Billboard in Times Square Calls For Release Of Epstein Files

A Potential Lead In The Epstein Files. This Is Weird.

Epstein Files

Jail

Jeffrey Epstein

Matt Walsh

New York City

Opinion

Prison

When President Trump addresses the nation tonight, Jimmy Lai’s daughter, Claire Lai, will sit in the chamber as a reminder that the Chinese Communist Party is still punishing dissidents who dared to believe in freedom. Earlier this month, we learned of the <a href="http://google.com/search?q=jimmy+lai+sentence&amp;sca_esv=190a96a9d156750b&amp;rlz=1CAGZLV_enUS889&amp;tbm=nws&amp;sxsrf=ANbL-n4Gq5fmGsUjNbcnkqRKkx3Ey-n_Pw:1771015882615&amp;ei=yo6PafujJYSlqtsPu-XyiQc&amp;start=10&amp;sa=N&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj7sMykrNeSAxWEkmoFHbuyPHEQ8NMDegQIBhAW&amp;biw=1536&amp;bih=695&amp;dpr=1.25">near-life sentence</a> handed down to the Hong Kong democracy advocate. But Lai is not merely a symbol of Beijing’s repression. He is a British citizen. And if it takes an American president to elevate his cause before the world, it raises an uncomfortable question for Prime Minister Keir Starmer: what, exactly, is British citizenship worth?
Jimmy Lai’s life reads like a true rags-to-riches story. Born in mainland China, a 12-year-old Lai traveled by boat to what at the time was British Hong Kong with no money to his name. Finding work in the garment industry, Lai climbed his way up from the factory floor to achieve billionaire status. He could have rested on his laurels and gone quietly into retirement, but that is not who Jimmy Lai is.
Lai recognizes that his rise is thanks to the rights and freedoms Hong Kongers grew accustomed to, thanks to years as a British colony. Promising decades of autonomy and freedom under the handover, the CCP gradually whittled down the freedoms enjoyed in the city. Jimmy Lai refused to take these encroachments lying down, engaging in memorials of the Tiananmen Square Massacre and publishing pro-democracy content in the Apple Daily, the newspaper he founded. Therefore, it was no shock that Lai incurred the wrath of the CCP in the form of the National Security Law (NSL), under which he was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/10/hong-kong-media-tycoon-jimmy-lai-arrested-over-alleged-foreign-collusion#:~:text=%E2%80%9CToday%27s%20police%20action%20upends%20those,in%20protest%20against%20his%20arrest." target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in 2020 for allegedly colluding with foreign forces.
Enter Keir Starmer, the British prime minister. While Starmer’s government has voiced opposition to Lai’s imprisonment, it has thus far been unsuccessful in securing Lai&#8217;s release. So why is the conviction of a Chinese citizen the business of Starmer or Great Britain in general? After all, a spokesman for the Chinese government <a href="https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/5598459-jimmy-lai-should-be-severely-punished-by-law-spokesman">denounced</a> criticism of Lai’s conviction as interference in an internal affair. However, there are several reasons why this issue matters to the British Government.
First, Hong Kong is not just a former British colony — it is a city in which Britain has treaty obligations. As a signatory to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the UK is responsible for ensuring that China fulfills its promise to allow autonomy in Hong Kong. For Jimmy Lai specifically, he is a British passport holder and therefore a British citizen. Keir Starmer is as responsible for Jimmy Lai’s safety as he is for any other British citizen unjustly detained abroad.
Jimmy Lai is not the only British citizen being held in a foreign prison. Estimates are that there are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/24/its-about-political-will-is-the-foreign-office-failing-britons-detained-abroad">thousands of Brits</a> detained or arrested in foreign countries. Jagtar Singh Johal has been imprisoned in India since 2017 after he confessed to involvement in a murder after police tortured a confession out of him. Every day that Jimmy Lai, Jagtar Singh Johal, and many others sit in prison is a day that Starmer is failing his citizenry.
What can Starmer do to help people like Jimmy Lai? For starters, he can stop treating the Chinese government like a friendly nation. The Jimmy Lai conviction is one of many examples where Starmer has been soft on China. His recent visit to Beijing <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2j04lk83zo">focused</a> on trade and tourism, but Starmer claims that he <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15543421/Keir-Starmer-accused-monumental-diplomatic-failure-China-jails.html">raised</a> the issue of Lai’s release when he was in China. This casual approach isn’t going to cut it. Unjust imprisonment is not some tertiary issue in diplomacy. What good are reduced tariffs on whiskey if British citizens aren’t safe when they travel to China?
If Keir Starmer wants to free Jimmy Lai and the other dissidents in Hong Kong, he needs to get tough on the Chinese government. First, trade negotiations need to stop until Lai is released from prison. The UK is failing its obligations to Hong Kong; now is the time to change course. Second, Starmer needs to shut down the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/world/europe/chinese-embassy-london-starmer.html">Chinese mega-embassy</a> project in London. Not only does the mega-embassy put critical communication cables at risk, but its construction will also allow the CCP to expand the transnational repression of other Hong Kong democracy advocates living in London. If Britain can’t protect its citizens abroad, the very least it can do is protect them on British territory.
Keir Starmer’s tenure at 10 Downing Street has been a disaster for a <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-epstein-files-threaten-to-topple-keir-starmers-labour-government/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">variety of reasons</a>, but his handling of the Jimmy Lai arrest only adds fuel to the fire. While Starmer’s days as PM might be limited, he can right this wrong if he acts quickly. By securing Jimmy Lai&#8217;s freedom, Keir Starmer will establish Britain’s diplomatic influence and potentially serve as a deterrent to other regimes hoping to illegally detain British citizens.
* * *
<a href="https://www.joinyv.org/talent/matthew-cookson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Cookson</a> is an alumnus of the Young Voices Contributor Program and was a Middle East History and Policy Fellow with Young Voices. He also works in the supply chain for a U.S. Defense Contractor. His commentary has appeared in the Mises Institute, Real Clear Politics, the National Interest, Providence Magazine, China Source, and the Idaho Freedom Foundation. You can follow him on X @<a href="https://x.com/MattCookson95" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MattCookson95</a> and Substack @<a href="https://substack.com/@thewaythecookiecrumbles?utm_source=user-menu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thewaythecookiecrumbles</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Activists In L.A. Rally Outside Chinese Consulate For Imprisoned Hong Kong Media Entrepreneur Jimmy Lai

As Jimmy Lai’s Daughter Attends Trump’s Address, Britain Faces An Uncomfortable Question

