A Michigan district court judge was criticized on Monday after setting a $100,000 bond for the man charged with terrorism in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-mass-stabbing-suspect-identified-charged-with-terrorism">stabbing attack</a> at a Traverse City, Michigan, Walmart over the weekend.
In a video arraignment for suspect James Bradford Gille, Magistrate Tammi Rodgers said Gille has been charged with &#8220;heinous&#8221; crimes, which include 11 counts of assault with intent to murder. Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg requested that Rodgers set a significant bond due to the seriousness of the charges and Gille&#8217;s history of mental illness and previous run-ins with law enforcement, West Michigan ABC affiliate, WZZM 13 <a href="https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/traverse-city-walmart-stabbing-suspect-arraigned/69-4f3e4b38-b1b5-4286-925b-ad2b65180e83">reported</a>.
The judge set the bond at $100,000, adding that if he&#8217;s able to post bond, he would be barred from using alcohol or any non-prescribed drugs. She also barred him from possessing any weapons or using &#8220;any object as a weapon&#8221; and said he could not visit any Walmart.
Gille is accused of going on a stabbing rampage near the checkout line at Walmart on Saturday, wounding 11 people before he was stopped by bystanders, including Marine <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9UJ7g2ETCA">Derrick Perry</a>, who held him at gunpoint in the parking lot until police arrived.
&#8220;He was wild-eyed, and he did not look like he was in his right mind. And he was saying, &#8216;They told me to do it. They told me to do it,&#8221; Perry said during an interview with &#8220;Good Morning America.&#8221;
The $100,000 bond means that Gille only has to come up with $10,000 on his own, but it appears unlikely that he has that money or that he&#8217;ll find a bail bondsman willing to work with him, independent journalist Dave Bondy <a href="https://x.com/DaveBondyTV/status/1949966995971022936">reported</a>.
During his arraignment, Gille was asked by the judge if he had money in his bank account, seeking to determine if he could afford his own legal counsel.
&#8220;Not to give you,&#8221; the suspect replied, according to <a href="https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/traverse-city-walmart-stabbing-suspect-arraigned/69-4f3e4b38-b1b5-4286-925b-ad2b65180e83">WZZM 13</a>.
Gille was also asked how to pronounce his name and told the judge, &#8220;Yeah, I don&#8217;t want to talk to you.&#8221;
Gille pleaded not guilty and requested a court-appointed attorney. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 12.
&#8220;Eligible for bond? This individual just went on a rampage, and by the grace of God didn’t end anyone’s life,&#8221; said Michigan state Senate Minority Leader and Republican gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt. &#8220;Allowing him to be released into the community spits in the face of those who protect and serve, and only puts more people at risk.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Eligible for bond? This individual just went on a rampage, and by the grace of God didn’t end anyone’s life. 
Allowing him to be released into the community spits in the face of those who protect and serve, and only puts more people at risk. <a href="https://t.co/CK6c2KGykS">pic.twitter.com/CK6c2KGykS</a>
&mdash; Senator Aric Nesbitt (@SenAricNesbitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAricNesbitt/status/1949934995268575725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;They just want him to promise not to go back to Wal-Mart or do drugs. What in the world are they thinking?&#8221; Nesbitt <a href="https://x.com/aricnesbitt/status/1949936195573620961">added</a>.
Others on social media also sounded off on the low bond.
&#8220;He is facing terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder charges. Does that sound like public safety to you?&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/BreannaMorello/status/1949969352796635247">asked</a> independent journalist Breanna Morello.
Gille lives in Afton, Michigan, around 90 miles northeast of Traverse City, and has a history of mental illness. In 2017, Gille was found not guilty by reason of insanity after he was charged with dismembering and mutilating dead bodies he had dug up from a cemetery, the Detroit Free Press <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/28/bradford-james-gille-alton-michigan-traverse-city-stabbing/85404184007/">reported</a>.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office

Michigan Judge Blasted For Low Bond In Walmart Terror Stabbing Case

Michigan Judge Slammed for Low Bond in Walmart Terror Stabbing Case

Court

Courts

domestic terrorism

Judge

Michigan

Stabbing

U.S.

