The Somali government admitted fault after it was accused of destroying a United States-funded warehouse and seizing 76 metric tons of food aid intended for Somali nationals.

In early January, the State Department halted “all ongoing” aid to Somalia, citing concerning reports that its government had destroyed a World Food Programme warehouse and seized donor-funded food.

‘The Federal Government takes full responsibility for addressing this unfortunate situation and expresses its regret that it occurred.’

“Any resumption of assistance will be dependent upon the Somali Federal Government taking accountability for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate remedial steps,” the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance wrote.

Somalia previously denied the allegations, asserting that the expansion work at the Mogadishu port, where the U.S.-funded warehouse is located, did not impact the food aid. The government further insisted that the aid was “under the custody and control of the World Food Programme, including assistance provided by the United States.”

However, on Monday, the Federal Republic of Somalia Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation issued a press release that seemed to reverse its position.

“The Federal Government of Somalia confirms that the commodities removed from the warehouse affected by port expansion activities, as referenced in recent reports, have been fully returned to the World Food Program (WFP). The Federal Government takes full responsibility for addressing this unfortunate situation and expresses its regret that it occurred,” the statement reads.

RELATED: Homan heads to Minnesota: ICE to continue making arrests amid ‘violent organized protests,’ $20B fraud, Trump says

YOAV LEMMER/AFP via Getty Images

Somalia has provided WFP “with a larger and more suitable warehouse within the Mogadishu Port area, supporting improved storage capacity and efficient distribution,” the statement continues.

The Somali government pledged to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and take steps to prevent future issues.

“The Federal Government of Somalia remains fully committed to humanitarian principles, transparency, and accountability, and values its close partnership with the World Food Program, the United States, and the broader international donor community,” the statement reads. “The Government considers this clarification an important step toward resolving the matter and ensuring continued cooperation in support of the Somali people.”

RELATED: Was the Minnesota AG’s entire career a long con to funnel money to Somalia?

Photo by Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin/Anadolu via Getty Images

The U.S. is the largest contributor to the WFP, providing approximately $2 billion in 2025, which constitutes nearly one-third of the organization’s total funding.

The State Department and the WFP did not respond to a request for comment.

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The H-1B visa program is being sold as a “skills shortage solution,” but it is really just one of the largest ways that people are taking advantage of our immigration system.

“We’ve got to figure out how to get this under control. We’ve got to figure out how to … stop being taken advantage of. And it needs to stop,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says on “Come and Take it.”

“The fact of the matter is that we need to stop immigration. We need to put a moratorium on immigration, on H-1B visas, for as long as it takes in order to get our country back. That’s all there is to it. I’m not beholden to people across the world. I don’t need to make sure that they feel good about it,” she continues.

“They are taking American jobs, and they are changing our communities,” she says. “At the crux of that problem is obviously the H-1B visa.”

And the H-1B visa might seem like a drop in the bucket compared to illegal immigration, but it is a much bigger deal than Americans are led to believe.

“It is hundreds of thousands of people — if not in the millions at this point — that we have allowed into our state, into our country, on this H-1B visa,” Gonzales says, pointing out that we are supposed to only be allowing the brightest minds — the most specialized workers — into our country on this visa.

“Unfortunately, people are now … using the H-1B visa, coming over, taking American jobs, taking away American labor, taking away American salaries, sometimes exporting those salaries across wherever they came from — across the world — in remittances,” Gonzales explains.

“That money that they’re being paid isn’t actually being put back into the American economy, which is a problem. And they’re taking American housing, which is of course driving up the price of housing for Americans — for actual Americans, for actual Texans,” she continues, noting that Texas is at the top for states accepting all these visas.

And after digging a little deeper, the situation in Texas is worse than one might think.

“I literally just picked at random several different cities in the state of Texas, and I went through some of the employers, and I found some of these jobs and how much these people are being paid to take a job away from a Texan,” Gonzales says.

“Let me give you this one,” she continues. “Dallas ISD — that means taxpayer money. Dallas taxpayer money is being used to pay these H-1B visa jobs. You tell me if this could never be filled by a Texan. It could never be filled by an American. We only need the super-duper smart immigrants to come and take these jobs that no Texan could ever do.”

