Call it irony or call it hypocrisy, CNN’s The Situation Room was awash with it during their Wednesday newscast when the pro-choice outlet’s Pamela Brown clutched her pearls over Christian women choosing to put being a mother and a wife above their careers. Brown parachuted into a “patriarchal Christian communit[y]” she fishing for stories about domestic abuse. She looked on in confusion, horror, and disgust as a woman explained why she wanted to be a stay at home mom and be “submissive” to her husband. In a continuation of her smear campaign against Christians from the previous day where she framed them as radicals and a threat to the country, Brown said she “embedded with a tight knit conservative church community in southeast Texas” to gawk at how they lived. She opened the segment by warning that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was follower of a pastor who taught his followers to adhere to “specific gender roles, where wives submit to their husbands and make being a mother and homemaker their primary role, while the husband acts as the head of the household and makes the executive decisions for the family.” Sitting down with the same McIlwain family she highlighted in the first tease for her “special project” to air over the weekend, Brown was hung up on Sierra McIlwain putting her career aside to raise a family: Sierra McIlwain left her combat role in the Army to undertake a life of submission to her husband, Andrew, a little over a year ago. They live in this conservative, faith-centric community in Taylor, Texas. She's now in the Reserves and says she's still transitioning to this new life of being a stay at home mom to her three kids and allowing her husband to be the head of the household. (…) And what has that been like for you, Sierra? As someone who is an authority figure in the military but is now trying to learn how to be submissive to your husband?   Pamela Brown released another tease of her Christian bashing documentary for CNN. This time, she clutches her pearls over Christian woman choosing to be stay at home moms and families comporting to traditional gender roles: "Well, pastor [Doug] Wilson leads a growing network of… pic.twitter.com/d1Uf6IQkXI — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) February 18, 2026   The portions of the report where they were sitting around the McIlwain’s kitchen table were filled with judgmental looks from Brown (pictured above). With Brown constantly harping on the word “submissive,” Andrew seemed to catch her off guard when he explained that he did in fact take his wife’s opinion into account (Click “expand”): BROWN: And she's also taking on this role to try to be, you know, to be submissive to you as the husband. How has it been? A. MCILWAIN: We make a decision and, you know, Sierra will say one thing and I might say something different. We talk about it. You know, most, most of the time. You know I - You know, I want Sierra to be - and our family, to be happy. You know I want joy to reign supreme in our household. I want the love of God to flow out. I want there to be, you know just peace and Christ-filled home. I'm submissive to Christ and then Sierra is submissive to me BROWN: And it's interesting because I know Sierra, you've had to really adjust to this idea, but it sounds like Andrew, you're also trying to figure out – A. MCILWAIN: Oh yeah! BROWN: -what does it mean to be the head of the family, and for my wife to be submissive to me. Sierra also seemed to confound the CNN co-host by explaining that her husband trusted her. “He trusts me in our home. Like he's going to go away to work. Whenever you're home with the kids, I'm going to trust you to lead our home while he's gone at work. Our children raising them up in the admonition of the Lord,” she said. At one point, Brown seemed to look on in disgust as Sierra was explaining how she personally wasn’t getting fulfillment from her career in the military, but being a stay at home mom was (Click “expand”): Yeah, I had just promoted to captain crying in my car, and I felt like a piece of me was dying and I just prayed. I was like, ‘Lord, what is this? Why do I feel so broken?’ I love my family. My kids are something I could have never imagined for myself. I don't know how to explain it. If you're a mom, you probably understand. How can these two things, how come I can't have both? How can they be so separate? But this is like what made me who I am. And then my kids, on the other hand, are like, what is making me who I am becoming? And I love both of them, but I can't have both of them. I learned like this: There was a season that was passing and it doesn't mean that those things inside of me pass too.   Brown's face is filled with confusion, horror, and disgust as Sierra explains how pursuing a career in the military wasn't fulling and she's been feeling better in the transition to a stay at home mom: "All of the military stuff, the medical stuff that I was pursuing, all of… pic.twitter.com/X7Zqb3HHnQ — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) February 18, 2026   Since things weren’t as abusive as she was hoping, Brown spoke with the Kirby family and pressed wife Kynleigh on what would happen when there was a conflict. Of course, Brown emphasis on her husband Jonah forcing his will on her: BROWN: What about can you say no? Like, I don't want to do that or I want to go do this, and you wouldn't want her to. How does that work? K. KIRBY: Ultimately the buck does stop with him. And there have been moments where I am hesitant or I may question like, ‘what are we doing? Should we think this through?’ And that's part of my job, part of my job as the helpmate is to make sure we have thought of all that we can think of, but ultimately, he'll make the executive decision. It was clear that Brown was fishing for nightmare stories of domestic abuse because when they were pivoting to a new topic, she teased Thursday segment which she said would cover “a darker side” of “patriarchal Christian communities” and highlight the “courageous women” who left them.   Things are going to get worse during tomorrow's tease. Brown says she's going to hammer on the "darker side" of "patriarchal Christian communities." pic.twitter.com/Tzqeprfuz9 — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) February 18, 2026   The timing of Brown’s “special project” was suspicious since it was the first week of Lent. