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Appeals Court Rejects Trump Request To Stay Criminal Sentencing

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Just in…

The New York Court of Appeals has denied a motion filed by President-elect Donald Trump to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing in the New York v. Trump case.

New York Judge Juan Merchan set Trump’s sentencing date in the case earlier this month, ahead of his inauguration as president on Jan. 20. 

Trump filed a motion to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing with the New York State Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The New York Court of Appeals denied Trump’s request Thursday morning. The status of his appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court is pending.

Trump remains set to be sentenced on Friday, Jan. 10, at 9:30 a.m., pending the Supreme Court’s decision. He plans to attend virtually. 

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Bill Bar Calls On Prosecutors To Drop Cases Against Trump

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The United States Department of Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr encouraged prosecutors to drop pending charges against President-elect Trump.

“The American people have rendered their verdict on President Trump, and decisively chosen him to lead the country for the next four years,” Barr said in an interview with Fox News, after the White House race was called for Trump.

“They did that with full knowledge of the claims against him by prosecutors around the country and I think Attorney General Garland and the state prosecutors should respect the people’s decision and dismiss the cases against President Trump now,” he added.

Trump was convicted in New York on 34 felony charges related to his hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and still faces indictments in three other trials. His actions to block the peaceful transfer of power after his 2020 loss sparked federal charges as well as a case in Georgia, while the former president also faced federal counts for retaining classified documents at his Florida estate, before the case was indefinitely postponed by the judge.

Trump is set to face sentencing in the New York case later this month but has also sought to toss the case after the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents retain broad immunity after leaving office.

The Justice Department (DOJ) under a second Trump administration, is widely expected to move to drop both federal cases against the president-elect.

The Florida case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on technical grounds involving Smith’s appointment.

The GOP presidential nominee has pledged to fire special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the election interference cases, “within two seconds.”

“He’ll be one of the first things addressed,” Trump said last month.

Barr added that Smith and the DOJ should drop the cases before Trump even takes office.

“Further maneuvering on these cases in the weeks ahead would serve no legitimate purpose and only distract the country and the incoming administration from the task at hand,” he said.

“The public interest now demands that the country unite and focus on the challenges we face at home and abroad. Attorney General Garland and all the state prosecutors should do the right thing and help the country move forward by dismissing the cases,” the former attorney general added.

Suspects Charged In Plot To Kill Top Noem Deputy

Police image via Pixabay free images

Two brothers from Absecon, New Jersey, were arrested Tuesday and charged in connection with alleged online threats targeting Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and a top public-facing spokesperson for Secretary Kristi Noem, authorities said.

Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, who are twins, were taken into custody after investigators alleged they posted violent statements on X about McLaughlin and federal immigration officers, including an alleged call to “Shoot ICE on sight,” according to the account of the case shared by law enforcement officials.

Investigators allege one brother responded to McLaughlin with: “[The Second] Amendment is in place for moments like this. Shoot ICE on sight,” followed by: “We Americans should find you, tar you, feather you, and hang you as we did to anyone serving tyrants before the Revolutionary War.” A second, partially redacted post attributed to the other brother reportedly read: “Shoot ICE on sight.”

Prosecutors say the threats went further—allegedly escalating to talk of torturing and killing McLaughlin “in a medieval fashion.” McLaughlin has been front-and-center defending DHS enforcement actions on TV and online, and she’s repeatedly framed threats against officers as downstream of increasingly incendiary politics around immigration.

The charge sheet, as described, splits like this:

  • Emilio: unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, conspiracy, terroristic threats, criminal coercion and cyber harassment.
  • Ricardo: one count of conspiracy—terroristic threats.

ICE Director Todd Lyons said the arrests came within three days of the alleged posts and warned that threats against federal officials will be prosecuted. “We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We are not afraid of you,” Lyons told Fox News Digital. He added: “If you threaten our law enforcement or DHS officials, we will hunt you down, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

DHS is trying to make a broader point: this isn’t just one ugly thread online—it’s part of a threat environment they say has intensified alongside the administration’s border crackdown. In a DHS release dated Oct. 30, 2025, the department claimed ICE personnel have faced an “8,000% increase in death threats,” citing harassment and threats aimed at officers and their families.

The issue has also surfaced in recent disputes over whether public-facing tools that track immigration enforcement activity endanger federal officers. In a Reuters report published Monday, a developer sued the Trump administration after an app that let users share locations of immigration agents was removed from Apple’s store; the administration cited safety concerns for federal officers, while the developer argued the app relied on public observations.

AOC Campaign Office Vandalized With Anti-Israel Message

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Police responded after a campaign office for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was vandalized with a painted anti-Israel slogan in New York City.

The slogan, written in red paint, read “AOC funds genocide in Gaza.” The vandals had also spread the paint all over the entrance to the campaign office before police arrived at roughly 1 a.m. Monday.

The incident came just days after Ocasio-Cortez voted against legislation from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that would have cut funding for the Israeli Defense Forces.

The lawmaker, who has been vocally critical of Israel’s war in Gaza, said she voted against the bill because it only cut funding for the defensive “Iron Dome” and did nothing to cut off the “actual bombs killing Palestinians.”

