Leaders urge FBI to intervene in AOC’s ‘worsening’ ‘Red Light’ district
As Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., privately jets across the nation for her “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, residents in her Queens constituency have been calling on the FBI and the DEA to help them crack down on the illegal sex workers and drug dealers that they say have turned their neighborhood into a festering “gangland.”
Last week, local leaders, including a former Democrat state senator, wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel urging him to unleash agents to quell the raging problem along Roosevelt Avenue – a 2-mile commercial strip which has been likened to both a Third World Country and a Red Light district – where scantily-clad women on sidewalks soliciting sex is commonplace.
They also claim the ruthless 18th Street Gang has taken over illegal operations there, filling the void of other gangs like with Tren de Aragua after a massive police operation saw hundreds of people arrested.
AOC’S ‘RED LIGHT’ DISTRICT OVERRUN WITH PROSTITUTES AS LOCALS CALL OUT MIA ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER
That police crackdown, which started in October and was labeled “Operation Restore Roosevelt,” saw hundreds of city and state troopers descend on the neighborhood. The NYPD told Fox News Digital that the clampdown has resulted in a 37% year-to-date drop in crime in the Roosevelt Avenue zone with more than 1,800 arrests and more than 15,000 summonses.
Residents and local activists heaped praise on New York City Mayor Eric Adams after he spearheaded the aggressive 90-day police blitz.
But locals say the blitz was short-lived and bars have been turned into makeshift brothels where a dance can easily be negotiated into sex in dingy rooms downstairs. Many of the sex workers are migrants, the leaders said.
“The NYPD’s Operation Restore Roosevelt did lead to arrests, but our street sources say the gangs replaced their foot soldiers within days,” said the advocates, who include former Democrat state Senator Hiram Monserrate.
“The money never stopped moving, the dance floors stayed open, and the prostitutes came back in full force. This isn’t just a Queens problem, it’s a blueprint for how gangs, cartels, and traffickers can take over a community in plain sight.”
They said that the gangs have turned the two-mile seedy strip into a “well-oiled criminal machine” using Roosevelt Avenue as its marketplace. “Roosevelt Avenue doesn’t just have a gang problem. It has become gangland.”
The NYPD did not confirm the locals’ claims about gangs operating in the area.
AOC’S ‘RED LIGHT DISTRICT’ PLAGUED BY CRIME AS DEMOCRAT WHO HELPED HER RISE TO POWER SAYS SHE ‘DISAPPEARED’
Monserrate and the two groups — Restore Roosevelt Ave. and Neighbors of the American Triangle — called on Patel to investigate the “ever-worsening situation” they face.
They write that the 18th Street gang have tagged their gang insignia around the area marking their territory.
Monserrate said that the gangs are involved in all sorts of serious crimes, including human and drug trafficking, illegal gun sales, identity theft and distributing fake Green Cards, as well as violent crimes. His sources have identified at least 20 brothels in the area, some of which operate near schools.
He said that crime in general is still plaguing the area. Earlier this week, a man was fatally stabbed when he tried to stop a violent thief from stealing his bike steps from a local subway station, police said.
Monserrate shared a video with Fox News Digital with what he said were 23 alleged sex workers on one block.
In September, Fox News Digital cameras recorded a line of no less than 19 alleged sex workers on one block along Roosevelt Avenue with at least seven more on the next block. One woman was witnessed soliciting sex for $60.
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Cortez has yet to respond to multiple Fox News Digital requests for comment regarding the situation along Roosevelt Avenue. She is scheduled to hold a town hall in the neighborhood on Saturday.
Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., whose district also includes the neighborhood, told Fox News Digital that she is closely engaged with the NYPD’s ongoing efforts to improve public safety and quality of life in the area.
“I have confidence in the NYPD’s commitment and capability to address these challenges, and I commend their sustained presence and work in the community,” Meng said.
“As the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for funding for law enforcement agencies such as the NYPD and FBI, I will continue to advocate for the resources they need to protect residents in Queens.”
WATCH: Curtis Sliwa, activist blast rampant prostitution on NYC streets, AOC’s district
Southern vacation town braces for mayhem as crime-filled beach fest returns
Orange Crush, a controversial Georgia college spring break bash that has brought violence and piles of trash to the quiet Georgia vacation town of Tybee Island in years past, is returning Saturday. And, this time, its organizers are promising to keep the event safe and clean.
