Nearly 100 children were rescued and almost 300 people were arrested as part of a sweeping law enforcement operation against child exploitation in Texas, according to authorities.

The FBI on Friday revealed the results of Operation Soteria Shield — a “coordinated law enforcement effort focused on rescuing children from online sexual exploitation and bringing offenders to justice.”

‘Every single day, this FBI is moving more aggressively than ever before to destroy child predator networks and save innocent victims all over the country.’

“Investigators, analysts, digital forensic examiners, prosecutors, victim advocates, and child advocacy partners worked together to identify offenders and protect vulnerable children,” the FBI Dallas branch stated.

The joint operation included almost 200 law enforcement personnel from agencies across Texas. Key participants included the FBI’s Dallas North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force, the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Dallas Police Department, the Plano Police Department, the Wylie Police Department, and the Garland Police Department.

Between March and April, Operation Soteria Shield aimed to expose “offenders who exploit children through online platforms, social media, messaging applications, and other digital environments.”

The FBI said, “Investigators pursued individuals involved in the possession, distribution, production, or promotion of child sexual abuse material, online solicitation of minors, trafficking, sexual assault, and other child exploitation-related offenses.”

As a result of Operation Soteria Shield, 276 people were arrested for child exploitation and 89 children were rescued.

“Investigators also worked to locate children who were being exploited, identify previously unknown victims, and connect children and families with appropriate services,” the FBI said.

The FBI noted that the cases in Operation Soteria Shield remain active, and “additional charges may be filed as forensic examinations and follow-up investigations continue.”

RELATED: Dad who fostered about 20 children caught with child porn while leaving cruise with pregnant wife, kids: Affidavit

FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News, “Every single day, this FBI is moving more aggressively than ever before to destroy child predator networks and save innocent victims all over the country, and today’s brilliant numbers out of FBI Dallas and partners are the latest milestone in that righteous mission.”

FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said, “Together, we were able to make a significant impact in the ongoing battle against predators who exploit children in our communities.”

Dallas Police Department Chief Daniel C. Comeaux added that these are “not victimless crimes” and that they can “leave lasting trauma on children and families.”

Plano Police Department Chief Ed Drain said the operation has “changed lives.”

“Every child deserves to grow up safe, protected, and free from exploitation,” Drain remarked. “This operation reflects our shared commitment to defend children wherever abuse occurs, whether that is in a home, on a device, or through an online platform.”

Wylie Police Department Chief Anthony Henderson proclaimed, “What is done in the dark will be brought to the light.”

“Through the coordinated efforts of all participating agencies, hundreds of predators have been identified and removed from our communities,” Henderson continued. “This operation reflects our collective commitment to protecting children and pursuing those who seek to exploit or harm them.”

Garland Police Department Chief Jeff Bryan added, “Protecting our most precious resource, our children, from online exploitation requires vigilance, strong partnerships, and a relentless commitment to pursuing those who seek to harm them.”

Operation Soteria Shield is part of Operation Iron Pursuit — the FBI’s nationwide effort to locate victims of child sex abuse and detain child sex predators.

The Department of Justice said in a statement last month that “more than 200 child victims were located and over 350 child sexual abuse offenders were arrested” as a result of Operation Iron Pursuit.

The DOJ highlighted the rescue of a 10-year-old in Utah with a transgender parent and partner during Operation Iron Pursuit.

The child was supposed to be on a camping trip with a transgender parent, partner, and another child. The group instead flew from Canada to Mexico and then to Cuba; concerns existed that the 10-year-old child was taken to Cuba for gender reassignment surgery. FBI Victim Services Division assisted with the recovery of the children, providing crisis support and stabilization.

Law enforcement officials are advocating for parents and guardians to remain vigilant by talking openly with children about online dangers.

Authorities stress that caregivers should “monitor digital activities” and “report suspicious communications.”

“Online child exploitation often begins with seemingly ordinary digital contact, and early reporting can be critical to stopping abuse and identifying victims,” the FBI declared.

Anyone with information about child exploitation is urged to contact local law enforcement, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at cybertipline.org.

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​Child sex crimes, Operation soteria shield, Child sex abuse, Fbi, Child sex abuse material, Child pornography, Texas, Crime 

Children who play sports are being treated like professional athletes, and even professional athletes are suffering greater injuries than ever before.

Now that youth sports are being maxed out and competitions are offered as year-round money-makers for athletic organizations, the frequency of devastating injuries among children has increased, and top doctors are noticing.

‘When you’re physically putting 10,000 hours of demand on an adolescent body, that doesn’t work.’

Dr. Karim Meijer, medical director and head team physician for the NFL’s Denver Broncos, says not only are pro athletes in the middle of an “injury epidemic,” but children who yearn to become professional ball players are being driven by the “youth sports industrial complex.”

