Assassin Vance Boelter was sentenced Thursday to two consecutive life sentences without parole for murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark, and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, in what prosecutors called a politically motivated attack. 
Boelter was convicted on six federal charges stemming from the murders of the Hortmans and the shooting of the Hoffmans, as well as the attempted shooting of the couple&#8217;s daughter, Hope, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/vance-boelter-indicted-murders-melissa-and-mark-hortman-%20shootings-john-and-yvette-0">according</a> to the Department of Justice. 
At Thursday&#8217;s sentencing hearing, Colin and Sophie Hortman, the children of Melissa and Mark Hortman, described how their lives had been shattered by the murders.  
“In one night, our family went from whole to shattered,” Colin <a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/vance-boelter-to-be-sentenced-for-lawmaker-attacks-is-expected-to-receive-over-2-life-sentences/">said</a>, describing his parents as “the best” a child could ask for.
“My mom will never bake me another cake … She was supposed to bake my wedding cake. That was the one wish that I had,” Colin said. “They would have been the best grandparents. They will never meet my children. They would have traveled more, they would have mentored more leaders.”
Sophie Hortman also spoke about the trauma of losing her parents.
 “What I cared about was that my entire life had just been shattered in 30 seconds … We had to stand up and keep going,” she said.
Boelter <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vance-boelter-sentencing-man-killed-minnesota-democratic-lawmaker-face-rcna588852">apologized</a> in court to the Hortman family and his other victims. 
“To every person I have caused loss, pain, heartache, confusion, sadness, shame, or loneliness, I am truly sorry,” he said.
According to court documents, Boelter researched the homes and routines of top Democratic lawmakers before embarking on what prosecutors described as a &#8220;murderous rampage” while disguised as a police officer conducting wellness checks.
In addition to targeting the Hortmans and the Hoffmans, Boelter also went to the homes of Rep. Kristin Bahner and Sen. Ann Rest, both Democrats, but neither answered the door.
A two-day manhunt ended with Boelter&#8217;s arrest near his family home in Green Isle, Minnesota.
Officers found a list of 45 Democratic state officials and their addresses in his car, along with “No Kings” protest signs in the back of his car. Authorities have said Boelter was not a supporter of the demonstrators and had told family members before the shootings to “pray that something takes the wind out of these protests’ sails.” 
Prosecutors argued Boelter carried out the attacks in an effort to tip  Minnesota’s “delicate” balance of power in Republicans’ favor, KTSP news <a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/an-attack-on-representative-democracy-itself-filing-details-boelters-motives-for-night-of-terror/">reported</a>. They noted that the state House was evenly split 67-67 while Democrats held a one-seat Senate majority. Had Boelter succeeded in killing all four Democratic lawmakers he targeted, prosecutors argued, “the inevitable result would be a shift in the balance of power in both legislative houses.”  

In addition to his federal conviction, Boelter still faces multiple state charges, including two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer, and animal cruelty for allegedly killing the Hortmans&#8217; golden retriever, Gilbert.  

Boelter also previously served on Minnesota&#8217;s Workforce Development Board after being appointed by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. Walz has said he did not know Boelter personally, with his office noting that the board has more than 60 members and that governors do not personally interview applicants for such positions. 
&nbsp;

Two Minnesota State Legislators And Spouses Shot In Targeted Attacks

Assassin Sentenced In Minnesota Political Killings

Courts

Democrat

Democrats

Minnesota

Murder

murders

No Kings

Political Violence

Shooting

Tim Walz

trial

Vance Boelter

Paramount Skydance Corp’s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is temporarily halted by a federal judge.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín paused the merger between the two media giants for 14 days after they hoped to seal the deal on July 22, according to <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/paramount-warner-bros-deal-temporarily-paused-by-federal-judge">Bloomberg Law</a>. Fearing that the merger would harm cable and film competition, 12 states, including California, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington, sued Paramount and Warner Bros. on July 13, blocking the deal. 
Though Warner Bros. has already agreed to sell to Paramount, the judge is preventing Paramount from finalizing the decision. A pre-existing merger-agreement provision mandates Paramount pay WBD shareholders if the deal isn&#8217;t closed by September 30. 
The hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3, determining whether the deal will be blocked indefinitely. 
The deal would allegedly result in 90% of the media market controlled by four companies: Walt Disney Co., Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the Paramount-Warner merger. The lawsuit also claims that the merged company would control 27% alone of the “market for films widely released to theaters” as well as 30% of anticipated blockbusters, according to Bloomberg Law.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of the 12 state attorneys general, <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-wins-court-order-halting-paramounts-merger-warner-bros">celebrated</a> the judge’s decision, saying the deal would harm industries, workers, artists, businesses, and consumers. 
“Paramount’s unlawful merger with Warner Bros. would mean more expensive theater tickets, higher cable bills, fewer opportunities for workers, and fewer original stories shared with audiences across the country,” James said. 
This merger would bring two streaming platforms, two movie studios, and two news organizations under <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1911103/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm">David Ellison’s</a> control, the chief executive officer of Skydance Media.

