DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch told “Fox and Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones Thursday that the “greatest danger” facing the country was “itself.” Only 36% of Americans could pass the citizenship test given to immigrants seeking to become naturalized citizens, according to a 2018 survey by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, with 57% of respondents not knowing how many justices sit on the Supreme Court. Gorsuch said that Americans couldn’t preserve their history unless they know it while promoting his children’s book, “Heroes of 1776,” which will be released in May 2026. “Thomas Jefferson said an ignorant people will never remain free for long and he is right. We need to know our history in order to preserve it,” Gorsuch, who was appointed to the court by President Donald Trump in 2017, told Jones, who responded, “To that point, ignorance and knowing our history, it seems like a lot of my generation and the younger generation, those stories aren’t taught in schools. Do you think that has hurt us as a society that we eliminated those stories out of the history books?” “This is one thing my colleagues and I really agree on is the importance of bringing civic education to our children,” Gorsuch replied. “Over half of Americans can’t pass the citizenship exam we expect people who come to this country to pass. Most Americans cannot name the three branches of government. And if you ask me what the greatest danger America faces today, it’s itself. We have to learn how to talk to one another. We need to know our shared history.” In 2023, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida opposed an Advanced Placement history course that reportedly contained elements of critical race theory, which holds that America is fundamentally racist, teaches people to view every social interaction and person in terms of race and which seeks to hold groups of people accountable for the actions of their ancestors, and so-called queer theory. The College Board announced an update to the course following Florida’s rejection of the initial framework. Several schools added the “1619 Project” to their history curricula, despite historians citing many inaccuracies about American history. The Heritage Foundation noted in a review of the curriculum that the project’s curator, Nikole Hannah-Jones, had not engaged critics to defend her erroneous claims. “I think if we do that, we’ll come to realize that all the things that separate us pale in comparison to the things that unite us, those three great ideas in the [Declaration of Independence],” Gorsuch told Jones. “I wanted to be part of America’s celebration and bringing us together again.” Former President Abraham Lincoln had a similar warning about America’s fate. “If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide,” Lincoln said. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation The post Justice Neil Gorsuch Warns About ‘Greatest Danger America Faces Today’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Donald Trump will ramp up domestic travel ahead of midterms as he sells voters on his affordability accomplishments, a White House official told The Daily Signal. While domestic travel will continue to increase, the White House says this is not a pivot from his first 10 months in office as he has talked about affordability since day one, and this kind of travel is typical for presidents. Trump was naturally going to do more travel within the U.S. ahead of midterms, according to the official. “Cleaning up Joe Biden’s inflation and economic disaster has been a top focus for President Trump since day one, when he signed an array of executive orders to unleash American energy and slash costly regulations,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told The Daily Signal. “The administration since then has been implementing a robust economic agenda to lower prices for essentials like gas and eggs and cool inflation to an annualized 2.5% rate – half the average inflation rate under Joe Biden.” Trump’s move toward more domestic travel follows a series of foreign trips. Trump has made three trips overseas—to the United Kingdom, Asia, and the Middle East—since September. Trump was naturally going to do more travel within the U.S. ahead of midterms, according to the official. Vice President JD Vance said on X that the administration needed to focus “on the homefront.” “The president has done a lot that has already paid off in lower interest rates and lower inflation, but we inherited a disaster from Joe Biden and Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he wrote. “We’re going to keep on working to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that’s the metric by which we’ll ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond.” I think it's idiotic to overreact to a couple of elections in blue states, but a few thoughts:1) Scot Pressler, TPUSA, and a bunch of others have been working hard to register voters. I said it in 2022, and I've said it repeatedly since: our coalition is "lower propensity" and…— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 5, 2025 CNN first reported that White House officials were planning for Trump to travel the country to give economy-focused speeches. This comes after Democrat candidates who focused on affordability beat Republicans by large margins in off-year elections in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. Two-thirds of registered voters said the Trump administration has not lived up to their expectations on addressing inflation and the cost of living, according to a Nov. 9 NBC News poll. The president told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that he thinks such “polls are fake.” “More than anything else, it’s a con job by the Democrats,” he said on “The Ingraham Angle.”  Ingraham pushed back that while the prices of eggs and gasoline have dropped, others like beef, coffee and auto repair services have increased. “Sure, but they’re going to come down very shortly,” Trump responded.  The Trump administration has been pushing its economic policies just about every week since Trump’s inauguration in January, the White House official said. “Just last week, President Trump unveiled yet another historic drug pricing deal on GLP-1s to unlock unprecedented healthcare savings for everyday Americans,” Desai said. “The Trump administration will continue to implement and emphasize these and other economic policies that are cutting costs, raising real wages, and securing trillions in investments to make and hire in America.” The post Trump to Ramp Up Domestic Travel to Pitch Affordability Ahead of Midterms appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Read the original post "Potatoes Au Gratin" on A Modern Homestead. Learn how to make homemade Potatoes Au Gratin. This recipe features a cheesy sauce using simple ingredients like garlic, milk, and cheese, without using any heavy cream.  Potatoes Au Gratin is a great make-ahead dish that can be prepped and put into the fridge to bake within 2 days! My family DEVOURS this dish, and... Read More The post "Potatoes Au Gratin" appeared first on A Modern Homestead.

