A transgender-identifying Utah man kidnapped his child from the child’s biological mother during a custody dispute and fled to Cuba, possibly to seek “gender reassignment surgery prior to puberty,” according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

Eri Ethington, 42, and Carly Ann Crosby, 32, took the 10-year-old boy from Utah to Canada, then to Mexico in late March, and then to Cuba on April 1, authorities said.

‘We are grateful to law enforcement for working swiftly to return the child to the biological mother.’

The child was supposed to be returned to the custody of his biological mother after a camping trip but never returned. So the mother obtained a court order from a Utah state court for the child to be returned to her and that granted her exclusive custody of the boy.

The boy’s family grew concerned that Ethington, the boy’s trans-identifying father, and Crosby, Ethington’s reportedly “nonbinary” romantic partner, might be manipulating the boy to undergo transgender transition surgery in Cuba.

The boy was born male but identifies as female, the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release said.

On April 16, Cuban officials located the couple and the boy in Cuba.

Ethington and Crosby were deported from Cuba to the U.S. with the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged in federal court with international parental kidnapping.

The child was returned to his biological mother.

“We are grateful to law enforcement for working swiftly to return the child to the biological mother,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak said in a statement included with the release.

Ethington had run a popular political blog about Utah and now identifies as Rose Inessa-Ethington. Crosby also uses the name Blue Inessa-Ethington, according to the press release.

RELATED: Federal judge temporarily orders prisons to provide ‘transgender’ therapy despite Trump order

NPR cited a spokesperson for the Logan City Police who said they were not initially aware about the transgender surgery concerns and had focused on the custody dispute. That report also said transgender surgeries are banned for children in Cuba.

“Our priority in every parental kidnapping case is the safety and well-being of the child,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “This case reflects the strength of partnerships in locating victims, supporting reunification, and ensuring accountability.”

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​Transgender in cuba, Trans couple kidnaps child, Trans child custody dispute, Kidnapped to cuba, Politics 

A federal appeals court panel has temporarily blocked a California law related to federal immigration enforcement because it appears to be unconstitutional.

California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the “No Vigilantes Act,” which requires non-uniformed federal law enforcement agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies to wear visible identification, as part of a campaign to oppose federal immigration enforcement in the state.

‘It applies exclusively to law enforcement agencies and their officers.’

The federal government successfully argued that the law violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“That is precisely what the No Vigilantes Act does,” wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Mark Bennett in the unanimous decision.

Bennett and another judge of the appeals court panel were appointed by President Donald Trump, while a third judge was appointed under former President Barack Obama.

“The Act does not regulate conduct that any ordinary citizen could perform,” continued Bennett. “Rather, it applies exclusively to law enforcement agencies and their officers, including federal law enforcement agencies and federal law enforcement officers. The Act thus directly regulates conduct reserved to sovereigns.”

The law will be paused until it can be considered fully by the appeals court, but California officials can choose to file an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) did not indicate whether the state would take the case to the Supreme Court.

“Transparency and accountability are the foundation of good law enforcement,” read a statement from Bonta’s office. “The Trump administration has stepped well outside the boundaries of normal practice, deploying masked and unidentified agents to carry out immigration enforcement, despite the risks these tactics pose to public safety and basic civil liberties.”

Critics of the law say it puts federal agents and their families at unnecessary risk, but others say masked, unidentifiable agents put the public at risk.

“I’ll be signing a bill, the first in the nation, saying enough! To ICE: Unmask. What are you afraid of?” said Newsom to supporters in Sept. 2025.

RELATED: Judge DENIES Newsom emergency request to halt Trump order for military in Los Angeles

“You’re gonna go out and you’re gonna do enforcement? Provide an ID,” he added. “Tell us what agency you represent. Provide us basic information that all local law enforcement is required to provide.”

Newsom has positioned himself and California as leading opponents of the Trump agenda. Many believe the anti-Trump platform is meant to jump-start a possible presidential run for the term-limited governor.

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​Gavin newsom vs ice, No vigilantes act, Appeals court defeats newsom, Ice to wear identification, Politics 

Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) is hoping a unified approach to boxing organizations will return the sport to the time when it was a source of national pride and childhood heroes.

Cruz recently championed the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act of 2026, an add-on to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000.

‘We need more predictable pathways for matchmaking.’

Sponsored by Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.), the bill’s goal is to strengthen organizations’ ability to hold on to fighters, while establishing unified rules and medical procedures, including anti-doping programs.