Several States Are Preparing Lawsuit To Challenge Paramount’s Purchase Of Warner Bros. Discovery

Judge Throws Hollywood’s Biggest Media Deal Into Limbo

David Ellison

Paramount

U.S.

Warner Bros

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that New Jersey’s ban on semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines violates the Second Amendment, marking the first time a federal appellate court has struck down a state ban on so-called assault weapons. 
The Third Circuit reached the decision by a 10-5 vote, expanding a lower court ruling that had found New Jersey&#8217;s <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2c/section-2c-39-1/">ban</a> on Colt AR-15 rifles unconstitutional.
A lower court had previously ruled that New Jersey&#8217;s ban on Colt AR-15 rifles violated the Second Amendment while upholding the state&#8217;s large-capacity magazine restriction. The appeals court went further, concluding the constitutional protection extends to all semiautomatic rifles covered by the law.
“We agree with the District Court that New Jersey’s ban on Colt AR-15s violates the Second Amendment,&#8221; the court <a href="https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/242415p.pdf">wrote</a>. It added that &#8220;the same result&#8221; applies to the broader class of semiautomatic rifles covered by the state&#8217;s assault weapons ban.  
The appeals court relied heavily on the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association v. Bruen, which held that modern gun laws must be &#8220;consistent with this nation&#8217;s ⁠historical tradition of ​firearm regulation,&#8221; US News <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-07-17/us-appeals-court-declares-new-jerseys-ban-on-assault-rifles-unconstitutional">reports</a>. 
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, a Democrat, blasted the ruling, saying it was “as unfortunate as it is legally incorrect”
“Assault weapons and large-capacity magazines play a dangerous role in the modern epidemic of mass shootings, and New Jersey acted reasonably and lawfully in restricting them,&#8221; Davenport said.
She added that the state was already exploring its legal options following the ruling.
The Firearms Policy Coalition, one of the plaintiffs in the case, celebrated the decision.
“This is a massive victory for the People and another devastating blow to the authoritarian war on gun owners,” FPC’s President Brandon Combs <a href="https://www.firearmspolicy.org/fpc-wins-major-third-circuit-victory-against-new-jersey-assault-weapon-ban">said</a>. 
The Supreme Court is currently considering challenges to similar bans in Connecticut and Illinois.

Second Amendment Concepts – Firearm on a scale

Gun Owners Just Scored A Huge Court Victory

Gun Control

Gun Laws

New Jersey

An illegal immigrant from India who killed three people in a Southern California semi-truck crash was sentenced Tuesday to four years and eight months in prison, less than half the maximum sentence he faced. 
Jashanpreet Singh, 21, faced up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in connection with the October 2025 crash. 
Singh illegally crossed the U.S. border in March 2022 and was released into the country by the Biden administration after being apprehended by Border Patrol, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 
<a href="https://x.com/BreannaMorello/status/2077187320193695933?s=20">Dramatic dashcam footage</a> captured Singh&#8217;s semi-truck barreling into stopped traffic on Interstate 10 in Ontario, California, triggering an eight-vehicle pileup that killed three people and injured four others, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-released-by-biden-caused-fatal-california-truck-crash">The Daily Wire reported. </a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨SICKENING🚨
An illegal alien was sentenced to ONLY 4 years 8 months in prison for KILLING 3 people in a horrific 8-vehicle pileup on SoCal’s 10 Freeway.
Jashanpreet Singh was under the influence of drugs when he plowed a semi into slowed traffic with no attempt to stop or… <a href="https://t.co/z0k8YNt8MZ">pic.twitter.com/z0k8YNt8MZ</a>
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) <a href="https://x.com/BreannaMorello/status/2077187320193695933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
“It didn’t stop. It didn’t swerve. It didn’t make any kind of maneuvers. It just went straight in,” eyewitness Jason Calmelat <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/driver-tied-to-fatal-multi-car-crash-in-ontario-gets-nearly-5-years-in-prison/3917298/">told NBC4. </a>
Although the Indian national was initially arrested under suspicion of DUI, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/semi-truck-driver-deadly-crash-southern-california-toxicology-test/">toxicology reports came back negative </a>for drugs or alcohol, according to CBS News. An investigation from the California Highway Patrol found that Singh failed to stop his truck before plowing into traffic.
The judge cited Singh&#8217;s age and the absence of evidence that he was using a cellphone at the time of the crash in imposing the lighter sentence, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll0WvnzXZY4">according to NBC4.</a>
The case became a flashpoint in the Trump administration&#8217;s effort to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining commercial driver&#8217;s licenses.
“It is a terrible tragedy three innocent people lost their lives due to the reckless open border policies that allowed an illegal alien to be released into the U.S. and drive an 18-wheeler on America’s highways,” former Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said at the time. “This accident follows a disturbing trend of illegal aliens driving 18-wheelers and semi-trucks on America’s roads.” 
San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said Singh should never have been in the country.
“Had the rule of law been followed by State and Federal officials, the defendant should have never been in California at all,” <a href="https://da.sbcounty.gov/2025/10/31/semi-truck-driver-charged-in-multi-vehicle-crash-that-killed-three-and-injured-multiple-victims-in-ontario/">he said.</a>