WSJ, CBS to Dems: Psyche!!

Rubio Lays a Thumpin' on the EU

The “Big Three” broadcast networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC were already hard at work making sure the boards of the presidential contenders stage wouldn’t squeak when Democrats stepped up. During their Wednesday evening and Thursday morning flagship newscasts, none of those networks cared to report that the now-former chief-of-staff for California Governor Gavin Newsom was indicted on 23-counts linked to a plot to steal campaigns funds from former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. A plot that predated the top aide leaving Newsom’s office, according to the indictment. The reason the networks didn’t want to cover the story was obvious: Newsom was likely to run for president and they needed to do their part to keep him as clean as possible. Instead of reporting on a story that brought into question Newsom’s discernment when bringing people into his orbit as a chief executive, ABC’s World News Tonight gushed about singer Adele staring in her first movie. CBS Evening News hyped the nepo baby grandson of President John F. Kennedy running for Congress. NBC Nightly News was the closest to the story in that they were excited about a whale being spotted off the coast of California. That was despite the Wednesday indictment coming out hours prior to those shows airing. As for their morning shows, ABC’s Good Moring America was more interested in Taylor Swift’s new documentary, it was CBS Mornings’ turn to tout Adele’s movie, and NBC’s Today showed off Martha Stewart on a Zamboni. It may be surprising to some, but CNN’s Elex Michaelson highlighted the story during both hours of his midnight/early morning show The Story Is, overnight. Here’s the first hour’s news brief on the story: A former top aide to California Governor Gavin Newsom has been indicted on multiple federal fraud charges. Dana Williamson was arrested Wednesday and charged in a 23-count indictment that includes bank fraud, falsifying business contracts related to pandemic-era loans. She was allegedly involved in a scheme to steal campaign money from former federal Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. Williamson was serving as Newsom's chief of staff at the time. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.     In the 1 a.m. hour, Michaelson spoke to Lia Russell of the Sacramento Bee, who broke the story. She gave a more detailed breakdown of the charges Williamson was facing: Yes, today we got that indictment. And according to the 23 counts, she is accused of working with two other indicted lobbyists to funnel money from a couple of dormant -- from some dormant campaign finance funds that belong to former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and funneling them through a variety of ways to one of her conspirators, Sean McCluskie, who -- for his benefit. She also is accused of falsifying tax records and claiming up to $1 million in business deductions that were actually for her personal use that she spent on things allegedly like luxury resort stays, designer handbags and home furniture and I believe also private jet travel. Russell also pointed out that the claims being made by Newsom’s office, particularly regarding when Williamson stopped working for the Governor and that the alleged crimes were not committed while she worked for them, were not in line with the reality spelled out in the indictment: Newsom's office said in a statement that Williamson no longer works for them, that as soon as she was told by FBI agents that she was under investigation, they placed her on leave and she left -- they said that she left the office in November 2024, which is actually a month prior than was previously reported. She previously said that she stepped down in December 2024. They also said that none of what she's accused of happens during her time as chief of staff, which is contradicted by the indictment, which has her communication -- which alleges that she was communicating with her fellow conspirators, you know, as recently as, I believe spring or summer 2024. Michaelson also spoke to one of Williamson’s former subordinates who didn’t hold her in high esteem. Gil Duran, journalist for The Nerd Reich, claimed that Williamson “has a reputation for being reckless, for being irresponsible and for being a bully.” Describing her as a “mob boss,” Duran recounted how she allegedly tried to keep him from getting hired after leaving her employ: This is very much how she was. And you know, on a personal level, you know, years ago I was up for a job, I