, the lead prosecutor:
<blockquote>&#8220;You didn&#8217;t expect for there to be a stabbing?&#8221; Wirskye asked.
&#8220;No, sir,&#8221; the witness answered.
[&#8230;]
&#8220;Who was in the wrong that morning?&#8221; Wirskye asked.
&#8220;I think Karmelo was in the wrong,&#8221; the witness answered.
&#8220;Karmelo provoked this, didn&#8217;t he?&#8221; Wirskye asked.
&#8220;Yes, sir,&#8221; the witness answered.</blockquote>
The defense will continue to call witnesses to the stand on Monday.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/race-narrative-kicked-into-overdrive-after-jury-selected-in-austin-metcalf-murder-trial">Race Narrative Kicked Into Overdrive After Jury Selected In Austin Metcalf Murder Trial</a>

Screenshot 2025-04-05 at 9.43.51 AM

3 Key Moments From The Karmelo Anthony Trial You Should Know

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count of illegally retaining sensitive national security information, dramatically narrowing a case that originally included 18 criminal charges.
According to multiple reports, Bolton is expected to formally enter the guilty plea during a June 26 hearing in federal court in Maryland. As part of the agreement, he has also agreed to pay a fine of approximately $2.25 million.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the agreement when contacted by The Daily Wire, referring inquiries to the court docket.
The plea deal significantly reduces Bolton&#8217;s legal exposure. Federal prosecutors originally <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">charged</a> the former Trump administration official in October 2025 with eight counts of transmitting national defense information and ten counts of unlawfully retaining that information.
Under the agreement, Bolton will plead guilty to just one count of illegal retention of national security information. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, though reports indicate he could ultimately receive anything from probation to a prison sentence.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">According to sources familiar</a> with the matter, the conduct underlying the plea centers on  diary-style entries Bolton maintained during his time as national security adviser. The information was allegedly contained in electronic diary entries that he shared with family members.
Importantly, the plea does not involve allegations that Bolton provided classified documents to foreign governments or publicly released classified materials. &#8220;There’s no allegation that he took home any classified documents, or that he leaked any documents or that he shared any documents with foreign adversaries,&#8221; one source familiar with the case told NBC News.
Reports also indicate Bolton is not pleading guilty to the transmission-related charges that were included in the original indictment. The agreement comes after prosecutors alleged Bolton improperly retained sensitive information from his time in the Trump administration and shared more than 1,000 pages of information through a personal email account with unauthorized recipients, widely reported to be family members.
Federal investigators later examined Bolton&#8217;s handling of the information after his personal email account was reportedly compromised by Iranian-linked hackers.
Bolton, who served as President Donald Trump&#8217;s national security adviser from April 2018 until September 2019, had previously pleaded not guilty and repeatedly defended his conduct.
A source close to Bolton told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">NBC News</a> that the former national security adviser agreed to the plea in part to avoid a trial that could require additional classified information to be disclosed in court. &#8220;This was a very difficult decision for him,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;Most importantly, he is doing what leaders do and taking responsibility.&#8221;
Following the June 26 hearing, a federal judge will have up to 90 days to determine Bolton&#8217;s sentence.

John Bolton

Inside John Bolton’s Plea Deal: Former Trump Adviser Admits Guilt Over Classified Secrets

