Legislation to defund non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan that have allegedly been hijacked by the Taliban has cleared the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and is headed to the chamber’s floor for a full vote, despite having been voted against by Democrats.

The legislation was introduced after the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction reported in 2021 that the Taliban stole around 70% of the over $10.72 billion administered to NGOs in Afghanistan in 2021. $3.83 billion of which stemmed directly from U.S. taxpayers.

“Putting money in the hands of the Taliban is a slap in the face to every service person who served in Afghanistan, ” committee chairman Sen. Jim Risch, R-Ida., said in a statement. “It is the wrong thing to do. It is just common sense to keep our taxpayer money out of the hands of terrorist organizations.”

If passed, the No Tax Dollars for Terrorist Act would defund organizations such as the Afghan Fund and require the State Department to identify and oppose nations that continue to allocate financial resources to them.

In 2022, the Heritage Foundation stated that the foreign-aid establishment of government bureaucrats, United Nations experts, contractors, and aid agencies has “utterly failed” to “help Afghans gain any semblance of self-sufficiency,” which has left behind a “failed state and Asia’s poorest country,” as a result.

The legislation, originally introduced by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., passed the U.S. House of Representatives in July of 2025, before being introduced in the Senate by Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., last summer.

“Hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer funds were wasted, leaving the Afghan people to scavenge for food to survive while the Taliban reestablishes the country as a global terrorist hub,” Heritage researchers added.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has not indicated when he will bring the legislation to a floor vote. However, Burchett, Host of the Shawn Ryan Show and Navy Seal Veteran Shawn Ryan, who teamed up with Burchett to draft the legislation, and other conservative voices have urged the public to apply public pressure to force a vote on the legislation.

“Call your Senator, thank him for the support, and encourage him to get it to the floor,” Burchett said on X. “Not one more week delay. Let’s put this bad chapter of our fiscal mismanagement to rest.”

Burchett and Ryan did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment.

The post Will the Senate Vote to Protect Taxpayer Dollars From the Taliban? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Federal immigration agents on Thursday arrested illegal aliens convicted of a third-degree sex offense, manslaughter, and arson, as the Department of Homeland Security continues to deal with backlash over enforcement operations in Minnesota.

“These thugs have no place in our communities,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, adding, “70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. This statistic doesn’t even include foreign fugitives, terrorists, and gang members who lack a rap sheet in the U.S.”

Authorities on Thursday arrested two Mexican nationals, Darwin Vazquez-Ramos, who has been convicted of a third-degree sex offense, and Israel Sanchez-Jimenez, who has been convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in Los Angeles, according to DHS.

Authorities also arrested Colombian Yonatan Galvez-Marin, who has been convicted of manslaughter in New York City; Phong Nguyen, who is from Vietnam and has been convicted of arson in Texas; and Mohammed Amin Zakariah, a Ghana native who has been convicted of identity theft in North Carolina.

“With every arrest, we are making America safe again,” McLaughlin said.

The arrests come as the department faces backlash after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, on Jan. 24, and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, on Jan. 7 amid anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis.

ICE is “doing its work around the country, and we’re not getting news around the country,” Lora Ries, director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal.

“We have to get the cause and effect right here,” Ries continued. “ICE is not the cause; the Radical Left, these rioters, and their funders and organizers are the cause of what’s coming out of Minnesota.”

Investigations have uncovered multiple agitator organizations operating in Minneapolis.

Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina, for example, is a “major player” in organizing anti-ICE protests, according to The Daily Signal’s Tyler O’Neil. The New York Times reports that the group is “on the front lines of anti-ICE operations.”

Despite opposition and protests, ICE operations are continuing in Minneapolis under the leadership of border czar Tom Homan.

Homan, at President Donald Trump’s request, is taking over for Customs and Border Protection commander Greg Bovino, following the two fatal shootings by immigration enforcement agents. Homan is reporting directly to Trump, according to the president.

“I didn’t come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines,” Homan said. “I came here to seek solutions, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Homan has met with multiple state and local leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, since arriving in Minneapolis and says there will be a reduction of federal immigration officers in the Twin Cities if local authors agree to “commonsense cooperation” with ICE.

The post EXCLUSIVE: ICE Arrests Illegal Aliens Convicted of Manslaughter, Arson appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is hopeful a judge will reject the Trump administration’s request to pause her lawsuit seeking to reinstate regulations of the abortion pill.

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice asked a federal court to pause Louisiana’s case against the Food and Drug Administration while the agency conducts a safety review into the abortion drug mifepristone.

“I am certainly hopeful that he will not accept the Department of Justice’s position, because they haven’t given any concrete reason to believe they are actually moving forward,” Murrill told The Daily Signal.

The state of Louisiana and resident Rosalie Markezich filed a lawsuit in 2025 challenging a Biden-era rule allowing abortion drugs to be dispensed to women through the mail without seeing a doctor first.

Markezich says her boyfriend coerced her into taking abortion pills which he ordered from a doctor in California. While Louisiana law prohibits abortions in almost all cases, the lack of an in-person dispensing requirement on the drugs allowed him to obtain the drugs out-of-state through the mail.

The administration’s request for a pause says that studies like the abortion pill safety review “often take approximately a year or more to conduct,” though the FDA’s current plan is to complete the study “sooner than that timeframe.”

A spokesperson for the Justice Department told The Daily Signal in a statement that the agency “remains committed to advancing President Trump’s pro-life agenda, including through dismissing criminal prosecutions and civil lawsuits against peaceful pro-life advocates targeted by the previous administration, and using the FACE Act to protect pro-life pregnancy centers.”

“In this filing, the Department of Justice simply requested more time from the court for the FDA to complete its review of mifepristone REMS,” the spokesperson added. A Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, is a protocol for the FDA to ensure safe usage of higher-risk drugs.

“As the Supreme Court recognized in a unanimous ruling less than two years ago, it is the role of the FDA – not the federal courts – to evaluate drug safety data and impose appropriate precautions.”

However, because the Trump FDA has not taken steps to initate the rulemaking process to change the Biden-era rule, there’s no reason to pause the case, Murrill said.

