An Arkansas law shielding kids from transgender medical procedures passed four years ago can now be enforced after a federal appeals court overturned a block on the legislation. 
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled Tuesday in an 8-2 decision to allow the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act (SAFE) to go into effect. The law prohibits doctors from performing transgender procedures on kids and blocks them from referring kids for such procedures. 
“The question is whether this Nation’s history and tradition, as well as its historical understanding of ordered liberty, support the right of a parent to obtain for his or her child a medical treatment that, although the child desires it and a doctor approves, the state legislature deems inappropriate for minors. This court finds no such right in this Nation’s history and tradition,” the majority <a href="https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/25/08/232681P.pdf">wrote</a> in their opinion. 
The ruling comes just weeks after the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in June upholding Tennessee’s ban on transgender procedures for kids. The justices pointed to the Tennessee case multiple times throughout their opinion. 
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The law blocks procedures like removing the breasts of girls who identify as boys, genital procedures, and prescribing kids puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. These procedures have been shown to cause irreversible consequences for bone density, fertility, and development. Arkansas was the first state to pass such a law, and now over two dozen states have enacted similar legislation. 
The law was first blocked by a district judge in July 2021 by a lawsuit from four minors living in Arkansas and two medical professionals. The suit claimed that the law violated the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection and Due Process clauses. 
“To the contrary, the Act does not classify based on transgender status. Like the Tennessee law upheld by the Supreme Court, the Act effectively divides minors into two groups,” the judges wrote. “In one group are minors seeking drugs or surgeries for the purposes that the Act prohibits. In the other group are minors seeking drugs or surgeries for purposes the Act does not prohibit.”
The ruling was celebrated by Arkansas Republican officials who defended the law. 
“I applaud the court’s decision and am pleased that children in Arkansas will be protected from experimental procedures,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said. 
“This is a win for common sense — and for our kids,” Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders <a href="https://x.com/SarahHuckabee/status/1955351793916928062">posted</a> on X. “Arkansas’ first-in-the nation law to protect kids from life-altering gender experiments is back in effect!”