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: CNN’s The Situation Room February 17, 2026 10:37:01 a.m. Eastern DOUG WILSON: It's a very great privilege to be speaking to you today, and I do thank God for the opportunity. In addition, I'm very grateful to the secretary of war, Pete Hegseth, both for starting this meeting and for inviting me to be here with you today. [End soundbite] PAMELA BROWN: That pastor you just heard is Christ Church senior pastor Doug Wilson. He presided yesterday over a prayer service at the Pentagon, a voluntary event implemented last summer by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth himself is a follower of Wilson's and praised him for the service. Yesterday. The Department of War's rapid response account posted an image of them together with the caption, “we are one nation under God.” Well, pastor Wilson leads a growing network of conservative Christian churches and preaches a strict biblical interpretation of various issues. His followers are taught to follow specific gender roles, where wives submit to their husbands and make being a mother and homemaker their primary role, while the husband acts as the head of the household and makes the executive decisions for the family. For my upcoming documentary, I embedded with a tight knit conservative church community in southeast Texas that belongs to Wilson's network of churches. The women there told me they're flourishing in their role as submissive wives. [Cuts to video] SIERRA MCILWAIN: I'm not used to the wife and the mother role that I am stepping into. BROWN: Sierra McIlwain left her combat role in the Army to undertake a life of submission to her husband, Andrew, a little over a year ago. [Singing hymn] BROWN: They live in this conservative, faith-centric community in Taylor, Texas. She's now in the Reserves and says she's still transitioning to this new life of being a stay at home mom to her three kids and allowing her husband to be the head of the household. S. MCILWAIN: I'm learning how to be a wife and a mother as I'm doing it, and so being coming alongside other women in households who are already doing it and have been for years, helps me. BROWN: Yeah, I mean, you're learning. And it's unique because Andrew she has been a leader in the military, right? ANDREW MCILWAIN: Yeah. BROWN: And she's also taking on this role to try to be, you know, to be submissive to you as the husband. How has it been? A. MCILWAIN: We make a decision and, you know, Sierra will say one thing and I might say something different. We talk about it. You know, most, most of the time. You know I - You know, I want Sierra to be - and our family, to be happy. You know I want joy to reign supreme in our household. I want the love of God to flow out. I want there to be, you know just peace and Christ-filled home. I'm submissive to Christ and then Sierra is submissive to me BROWN: And it's interesting because I know Sierra, you've had to really adjust to this idea, but it sounds like Andrew, you're also trying to figure out – A. MCILWAIN: Oh yeah! BROWN: -what does it mean to be the head of the family, and for my wife to be submissive to me. A. MCILWAIN: Yeah that's exactly right. I'm just, you know I read scripture and I read those passages and I'm like, ‘what does that mean?’ So I, you know, I have to - I defer. You know that's why we go to the church we do, because they don't shy away from what scripture says. They get right into it and it's more so a thing where it's like we don't favor what culture says or what trends say. And we need to have the opposite and really lean into what scripture is saying. And then, we're morally corrupt. It's not scripture. So we need there's something wrong with us and we need to adjust ourselves to what the word of God says. BROWN: But I'm sure it can be hard day-to-day to know where that line is. A. MCILWAIN: Oh yeah! S. MCILWAIN: Oh yeah, we figuring it out every day. Like every - I mean, to answer the first. Like a lot of trust. He trusts me in our home. Like he's going to go away to work. Whenever you're home with the kids, I'm going to trust you to lead our home while he's gone at work. Our children raising them up in the admonition of the Lord. BROWN: And what has that been like for you, Sierra? As someone who is an authority figure in the military but is now trying to learn how to be submissive to your husband? S. MCILWAIN: Yeah, I had just promoted to captain crying in my car, and I felt like a piece of me was dying and I just prayed. I was like, ‘Lord, what is this? Why do I feel so broken?’ I love my family. My kids are something I could have never imagined for myself. I don't know how to explain it. If you're a mom, you probably understand. How can these two things, how come I can't have both? How can they be so separate? But this is like what made me who I am. And then my kids, on the other hand, are like, what is making me who I am becoming? And I love both of them, but I can't have both of them. I learned like this. There was a season that was passing and it doesn't mean that those things inside of me pass too. BROWN: How have you managed that transition and what are the challenges been? S. MCILWAIN: All of the military stuff, the medical stuff that I was pursuing, all of these things, these challenges, these hard things that are difficult to accomplish that I put my foot - my effort toward. They have been challenging and they have been rewarding. None of them have even come close to how challenging and rewarding being a wife and a mother is. Submitted under Christ. [Prayers] BROWN: Kynleigh and Jonah Kirby live in the same conservative Christian community and have four kids. They welcome the patriarchal hierarchy in their marriage. KYNLEIGH KIRBY: Ultimately, me trusting in him and trusting in his leadership is trusting in God. JONAH KIRBY: Seeking to live how God has designed you to live, how he has designed marriage, how he's designed male and female in a marriage. I think that's the most freeing thing. When you try to fight that, you invite a lot of problems and trials. BROWN: What does that mean in terms of expectations for both of you? K. KIRBY: He is a provider. If he's the provider, he would provide our home, provide our food, provide our means. And my job of glorifying it is creating a beautiful dish or creating a, you know, a beautiful place to sit and enjoy that dish, or a happy aroma of a home with my own attitude, and our children's attitude, and just to kind of glorify what he is providing. BROWN: What about can you say no? Like, I don't want to do that or I want to go do this, and you wouldn't want her to. How does that work? K. KIRBY: Ultimately the buck does stop with him. And there have been moments where I am hesitant or I may question like, ‘what are we doing? Should we think this through?’ And that's part of my job, part of my job as the helpmate is to make sure we have thought of all that we can think of, but ultimately, he'll make the executive decision. [Cuts back to live] BROWN: So, Wolf I was really grateful to these women for sitting down with me, letting us into their home, sharing their perspectives about marriage and patriarchy. So often I think people hear about these communities and make their own judgments. And so, I hope that this will shed a light for people and to better understand how they live. In reality, the women I spoke with there in Taylor were welcoming, and as you heard them say, they truly believe the role of a homemaker is their God given purpose. Tomorrow I'll explore another side of the picture. The courageous woman I sat down with who have left patriarchal Christian communities, telling me they experienced a darker side.