The H-1B job listing is for a middle-school math teacher and advertises a salary of $62,000 a year.

“A high-school science teacher, $70,000 a year. H-1B visa. They took your job. A regular average American could qualify for that job with a certification,” Gonzales says, adding, “They took it from you.”

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What once cost Amazon over $13 billion is now turning into a big headache for the tech company.

Back in 2017, Amazon acquired Whole Foods for a price tag of $13.7 billion with the intention of making its own brick-and-mortar grocery stores under the brands Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go.

‘Fresh groceries now make up nine of the top 10 most-ordered items.’

Amazon Go was meant to be the future: a cashierless and seamless Amazon experience where shoppers simply scan on their way out. In fact, the stores mirror a mid-2000s IBM commercial about online commerce.

By 2023, expansion had been slowed, with some locations closing, CoStar reported at the time, and Amazon taking out a $720 million impairment charge.

On Tuesday, Amazon announced it is fully closing all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations. Although some will be retrofitted to become Whole Foods Market stores, Amazon is making a big shift toward grocery delivery.

RELATED: Cattle rancher battles Amazon data center accused of poisoning water supply, causing miscarriages

Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Amazon said in its press release that it already offers grocery deliveries in 5,000 cities and towns, with several thousand receiving same-day deliveries. Same-day service seems to be the company’s core expansion project for 2026.

The shift appeared to be a profit-driven move after sales through same-day deliveries increased by 40x since January 2025.

“Fresh groceries now make up nine of the top 10 most-ordered items in areas where perishable groceries are available for Same-Day Delivery,” Amazon explained.

RELATED: Amazon now offering even faster delivery in some cities, making 2-day delivery seem like a snail’s pace

Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

At the same, Amazon says it will be “taking convenience even further” with the introduction of an “ultra-fast” delivery option that brings thousands of “essential items,” including fresh food, to customers in 30 minutes or less. The offer is essentially a mobile convenience store experience.

While Fresh and Go may have not been the shining stars Amazon hoped they would be, its investment in Whole Foods Market has certainly paid off. The company boasted 40% sales growth since 2017, year-over-year increases in customer traffic, and expansion from around 460 locations in 2017 to over 550 currently.

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TikTok will no longer be on trial when it comes to a lawsuit that claims Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube have platforms that are addicting and harmful to children.

The lawsuit, which involves a 19-year-old plaintiff going only by KGM, says the social networks caused her to become addicted to the apps and led to depression and suicidal thoughts.

‘New families every day … are speaking out and bringing Big Tech to court for its deliberately harmful products.’

TikTok has reportedly decided to settle and agreed in principle just hours before jury selection started in Los Angeles this week. Bloomberg Law reported that along with TikTok, Snap Inc. — owner of Snapchat — also reached a confidential settlement with the woman on January 20.

“Plaintiff KGM and defendant TikTok have reached an agreement in principle to settle her case,” Joseph VanZandt, the woman’s attorney, reportedly said in a statement.

The trial, which will continue with the other social media companies later this year, is just one of many that claim the sites are harmful, addictive, and otherwise have failed to protect children.

RELATED: Google’s new motto: Don’t be Christian

While this is the first case to go to trial, there are thousands of complaints from users and families that have sparked other lawsuits in Santa Fe, New Mexico, New York City, and the Northern District of California.

For example, in the Northern District of California, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube were accused of “relentlessly” pursuing growth and “recklessly” ignoring the impacts their products have on children’s mental health.

In that case, Instagram’s former head of safety and well-being testified that Meta had a “17x” strike policy toward those who reportedly engaged in “trafficking of humans for sex.”

“You could incur 16 violations for prostitution and sexual solicitation, and upon the 17th violation, your account would be suspended,” the former employee claimed, citing internal documents.

Meta strongly denied the claims, stating, “We strongly disagree with these allegations, which rely on cherry-picked quotes and misinformed opinions in an attempt to present a deliberately misleading picture.”