aeb33c38-6d74-41ab-acce-2faa84ae7cca

Sentence Raises Eyebrows After Illegal Immigrant Kills 3 In Semi Crash

California

illegal immigrant

News

Truckers

President Donald Trump has paid more than $5.6 million owed to E. Jean Carroll after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in the 2023 sexual abuse and defamation case, closing one chapter of the legal battle while a separate $83 million judgment remains under appeal.
Court records filed Tuesday show $5.625 million — including accrued interest — was released to Carroll on July 9 after U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered the funds disbursed.
The money had been held in the court&#8217;s registry investment system while Trump pursued his appeals. 
Trump&#8217;s legal team sought to delay the payment, arguing the funds should remain in escrow while it asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision. Kaplan rejected that request and ordered the money released.
&#8220;Three years ago, a unanimous nine-person jury found President Trump liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll. Today, we are pleased to report that she has received the damages payment the jury awarded her as a result of that verdict,&#8221; Carroll attorney Roberta Kaplan said in a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/e-jean-carroll-trump-payment">statement</a>.
Trump has denied Carroll&#8217;s allegations and has maintained the case was politically motivated.
The case stems from Carroll&#8217;s claim that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. 
In May 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. With interest accrued during the appeals process, the judgment grew to more than $5.6 million.
Last month, the Supreme Court declined to review the case, leaving the lower court&#8217;s judgment intact. Following that decision, Trump vowed to continue fighting.
&#8220;Surprisingly, the Supreme Court declined to &#8216;review&#8217; a Fake Case brought against me by a woman I never met,&#8221; Trump wrote on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116834055569312013">Truth Socia</a>l. &#8220;I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case.&#8221;
Trump and Carroll remain embroiled in a second lawsuit. In January 2024, another federal jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million after finding he defamed her through statements made while serving as president in 2019.
Trump is expected to seek Supreme Court review of that judgment as well. Until then, that separate award remains tied up in the appeals process.

E. Jean Carroll

Trump’s Long Fight With E. Jean Carroll Just Took Another Turn

Donald Trump

Executive

Politics

Lance Twiggs, the trans-identifying former boyfriend of accused assassin Tyler Robinson, said in audio released during Thursday&#8217;s preliminary hearing that Robinson had claimed he wanted to engrave bullets ahead of a planned &#8220;hunting&#8221; trip.
A police interview with Twiggs, originally recorded several months after the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated, was played for the first time during preliminary hearings ahead of Robinson&#8217;s trial.
Twiggs said that Robinson had mentioned a hunting trip he was planning with his family, and asked whether he had a Dremel tool that he could use to engrave bullets before they went. He confirmed that he did have the tool, and had told Robinson where he could find it — and that all of that had transpired about a month or so prior to the shooting.
&#8220;He said he was going hunting with his family and he asked if we had a Dremel he could borrow because he said he wanted to engrave messages on bullets,&#8221; Twiggs explained. &#8220;I just told him where the Dremel was and told him to make sure he doesn&#8217;t set off the bullet on accident in the house, but I didn&#8217;t really think about it until then.&#8221;
He recalled seeing Robinson the day after the shooting, and said that he&#8217;d appeared restless — as if he&#8217;d been attempting to keep himself busy, or to distract himself from what he had done.
Twiggs also said that he&#8217;d asked Robinson directly whether the things he&#8217;d said via text the night before — namely that he&#8217;d been the one to shoot Kirk — had been true.
&#8220;[He] didn’t go into detail. I just asked him in person if what he said was true the night before and he said it was, starting crying a little bit, and he says he wishes he hadn’t done it,” Twiggs said.
Some portions of the interview were redacted pursuant to an earlier ruling from Judge Tony Graf, in which he stated that about 16 minutes of the recorded interview — which initially took place earlier in the year — would be redacted in order to balance transparency of the proceedings with the rights of the defendant.
Robinson, 23, will potentially face the death penalty if he is convicted.

Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Tyler Robinson Arraigned In Utah Court

Tyler Robinson’s Trans Furry Boyfriend Reveals Engraved Bullet Details

Tyler Robinson Claimed Engraved Bullets Were For 'Hunting,' Trans Furry Boyfriend Says

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina Trump, released a statement on Tuesday emphasizing their full support for Charlie Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika Kirk, and condemning the &#8220;lies&#8221; being peddled for &#8220;attention&#8221; regarding Kirk&#8217;s assassination.
The pair were in the Provo, Utah, courtroom on Monday and Tuesday for the preliminary hearing for the Tyler Robinson murder trial. Don Jr. and Kirk were close friends for years; Don Jr. has described Kirk as a younger brother.
The statement, which was posted to Bettina&#8217;s Instagram and reposted by Don Jr., opened by saying that the couple was &#8220;honored to be in court alongside Erika and Charlie&#8217;s family.&#8221;
&#8220;Over these past two days, we have heard and seen a significant amount of evidence, including extensive video footage, much of which has or will become public and will answer many of the questions that have been irresponsibly filled with speculation and false narratives,&#8221; it continued.
&#8220;There is a PROFOUND difference between seeking truth through the judicial process and spreading lies for attention,&#8221; the couple said. &#8220;Erika is not a public spectacle. She is a widow and a mother of two children who lost their father in an unimaginable way. She, her children, and Charlie&#8217;s family deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion.&#8221;
Notably, Candace Owens has led the charge with attacks against Erika. Owens recently said Kirk never received actual romantic love when he was alive, insinuating that Erika never loved her late husband, the man with whom she shared two children. She&#8217;s also mocked Erika and criticized her grief and reaction to Kirk&#8217;s murder. Owens has suggested, without ever presenting any evidence, that Erika and others at Turning Point USA were somehow connected to the assassination or part of a grand cover-up.
The statement from Don Jr. and his wife did not include Owens&#8217; name.
<div id="attachment_1130769" style="width: 950px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1130769" class="wp-image-1130769 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-9.34.35-AM.png" alt="" width="940" height="1704" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-9.34.35-AM.png 940w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-9.34.35-AM-165x300.png 165w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-9.34.35-AM-318x576.png 318w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-9.34.35-AM-768x1392.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-9.34.35-AM-847x1536.png 847w" sizes=" (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px" />Screenshot: Don Jr. Instagram</div>
&#8220;There are no words that can fully capture the weight of this moment, but standing with them was a powerful reminder of the love, strength, and faith that continue to surround Charlie&#8217;s family,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Erika has carried herself with extraordinary grace and courage, and we are in awe of her strength.&#8221;
The statement strongly underscored Don Jr. and Bettina&#8217;s love and full support for Erika. &#8220;We remain committed to standing with Erika, their beautiful children, and the entire Kirk family as they walk through this painful process,&#8221; the couple added. &#8220;Our prayers are with them.&#8221;
Don Jr. said on Fox News the following day that he attended the preliminary hearing to honor Kirk and his legacy, and also provide any support he could to Erika and Kirk&#8217;s parents.
&#8220;I’m there to not only honor Charlie’s legacy [but] to support Erika, his parents, who were there seated all in the row with us,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2074857486813655214">said</a>. &#8220;It was just important to be there. It’s a legacy that needs to be preserved. The impact that Charlie had on so many Americans and so many youth is frankly generational.&#8221;
Reacting to what he heard at the hearing, Don Jr. said Robinson&#8217;s defense team&#8217;s &#8220;only real tactic&#8221; was trying to stall or get evidence tossed &#8220;because I guess it would be too damning to their client.&#8221;
&#8220;Once this hard evidence was laid out to me in a courtroom before my very eyes, seeing the reaction of the defense; this thing is much more cut and dry than I would have ever even imagined,&#8221; he added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-chilling-moment-judge-flinches-while-watching-charlie-kirk-assassination-footage?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Hotwire&amp;rowType=Three+Column+Grid&amp;title=The+Chilling+Moment+Judge+Flinches+While+Watching+Charlie+Kirk+Assassination+Footage">The Chilling Moment Judge Flinches While Watching Charlie Kirk Assassination Footage</a>

Trump Hosts Brutal UFC Fights At White House For 80th Birthday

Don Jr., Wife Condemn ‘Lies’ About Kirk Assassination

Donald Trump Jr.