A federal judge issued a ruling barring ICE from detaining suspected MS-13 member and illegal alien human smuggler Kilmar Abrego Garcia just as a different judge ruled the Salvadoran national could be released from the Tennessee jail as he awaits trial for human smuggling, teeing up his return to Maryland.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-deportation-ice-27fa028f2bcc7ceb6667963f1fb04c74?taid=6881385fe8f2b30001a6c6c1&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">ordered</a> the federal government to give three business days of notice before ICE could launch deportation proceedings against the previously-deported Salvadoran national, who was infamously branded as a “Maryland man” by his supporters and a slew of media talking heads.
The ruling prevents ICE from quickly detaining Abrego Garcia, who is now set to be released from the Tennessee jail due to a <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/kilmar-abrego-garcia-released-ice-deportation-b2794764.html">separate ruling</a> from a Tennessee judge. The illegal alien will not be released immediately, however, as an additional judge must consider a request by Abrego Garcia to delay his release by 30 days.
The dual rulings facilitate the Salvadoran illegal alien’s return to Maryland, where he lived before his removal to El Salvador by the Trump administration. Once back in Maryland, he will be under federal supervision, and ICE will have to restart Abrego Garcia’s immigration proceedings, providing a 72-hour notice before his deportation.
ICE previously indicated that it would detain and deport Abrego Garcia if he were released from prison, as he stands trial for charges in connection with an alleged human smuggling operation in which the Salvadoran illegal alien is accused of trafficking children and MS-13 members throughout the interior of the United States.
If removed, Abrego Garcia is likely to be sent to a willing “third country,” a nation other than his nation of origin that agrees to receive him.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded to the ruling in a series of posts on X.
“The facts remain: this MS-13 gang member, human trafficker and criminal illegal alien will never walk America’s streets again,” McLaughlin <a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1948095425459761224">first said</a> after the ruling. “The fact this unhinged judge is trying to tell ICE they can’t arrest an MS-13 gang member, indicted by a grand jury for human trafficking, and subject to immigration arrest under federal law is LAWLESS AND INSANE,” she said in <a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1948104840896266500">another post</a>.
Among Abrego Garcia’s most vocal supporters is CASA, a group that received funding from the Biden administration as it advocated for illegal aliens and called for ICE to be abolished. The organization counted Abrego Garcia as a member prior to his deportation, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kilmar-abrego-garcia-belonged-to-a-biden-backed-illegal-alien-advocacy-group?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Maryland+Man%E2%80%99+Kilmar+Abrego+Garcia+Belonged+To+A+Biden-Backed+Group+That+Called+For+Abolishing+ICE">reported</a>.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Sign

Dual Court Rulings Will See Media Darling ‘Maryland Man’ Back On The Streets

El Salvador

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

MS-13

A federal judge in Florida denied the attempt from President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Justice to release grand jury transcripts from the investigation into convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, an Obama appointee, said in a 12-page opinion on Wednesday that she does not have the legal authority to release the transcripts, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/07/23/epstein-transcripts-florida-judge-justice-department/">reported</a>. Last week, at the behest of Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi requested that grand jury testimony be released in both Epstein&#8217;s case and the case of his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
&#8220;For the reasons set forth below, Eleventh Circuit law does not permit this Court to grant the Government’s request; the Court’s hands are tied—a point that the Government concedes,&#8221; Rosenberg&#8217;s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/439be34e-b5e9-4cc1-93a1-a7d892b473cc.pdf?utm_medium=referral_home&amp;utm_source=webview&amp;utm_campaign=atp_2507%3Aa%3Brct_2406%3A2%3Bdr_2503%3Apersonalized&amp;no_nav=true&amp;itid=lk_inline_manual_3">opinion</a> stated.
The judge added that the Justice Department did not provide sufficient arguments for unsealing records that are protected by rules that &#8220;emphasize a presumption of secrecy&#8221; and protect participants from disclosing information given to a grand jury.
Rosenberg&#8217;s decision does not mark the end of the Trump administration&#8217;s attempts to unseal Epstein&#8217;s or Maxwell&#8217;s grand jury transcripts. The DOJ sent three total requests to judges in Florida and New York seeking to unseal records related to the Epstein investigation, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/judge-denies-justice-department-request-unseal-epstein-grand/story?id=124008233#:~:text=A%20federal%20judge%20in%20Florida,a%20public%20order%20released%20Wednesday.">reported</a>.
The DOJ <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-requests-judge-unseal-grand-jury-testimony-in-epstein-maxwell-cases-at-trumps-behest?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DOJ+Requests+Judge+Unseal+Grand+Jury+Testimony+In+Epstein%2C+Maxwell+Cases+At+Trump%E2%80%99s+Behest">moved to release</a> the records of witnesses in the case in an effort to address the &#8220;extensive public interest&#8221; and controversy over the Trump administration&#8217;s July 6 memo, concluding that there was no “credible evidence” to prove that Epstein kept a client list or that he blackmailed powerful people who supposedly took part in Epstein’s sex crimes.
A significant portion of Trump&#8217;s base, along with some Republican lawmakers, are calling on the administration to be more transparent on the Epstein investigation. Bondi was criticized for her handling of the case after she said earlier this year that she had Epstein’s client list on her desk, but recently clarified that she meant she had the Epstein files on her desk for review.
The DOJ said on Tuesday that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is expected to meet with Maxwell soon and determine if she will provide the Justice Department with any more information on Epstein.
“President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,” Blanche said.
Republicans in the House are also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-panel-votes-to-subpoena-ghislaine-maxwell?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=House+Panel+Votes+To+Subpoena+Ghislaine+Maxwell">attempting</a> to get more information on the Epstein investigation and voted on Tuesday in favor of subpoenaing Maxwell to appear for a deposition. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), however, said Monday that lawmakers should give the Trump administration some “space,” and the House is expected to go into its August recess at the end of the week.

