September 3, 2026

Progressive Watch

Troops Warned They’ll Be Prosecuted For War Crimes If They Follow Illegal Trump Orders– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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Members of the Trump administration are leaking to reporters that the president is bluffing when he threatens Iran, but on Sunday, Trump threatened Iranian power plants.

Trump posted in part on Truth Social:

We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.

Amnesty International said in a statement after Trump first threatened to commit war crimes, “International humanitarian law strictly prohibits direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects. The US President’s threat of extermination and irreparable destruction brazenly shreds core rules of international humanitarian law, with potentially catastrophic consequences for over 90 million people. It may constitute a threat to commit genocide, a crime defined by the Genocide Convention and by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as committing one or more defined acts ’with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.’”

Jury Indicts SPLC For Fraudulent Payments To Racist Groups– thefederalist.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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A federal grand jury indicted the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on Tuesday for allegedly making fraudulent payments to racist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

“The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement announcing the charges. “Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked. This Department of Justice will hold the SPLC and every other fraudulent organization operating with the same deceptive playbook accountable. No entity is above the law.”

According to a Justice Department press release, the SPLC — which has often put targets on the backs of nonviolent conservative organizations by falsely labeling them as “hate groups” — has been charged with 11 counts of “wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.” Per the presser, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama Northern Division “filed two forfeiture actions to recover alleged proceeds of the organization’s fraud scheme.”

DOJ Indicts Far-Left Southern Poverty Law Center for Fraud and Money Laundering– slaynews.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel have announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), accusing the far-left organization of fraud, money laundering, and deceptive financial practices tied to its operations over nearly a decade.

The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court in Montgomery, Alabama, includes 11 counts.

The charges are six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

GOP Knows Only Way They Could Keep House ‘Was If They Cheated’– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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On Tuesday’s broadcast of MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) argued that Republicans “understood that the only way they could possibly maintain a majority in the House of Representatives” “was if they cheated, if they went seeking seats in places like Texas, which is why the president began this effort.”

Host Lawrence O’Donnell asked, “You’ve just come from the House of Representatives, to the governorship, in this last election. In your view, what would it mean if the Republicans were able to conspire with Donald Trump to increase the number of Republicans in the House of Representatives so that they could cling to control of the House of Representatives for two more years?”

Spanberger answered, “Well, I think they very much understood that the only way they could possibly maintain a majority in the House of Representatives — of course, they have a slim, slim majority at the moment — was if they cheated, if they went seeking seats in places like Texas, which is why the president began this effort. Because he knew that, at the midterms, much like, back in 2018, when I was first elected to Congress, that his poor leadership, the chaos that he is creating, the war he’s begun with Iran, skyrocketing gas prices, failed promise after failed promise, would be enough to propel yet another blue wave in a midterm, in the 2026 midterm election.”

SPLC Targeted The Federalist For Publishing A Speech– thefederalist.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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The Southern Poverty Law Center, a far-left outfit that disparages conservative organizations by categorizing them as “extremist” alongside actual racist groups, was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday night for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. According to the indictment, the SPLC secretly funneled more than $3 million it received from unsuspecting donors toward racist groups by paying “a covert network of informants” who were part of “violent extremist groups.”

One of the SPLC’s chief activities is what it calls “tracking hate,” which includes cataloguing racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan as well as mainstream civil liberties groups like Alliance Defending Freedom. The smear campaign it wages against Christian and conservative organizations by equating them to actually extreme groups threatens not just their reputations but their fundraising prospects and even their physical safety. In 2012, a gunman opened fire at the D.C. office of the Family Research Council, intending to “kill as many as possible” because he didn’t “like what they stand for.” He told law enforcement afterward that he was inspired by the SPLC’s inclusion of the Family Research Council on its list of so-called “hate” groups.

The Federalist has also found itself in the SPLC’s crosshairs. In the summer of 2017, the SPLC posted an article under its “Hatewatch” category attacking The Federalist as a “rabidly partisan” purveyor of “anti-LGBT and specifically anti-trans writings.”