“The full record will show that for over a decade, we have listened to parents, researched issues that matter most, and made real changes to protect teens,” Meta went on.

RELATED: Matt Damon: Netflix dumbs down movies for attention-impaired phone addicts

Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The settlement between TikTok and KGM should come as no surprise, said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project.

“This was only the first case — there are hundreds of parents and school districts in the social media addiction trials that [have started], and sadly, new families every day who are speaking out and bringing Big Tech to court for its deliberately harmful products,” she said in a statement provided to Blaze News.

If social media apps are found guilty in these trials, it could set a huge precedent for high-value settlements and possibly lead to sweeping regulation for how the sites handle youth accounts.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that agents served a search warrant at the elections office in Fulton County on Wednesday, and sources say the action relates to the 2020 election.

The Georgia county that includes Atlanta is at the center of claims from President Donald Trump that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

‘People will soon be prosecuted for what they did. … It was a rigged election. Can’t have rigged elections.’

Court filings indicated that the Justice Department is seeking ballots, ballots stubs, and absentee ballot signature envelopes from the election.

The president referred to the claims in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and said the people responsible would be prosecuted soon.

“It was a rigged election. Everybody now knows that. They found out,” said the president. “People will soon be prosecuted for what they did. It’s probably breaking news, but it should be. It was a rigged election. Can’t have rigged elections.”

The bureau would confirm only a “court-authorized law enforcement activity” at the Fulton County Election Hub but offered no other details.

State Senator Josh McLaurin, a Democrat, excoriated the action in a statement to reporters.

“Famously, Donald Trump has made Fulton County the object of his ire,” said McLaurin. “Throughout the country it’s made Fulton County national news for all the wrong reasons because he has pushed these baseless conspiracy theories that the election was somehow, quote, ‘stolen’ and that Georgia was the epicenter of this.”

RELATED: Georgia judge drops 3 charges in Trump election interference case

The search warrant was signed by a Fulton County judge, according to WAGA-TV, which also confirmed that the search was related to the 2020 election.

McLaurin went on to say that election officials had been threatened because of the president’s claims.

“This is extremely alarming,” he added.

This is a developing story.

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A Southern California mother has been released from custody after her child endangerment arrest in connection with a viral video that police said shows her toddler falling from her moving SUV in a Fullerton intersection, KNBC-TV reported. Fullerton is just minutes north of Anaheim.

The video shows a black SUV making an eastbound turn onto West Malvern Avenue from southbound North Euclid Street, police said, adding that as the SUV enters the intersection and completes the turn, the front passenger door opens, and a small child falls to the ground and into the roadway.

‘I felt a mixture of emotions anywhere from anger to worry to shock.’

The SUV immediately stops, nearly causing a traffic collision with the vehicle behind it, police said.

An adult female is then seen running from the driver’s side of the SUV, picking up the child, and returning to the vehicle before the video ends, police said.

The incident occurred Jan. 20, but police said no one reported it until witness Natalie Quintanilla — a mother of four children — reached out to law enforcement over the weekend, KNBC said.

“I felt a mixture of emotions anywhere from anger to worry to shock because it’s something that could have easily been avoidable,” Quintanilla added to the station Tuesday.

Police said a witness came forward Saturday, reported observing the incident, and provided identifying information related to the vehicle involved. Police said officers conducted a follow-up investigation, which led them to a residence in the city of La Habra. Police said officers located the vehicle, the child, and the female involved in the incident seen in the video.

RELATED: Toddler dies after being found submerged in container of water on front porch; mother accused of negligence: Cops

The 19-month-old child suffered injuries consistent with the fall and was transported to an area hospital for treatment, police said, adding that the child is expected to make a full recovery.

The female — identified as Jacqueline Hernandez, the 35-year-old mother of the child — was placed under arrest and booked at the Fullerton City Jail for felony child abuse, police said.

Hernandez was soon transferred to the Orange County Jail; an Orange County Sheriff’s Office official told Blaze News they aren’t releasing Hernandez’s mugshot “at this time.”

Orange County Jail data Blaze News accessed indicated Hernandez was set for release Tuesday.