Orange Crush has an official permit this year, along with an agreement between its organizers and Tybee Island city officials to keep the beach clean enough for the estimated several thousand people expected to show up to watch the sunrise on Easter Sunday from the Tybee Beach pier.
“Our whole region of southeast Georgia has nothing but bad memories about this event [in recent years]. … It got out of control whenever people got involved who weren’t really college students. They were coming just to try and make money or whatever,” Tybee Island Mayor Brian West told Fox News Digital. “We had a really good year last year. It was a complete success, in my opinion, although it wasn’t perfect.”
West added that if the event goes smoothly this year, city officials will keep working with event organizers to establish trust among locals and keep the event returning to Tybee for future spring break festivals.
ORANGE CRUSH 2025: GEORGIA BEACH TOWN APPROVES PERMIT FOR SPRING BREAK FESTIVAL UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS
Tybee Island City Manager Bret Bell said during a press conference Wednesday recorded by WSAV — the city’s fourth press conference ahead of Orange Crush since the permitting process began early this year — that “Tybee has always been one of the great host communities of the South, and this weekend will be no different.
“Troublemakers are never welcome on Tybee Island, and this is no exception to that. But if you’re here to have a good time on one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, we welcome you with open arms.”
“If you’re here to have a good time on one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, we welcome you with open arms.”
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The college-age beach bash, which was previously held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Tybee, will only take place Saturday this year as part of the agreement with city officials.
The event will end at 8 p.m. EST, at which point festivalgoers will have to leave the beach and head to Saturday evening activities elsewhere in nearby Savannah.
Tybee Island’s entire police department of about 30 officers will be monitoring the event, along with approximately 130 officers from other local agencies providing support to Tybee for the festival.
Orange Crush has designated 25 people to help with cleanup after the event, and Tybee Island leaders are asking for volunteers to assist afterward.
“Bring your own trash bags. Don’t wait for someone to come organize you. Just come and pick up litter,” Bell said.
ORANGE CRUSH 2025: POPULAR GEORGIA BEACH TOWN APPROVES RETURN OF CRIME-FILLED BEACH FEST
Orange Crush began as a relatively small spring break gathering for Savannah State students in 1989 but has since grown into a large festival that local officials have struggled to control in recent years. The city has dealt with issues ranging from traffic backups and litter in the ocean to gunfire, fights and stampeding, West previously told Fox News Digital.
While the event is no longer affiliated with Savannah State and briefly moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 2021, it has since returned to the Georgia vacation spot and is expected to draw tens of thousands of attendees to the three-mile island.
ROAD RAGE SHOOTING CAPS GEORGIA ’23 SPRING BREAK CHAOS AT TYBEE ISLAND
“This is the first time that we have ever received a permit that was complete and answered all of our questions,” West told Fox News Digital. “So, that was the first step. The promoters made the effort to do it the right way. And then … they were able to meet the permit requirements as we kind of customize them for what we would like the event to look like.”
“They were willing to work with us and to create an event that both the city and the promoters can live with.”
West said he and other city officials have been working with event promoters for “weeks” to ensure the festival goes smoothly.
POPULAR GEORGIA BEACH TOWN OVERRUN BY ‘ORANGE CRUSH’ FIGHTING, CHAOS, VIDEO SHOWS
West noted that “spring break is a problem” for many coastal cities across the southeast, and Tybee is no exception, but the city feels it can make Orange Crush a “better” event and possibly reduce some restrictions in the future.
Last month, Tybee Island granted a special permit for Orange Crush after negotiating a one-day event rather than a three-day event, as well as an agreed-upon site plan that blocks access to Tybee Island parking lots, where West said some nefarious activity occurred at past Orange Crush events.
Attendees can also rent beach equipment, and there will be special VIP areas this year, West said. Additionally, Tybee Island will be bringing in extra police officers to help enforce public safety.
The Tybee Island Police Department said in a Facebook post Thursday that locals should anticipate significant traffic delays, and, due to an influx of visitors to the small island, there “will be an abundance of law enforcement officers from multiple agencies working on the island throughout the weekend.” The department will post any emergency news to its Facebook page.
Orange Crush organizer Steven Smalls previously told Fox News Digital in a statement that his team has “implemented a structured system to bring organization, security, and entertainment to this event — something that has never been done before.”
