Young Kenyans held demonstrations against their government at the gates of the Laikipia Air Base in central Kenya, protesting U.S. plans to quarantine Ebola patients at the base.
Hundreds of Kenyans marched to the base on Monday, June 1, the same day there were reports of U.S. military aircraft arriving at the base with equipment and staff. The demonstrators argue that Kenya’s health care system cannot sustain Ebola patients held in the country.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/africa/kenya-ebola-quarantine-center-us-citizens-3d95cd47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that under the Trump administration, there has been a hastened effort to build a quarantine facility for American citizens who have been exposed to or are currently infected with Ebola after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which sits around 350 miles west of Kenya. Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary of Health Aden Duale said on Sunday that the isolation center was “for everyone” and not limited to Americans.
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Malin Ndegwa, a local resident, believes Kenya would be put at risk by the facility, stating, “Why are they not doing it in the DRC? Why are they not doing it in Uganda? Why must they bring it here? So we are saying, we categorically, no negotiations, no public participation, we want nothing. We want that facility taken out of our town, we want it taken out of Kenya.”
The facility was said to be in operation at the end of last week with 50 quarantine beds, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ebola-kenya-us-quarantine-c90132fd6c858ee2fa8fa2c4259941e6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>. The Nairobi court, however, halted U.S. plans to continue with the quarantine facility, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdp74lgzplo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> reported. High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi ruled that the facility posed “grave and imminent risks” to public health.
The court stated their ruling was put in place to restrain government agencies from “establishing, operationalising, facilitating, approving or permitting” any type of quarantine center related to Ebola, not exclusive to any single foreign government.
The suspension of the Ebola facility will be in place until the case is heard.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a recent statement that the U.S. government intends to pledge $13.5 million for Ebola preparedness in Kenya, but some Kenyan officials aren’t happy with that handout. Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu even argued that it would “expose our people to Ebola.”
The Associated Press reported that there are currently at least 282 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC and over 1,000 suspected cases of the species of Ebola called the Bundibugyo virus, which has no treatment or vaccine.
Per the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/returning-travelers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC</a>, NYC health officials have begun screening passengers arriving at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The public health screening will be conducted for “individuals arriving from areas affected by Ebola outbreaks in the region.”
As of Monday, the CDC says the assessed risk to the general U.S. public health is low, with evaluations on the situation continuing as it evolves.
According to CDC data, an estimated 250 people have died as a result of the Ebola outbreak in both the DRC and Uganda, but the total number of cases and deaths remains disputed.

Protesters demonstrate the Ebola treatment center established or Americans in Kenya

Hundreds Of Africans Swarm Military Base Where U.S. Wants To Quarantine Ebola Patients

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ebola

Kenya

U.S.

WASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) &#8211; The U.S. Department of Justice&#8217;s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles on Tuesday, claiming it tolerated a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students.
In its complaint, the Justice Department accused UCLA of violating Title VI &#8211; a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance &#8211; &#8220;through its deliberate indifference to this pervasive on-campus antisemitism.&#8221;
The lawsuit pointed to an encampment that was built on the university&#8217;s campus in April 2024. The Justice Department described the move as illegal and said that Jewish students were attacked.
&#8220;Universities have an obligation to maintain safe and inclusive campuses for all students,&#8221; said Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.
&#8220;Universities that violate our nation’s civil rights laws by repeatedly failing to shield Jewish students from antisemitism will be held accountable.&#8221;
UCLA REJECTS ALLEGATIONS
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk rejected the allegations, saying the university had taken concrete steps to combat antisemitism on campus.
&#8220;Let me be direct: the suggestion that UCLA has been passive in the face of antisemitism is simply wrong,&#8221; Frenk said in a statement. &#8220;Combating antisemitism is a moral imperative — one rooted, for me, in personal history that makes indifference unthinkable.&#8221;
Frenk said the university had recruited an associate vice chancellor for campus and community safety, reorganized its civil rights office, appointed a Title VI officer, and strengthened policies to protect free expression and campus safety.
Frenk had introduced a campus-wide initiative to combat antisemitism, which issued a report in May outlining a roadmap to address campus antisemitism and bigotry.
In February 2025, the university suspended two leftist student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine, over their involvement in a protest at the home of University of California regent Jay Sures. The following month, the university recommended revoking SJP&#8217;s status and suspending GSJP for four years.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKDOWN ON ANTISEMITISM
The Justice Department announced the lawsuit shortly after a federal appeals court earlier on Tuesday partially upheld an injunction that required it to restore grants awarded to the University of California that the Trump administration had terminated last year because it perceived they supported diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI.
The lawsuit is the latest legal action taken by the Trump administration to crack down on what it has described as antisemitism at U.S. universities in the wake of Hamas&#8217; October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
The 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, launched the Israel-Gaza war.
Hundreds of students across the United States and Europe held demonstrations in the wake of the war, calling for a ceasefire to end it. In some cases, students occupied campus buildings.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Sonali Paul)