Indeed KNBC said Hernandez posted $100,000 bail at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The station, citing police, added that Hernandez’s 19-month-old boy was treated and released from the hospital, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the toddler is back in the care of Hernandez.

A neighbor of Hernandez, who declined to be identified for privacy, defended the mother, telling KNBC that “sometimes we do make mistakes.”

“I can almost guarantee you there’s no way that will happen again with her. No way,” the neighbor noted to the station.

KNBC said the Orange County district attorney’s office hadn’t yet officially charged Hernandez but is reviewing the case.

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Rep. Ilhan Omar, a radical Minnesota Democrat who has in recent years been accused of immigration-related fraud, is facing scrutiny over her finances — with some officials wondering how her net worth apparently surged so much over such a short period of time.

While the liberal media has characterized the government’s recent interest in Omar’s finances as a partisan vendetta, sources familiar with the matter told the New York Times that the Biden Justice Department similarly felt the need to take a look at the Somali-born ethno-nationalist’s finances, campaign spending, and interactions with a foreign citizen.

‘I am not a millionaire.’

One source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the Times that the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., and the DOJ’s public integrity unit initiated the probe in June 2024. Although that was the year Omar’s net worth skyrocketed, the Biden DOJ’s probe supposedly stalled “for lack of evidence.”

President Donald Trump, who suggested in November that Omar “shouldn’t be a congressman, and we should throw her the hell out of our country,” noted in a Truth Social post on Monday that the Justice Department and Congress are “looking at ‘Congresswoman’ Illhan Omar, who left Somalia with NOTHING, and is now reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars.”

Trump added, “Time will tell all.”

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) told the New York Post earlier this month that congressional lawyers are looking into how Omar and her husband, Tim Mynett, went from being virtually broke to having a net worth of around $30 million in just a year.

RELATED: Ilhan Omar accuses Trump of ulterior motive for ICE raids — and JD Vance shuts her down

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

“There are a lot of questions as to how her husband accumulated so much wealth over the past two years,” Comer said. “It’s not possible. It’s not. I’m a money guy. It’s not possible.”

A source in federal law enforcement also insinuated that Omar was under investigation.

“We are investigating all politicians potentially connected to any of this [fraud] in Minnesota. You can read between the lines,” the source told the Post.

Within months of flatly stating, “I am not a millionaire,” Omar reported assets — chiefly a winery in California and her husband’s investment firm, Rose Lake Capital — valued between $6 million and $30 million in her 2024 financial disclosure.

This could reportedly represent up to a 3,500% increase in net worth in 2024 compared with 2023, when she reported assets valued between approximately $40,000 and $250,000.

The year before she took office as the U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district, Omar had an estimated net worth of -$45,001, according to Open Secrets. Court filings cited by the Post indicated that Mynett’s investment firm only had $42.44 in its bank account as of 2022.

“There is no way such wealth could have been accumulated, legally, while being paid the salary of a politician,” Trump said last week.

The base compensation for most senators, representatives, and delegates is $174,000.

Omar responded to the renewed interest in her finances by suggesting that “years of ‘investigations’ have found nothing” and that Trump was “panicking.”

She also noted in a recent TikTok video that “the value range listed for the assets reflects the full cost assessment of the businesses, in which my husband is one of several partners, and does not reflect his individual share.”

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Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was sprayed with a liquid while calling for the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem.

Omar was speaking at a town hall event on Tuesday evening when a man walked up from the crowd and sprayed her in the chest with the liquid. She appeared stunned for a second before advancing angrily on the man.

‘We will continue. These f**king a**holes are not going to get away with it!’

He was tackled and arrested soon after. The man was later identified as 55-year-old Anthony James Kazmierczak.

“I’m going to finish my remarks. It is important for me to continue,” Omar said after going back to her podium. “We will continue. These f**king a**holes are not going to get away with it!”

Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson Trevor Folke said that the congresswoman was not hurt.

The incident was captured in video footage from several different angles, as well as close-up photographs.

Police said he used a syringe to spray the liquid. Kazmierczak is being held at the Hennepin County Jail without bond on suspicion of third-degree assault charge.

