Maryland Democrats voted this week to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would pave the way for eliminating the state&#8217;s lone Republican-held congressional district before the 2028 election.
The measure passed largely along party lines, clearing the House of Delegates 96-38 and the Senate 32-13 before being signed by Democratic Governor Wes Moore.
If voters approve the amendment this November, lawmakers would gain significantly broader authority to redraw Maryland&#8217;s congressional map ahead of the 2028 elections, allowing Democrats to target the state&#8217;s only Republican-held House seat, represented by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. Maryland Democrats currently hold seven of the state&#8217;s eight congressional seats.
The proposal would not immediately redraw district lines and would not affect the 2026 elections. Instead, it would remove state constitutional requirements that congressional districts be compact and respect natural boundaries and political subdivisions, leaving future maps subject primarily to federal legal standards.
Democrats argue the amendment is necessary to respond to Republican redistricting efforts across the country. 
&#8220;I continue to believe that our country needs national redistricting reform. But until that happens, inaction is not an option,&#8221; Moore said in a <a href="https://southernmarylandchronicle.com/2026/08/06/redistricting-question-heads-to-maryland-voters/">statement</a>. &#8220;Maryland will not be caught flat-footed while Republicans engage in political redlining that guts decades of progress that the generations before us fought for.&#8221;
Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/democrats-put-redistricting-amendment-marylands-midterm-ballot-rcna590550">added</a>, &#8220;Maryland cannot remain on the sidelines because of uncertainty in our own constitutional language.”
The amendment marks a significant shift for Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, who earlier this year resisted calls from fellow Democrats to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 midterms. Ferguson had warned that aggressively redrawing the map could backfire in court after a Maryland judge rejected Democrats&#8217; 2021 congressional map, finding it violated the state constitution by excessively favoring one political party.
His position changed after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year struck portions of the Voting Rights Act, a decision Ferguson said opened the door for additional Republican redistricting efforts in Southern states and changed the legal landscape surrounding congressional maps.
If approved, the amendment would remove the constitutional provisions that complicated Democrats&#8217; earlier map, making it substantially more difficult to challenge future congressional districts under Maryland law.
Republicans blasted the proposal as an openly partisan attempt to eliminate the state&#8217;s lone GOP congressional district. &#8220;Just because we can go ultra-partisan doesn&#8217;t mean we should go ultra-partisan,&#8221; Republican Delegate Kevin Hornberger said during floor debate.
Rep. Harris, whose Eastern Shore-based district is widely expected to become the primary target of any future redraw, said the amendment would fracture rural communities by combining them with heavily Democratic suburban and urban areas. He also predicted any new congressional map would face another court challenge if voters approve the amendment.
The constitutional amendment will appear on Maryland ballots during the November midterm election, with voters ultimately deciding whether the legislature should receive expanded authority to redraw the state&#8217;s congressional districts before the 2030 census.

Wes Moore

Dems Put State’s Lone GOP House Seat In Crosshairs With Redistricting Ballot Measure

