A 23-state coalition of Republican attorneys general is intensifying the fight against ESG ideology by targeting organizations that use environmental metrics to strangle American energy producers, marking the latest front in the battle against woke capitalism’s assault on our economy. Republican AGs Confront ESG Financial Coordination Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird spearheaded a coalition of 23 Republican state attorneys general in August 2025, issuing a formal warning to the Science Based Targets initiative regarding its FINZ Standard. The letter, addressed to SBTi CEO David Kennedy, asserts that coordinating emissions reduction requirements across financial institutions creates antitrust violations while deliberately restricting capital access for oil and gas producers. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier simultaneously launched a parallel investigation into SBTi and the Carbon Disclosure Project for potential deceptive trade practices, signaling a multi-pronged approach to dismantling ESG’s grip on American energy. Pattern of ESG Overreach Targeting Energy Sector The current investigation represents the culmination of Republican attorneys general efforts dating back to 2022, when warnings first went to BlackRock and other asset managers over ESG proxy voting schemes. In May 2023, the same 23-state coalition targeted the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance over climate commitments that disadvantaged fossil fuel companies. By May 2025, eleven attorneys general filed antitrust suits against BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street for allegedly colluding to pressure coal producers, with the DOJ and FTC backing the litigation. These coordinated actions expose how ESG ideology has infiltrated every corner of financial markets to advance climate extremism over American energy independence. Economic Harm to Energy-Dependent Communities The attorneys general argue that ESG-driven financial standards directly harm citizens in energy-producing states by restricting capital flow to reliable fossil fuel production, driving up electricity and gasoline prices while threatening grid reliability. Texas, Iowa, and other red states have witnessed firsthand how ESG pressure reduces coal, oil, and gas output, creating artificial scarcity that inflates consumer costs during periods of already painful inflation. The 23-state coalition’s letter specifically notes the damage to farmers and energy producers, who face restricted access to financing and insurance solely because climate activists have captured boardrooms and ratings methodologies. This represents government overreach by proxy, where unelected bureaucrats at financial institutions impose policy outcomes that voters never approved. Antitrust and Fiduciary Violations at Issue Republican state officials identify clear legal violations in ESG coordination schemes that force emissions reductions across entire industries. The August 2025 letter demands SBTi halt agreements that pressure financial institutions into lockstep climate commitments, arguing such coordination violates antitrust laws designed to prevent collusion and protect market competition. Additionally, attorneys general assert fiduciary breaches occur when pension fund managers prioritize ideological climate goals over maximizing returns for retirees. Twenty-one red-state financial officers outlined five steps for asset managers, explicitly banning net-zero mandates that sacrifice performance for political correctness. These legal challenges strike at the foundation of ESG’s power, exposing how woke capitalism operates through cartel-like behavior that would be prosecuted in any other context. Defending American Energy Independence This 23-state effort reflects a fundamental commitment to protecting constitutional principles of federalism and free-market capitalism against globalist climate agendas. Energy-dependent states recognize that reliable, affordable fossil fuels power American prosperity, national security, and individual liberty. By challenging ESG coordination that artificially restricts energy production, Republican attorneys general defend the livelihoods of millions of workers, farmers, and families who depend on a robust energy sector. The investigations also protect consumers from the inevitable price spikes and grid failures that result when ideology trumps engineering reality. As the Trump administration enters its second term with renewed focus on energy dominance, state-level actions against ESG collusion provide critical support for restoring common-sense priorities over virtue-signaling financial practices that undermine America’s competitive advantage. Sources: Navigating State Regulation of ESG – Multi-State Initiatives ESG Investigations Tracker SBTi Showdown: Republican States Set Out Antitrust Threat 23-State Coalition Warns SBTi, Financial Firms Over Antitrust Risk from Net Zero Commitments

David Wilcock, a prominent UFO researcher and bestselling author, died from what authorities called an apparent suicide on April 20, just two days after posting a livestream warning about scientists going missing. The 53-year-old had previously stated he was not suicidal and planned on living.Deputies Respond to Mental Health CrisisThe Boulder County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at approximately 10:44 a.m. on April 20 regarding a possible mental health crisis at the 1400 block of Ridge Road, where Wilcock resided. When deputies arrived at 11:02 a.m., they encountered a male subject outside a residence holding a weapon. The man then used the weapon on himself and was pronounced dead at the scene. While the release did not name Wilcock, Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna subsequently confirmed his passing on social media, writing that millions of lives were impacted by his work. Chilling Final MessagesJust two days before his death, Wilcock went live on YouTube, making disturbing remarks about a pattern of deaths in his community. The day before the livestream, he posted on social media about experiencing very intense events over the weekend, expressing love and appreciation