AG Pam Bondi announces arrest of 2,700 Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members in U.S.
WASHINGTON D.C. - Federal authorities have arrested more than 2,700 alleged members of the notorious Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, officials said on Friday.
During a White House press briefing, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests when asked if an undocumented infant would be an immigration enforcement priority.
Bondi responded saying that violent illegal immigrants would be prioritized for deportation.
"Let me put it in perspective: Today marked the 2,711th arrest in our country of TdA members," she said. "Everyone in this room agrees that they are one of the most violent criminal organizations in the world."
Like the president and other members of his administration, Bondi blamed the former Biden administration’s lax border policies for the large numbers of criminal illegal immigrants in the country and for letting TdA gain access into the U.S. Click here to read more.
Rancher faces animal cruelty charges for deaths of 56 cows and a puppy
CHADRON, Neb. (KOLN/Gray News) - A Nebraska rancher was charged with dozens of felonies in connection to the deaths of 56 cows and a puppy.
Dillon McGannon, 29, appeared in court Wednesday for his May 28 arrest.
According to court documents, McGannon allegedly shot a woman’s puppy and sent images of it with threatening messages to her. He was charged with cruel animal neglect, disturbing the peace and electronic intimidation.
After the arrest, Dawes County deputies were contacted on May 30 by a neighbor who said McGannon had a pen with dozens of dead cattle in it. Click here to read more.
SCOTUS rules parents can opt-out kids from LGBTQ curriculum; Trump: ‘A tremendous victory for parents’
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that parents can opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed instruction that conflicts with their religious beliefs.
The court sided with parents against Maryland’s Montgomery County Board of Education by a 6-3 decision, stating the parents are “entitled to a preliminary injunction.”
During the 2022–2023 school year, the board introduced “LGBTQ+-inclusive” storybooks for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, the opinion said.
The opinion said while the board allowed parents to opt their children out of related instruction, it later “rescinded” the policy, saying it “could not accommodate the growing number of opt out requests without causing significant disruptions to the classroom environment.”
The opinion said parents are “likely to succeed on their claim that the Board’s policies unconstitutionally burden their religious exercise.”
The court said it has “long recognized the rights of parents to direct ‘the religious up- bringing’ of their children.” Click here to read more.
July 1 starts Illinois laws on gender-inclusiveness, climate education, prostitution privacy
July 1 is when spending starts on Illinois’ record $55.2 billion budget, when the state gas tax automatically goes up to 48.3 cents a gallon and when new laws take effect – some passed as long ago as 2023.
Here are nine laws passed by the 103rd Illinois General Assembly impacting gender, birth certificates for those under guardianship and for fetal deaths, climate change education, insulin costs, assisted living, overdose survival, court translators and prostitution records. All nine go into effect July 1.
Gender data, birth certificates
House Bill 2297 will have state agencies collect and report gender-inclusive data.
Starting July 1, “male and female” categories will be removed. To conform with gender inclusive initiatives, state agencies will collect and report data for “man, woman, and persons who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming” categories.
House Bill 4727 will waive fees for a new birth certificate or for a search for a birth record for those with a guardian. Click here to read more.
Washington Post Journalist Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography
A Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post editor has been charged by the federal government with possession of child pornography.
Thomas P. LeGro, 48, was arrested on Thursday after authorities allegedly found 11 video files of child pornography on LeGro’s work laptop, which was located at his home in Washington, D.C.
The journalist faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.
The Washington Post said in a statement that it “understands the severity of these allegations, and the employee has been placed on leave,” but refused to comment further.
LeGro’s Washington Post profile says he was “part of a team of Post reporters who were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Senate candidacy of Roy Moore and a subsequent effort to discredit The Post’s reporting” in 2018. “As Deputy Director of Video, Tom oversees an award-winning team of video journalists who work across the newsroom, including in National, Climate, Metro, Style and Technology,” the profile adds. Click here to read more.