Erika Kirk

Former CIA Director John Brennan, who helped oversee the intelligence community&#8217;s investigation into alleged ties between Donald Trump&#8217;s 2016 campaign and Russia, sued the Justice Department on Wednesday before prosecutors have even charged him with a crime.
Brennan filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking an order requiring the Trump administration to preserve records related to two ongoing Justice Department investigations examining his conduct.
The move comes as federal investigators continue probing Brennan&#8217;s role in the intelligence community&#8217;s 2017 assessment concluding that Russia sought to help Trump win the 2016 election, as well as whether Brennan gave misleading testimony to Congress about that assessment during testimony in 2023.
No criminal charges have been filed against Brennan. Nevertheless, Brennan&#8217;s legal team argues that any future prosecution would amount to political retaliation by the Trump administration and says preserving government records now is necessary to support what they describe as an eventual defense against &#8220;vindictive and selective prosecution.&#8221;
&#8220;This Administration has adopted a policy of using criminal process and prosecution to punish the President&#8217;s perceived adversaries,&#8221; Brennan&#8217;s attorneys wrote in the <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.294102/gov.uscourts.dcd.294102.1.0.pdf">46-page complaint.</a> The filing names President Donald Trump, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and several Justice Department officials involved in the investigations. 
According to Brennan&#8217;s attorneys, they fear government officials may fail to preserve internal communications that could be relevant if prosecutors ultimately seek an indictment. The Justice Department declined to confirm whether Brennan is under criminal investigation.
&#8220;While we cannot comment on the existence, or lack thereof, of an investigation, it is certainly rich that John Brennan is accusing anyone of a &#8216;retribution campaign,'&#8221; a DOJ spokesman said to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-cia-chief-john-brennan-sues-trump-administration-demands-court-preserve-investigation-records">Fox News Digital</a>. The investigations into Brennan have steadily expanded over the past year.
One inquiry centers on whether Brennan misled Congress regarding the intelligence community&#8217;s conclusions about Russian interference in the 2016 election. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan previously referred Brennan to the Justice Department for possible prosecution after questioning his congressional testimony.
Investigators have also reportedly interviewed current and former intelligence officials involved in drafting the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that concluded Moscow sought to boost Trump&#8217;s candidacy.
That review has focused in part on whether the controversial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sues-christopher-steele-over-shocking-and-scandalous-claims-made-in-discredited-dossier?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sues+Christopher+Steele+Over+%E2%80%98Shocking+And+Scandalous%E2%80%99+Claims+Made+In+Discredited+Dossier">Steele dossier</a> — a collection of unverified allegations about Trump funded by his political opponents — inappropriately influenced the intelligence assessment&#8217;s conclusions. Brennan has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has maintained that the intelligence community&#8217;s assessment accurately reflected Russia&#8217;s efforts to interfere in the election.
A separate Justice Department investigation reportedly examines what prosecutors have described as a broader conspiracy involving Obama-era and Biden-era officials, looking into whether multiple investigations targeting Trump—including the Russia probe and later criminal investigations—were part of a coordinated effort to undermine him politically.
Brennan&#8217;s attorneys argue that those investigations themselves demonstrate political bias. The complaint points to personnel changes inside the Justice Department, including the replacement of a career national security prosecutor with Joseph diGenova, a former Trump attorney who has publicly called Brennan &#8220;evil&#8221; and a &#8220;traitor.&#8221;
The filing also alleges prosecutors attempted to move aspects of the investigation between different U.S. Attorney&#8217;s offices and sought venues that Brennan&#8217;s lawyers believe would be more favorable to the government&#8217;s case.
Rather than waiting to challenge an indictment, Brennan is asking the court to preserve emails, memoranda, witness statements, status reports, and other internal communications that could later become evidence supporting claims that prosecutors acted with improper political motives.
The filing comes as the Trump administration continues investigating several high-profile officials connected to previous investigations into Trump, including former intelligence and FBI personnel involved in the Russia inquiry. 
Whether Brennan is ultimately charged remains unknown. His lawsuit seeks to preserve records he argues could become relevant if prosecutors later bring charges.