The legislation — which passed through the House in March — demands that unified boxing organizations must implement drug testing programs, provide supplemental physicals for fighters over 40 years old, ensure that at least two ambulances are on site for matches, and allow boxers access to equipment and facilities fully operated by the UBO.

Effectively, if the legislation passes, it will allow boxing organizations to create fight leagues similar to those of other professional organizations, in which a boxer is locked in with regard to exclusivity and promotional rights.

The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, on the other hand, limited promotional contracts to 12 months and prevented organizations from being able to force boxers into granting future promotional rights as a condition for a mandatory title fight.

The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, which included support for and dissent from the new act and featured some of the biggest names in the sport.

RELATED: ‘More jobs for humans’: Tyson Fury condemns ‘all computers’ after hearing results of AI-generated scorecard

Opposing the new rules was 11-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya. The boxing legend directly criticized noted adversary and UFC President Dana White, saying that White’s Zuffa Boxing organization would likely be a beneficiary of the new rules. De La Hoya complained that Zuffa is “fully funded by Saudi Arabia” and claimed that such funding “reshaped another sport,” referring to LIV Golf, a Saudi-backed competitor to the PGA Tour.

The former boxer said LIV Golf potentially losing Saudi backing should “serve as a warning” for American boxing. However, it should be noted that De Le Hoya accepted a $10 million purchase of boxing publication Ring magazine by a Saudi Arabian who invests in Zuffa Boxing.

De Le Hoya said in March that he now regrets the sale.

Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali’s grandson, also spoke in opposition to the legislation, saying that “the people controlling fighters should not also control the entire marketplace those fighters depend on.”

Walsh claimed the new bill, in its current form, should not have his grandfather’s name on it. According to Boxing Insider, he also cited Ali’s history of speaking against the government and said that “silence is part of the system.”

By contrast, Cruz praised the previous act but claimed that it was time for change.

The previous act was “meant to set basic guardrails without remaking the sport from Washington,” Cruz said, “but with every change comes trade-offs.”

“We need more predictable pathways for matchmaking and simplified rankings. I believe allowing for a more unified structure to take hold could help the sport compete more effectively against other combat sport competitors,” he added.

Nick Khan, president of the WWE and executive at Zuffa Boxing, made the case that the new rules create a framework that “can do what major sports do — promote competition, develop talent, and enforce consistent standards under one roof.”

RELATED: Whitlock: Is ‘Money’ Mayweather out of money? Boxing legend re-enters ring at 49 because he’s been ‘living for the culture.’

Two of the biggest contentions to major fight organizations unifying in this manner have been fighter pay and health insurance. The legislation attempts to address these issues with insurance that covers fighters during their training period while simultaneously raising boxer minimum pay.

For example, according to Boxing Scene, California has a $100-per-round minimum pay, whereas the new legislation doubles that to $200 per round while guaranteeing a fight every six months.

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​Fearless, Ufc, Mma, Boxing, Zuffa, Dana white, Oscar de la hoya, Texas, Republicans, Regulation, Sports 

A 14-year-old male was caught on video body-slamming and then head-stomping a girl on a Harlem street — reportedly after she wouldn’t give him her phone number, the New York Post reported, citing police and sources.

The attack against the 15-year-old victim took place on the corner of East 107th Street and 3rd Avenue in East Harlem around 3:30 p.m. Monday after the school day was over, the Post said.

‘He should get the death penalty.’

The clip shows the considerably larger male standing in a crosswalk in front of his victim and warning her that he’ll “knock the s**t out of you right now.”

Another male is heard off-camera encouraging the attacker: “Do it!”

When the girl attempts to cross the street, the attacker orders her, “Nah, you stand right here” as he points to the ground close to his feet.

The girl attempts to go around the attacker, but he puts an arm out and pushes her backward.

But the gutsy girl defiantly tells her attacker, “Get the f**k away from me, p***y!” and turns around and begins to walk away down a sidewalk.

Her attacker, who’s wearing a mask over his mouth and nose, follows her, grabs her from behind, picks her up, and body-slams her into the sidewalk.

Apparently not satisfied with his feat of strength, he then stomps on her head while she’s defenseless on the ground.

RELATED: ‘Dozens of bystanders’ reportedly record video while 15-year-old boy is mercilessly beaten then fatally shot at playground

The Post, citing police and sources, said the girl suffered a concussion, and EMS took her to Harlem Hospital in stable condition.