Greene’s legislation would have cut off roughly $500 million in funding for Israel. Her proposed amendment, which failed on Thursday, came after Israeli Defense Forces bombed the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza.

“Israel bombed the Catholic Church in Gaza, and that entire population is being wiped out as they continue their aggressive war in Gaza,” Greene said.

Voting alongside Greene on the amendment were Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) members of the progressive so-called “squad” to which Ocasio-Cortez also belongs.

READ NEXT: Republican Congresswoman Pushes Mass ‘Amnesty’ Bill For Illegal Migrants

Former Democrat Candidate Charged With Domestic Battery

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Back in the spotlight…

A former Democrat candidate for the Virginia legislature, whose X-rated movies with her husband were exposed before the election, was charged with domestic violence this week.

Susanna Gibson Payne, 42, was arrested on September 22 for “assault and battery” against a family member. Payne claimed that her husband, 44-year-old John David Gibson, has been harassing her amid their divorce since last year.

“After my estranged husband, arrested three times since I filed for divorce, assaulted me during a June 2025 custody exchange while I protected our son, he filed a retaliatory criminal complaint against me,” she said.

Payne said she turned herself in after a misdemeanor warrant was issued.

The Democrat’s husband denied ever assaulting his wife. Mediaite reported that Gibson was arrested in December for violating a protection order and using threatening language with his wife. He said the incident stemmed from a tense argument with his wife’s new boyfriend.

Payne and Gibson grabbed headlines in 2023 when Payne was running for office, and videos the couple had posted on the porn site Chaturbate were discovered and exposed.

The couple was accused of making the videos for “tips,” though they denied that the videos were for profit. At the time, Payne said she was determined to stay in the race.

“My political opponents and their Republican allies have proven they’re willing to commit a sex crime to attack me and my family because there’s no line they won’t cross to silence women when they speak up,” she said.

Man Drives Tesla Into Crowded Protest

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Tesla

A protest at a Tesla location in Florida was disrupted Saturday when a man drove into the crowd.

A suspect was arrested at the scene and there were no injuries, according to police.

Law enforcement tells the AP that the suspect, Andrew Dutil, allegedly drove his Nissan Pathfinder at a slow speed onto the sidewalk and directly into the group of demonstrators before coming to a stop and exiting the vehicle.

Reports indicate Dutil claimed to be an employee of the Tesla showroom where the protests were taking place.

The Palm Beach post reports:

“He drove into a crowd of senior citizens,” said Mark Offerman of the Democratic Progressive Caucus Palm Beach County about the driver. “Everybody was able to move out, but two older women were really almost clipped. We immediately called the cops.”

The AP adds that “Dutil was arrested and faces an assault charge, according to court records.”

At least one individual associated with the group “Tesla Takedown” posted on social media about the incident.

In response to CEO Elon Musk supporting President Donald Trump during the election and slashing budgets and personnel through DOGE over the last several weeks, protests and acts of vandalism and violence have broken out both at Tesla locations and against individual vehicle owners across the country.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has labeled the incidents domestic terrorism.

House GOP Pressures Attorney General To Prosecute Officials Helping Subvert Deportations

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Multiple House Republicans are demanding the Justice Department prosecute elected officials and left-wing activist groups allegedly attempting to undermine the administration’s deportation efforts.

GOP Reps. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Andy Harris of Maryland, Eric Burlison of Missouri and Pete Sessions of Texas sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi Tuesday, exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. 

“We write today to applaud your prosecution of Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James and to respectfully request that you continue prosecuting individuals, organizations and elected officials who aid and abet illegal aliens in evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers,” the Republican lawmakers wrote. “Assisting aliens in avoiding deportation is illegal; therefore, we urge you to continue upholding the integrity of the American system.”

“Far-left politicians and nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] are flouting the law under the assumption that it will not be enforced. We ask that you demonstrate that such violations will not be tolerated.”

Read:

The letter alleges that left-wing organizations such as Code Pink, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network and the Immigration Defense Project are actively providing resources to illegal migrants to evade detection by ICE.

The GOP congressmen also urged Bondi to prosecute elected officials helping illegal migrants evade detection by ICE.

Democrat New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy appeared to suggest that he was harboring an illegal migrant on his property on Feb. 3, leading border czar Tom Homan vowing to prosecute the elected official for appearing to violate federal law.

“And good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her,” the Democrat then added, speaking at an open discussion at Montclair State University.

Murphy walked back the shocking claim days later.

Homan warned New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that he is working with the DOJ to determine whether the left-wing firebrand violated federal law by hosting a virtual webinar advising illegal migrants on how to handle encounters with ICE on Jan. 11.

“Let’s hope she’s not educating the next person who gets out and murders a young college student in Georgia,” Homan said on Fox News on Feb. 16. “These are bad people we’re looking for. So she can call it education all she wants, but we all know it’s about evading law enforcement. These people have been ordered removed. The people we’re looking for now have final orders. They’re criminals. They’re in the country illegally.”

