The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments in a case surrounding a statute that could impact how gender medical malpractice lawsuits are handled across the country.
Detransitioner Soren Aldaco’s medical malpractice lawsuit was dismissed in November 2024 when a judge ruled her claims were filed outside of Texas’ two-year statute of limitations, nullifying her ability to seek damages for the harms caused by her sex-rejecting surgery.
When Aldaco’s appeal <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TaXEX_NtHw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> the Texas Supreme Court this week, her counsel argued the statute of limitations couldn’t begin until she was physically harmed by the surgeon&#8217;s knife.
“What was done to Miss Aldaco and many people like her is a medical scandal,” attorney John Ramer argued. “Kids and young adults suffering from severe psychological distress went looking for help, and what they found is medical providers saying that what&#8217;s going to liberate them from their distress is pumping them full of cross sex hormones and cutting off their body parts.”
Some Texas lawmakers have <a href="https://x.com/shelbyslawson/status/2019111108553084979" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed legislation</a> that would <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00888I.pdf#navpanes=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extend</a> the statute of limitations from two to ten years for those harmed by rejection interventions in their state. They say that Aldaco’s case highlights the need for reform.
“Cases like Soren’s are not the intent of these two-year statutes of limitations in the Texas Medical Liability Act,” Texas State Representative Shelby Slawson told The Daily Wire. “Those limitations are not meant to give safe harbor hideouts for medical professionals whose ideology causes egregious harm to Texas patients.”
The outcome of Aldaco’s case could reverberate across the country. The statute of limitations for medical malpractice <a href="https://www.rocketlawyer.com/family-and-personal/health-and-medical/personal-injury/legal-guide/medical-malpractice-statute-of-limitations-by-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">varies</a> from state to state, with many limiting the timeframe in which a patient can sue between one and three years after the injury occurred. If the Texas Supreme Court rules in Aldaco’s favor, it could inspire detransitioners in other states to bring similar suits.
Attorneys for Aldaco say the court &#8220;clearly expressed concern&#8221; at what was done to her, and are hopeful that its ruling &#8220;will encourage courts in other states to ensure justice for their vulnerable citizens.&#8221;
&#8220;Soren&#8217;s case reaching the Texas Supreme Court highlights the fact that the treatment she was subjected to is unprecedented,&#8221; Daniel Sepulveda, a partner 
at Campbell Miller Payne told The Daily Wire. &#8220;During oral argument, the Court clearly expressed concern at the idea of vulnerable individuals like Soren not having a reasonable amount of time to sue after being subjected to such medical and mental health treatments. A ruling in her favor would benefit all Texans harmed in these ways, and could also encourage courts in other states to ensure justice for their vulnerable citizens.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-one-has-a-right-to-sterilize-a-child-two-detransitioners-sue-doctors-over-medical-interventions?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=39&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98No+One+Has+A+Right+To+Sterilize+A+Child%E2%80%99%3A+Two+Detransitioners+Sue+Doctors+Over+Medical+Interventions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prisha Mosely,</a> who was given testosterone and underwent a sex rejecting double mastectomy as a teen, filed a lawsuit in <a href="https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/north-carolina-woman-files-lawsuit-in-wake-of-gender-transition-surgery-as-a-teen?redirectedfrom=cna" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 2023</a> against her gender affirming healthcare providers that was initially <a href="https://www.independentwomen.com/2025/08/14/detransitioner-prisha-mosley-fights-to-revive-medical-malpractice-claim-in-lawsuit-poised-to-set-national-precedent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> because it was filed outside of North Carolina’s statute of limitations. In July 2025, the North Carolina General Assembly <a href="https://ncfamily.org/nc-general-assembly-overrides-governors-veto-of-hb-805/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed HB 805,</a> which extended the statute of limitations for sex-rejecting interventions to 10 years, allowing Mosely to <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_9097012b-b600-477b-b64c-3b1537846b44.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refile</a> her lawsuit.
Texas State Representative Brent Money told The Daily Wire that in cases where there has been a “clear violation of the duty of care,” it is important that individuals, particularly children, can seek compensation through the court system.
“We also need to make sure that, in cases where there&#8217;s a clear violation of the duty of care, that the patient, who has been wronged, can be adequately compensated for that. Especially when the patient is a child,” Money told The Daily Wire.
Aldaco, a woman who struggled with gender confusion throughout her adolescence, underwent a double mastectomy at 19 that she later regretted, court <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/second-court-of-appeals/2024/02-24-00217-cv.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents show</a>. She sued her mental health providers, Barbara Rose Wood and Three Oaks Counseling Group, LLC, alleging they negligently wrote a surgical recommendation letter in February 2021 that allowed her to undergo the mastectomy in June 2021, <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/second-court-of-appeals/2024/02-24-00217-cv.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court documents</a> show.
Many insurance companies and surgeons require a timely <a href="https://www.templehealth.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/surgery-readiness-letter-guide-2023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental health assessment </a>and surgery recommendation <a href="https://transcare.ucsf.edu/surgery-referral-assessment-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> in order to move forward with sex-rejecting surgery.
In May 2023, Aldaco sent her former healthcare providers notice of her “health care liability claims,” weeks before the two-year anniversary of her surgery, believing she was within the statute of limitations. However, a judge agreed with the defendants, who argued the two-year period of liability began when the surgical recommendation letter was written in February 2021, and Aldaco missed her window to sue, court documents show.
Ramer told the court that while the mental healthcare was provided before surgery, Aldaco didn’t have cause of action — giving her grounds for her lawsuit — until she underwent surgery.
“The limitations period for a health care liability claim does not begin to run before the claimant is even injured,” Ramer told the court.
“There&#8217;s no such thing as a tort without an injury, and more specifically here, there&#8217;s no such thing as a negligence claim without an injury,” Ramer stated.
Opposing counsel argued the statute of limitations began in February 2021, when the surgery letter of recommendation was written, and acknowledged Aldaco’s mental health provider did not discuss her gender dysphoria before writing the surgery recommendation letter.
Ramer explained to the justices that the surgical recommendation letter was not equivalent to a simple medical referral but was critical to Aldaco accessing a double mastectomy.
“The letter was the gateway to the injury,” Ramer said. “The letter is what got her into–onto–the operating table for purposes of receiving this surgery because it was a required letter from the psychologist under the standards of gender affirming care that have to be followed.”
In 2021, <a href="https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/625048/1/2011_WPATH_Standards_of_Care_V7-%202011.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guidance</a> from the World Professional Association of Transgender Health, whose recommendations underpin insurance and health policies worldwide, required patients to undergo a mental health assessment to determine if sex-rejecting was “medically necessary.”
The guidance stated mental health professionals and surgeons had a “shared responsibility” when deciding to move forward with irreversible sex-rejection surgeries.
A recent <a href="https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/health-policy/positions/2026-gender-surgery-children-adolescents.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy statement</a> published by the American Society of Plastics Surgeons recommending minors do not receive sex-rejection surgeries addressed the role of “shared responsibility” in the multidisciplinary care of gender confused children.
“Diagnostic assessment, psychosocial support, endocrine intervention, and surgery form a connected clinical pathway rather than a series of independent steps,” the policy reads.
The American Society of Plastics Surgeons warned surgeons they cannot “rely” on the assessments of other healthcare disciplines when deciding if an adolescent is an appropriate candidate for sex-rejecting surgery.
“Surgical interventions inherit the foundational uncertainties present earlier in the continuum of care,” the policy says. “In this context, plastic surgeons cannot rely on the presence of a prior medical intervention, referral, or letter of support as a proxy for surgical indication or adolescent readiness.”
&#8220;Wednesday&#8217;s hearing at the Supreme Court of Texas is understatedly important. Even though I believe my case falls within the state&#8217;s two-year statute of limitations — and hopefully SCOTX will agree — detrans Texans deserve better,” Aldaco told The Daily Wire.
Barbara Wood and Three Oaks Counseling did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.