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“I have worked closely with Tybee Island officials, including Mayor Brian West, law enforcement in Tybee Island and Savannah and other key stakeholders to develop a rigorous plan for this year’s festival,” Smalls said. “Our team has followed a strict schedule to ensure that every detail is carefully organized and executed with safety and structure in mind.”
Smalls noted that Orange Crush has “been a longstanding tradition, occurring with or without a permit,” but this year will be different because “for the first time, the event is officially structured, with security, waste management and traffic coordination in place.”
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In 2018, Tybee Island enacted new regulations cracking down on Orange Crush weekend, including restrictions on open alcohol because Tybee is an open container city, increased traffic stops and property searches and limits on home rentals. An activist group, the Concerned Citizens of Tybee, complained about the regulations and involved the Justice Department. Eventually, the group and city leaders came to an agreement in July 2018.
The agreement states that Tybee will apply the same rules and restrictions to all large events on the island, “permitted or unpermitted,” that will be applied equally.
Experts warn of China’s next move as Trump refuses to back down amid trade war
President Donald Trump said this week that a trade deal with the European Union would “100% happen” as the continent looks to avoid the 20% tariffs set to be enacted come July.
But as China looks to navigate a world in which it operates under 145% tariffs, it is likely looking to expand its trade ties with the EU, and could look to interfere in Trump’s plans for an EU deal.
The sweeping tariffs enacted by Trump this year on essentially every U.S. trading partner, as well as blanket tariffs on imports like steel, aluminum and automobiles, have changed the way traditional allies view Washington — with some in Europe questioning the reliability of the longtime ally.
TRUMP HINTS END OF TARIFF SPAT WITH CHINA MAY BE IN SIGHT, SAYS TIKTOK DEAL MUST WAIT
China could look to utilize any potential changes in geopolitical allegiances when it comes to circumventing the tariff war between the world’s two largest economies.
“Given the electoral politics in Europe, it may be hard for some European leaders to appear weak with Trump. Making a pivot to China — risky though it is — could be tempting,” Elaine Dezenski, senior director and head of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
“Trump’s aggressive global tariffs have angered traditional allies and rebuilding that trust may be difficult, even though many in Europe are clear-eyed as to the risks of Chinese economic engagement,” she added. “However, given China’s economic pressures, it may be willing to offer a deal that Europe finds too hard to turn down.”
Dezenski explained that if China is willing to enter into an agreement with the EU, like agreeing to increase EU imports, leaders on the continent may find China’s 1.4 billion consumers a more intriguing market than U.S.’ “wealthier but smaller consumption base.”
But there is a separate element that the EU will be looking to counter when it comes to the U.S.-China tariff war — Beijing’s dumping in the European market.
US ALLIES LINE UP FOR TRADE DEALS DURING THE 90-DAY TARIFF PAUSE
Dumping refers to the practice of selling goods in another country at a price that is lower than what domestic production allows — a strategy the EU has long looked to block China from utilizing when it comes to items like solar panels, electric vehicles and consumer electronics.
The EU’s President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed a similar concern in a phone call with Chinese Premier Li Qiang last week, in which she “emphasized China’s critical role in addressing possible trade diversion caused by tariffs, especially in sectors already affected by global overcapacity.”
“She also recalled the urgency for structural solutions to rebalance the bilateral trade relationship and ensure better access for European businesses, products and services to the Chinese market,” a readout of the call released by the EU said.
Though Chinese exports to the U.S. surged in March by more than 12% in comparison to the same time last year, this is expected to drastically reduce as U.S. consumers could soon see surging price tags, as the effects of the trade war are expected to escalate.
A decrease in Chinese exports to the U.S. could mean Beijing may look to significantly divert those products to the European market.
While the issue of EU tariffs on China did not appear to have arisen in von der Leyen’s discussion with Li, some reporting has suggested that the bloc may also consider enforcing tariffs on Beijing if it begins dumping products across the EU as exports to the U.S. slow.
TRUMP SAYS EU AND US WILL HAVE ‘VERY LITTLE PROBLEM’ REACHING TRADE DEAL AGREEMENT
“European resistance to Chinese dumping is making some on the continent cautious,” Dezenski confirmed. “China will have to offer something better in exchange, and that may well be a willingness to increase its imports from Europe.”
“China has resisted opening its markets, favoring domestic producers, but they will face increasing pressure to address massive trade imbalances,” she added.