A federal grand jury indicted several Louisville, Kentucky, residents on February 4 for their alleged involvement in illegally selling driver's licenses to immigrants.Melissa Moorman, a former clerk at Louisville's Nia Center Licensing Branch, stated that she alerted her supervisor and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in October 2024 that several of her co-workers were involved in a fraudulent scheme.'As alleged in the indictment, this fraudulent scheme involved kickbacks and bribes leading to numerous legally present, non-US citizens obtaining unlawfully issued drivers licenses.'Moorman told WDRB in August that her colleagues sold licenses to illegal immigrants who could not otherwise legally obtain them, charging them $200 per license. She claimed they were unlawfully selling these licenses four or five times per day for at least two years at multiple driver's licensing branches across the state."The employees were being paid under the table," Moorman previously told WDRB. "I immediately let my supervisor know."Moorman stated that two co-workers began using her computer login to issue licenses illegally after her supervisor instructed her to share her login information, as not all employees had their own.Moorman claimed that fraudulent Social Security cards and birth certificates were being used to issue driver's licenses and permits to illegal immigrants who never took any driving tests. She further claimed that her co-workers' scheme skipped Homeland Security background checks.Shortly after reporting the alleged fraud scheme, Moorman claimed, she was fired. KYTC claimed in a court filing that Moorman was terminated "for legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons not causally related to the alleged whistleblowing activity."RELATED: Trucker accused of killing 4 Amish men — and DHS claims he's an 'illegal alien' Photo by George Frey/Getty ImagesA February 10 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky unveiled criminal charges against five Louisville residents for alleged fraud and money-laundering offenses. Donnita Wilson, 32; Aariel Matthews, 27; Lazaro Alejandro Castello Rojas, 37; Robert Danger Correa, 41; and one other individual who has not yet been arrested were charged with mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, unlawful production of identification documents, money-laundering conspiracy, and other offenses.Wilson and Matthews previously worked at the Nia Center office, according to the indictment. Rojas and Correa did not work at any licensing agency but are accused of recruiting and escorting noncitizens to driver's license appointments at the Nia Center.Rojas and Correa "gained the trust" of the noncitizen applicants "because they professed to know the process or even implied an association with the DMV, spoke the same language, and often had the same or similar countries of origin," the indictment read, adding that most of the applicants "were unfamiliar with processes and procedures for obtaining driver's licenses in Kentucky, and many had difficulty communicating in English."Federal prosecutors argued that the defendants solicited illegal fees of $200-$1,500 from individuals applying for driver's licenses, promising expedited services, including avoiding lines and bypassing testing requirements. The applicants were allegedly led to believe the process was legal, according to prosecutors. The indictment insisted that the driver’s license applicants were legally present, non-U.S. citizens. "This indictment represents the culmination of an investigation into a scheme by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet employees and others to illegally circumvent Kentucky's process for issuing driver's licenses, thereby issuing invalid licenses to lawfully present, non-U.S. citizens who had not first demonstrated their qualifications to drive on our roads," U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated. "Proper vetting of individuals seeking a driver's license is a prerequisite to ensuring the safety of Kentucky's roadways and ensuring the legitimacy of state-issued identification. As alleged in the indictment, this fraudulent scheme involved kickbacks and bribes leading to numerous legally present, non-U.S. citizens obtaining unlawfully issued drivers licenses."RELATED: 'Good luck walking to work, a**holes': Trump-hater Swalwell wants to revoke driver’s licenses for ICE agents Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesBlaze News reached out to Kentucky Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear's office to request clarity concerning whether any of the licenses were issued to illegal immigrants or used to register to vote. The governor's office referred Blaze News to its press release, which stated that the "indictment does not involve issuing licenses to people illegally present in the country.""During a routine review of credentials applications, KYTC officials identified a number of irregularities and revoked 1,985 credentials. KYTC immediately contacted law enforcement, which began an active criminal investigation," the press release read. An attorney for Rojas declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the case.The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and attorneys for Moorman, Wilson, Matthews, and Correa did not respond to a 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!