Police Clear Student Encampment on UCLA Campus

Trump DOJ Sues UCLA Over Treatment Of Jewish Students

antisemitism

California

Courts

Los Angeles

Los Angeles (UCLA)

Students for Justice in Palestine

UCLA

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) &#8211; Harvey Weinstein&#8217;s third trial in New York over allegations he used his Hollywood clout to prey upon and sexually abuse women ended in a mistrial on Friday, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on a charge he raped the aspiring actress Jessica Mann.
Weinstein, 74, is expected to remain behind bars due to his convictions in other cases.
Weinstein was a top Oscar-winning film producer until sexual misconduct allegations led to his downfall and fueled a wider social movement that encouraged women to come forward with accounts of sexual abuse by powerful men.
His most recent trial centered on Mann&#8217;s allegation that Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 while Mann resisted and repeatedly said &#8220;No.&#8221;
It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors would seek to try the case for a fourth time.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the case, said his office was disappointed but respected the jury system.
&#8220;We will consider our next steps in consultation with Ms. Mann,&#8221; Bragg said in a statement.
Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo told reporters outside the courthouse that he would encourage prosecutors to drop the case, saying nine jurors voted not guilty and three voted guilty.
&#8220;In my view they were lucky to have won over three jurors,&#8221; Agnifilo said of the prosecutors.
Mann said she told the truth but did not clearly indicate how she wanted to proceed.
&#8220;I deserve justice,&#8221; Mann said in a statement.
FIRST CONVICTION OVERTURNED
Weinstein had pleaded not guilty to one count of third-degree rape and has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex. His lawyers have argued that Mann fabricated the rape allegation after regretting that her consensual romance with Weinstein failed to advance her film career.
At his first trial in New York in 2020, Weinstein was convicted of raping Mann and assaulting onetime production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. But the state&#8217;s highest court overturned the conviction and Weinstein&#8217;s 23-year prison sentence after concluding he did not get a fair trial.
A Manhattan jury then convicted Weinstein of sexually abusing Haley at a trial in June 2025, but found him not guilty of assaulting former model Kaja Sokola.
That jury deadlocked on the third-degree rape charge accusing Weinstein of assaulting Mann, leading Justice Curtis Farber to declare a mistrial on that count.
The retrial began in April.
&#8216;HOPELESSLY DEADLOCKED&#8217;
During their third day of deliberations on Friday, jurors sent Farber a note saying they were deadlocked. The judge urged them to keep trying to reach a verdict.
Farber said outside the presence of the jury that it was clear they were &#8220;hopelessly deadlocked&#8221; and that there was no reason to keep them any longer.
He told lawyers for both sides to return for a hearing on June 25.
Juror Josh Hadar, 57, told reporters outside the courthouse that he voted not guilty over what he said were &#8220;contradictions&#8221; in Mann&#8217;s testimony.
Weinstein was also convicted of rape in California in 2022 and is serving a 16-year prison sentence. He is appealing that conviction and sentence.
The Miramax studio co-founder will face up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced for abusing Haley.
(Reporting by Jack Queen and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Rod Nickel and Bill Berkrot)

Former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan Supreme Court for the retrial of his rape case, in New York City