John Bolton Will Plead Guilty To Retaining National Security Secrets

Donald Trump

emails

Hacked

justice department

Maryland

National Security

A New York judge on Monday tossed out key evidence found in the backpack of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the heart of Manhattan.
Judge Gregory Carro ruled that evidence obtained from Mangione’s backpack when he was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s must be suppressed, including a magazine, cellphone, passport, computer chip, and wallet. 
A gun and notebook that prosecutors say connect Mangione to Thompson’s murder will still be allowed as evidence at the trial, which is set to begin on <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/luigi-mangione-due-court-ruling-backpack-evidence-ceo-killing-case-2026-05-18/">September 8 and last about six weeks</a>. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NEW VIDEO: Cameras inside the courtroom capture the moment New York State Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro announces that some key pieces of evidence seized from Luigi Mangione’s backpack during his arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald&#8217;s are inadmissible at trial, while some of it… <a href="https://t.co/dTbrR8dcYw">pic.twitter.com/dTbrR8dcYw</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2056385258858197203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
The ruling is a partial win for Mangione’s defense team, who argued that the search of the backpack without a warrant violated his constitutional rights.
&#8220;At the hearing, Altoona law enforcement officers repeatedly attempted to justify their warrantless search of Mr. Mangione&#8217;s backpack &#8230; instead, all these officers demonstrated was an utter disregard for a defendant&#8217;s constitutional rights and a shocking ignorance of basic search and seizure caselaw,&#8221; Mangione&#8217;s attorneys wrote in a state court filing, <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/judge-decide-throw-key-evidence-luigi-mangione/story?id=133018432">according to ABC News</a>. 
The prosecution argued the officers acted &#8220;in deliberate and painstaking fashion&#8221; while searching the backpack. 
&#8220;At every step, the Altoona officers responded to this unexpected and alarming situation reasonably,&#8221; Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote in a court filing. 
Thompson was gunned down from behind in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024, as he was walking to a hotel during his company’s annual investor conference. 
Shell casings retrieved from the scene had the words “deny,” &#8220;defend,&#8221; and “depose” written on them, according to the New York Police Department. The words found on the shell casings have been connected to a 2010 book that was critical of the health insurance industry. Mangione’s fingerprints allegedly matched those found on a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper recovered near the murder scene, and the gun recovered from his backpack was matched to shell casings found at the scene.
The killing sparked a massive, nationwide five-day manhunt, which ended with Mangione&#8217;s arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, which is more than 200 miles from Manhattan. At the fast-food chain, police found a loaded gun magazine in his backpack. A subsequent inventory search of the bag at the Altoona police station turned up a firearm, suppressor, and what appeared to be a manifesto, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-drops-fight-for-death-penalty-in-luigi-mangione-assassination-case">The Daily Wire previously reported</a>. 
Mangione pleaded not guilty to the federal and state murder charges. In January, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two of the four charges, including use of a firearm to commit murder, which made him eligible for the death penalty.
Garnett said she dismissed the charges “solely to preclude the death penalty as an available punishment when the jury determines if the Defendant caused Brian Thompson’s death,” The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-says-prosecutors-cant-pursue-death-penalty-against-luigi-mangione" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time.
Behind bars, Mangione has amassed a following of mostly Left-wing advocates angry with the American healthcare system. A legal fund supporting his <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/judge-decide-throw-key-evidence-luigi-mangione/story?id=133018432">defense has surpassed $1.5 million</a>.
Mangione, if convicted of all charges, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Supporters line up ahead of Luigi Mangione ruling <a href="https://t.co/uGw13E4Y1d">https://t.co/uGw13E4Y1d</a> <a href="https://t.co/SaYxZuazon">pic.twitter.com/SaYxZuazon</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2056381879767417182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>

Luigi Mangione Scores Another Win As Judge Tosses Out Key Evidence

Judge

News

The Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively legal drama has come to an end without the spectacle of a trial, and legal experts are saying both sides spent “an obscene amount” of money in the process.
The former co-stars settled the matter two weeks before the trial was scheduled to kick off in New York, after filing multiple lawsuits and counter suits against each other. New York-based attorney Richard Schoenstein, who does not represent either party, <a href="https://people.com/how-much-did-blake-lively-and-justin-baldoni-s-it-ends-with-us-dispute-cost-exclusive-11967317">discussed</a> the likely financial fallout with People. 
“The combined legal expense is in the multiple millions. There are around 1,500 docket entries, countless lawyers on both sides, and these are high-priced firms billing well over $1,000 an hour,” Schoenstein said, which fellow NY-based attorney Megan Thomas agreed with. She said the two parties spent “an obscene amount” over the past two years. 
“I can&#8217;t give a number, but both sides had multiple lawyers,” Thomas added.
Schoenstein added that mounting costs likely had a lot to do with Lively and Baldoni reaching a settlement. Plus, with both sides having their claims dismissed or reduced, it ended up not being worth the hassle.
“I think they settled because the case wasn&#8217;t worth it at this point for either of them,” Schoenstein told the outlet. “The case had been reduced — his counterclaims were dismissed, and her claims were substantially narrowed. There wasn&#8217;t enough to gain from going to trial given the cost, which would have been extremely high, in the millions.”
The legal drama between the former costars started in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, and attempting to “destroy” her reputation. This came after she starred opposite Baldoni in “It Ends With Us,” a film he also directed.
Baldoni fervently denied the claims, responding with a countersuit against his co-star and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. He also sued The New York Times for $250 million in a defamation claim for an article about the situation, which he says is “rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions.” The countersuit was dismissed by the judge in June 2025.
A federal judge in New York ruled in early April to dismiss 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including those related to harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. 
As both cases fell apart and attorney fees kept climbing, the former co-stars finally came to a confidential settlement on Monday, May 4. It is rumored that the only ones who got paid in the end were the lawyers. 
&#8220;The end product — the movie ‘It Ends With Us’ — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind,&#8221; a statement from Baldoni and Lively provided to Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-settlement-reportedly-ends-no-money-expert-calls-complete-disaster">said</a>.
&#8220;We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.&#8221;

Blake Lively Justin Baldoni

Hollywood’s Biggest Legal Feud Collapses After ‘Millions’ Wasted On Lawyers

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