China

Donald Trump

England

Great Britain

Hong Kong

Jimmy Lai

Keir Starmer

State of the Union

United Kingdom

The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mks-ep-1907?elementPosition=3&amp;row=6&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
* * *
There is an interesting development in the Epstein case and it comes from CBS News.
The official accounts about who did or did not enter Epstein&#8217;s jail cell on the night of his death have been contradicted a myriad of times. 
If you’ll recall, we were first told there were cameras on Epstein’s jail cell and on his floor, but that they weren’t working, so there was no footage to release. Later, officials released closed-circuit footage from the night of his death and claimed it was uninterrupted. Shortly afterward, we were told that a minute of the video was missing. That missing minute was eventually restored, and we were assured the footage was original — despite clear signs it had been edited using video software.
So what&#8217;s the latest? Well, newly released video logs appear to contradict official accounts.
This is from <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-files-jail-cell-death-video-logs/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=903657594">CBS News</a>:
<blockquote>Newly released Department of Justice documents show that investigators reviewing surveillance footage from the night of Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s death observed an orange-colored shape moving up a staircase toward the isolated, locked tier where his cell was located at approximately 10:39 p.m. on Aug. 9, 2019.</blockquote>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Questions swirl as video logs show person may have entered Epstein jail tier the night he died" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EN1TmI5F1hs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Credit: CBS Mornings/YouTube.com
I love the way they&#8217;re describing it: &#8220;An orange-colored shape.&#8221;
 So some people, probably on the Left, are imagining that this is just Trump himself. Yes, a vaguely mango-colored, you know, blond-haired, had a very nice Brioni suit on with a slightly too-long red tie.
Or no, that would be the live version of what we on the Right all imagine.
What is probably meant is that the person is wearing an orange jumpsuit, or maybe carrying something orange.
This isn&#8217;t particularly new information. I was covering Epstein months and months ago when some of this footage came out, and we noticed the strange figures that were moving around. Okay, now we can zoom in, and we see this weird orange figure. 
CBS <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-files-jail-cell-death-video-logs/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=903657594">goes on</a>:
<blockquote>Thomas told investigators he discovered Epstein in his cell shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Aug.10 and that he &#8220;ripped&#8221; Epstein down from the hanging position.
Investigators asked what happened to the noose. 
&#8220;I don&#8217;t recall taking the noose off. I really don&#8217;t,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;I don&#8217;t recall taking the thing from around his neck.&#8221;</blockquote>
That&#8217;s a little weird, right?
I guess what you could say is it&#8217;s always shocking to see a dead body, but it was especially shocking here. This is one of the most wanted, talked-about criminals in all of America, in all of the world and you find him dead in his cell, and maybe, who knows, your hormones are spiking. You have a surge of adrenaline, you&#8217;re shocked, you&#8217;re sick, and you forget. Maybe he just forgot.
It gets weirder.
<blockquote>Noel, who remained standing at the cell entrance, told investigators she saw Thomas lower Epstein to the floor but did not see a noose around his neck.</blockquote>
Hold on. 
So now it&#8217;s not just the guy who discovers Epstein and takes him down. It&#8217;s also the observer standing a little bit further back. 
<blockquote>The noose Epstein allegedly used has never been definitively identified. According to the inspector general&#8217;s report, a noose collected at the scene was later determined not to be the ligature used in Epstein&#8217;s death.</blockquote>
The guy who took him down never saw the noose.
The lady watching him take him down never saw a noose.
And investigators never even found the noose.
Add on at least one medical examiner saying that the breaks in his neck were more consistent with strangulation than with hanging.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1907-new-video-someone-entered-epstein-s-cell-the-night-he-died?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
Everyone is focusing on the aspects of his life — Epstein had a connection to Russia; he had a connection to Israel; he had a connection to the CIA, and so on.
Some of the accounts actually contradict each other. Was he a super spy? Was he just a sex-freak rich guy? Was he really trafficking women? Was he really trading secrets? Was he really dealing with the Arabs and the Israelis, or was it the Russians or the Americans, or was it the British?
You’ve got to put that aside for a second. We now have every theory covered. Yes, we’ve connected him to every country on earth, every intelligence agency, every vice. And that’s not getting us anywhere.
If you want to get to the heart of the Epstein story, the first thing you have to ascertain is the end of the story, not how the story begins.
Not a lot of people want to focus on how a guy who dropped out of college ended up becoming a math teacher, who was hired by Bill Barr’s father at The Dalton School, but then became some kind of trader at Bear Stearns? How? He then went on to become the money manager for Les Wexner, where he said he would only have clients who were investing over $1 billion.
And then he worked with intelligence agencies.
And then he helped this sheikh in Arabia.
And then he — 
Don’t look at the beginning of the story. That is going to lead you down a billion different trails, especially with a guy who seemed to be connected to every powerful person on earth.
I think you have to start at the end of the story. 
And curious, isn’t it, that the shadiest part, the part that has been most covered up, that has been most contradicted, is not found at the beginning of the story. No one is asking, &#8220;Did Epstein work at Bear Stearns?&#8221; &#8220;Did Epstein know Ghislaine Maxwell?&#8221; &#8220;Did Epstein pal around with Bill?&#8221; It’s none of that.
The part that has been most assiduously covered up is the end of the story.
How did he die?
Who killed him?
Why don’t we have the noose?
That’s it. I don’t think we’re going to get an answer on it. And that&#8217;s been my consistent position from the beginning. Either Epstein is who they say he is, in which case we know everything about him, or he’s something more, in which case we know everything we’re ever going to know, because they’re not going to let it out. 
But if we could ascertain who killed him, that would help us to answer: why was he killed? That would help us to answer what purpose he primarily served in world politics. That would help us to answer who, chiefly, he was working for.
That would help us to answer what the Epstein operation was really about.
But the only way you’re going to get those big answers is by going backward. You’re not going to get it by going forward.
Now we’re getting some little, little tasty hints — but nothing definitive.
And if you want me to put some money on the table, I don’t think we’re going to get much more than that.

Two Prison Guards Charged With Falsifying Records In Jeffrey Epstein’s Death

Who Was The Orange Figure That Appeared In Epstein’s Cellblock?

Who Was The Orange Figure That Appeared In Epstein's Cellblock?