Disgraced Hollywood Mogul’s Latest Rape Trial Ends Without Verdict

Alvin Bragg

Harvey Weinstein

Hollywood

MeToo

New York

New York City

Rape

The Department of Justice plans to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba, as tensions escalate between the United States and the communist country.
The indictment is expected to charge Castro over a 1996 incident when Cuba shot down American-operated humanitarian planes, sources <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-moving-to-indict-cubas-raul-castro-officials-say/">told</a> CBS News. Castro, the brother of the late Cuban communist revolutionary Fidel Castro, stepped down as the leader of Cuba in 2021, but he remains one of the most powerful figures in the country.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment. 
In February 1996, two small planes operated by Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue, were shot down by a Cuban fighter jet. The planes, which carried four people searching for Cubans attempting to flee the communist country, were reportedly shot down outside of Cuban airspace. Four people were killed.
On Thursday, the CIA also released images of Director John Ratcliffe during what appear to be face-to-face negotiations with leadership in Havana on Thursday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Havana, Cuba <a href="https://t.co/7S7TtJPyf5">pic.twitter.com/7S7TtJPyf5</a>
— CIA (@CIA) <a href="https://twitter.com/CIA/status/2055074954375254084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
The Trump administration is pressuring Cuba as the communist nation experiences energy shortages after oil shipments were cut off from Venezuela. Cuba&#8217;s already bleak energy crisis worsened after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January and took control of Venezuelan oil sales. Venezuela, which shipped oil to American adversaries around the globe, had previously been Cuba&#8217;s main oil exporter.  
Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in a midnight raid on his compound after he was hit with multiple charges in the United States, including narco-terrorism.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Raúl Castro earlier this month that President Trump is &#8220;prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.” President Trump argues that Cuba has developed close relationships with United States adversaries including China, Russia, and Iran. Trump also says that Cuba has provide refuge for American enemies, creating a national security risk. 
Trump has publicly floated regime change and other aggressive actions toward Cuba. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51-prisoners-to-be-freed-as-cuba-shows-cracks-under-trump-pressure">In March</a>, he suggested the United States could pursue what he described as a “friendly takeover.”
“It may be a friendly takeover,” Trump said. “They’re really in, they’re down to, uh, as they say, fumes. They have no energy. They have no money. They’re in deep trouble on a humanitarian basis.”

CUBA-POLITICS-ANNIVERSARY

DOJ Plans To Drop The Hammer On Former Cuban President As Trump Pressures Communist Nation

Cuba

Donald Trump

Raul Castro

Kouri Richins, the Utah woman who wrote a children&#8217;s book on processing grief after her husband&#8217;s death, went on a 40-minute rant as she was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing him with fentanyl. 
In March, a jury found the 35-year-old guilty of aggravated murder for lacing her husband Eric Richins’ drink with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl, poisoning him with what&#8217;s known as a Moscow Mule cocktail,<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kouri-richins-murder-trial-sentencing-fa8c4b159827eef080cfa104a316454c"> according to the Associated Press.</a> Jurors also convicted the mother of three on four additional felonies, including insurance fraud, forgery, and attempted murder for giving her husband a fentanyl-laced sandwich on Valentine&#8217;s Day. 
Judge Richard Mrazik imposed the maximum sentence, rejecting the possibility of parole.
“A person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free,” Mrazik said. 
Eric Richins, 39, was found dead in bed on March 4, 2022, at the couple&#8217;s Park City home. An <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/utah-mom-kouri-richins-set-sentenced-fatally-poisoning/story?id=132889104&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">autopsy report</a> determined he died from fentanyl intoxication. The sentencing coincided with what would have been his 44th birthday.
According to the Associated Press, Kouri Richins, a real estate agent who operated a house-flipping business, was millions of dollars in debt and romantically involved with another man. She had taken out multiple life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, believing she would inherit more than $4 million after his death.
The victim&#8217;s father, Eugene Richins, urged the court to impose the maximum penalty to protect his grandchildren from their mother. 
“This sentence is important so Eric’s three sons never have to live with the fear that the person responsible for taking their father could ever harm them again,” he said during the sentencing hearing,<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kouri-richins-murder-trial-sentencing-fa8c4b159827eef080cfa104a316454c"> according to the Associated Press. </a>
Speaking to her young children at the sentencing, Richins broke into a 40-minute rant where she insisted she was innocent while admitting that she is &#8220;not perfect.&#8221; 
&#8220;I know that today you don&#8217;t want to speak to me, have a relationship with me,&#8221;<a href="https://abcnews.com/US/utah-mom-kouri-richins-set-sentenced-fatally-poisoning/story?id=132889104&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn"> she said, according to ABC.</a> &#8220;You may think you hate me, and that&#8217;s okay. I will never be angry at you for your feelings. When the day comes that you&#8217;re ready, I will be here for you, waiting for you, and loving you.&#8221;
&#8220;I have succeeded and I have failed as a person, as a wife, as a parent &#8212; we all do,&#8221; she added.
Richins&#8217; arrest drew national attention, in part due to the children&#8217;s book she published. Released a year after her husband’s death, “Are You With Me?” aimed to help her boys process the loss of their father. The book, which has fewer than two stars in reviews, drew a wave of outraged responses.
&#8220;This is horrifying, writing a book about grief to then be the one who murdered your husband? How can you do that to someone?&#8221; one social media user said.
&#8220;What an absolute psychopath!&#8221; another person said.