The EU’s trade deficit with China in 2024 equated to some $345 billion, meaning Europeans imported far more from Beijing than China imported from the continent.
But even as China attempts to improve trade relations with the EU, Europeans have become increasingly frustrated by Chinese dumping over the last several decades, which, according to Steve Yates, senior research fellow for China and National Security Policy at The Heritage Foundation, “makes it unlikely that the EU and China have much room to expand, regardless of U.S. pressure.”
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But more significantly, Yates argued that the “EU and China cannot offset the U.S. market by expanding exchange between each other. Not by a long shot.”
“With both the EU and China, it is the enormous draw of the U.S. consumer market that provides the fuel for growth. Neither of them can thrive, or possibly survive, without reliable and relatively unfettered access to U.S. consumers,” he said. “That is the powerful leverage that President Trump is wielding in these negotiations.”
Bill Maher sounds the alarm on potential Dem candidate in 2028
“Real Time” host Bill Maher is not rallying behind Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., as the Democratic nominee in 2028.
Maher began the panel discussion Friday by pointing to how the prominent “Squad” member and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have been getting large crowds at their “Fight Oligarchy” rallies across the country, prompting one audience member to loudly clap.
“Thank you,” Maher reacted to the audience member. “There’s that same guy, I call him the ‘always wrong’ guy – I’m kidding.”
“But I feel like big crowds, again, these shiny objects that the Democrats chase. It’s not about the big crowds when you’re talking at a festival or wherever they are, because I think that Bernie showed up at Coachella. That must’ve been fun for the fans,” Maher continued. “It’s who shows up on Election Day. And I just don’t see that’s the ticket.”
BILL MAHER DECLARES HIMSELF A ‘HERO’ FOR CONFRONTING TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE MEETING
He took a knock towards the 25-hour marathon speech given by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., as Democrats “whacking each other off.”
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., defended Booker’s record floor speech as something that energized their party but conceded Democrats have to do a lot more to win back voters.
“And you don’t really think AOC should be the candidate, do you?” Maher asked.
“It’s not my job to pick who the candidate is going to be,” Smith responded.
“Oh, it’s mine,” Maher quipped. “And it’s not – it shouldn’t be her. It shouldn’t be her.”
BILL MAHER REVEALS TRUMP WAS ‘GRACIOUS AND MEASURED’ AT WHITE HOUSE MEETING, SAYS HE’S NOT THE MAN SEEN ON TV
Ocasio-Cortez has seen a surge in recent Democratic primary polls, placing second to former Vice President Kamala Harris in one. Prominent pollster Nate Silver said this week that she’s currently the most likely candidate to win the Democratic nomination in 2028, although Ocasio-Cortez has not indicated she’s running for president.
Earlier in the show, Maher pointed to the viral moment from an AOC-Sanders rally where anti-Israel protesters dropped a “Free Palestine” banner over the American flag and were ejected by police, prompting rallygoers to chant “Free Palestine” and halt Sanders’ speech.
“I kind of worry that that’s where the Democratic Party is, that this is their next stupid hill to die on,” Maher said. “So the chant of ‘Free Palestine,’ free from whom I would like to ask. Do they realize who is really the people who are enslaving the people of Palestine?”
“If those moronic people had any knowledge, they would say ‘Free Palestine from Hamas,’” author Douglas Murray responded to an agreeing Maher. “At the very least, they would do that.”
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At another point in the show, Maher mocked Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her awkward moment last week where she tried to hide her face behind a folder while in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump. The two-term governor of a swing state, Whitmer is widely seen as a possible 2028 candidate.
“We need a better Democrat than that,” Maher said.
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Wife of music icon claims Trump admin tried to derail husband’s US citizenship
President Donald Trump’s first administration tried to sabotage singer-songwriter Neil Young’s U.S. citizenship, according to Young’s wife, actress Daryl Hannah.
“They tried every trick in the book to mess him up, and made him keep coming back to be re-interviewed and re-interviewed,” Hannah said in a recent interview with BBC. “It’s ridiculous [because] he’s been living in America and paying taxes here since he was in his 20s.”
Young was born in Toronto, Canada, on November 12, 1945. He entered the United States without a visa in 1966.
In 1970, the singer acquired a green card to stay in the U.S.