From inside his own clinic, Dr. Meijer told Blaze News about a new phenomenon: gruesome injuries that have become the new normal in sports.

“We’re seeing knee dislocations,” Meijer said from an exam room. “Those are devastating career-, limb-threatening-type injuries on an athletic field that just wasn’t as prevalent in the [older] NFL days. … Those things really weren’t happening.”

To that end, injuries to children have also increased as they engage in what Meijer described as intense, repetitive training that starts as early as 7 or 8 years old.

“When you’re physically putting 10,000 hours of demand on an adolescent body, that doesn’t work,” the pro doctor explained.

Meijer said kids are playing multiple games every weekend, all year round with no true off-season, creating cumulative damage that never fully heals. The doctor warned parents that by the time these children reach high school or college, their tissue and tendons can already be compromised.

RELATED: Just 1 MLB team opts out of Pride Night as league shifts toward LGBT ‘package’

Justin Tafoya/Getty Images

Injuries that were rare a generation ago — “Achilles ruptures, UCL tears, growth-plate avulsions, rotator-cuff tears” — are now commonplace due to “ubiquitous” sports leagues, Meijer said.

Meijer recalled appointments he’s had with young athletes within recent days, including a 14-year-old “who threw a ball from third base and pulled his growth plate off the inside of his elbow.”

“That’s a kid that also plays year-round baseball,” Meijer added.

These injuries are not necessarily occurring in major sports or affecting only male athletes either, according to the physician. Young girls are coming to him with rare injuries due to constant physical stress and competition too.

“I have a 14-year-old volleyball girl I saw this morning who already has partial tears on the underside of her rotator cuff, something commonly we see called internal impingement,” Meijer pointed out, demonstrating a volleyball spiking motion. “Fairly young, but it’s a year-round volleyball player.”

The doctor urged parents to start thinking about the longevity of their child’s athletic career and how to prevent injury.

RELATED: The NBA is finally going with a pro-America stance: ‘We’re proud’

John McDonnell/The Washington Post/Getty Images

“It’s not rocket science,” Meijer declared, saying he tells parents all the time the types of injuries their child may be susceptible to just based on their sport.

Solutions can be as simple as playing different sports that use “completely different kinds of mechanics” and that work different parts of their body.

In the doctor’s opinion, parents may also want to consider their kids’ health before signing them up for a long-term athletic commitment, especially since these sports companies are always seeking more revenue.

“What’s a 12-month calendar year look like for the healthier child versus the financial benefit of a youth sports organization?” Meijer asked.

Other suggested remedies included training that doesn’t involve the repetitive motions of a given sport, some of which can be worse than others.

“I wouldn’t pitch in two consecutive seasons,” Meijer said as an example.

He concluded, “I tell parents all the time, it’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon. You gotta work year by year, but you want to keep your child as healthy as possible as you go through it.”

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​Fearless, Child athletes, Baseball, Football, Nfl, Sports 

According to BlazeTV’s Jason Whitlock, Caitlin Clark — the Indiana Fever superstar who’s created more hype around women’s basketball than any player in the league’s history — is being intentionally sabotaged. Jealousy and ideological opposition to what Clark represents as a white heterosexual is fueling what he believes is a covert scheme to destroy her professional basketball career.

On this episode of “Fearless,” Whitlock exposes six women he claims are running the anti-Clark campaign.

Whitlock’s “Caitlin Clark Six” includes the following Indiana Fever officials:

Lin Dunn – senior adviserKelly Krauskopf – president Amber Cox – chief operating officer and general managerStephanie White – head coachBriann January – assistant coachKarima Christmas-Kelly – assistant coach

“This little cabal has been together for years and years and years,” says Whitlock. “They have no interest in helping Caitlin Clark become the greatest player in WNBA history.”

He believes that instead of building a successful team around her, the Fever is trying to “transition Caitlin Clark socially, and if necessary, completely out of the league.”

This, he speculates, has caused her “mental health issues” that are impacting her on and off the court.

“She’s second-guessing herself physically, mentally, her jump shot, everything about herself, her lifestyle,” says Whitlock.

He believes head coach Stephanie White teed Clark up to be “embarrassed defensively” in the Fever’s games against the Golden State Valkyries and the Portland Fire by deliberately putting her in unfavorable matchups.

Briann January and Stephanie White, he claims, have intentionally “cooked up a defensive scheme that does not work for Caitlin Clark.”

“And I hear many [saying], ‘oh, he’s just making excuses, Whitlock just loves Caitlin Clark. No, I know how you win championships with a player like Caitlin Clark,” Whitlock counters. “I know how you build a business off a player that drives ticket sales and interest the way Caitlin Clark does.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Fearless with jason whitlock, Jason whitlock, Caitlin clark, Indiana fever, Wnba, Fearless 

A man who was fined nearly $2 million for scamming the Medicare system was released from probation despite paying nearly none of the fine, and he’s not the only one.