RELATED: Ilhan Omar mocks Trump and others for praising Charlie Kirk: ‘These people are full of s**t!’

Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Many on social media immediately began to question the circumstances surrounding the incident and many suggested that the congresswoman had staged the attack to elicit sympathy.

The president weighed in on the issue and landed strongly on the side accusing Omar of a hoax.

“I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” Trump said. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”

An email reviewed by Blaze News showed that the Justice Democrats political action committee had immediately begun a campaign asking for donations on Omar’s behalf. Those donations would be split with the PAC.

RELATED: Ilhan Omar compares Stephen Miller’s immigration rhetoric to Nazism

Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The U.S. Capitol Police said they would seek the most serious charges against the man to deter other attacks. A report from Alpha News cited sources that said the liquid had been identified by hazmat officials as apple cider vinegar.

Omar posted a defiant statement on social media.

“I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” she wrote. “I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”

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A delivery nurse was stripped of her ability to practice in Florida after she posted a video online wishing harm on a pregnant Trump administration official.

A video circulated on social media of Lexie Lawler, a then-nurse for Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, stating that she hopes White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suffers a painful childbirth that leaves her with permanent injuries.

‘Making statements that wish pain and suffering on anyone, when those statements are directly related to one’s practice, is an ethical red line we should not cross.’

“As a labor and delivery nurse, it gives me great joy to wish Karoline Leavitt a fourth-degree tear. I hope that you f**king rip from bow to stern and never s**t normally again, you c**t,” Lawler stated in the video.

Lawler was fired this week from her position with Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

“The comments made in a social media video by a nurse at one of our facilities do not reflect our values or the standards we expect of health care professionals,” a spokesperson for the hospital told the Palm Beach Post. “Following a prompt review, the individual is no longer employed by our health system.”

“While we respect the right to personal opinions, there is no place in health care for language or behavior that calls into question a caregiver’s ability to provide compassionate, unbiased care,” the spokesperson added.

RELATED: ‘Make their lives f**king miserable’: Deranged leftist nurse apparently urges poisoning and drugging ICE agents

Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier reacted to the Lawler video, stating, “Being fired isn’t good enough. Any healthcare worker who fails to uphold his or her obligation to provide adequate, safe healthcare should not be licensed in Florida. No excuses!”

Lawler responded to the public pushback in a separate video posted to social media.

“They murdered a man in Minnesota, and you motherf**kers are coming after me because I used bad language?” Lawler said, referring to the death of Alex Pretti. “F**k you. I’m on the right side of this. F**k you.”

RELATED: More than 100 outraged community members denounce elementary school teacher over 2-word post about ICE

James Uthmeier. Photo by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Uthmeier announced on Wednesday that Lawler “is no longer allowed to practice nursing in Florida.”

“Making statements that wish pain and suffering on anyone, when those statements are directly related to one’s practice, is an ethical red line we should not cross. I’m proud of @FLSurgeonGen for taking this decisive action,” he wrote.

Lawler’s husband, Tim, created a GoFundMe requesting $14,000 in donations for his wife’s legal fund. As of Wednesday afternoon, the fund had raised over $10,000.

“Lexie Lawler was fired for political speech,” the GoFundMe post reads. “She is a liberal woman who used her personal social media — on her own time — to sharply criticize a public figure tied to a cruel, harmful administration. Her words were blunt, angry, and unapologetic. They were directed at power, not her workplace. That speech was lawful. The retaliation was real.”

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As Minnesota descends into chaos reminiscent of 2020, one viral post on X has Americans like BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock pondering how Christians should be responding to the world being set on fire, yet again.

“If u can’t clearly & boldly state the craziness of Democrats being unable to define what a woman is & saying men can get pregnant, AND the madness of Republicans defending the murder of Alex Pretti, then you’re following a political party/ideology & not The Lord Jesus Christ,” Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard wrote in a post on X.

“How should Christians be responding to ICE officials and the killing of Alex Pretti? How should we be responding to this controversy?” Whitlock asks his panel on “Jason Whitlock Harmony.”

“We should always respond prayerfully. We should always respond according to scripture, according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. That’s with any situation,” BlazeTV contributor Anthony Walker responds.