Pam Bondi

‘Hands Are Tied’: Federal Judge Denies DOJ’s Request To Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts

Donald Trump

Florida

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

The man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students was sentenced to four consecutive fixed life sentences without opportunity for parole.
Bryan Kohberger was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for the count of burglary, as well as a $50,000 fine and $5,000 civil penalty per count.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. As part of the guilty plea, he waived his right to appeal but escaped the death penalty.
&#8220;No parent should have to bury their child,&#8221; Judge Steven Hippler said before the sentencing. &#8220;This is the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted on a person.&#8221;
Hippler said he was unable to find anything redeeming in Kohberger.
&#8220;His actions have made him the worst of the worst,&#8221; Hippler said. &#8220;In my view, the time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger&#8217;s 15 minutes of fame.&#8221;
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador commended the sentence.
“Our hearts are with the victims and their families. While no sentence can bring full justice to this kind of evil, today’s sentence ensures that Bryan Kohberger will never see the outside of a prison and will never again harm innocent families,” Labrador said in a statement. “Under Idaho law, the fixed prison sentences mean Kohberger will never be eligible for parole. I’m especially grateful to Prosecutor Bill Thompson and my Criminal Division Chief, Jeff Nye, whose leadership, judgment, and tireless efforts brought this case to a just conclusion. Their teams served the State of Idaho with distinction, and our families and the public are safer because of their hard work.”
Before the sentencing, family members of the victims made statements before the court.
Kristi Goncalves, mother of Kaylee Goncalves, said Kohberger &#8220;will finally get what [he] wanted&#8221; in prison.
“A dead killer doesn&#8217;t kill again, so while I&#8217;m disappointed the firing squad won&#8217;t get to take their shots at you, I&#8217;m confident that the men in prison will have their way with you in more ways than one,&#8221; Kristi Goncalves said. &#8220;You will finally get what you wanted, physical touch, just probably not how you were expecting it.”
&#8220;Hell will be waiting,&#8221; Kristi Goncalves concluded.
Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves, told Kohberger, &#8220;From this moment, we will forget you.&#8221;
&#8220;Today we are here to finish what you started. Today you’ve lost control,&#8221; Steve Goncalves added. &#8220;Your actions have united everyone in their disgust for you.&#8221;
Randy Davis, the stepfather of Xana Kernodle, told the victims&#8217; families, &#8220;I love you all and I feel your pain.&#8221;
He then told Kohberger to &#8220;go to hell,&#8221; and everyone applauded.
Kim Kernodle, the aunt of Xana Kernodle, told Kohberger she forgave him.
&#8220;This is probably gonna bother everybody, but Bryan, I’m here today to tell you I’ve forgiven you, because I could no longer live with that hate in my heart,&#8221; Kim Kernodle said. &#8220;And for me to become a better person, I have forgiven you.&#8221;
One of the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, made her <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dylan-mortensen-roommate-idaho-murder-victims-bryan-kohbergers-sentencing/">first</a> public statement since the murders.
&#8220;Living is how I honor them,&#8221; Mortensen said. &#8220;Speaking today is to help me find some sort of justice for them and I will never let him take that from me. He may have taken so much from me, but he will never get to take my voice.&#8221;
&#8220;I get to feel sadness, I get to feel rage, I get to feel joy even when it&#8217;s hard, I get to feel love even when it hurts, I get to live, and while I will still live with this pain, at least I get to live my life. He will stay here, empty, forgotten and powerless,&#8221; she concluded.
After the impact statements, Prosecutor Bill Thompson showed photos of the four victims while family members cried in the background.
&#8220;We can&#8217;t undo and we can never undo the horror that occurred,&#8221; Thompson said. &#8220;From today forward, our memories should be focused on these innocent victims whose lives were taken on their families, on their friends, on the community.&#8221;
Kohberger declined to make a statement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948079113358495996">addressed</a> the sentencing during a press conference Wednesday.
&#8220;Our nation grieves with you, and we will never forget the precious souls who were lost in this horrific act of evil,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;May God bless and watch over everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy, especially the parents who lost their children.&#8221;

