REPORT: Democrats Trigger Schumer-Led Government Shutdown With No Exit Plan in Sight

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As the clock ticks down to a midnight government shutdown, Senate Democrats — led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — are poised to filibuster a clean, short-term spending bill, virtually guaranteeing a lapse in government funding. Despite the looming crisis, Democrats are offering no clear path to end the shutdown they are helping to initiate.

The Republican-sponsored measure would have kept the government funded through November 21, buying more time for negotiations. But Democrats, demanding $1.5 trillion in unrelated policy concessions, have refused to support the extension — despite not presenting a viable alternative.

“It’s right now impossible to say — there are about 20 different possible exit ramps — some of them good, some of them troubling,” admitted Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) when asked about the Democrats’ strategy.

Hours before the deadline, even Senate Republicans were left baffled by the Democrats’ lack of a coherent plan to end the shutdown once it begins.

“I don’t think my Democratic friends have thought through how to get this thing back open,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA). “And I don’t think they have thought through what I believe the OMB Director is going to do while the government is shut down.”

Kennedy warned that the Trump administration could leverage the shutdown to reduce federal workforce numbers or cut funding to programs typically favored by Democrats — actions that could become permanent.

President Donald Trump echoed those concerns from the Oval Office on Tuesday, hinting that the administration may take aggressive action during the shutdown.

“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for [Democrats] and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out … cutting programs that they like,” Trump said.

Despite Democrats’ resistance, the White House appears ready to let the shutdown run its course — potentially using the opportunity to trim federal programs long targeted by conservatives.

While Democrats are blocking the clean resolution, they’re simultaneously placing the blame for the shutdown on Trump and Republican lawmakers.

“I’ll quote President Trump as he’s said repeatedly, ‘It’s the responsibility of the president to keep the government open.’ Those are his words. I believe him,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). “They control every part of the government. It’s the president’s job.”

Meanwhile, others like Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are banking on Republicans eventually buckling to Democrat demands. “At some point they’re going to come to the table realistically because there’ll be such mounting pressure,” Blumenthal said.

Those demands include reversing cuts to foreign aid, restoring public broadcasting funds, and extending COVID-era healthcare subsidies that are not set to expire until year’s end.

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Trump Admin May Have Eyes On New Regime Change War

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The United States is reportedly planning to target drug traffickers in Venezuela, raising questions about the possibility of regime change in the country.

U.S. military officials are considering attacking drug traffickers in the coming weeks within the borders of Venezuela, four sources told NBC News.

“We’ll see what happens. Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs. It’s not acceptable,” the White House told NBC, referencing a previous statement from Trump.

The report follows rising tensions over drugs and the mobilization of U.S. forces in the Caribbean.

Throughout September, President Donald Trump authorized striking several boats allegedly carrying drugs and drug traffickers.

“BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!” Trump declared in a Truth post on September 15, attaching a video of the second boat strike. “The illicit activities by these cartels have wrought DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES ON AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES, killing millions of American citizens. NO LONGER.”

(Read more from “Trump Admin May Have Eyes On New Regime Change War” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales’ Staffer Burned to Death After Dousing Herself With Gasoline, Setting Her Body Ablaze

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A staffer for Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales who burned to death in her backyard set herself on fire with gasoline, according to firefighters — but her family still insists it was an accident.

Regina Santos-Aviles “doused herself in gasoline” in Uvalde on September 13, according to a report from responding firefighters obtained by the Uvalde Leader News.

The 35-year-old mother then “was ignited in flames,” the report said, adding that burning gasoline cans were extinguished when firefighters arrived.

Officials did not say whether she deliberately started the fatal blaze, but the Uvalde Police Department said it does not suspect anybody else was involved in her death or that there was any foul play.

Santos-Aviles was found alive and still ablaze by her own mother around 9:30 p.m. that night, and was helicoptered to a nearby hospital. (Read more from “Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales’ Staffer Burned to Death After Dousing Herself With Gasoline, Setting Her Body Ablaze” HERE)

Woke Officials in Tony DC Suburb Refused to Charge Trans Sex Offender Who Went ‘Hunting’ for Little Girls, Virginia AG Says

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Virginia’s Attorney General is blasting woke county officials for refusing to arrest a sex offender who claimed to be a woman so he could walk into girls’ locker rooms — and said there was clear evidence he was “hunting” little girls at pools and water parks in the tony Washington, DC, suburb.

Richard Cox, a prolific 58-year-old registered sex offender, allegedly exposed himself to little girls and women in the girls’ locker rooms. He was also found with child pornography and a schedule of girls’ swim class schedules at Fairfax County rec centers on his phone, cops said.