to his followers. In a resurfaced 2022 post, Wilcock explicitly stated he was not suicidal, writing that he planned on living and was only concerned about what happens when you prove God is real.Part of Disturbing PatternWilcock’s death adds to a troubling series of incidents involving high-level scientists. The FBI under Director Kash Patel launched an investigation into the mysterious deaths and disappearances of at least eleven U.S. scientists with access to classified information in nuclear, aerospace, propulsion, missile technology, and UAP-related programs. President Trump publicly stated the White House is looking into the cases, describing the incidents as highly suspicious. Several victims were found dead under circumstances initially ruled as suicide, while others vanished while hiking without their phones, wallets, or keys.Background and CareerWilcock was a well-known figure in ufology and alternative research circles. He authored multiple New York Times bestsellers, appeared regularly on the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens, and served as Director of Advanced Technology for Stavatti Aerospace. He had been vocal about government disclosure on unidentified anomalous phenomena and advanced technologies, speaking to over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube. The timing of his death, combined with his past statements about not being suicidal, has raised eyebrows among his followers and the broader research community. No foul play has been alleged by authorities, and the investigation remains with the coroner.SourcesThe Gateway Pundit: Famous UFO Researcher David Wilcock Dead from ‘Apparent Suicide’ TWO DAYS After Posting Video Warning About How it’s ‘Scary’ that ‘Scientists Are Going Missing,’ Previously Posted About How He’s Not Suicidal

Explosive undercover footage obtained exclusively by Townhall Media reveals Biden administration workers describing unaccompanied migrant children being sold by parents, forced into 12-hour factory shifts, and released to cartel members who demanded repayment for smuggling costs.Workers Detail Systematic FailuresYolanda Gonzalez, project manager for operations at The Providencia Group, explained to an undercover journalist how the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s contractor handled crisis calls. She recounted instances where sponsors weren’t actually family members and parents sold their children. These weren’t isolated incidents but recurring patterns agency staff encountered throughout Biden’s four years in office, according to the recordings. Children Forced Into LaborDarleen Sealey, senior administrator at Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth in New York, described how case managers failed to verify sponsor documents. Birth certificates turned out to be fake, discovered only after children already left custody. Gonzalez detailed one child forced to work 12-hour factory shifts to pay cartels for his journey. The child lived in the factory itself, sleeping where he worked daily.Photoshopped Documents ApprovedNatasha Wright, Office of Refugee Resettlement supervisory senior oversight advisor, told the journalist that clearly photoshopped pictures of sponsors with children somehow passed approval processes. You could see people stamped into pictures, yet officials approved placements anyway. Wright said the Inspector General eventually investigated, forcing changes. Some children worked to repay cartel debts, while others were released directly to cartel members themselves.Sex Trafficking and STDs in Nine-Year-OldsThe footage indicates children weren’t just exploited for labor but forced into prostitution and sex trafficking. Workers described children protection services cases involving minors who claimed to be working but never returned to their hotels. Nine-year-old children tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases. Indaira Charles, a social work supervisor, detailed these horrors before the recording ended. These revelations follow previous Townhall videos showing how Biden’s open border policy created chaos in processing centers, overwhelming workers who couldn’t properly vet sponsors taking custody of vulnerable children.SourcesTownhall: Biden’s Migrant Legacy: Video Shows Agency Workers Detailing Parents ‘Selling’ Children and Other Horrors

The Justice Department has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on eleven federal charges, alleging the organization secretly funneled over three million dollars to white supremacist groups while claiming to combat extremism. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a grand jury in Alabama’s Middle District returned indictments for wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering against the prominent civil rights organization.SPLC Allegedly Manufactured the Extremism It Claimed to FightFederal prosecutors allege the Southern Poverty Law Center created shell companies to conceal payments to leaders of the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist organizations. The indictment claims these groups then staged hate crimes at the SPLC’s direction. Acting Attorney General Blanche stated the organization was not dismantling extremist groups but rather manufacturing the very extremism it purported to oppose. Director Patel revealed that donor money, raised from thousands of Americans who believed they were supporting anti-hate efforts, actually funded the leadership of violent extremist organizations the SPLC publicly condemned. The charges include six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal investigators uncovered a decade-long pattern of fraudulent fundraising, with the SPLC allegedly lying to its donor network while using those funds to pay the very groups it claimed to monitor. The case has been assigned to Judge Emily Marks, appointed during the previous administration.Controversial Hate Group Designations Under New ScrutinyThe indictment raises questions about the SPLC’s hate group tracking operation, which has influenced media coverage and corporate policy decisions for decades. The organization previously designated Turning Point USA as a hate group, placing