NEIL YOUNG EXPLAINS TOUR CANCELATION, ADMITS HE ‘FELT SICK’ AT THE THOUGHT OF GOING ON STAGE
A January 22, 2020 Instagram post from @neilyoungarchives read, “I’m happy to report I’m in,” referring to Young officially becoming a U.S. citizen. The post included a photo of him next to an American flag and a “Democrats register to vote here” sign.
Young said his journey to becoming a citizen was delayed due to his use of marijuana.
“I was asked many questions,” Young reportedly said on his website in November 2019. “I answered them truthfully and passed. Recently, however, I have been told that I must do another test, due to my use of marijuana and how some people who smoke it have exhibited a problem.”
NEIL YOUNG ANNOUNCES RETURN TO SPOTIFY AFTER PULLING MUSIC OVER JOE ROGAN PODCAST
Young, who is planning to tour Europe in June and July, has said that he is afraid he might not be able to return to the U.S.
“When I go to play music in Europe, if I talk about Donald J Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminium blanket,” Young wrote on his website, Neil Young Archives. “That is happening all the time now. Countries have new advice for those returning to America.”
Hannah, who married Young in 2018, said she hopes he will not face any problems because he is an American citizen.
“They’ve been detaining people who have green cards or visas — which is hideous and horrifying — but they have not, so far, been refusing to let American citizens back in the country, so I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Hannah said.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
What to know about the new identification required for travel in the US
Due to a security law passed 20 years ago, many Americans are now required to update their driver’s license or identification cards to become REAL ID-compliant — or they won’t be able to board U.S. flights.
With the deadline fast approaching on May 7, some conservatives have called on President Donald Trump to do away with the inconvenient requirement that they say violates civil liberties.
What is REAL ID, and why does it matter?
On May 7, federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will no longer accept driver’s licenses or ID cards that do not have a star in one of the upper corners to represent their REAL ID verification. To become REAL ID-verified, applicants have to provide additional verifying information like Social Security numbers.
Flyers who don’t have REAL ID verification on their license should plan to use a passport, a passport card, a permanent resident card, military ID or an enhanced driver’s license offered by some states.
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Will travelers get turned away at the airport without a REAL ID?
The TSA says it will begin “phased enforcement” on May 7, but it’s unclear whether that means turning away travelers without proper documentation or subjecting them to additional security screening.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in an FAQ on its website that travelers without “a REAL ID-compliant license or acceptable alternative beginning May 7, 2025, will not be permitted through the security checkpoint.”
In a federal rule established this year, the TSA says its “phased approach” could last two years, with the potential to issue warnings to people without REAL ID verification.
Access to other federal facilities and nuclear power plants will also require a REAL ID, according to DHS.
How do you get a REAL ID?
Drivers who have recently renewed their driver’s license may already have a REAL ID. Check for the star in the upper right or left corner. Otherwise, check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles office on how to get a REAL ID or make an appointment to get a new license.
You’ll need documentation to show your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number and lawful status, as well as two proofs of address. If you don’t have your Social Security card, you can provide a W-2 or pay stub with your name and Social Security number on it.
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Why is this happening?
Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed the REAL ID Act in 2005 after the 9/11 Commission warned that it was too easy for bad actors to obtain a driver’s license.
Implementation of the law has been marred by delays in getting all 50 states and U.S. territories to implement the new requirements and start issuing advanced identification, which the federal government estimated would cost $11 billion in 2007.
The 2020 deadline was pushed back multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
TSA senior official Adam Stahl said recently in an announcement that REAL ID “bolsters safety by making fraudulent IDs harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists.”
What’s the backlash?
Some on the right have cried foul, and questioned why, if previous administrations have delayed the implementation, it is necessary now.
When Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a video reminding Americans of the May 7 deadline, former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin responded: “Or what?? Evidently, existing ID requirements for American citizens just aren’t adequate now, so Big Brother is forcing us through more hoops for the ‘right’ to travel within our own country.”
Palin continued: “Other administrations delayed this newfangled, burdensome REAL ID requirement. Are you curious why its implementation is imperative now?? And who came up with this?”
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., argued in an X post, “As long as the pilot’s door is locked and no one has weapons, why do you care that someone who flies has government permission? REAL ID provides no benefit, yet presents a serious risk to freedom. If a person can’t be trusted to fly without weapons, why are they roaming free?”