Congressional Leaders Unveil Johnny Cash Statue At US Capitol

Red State Can Now Protect Kids From Trans Procedures After Court Victory

Red State Can Protect Kids From Trans Procedures After Court Victory

Arkansas

Courts

transgender surgery

Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Tuesday that he is seeking the arrest of Democrat Robert Francis &#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke over O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s alleged violation of a court order requiring him to stop fundraising for the AWOL Texas Democrats.
Paxton <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1955295153079586937">accused</a> O&#8217;Rourke of &#8220;blatantly&#8221; violating a temporary restraining order &#8220;by continuing to fundraise and pay for the personal expenses of runaway Democrat legislators.&#8221; Last week, Tarrant County, Texas, District Court Judge Megan Fahey <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/beto-orourke-blocked-financially-supporting-texas-democrats-fled-state-rcna224002">barred</a> O&#8217;Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, from funding the group of 50 Democrats who fled the state to stop a vote on a GOP-backed Congressional map.
Paxton alleges that O&#8217;Rourke violated the restraining order immediately after it was issued by telling a crowd of supporters that he would continue fundraising for the runaway Democrats. O&#8217;Rourke also told the crowd that Democrats should “f*** the rules” and “win whatever it takes,&#8221; calling on Democrat-led states to redraw Congressional maps to take seats away from Republicans, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/f-the-rules-beto-goes-off-the-rails-says-dems-will-win-whatever-it-takes">reported</a>.
&#8220;There are no refs in this game, f*** the rules, we are going to win whatever it takes. We’re going to take this to him in every way that we can,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said.
In a press release, Paxton said that O&#8217;Rourke &#8220;is wrong on both counts.&#8221;
&#8220;There is a referee—the Honorable Megan Fahey—and there are rules—namely, that a person violating a temporary restraining order can be fined up to $500 and jailed for up to six months,&#8221; the Texas attorney general added. &#8220;Given Robert Francis&#8217;s vulgar disdain for the rule of law and immense personal wealth, imprisonment is absolutely necessary to persuade him to obey the lawful restraining order issued by the Tarrant County court.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: I&#8217;m taking action to hold Robert Francis O&#8217;Rourke in contempt for violating a court order and scamming Texans.
Beto is about to find out that running your mouth and ignoring the rule of law has consequences in Texas.
It&#8217;s time to lock him up. <a href="https://t.co/JZO4cbBkt1">pic.twitter.com/JZO4cbBkt1</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1955295153079586937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Beto told me to &#8216;come and take,&#8217; so I did and beat him in court. Now, he still thinks he&#8217;s above the law, so I&#8217;m working to put him behind bars,&#8221; Paxton continued.
O&#8217;Rourke shot back at Paxton in a post on X, accusing the attorney general of &#8220;lying about me to try to silence us.&#8221;
&#8220;We alerted the Court that the AG&#8217;s office blatantly lied in its filing. We’re seeking maximum sanctions in response to his abuse of office,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke added. &#8220;Taking the fight directly to this corrupt, lying thug.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
He&#8217;s lying about me to try to silence us.
Here’s the full clip. I mean every word.
We alerted the Court that the AG&#8217;s office blatantly lied in its filing. We’re seeking maximum sanctions in response to his abuse of office.
Taking the fight directly to this corrupt, lying thug. <a href="https://t.co/JAfKR3xyH3">https://t.co/JAfKR3xyH3</a> <a href="https://t.co/uQFCG3Jmsg">pic.twitter.com/uQFCG3Jmsg</a>
— Beto O&#8217;Rourke (@BetoORourke) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1955349238956585078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
Paxton launched an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beto-orourke-led-group-under-investigation-over-potential-bribes-to-help-runaway-texas-dems">investigation</a> into O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s group last week after it was reported that Powered by People was bankrolling the Texas Democrats who shirked their responsibilities in the state House and fled to Illinois to block a vote on the new Congressional map. The group of Democrats faces a daily $500 fine, along with living expenses in Illinois.
Powered by People <a href="https://poweredxpeople.org/what-we-do/">focuses</a> on organizing volunteers to help Democrats win elections in “competitive Texas battleground districts.” The leftist group says it is also “focused on creating long-term changes to the Texas electorate that will outlast any one candidate or campaign cycle.”
The Democratic legislators <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/texas-democrats-illinois-vow-stay-special-session-ends-despite-st-charles-bomb-threat-greg-abbotts-arrests/17504587/">remain</a> out of the state this week, defying last Friday&#8217;s deadline that Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows put in place for their return. The Democrats vowed to stay out of Texas past the 30-day special session, but Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abbott-vows-to-hold-special-sessions-in-texas-for-years-until-delinquent-dems-return">said</a> on Sunday that he would continue to call special sessions.
“I’m authorized to call a special session every 30 days. It lasts 30 days. And as soon as this one is over, I’m gonna call another one, then another one, then another one, then another one,” the governor said.
“If they show back up in the state of Texas, they will be arrested and taken to the capitol. If they want to evade that arrest, they’re gonna have to stay outside of the state of Texas for literally years,” he added. “They might as well just start voting in California or voting in Illinois, wherever they may be.”

Ken Paxton, Beto O’Rourke

Ken Paxton Seeks To Put Democrat Beto O’Rourke ‘Behind Bars’ Over Fundraising For AWOL Dems