An investigative report found that many Minnesota fraudsters who are fined millions of dollars fail to pay back any significant amount but are allowed to get off probation.

‘For the person who just doesn’t care and is trying to get away with wrongdoing, I think we need stronger medicine.’

In 2023, a man named Tommie Johnson Sr. pleaded guilty to stealing health care funds through a personal care assistance scheme.

Prosecutors wanted to put Johnson in prison for 45 months, but a judge put him on probation instead so he could work to pay off the $1.7 million restitution.

For three years, Johnson paid the bare minimum of monthly payments, often $25 to $50 a month. Despite paying a tiny fraction of what he owed, Johnson was allowed to get off probation by Hennepin County District Court Judge Emily Froehle.

“The record at the time of sentencing reflects that it was unrealistic and not anticipated that [Johnson] would pay the full amount of the joint and some restitution,” Froehle wrote in the order.

The case is not unusual, according to investigators with KMSP-TV.

The investigation found that convicted fraudsters paid only about $2.4 million out of $13.3 million in combined restitution ordered through the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (DFL). That comes to only about 18.8%.

Many of the fraudsters had their probation discharged despite paying little or nothing toward their restitution.

A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office said the office is seeking to strengthen laws to make the fines stick.

RELATED: Top scammer of ‘Feeding Our Future’ fraud in Minnesota NAILED with painful sentence

“We will continue to urge courts to use all the tools at their disposal to ensure the fraudsters we convict pay back as much of the money they stole as possible,” the spokesperson claimed.

“For the person who just doesn’t care and is trying to get away with wrongdoing, I think we need stronger medicine for people like that,” Ellison said.

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​Legal reform, Medicaid fraud, Minnesota fraud, Politics, Keith ellison 

A pair of foreigners employed at a controversial U.S. biolab were charged on Tuesday with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox onto American soil and giving false statements to federal law enforcement.

Vincent Munster — a 53-year-old Dutch citizen who is the chief of the virus ecology section at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, a National Institutes of Health Biosafety Level 4 research facility in Hamilton, Montana — and one of his underlings, a 38-year-old Cameroonian national named Claude Kwe, were caught by Customs and Border Patrol officials with a black case allegedly full of viral materials at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Jan. 25.

‘This is bigger than a customs charge.’

The duo allegedly told CBP agents that the case — which they had traveled with from the Congo, where a major monkeypox outbreak was underway — contained diagnostics and testing equipment. Federal agents discovered, however, that the case actually contained 113 vials in Styrofoam containers, the Justice Department said in a release.

According to the DOJ, an FBI analysis of 20 of the 113 vials showed that 17 contained deactivated monkeypox virus, one contained the chickenpox virus, and two contained human DNA.

Monkeypox is a disease caused by a virus in the same genus as the virus that causes smallpox. While endemic in various African regions, monkeypox made a global play in early 2022. In nearly all Western cases, the disease affects and is spread by homosexuals.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine noted that of the 528 infections diagnosed between April 27 and June 24, 2022, 98% of those infected were homosexuals and that “transmission was suspected to have occurred through sexual activity in 95% of the persons with infection.”

Individuals infected with monkeypox often experience a painful rash that can look like pimples or blisters, respiratory problems, exhaustion, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and chills. The disease can be spread via respiratory droplets, through “direct contact with a rash or sores of someone who has the virus,” and through “contact with clothing, bedding, and other items used by a person” with the virus.

RELATED: Gain-of-function experiments on hantaviruses? Yes, but virus threat is still MASSIVELY overblown.

Vincent Munster. NIAID.

Emily Hilliard, a senior Health and Human Services press secretary, told Blaze News that the NIH, which owns Rocky Mountain Laboratories, is cooperating fully with law enforcement and the relevant authorities regarding the case against Munster and Kwe.

Hilliard noted further that the NIH was made aware of the incident at the Detroit airport in January, and agency leaders “immediately activated established agency protocols to safeguard related laboratory facilities, research materials, and biological samples.”

These measures apparently included “securing relevant laboratory spaces, restricting access to affected areas, and conducting a comprehensive audit and inventory assessment to verify that all materials were appropriately accounted for, documented, and maintained in accordance with all relevant biosafety policies, requirements, and procedures.”

U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. of the Eastern District of Michigan said of the alleged monkeypox smuggling attempt, “These NIH experts apparently broke our laws by smuggling viral pathogens on a packed commercial airplane from an outbreak in the Republic of Congo. Let that sink in.”

