Michael La Sasso is expected to make his professional debut in February

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., addressed the United Kingdom Parliament Tuesday morning as President Donald Trump challenges Britain’s policies toward Greenland and the Chagos Islands. “I spoke to President Trump at length yesterday,” Johnson began. “I told the president that I felt that my mission here today was to encourage our friends and help to calm the waters, so to speak, and I hope to do so.” Johnson was invited to deliver a speech to Parliament celebrating America’s 250th birthday. Johnson is the first speaker of the House to address Parliament in this capacity.   It was a true honor to address the UK Parliament today as the first U.S. Speaker of the House to do so. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence, I wanted to emphasize an important truth — that our shared heritage with Great Britain creates a deep bond between… pic.twitter.com/coZAAMq19X— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 20, 2026 The speaker shared that he is “confident that we can and will maintain and strengthen our special relationship between these two nations.”   This relationship continues to “send a message of unity and resolve to our allies around the world, and remind our adversaries and the terrorists and tyrants everywhere that our nations that are dedicated to freedom and justice and order and human dignity are stronger and more resolved now than ever before,” Johnson continued.  The special relationship between America and Britain has had its flash points as of late. Trump announced over the weekend that he would impose a 10% tariff on any country opposing a deal allowing the U.S. to acquire Greenland, including the U.K. Trump also criticized Britain’s decision to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. He called the deal an “act of great stupidity” in a Truth Social post early Tuesday morning. “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER,” the president added. “There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness.” For his part, Johnson also addressed the challenges China and Russia pose to American and British interests. “We see China, Russia, and Iran grow more aggressive and emboldened as they intensify their efforts to exert economic, political, and military influence around the world,” Johnson said. “We see a callous disregard for basic human rights, new provocations, and even the theft of intellectual property on a scale like we have never seen before.” President Trump has his eyes set on Greenland and may tariff countries opposed to the US acquisition of the island. But Congress is skeptical of Trump’s designs for the Denmark-owned island, writed @virginiagmckhttps://t.co/zshUf5t4hj— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) January 19, 2026 Johnson also made an oblique reference to the current controversy surrounding Greenland. “Clearly, President Trump is taking seriously the modern and dynamic threats that China and Russia pose to our global security, especially in focus the last few days, as it relates to the Arctic,” Johnson said. “Thankfully, our special relationship has always proven much more powerful and enduring than the enemies we face. Together, we represent a common history and heritage and the greatest, most free, most prosperous, most successful and benevolent civilization the world has ever known. And it will endure only as long as we reject, decline, and recommit to our foundations,” Johnson concluded.  The post Johnson Looks to ‘Calm the Waters’ in UK as Tensions in Transatlantic Alliance Rise appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Greenland has been a national security concern of the United States since the 19th century. President Donald Trump is the most recent in a long line of American presidents expressing an interest in either acquiring Greenland or expanding the U.S. military footprint in Greenland in cooperation with Denmark. Given Greenland’s strategic location, Trump’s interest is eminently rational—but the United States should address the valid security concerns raised by Trump without risking a breach with NATO. American interest in Greenland goes back more than a century and a half. Secretary of State William Seward expressed interest in Greenland as early as the 1860s. American interest in purchasing territory from Denmark has a historical precedent as the U.S. purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917. The American military presence in Greenland dates to the 1940s, and President Harry S. Truman expressed an interest in purchasing Greenland from Denmark after World War II. The strategic rationale for a U.S. military presence became especially clear with the beginning of the Cold War. With the advent of strategic bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles, flying over Greenland became the shortest path between the Soviet Union’s main bases and the United States. In 1951, the United States and Denmark signed a broad and comprehensive treaty that expanded upon a 1941 agreement, allowing the U.S. to establish and operate bases and troops in Greenland. Pituffik Space Base sits near the top of Greenland today, supporting missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance missions. The present public conversation around Greenland ignores some key points that explain the Trump administration’s increased interest in rethinking the American relationship to the island. There is already a legal mechanism for Greenland to declare independence if it so chooses, as Greenland’s 2009 self-rule law “establishes basically a road map for independence.” In 2023, a constitutional commission composed of members of the Greenlandic parliament presented a draft constitution for a post-independence Greenland. Additionally, an opinion poll from last year showed that 56% of Greenlanders are in favor of independence. The Danish government has long said that Greenland’s status is a question for Greenlanders to decide. The government may well also conclude that saving hundreds of millions of dollars a year currently spent supporting the Greenlandic government is a good deal for both Denmark and Greenland. As Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said “the self-rule law clearly stipulates that the future of Greenland is to be defined by Greenland and Greenlanders.” If Greenland were to declare independence, however, it would lose the generous subsidy provided by Denmark each year (representing roughly half of the Greenlandic government’s budget), raising concerns that some other country could step in to fill the funding gap. American conservatives took note of the potential emergence of a newly independent Arctic state with an uncertain source of income that could be potentially untethered from either Denmark or NATO. They are correct in fearing that China or Russia could potentially fill the funding gap and build a presence in the Arctic that would be unacceptable to both American and European interests. Denmark is a longtime American ally and has proven itself one of America’s most steadfast friends within NATO. Indeed, during the long war in Afghanistan, Danish troops consistently engaged in combat operations and were killed in action fighting the Taliban at a higher rate per capita than any other NATO ally. U.S.-Danish security cooperation is strong, with Denmark already operating U.S.-built F-35 fighter aircraft, discussing the purchase of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, and demonstrating a clear commitment to defense spending within NATO. It is clear that should the United States acquire Greenland over the objections of Denmark and other European countries, it could create real fissures within the NATO alliance. Such fissures could ultimately result in the breakup in NATO. What then could the United States do in coordination with Denmark and Greenland? The U.S. has a few options it could pursue in the event the Greenlandic government decides on independence from Denmark. The United States could offer a territorial status, akin to that of Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, in which Greenland is self-governing and not a state, but is a part of the United States. Alternatively, the United States could offer an arrangement similar to the compact of free association (COFA) agreements we currently have in place with the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau, under which these countries are independent and self-governing, but the U.S. has sole access and responsibility for security matters in exchange for a generous American subsidy. Given Greenland’s small population of less than 60,000 people and an economy of only $3 billion, it would both struggle to arm a military that could adequately defend its sovereignty and to meet its financial obligations in general. Alternatively, the United States could work with Denmark and other European nations to station an increased number of forces in Greenland to better secure the island and the arctic from Chinese or Russian influence. At the same time, American and European governments can work together to access critical resources in Greenland—while at the same time providing well-paying jobs to Greenlanders. Indeed, the best near-term option is for the United States to sign an updated defense agreement with Denmark, one that updates the legal logic presented in the 1941 and 1951 agreements which justified the stationing of forces on the island as part of a continental defense architecture during a time of systemic threats. The updated agreement should formalize and expand U.S. access to Greenland’s territory for military, space, maritime, and infrastructure purposes while reaffirming Greenland’s status as a self-governing territory that is part of Danish sovereignty. Such an agreement would pave the way for the United States to reopen shuttered military bases which would expand the U.S.’ ability to detect Russian or Chinese maritime or air and missile threats to the homeland coming over the arctic pole. The governments of the United States, Denmark, and Greenland now have the opportunity now to craft a future that works to the advantage of all three countries, securing the interests of the American, Danish, and Greenlandic peoples alike. In acquiring Greenland, the U.S. would keep this crucial part of the Arctic free from adversarial influence, while not causing ruptures in NATO. The post The Conservative Case for Acquiring Greenland appeared first on The Daily Signal.

After anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement agitators invaded a church in the middle of a service, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison suggested that they were protected by the First Amendment and did not violate the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, commonly known as the FACE Act. “People have a right to lift up their voices and make their peace, and none of us are immune from the voice of the public,” Ellison told former CNN host Don Lemon when asked about the church invasion in an interview Monday. Lemon was present during the disruption and filmed the agitators in action. Ellison, the top law enforcement official in the state, went on to claim that it would be a “stretch” to prosecute the anti-ICE agitators under the FACE Act or the Ku Klux Klan Act. “Chanting cannot be a crime; it’s freedom of expression,” Ellison stated. “So, the KKK Act is when people will use the threat of force or violence to deny you your human rights, your civil rights, under the color of law,” the attorney general said. “It’s a wild stretch and inappropriate” to use it in this case, he added. “The FACE Act, by the way, is designed to protect the rights of people seeking their reproductive rights to be protected, and so that people for a religious reason cannot just use religion to break into women’s reproductive health centers,” Ellison added. “So how they are stretching either of these laws to apply to people who protested in a church over the behavior or the perceived behavior of a religious leader is beyond me.” On the contrary, the agitators may have violated both the KKK Act and the FACE Act, and it is far from a stretch to say so. ?INFURIATINGKeith Ellison, the attorney general who pledged to "fight" Minnesota's agencies for Fighting Our Future fraudsters, betrays stunning ignorance or intentional misrepresentation of the law.First, he says "none of us are immune from the voice of the public" when it… pic.twitter.com/DaHhk2JF8I— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 20, 2026 The Church Invasion Ellison’s comments came after agitators walked directly into the middle of the sanctuary in Cities Church, a non-denominational Christian church in St. Paul, and shouted “Justice for Renee Good!” as they surrounded various members of the congregation mid-service. An ICE agent fatally shot Good on Jan. 7 while she was driving her car, right after her car appeared to make contact with him. She had been using the car for hours to obstruct traffic and frustrate ICE’s law enforcement efforts. The agitators on Sunday targeted the church because one of the pastors, David Easterwood, also works with ICE. An agitator who goes by the name “DaWokeFarmer” posted videos of the action. This is not peaceful protest. This is an invasion of a sacred space. Anti-ICE agitators disrupted Cities Church in the middle of service. Warning: the agitators on the Left are serious. The man who posted this video bragged about doing this—comparing it to Jesus flipping over… pic.twitter.com/BeeIdubpwM— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 19, 2026 DOJ Investigating Church Invasion The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is investigating the incident for potential violations of the FACE Act, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced Sunday. The @CivilRights is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers. @AGPamBondi https://t.co/uZBBv1iuuH— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 18, 2026 She also mentioned potential prosecutions under the Ku Klux Klan Act. The FACE Act Protects Churches Contrary to Ellison’s claim, the FACE Act, which President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994 after Republicans joined Democrats to pass it in Congress, explicitly protects houses of worship. While the law aimed to secure women’s rights to enter an abortion clinic without molestation, it also explicitly protects religious freedom. The statute imposes criminal penalties on anyone who “by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.” The Ku Klux Klan Act Dhillon also explained how the Justice Department could bring charges against the agitators under the Ku Klux Klan Act. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Ku Klux Klan Act in 1871, aiming to combat the racial terror tactics of America’s most notorious hate group. Dhillon mentioned charging the church invaders under 18 U.S. Code Section 241, which bars “conspiracy against rights.” This provision imposes fines and/or prison time if “two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person … in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same.” Depriving someone of the right to free exercise of religion falls under the plain text of the statute. “It broke my heart… They are not American scenes, they have no place in America. This conduct is illegal under federal law…” @AAGDhillon says they are looking at using an act from 1871 to charge those involved in the church protest yesterday in St. Paul with a felony: pic.twitter.com/xUjaWjj9OJ— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) January 20, 2026 It seems Keith Ellison either doesn’t know the plain text of the FACE Act or he is deliberately misleading the public about its applicability to defending churches. Ellison claims that the Justice Department is muddying the law—but the argument for prosecuting the church invaders is crystal clear. If anyone should know that, it’s Minnesota’s top law enforcement official. Instead of admitting the truth, he’s carrying water for people who invaded a church just to demonize federal law enforcement. Just how “soft on crime” can you get? The post FACT CHECK: Does the FACE Act Protect Churches? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A Tennessee husband and now-former church deacon has been criminally charged after his wife, who was holding his phone during a medical procedure, allegedly discovered videos of an underage babysitter in their bathroom, police said.Christopher Thomas Collins, 42, was arrested Jan. 14 after police reportedly found explicit content on his cell phone. Collins is being detained on a $50,000 bond, according to Hamilton County Sheriff's Office records.'Through the course of a marriage counseling session, Chris Collins’ wife revealed that she had found videos on her husband’s phone of a minor.'Citing the police affidavit, WTVC-TV reported that Collins handed his phone over to his wife while he was undergoing a medical procedure.Collins' wife suspected her husband of cheating, so she searched his phone for evidence of infidelity, according to the affidavit. But the wife found explicit videos and a photo of the couple's former babysitter inside a hidden folder in the photo gallery, the affidavit said. The wife informed investigators that the videos appeared to be recorded from small cameras placed inside a downstairs bathroom at Collins’ home in Hixson, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Nashville. Investigators found the secret cameras, and they seemed to be positioned toward the shower and toilet, court documents said.The wife told deputies that Collins told her he installed the cameras to spot rats, according to court docs.The police affidavit said the wife told investigators she deleted the files but then took screenshots from the "recently deleted" folder.RELATED: Critical detail leads police 400 miles to surgeon accused of killing ex-wife and her new husband Photo by wbritten via iStock / Getty Images PlusThe wife sought guidance from Abba's House church, where her husband had been a deacon.The affidavit revealed that staff members of the church encouraged the wife to contact police. Shortly afterward, officers arrived to interview Collins' wife, court docs said. Police were concerned that Collins would delete the evidence, so officers were dispatched to confront him, according to the affidavit. Officers conducted a traffic stop to detain Collins, where they obtained his cell phone, and he gave police authorization to conduct a search of his home in Hixson, according to court documents. Officers seized two SD cards from small cameras and an older cell phone, police said. According to the affidavit, a camera was positioned near a water heater in the bathroom and aimed toward the shower and toilet.Court documents stated Collins admitted to investigators that he knew about the cameras in the bathroom and confessed to using a mobile application to view images on his cell phone. Collins admitted to police that he saw a naked image a camera captured and kept it for a while before deleting it, according to the affidavit. A forensic examination of Collins' cell phone revealed nine video files from the bathroom cameras, time-stamped in 2025, according to the court documents. The court documents stated investigators said the videos show a girl changing clothes, using the toilet, and entering and exiting the shower.Police determined that recordings were made without the girl's knowledge or consent and in a place where she had a reasonable expectation of privacy, according to the affidavit.Authorities determined the files were child sexual abuse material, court documents state. Collins was arrested and charged with nine counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor for each file found on the phone.The offense of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in Tennessee makes it unlawful for a "person to knowingly promote, employ, use, assist, transport, or permit a minor to participate in the performance of, or in the production of, acts or material that includes the minor engaging in sexual activity; or simulated sexual activity that is patently offensive."On Thursday, a spokesman for Abba's House said Collins was stripped of his church deacon title upon his arrest.The church issued the following statement to WDEF-TV:Through the course of a marriage counseling session, Chris Collins’ wife revealed that she had found videos on her husband’s phone of a minor. We immediately reported it to the police, and they are handling the situation. We are caring for his wife and kids during this tragic time. Chris Collins had been a member of the church for four years and served as a deacon. He has been removed from that role.Collins is no longer listed on the church's website.Abba's House pastor Ronnie Phillips Jr. told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that the church paid for a hotel for Collins' wife and will pay for counseling and cover her bills until she can get back on her feet.Collins appeared in court on Tuesday morning, according to WCTV.The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have all received subpoenas from the Department of Justice, reports claim.Fox News reported on the subpoenas Tuesday and said they related to an investigation into obstruction of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.'This Justice Department investigation ... does not seek justice. It is a partisan distraction.'Walz's office and Frey's office confirmed to KMSP-TV that they received the subpoenas. Walz also posted a statement on social media to President Donald Trump."Mr. President, Minnesota invites you to see our values in action. Come see how communities from all walks of life are working together, and how the spirit of this state refuses to be defined by division or fear," he wrote in part."But let me be absolutely clear: The State of Minnesota will not be drawn into political theater," Walz added. "This Justice Department investigation, sparked by calls for accountability in the face of violence, chaos, and the killing of Renee Good, does not seek justice. It is a partisan distraction."The subpoenas asked for records and communications from the politicians related to the surge of federal officers in Minnesota. The Associated Press reported that other subpoenas were also sent to St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, who previously admitted she is an "illegal" immigrant, and officials in Ramsey County as well as Hennepin County."When the federal government weaponizes its power to try to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs, every