Bryan Kohberger Is Sentenced For Murder Of 4 University Of Idaho Students

Sentence Is In For Bryan Kohberger In University Of Idaho Murder Case

Idaho

Murder

Violent Crime

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he&#8217;s expecting Obama-appointed Judge Allison D. Burroughs to rule against his administration in its federal funding fight with Harvard, blasting her as a &#8220;total disaster.&#8221;
The Trump administration squared off with Harvard in front of Burroughs in a Boston courtroom Monday as both parties seek a final ruling after Harvard sued the federal government over Trump&#8217;s funding freeze. Both Harvard and the Trump administration asked Judge Burroughs to rule on the case without going to trial, but Monday&#8217;s hearing ended without a decision, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/21/trump-harvard-hearing/">reported</a>.
Despite not deciding on the case, the judge appeared favorable to Harvard&#8217;s arguments and questioned the Trump administration&#8217;s move to strip federal funding from the Ivy League school. During the hearing, Burroughs said that the federal government provided “no documentation, no procedure” to determine if Harvard has &#8220;taken enough steps&#8221; to combat antisemitism, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-funding-cuts-court-0e9100198461e1df52b5a5a4d11837ed">according</a> to the Associated Press.
“The consequences of that in terms of constitutional law are staggering,” she said. “I don’t think you can justify a contract action based on impermissible suppression of speech. Where do I have that wrong?&#8221;
Burroughs previously ruled in favor of Harvard after the Trump administration moved to prohibit the university from enrolling foreign students.
&#8220;The Harvard case was just tried in Massachusetts before an Obama appointed Judge. She is a TOTAL DISASTER, which I say even before hearing her Ruling. She has systematically taken over the various Harvard cases, and is an automatic &#8216;loss&#8217; for the People of our Country!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114892486666754017">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;How did this Trump-hating Judge get these cases? When she rules against us, we will IMMEDIATELY appeal, and WIN,&#8221; he added.
The Trump administration stripped more than $2 billion from Harvard earlier this year, citing anti-Israel sentiment on its campus and the school&#8217;s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The president added on Monday that it&#8217;s &#8220;unfair&#8221; for billions of dollars to be handed out to Harvard over other American universities, calling Harvard &#8220;anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America.&#8221;
&#8220;Harvard has $52 Billion Dollars sitting in the Bank, and yet they are anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;Much of this money comes from the U.S.A., all to the detriment of other Schools, Colleges, and Institutions, and we are not going to allow this unfair situation to happen any longer.&#8221;
Steven P. Lehotsky, who argued on behalf of Harvard, said that the Trump administration&#8217;s actions violate the First Amendment and pose a threat to other private universities around the country, according to the Post. Lehotsky <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-funding-cuts-court-0e9100198461e1df52b5a5a4d11837ed">added</a> that the Trump administration is attempting to control the &#8220;inner workings&#8221; of Harvard and that funding cuts would deprive the institution of vital research funds.
Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the federal government has the right to stop handing out federal funding to institutions that show a “deliberate indifference to antisemitism.&#8221;

Trump Rips Obama-Appointed Judge After She Signals Support For Harvard During Hearing

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Funding

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Politics

The court battle between the Trump administration and Harvard University went before a federal judge in Boston on Monday as both parties seek a final ruling on the Ivy League school&#8217;s lawsuit over federal funding cuts.
Judge Allison D. Burroughs, who sided with Harvard in another case over the Trump administration&#8217;s attempt to block the university from enrolling foreign students, will likely signal on Monday where she stands on Harvard&#8217;s lawsuit against the Trump administration, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/us/trump-administration-harvard-hearing.html">reported</a>. Harvard sued the federal government in April after the Trump administration announced it would strip more than $2 billion in federal funding from the school, citing anti-Israel sentiment on the campus and its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-harvard-an-anti-semitic-threat-to-democracy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+Harvard+%E2%80%98An+Anti-Semitic%E2%80%A6Threat+To+Democracy%E2%80%99">called</a> Harvard “Anti-Semitic,” “Far-Left,” and “a threat to Democracy.”
“The place is a Liberal mess, allowing a certain group of crazed lunatics to enter and exit the classroom and spew fake ANGER AND HATE. It is truly horrific!” Trump added in April.
The federal antisemitism task force, established by the Trump Department of Justice earlier this year, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/21/trump-harvard-hearing/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">demanded</a> that Harvard submit to federal oversight and reform certain aspects of its admissions, hiring, and student discipline practices. Harvard refused to comply with the task force&#8217;s demands.
In its lawsuit, Harvard argues that the Trump administration is violating its First Amendment rights. Harvard also states that the funding freeze will harm essential scientific and medical research more than anything else.
“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,&#8221; said Harvard&#8217;s President Alan M. Garber.
The court hearing comes as President Donald Trump continues to negotiate with the university. One month ago, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-teases-mindbogglingly-historic-deal-with-harvard-they-have-acted-extremely-appropriately?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Teases+%E2%80%98Mindbogglingly+Historic%E2%80%99+Deal+With+Harvard%3A+%E2%80%98They+Have+Acted+Extremely+Appropriately%E2%80%99">teased</a> a &#8220;mindbogglingly HISTORIC&#8221; deal with Harvard that he said would be announced “over the next week or so.”
&#8220;They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right,&#8221; Trump said in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114717387393069944">June 20</a> Truth Social post.
Harvard has promised to address antisemitism on its campus, and the Trump administration said it remains &#8220;confident that Harvard will eventually come around and support the president’s vision, and through good-faith conversations and negotiations, a good deal is more than possible.” Ahead of Monday&#8217;s hearing, White House spokesman Harrison Fields told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/21/politics/harvard-trump-administration-court">CNN</a>, “The Trump Administration’s proposition is simple and commonsense: Don’t allow antisemitism and DEI to run your campus, don’t break the law, and protect the civil liberties of all students.”
As Trump pushes Harvard to make a deal, he has ramped up pressure on the school to hand over information on foreign students. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security sent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-subpoenas-harvard-over-foreign-student-misconduct-campus-radicalism?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Subpoenas+Harvard+Over+Foreign+Student+Misconduct%2C+Campus+Radicalism">administrative subpoenas</a> to Harvard, accusing it of “repeatedly” refusing to cooperate with the Trump administration’s “non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its Student Visitor and Exchange Program certification.”