Doctor with LGBTQ pin

‘Safe Harbor Hideouts’ For Gender Surgeons Could Face Reckoning

Courts

detransitioner

Gender Transition

Texas

President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated White House attorney Kara Westercamp to the U.S. Court of International Trade, a position that carries a lifetime appointment if she is confirmed by the Senate.
&#8220;Kara is a very experienced Trade Lawyer, who spent over a decade working as an Attorney at the Department of Justice, and is now one of the incredible lawyers defending our historic and popular America First Agenda as an Associate Counsel at the White House,&#8221; Trump posted on Truth Social. “Kara knows the wisdom and courage required to protect the American people who have been ripped off by other countries for far too long. She will always put America first.” 
If confirmed, Westercamp will join a court that oversees disputes involving tariffs and trade policy, a key focus of Trump&#8217;s economic agenda.
Westercamp currently serves as associate counsel to the president. Before joining the White House, she worked in the Justice Department&#8217;s Civil Division, where she argued dozens of cases before the Court of International Trade. She previously practiced law at Jones Day. 
The Court of International Trade has played a central role in adjudicating challenges to the administration&#8217;s use of executive authority to impose broad tariffs. One such ruling is currently under review by the Supreme Court after the Trump administration appealed. 
After the court struck down portions of his tariff program last year, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114593880455063168">questioned</a> the ruling on Truth Social.
&#8220;How is it possible for them to have potentially done such damage to the United States?&#8221; Trump asked. &#8220;Is it purely a hatred of &#8216;TRUMP&#8217;? What other reason could it be?&#8221;
The court consists of nine judges and is based in New York. It oversees nationwide civil disputes involving trade laws, including challenges and duty assessments by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Across his two terms, Trump has appointed <a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/apptsbypres.pdf">more than 270</a> federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices. By comparison, President Barack Obama appointed 334 judges during his eight years in office.