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The Trump administration announced Monday that it is taking enforcement action against two public school districts accused of concealing students&#8217; gender identity information from parents, warning the districts could face lawsuits and the loss of federal funding for violating federal privacy law.
The Department of Education said it has partnered with the Justice Department to pursue enforcement against Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland. It also gave Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan until August 10 to explain why similar action should not move forward. 
The investigations center on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which guarantees parents access to their children&#8217;s education records. The Trump administration argues that school policies directing staff to withhold information about a student&#8217;s gender identity or social transition from parents violate those protections.
&#8220;As a mother and a grandmother, it is unconscionable that any school district would hide the most sensitive information about children in their care from their own parents,&#8221; Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/trump-administration-cracks-down-school-districts-secretly-transitioning-students-and-hiding-it-parents">statement</a>. &#8220;This is not only an affront to basic moral principles, but also to parents&#8217; rights under federal law.&#8221;
&#8220;Today, ED and DOJ are putting districts on notice that we will use every tool available to hold them to account for this egregious behavior,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Under the Trump Administration, ED and DOJ are working together to vigorously uphold parents&#8217; federal protections, and we will work to ensure that no parent is ever kept in the dark about important matters relating to their children.&#8221;
According to the Education Department, its Student Privacy Policy Office received complaints from parents in Anne Arundel County who discovered their daughter was being referred to by male pronouns at school. The parents said they learned about the situation only after receiving an email from school staff.
When the parents sought information about what the school described as their child&#8217;s &#8220;gender transition,&#8221; the principal allegedly refused to provide details while an assistant principal declined to turn over relevant records, prompting the federal investigation. The Education Department said Anne Arundel County improperly classified information about a student&#8217;s so-called &#8220;gender identity&#8221; as confidential medical information that could not be shared with parents. The agency said those practices unlawfully prevented parents from exercising their rights under FERPA.
The action comes weeks after the same parents <a href="https://www.thebanner.com/education/k-12-schools/arundel-schools-transgender-children-policies-lawsuit-6BKCHH25O5HP7FLPPGNF7RQFWU/">filed a federal lawsuit</a> against the district with representation from America First Legal, the conservative organization founded by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The lawsuit claims school officials socially transitioned their daughter by using a masculine name and pronouns without notifying or obtaining consent from her parents. The Education Department said it is working with the Justice Department&#8217;s Civil Rights Division to pursue enforcement against the Maryland district, including potential judicial proceedings and termination of federal funding.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the administration intends to aggressively enforce the law. &#8220;School districts that hide information from parents are violating federal law,&#8221; Dhillon said. &#8220;FERPA is not optional, and any districts that attempt to bypass or distort its requirements should expect immediate federal action.&#8221;
Additionally, the administration found Ann Arbor Public Schools&#8217; policy requiring employees to conceal a student&#8217;s &#8220;transgender status&#8221; from parents likely violates FERPA. Federal officials also questioned the district&#8217;s practice of maintaining records related to a student&#8217;s &#8220;gender identity&#8221; in a separate filing system. 
The Education Department said the cases build on a broader effort by the Trump administration to strengthen parental rights. Earlier this year, the department launched statewide investigations into policies that allegedly concealed students&#8217; &#8220;gender identity&#8221; from parents and issued a finding against the California Department of Education over the use of secret &#8220;gender support plans&#8221; and hidden student records.
In March 2025, the department sent a nationwide <a href="https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/sites/default/files/resource_document/file/Secretary_Comb_SPPO_DCL_Annual%20Notice_0.pdf">letter</a> reminding state education officials that concealing a child&#8217;s &#8220;gender identity&#8221; from parents was a priority enforcement issue under FERPA.
FERPA violations can ultimately result in the loss of federal education funding, though that penalty has historically been used sparingly.

Transgender Symbol and Pencils With The Color of Lgbt Flag

Trump Admin Takes Action Against School Districts Hiding ‘Transgender Status’ From Parents

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

John Bolton

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

John Bolton Will Plead Guilty To Retaining National Security Secrets

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The Justice Department charged a foreign shipping company and an Indian national on Tuesday in connection with the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge more than two years ago. 
The charges target Singapore and India-based entities of Synergy Marine, the operator of the motor vessel Dali, a container ship that caused billions of dollars in damage when it crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024. Also charged is 47-year-old Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, an Indian national who worked as the Dali&#8217;s technical superintendent and for Synergy Marine. 
Nair and Synergy Marine are <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.603602/gov.uscourts.mdd.603602.1.0_1.pdf">charged</a> with conspiracy to defraud the United States and with causing the death of six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time of its collapse. 
“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This indictment is a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused this disaster.”
The indictment says the Dali lost power twice on March 26, 2024, while attempting to depart the Port of Baltimore. This power outage was caused by the ship&#8217;s lack of proper safety measures, according to prosecutors. 
If the Dali had “used the proper fuel supply and booster pumps, then the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge,” the indictment said. 
Following the crash, prosecutors say Nair and other Synergy officials lied to investigators about the ship&#8217;s emergency procedures and preparedness for power outages. 
Similar power outages had occurred on other vessels operated by Synergy before the crash, but no corrective action had been taken or safeguards put in place, prosecutors said. 
The indictment further claims that Synergy had “a history of failing to document and address significant safety risks. SYNERGY failed to report hazards, casualties, and other safety issues to the United States Coast Guard (‘U.S. Coast Guard’) and other regulatory authorities. SYNERGY shoreside technical managers fabricated and directed the fabrication of safety inspections and certifications related to many vessel systems, including the fuel supply system.”
Both Synergy entities are also charged with violations of the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, and Refuse Act related to the discharge of pollutants into the Patapsco River in Maryland. 
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced Tuesday that the state has reached a $2.25 billion settlement with Synergy over charges related to the bridge collapse.

Crews Continue To Work To Reopen Shipping Lane At The Site Of The Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore

Trump DOJ Charges Foreign Shipping Firm, Engineer In Deadly Bridge Collapse

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A financial giant blocked a Maryland gun shop from using its financial services after identifying it as participating in a “prohibited industry,” a debanking lawsuit claims. 
The lawsuit, filed by the Rockville-based United Gun Shop, accuses Capital One and Melio Payments of arbitrarily preventing it from using their payment services. The gun shop received messages in 2025 and 2026 suggesting the financial entities could not work with the firearms industry, emails viewed by The Daily Wire show.
The apparent debanking comes after the gun shop had previously used Capital One’s payment platform, administered by Melio Payments, for multiple business-related transactions and bill payments, according to the suit.
“As an American-owned small business operating legally, we were shocked when Capital One abruptly stopped processing our payments without any clear explanation and instead cited vague reasons tied to a third-party payment provider we never agreed to work with,&#8221; United Gun Shop owner Jonathan Bennett told The Daily Wire. &#8220;We filed this lawsuit to hold Capital One and its third-party partner accountable for what we believe is unfair discrimination against our company.”
The <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1036217722/Filed-Melio-CapitalOne-COMPLAINT">lawsuit</a> accuses Capital One and Melio of blocking the gun shop from &#8220;making future payments&#8221; before later disabling them from completing payment transactions. 
“Defendants invoked generalized ‘prohibited industry’ and ‘restricted industry’ classifications after Plaintiff had already been onboarded into the Capital One-branded workflow and after some payments had already been processed,&#8221; the lawsuit said. 
The incidents caused the gun shop around $75,000 in damages and disrupted its business services, according to the suit.
Reached for comment, Melio said it did nothing wrong. “The claims have no merit, and we intend to vigorously defend them,&#8221; the company told The Daily Wire. It did not respond to follow up questions about specific communications to United Gun Shop. Capital One did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Capital One previously <a href="https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/content/how-gun-companies-and-stores-are-pushing-back/">faced accusations</a> of politicized banking from the owner of a silencer company who testified that he was unable to use Capital One to sell federally regulated suppressors. Capital One says it does not make banking decisions based on politics. 
On April 11, 2025, a representative for United Gun Shop met with Capital One after “defendants canceled services without notice,” after the store had started to make bill payments with the banking giant&#8217;s platform, according to the lawsuit. A representative from Capital One informed United Gun Shop that it was not prohibited from banking and it had not violated any terms, the suit claims.
Yet three days later on April 14 the gun shop received a message from Melio Payments telling the company it belonged to a prohibited industry even though several payments had already been processed, according to a message viewed by The Daily Wire. 
“I understand that you are upset, and I know that some of your payments have processed, while others have not. There are times when we don’t catch it in time, but it appears that your account has been blocked from making future payments, as it appears to belong to one of our prohibited industries,” a message from Capital One Pay Business Bills said. 
“Per our agreement with our processing partners, we are unable to process payments in certain industries,” the message added. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1091127" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-12.25.56-PM.png" alt="" width="1356" height="675" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-12.25.56-PM.png 1356w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-12.25.56-PM-300x149.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-12.25.56-PM-1024x510.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-12.25.56-PM-768x382.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1356px) 100vw, 1356px" /></div>
United Gun Shop said it never agreed to Melio&#8217;s terms and only registered to use Capital One&#8217;s platform.
Exhibits attached to the suit showed successful payments being made with the platform starting in December 2024 before starting to fail in March 2025. 
A second written confirmation came on March 2026 when the gun shop received a message from Capital One Business saying that “our team wasn&#8217;t able to verify that your account and activity meet our eligibility criteria” and that “your account could not be approved and has been disabled from completing any transactions.”
One of the potential reasons suggested in the email why it was listed as ineligible was because &#8220;your business is considered a restricted industry.&#8221;
The suit said that message was the first “formal notice of non-approval for banking with Capital One” after “an informal deplatforming” and the meeting with Capital One in April 2025. 

Will Hild, the executive director of Consumers’ Research, said the messages appeared to show political discrimination. 
&#8220;Capital One got caught red-handed debanking a law-abiding American business and hiding behind a middleman to dodge responsibility,” he told The Daily Wire. “The lawsuit suggests a clear pattern. A legal firearms retailer was cut off for no reason, even after bank officials admitted no rules were broken.”
The suit accuses Capital One and Melio Payments of violating numerous Maryland business laws including the Maryland Consumer Protection Act, causing commercial disparagement, and breach of contract. 
The gun shop has faced legal challenges from the Democrat attorneys general of Maryland and District of Columbia over accusations that it knowingly allowed a gun trafficker to purchase handguns from its store. That case was later dismissed. 
Across the state and federal level, Republican officials have moved to implement protections from debanking following allegations that major banks worked with the Biden administration to snoop on Americans who purchased hunting gear or Bibles.
The Trump administration directed federal banking regulators in August 2025 to ensure policies are in place to prohibit politically motivated debanking and stipulate that banking decision are only made based on individual, objective, and risk-based objectives.