CBS News

Michael Knowles

A 26-year-old woman is fighting for her life after a man with more than 70 arrests doused her in gasoline and set her ablaze in an unprovoked attack on a Chicago train.
The victim has been <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/23/us-news/bethany-magee-26-identified-as-chicago-woman-set-on-fire-on-cta-train-by-serial-thug-with-72-arrests/">identified</a> as Bethany MaGee, who reportedly remains in critical condition. Lawrence Reed, 50, has been <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/us-attorneys-office-chicago-charges-man-federal-terrorism-offense-allegedly-setting?">charged</a> with a federal terrorism offense in connection to the attack and is facing life in prison.
Video shows the suspect dousing MaGee in gasoline and chasing her on the train car before setting her ablaze on November 17. Reed, who&#8217;s been arrested 72 times, allegedly shouted &#8220;burn alive b****&#8221; and “burn b****” during the attack.
&#8220;According to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Reed and the victim were passengers on a CTA train traveling through a subway in downtown Chicago at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2025,&#8221; a Department of Justice press release says. &#8220;Reed approached the victim, who was seated with her back towards him, took the cap off a bottle of liquid and poured the liquid all over the victim’s head and body, the complaint states.  The victim ran but Reed caught up with her, at which point he ignited the bottle and it fell out of his hand onto the floor, the complaint states. Reed picked up the bottle that was now on fire, approached the victim and used the bottle to light her on fire, the complaint states.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1005105" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005105" class="wp-image-1005105 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-2.13.33-PM-866x576.png" alt="" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-2.13.33-PM-866x576.png 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-2.13.33-PM-300x200.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-2.13.33-PM-768x511.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-2.13.33-PM-1536x1022.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-2.13.33-PM-1200x800.png 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-2.13.33-PM.png 1680w" sizes=" (max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Chicago Transit Authority surveillance footage</div>
The disturbing unprovoked attack is reminiscent of the attack on Ukrainian refugee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-looking-into-brutal-charlotte-murder-by-repeat-offender?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Looking+Into+Brutal%C2%A0Charlotte+Murder+By+Repeat+Offender">Iryna Zarutska</a>, 23, who was targeted by a career criminal while riding a train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Zarutska, like MaGee, was targeted without ever interacting with her attacker. Both suspects have lengthy rap sheets. Zarutska, who tragically died from her injuries, was attacked back in August.
Reed&#8217;s criminal history includes eight felony and seven misdemeanor convictions, <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/national/2025/11/21/federal-judge-orders-man-held-on-federal-terrorism-charge-in-chicago-train-attack/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">according</a> to the Associated Press. Reed&#8217;s arrests concern arson, assault and battery, and other offenses.
At the time of his most recent attack, Reed was ordered to wear electronic monitoring due an aggravated battery charge accusing him of hitting a social worker. Cook County prosecutors wanted to keep Reed behind bars until his trial, but the judge released him.
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
Notably, Reed <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/blue-line-fire-attack-woman-burned-family-speaks/">pleaded guilty</a> to smashing windows on a Blue Line train at O&#8217;Hare International Airport in 2020, but the Chicago Transit Authority never banned him from the transit system.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reacted to the crime on Sunday, posting to X, &#8220;It is devastating that a career criminal with 72 PRIOR ARRESTS is now accused of attacking 26-year-old Bethany MaGee on Chicago’s L train, and setting her on fire.&#8221;
&#8220;This would never have happened if this thug had been behind bars,&#8221; Duffy added. &#8220;Yet Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the streets. Chicago’s carelessness is putting the American people at risk. No one should ever have to fear for their life on the subway.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It is devastating that a career criminal with 72 PRIOR ARRESTS is now accused of attacking 26-year-old Bethany MaGee on Chicago’s L train, and setting her on fire.
This would never have happened if this thug had been behind bars. Yet Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the… <a href="https://t.co/1vaHyCd8sp">https://t.co/1vaHyCd8sp</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1992612289694900422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/still-no-response-from-jb-pritzker-after-insane-stretch-of-deadly-violence-in-chicago?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Still+No+Response+From+JB+Pritzker+After+Insane+Stretch+Of+Deadly+Violence+In+Chicago">The Daily Wire</a>, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has not commented on the attack.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, also a Democrat, called the attack an &#8220;isolated incident&#8221; and largely blamed it on a supposed lack of funding for &#8220;mental health&#8221; in the city.
&#8220;He was clearly seriously mentally disturbed, and was a danger to himself and to others,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;The system that we had failed to intervene, and now we have a woman who is fighting for her life.&#8221;
&#8220;There are a number of people who are suffering severely from trauma and mental illness and it&#8217;s becoming increasingly more dangerous,&#8221; the mayor added, while urging more mental health funding.
MaGee&#8217;s family released a statement earlier this week, thanking the public for their prayers.
&#8220;We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and well-wishes as our daughter receives care for injuries sustained earlier this week,&#8221; the statement <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/blue-line-fire-attack-woman-burned-family-speaks/">said</a>. &#8220;We are also grateful for the excellent care and support of the burn team at Stroger Hospital.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/still-no-response-from-jb-pritzker-after-insane-stretch-of-deadly-violence-in-chicago?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Still+No+Response+From+JB+Pritzker+After+Insane+Stretch+Of+Deadly+Violence+In+Chicago">Still No Response From JB Pritzker After Insane Stretch Of Deadly Violence In Chicago</a>

Bethany MaGee

Woman Set On Fire By Convict With 72 Priors On Chicago Train

Chicago

Crime

Iryna Zarutska

U.S.