Bondi filed a lawsuit against Hochul and James on Feb. 12, citing a New York state law allowing immigrants to obtain a driver’s license regardless of legal status. The Trump administration hit Chicago and the state of Illinois with lawsuits on Feb. 6 over the city and state’s sanctuary laws, which restrict cooperation between local officials and ICE.

“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi said during a press conference announcing the Justice Department’s lawsuit against the state of New York. “We are taking steps to protect Americans, American citizens and angel moms.”

“New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops today,” Bondi added. “We sued Illinois. New York did not listen. Now you’re next.”

Speaker Johnson Says Trump Deserves Nobel Peace Prize For DC Police Takeover

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Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is calling for President Donald Trump to be recognized on the world stage after his decisive leadership brought unprecedented safety to the nation’s capital.

On Monday, Johnson said Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize following 11 straight days without a single reported murder in Washington, D.C. — a stunning turnaround after Trump took charge of the city’s police force.

“There are MANY reasons why President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize – but 11 straight days with ZERO murders in Washington, D.C. might top the list,” Johnson posted on social media. “SAFER streets. STRONGER communities. AMERICA IS BACK!”

Trump Delivers Where Democrats Failed

The numbers come from the Metropolitan Police Department’s own preliminary data: from August 14 through August 24, not one homicide was reported in the city.

This sharp decline follows Trump’s August 11 takeover of D.C.’s police department, a bold move to re-establish law and order in a city long plagued by violent crime under Democrat leadership. Since Trump stepped in, only two killings have been reported — one on August 11, and another on August 13.

Critics may try to downplay the results, noting there was a 16-day stretch earlier this year without a murder, but it’s clear that Trump’s hands-on leadership and “law and order” agenda have already had a direct impact on restoring peace and safety to America’s capital.

A President Who Gets Results

President Trump has never hidden his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize — and many argue he has already earned it for his historic Middle East peace agreements, his refusal to drag America into new foreign wars, and now, for bringing real results to America’s streets.

Even world leaders agree. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing Trump’s unmatched record of delivering peace and stability.

The Bottom Line

While Democrats and the mainstream media remain silent, the facts are clear: Trump’s leadership is saving lives. Speaker Johnson’s call for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize isn’t just political theater — it reflects the reality that Trump’s America First agenda delivers real safety, real security, and real peace.

Republican Says Hunter Biden Investigation Will Move Forward

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President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

The House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the panel will continue its investigation into Hunter Biden’s criminal activity in a Thursday interview with Politico.

“We think we need to look at David Weiss, the special counsel,” Jordan told the outlet. 

“There will be some additional work we need to do, I think, there because when we deposed him, he wasn’t willing to — he didn’t answer any questions, really, because it was [an] ongoing investigation,” he added.

He criticized President Biden for pardoning his son ahead of his exit from the White House on all crimes committed in a 10-year period.

“I didn’t agree with it. I think a lot of Americans didn’t,” Jordan said.

But he added that “the president can pardon anyone he wants to pardon.”

Jordan’s committee launched a broad probe into Hunter Biden and his uncle James Biden for alleged unethical business dealings which prompted their testimony before members of Congress last year.

Pam Bondi Fires Jeffrey Epstein Prosecutor

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On Wednesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi fired Maurene Comey, a prosecutor with the Southern District of New York who had prosecuted deceased financier and child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Comey, a senior trial counsel, is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired in 2017.

“The reason for her firing was not immediately clear. She did not immediately respond to phone calls and an email seeking comment,” Politico said. “Comey, who had worked in the U.S. attorney’s office for nearly a decade, prosecuted both Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.”

Maurene Comey worked at the SDNY for almost a decade.

Maurene Comey’s termination at the DOJ comes amid an investigation into her father, who posted an image of seashells on a beach arranged to say  “86 47.” Though “86” is restaurant industry lingo for refusing service to a patron or kicking them out of an establishment, many conservatives insisted Comey was calling for the president’s death. Last week, The New York Times reported that the Secret Service had tracked the former FBI director after the incident.

The Justice Department last week released a memo concluding there was no evidence suggesting the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender kept a “client list” to blackmail high-profile individuals. The memo also found no evidence to suggest foul play in Epstein’s death, which had previously been ruled a suicide.

The memo spurred fierce backlash from many Trump supporters, who had long called on the government to release material on Epstein that they argue would expose wrongdoing at the highest level of elite circles.

Trump has brushed aside calls to reveal more information about the Epstein case and has shown increasing frustration when asked about it over the past week.

“You mentioned past supporters when you were talking about the Epstein issue. Does that mean that you’re effectively disowning any supporters who are now calling—” a reporter asked Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

Trump cut off the question and added, “I’ve lost a lot of faith in certain people, yeah, I’ve lost. Because they got duped by the Democrats.”

In a lengthy social media post, which included references to the president’s previous claims about the 2017 Russian election interference probe, Trump blamed Democrats for creating what he called a “scam” and “hoax.”

“Scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at – It’s all they have – They are no good at governing, no good at policy, and no good at picking winning candidates,” Trump said. He added, “Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line, and sinker. They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.”