Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the state has put an end to all construction of EPIC City, a massive development planned outside Dallas that was intended to be exclusively for Muslims and where sharia law was expected to be imposed on residents when it came to fruition.
“Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City,” Abbott declared on Sunday on X. “There is no construction taking place. The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. That includes criminal investigations. And, the US Department of justice is also investigating. This matter, and similar matters, are taken very seriously, and actions are being taken to address all concerns.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City.
There is no construction taking place. 
The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. 
That includes criminal investigations. 
And, the US Department of justice is also investigating.… <a href="https://t.co/5NDbOkzxTL">https://t.co/5NDbOkzxTL</a>
&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1921630359415910639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
His statements came days after news that the Trump administration&#8217;s Department of Justice had launched an investigation into the project. Last month, Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/cornyn-federal-investigation-epic-city-paxton-state-investigation">called on the administration</a> to carry out the probe, <a href="https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-calls-on-doj-to-investigate-epic-city-following-accusations-of-religious-discrimination-sharia-law/">saying</a> it was a discriminatory &#8220;religious settlement where Islamic principles govern not only daily life and education, but commerce.&#8221;
&#8220;A master-planned &#8216;community of thousands of Muslims&#8217; could violate the constitutional rights of Jewish and Christian Texans, by preventing them from living in this new community and discriminating against them within the community,&#8221; Cornyn said. &#8220;I further encourage the Department to investigate whether Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslim minorities would receive equal protection under the law in this new community. Religious-based discrimination, whether explicit or implicit, is unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.&#8221;
The same day, Texas GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he was investigating communications between the East Plano Islamic Center — around which EPIC City was to be built — and officials in the Texas towns of Plano, Richardson, and Wylie.
“If any local official is supporting or communicating with a real estate development that is under investigation for potential violations of state law, then it’s imperative that we are made aware of exactly what’s being communicated,” Paxton said. “We will thoroughly review these documents as part of our ongoing investigation into EPIC City and work to hold accountable anyone who breaks Texas law.”
The news of the Muslim development comes as similar projects have made headlines in Texas. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colony-ridge">Colony Ridge</a>, a massive development outside of Houston, has become a breeding ground for crime due to an influx of illegal immigrants who have flocked to it. It is similarly under federal investigation and has been targeted by Texas officials, most recently with raids on illegal immigrants carried out in coordination with the federal government.
Abbott says the Islamic center is being investigated by a dozen state agencies, including whether or not its planned practice of refusing to sell or rent housing based on religion would break state law, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3408146/greg-abbott-halts-contruction-epic-city-muslim-community-texas-doj-investigation/">Washington Examiner</a>.

US-NEWS-TEXAS-ABBOTT-SCHOOL-CHOICE-NY

Texas Says It’s Halted Construction Of Muslim-Centered ‘EPIC City’ Outside Dallas

General

Greg Abbott

Muslims

Sharia Law

Texas

U.S.

Illegal aliens cost Texas hospitals more than $100 million in just a single month, brand new data from the Lone Star State shows.
Texas hospitals are on the hook for a $121.8 million bill incurred by illegal aliens across 31,000 visits in November 2024 alone, according to data collected by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC).
The findings came after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an order directing THHSC to collect and provide quarterly data on the cost of illegal aliens to the state’s hospitals and the number of visits from illegal aliens. The first full year of data from THHSCC will be released in January 2026.
“Many of these illegal immigrants are straining the Texas hospital system, which is why <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/greg-abbott">Governor Abbott</a> directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to begin assessing the cost of care,” Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-hospitals-hit-122-million-bill-illegal-immigrants-care-single-month">explained</a>.
&#8220;Now, Texas has reliable data on the dramatic financial impact that illegal immigration is having on our hospital system,” Mahaleris noted, also adding that President Donald Trump’s deportation operations “may also cause these healthcare costs to decline.”
The Texas Legislature is currently <a href="https://www.fox26houston.com/news/texas-hospitals-migrants-illegal-costs-nov-2024">considering legislation</a> that would turn Abbott&#8217;s order into a state law requiring hospitals to provide the data to the THHSCC.
One <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigration-costs-hospitals-billions-in-unpaid-bills-house-gop-report-finds">2023 report</a> from Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee found that illegal aliens similarly burdened the hospital systems of other states with large illegal alien populations. Florida hospitals incurred a $312 million bill because of illegal aliens in fiscal year 2023 and received just over $100 million in reimbursements. A single hospital in the border town of Yuma, Arizona, provided $26 million in uncompensated care to illegal aliens.
That report estimated that Texas hospitals faced anywhere from $597 million to $717 million in uncompensated health care costs for illegal aliens from 2006 to 2008.
One study from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taxpayers-shell-out-151-billion-each-year-due-to-illegal-immigration-analysis-says">estimated</a> that illegal aliens cost the United States a total of $150 billion a year, even when factoring in tax revenue from illegal aliens. The cost of illegal immigration on the United States, FAIR says, has increased by billions of dollars in recent years.