“If they had taken action toward withdrawing the Biden-era rules, which they can and should do, and have even indicated they’re willing to do, since they’ve conceded these rules need to be withdrawn, then I think we might all agree it would make sense to pause the litigation while they carried out that rulemaking process,” she said.

“But there’s been no movement to initiate that process, so there’s no reason to pause the case,” she continued.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious liberty law firm, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the state of Lousiana.

“I remain confident that we will succeed in moving forward with this litigation because courts have an unflagging obligation to hear the cases presented before them,” ADF senior counsel Erik Baptist said.

“The Trump administration is trying to pause this case, but I think it will be to no avail, given that countless women and unborn babies would be unlawfully harmed while waiting years for the FDA to do something.”

The entry of abortion pills into Lousiana from across state lines is “dangerous,” “illegal,” and “unethical,” Murrill said. A study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center found that 11% of women who take the abortion drug experience “sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event” within 45 days.

“We’ve seen the harms that have come to women from the kind of unrestricted flooding of these pills into our states, and we’ve had numerous cases show up in emergency rooms,” she said. “I have more than one case where women took them at 20 weeks, which is very dangerous. We’ve got proof that they do not identify the recipient of the pills, nor do they identify the prescriber or the pharmacy.”

“You get online, and you fill out that form, and it doesn’t matter who you are, you can get these pills, and then you can do whatever you want with them,” she continued. “It’s just an very unusual situation for any kind of medication that has a black box warning on it, like this does.”

While the DOJ is saying it requested a pause because the legal case could “affect the review process,” Tom McCluskey, government affairs director at CatholicVote, thinks there’s more to the story.

“It does seem to coincide with other decisions coming from the White House that they want to wait till the midterms, or not deal with it at all,” he told The Daily Signal.

“While I am appreciative of the groundbreaking pro-life moves this administration continues to do, the dangers and outreach of the abortion drug can erase all movements forward,” he continued.

The post Did Trump Admin Kill Red State’s Effort to Limit the Abortion Pill? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The United States has been suffering from a crisis of the imagination for a long time. When Donald Trump first came on the political scene with the “Make America Great Again” slogan, it looked like he was part of the problem. MAGA was nostalgia bait, but Trump continues to govern with more optimism about the future than most Americans are even comfortable with. 

According to Pew data released in December, the American psyche is engrossed in “futurephobia.” When asked which time period they would choose to live in if given the chance, 45% of U.S. adults said they would leap into the past, with 1 in 5 yearning to go back 50 years or more. Meanwhile, 40% would cling to the present and the status quo. 

If life were a poker table, almost everyone would check or fold.

Only 14% of Americans would take a shot on the future. The skeptics who want to pause or retreat are responding to genuine fear and a sense of loss, whether it’s the decline of community, pessimistic economic prospects, or feelings of obsolescence in the face of AI.

Trump’s “MAGA” motto intentionally spoke to this malaise while still offering an unapologetic, high-octane kind of optimism embedded in his policy agenda. A key ingredient of Trump’s politics is not apologizing for the past, cause most people look back on it fondly, one way or another. 

MAGA’s starting point was to appreciate the past and recapture parts of it in the future. That’s the best kind of nostalgia. 

In his book Past Forward, Dr. Clay Routledge argues about nostalgia that nostalgia is, “The past isn’t the true destination; it’s just where we go to grab supplies for the trip.” The president’s critics have focused for ten years now on his ability to signal nostalgia, and neglected the part of Trump’s character that is fond of building skyscrapers. 

Overly nostalgic people don’t knock down the White House’s East Wing. His administration recognizes that to save the American Dream, we have to build new things. 

In energy, the administration is embracing the ambitious goal of making America an energy powerhouse. Back in May, the president signed an executive order aiming to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050. Meta recently announced a new infrastructure project that would yield 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear energy. Energy Sec. Chris Wright was correct in his response, “It takes a massive amount of electricity to generate intelligence.” 

They’ve allowed for the powering of next-generation technology while simultaneously trying to keep a lid on energy prices for consumers. For the Trump administration, it’s about reinstituting a culture where companies are encouraged to think big again. They’ve done this by dismantling a litany of regulatory hurdles that have stalled energy infrastructure projects. 

They’ve gone all-in on a high-energy future. 

On tech, the precautionary principle, which crept out of Brussels and into the Biden administration, has largely been cast out. There’s less carnal fear over technology. Look at Trump’s announcement of the Genesis Mission for November, which would leverage the power of AI to double research and development productivity over the next decade. That means faster production and lower prices of goods and services for consumers. 

If you ever wondered why “flying cars” haven’t happened, look no further than the inflexibility of federal aviation rules. Even here, things are being loosened up. A longstanding federal ban on civilian aircraft exceeding the speed of sound over land was lifted in June, allowing for more supersonic flight.

The FAA has been directed to establish noise-based standards rather than blanket speed limits, which clears the way for potential 90-minute flights between New York to Los Angeles. Still, no Jetsons cars, but this is what it looks like when the government isn’t scared stiff by progress. Unimaginable things can happen in transportation if the government signals an openness to allowing change. 

Of course, there’s still the final frontier and the Artemis II mission. The Trump administration is setting hard deadlines for astronauts to return to the moon in 2028. They aim to establish a permanent lunar outpost by the end of the decade, which must be a delight to former presidential candidate and moon base enthusiast, Newt Gingrich.

Artemis II is in final testing with Feb. 2 as a dress rehearsal for launch, an adventure that offers Americans an opportunity to grow beyond fondness for the past and to get excited about tomorrow. 

Fear of the future is natural, but it does not have to be our destiny. MAGA may have started as a nostalgia movement dedicated to remembering why we should be proud of being Americans, but Trump is more focused on the future than any administration in recent history.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. 

The post Trump Is Breaking Our National Addiction to Pessimism appeared first on The Daily Signal.

After the House Ethics Committee announced it found over two dozen instances of “serious financial crimes” against Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., announced on Thursday night he will be filing a resolution to expel the congresswoman.

“In November, I filed a resolution to expel [Cherfilus-McCormick] following her indictment by the DOJ,” Steube posted on X. “Today’s House Ethics findings detail more than two dozen counts of serious financial crimes. When we return to Washington, I’ll call up a resolution to expel her from Congress.”