“Any deliberate effort to conceal and smuggle biological materials into the United States without proper authorization is a breach of the public’s trust and could have placed the public at risk,” stated Marcus Sykes, special agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

Munster and Kwe each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Neither the researchers nor the HHS responded to a request for comment from Blaze News.

Dr. Richard H. Ebright of Rutgers University alleged of the suspect, “Munster exemplifies the dishonesty, the disregard for biosafety, the disdain for law, and the contempt for the public interest that — after four decades of Anthony Fauci having treated virology as his personal fief and power base — have become pervasive in virology.”

Dr. Robert Malone, a biochemist who recently served on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, emphasized that “this is bigger than a customs charge.”

“Why does Munster’s name matter? In April 2024, Sen. Rand Paul released documents showing Rocky Mountain Laboratories — Munster’s facility — was listed as a participant in EcoHealth Alliance’s DEFUSE proposal. The same proposal DARPA rejected for posing unacceptable biosafety risks,” wrote Malone. “DEFUSE contemplated experiments on novel bat coronaviruses, spike protein manipulation, and insertion of furin cleavage sites. DARPA said no. But NIAID kept funding the same research ecosystem — EcoHealth, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the same scientific objectives. Then COVID emerged in Wuhan.”

Munster is currently listed as a senior investigator with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ virus ecology section. In recent years, he has worked on and researched numerous viruses, including SARS-COV-2, the virus behind COVID-19.

Kwe is a research fellow with the NIH’s intramural research program.

The two of them have worked together on monkeypox research and are listed as co-authors of a February 2026 study assessing “the risk of clade Ib mpox and our preparedness.”

RELATED: ‘NIAID cannot be trusted’: Fauci’s agency planned to make monkeypox more deadly, says congressional report

Monkeypox. NIH-NIAID/Image Point FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group/Getty Images.

They concluded in their study that “the emergence and current co-circulation of clade Ia, Ib, and clade IIb in Africa, and recent spread of clade Ib mpox in the U.S, Europe, and Asia is a reminder that emerging infectious diseases are global issues that require timely coordinated response.”

The foreign researchers noted further that “the global spread of clade IIb and Ib should also be recognized as sentinel events, highlighting essential gaps in pandemic preparedness.”

The criminal charges against Munster and Kwe come just weeks after White Coat Waste Project — a watchdog that helped expose EcoHealth Alliance’s and former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci’s ties to the gain-of-function experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology — obtained and published a damning whistleblower report detailing Munster and Kwe’s alleged attempt to smuggle foreign viruses onto American soil.

The whistleblower characterized Munster as a “Fauci acolyte and all around egotistical, arrogant foreigner that joined his research project (to aerosolize covid virus) to Ralph Baric’s project (to weaponize it).”

Baric, a professor in the departments of epidemiology and microbiology at the University of North Carolina, is a leading proponent of gain-of-function research who successfully fought for an exemption from the Obama administration’s moratorium on the dangerous practice in order to keep manufacturing artificial SARS-like viruses.

In response to a request for comment, Baric directed Blaze News to UNC, which did not immediately respond.

The whistleblower went on to claim that after Detroit authorities “found dozens of vials” in Munster’s baggage in January, the NIH “went into full cover-up mode.”

Rocky Mountain Laboratories has also been home to additional scandals in recent months.

The NIH recently confirmed to the Ravalli Republic that in November 2025, the facility was exposed to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, which has a fatality rate of 30% or higher.

“At no time was there any evidence of disease transmission or infection, nor was there ever any risk to staff, caregivers, or the public,” said the NIH.

According to the whistleblower, that “exposure” was the result of an infected monkey “that was being tortured (infected and sickened with no pain mitigation) as an experiment for Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic fever.”

The NIH did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for comment about the whistleblower’s allegations.

On Feb. 18, RML also filed a federal “release/loss/theft” form. An NIH spokesman said it was done “in response to a potential exposure to Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus due to a hole in a glove that occurred while changing cages of laboratory mice.”

“There was no release outside of the lab and at no time was there any risk to the public,” said the spokesman.

Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana, citing the whistleblower complaint, asked HHS Inspector General March Bell in a May 26 letter to launch a formal investigation “into the safety, security, and personnel practices at RML” and raised alarm about Munster’s souvenirs from the Congo.

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​Crime, Fbi, Justice department, Monkeypox, Homosexual, Gay, Lgbt, Virus, National institutes of health, Biolab, Anthony fauci, Gain of function, Disease, Illness, Health, Hhs, Niaid, Politics 

Talk about a full “circle” moment!

“American Idol” winner Hannah Harper hit a magical milestone last night, when she made her debut at Nashville’s historic Grand Ole Opry.

Harper’s audition quickly became one of the ‘American Idol’s’ most viewed moments in its 24-season history.