Illegal aliens

Illegal Aliens Racked Up A Nine-Figure Bill At Texas Hospitals In Just One Month

Border

Health Care

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Red states throughout the country are considering employment verification legislation that experts say could be one of the most effective ways to encourage illegal alien self-deportations.
The states are considering bills that would mandate that employers use E-Verify, a system run by the Department of Homeland Security that ensures workers are in the country legally and eligible for employment.
Ira Mehlman, the media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-one-simple-trick-that-could-lead-illegal-immigrants-to-self-deport?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=23&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+One+Simple+Trick+That+Could+Lead+Illegal+Immigrants+To+Self-Deport">told</a> The Daily Wire that E-Verify mandates eliminate the “biggest incentive” for illegal aliens to enter or stay in the United States.
“If employers were mandated to use E-Verify and the government demonstrated the resolve to hold employers accountable, that would go a long way toward drying up the supply of jobs for illegal aliens, thereby eliminating the biggest incentive to come or remain here illegally,” Mehlman explained.
A recent estimate from FAIR found that there are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-alien-population-surges-to-record-high-bombshell-study-finds">18.6 million illegal aliens</a> currently present in the United States, with experts like Mehlman and Center for Immigration Studies Executive Director Mark Krikorian saying that self-deportations are key to reducing America’s illegal alien population.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpencerLndqst</a> on the latest logistical issue the Trump administration is facing:
&#8220;There are 18.6 million illegal aliens present in the US currently. If they had their own state, not only would it always go to the Democrats, it would also be the fifth largest in the country.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/qyvTkyOO4P">pic.twitter.com/qyvTkyOO4P</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1915060538348130408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
Now, states across the country are considering legislation to implement or expand E-Verify mandates. Idaho’s House of Representatives is <a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/02/14/idaho-legislature-introduces-new-bill-requiring-employers-e-verify-all-new-employees/">considering</a> an E-Verify proposal that would require all businesses in the state to verify the employment status of new employees. Republican Representative Jordan Redman, the sponsor of the legislation, says that the bill “adds to Idaho employment law to prohibit employment of illegal aliens and require employers to use E-Verify for each new hire to verify legal employment status as a condition of their employment.”
The effort has faced opposition from Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, a Republican from Idaho Falls and a potato farmer, as well as from the Idaho Dairyman’s Association, which cited labor shortage concerns.
Montana is currently <a href="https://legiscan.com/MT/bill/HB226/2025">considering legislation</a> that would require employers to use E-Verify or the I-9 employment verification form and maintain eligibility documentation for workers. Companies that fail to abide by the law could face civil penalties, including fines and even the revocation of business licenses after multiple violations. The bill was sent to the governor after passing through the state House and Senate.
“By leveraging verification systems already in place, we can promote lawful employment practices while protecting the integrity of our labor market,” said Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, the House bill’s sponsor.
The Florida State House <a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/04/23/florida-house-passes-e-verify-measure-but-bill-looks-dead-in-the-senate/">just passed</a> legislation that would expand the state’s current E-Verify laws and require all businesses to use the system. But even though the bill was passed with unanimous support from Republicans and garnered support from seven Democrats, the corresponding effort hasn’t gained any traction in the Senate and has not been assigned to a committee.
Texas is also considering legislation to expand its existing E-Verify mandate, which currently only applies to government workers. The <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB324">new legislation</a> would require all employers in the state to use E-Verify, which Sen. Lois Kolkhurst <a href="https://texasscorecard.com/state/senate-committee-advances-legislation-requiring-use-of-e-verify/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> “the most functional and cost-effective method the state of Texas can implement to stem the flow of illegal immigration.”
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has <a href="https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/ensuring-a-legal-workforce-in-texas">endorsed</a> the Texas bill, asserting that it could help unemployed Americans in the Lone Star state get back into the workforce while disincentivizing illegal immigration. “The largest pull factor for illegal aliens is the ability to make money in the U.S.,” AFPI explained. “Mandatory use of E-Verify would significantly reduce the ability of illegal aliens to work, and over time, this action will help reduce the pull factor of employment for those who enter the country unlawfully.”