The Department of Justice previously charged Cherfilus-McCormick for allegedly stealing over $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief funds and making illegal campaign contributions. If convicted, she could face upwards of 53 years in prison.  

The Ethics Committee dug through over 33,000 documents, conducted 28 witness interviews, and released a 59-page statement of alleged violations totaling over two dozen crimes and over $5 million in stolen funds.  

The committee will hold a hearing on March 5. It is still unclear if Cherfilus-McCormick will be forced to appear and testify.  

The committee found that the congresswoman received overpayments originally from FEMA but paid out through the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Instead of returning the overpaid money, Cherfilus-McCormick allegedly laundered it through her own consulting firm and family members’ LLC’s. 

Cherfilus-McCormick allegedly used some of the funds to make illegal contributions to her 2021 congressional campaign, purchase designer merchandise at Tiffany & Co., Tesla, and on luxury travel as well.  

The congresswoman will also appear in court in Miami for the same crimes. A federal judge has rescheduled the arraignment twice. As of now she is set to appear on Feb. 3.  

“I reject these allegations and remain confident the full facts will make clear I did nothing wrong,” said the congresswoman in a statement claiming she is not guilty.  

Expelling the congresswoman would require a 2/3 vote. Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, D-N.Y., says, “it’s going to fail.” 

Cherfilus-McCormick could not be reached for a comment.  

In December 2023, the House in a bipartisan vote expelled George Santos, R-N.Y., following his indictment on multiple federal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft. Santos was the first member of Congress expelled in over 20 years.

The post This Democrat Could Be Expelled From Congress If GOP Rep Has His Way  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights probe into the death of Alex Pretti in Minnesota, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Blanche confirmed the investigation during a press conference on Friday.

“All that that means is that [Department of Homeland Security], as they’ve, as the secretary has said, is conducting an investigation, as they should, and as they do every time there’s a tragic event like this,” Blanche said. “And the FBI, in their role, which is a separate role from DHS, is also looking into it and conducting an investigation. And that shouldn’t be treated as making news.”

Two Customs and Border Protection officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.

There are “thousands, unfortunately, of law enforcement events every year where somebody is shot” that are not investigated by the division, Blanche later said.

“The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice does not investigate every one of those shootings,” he said, noting there have to be “circumstances or facts or maybe unknown facts” that warrant an investigation.

“We’re looking at everything that would shed light on that day,” he continued.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday that they are “continuing to gather information.”

“The FBI leading this investigation is important to make sure that we talk about both [the Renee Good and the Pretti] situations appropriately,” she said.

Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation

The post DOJ Opens Civil Rights Probe Into Alex Pretti’s Death appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Justice Department is joining a lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles medical school for alleged race-based admissions that it says violate a Supreme Court ruling.

Last May, student groups sued the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA regarding the continued use of race in admission practices, despite a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that barred universities from using race as a factor in admissions decisions.

Plaintiffs who brought the initial case included Students for Fair Admissions, which previously sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina in cases that were decided by the high court. The other plaintiff is Do No Harm. Both groups represent students denied admission into the UCLA medical school.

“Even after the Supreme Court banned race-balancing, the Geffen School kept discriminating by using illegal DEI preferences in admissions,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a public statement Thursday.  

This case is being handled by the Educational Opportunities Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

“As the Supreme Court stated more than 80 years ago, a free people, founded on the doctrine of equality, regard distinctions between citizens solely because of their ancestry as inherently odious,” Dhillon added.

The Justice Department complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California asserts the UCLA medical school gathers data on the race of its applicants, then uses racial preferences to balance its admissions classes by race.

The complaint notes: “UCLA Med’s Associate Dean for Admissions, Jennifer Lucero, boldly states on her official profile that ‘she takes a special interest in diversity issues in medicine.’” Lucero’s page on the UCLA website lists her as vice chair for inclusive excellence in anesthesiology at the medical school.

The complaint further says large disparities exist between minority applicants and non-minority applicants in Medical College Admission Test scores. 

“According to data reviewed by the United States, UCLA Med’s class incoming in 2024 has median MCAT scores of 508 for Black, 506 for Hispanic, 515 for Asian, and 513 for White matriculants,” the DOJ complaint says. “These correspond to percentile rankings of 75, 66, 90, and 86, respectively.”

The DOJ press release called the practice “invidious racism” that “stigmatizes minority applicants as less qualified.”

“As the Supreme Court has made clear, admission into our nation’s educational institutions cannot be based on discriminatory racial policies,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Today’s intervention is the Department of Justice’s latest effort to hold our universities accountable for unlawful policy—especially in the state of California.”

Almost three decades before the high court decision on race-based admissions, California voters in 1996 adopted Proposition 209, which banned racial consideration for public education, hiring, and contracting. 

The Daily Signal sought comment from spokespersons for both the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA. Neither immediately responded. 

A spokesperson for the school of medicine told Reuters that it did not comment on pending litigation, and that the medical school was “committed to fair processes” in all programs and activities, including admissions, in line with federal and state anti-discrimination laws.

The post DOJ Joins Lawsuit Accusing UCLA Med School of Unlawful Race-Based Admissions appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The U.S. Justice Department on Friday published a new and final cache of millions of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, under a law passed in November that required the release of all Epstein-related records.

Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, said at a press conference that Friday’s batch of files marked the end of the Trump administration’s planned releases under the law. The new cache includes more than 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images, he said.

The files include “extensive” redactions, he said, given the law’s exceptions permitting certain documents to be blacked out, including identifying information of victims or materials related to active investigations. Previous releases have been heavily redacted, drawing criticism from some lawmakers.

Blanche defended the slow pace of releases, saying that the voluminous files required hundreds of attorneys to work day and night for weeks to review and prepare them for public release. The law had set a deadline of Dec. 19, 2025, but officials said they needed more time to review the files.

President Donald Trump, who was friends with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s before they had a falling out years before Epstein’s first conviction, spent months resisting any release until both Democrats and Republicans in Congress advanced the law over his objections.

Trump has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and he has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

In a press release announcing Friday’s document production, the Justice Department wrote, “Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”

Epstein, a New York financier, was found hanged in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

Blanche expressed frustration with accusations that the Justice Department had declined to pursue associates of Epstein who may have participated in illegal activity.