The paper added that her attacker was arrested and charged with assault — and sources noted that he’s due to appear in family court Thursday.

As you can imagine, those reacting to the incident are outraged. Here’s a sampling of comments underneath the Post’s video posted to YouTube:

“Arrest the cameraman as well,” one commenter said. “He was enjoying it.””He should get the death penalty,” another commenter declared.”It’s NYC,” another commenter wrote. “He’ll get a $75 fine and be back on the streets.””If that were my daughter, the cops would need to hold on to him for his safety,” another commenter said. “He would leave earth.””Utterly evil, doesn’t matter what age,” another commenter noted. “This is why we need [the] death penalty nationwide. Some people are beyond saving. We must protect regular normal civil people in society.”

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​Assault, Male stomps on female’s head, Video, Phone number, Arrest, Court appearance, Teenagers, New york city, Harlem, Police, Crime 

Navy Secretary John Phelan departed from the Department of War as the United States continues to carry out the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Pentagon confirmed the abrupt shakeup in a post on X where spokesman Sean Parnell thanked Phelan for his service, noting that he will be leaving the administration “effective immediately.” Parnell did not disclose the reason for Phelan’s apparent firing but announced that Undersecretary Hung Cao will become the acting secretary in the interim.

‘Some reports claim that Phelan’s departure was far from voluntary.’

“Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” Parnell said in a statement. “On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy.”

“We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

RELATED: The lone Republican who could tank Trump’s Fed pick

Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Most reports claim that Phelan’s departure was far from voluntary, noting that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had been frustrated with the pace of the Navy’s shipbuilding. Prior to the war with Iran, Hegseth had been conducting the “Arsenal of Freedom” tour where the secretary would visit various defense contractors, including shipbuilding facilities, and urge builders to “go hard, go fast.”

Hegseth gave Phelan the option to resign or to be forced out, CNN reported.

Phelan reportedly questioned whether this directive came from President Donald Trump, leading him to seek a meeting with the commander in chief. In doing so, Trump confirmed to Phelan that he was no longer going to continue serving in the role.

Phelan is not the only military leader to exit the Pentagon in recent weeks. Hegseth similarly fired Army Chief of Staff Randy George earlier in April.

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​Arsenal of freedom, Commander in chief, Department of war, Donald trump, Hung cao, Iran war, Naval blockade, Navy secretary, Pentagon, Pete hegseth, Randy george, Sean parnell, Secretary of war, Shipbuilding, Strait of hormuz, Politics 

One of the top contenders for the Democrats in the California gubernatorial race made a statement during a debate on Wednesday that astounded and bewildered viewers.

Rather than promise to protect Californians from non-English-speaking truck drivers, former Rep. Katie Porter said she would protect the truckers from the Trump administration.

‘The job of the Californian governor is to protect Californians, and right now that includes protecting them from Donald Trump.’

“Do you believe that English proficiency, language proficiency, should be strictly enforced for truck drivers?” the moderator asked.

“I would absolutely fight the Trump administration because the job of the Californian governor is to protect Californians, and right now that includes protecting them from Donald Trump,” Porter said.

“Protecting Californians also includes enforcing traffic laws, and we’ve seen sometimes a need for oversight in California,” she added. “For example, we have seen that the Department of Motor Vehicles was not enforcing rules around DUIs and drivers who had convictions for that.”

After not really answering the question, Porter then went on the attack against Republican candidate Sheriff Chad Bianco over his comments about immigration enforcement.

“I am stunned that Mr. Bianco would say to black and brown Californians and immigrants who are being terrorized and racially profiled that you have to ‘get over’ racism,” she said.

“It’s not something that you get over. It’s something that you fight, and if he doesn’t understand the importance of that, he has no business representing a state with the diversity of California,” she added.

Bianco defended himself and said Porter was misrepresenting his comments.

Video of the interaction was posted to social media, where Porter was widely ridiculed by many commentators.

“This is how you talk to a voting base when you know you can control them with fear and rage. You know they don’t care about policies or plans — if you just mention Trump, nothing else matters,” one user said on the X platform.

“Her strategy is anti-Trump and playing the racist card. Typical Democrat. They will keep doing this in CA as long as voters believe their drivel and vote for them,” another response reads.