Husband Killer And Children’s Grief Author Breaks Into 40-Minute Monologue

Fentanyl

Murder

Utah

Independent journalist Nick Shirley recently traveled to Cuba, where he looked into the ongoing food and energy crisis on the island and asked residents about living under a communist regime.
Shirley, who gained nationwide recognition for his reporting on suspected fraud schemes in Minneapolis, was in Cuba for 24 hours earlier this month as the country faces an oil shortage and mounting pressure from the Trump administration.
In one interview, Shirley asked a Cuban man to share his opinion on communism.
&#8220;The worst thing to exist in life!&#8221; he said. &#8220;The worst thing to exist in life is communism because, in reality, none of them are communist. They get rich and exploit the people.&#8221;
He argued that the equality promised under communism &#8220;doesn&#8217;t exist.&#8221;
&#8220;They are the ones with everything,&#8221; he added, referring to Cuba&#8217;s communist leaders. &#8220;They have electricity, they have the nicest cars, they have oil, they have gas, they have everything. And the people have nothing. And the majority of the companies are theirs.&#8221;
The oil shortage has forced Cuba into island-wide blackouts, disrupting essential services, including hospitals and public transportation. Many Cubans are also forced to wait in long lines for food handed out by the government, which is typically imported.
&#8220;How can you live off a ration book that gets you three pounds of sugar and one pound of salt?&#8221; the Cuban man told Shirley. &#8220;Each year, they give you a chicken and eggs. Eggs haven&#8217;t arrived in a year. It&#8217;s been a year since I had an egg.&#8221;
Asked why some people in Cuba continue to defend the country&#8217;s communist system and government, the man replied, &#8220;The only ones who defend communism are with the Castro family, or someone who&#8217;s afraid of them, or someone who lives off the government — who gets rich from the dictatorship.&#8221;
He then urged Americans to reject socialism and communism.
&#8220;The worst thing that can happen in life is socialism and communism because it&#8217;s the great lie,&#8221; the Cuban man said. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t exist. It just leads you to misery, harassment, hunger, and anguish.&#8221;
&#8220;Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, I am waiting for you guys, please, to see if we can live like people, to live like a human being,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is the truth about communism from someone living in communism: 
&#8211; Regime leaders get rich and exploit the people 
&#8211; No food (hasn&#8217;t had eggs in a year) 
&#8211; No freedom of speech 
&#8211; No equality
&#8220;It just leads you to misery, harassment, hunger and anguish&#8221; &#8211; Man living in communism <a href="https://t.co/qSa4ref68U">pic.twitter.com/qSa4ref68U</a>
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickshirleyy/status/2053995650518601906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Shirley later claimed he was tracked by undercover government agents and a Cuban general while in Havana and said he had to plan his own escape from the country &#8220;to avoid being taken hostage.&#8221;
Cuba&#8217;s already bleak energy crisis worsened following the January capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. After the capture of Maduro, the United States took control of Venezuelan oil sales and imposed a blockade around Cuba. Previously, Venezuela was Cuba&#8217;s main oil supplier.
President Donald Trump has sought to force Cuba&#8217;s communist regime to the negotiating table as it tries to hold onto power. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the Cuban regime poses a national security threat to the United States. Cuba has been accused by American officials of aiding adversarial governments and maintaining close ties with regimes in China and Venezuela.