Illegal alien sign

Red States Consider Bills To Push Illegals To Self-Deport

E-Verify

Florida

Idaho

Montana

Politics

Colony Ridge’s defense lawyer and a land developer lobbying group teamed up to draft legislation that would exempt Texas developments like Colony Ridge from certain consumer protection regulations, communications obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire reveal.
A <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB4166/id/3160963">House bill</a> and its companion<a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB2508/id/3173475"> bill in the Senate</a> would carve out an exemption in mortgage origination laws for Texas residential real estate developers, threatening to embolden developments like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">Colony Ridge</a> that cater to illegal aliens and foreign nationals. The legislation has already passed through the House Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services but is still under consideration in the Senate&#8217;s Business and Commerce Committee.
<a href="https://www.colonyridge.com/complaintrecovery-fund-notice/">Colony Ridge</a> and the Texas Land Developers Association (TLDA) members that employ similar strategies are currently required to inform consumers that they can contact the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending in the event that they have complaints.
But under the new legislation, the developments would not be under the purview of the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending, and the legal risk would be offloaded to loan originators instead. That means there would be even less oversight of developers who have built businesses by catering to illegal aliens and <a href="https://x.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1890063065489735954">selling land to foreign buyers</a> who haven&#8217;t been qualified as borrowers — often charging sky-high interest rates and reselling land after borrowers default.
The bill would strip the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending’s authority to regulate residential real estate developers who provide mortgage loans to purchasers of property, and would limit oversight to separately licensed residential mortgage loan originators and companies.
This legislation, according to documents obtained by The Daily Wire, came about through a partnership between Colony Ridge’s defense lawyer and the Texas Land Developers Association, a lobbying organization whose former president defended the infamous development’s strategy of selling American land to illegal aliens en masse.
A leaked email viewed by The Daily Wire indicates that Jason Ray, a lobbyist who is defending Colony Ridge in the Department of Justice <a href="https://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txsdce/4:2023cv04729/1945245">lawsuit</a> against the development, worked with the TLDA to prepare the legislation. In a November 21, 2024, email obtained by The Daily Wire, <a href="https://texaslanddevelopers.org/about-us/">TLDA president Kevin Campbell</a> identifies Colony Ridge lawyer Jason Ray as “the attorney that prepared the bill language.”
<div id="attachment_911543" style="width: 801px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-911543" class=" wp-image-911543" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray-300x179.png" alt="" width="791" height="472" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray-300x179.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray-964x576.png 964w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray-768x459.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray.png 1292w" sizes="(max-width: 791px) 100vw, 791px" />Obtained by The Daily Wire</div>
The TLDA and Ray are attempting to create a special carve-out for developments like Colony Ridge with the help of a former Democrat in the statehouse who is financially intertwined with special interests who stand to gain.
Ray discusses the bill at length in a December 6, 2024, email to Kevin Campbell, TLDA compliance officer Heather Oakes, and Kacee Jackson, a TLDA board member. The Colony Ridge defense lawyer told The Daily Wire that he did not draft the bill, but did not respond after being asked if he had any role in the bill&#8217;s preparation.
This marks the latest attempt from developers to impose their will on Texas politics. A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colony-ridge-gave-greg-abbott-1-5-million-heres-what-greg-abbott-gave-colony-ridge?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Colony+Ridge+Gave+Greg+Abbott+%241.5+Million.+Here’s+What+Greg+Abbott+Gave+Colony+Ridge.">Daily Wire investigation</a> revealed that Governor Greg Abbott nominated Colony Ridge to become a federal Opportunity Zone, granting investors special tax breaks meant to spur development, after he received a $100,000 campaign donation from the developer&#8217;s wife in 2018.
Abbott hosted Colony Ridge developer Trey Harris and State Senator Brandon Creighton at the Governor&#8217;s Mansion for a lunch meeting as he nominated the development for the lucrative status. Then, just about a year after Colony Ridge was named an Opportunity Zone, the company Creighton works for announced that it would be building homes inside the controversial development. Creighton now sits on the Senate committee considering the new legislation.
State Representative Janis Holt, who defeated former Representative Ernest Bailes after The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">exposed</a> the latter&#8217;s ties to Colony Ridge, warned that the legislation could enable fraud and money laundering, all while encouraging more developments like Colony Ridge to crop up around Texas.
“The Colony Ridge &#8211; Harris Brothers real estate model started on a small scale, which allowed them to operate under the radar and gradually expand their influence,” Holt <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/853245812/Rep-Janis-Holt-Opposes-HB-4166?secret_password=dC0OEsQxCTM5ZDq6wSQf">wrote in a letter</a> to the Chairman of the House Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services.
“The Colony Ridge development in my district has already placed enormous strain on local resources, including schools, roads, and county services. The business model employed by Trey Harris, which is currently under scrutiny by the Department of Justice for predatory lending practices, further exacerbates these issues,” she explained. “Allowing exemptions could worsen the situation by enabling similar practices elsewhere.”
“The aforementioned reasons and the crippling effects of Colony Ridge remove any possibility that I would support this legislative approach,&#8221; she added.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-developer-admits-colony-ridge-relies-on-subprime-lending-to-non-citizen-buyers">previously reported</a> that Scot Campbell, the former head of the TLDA, admitted that the Colony Ridge business model relies on giving loans to foreign nationals and illegal aliens to buy American land, all without checking if the individuals are creditworthy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: A Texas land developer admitted that the Colony Ridge business model relies on selling land to unqualified foreign buyers:
&#8220;We will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have SS#’s.&#8221;
I obtained his stunning admissions🧵 <a href="https://t.co/f2nWFuWA5r">pic.twitter.com/f2nWFuWA5r</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1890063065489735954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
“We will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have SS#’s and we have to qualify each buyer as to the buyer’s ability to repay,” Scot Campbell, the former head of the Texas Land Developers Association, admitted in the email. “It will kill our industry and will make our future resale of foreclosed lots worth a lot less … because we will all be fighting over a few qualified buyers,” he added.
The legislation is now being carried in the Texas House by a representative who’s accepted $20,000 from individuals and entities that stand to gain from the proposal.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Ryan Guillen, a Democrat-turned-Republican who <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/candidate/ryan-a-guillen-coh/contributors?cycle=2015-to-now&amp;page=2">received $14,000</a> from the now-defunct Texas Land Developers Association PAC. Guillen represents House District 31, which stretches from the southern border to Floresville, just southeast of San Antonio.
Guillen took <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/kyndel-bennett/?cycle=2015-to-now">$1,000</a> from Kyndel Bennett, the CEO of Cayetano, a land development company that allows foreign nationals to buy Texas land along the southern border using documents from the Mexican government as identification instead of a Social Security number. Bennett is also a TLDA board member.
He received an additional <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/5609957?cycle=2015-to-now">$5,000 from Scot Campbell</a>, the former TLDA chairman behind the email defending Colony Ridge’s practice of selling out American land to illegal aliens.
The House bill has <a href="https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1868238">companion legislation</a> in the Texas Senate sponsored by Sen. Adam Hinojosa of the 27th district, which covers the Rio Grande Valley along the border. Like Guillen, Hinojosa has taken money from TLDA members and <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/scot-campbell?cycle=2015-to-now">received $11,500</a> from Scot Campbell. Neither Guillen nor Hinojosa responded to a request for comment.
TLDA President Kevin Campbell initially told The Daily Wire that the legislation “will have no impact on larger lenders like TLDA members.” But the legislation would benefit residential real estate developers of all sizes in Texas by allowing them to receive an exemption from mortgage origination regulations.
The Daily Wire followed up, asking why the TLDA had invested so heavily in the legislation, was working with a lawyer to draft and modify the bill language, and why it was being carried by a Representative and a Senator who both had financial ties to TLDA members, if TLDA member companies did not stand to gain. Campbell did not respond.

Colony Ridge sign

This Texas Bill, Written By Lawyer For Colony Ridge, Could Sprout More Illegal Immigrant Hotbeds

Colony Ridge

Greg Abbott, Colony Ridge

Colony Ridge Gave Greg Abbott $1.5 Million. Here’s What Greg Abbott Gave Colony Ridge.