US-ECONOMY-SHIPPING

Trump Nominates Ally To Court Overseeing Key Tariff Cases

Donald Trump

Executive

Politics

Tariffs

Former CNN host Don Lemon has hired a former federal prosecutor to defend him against charges related to the anti-ICE activist invasion of Cities Church last month.
Joseph Thompson not only served as a federal prosecutor, but Thompson previously worked out of the same prosecutor’s office in Minnesota that charged Lemon. Thompson will join Abbe Lowell, Lemon’s lead attorney, in the case to defend the independent journalist, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/us/joseph-thompson-don-lemon-minneapolis-protest.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">The New York Times</a>.
Thompson recently left the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota. He resigned from the office last month in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration policy and crackdown on illegal aliens in Minneapolis.
Lemon filmed as protesters invaded Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18. Prior to the event, Lemon joined the activists in a parking lot and appeared to intentionally keep details of the planned operation hidden from his audience as he talked to protesters.
During his livestream of the protesters&#8217; early gathering, Lemon “stepped away momentarily so his mic would not accidentally divulge certain portions of the planning session,” prosecutors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-helped-protestors-keep-church-plans-under-wraps-blocked-congregants-from-leaving-indictment">said</a> in an indictment.
Lemon was arrested last month and charged with conspiracy to violate the right of religious freedom at a house of worship and violations of the FACE Act, which bans disruption of religious services.
During his livestream, Lemon defended the protesters as they stormed into Cities Church and disrupted the service to the extent that parishioners opted to leave rather than wait for order to be restored. The ex-CNN host claimed that the actions of the protesters who stormed church property to disrupt the service are protected under the Constitution.
“There is nothing in the Constitution that tells you what time you can protest. You can protest at any time. That’s the whole point of it, to disrupt, to make uncomfortable. And that’s what they’re doing,” Lemon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-ice-activists-storm-minnesota-church-with-don-lemon-doj-launches-probe">said</a> during his livestream. “When you see how &#8230; uncomfortably and harsh people are being treated on the streets, you have to be willing to go into places and disrupt and make people uncomfortable. That is what this country is about.”
Lemon blamed the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis for the activist operation.
“This is the beginning of what’s going to happen here. When you violate people’s due process, when you pull people off the street, you start dragging them and hurting them and not abiding by the Constitution – when you start doing all of that, people get upset and angry,” Lemon said.
The protest was organized and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DToXsEEEVk2/">promoted</a> by the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota. Cities Church was targeted by the activists because, activist leader Nekima Levy-Armstrong claimed, one of its pastors works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“They cannot pretend to be a house of God while harboring someone who is directing ICE agents to wreak havoc upon our community,” Levy-Armstrong told Lemon. “I am a reverend on top of being a lawyer and an activist, so I come here in the power of the almighty God for righteousness, truth, and justice.”
On Lemon’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4ctuhv-cck">stream</a> of the protest, Levy-Armstrong led dozens of protesters into the church during services, crowding the aisle and chanting slogans such as “justice for Renee Good,” “hands up, don’t shoot,” and “ICE out of Minnesota.”

Don Lemon

Don Lemon Hires Ex-Fed Prosecutor As He Gears Up For Trial Over Anti-ICE Protest

Cities Church

Minnesota

U.S.

A man who once worked for the current mayor of a California city was sentenced to four years in prison for covertly spreading Chinese Communist Party propaganda.
Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, was sentenced to 48 months in prison on Monday by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner for acting as an illegal agent for China from 2022 to 2024. Sun once worked on the city council campaign of Democrat Eileen Wang, the current mayor of the Southern California city of Arcadia.
“For years, Sun received and executed taskings from Chinese government officials, distorted our public discourse by disseminating Chinese propaganda, and surveilled groups in the United States that China viewed as threatening its interests as part of a campaign of intimidation,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. 
“His conduct represents a brazen violation of our national sovereignty. This sentence reflects our commitment to prosecuting those who would extend the authoritarian reach of the Chinese government on U.S. soil,&#8221; he added.
During his time working as an agent for China, Sun submitted reports to Chinese officials highlighting his work to counter the Falun Gong minority and pro-Taiwanese independence forces and “helping to elect a like-minded individual (&#8216;Individual 1&#8217;) to political office in Southern California,” according to the Justice Department sentencing memo.
While “Individual 1” was not identified in court documents, both the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-02-10/sentence-chinese-spy-helped-elect-council-member">Los Angeles Times</a> and the <a href="https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2026/02/09/chino-hills-man-advisor-for-arcadia-leader-sentenced-to-prison-for-acting-as-unregistered-agent-for-china/">Pasadena Star-News</a> reported sources confirmed this person was Wang. Campaign documents <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-election-interference-california-yaoning-mike-sun-d514395039bea63a8c7b8814d29d1aaa">listed</a> Sun as Wang’s campaign treasurer. Wang, who has not been charged with any crimes, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While her position is officially non-partisan, filings show that Wang switched from identifying as a <a href="https://laserfiche.arcadiaca.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=866849&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=CityofArcadia">Republican</a> to a <a href="https://laserfiche.arcadiaca.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=866847&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=CityofArcadia">Democrat</a>. The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-12-21/who-is-the-politician-at-the-center-of-the-latest-chinese-influence-scandal">reported</a> the switch was motivated by housing policies.
In one of his reports to Chinese officials, Sun said that he had “orchestrated and organized my team to win the election for city council” for “Individual 1,” whom he described as a “new political star.”
“Throughout 2022, defendant also worked as the campaign advisor for Individual 1, who was running for City Council in a Southern California city. Individual 1 was elected to the City Council in November 2022,” the sentencing memo said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Sun was Wang’s fiancé and that he helped bring in donations from sources tied to the Chinese government. Wang previously said she ended her romantic relationship with Sun about eight months before he faced federal charges.
“We broke up the fiancé relationship,” Wang <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-02/china-allegedly-tried-to-influence-this-politician-she-says-shes-not-going-anywhere">said</a> in April 2025. “We keep the friendship.”
Additionally, Sun spied on then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in April 2023 when she visited the United States, and he published a website “targeting the local Chinese-American population&#8221; at the direction of PRC Consulate officials, according to the sentencing memo.
Investigators said that Sun worked with John Chen, a “high-level member of the PRC intelligence apparatus,” who previously pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent for China. Chen was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/california-man-sentenced-acting-illegal-agent-prc-government-and-bribery">sentenced</a> for his efforts to repress U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong, a persecuted religious minority in China.
In one report submitted to Chinese officials, Sun said he had been in the United States since 1996 to “persist in resisting any hostile forces that undermine the friendship of US-China relations.&#8221;
The House Select Committee on China said the sentencing should serve as a warning for the United States.
&#8220;This case is what the Select Committee has warned for years: the Chinese Communist Party is actively targeting U.S. political systems, all the way down to local elections,&#8221; the committee <a href="https://x.com/ChinaSelect/status/2021270689332764734">said</a>. &#8220;A China-directed agent orchestrated efforts to elect a city council candidate, pushed CCP propaganda through a fake local news outlet, and reported directly to PRC officials, all while on U.S. soil.&#8221;