RELATED: USC accused of racism after minority candidates don’t qualify for gubernatorial debate — so USC makes drastic decision

“Wow, what a wackjob, just another TDS sufferer who doesn’t care about American citizens and only plays into the get Trump game,” another critic replied. “If she had any brain cells she would have noticed long ago that it doesn’t work. She’s an angry clown.”

The latest polling shows Porter tied for fourth place behind Republicans Steve Hilton and Bianco and Democrat billionaire Tom Steyer after the ignominious exit of former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell.

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​Katie porter, California governor’s race, English requirements for cdl, Racism in california, Politics 

Is legendary writer-director David Zucker worried about AI? Surely, you can’t be serious!

Zucker — the Hollywood veteran behind smash hits like “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun” series, as well as cult classics like “BASEketball” and “Top Secret!” — says he’s confident that no computer will ever take his job.

Zucker took some time out from preproduction on his new movie, film noir spoof “Star of Malta,” to speak to Align about the state of the biz.

‘We actually know what we’re doing.’

Unlike many of his peers in the film industry, Zucker doesn’t see technology as a threat — as long as you have talent.

“Certainly, AI is no good for writing scripts. You can’t write a funny script using AI,” he affirmed.

Cruise control

Nor can AI oversee a production from start to finish, said Zucker, citing Tom Cruise as someone “experienced and talented in their craft and dedicated to good work” and therefore able to shepherd a project from start to finish.

He allowed that there are some Hollywood executives who don’t mind taking shortcuts. “[That’s] fine for Seth MacFarlane,” he said, in a not-so-subtle dig at the “Family Guy” creator and producer of the recent “Naked Gun” reboot.

RELATED: ‘Trey didn’t have a car’: ‘Airplane!’ director David Zucker on humble origins of ‘South Park’ empire

Michael Buckner/WireImage/Getty Images

As for Zucker, he’s compelled to continue writing comedy because, “No one can write this stuff.” And when it comes to new projects, he would rather take up the task himself with his own team than take a gamble on someone else.

Zucker noted that he wrote “Star of Malta” in just 11 days.

“We actually know what we’re doing,” he said.

OK computer

Zucker’s faith in himself and his team makes him the rare Hollywood insider who remains sanguine about increasing AI use.

The recent AI resurrection of the late Val Kilmer? Zucker said that as long as permission is sought out, he does not have a problem with it.

He is also intrigued by the possibility of AI-powered de-aging.

“I think that’s a good use of it,” he said, adding that he’s open to using it in his own work. “If you have to cast somebody, and they happen to be older than you need, you can do it.”

RELATED: King of comedy: 1988 ‘Naked Gun’ tops list of 100 funniest flicks

Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Comedy challenged

Zucker, who also offers an online course in spoof comedy, isn’t afraid to call out an industry that’s out of touch with the taste of audiences.

“There’s 9% of people who just don’t have a sense of humor,” he said. “There’s like zero sense of humor. So the studios are being guided by those people.”

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​Airplane, Align, Artificial intelligence, Deaging with ai, Hollywood industry, Mark zucker, Seth macfarlane, The naked gun, Entertainment 

Conservatives have spent decades fighting government overreach. We have opposed IRS targeting of Tea Party groups, regulatory power-grabs, and agencies that treat the Bill of Rights as a suggestion. So explain this: Why are Republican leaders in Congress lining up to renew a surveillance law that lets the FBI read Americans’ private communications without asking a judge? Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expires on April 30. Intelligence agencies want an 18-month clean extension — no changes, no reforms, no warrant requirement. The intelligence community has joined former Biden administration officials in making the rounds on Capitol Hill, pressing members of Congress to fall in line.

Some of us are standing up for the Fourth Amendment by demanding, at the very least, fair votes on real civil liberties protections. Some are not, demanding that we shut up and not only reauthorize this powerful spying power, but also deny Americans a chance to see how their representatives in Congress vote on an issue that enjoys overwhelming, bipartisan support from their constituents.

Conservatives who believe January 6 defendants were treated unjustly by a politicized Department of Justice should be the first to demand a warrant requirement — because Section 702 is one of the laws that was wrongly used to go after those Americans.