‘Worst Thing To Exist’: Cuban Man Blasts Communism On Streets Of Havana

Communism

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth publicly declared Tuesday that the Cuban regime poses a national security threat to the United States. The striking statement came during a House budget hearing as tensions between Washington and Havana continue to rise.
During a hearing on the administration’s proposed 2027 defense budget, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) pressed Hegseth on Cuba’s ties to hostile foreign powers and its long history of antagonism toward the United States.
“Considering all those issues and others that we could talk about in a classified setting, do you believe that the Cuban regime possesses a national security threat to the United States?” Díaz-Balart asked.
“I do,” Hegseth responded.
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Before that exchange, Díaz-Balart laid out a series of accusations against the communist government, asking Hegseth to confirm each one in turn. “Is it true that the Cuban regime actually shot down two American airplanes in international airspace, murdering Americans?” the Florida congressman asked, referencing the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue incident.
“I don’t — I can’t recall the precise year, but I believe that is the case,” Hegseth replied.
Díaz-Balart then turned to Cuba’s growing relationships with America’s geopolitical rivals.
“Is it true that Russian spy ships and warships, including the nuclear sub Kazan, have repeatedly used Cuban ports?”
“That is true, Congressman,” Hegseth said.
The congressman also referenced renewed concern over the Russian signals intelligence site at Lourdes and alleged Chinese intelligence activity on the island.
“And is it also true that now the Chinese also are there?” Díaz-Balart asked.
“I wouldn’t want to reveal anything that should be classified, but we don’t want foreign adversaries attempting to use that island,” Hegseth answered.
The exchange comes as the Trump administration has sharply increased pressure on communist governments in the Western Hemisphere during his second term, leading to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Cuba has long been accused by U.S. officials of <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/how-cuba-propped-up-maduro">propping up Caracas</a> through intelligence support and military advisers, and Hegseth acknowledged that role during the hearing.
“I am well aware that Cubans have been around the globe to include attempting to defend Maduro in Venezuela,” Hegseth said. “That is something they’ve done for a long time.”
While the Pentagon has announced no direct military action against Cuba, Hegseth’s remarks are among the clearest public acknowledgments yet that the administration views the island’s regime not merely as a hostile government, but as an active strategic threat close to American shores.

Hegseth Confirmation Hearing TW

Hegseth Says Cuba Poses A National Security Threat As Tensions Rise

Pete Hegseth

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he&#8217;s serious about officially making Venezuela and its massive oil reserves part of the United States.
In a phone call with Fox News anchor John Roberts, Trump <a href="https://x.com/johnrobertsFox/status/2053844898890051748">said</a> he is &#8220;seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state.&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2053849060377759775">emphasized</a> Venezuela&#8217;s oil reserves and discussed his administration&#8217;s focus on the South American country, adding, &#8220;Venezuela loves Trump.&#8221;
Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela&#8217;s acting president, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/venezuela-never-considered-becoming-51st-172403831.html">responded</a> to Trump&#8217;s remark and told reporters that Venezuela wants to remain independent.
&#8220;That would never have been considered, because if there is one thing we Venezuelan men and women have, it is that we love our independence process, we love our heroes and heroines of independence,&#8221; she said.
Rodríguez added that her government would continue to work with the United States in &#8220;a diplomatic cooperation agenda.&#8221;
For Venezuela to become a U.S. state, Congress would have to pass a law via the Admissions Clause of the Constitution, which would then require the president&#8217;s signature. Former territories, such as Alaska and Hawaii, also held referendums for residents to vote on statehood before they became part of the union.
Trump floated Venezuelan statehood as his administration continues to work with the country&#8217;s acting president after dictator Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces and brought back to the United States to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges. Trump suggested in March that he was pleased with Rodríguez as oil flows from Venezuela to the United States and Europe, with the South American country&#8217;s exports hitting a <a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Venezuela-Oil-Exports-Hit-Seven-Year-High.html">seven-year high</a> last month. The U.S. Treasury Department is currently managing the proceeds from Venezuelan oil sales in specialized accounts.
Since Trump took major military and economic action on Venezuela in early January, the United States has become the top destination for Venezuelan oil, with around 445,000 barrels per day exported to America in April, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/venezuelas-oil-exports-jump-highest-since-2018-with-more-sales-us-india-2026-05-01/">reported</a>. Last month, Chevron said that the increased oil imports from Venezuela are helping mitigate rising fuel costs due to the war in Iran.
Andrew Walz, Chevron&#8217;s president of global refining, said the oil imports are helping &#8220;bring revenue to Venezuela&#8221; and &#8220;helping Americans.&#8221;
The Trump administration also reopened commercial flights to Venezuela late last month, with direct flights to Caracas set to become available at major airports across the United States in the coming months.
Trump first hinted at making Venezuela the 51st state in a Truth Social post in March when he wrote, &#8220;Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?&#8221;
While Trump claims that Venezuelan statehood is a serious consideration inside the Oval Office, the president has often suggested that the United States would take over foreign countries or territories.
As the president pressured Canada on trade last year, he regularly suggested that America&#8217;s neighbor could become the 51st state. He has also pushed for Greenland to become a U.S. territory for national security purposes and suggested that the United States could take over Gaza following the Israel-Hamas war.