Beto O'Rourke

Democrats

Greg Abbott

Jail

Ken Paxton

Politics

Texas

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley let loose on former Rep. Robert Francis &#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke on Monday, predicting that his weekend rant on the Texas redistricting fight was likely to come back and bite him in the backside.
Turley said that O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s admonition to fellow Democrats — namely that it was time to say &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/f-the-rules-beto-goes-off-the-rails-says-dems-will-win-whatever-it-takes">f*** the rules</a>&#8221; and do whatever it takes to win — could be a liability when it came to an imminent court battle. O&#8217;Rourke is currently fighting a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-blocks-betos-attempt-to-funnel-cash-to-awol-texas-dems">temporary restraining order</a> issued pursuant to his efforts to funnel money to Texas legislators who disrupted a special session by breaking quorum and fleeing the state.
&#8220;Beto O&#8217;Rourke clearly believes that the combination of profanity and illegality is just the ticket for Democrats in 2026: &#8216;F**k the rules, we are going to win whatever it takes,'&#8221; Turley began in a thread posted to X. &#8220;After a ruling against him in court, he seems to have dispensed with democracy in favor of anarchy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Beto O’Rourke clearly believes that the combination of profanity and illegality is just the ticket for Democrats in 2026: “F**k the rules, we are going to win whatever it takes.” After a ruling against him in court, he seems to have dispensed with democracy in favor of anarchy.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonathanTurley/status/1954657694658297951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Turley gently reminded O&#8217;Rourke that the now-viral video of his comments was likely to make its way into the hands of opposing counsel — and that it could be used to bolster the assertion that he was intentionally funding lawlessness.
&#8220;As his lawyers appeal the ruling of the Texas judge over his group&#8217;s alleged funding of Democratic legislators who fled the state, his statement is likely to be highlighted in opposing briefs to show an utter disregard for the law and contempt for the judicial system,&#8221; Turley pointed out.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8230;O&#8217;Rourke appears to follow the John McEnroe school of appealing adverse rulings. The problem is that O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s court tantrum will only undermine his case and his cause going forward. &#8220;F**k the rules&#8221; is hardly a compelling argument for most judges.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonathanTurley/status/1954660821440634946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;O&#8217;Rourke appears to follow the John McEnroe school of appealing adverse rulings,&#8221; Turley added. &#8220;The problem is that O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s court tantrum will only undermine his case and his cause going forward. &#8216;F**k the rules&#8217; is hardly a compelling argument for most judges.&#8221;
The former Texas Rep. called on Democrats in blue states to do whatever they could to manipulate congressional maps for maximum advantage, saying that if his party regained power, they would pull out all the stops to ram through as many radical policies as possible: &#8220;We&#8217;re gonna drive that car like we stole it.&#8221;

House Committee Examines US Park Police Reaction To Protesters At Lafayette Park

‘Hardly A Compelling Argument’: Jonathan Turley Says Beto’s ‘F*** The Rules’ Rant Will Backfire

'Hardly A Compelling Argument': Jonathan Turley Says Beto's 'F*** The Rules' Rant Will Backfire

Jonathan Turley

Redistricting

A federal appeals court overturned a left-wing judge’s threat to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for deporting Venezuelan illegal aliens to El Salvador.
The appeals court ruling is a win for the Trump administration, which has been locked in a legal battle with Judge James Boasberg, whom the White House has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-judge-threatens-to-hold-trump-admin-in-criminal-contempt-of-court-over-deportation-flights">blasted</a> as a “Democrat activist” working to “usurp the president’s authority.”
The 2-1 decision from a panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down Boasberg’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-judge-threatens-to-hold-trump-admin-in-criminal-contempt-of-court-over-deportation-flights">earlier finding </a>that there was probable cause that some officials acted in contempt of court.
Boasberg, an Obama appointee who The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-the-obama-appointed-judge-trying-to-stop-trump-from-deporting-criminal-illegals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> is married to the founder of a Washington, D.C.-area abortion clinic who has given money to the Democrats, blocked the Trump administration from deporting illegal aliens to El Salvador’s terrorist confinement center in March. The federal judge later said that the Trump administration defied a court order by refusing to turn around a deportation flight already on its way to El Salvador.
“The court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions. None of their responses has been satisfactory,” Boasberg wrote.
Friday’s ruling puts to rest the threat from Boasberg, with a concurring opinion charging that the liberal judge’s claims raise “troubling questions about judicial control over core executive functions like the conduct of foreign policy and the prosecution of criminal offenses.”
The ruling comes on the heels of a Supreme Court victory <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-secures-victory-in-scotus-ruling-enabling-more-deportations">upholding</a> the Trump administration’s authority to deport illegal aliens to “third countries” — nations willing to take in migrants from elsewhere.
The Trump administration has used third-country agreements to deport illegal aliens whose home countries are unwilling to accept them, as well as to deport others who have protection orders that prevent them from being sent back to their nation of origin.