CIA Director John Brennan Testifies To Senate Committee Hearing On National Security

Former Spy Chief Behind Russia Collusion Probe Takes Unusual Legal Step

John Brennan

justice department

Lawsuit

Russia Collusion Hoax

Seven additional members of an Antifa cell were sentenced Wednesday for their roles in last year&#8217;s attack on a federal immigration detention facility.
The trial marked the federal government&#8217;s first domestic terrorism case against Antifa. During the July 4, 2025, ambush, the anarchists lured Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers out of the Prairieland Detention Center by setting off fireworks outside the north Texas facility before opening fire on them.
Prosecutors said the group possessed flyers reading “FIGHT ICE TERROR WITH CLASS WAR!” and “FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS,” as well as a flag stating, “RESIST FASCISM — FIGHT OLIGARCHY.” They also spray-painted the words “ICE Pig” on a nearby vehicle and “F*ck you pigs” on a guard shack outside the facility.
On Wednesday, Ines Soto was sentenced to 50 years in prison for rioting, providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to use and carry an explosive, and using and carrying explosives during a riot, <a href="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article316334662.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Joy “Rowan” Gibson and Rebecca Morgan each received 15-year sentences.
Four others connected to the attack, who each pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to terrorists and later cooperated with prosecutors as witnesses in the case, received sentences ranging from 22 months to six years, the local news outlet reported.
Eight other members of the Antifa group received sentences in late June. Among them was former Marine Corps Reservist Benjamin Hanil Song, who received the maximum sentence of 100 years after shooting Alvarado police Lt. Thomas Gross and evading authorities for 11 days after the ambush.
Roughly 20 to 30 rounds were fired at law enforcement during the attack, according to court documents.
Gross, who was shot in the neck, has since made a full recovery, Alvarado Police Chief Teddy May said.
Prosecutors said that Song led the attack, during which he fired two AR-15-style rifles at three ICE officers. He also recruited his co-conspirators and distributed firearms.
They also said that Song yelled for the group to “get to the rifles” and opened fire before shooting the police officer, KXAN reported.
A sentencing hearing for one additional defendant is scheduled for July 6.
Attorneys representing the defendants in the case have indicated their plans to file appeals, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
During the trial, the defense argued that the defendants planned to hold a peaceful protest and a noise demonstration using fireworks to show solidarity with the detainees being held by ICE.

