Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden was arrested early Saturday morning in Houston, Texas, and charged with a misdemeanor unlawful carrying of a weapon. According to Harris County court records, the 11-time NBA All-Star was taken into custody after a handgun was allegedly observed in the front seat of his vehicle. “The gun was not holstered and was in plain view, per the records,” ESPN stated. “Texas allows constitutional carry, yet James Harden was arrested because his legally owned firearm wasn’t in a holster in his vehicle. The government has no business micromanaging how a law-abiding citizen secures their own gun,” Gun Owners of America commented. Texas allows constitutional carry, yet James Harden was arrested because his legally owned firearm wasn’t in a holster in his vehicle. The government has no business micromanaging how a law-abiding citizen secures their own gun. https://t.co/lPsI7C44HK — Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) June 13, 2026 ESPN shared further: Harden was booked at 4:57 a.m. and later released after paying a $100 bond. His arraignment is scheduled for June 22, according to the clerk’s office website. Harden is listed as a Houston resident in court documents. “The Cleveland Cavaliers are aware of the arrest of James Harden this morning and are in the process of gathering additional information,” the Cavaliers said in a statement. “We are in contact with James and his representation and will continue to monitor developments as they become available. At this time, we will have no further comment.” According to the conditions of his bond, Harden has been ordered not to possess any weapons or consume alcohol or drugs and must submit to random urine tests. The former NBA MVP and three-time scoring champion joined the Cavaliers after stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Clippers. The Cavaliers lost to the New York Knicks, the eventual 2026 NBA champions, in the Eastern Conference finals. “NBA star James Harden was arrested in Houston early this morning for an unholstered firearm in his car. No violence. No threats. No actual crime. Just an unholstered firearm,” Black Guns Matter commented. “This is a blatant misuse of taxpayer resources and a clear violation of the Second Amendment,” it added. NBA star James Harden was arrested in Houston early this morning for an unholstered firearm in his car. No violence. No threats. No actual crime. Just an unholstered firearm. This is a blatant misuse of taxpayer resources and a clear violation of the Second Amendment. https://t.co/05Yno3WvRp — Black Guns Matter (@blkgunsmattr) June 13, 2026 TMZ noted: The issue unfolded in Houston, where Harden remains one of the most recognizable athletes in the city’s history thanks to his nine-year run with the Rockets. Even after changing teams, “The Beard” has maintained strong ties to H-Town. Of course, Harden’s been playing in the NBA since 2009 — joining OKC as a 3rd overall draft pick.

Former NFL defensive lineman Aldon Smith, once the fastest player to reach 30 career sacks, passed away on Saturday. He was 36. Smith played six seasons in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers drafted Smith seventh overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. “We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers said in a statement. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon,” it continued. The 49ers mourn the passing of former LB Aldon Smith. https://t.co/gVxEEdWtLp pic.twitter.com/UfAJmyI5Rp — San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) June 13, 2026 ESPN shared further: As a rookie, Smith burst on the scene with 14 sacks and 27 quarterback hits on his way to finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting. He followed with his best NFL season in 2012, posting 19.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits as he earned Pro Bowl and All Pro honors. Those 19.5 sacks still stand as a franchise record for a season. Smith’s rapid ascent to NFL stardom was slowed by a series of off-field issues that included 10 arrests in nine years. That included an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence in Miami in 2012, another on the same charge in San Jose in 2013 in which he crashed his car into a tree and an arrest for three felony charges of possessing illegal assault weapons in October 2013. The NFL suspended Smith for nine games in 2014 for violation of the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies. On. Aug. 7, 2015, the 49ers released Smith after a third DUI-related arrest. His release came the day after he was arrested on hit-and-run, DUI and vandalism charges. Smith signed with the Raiders in September 2015, but the league suspended him for a year in November 2015 for again violating the league’s substance abuse policy. “Here’s what I’ve been told about Aldon Smith passing away today at 36 years old. He was dead on arrival at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California,” NFL host and analyst Chase Senior said. “The 49ers have since confirmed the news. Smith was one of the most gifted players in the history of the NFL, but also one of the most troubled. RIP. Thoughts and prayers to his family,” he added. Here’s what I’ve been told about Aldon Smith passing away today at 36 years old. He was dead on arrival at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California. The 49ers have since confirmed the news. Smith was one of the most gifted players in the history of the NFL, but also one… https://t.co/XYhh9w7ITD pic.twitter.com/4w3BnhoohJ — Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) June 13, 2026 Fox News has more: Smith made a comeback in 2020 when he successfully applied for reinstatement, and played a full season for the Dallas Cowboys. He started all 16 games, recording 5.0 sacks and 48 tackles. The next year, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks in April but was released before the season began following another arrest. No cause of death has been immediately disclosed.