Trump Administration Squares Off With Harvard In Court Over Federal Funding

antisemitism

Boston

Massachusetts

Trump Administration

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Sean &#8216;Diddy&#8217; Combs&#8217; former personal assistant testified on Friday at the hip-hop mogul&#8217;s sex trafficking trial that he often bought drugs for his boss and set up hotel rooms for sex parties known as &#8220;wild king nights.&#8221;
Prosecutors hope the testimony by Brendan Paul, who worked for Combs from late 2022 through March 2024, will help them prove their racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs.
Prosecutors say Combs used his businesses&#8217; resources to coerce women into ecstasy-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to all five criminal counts. His lawyers call the sexual activity consensual. The Bad Boy Records founder, a former billionaire who elevated hip-hop in American culture, could face life in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors are winding down their case after six weeks, with defense witnesses expected to testify next week.
Paul, testifying under immunity from prosecutors, said he bought Combs about $4,200 of marijuana and hundreds of dollars of ketamine during his employment.
Jurors saw a text message in which Paul asked Combs&#8217; security staff to be reimbursed for his drug purchases.
They also saw a February 14, 2024, text message in which Combs wrote &#8220;You get me zans,&#8221; which Paul said was a request to procure Xanax without a prescription.
Paul said Combs ultimately obtained Xanax elsewhere, and used cocaine and ecstasy in his presence.
Under cross-examination by defense lawyer Brian Steel, Paul said procuring drugs was a minor part of his job, and he thought the drugs were solely for Combs&#8217; personal use.
&#8220;You were not some drug mule?&#8221; Steel asked.
&#8220;Absolutely not,&#8221; Paul said.
Paul also said that before three or four &#8220;wild king nights,&#8221; he stocked hotel rooms with lubricant, baby oil, liquor, and a Gucci pouch filled with hard drugs.
When Combs was done, Paul said he would put on gloves and clean up to avoid being billed by hotels for damage.
Paul said he was charged with cocaine possession after being arrested on March 25, 2024, at Miami-Opa Locka airport in Florida while traveling to the Bahamas with Combs and other staffers.
He said he put the cocaine in his bag after finding it while cleaning Combs&#8217; room that day, but forgot about it and did not tell law enforcement where it came from.
Asked by prosecutor Christy Slavik why he kept silent, Paul said, &#8220;Loyalty.&#8221; Paul said the cocaine charge was dropped.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)

Sean “Diddy” Combs attends trial in New York federal court

Ex-Assistant To Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Says Job Included Buying Drugs, Setting Up Sex Parties

Celebrities

Drugs

New York City

Sean 'Diddy' Combs

The doctor who supplied the drug ketamine to “Friends” actor Matthew Perry ahead of his overdose death in October 2023 has taken a plea deal.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine in federal court in Los Angeles. The deal was made in exchange for prosecutors dropping other charges against him, including three additional distribution charges and two counts of falsifying records, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/06/17/nx-s1-5436567/matthew-perry-doctor-guilty-plea">NPR</a>.
The doctor faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of at least $2 million, per the signed agreement.
In the weeks after the “Friends” star died, it was revealed that Plasencia allegedly texted another doctor, Mark Chavez, saying &#8220;I wonder how much this moron will pay.&#8221; Plasencia supplied Perry with 20 vials of ketamine, equal to 2,000 mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes in the month before his death, the outlet noted.
Dr. Plasencia’s co-defendant, Jasveen Sangha, nicknamed “The Ketamine Queen,” is one of several others scheduled for trial in August in connection with Perry’s overdose death. Sangha is the only defendant who pleaded “not guilty” and refused a plea deal.
Ketamine is a medication primarily used as an anesthetic in both humans and animals. It is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance and is often used for the treatment of depression, which was Perry’s reason for using it. The 54-year-old actor had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, which he detailed in his 2022 memoir titled &#8220;Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”
The “Friends” star was found face down in his hot tub on October 28, 2023, at his home in Pacific Palisades, California. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined he had drowned but attributed his death to ketamine, which Perry had been taking as part of a therapy. The levels of ketamine found in his system were so high that they were close to the range that would be used for general anesthesia during surgery, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-arrested-in-connection-with-matthew-perrys-overdose-death-including-2-doctors-report">reported</a>.
“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the report said.
In his memoir, Perry wrote about his experience using ketamine.
“I often thought that I was dying during that hour. Oh, I thought, this is what happens when you die. Yet I would continually sign up for this s*** because it was something different, and anything different is good,” Perry wrote.
The actor wrote that the ketamine treatments made him feel like he was “hit in the head with a giant happy shovel,” but that the feeling he got from the hangovers “outweighed the shovel.”