US-WEAPONS-STORE

READ IT: The Message A Financial Giant Sent To A Gun Shop After Blocking Payment Access

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Maryland Democratic Governor Wes Moore signaled support this week for allowing minors to pursue sex change procedures, comments that could complicate Moore’s emerging reputation as a more culturally moderate Democrat ahead of the 2028 presidential cycle.
During an interview on the &#8220;PBD Podcast&#8221; this week, host Patrick Bet-David asked Moore how he would respond if his 12-year-old son came to him wanting to transition genders and whether he would advise waiting until adulthood. Moore initially emphasized parental support and involvement, saying he would want his child to feel “safe in his own skin” and know he had “a partner in me to help him along that journey.”
But when pressed directly on whether he would tell his son to wait until turning 18, Moore declined. “If this is how he is feeling, and I feel like I’m closely tied to him, I’m not gonna advise him on something that he feels,” Moore responded before reiterating that he would want to remain involved in the process.
“I’m not going to condemn him, nor castigate him. I’m not going to kick him out of the house. I’m not going to do anything that’s going to hurt him,” Moore added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Maryland Governor Wes Moore says he would let his son go through gender mutilation as a minor if he wanted to.
DAVID: “Would you advise him to wait until he’s 18?”
MOORE: “I’m not going to advise him on something that he feels…” <a href="https://t.co/t6slNP8XkB">pic.twitter.com/t6slNP8XkB</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2052544611768283383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
The exchange has drawn scrutiny as Moore emerges as a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2028. The Maryland governor has often been viewed by some Democrats as a candidate capable of blending progressive economics with a more measured public image on cultural issues, drawing comparisons to the coalition-building style of former President Barack Obama.
Contrary to that perception, Moore’s comments appear to place him firmly within the Democratic Party’s current position on transgender issues involving minors — an issue Republicans have aggressively targeted as Democrats prepare for the next presidential cycle.
The topic has become one of the GOP’s most effective cultural wedge issues in recent elections, with Republicans arguing Democrats are out of step with voters on questions involving youth gender transition procedures, parental rights, and school policies.
<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/26/americans-have-grown-more-supportive-of-restrictions-for-trans-people-in-recent-years/">Polling</a> in recent years has consistently shown broad public discomfort with medical gender transitions for minors, particularly among independents and swing voters, even as Democratic activists and left-wing groups have pushed party leaders to fully embrace gender-affirming care policies. Republicans seized heavily on the issue during the 2024 election cycle, framing Democrats as ideologically extreme on cultural questions while positioning themselves as defenders of parental authority and traditional norms.
Moore’s remarks may also stand out because they came during a long-form interview setting rather than a carefully scripted campaign event or policy speech, giving voters a more direct look at how he approaches one of the country’s most politically sensitive debates. While Moore repeatedly stressed compassion and parental involvement, he notably stopped short of endorsing age restrictions or urging caution before adulthood.
Moore has not formally announced a 2028 campaign, but he is widely viewed as a rising national Democratic figure and future presidential prospect.

Democrat Governor Says He’d Support Sex Change Procedures For His 12-Year-Old Son