Democrats, the liberal media, and activist outfits have concern-mongered for years about the imagined threat posed by "Christian nationalism," a catchall term used to describe their ideological foes who also happen to be Christian in a nation almost entirely founded by Christians and where today over six in 10 adults are Christian.CNN appears keen to revive the left's moral panic on-theme ahead of the midterm elections with an hour-long documentary titled "The Rise of Christian Nationalism."'If you’re worried about Christians radicalizing then maybe you should stop shooting up our schools, churches and now hockey rinks.'Newly released teaser videos and a corresponding press release hint at the documentary's apparent political purpose: to instill fear in viewers over a supposed movement that host Pamela Brown claims is "working to redefine America as a Christian nation in the home, in a marriage, in schools, and in government" — a movement that Brown reckons is supercharged and unified in the wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk's assassination.The network noted in its overview for the documentary, which airs Sunday, that:Brown examines the growing influence of Christian nationalism, an ideology rooted in the belief that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and that its laws and institutions should reflect Christian values. Through immersive reporting and on-the-ground access, the episode explores how a movement once largely confined to the margins of white evangelical culture has gained new visibility and political power.Brown apparently believes she gleaned generalizable insights into "Christian nationalism" by chatting with critics and kicking around Christian communities linked to Pastor Doug Wilson, a theologian credited by the Wall Street Journal months ago with leading the rise of "Christian nationalism" under President Donald Trump."We embedded with a community under Pastor Wilson’s umbrella and spoke to women who have left the church and are now sounding the alarm," said Brown. "No matter where you live or what you believe, what we learned is especially consequential at this moment."RELATED: Blue-state city leans into battle against ACLU over archangel Michael statue honoring police Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty ImagesIn one preview, Matthew Taylor — a specialist in "Muslim-Christian dialogue" who wrote a book sounding the alarm about imagined Christian threats to democracy — tells Brown that Kirk's memorial service "was one of the most potent examples of this shift in our culture that we're experiencing right now, where a large segment of American Christians are being activated by these ideas, radicalized by these ideas that say that they are the persecuted ones and that they need to stand up for Christians' rights."Despite his intimation to the contrary, the ideas Taylor figures for radicalizing are based in fact. Christians, persecuted around the globe, are frequently targeted in the U.S., where radicals have not only sought to legislatively curb religious liberties but attacked churches and the faithful.Brown, referencing a clip in which Taylor suggests that Christians take Trump for an "anointed figure" because he survived the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, said that "this is just one example of why Christian nationalists are having such a moment right now."While some viewers might suspect that these alleged "Christian nationalists" are simply followers of Christ who also vigorously support their nation, definitions and criteria vary. Brown defines "Christian nationalism" as "an ideology rooted in the belief that our country was founded as a Christian nation and that our laws and institutions should reflect Christian values."The CNN host appears to be casting a big net granted a 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that six in 10 American adults said the founders intended America to be a Christian nation.The Public Religion Research Institute, a group that has in recent years characterized Christian nationalism as "a major threat to the health of our democracy," has a slightly less vague understanding and can supposedly deduce if someone is a Christian nationalist on their responses to the following five statements:"The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation.""U.S. laws should be based on Christian values.""If the U.S. moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore.""Being Christian is an important part of being truly American.""God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society."In the wild, "Christian nationalist" appears in many cases to be a term externally applied, not chosen.Vice President JD Vance, for instance, doesn't check all of the PPRI's boxes, having indicated that Americans don't have to be Christian but that "Christianity is America's creed." Nevertheless, he is frequently branded as a "Christian nationalist."Despite stating in 2024 that "Christian Nationalism" is "a boogeyman they've invested to silence you," and having made a point of noting months before his murder that he had never described himself as a Christian nationalist, Kirk is branded as such in Brown's CNN documentary.Patriotic Christians were quick to lambaste Brown and CNN over the documentary and the timing of its release.Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts noted that "it's no accident that Pamela chose the first week of Lent to release this. The world saw one of the most prominent voices on the Right martyred by a radical leftist, with his death celebrated by the Left at large — but it’s conservative Christians you need to worry about.""This is pure bigotry from an increasingly anti-Christian, anti-American Left that tolerates all kinds of dogmas influencing people’s politics — except those of conservative Christians," added Roberts.Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, stated, "If you’re worried about Christians radicalizing then maybe you should stop shooting up our schools, churches and now hockey rinks. Killing Charlie and the 'this is what you get' messaging from the media was pretty radicalizing too."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