Trump Just Cost Republicans The House As Virginia Voters Pass New Map Boosting Democrats– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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Trump’s scheme to steal the midterm election by getting red states to gerrymander more Republican House seats was a poorly thought-out effort with great potential to backfire from the moment it was launched.

The president assumed that Democrats would not fight back. Trump also assumed that red states would line up around the country to carry out his wishes.

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Democrats did fight back by playing by the same rules that Trump established. In California, Democrats romped to a new map that could net them five House seats. While in red states like Kansas and Indiana, Republicans refused to redraw their maps. Ohio Republicans rejected a full-scale gerrymander and went with a fairer map after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries threatened them with a ballot referendum.

It’s Not Over — the Courts Could (And Should) Neuter Virginia’s Anti-Democratic Gerrymandering Gambit – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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For the moment, the Democrats have won. Their Machiavellian gerrymandering scheme passed by a slim margin Tuesday night, slicing and dicing Virginia’s congressional districts into a ridiculous jigsaw puzzle that most closely resembles Illinois’ comical maps — meaning they have no logic, other than to rig the result and disenfranchise millions of voters.

 

DUKE: Virginia Approves Heinous ‘Lobster District’ Map That Rips Power From Rural Voters– dailycaller.com

pgnewser April 22, 2026 0

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Virginians voted Tuesday to approve a redistricting map introduced by Democrats that allows wealthy, Democratic residents in northern Virginia to outvote rural residents in the state. 

The new gerrymandered map changes the balance of power from 6-5 to 10-1 in Democrats’ favor, even though the state went just under six points to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Democrats claim it is a “temporary measure” — existing through the 2030 Census — to combat President Donald Trump.

Former President Barack Obama was one of the chief spokespeople for the new map, alongside Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who ran in the 2025 election as a moderate Democrat. 

The map itself is truly something to behold. The so-called “lobster district” — Virginia’s new 7th congressional district proposed by the map — starts up north with a sliver of blue Fairfax County and then splits into two arms just north of Charlottesville, where the University of Virginia is located. The proposed 8th district similarly starts in Fairfax and then snakes down to the area east of Richmond. 

Dem Chris Murphy slammed for replying ‘awesome’ to report Iranian vessels ‘bypass US blockade’ in Strait of Hormuz | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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“Awesome,” Murphy said as he shared an article headlined “At least 26 Iranian shadow fleet vessels bypass US blockade.”

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy is cheering for the United States to fail in Iran because he hates the president. “Awesome,” Murphy said as he shared an article headlined “At least 26 Iranian shadow fleet vessels bypass US blockade.”

“A Democrat Senator is now publicly rooting for Iran. Did ActBlue start accepting donations from the regime’s oil revenue?” Said Montana Senator Tim Sheehy.

“The Democrats are rooting for Iran—literally,” said commentator Batya Ungar-Sargon. “Senator Chris Murphy may be the most psychotic example of this, but he is the apotheosis of a vibe that is utterly pervasive in the anti-Trump Left and Right. Donald Trump has a super-power: He exposes the most despicable qualities in his opponents, revealing them to be utterly beneath contempt.”

Eric Swalwell Used Campaign Funds to Pay for Over 100 Alcohol Deliveries– slaynews.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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Disgraced former Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is facing renewed scrutiny after campaign finance records revealed extensive spending on alcohol delivery services, luxury travel, and personal expenses funded by donors over multiple years.

According to reports citing Federal Election Commission data, Swalwell’s campaign made more than 100 separate purchases from alcohol delivery service Drizly between 2020 and 2024.

The purchases account for roughly a quarter of all such campaign-related spending nationwide during that period.

Campaign Funds Used for Alcohol, Travel, and Luxury Expenses

After Drizly ceased operations, records show Swalwell’s campaign continued similar spending patterns through Uber Eats, with more than 220 transactions totaling over $19,000.

Dems brace for a close finish on Virginia redistricting effort– www.politico.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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Democrats hope gerrymandering Virginia will give them the edge they need to win back the House. But Tuesday’s special election is proving more competitive than they’d like.