On the morning of January 19, 2021, decorated Navy Lt. Commander Thomas E. Caldwell was resting peacefully on his Virginia family farm when FBI agents executed a pre-dawn SWAT raid.
They accused him of being a leader of the Oath Keepers, of storming the Capitol, and of hunting down members of Congress.
He says every single claim was false. Tom was never a member of the Oath Keepers. He never entered the Capitol. He never planned an attack. And yet, thanks to Biden&#8217;s DOJ, Tom spent over 50 days in solitary confinement and endured years of prosecution.
Now pardoned, he&#8217;s finally free to speak. Here&#8217;s an excerpt from his new book, &#8220;<a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-mouths-of-the-wicked">The Mouths of the Wicked</a>.&#8221; — The Editors
* * *
January 19, 2021
“Honey! Get up! The FBI is at the door!”
I will never forget those words or the urgency in Sharon’s voice as she shook me awake that dreadful morning. Bundled under blankets and still foggy from two sleeping pills, I struggled to free myself from the CPAP machine.
Trying to make sense of it all, I leaned on the dresser, mind racing as an intense, other-worldly light flooded in from the great room of our home. Disembodied voices routed the night’s peace and bellowed my name.
My wobbly legs took me to the front door and the tumult beyond.
“FBI! Come out with your hands up!”
The horror show was all about creating an incident. But why? Who cares why! I was going to end up on the short end of the stick if I didn’t handle this correctly and with cooperation. Head spinning, I flashed back to all the times the news reported people being fatally shot after authorities “thought they had a gun in their hand.”
I set my trusty cane beside the door. It would be a sad tale for my wife to have to tell at the funeral of her disabled veteran husband that he was gunned down by the FBI who mistook a walking stick for a firearm.
Slowly I opened the front door to the blinding glare of searchlights. A scant two feet from the window frame of our house, I could make out the manhole-sized disc of a battering ram flowering from the end of a reinforced steel arm, jutting from total darkness. Oh my God, they’re going to smash a hole in our cottage! I let my left arm trail the storm door behind me to ensure it would close slowly, without a slam that could send these possibly trigger-happy jackanapes into a shooting frenzy.
Stepping forward, I raised my hands as far as they would go, considering their limited mobility resulting from shoulder surgeries and the reattachment of arm to torso with a brass rod. I needed to lift them high enough to appease the invisible screamers without reaching the point of initiating the bolt of pain that would cause me to reflexively pull it back to my body. A sudden movement like that could be fatal in the cloud of red dots from rifle lasers swarming me. This wasn’t the first time a firearm had been pointed at me, but I assure you, this was the first time my life was placed in jeopardy by people from the country I love and served.
<div id="attachment_998997" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-mouths-of-the-wicked"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-998997" class="wp-image-998997 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-384x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Puffin Publishers LLC/Thomas Caldwell" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-1360x2040.jpg 1360w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell.jpg 1365w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" /></a>Credit: Puffin Publishers LLC/Thomas Caldwell</div>
Virginia’s winter was on frigid-blast, the porch an iceberg, and the biting west wind slashed my body. Barefoot, clothed only in underwear and nightshirt, I moved forward to the edge, squinting desperately against the artificial sun in my face, trying to find the first of three steps I knew were there somewhere. Trying not to take a well-intentioned but possibly leg-breaking step into the abyss.
I stepped down blindly, relying upon muscle memory born of doing this a thousand times in broad daylight. Until my foot actually reached step number one, I didn’t know if I would be stable enough to make the climb down on my own. Guided by what I now know was divine intervention, I made each halting step until I felt the ouch of the gravel boundary between deep ruts and frosty grass. The wet lawn was only slightly less chilly than the concrete. I walked slowly, aware of shadowy figures at the edge of my field of vision. Beams of red light stabbed from the dark — rifle and pistol lasers — all merely a trigger pull away from dispatching this 66-year-old retired veteran.
The first of many “what’s going on?” inquiries crossed my lips as the designated vet-wrangler snatched me, powerful arms and hands jutting from an inky veil. With purposeful out-sized strides, he yanked me across the slippery grass, shoving my face hard into the cold metal of a car hood. What I was concerned about now was the abrupt leg-weakening shove at the waist — a bending motion not pleasant for someone like me with a spine immobilized by a jumbled mass of metal spacers and screws.
Amid the clinking of metal on metal, I addressed the faceless being through gritted teeth, informing him that my left arm could no longer naturally rotate in such a way as to reach my back due to reconstructive shoulder surgery—no matter how much he kept twisting it. He was at the point of a spontaneous displacement of the metal screw holding my arm to my body. Thankfully, cold metal cuffs were slapped on my wrists in the front instead. Then it was right back to a face plant on the car hood.
All this outrage was conducted with creatures of the dark still yowling orders in the frigid pre-dawn air. They had me in their snare. What more could they want?
In the midst of a cacophony from hell, I labored to lift my head and, to my utter horror, saw my wife standing in the searchlight’s brutal blaze. Time stopped, as did my heart.
<div id="attachment_999097" style="width: 465px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-999097" class="size-full wp-image-999097" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Caldwells.jpg" alt="Courtesy: Thomas Caldwell. https://saveourfarmva.com/ " width="455" height="575" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Caldwells.jpg 455w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Caldwells-237x300.jpg 237w" sizes=" (max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px" />Courtesy: Thomas Caldwell.</div>
For there stood Sharon, barefoot, arms straight out from her sides, clad only in one of my super-sized white T-shirts made nearly transparent in the harsh glare of the spotlights. I could see her shivering as her stance proved she carried no weapon and posed no threat. That did not stop the authoritative commands shouted at her with crude epithets tossed in for good measure.
I couldn’t believe my eyes or my ears as she lifted her arms to reveal a single white sock in each hand and softly asked if she could put them on her feet.
As the screamers moved closer to her, to my heart-stopping terror, I saw the devil’s red fireflies dancing all over her face and body. The monsters had drawn down fully automatic weapons of death on my Angel!
My heart cried, “They didn’t kill me, so now they want to kill my wife!”
Sharon stood there, innocently holding a pair of socks and holding my heart—my whole world—in her hands. Her stance was nearly identical to that of Jesus, hung on the cross by hateful elitists who knew not what they were doing. She did not seem to understand the gravity of this bile-laced situation.
My memory flashed back to the murder at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, the day an FBI sniper shot and killed Vicki Weaver as she stood on her porch, holding her infant in her arms.
This scene played out for an eternity and still haunts me every day.
“Father, God!” I begged, “God in Heaven, Father, please don’t let them kill my wife! Abba, Father! Please don’t let them murder my wife!
* * *
This excerpt is published by permission from the author and Puffin Publishers LLC. “<a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-mouths-of-the-wicked">The Mouths of the Wicked</a>” by Thomas E. Caldwell (November, 2025/<a href="http://puffinpublishers.com/">PuffinPublishers.com</a>)
<a href="https://saveourfarmva.com/">Thomas E. Caldwell</a> is an author and proud veteran of the United States Navy. A decorated retired Navy Lieutenant Commander, he honorably served our Nation around the world for nearly two decades, principally within the Navy&#8217;s Intelligence Community. He is the author of countless strategic and tactical intelligence assessments and possesses a deep understanding and unique perspective of global and domestic threats to our Nation. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-CRIME-shooting-SUSPECT