Trump ‘Seriously Considering’ Turning America’s Former Adversary Into 51st State

Venezuela

Millennials are rejoicing as a staple of their childhood will make a triumphant return this summer.
Pizza Hut just announced that their “Book It!” summer reading program, which encourages kids to read more books in exchange for free pizza, will be making a comeback. The restaurant announced the news on social media last week.
&#8220;SUMMER OF STORIES IS BACK!” the post caption said, adding that enrollment begins today, May 1. &#8220;Get ready to turn reading time into pizza time! This summer, keep your kids&#8217; reading, learning, and loving books… all while earning FREE pizza.&#8221;
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The free program will reward young readers who hit their milestones by providing them with digital Reading Award Certificates, which are redeemable for a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut. Students can earn up to one free pizza per month.
The promo is available for students in grades preschool through 6th, but commenters insist it should be extended to adults, too.
“Millennials need an adult version! Some of us are still readers because of this program!” one reaction said.
“Can us Gen X and millennials get this back for us!!! Us big kid need pizza too,” a second person echoed.
“Thank you so much for bringing this program back! I have a 1st grader who we&#8217;ve been expressing the importance of reading so having this program as an incentive is helpful,” another person said.
“We are so excited! The nostalgia that our kiddo gets to participate!” another person wrote.
The Book It! program began following a 1984 initiative from President Ronald Reagan calling for more businesses to promote education. It was created by Arthur Gunther, the president of Pizza Hut at the time, and marketing executive Bud Gates, per The New York Times. More than 70 million children have participated in the program, resulting in 1.5 billion free pizzas being given out as rewards.
The summer reading Book It! Promotion will run from June 1 until August 31. Parents can sign kids up through the BOOK IT! App.

Pizza Hut

Millennials Celebrate A Childhood Staple Making A Comeback

Books

Children

Food

Restaurant

A federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden cut an illegal immigrant murder suspect loose, <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/04/30/activist-biden-judge-releases-violent-criminal-illegal-alien-wanted-murder">according</a> to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Bryan Rafael Gomez is wanted in his home country of the Dominican Republic for murder, DHS said Thursday. Despite having an active warrant, U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose ordered Gomez&#8217;s release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention on Tuesday.
“This is yet another example of an activist judge trying to thwart President Trump’s mandate from the American people to remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities,&#8221; Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
&#8220;Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, DHS will continue to fight for the removal of criminal illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country,&#8221; Bis said.
Gomez crossed the border illegally near Lukeville, Arizona, in 2022, DHS said. Border Patrol agents apprehended him at the time and subsequently released him into the country.
The Coordination of the Courts of Instruction of the National District of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, issued a criminal arrest warrant for Gomez for homicide on Jan. 24, 2023, according to DHS.
Officers with the Worcester Police Department arrested Gomez on April 4, 2026, for assault and battery, according to DHS. Local authorities honored an ICE detainer, handing Gomez over to federal immigration agents after he was released on $500 bail.
Gomez had filed a habeas petition, which is a legal challenge to his detention, and DuBose allowed for his release on &#8220;minimal release conditions,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2050200540835897432" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox News.
Since President Donald Trump commenced his mass deportation campaign, illegal immigrants have found that habeas petitions are the best tool for getting released from ICE custody.
Immigrant detainees have filed more than 18,000 habeas petitions challenging their detention in federal courts since Trump&#8217;s second term began, ProPublica <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/habeas-petitions-immigrant-detentions-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in February. It’s more than the number of detention challenges filed over the last three administrations combined.
Scott Mechkowski, former ICE deputy field office director in New York, told The Daily Wire that Gomez&#8217;s case &#8220;isn&#8217;t an isolated incident,&#8221; adding that &#8220;hundreds of individuals with similar backgrounds (foreign fugitives) are arrested by ICE every year, only to be let go or stuck in a cycle of release and re-arrest.&#8221;
&#8220;During my time serving in ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations], we worked behind the scenes to remove thousands of threats like Gomez from our communities, all without seeking to draw attention to ourselves. These silent professionals put everything on the line to keep the public safe, but their efforts are undermined by rogue judges who prioritize activism over justice.&#8221;
&#8220;The result is a reckless endangerment of American lives, and it&#8217;s a problem that needs to be addressed urgently. The fact that judges are willing to release killers back into our communities is a betrayal of the trust we&#8217;ve placed in them to protect us.&#8221;
The habeas petitions move detainees’ cases out of the immigration court system and into the district courts, where judges are often much more favorable to the illegal immigrant, experts previously told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrants-found-a-new-way-to-get-released-from-ice-detention">The Daily Wire</a>.
Immigration lawyers often resort to filing habeas petitions after it becomes clear their clients either have no chance of getting bond from immigration judges or have been denied bond already.

