Patricia Crowley passed away on Sept 14, 2025 at the age of 91...just two days shy of what would have been her 92nd birthday.(Photo Courtesy: FilmMagic via https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-15102469/Dynasty-star-Patricia-Crowley-dies-aged-91.html)She most notably appeared during our era in Columbo, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Fantasy Island, Friends, Hawaii 5-0, Melrose Place, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Love Boat, and hundreds more during her 60 year career.

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis cannot continue her criminal prosecution of President Donald Trump and his allies after a ruling from the Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday. In a 4-3 decision, the state’s high court declined a request from Willis to review the Georgia Court of Appeals’ ruling that disqualified the Democratic district attorney from prosecuting the 2020 election interference case over the conflict of interest she created when she hired her then-boyfriend, Nathan Wade, as a special prosecutor. The ruling means that the 2020 case against Trump and his allies is dead, unless another prosecutor brings charges, The Hill reported. “The Georgia Supreme Court has correctly denied review of the Georgia Court of Appeals decision disqualifying DA Fani Willis and her office as prosecutors in the Fulton County RICO case,” said Steve Sadow, the lead attorney for Trump in Georgia. “Willis’ misconduct during the investigation and prosecution of President Trump was egregious, and she deserved nothing less than disqualification. This proper decision should bring an end to the wrongful political, lawfare persecutions of the President.” A nonpartisan state agency will now be tasked with finding another prosecutor to determine if the case against Trump can proceed, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Willis said that she hopes another prosecutor “will have the courage to do what the evidence and the law demand.” If another prosecutor is assigned the case, he could continue pursuing the exact charges that Willis did, choose to pursue some of the charges, or dismiss the case, according to the Associated Press. In December, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that Willis’ actions presented a “rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings.” Wade had little experience prosecuting cases when Willis hired him to lead the Fulton County prosecution of Trump. Willis was accused of paying Wade hundreds of thousands of dollars and vacationing with him multiple times, with Wade paying for some of the trips. Both Willis and Wade testified that Willis reimbursed him for her share of the trip costs. Willis became a star in the Democratic Party when her office brought 13 charges against Trump after he challenged Georgia’s election results in 2020. In 2023, Trump and 18 others were indicted under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law and accused of engaging in a scheme to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results that helped push Joe Biden into the White House. Trump said the charges were another political “witch hunt.” The case brought against Trump by Willis’ office resulted in Trump being forced to pose for a mug shot, which quickly went viral. Trump displayed a framed picture of the mugshot just outside the Oval Office shortly after he was sworn in for his second term.

In a move that underscores the growing arrogance of the Democratic Party’s far-left flank, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani refused to endorse sitting New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for re-election just one day after she publicly backed his candidacy — a gesture that cost her political capital among moderates and independents. After weeks of hesitation, Hochul, the embattled Democrat, finally bent the knee and endorsed Mamdani over the weekend. She published an op-ed in The New York Times, making the case that unity against Donald Trump was more important than her ideological rift with Mamdani — a radical democratic socialist who backs higher taxes, defunding the police, and “reimagining” capitalism. But Mamdani, true to form, wasted no time revealing just how transactional the endorsement would be. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he casually brushed aside the idea of returning the favor. “My focus is on November,” Mamdani said, refusing to endorse Hochul’s 2026 re-election bid. He offered perfunctory gratitude for her support — then pivoted back to his talking points. The message was clear: Mamdani is happy to accept Hochul’s help, but he has no intention of helping her fend off what could be a brutal primary challenge from her own left flank — or a general election fight against Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who’s already blasting Hochul for supporting “a raging antisemite communist.” Hochul didn’t simply endorse Mamdani out of genuine alignment. She did it as a calculated gamble — to shore up support among progressives ahead of a likely challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and to boost turnout in NYC. And yet, Mamdani couldn’t even offer her the bare minimum in return. This one-sided “alliance” is exposing the very rift that is tearing the Democratic Party apart. Hochul admitted in her own op-ed that she and Mamdani were “unlikely allies” and that they “don’t see eye to eye.” She explicitly distanced herself from his most extreme proposals — including hiking taxes on the wealthy and gutting the NYPD — while also noting concerns over antisemitism. Meanwhile, other prominent New York Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have still refused to endorse Mamdani at all. Stefanik wasted no time capitalizing on Hochul’s endorsement, torching the governor for “putting jet fuel on commie Mamdani” and vowing to save New York from the radicalism she said is destroying the state. Hochul handed Mamdani a lifeline in the name of party unity. In return, he handed her political disrespect and strategic silence. It’s the perfect encapsulation of today’s Democratic Party: “moderates” grovel to radicals as the radicals grind them down.

(Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court declined on Monday to allow Donald Trump to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook – the first time a president has pursued such action since the central bank’s founding in 1913 – in the latest step in a legal battle that threatens the Fed’s longstanding independence. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit means that the administration only has hours to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if it hopes to block Cook from attending the Fed’s policy meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday where it is expected to cut U.S. interest rates to shore up a cooling labor market. The White House on Tuesday said it planned to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. “The President lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause. The Administration will appeal this decision and looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. The D.C. Circuit denied the Justice Department’s request to put on hold a judge’s order temporarily blocking the Republican president from removing Cook, an appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb had ruled on September 9 that Trump’s claims that Cook committed mortgage fraud before taking office, which Cook denies, likely were not sufficient grounds for removal under the law that created the Fed. The decision was 2-1, with Circuit Judges Bradley Garcia and J. Michelle Childs in the majority, both of whom were appointed by President Joe Biden. Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas, a Trump appointee, dissented. In an opinion joined by Childs, Garcia wrote that Cook is likely to prevail on her claim that she has been denied due process in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment. “Before this court, the government does not dispute that it provided Cook no meaningful notice or opportunity to respond to the allegations against her,” the judge wrote. A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Fed, which had no comment on the ruling, has not made any legal arguments in the case. It has asked the courts for a swift resolution of the matter, and has said it will abide by any court ruling. Cook’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Separately, the Senate on Monday night narrowly confirmed Trump’s nominee to a recently vacated seat on the Fed board. The largely party-line 48-47 vote means that it is likely that Stephen Miran, currently chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, will also participate in this week’s rate-setting meeting alongside Cook. FOR CAUSE In setting up the Fed, Congress included provisions to shield the central bank from political interference. Under the law that created the Fed, its governors may be removed by a president only “for cause,” though the law does not define the term nor establish procedures for removal. No president has ever removed a Fed governor, and the law has never been tested in court. In Monday’s opinion, Garcia wrote that because Cook’s due process claim was “very likely meritorious”, there was no need for the court to address the meaning of ‘for cause’ at this point in the case. Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Fed governor, sued Trump and the Fed in late August. Cook has said the claims did not give Trump the legal authority to remove her and were a pretext to fire her for her monetary policy stance. The Trump administration has argued that the president has broad discretion to determine when it is necessary to remove a Fed governor, and that courts lack the power to review those decisions. The case has ramifications for the Fed’s ability to set interest rates without regard to the wishes of politicians, widely seen as critical to any central bank’s ability to function independently to carry out tasks such as keeping inflation under control. Trump this year has demanded that the Fed cut rates aggressively, berating Fed Chair Jerome Powell for his stewardship over monetary policy. The Fed, focusing on fighting inflation, has not done so, though it is expected this week to make a cut. The Supreme Court this year has allowed Trump to proceed with the removal of various officials serving on federal agencies that had been established by Congress as independent from direct presidential control. But in a May order in a case involving Trump’s dismissal of two Democratic members of federal labor boards, the Supreme Court signaled that it views the Fed as distinct from other executive branch agencies. It said the Fed “is a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity” with a singular historical tradition. Unlike other members of regulatory boards that the Supreme Court allowed Trump to remove, Cook’s protection from at-will removal distinguished her case, Garcia wrote in Monday’s opinion. The Trump administration in a court filing on Thursday had asked the D.C. Circuit to move quickly so that Trump could remove Cook before the Fed’s policy meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. Administration lawyers said that allowing the president to fire Cook would “strengthen, not diminish, the Federal Reserve’s integrity.” Cook’s lawyers in a filing in response said removing Cook ahead of the meeting would impact U.S. and foreign markets, and that the public interest in keeping her in office outweighed Trump’s efforts to take control of the Fed. In his dissenting opinion, Katsas said there was a greater risk of harm to the Trump administration than there was to Cook in leaving her in her job while the appeal played out. “Moreover, the Board of Governors no doubt is important, but that only heightens the government’s interest in ensuring that its Governors are competent and capable of projecting confidence into markets,” Katsas wrote. In blocking Cook’s removal, Cobb had found that the “best reading” of the 1913 law is that it only allows a Fed governor to be removed for misconduct while in office. The mortgage fraud claims against Cook all relate to actions she took prior to her U.S. Senate confirmation in 2022. Trump and his appointee William Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director, have claimed that Cook inaccurately described three separate properties on mortgage applications, which could have allowed her to obtain lower interest rates and tax credits. A loan estimate for an Atlanta home purchased by Cook shows that she had declared the property as a “vacation home,” according to a document reviewed by Reuters, information that would appear to undercut the allegations against her. And the property tax authority in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said in response to a Reuters inquiry that Cook has not broken rules for tax breaks on a home there that Cook had declared her primary residence. The finding, which came in response to a Reuters request that the city review Cook’s property records, could boost Cook’s defense against efforts by the Trump administration to remove her from the Federal Reserve board. Trump’s Justice Department also has launched a criminal mortgage fraud probe into Cook, and has issued grand jury subpoenas out of both Georgia and Michigan, according to documents seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the matter. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Jan Wolfe in Washington, DC, Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware and Ann Saphir; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Will Dunham and Shri Navaratnam)  