“There’s this built-in assumption that somehow there’s this hidden tranche of information of men that we know about, that we’re covering up, or that we’re not, we’re choosing not to prosecute. That is not the case,” he said.

Former President Bill Clinton appeared in the batch of Epstein files released by the Justice Department in December. Clinton was featured in a photograph with Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell at the Epstein estate.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last summer issued subpoenas to 10 individuals, including Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to testify about the crimes of Epstein.

Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., noted that Epstein claimed to have helped set up the Clinton Foundation, and that records show he helped raise money for the foundation. 

The committee, in a bipartisan vote, recently moved to advance contempt citations against the Clintons for their failure to testify in the investigation.

The Clintons published a letter explaining their refusal to testify, saying, “We have tried to give you the little information we have.” They also said the investigation was politicized.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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The post Justice Department Releases Final Cache of Jeffrey Epstein Files appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Arizona educators have been set free to create their own schools and education services. And families can now select between them to find the best fit for their child.

Arizona lawmakers in the 1990s created the nation’s most robust charter school law, the first scholarship tax credit program, and statewide district open enrollment. Education flourished in the process as Arizona led the nation in the creation of new public schools and statewide academic achievement improved.

Arizona then took the boldest step of all—allowing parents to receive their K-12 funding into an account to manage within the confines of statute. Today, this latest form of education has proven wildly popular with families, which can be seen both in the growth of the program and the desperately incoherent complaints of opponents.

Arizona lawmakers created the nation’s first account-based K-12 choice program, Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, in 2011. Participating families sign a contract with the state to educate their child, and the state deposits an amount equal to 90% of the state funding of their district into an account controlled by parents with state oversight.

Accounts have multiple but limited uses set down in statute—families can use their funds for tuition at private schools, colleges, and universities, and to purchase individual public school courses. They can also use those funds for tutoring, special education therapies, academic curriculum and materials, and more.

Arizona’s program debuted with 144 students in 2011 and grew to about 12,000 students in 2022 when Republican Gov. Doug Ducey made all Arizona students eligible.

In early 2026, Arizona’s ESA enrollment surpassed 100,000 students.

An EdChoice study of account use found that the number of participating private schools increased from 510 to 661 between the 2022 and 2023 school years, including large increases in private religious schools, non-religious private schools, special education-focused schools, co-ops, and post-secondary schools. Participating colleges, tutors, and therapists likewise increased.

Some Arizona families have teamed up to hire their own teachers, cutting out the middleman.

Despite her own personal use of choice as a student and parent, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, continues seeking to deprive Arizona families of the same. This year, she proposed to cut off participation in the program to higher-income families and to ban the rollover of unused funds from one school year to the next at the behest of her allies in the teacher unions. Neither of these proposals makes the least bit of sense. Arizona taxpayers can, for instance, fund nearly two students to participate in the ESA program for the total average cost for one student to attend an Arizona district school.

Why Hobbs happily spends $20,000 for the children of well-to-do families attending a district while begrudging them a $7,500 ESA instead seems entirely bizarre.

Likewise, moving ESA accounts to “use it or lose it” will result in a misuse of funds. Bureaucrats have long squandered funds on end-of-the-fiscal-year spending sprees, and it is not something to adopt in choice programs. Private school tuition is higher for the high school years than in K-8, meaning that families sometimes roll over funds for future expenses. The “savings” part of an education savings account requires families to consider opportunity costs when making purchases for their students.

Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come—not even teacher unions.

The post Arizona ESA Growth Skyrockets While Criticisms Crash appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison will answer questions from a congressional panel investigating welfare fraud in the state. 

The two will testify on March 4 to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. 

“Americans deserve answers about the rampant misuse of taxpayer dollars in Minnesota’s social services programs that occurred on Gov. Walz’s and Attorney General Ellison’s watch,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Friday in a post on X. 

Federal prosecutors have estimated that welfare fraud in the state could have topped $9 billion. Amid the nearly 100 fraud arrests, the Trump administration has withheld funds for certain social programs.

Walz, the 2024 Democrat nominee for vice president, announced that he would not seek reelection to a third term as governor earlier this month amide intense criticism over the scandal.

Earlier this month, members of the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee testified to the same congressional panel that Walz likely knew about the fraud as it occurred.

State Republican lawmakers also testified about state intimidation of whistleblowers.

The Daily Signal contacted both the governor’s office and attorney general’s office for comment Friday morning. Neither immediately responded.

The post Walz, Ellison to Testify at House Hearing on Fraud Scandal appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Donald Trump has chosen former Federal Reserve Board Governor Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the central bank.

“I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,” Trump said on TruthSocial. “On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.”

The president has previously said that he expects the next Fed chair to lower interest rates.

Warsh will succeed current chair Jerome Powell, who is serving until May, when his term expires. Powell is under investigation by Trump’s Justice Department for alleged false statements about renovations to the Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C., that have increased in cost to $2.5 billion.

Trump was reportedly choosing between Warsh, Fed Governor Chris Waller, BlackRock Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income Rick Rieder, and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.

Warsh is the Shepard family distinguished visiting fellow in economics at the Hoover Institution and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is also a partner of Stanley Druckenmiller at Duquesne Family Office LLC.

Following the 2009 financial crisis, Warsh was skeptical of cutting rates. At the November 2010 Federal Open Market Committee meeting, Warsh expressed concerns about the Fed’s plan to stimulate the economy by lowering long-term interest rates through additional asset purchases.

But more recently, Warsh has criticized Powell for being too hesitant to lower interest rates. He told Fox Business’ “Kudlow” program in July that he had “some sympathy” for Trump being frustrated with how Powell is handling interest rates.

“Economic growth in the U.S. is poised to boom, but it’s being held down by bad economic policies coming from the central bank, bad supervision policies, bad monetary policies, and a very confusing set of standards as we’ve gone from last year to this year,” Warsh said.

The post ‘Central Casting’: Trump Picks Next Fed Chair appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Federal agents arrested former CNN host Don Lemon Thursday night in Los Angeles, his attorney, Abbe Lowell, announced Friday morning.

“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards,” Lowell wrote in a statement posted to Lemon’s show on YouTube.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell added. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.