A US and a Chinese flag wave outside a c

Man Who Worked For California Mayor Sentenced To Prison For Spreading CCP Propaganda

California

Chinese Communist Party

Communist China

Department of Justice

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson suggested on Tuesday that her decision to attend the star-studded 2026 Grammy Awards was really just her way of getting &#8220;out into the community&#8221; while the Court was on hiatus.
Jackson joined the cohosts on ABC&#8217;s midday talk show &#8220;The View,&#8221; where she was primarily promoting the young adult version of her memoir, but the conversation turned to her appearance at the awards show and Republicans who&#8217;d criticized her for attending.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson defends her appearance at the Grammys after a GOP senator called for an investigation: &#8220;When the justices are on recess, which is what we are doing right now, we really have an opportunity to go out into the community in various different ways.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/kVUMxIEoIK">pic.twitter.com/kVUMxIEoIK</a>
— The View (@TheView) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheView/status/2021264308802376185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Some Republicans have criticized the fact that you were even there, given the sort of hot potato political thing with Bad Bunny, et cetera,&#8221; cohost Joy Behar pointed out. &#8220;They didn&#8217;t think you should be there. In fact, Senator Blackburn, Marsha Blackburn, has called for an investigation into your impartiality. So — do you have any response to that?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I mean, when you are in public life, criticism, you know, is part of the job. I&#8217;m sure all of you have faced it,&#8221; Jackson replied, prompting laughter from everyone around the table.
&#8220;Another part of the job, actually, my job, is public outreach and education,&#8221; Jackson continued. &#8220;When the justices are on recess, which is what we are doing right now, we really have an opportunity to go out into the community in various different ways.&#8221;
Jackson went on to explain that she&#8217;d been in Los Angeles for a moot court — an educational simulation of the appellate court process — &#8220;and it just so happened that I got nominated for this Grammy, and I was already going to be there, and I thought this is great opportunity to highlight my work in this way and to see what&#8217;s happening at the Grammys.&#8221;
Jackson was nominated in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category for her memoir “Lovely One,&#8221; but ultimately lost to the Dalai Lama.

Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Suggests Attending Grammys Was Basically Community Outreach

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Media

The View

A federal judge ruled Monday that California can&#8217;t enforce a law banning federal immigration agents from wearing masks.
Judge Christina A. Snyder from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that California&#8217;s &#8220;No Secret Police Act&#8221; both discriminates against the federal government for solely applying to federal law enforcement and violates its power granted by the Constitution&#8217;s Supremacy Clause.
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law in September to ban Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks while making arrests, forcing them to show their faces. The Department of Homeland Security quickly jumped to condemn the law, calling it “a flagrant attempt to endanger” federal officers.
ICE agents currently face a more than 1,000% increase in assaults, a surge in doxxing efforts, and a roughly 8,000% jump in death threats, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Left-wing activist groups have set up online databases to reveal photos of federal agents and publicize their names and locations.
In cities like Minneapolis, ICE Watch groups follow federal immigration agents to nearly every arrest site, snapping pictures of them and their license plates to alert the public to their whereabouts.
After the California law passed, United States Attorney Bill Essayli said California “does not and cannot have jurisdiction” over the federal agents.
Over the summer, Los Angeles became the center of aggressive immigration raids that drew violent rioters that blocked major highways, set cars ablaze, and hurled concrete blocks at law enforcement.
President Donald Trump responded to the mobs by sending in 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines to quell the melee.
In an attempt to change the judge&#8217;s mind, Democratic Senator Scott Weiner announced that he would swiftly file a bill to include California Highway Patrol in the mask ban.
In her ruling, the judge did scrutinize the Trump administration, saying that “federal officers can perform their federal functions without wearing masks.”
In a <a href="https://x.com/ZavalaA/status/2020994355868336591" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, Weiner called Snyder&#8217;s ruling &#8220;a huge win,&#8221; adding that for the law &#8220;to be enforceable it must apply to all levels of police — not just federal and local officers but also state officers.&#8221;
&#8220;Now that the Court has made clear that state officers must be included, I am immediately introducing new legislation to include state officers. I will do everything in my power to expedite passage of this adjustment to the No Secret Police Act.&#8221;