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This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
“Who’s monitoring all of this?” my dad said, immediately skeptical of the oversight on a fast food promo that pays out in ice cream cones. I get my rule-following instincts from my parents, so I knew they would be A-plus students at trying Chick-fil-A’s viral <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhRv6sjK-8/">cell phone challenge</a> at a location currently running the campaign: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhb4tQDwxE/">Towson Place, Maryland</a>.
Let the record show that I assumed my favorite boomers could breeze through a meal without checking their phones. I have since been enlightened.
The concept is simple: Store your silenced cell phone in a “chicken coop” while you enjoy your Chick-fil-A meal in-store and get a free “<a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/menu/treats/chick-fil-a-icedream-cone">Icedream</a>” cone as your reward for staying present with your chicken sandwich and your fellow guests. Open to groups and solo acts, the initiative got its start at a Chick-fil-A in the <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/chick-fil-a-cell-phone-challenge-free-icedream/85-f6c4d691-5aa8-41cc-a07b-437180053e30">Atlanta area back in 2016</a>. It hasn’t gotten the nationwide rollout treatment, but it pops up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTD3eQUEaqA/">around the country</a> every so often at the whim of individual franchisees. This month, the hype went global after <a href="https://x.com/Complex/status/2038462886721294477?s=20">Complex</a> posted Chick-fil-A phone challenge signage on X.
Commenters quickly responded with enthusiasm for the stroke of marketing genius behind quality family time and an immersive tech cleansing. But others called out the “sad” state of affairs with <a href="https://x.com/GrahamCraquer/status/2038477253181686259?s=20">someone</a> adding, “Society has hit a low point holy sh*t.” <a href="https://x.com/The_Trgtguy/status/2038476363284541828?s=20">One hater</a> posted, “I’m trying to enjoy my chicken, not talk to my d*mn family.” <a href="https://x.com/SkattPadding/status/2038678283982618820?s=20">Another</a> person bet that this particular Maryland-based Chick-fil-A would be giving out zero ice cream cones since no one can stay off their phones these days. 
Well, random X user, I brought receipts proving that at least five people have successfully completed the task and cashed in on those cones: my two parents and the three teenagers they paid to participate in the same challenge at another table. Having known my mom and dad my whole life, this all checks out.
My parents FaceTimed me the minute they returned from their mission, sharing boots-on-the-ground perspective on the promo everyone else in America wishes their local Chick-fil-A was running. They were already fans of Chick-fil-A, as well as the Towson Place location’s spacious dining area and flawless customer service. “I love ‘It’s my pleasure,’” my mom said. 
I confessed to stopping by Chick-fil-A when I lived in Los Angeles purely because, unlike people in the rest of the city, the chain’s friendly employees seemed to enjoy serving customers. But back to the challenge at hand.
“We were expecting a chicken coop,” my mom said. There are many representations of the  “coop” from the Chick-fil-A phone challenge on social media (one claims to be made of wood), but the Towson Place version involves a plain white cardboard box meant to secure your phone. (Apparently, it could have used some fun chicken-related decoration, according to “reviews.”) 
Still, my parents persisted, roping in a trio of local teens into the mix, who my mom says “were like … ‘o-kay?’” about the idea. The boys had completed the challenge before and were happy to walk these nice elderly people through the process, accepting $2 each in cash. My parents value the quality time of other people’s grandchildren. And still carry cash.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1071495" style="width: 406px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1071495" class=" wp-image-1071495" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="396" height="491" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-scaled.jpeg 2063w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-242x300.jpeg 242w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-464x576.jpeg 464w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-768x953.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-1238x1536.jpeg 1238w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-1651x2048.jpeg 1651w" sizes=" (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" />Lauren Bair / The Daily Wire</div>
They placed their order at the counter, sat down at the table with their drinks, and stowed their phones in the “coop” once their food arrived. 
“Wait. So do you normally use your phone during dinner?” I asked, having no idea what my parents do in their free time.
“No, but I usually have it at the ready,” my mom said, like most of us. (How else are we gonna pick it up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSaZlROjGuL/">186 times a day</a>?) But when she admitted, “I checked my purse for my phone 10 times while my phone was still in the ‘coop,’” my eyeballs ejected from my face. Full disclosure, I did ask her to document as much pre- and post-coop action as possible. But I was shocked. The challenge, which is so obviously aimed at kids, even had my mom feeling the benefits from sealing her phone in a cardboard box.
“I’ve watched many families come in with young kids, and they do it,” said <a href="https://www.thebanner.com/culture/food-drink/chickfila-towson-free-ice-cream-phones-JHYYQXNZMVFBNL3BVT376CAZRM/">Natalie Martz</a>, owner of the Towson Place Chick-fil-A. “I’ve seen adults come in with adult children and do it.” 
Maybe the Chick-fil-A challenge is just a wholesome excuse to encourage customers to “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNGl6N0t8um/">eat mor chikin</a>” and make it an occasion by purchasing meals for the whole family. But breaking bread sans phones might lead to small, surprising joys beyond chicken nuggets — no matter your age.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1071489" style="width: 381px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1071489" class=" wp-image-1071489" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="371" height="641" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-scaled.jpg 1481w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-174x300.jpg 174w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-333x576.jpg 333w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-768x1327.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-889x1536.jpg 889w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-1185x2048.jpg 1185w" sizes=" (max-width: 371px) 100vw, 371px" />Lauren Bair / The Daily Wire</div>
“I haven’t had a cone in years,” my mom recalled. “It was nostalgic. It brought back good memories for me.” Chick-fil-A happens to be celebrating its 80th anniversary this year with a “<a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/press-room/chick-fil-a-launches-collectible-classic-cups-and-yearlong-celebration">Newstalgia</a>” marketing blitz that features retro packaging on drinks and sandwiches along with all-new plushie cows.
“The cone was really good,” my dad reported. That comment on the actual cone part of the old-school vanilla soft-serve dessert is notably high praise from a non-foodie. It warmed my heart hearing that they had fun with the assignment.
As <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhRv6sjK-8/">one fan</a> summed it up on Instagram, “A free ice cream for being present with your people? That’s a deal worth taking.” Try the challenge for yourself at a participating Chick-fil-A or politely ask your local shop to get in on the action. I’m sure it would be their pleasure.

GettyImages-2169818759

I Thought Americans Could Handle This Simple Challenge At Chick-fil-A. I Was Wrong.