was offered a job and Dana called my prospective employer and told them that if they hired me, they would be dead to the governor's office. I got that job anyway. But this was how she operated like a mafia boss and now she's being treated like a mafia boss. Duran went on to warn: “You know, she was really entwined with some of the most powerful players in Sacramento, not just in government, but she's really mixed up with the entire team that will be forming Gavin Newsom's presidential consulting team.” The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: CNN’s The Story Is November 13, 2025 12:32:31 a.m. Eastern (…) ELEX MICHAELSON: A former top aide to California Governor Gavin Newsom has been indicted on multiple federal fraud charges. Dana Williamson was arrested Wednesday and charged in a 23-count indictment that includes bank fraud, falsifying business contracts related to pandemic-era loans. She was allegedly involved in a scheme to steal campaign money from former federal Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. Williamson was serving as Newsom's chief of staff at the time. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison. (…) 1:10:24 a.m. Eastern MICHAELSON: All right. Well, a former aide to California Governor Gavin Newsom has been indicted on multiple federal fraud charges. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse us. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Williamson, do you have anything to say? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any comments? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should other California officials and people involved in the government -- (END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: That's Dana Williamson tonight who was arrested Wednesday and charged in a 23 count indictment that includes bank fraud and falsifying business contracts related to pandemic era loans. She was allegedly involved in a scheme to steal campaign money from former federal secretary of state and health -- Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison. Lia Russell is a Sacramento Bee reporter who broke this story. She joins us live from Sacramento. Lia, great work on this. Explain in a nutshell, what is she accused of? LIA RUSSELL, REPORTER, SACRAMENTO BEE: Thank you for having me, Elex. Yes, today we got that indictment. And according to the 23 counts, she is accused of working with two other indicted lobbyists to funnel money from a couple of dormant -- from some dormant campaign finance funds that belong to former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and funneling them through a variety of ways to one of her conspirators, Sean McCluskie, who -- for his benefit. She also is accused of falsifying tax records and claiming up to $1 million in business deductions that were actually for her personal use that she spent on things allegedly like luxury resort stays, designer handbags and home furniture and I believe also private jet travel. MICHAELSON: And McCluskie was the chief of staff for Xavier Becerra. Xavier Becerra not implicated in this himself, he says that this was a gut punch to him. And it seems like the Newsom administration is walking away from Dana Williamson as well. RUSSELL: Yes. We know we were, obviously, McCluskie's name is on the indictment and we know from our own reporting that he has been a longtime Becerra aide dating back to 2007. You know, he followed him from his time as a, you know, as attorney general all the way up to Joe Biden's cabinet. At one point, Dana Williamson was also in charge of Becerra's 2018 campaign for attorney general. And yes, Newsom's, you know, Newsom's office said in a statement that Williamson no longer works for them, that as soon as she was told by FBI agents that she was under investigation, they placed her on leave and she left -- they said that she left the office in November 2024, which is actually a month prior than was previously reported. She previously said that she stepped down in December 2024. They also said that none of what she's accused of happens during her time as chief of staff, which is contradicted by the indictment, which has her communication -- which alleges that she was communicating with her fellow conspirators, you know, as recently as, I believe spring or summer 2024. MICHAELSON: Which is a key point. And another interesting point, our colleague Melanie Mason reporting that Governor Newsom basically got rid of her as chief of staff after he found out that she was under investigation. But in doing so, they put out a real nice statement about