California Governor Gavin Newsom Interview

Federal Judge Rules California Can’t Stop ICE Agents From Wearing Masks

Gavin Newsom

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Controversial live-streamer Clavicular could be facing years in prison following an arrest on drug and forgery charges.
The streamer, whose real name is Braden Peters, was <a href="https://ktar.com/arizona-news/clavicular-arrested-scottsdale/5819599/">taken</a> into custody on February 7 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Peters, 20, was later charged with multiple offenses, including two felony counts, according to court records reviewed online.
During an initial court appearance, which was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVWl-gK9y4Y">streamed</a> on Peters’ Kick channel by a friend who was present at the time, a judge determined there was probable cause to proceed on all charges. The hearing quickly circulated on social media as viewers watched the legal proceedings unfold in real time.
Court documents show Peters was booked on two Class 4 felony counts: possession of a forged instrument and possession or use of a dangerous drug. He also faces a Class 1 misdemeanor charge for a minor using false identification to gain entry into a liquor establishment.
At the hearing, Peters’ attorney challenged the forgery charge, arguing it failed to meet the legal threshold required under Arizona law. Defense counsel asserted that the statute requires intent to defraud, and claimed the alleged fake identification was merely discovered during questioning, not actively used to deceive anyone.
The defense also questioned the legitimacy of the search that allegedly led to the drug charge, arguing there was insufficient justification and that employees at the venue never claimed Peters presented false identification. Counsel further suggested Peters was acting as a promoter at the location, a claim they argued undermined the state’s case.
Despite those objections, the judge ruled that the circumstances surrounding the arrest were sufficient to establish probable cause on all counts. A status conference has been scheduled for February 23 at 8:30 a.m., with a preliminary hearing set for February 26 at the same time.
If convicted, Peters could face substantial prison time. Under Arizona law, a Class 4 felony carries a maximum sentence of 3.75 years for a first-time, non-dangerous offender. The misdemeanor charge carries a potential sentence of up to six months in jail, along with fines that can reach $2,500.
Should the court impose the felony sentences consecutively, Peters’ total prison time could reach 7.5 years, placing his maximum possible sentence near eight years, with the addition of any time imposed for the misdemeanor. If the sentences are instead ordered to run concurrently, the maximum prison term would be significantly lower.
Peters has built an online following around extreme physical discipline and self-improvement content — not all of it traditional. He has previously acknowledged a history of drug use, including admitting to methamphetamine use.
During an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8qj9RNA938">interview</a> with Daily Wire host Michael Knowles, Peters said, &#8220;I do meth, yeah. Meth is very similar to &#8230; Adderall, but it&#8217;s got a little bit better psychoactive benefits &#8230; stimulants cause appetite suppression.&#8221; When pressed on why he was doing meth despite its negative effects, he replied, &#8220;I have enough willpower to be able to taper off of meth.&#8221;
Clavicular also drew public backlash last month for viral clips in which he and a circle of controversial online figures — including Nick Fuentes, Andrew and Tristan Tate, Justin Waller, and streamer Sneako — participated in live-streamed partying, which included the playing of a Ye song that has been widely condemned for its antisemitic lyrics.
He previously drew national attention in December after appearing to run over a supposed “stalker” with his Tesla Cybertruck during a livestream. Authorities later declined to file charges in that incident, though the platform temporarily banned his account.
This most recent bump against the law only adds to the deeply online saga surrounding the controversial streamer, whose career, if he&#8217;s convicted, may come to an abrupt, and lengthy, pause.