“It becomes so layered that we actually lose the situation at hand. So that’s why, I again, I underline prayerfully, scripturally, and spiritually,” he adds.

BlazeTV contributor Virgil Walker also believes the proper response should be looking to God.

“Whether it was the death of George Floyd, or the death of anyone, regardless of their ethnicity, regardless of the conditions by which death occurred, we should mourn the loss of an image bearer created in the image of God. Regardless of ideological framework, regardless of all of the camera angles, regardless of any of that,” Walker responds.

He also points out that scripture tells us not to rejoice in the death of the wicked.

“I’m not saying that Alex was wicked, that man who passed away was wicked … I’m simply saying that if we’re not going to rejoice in the death of the wicked, we should not rejoice in anyone’s death,” he explains.

However BlazeTV contributor Shemeka Michelle has a bit of a different take.

“I’ve been frustrated, Jason, over this entire thing … the idea that Christians are just supposed to be, I don’t know, like these weak, perfect people. And I’m really tired of people trying to qualify Christians and tell us how we’re supposed to feel or think about certain social issues that are happening in the country,” Michelle says.

“I feel like my empathy button is broken,” she adds.

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The Democrat-controlled Virginia General Assembly gave final legislative approval earlier this month to a proposed constitutional amendment that would give lawmakers emergency powers outside the 10-year redistricting process to gerrymander the Old Dominion’s congressional maps.

“Virginia’s proposed redistricting amendment is a response to what we’re seeing in other states that have taken extreme measures to undermine democratic norms. This approach is short-term, highly targeted, and completely dependent on what other states decide to do themselves,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said last week.

“Virginia will be responsive and targeted, but only with the will of the people. I trust the voters to get this right,” she continued.

However, Tazewell County Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. ruled on Tuesday that the approval of the proposed amendment — which former Gov. Glenn Youngkin characterized as a “shameless, reprehensible political power grab by Democrat lawmakers” — was illegal.

‘Take a look in a mirror.’

Hurley noted in his ruling that Democratic lawmakers failed to follow the right procedure concerning the passage of a constitutional amendment. Democrats failed in part by flouting the requirement that a two-thirds supermajority approve of the introduction of the unrelated subject of redistricting at last October’s special legislative session, he said.

“This blatant abuse of power by a majority IGNORES their own rules and resolutions thereby trampling ANY and ALL procedural rights of the minority,” Hurley wrote.

Hurley noted further that using the special session to pass the measure in October was impermissible because early voting in the Virginia’s 2025 elections had already begun and “the Constitution REQUIRES an intervening election FOLLOWING the first passage of a proposed Constitutional Amendment.”

RELATED: This is what happens when a state elects a ‘moderate’ Democrat

Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

The judge also indicated that Section 30-13 of the Code of Virginia — which requires the posting of such a constitutional amendment at the front of every courthouse and its publication by clerk of the House of Delegates no “later than three months prior to the next ensuing general election of members of the House of Delegates” — was not followed.

“Defendants woefully argued that the posting could occur three (3) months prior to the 2027 election and still comply with the statute even if the proposed Constitutional Amendment was voted on in the Spring of 2026,” Hurley wrote.

Hurley, evidently concerned about state Democrats’ recent efforts to change related rules on the fly, noted, “Even if the General Assembly is NOT required to follow its own Rules and Resolutions, and even if ‘election’ is narrowly defined as ‘Election Day,’ the Court FINDS the General Assembly FAILED to comply with Section 30-13 of the Code of Virginia, which therefore PROHIBITS the proposed amendment from being submitted to the voters for their consideration.”

Julie Merz, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the ruling was a “rogue decision” and expressed confidence it would be overturned on appeal.

The Democratic leaders in the Virginia House and Senate said in a joint statement, “Republicans who can’t win at the ballot box are abusing the legal process in an attempt to sow confusion and block Virginians from voting. We will be appealing this ruling immediately.”

The Virginia GOP noted in response that those Democrats now accusing Republicans of “abusing the legal process” were just found to have “violated the VA Constitution by trying to force a vote on a constitutional amendment to give themselves more political power without following the rules.”