Abbott

deportation

Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth

Family Of Karmelo Anthony Hosted The Most Disgusting Press Conference I’ve Ever Seen

Austin Metcalf

High School

Karmelo Anthony

Lawyer

Matt Walsh

Murder

Opinion

Race

It&#8217;s always fascinating to determine which stories are national news stories according to the legacy media and which are local news stories.
This is particularly true when it comes to national crime stories. Every crime story is, in essence, a local story because every crime story involves the perpetrator and the victim, and all of that happens locally. Thus, unless you can identify a broad national trend springing therefrom and that local news story is the hook for a discussion of the broad national trend, no local story on its own should be a national story.
It&#8217;s fascinating which kind of crime stories are the ones that spark national discussions about, for example, race in America. According to legacy media, the only kinds of crime that ought to spark discussions of race in America are crimes where the alleged victim is black and the alleged suspect is white. Those are the only ones that you will ever hear about, whether you&#8217;re talking about George Floyd, Daniel Penny, George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, or Michael Brown. 
Any time you have a racial conflagration, according to the legacy media, it is always on one side of the racial ledger. The primary narrative the legacy media will push is the idea that America is a systemically racist place against black people.
And so, the kind of crimes the legacy media like to cover are, of course, the ones where a white person — or in the case of George Zimmerman, a white-Hispanic person — kills a black person.
But the reality is, unfortunately, on a proportionate level, it is far more common for young black men to kill people of other races than the other way around. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of murders are intra-racial, meaning that most black men who are murdered are murdered by black men. Most white men who are murder are murdered by white men.
When it comes to interracial crime, which the media like to use as a proxy for discussions about the evils of the state of race in the United States, there&#8217;s only one type of story they like to track: white on black crime. The reality is that, proportionately speaking, black on white crime is significantly more common.
That is why it is worth noting the case of Karmelo Anthony, which arose from the alleged murder of a young man named Austin Metcalf.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2181-when-murder-is-apparently-totally-fine-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Austin Metcalf was a football player in Frisco, Texas, and he had a confrontation with the aforementioned Karmelo Anthony, who is black. Austin Metcalf was white, and according to the police reports, there was some sort of confrontation inside an athletic tent put up at a track meet and Karmelo Anthony was not supposed to be in that tent, but he was sitting in that tent. Athletes for the opposing school were also in the tent.
According to the <a href="https://wset.com/resources/pdf/59b71600-1d28-4429-9784-44c7e1e93793-karmeloanthonyarrestreport.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">police report</a>, Austin Metcalf went into the tent and told Anthony he didn’t belong in here, at which point a confrontation ensued. Karmelo Anthony allegedly reached into his backpack, pulled out a knife and stabbed Austin Metcalf to death in front of everybody else and tried to run away and throw away the knife.
Not only that, according to Officer Eduardo Cortez, who says he was the person who was assigned to bring the suspect, Karmelo Anthony, to the police vehicle and take him off to jail for his booking. In his police report, he stated:
<blockquote>The suspect at this point was on the track on the north end. There was a chain link fence that separated me from the suspect. I gave the suspect instructions to keep his hands up in the air. During this time, the suspect said verbally out loud, “I was protecting myself”. It should be noted that I had not questioned him about the incident when he made that comment. I asked him if he had any weapons, and he said no.
I padded [sic] him down for weapons while we were walking along the fence, and I did not locate any on his person. I instructed the male to continue walking along the fence, which he complied, towards an area where there was an opening in the fence that led off the track. While walking him off the track, the suspect also said “he put his hands on me”. I then detained the suspect in handcuffs (hand cuffed behind his back) and had him sit down on the ground.
Officer A. Ricci had arrived on scene at that time. I conducted another pat down of his person and then searched his person after he gave me consent, no weapons were located. While the suspect sat on the ground, I advised that I had the alleged suspect. The suspect then responds and says, “I’m not alleged, I did it”.
Next, Officer Ricci and I walked the suspect to patrol vehicle #2412 (this is Officer A. Ricci’s patrol vehicle), which was on the north east gate of Kuyrkendall stadium. As we were walking to the squad car, the suspect was emotional and said, “He put his hands on me, I told him not too.” I did not question the suspect about the incident while he was escorted to the patrol vehicle.
I searched his person once again and I had him sit in the back seat area (driver side) of patrol vehicle #2412. While the suspect was in the back seat, I noticed fresh blood on his left middle finger. I verbally acknowledged that I saw the blood out loud so that it would be captured on my Body Worn Camera. It should also be noted that the suspect asked me “is he going to be ok” while he was in the back seat.</blockquote>
Officer Alvin Fischer, the first officer to speak with Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, who was with him at the time of death, stated:
<blockquote>When I arrived, the crime scene was already marked off and a suspect was in custody. I began asking people if they were witnesses to anything. I made contact with Hunter M[redacted] and then E [Redacted] (B/M [Redacted] they were both breathing heavily and crying due to the nature of events. They were with coaches on the field and it was pouring down rain.
I attempted to ask them both what had happened. I could not really get anything out of Hunter, but [redacted] stated he wanted to speak. I asked him what happened, and he stated they were all sitting on the bleachers under a Memorial HS tent. When another male, who he did not know, walked over and sat under the tent. [Redacted] then said Austin (the victim) told this male that since he did not go to Memorial he had to leave the tent.
Austin and the male went back and forth and then Austin stood up and pushed the male to get him out of the tent. [Redacted]  had said during this time of arguing, the male was reaching around in his bag he had. It was at this time the male took out a knife and stabbed Austin and then left the scene. This was all [Redacted] remembered when he talked to me.</blockquote>
This sounds like a confrontation that escalated to the point where Karmelo Anthony pulled a knife out of his backpack and then stabbed Austin Metcalf to death. 
The case that Anthony will presumably make in court is that it was self-defense, that he was in fear for his life because another student was pushing him.
Here&#8217;s where it starts to get very dicey. A GiveSendGo account was set up for Karmelo Anthony and it immediately raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Now, imagine a scenario in which the race is reversed here and a GiveSendGo was set up for the family. Would there be any doubt the media would be all over it, talking about how terrible it would be for a white student who stabbed to death a black student after being pushed to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in GiveSendGo money?