The Morning The FBI Came For Me

Biden Administration

Books

Capitol Riot

January 6

U.S. Capitol

U.S. Navy

Just over a week after President Trump brokered a deal that brought home the last of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists — and laid out a plan for lasting peace between Israel and Gaza — the latest reports indicate that Hamas militants have taken to publicly executing Palestinian civilians. So of course, CNN wanted to talk about — and to — former Rep. George Santos (R-NY).
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-commutes-sentence-of-former-gop-rep-george-santos">Trump announced</a> on Friday that he was commuting the remainder of the 7-year sentence that Santos was serving after he pled guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire-fraud charges in relation to his 2022 congressional campaign. Prior to that he&#8217;d been ousted by Congress after serving less than a year of his first term: Lawmakers <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/01/gop-rep-george-santos-faces-expulsion-vote-in-house.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 311-114 to oust Santos in December 2023 after a GOP-led House Ethics Committee report accused Santos of stealing campaign donors’ money to spend on Botox, OnlyFans, and other items.
Trump swiped at Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in the Truth Social post announcing the commutation, saying, &#8220;I started to think about George when the subject of Democrat Senator Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal came up again. As everyone remembers, “Da Nang” stated for almost twenty years that he was a proud Vietnam Veteran, having endured the worst of the War, watching the Wounded and Dead as he raced up the hills and down the valleys, blood streaming from his face &#8230; This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!&#8221;
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
So on Sunday, despite the continued bloodshed in Gaza and the ongoing Democrat-driven government shutdown, much of the conversation on CNN was focused squarely on Santos.
Anchor Dana Bash started with Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), asking whether she took issue with Trump&#8217;s decision to commute the sentence of the disgraced congressman.
&#8220;[Santos] did plead guilty to defrauding his donors and constituents of hundreds of thousands of dollars, money he will no longer be required to pay back because of this commutation. Is this acceptable to you?&#8221; Bash asked.
&#8220;Look, I will let Congressman Santos speak for himself,&#8221; Britt replied. &#8220;What I appreciate is President Trump&#8217;s commitment to the American people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BASH: “[Santos] did plead guilty to defrauding his donors and constituents of hundreds of thousands of dollars, money he will no longer be required to pay back because of this commutation. Is this acceptable to you?”
BRITT: “Look, I will let Congressman Santos speak for… <a href="https://t.co/3SvurPWDHk">pic.twitter.com/3SvurPWDHk</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979939429633380426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bash then took the question to Santos directly, asking him whether he planned to make restitution.
&#8220;You were ordered by the court to pay $370,000 in restitution to the people you defrauded… Will you work to try to do that?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me. So I don&#8217;t know what that is,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;If it&#8217;s required of me by the law, yes. If it&#8217;s not, then no.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BASH: “You were ordered by the court to pay $370,000 in restitution to the people you defrauded… Will you work to try to do that?”
SANTOS: “I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me. So I don&#8217;t know what that is… If it&#8217;s required of me by the law, yes. If it&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/EVBHKzKGTg">pic.twitter.com/EVBHKzKGTg</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979942437411057676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bash then pivoted to note that some were critical of Trump&#8217;s decision to commute his sentence, and Santos pushed back, essentially arguing that there would be people criticizing Trump no matter what he did.
&#8220;I&#8217;m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics,&#8221; Santos said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
George Santos shrugs off criticism of Trump commuting his prison sentence: “I&#8217;m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics.” <a href="https://t.co/YxjwjV5F6u">pic.twitter.com/YxjwjV5F6u</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943369892679734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally, I don&#8217;t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I&#8217;m humble or remorseful, but I can just do the best in my actions moving forward,&#8221; Santos added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
George Santos responds to former Republican colleagues who say he shouldn’t have been freed from prison: “I&#8217;m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally, I don&#8217;t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I&#8217;m humble or remorseful, but I… <a href="https://t.co/1TyrdeeDXl">pic.twitter.com/1TyrdeeDXl</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943593436479708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He went on to say that he&#8217;d already thought of a way that he could potentially begin to give back, saying, &#8220;I told this to the president, that I&#8217;d love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way, in real human ways, in a way that we effect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives and we have a better system with less incarcerated people … If I can be a part of helping that, I think that would be a great road to follow in the future.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Santos: “I told this to the president, that I&#8217;d love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way, in real human ways, in a way that we effect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives and we have a better system with less… <a href="https://t.co/6qXkS9c3z3">pic.twitter.com/6qXkS9c3z3</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943752346353792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And it didn&#8217;t end there: Santos was also the topic of a panel discussion to round out &#8220;State of the Union.&#8221;
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said she wasn&#8217;t in favor of Trump&#8217;s decision, but that she planned to withhold judgment and give Santos a chance to prove he&#8217;d changed.
&#8220;I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope he is a changed person who&#8217;s going to focus on his second chance on doing good. I do not agree with the commutation. I think it was a wrong decision, primarily because this is somebody who stole millions of dollars from his donors. He defrauded the public and his voters … I wish him well. I hope he does good, and I hope he sticks to his word that he&#8217;s a renewed person.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New York Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis on Trump commuting George Santos’ prison sentence:
“I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope he is a changed person who&#8217;s going to focus on his second chance on doing good. I do not agree with the commutation. I… <a href="https://t.co/I77ZfKoMw7">pic.twitter.com/I77ZfKoMw7</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979948410368061661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And then Paul Begala tried to make it about Trump &#8230;
&#8220;This is a story about a con man, a liar, a grifter, somebody, a felon, disgraced his high office, and also about George Santos,&#8221; he quipped.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Paul Begala: “This is a story about a con man, a liar, a grifter, somebody, a felon, disgraced his high office, and also about George Santos.”
GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Brad Todd, and Faiz Shakir join Dana Bash to react to President Trump’s controversial decision to commute… <a href="https://t.co/W7SQ50hJpp">pic.twitter.com/W7SQ50hJpp</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979949001135763632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

U.S. Congressman-elect George Santos

Spin Cycle: Let’s Talk About … Santos?

Spin Cycle: Let's Talk About ... Santos?