“Maybe take a look in a mirror,” the state GOP added.

Failure on appeal could spell trouble for Democrats in the midterm elections. CNN indicated, after all, that Virginia “represents the largest potential number of seats Democrats still could pick up through redistricting.”

While bad news for Democrats if the ruling stands, those congressional Republicans whose districts were targeted — Reps. Rob Wittman, Jen Kiggans, John McGuire, and Ben Cline — will likely be able to breathe easier.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump’s Venezuela policy Wednesday, telling lawmakers that negotiations with Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro had repeatedly failed and that the administration exhausted every diplomatic option before acting to arrest him.

Rubio appeared before the Senate following the Jan. 3 operation that resulted in Maduro’s removal, a move that triggered sharp debate over presidential war powers and congressional oversight.

‘For the first time in 20 years, we are having serious counter-narcotics talks with Venezuelan authorities about going after narcotics organizations,’

According to Rubio, Maduro proved incapable of honoring agreements, making continued negotiations futile.

“He’s broken so many deals, not even the Vatican has been willing to interact with Maduro in the past because he’s broken so many of these deals,” Rubio said. “He’s just simply not a guy you can make a deal with.”

RELATED: ‘We are not doing this any more’: Rubio to strip billions in foreign aid from ‘NGO industrial complex’

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rubio said Maduro’s strategy was to stall until political conditions in Washington changed.

“What he wanted to do was tap us along and buy three years of time until he could deal with a new administration that he thought may be more favorable,” he said.

“He was an impediment to progress.”

Rubio argued that meaningful reform in Venezuela was unattainable as long as Maduro remained in control, highlighting the impossibilities of the release of political prisoners, the transition of the country’s oil industry to a legitimate oil industry, and the erosion of Iranian, Russian, or Chinese influence.

“None of these things would have been possible as long as Maduro was there,” he said.

He told lawmakers that the president acted only after “exhausting” all other avenues.

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Rubio emphasized that Maduro’s removal has opened doors that had been closed for decades, particularly on drug enforcement and countering foreign adversaries in the region.

“For the first time in 20 years, we are having serious counter-narcotic talks with Venezuelan authorities about going after narcotics organizations,” Rubio said.

He said similar progress is being made to push back against hostile foreign influence.

“For the first time in 20 years, we are having serious conversations about eroding and eliminating the Iranian presence, the Chinese influence, the Russian presence as well.”

Rubio added that there is growing interest within Venezuela to repair relations with Washington.

“In fact, I would tell you that there are many elements there in Venezuela that welcome a return to establishing relations to the United States on multiple fronts,” he said.

Rubio’s testimony came after Republicans narrowly blocked a war powers resolution that would have limited Trump’s ability to conduct further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. Vice President JD Vance was forced to break a tie vote.

Several lawmakers from both parties have complained about what they describe as insufficient communication from the administration, particularly surrounding the Maduro operation and broader foreign policy shifts.

Democrats, including Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, argued that the administration failed to present evidence justifying urgent action without consulting Congress, according to Reuters. Republicans, meanwhile, remain divided between backing Trump’s aggressive foreign policy and reasserting Congress’ constitutional authority regarding military action.

Rubio said the administration is focused on stability, not escalation, and stressed that long-term goals remain in development.

He also addressed broader regional diplomacy, saying that the administration hopes to re-establish alliances that were previously impossible.

“We’re not there,” he said. “This thing still is in its infancy.”

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​Politics, Rubio, Venezuela, Foreign affairs, Maduro, Trump, Military 

A decorated U.S. Marine veteran — who reportedly survived dangerous military missions overseas — was shot and killed at his Missouri home during what was supposed to be the sale of an iPhone on Facebook Marketplace, according to police. The distinguished service member allegedly spent the last moments of his life delivering a heartbreaking message to his family.

According to KOMU-TV, police were dispatched around 8:15 p.m. Jan. 18 concerning reports of gunshots at a residence in Columbia.

‘While stationed in Baghdad, Burke founded the Oasis Church.’