Screenshot 2025-04-05 at 9.43.51 AM

Race And The Legacy Media

Ben Shapiro

Blacks

Legacy Media

Violent Crime

Whites

School choice is almost a reality in Texas after the state House of Representatives voted Thursday morning to approve the $1 billion voucher program.
In a process that dragged on overnight and into the early morning hours, the state House voted 85-63 to move the school choice bill along, with only two Republicans voting no, all but securing its passage. While the legislation still has to clear some legislative hurdles before it is sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott&#8217;s desk, Republicans, including President Donald Trump, are already celebrating the school choice victory.
&#8220;Congratulations to my friends, Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, along with Texas Legislators, for finally passing SCHOOL CHOICE, which I strongly endorsed – this is a gigantic Victory for students and parents in the Great State of Texas!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114353467767721095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We will very soon be sending Education BACK TO ALL THE STATES, where it belongs. It is our goal to bring Education in the United States to the highest level, one that it has never attained before. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221;
The school choice package, referred to as the Education Savings Account (ESA) program, would set aside $10,000 per year for most Texas students who attend an accredited private school, the Austin American-Statesman <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2025/02/06/school-voucher-texas-senate-bill-sb-2-choice-public-private-homeschool-impact-students-parents/78283012007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Students with disabilities attending an accredited private school would receive $11,500 per year, while homeschooling families would receive $2,000 per year for each child to use on qualifying educational expenses. Texas lawmakers included a requirement in the package that recipients of the ESA program be American citizens or people lawfully residing in the United States.
Gov. Abbott has vowed to sign the bill when it comes to his desk.
&#8220;For the first time in Texas history, our state has passed a universal school choice bill. This is an extraordinary victory!&#8221; Abbott <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1912767715460403481" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X Thursday morning.
&#8220;From rural communities to big cities, school choice will open doors in every region of our state,&#8221; Abbott <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1912710323112403220" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in another post. &#8220;Every child in Texas deserves the education path that works best for them.&#8221;
The massive voucher program would be capped at $1 billion in its first year, but after that, it could grow up to $4.5 billion per year by 2030, according to The New York Times. The money for the ESA program will come from a different pot than the money used by the state to fund public schools, according to Abbott. The state House also voted on Wednesday to boost public school funding to $8 billion.
Lt. Gov. Patrick estimates that around 90,000 Texas students will participate in the ESA program. However, if demand for the vouchers exceeds the state&#8217;s funding for the program, children from low-income families and those with disabilities will be prioritized, The Dallas Morning News <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2025/04/17/school-choice-plan-clears-historic-hurdle-with-texas-house-approval/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The Texas school choice bill was mostly supported by conservatives and opposed by Democrats and teachers unions, who fear that the program will harm public education and divert money away from public schools, which will still be responsible for educating most of Texas&#8217;s students. Opponents of the bill also argue that the ESA program will mostly benefit parents who already send their children to private schools.
School choice advocates are celebrating major wins across the country, including in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Most recently, Tennessee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-passes-school-choice-milestone-in-advancing-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> a school choice program after a years-long fight.