However, in Fairfax County — where a Dem-majority board oversees the cops — authorities aid they have no plans to charge Cox for his visits to three rec centers there where children were present, WSET reported.

When he was finally arrested, it was in neighboring Arlington County — where Cox is facing charges for a laundry list of sex crimes.

Video obtained by WSET shows Cox, a biological male, entering women’s locker rooms at Fairfax County’s Oakmont, Audrey Moore, and Franconia rec centers last year. (Read more from “Woke Officials in Tony DC Suburb Refused to Charge Trans Sex Offender Who Went ‘Hunting’ for Little Girls, Virginia AG Says” HERE)

Trump Gaza Plan Wins Support of Arab, Muslim World — and Palestinian Authority

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President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the Gaza war has not only won support from Israel, but also from the Arab and Muslim world — and from the Palestinian Authority, which has opposed his plans in the past.

The 20-point plan, as Breitbart News has noted, would fulfill Israel’s goals of freeing the remaining hostages, as well as disarming Hamas and removing it from power. It also offers the prospect of a Palestinian state — if Hamas complies with the plan and the Palestinian Authority agrees to sweeping reforms of its policies and anti-Israel culture.

If Hamas does not agree, the plan allows Israel to continue fighting the terror group.

Trump canvassed for support for the plan among Arab and Muslim nations on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York last week. The plan includes key Arab demands, such as the inclusion of the Palestinian Authority in the future governance of Gaza (together with other Arab states). It also prevents Israel from annexing Gaza, and does not mention Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).

The Times of Israel noted: “Shortly after the press conference [by Trump and Netanyahu at the White House on Monday], the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt issued a joint statement welcoming Trump’s efforts and pledging to engage with the US to advance the implementation of the Gaza peace plan.” (Read more from “Trump Gaza Plan Wins Support of Arab, Muslim World — and Palestinian Authority” HERE)

REPORT: New FBI Lab Report and Witness Testimony Deepen Mystery in Unsolved Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Case

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Newly released evidence suggests explosive devices may have been planted later than originally claimed — or not meant to explode at all.

The long-unsolved case of the pipe bombs planted outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters on January 6, 2021 has taken a dramatic turn. Newly released FBI lab analysis and a key witness interview obtained by Just the News inject fresh doubt into the official narrative — including the timeline and intent of the devices.

FBI Director Kash Patel, who recently took over the bureau, turned over the documents to Congress, sparking renewed scrutiny of a case that remains unsolved four years later despite surveillance footage, public tips, and a substantial reward.

Key Findings Raise Questions About FBI’s Jan. 6 Narrative

Among the most significant revelations:

Both devices were built with the chemical building blocks of black powder and 60-minute kitchen timers.

However, the FBI lab report never used the word “viable” to describe either device — raising questions about whether they were intended to detonate at all.

A key witness who discovered the RNC bomb said the timer still had 20 minutes remaining when she found it — suggesting it may have been planted just shortly before its discovery, not 16 hours earlier as the FBI has long claimed.

The devices were labeled as “Improvised Explosive Devices” (IEDs) and had destructive potential if properly assembled, but neither detonated, and the lab report offers no clear explanation why.

“When properly assembled and initiated, an IED of this sort can cause property damage, bodily injury, or death,” the lab report states. But it avoids saying whether these bombs were truly ready to explode.

Contradictory Timelines: Was the RNC Bomb Planted Hours Later?

The FBI has consistently stated that the bombs were planted at approximately 8:16 PM on Jan. 5, based on timestamped security footage showing a suspect placing the RNC bomb.

But a Commerce Department employee, who discovered the RNC device while doing laundry around 12:40 PM on Jan. 6, told the FBI it was not there at noon, when she first passed by the area.

“I can confirm that the device must have been placed between 12:00–12:40 PM EST,” she said in her tip to the FBI.

She also reported that the timer was set to “20” when she discovered it — indicating that, if the timer were running, the bomb had only been ticking for 40 minutes — again contradicting the FBI’s 16-hour timeline.

The witness, identified as a worker inside a first responder communications program at the U.S. Commerce Department, told investigators she had no memory or recognition of the suspect widely shown in FBI footage.

Congressional investigators are now exploring several alternative theories:

The bombs were not meant to explode, but were planted as a diversion to redirect law enforcement resources away from the Capitol.

Someone reset the timers later — possibly even on Jan. 6 — to make the devices appear more threatening than they were.

The FBI’s initial timeline may be flawed or intentionally misleading.

“The single greatest action that facilitated the protesters’ ease of entry into the Capitol on January 6 was the placing of the pipe bombs,” said Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee investigating law enforcement’s Jan. 6 response.

