Soon, the House of Representatives will lose one of its fiercest foreign policy and homeland security hawks when Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas retires.  “It’s been an honor to serve for over two decades in the Congress. I’m looking now for a new challenge,” McCaul said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” as he discussed his intention not to seek reelection. “I’m looking for a new challenge in the same space—that would be national security, foreign policy, but just in a different realm.” McCaul, 63, took office in 2005 and has since championed legislation to take a strong-armed approach against threats to America’s security. A former chair of the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees, he has helped shape Congress’ responses to national security issues since the presidency of George W. Bush. He explained on the ABC broadcast that the September 11 attacks on the United States essentially kickstarted his career in politics and his focus on threats from abroad. BREAKING: Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul announced on @ThisWeekABC that he will not seek reelection in 2026.“It's been an honor to serve for over two decades in the Congress. I’m looking now for a new challenge.”Read more: https://t.co/4zQmchkZaj pic.twitter.com/DJYCDJurjf— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) September 14, 2025 “It changed my life and many others’, but I became a counterterrorism federal prosecutor within the Justice Department. I entered Congress, I chaired the Homeland Security committee, I saw the rise of ISIS and the caliphate,” he said. “As chairman of Foreign Affairs [committee], I saw Afghanistan fall and [Vladimir] Putin invade Ukraine and the Middle East on fire, and then the threat from Chairman Xi [Jinping] in China and the IndoPacific.” McCaul has been a consistent advocate of military aid to Ukraine, has compared Xi of China and Putin of Russia to Adolf Hitler, and has crafted bipartisan legislation to require the Department of Homeland Security to focus more intently on cybersecurity. Besides representing the loss of a major homeland security hawk, McCaul’s departure is part of a major reshuffling of Texas’ congressional representation.  Recent redistricting could lead to five Democrat districts being flipped to Republicans, and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is running to become attorney general of the Lone Star State. The post Rep. McCaul, a Long-Time Foreign Policy Hawk, to Retire appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The White House has finally produced a framework deal to save TikTok after Congress banned usage of the Chinese-owned app in the United States, a White House official tells The Daily Signal. “President [Donald] Trump and Vice President [JD] Vance provided the leadership and foresight necessary to produce a framework deal that fulfills another campaign promise and saves TikTok,” a spokesman for Vance told The Daily Signal. “Hundreds of millions of Americans will now be able to continue safely enjoying the highly popular app thanks to the president’s decisive leadership.” This comes just two days before the Sept. 17 deadline that could have banned TikTok in the United States. The Trump administration has not yet named the U.S.-backed buyer. On Sunday, Vance participated in a call with Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer regarding the latter two’s meeting in Madrid Sunday with Chinese officials about the TikTok deal framework, according to a White House official. Vance and Trump both supported giving the U.S. delegation the necessary leverage to deliver a framework for a TikTok deal. Vance himself was very involved in developing a strategy to reach the TikTok deal framework leading up to the U.S.-China summit in Madrid. The White House has three-times extended the deadline to reach a deal with Chinese-owned ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American-backed owner. Congress passed a law April 24, 2024, requiring ByteDance to divest its stake in the U.S. assets of TikTok due to national security concerns. The vice president’s counsel, who has been heavily involved in negotiations on behalf of Vance, played an important role in the Madrid talks, the White House official said. Trump posted on TruthSocial that the meeting in Madrid went “VERY WELL.” “A deal was also reached on a ‘certain’ company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save,” he wrote. “They will be very happy! I will be speaking to President Xi on Friday. The relationship remains a very strong one!!!” The post How Vance, Trump Orchestrated Deal to Save TikTok appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The steady spread of facial recognition technology onto Britain’s streets is drawing alarm from those who see it as a step toward mass surveillance, even as police leaders celebrate it as a powerful new weapon against crime. Live Facial Recognition (LFR) is a system that scans people’s faces in public spaces and compares them against watchlists. Civil liberties groups warn it normalizes biometric monitoring of ordinary citizens, while the Metropolitan Police insist it is already producing results. Britain’s senior police leadership is promoting these biometric and artificial intelligence systems as central to the future of policing, with commissioner