ABC News

George Santos

Media

NBC News

Politics

Prisoner in court

An Update On The Shocking Crime That Democrats Don’t Want You To Know About

An Update On The Shocking Crime That Democrats Don't Want You To Know About

Criminal Justice

Florida

Kentucky

Murder

Violent Crime

White House

An Indiana man accused of breaking into a home and stabbing a family, including the brutal, fatal stabbing of 6-year-old Logan Tipton, is now a free man.
In 2018, Ronald Exantus was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the gruesome murder of Tipton, who was forcefully stabbed repeatedly in the head. The jury, though, found him guilty but mentally ill on assault charges. He was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
This past week, however, Exantus was released from prison after serving only eight years. He&#8217;s set to serve six months of parole in Florida.
Notably, the defense team admitted during trial that Exantus committed the murder, and the victim&#8217;s father, Dean Tipton, witnessed the attack and held down Exantus until police arrived on scene. Two of Tipton&#8217;s sisters and Dean were stabbed and injured during the attack.
Tipton&#8217;s sister, Koral, recalled waking up to her brother&#8217;s screams on the night of the attack, December 7, 2015, in their Kentucky home. &#8220;All I could see was a man, a big man, over top of him, stabbing him,&#8221; she <a href="https://fox56news.com/news/local/kentucky-family-speaks-out-after-man-accused-of-killing-6-year-old-boy-released-early-from-prison-its-infuriating/">said</a> to FOX56.
Dean fought to save his son, but was thrown across the room. &#8220;He snaps, just snaps, and stands up with me sitting on top of him, and he throws me across the room,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I mean, maybe 10-15 feet he throws me across the room and goes after [Koral].&#8221;
Dean said he held his dying boy in his arms that night. “He was gasping for air; I was holding him deep in my arms. And finally, he took his last breath, looked at me, closed his eyes, and he was gone,&#8221; the father said.
“It’s infuriating that a six-year-old was killed sleeping in his bed, and someone literally only did ten years in prison, and he didn’t even do the time for that. He did time for assault charges. It’s just infuriating,” Heather Tipton, the boy&#8217;s mother, said.
As for Dean, he now feels fear for his whole family, and says he&#8217;ll kill Exantus if he ever has the chance.
&#8220;He told he was going to kill every one of us,” Dean said. “So now, I’ve got to be on extra guard to protect my kids because I will not lose another one, not like this.”
“I’ve had my talks with God cause I’m not afraid to tell you all, I told the court — if I ever cross paths with him, I will kill the man. I will kill him where he stands,” the father added, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/03/us-news/father-of-slain-6-year-old-issues-threat-to-sons-killer-who-was-freed-after-serving-8-years/">speaking</a> to WKYT.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Father says he ‘WILL K*LL’ the man who broke into his Kentucky home and st*bbed his six-year-old boy to death after he was released from prison having served just half his sentence
The boy’s father says, “I’ve had my talks with God… I told the court if I ever cross… <a href="https://t.co/QSSVwsmJ9y">pic.twitter.com/QSSVwsmJ9y</a>
— Unlimited L&#8217;s (@unlimited_ls) <a href="https://twitter.com/unlimited_ls/status/1974148216976212152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
On Friday, Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh spotlighted the story on X, specifically calling on the Trump White House to get involved. Hours later, the White House confirmed it was reviewing the case.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
&#8220;This case should be getting A LOT more attention. Should be massively viral,&#8221; Walsh posted Friday. &#8220;We need the White House on it. A man who broke into a house and stabbed a child to death is now walking free. One of the most heinous miscarriages of justice in American history.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This case should be getting A LOT more attention. Should be massively viral. We need the White House on it. A man who broke into a house and stabbed a child to death is now walking free. One of the most heinous miscarriages of justice in American history
<a href="https://t.co/WjskzbqJ1H">pic.twitter.com/WjskzbqJ1H</a>
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1974176800960893033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Logan Tipton is the victim. He was six years old. Ronald Exantus broke into his house and stabbed him in the head while he slept. Now he’s out of prison and walking free,&#8221; Walsh continued. &#8220;Logan Tipton’s name should be famous. The names of every judge and prosecutor who allowed this to happen should be infamous. This story should be viral the way that Iryna’s was. This case is somehow even worse — much, much worse.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Logan Tipton’s name should be famous. The names of every judge and prosecutor who allowed this to happen should be infamous. This story should be viral the way that Iryna’s was. This case is somehow even worse — much, much worse.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1974178595242484207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X on Saturday morning, &#8220;I can confirm the White House is looking into this. It’s wholly unacceptable for a child killer to walk free after just several years in prison.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I can confirm the White House is looking into this. It’s wholly unacceptable for a child killer to walk free after just several years in prison. <a href="https://t.co/pOjKxvmrZV">https://t.co/pOjKxvmrZV</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1974448781715525642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>

Screenshot 2025-10-04 at 12.54.46 PM

Man Walks Free After Horrific Murder Of Sleeping Child. White House Says That Won’t Stand.