American should be concerned," read a statement from Frey to KMSP."We shouldn't have to live in a country where people fear that federal law enforcement will be used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with," he added. "In Minneapolis, we won't be afraid. We know the difference between right and wrong, and, as Mayor, I'll continue doing the job I was elected to do: keeping our community safe and standing up for our values."RELATED: Tim Walz tries to dunk on Trump and gets pantsed on social media Walz went on to call for an investigation into the death of anti-ICE activist Renee Good instead."A mother is dead, and the people responsible have yet to be held accountable," he wrote. "That's where the energy of the federal government should be directed: toward restoring trust, accountability, and real law and order, not political retaliation," Walz added. "Minnesota will not be intimidated into silence and neither will I."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

National Park Service/ReBecca Hunt-FosterThe excavation of the dinosaur fossil, thought to belong to Diplodocus, that was carried out at Dinosaur National Monument. More than 100 years ago, paleontologists began flocking to Dinosaur National Monument on the border of Colorado and Utah to search for dinosaur fossils. Though excavations there have long since ceased, recent work on one of the monument’s parking lots happened to turn up even more dinosaur bones. This astounding find — made completely by chance — has revealed the fossils of a dinosaur known as Diplodocus, a massive species with a long neck and tail that lived roughly 150 million years ago. Discovering The Diplodocus Fossils At Dinosaur National Monument According to the National Parks Service, the dinosaur fossil was discovered in September 2025 during parking lot construction work near Quarry Exhibit Hall. While removing asphalt, workers noted a chunk of “dinosaur-bearing sandstone,” and swiftly paused the project. Carpenter, Kenneth/Wikimedia CommonsThe entrance to Dinosaur National Monument, where the Diplodocus fossil was unearthed. Paleontologists, park staff, volunteers, and construction workers then began excavating the fossil. Experts quickly determined that these remains belonged to a dinosaur known as Diplodocus, a species once believed to be the longest dinosaur to ever live, and a species that has been documented in this area before. In all, some 3,000 pounds of fossils and rock were removed from the site. Experts are now cleaning and studying the fossils, which are being held at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal, Utah. The discovery of the Diplodocus fossils beneath the parking lot is an exciting one because it was so unexpected, though such a discovery is not without precedent. In January 2025, dinosaur fossils were also found beneath the parking lot at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. However, it’s the first time that anyone has found dinosaur fossils at Dinosaur National Monument since 1924. The History Of Fossils Unearthed At Dinosaur National Monument NPS Douglass Collection, edited by Evan HallThe tail of a Diplodocus at Dinosaur National Monument, this one uncovered during excavations in the early 20th century. The history of Dinosaur National Monument stretches back hundreds of millions of years, to a time when a wealth of dinosaurs roamed the area. Diplodocus was once of the dinosaurs that lived here during the Late Jurassic Period, around 150 million years ago. It was a sauropod, a dinosaur marked by its long neck and tail, and it was an especially long species. Diplodocus stretched an average of 80 feet in length, with 80 vertebrae in its tail alone. Long after the dinosaurs died off some 66 million years ago, the area was slowly settled by humans, primarily the Fremont people. Spanish explorers, settlers, trappers, and traders, also moved through the region in the 18th and 19th century, and in the 20th century paleontologists arrived. Chief among them, paleontologist Earl Douglass arrived in 1909 on a mission from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Tasked with finding intact dinosaur bones that he could send back to the museum, Douglass and his team scoured the area and ultimately struck dinosaur gold in Jensen, Utah. There, in an area known today as the Carnegie Quarry, they began excavating a small slice of the Morrison Rock Formation which would yield more than 300 fossils. United States Geological SurveyA paleontologist working to gently unearth a dinosaur vertebrae at Dinosaur National Monument. During the Carnegie excavations, which lasted from 1909 until 1922, Dinosaur National Monument was established in 1915. The Carnegie excavations were followed by excavations led by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in 1923, and excavations led by the University of Utah in 1924. However, after that point, excavations at Dinosaur National Monument ceased. By then, most of the visible fossils had been excavated, and Douglass himself suggested that what remained of the quarry be preserved so that “people can see the place where these ancient monsters have been entombed for ages.” Though excavations at Dinosaur National Monument ended 100 years ago, the discovery of the Diplodocus proves that the area is still rich with dinosaur bones. Such a discovery makes it easy to imagine what the region was once like more than 100 million years ago, when the ground thundered with the sounds of sauropods, theropods, and ornithischians. After reading about the enormous dinosaur fossils just found at Dinosaur National Monument, discover the stories of some of the most incredible prehistoric animals that once roamed the Earth. Then, learn about Quetzalcoatlus, the enormous pterosaur that is considered the largest flying dinosaur to ever live. The post Massive Dinosaur Fossils Unearthed During Construction Of A Parking Lot At A National Monument In Utah appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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