Sir Mark Rowley arguing that such tools are already transforming the way the Met operates. Speaking to the TechUK trade association, Rowley described Live Facial Recognition (LFR) as a “game-changing tool” and pointed to more than 700 arrests linked to its use so far this year. Camera vans stationed on streets have been deployed to flag people wanted for serious crimes or those breaking license conditions. Rowley highlighted a recent deployment at the Notting Hill Carnival, where he joined officers using LFR. “Every officer I spoke to was energized by the potential,” he said to The Sun. According to the commissioner, the weekend brought 61 arrests, including individuals sought in cases of serious violence and offenses against women and girls. Rowley claimed that the technology played “a critical role” in making the carnival safer. Beyond facial recognition, Rowley spoke of expanding the Met’s reliance on drones. “From searching for missing people, to arriving quickly at serious traffic incidents, or replacing the expensive and noisy helicopter at large public events,” he said, “done well, drones will be another tool to help officers make faster, more informed decisions on the ground.” The commissioner also promoted the V100 program, which draws on data analysis to focus resources on those considered the highest risk to women. He said this initiative has already led to the conviction of more than 160 offenders he described as “the most prolific and predatory” in London. Artificial Intelligence is being tested in other areas too, particularly to review CCTV footage. Rowley noted the labour involved in manually tracing suspects through crowded areas. “Take Oxford Street, with 27 junctions—a trawl to identify a suspect’s route can take two days,” he explained. “Now imagine telling AI to find clips of a male wearing a red baseball cap between X and Y hours, and getting results in hours. That’s game-changing.” While the Met portrays these systems as advances in crime prevention, their deployment raises questions about surveillance creeping deeper into everyday life. Expansions in facial recognition, drone monitoring, and algorithmic analysis are often introduced as matters of efficiency and safety, but they risk building an infrastructure of constant observation where privacy rights are gradually eroded. Shaun Thompson’s case has already been cited by campaigners as evidence of the risks that come with rolling out facial recognition on public streets. He was mistakenly identified by the technology, stopped, and treated as though he were a wanted suspect before the error was realized. Incidents like this highlight the danger of false matches and the lack of safeguards around biometric surveillance. For ordinary people, the impact is clear: even if you have done nothing wrong, you can still find yourself pulled into a system that treats you as guilty first and asks questions later. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post UK Met Police Chief Mark Rowley Hails Facial Recognition, Outlines Drone and AI Policing Plans appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Memphis Mayor: Natl Guard? Didn't Ask for Them But I'll Be Happy to Use Them

Park staff have collected over 13,000 pieces of trash from the park's hydrothermal areas so far this year.

If it looks like a duck...

FBI Director Kash Patel announced newfound evidence that strengthens the case against Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin. Patel confirmed that the FBI found and processed DNA evidence from the towel wrapped around the firearm found discarded in a wooded area near the Utah Valley University campus, as well as on a screwdriver found on the rooftop where the shooter is believed to have been. Both samples were identified as a positive match to the suspect in custody, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, according to Patel. 'He claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk.'"I can report today that the DNA hits from the towel that was wrapped around the firearm and the DNA on the screwdriver are positively processed for the suspect in custody," Patel told "Fox & Friends" Monday.This development will be instrumental in building the case against Robinson, who is likely facing charges for aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm. RELATED: Alleged bomb plot near Charlie Kirk assassination lands Pakistani native and son with terrorism charges Photo by Trent Nelson/the Salt Lake Tribune/Getty ImagesAlthough Robinson has not confessed or made clear his motive for allegedly assassinating Kirk, the facts surrounding the case appear to suggest a political or ideological motivation. In recent days, it was confirmed that Robinson was living with his trans-identifying boyfriend, a biological male who claimed to be a woman. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also revealed the writing inscribed on bullet casings found at the crime scene, one of which read, "Hey fascist! Catch!""His family has collectively told investigators that he subscribed to left-wing ideology, and even more so in these last couple of years," Patel said. RELATED: TPUSA plans historic memorial for Charlie Kirk Photo by Office of the Governor of Utah via Getty Images"He claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and he was going to do it because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for," Patel added. Editor's note: The FBI declined a request for further comment from Blaze News.