Tight polling and concerns over voter turnout in an atypical April election have many Democratic party strategists and officials preparing for a close finish.

“I always thought this campaign would be close [and] 24 hours out, I believe that to be the case,” Democratic strategist Jared Leopold said on Monday, before the final day of voting.

“Anytime you’re on the ‘yes’ side of a referendum, you’ve got the burden of proof,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what the referendum is, but anytime you’re arguing for ‘yes,’ the other side is going to be arguing for the status quo.”

House Democrats Are Ready To Throw One Of Their Own Out Of Congress– wltreport.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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Capitol Hill has never been a particularly ethical place, but complaints of wrongdoing on both sides of the aisle have led to a recent spike in efforts to remove sitting lawmakers.

One new development involves Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), who is facing a House Ethics Committee decision as dozens of her fellow Democrats seem eager to join Republicans in voting to expel her.

While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) only said the party will “follow the facts and apply the relevant law” when it comes to allegations that Cherfilus-McCormick laundered millions of COVID-relief dollars, other Democrats were more decisive.

As Axios reported:

“The charges and examination are incredibly, incredibly serious and I think we have to hold ourselves to high standards here in the Congress,” Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) told Axios.

  • “We need to make sure we can tell the American people that they can trust in their lawmakers,” said Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.).
  • Reps. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), John Larson (D-Conn.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) all told Axios they expect to vote for expulsion if that is what the Ethics Committee recommends.
  • “I’m going to take their recommendation very seriously,” said Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine).
  • Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.) went one step further, telling Axios expulsion is “something we should take a look at seriously even if it’s not” what the committee recommends.

Catholic University of America must allow pro-Israel event or face accreditation complaint: free speech group– www.thecollegefix.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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A national free speech group is calling on the Catholic University of America to allow pro-Israel speakers on campus – or else face an accreditation complaint.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a second letter to CUA leadership on Friday, asking it to remove its restrictions on Students Supporting Israel.

The intervention follows a proposal earlier this year for the group to host Israeli homeland security expert Dany Tirza as well as Jewish Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida, as The College Fix previously reported.

The university is requiring the club to host a pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel speaker.

While the school says this is part of their policy, that is only supposed to apply when an invited speaker takes a view contrary to the Catholic Church, such as if a club invited a pro-abortion speaker. However, the university did not even apply this policy, allowing the campus Democrats club to host a speaker who supports abortion, according to Student Supporting Israel’s leadership.

The Catholic university in Washington, D.C. allowed an event with an anti-Israel speaker, for example, but did not present the pro-Israel side, FIRE also said.

“We again strongly urge CUA to approve SSI’s event requests and assure students that the university will not condition event approval on student’s willingness to arrange for and host speakers opposed to their own viewpoint,” Program Counsel Jessie Appleby wrote to President Peter Kilpatrick.

Sen. Chris Murphy Celebrates Iran Breaking U.S. Naval Blockade– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) celebrated the news that 26 Iranian ships broke through the U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.

I haven’t found many reports about the fleet bypassing the naval blockade. I came across this:

Maritime tracking firm TankerTrackers.com reported that a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company departed Iran in late March 2026. The vessel then sailed towards Southeast Asia, where it reportedly transferred approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil to another supertanker.

Following the transfer, the tanker returned towards Iranian waters and is believed to have crossed what analysts describe as a US “siege line”, a monitored maritime enforcement zone linked to the ongoing blockade efforts.

According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the vessel successfully re-entered Iranian-controlled waters and is expected to reach Kharg Island shortly. The report stated, “This tanker unloaded its 2 million barrels of crude oil and then returned home through the blockade line,” citing data from TankerTrackers.com.

WATCH: Massive Crowd Tries To Storm Wisconsin Research Facility, Police Respond– wltreport.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 1

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Chaos erupted in Wisconsin on Saturday.

On Saturday, nearly 1,000 animal rights activists attempted to storm a research facility in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.

The research facility that the animal activists attempted to storm is home to a beagle breeding facility that has used some questionable research methods.

In response to the activists descending on the research grounds, authorities deployed pepper spray and rubber bullets.