President Trump’s Justice Department is taking Virginia to federal court over a pair of new laws the DOJ says would put federal agents at risk and choke off ICE cooperation inside the state. The lawsuit was filed June 11 against the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, and Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano. The DOJ’s argument is direct: Virginia is trying to regulate federal law enforcement, including what federal officers can wear, what personal identifiers they must display, and whether local agencies can keep certain ICE cooperation agreements. Here was the official DOJ announcement: ICYMI: The Justice Department filed a lawsuit yesterday against the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, and Commonwealth Attorney for Fairfax, Virginia Steve Descano challenging their unconstitutional Virginia mask ban and identification requirements… — U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) June 12, 2026 The first law restricts facial coverings and requires identifying information for officers on duty. The second law sets state conditions on immigration enforcement agreements between federal authorities and local law enforcement. That sounds bureaucratic until you get to the penalty. Fox News reported that federal officers who violate the mask and identification law could face a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both. In plain English, President Trump’s DOJ says Virginia is trying to expose federal agents to state-level criminal punishment for how they perform federal duties. The lawsuit asks a federal court to block both laws before they take effect July 1. The officer-safety argument is not a throwaway line. The DOJ says federal officers have faced harassment, doxing, and violence, and that threatening prosecution for protecting their identities would chill lawful enforcement operations. The Justice Department put the constitutional fight in blunt terms: “Governor Spanberger cannot tell Federal officers how to do their job,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Our suit today stops those unconstitutional efforts.” Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed the mask and ID measure in May. The complaint says the immigration-cooperation law was also signed this spring and would hit Virginia’s 287(g) agreements. Those 287(g) agreements allow ICE to work with trained state and local officers on immigration enforcement under federal supervision. That is why this case is bigger than a fight over masks. The DOJ says Virginia is trying to rewrite the terms of federal immigration enforcement inside the state. The federal complaint argues the laws violate the Supremacy Clause, intergovernmental immunity, the Contracts Clause, and federal preemption principles. It also says Virginia’s new law would deem all of the United States’ 287(g) agreements with Virginia state and local law enforcement entities “void and unenforceable.” The complaint goes even further, saying the United States cannot and will not renegotiate those agreements under what it calls an unlawful Virginia scheme. No court has ruled on the case yet. But the message from President Trump’s DOJ is unmistakable: blue states do not get to endanger federal agents or void federal immigration partnerships just because they dislike the enforcement mission. Now the fight moves to federal court, where Virginia will have to defend whether a state can tell federal agents how to protect themselves while carrying out federal law. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here. What are your thoughts? TAP HERE TO ADD YOUR VOTE

President Trump moved Saturday to fill one of the most consequential prosecutor jobs in the federal government. The office is U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the Manhattan-based post that sits over some of the biggest national-security, financial-crime, public-corruption, and Wall Street cases in America. The seat opened after Jay Clayton was nominated to serve as Director of National Intelligence, Fox News reported. The man President Trump wants in the chair is James M. McDonald, and the resume is not light. President Trump announced his intent to nominate James M. McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to replace Jay Clayton, who Trump nominated this week for the role of director of national intelligence. https://t.co/sGZGnuTCTY — ABC News (@ABC) June 13, 2026 McDonald is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in SDNY, a former CFTC enforcement chief, a Sullivan & Cromwell senior partner, and a former law clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. In other words, Trump is not handing SDNY to someone learning the machinery from scratch. President Trump’s full announcement was archived by Trump’s Truth: I am pleased to announce my intent to appoint James M. McDonald as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. A native of the Great State of Oklahoma, Jamie is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, and served as Director of Enforcement at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission during my First Term. Jamie is currently a Senior Partner at the Highly Respected Law Firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, a former Law Clerk to Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and a distinguished Graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, and Harvard College. I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as he has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, our Law Enforcement Patriots, the Legal Community, and the Judicial Bench. Good luck Jamie. I have no doubt about your future greatness! President DONALD J. TRUMP That background matters because SDNY is far more than another office on an organizational chart. It is where financial fraud, political corruption, terrorism, espionage, and New York’s highest-profile federal cases can all collide in the same legal ecosystem. McDonald has already been in that ecosystem, and official CFTC records show he later ran enforcement at the commodities regulator. When McDonald spoke in 2019 as CFTC enforcement director, his language was all about coordination with