The Justice Department initially sought charges for Lemon, among others, for violating the Ku Klux Klan Act and the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act earlier this month when he entered Cities Church in St. Paul amid an invasion of the service.

The Klan Act criminalizes the deprivation of rights, and the Justice Department has claimed the church invaders deprived worshippers of their First Amendment right to religious exercise. The FACE Act protects access to houses of worship.

A federal magistrate judge, however, refused to sign a warrant for Lemon’s arrest. The Justice Department appealed that decision, but the court noted that prosecutors could improve the filing before presenting it to the same judge, or present the case to a grand jury to seek an indictment.

The Justice Department withdrew the appeal earlier this week, and it seems prosecutors found another way to bring the case.

First Amendment Defense?

Lemon has claimed that he went to Cities Church merely to cover the agitation as a journalist, and did not intend to violate anyone’s rights.

Lowell faulted the Justice Department for pursuing Lemon, rather than the federal agents who shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, amid the surge of federal law enforcement in Minneapolis.

“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,” Lowell wrote. “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”

Renee Carlson, who represents Cities Church as general counsel for True North Counsel, had highlighted a previous statement suggesting that, even if Lemon avoids all criminal liability, he may face civil liability.

“The First Amendment does not allow premeditated plots or coordinated actions to violate the sanctity of a sanctuary, disrupt worship, and intimidate small children,” Carlson said in a previous statement she highlighted for The Daily Signal. “There is no ‘press pass’ to invade a sanctuary or to conspire to interrupt religious services.”

The Church Invasion

Between 30 and 40 anti-ICE agitators interrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church, a non-denominational Christian church, and shouted, “Justice for Renee Good!” as they surrounded members of the congregation. 

Videos of the incident show the pastor and others repeatedly asking the agitators to leave, and the agitators chanting, “Who shut this down? We shut this down!”

According to the charging document, a member of the congregation said worshippers were “terrorized, our children were weeping.” One woman broke her arm. Agitators blocked about 50 members of the congregation from exiting, making it “nearly impossible for parishioners to get out and leave.”

The document also mentions that agitators prevented congregants from getting to their children, and one of the agitators reportedly told young children, “Do you know your parents are Nazis, they’re going to burn in hell?”

After the church invasion, Lemon attacked the “type of Christianity” practiced by Cities Church, claiming that the church has an “entitlement” that “comes from white supremacy.”

The post BREAKING: Don Lemon Arrested, Lawyer Says appeared first on The Daily Signal.

1. “I’m really good at killing people. Didn’t know that was going to be a strong suit of mine.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2019

b. President Barack Obama, 2012

2. “But, let me tell you, we can build a fence 40 stories high—unless you change the dynamic in Mexico and—and you will not like this, and—punish American employers who knowingly violate the law when, in fact, they hire illegals. Unless you do those two things, all the rest is window dressing.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2017

b. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., 2006

3. “Today, I will issue a national security memorandum directing every Federal department and agency to do even more to stop the flow of narcotics—including fentanyl—into our country. It will increase intelligence collection on traffickers’ evolving tactics to smuggle narcotics into our country. And it will help our law enforcement personnel seize more deadly drugs before they reach our communities.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2025

b. President Joe Biden, 2024

4. “The United States and the world faced a choice. [The dictator] declared he would show ‘no mercy’ to his own people. He compared them to rats and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment. In the past, we have seen him hang civilians in the streets and kill over a thousand people in a single day. It was not in our national interest to let that [massacre] happen. I refused to let that happen.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2026, about Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro

b. President Barack Obama, 2011, about Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi

5. “We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked, and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2025

b. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., 2005

6. “Real reform means stronger border security … putting more boots on the southern border than at any time in our history and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2026

b. President Barack Obama, 2013

7. “Illegal immigration is wrong, plain and simple. … People who enter the United States without our permission are illegal aliens and illegal aliens should not be treated the same as people who enter the U.S. legally … Until the American people are convinced that we will stop future flows of illegal immigration, we will make no progress on dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants who are here now … When we use phrases like undocumented workers, we convey a message to the American people that their government is not serious about combatting illegal immigration. If you don’t think it’s illegal, you’re not going to say it. I think it is illegal and wrong.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2017

b. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., 2009

8. “Because we do need to address the issue of immigration and the challenge we have of undocumented people in our country. We certainly don’t want any more coming in.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2019

b. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., 2008

9. “All Americans … are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. … We are a nation of immigrants. But we are also a nation of laws.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2020

b. President Bill Clinton, 1995

10. “I think we can enforce our borders. I think we should enforce our borders.”

a. President Donald Trump, 2018

b. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., 1994

11. “If making it easy to be an illegal alien isn’t enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant? No sane country would do that. Right? … If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship … ”

a. President Donald Trump, 2017

b. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., 1993

12. “A biometric-based employment verification system with tough enforcement and auditing is necessary to significantly diminish the job magnet that attracts illegal aliens to the United States … ”

a. President Donald Trump, 2020

b. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., 2009

Hint: If it’s not too late, consider betting on “b.”

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We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. 

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The leftist media cabal constantly imagines itself as the grand embodiment of democracy and freedom of speech, even as it seeks to put Republicans in jail and hopes to censor them from speaking on social media. It doesn’t live up to its First Amendment boasting.

For example, there’s “CNN International” host Christiane Amanpour, whose leftist ravings are also broadcast on PBS stations. On Jan. 23, Amanpour led off her show with this attack on President Donald Trump: “He says he’s bringing free speech back to America, but one year into Trump 2.0, few presidents have done as much to degrade civil liberties and muzzle the free press. Former Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron joins me to discuss how American journalism can survive.”

Oh, the overwrought ardor! How will journalism survive as they seek to destroy Trump 24/7? Any pushback on their destruction campaign will be painted as an attack on freedom of the press.

Amanpour mischaracterized Trump’s remarks in Davos, Switzerland, when he said, “I only get negative press. That means that it has no credibility. And if they’re going to get credibility, they’re going to have to be fair.”

It’s true that the media have been almost entirely negative on Trump for 10 years. It’s also true that they’d have more credibility with more Americans if they weren’t so relentlessly unfair.