Trump Administration

MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-02-09-PM-257

Everyone Needs To See This Viral Testimony From This Grieving Father

Democrats

Fathers

North Carolina

South Carolina

Over the past few years, free speech in my country has declined significantly. The nation that gave the world George Orwell and John Stuart Mill now faces an existential crisis over liberty. Figures such as Lucy Connolly — <a href="https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/who-lucy-connolly-what-she-said-that-put-her-behind-bars-revealed-1743361">jailed</a> last year for an offensive tweet about illegal immigration — face the heavy hand of the law, while petty crime goes unchecked. Meanwhile, Britain’s Labour Party looks set to implement religious blasphemy laws, which could criminalise criticism or ridicule of religious beliefs or symbols. The situation has become so dire that Parliament member Nigel Farage felt <a href="https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&amp;&amp;p=ca585c1516192a5c1981875b985b08e6a44732385a7c316a16ca6a619e2c5c3cJmltdHM9MTc1NzQ2MjQwMA&amp;ptn=3&amp;ver=2&amp;hsh=4&amp;fclid=3b299e56-e98e-6003-1500-8c90e8bd6195&amp;psq=nigel+farage+goes+to+DC&amp;u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYXJ0aWNsZXMvY2U5cnpuZ2Q5azJv">compelled</a> to travel to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress on Britain’s crisis of free expression.
Britain&#8217;s free speech crisis has led to <a href="https://fullfact.org/technology/government-learned-lessons-from-southport-riots/">riots</a> and political violence as ordinary citizens no longer feel they have a voice. The right to free speech is fundamental and not one to be tampered with. In the aftermath of the shootings of President Trump and, more recently, Charlie Kirk at a Utah university event, Americans should ask themselves: do they really want to follow Britain’s path and see what their country might look like without the First Amendment?
Just months after Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that transgender women are not legally considered female under the Equality Act, comedy writer Graham Linehan was arrested upon returning from the U.S. over allegedly transphobic posts on X. The writer of one of Britain’s most beloved sitcoms now says he is considering leaving permanently because there is “<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15071827/Graham-Linehan-never-return-Britain-arrest-anti-trans-tweets.html">no freedom of speech</a>” in Britain.
For any country to drive out its comedians because they fear speaking freely is a tragedy. For the birthplace of liberal democracy, it is nothing short of catastrophic.
Britain’s erosion of speech has been decades in the making. In 1986, the state <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/64/contents">passed</a> the Public Order Act, criminalising hate speech inciting violence. In 2003, came the Communications Act, <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/contents">banning</a> “grossly offensive” online speech. This year, Britain has <a href="https://www.cityam.com/peter-kyle-defends-uk-free-speech-record-after-us-report-attacks-online-safety-act/">passed</a> the Online Safety Act, handing sweeping powers to a government-approved regulator over “legal but harmful” content. Slowly, my country has chipped away at free speech rights. America cannot afford to follow.
The United States cannot allow itself to politicize free speech in such a divided time. As political discourse is shutting down, especially on college campuses, the government and the American people must be the ones to stand firm to defend liberty. We are all aware of what happens after sensible debate is shut down, and that is actions, replacing words. The assassination of Charlie Kirk now serves as a prime example of the elimination of discord happening in America, and we must all make it our duty to ensure free discussion is indeed kept free. A knee-jerk reaction to being offended is not to hear it; however, to call out for certain speech to be banned only opens the door for the disenfranchised to lash out in the form of political violence.
Today in Britain, the police can investigate you for social media posts that aren’t even as criminal as ‘Non-Crime Hate Incidents’ (NCHIs). Anything that has the potential to offend could come back to harm you and <a href="https://www.slaterheelis.co.uk/articles/crime-category/non-crime-hate-incidents-how-they-can-affect-your-dbs-check/">your record</a> in the future. In practice, you either pretend that ‘<a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/banned-coinbase-ad-portrays-a-dystopian-britain-with-only-crypto-as-an-exit-f203ffda">everything is just fine</a>’, or risk state retribution for speaking your mind.
By comparison, America remains far freer, but even the “Land of the Free” has its faults. Consider flag-burning laws: though the Supreme Court rightly struck them down, many Americans still support restrictions when speech provokes or offends. That is precisely how the anti-speech lobby wins. Rolling back First Amendment rights, whoever the target, should be against every American’s interests. The same logic plays out with protests: the Left seeks bans on anti-immigration rallies as “racist,” while the Right campaigns to shut down pro-Palestine marches as “antisemitic.” But when peaceful protest is curtailed, political violence becomes far more likely.
Government regulation of speech carries disastrous consequences. It impacts institutions, which are fearful that hosting political speakers on campus might face retribution from the state. Ordinary citizens self-censor, silencing urgent debates in the name of “offence.” Once parties, not people, get to define ‘harm,’ the boundaries inevitably expand to serve partisan interests.
To avoid Britain’s fate, America must defend First Amendment rights without compromise. The cancellations of comedians like Dave Chappelle or Joe Rogan, for example, by private platforms should serve as a warning against normalizing censorship. The state must never follow suit. Britain’s ‘legal but harmful’ rules on speech should teach Americans that when regulation begins, free speech is never safe again. And once speech regulation is normalized, there is no going back. The only true safeguard is a culture of open debate, which begins in schools and extends across society.
Few today grasp just how precious freedom of speech is to the world. Silencing criticism, comedy, or art halts progress. Authors like Salman Rushdie and Richard Dawkins have been attacked or shouted down for presenting their arguments. Across Europe, cultural and religious hardliners insist that certain critiques should be banned, and too many journalists and academics are now afraid to speak out. To side with the aggressors is to let them win.
Only by championing freedom of speech and resisting every attempt to curtail it can democracy endure. Complacency breeds decline. If America wants to avoid Britain’s mistakes, it must show strength in the face of every demand to scale back the First Amendment.
* * *
Ted Newson is a Political Commentator with Young Voices UK.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

“Unite The Kingdom” Rally And Counter Rally By Stand Up To Racism Takes Place In Central London