Judge James Boasberg

Court Sides With Trump Admin, Tosses Left-Wing Judge’s Contempt Threat

Court

deportation

Immigration

James Boasberg

Judge

Trump

An Obama-appointed federal judge has put a stop to all new construction at the Florida prison, known as Alligator Alcatraz, that is currently being used to house illegal immigrants.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Mary Williams granted a temporary restraining order — requested by Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida — which will halt all new construction for 14 days pending additional hearings on the potential environmental impact of the project. According to the court filings, the request was made because the construction had begun without first conducting the federally required environmental impact studies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JUST IN: A federal judge has temporarily halted any further construction of the immigrant detention center known as &#8220;Alligator Alcatraz.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cH3QP1x48o">https://t.co/cH3QP1x48o</a> <a href="https://t.co/9IXwGhx66t">pic.twitter.com/9IXwGhx66t</a>
— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1953540187880935708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The land surrounding the prison is home to a number of &#8220;sensitive&#8221; wildlife species, including the endangered Florida panther, and according to the request, is also considered sacred by the Miccosukee Tribe.
&#8220;We welcome the court&#8217;s decision to pause construction on this deeply concerning project. The detention facility threatens land that is not only environmentally sensitive but sacred to our people. While this order is temporary, it is an important step in asserting our rights and protecting our homeland. The Miccosukee Tribe will continue to stand for our culture, our sovereignty, and the Everglades,&#8221; Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress said of the judge&#8217;s ruling.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier&#8217;s office also released a statement reacting to the judge&#8217;s decision, saying, &#8220;Judge Williams&#8217; order is wrong, and we will fight it. However, it does not shut down Alligator Alcatraz, which will continue to send illegal aliens back to where they came from.&#8221;
Attorneys for the state of Florida argue that the facility was built and maintained by the state and is not subject to regulations stemming from the National Environmental Policy Act — and therefore should not be required to complete the aforementioned environmental impact studies, though the facility is currently being funded by the federal government.
The ruling, as Uthmeier&#8217;s office noted, only applies to new construction at the prison. The facility can still remain operational, and federal immigration authorities and the state of Florida can still use it to house detainees, but any new additions fall under the restraining order.

Alligator Alcatraz

Obama-Appointed Judge Shuts Down ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Construction Over ‘Environmental Concerns’

Fed. Judge Puts Kibosh On 'Alligator Alcatraz' Construction Over 'Environmental Concerns'