Massie took shots at Trump in a follow-up post: “REAL ID is a 2005 George Bush-era Patriot Act overreach that went completely unenforced until Trump got into office. Let me guess: he’s playing 4D chess and I should just go along with it?”
Trump ally Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., rebuked REAL ID critics in his own public statement.
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“The REAL ID Act was passed way back in 2005, 20 years ago!!!! It’s about time everyone stop dragging their feet. Quit scrolling through social media, quit complaining, get your info together, and get down to the DMV to get your REAL ID,” Alford said Wednesday.
The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on the criticisms of REAL ID.
SCOTUS blocks Trump admin from deporting group of illegals under the Alien Enemies Act
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling early Saturday morning blocking, at least for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law.
The justices instructed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in Texas’ Bluebonnet Detention Center “until further order of this court.”
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the majority opinion.
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The court’s ruling comes after an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union arguing that federal immigration authorities appeared to be working to resume the removal of migrants from the U.S. under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
SCOTUS has previously said that the Trump administration could conduct deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, as long as the suspected illegal immigrants are given due process to challenge their removal from the U.S.
In its request for an injunction, the ACLU reportedly argued that the government’s notice “does not remotely comply with the Supreme Court’s order,” according to NPR. The organization also reportedly said that “at a minimum” the notice needed to be translated so those being notified could understand.
The Supreme Court urged the government to file a response to the ACLU’s application “as soon as possible.”
Two federal judges earlier declined to step in and the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has not made any decision.
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The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, with the most recent being during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps.
The Trump administration claims the act gave them the authority to swiftly remove immigrants they accuse of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, regardless of their immigration status.
Drag queen group mocks Jesus, Christianity in Easter show marketed to kids
A San Francisco drag queen group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a self-professed “order of queer and trans nuns,” is sparking controversy in the days leading up to their annual transgender Easter event.
This year’s event, which is being called “No Easter without the T,” is meant to honor transgenderism and features a children’s Easter egg hunt and a costume contest encouraging attendees to come dressed in drag as “Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary.”
The event’s invitation poster includes a depiction of a tattooed “Jesus” surrounded by men in drag. Pictures posted from the event in previous years include men dressed as Jesus in high heels, dresses and minimal clothing, and holding signs that say “can I get a gaymen?” and “Haus of Jesus.”
According to the group’s website, past winners of the contest include “Barbie’s Ken Jesus”, “Historically Accurate Jesus,” “Transgender Maria de Guadalupe,” “Pro-Choice Mary” and “Black Woman as God.”
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Libs of Tiktok, a popular conservative social media account, slammed the event, especially calling attention to the drag group for encouraging children to attend while simultaneously admitting that “parents are advised that some may find the latter portion of the show inappropriate for young children.”
“They literally say that their show is inappropriate for children while still encouraging children to attend,” said Libs of TikTok.
“Disgusting,” commented Catholic Vote senior advisor Steve Cortes, adding, “The ruling class abides bigotry, as long as it’s targeted against faithful Christians generally, & Catholics specifically.”
POPE FRANCIS: ‘GENDER IDEOLOGY’ IS ONE OF ‘MOST DANGEROUS IDEOLOGICAL COLONIZATIONS’
Logan Church, political director of CatholicVote, told Fox News Digital the group is “disgusted, though sadly not surprised.”
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“The so-called ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ have made it their mission to mock Christianity with open hostility, and this blasphemous Easter event is just the latest example,” he said.
“This is not bold, it’s not brave, and it’s certainly not art. Its bigotry dressed in costume, and Americans are right to be outraged,” he went on. “Let’s be clear: Sacrilege is not a religion, and it is not protected under the banner of religious freedom. While we live in a country that defends free speech, that does not mean Christians are required to sit silently while our faith is ridiculed. We have every right, and every reason, to push back.”
Celebrate Lexington and Concord heroes on battle’s 250th anniversary
Now is the perfect time to uncancel the minutemen, the Revolutionary War marksmen who were ready to defend their towns at a moment’s notice.
This week marks the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, where Massachusetts minutemen fought on April 18-19, 1775, to defend these towns against British soldiers who tried to seize their guns and gunpowder.
In recent years, however, some have tried to cancel the heroic minutemen.
In August 2023, Fox News reported that California’s Concord High School had canceled its mascot, the minutemen, because the school’s leadership believed that minority students could not relate to these Revolutionary War heroes based on race.
