After years of delays, Trump touts rollout that could help block illegal votes
The federal government’s push to finally execute REAL ID travel requirements will take effect Wednesday, amid a push from some Republicans to crack down on voter registration to ensure that those registered to vote are U.S. citizens.
While voters may use REAL ID as an additional acceptable form of identification when heading to the polls, REAL ID goes into effect as legislation makes its way through Congress to verify that only U.S. citizens are casting their ballot in U.S. elections.
The implementation of REAL ID coincides with the House’s passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act in April, which demands that states require in-person proof of citizenship from those seeking to vote in federal elections. The measure, known as the SAVE Act, is now headed to the Senate.
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Among the documents used to prove U.S. citizenship, as outlined in the SAVE Act, is a REAL ID, a form of identification that meets higher security standards up to par with those the federal government has established. Those that are REAL ID compliant have a star on them.
Other documents that may be used as proof of citizenship under the SAVE Act include a U.S. passport, a military ID with a U.S. birthplace listed, a valid government-issued photo ID that either lists a U.S. birthplace, or is coupled with a birth certificate indicating a U.S. birthplace.
Still, having a REAL ID does not necessarily prove U.S. citizenship, since there is a REAL ID option available for legal residents as well. However, some states, including Michigan, Minnesota and Vermont, do provide a REAL ID option only for U.S. citizens that does comply with the SAVE Act.
As a result, lawmakers who have backed the SAVE Act are hopeful that more states will start implementing citizen-only REAL IDs to comply with SAVE Act requirements.
“The structure is put in place now to — I think there’s at least five states that do have the citizenship status as part of the REAL ID — encourage more states to do so,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, according to The Associated Press. “That would be part of the goal here.”
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REAL ID will take effect Wednesday, decades after Congress passed the legislation establishing REAL ID in 2005 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks to create enhanced security standards for driver’s licenses.
However, the federal government has postponed its rollout and implementation — until now. The Trump administration has firmly said that May 7 is the final deadline for traveling or entering certain federal facilities like military bases, asserting that REAL ID will assist the government address illegal immigration as it steams ahead with its mass deportation initiative.
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Those without a REAL ID who are traveling after Wednesday must use identification like a U.S. passport or military ID instead.
Meanwhile, REAL ID has become a controversial issue among lawmakers — with some Republicans speaking out against it. While proponents of REAL ID argue it enhances national security, critics claim it compromises individual liberty and amounts to a national ID system.
Karen Read witness faces direct questions about morning of John O’Keefe’s death
Following a morning recess, prosecutor Hank Brennan called Sarah Levinson to the stand as the state’s next witness. Levinson was visiting 34 Fairview with Julie Nagel on the night of Jan. 28, 2022 and is a longtime friend of Brian Albert.
Levinson testified that she left the home with Nagel, Matt McCabe and Jennifer McCabe at approximately 1:30 a.m., noting the weather had deteriorated while the group was inside.
During direct examination, Levinson told Brennan she did not see anything outside 34 Fairview that stood out to her as the group was leaving.
As Karen Read’s defense attorney
Alan Jackson began cross-examining Levinson, she testified she was approached by then-investigator Michael Proctor for an interview in October 2022, approximately nine months after John O’Keefe’s death.
Brennan then asked Levinson if she looked over at the flagpole area in the front yard of 34 Fairview as the group was leaving, with Levinson testifying she did not.
Key witness Heather Maxon was dating Ryan Nagel when the pair spent an evening bar hopping before driving to 34 Fairview to pick up Nagel’s sister, Julie, from the house.
Maxon testified she was in the backseat of the vehicle as they drove to 34 Fairview when she noticed a black SUV driving toward them and turning in the same direction they were also heading.
Maxon went on to tell prosecutor Hank Brennan she saw a woman behind the steering wheel with a man in the passenger seat as they were driving to 34 Fairview, but she testified that she only saw the woman when they were driving away minutes later. Maxon said she did not see anyone cross the front yard of the home while she was sitting outside in the driveway.
During cross-examination, Maxon testified that the group chatted with Julie for approximately five minutes before driving off and confirmed she did not see a man in the SUV as it was parked outside 34 Fairview.
Brennan concluded his redirect questioning of Maxon and the courtroom broke for morning recess.
Following the prosecution’s direct examination, defense attorney David Yannetti looked to clarify what key witness Ryan Nagel saw outside 34 Fairview while checking on his sister the morning before
John O’Keefe’s death.
Nagel testified he noticed a black SUV outside the home, but only saw one person – a woman – inside.“You saw one person inside the car at that time?” Yannetti asked.
“Correct, sir,” Nagel answered.
“It was a woman with long hair in the driver’s seat, correct?” Yannetti said.
“Correct, sir,” Nagel said.
“And she looked like she was alone?” Yannetti said.
“Yes,” Nagel replied.
After prosecutor Hank Brennan asked Nagel a few questions during the redirect examination, the state called Heather Maxon as their next witness.