Clavicular

Cortisol Spike: Controversial Streamer Clavicular Arrested, Faces Two Felony Charges

Arizona

Crime

Drugs

President Donald Trump scored a major legal win on immigration at the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday night. 
A federal judge agreed with the Trump administration that illegal aliens can be detained without bond while their immigration cases are being processed.
&#8220;Tonight our [Justice Department] attorneys secured yet another crucial legal victory in support of [President] Trump’s immigration agenda,&#8221; U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted to X Friday night.
 &#8220;The Fifth Circuit just held illegal aliens can rightfully be detained without bond &#8211; a significant blow against activist judges who have been undermining our efforts to make America safe again at every turn,&#8221; Bondi said. 
&#8220;We will continue vindicating President Trump’s law and order agenda in courtrooms across the country,&#8221; the AG added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tonight our <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> attorneys secured yet another crucial legal victory in support of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> Trump’s immigration agenda.
The Fifth Circuit just held illegal aliens can rightfully be detained without bond &#8211; a significant blow against activist judges who have been…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2019950963801350628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
Eric Wessan, Iowa&#8217;s Solicitor General, called the win &#8220;enormous&#8221; for the Trump administration, noting that the Fifth Circuit was the first federal court to address Trump&#8217;s expedited removal efforts.
&#8220;ENORMOUS Immigration win for President Trump,&#8221; he posted to X. &#8220;The Fifth Circuit, the first federal court to address President Trump&#8217;s expedited removal efforts, sides with the administration.&#8221;
&#8220;Illegal aliens may be detained and removed!&#8221; he emphasized.
Ilya Shapiro, a senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, said the same in an X post. &#8220;Another big deal and seems obviously right &#8211; you can detain and hold illegal aliens rather than automatically releasing them on (insignificant) bond,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/ishapiro/status/2019949595925893322">said</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨🚨ENORMOUS Immigration win for President Trump. The Fifth Circuit, the first federal court to address President Trump&#8217;s expedited removal efforts, sides with the administration. Illegal aliens may be detained and removed! Judge Jones, joined by Duncan. Judge Douglas dissents. <a href="https://t.co/4K89hrb59T">pic.twitter.com/4K89hrb59T</a>
— Eric W. (@EWess92) <a href="https://twitter.com/EWess92/status/2019945912307507240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
The ruling comes in contrast with activist judges releasing illegals while their cases are being processed through a bond option. The administration says this undermines general immigration enforcement and limits its ability to detain and remove illegals who are a public safety or national security concern &#8212; a key promise of Trump&#8217;s 2024 presidential run.
Deportation of illegal aliens has been a central piece of President Trump&#8217;s second term agenda. According to a December 2025 <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/12/10/thanks-president-trump-and-secretary-noem-more-25-million-illegal-aliens-left-us">press release</a> from the Department of Homeland Security, the Trump administration was responsible for 2.5 million illegal aliens exiting the United States since Inauguration Day, with 605,000 having been deported and 1.9 million leaving of their own volition.
According to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), there were an <a href="https://ohss.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/2024_0418_ohss_estimates-of-the-unauthorized-immigrant-population-residing-in-the-united-states-january-2018%25E2%2580%2593january-2022.pdf">estimated</a> 11 million illegal aliens residing in the United States as of January 2022. Pew Research <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/08/21/u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population-reached-a-record-14-million-in-2023/">estimates</a> that an &#8220;all-time high of 14 million&#8221; illegal aliens were living in the United States by 2023 &#8220;after two consecutive years of record growth&#8221; in which 3.5 million aliens entered the country under Joe Biden.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hundreds-of-truckers-taken-off-road-for-english-proficiency-concerns-in-nationwide-operation?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Hundreds+Of+Truckers+Taken+Off+Road+For+English+Proficiency+Concerns+In+Nationwide+Operation">Hundreds Of Truckers Taken Off Road For English Proficiency Concerns In Nationwide Operation</a>

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Scores ‘Enormous’ Legal Win On Immigration

Illegal Immigration

Pam Bondi

Trump Administration

A Tennessee court has overturned a judge’s decision to block the release of writings by the transgender-identifying woman who killed three children and three adults during an attack on a Christian school in Nashville in March 2023.
The Tennessee Court of Appeals <a href="https://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/OpinionsPDFVersion/Majority%20Opinion%20-%20%20M2024-01139-COA-R3-CV.pdf">said</a> Wednesday that the city of Nashville must allow inspection of the writings of The Covenant School attacker under public record laws. In August 2024, Davidson County Judge I’Ashea Myles <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-publisher-appeals-decision-to-block-release-of-covenant-attackers-writings?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Conservative+Publisher+Appeals+Decision+To+Block+Release+Of+Covenant+Attacker%E2%80%99s+Writings">ruled</a> that copyright claims put on the writings preempted public records requests.
“Construing the [Tennessee Public Records Act] broadly to promote access to public records, as we are required, we conclude that under these particular circumstances, the only overt action Metro must take to meet its obligation is to allow Petitioners access to the records for personal inspection,” the judges wrote. “Simply put, so long as Metro maintains the records, it must allow Petitioners access … for personal inspection.”
The writings of the shooter include journal entries made in the months leading up to the March 27, 2023, attack. After the attack, the Nashville Police Department refused to release the writings, citing an ongoing investigation. A group of parents whose children attended The Covenant School also intervened to block the release of the writings, citing a copyright claim to the materials granted by the attacker’s parents.
The parents and the school also said that releasing the attacker’s writings would cause school safety concerns, a position that Myles agreed with in her ruling.
“This conclusion strains credulity, and we are neither willing nor able to make the blind logical leap the Covenant Intervenors ask of us,” the appeals court said, noting that many of the writings were made years before the attack.
The judges also said that there was no school shooter manifesto exemption to public records law because of fears about the writings inspiring future attacks.
“Respectfully, this argument is rooted in speculation about potential future events, not facts present in the record before us. This is a policy debate not contemplated by, or anywhere mentioned in” public records law, the judges said.
The parties who sued for access to the writings included Tennessee Star publisher Michael Patrick Leahy, the Tennessee Firearms Association, The Tennessean, and the National Police Association. Leahy was represented by the America First Legal Foundation.
“This unanimous ruling by the Tennessee Court of Appeals is a major victory for freedom of the press, the people of the State of Tennessee, and The Tennessee Star,” Leahy <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/covenant-school-shooting/court-of-appeals-gives-the-tennessee-star-major-victory-in-covenant-manifesto-case/tpappert/2026/02/04/">said</a> of the ruling. “It is in the public interest for all of these documents to be released to us expeditiously, as the Court of Appeals ruled.”
Despite these efforts, portions of the shooter’s writings have already been released through the FBI and through media reports, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covenant-journal-revealed-my-imaginary-penis?author=Brent+Scher&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=COVENANT+JOURNAL+REVEALED%3A+Shooter+Said+Being+Female+Was+A+‘F***ing+Curse%2C’+That+She’d+‘Kill’+To+Have+Had+Puberty+Blockers">including</a> The Daily Wire. Ramblings of the shooter posted by the FBI in December 2025 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-covenant-school-killer-hated-religion-and-white-people-fbi-files-reveal?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Covenant+School+Killer+Hated+‘Religion’+And+‘White+People%2C’+FBI+Files+Reveal">revealed</a> that she hated white people and religion.