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and China have a deal that would keep TikTok operating in the United States, transferring its U.S. assets to U.S. owners from China’s ByteDance, potentially resolving a saga that has lingered for nearly a year. A deal on the popular social media app, which counts 170 million U.S. users, stands as a breakthrough in months-long talks between the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 economies that have sought to defuse a wide-ranging trade war that has unnerved global markets. “We have a deal on TikTok … We have a group of very big companies that want to buy it,” Trump said. He lauded the trade deal reached with China, calling it an upgrade for both countries, and said it would preserve tens of billions of dollars of value. “The kids want it so badly, I have parents calling me up. They don’t want it for themselves. They want it for their kids,” Trump said. Any agreement could require approval by the Republican-controlled Congress, which passed a law in 2024 during the Biden Administration that required divestiture due to fears that TikTok’s U.S. user data could be accessed by the Chinese government, allowing Beijing to spy on Americans or conduct influence operations through the app. The Trump administration has repeatedly declined to enforce a law requiring the app to shut down due to worries it would anger users and disrupt political communications, instead extending the divestiture deadline on three separate occasions. Trump has credited the app with helping him win re-election last year, and his personal account has 15 million followers. The White House launched an official TikTok account last month. CNBC reported Tuesday that the deal is expected to be closed within the next 30 to 45 days, and that the agreement will include existing investors in TikTok’s China-based parent ByteDance and new investors. Reuters has not independently verified CNBC’s report. However, the details are in line with Reuters’ reporting in April that the deal would spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new company based in the U.S. and majority-owned and operated by U.S. investors. Tariffs And TikTok A deal for TikTok had been in the works in the spring, but was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump’s announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods. Washington has maintained that TikTok’s ownership by ByteDance makes it beholden to the Chinese government, and Beijing could use the app to collect data on Americans. The company has said U.S. officials have misstated its ties to China, arguing its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the U.S. on cloud servers operated by Oracle, while content moderation decisions that affect American users are also made in the U.S. CNBC also reported on Tuesday that Oracle will keep its cloud deal with TikTok as part of the agreement. Reuters reported earlier this year that the White House was working on a plan to tap Oracle, along with a group of outside investors, to take control of the app’s operations. As part of the plan, Oracle would have been responsible for addressing national security issues, Reuters had then reported. Shares of Oracle pared some gains on Tuesday following the news on TikTok and were last up nearly 3%. A framework agreement was reached by officials from both countries on Monday, marking a breakthrough after months of intense talks. The White House has been involved to an unprecedented level in the closely watched deal talks. Amid escalating trade tensions, U.S. and China delegations discussed the divestment as part of broader disputes over tariffs and tech export control regulations. A final confirmation on the deal is expected on Friday in a call between Trump and President Xi Jinping. Several suitors, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, a startup run by OnlyFans founder, and Amazon, had expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion. (Reporting By Andrea Shalal and Jarrett Renshaw, Deborah Sophia, Jaspreet Singh; Editing by Anil D’Silva)

A New York judge on Tuesday threw out two state charges of murder related to terrorism against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. Judge Gregory Carro tossed charges of murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism, saying that the evidence presented to the grand jury did not support terrorism charges, ABC News reported. A second-degree murder charge against the 27-year-old suspect remains in place. Mangione made his first court appearance in five months on Tuesday after he was arrested in December and accused of killing Thompson, a 50-year-old husband and father of two, in Midtown Manhattan. Thompson was shot from behind on the morning of December 4, 2024, as he was walking near the Hilton hotel in Midtown, which was hosting an annual investor’s conference. Mangione also faces federal charges and other state charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested five days after Thompson was gunned down. The suspect’s defense team argued that the New York state charges should be dismissed, claiming that Mangione faces double jeopardy due to the overlap between the federal and state charges, according to NBC News. The judge called the defense’s argument “premature.” In April, Mangione was indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges, including murder through the use of a firearm, a count that makes him eligible for the death penalty. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the DOJ would pursue the death penalty for Mangione, arguing that Thompson’s killing “was an act of political violence.” Police arrested Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a five-day manhunt. Investigators said that a backpack that Mangione was carrying when he was arrested contained the alleged murder weapon, a fake ID, and a diary. Mangione’s defense team has argued that the evidence seized during Mangione’s arrest should be suppressed, claiming that police conducted a warrantless search of Mangione’s belongings. One entry in the diary found in Mangione’s backpack discusses how someone should “wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention,” according to a court filing. “It’s targeted, precise, and doesn’t risk innocents. Most importantly, the point is self-evident,” the entry added. “I finally feel confident about what I will do,” another entry states, according to authorities. “The target is insurance. It checks every box.” Hearings for Mangione’s case are set to begin on December 1, but a trial date has not been scheduled. Mangione pleaded not guilty to the state charges in New York and Pennsylvania as well as to the federal charges.