Alligator

illegal immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Prison

The Babylon Bee and Rumble are suing California over two laws that censor political satire during election season, including some images like memes that mock political candidates.
A hearing in a Sacramento federal court was <a href="https://adfmedia.org/press-release/political-satire-commentary-sites-continue-challenge-against-californias-censorship-law/">held</a> Tuesday to determine whether the laws will be permanently blocked after a judge issued a temporary injunction. The final decision is expected in the coming weeks.
The Babylon Bee, which posts satirical content, and Rumble, a major video-hosting platform, <a href="https://adfmedia.org/press-release/babylon-bee-files-suit-against-humorless-california-censorship-laws/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> their challenge in September along with California attorney and blogger Kelly Chang Rickert. California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom had signed the pair of laws just days earlier.
The two state laws, AB 2839 and AB 2655, <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2839">prohibit</a> pictures and videos &#8220;likely to harm&#8221; a candidate&#8217;s &#8220;electoral prospects&#8221; during election season. California would punish anyone who distributes &#8220;materially deceptive content&#8221; about candidates or elected officials.
One of the laws forces people to include a disclaimer when posting satire, and the other law <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2655">requires</a> large online platforms to label or remove posts with &#8220;materially deceptive content.&#8221;
The penalties include paying significant fines.
The plaintiffs&#8217; legal team at Alliance Defending Freedom argues that the laws are essentially a war on memes and use &#8220;vague standards&#8221; to violate their clients&#8217; constitutionally protected right to post political content online freely.
&#8220;That should be really scary,&#8221; Jonathan Scruggs, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Anytime the government is saying that you can&#8217;t on your own social media account distribute things online or repost what other people put online because the government determines that is false, that should really strike fear and it&#8217;s really a road to censorship in the political sphere,&#8221; Scruggs said.
However, Scruggs said he is optimistic about a favorable outcome for The Babylon Bee and Rumble.
&#8220;We&#8217;re hopeful in light of [the judge&#8217;s] prior ruling, but we&#8217;re also hopeful in light of just basic common sense arguments,&#8221; the attorney said.
Another lawsuit is ongoing against a similar Hawaii law, where The Babylon Bee is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-babylon-bee-challenges-hawaii-law-targeting-political-satire">suing</a> along with Dawn O&#8217;Brien, a Honolulu voter who runs Instagram and Facebook accounts with thousands of followers where she posts political memes criticizing Democrats.
&#8220;It&#8217;s something that tracks what more authoritarian regimes are doing across the world,&#8221; Scruggs, the attorney, said. &#8220;What you see in this arena is the government using the label misinformation or disinformation to regulate what people can say online about politics. And that&#8217;s really an anathema to the First Amendment.&#8221;
&#8220;The best alternative is just counter-speech,&#8221; Scruggs added.

US-POLITICS-VOTE-REPUBLICAN-DEBATE

Babylon Bee, Rumble Push Back Against California’s Censorship of Satire

Babylon Bee, Rumble Challenging California Laws Targeting Political Satire

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Babylon Bee

California

Censorship

Gavin Newsom

Social Media Censorship

Republican Governor Greg Abbott asked the Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday to remove Democrat House Caucus Chair Gene Wu from office after he, along with 50 other Democratic lawmakers, left the state to block a vote on GOP-backed congressional redistricting. 
Wu and the other Democrats fled Texas on Sunday to deny Republicans the quorum needed to proceed. Abbott filed a <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/In_re_Abbott_Petition_%28FINAL%29_-_Filed.pdf">lawsuit</a> seeking to remove Wu from office, claiming he was violating the state Constitution and effectively forfeiting his seat. 
“What is at stake here? Nothing less than the future of Texas. If a small fraction of recalcitrant lawmakers choose to run out the clock today, they can do so for any, and every, Regular or Special Session, potentially bankrupting the State in an attempt to get their way,” Abbott wrote. “That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.”
“If representatives are free not to show up whenever they choose, then Texans simply do not have a representative government. In fact, they don’t have a functioning government at all. This Court should make clear that a legislator who does not wish to perform his duties will be stripped of them,” the suit added. 
The suit argues that leaving a constitutionally mandated session “constitutes a forfeiture of office” and that soliciting donations to cover the $500 daily fee legislatures face for missing the session is bribery. 
The redistricting maps set to be considered by the Texas House are expected to create five new favorable congressional districts for Republicans. 
Wu claimed Tuesday that his actions were noble. 
&#8220;Let me be unequivocal about my actions and my duty. When a governor conspires with a disgraced president to ram through a racist gerrymandered map, my constitutional duty is to not be a willing participant,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/greg-abbott-lawsuit-house-democratic-caucus-chair-gene-wu-redistrictin-rcna223286">said</a> in a statement. 
Trump has backed the GOP-led redistricting efforts, saying that Republicans &#8220;are entitled to five more seats.&#8221; 
​​“We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas,” Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/05/trump-texas-redistricting-00493624">told</a> CNBC. “I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-threatens-retaliation-says-texas-redistricting-will-trigger-new-california-election-maps?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Newsom+Threatens+Retaliation%2C+Says+Texas+Redistricting+Will+‘Trigger’+New+California+Election+Maps">vowed</a> to “fight fire with fire” if the Texas redistricting efforts move forward, saying such a move would “trigger” a California response that would put a retaliatory redistricting proposal before voters in November.