her and made it seem like she was going to spend more time with her family. And it wasn't exactly like she's under a criminal investigation, which is another interesting wrinkle to all of this. Lia Russell, great reporting all day on this. Really appreciate you spending time with us. RUSSELL: Thank you so much for having me. MICHAELSON: We want to bring in Lia's colleague at the Sacramento Bee. Gil Duran is a journalist with the Nerd Reich podcast who has also worked in the world of politics. He joins us live now from Oakland. Gil, you know Dana Williamson. You used to work with her in the Brown administration. You've, you know, interacted with her in the Newsom administration. Are you surprised by this? GIL DURAN, JOURNALIST, "THE NERD REICH": I'm not surprised. I'm shocked by what's in the indictment, which is a devastating document, especially at a time when the focus should be on the corruption in Washington. Now we have this Sacramento corruption sideshow to distract from that. But as someone who knew Dana for many years, who worked with her, did not have a particularly good relationship with her, full disclosure, this is not surprising to me at all. MICHAELSON: What was she like to work with? DURAN: Well, Dana has a reputation for being reckless, for being irresponsible and for being a bully. She was somebody who loved power and loved to abuse power. Often, if you look at some of the indictment, she's talking about getting people fired, you know, laughing and calling people's names. This is very much how she was. And you know, on a personal level, you know, years ago I was up for a job, I was offered a job and Dana called my prospective employer and told them that if they hired me, they would be dead to the governor's office. I got that job anyway. But this was how she operated like a mafia boss and now she's being treated like a mafia boss. MICHAELSON: What does it say about Governor Newsom that he put the person you're describing in charge of his office running the state? DURAN: Well, I would say that Governor Newsom as well as Governor Brown, for whom I worked, and Xavier Becerra should be ashamed of their terrible lapse of judgment here. The only reason Dana Williamson acted the way she did for so many years and what led to this situation was that she felt she could act with impunity. And she felt she could act with impunity because of the power she was given, despite the very obvious problems with her behavior that were apparent for years. And so I think there's going to have to be a lot of soul searching in Sacramento. You know, this isn't just any Democratic operative. Dana Williamson had so much power in the California Democratic Party that there's a statue of her daughter on top of California Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento. So I think there's going to be have to be a lot of soul searching about exactly what went wrong and how to root out this culture of corruption that always seems to form in Sacramento, and to be frank, in city halls and in state capitals across the country. The FBI is always there. The FBI is always bringing people down. So this is not exactly a shock that you would get caught if you tried to do something as ridiculous as this Soprano-like scheme they had going on. MICHAELSON: Does it also raise questions about a one party state? Democrats have super majorities in Sacramento. There is not a tremendous amount of reporters in Sacramento, though. The ones that are there do a great job. I mean, I mean, is there not enough checks and balances on power in the state? DURAN: Well, historically, Republicans can be just as corrupt as Democrats. So I'd say the bigger partisan issue is for the voters to decide. I would say that it's up to people who are in positions of power to think about the people that they're putting in those positions. Who are you entrusting? And if these are people who are known for being abrasive and bullying and menacing to other people, what else might they be up to? You know, she was really entwined with some of the most powerful players in Sacramento, not just in government, but she's really mixed up with the entire team that will be forming Gavin Newsom's presidential consulting team. So people have to ask themselves, how did it get to this point? How were we all complicit in enabling it? And what can we do going forward to make sure that nothing like this happens again? MICHAELSON: Gil Duran, California journalist, lots of experience in government and really appreciate your perspective tonight as somebody who knows this world firsthand. Thank you so much.