Here’s what a “clean” reauthorization actually means. The government collects the communications of foreign targets overseas — emails, texts, calls. That part is unobjectionable. Foreigners have no Fourth Amendment rights. The problem is what happens next. When those foreign targets communicate with Americans, those American messages get swept into the database too — hundreds of millions of them. And then the FBI can search through those communications using your name or email address — with no warrant, no judge, and no probable cause. This is the “backdoor search.” This is not a hypothetical concern. In a single reporting period, the government conducted 278,000 searches that violated the rules. From 2018 to 2024, federal law required a warrant before the FBI could conduct backdoor searches in certain criminal cases. The bureau ran dozens of qualifying searches during that window. It obtained the required court order zero times.

Conservatives who believe January 6 defendants were treated unjustly by a politicized Department of Justice should be the first to demand a warrant requirement — because Section 702 is one of the laws that was wrongly used to go after those Americans.

RELATED: GOP hard-liners derail government’s spying power despite pressure from Trump

cbies/Getty Images

Congress responded in 2024 by passing minor reforms that mostly codified then-current practice — RISAA — which is to say Congress put into law the same rules that had already led to significant misuse. The FBI’s response was to quietly use a separate querying tool that bypassed those requirements. By March 2026, the FISA Court issued a classified opinion that found the issue spanned the entire intelligence community. And it isn’t just the FBI. We still don’t know whether the NSA analyst who searched Section 702 data for information about online dating matches kept his security clearance or job.

The fix is straightforward. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) has introduced the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act, while Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), and a bipartisan coalition have introduced the Government Surveillance Reform Act, both of which require a warrant before the FBI can access an American’s private communications collected under Section 702. Conservative members blocked the clean reauthorization not to make FISA reauthorization impossible, but to create a path forward for a version that does not unjustly violate Americans’ privacy.

The argument that we must choose between national security and the warrant requirement is false. Warrants do not prevent surveillance. They require the government to convince a judge that the surveillance is justified, as the Constitution requires. Government agencies that cannot meet that standard are fishing — for you.

​Conservatives, Fbi, Government overreach, Section 702, Opinion & analysis 

The Israel Defense Forces may have more explaining to do after one of its soldiers destroyed a crucifix with a sledgehammer in Debel, Lebanon, as more than half a dozen others looked on.

While the IDF tried to resolve the incident with a series of social media posts, more details have emerged in the aftermath of this story, raising more questions about the IDF’s account.

‘Are they playing us?’

Following the incident, the IDF announced that both the soldier who filmed the incident and the soldier who destroyed the crucifix would be jailed for 30 days, and the onlookers would be questioned. The IDF also posted a still photo of the supposed replacement crucifix that it claimed to have helped provide.

However, a conflicting version of events has emerged.

RELATED: IDF soldier caught smashing Jesus statue with sledgehammer — officials and critics react

Debel Municipality Facebook account

Photos posted to the X account called Hillbilly Catholic on Wednesday afternoon went viral, and the messages accompanying the photos claimed that the Italian forces of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon had replaced the crucifix.

Among those pictured in the photos are several soldiers with Italian flags on their uniforms that seem to match that of U.N. personnel, a few priests, and what appears to be the apostolic nuncio to Lebanon, Bishop Paolo Borgia.

In another post, Hillbilly Catholic included a screenshot of the IDF’s post with the crucifix it claimed “replaced” the one its soldiers had destroyed. The crucifixes in the IDF post and the Hillbilly Catholic posts differ in shape, color, detail, and style.

“Are they playing us?” Hillbilly Catholic asked.

The photographs posted by Hillbilly Catholic were part of a larger set of photos and video from what appears to be a local Debel account on Facebook called Debel Alerts.

On Tuesday, Debel Alerts made a post claiming an Italian priest named Father Claudio was coordinating with UNIFIL Commander General Diodato Abagnara to replace the crucifix in its original spot. The post added that Father Claudio revealed that “a gesture of support” was on its way from UNIFIL and expected to arrive within 48 hours.

There is also a video on the Debel Alerts’ timeline of the new crucifix statue being transferred.

Debel Municipality

On Wednesday, Debel Alerts posted several photos of the installation of the new crucifix with the help of UNIFIL. The photos show soldiers and priests standing side by side in front of the newly installed crucifix statue.

The new crucifix also appears to have been placed in the exact spot where the old one was destroyed, a comparison of the surroundings revealed.

An official account called Debel Municipality posted more photos confirming Bishop Paolo Borgia’s presence during the procession and installation of the new crucifix.

However, this account also revealed something unexpected.

Some online users scoffed at the IDF’s post of the new crucifix, claiming that the crucifix looked like a small wall crucifix or that the photo was manipulated.