Matthew Perry

Doctor To Plead Guilty In Connection With ‘Friends’ Actor Matthew Perry’s Ketamine Overdose Death

California

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County

A recent <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08751-3__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneHnhD7cM$">study</a> published in the academic journal Nature has been making headlines, claiming that if it were not for major oil and gas companies producing energy between 1991 and 2020, the world would be $28 trillion richer.
Study authors Christopher Callahan, a Stanford University postdoctoral scientist, and Justin Mankin, a Dartmouth College geography professor, authored the study, which was never peer-reviewed and uses a laughably absurd methodology developed by activists whose goal is to do the pseudo-science grunt work for climate change lawsuits against energy producers.
Single events <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/chapter/chapter-11/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneCyPoFvO$">cannot</a> be attributed to climate change. Nevertheless, the study goes far beyond the ridiculous in its attempt not only to pin blame solely on individual energy producers but to attach a specific dollar amount to each company. Using dubious assumptions and their unsound “end-to-end” methodology, the authors cooked up an implausible correlation between individual companies and singular weather events alleged to have been caused or exacerbated by global warming. The bogus conclusions are then broken up into specific price tags and assigned to various energy producers.
Chevron, for example, is accused of being responsible for “heat-related losses” totaling $3.6 trillion from 1991 to 2020. Damages assigned to ExxonMobil amounted to $1.91 trillion during the same period, while the tally for Saudi Aramco came to $2.05 trillion. Together, the study blames the world’s energy producers for $28 trillion in damages. It would be an understatement to say that neither the study, nor its underlying assumptions, nor its conclusions should be accorded any credibility.
Given the elaborate contortions necessary to arrive at the study’s obviously preconceived conclusions, one might wonder what the motivation was to concoct it in the first place. The authors leave an enormous clue in their acknowledgements, in which they lavish <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08751-3*Ack1__;Iw!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneHYs_i-c$">praise</a> upon individuals associated with the notorious law firm Sher Edling LLP for their help with the study. Sher Edling was created for the sole purpose of waging lawfare with the intent to financially destroy energy companies. While Sher Edling has worked with states and municipalities in initiating dozens of lawsuits attempting to set climate policy in courtrooms, none to date have been successful.
If just one of the firm’s lawsuits succeeds, it is expected to take up to a 30% chunk of an award estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Because the firm is <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024.10.07-Sher-Edling-Memo.pdf__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneMLb-kWH$">bankrolled</a> by millions of dollars in dark money funneled through far-Left organizations, its attacks are limitless — and so is its ability to buy studies supporting its conclusions and the fat payday they covet. Sher Edling has acknowledged commissioning made-for-litigation studies before. Named partner Vic Sher described working with scientist-for-hire Richard Heede during a 2017 talk at UCLA. That study, much like the new Nature research, purports to connect major energy providers with specific emissions activity.
A more honest study would have acknowledged the truly beneficial role that energy plays in our economy and everyday lives. We depend on fossil fuel energy for everything from the quality of our lives to our national security. It is so dependable that we rarely even consider that everything we eat, wear, buy, or sell depends on energy. It’s there to take us places and to cool and heat our homes. Smart devices, paint, asphalt, and plastic containers are just a few objects in our daily lives made from petroleum. The study would be more credible if it concluded the truth: that fossil fuels have contributed trillions of dollars in value and made human flourishing possible.
Several legacy news outlets — many of which <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/media-provide-no-scrutiny-study-claiming-oil-companies-made-world-28__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneDRJ0tH9$">accept funds from anti-fossil fuel advocacy organizations</a> to write about global warming — reported on the Nature study while failing to note its utterly discrediting connection to Sher Edling. As we move into the warmer summer weather, we can expect more such studies and uncritical news stories.
Studies lacking basic integrity like the one published in Nature are why President Trump’s recent executive order “<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/restoring-gold-standard-science/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneCG8TS0c$">Restoring Gold Standard Science</a>” is so timely and important. That standard holds that reproducibility, rigor, and unbiased peer review must be maintained. It demands that federal decisions be informed by only the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available. Absolutely nothing about the Nature study meets the gold standard of science.
* * *
The Honorable Jason Isaac is the Founder and CEO of the American Energy Institute, a trade organization that unapologetically champions free markets and American energy. Previously, he served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Senate Lawmakers Return To Capitol Hill After The Weekend