Take a look:

AP reported more on the incident:

About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.

It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison.

Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.

“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.

The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.

Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

Trump’s Christian Advisers Tell Him ‘He Is God’– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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On Saturday’s The Weekend: Primetime, MS NOW hosts Antonia Hylton and Charles Coleman Jr. combined for a remarkable escalation—from stylistic nitpicking to smearing an entire group of Christians as extremists.

After opening with a polished aside about Trump’s recent use of “God is good,” which she said had not previously been part of his ‘linguistic repertoire,’” Hylton quickly pivoted to a jaw-dropping—and wholly unsupported—claim: that Trump is surrounded by religious advisers who are “telling him that he is God,” or effectively God’s representative on Earth.

Hylton offered no evidence for the assertion, presenting it instead as her personal “read” based on following “extremist” Christian figures. But she didn’t name a single adviser making such a claim—let alone anyone literally telling Trump he is God.

Mamdani says he believes in socialism ‘more’ than before election– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 1

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reiterated his commitment to socialism over the weekend when pressed on a funding shortfall that could prevent him from carrying out some of his top priorities.

“I believe in it even more than I did the day before [the election], and that’s because of the fact that it is focused on the needs of working people,” Mamdani said during an NBC Meet the Press interview released Saturday. “And working people need that focus, that fight from politicians more than ever.”

Mamdani was questioned about how he plans to carry out his hopes of freezing the rent on roughly one million apartments in the country’s largest city, as well as making buses free and providing free universal child care, despite facing a $5.4 billion budget deficit. In response, the mayor said he has already made significant progress in closing the budget gap, and touted Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-NY) proposal for a new tax on residents who own second homes in New York City that are worth $5 million or more as a policy that will advance his goals.

Former California Democrat Exposed Burning Through $75,000 in Campaign Cash on Booze, Luxury Hotels, and Uber Rides– wltreport.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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A former California congressman is facing serious scrutiny after federal filings revealed he blew through tens of thousands of dollars in leftover campaign funds on alcohol deliveries, luxury hotels, and rideshare bills.

Former Rep. Eric Swalwell, the Democrat who once ran for president and sat on the House Intelligence Committee, reportedly burned through roughly $75,000 in campaign cash on personal-looking expenses after leaving office, according to Federal Election Commission records reviewed by multiple outlets.

Fox News reported:

Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show that former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., spent more than $75,000 in leftover campaign funds on alcohol deliveries, luxury hotel stays, and rideshare services after leaving Congress. The filings reveal over 100 charges to alcohol delivery services like Drizly, more than $10,000 in Uber and Lyft charges, and roughly $26,000 in hotel stays including a $20,000 tab at the Ritz Carlton.

Cognitively Declining Trump Wants Praise For Being Able To Sign His Name– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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The White House should not be used as the world’s most expensive assisted living facility, but that appears to be what is happening during the second Donald Trump administration.

The president was showing signs of decline when he ran to return to the White House in 2024. Trump consistently got facts wrong, forgot names, and jumbled up basic history to the point where he once blamed Joe Biden for World War II.

If the American people had been paying attention, and Democrats deserve some blame for being afraid to call out explicitly and repeatedly Trump’s decline to voters, they would have seen that Trump was cognitively fit to serve as president.

Trump has made decision after decision, starting with his obsession with tariffs and willful blindness to the advice of experts, that he would cause severe economic damage, and going through believing Netanyahu and going to war with Iran, which has demonstrated a severe lack of mental competency coming from the White House.

Iran’s Supreme Leader sends chilling threat as he mocks US ‘arrogance and weakness’ | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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Iran’s Supreme Leader has issied a chilling threat in a new bombshell message, while also taking a brutal swipe at Donald Trump and US troops.

Mojtaba Khamenei commended his forces for resisting what he called American and Israeli “arrogance”, before threatening to bring about “new defeats”. The Supreme Leader also said his opponents’ “weakness and humiliation” had been exposed for all to see. Khamenei has not been seen since the war began. He replaced his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Israeli-US strikes at the start of the conflict.