WHY THE MAGA MOVEMENT IS THE 1776 REVOLUTION OF OUR TIME
Applying identity politics to the minutemen is debased. Why? Black men served as minutemen. One of them was Peter Salem, who ran from his home town, Framingham, to fight at the Battle of Concord alongside Lawson Buckminster, the man who’d freed him from slavery.
Salem’s story is featured in the new movie, “The American Miracle,” which will be in theaters June 9-11, 2025. The author of this article is an on-camera scholar in the film.
Unfortunately, Americans have become increasingly debased about their nation’s history, especially about America’s founding era. The last Hollywood feature film about the American Revolution was released more than 20 years ago, Mel Gibson’s “The Patriot.”
Nationwide protests in 2020 attacked sculptures of American heroes, including George Washington and other founders from the era. Most telling of all, however, is a terrible statistic. Only 13% of eighth graders are proficient in American history, according to a 2023 U.S. Department of Education report.
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S SACRED TRADITION, A GIFT TO EVERY PRESIDENT AND ALL AMERICANS
In 1772, John Adams, who later became America’s second president, warned his fellow Bostonians about debasing and corrupting the population through distorted perspectives. He believed that tyranny would flourish if lies, instead of truth, permeated the people’s understanding of important topics.
“The preservation of liberty depends upon the intellectual and moral character of the people. As long as knowledge and virtue are diffused generally among the body of a nation, it is impossible they should be enslaved. This can be brought to pass only by debasing their understandings or by corrupting their hearts,” Adams wrote.
Adams was correct. The rise of cancel culture in the United States has led to distorted perspectives of America’s history. Americans have become debased. Truth has been distorted. Grievance has replaced gratitude. Fortunately, the nation’s 250th anniversary provides an opportunity for Americans to renew their understanding of the sacrifices made for liberty during the American Revolution.
At 10 o’clock at night on April 18, 1775, messengers, such as silversmith Paul Revere, rode on horseback throughout the Massachusetts countryside to warn residents that British soldiers were marching toward them.
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Revere was tasked with going “to Lexington and inform Mr. Samuel Adams and the Honorable John Hancock that there was a number of soldiers composed of the light troops and grenadiers marching… to Lexington or… to Concord.”
Adams and Hancock were the leaders of the Sons of Liberty. Revere ordered two lanterns to hang in the steeple of Old North Church to signal patriots across the water in Charlestown that British soldiers were crossing the river instead of traveling solely on land.
In a deposition, Paul Revere described the moment that he was captured by a British officer during his midnight ride. The Briton “clapped his pistol to my head and said he was going to ask me some questions and if I did not tell the truth, he would blow my brains out. I replied that… I would tell the truth, for I was not afraid.”
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Forced to ride with British officers, Revere heard gunfire when they were about a half a mile from Lexington. Eventually, the British let him go, but not before cutting the saddle off his horse.
Thanks to Revere and other messengers, dozens of minutemen rushed to Lexington and Concord to prevent the British from capturing their gunpowder stores.
The truth of Black men serving as minutemen has been available for decades. Ardent abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote “The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution” in 1855. Believing that “courage and bravery” are of no “particular race or complexion,” Stowe was known for writing “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which played a role in the start of the Civil War.
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In Colored Patriots,” Stowe reported on the numerous Black men who contributed to the American Revolution. In addition to Peter Salem, she pointed out that Henry Hill and Toney Proctor were also Black men who fought at the Battle of Lexington and several other battles.
Lemuel Haynes, a Black man from Connecticut, joined the army after the Battle of Lexington. As many as 5,000 black men fought throughout the American Revolution in various capacities.
Stowe also wrote about Peter Salem’s heroism on June 17, 1775, at the Battle of Bunker Hill, which also turns 250 this year.
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“Major Pitcairn caused the first effusion of blood at Lexington,” she explained about the British major who ordered his men to shoot at the patriots at the Battle of Lexington. At the Battle of Bunker Hill two months later, “a black soldier named Salem shot him (Pitcairn) through, and he fell.…. and he (Salem) was presented to (General) Washington as having performed this feat.”
To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Two Lights for Tomorrow, is calling on all Americans to hang two lights in their windows across the nation on April 18. It’s time to un-cancel the minutemen and commemorate the heroes of Lexington and Concord, such as Paul Revere and Peter Salem.
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