With the longest government shutdown in U.S. history brought to an end late Wednesday, the major broadcast networks emerged Thursday morning amid gleeful Epstein files segments to cover the House vote, but returned to its past tactic of not blaming Democrats. In fact, ABC’s Good Morning America sided with Democrats in seething eight of their own party in the Senate and six in the House caved. “Breaking overnight, after 43 days, the longest shutdown in American history ends...But many are still furious about the deal. Rachel Scott on the Hill questioning Democrats...What it all means for healthcare. Last minute add to the bill. When those government workers will see a paycheck after not getting paid for more than 40 days,” declared co-host and former Clinton flack George Stephanopoulos in a tease.     Senior political correspondent Rachel Scott quickly dispatched with the basics. Following three short sentences, Scott shifted to huffing “many Democrats [are] still furious that deal cut by eight Senate Democrats does nothing to address the expiring ObamaCare subsidies that the party spent 43 days fighting for.” She was in concert with House Democrats in seething over the lack of a planned vote on the shutdown, only taking a brief stop over to mention one federal work harmed by the shutdown (click “expand”): CONGRESSWOMAN PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): It’s a betrayal of working people who are seeing their health insurance premiums rise, double and triple. SCOTT: So we asked some House Democrats why they voted for it anyway. CONGRESSMAN DON DAVIS (D-NC): It was important for the American people for us to have this conversation and this battle’s not over. It’s not — it’s not over. People are hurting out there. I mean, they’re getting hit with cost. SCOTT: But as of now, there’s no planned vote on healthcare in the House. After more than six weeks, the Congressional Budget Office estimating the shutdown cost the nation $11 billion. And this morning, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are being asked to return to work. They’ll soon get back pay. But federal contractors, like Willie Jo Price, are out of luck. She’s a cafeteria worker at the Library of Congress and has not been paid in more than 40 days [TO PRICE] How much stress, I mean, does this put on you to go this long without a paycheck? WILLIE JO PRICE: It’s hard. In the process during this shutdown, my car broke down and it’s just been things going on and on and on. And I don’t have the finances to do it. Right now everything is, like, in the red. SCOTT: So, as part of this law, the Trump administration is supposed to be rehiring thousands of federal workers that it fired during the shutdown, but it’s unclear when that will happen or how that’s gonna take place[.] CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today weren’t apoplectic about the situation, but where they failed as not keeping up what they had established Monday in admitting Democrats caused the shutdown. CBS co-host Gayle King was thrilled the shutdown was done: [H]ave you heard? I know you have. The government shutdown is officially O-V-E-R over. After 43 days, the President signed a bill last night to reopen the government. Now, most Democrats, though, oppose this legislation because it does not address the rising health care costs. Nikole Killion is on Capitol Hill. Nikole, I know there’s a lot of relief, but there’s also a lot of frustration. Here’s the big question. How soon could things get back to normal? Congressional correspondent Nikole Killion led with focusing on those harmed by the shutdown: “Thousands of federal workers are expected to be back on the job as soon as today and should get paid soon. Most SNAP recipients should see their benefits restored quickly and Smithsonian Museums here in the nation’s capital will reopen in the coming days.” After noting “six Democrats cross[ed] party lines to join Republicans,” she added “[t]he measure extends government funding through January 30th, pays back federal workers while reinstating those who were fired and guarantees SNAP or food assistance benefits for a full year.” Killion would only go as far as arguing “Democrats largely oppose[d] the legislation, arguing it failed to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits for 20 million Americans facing rising health insurance premiums.” What she left out was that “oppos[ing] the legislation” would have meant the shutdown would have dragged on. Chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes delivered her own report in the second hour that also didn’t weigh in on who was to blame (click “expand”): DUTHIERS: All right, let’s begin this hour with the biggest, longest shutdown in government history. The President made it official last night. It’s a big relief for federal workers and most SNAP recipients could see their food benefits restored within about 24 hours. But though the shutdown is over, the blame game is not. Nancy Cordes has more from The White House. Nancy, Good morning. CORDES: Vlad, good morning. It’s amazing how quickly things change. Now that that bill has been signed, the lights are back on, the government has reopened, and some federal employees and contractors are returning to work this morning. The bill passed by a narrow margin in the House last night, with six Democrats joining all but two Republicans in voting yes. The final vote, 222 to 209 and just before he signed the new funding bill into law, President Trump blamed Democrats for what he says was an extremely damaging shutdown for the country. Listen. [TRUMP SOUNDBITE] CORDES: The bill he signed funds the government through January 30th, so just two-and-a-half months. It includes language to reverse recent staffing cuts to guarantee back pay for federal workers and to protect against additional federal