In a statement issued through an Iranian state news agency, Khamenei said his forces had “stood firm against America’s sinister schemes.”

He continued: “With its strong divine and popular support and in dense, fortified ranks, it (the army) stands shoulder to shoulder with other mujahideen of the armed forces against the two armies at the forefront of the front of kufr (disbelief) and arrogance, clashing with them hand-to-hand and exposing their weakness and humiliation to the eyes of the world.

PBS Attacks Trump Admin’s Pope Criticisms– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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Ever since Pope Leo assumed the papacy, PBS News Hour Friday contributors MS NOW host Jonathan Capehart and The Atlantic staff writer David Brooks have tried to claim him as one of their own in their fight against the Trump administration. That continued this Friday as the duo essentially told Vice President JD Vance to shut up when it comes to criticizing Leo’s remarks about the Iran War, with Capehart claiming they are among “the most insulting things” a VP could say and Brooks arguing the Iran War is permissible under just war theory, but also isn’t because Trump.

Host Amna Nawaz began with Capehart and wondered, “Pope Leo issued a pretty strong statement rebuking the war in Iran. Trump then unloaded on him online. Vice President Vance jumped in to criticize him as well, telling him to be careful on matters of theology. Is it smart for the president to be getting into it with the pope? What does he stand to gain from that?”

Using logic he would never apply to abortion, Capehart replied:

No, it’s not smart at all to be getting into it with the pope, to be fighting with the pope, even though the president says, ‘I’m not fighting with the pope.’ Yes, you are, and over something where it’s like the president is taking the words from the pope very, very seriously, when any pope, Pope Leo, Pope Francis, Pope John Paul, would have been saying the same thing, because this is about life and death. This is about right and wrong. And it’s something big that’s happening in the world that has commanded the pope’s attention.

Trump Threatens War Crimes in Iran Again – Mother Jones– www.motherjones.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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President Donald Trump departs after speaking with reporters about the war in Iran during a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Monday, April 6, 2026.Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

In a Truth Social tirade on Sunday morning, President Donald Trump claimed that Iran violated their ceasefire agreement with the US by firing shots at ships in the Strait of Hormuz and again threatened to commit war crimes by taking out the country’s energy infrastructure.

“Many of [the bullets] were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom,” Trump contended about Iran’s targeting of the ships, without evidence. “That wasn’t nice, was it?”

SETH ORANBURG: Local Municipalities Weaponize Bureaucracy Against Prayer– dailycaller.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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As Congress debates antisemitism legislation and the Religious Liberty Commission holds hearings on rising hate, a case pending before the Supreme Court reveals a more mundane threat: city officials who use zoning bureaucracy to shut down Jewish prayer in a private home.

Daniel Grand invited a handful of neighbors to his house on a Saturday morning to pray. The City of University Heights, Ohio, served him with a cease-and-desist order, calling his home an “illegal house of worship.” Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan then encouraged Grand’s neighbors to surveil his home and report any religious activity for punishment.

When a city criminalizes home worship, you’d figure the homeowner has recourse. On paper, yes. In practice, no. In reality, municipalities across the country destroy faith communities not through action but through something more sinister: selective inaction.

Kash Patel Announces Lawsuit Against ‘The Atlantic’ Over Latest Hit Piece– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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FBI Director Kash Patel announced Sunday that he intends to take legal action against The Atlantic over a recent attack piece that accused him of frequent drinking on the job and unexplained absences. The director has thoroughly denied the allegations, calling them “fake news.”

The article, titled “The FBI Director Is MIA,” claimed to be based on interviews with more than two dozen anonymous sources, including current and former FBI officials, staff from law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, hospitality workers, members of Congress, political operatives, lobbyists, and former advisers.

Among the claims were episodes of excessive drinking that allegedly affected his leadership. Sources reported that Patel had been observed drinking to the point of obvious intoxication at venues including the private club Ned’s in Washington, D.C., and the Poodle Room in Las Vegas. According to “six current and former officials,” meetings and briefings were sometimes rescheduled because of alcohol-fueled nights early in his tenure.