But Amanpour claimed Trump was saying that “he needed a good press, implying that it has to be positive about him, otherwise it lacks [has] no credibility.” Baron agreed: “[W]hat he means by good press is good for him. What he means by a free press is free to say what he—only what he wants it to say.”

In all this moralizing, as Amanpour celebrated Baron for being legendary in “holding the powerful to account,” they could not imagine anyone would find them guilty of refusing to hold Democrats to account and suppressing stories Democrats don’t like. Exhibit A is the Hunter Biden laptop story right before the 2020 election.

This is where the hypocrisy really kicked in that their actual belief is “free speech for me, not for thee.”

Amanpour argued, “This administration and others like it around the world, populists, nationalists, have used the word ‘free’ simply for their own side. And anything that criticizes their side, whether it’s the extreme Right, as JD Vance talked about a year ago in Munich, accusing, you know, Western governments of removing the freedom of their people by trying to, you know, stop their hate speech.” Baron agreed, arguing that Vance and others distorted “the real meaning of words.”

Is it distorting the word “free” for Vance to complain that European governments are jailing people for tweets? Vance added that Britain was punishing silent prayer in front of abortion clinics. In Scotland, they warned against private prayer inside your own home if it’s near an abortion clinic. In Germany, a man faced a dawn raid with six cops because he called a politician a “pimmel” (slang for penis).

But as we know, the American media like European censorship. CBS’ “60 Minutes” even did a whole segment lauding the German censors. If you want to brag that you’re for freedom of speech and for journalists holding the government accountable, you would advocate it for both sides.

But journalists like Amanpour and Baron live by the slogan “truthful, not neutral,” which translates into my leftist beliefs are “truth,” and the opposing view is “misinformation” and “hate speech.” Seeking neutrality or fairness equals bowing down to Trump. They believe that the “right side of history” gets to punish and censor the “wrong side.”

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We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. 

The post Never Let Leftists Say They Are the First Amendment Stalwarts appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Traditionally, Minnesotans, by virtue of their Scandinavian heritage, are known for being well-mannered and having good governance. However, over the past few months, the idyllic poster boy for “Midwest nice” has been completely upended following a string of high-profile, taxpayer-dollar fraud controversies, raids against peaceful church services, and violent altercations between leftist protesters and federal immigration officials.

Daily Signal Senior Editor Tyler O’Neil joins Jack Fowler on this podcast episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Works” to walk through his own original investigative reporting behind the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest from within Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, last week and the tone-deaf responses from local Democrat officials.

Subscribe to Victor Davis Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal

The post How ‘Midwest Nice’ Minnesota Became Ground Zero for Leftist Violence and Fraud  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

In recent years, many parents have begun questioning long-standing assumptions about traditional education. Concerns about bureaucracy, one-size-fits-all curricula, and institutional failures have eroded confidence in the public school system for many families.

Some parents are also increasingly wary of ideological instruction in public schools, particularly when it comes to gender ideology and sex education.

While debate over education is healthy in our society, a growing number of families believe the system has become less responsive to individual needs and more influenced by political and administrative pressures.

It is little surprise, then, that parents are looking for alternatives. For many families, homeschooling has moved from the margins to the mainstream.

The Shift Toward Homeschooling

Homeschooling is no longer a fringe educational choice. In the United States, an estimated 3.1 million students—about 6% of school-age children—are educated at home, and that number has grown steadily in recent years.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, forcing many parents to educate their children at home, which demystified homeschooling. Today, families cite flexibility, personalized pacing, and concerns about school culture and learning environments as reasons for choosing to homeschool.

What drives this shift is not just dissatisfaction with traditional schools. Many parents point to the academic and personal success of homeschooled students as reasons for making the switch.

Academic Outcomes and Personal Growth

Research consistently shows that homeschooled students perform well across multiple measures:

• Studies indicate that homeschooled students often score 15 to 30 percentile points higher on standardized tests than their conventionally schooled peers.

• Peer-reviewed research finds that homeschoolers outperform or match public-school students academically, with 78% of studies showing statistically significant better performance.

• Homeschool graduates often enroll in college at rates comparable to—or higher than—students from traditional schools and often succeed once enrolled.

• Beyond academics, homeschooled students are involved in community service, extracurricular activities, and social organizations, challenging the stereotype that homeschooling leads to isolation.

Parents and students alike report high levels of confidence, engagement, and satisfaction with the homeschooling experience.

Learning at an Individual Pace

One of homeschooling’s greatest strengths is its adaptability. In traditional classrooms, a standardized pace can leave advanced learners bored and struggling students behind. Homeschooling eliminates those problems.

Students can master subjects thoroughly before moving on, pursue interests beyond a standard curriculum, and develop self-directed learning habits that serve them well throughout life.

This flexibility supports not only academic growth but also personal development.

Many families see their homeschooled children become more confident, creative, and motivated when they are given the freedom to learn in ways that resonate with them.

Benefits Beyond Academics

Homeschooling is not solely just about test scores and college admissions. Its benefits extend into deep emotional and interpersonal development.

Parents who homeschool experience stronger family bonds and better communication.

Learning at home or in small group settings can also reduce exposure to bullying and peer pressure, creating safer learning environments.

In addition, homeschoolers are offered more freedom to structure days around peak focus times and unique learning styles. Rather than waiting for hours in lines for the bathroom or waking up two hours early to catch a bus, homeschoolers have more individualized schedules, leading to more efficient and productive uses of time.

Dispelling the Socialization Myth

One of the most persistent criticisms of homeschooling is the belief that homeschooled children lack social skills. In reality, this stereotype does not reflect the modern homeschooling landscape.

Today’s homeschoolers regularly participate in sports teams, co-ops, volunteer programs, internships, faith-based groups, clubs, and community organizations. These opportunities allow students to interact with people of all ages rather than being confined to a single peer group.

Researchers and colleges report that homeschooled students demonstrate strong communication skills, maturity, and confidence in social settings. Far from being socially isolated, many homeschoolers are proving to be well-rounded, articulate, and fully prepared to engage with the world around them.

Growing Government Scrutiny

Despite its growth and success, homeschooling faces increased scrutiny from government bodies and state agencies. In several states and countries, lawmakers have proposed tighter regulations, expanded reporting requirements, and additional restrictions that would make homeschooling more difficult.