layoffs. A lot of Democrats are really upset that the bill doesn’t extend tax credits for 20 million Americans who are facing higher health insurance costs. Last night, President Trump said he would actually be willing to work with Democrats on health care, but then he said he still wants to end ObamaCare. He also said that voters should remember the pain of this shutdown when they head to the polls for the midterm elections next November[.] In contrast, NBC’s Today was relatively ho-hum about it all and glad the government was reopened. That said, they didn’t explicitly blame Democrats. Co-host Savannah Guthrie said at the onset that the bill “fully funds the federal government through the end of January,” but only is “a stopgap solution, and the ripple effects of the shutdown are still being felt this morning and, where else, the airports” as the airspace will take a few days to return to full song. Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles reported “Congress has finally managed to find its way out of the wilderness after 43 days,” which was “a record no one wanted to break” and “Democrats did not have the votes to prevent the bill from being passed, but vowed to continue fighting for health care reform.” “President Trump signing the bill overnight, blaming Democrats for the prolonged standoff...The bill passed 222-209, with six Democrats voting yes. Most Democrats voted no, accusing the President and congressional Republicans of ignoring a health care crisis by not addressing tax credits tied to the Affordable Care Act that are set to expire,” Nobles added. Acknowledging “the battle also revealed deep division among Democrats,” Nobles showed good faith by placing that alongside Republicans, whom he said “are now ready to work to fix health care and address the expiring tax credits.” However, it could all be for naught as “some swaths” of the government “are only funded through January.” Senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson later reflected on the shutdown by emphasizing “[s]hutdowns are not popular generally” and “there’s some lingering frustration among some Democrats with the way that their party handled the end of this shutdown here.”     To see the relevant transcripts from November 13, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Monday, alleging that $1.34 million in taxpayer funds had been allocated "to radical leftist organizations that will use the money to oppose the lawful deportations of illegal aliens."The 17-page complaint claimed that county funds had been used to pay for legal representation for illegal aliens facing deportation proceedings.'So far, the county has spent over $8M with the ability to spend an additional $1.3M after the latest contract renewal.'It stated that the Harris County Commissioners Court in mid-October approved allocating the funds to private nonprofits "for the stated purpose of providing 'direct legal representation to immigrants in detention or facing the threat of deportation.'"“We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump administration,” Paxton said. “Beyond just being blatantly unconstitutional, this is evil and wicked. Millions upon millions of illegals invaded America during the last administration, and they must be sent back to where they came from.”In late October, the commissioners court allegedly approved an additional $100,000 to create an "immigrant resource hotline" that connects foreign nationals with legal service providers. Paxton's complaint accused Harris County of "misusing public funds to subsidize private deportation defenses that advance no public purpose."RELATED: AG Paxton sues Texas school district for refusing to display Ten Commandments in classrooms Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images"Harris County receives no return consideration or public benefit from these expenditures, and it exercises little or no control over how the recipient organizations select clients or perform legal work," it added.The lawsuit names the following defendants: Harris County, the commissioners court, County Judge Lina Hidalgo (D), County Administrator Jesse Dickerman, Harris County Housing & Community Development Executive Director Thao Costis, and Commissioners Rodney Ellis (D), Adrian Garcia (D), Tom Ramsey (R), and Lesley Briones (D).The complaint claimed that Garcia previously made remarks that "illustrate that Harris County's decision to fund deportation-defense services is driven by opposition to federal immigration enforcement rather than by any legitimate public purpose."The lawsuit referred to Garcia's comments during a September 9 Special Commissioners Court, when he stated, "Would the court be able to make some request short of a demand that our county law enforcement not cooperate with ICE?"Paxton requested temporary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent Harris County from providing taxpayer funds to the nonprofits, noting that the funds could not be recovered once disbursed, even if later determined to be unconstitutional.RELATED: Thousands of possible illegal aliens found on Texas voter rolls, officials say County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League"I have opposed this initiative over the last five years," Commissioner Ramsey told Blaze News. "So far, the county has spent over $8M with the ability to spend an additional $1.3M after the latest contract renewal. We should be spending these funds on infrastructure, the county jail, or other county statutory responsibilities."Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee (D) called Paxton's lawsuit "a cheap political stunt" in a statement provided to Blaze News."Harris County has funded this program for years because it's the right thing to do. We're helping people who live in our communities and who contribute every day to our local economy. That's what good government looks like," Menefee said. "At a time when the president has unleashed ICE agents to terrorize immigrant neighborhoods, deport U.S. citizens, and trample the law, it's shameful that Republican state officials are joining in instead of standing up for Texans.""Let's be clear: This program is perfectly legal, and it ensures that people in our communities have access to due process, something every American should support. Despite the narratives pushed by ... [the] worst elements of the Republican Party, we know that immigrants in our communities obey the law, work hard, and strengthen our state," Menefee continued. "My office will fight back and defend Harris County's right to lead with fairness, compassion, and common sense, no matter how many times Republican state officials try to erase that."When reached for comment, Ellis' office referred Blaze News to a statement published on Facebook.Ellis called the lawsuit "cruel and frivolous.""Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own community," Ellis wrote. "The attorney general's reckless lawsuit flagrantly attacks civil rights and the very notion of community safety.""At a time when Donald Trump's ICE raids are fueling anxiety and ripping apart families, we should be investing in trust, not fear," the statement continued. "Instead of mounting yet another wasteful, unconstitutional taxpayer-funded campaign stunt, the attorney general should be supporting actions taken by Harris County to promote true public safety."Ellis vowed to continue fighting for his constituents' "rights, health, safety, and dignity ... regardless of immigration status."The Harris County Commissioners Court, Hidalgo, Garcia, Briones, Dickerman, and Costis did not respond to Blaze News' comment request.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A former teacher's aide at a Wisconsin Christian school has been accused of having sex with a boy she reportedly began getting "flirty" with when he was just 12 years old.Stephanie Jensen, 41, was arrested Nov. 4.'Victim 1 mentioned Stephanie Jensen was not only sending him nude pictures, but that she was sending his buddies nude content as well.'According to the Wisconsin Circuit Court, Jensen was hit with 13 charges, including four counts of exposing genitals, pubic area, or intimate parts to a child; four counts of child enticement by exposing genitals, pubic area, or intimate parts; three counts of sexual intercourse with a child 16 or older by an actor 19 or older; second-degree sexual assault of a child; and possession of child pornography.The New York Post, citing allegations laid out in the criminal complaint, reported that Jensen had worked as a second-grade classroom aide at the Faith Lutheran School in Fond du Lac.The Faith Lutheran School has a primary goal to "teach students in grades 3K-8 about the love of Jesus in a safe Christian environment."As outlined in the criminal complaint, WBAY-TV reported that when the boy was in eighth grade, the pair would "regularly bump into each other on campus before she started the illegal relationship."Citing the criminal complaint, the Post reported that the boy told investigators Jensen started becoming "flirty" with him when he was only 12 years old.The boy told investigators that he first had sex with the former teacher's aide in September 2024 — shortly before his 16th birthday, according to charging documents.The student — identified as "Victim 1" in the criminal complaint — told investigators he remembered the pair first had sex when he was 15 years old because it happened shortly before he obtained his driver's license, according to charging records.The student told investigators that he had sex with Jensen four times until he was 17 years old, according to court documents.WLUK-TV said charging documents it reviewed indicate Jensen sent nude photos to the boy and also to his friends: "Victim 1 said word traveled throughout his friend group that she was willing to share so people he knew would add her to see what she would share with them."The criminal complaint said Jensen allegedly admitted to detectives that she sent sexual content but denied having sex with the boy in question.According to the New York Post, a detective informed Jensen that she was being placed under arrest, but she allegedly replied, "I am not under arrest," and she reportedly refused to stand up from the couch.The criminal complaint stated that the detective had to pull Jensen from the couch by her arm and that officers struggled to handcuff the suspect until police ordered her to stop.RELATED: Middle school teacher accused of raping her former student who's now in high school, sending nude video of herself to teen Following her arrest, Faith Lutheran School fired Jensen, according to school officials.Faith Lutheran School Principal Benjamin Rank told WLUK:Faith Lutheran School has terminated the employment of Stephanie Jensen upon formal charges being filed in court on Monday. The faculty, staff, and administration at Faith are committed to the safety and care of our students, staff, families, and community. We pray for all who are affected by these events as we continue to put our faith and trust in the Lord.A judge initially ordered Jensen to have no contact with the victim, his family, or other minors and not to use social media, drugs, or alcohol.In an update from WBAY, a judge allowed Jensen to have contact with her own children but not with other minors.Jensen's cash bond was set at $200,000, and she is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 17.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Grammy-winning artist and his band will perform more than 80 shows across 14 countries. The post Joe Jackson Announces New Rock Album, ‘Hope and Fury,’ and 2026 Tour appeared first on Best Classic Bands.