Homeowner Charged After 11-Year-Old Boy Fatally Shot Playing ‘Ding Dong Ditch’

A homeowner who allegedly fatally shot an 11-year-old boy playing “ding dong ditch” over the weekend has been charged with murder, cops said Tuesday.

Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, is accused of gunning down Julian Guzman just moments after the child rang the doorbell of his Houston home late Saturday.

The boy had been playing the prank, which involves ringing a doorbell and then fleeing to mess with homeowners, with a group of his friends at the time.

“Officers were told that Guzman was ringing doorbells of homes in the area and running away,” police said in a statement.

“A witness stated Guzman was running from a house after ringing the doorbell just prior to suffering a gunshot wound.” . . .

The boy, meanwhile, was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead on Sunday, according to cops. (Read more from “Homeowner Charged After 11-Year-Old Boy Fatally Shot Playing ‘Ding Dong Ditch’” HERE)

Comedian Says He Was Arrested by ‘Armed Police’ over Transgender Critical Tweets

Award-winning Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan said that he was arrested in London over posts on social media criticising transgenderism.

The creator of celebrated comedy programmes, including Father Ted and The IT Crowd, said on Tuesday that upon recently arriving at Heathrow Airport, he was met by five “armed police officers” who he says arrested him over “three tweets”.

“In a country where paedophiles escape sentencing, where knife crime is out of control, where women are assaulted and harassed every time they gather to speak, the state had mobilised five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer for this tweet (and no, I promise you, I am not making this up),” Linehan wrote on his Substack.

According to the Irish writer, the posts for which he was arrested included one in which he argued that biological men who enter female-only spaces are committing a “violent and abusive act”. “Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls,” Linehan suggested.

Another included a photograph of an LGBTQ+ rally in London, which Linehan captioned: “A photo you can smell”. (Read more from “Comedian Says He Was Arrested in London by ‘Armed Police’ over Transgender Critical Tweets” HERE)

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Mysterious Objects Thrown from White House Window Spark Viral Speculation

A strange scene at the White House over the weekend has ignited online buzz after a video surfaced showing unidentified objects being tossed from a top-floor window of the historic building.

The video, which quickly gained traction on social media, shows a person repeatedly hurling items from what many believe to be the Lincoln Bedroom, located on the upper floor of the executive residence. The objects fall to the ground below, though it remains unclear exactly what was being thrown or why.

According to a White House official, the individual seen in the footage is a contractor performing routine maintenance. The incident occurred while President Donald Trump was away, and there is no indication of any security breach or unusual activity beyond the video itself.

Online speculation quickly filled the gap left by the official silence, with some internet sleuths suggesting the objects could be debris from an ongoing renovation. President Trump has previously criticized the design of the Lincoln Bedroom’s adjoining bathroom, describing it as “terribly” remodeled in the Art Deco style. He confirmed last month that a makeover of the space was underway.

“We’ll be doing the Lincoln bathroom, which was Art Deco,” Trump said at the time. “We’re making it actually incredible.”

The video comes amid broader renovation plans at the White House, including the construction of a $200 million, privately funded State Ballroom. The 90,000-square-foot venue is slated to be built in the East Wing and will accommodate up to 650 guests. The project is expected to be completed before the end of Trump’s current term in early 2029.

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Israel Weighs West Bank Annexations in Response to Palestine Recognition Push

The Israeli government is seriously debating the annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the imminent recognition of Palestine by several western countries, according to three Israeli, U.S. and European officials with direct knowledge.

Why it matters: Most of the international community views the West Bank as occupied territory and would consider any Israeli annexations illegal and inflammatory.

Israel’s next move will depend on the stance of President Trump, who blocked Israeli annexations twice in his first term. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Axios the administration doesn’t yet have a position.

“I don’t know how extensive [the planned annexation] is. I’m not sure there is common view inside the Israeli government about where would it be and how much,” he said.

Some Israeli officials claim the Trump administration won’t oppose annexation because they’re so angry at the countries planning to recognize Palestine. (Read more from “Israel Weighs West Bank Annexations in Response to Palestine Recognition Push” HERE)

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Trump Names Giuliani First Medal of Freedom Recipient of Second Term

President Donald Trump announced Monday that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The announcement marks the first Medal of Freedom that Trump has awarded during his second term.

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Rudy Giuliani will be the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“As President of the United States of America, I am pleased to announce that Rudy Giuliani, the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot, will receive THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, our Country’s highest civilian honor. Details as to time and place to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is given at the discretion of the president to individuals who have made “especially meritorious” contributions to the security or national interests of the country, world peace, cultural endeavors, or other significant public or private achievements.

Trump’s announcement comes one day after Giuliani was hospitalized following a vehicle accident in New Hampshire. According to a statement from Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security, the former mayor had stopped to assist a domestic violence victim and called 911 before his car was “struck from behind at high speed” while traveling on the highway. Giuliani was diagnosed with a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, and injuries to his left arm and lower leg. Ragusa noted that Giuliani was “in good spirits and recovering tremendously.” (Read more from “Trump Names Giuliani First Medal of Freedom Recipient of Second Term” HERE)

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News Conference With Epstein’s Victims Will Be ‘Explosive,’ Lawmaker Predicts

An upcoming news conference with victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could be “explosive,” one of the congressmen pushing for full release of the files on Epstein predicts.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, said the victims’ accounts will force lawmakers to vote on a bill requiring the Justice Department to release its files.

Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky – who are co-leading the effort − need 218 signatures to make that happen.

With all 212 Democrats backing the effort, only six Republicans need to sign on, Khanna said on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.”

“What will be explosive is the September 3rd press conference that both of us are having with 10 Epstein victims, many who have never spoken out before,” Khanna said in remarks that aired Aug. 31. (Read more from “News Conference With Epstein’s Victims Will Be ‘Explosive,’ Lawmaker Predicts” HERE)

Olympic Champion Imane Khelif Appeals World Boxing Genetic Sex Test Ruling

Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif — a 26-year-old who has long maintained “she” is female despite leaked testing results — has formally appealed a World Boxing decision that bars her from competition unless she undergoes genetic sex testing, escalating a heated debate over gender eligibility in international sports.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed on Monday that the Algerian boxer lodged her appeal last month. While Khelif had hoped to participate in the world boxing championships beginning this Thursday, CAS dismissed her request to suspend World Boxing’s ruling while the case is ongoing.

Khelif rose to global prominence after winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024, a victory shadowed by scrutiny surrounding her eligibility alongside Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, another Olympic champion. Both fighters had previously been disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023 after the organization alleged they failed unspecified eligibility tests.

The IBA, however, was later expelled from overseeing Olympic boxing after years of corruption scandals, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stepped in to manage the last two Games. Under IOC rules, both Khelif and Lin were deemed eligible to compete.

With World Boxing now provisionally approved as the sport’s governing body for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, it has faced mounting pressure to establish formal standards on sex eligibility. In May, the organization announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes and controversially singled out Khelif in its statement — a move it later apologized for.

Despite the controversy, Khelif has vowed to defend her welterweight title in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, newly elected IOC president Kirsty Coventry has launched a task force to review gender eligibility policies, signaling that the issue will remain at the forefront of international sport.

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Medical Examiner Uncovers Cause of Death for US Attorney Who Prosecuted Leaker

Police revealed the cause of death for former U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber on Monday, months after she died in her sleep at home in March.

The medical examiner’s office in Alexandria, Virginia says the former official died from a “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy,” according to the Virginian-Pilot. Police had said earlier this year that they had “found no evidence suggesting that her death was caused by anything other than natural causes.”

(see the earlier story HERE about Ms. Aber’s work on CIA leak cases and Russian fraud)

Aber’s family had released a statement to the press shortly after her death noting that she had suffered from epilepsy and related seizures “for many years.”

Aber, 43, worked as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2021 to 2025 before stepping down on Jan. 20, the same day that President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

In her resignation letter, she called her role “an honor beyond measure.” (Read more from “Medical Examiner Uncovers Cause of Death for US Attorney Who Prosecuted Leaker” HERE)

Photo credit: U.S. Department of Justice Archives

Father’s Eerie Last Message to Wife Revealed Before Mountain Tragedy

A Minnesota hiker was found deceased in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains nearly a month after he sent a final text message to his wife and was not heard from again, authorities said Thursday.

The body of Grant Gardner, 38, was found underneath a ledge near the summit of the 13,000-foot Cloud Peak by a professional climbing team from North Carolina, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“While it’s not the outcome we hoped for, we are hopeful this will provide much needed peace and closure to the family,” the sheriff’s office said.

Gardner went missing on July 29 in the Cloud Peak Wilderness, where he had planned a three-day hike through the Misty Moon Lake area before eventually summiting Cloud Peak.

Phone records showed Gardner’s last known contact was a message to his wife on that day, “letting her know he’d made it to the summit,” the sheriff’s office has said. Authorities said the text indicated “the climb was more taxing than he expected and he was tired.” (Read more from “Father’s Eerie Last Message to Wife Revealed Before Mountain Tragedy” HERE)

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Robert Mueller Reportedly Diagnosed With Debilitating Disease

Former FBI Director and special counsel Robert Mueller has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, leading the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to withdraw a subpoena, according to the New York Times.

Mueller had been subpoenaed to testify on the FBI’s handling of a federal probe into disgraced financial advisor Jeffrey Epstein in the 2000s, the Times reported. The House Oversight Committee is probing how the George W. Bush administration handled the case, in which Epstein reached a plea agreement.

Mueller has been living in a memory-care facility according to previous reporting, which did not mention specifics about the cause for the move. The House Oversight Committee reportedly withdrew its subpoena of Mueller August 18 due to his health issues.

During President Donald Trump’s first term, the Department of Justice (DOJ) appointed Mueller as a special counsel to look into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. A report Mueller penned following the investigation concluded that there was no collusion between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Epstein, who pleaded guilty to sex charges in 2008, reportedly committed suicide in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial after he was arrested in 2019 on new charges. (Read more from “Robert Mueller Reportedly Diagnosed With Debilitating Disease” HERE)

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