law-enforcement partners and closing gaps bad actors could exploit. The CFTC published these remarks from McDonald: The mission of the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement is to protect the public and preserve market integrity by detecting, investigating, and prosecuting violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA). In pursuit of this mission, one of the Division’s priorities has been to continue to enhance coordination with our law enforcement partners. This priority reflects good, common sense. We know that twenty-first century bad actors do not conform their misconduct to the technical boundaries of our respective jurisdictions, nor do they pause as their conduct crosses international borders. So we in the enforcement community must work together to meet the challenges presented by this sort of wrongdoing. At the CFTC, we have seen this collective effort bear fruit. Last year marked a high point in our parallel enforcement program with the Department of Justice. The same was true with respect to our parallel actions with the SEC. And we continue to work in close coordination with our international partners, our regulatory partners, and the States. All the while, we’ve continued our effort to identify any gaps that we at the CFTC might work to fill, where misconduct might otherwise go undetected. That is the through-line here. President Trump is putting forward someone who has worked inside SDNY, run federal enforcement, and spoken openly about coordinating with DOJ, SEC, state, and international partners when misconduct crosses boundaries. For a prosecutor’s office with SDNY’s reach, that is not a small thing. It also sends a clear signal about the kind of legal operator Trump wants in one of the country’s most powerful U.S. Attorney seats: credentialed, experienced, and already familiar with the office’s biggest lanes. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here. What are your thoughts? TAP HERE TO ADD YOUR VOTE

A 68-year-old Minnesota woman who had been missing for three days was found alive over the weekend, nearly submerged in a puddle of mud in the woods. Kathryn Jane Woessner of Alexandria was located west of Backus, about 80 miles from the city where she lives, NBC News reported. She had last been seen on June 3. Two off-road riders found her on June 6. They had decided that morning to skip their usual route and try a trail one of them had never mapped in his life. That decision is the whole story. A missing woman was found in a Minnesota puddle of mud where she told her rescuers she had been stuck for days. https://t.co/sMsUivC6k5 — World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) June 12, 2026 Adam Sandbeck of West Fargo, North Dakota, and his friend Mike Gravalin normally ride their own machines and stick to familiar paths. On June 6 they climbed into one rig together and went looking for new trails. On one of those trails they came across a minivan stuck in a mudhole. As they got closer, they saw a woman lying on the ground next to it. Here is how the men described what she told them, according to ABC News: A missing woman was found in a Minnesota puddle of mud where she told her rescuers she had been stuck for days. Kathryn Woessner, 68, was last seen on June 3 before her rescuers found her on June 6, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Woessner did not have any personal belongings with her, according to the sheriff’s office. Woessner told the men who rescued her that her car was stuck and she was trying to get out when she went around to the other side, slipping and falling into a puddle that was probably 2 feet deep, according to Mike Gravalin and Adam Sandbeck, the two men who saved her. Woessner told the men the mud was like quicksand, they told KSTP. Woessner told the men she had been stuck on her back for days and she was seriously sunburned on her face, Gravalin and Sandbeck told KSTP. Due to her medical conditions, she was taken to Essentia Health- St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brained, according to the sheriff’s office. She was conscious when they reached her and saying, “Help me,” according to Valley News Live. The men pulled her to a safer spot and called 911. They gave dispatchers GPS coordinates from the Polaris Ride Command system so paramedics could find them on the remote trail. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed she was found alive. Because of her medical condition, she was taken to Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd. Sandbeck kept coming back to how strange the day was. He told People that almost nothing about that ride was normal for them: A missing woman has been brought to safety after three days thanks to two men who discovered her stuck in the mud as they were riding down a remote Minnesota trail. Speaking with the Enterprise, Sandbeck and Gravalin shared that they had opted to take different path than they usually ride. “What’s so crazy about how that all happened is we usually take our own machines. We usually have two machines. We usually stay on the routes that we’re familiar with,” Sandbeck told the outlet. “We’re usually going through pretty fast because we like to slip and slide around. But, for some reason, I decided to ride with Mike.” “And for some reason, we decided to go and try to find new trails. And for some reason, we went down that trail,” he continued. Sandbeck told WCCO, “I have never mapped that trail in my life ever.” He added, “We changed everything how we do everything, for some reason. And it had to be God, it had to be.” The rescue hinged on decisions the men still cannot fully explain. A different machine, a different trail, and a half-formed decision to turn down an unfamiliar path made the difference between another missing-person notice and a woman coming home alive. Three days on her back in the woods, sunburned and stuck in mud she compared to quicksand, with no belongings and no way to call for help. She was running out of time. Two men who almost never break their routine broke all of it on the one day it counted, and found her with enough strength left to whisper. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.