US-NEWS-TEXAS-ICE-FACILITY-ATTACK-FT

Seven More Members Of Antifa Cell Sentenced In Anti-ICE Ambush

Antifa

domestic terrorism

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Chinese businessman, right-wing media mogul, and real estate tycoon Miles Guo has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for defrauding his followers of more than $1 billion. 
Guo, who also used the names “Ho Wan Kwok,” “Guo Wengui,” “Brother Seven,” “The Principal,” and “Boss,” was convicted of racketeering, securities fraud, money laundering, and defrauding donors and investors.
Guo’s federal judge, Analisa Torres, said on Monday that Guo had “preyed on people seeking to bring democracy to China,” causing them “substantial financial and emotional harm.”
His fraud schemes began when he lured donors into his Rule of Law Foundation and Rule of Law Society by falsely claiming he was contributing the first $100 million himself. He also released stock in his media venture, GTV, which gained scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission. 
Guo was also involved in a scheme in which victims were told they could lend money to networks of Guo’s supporters and receive GTV stock and interest, a venture that allegedly netted him $100 million. He also sold $250 million in memberships to G|CLUBS, which also promised GTV stock but provided few tangible benefits.
Another fraud scheme Guo was convicted of was launching a cryptocurrency ecosystem called “Himalaya Exchange,” where people could trade “H Coin” and “H Dollar.” The court proceedings revealed that the cryptocurrencies were not based on a blockchain at all but merely numbers manipulated on an internal spreadsheet.
With the money he took from Americans and foreign investors, Guo reportedly bought estates in New Jersey and Connecticut, a $4.4 million Bugatti supercar, a $1 million Lamborghini, and a $37 million yacht, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/guo-wengui-chinese-businessman-fraud-9b8329c7ab8012f2dfa7c48c55fc5620">reported</a>.
“After immigrating to this country, rather than being satisfied with the many legitimate opportunities afforded to him, Guo exploited the trust that thousands had placed in him for his own greed,” U.S. Attorney Sean S. Buckley <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/miles-guo-sentenced-30-years-prison-leading-billion-dollar-fraud">said</a> in a statement. “This sentence shows that fame and wealth do not place you above the law, and that fraudsters who victimize families to enrich themselves will be met with significant consequences.”
Federal prosecutors likened the scale of Guo’s schemes to that of the famous fraudster Bernie Madoff.
Guo went from poverty to an estimated net worth of $2.6 billion by investing in real estate during the construction boom leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was ranked as China’s 74th richest man and owned a sprawling $230 million lakeside courtyard in Beijing, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/30/us/guo-wengui-china.html">according</a> to The New York Times.
Guo secured majority control of a securities business by buying a stake in a state-owned company through Chinese senior intelligence official Ma Jian. However, when a Chinese campaign aimed at stamping out waste, fraud, and abuse jailed Ma, Guo realized he was at risk and fled China in 2015.
During his time in the United States, Guo made friends and connections in the American Right. He joined President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf club. He also partnered with Trump supporter Steve Bannon to launch anti-CCP ventures such as GTV Media and declared the New Federal State of China to be the self-proclaimed sovereign government of China. Guo also promoted Bannon’s podcast on his Chinese-language media network.
Guo’s network was the first to expose the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/29/us/guo-wengui-sentencing.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uFA.adnJ.ZGsOD1LAX7dG&amp;amp;smid=url-share">reported</a>. He also released a No. 1 iTunes hit song, “Take Down the CCP.”
Beijing welcomed the conviction of Guo.
&#8220;Guo Wengui is a fugitive wanted under an Interpol Red Notice issued at the request of the Chinese government,&#8221; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/guo-wengui-beijing-jailing-ccp-critic-trump-links-12140888">said</a> in a press briefing Tuesday.
Throughout the case, Guo has maintained his innocence, stating that he fled to the United States not to escape a fraud conviction but to “destroy the CCP,” according to an AP news <a href="https://apnews.com/article/guo-wengui-chinese-businessman-fraud-3deb06c17c5640a5d63f0e2c72286ac8">report</a>. 
Guo has insisted that his business dealings have harmed no one. His attorneys have stated that the conviction is part of the CCP’s “grand, pervasive, and life-threatening” pursuit of him and stated that Guo’s conviction would merely “embolden further efforts to eliminate Chinese dissidents from public life.”
Judge Torres said Guo’s assets will be liquidated, with the proceeds used to reimburse hundreds of his victims.