Texas On The Verge Of School Choice Plan With Support From Trump

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At a time when the Pentagon is finally waking up to the physical collapse of our armed forces, Texas has a unique opportunity to lead.
In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sounded the alarm with <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4118161/rapid-force-wide-review-of-military-standards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a directive</a>: Military standards have dangerously eroded. “Our adversaries are not growing weaker,” he wrote. “Our tasks are not growing less challenging.”
He ordered a department-wide review of physical fitness, grooming, and readiness standards and <a href="https://x.com/SecDef/status/1907509325804798454" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently stated</a>, “For too long, we’ve allowed standards to slip within the ranks for men and women serving in combat MOSs. This is unacceptable and over.”
He also welcomed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Pentagon, pledging to ensure our warfighters are “healthy and fit to fight.” These moves reflect a growing recognition of the military’s readiness crisis — and that rebuilding a warrior culture requires action, not speeches.
Texas is answering that call.
The Texas Military Forces Health and Readiness Act (House Bill 4993) is a no-compromise legislative initiative to restore physical readiness, health, and resilience in the Texas Military Forces. It aligns with the Department of Defense’s renewed focus on standards and provides a battle-ready model that other states — and even the federal government — can adopt.
<h3>The Current Readiness Crisis And Systemic Failures</h3>
<div id="attachment_908487" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-908487" class="size-large wp-image-908487" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574-866x576.jpg" alt="EL PASO, TEXAS - APRIL 02: Texas National Guard soldiers transport border fencing layered with concertina wire near the Rio Grande river on April 02, 2024 in El Paso, Texas. Last week, hundreds of migrants seeking asylum clashed with Texas national guardsmen while waiting to turn themselves in to border patrol agents for processing. Texas continues awaiting a verdict on Senate Bill 4. Attorneys representing the state of Texas are scheduled to return to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on April 3 to continue arguing for the constitutional basis of the bill. Senate Bill 4 allows state law enforcement officials to detain and arrest undocumented immigrants suspected of illegally crossing into the United States. Thus far, all prior attempts to put the Bill into effect have been blocked by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Brandon Bell/Getty Images</div>
The National Guard plays an increasingly vital dual role: it must respond to domestic crises and be ready to “fight tonight” in peer-level combat operations. Hegseth has emphasized the need to “match threats to capabilities.” But for states like Texas — where the Guard is expected to conduct disaster operations, support border security, and remain deployable worldwide — this mission cannot be met under current conditions.
This isn’t just about pushups. America’s military readiness crisis is real, and it’s gutting our combat capability across the force. Military readiness isn’t a slogan — it’s the bedrock of deterrence and victory. Yet today, 68% of U.S. service members are overweight or obese, according to a 2023 report by the American Security Project. Fitness-related health costs and lost duty time exceed $1.35 billion annually, directly sabotaging operational effectiveness. That’s bad enough for active-duty forces — but for the National Guard, the situation is catastrophic.
If active-duty service members with full access to resources are struggling, the situation for part-time National Guard forces is even more dire. In Texas, part-time Guardsmen train a fraction of the time compared to Active Duty. They are spread across vast distances, often without access to adequate training facilities, wellness programs, or basic fitness infrastructure. Unlike the Active Duty, the Guard operates with persistent disparities in funding, support services, and oversight. Wellness programs go underutilized, accountability is virtually nonexistent, and time for physical training is painfully limited. The result? A force on the edge of collapse — unfit, underprepared, and unable to meet the demands of today’s missions. This isn’t just a training problem. It’s a strategic liability.
<h3>The Army’s Food Scandal: A Symptom Of The Larger Collapse</h3>
Adding insult to injury is the military’s broken nutrition system. A January 2025 Military.com <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/investigations-and-features/2025/02/14/over-151-million-taken-soldiers-paychecks-food-costs-spent-elsewhere-army.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigation</a> found that the Army diverted over $151 million in food allowance payments from junior enlisted soldiers, with only 30% of those funds actually going toward meals. At Fort Cavazos in Texas, only $11.7 million of $42.5 million collected went to feed troops. Other bases relied on vending machines stocked with sugary snacks, or served meals of toast and lima beans — or no meals at all.
This isn’t just a logistical failure. It’s a betrayal of the trust and conditions necessary for building a capable, professional fighting force. For the National Guard, already starved of resources and time, this neglect is lethal. This is not a military prepared to win wars — it’s a hollow shell.
<div id="attachment_908491" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-908491" class="size-large wp-image-908491" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611-864x576.jpg" alt="EAGLE PASS, TEXAS - JANUARY 12: National Guard soldiers stand guard on the banks of the Rio Grande river at Shelby Park on January 12, 2024 in Eagle Pass, Texas. The Texas National Guard continues its blockade and surveillance of Shelby Park in an effort to deter illegal immigration. The Department of Justice has accused the Texas National Guard of blocking Border Patrol agents from carrying out their duties along the river. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Brandon Bell/Getty Images</div>
<h3>HB 4993: A Texas-Size Fix</h3>
HB <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB04993I.htm">4993</a> is a Texas-sized solution to this national crisis. It creates a comprehensive, accountable system to rebuild readiness:
<ul>
<li>Statewide Fitness Access: State-funded gym memberships and access to certified civilian trainers ensure Guardsmen across Texas can train consistently, regardless of location.</li>
<li>Integrated Digital Platform: Service members get real-time fitness tracking, customized plans, injury prevention, and mental health tools in a secure app.</li>
<li>Comprehensive Wellness Services: The bill funds rehabilitation, nutrition counseling, mental health support, and family-based fitness programs, because force readiness starts at home.</li>
<li>Performance-Based Culture: Structured incentives, advancement pathways, and public recognition will restore the warrior ethos and reward excellence.</li>
<li>Transparency and Accountability: Quarterly reports to the Legislature, corrective action plans, and unit-level oversight. If readiness falters, the system adapts — now, not later.</li>
<li>Minimal Cost, Maximum Return: This initiative delivers a high-impact return at a fraction of the $1.35 billion national fitness-related losses. This is a high-impact, low-cost readiness reform that delivers immediate and lasting results — saving lives, taxpayer dollars, and national security. </li>
</ul>
<h3>Reinforcing National Readiness Priorities</h3>
For too long, the physical and mental health of our service members has been allowed to rot — not because of funding shortages, but because of cowardice, complacency, and a lack of standards. HB 4993 rejects that failure. It embodies the resolve to act decisively and reforge a professional force worthy of the missions it’s expected to carry out.
This is the moment for Texas to lead. HB 4993 supports the national call to “Make America Healthy Again” and hands other states a clear, scalable playbook. The health, fitness, and discipline of our military are not internal HR concerns — they are national security imperatives.
Readiness isn’t negotiable. It’s the prerequisite for effective deterrence, mission success, and survival in a world of growing threats. Texas is doing its part. Now the Texas Legislature must rise to the occasion — and show the nation what readiness, resolve, and responsibility really look like.
* * *
Ammon Blair is a Senior Fellow for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s ‘Secure &amp; Sovereign Texas’ Initiative.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Texas National Guard Works To Secure Southern Border In El Paso

Rebuilding The Warrior Class: Texas Can Lead With Military Fitness Reform

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Republican Mayra Flores has been hospitalized, her team announced Tuesday, hours after she launched a new House campaign for a seat held by a Texas Democrat.
&#8220;Former and future Congresswoman Mayra Flores, a devoted conservative fighting corruption in Texas&#8217;s 28th District, has been hospitalized,&#8221; said a post on X from her team. &#8220;During this challenging time, we humbly ask for your prayers and support. We pray that Mayra will return stronger than ever, ready to continue her unwavering commitment to serving our country.&#8221;
&#8220;Mayra&#8217;s passion for building a brighter future for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come is at the heart of everything she does,&#8221; it added. &#8220;Guided by faith and determination, she remains steadfast in her mission during this critical moment.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Former and future Congresswoman Mayra Flores, a devoted conservative fighting corruption in Texas&#39;s 28th District, has been hospitalized. During this challenging time, we humbly ask for your prayers and support. We pray that Mayra will return stronger than ever, ready to continue…
&mdash; Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores4TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayraFlores4TX/status/1912207347734159761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The post did not divulge any details on why Flores was hospitalized.
Flores became the first Mexican-born woman ever elected to Congress when she won the special election for Texas’s 34th Congressional District in June 2022. She <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elections-2022-texas-house-republican-mayra-flores-projected-to-lose-seat-no-red-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> her bid for a full term in the general election later that year to Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) after district maps were redrawn. Gonzalez defeated Flores again in the 2024 election.
Hours earlier on Tuesday, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/first-mexico-born-rep-targets-indictment-plagued-democrat-house-gop-comeback-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Flores was embarking on a new campaign in the 28th Congressional District against Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), who was indicted along with his wife in 2024 on federal bribery charges. Cuellar denied that he and his wife committed any wrongdoing. A trial is still <a href="https://x.com/nicholaswu12/status/1865123044601033126" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pending</a>.
&#8220;I am deeply honored to announce my candidacy for Congress — a chance to serve the people and uphold the values that make our nation great. This campaign is driven by a love for our country and a commitment to fight for justice, opportunity, and unity for all,&#8221; Flores <a href="https://x.com/MayraFlores4TX/status/1912169274996822277" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X, in response to the report on her new candidacy.
&#8220;To carry this vision forward, I humbly ask for your financial support,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Your contribution, no matter the size, is a powerful investment in the future of our community and our nation. Together, let’s stand strong and work tirelessly to build a brighter tomorrow for every American. Thank you for believing in this cause and in the promise of our great country.&#8221;