2024 Republican National Convention: Day 3

Abbott Moves To Oust Democrat Who Led Texas Walkout Stunt

Ghislaine Maxwell&#8217;s attorneys have announced that she is opposing the Trump administration&#8217;s request to unseal the grand jury transcripts from her sex trafficking case, despite her recent cooperation with the Justice Department.
Maxwell, according to her attorneys, has not seen the full contents of the transcripts, and for that reason, could not be expected to support them being made public, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ghislaine-maxwell-opposes-court-unsealing-her-grand-jury-transcripts">reported</a>.
&#8220;Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Ghislaine Maxwell is not. Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable, and her due process rights remain,&#8221; her attorneys explained.
They also noted that Maxwell — who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking — still has a case pending before the Supreme Court, and said that making the grand jury testimony public could potentially derail those proceedings.
Maxwell&#8217;s attorneys had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epstein-accomplice-rolls-dice-with-supreme-court-appeals-to-get-conviction-tossed">filed new documents</a> several days prior, claiming that a controversial 2007 plea agreement with her late employer — convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — had also covered her even though it did not mention her by name.
That plea agreement — between Epstein and South Florida prosecutors — had allowed Epstein to plead guilty to state charges of solicitation and procuring minors for the purpose of prostitution, but it also stated that federal prosecutors would &#8220;not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein.&#8221; Several such co-conspirators were named in the filing, and Maxwell was not among them — but her attorneys claim that does not matter.
&#8220;Rather than grapple with the core principles of plea agreements, the government tries to distract by reciting a lurid and irrelevant account of Jeffrey Epstein’s misconduct,” Maxwell’s attorneys wrote. “But this case is about what the government promised, not what Epstein did.”
“This promise is unqualified. It is not geographically limited to the Southern District of Florida, it is not conditioned on the co-conspirators being known by the government at the time, it does not depend on what any particular government attorney may have had in his or her head about who might be a co-conspirator, and it contains no other caveat or exception,” they continued. “This should be the end of the discussion.&#8221;

Sunday, January 4, 2015 Ghislaine Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell Opposes DOJ Move To Unseal Grand Jury Transcripts