Prosecutor Hank Brennan called key witness Ryan Nagel to the stand for direct examination. Nagel and a few friends drove to 34 Fairview shortly after midnight to pick up his sister, Julie Nagel, following a night of drinking with friends.
After Julie declined a ride home, Nagel was waiting for his sister to walk inside 34 Fairview when he noticed a woman sitting in a black vehicle outside the home.
“I saw that there was a woman in the driver’s seat of the black SUV in front of me, sitting there with her hands on the steering wheel at 10 and two,” Nagel said.
Nagel testified he never saw an individual standing at the front door or entering the side door of 34 Fairview.
Following direct examination, Brennan concluded his questions and defense attorney David Yannetti began cross-examining Nagel.
Defense attorney David Yannetti kicked off testimony Monday morning by grilling
forensic scientist Hannah Knowles on the scientific technicalities surrounding tests of Karen Read’s blood alcohol concentration from the night before John O’Keefe’s lifeless body was found in the snow.
“Would somebody’s age be a factor in determining the amount of water in their blood?” Yannetti asked.
“I don’t know,” Knowles said.
“Could somebody’s gender affect the amount of water in their blood?”
Yannetti said.“Yes,” Knowles replied.
Knowles was assigned to prepare a serum conversion and retrograde extrapolation report pertaining to Read’s BAC on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022, with the results finding her alcohol levels were 93 milligrams per deciliter – or 0.093% – at 9:08 a.m.
Following a short line of cross-examination, prosecutor Adam Lally began redirect questioning of Knowles, focusing on the difference between comparing blood serum and a person’s whole blood when performing a BAC test.Knowles was dismissed from the stand, with the prosecution calling Ryan Nagel as the state’s next witness.
Judge Beverly Cannone has called Court into session, kicking off the third week of Karen Read’s retrial. Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Hannah Knowles is first up on the witness stand, resuming her cross-examination following Friday’s testimony on Read’s blood alcohol concentration the night before John O’Keefe’s body was found in the snow outside 34 Fairview.
Karen Read arrived alongside her defense team
at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts on Monday morning. State Police forensic scientist Hannah Knowles is set to continue her cross-examination on Read’s blood alcohol concentration from the night before John O’Keefe was killed.
The third week of Karen Read’s second trial
is set to resume Monday with Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Hannah Knowles continuing her testimony on Read’s blood alcohol concentration the morning after John O’Keefe was found frozen to death outside 34 Fairview.
On Friday, the prosecution conducted a direct examination of Knowles, who was tasked with preparing a serum conversion and retrograde extrapolation report pertaining to Read’s BAC.
Knowles testified the results indicated Read’s BAC was 93 milligrams per deciliter – or 0.093% – at 9:08 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2022.
Read is currently facing a retrial for the alleged murder of O’Keefe. The prosecution is arguing she hit O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV in a drunken rage after the pair spent the night bar hopping with friends, but Read’s defense team insists she is being framed in an elaborate scheme by law enforcement.
How a man’s casual stroll through state park led to the discovery of a lifetime
An amateur rock collector recently hit the jackpot while exploring a state park in Arkansas.
David DeCook, a Minnesota resident, unearthed a stunning 3.81-carat brown diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park on April 21.
The diamond is the largest that has been found in the park in 2025 so far, according to Arkansas State Parks.
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In a press release, the government organization said that DeCook was on a family trip to the park when he found the gem.
“DeCook calmly walked over to where he had seen the diamond, picked it up and inspected it before calling to his brother,” the press release noted. “Stirring up some natural sibling rivalry, David told Derek, ‘”Oh, you’re going to be mad once you see what I found!’”
The Minnesota resident returned to the park a few days later to register the diamond.
DeCook decided to name his discovery “the Duke Diamond” after his dog.
“You just never know what you’re gonna find. It’s a chance of a lifetime.”
DeCook identified himself as a farmer to FOX 9 Minneapolis and told the outlet that the diamond “kind of looks like a candy wrapper.”
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“Real shiny looking, kind of like a Werther’s candy wrapper… As you get closer to it, you can tell it’s a diamond pretty quick,” he said.
DeCook added, “I was very surprised, I guess, and never thought I’d find one that big.”
“You just never know what you’re gonna find. It’s a chance of a lifetime.”
Arkansas State Parks also noted that after DeCook found the gem, a heavy amount of rain covered the area – a good omen for diamond hunters.
“April has been a very wet month at the park, with more than 12 inches of rain,” assistant park superintendent Waymon Cox said in a statement.
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“Many of the park’s largest diamonds are found on top of the ground,” he added.
“As rain falls in the search area, it washes away the dirt and uncovers heavy rocks, minerals and diamonds near the surface.”
The Duke Diamond is the largest find at the Crater of Diamonds State Park since a French visitor found a 7.46-carat diamond in Jan. 2024.
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The tourist, Julien Navas, named the gem after his fiancée, Carine.