cell phone challenge

Chick-fil-A

Upstream

A liberal Maryland county will shell out $1.5 million to a group of religious parents who sued the school board over a policy that blocked parents from opting their children out of instruction on books pushing transgender ideology.  
In addition to paying damages, the board of education for Montgomery County must inform parents whenever there will be instruction related to family life and human sexuality. The <a href="https://becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/20260219151333/Consent-Judgment-in-Mahmoud-v-Taylor.pdf">settlement</a> comes after a group of parents from various religious backgrounds won a major victory at the Supreme Court that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-parents-says-schools-cant-mandate-lgbt-curricula">struck down</a> the county’s opt-out policies as unconstitutional. 
The settlement was announced on Friday by Becket, a non-profit law firm focused on litigation issues related to religious liberty. It was approved by Judge Deborah Boardman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. 
“Public schools nationwide are on notice: running roughshod over parental rights and religious freedom isn’t just illegal — it’s costly,” said Eric Baxter, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the parents. “This settlement enforces the Supreme Court’s ruling and ensures parents, not government bureaucrats, have the final say in how their children are raised.” 
Montgomery County is a heavily Democratic area that borders Washington, D.C. 
In June 2025, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-parents-says-schools-cant-mandate-lgbt-curricula">ruled 6-3</a> in favor of the parents against the county, with Justice Samuel Alito writing the majority opinion. 
“A government burdens the religious exercise of parents when it requires them to submit their children to instruction that poses ‘a very real threat of undermining’ the religious beliefs and practices that the parents wish to instill,” Alito wrote.
The legal battle first began in March 2023, when the school board said that it would no longer let parents opt out of books pushing transgender and queer ideology. In response, a group of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish parents challenged the county in Mahmoud v. Taylor.
“It took tremendous courage for these parents to stand up to the School Board and take their case all the way to the Supreme Court,” Baxter said. “Their victory reshaped the law and ensured that generations of religious parents will be able to guide their children’s upbringing according to their faith.”
Chris Persak, a Catholic father whose children attend Montgomery County schools, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/caught-in-a-scotus-clash-over-trans-ideology-parents-turned-to-faith-and-the-constitution">previously told</a> The Daily Wire it was his faith that helped him stay calm throughout the whole legal process. 
“We said prayers of the Holy Spirit, and just felt this unbelievable calmness as we’re walking in,” he said. “Even with the protesters, even with members of the leadership of Montgomery County, who were protesting against us live that day.”

Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Parental Rights Regarding LGBTQ Books In Schools

Liberal County Took On Religious Parents — Now They’re Paying For It

Liberal County Must Pay Parents After Losing SCOTUS Case On Trans Ideology

Education

gender ideology

Montgomery County

US-ENVIROMENT-SEWAGE-POTOMAC

DEI Disaster: Washington D.C. Is Now Literally Flooded With Poop

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Drinking Water

Matt Walsh

Opinion

potomac river

Washington D.C.

Democrats are claiming that President Trump is a racist because he is deploying help to clean up the giant poop spill in the Potomac.
On Monday, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/16/potomac-raw-sewage-moore-trump-fema-truth-social/">reported</a>:
<blockquote>President Donald Trump said Monday that federal authorities will respond to a major sewage spill that occurred four weeks ago in the Potomac River, which flows between Maryland, Washington and Virginia. In a post on his social network, Truth Social, Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would play a key role in a response involving “Management, Direction, and Coordination” to protect the Potomac. FEMA is one of the agencies affected by the current partial government shutdown; in past shutdowns, its employees have largely been required to work without pay.
Trump blamed “local Democrat leaders” for “gross mismanagement” in his post, and he singled out Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), suggesting that the governor is incapable of handling the situation. On Air Force One on Monday afternoon en route to Washington from Mar-a-Lago, Trump again criticized Moore. “I don’t like the fact that he did that horrible, you know, with the pipes and the Potomac, and he’s not doing the job,” Trump said. “I’m going to have to get the federal government involved in getting it fixed, because he can’t fix anything.”</blockquote>
Wes Moore tried to claim it was actually the federal government&#8217;s fault. It is not. He says he&#8217;s a victim of President Trump now. Sure, it&#8217;s his state pumping raw sewage into the rivers, but it is President Trump who is the real exploiter here.
 Moore will most likely run for president in 2028. I think that would be a quixotic quest; I do not think that he has “it,” whatever “it” is.
“I think the president just seems to have a very real issue with the fact that I do not bow to him and I will stand up to him because I will always defend my people. But the fact that I am the only black governor in this country and the fact that he seems to have a real issue with me, I think that&#8217;s an issue he&#8217;s got to take up,” he <a href="https://x.com/TheArenaCNN/status/2024252428959310008">declared</a>.
It&#8217;s very sad. What a victim.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2371-prince-andrew-arrested"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Moore also claims that President Trump may be a racist because he is “assaulting” employment opportunities for black women.
He <a href="https://x.com/TheArenaCNN/status/2024252428959310008">stated</a>, “He also has spent the past year making a direct assault on scholarships for HBCUs. The past year, we have seen the greatest assault on unemployment for black women that our country has ever seen. He&#8217;s spending his time attacking history and banning books. I honestly think that, you know, it&#8217;s a question not just for the president, but frankly, I think it&#8217;s also a question for white America. If they are looking at his actions. I think that&#8217;s something that people need to wrestle with.”
This is ridiculous. The unemployment rate in the country right now is 4.3%. Trump is not undercutting black women.
If the claim by Moore is that government employment has been cut in certain areas and that demographically this disproportionately affects black women, that does not mean that Trump is specifically targeting black women by cutting federal jobs.
Claiming victimhood on behalf of black women everywhere because President Trump is cutting federal jobs is truly silly, especially on the same day that President Trump was celebrating Black History Month at the White House.
Our apparently incredibly racist president <a href="https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/2024222985142382935?s=46">said this</a>:
<blockquote>Black Americans have stepped forward to defend the flag and to defend our country like few others. And you&#8217;ve never really been given the recognition that you should get for that. I don&#8217;t think a lot of people have given the kind of recognition, but, everyone knows all about the Tuskegee Airmen. They were great and amazing. The Buffalo Soldiers, you know, the Buffalo Soldiers? Good stuff, right? Black leaders from Frederick Douglass to Martin Luther King. &#8230; have made our country freer. What they&#8217;ve really done is made life more just.</blockquote>
What a racist. That is egregiously KKK-type racist stuff.
One reporter on Wednesday took the opportunity to ask about whether Trump is a racist, since he has been called racist so many times. 
He <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bHKojtGTPI">asked</a>, “Where or when does the president believe he&#8217;s been falsely called racist?”
“You&#8217;re kidding, right?” White House Secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back, “I will pull you a plethora of examples. I&#8217;m going to get my team in that room to start going through the internet of radical Democrats throughout the years who have accused this president falsely of being a racist. And I&#8217;m sure there&#8217;s many people in this room and on network television across the country who have accused him of the same. In fact, I know that because I&#8217;ve seen it with my own eyes.”
I love it. 
One D.C. resident gave a very lively speech during this event at the White House. Her grandson was violently killed in Washington, D.C., and she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU6nStNjl2A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">raved about Trump</a>: 
“We need National Guard, which we did years ago. He brought it on. I love him. I don&#8217;t want to hear nothing you got to say about the racist stuff. And don&#8217;t be looking at me on the news, hating on me because I&#8217;m standing up for somebody that deserves to be stand up for. Get off the man&#8217;s back. Let him do his job. He doing the right thing. Back up off. And grandma said it!”
But, oh, look at that vicious racist in the White House.
Say what?