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Republican Hospitalized Hours After Launching New House Campaign In Texas

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Tech titan Nvidia makes a major investment in the United States – as President Donald Trump tweaks the terms of his tariffs. The Trump administration continues to pursue a nuclear deal with Iran after holding the first direct talks with the country in years. And, it&#8217;s April 15 – tax day. How would the “big, beautiful bill” affect taxes going forward?
It’s Tuesday, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-tweaks-tariffs-revives-iran-nuclear-talks-4-15-25/id1576594336?i=1000703570759" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>New Tariffs, New Factories</h2>
<div id="attachment_907691" style="width: 887px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-907691" class="size-large wp-image-907691" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/NVIDIA-Chip-877x576.jpg" alt="" width="877" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/NVIDIA-Chip-877x576.jpg 877w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/NVIDIA-Chip-300x197.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/NVIDIA-Chip-768x504.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/NVIDIA-Chip-1536x1008.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/NVIDIA-Chip-2048x1344.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 877px) 100vw, 877px" />(Photo by Antonio Burdonovi via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: President Trump announced new tariffs Monday, as tech giant Nvidia announced a historic investment in American chip manufacturing.
As we reported yesterday, the White House said it planned to offer tariff exemptions for certain tech imports like laptops and smartphones. But by Monday, the president announced that one crucial product — semiconductor chips — would not be exempt, and would instead be subject to their own tariffs. We’re still waiting to hear what sort of rate they’ll face, but it’s a big move — the United States imported nearly $850 billion worth of semiconductors last year.
In a major victory for the White House, tech giant Nvidia announced a half-trillion-dollar investment in American manufacturing. Over the next four years, the company will set up shop in Arizona and Texas – it has commissioned more than a million square feet of manufacturing space there. When production is complete, Nvidia says it will be able to construct supercomputers entirely in the United States. The company’s CEO said the investment would “strengthen our supply chain and boost our resiliency.”
“Nvidia controls almost that entire sector, which is one of the most important sectors in the world,” President Trump said at the White House on Monday in response to the announcement. “The reason they did it was because of the election on November 5th and because of a thing called tariffs.&#8221;
Trump also received good news from the Federal Reserve, which released its latest Survey of Consumer Expectations on Monday. It found that Americans believe inflation will rise in the coming months but expect it to be a short-term disruption. That’s important because consumer expectations of inflation can often become self-fulfilling as it changes what folks are willing to pay for certain products. Markets were seemingly pleased with Monday’s news, as the Dow, S&amp;P, and Nasdaq saw gains across the board.
<h2>U.S. &#8211; Iran Nuclear Talks</h2>
<div id="attachment_907693" style="width: 951px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-907693" class="size-large wp-image-907693" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/US-Iran-talks-941x576.jpg" alt="" width="941" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/US-Iran-talks-941x576.jpg 941w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/US-Iran-talks-300x184.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/US-Iran-talks-768x470.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/US-Iran-talks-1536x940.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/US-Iran-talks-2048x1254.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 941px) 100vw, 941px" />(Photo by Kagenmi via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: The Trump administration had its first direct contact with Iran last weekend, the first step in an attempt to hammer out a new nuclear deal. President Trump is pushing for a full dismantling of Iran&#8217;s nuclear program. A follow-up meeting is set for this Saturday.
The meeting was the start of the first direct talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran in years. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/12/us-iran-begin-nucearl-talks-begin-oman">Axios</a> is reporting that there was a 45-minute face-to-face conversation in Oman between U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“I think [a face-to-face meeting] helps to make sure that there is less room to cause confusion and also to drag out negotiations, which is what the Iranians are famous for doing,” <a href="https://www.iwf.org/people/ellie-cohanim/">Ellie Cohanim</a>, Independent Women’s Forum Senior Fellow and former Deputy Envoy to Combat Antisemitism under President Trump, told Morning Wire. “The very fact that the Iranians came to the table is considered an embarrassment in the Iranian culture because this is the regime that from 1979, from its very inception of coming into power, is born of the original sin of taking our American Embassy staff hostage …&#8217;Supreme Leader&#8217; Ali Khamenei apparently had to be convinced to even participate in talks with the United States. His advisors apparently let him know that they were advising him to participate in these talks because otherwise, it looked like there was a very high likelihood that Israel and the United States would strike Iran.”
Iran’s influence in the region has been steadily declining after a series of military and economic setbacks. Historically, Iran has used foreign proxy groups like Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah, and even the Assad regime of Syria to exert pressure on foreign enemies like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United States – arming and funding militants to create a thin veneer of separation between itself and open warfare. However, Hamas has taken tens of thousands of casualties in the ongoing war in Gaza, and Hezbollah’s command structure has been decimated by surgical Israeli strikes. Hezbollah fighters played a crucial role in propping up the Assad regime in the Syrian Civil War, and their collapse precipitated the ousting of the Assad government by Turkish-backed rebels – longtime Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/syrian-dictator-bashar-al-assad-deposed-as-terrorist-rebels-claim-damascus">fled to Moscow</a> last December. Houthi militants have also taken heavy losses in the wake of an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-states-launches-large-scale-attack-on-iran-backed-houthi-terrorists">American counterassault</a> to reopen shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, Iran’s economy has suffered under Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign” of sanctions. The effort seems to have paid off. Cohanim told Morning Wire that the Iranian economy is “teetering … nearly on the verge of collapse. Their currency is just <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/irans-middle-class-bears-brunt-of-economic-crisis/a-72085209">practically valueless</a> right now.”
President Trump has made it clear that Iran must abandon its nuclear weapons program in order to reach a deal with the United States – <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/explainer-how-close-is-iran-having-nuclear-weapons-2024-04-18/">recent intelligence</a> suggests Iran has enough stockpiled fissile material to build two nuclear bombs, although progress on a delivery system for a hypothetical weapon is less certain. Iran and the United States previously negotiated a nuclear deal in 2015, but President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-trump-just-shredded-iran-deal-here-are-5-ben-shapiro">withdrew</a> from it in 2018, arguing that the terms and enforcement mechanisms were too lax.
<h2>Tax Day!!!</h2>
<div id="attachment_907695" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-907695" class="size-large wp-image-907695" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tax-Day-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tax-Day-864x576.jpg 864w, https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tax-Day-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tax-Day-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tax-Day-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tax-Day-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Richard Stephen via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Today is one of Americans’ least favorite days – tax day. And this year, the eternal debate raging around taxes goes all the way to the top.
Friendly reminder – today is your last chance to file your taxes on time.
This tax season, Congress is furiously negotiating a “big, beautiful bill” to set the country’s fiscal priorities – the draft legislation put forward by Congressional Republicans would, among other things, make the tax cuts from President Trump’s first term permanent. Pete Sepp, President of the National Taxpayers Union, told Morning Wire that “virtually every American family would benefit” if the budget bill were passed.
“Any family with children under the age of 17 is likely to benefit,” Sepp told Morning Wire. “Any wage earner is likely to benefit by the lower rates that would remain locked in place. Any worker for a corporation is likely to benefit because they would see their wages at a stable level or even increasing because the boss would have the money to be able to provide that.&#8221;
Anyone who might want to pass along something to their heirs could.
If the bill isn’t passed, Americans will face around a $4 trillion tax hike. Opponents claim that the bill would benefit the rich without helping the poor – that’s been the mantra from Democrats – and part of their rationale for voting against the budget reconciliation last week. Of course, there could also be a predictable political angle to this – Democrats may want to jam up the vote to make the other side look incompetent.