“What an overwhelming honor it is to step into that circle that carries so much history, legacy, and heart within country music,” the 26-year-old mother of three posted on her Facebook page shortly after the appearance was announced.

Sharing ‘String Cheese’

The “circle” refers to the scuffed six-foot circle of maple and oak stage taken from the Opry’s original home at the historic Ryman Auditorium and installed at the new, bigger venue the Opry built in 1974.

And when Harper walked out onto that circle last night, it was both the start of a new phase of her career and a beautiful reminder of how it all began.

Shortly after beginning her set, Harper launched into a rendition of “String Cheese,” her self-penned song from her viral “American Idol” audition video. As she finished the first verse, she was joined on stage by another “Idol” winner turned country star: Carrie Underwood — one of the “Idol” judges who helped propel Harper to victory.

Ode to motherhood

Harper’s journey to the Opry stage began with a childhood immersed in the bluegrass gospel music that has captivated her family for generations. Harper began singing and songwriting at just 9 years old, but she didn’t become a household name until February, when her “American Idol” audition went mega-viral.

Performing “String Cheese” — a heartfelt ballad about the grueling reality of postpartum depression and the beautiful, fleeting days of motherhood — the Missouri native moved “Idol” judge Carrie Underwood and the rest of watching America to tears with her soulful voice and deeply personal lyrics that seemed to silence the anti-natalist noise of our time.

In a matter of days, “String Cheese” racked up millions of views and peaked at No. 14 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart. Harper’s audition quickly became one of “American Idol’s” most viewed moments in its 24-season history.

On May 11, to the surprise of few, Harper was crowned the winner of “American Idol” Season 24, making her the first female country singer to win the show since Underwood’s victory in 2005.

RELATED: ‘String Cheese’: Why an ‘American Idol’ audition is making millions of moms cry

Disney/Eric McCandless

Grateful and grounded

Harper’s performance was part of the “Opry 100” celebration during CMA Fest week. The show also featured Underwood, rising country-pop star Avery Anna, and more artists.

Days before the “Idol” finale, Harper revealed in an interview with Country Now that an Opry performance has long been the pinnacle of her dreams.

“The Opry is the goal. … That’s the biggest stage in country music in my eyes, the most honored, and it would just make my whole life to get to perform on that stage,” she confessed.

The Opry performance also marked the official launch of her “String Cheese Tour,” set to run through November 14, with concerts scheduled across the U.S.

But despite her blooming career, being a mom remains this rising country star’s deepest commitment.

Harper — who has consistently described motherhood as her “biggest ministry” — expressed intentions to bring her husband and three sons along on the road.

In post-win interviews with Lyndsanity and Parade magazine, she recounted advice she had received from Carrie Underwood about installing baby cribs on tour buses and the importance of balancing stardom with family.

“Carrie just wanted to make sure that I kept a hold of the grasp of reality once everything settled down and just made sure to still focus on the priorities, which is my kids and my husband,” she told Parade magazine.

​American idol winner, Carrie underwood, Grand ole opry, Hannah harper, Ministry, Motherhood, Postpartum depression, Ryman auditorium, String cheese, Culture 

Jay Jones, the radical Democratic attorney general of Virginia, will take over the case against a registered, repeat sex offender accused of exposing himself to girls and women in a school locker room.

Richard Kenneth Cox, 59, was initially registered as a sex offender in 1998 after he was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child. The Tier III sex offender was convicted of possessing obscene material with a minor in 2007. Cox was also convicted for failing to register as a sex offender, once in 2007 and again in 2021.

‘The statute is therefore void for vagueness.’

Cox admitted in a letter written to a judge in 1992 that he had “sexual problems.” A few years later, in a separate letter, he stated that he was aware that he experienced “compulsions to expose myself in public places,” WJLA previously reported.

He is facing over 20 charges related to allegations that he exposed his naked body in a female locker room at a Washington-Liberty High School pool on Oct. 21, 2024. The charges include indecent exposure, sex offender on school or day-care property, and sex offender loitering near school/day care/park/playground.

Outside of regular school hours, the Washington-Liberty High School pool is open to the public.

Cox, who goes by the name Riki Cox, has claimed to identify as a female. The school district’s policy allows individuals to use the locker room that they believe aligns with their so-called gender identity.

RELATED: ‘Like they are some kind of freak’: Sex offender posing as woman allegedly exposes himself in school locker rooms

Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty Images

“My civil rights as a transgender person allow me to use a public facility, including restrooms and changing rooms that identify as my gender,” Cox told law enforcement authorities in Nov. 2024.

On March 12, Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Lopez granted Cox’s request to dismiss his case. The judge agreed with Cox’s claim that the Virginia law under which he was charged is vague under the 14th Amendment.