Maryland Gov. Moore And Utah Gov. Cox Speak At National Press Club On Bipartisanship

Wes Moore Says Trump Is A Racist. AYFKM?

Ben Shapiro

Legacy Media

Racism

U.S. Politics

WASHINGTON—If you live in the nation&#8217;s capital, you&#8217;ve probably heard that there&#8217;s sewage in the Potomac River.
The issue began in mid-January, when a roughly 60-year-old sewer pipe in Maryland broke, resulting in sewage flowing into the river within the first five days, with additional spills happening this month. So far, roughly 250 million gallons of the sewage has made its way into the river.
The spill has since become the subject of regional and national concern, largely because E. coli levels in the water are higher. The D.C. government says that it is “likely due to a recent rain event” rather than the spill, but still advises that people do not fish or otherwise have &#8220;unnecessary contact&#8221; with the river.
But there&#8217;s some good news for Washingtonians: the tap water is still fine.
“There is currently no impact to drinking water, and so I think as much as we can say that is extremely important to reassure folks. The federal government right now is doing a couple things,” EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water Jess Kramer told The Daily Wire in a Thursday interview. “One is helping to ensure coordination across all the entities involved: the federal partners, the states, as well as the local governments.”
President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday, asking for the governments of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. to quickly step in, writing, “if they can’t do the job, they have to call me and ask, politely, to get it fixed.&#8221;
“The Federal Government is not at all involved with what has taken place, but we can fix it. But remember, even in that case, with the Democrat Shutdown, we’ll have to bring in true Patriots to do the work because many are not working right now. These Democrat caused Disasters, both River and Shutdown, will only get worse,” Trump added, calling it a “Radical Left caused Environmental Hazard.”
The incident has led to more tensions between the president and Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D), who posted a map on X on Wednesday that highlighted what is and is not considered federal jurisdiction.
“Heard you weren’t sure about what is federal vs. local jurisdiction, Mr. President. So we wanted to make it easier for you. Many thanks to [the National Park Service] for this great map of federal land!” Moore wrote.
Kramer said that she’s “never seen a governor so adamant to not take actions to protect the health of its citizens.”
“The federal piece of this, I think that he&#8217;s pointing to when he&#8217;s talking about federal lands, is that is the National Park Service piece of it. But again, like I just discussed, that second bucket of remediation, that is really going to be led by National Park Service to ensure that the property is cleaned up to the levels and the specificity that&#8217;s necessary for the National Park Service,” she explained.
“And so there is definitely a federal component here, but the break happened within the jurisdiction of Maryland. And so when we talk about cooperative federalism under the Clean Water Act, we really look at the state as the primary enforcement agency. And we, as EPA, the federal government, we have […] oversight authority that lays on top of that. And so we will step in if we need to,” she continued.
She added that the &#8220;federal government is actively working to fulfill requests for assistance that we have gotten over the last 24 hours, from the various state government and local government partners. And those are things that we are providing to help ensure the protection of public health as well as helping to provide resources, to ensure the expedient cleanup and remediation of this site.&#8221;
Earlier on Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a State of Emergency in hopes of getting federal help for the situation, including “100% reimbursement for costs incurred.”
Kramer explained that the goals for remediation fall into three main categories: getting the sewage returned to the Potomac Interceptor, which diverts sewage to a <a href="https://www.dcwater.com/potomacinterceptor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">water treatment center</a>, from the canal in the next four to six weeks; having the land cleaned up after the “sanitary sewage” is back in the interceptor; and doing “necessary inspections and operations and maintenance” on the interceptor quickly to make sure there is not a repeat of the issue.
FEMA is also playing a key role in the clean-up efforts, despite the current lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as Congress and the White House have yet to reach a deal regarding federal immigration enforcement tactics.
&#8220;Democrats in Congress have shut down [FEMA] funding—leaving our hard working employees to work without pay—yet FEMA is now stepping in to coordinate cleanup of one of the largest raw sewage spills in U.S. history,&#8221; DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted to X on Monday.
&#8220;Thanks to gross mismanagement by Maryland&#8217;s Democrat leaders, hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage has reportedly been dumped into the Potomac River—flowing straight through our nation&#8217;s capital and endangering millions of people, wildlife, and the entire DC region&#8217;s water supply. Democrats are withholding paychecks from the men and women of [DHS] while they clean up this Democrat-created disaster. Unbelievable hypocrisy,&#8221; Noem added.
When The Daily Wire reached out to Moore&#8217;s office for comment, they referred to the governor&#8217;s Wednesday remarks on the issue, where he said that the EPA did not attend a Maryland General Assembly hearing on the &#8220;cleanup status&#8221; and that &#8220;to blame Maryland in this when this is a DC pipe on federal land is asinine. It is disingenuous, absurd, and politically motivated.&#8221;