Made-For-Court Climate Study Completely Fails Science Gold Standard

Climate Change

ExxonMobil

Global Warming

Ivy League

Oil and Gas

Oil companies

Opinion

The Court of International Trade, which is a court that nobody has ever heard of, moved to block President Trump&#8217;s tariffs in a “sweeping ruling,” according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-court-blocks-trumps-liberation-day-tariffs-2025-05-28/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>, that “found the president overstepped his authority by imposing across the board duties on imports from U.S. trading partners.”
The court suggested that the law under which the President of the United States was declaring these tariffs was not, in fact, capable of carrying those tariffs because the president used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, which gives the president the power to regulate imports during certain emergency situations.
But those emergency situations do not actually extend to issues such as a trade deficit. Big trade deficits do not amount to a national emergency.
That&#8217;s what the court found — and the court isn&#8217;t wrong. If the president actually wants to impose tariffs, there are other legal mechanisms he can pursue, but this should be in the purview of Congress. It always should have been in the purview of Congress.
You don&#8217;t want any president being able to unilaterally decide that there should be massive tariffs across the board on all of America&#8217;s trading partners. That is not the balance of powers that was envisioned by the Constitution, by the Founders, the Framers.
It&#8217;s not what they wanted. It&#8217;s not something that I want either. And whether you like the tariffs or you don&#8217;t like the tariffs is irrelevant to the question of whether the president ought to have the unilateral capacity to do as President Trump did on Liberation Day and simply declare a 46% tariff on Vietnam, or a 145% tariff on China. Congress should have to sign off at some point.
Does this mean that all the tariffs are going to go away permanently? No. In fact, an appeals court has already granted a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/29/blocked-trump-tariffs-trade-court-appeal.html">temporary stay</a> allowing Trump’s tariffs to remain in place.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2209?elementPosition=6&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Still, the markets spiked on the news that the tariffs would be blocked. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures market immediately jumped significantly and then came back down to earth a little bit as the markets realized, “Oh, wait a second; it may be that President Trump is still going to be able to do some of these tariffs.”
Based on the lower court’s initial block, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/tariff-ruling-is-a-setback-for-trump-but-doesnt-end-trade-war-b1e83c73">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported:
<blockquote>The administration has already said it will appeal the ruling, and trade experts and lawyers say it has a variety of other legal avenues to prosecute the trade war that are unaffected by Wednesday’s decision.
“This is just one more bump in the tariff road that we are going to be on for as long as Trump remains in office,” said Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Singapore-based Hinrich Foundation, which advocates for free and open trade. “He loves tariffs and he loves the idea of being able to impose them at will, and I don’t think he’s going to give that up easily.” &#8230;
The judgment undermines the legal basis for those “reciprocal” tariffs—which the administration paused for 90 days to allow time for negotiations—that are the centerpiece of Trump’s effort to rein in the U.S.’s yawning trade deficit. The court also shot down special levies of 20% imposed on Canada, Mexico and China for their alleged role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis.</blockquote>
Theoretically, you could make the case that we should put tariffs on Mexico and declare a national emergency on the basis of fentanyl.
You could at least make a colorable case for that. But you could never make a colorable case that that was the case with Canada. The United States last year, in terms of fentanyl, saw something like 50 pounds of fentanyl the entire year at the border. The idea that there was a national emergency that merited a 20% tariff on Canada originally far exceeded the scope of authority originally presented to the President of the United States by that act in 1977.
There are still a bunch of other tariffs that are going to be on the books if the temporary stay is lifted. The court&#8217;s decision does not impact 25% levies that are in place on steel, aluminum, and cars because those levies were imposed using alternative legal avenues, not the national emergency situation. Those are conventional avenues. Those are known as Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs. The president does have the capacity to actually do tariffs under that sort of power, but they&#8217;re usually used for specific sectors. They are not blanket across the board giant tariffs on entire countries.
The markets were pretty happy about the lower court’s initial decision to block the tariffs. If the stay is lifted, does this mean the end of President Trump&#8217;s trade war?
No. It does mean that the president does not have the unilateral ability, by declaring a national emergency, to impose gigantic tariff regimes across the board.
And that is a good thing. I believe that we should be drawing closer trade relations with our allies and that the shot across the bow, if it was meant to get them to the table, still exists.
But the fact is that there was economic damage from the uncertainty wrought by the tariff war on our allies.
We should be gradually ramping up tariffs on China, reshoring manufacturing away from China, making closer trade alliances with countries that are more aligned with us, ranging from Vietnam to India. All of that would be good.
I don&#8217;t like the tariff policy, but that is actually a peripheral issue; whether you are a fan of the president or not, the balance of power that was drawn in the Constitution should be something that we like and want.
And that’s for this reason: I promise you, the next time a Democrat takes office, that same exact national emergency power will be used for something that you don&#8217;t like.