Supporters of these measures often cite “accountability,” while many parents view them as attempts to reassert control over education and limit parental involvement.

Overregulation of homeschooling threatens to undermine one of the few educational models that truly prioritizes individual development and family choice.

Limiting homeschooling risks forcing parents back into systems they believe are failing to meeting their children’s needs.

A Personalized Path Forward

Education should serve students, not the other way around.

As traditional systems struggle with bureaucratic challenges and fail to adapt to the needs of individual students, homeschooling stands out as a flexible and effective option for many families.

No educational path is perfect, and homeschooling might not be the right choice for everyone. Still, the evidence and stories are clear: When parents take an active role in their children’s education and tailor learning to their individual needs, kids don’t just succeed—they thrive.

Homeschooling is no longer just an alternative. For many families, it’s the best path to raising educated, confident, and resilient individuals ready for the challenges of today’s world.

The post Why Homeschooling Isn’t Just an Alternative—It’s a Solution appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Republicans accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of “trying to handcuff” immigration enforcement as Democrats refused to advance a bill to keep government open on Thursday.

“Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats are trying to handcuff [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] because their party is committed to open borders,” Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told The Daily Signal. “We must hold the line and support ICE.”

Schumer, motivated by the immigration enforcement-involved fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, laid out demands for keeping the government open on Wednesday.

Schumer has demanded an end to roving immigration enforcement patrols, a universal code of conduct for federal officers, tightening the use of warrants, mandating the use of body cameras, and establishing use-of-force rules. Schumer also wants to bar these officers from wearing masks while performing their duties. ICE agents and other immigration enforcement officers wear masks due to efforts to dox ICE agents.

Until those demands are met, Schumer has indicated that Democrats will continue to strike down funding legislation for the Department of Homeland Security. ICE, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Border Patrol, and the Transportation Security Administration are all under the department’s purview.

The partial government shutdown deadline is Friday.

In a statement to The Daily Signal, Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., described this as yet “another example of the radical Left prioritizing criminals over American citizens,” and added that Schumer’s demands are “an absolute nonstarter.”

“Republicans see through this and will not ignore the victims who have suffered and died due to the lack of immigration enforcement,” Harris added.

In the Senate, conservative lawmakers such as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told The Daily Signal that Schumer’s demands bring Americans closer to experiencing the “lawless days” of the previous administration.

“It’s simple: Democrats want to hamper ICE and Border Patrol because they don’t want to enforce America’s immigration laws or secure borders,” Lee stated. “They dream of returning to the lawless days of [former President] Joe Biden and [former Homeland Security Secretary] Alejandro Mayorkas. But we won’t be sabotaging the courageous men and women of federal law enforcement to make Senator Schumer happy.”

A spokesperson for Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, accused Senate Democrats of “threatening to wreak havoc with another needless shutdown unless ICE is defunded.”

“Chuck Schumer has lost control of his party to far-left lunatics who want to hold the country hostage to pass their radical agenda,” the spokesperson told The Daily Signal.

If Schumer and Senate Republicans were to compromise and draft a similar government funding bill, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., stated that she would “attach” the SAVE Act, which requires voters to present a valid photo ID before casting a ballot, to “any piece of legislation that” is sent back to the lower chamber for approval.

The post ‘We Must Hold the Line and Support ICE’: House Republicans Say Schumer’s Demands Are ‘Nonstarter’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Across the country, nurses appear to be taking up arms—or rather, syringes—in the name of opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement or President Donald Trump.

Hospitals and authorities have quickly responded to prevent any harm, but the trend suggests nurses might seek to weaponize their profession to advance their political views.

The largest nurses’ union has called for the abolition of ICE.

Injecting ICE

On Tuesday, Virginia Commonwealth University Health announced that it fired a nurse after she released social media videos urging medical providers to use a “sabotage tactic” against ICE, preparing syringes with saline or succinylcholine, a muscle relaxant that can cause temporary partial paralysis.

“Following an investigation, the individual involved in the social media videos is no longer employed by VCU Health,” the hospital told Fox News Digital. “In addition, VCU Health has fulfilled its reporting requirements under Virginia state law.”

The hospital previously said it and VCU Police opened an investigation into the nurse.

No Anesthesia for Trump Supporters?

Erik Martindale, a registered nurse in Florida, posted on Facebook that he would deny anesthesia for “MAGA” patients, those in the Make America Great Again movement. He later deleted the post and claimed his account had been hacked.

“I will not perform anesthesia for any surgeries or procedures for MAGA” he wrote in the now-deleted post. “It is my right, it is my ethical oath, and I stand behind my education. I own all of my businesses and I can refuse anyone!”

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier alerted the Florida Board of Nursing to Martindale’s post.

Wishing Pain on Karoline Leavitt

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced last month that she is pregnant with her second child.

Lexie Lawler, who worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, posted a social media video saying, “As a labor and delivery nurse, it gives me great joy to wish Karoline Leavitt a fourth-degree tear.”

The “fourth-degree tear” she mentioned refers to a painful and severe childbirth injury requiring surgical repair.

The hospital fired the nurse, saying the statements “do not reflect our values.”

“While we respect the right to personal opinions, there is no place in health care for language or behavior that calls into question a caregiver’s ability to provide compassionate, unbiased care,” a spokesperson said.

Uthmeier announced Wednesday that Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo had revoked Lawler’s nursing license.

Lawler appears unrepentant. She launched a fundraiser, claiming that she was “fired for political speech.” She has raised more than $13,000 as of Thursday afternoon.

“If you believe liberal women shouldn’t lose their livelihoods for refusing to tone it down, stand with Lexie,” the campaign states.

National Nurses United

While these cases appear disconnected, America’s largest union of nurses released a statement demanding the abolition of ICE.

National Nurses United, which claims to represent 225,000 nurses, condemned the agency following the shooting death of Alex Pretti at the hands of U.S. Border Patrol agents. The agents have been placed on leave amid an investigation.

“The nation’s nurses, who make it their mission to care for and save human lives, are horrified and outraged that immigration agents have once again committed cold-blooded murder of a public observer who posed no threat to them,” the union said in a statement after the shooting Saturday.

“ICE and all related immigration enforcement agencies have repeatedly shown through their violence, terror, and lawlessness that they pose a dire public health threat to the entire country and all our communities,” the union added. “Nurses demand the immediate abolition of ICE.”