3 children, 3 teachers fatally shot in US city of Nashville school shooting

Court Says Nashville Cannot Block Access To Covenant Shooter’s Writings

Nashville

School Shooting

Tennessee

The Covenant School

Transgender

Federal prosecutors filed new terrorism-related charges against Elias Rodriguez, the keffiyeh-wearing man accused of murdering Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim earlier this year.
The 13-count superseding <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/new-terrorism-related-charges-filed-against-alleged-killer-israeli-embassy-employees">indictment was unsealed</a> on Wednesday, showing that 31-year-old Rodriguez was charged with an additional four counts of committing acts of terrorism while armed, along with a federal aggravating factor alleging substantial planning and premeditation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Rodriguez’s previous charges included murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death, and two counts each of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed under the D.C. criminal code.
Some of the charges carry a possible sentence of death or life imprisonment.
“My office will not rest in our efforts to hold Elias Rodriguez accountable for this horrific and targeted act of terror against Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim, and our Jewish community,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “These additional terrorism-related charges carry a mandatory life sentence under D.C. Code, while also reflecting the reality that this act was in fact an act of terror.”
Lischinsky, 30, and Milgrim, 28, were allegedly shot and killed by Rodriguez outside of an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in May. He allegedly fired approximately 20 shots from a handgun and shouted “Free Palestine,” according to the indictment.
After the shooting, he entered the museum wearing a red keffiyeh, where attendees were still present, and said, “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.”
While being arrested, he shouted “shame on you” and “shame on Zio-nazi terror,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, Rodriguez wrote and published a manifesto “attempting to morally justify his actions and inspire others to commit political violence.”
Lischinsky was a German-Israeli dual citizen and a devout evangelical Christian. He immigrated to Israel at 16, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and began working as a political analyst at the embassy in 2022.
He was planning to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/friends-family-react-to-murder-of-israeli-embassy-staffers-by-keffiyeh-wearing-terrorist">propose</a> to Milgrim, who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs and was a full-time employee at the embassy’s Department of Public Diplomacy.