I started following Charlie Kirk the moment he stepped on the stage of American politics. I watched him mature in his role as founder of Turning Point USA, and I distinctly remember admiring him for shifting its mission with the realization that the battle for America was not just a political battle, but a spiritual one as well. I was so enamored that I used to imagine being on Charlie’s show — but who was I? And then it happened. God gave me a chance to be courageous. As a teacher in Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia, one of the most controversial school districts in the country, I realized God’s truth was more important than my job security, and I took a stand. Alliance Defending Freedom represented me in a lawsuit against LCPS’s transgender policy. We sued to protect free speech and religious freedom, and to advocate for the truth of God’s design. Charlie Kirk was the first major media personality to invite us to share our story. Charlie used his platform to take someone considered a “nobody” and elevate her. That is the kind of man he was. He looked to elevate others rather than himself. I have no doubt that, though I was represented by a prestigious legal organization, it was talking with Charlie on his show that made my witness visible and opened other opportunities for me to see God’s goodness in the midst of spiritual battle. I’m a high school government teacher. I knew, even as I cried over the loss of Charlie and grieved for his wife and children, that I had many students who loved him. I needed the courage to go into school and talk with my classes about this tragic moment for our nation. Here is what I said to all of my classes: “One of Charlie Kirk’s repeated themes was how important it is to talk to one another. He often said when people stop talking, that’s when bad things happen. In a marriage, when people stop talking, divorce follows. In society, when people stop talking, that’s when violence happens. One of Charlie’s missions was to train a generation—your generation—how to do politics the right way, how to engage in honest, respectful civil discourse, especially with those whom you disagree. “One of the things we’ll be learning in studying the Constitution is that there are two ways to govern people: by talking or by force. Democracies govern by talking. That means engaging respectfully with each other, arguing to persuade one another, discussing, negotiating, compromising, and deciding together how to move forward knowing not everyone is going to agree on everything but figuring out how to live together well even in our differences. “Over the last few days we’ve learned about healthy and unhealthy civil society. The assassination of Charlie Kirk is the epitome of unhealthy civil society. Charlie believed in faith, family, and freedom. Because he was so confident in what he believed and spoke boldly about it, he was silenced…. Again, there are only two ways of governing people: by talking or by force. If we stop talking, there is only one other option.” In 30 years, I’ve taught four generations of youth. In many ways, the kids of each generation have been the same — trying to grow up, find their identity, and navigate teenage angst. But over the last two years, I’ve noticed a shift. For almost a decade, when it was time to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, almost no students recited it. Some even refused to stand. Now everyone stands and recites the pledge. I’ve noticed a hunger for truth and a desire for more than slogans. Now, more students courageously express their faith in school. It’s not every kid, but it is enough to inspire hope, and I believe that Charlie Kirk’s mission is part of the reason for it. His movement has had a ripple effect, even on the kids who have not necessarily followed him. His footprint is that big. Charlie Kirk was hated because he was confident in what he believed, gifted at persuading others, and a man of integrity. Proverbs 29:10 says, “The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright.” Jesus told his followers that “the world hates me, and they will hate you because of me.” Goodness evokes one of two reactions from people: hostility or attraction. Those who are attracted want to embrace and merge with that goodness. Those who are hostile to goodness see it as a threat. Simply living right and being a person of integrity will invite hostility. To our youth: You have a choice. Now is the moment for courage, the time to decide to do what is right, even knowing that it may cost you greatly. My prayer is that this generation, inspired by Charlie Kirk, will stiffen their spines and stand to fight for the same virtues that he stood for so that we may win back the soul of America. * * * Monica Gill is a government teacher at Loudoun County High School. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.