‘Radical Left’ Environmental Hazard? Trump’s Potomac Sewage Dare To Dems

enviornment

Virginia

Governor Wes Moore (D-MD), who has been frequently floated as a potential presidential candidate, signed legislation on Tuesday that would effectively ban all state and local participation in federal immigration enforcement agreements.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Maryland Democrat Governor Wes Moore signs legislation into law to prevent state and local cooperation with ICE.
Moore is choosing to make it harder for ICE officers to deport criminal illegals. <a href="https://t.co/DXwIOtbqdn">pic.twitter.com/DXwIOtbqdn</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2024138925606834279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/fnotes/bil_0005/sb0245.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Senate Bill 245</a> and House Bill 444, functioning as companion &#8220;cross-filed&#8221; bills, prohibit the State of Maryland, its counties, municipalities, and local sheriffs from entering into or maintaining contracts, intergovernmental service agreements, or memoranda of understanding with the federal government to enforce civil immigration law. Most notably, the legislation targets the controversial 287(g) partnerships, which previously allowed local law enforcement officers to perform the functions of federal immigration agents.
Classified as emergency legislation, the law requires any jurisdiction currently operating under such an agreement to exercise its termination provision within 90 days.
Governor Moore, who had previously signaled his support for the measures, framed the signing as a step toward ensuring that all Marylanders feel protected by their local government. Supporters of the bills argued that entangling local police with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) eroded trust within immigrant communities, making residents less likely to report crimes or cooperate with investigations for fear of deportation.
&#8220;By removing local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement, we are building a stronger bridge of trust between our law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,&#8221; proponents stated during the legislative session.
However, the move has not been without intense scrutiny. Opponents, including several county sheriffs and Republican lawmakers, raised significant concerns regarding public safety. They argued that programs like the Criminal Alien Program (CAP) are vital for identifying and removing incarcerated undocumented immigrants who may pose a threat to the community. Critics expressed fears that the loss of these federal partnerships would limit the ability of local authorities to keep &#8220;at-large&#8221; criminal offenders off the streets.
The legislation builds upon a foundation laid during a 2021 special session, which previously restricted the use of private detention facilities and limited when police could inquire about an individual&#8217;s immigration status during routine stops.
While the new law restricts active enforcement partnerships, it does not override federal mandates regarding the exchange of information. Under federal law, state and local entities are still prohibited from restricting the sharing of information regarding an individual’s citizenship or immigration status with ICE.
But the total ban on operational &#8220;immigration enforcement agreements&#8221; signals that Maryland has officially withdrawn its personnel and resources from the front lines of federal immigration control.

Maryland Gov. Moore And Oklahoma Gov. Stitt Speak At The Economic Club Of Washington, DC

Dem Darling Wes Moore Nukes Maryland’s Cooperation With ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

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