The Columbia Police Department said in a statement that 42-year-old Michael Ryan Burke was shot at his home.

Citing court documents, the New York Post reported that Burke was trying to sell his iPhone 15 Pro for $585 after arranging the sale on Facebook Marketplace.

Court docs said Burke provided a buyer with his address, and around 8:10 p.m. one of the suspects messaged the seller: “I’m here.”

Moments later, the transaction reportedly spiraled into violence, and Burke was shot. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

RELATED: What was to be fun Florida trip ends in ‘cold-blooded’ triple murder: Elderly tourists dead, suspect earlier beat murder rap

Police arrested Alexis Baumann, Kobe Aust, and Joseph Crane, all 18 years old, along with a fourth individual whom authorities identified as a juvenile.

Citing court documents, the New York Post reported that one suspect confessed to investigators that they had “arranged to meet with the victim under the ruse of buying the victim’s cell phone.”

The Post reported that Baumann told investigators she drove the group to Burke’s home, and Crane and the juvenile went inside.

KOMU-TV in a separate story reported that Baumann confessed to investigators that she heard three gunshots from inside the home and recalled that the juvenile ran out of the home; the suspects drove away from the crime scene, according to court documents.

Citing the probable cause statement, WDAF-TV reported that detectives used traffic cameras to determine that the suspects’ car traveled in the direction of a nearby Walmart.

Just after the shooting, Burke’s stolen phone was sold at an ecoATM at a nearby Walmart, according to court documents.

Court documents indicated that surveillance cameras caught Baumann and the juvenile suspect selling the phone at Walmart.

A day before Burke was killed, the juvenile stole another cell phone under the guise of a Facebook Marketplace sale, according to court documents. The Post reported that the juvenile told the alleged victim, “If you touch me, I’ll shoot you.”

Baumann and Aust were arrested on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and first-degree burglary; Crane and the juvenile were arrested on charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, and unlawful use of a weapon, Columbia Police said.

All three 18-year-old suspects are being detained without bond at the Boone County Jail, while the unidentified juvenile is being held at the Boone County Juvenile Office.

(L to R) Kobe Aust, Alexis Baumann, Joseph Crane. Image source: Boone County (Mo.) Jail

Jerry Reifeiss — who met Burke 24 years ago as a fraternity brother at Mizzou’s Sigma Nu — revealed the Marine’s heartbreaking last goodbye.

Reifeiss told KRCG-TV that Burke contacted his mother and sister: “He texted them saying that, ‘Hey, I’m dying, and I love you.'”

“That was just Ryan,” Reifeiss continued. “He always put people in front of him and wanted to make sure people knew how he felt.”

Before he died, Burke reportedly called 911 and gave a description of his attackers to the dispatcher.

“He didn’t want to go on to the next life and pass away without providing some information to us here that would bring justice to these people and let people know he always loves them,” Reifeiss said.

Reifeiss said of the arrests, “I’m very happy the police did their job and were able to get these people very quickly, assuming these are the correct people.”

Burke’s obituary said he served as a “Force Reconnaissance Marine in the United States Marine Corps, holding the rank of Staff Sergeant, with both active-duty and reserve service.”

Burke was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. From 2014 to 2021, Burke served as a medic in Baghdad.

While stationed in Baghdad, Burke founded the Oasis Church. According to his obituary, Burke also founded Holy Smokes — a men’s Bible study group. Burke also preached and taught in Uganda, the Philippines, Kenya, the U.K., and throughout the U.S.

The obituary states, “He was deeply committed to creating lasting impact, helping fund schools and churches in Africa and Asia, including support for 14 churches in the Philippines.”

One of Burke’s passions was fighting human trafficking, and he worked both locally and internationally to help victims.

Burke also served as a firefighter with the city of Columbia.

Police said there is an “active and ongoing investigation” into the alleged murder.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Columbia Police Department at 573-874-7652 or call CrimeStoppers at 573-875-8477.

The Columbia Police Department did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.

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​Arrests, Christianity, Church, Crime, Facebook marketplace transaction, Faith, Marines, Missouri, Murder, True crime, True crime news