Ghislaine Maxwell

grand jury

Jeffrey Epstein

Famed conservative journalist Douglas Murray scored a major legal victory Tuesday, as a UK court dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by a radical Islamist, ruling that the plaintiff “lied on significant issues” and presented evidence deemed “worthless.”
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The Spectator and Douglas Murray win defamation claim brought by Mohammed Hijab <a href="https://t.co/VSK2Cgb58Z">https://t.co/VSK2Cgb58Z</a>
&mdash; Douglas Murray (@DouglasKMurray) <a href="https://twitter.com/DouglasKMurray/status/1952717366359462057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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After Murray wrote a column in September 2022 in The Spectator that claimed Mohammed Hijab, whose legal name is Mohamad Nabil Hegab, “was a street agitator who, in the context of disturbances’ between local Muslims and Hindus,’ whipped up his followers and made disparaging comments about Hindus,” the court’s ruling explained, Hijab sued, claiming the article had caused reputational harm and loss of earnings.
The judge dismissed Hijab’s defamation completely, <a href="https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/kb/2025/2043">writing</a>:
<blockquote>
As a witness he was combative and constantly argumentative. He sought, at every turn, to debate with counsel, responding to questions with (rhetorical) questions of his own, arguing his case rather than giving straightforward responses, and denigrating the character of the second defendant to whom he bears palpable personal animosity. I am satisfied that he lied on significant issues, with the consequence that his evidence, overall, is worthless. Specifically, I am satisfied that he lied in respect of the event at Golders Green, the counter-protest at the rally for Israel, the seminar on Hinduism at the Sapience Institute, his repudiation of vigilantism, his evidence as to the involvement of the Hindutva, his evidence about his choice of language in his speech, and his evidence in support of his claim for financial losses.
</blockquote>
The Spectator <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-spectator-and-douglas-murray-win-defamation-claim-brought-by-mohammed-hijab/">reported</a>, “Hijab appeared to have invented contracts after Douglas’s article was published, in order to claim damages for their bogus cancellation. &#8230; The earnings Hijab claimed to have lost included a £3,500-a-month deal to be a brand ambassador for the charity One Ummah, a £1,500-a-month advertising contract with supplements company Nature’s Blends and £30,000 for a Ramadan fundraising campaign with the charity Salam. But messages that he relied on for these claims ‘have the appearance of being contrived for the purpose of these proceedings,’ the judge said.”
Additionally, according to the court ruling, on May 23, 2021 — two and a half years before the Hamas October 7, 2023 massacre of Israelis — at a rally for Israel in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy, Hijab grabbed a megaphone and “gave a speech to a group of men, many of whom were wearing masks and hoods.” He yelled, “The truth of the matter is we are with the brothers and sisters of Palestine, and we will get our vengeance in this dunya or the akhira. We will get our vengeance, and believe you me we believe in a god that is just, and we will get our justice either in this world or in the hereafter. And the difference between us and them is this … They think that life begins; for us, we believe that death begins. We believe that life begins at death. We don’t care about death. We love death.”
At one anti-Israel protest organized by Hijab, a protester declared, “We’ll find some Jews there. We want the Zionists. We want their blood,” the court reported.
“Hijab sought to show that The Spectator had published something untrue,” The Spectator asserted. “He failed. But he also wanted to intimidate Douglas and the magazine. He sought damages of tens of thousands of pounds, and tried to recuperate his legal costs of hundreds of thousands of pounds. He attempted to use Britain’s legal system to silence journalists, and to paint himself as an upstanding citizen turned victim. This has backfired.”

FRANCE-EU-POLITICS-RELIGION-ANTISEMITISM

Radical Islamist Sues Conservative Journalist, Loses Badly After Judge Slams ‘Worthless’ Testimony

Radical Islamist Sues Conservative Journalist—Loses Badly After Judge Slams 'Worthless' Testimony

Douglas Murray

Islamists

Lawsuit

World

A jury in Miami found that Tesla was partly to blame for a fatal 2019 crash that killed a young woman and severely wounded her boyfriend. It was the first federal trial involving a fatal crash linked to Tesla&#8217;s Autopilot mode.
The verdict, which came down on Friday, found that Tesla and its self-driving technology were 33% responsible for the crash, with the remainder of the blame falling on the driver, George Brian McGee, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/business/tesla-autopilot-federal-trial-verdict.html">reported</a>. Tesla could be forced to pay as much as $243 million to the parents of the deceased woman, Naibel Benavides, and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo — but Elon Musk&#8217;s electric vehicle company said it would appeal the jury&#8217;s verdict.
“Today’s verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement lifesaving technology,” Tesla said.
“Florida law is explicit that punitive damages have been all but eliminated in product liability cases such as this one,” the company added. “We are confident that the punitive damage award at a minimum, and likely this whole verdict, will be overturned by the appellate court.”
The crash at the center of the case took place on April 25, 2019, when McGee was driving his Tesla Model S near Key Largo, Florida, and blew through an intersection at 62 mph, crashing into a black SUV that was legally parked on the side of a dirt road near the intersection. The Tesla was in Autopilot mode at the time of the crash, but McGee had his foot on the accelerator, which overrides Autopilot mode. Before he reached the intersection, McGee dropped his phone and bent down to look for it, and told police that he did not see the intersection or the stop sign.
McGee said on the stand that he thought Tesla&#8217;s Autopilot mode would protect him from a crash.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the federal trial argued that Musk and Tesla have exaggerated Tesla&#8217;s Autopilot technology.
“The Tesla car is a good car,” attorney Brett Schreiber said, according to the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article311553847.html">Miami Herald</a>. “It’s the Autopilot that will kill you.”
During the trial, Schreiber also quoted Musk, who has said that Tesla&#8217;s autopilot system is safer than a human driver.
Tesla&#8217;s lawyers pinned the entire blame for the crash on McGee, who was on his phone for 13 minutes before the crash, and was driving at varying speeds. Joel Smith, a lawyer representing Tesla, said McGee was &#8220;reckless&#8221; and &#8220;aggressive,&#8221; adding that “no car could have prevented” the crash. Smith also pointed to Tesla&#8217;s owner&#8217;s manual, which states, “It is the drivers’ responsibility to stay alert, drive safely and be in control of the vehicle.”
The jury&#8217;s verdict comes as Tesla looks to roll out self-driving robotaxis on American streets. The first robotaxis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tesla-shares-soar-after-first-robotaxis-hit-the-road">hit the road</a> for testing in Austin, Texas, in June.