TOPSHOT-US-TRADE-TARIFF-MARKETS-NYSE

Court Blocks Trump’s Tariffs. Here’s Why It’s Correct.

Court Blocks Trump's Tariffs. Here’s Why It's Correct.

Ben Shapiro

Canada

Judges

Mexico

Tariffs

A U.S. Army veteran who was murdered in a road rage incident appeared in court more than three years after he died in an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/09/tech/ai-courtroom-victim-impact-statement-arizona">AI-generated image</a> as part of a victim impact statement, reportedly the first time such technology has been used in a U.S. court.
The image of Christopher Pelkey, who <a href="https://everloved.com/life-of/christopher-pelkey/obituary/">served three tours</a> before he was <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chris-pelkey-murder-victim-ai-statement-sentencing/">shot to death</a> by Gabriel Paul Horcasitas on November 13, 2021, at a red light, appeared in court earlier this month using words written by his sister, Stacey Wales, who spent two years working on the victim impact statement.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cMs-_8etNts?si=Sw089vcOPCwrWkCo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Wales and her husband, Tim, created the AI-generated video, in which the image of Pelkey expressed forgiveness for the killer, saying, “It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances. In another life, we probably could have been friends.”
“The only thing that kept entering my head that I kept hearing was Chris and what he would say,” Wales told CNN. “I had to very carefully detach myself in order to write this on behalf of Chris because what he was saying is not necessarily what I believe, but I know it’s what he would think.” She added that Pelkey was “the most forgiving and the friendliest” member of their family.
Although the state had asked for a sentence of 9.5 years for Horcasitas on the charge of manslaughter, Judge Todd Lang of Maricopa County Superior Court sentenced Pelkey’s killer to 10.5 years.
Judge Lang said after the video was shown: “I love that AI. Thank you for that. As angry as you are and justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness.”
Horcasitas’s lawyer, Jason Lamm, said he had not been informed that the video would be shown. “It appears that the judge gave some weight to the AI video and that is an issue that will likely be pursued on appeal,” he said.
Wales’ 14-year-old son told her, “Thank you so much for making that. I needed to see and hear from Uncle Chris one more time.”

AI sign

WATCH: Murdered U.S. Army Vet Appears In AI-Generated Image During His Killer’s Trial

Artificial Intelligence

The trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs kicked off this week in Manhattan with jury selection.
Prosecutors have accused Combs’ legal team of consulting with celebrity attorney Mark Geragos, who has represented big-name talent such as Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Jussie Smollett, and the Menendez brothers. 
Per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/06/entertainment/sean-diddy-combs-mark-geragos-defense">CNN</a>, Geragos has been present in court since Monday and was seen speaking with Combs’ defense team in what prosecutors called an “apparent role as an advisor to the defendant.” But Geragos claimed he was only there to support his daughter, Teny Geragos, who was hired to help defend Diddy.
“I’m here to support my daughter. (Combs) is a friend,” the high-profile attorney told the outlet on Tuesday.
Prosecutors wrote a letter to the judge saying Geragos was acting as &#8220;an advisor&#8221; for the defense. They say if Geragos is working with the defense, he should have to follow the rules of the court and refrain from publicly commenting about the allegations. They said Geragos has discussed the case on his podcast.
Meanwhile, the pool is being narrowed down from 45 potential jurors to 10 as U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian continues questioning the group. Next, the attorneys will have a chance to veto individual jurors. 
Many of them said they had seen the 2016 surveillance footage of Combs grabbing, dragging, shoving, and kicking his former girlfriend, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura.
At least one man in the pool said the footage “gives the appearance of an angry hostile person who is entitled,” adding that he believes “mostly everybody saw the video.” However, he claimed he was still able to be impartial if selected.
Potential jurors were also asked if they were familiar with celebrities like Kanye West, Michael B. Jordan, Mike Myers, and Kid Cudi, but it’s not immediately clear how those individuals will be relevant to the trial.
A female juror was dismissed on Tuesday after saying in court on Tuesday, &#8220;Diddy has a lot of money to use at his discretion and possibly buy his way out of jail,&#8221; per <a href="https://people.com/diddy-trial-potential-juror-dismissed-buy-way-out-jail-11728969">People</a>. When the judge asked her to clarify, she replied, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know how to explain it.&#8221;
Ventura will be testifying during the trial using her real name, per multiple reports.
Combs, 44, has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September 2024 and has been awaiting trial behind bars after multiple attempts to be released on bail.
Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Sean Combs

Diddy Trial: Prosecutors Say Famous Celeb Attorney Is Breaking The Rules

Diddy Trial: Prosecutors Accuse Sean Combs' Defense Team Of Consulting With Celeb Attorney

Entertainment

Sex Crimes

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