Britain’s Free Speech Collapse Offers A Warning For America

Comedy

Freedom of Speech

Hate Speech

Leftists

Social Media Censorship

The issue of religious freedom has become one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. While in Western countries debates often revolve around ensuring that Muslims can freely practice their faith, in many parts of the Islamic world, Christians continue to face harsh restrictions, discrimination, and even persecution. This striking contrast raises fundamental questions about reciprocity, human dignity, and the future of coexistence between different faiths.
Few stories illustrate this brutal reality more vividly than that of Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek — known as Saeed Abu Mustafa, a 30-year-old man, who has <a href="https://x.com/DanBurmawy/status/1961379307487437064">been arrested</a>, endured <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@saidabumustafa?_t=ZN-8zg1GnAN5yo&amp;_r=1">torture</a>, isolation, and persecution. During his detention, he was allegedly suspended with his arms tied to a wall in a <a href="https://www.copticsolidarity.org/2025/08/21/egypts-hidden-persecution-the-cost-of-leaving-islam/">crucified position</a> for hours each day, a deliberate mockery of the very faith he embraced. He has been beaten, humiliated, and forced to undergo procedures to burn away a small Christian tattoo. They stripped him of his wife and child. Saeed now sits in a prison cell, together with <a href="https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-convert-charged-with-terrorism-in-egypt-after-requesting-new-identification">Islamic terrorists</a>, accused of crimes as absurd as “membership in a banned group” and “contempt of the Islamic religion.” In truth, his only crime is that, in 2018, he converted to Christianity.
In the Roman Empire, Christians were thrown to lions, crucified on wooden beams, and burned alive in public squares. Their crime was simple: they refused to worship Caesar and chose to follow Christ instead. Twenty centuries later, the forms have changed but the substance has not. What the Roman Empire once accomplished with crosses and amphitheaters, Egypt — a nation that receives billions of dollars in aid from the United States — now accomplishes with courtrooms, prisons, and a bureaucracy steeped in Sharia law.
<h3>A Journey From Curiosity To Crucifixion</h3>
Saeed’s path to Christ began with a hunger for knowledge. As a teenager, he immersed himself in comparative religion, asking the questions Islam dared not answer. By 2018, his search ended with baptism into the Russian Orthodox Church. But his conversion would prove costly. His family harassed him. His neighbors denounced him. But above all, Egypt’s National Security marked him as a threat.
Desperate, Saeed fled to Russia in 2019, where he sought asylum. For a time, he breathed free air. But when provoked by Muslims on social media, he responded and lashed out. Russia responded not with tolerance but with jail. Eleven months later, they deported him — despite a UNHCR refugee certificate that should have guaranteed his protection.
Back in Egypt, his persecutors were waiting for him. They detained him, tortured him again, and warned, “If you want to be a Christian, so be it. But you must remain silent.” Silence, however, would prove impossible for this man.
<h3>The Arrest That Sealed His Fate</h3>
In July of 2025, Saeed did the unthinkable. He attempted to exercise his constitutional right to file a lawsuit to <a href="https://www.csw.org.uk/2025/07/24/press/6584/article.htm">update his official identity card</a> to reflect his Christian faith. In Egypt, religion is stamped on every official document: your driver’s license, your job application, even membership to a sports club. It is not merely paperwork; it is a mark of identity and, for converts, a mark of danger.
That step was enough to seal his fate. On July 15, 2025, plainclothes National Security agents stormed his apartment in Cairo’s Matariya district and arrested him. Days later, he appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, charged with membership in a banned group, disturbing public order and peace, and contempt of the Islamic religion.
It is difficult to overstate the absurdity of these accusations. When asked how he could be accused of joining a banned group, Saeed responded simply: “How can I be? I am Christian.”
<h3>A Legal Farce, A Human Tragedy</h3>
Saeed’s hearings were conducted over video conference. His lawyer was not allowed to see him. He could not review the charges or the investigation files. Even basic rights guaranteed by Egypt’s own constitution were stripped away.
His lawyer, Saeed Fayez, stated:
<blockquote>“I am immensely worried for Saeed’s safety, because he is locked away in Institute Number 6, where Islamic extremist terrorists are held. He is in danger. Recently, Osama — an Islamist terrorist who desecrated Christian faith — posted a video showing Saeed being beaten. This is torture.”</blockquote>
Meanwhile, Saeed’s fiancé, Sophie, is heartbroken:
<blockquote>“This should not be happening in 2025. His treatment is not human. Egyptian interpretation of terrorism is very different from the rest of the world. When Egypt says he has joined a banned group, what do they mean? Are Christians a banned group? Why cannot these people convert and enjoy their freedom like everybody else? It is a matter of freedom.”</blockquote>
<h3>The Pattern Of Persecution</h3>
Saeed’s story is part of a long line of shattered lives. He is not the first, nor will he be the last.
In 2007, Mohammed Hegazy openly demanded recognition of his conversion. For that, he was arrested, tortured. He first stated that he had abandoned Christianity to return to Islam, but once released from prison, he revealed he had remained a Christian all along, explaining that his supposed conversion had been extracted from him under torture.
Decades earlier, Maher El-Gowhary had tried the same. Judges even admitted his case was valid, but they ruled conversion a “threat to public order.” He has lived ever since as a fugitive in his own land.
More recently, the stranglehold on religious expression continues. In early 2025, Abdulbaqi Said Abdo — a Christian convert detained since 2021 for speaking about his faith and aiding fellow converts online — was released after years behind bars on blasphemy charges. His fellow detainee, Nour Gerges, was also freed, yet both men still face pending accusations. Abdo spent months in solitary confinement, suffered deteriorating health, and even declared a partial hunger strike in protest.
Others have suffered in quieter ways, their names whispered in churches and exile communities. A young woman named Naglaa had her head shaved by her brother and her Bible burned before her eyes. Amir Ibrahim, a professor, was fired and charged for daring to declare himself Christian. A teenager called Andrew has changed homes seven times in six months to escape his family’s wrath. Mirna, a mother, lost custody of her daughter the moment she embraced the Cross. Karim Abu El-Kheir, at 19, was jailed for writing on Facebook: “Christ is my salvation.”
These are not isolated incidents.
Egypt’s constitution, however, contains a fatal contradiction. Article 2 enshrines Islamic Sharia as the source of law. Article 46, on the other hand, promises freedom of belief. And whenever they collide, Sharia wins.
That is why Saeed is in prison. That is why converts live as “ghosts,” hiding in basements, carrying fake names, unable to marry, work, or claim their children. Egypt’s notion of religious freedom appears paradoxical: one may hold personal beliefs, provided they never stray from Islam.
<h3>Why The West Must Act</h3>
Every year, America sends billions of dollars in aid to Egypt. Washington calls Cairo a “partner” and a “moderate.” But what moderation is this? A nation that jails a man for following Christ is no partner in freedom.
This is not simply a matter of cultural difference — it is a matter of right and wrong. If America believes in liberty, it must advocate for the release of Saeed and others like him. It must place conditions on aid when it comes to genuine freedom of religion. It must remind Egypt that partnership with the United States comes with moral obligations.
Saeed’s crucifixion may not be on Golgotha, but it is no less real. And it demands a response. If America still believes in the dignity of the human soul, then it must raise its voice. Because the true test of freedom is not how we protect the majority — it is how we defend the lone man in a cell, whose only crime was to whisper the name of Jesus.
In the early centuries of Christianity, martyrs faced lions with hymns on their lips. Today, in Cairo, they face prison walls and torture cells. But the hymn remains the same: Christ is Lord.
* * *
Paolo Gambi is an Italian multimedia artist, poet, and contributor to “Il Giornale,” Italy’s primary conservative newspaper. He is the founder of Poetry Renaissance, one of the main networks of poetry in Italy, present in various countries. He has published more than thirty books.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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He Left Islam For Christianity. Now He’s Being Tortured In A Prison In Cairo.

Christianity

Egypt

Religion

Religious Freedom

Torture

The Menendez brothers are one step closer to walking free as the California parole board prepares to evaluate their cases individually, beginning on Thursday.
Lyle, 57, and Erik, 54, were initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996 for murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989 inside their Beverly Hills home. The brothers have justified the fatal shootings, claiming they endured sexual abuse from their father that went on for several years.
A Los Angeles judge <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/menendez-bros-win-resentencing-battle-eligible-for-parole?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Menendez+Bros+Win+Resentencing+Battle%2C+Eligible+For+Parole">resentenced</a> both brothers to 50 years to life in May, making them eligible for parole.
Now, a panel of parole officers will hear each case individually to determine if either of the brothers poses an “unreasonable risk of danger to society.” Depending on the outcome, this could lead to Erik and Lyle being released, but not right away, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/menendez-brothers-parole-hearing-a17f74644b52bbe7c1d1a4157eaab3a0">Associated Press</a>.
Even if the convicted murderers are granted parole, their cases will next be passed to the chief legal counsel, who has 120 days to review them. The next step involves California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom affirming or denying their parole within 30 days. If Newsom affirms it, then the Menendez brothers would be able to leave prison. 
The cases had received renewed interest after several high-profile entertainment projects were released, including a Netflix docuseries.
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Judge Michael Jesic said he had given the case “long thought.” While the judge described Lyle and Erik’s crime as “absolutely horrific,” he added that, in his opinion, they’ve been rehabilitated while incarcerated for the past three decades.
“Life without parole gives an inmate no hope, no reason to do anything good. And I give them a lot of credit. It’s remarkable what they did when they had no hope of getting out,” Jesic said.
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, often described as “the godfather of progressive prosecutors,” initiated the resentencing process before losing his re-election bid to Nathan Hochman. In March, the new DA filed a motion to withdraw the resentencing petition, saying the self-defense claims were nothing but “lies.” 
“The Menendez brothers have failed to come clean with the full extent of their criminal conduct, their cover-up, their lies and their deceit,” Hochman said in May.
Public opinion is mixed on whether the Menendez brothers should be granted parole, with some arguing that Eric and Lyle have paid their debt to society and others insisting that some of the most incriminating details of the case are being undervalued.

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