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-MUSEUM-SHOOTING

Suspect In Deadly Israeli Embassy Attack Hit With New Terrorism Charges

antisemitism

Murder

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2019442960312496339/photo/1">filed a lawsuit</a> Thursday against the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to ban the groups from operating in Texas, where they were recently designated as terror organizations.
“Sharia law and the jihadists who follow sharia law have no business being in Texas,” Paxton said in a statement. “Radical Islamic terrorists are antithetical to law and order, endanger the people of Texas, and are an existential threat to our values.”
The lawsuit builds on earlier action by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-joins-texas-in-designating-cair-and-muslim-brotherhood-as-terrorist-organizations">who labeled</a> the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR foreign terrorist organizations and urged the federal government to revoke CAIR’s tax-exempt status. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-joins-texas-in-designating-cair-and-muslim-brotherhood-as-terrorist-organizations">a similar designation</a> in late 2025. CAIR sued both states, denied supporting terrorism, and accused DeSantis of being “Israel first.”
The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood chapters, which included <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-designates-three-muslim-brotherhood-branches-as-terrorist-organizations">designating three</a> foreign branches of the organization as terrorist groups last month.
Paxton’s lawsuit targets the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and CAIR’s chapters in Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. It seeks to prohibit the groups and their affiliates from owning property in Texas or soliciting or recruiting members.
Paxton argues that the Muslim Brotherhood is covertly operating under CAIR, which he identifies as the group’s “American chapter.”
“The Muslim Brotherhood is a radical terror organization that exists to usurp governmental power and establish dominion through sharia law,” Paxton said. “The terrorist ties are unquestionable.”
Paxton claimed that a CAIR-Texas founding board member was convicted in 2008 of funneling $12.4 million to Hamas through the Holy Land Foundation, with CAIR named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.
“As the lawsuit notes, CAIR is undeniably the American face of an international terrorist organization,” Paxton added.
When designating the Muslim Brotherhood, Abbott emphasized the group’s suspected ties to Hamas, which has been a U.S.-designated terrorist organization since 1997 and is the Muslim Brotherhood’s Gaza-based branch, which kidnapped and murdered American citizens during the October 7 attack in Israel.
Abbott also cited a recent report that claims CAIR awarded $1,000 cash grants to university students who disrupted classes and intimidated or harassed fellow students “while celebrating Hamas’ October 7th attack.”
“Americans have generous hearts, and federal law wisely creates incentives to donate to nonprofit organizations that promote the public good,” Abbott wrote. “But charity must not become a backdoor to sponsor terrorism, endanger Americans, and subvert our democracy.”
CAIR dismissed the lawsuit in a statement to The Daily Wire, calling it &#8220;defamatory and unconstitutional.&#8221;
&#8220;Ken Paxton is late. CAIR has already filed a federal lawsuit to block enforcement of Governor Abbott&#8217;s defamatory and unconstitutional proclamation. We have also defeated Greg Abbott&#8217;s attacks on the Constitution three different times in a row. We look forward to doing so again. Just as Mr. Paxton&#8217;s attempt to shut down a Latino voting rights group failed last week, his latest anti-Muslim publicity stunt also appears doomed to fail. The people of Texas elected Mr. Paxton to serve them, not to silence them for daring to oppose Israel&#8217;s genocide in Gaza. CAIR-Texas will be serving and protecting the people of Texas long after Ken Paxton leaves office, God willing,&#8221; the statement said.

The Council On American-Islamic Relations Holds News Conference On Trump’s New Travel Ban Executive Order

Texas Sues Muslim Brotherhood And CAIR To Block Operations In Texas

CAIR

Greg Abbott

Ken Paxton

Muslim Brotherhood

Ryan Routh, the 59-year-old man who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course in 2024, was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, handed down the sentence in a Florida courtroom. It marks a win for the Justice Department, which had argued for Routh to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Routh was convicted last year of the attempted assassination after he hid out in the bushes with a rifle near Trump&#8217;s West Palm Beach golf course as the then-presidential candidate was golfing on September 15, 2024. Routh&#8217;s assassination attempt was thwarted by Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, who spotted Routh near the sixth hole and fired at him. Routh fled the scene in a vehicle he had parked nearby, but he was eventually caught by officers with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office as he was driving north on Interstate 95.
Routh represented himself during the trial after firing his lawyers and argued that &#8220;merely&#8221; having a weapon &#8220;in the presence of another is not intent.&#8221;
A jury deliberated for two hours following a two-week trial before it found Routh guilty on all five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assault of a federal officer. After the verdict was handed down, Routh grabbed a pen in the courtroom and tried to stab himself in the neck, and law enforcement officers quickly restrained and shackled him.
Evidence used by prosecutors during the trial included some of Routh&#8217;s writings, where he discussed his displeasure with Trump and wrote that Iran is &#8220;free to assassinate Trump as well as me.&#8221;
The FBI also obtained a letter from Routh that was delivered to a civilian witness.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” Routh wrote in the letter. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”
The letter also mentioned Iran and criticized Trump for ending &#8220;relations with Iran like a child and now the Middle East has unraveled.&#8221;
Officers who arrested Routh on the day of the attempted assassination also found cellphones and a list of flights out of the country when they searched his vehicle. The cell phone records showed that the phones had pinged near Trump&#8217;s golf course and Mar-a-Lago home multiple times between August 18 and September 15, 2024.
Routh had a fascination with Ukraine and was once <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/25/world/europe/volunteers-us-ukraine-lies.html">quoted</a> in The New York Times about his efforts to recruit fighters for the country. The Times reported that Routh had traveled to Ukraine for several months in 2022.
According to a Justice Department filing, Routh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-would-be-assassin-tried-to-buy-a-rocket-propelled-grenade-from-ukraine-doj-filing?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Would-Be+Assassin+Tried+To+Buy+A+Rocket-Propelled+Grenade+From+Ukraine%3A+DOJ+Filing">communicated</a> with a person he believed to be a Ukrainian and requested a rocket-propelled grenade while lamenting that Trump “is not good for Ukraine.”
In a message to his contact, Routh wrote, &#8220;I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected,&#8221; according to the DOJ filing.
Routh&#8217;s attempt to kill Trump came just two months after Thomas Crooks fired eight shots at Trump and struck him in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Two months after Routh tried to assassinate Trump, the Republican nominee won the 2024 presidential election.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Police shares footage of suspect in apparent assassination attempt on Trump caught in Florida

Man Who Attempted To Assassinate Trump At Golf Course Sentenced To Life In Prison

assassination attempt

Florida

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