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the public demonstrations about it, President Donald Trump indicated he would look into those financing the "professional agitators" who have taken over the streets in recent years. In a Friday appearance on "Fox & Friends," Trump renewed his promise to investigate Democrat mega-donor George Soros.It went on to say that the organization does 'not support or fund violent protests.'"We're going to look into Soros," the president told the Fox hosts. "I think it's a RICO case against him and other people."RICO stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. This set of laws is known for helping to prosecute members of the mafia.RELATED: 'We're watching you': Trump threatens George Soros and his 'group of psychopaths' with prosecution Photo by Win McNamee/Getty ImagesTrump added that the protests that we have seen in recent years are different because they seem to have "professional agitators.""This is more than just a protest," he said. "This is real agitation." Soros has become known for funding Democrat campaigns for offices like district attorney, leading many to link high-crime rates to Soros-backed districts. The Open Society Foundation, which was founded by George Soros and is currently run by his son Alex Soros, has also been scrutinized by Republicans in the past. Trump suggested to NBC News in a phone interview that Soros should be imprisoned. "He's a bad guy," Trump said, according to the Independent. In response, Soros' organization called these claims of funding professional agitators "outrageous and false." It went on to say that the organization does "not support or fund violent protests."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A unhinged female was caught on video mocking and accosting a Charlie Kirk supporter — and paid a big price after allegedly unleashing physical attacks.The incident took place Friday at Texas Tech University and involved a student there, the Daily Mail reported.'I'm not being aggressive! My voice is very calm! You're calling me aggressive because I'm a black woman!'Cellphone video shows a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat and holding a sign in memory of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated Wednesday at Utah Valley University during one of his popular student-focused events.But a female didn't like the Kirk supporter's sign, which simply read, "Rest in peace, Charlie."Video shows the female jumping up and down and chanting "F**k y'all homie dead! He got shot in the head!"The man wearing the MAGA hat says, "Evil is real, people, and it kind of looks like that," as he pans his cell phone toward the female in question. He adds, "Evil. Evil. Murder is bad; she is evil."She's seen getting in the man's face with her cell phone, after which he asks, "Can somebody tell her to back up, please?"Oddly, the female tells him to not push the camera in her face, and he replies, "I'm sitting here. You walked up to me. I don't want this. I said, 'Rest in peace.' Just leave me alone. Please don't come after me. I want to be left alone."Another female off-camera tells her she is being emotional, which only raises her ire: "I'm not emotional, ma'am! Don't tell me what I am and what I'm not! You can get out of my face 'cause I can tell you what you are, but you won't like it!"The man insists she is being aggressive, and then the female shoots back, "I'm not being aggressive! My voice is very calm! You're calling me aggressive because I'm a black woman!" The man denies the allegation.RELATED: The left’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination is DISGUSTING The Daily Mail identified the female in question as 18-year-old Camryn Giselle Booker, a Texas Tech University student.The outlet added that things escalated when "Booker allegedly shoved several people, including an elderly veteran and a young mother with her child" — and that "prompted a physical altercation that spread into the street."The Lubbock County Sheriff's Office on Monday morning told Blaze News that Texas Tech Police arrested Booker on Friday, that she was given a Class C Citation for assault, and that she posted a $200 cash bond on Saturday.The incident caught the attention of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who posted reactions on X. One of them reads, "Definitely picked the wrong school to taunt the death of Charlie Kirk. Thanks Texas Tech." The other post from Abbott shows a photo of Booker getting handcuffed, and it reads, "This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech. FAFO."In response to one of Abbott's posts, Cody Campbell — chairman of the Board of Regents for the Texas Tech University System — posted on X that "We, @TexasTech, are proud of our values and are not afraid to stand up for them. Strive for Honor Evermore! Long Live the Matadors!!"NewsNation reported that it's attempting to confirm reports of Booker's expulsion from Texas Tech and has reached out to the school 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!

The legend turned 83 on June 18. The 21 concerts will run from late September until late November. The post Paul McCartney Announces Intimate Show to Kick Off 2025 ‘Got Back’ Tour appeared first on Best Classic Bands.