Untitled design – 2026-05-01T094803.095

Biden-Appointed Judge Lets Illegal Immigrant Wanted For Murder Walk Free

Crime

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Joe Biden

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), never a group to shy away from radical posturing, has officially <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/03/12/chicago-teachers-union-plans-to-join-may-1-no-school-no-work-day-of-action-wants-classes-canceled?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23559714611&amp;gbraid=0AAAAA9e-Tg6UY-KZu4aY-vqEU5Q5EQU0F&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwntHPBhAaEiwA_Xp6Rne5i-_eFc1MaVw8HXTBnMkL6ujFJ6xP1F5YdsN8qKwMcpc80urKABoCOCQQAvD_BwE">declared its intent</a> to abandon the classroom on May 1. In a move that effectively amounts to a one-day strike, the union’s 730-member House of Delegates approved a resolution joining a national movement calling for a day of “no school, no work, and no shopping.”
The CTU isn&#8217;t just asking its members to walk out; it’s demanding that Mayor Brandon Johnson and the school board use state law to excuse students so they can participate in what the union calls “civic action.”
The choice of May 1 is no coincidence. While the date’s origins trace back to the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, it was quickly co-opted by the global far-Left. In 1889, the Second International—a collection of socialist and labor parties—designated it as a day of demonstration. By 1917, it became the premier state holiday of the Soviet Union, complete with Red Square parades featuring tanks and missiles intended to signal the &#8220;proletariat&#8217;s&#8221; triumph over capitalism.
While the United States spent decades trying to distance itself from these connotations—establishing &#8220;Loyalty Day&#8221; and &#8220;Law Day&#8221; on May 1 to counter communist influence—the CTU appears eager to revive the day’s most radical sentiments.
The CTU&#8217;s resolution reads less like an educational mandate and more like a manifesto from a bygone era of class warfare. The union’s demands are explicitly political and heavily flavored with the &#8220;tax the rich&#8221; rhetoric synonymous with communist agitation.
According to the resolution, the CTU intends to:
<ul>
<li data-path-to-node="10,0,0">Target the Wealthy: The union is demanding that the government “tax the rich to support our schools,” echoing the classic Marxist refrain of wealth redistribution.</li>
<li data-path-to-node="10,1,0">Abolish Enforcement: In a direct challenge to federal law, the union is calling for “ICE out of our cities,” referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.</li>
<li data-path-to-node="10,2,0">Attack &#8220;Authoritarianism&#8221;: The resolution rails against &#8220;MAGA politicians,&#8221; &#8220;billionaire donors,&#8221; and &#8220;corporate interests,&#8221; claiming these groups are &#8220;attempting to cement authoritarian power.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
CTU Vice President Jackson Potter stated, &#8220;Teaching our students what civic action looks like requires more than textbooks when the President sends federal agents to occupy our cities &#8230;&#8221; Meanwhile, CTU member Kevin Moore justified the walkout by claiming &#8220;public education is under attack,&#8221; asserting that taking children out of school to participate in political rallies is a way of &#8220;teaching our students how to use their voice.&#8221;
Instead of math and literacy, the CTU wants students to engage in &#8220;age-appropriate&#8221; civic education, which apparently includes &#8220;mass resistance training&#8221; and &#8220;political education,&#8221; according to the union&#8217;s <a href="https://www.ctulocal1.org/posts/mayday-resolution/?link_id=2&amp;can_id=17ebc6e1a278c81ea80307c4c5703485&amp;source=email-ctu-members-vote-to-join-may-1st-no-school-no-work-no-shopping-day-of-civic-action&amp;email_referrer=email_3140500&amp;email_subject=ctu-members-vote-to-join-may-1st-no-school-no-work-no-shopping-day-of-civic-action">resolution</a>. The union is also using the platform to weigh in on foreign policy, writing, &#8220;Trump has illegally declared war on Iran built on lies and deception.&#8221;
Mayor Johnson, a former CTU organizer himself, signaled support for the &#8220;direct action,&#8221; though he vaguely promised to ensure &#8220;no loss of instruction time&#8221;—a difficult feat when the union is actively calling for &#8220;No School.&#8221;
As the CTU pivots from education to overt political activism, it remains to be seen how Chicago parents will react to their children being used as pawns in a movement that shares more DNA with the Soviet Union’s &#8220;Workers&#8217; Day&#8221; than with the American classroom.