While immigration enforcement has faced some hurdles, including a partial government shutdown, law enforcement has continued to take down criminals. In a major score for Houston Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorities announced the arrest of two people who allegedly ran a major illegal operation.On Wednesday morning, the official United States Customs and Immigration Services X, Facebook, and Instagram accounts announced the arrest of an "alien from India" and his "spouse" in Texas, where they were allegedly running a "large human smuggling operation." 'He and his spouse were apprehended ... on charges of human smuggling, document fraud, and overstaying their visa.'"He and his spouse were apprehended at our Houston office by @ICEgov on charges of human smuggling, document fraud, and overstaying their visa," USCIS wrote."Human traffickers will be caught and held accountable," the account added.RELATED: No more 'safe harbor for illegals': Colony Ridge settles with DOJ, Texas Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesA USCIS spokesperson referred Blaze News to ICE for comment since ICE made the arrests.Blaze News reached out to the DHS, ICE, and its Houston field office for comment but did not receive a response.This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

California Dem Mayor's Fiancé Just Sentenced as a Chinese Spy—And He Helped Her Win Office

Brian Stelter Rains on the Left's Talking Point Parade About the FCC Banning an Interview on Colbert

Jamie Raskin Says Imbecilic Bigot and Fanatic Randy Fine Should Resign

‘Beto’ Beats Ghetto: Media Makes the ‘White’ Choice by Elevating James Talarico After ‘Late Show’ Hoax

'You're Kidding': Receipts Dropped After 'Reporter' Asks Karoline Leavitt 'Dumbest Question' About Trump

Can We Now Predict Dangerous Solar Storms?