The union called for a no vote on the Homeland Security appropriations bill, and pledged to do “everything in our power to vote out any elected official who supports funding for this all-out assault on the health, safety, and civil rights of our people.”

Harm of Politicizing Medicine

Dr. Kurt Miceli, chief medical officer at Do No Harm, emphasized the damage that politicization poses to medicine.

“As we’ve documented at Do No Harm, if medical schools, associations, and hospitals allow radical politics to influence curricula and training, then they shouldn’t be surprised when they produce harmful activists rather than skilled medical professionals,” Dr. Miceli, a board certified physician in psychiatry and internal medicine, told The Daily Signal in a statement Thursday.

“Healthcare professionals who make violent threats against government employees, political supporters, or public officials abandon the ethical core of their profession and forfeit the trust essential to practicing it,” he added. “Their conduct illustrates how deeply ideological activism has warped the culture of care.”

“Medicine must remain anchored in the duty to treat the patient, keeping politics out of the clinical encounter and rejecting any rhetoric or behavior that compromises ethical practice,” Miceli concluded. “Patients deserve care grounded in ethics, competence, and respect—not animus or politics.”

The post NURSE SHARKS: Why Are These Nurses Threatening to Harm People? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Department of Homeland Security responded to criticism from a federal judge who claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had violated 96 court orders in 74 cases.

Patrick Schiltz, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, had originally demanded that ICE give a detained immigrant a bond hearing within seven days. After the agency initially defied his order, he commanded acting Director Todd Lyons to appear before him to explain why he should not be held in contempt of court.

The agency then released the detained immigrant and Schiltz dismissed his order, but not before issuing a scathing rebuke claiming that ICE had violated 96 court orders.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded Thursday and did not contradict the list of allegedly violated orders. She did highlight that the judge dismissed his order that Lyons appear in court.

“If DHS’s behavior was so vile, why dismiss the order to appear?” McLaughlin told The Daily Signal in a statement. “Despite the diatribe from this activist judge, the only order involved with this case issued yesterday was that Acting Director Lyons was no longer ordered to appear to testify in court.”

“DHS will continue to enforce the laws of the United States within all applicable constitutional guidelines,” she added. “We will not be deterred by activists either in the streets or on the bench.”

Condemning ICE

Schiltz, an appointee of President George W. Bush, rebuked ICE as part of his dismissal of Lyons’ order on Wednesday.

“Attached to this order is an appendix that identifies 96 court orders that ICE has violated in 74 cases,” the judge wrote. “The extent of ICE’s noncompliance is almost certainly substantially understated.” The list includes orders issued since Jan. 1.

“ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence,” Schiltz wrote.

“ICE is not a law unto itself. ICE has every right to challenge the orders of this Court, but, like any litigant, ICE must follow those orders unless and until they are overturned or vacated.”

Immigration Courts

The case revolves around questions of ICE’s ability to detain illegal aliens. Schiltz ordered ICE to provide the immigrant a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. Section 1226(a).

Immigration courts inside the executive branch often handle immigration cases, yet lawyers for illegal aliens pursue cases in Article III courts, instead.

Lora Ries, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told The Daily Signal that the Trump administration is using mandatory detention to avoid releasing illegal aliens, and the administration has a strong policy case for this.

“Similar to the Remain in Mexico program that the Trump 45 administration was the first to use—despite the authority becoming law in 1996—this Trump administration is increasing the use of mandatory detention per the same law to prevent ‘catch and release,’” Ries said. “The administration is on strong legal and policy grounds.”

“Detained aliens can still pursue immigration benefits like asylum or other relief from deportation,” she noted. “The fact that detained deportable aliens are running to federal court is yet another example of deportable aliens using our court systems to delay their removal.”

The post DHS Responds After Judge Accuses ICE of Violating 96 Court Orders in Minnesota appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey accused the federal government of conducting a “siege” of his city.

“The Operation Metro Surge needs to end. This kind of conduct and siege needs to stop, not just in Minneapolis; it needs to stop nationwide,” Frey told a room of fellow elected leaders at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

The Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Metro Surge, designed to target criminal illegal aliens in the Twin Cities area, in December, but has since expanded the operation to the rest of the state. The agency has deployed about 3,000 federal immigration officials to the area in recent weeks.

“I feel the support from across the entire country,” Frey said. “And we recognize that when one great American city is experiencing an invasion, that is an invasion on our democracy, on our republic, and on each and every one of us.”

Frey warned his fellow mayors that “if we do not speak up, if we do not step out, it will be your city that is next.”

The mayor has criticized the ICE operation for weeks, but his rhetoric against the operation sharpened after two recent fatal shootings of protesters by immigration enforcement agents.

Frey has repeatedly asked ICE to “get out” of his city, claiming the community “is less safe when we have roving bands of agents marching down the street.”

The “battlefield” against the alleged ICE “occupation” is the “court system,” Frey said.

Following Good’s death, Minnesota and the Twin Cities filed a lawsuit against the federal government aimed at ending the federal immigration crackdown in the state. The case is still under review, but the judge declined to issue the temporary restraining order that Minnesota requested.

During his remarks in D.C., Frey did not mention the phone call he had with President Donald Trump on Monday, or the meeting with border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday.

After his meeting with Homan, Frey called the conversation “productive,” but added he told the border czar that Minneapolis would “not enforce federal immigration laws.”

Homan, who Trump deployed to Minneapolis on Monday to take over the operation, said he has asked state and local officials to cooperate with federal immigration agents.

If there is “common-sense cooperation” from officials, that would allow for the “drawdown of the number of people we have here,” Homan said at a press conference Thursday.

Homan also met this week with Attorney General Keith Ellison, who, according to the border czar, said county jails are allowed to “notify ICE of the release dates of criminal public safety risks, so ICE can take custody of them upon release from the jail.”

“President Trump promised the American people, including the residents of Minnesota, that he would work to ensure our communities are safe,” Homan said. “And with that, this administration is absolutely focused on identifying and removing aliens that pose a public safety threat and national security threats.”

The post Frey Decries ICE ‘Siege’ of Minneapolis appeared first on The Daily Signal.