OPED-CHICAGO-TEACHERS-WALKOUT-EDITORIAL-TB

‘No School, No Work’ Teacher Strike Takes A Page From Communist May Day

Chicago

Education

Teachers Unions

A bombshell sexual harassment lawsuit that sent shockwaves through the financial world this week has been branded a &#8220;complete fabrication&#8221; by insiders, as the anonymous accuser was <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/business/bombshell-jpmorgan-sex-harassment-suit-that-went-viral-branded-complete-fabrication-as-john-doe-accuser-unmasked/">unmasked</a> as former JPMorgan staffer Chirayu Rana.
The 35-year-old Rana, now a principal at investment firm Bregal Sagemount, initially filed the suit on Monday under the pseudonym &#8220;John Doe.&#8221; The filing leveled a series of lurid and sensational accusations against Lorna Hajdini, 37, an executive director on JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team.
The initial complaint, which went viral after being <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15776897/JPMorgan-executive-banker-sex-abuse-lawsuit-new-york.html">reported</a> by the Daily Mail, painted a dark picture of corporate debauchery. Rana alleged that Hajdini had turned him into her personal “sex slave,” claiming she drugged him with “roofies” and Viagra to facilitate non-consensual encounters. The suit was peppered with salacious quotes, alleging Hajdini told him, “If you don’t f*ck me soon, I’m going to ruin you… never forget, I f*cking own you.”
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Bombshell sex harassment suit against Lorna Hajdini, JPMorgan branded &#39;complete fabrication&#39; as John Doe unmasked <a href="https://t.co/Njh9k8GcNe">https://t.co/Njh9k8GcNe</a> <a href="https://t.co/26HxbeeOV8">pic.twitter.com/26HxbeeOV8</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2049965116091752895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2026</a></blockquote>
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However, the narrative began to crumble within 48 hours. JPMorgan issued a scathing rebuttal, revealing that a &#8220;thorough internal probe&#8221; involving phone records and emails found no evidence to support the claims. A bank spokesman said, “Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims. While numerous employees cooperated with the investigation, the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations.”
Furthermore, sources revealed a glaring hole in the lawsuit’s logic: Rana did not actually report to Hajdini. While the suit claimed she threatened to “slash his bonus” if he did not comply with her demands, Hajdini had no authority over his compensation or performance reviews.
“He has tarnished her with a complete fabrication,” an associate of Hajdini told the New York Post. While Rana was described by some colleagues as “socially awkward,” Hajdini is regarded as a “top performer” who spends her free time volunteering for educational non-profits.
The original court papers, which included claims that Hajdini referred to Rana as her “little brown boy toy” and allegedly told him, “I bet your little Asian, fish head, wife doesn’t have these cannons,” have since been withdrawn for “corrections.”
Insiders suggest the lawsuit may have been a high-stakes attempt at a shakedown. Sources say that before going public, Rana filed an internal complaint in May 2025 and attempted to negotiate a payout totaling “millions” to leave the company. When the bank refused to settle, the &#8220;John Doe&#8221; lawsuit followed.
Under U.S. law, court filings enjoy &#8220;absolute privilege,&#8221; meaning media outlets can report on the most scandalous allegations—such as Rana’s claim that Hajdini told him to “stop f*cking crying” during an assault—without fear of defamation suits, even if the claims are later proven to be entirely false.
Hajdini remains in her position at JPMorgan, while Rana’s career continues at Bregal Sagemount.

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