The judge was referring to Virginia Code § 18.2-370.2(B), which states, “Every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2000, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from loitering within 100 feet of the premises of any place he knows or has reason to know is a primary, secondary or high school.”

Lopez concluded that “loitering” was not clearly defined and that the statute lacks standards to guide enforcement.

“The statute is therefore void for vagueness,” Lopez wrote.

RELATED: 2 boys were filmed by a girl in the boys’ school locker room. The school punished the BOYS.

Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket/Getty Images

Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti’s office appealed the judge’s decision, and the Court of Appeals accepted the case. Now, AG Jones, who previously fantasized about the death of a Republican and his children, will represent the commonwealth in the case.

Separately, Cox was convicted in February for possessing child pornography, which police said they found on his phone and on a memory device when he was arrested in Dec. 2024 for charges related to the exposure case.

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​News, Virginia, Richard cox, Sex offender, Transgender ideology, Transgenderism, Politics, Jay jones 

California polls closed at 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday, but the state continues to count ballots as the spotlight remains on the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral races.

Former Fox News host and small business owner Steve Hilton (R) and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) remain neck and neck in the race to become the next California governor. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election.

With only 58% of the votes counted as of Wednesday morning, the Associated Press has not announced that either candidate has secured enough votes to guarantee a place in November.

‘We are still leading. It’s looking good.’

However, Hilton holds a slight lead, securing over 1,386,000 votes. Becerra is more than two points behind with 1,267,000 votes. Democratic challenger Tom Steyer sits in third place, over eight points behind Hilton, with 979,000 votes.

Hilton called it a “very, very good night,” stating that “it does look like change really is coming to California.”

“We are still leading. It’s looking good,” he added.

Since no candidate earned at least 50% of the vote in the L.A. mayoral race, the top two finishers will face off again in November. With roughly 63% of the ballots counted as of Wednesday morning, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has secured enough votes to move on to the general election, according to the Associated Press.

RELATED: ‘Doomsday scenario’: California governor race turns into high-stakes scramble as vote split may keep Republican out

Steve Hilton. Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images

Approximately 12 hours after the polls closed, Bass held onto a more than four-point lead over former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, while L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman sat in third place, over 12 points behind Bass.

Pratt appeared positioned to defeat Raman, already securing over 151,000 votes compared to the councilwoman’s 110,000 votes. If Pratt holds onto his lead, he will advance to the runoff against Bass in November.

RELATED: Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman shrink Karen Bass’ lead in tight race for LA mayor: Poll

Karen Bass. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Decision Desk HQ projected that Bass would advance and reported that Pratt “looks most likely” to join her, although it is too soon to be certain.

“Well, obviously God wanted five more months of me exposing all the failures of our mayor,” Pratt told reporters on Tuesday evening. “So, it’s gonna be a fun ride. I hope she’s ready.”

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​News, California, Los angeles, Steve hilton, Xavier becerra, Tom steyer, Nithya raman, Karen bass, Spencer pratt, Politics 

Police in Daytona Beach, Florida, said they’re actively investigating a shooting that occurred early Sunday at Derbyshire Park.

Officers initially responded to a local hospital after receiving reports of a patient suffering from a gunshot wound, police said, adding that officers during the investigation determined the shooting occurred at Derbyshire Park.

At this time, the motive for the encounter remains unclear, and there is no ongoing threat to the public, police said.

Preliminary findings indicate an adult male and an adult female met and parked together at the park when a male they did not know approached them, police said.

When a disagreement occurred between the individuals, the male who approached the couple allegedly brandished a firearm, police said.

The male victim then grabbed his own gun and demanded the unknown male leave the area, police said.

The unknown male began walking away but soon turned and fired multiple rounds, striking the male victim, police said.

But the male victim returned fire, striking the unknown male, police said.

Following the exchange of gunfire, the male victim as well as the female he was with drove themselves to a local hospital for treatment, police said.

Responding officers found the other male dead in the park, police said.

Officials said investigators have identified all parties involved. At this time, the motive for the encounter remains unclear, and there is no ongoing threat to the public, police said.

RELATED: Vietnam vet says he had to ‘get aggressive’ and grab his gun when his female tenant started screaming

Police said the investigation remains active and ongoing.

The identities of the involved parties are being withheld while detectives continue to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the incident, police said.

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​Crime, Crime thwarted, Daytona beach, Fatal shooting, Florida, Gun rights, Guns, Police investigation, Self-defense, Shootout, Second amendment 

America’s foster care system is facing a serious crisis, and the government has not only been making it worse — but stealing from orphans who need help the most.

It’s called the “orphan tax,” and Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Alex Adams has been dedicated to exposing it.

“Essentially, a child’s parents died, that child’s parents had worked, so they were entitled to some social security through earned benefits through work,” Adams tells Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck.