Tesla

Tesla Faces $243 Million Verdict In Lawsuit Over Fatal 2019 Autopilot Crash

Car Crash

Elon Musk

Florida

Miami

U.S.

A judge in Traverse City, Michigan, raised the bond for mass stabbing suspect Bradford James Gille to $1 million on Wednesday, following public <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-judge-blasted-for-low-bond-in-walmart-terror-stabbing-case">outcry</a> over a previous judge&#8217;s decision to set the bond at $100,000.
At a bond review hearing on Wednesday, Judge Michael Stepka of the 86th District Court pointed to the seriousness of the charges and the risk that Gille would potentially skip future court dates to justify the increase, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/30/walmart-stabbing-suspect-has-bond-increased-to-1-million/85447459007/">reported</a>. Stepka said that raising the bond &#8220;will assure the victims and the public in general that it&#8217;s unlikely Mr. Gille is going to get out.&#8221;
The day before Gille allegedly went on a stabbing rampage, wounding 11 people at a Traverse City Walmart last Saturday, authorities in Petoskey, Michigan — which is around 70 miles north of Traverse City — obtained a court order to place Gille in protective custody. The order was issued after Gille had multiple concerning encounters with Petoskey police, and authorities were actively searching for him when the mass stabbing took place.
The prosecution asked the judge during Wednesday&#8217;s hearing to completely revoke Gille&#8217;s bond, but Stepka said that Michigan&#8217;s Rules of Criminal Procedure require a defendant to be charged with murder or to have two previous convictions for violent felonies in the past 15 years for bond to be revoked, according to The Detroit News. Gille was charged with 11 counts of assault with intent to murder and terrorism. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle R. Moeggenberg also argued for Gille&#8217;s bond to be revoked over a &#8220;gun gesture&#8221; that he allegedly made at a camera during his first court appearance earlier this week. Gille&#8217;s defense attorney, Janet Mistele, disputed Moeggenberg&#8217;s statement.
Mistele also said that neither Gille nor his family has the resources to secure his release under the $100,000 bond. Gille would have had to come up with $10,000 to secure release with a bail bondsman, but now he&#8217;ll have to post $100,000 to work out his release, which is extremely unlikely.
After Gille&#8217;s first court appearance in front of Magistrate Tammi Rodgers, the judge was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-judge-blasted-for-low-bond-in-walmart-terror-stabbing-case">criticized</a> for setting a $100,000 bond and telling him he could not visit any Walmart.
“Eligible for bond? This individual just went on a rampage, and by the grace of God didn’t end anyone’s life,” said Michigan state Senate Minority Leader and Republican gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt. “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.”
Gille has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement over the years. In 2017, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity after he was charged with dismembering and mutilating dead bodies he had dug up at a cemetery.

Walmart/Bradford James Gille mugshot

Judge Increases Bond For Walmart Stabbing Suspect After Public Outcry

Michigan

Stabbing

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

1497993_me-ucla-pro-palestinian-protest_JEY

UCLA Will Pay $6 Million To Settle Antisemitic Discrimination Complaints

Anti-Semitism

Education

Israel

UCLA

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