Yet Debel Municipality posted a photo of what appears to be that crucifix during the procession. A man can be seen standing next to some priests and behind some servers while holding the much smaller crucifix that appeared in the IDF’s post.

Debel Municipality

While this photo seems to debunk the claims that the IDF’s post was fake or manipulated, other questions remain.

First, neither Debel Alerts nor Debel Municipality make any mention of the IDF’s alleged efforts to help replace the crucifix, despite the IDF’s claim that “Northern Command worked to coordinate the replacement of the statue from the moment it received the report of the incident.”

Similarly, the IDF did not make any mention of UNIFIL’s role nor Bishop Paolo Borgia’s presence in the town this week, despite their clear roles in the project.

Further, the IDF’s “replacement” is not the actual replacement. The crucifix that UNIFIL apparently provided was placed in the same place as the old one and has a similar size and style, while the IDF one, though apparently real, is significantly smaller and not installed in the same place.

Finally, the IDF has not posted any follow-up with a photo of the other crucifix that UNIFIL helped replace, suggesting that the other, smaller crucifix is the only “replacement” they are claiming to have helped with. It is not clear whether the IDF actually provided the smaller crucifix to the community, despite its claim.

Blaze News contacted the IDF, UNIFIL, Debel Municipality, and the Nunciature of Lebanon via the Vatican Press Office but did not immediately receive a response.

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​Crucifix, Debel alerts, Debel municipality, Hillbilly catholic, Idf, Israel defense forces, Italian forces, Northern command, Politics, Priest, Sledgehammer, Unifil, Soldiers, Father claudio, Unifil commander general abagnara, Lebanon, Southern lebanon, South lebanon, Christians, Catholic, Apostolic nuncio, Bishop paolo borgia 

The Epstein files may have largely disappeared from the 24-hour news cycle on this side of the Atlantic, but the damning revelations they contain nevertheless continue to haunt former associates of the dead pedophile, especially Microsoft co-founder and vaccine champion Bill Gates.

While maintaining that he “did nothing illicit,” Gates reportedly apologized to staff of the Gates Foundation at a town hall in February, acknowledging the negative impact that his ties — developed after Epstein’s conviction in 2008 for soliciting sex from minor girls — have had on the organization and stressing that it was a “huge mistake to spend time with Epstein.”

“Our work is very reputational sensitive,” said the billionaire. “I mean, people can choose to work with us or not work with us.”

‘He is looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions.’

It appears the scandal-stunted organization has itself chosen to work with fewer people.

According to an internal email reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, the Gates Foundation is poised to cut about 500 jobs, or about 20% of its staff, by 2030. The foundation reportedly plans to reduce its current headcount of 2,375 by 200 by the end of next year.

“This is a challenging time for our organization in many ways, but it also highlights the critical importance of taking the tough actions now,” Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman reportedly said in the letter.

RELATED: Epstein kept a detailed Google Calendar — and you can read all of his appointments

Fabrice COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

The foundation teased these layoffs earlier this year in a release detailing how the organization was planning to cap annual operating expenditures at $1.25 billion, roughly 14% of the foundation’s total budget.

In addition to slimming down, the Gates Foundation — which is set to shutter in December 2045 — is presently undergoing a desperate PR rehab.

The organization announced on Tuesday that it has “commissioned an external review to assess past foundation engagement with Epstein, and our current policies for vetting and developing new philanthropic partnerships.”

The foundation noted further that this review is underway and an update is expected this summer.

In addition to facing scrutiny from investigators tasked by his own organization, Gates is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee for a transcribed interview on June 10.

Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) noted in a March 3 letter to Gates that the committee is reviewing:

the alleged mismanagement of the federal government’s investigation into Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell, (ii) the circumstances and subsequent investigations of Mr. Epstein’s death, (iii) the operation of sex-trafficking rings and ways for the federal government to effectively combat them, (iv) ways in which Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell sought to curry favor and exercise influence to protect their illegal activities, and (v) potential violations of ethics rules related to elected officials.

Comer said that the committee suspects Gates has information that will help with this investigation.

A spokesman for Gates told Politico, “While he never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein’s illegal conduct, he is looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions to support their important work.”

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​Bill gates, Gates foundation, Jeffrey epstein, Microsoft, Pervert, Elite, Billionaire, Charity, Pedophile, Sex offender, Congress, James comer, Investigation, Politics