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Morning Brief: American Supercomputers, Iran Talks & Tax Day

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Karmelo Anthony, who&#8217;s been charged with murdering Austin Metcalf, 17, had his bond drastically reduced and was granted house arrest, per a judge&#8217;s ruling on Monday.
Earlier this month, Metcalf <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/high-school-football-star-stabbed-to-death-at-track-meet-dies-in-twin-brothers-arms?row=0&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Hank+Berrien&amp;title=High+School+Football+Star+Stabbed+To+Death+At+Track+Meet%2C+Dies+In+Twin+Brother%E2%80%99s+Arms&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was stabbed to death</a> at a high school track meet in Texas after reportedly telling Anthony, 17, that he was sitting in the wrong seat. Anthony has been charged with murder and, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/04/us-news/austin-metcalfs-twin-says-we-were-one-person-in-heartbreaking-new-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to an arrest warrant, told police of the fatal stabbing, “I did it.”
Initially, Anthony&#8217;s bond was set at $1 million, but a Collin County judge agreed to lower the bond to $250,000. The teen will be required to wear an ankle monitor and stay inside his parents&#8217; home if the family can post bond, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/karmelo-anthony-frisco-stabbing-austin-metcalf-bond-reduced-house-arrest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>.
Anthony has been in the Collin County jail since April 2, the day of the fatal stabbing.
During the hearing, prosecutors asked Anthony&#8217;s father about an alleged separate &#8220;assault&#8221; involving the accused, which dates only a couple of months back, on February 4. Notably, the judge lowered the bond, citing Anthony&#8217;s lack of criminal history.
The prosecution also asked why the suspect&#8217;s family is not using the money donated to an online fundraiser for their child, which is nearing half a million dollars. The fundraiser says it was established by &#8220;The Anthony Family.&#8221; Defense attorneys argued that the fundraiser &#8220;is not a bond fund&#8221; but intended to help Anthony&#8217;s family while his father &#8221; is currently on leave from work,&#8221; according to CBS News.
&#8220;The narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful,&#8221; the fundraiser reads. &#8220;As a family of faith, we are deeply grateful for all of your support during this trying period. Your prayers and assistance mean more to us now more than ever.&#8221;
Alternatively, a fundraiser for the victim&#8217;s family is hovering at just over $340,000.
&#8220;I am Jeff Metcalf. My son, Austin Metcalf, was tragically stabbed today at a school track meet. They were not able to save him,&#8221; the fundraiser says. &#8220;He was a bright young man with a great future ahead of him. He was a leader of men. His smile would light up the room. His passion for football was unbelievable. Voted team MVP this past season and carried a 4.0 GPA. He was looking forward to taking his game to the next level. His commitment, dedication, leadership, and sheer grit made him rise to the level of success that he desired.&#8221;
&#8220;His twin brother, Hunter, played beside him,&#8221; it continues. &#8220;We will all remember him for the way he impacted others&#8217; lives. I love you forever, son. It&#8217;s not goodbye, it&#8217;s see you later. God will take care of us till we meet again. RIP. Love, Dad.&#8221;
Metcalf died in his twin brother&#8217;s arms, the victim&#8217;s father revealed.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/racial-agitators-say-suspect-in-stabbing-murder-of-teen-was-justified?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Racial+Agitators+Say+Suspect+In+Stabbing+Murder+Of+Teen+Was+Justified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Racial Agitators Say Suspect In Stabbing Murder Of Teen Was Justified</a>

Teen Charged With Murdering Austin Metcalf Granted House Arrest

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