“Traditionally the child would be eligible for the survivor’s benefit, but in 29 states, when that child entered foster care, the state was saying ‘we are now the parent of that child. We’re going to take that survivor’s benefit from them,’” he explains.

“These states were essentially stealing from orphans and using it to cover government bureaucratic overhead. So we sent a letter to 29 states asking them to end that practice, which I find morally objectionable, and luckily 10 states changed the laws this year,” he adds.

Of those 10 states, the governors of Nebraska, Louisiana, and Indiana signed executive orders immediately ending the practice.

“We still have a long way to go, and we’re going to continue pushing on states to try to end the orphan taxation,” Adams says.

Glenn worries that this can be reversed under new leadership, so the thing to do is “encourage our houses of worship to get more involved.”

“One of my big phrases that I use at my charity is if we want the government to do less then we have to do more. If we want our government to not be involved on all of these levels because they usually will screw things up, we need to have our churches do more,” Glenn tells Adams.

“I agree with you wholeheartedly,” Adams says. “The message that we send to the faith-based community will make or break our success in child welfare long-term.”

“And families of faith are the most likely to raise their hands and volunteer and run towards the foster care system, get licensed as foster families, provide preventative services that will prevent kids from entering into foster care in the first place,” he adds.

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​Glenn beck, Alex adams, Nebraska, Louisiana, Orphan tax, Indiana, Foster care, The glenn beck program 

Republicans just got another victory at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The highest court in the land approved the redistricted congressional map for Alabama in a 6-3 decision released late on Tuesday evening. All three liberal justices dissented.

‘Our message to communities remains the same — the best way to express dissent is by showing up at the ballot box this election season.’

One of Alabama’s majority-black districts will be eliminated by the new map.

The dissent, written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, accused the majority justices of “unleashing chaos” with the decision, likely confusing voters at this late stage in the election season.

“Just as Alabama doubled down on racial discrimination, the Court today doubles down on chaos,” Sotomayor claimed. “Because I choose to defend the rule of law and the right of all Alabamians to participate equally in democracy, I respectfully dissent.”

Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey released a statement in support of the decision.

“The U.S. Supreme Court confirmed what I have said all along, and that is that Alabama knows our state, our people, and our districts best,” she wrote. “Today’s decision is a win for the people of Alabama and our elections.”

Democrats were outraged over the decision.

“The Supreme Court has now confirmed that there is no longer a Voting Rights Act in America, and states are essentially free to discriminate against minority voters with no consequences,” said Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), whose district was eliminated by the redistricting.

“Once again, the right-wing Supreme Court has put its blatant partisanship on full display, allowing Alabama Republicans to change the rules in the eleventh hour and use a racist congressional map that federal courts have found — on two separate occasions — intentionally discriminates against Black Alabama voters,” read a statement from Rep. Terri Sewell, a Democrat from Alabama.

RELATED: Federal court strikes down Alabama redistricting effort — GOP to APPEAL at Supreme Court

“This is just the latest in a pattern of outrageous Supreme Court decisions that help Republicans desperately cling to power ahead of the midterm elections while diluting Black voices and erasing decades of hard-fought civil rights progress,” Sewell added.

She went on to accuse Republicans of taking America “back to the Jim Crow era,” an accusation that was repeated by the NAACP.

“This is a Court that is stripping Black voters of power and voice at a speed that would put Jim Crow jurists to shame,” said Kristen Clarke, general counsel of the NAACP. “Our message to communities remains the same — the best way to express dissent is by showing up at the ballot box this election season.”

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​Justice sonia sotomayor, Midterm elections, Redistricting, Us supreme court, Politics, Alabama 

AI companies have largely developed their chatbots with very little government regulation, all in an effort to beat China to artificial general intelligence. However, as these services exploit users’ mental health, enable new devastating cybersecurity threats, and arm the U.S. military with advanced capabilities, the Trump administration recently proposed federal regulation to keep the bots in check. Now, President Donald Trump wants to take government oversight a step further by invoking the power to review AI models before they’re released to the public through an executive order that was signed this week.

President Trump has mostly maintained a hands-off approach to AI regulation, bucking attempts at state-level bills to curb development in favor of a centralized federal mandate. There are clear pros and cons to Trump’s National AI Legislative Framework, but it provides a starting point for standardizing an industry where Trump has dragged his feet.

This is why the latest reports of added AI oversight, directly from the U.S. government, come as a surprise, given Trump’s previous stance. If signed, the executive order would mark a sea change within the Trump administration, signaling that AI needs direct government intervention to protect the public from potentially dangerous models.

The question is, why?

This move raises the question: How much AI regulation is too much regulation?