Screenshot 2026-06-30 at 2.21.35 PM

Chinese Billionaire Who Infiltrated American Politics Sentenced For Fraud

China

Fraud

WASHINGTON — As reporters across the nation scrambled to publish multiple massive Supreme Court stories on Tuesday morning, one newsroom&#8217;s error brought the news cycle to a grinding halt.
NPR mistakenly published a story claiming that the famed Justice Samuel Alito was retiring, citing a Supreme Court announcement. Within minutes, the outlet clarified that this was an error and retracted the story. The Supreme Court quickly denied that Alito was retiring. But the story&#8217;s publication prompted Washington to wonder: Is Alito pondering retirement? And how soon would that retirement come?
The justice has already chosen his clerks for the next term, a person familiar with the matter told The Daily Wire. Alito&#8217;s clerks will include Marisa Sylvester, Zach Gluckow, and Bradley Larson. This doesn&#8217;t mean that the justice cannot retire; however, Alito&#8217;s clerks could be reassigned to other justices if he decided to leave.
Court watchers have pointed to possible signs that the justice may retire in the near future, including the legacy of the historic opinion he authored deciding the fate of Roe v. Wade, and his upcoming book, set to go on sale in October 2026 (the day after the court&#8217;s next term begins), <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/aging-us-supreme-court-justices-politics-retirement-looms-large-2026-04-11/">Reuters reports</a>.
But people close to Alito have suggested that he&#8217;s not yet ready to leave the Supreme Court. Neither is Justice Clarence Thomas, for that matter.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t see Thomas or Alito retiring this term,” a person close to Thomas told The Daily Wire.
<div id="attachment_1125855" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/will-justice-alito-actually-retire-heres-what-we-know/president-bush-swears-in-samuel-alito-at-white-house" rel="attachment wp-att-1125855"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1125855" class="wp-image-1125855 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-56724980.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="746" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-56724980.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-56724980-300x219.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-56724980-791x576.jpg 791w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-56724980-768x560.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>Samuel Alito (L) is sworn in as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court as his wife Martha-Ann Bomgardner holds a Bible during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House February 1, 2006, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)</div>
President Donald Trump addressed the matter in February, telling reporters, &#8220;I hope they&#8217;re going to be around a long time,&#8221; when asked about Thomas or Alito retiring. &#8220;I hope they&#8217;re going to stay healthy. They&#8217;re great people.&#8221;
If he did decide to retire while President Donald Trump is in office, Trump would choose Alito&#8217;s replacement. Trump&#8217;s past nominees to the court have prompted a firestorm from leftist activists and lawmakers, most notably over the appointment of Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who were seen as the tipping point in overturning Roe v. Wade.
&#8220;The window for Trump to nominate a Supreme Court justice, ​or any federal judge, with a friendly Republican Senate could be closing by the end of this year,&#8221; Bush-era DOJ lawyer John Yoo <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/aging-us-supreme-court-justices-politics-retirement-looms-large-2026-04-11/">told Reuters earlier this year</a>.
&#8220;I think a conservative justice would want to retire during a time when an originalist would follow him or her,&#8221; he added, &#8220;and that ​is most likely with Trump as president and the Senate controlled by Republicans.&#8221;
So far, the White House hasn&#8217;t shown much appetite for a Supreme Court vacancy — though legacy media and activist groups on the Left have been chomping at the bit for such a moment.
“The White House hasn’t been publicly pressuring the justices to retire,” the source close to Thomas noted. “They’re respecting the justices’ decisions on how and when they would retire.”
If Alito actually retired, there are several possible candidates that the president could nominate in his place. One prominent option is Andy Oldham, a former Alito clerk who sits on the Fifth Circuit. Another is James Ho, a former Thomas clerk who is also from the Fifth Circuit. Emil Bove, a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, has also been floated.
&#8220;One of the best things about Trump&#8217;s position right now is all his previous appeals court nominees are in great position in terms of age and time on the lower court bench,&#8221; a person close to the conservative justices shared. &#8220;It&#8217;s a deep bench.&#8221;
A White House official told The Daily Wire that they wouldn&#8217;t speculate on potential vacancies at any level, but noted: &#8220;The President is always prepared to nominate highly qualified judges who will uphold the Constitution and rule of law.&#8221;

Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito Meets With Senators

Will Justice Alito Actually Retire? Here’s What We Know

Brett Kavanaugh

Justice Alito

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

President Donald Trump reacted on Monday to the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to allow mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day — and immediately argued that it was all the more reason to push ahead with the Save America Act to secure election integrity.
Trump took to Truth Social to respond to several of the high court&#8217;s decisions. He took extra care to <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116834002761429397">outline</a> the reasons he felt that passing the Save America Act would counteract any harm done to election integrity by allowing the late ballot counting to continue.
&#8220;In light of the tremendous loss in the Supreme Court today concerning Voter’s Rights, and the fact that &#8216;people’s&#8217; votes are allowed to be counted LONG AFTER an Election is over, it is more important than ever to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, which is, 1. ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PHOTO I.D. (IDENTIFICATION!); 2. ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP; 3. NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS (EXCEPT FOR ILLNESS, DISABILITY, MILITARY DEPLOYMENT, OR TRAVEL!).&#8221;
Trump went on to draw a hard line on the issue, lashing out at Republicans who might not support the measure and reminding them of the threat posed by the socialists who have already begun to infiltrate the Democratic Party — winning safely blue primaries over Democratic incumbents.
&#8220;There is no excuse for a politician, or otherwise, to be against the above three requirements. There is only one reason to oppose — CHEATING! The House of Representatives has approved this vital Act, THREE TIMES,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The United States Senate seems unable to do so. In a time when there is a powerful Communist Movement taking place in our Country, one more dangerous than World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or September 11th, all Dumocrats, and our five Republican Senate Hold Outs, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy, and Mitch McConnell must vote to SAVE OUR COUNTRY.&#8221;
&#8220;There can be no more excuses!&#8221; the president concluded.
In a 5-4 ruling, authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the high court held that nothing in federal election-day statutes prohibits states from counting late-arriving mail-in ballots, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-justices-join-liberals-to-deal-major-blow-to-election-integrity?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Conservative+Justices+Join+Liberals+To+Deal+Major+Blow+To+Election+Integrity">reported</a>.
“The election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt, and we cannot add to the words Congress chose,” Barrett wrote in the opinion. Chief Justice John Roberts also joined the court’s liberal wing to form a majority.

President Trump Meets With NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte In The Oval Office

Trump Reacts To ‘Tremendous Loss’ At SCOTUS

Mail-In Voting

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