the conservative student organization alongside the KKK and neo-Nazi organizations on its widely cited hate map. Critics have long questioned the criteria used for these designations, arguing they unfairly targeted mainstream conservative groups while the SPLC collected over one hundred million dollars annually from concerned donors.What These Charges Mean for Civil Rights AdvocacyThe indictment represents an unprecedented federal action against one of America’s most prominent civil rights organizations. Founded in 1971, the SPLC built its reputation on tracking hate groups and filing lawsuits against white supremacist organizations. If prosecutors prove their allegations, the case could fundamentally reshape how Americans view nonprofit advocacy organizations and their fundraising practices. The trial will test whether the SPLC violated the trust of donors who believed their contributions supported legitimate anti-extremism work rather than secretly funding the groups they opposed.SourcesThe Gateway Pundit: BREAKING NEWS: DOJ Indicts Far-Left Southern Poverty Law Center on 11 Counts – SPLC Used Donor Money to Pay KKK to Stage ‘Hate Crimes’ (VIDEO)

Papa John’s sparked a firestorm when customers discovered tipping reminders printed directly on their pizza boxes, igniting a viral debate about delivery fees, tip transparency, and whether workers actually receive the gratuity customers think they’re paying. The Pizza Box That Broke the Camel’s Back The controversy erupted when a customer opened their Papa John’s delivery to find a tipping reminder staring back from the box itself. The reaction was swift and furious, with customers flooding social media demanding answers to a simple question: if they’re already paying delivery fees, why the aggressive push for additional tips? The physical reminder represented a new frontier in tipping requests, moving beyond app prompts to literally putting the ask in customers’ hands alongside their pepperoni and cheese. Papa John's customers fuming over 'ridiculous' tipping reminder on their pizza boxes: 'WTF are we paying a delivery fee for?' https://t.co/E06ewtXfpt pic.twitter.com/4PMRKKdWOj — New York Post (@nypost) April 21, 2026 Where Your Online Tip Actually Goes The viral incident uncovered a troubling reality about digital tipping at Papa John’s. Delivery drivers took to TikTok and other platforms revealing that online tips frequently don’t reach the workers who bring food to your door. According to driver testimony, stores often retain portions of digital gratuities or route them through systems where they’re subject to taxation and company cuts. This practice creates a perverse incentive where customers believe they’ve tipped generously online, only for drivers to see pennies on the dollar, if anything at all. The delivery fee itself compounds customer frustration. Papa John’s charges this fee ostensibly to cover operational costs, but drivers receive none of it as compensation. Customers reasonably assumed this fee went toward driver pay, creating widespread confusion when workers request additional tips. The system essentially double-dips: charging customers a delivery fee while simultaneously pressuring them to tip, with neither payment reliably reaching the person doing the actual delivering. The Cash Tip Underground Economy Experienced drivers have developed a workaround that benefits them but undermines the digital ordering system entirely. They uniformly recommend cash tips, which bypass store processing systems and reach workers directly, untaxed and uncut. This creates an underground economy where savvy customers know to skip online tipping entirely and hand drivers cash at the door. The practice reveals how broken the official system has become when workers and customers both prefer operating outside it. The problem extends beyond delivery orders. Papa John’s app previously forced customers to enter tips even for pickup orders where no service occurred beyond handing over a box. Reddit users documented bypassing this requirement by entering one-cent tips, highlighting how mandatory tipping fields have metastasized beyond any reasonable service expectation. When customers must game the system to avoid tipping themselves for picking up their own food, something has gone fundamentally wrong. Corporate Silence and Consumer Revolt Papa John’s has issued no official statement addressing the box tipping controversy or clarifying how tip distribution works. This silence speaks volumes about corporate priorities. Rather than transparently explaining where customer money goes, the company allows confusion to fester while drivers bear the brunt of customer frustration. The lack of accountability reflects poorly on a chain already battling perception problems, now compounded by accusations of tip skimming and delivery fee deception. The broader implications extend throughout the pizza delivery industry. Competitors like Domino’s and Pizza Hut face similar questions about tip transparency and delivery fee justification. Third-party services like DoorDash claim to pass tips directly to drivers, but even they depend on stores accurately reporting and forwarding gratuities. The entire ecosystem relies on trust that has been systematically eroded by practices like Papa John’s box reminders and opaque tip handling. The Common Sense Solution This controversy boils down to basic honesty and fair dealing. If Papa John’s charges delivery fees, customers deserve to know exactly what those fees cover and whether drivers benefit. If the company facilitates tipping through its app, workers should receive those tips in full without mysterious deductions. Printing tipping reminders on boxes while potentially pocketing digital gratuities represents the kind of corporate double-speak that conservatives rightly criticize as undermining free market trust. Companies succeed long-term through transparency and fair treatment of workers and customers alike, not through fee manipulation and tip skimming schemes that erode confidence in the entire transaction. Sources: Papa John’s delivery driver reveals online tips may not reach workers Tipping hell: Papa John’s requires tips for pickup orders