Trump’s decision came after Anthropic — the same company that landed on the military’s supply chain risk list — unveiled a new AI model that was purportedly too dangerous to release to the public. Labeled as Mythos under Project Glasswing, the new model excels at leveraging computer hacking and cybersecurity exploits. In other words, it’s really good at breaking the security measures of critical digital products and services, including operating systems and internet browsers.

If left in the wrong hands, Mythos could pose a huge risk to anything and everything connected to the internet — personal devices, school computers, government systems, banking platforms, and even critical infrastructure like power grids, traffic systems, and more.

Instead of allowing the public to access Mythos outright, Anthropic opted to provide the model strictly to Big Tech companies to help them find security holes in their products before a competing AI platform on the same level as Mythos reaches public status. The goal is to patch these bugs before they are exploitable by hackers using other AI platforms. So far, Mythos has poked holes in Apple’s highly secure MacOS platform and Mozilla’s privacy-focused Firefox browser. Unfortunately, while Mythos is good at finding problems, it’s bad at patching them, with recent reports noting that Mythos can further break software, even when trying to fix it.

Not to be outdone, OpenAI also claims to have a model — GPT-Rosalind — that’s too powerful for public release, this time in the sector of life sciences and molecular biology. Instead of launching Rosalind broadly, the company is offering it to researchers and scientists only.

So far, Anthropic and OpenAI have been socially responsible with their models by self-limiting access, but there’s no mandate to enforce these restrictions. President Trump’s executive order aims to eliminate any leeway and prevent truly dangerous AI models from leaking into the mainstream.

RELATED: The Trump phone is here — and so is the controversy. Is it any good?

BasSlabbers/Getty Images

This move raises the question: How much AI regulation is too much regulation, and what are the ramifications of government overreach on access to the most advanced technology known to mankind? Some view these bills and mandates as a danger to free speech. Others see it as a government power grab meant to control device, internet, and AI access. I’m somewhere in the middle — the government should prevent AI companies from outright harming the people while also keeping the people’s rights and freedoms intact.

Unfortunately, even if the Trump administration has the best intentions with its AI executive order, who’s to say that the next administration will be so benevolent? Direct government intervention over AI models gives the left the precedent they need to overtly regulate and even manipulate AI the next time they take power. Imagine a future where the left blocks AI models on the grounds of “misinformation” and “disinformation” for sharing facts that don’t align with their political views. It’s not like they didn’t try to wipe dissent from the internet before, and if given the chance, they’ll do it again.

Luckily, the left might not get that opportunity. President Trump’s AI executive order was put on hold the day it was meant to be signed, though the unsigned version was leaked online for your viewing pleasure. Still, even with the order paused at the eleventh hour, its albatross looms as a possibility for future AI regulation that could either save the people from certain chatbot destruction or steal away our rights to access “unapproved” versions of these models that don’t comply with the party in power.

​Tech, Artificial intelligence, Trump administration, Executive order, Anthropic, Openai 

To kick off Pride Month this year, a famous UFC fighter has posted an AI video that takes a shot at past woke corporate pandering — and several shots at the face of Bud Light’s biggest mistake.

On Tuesday, UFC fighter Sean Strickland posted an AI-generated video of him sparring with a likeness of Dylan Mulvaney, the infamous transgender-identifying influencer to whom Bud Light once sent commemorative cans of beer to celebrate his “365 Days of Girlhood.”

‘I’ve yet to see one rainbow flag. We’re back!!!’

In the video, Strickland can be seen punching Mulvaney several times in the octagon before knocking him out.

RELATED: Sean Strickland mocks ‘mentally stunted famous women’

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Mulvaney is wearing a pink dress and gloves in the AI video.

The end of the video cuts away from the fight and reveals that it is a fake Bud Light commercial. “Bud Light. The official beer sponsor of UFC,” a voiceover says.

Strickland captioned the Instagram video, saying, “I’ve yet to see one rainbow flag. We’re back!!!” He also mentioned Bud Light in the caption.

At the time of this writing, Strickland’s fake Bud Light commercial garnered roughly 123,700 likes on Instagram.

In that same spirit, Strickland, who has been very active on X lately, lauded the changes in June 2026 compared to Pride Months in the past, crediting the current administration: “Say what you want about Trump but June has got far less gay.” He included several clapping hand emojis in the post.

Strickland has, however, also been vocal in his criticism of Trump in other areas. “Being elected in 2024 was the easiest job. … Better trade deals[.] Cut regulations[.] More gas[.] More building[.] No new wars[.] Enforce immigration laws[.] Thats it … thats all you had to do and we would of been happy,” he posted May 28.

Strickland celebrated his 31st professional career win in early May after a split decision in his face-off against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328.

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​Bud light, Pride month, Rainbow flag, Sean strickland, Politics, Instagram, Ufc, Ai, Dylan mulvaney