“The FBI was zealous in pursuing those trespassing at the Capitol but quite lacking in their pursuit of whomever placed the pipe bombs.”

The newly released materials cast serious doubt on the official version of events surrounding the Jan. 6 pipe bombs. Whether these devices were real threats, failed weapons, or stage-managed distractions, one thing is now clear: the case is far from closed — and may point to broader failures inside the FBI during one of the most scrutinized moments in modern U.S. history.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

REPORT: New Epstein Emails Reveal Graphic Recruitment Tactics, Deep Ties to Ghislaine Maxwell

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Newly uncovered emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s personal Yahoo account have shed disturbing new light on how the convicted sex offender allegedly operated his trafficking network — not only exploiting underage girls, but actively using victims to help recruit others, often with the help of Ghislaine Maxwell, according to a new Bloomberg report released Sept. 12.

The trove, which spans over 20 years and includes thousands of messages, focuses especially on the period between 2005 and 2008, as Epstein came under mounting legal scrutiny in Florida. The emails suggest that, rather than retreating, Epstein and Maxwell tightened their grip on a coordinated operation to recruit and reward young women — while simultaneously crafting legal strategies to avoid consequences.

According to Bloomberg, the emails included messages from Epstein’s female associates, who regularly sent him photos and dossiers of prospective targets. These profiles included age, ethnicity, job, personality traits, and physical descriptions.

One particularly callous email allegedly shows Epstein dismissing a candidate with a single line:

“Fat and Asian sorry.”

This language and system underscore what investigators have long alleged — that Epstein’s network operated like a targeted grooming machine, designed to identify and isolate vulnerable young women who could be manipulated or bought.

In a 2007 email, Epstein received a spreadsheet from his accountant, detailing over $1.8 million in gifts and cash payments made between 2003 and 2006.

Among the entries were:

Direct cash payments to girls later identified as victims

Electronics, including laptops

Victoria’s Secret purchases

One individual received $75,000 in gifts alone

This financial documentation appears to align with accusations that Epstein used money and material goods to not only silence victims, but bind them into his operation — creating an exploitative cycle of dependence.

Maxwell’s Involvement: 650 Messages, Damning Replies

Despite claims during her trial that her relationship with Epstein diminished after his first legal troubles, the emails tell a different story.

650 messages between Epstein and Maxwell were identified

203 messages were sent in just the first half of 2008, as his legal team negotiated a plea deal

In one striking exchange, Epstein allegedly emailed Maxwell asking:

“Which one do you prefer,,, lewd and lascivious conduct,, or procuring minors for prostitution”

Maxwell’s alleged reply:

“I suppose lewd and lascivious conduct… I would prefer lewd and lascivious conduct w/a prostitute if possible.”

This exchange — during an active criminal investigation — appears to undercut Maxwell’s defense that she was no longer involved in Epstein’s world at the time. In fact, it suggests that she was still actively engaged in his legal defense and his broader operation.

Though communications between the two reportedly slowed after Epstein’s 2008 imprisonment, they resumed in late 2014, just as Maxwell faced new allegations from Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most vocal accusers.

In 2014, Maxwell allegedly emailed Epstein:

“Can you send me the file on Virginia that your lawyers have or whatever info you have on her.”

Then, in January 2015, she forwarded a confidential 20-year-old Palm Beach County Sheriff’s report to Epstein. The report involved a 15-year-old Giuffre accusing two men of rape — a case that was eventually dropped due to “lack of credibility,” according to the document.

Ten days later, Maxwell sent another email to Epstein’s legal team, voicing concern over an emerging U.K. investigation:

“This would take whatever slim shred of a life I have after this mess and kill it.”

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking minor girls in connection with Epstein’s abuse network. Her legal team has submitted a final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is set to be reviewed during the justices’ “long conference” — a session where petitions accumulated over summer recess are considered.

The newly released emails — particularly those directly contradicting Maxwell’s claims of distancing herself from Epstein — may further complicate her appeal.

Huge Space Bubble Called the ‘Heliosphere’ Allows Life to Exist on Earth, and We Know Very Little About It

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An extraordinary structure called the “heliosphere” envelops our entire solar system in a protective bubble. NASA’s new mission, IMAP, will get close enough to the Sun to investigate how the heliosphere works.

Inflated by the Sun, the heliosphere shields Earth and our planetary neighbors from deadly cosmic radiation that travels at the speed of light, allowing life on this beautiful blue marble to survive and thrive.

The Sun is constantly emitting bursts of charged particles – protons, electrons, and ions – at speeds of more than a million miles per hour.

This colossal stream, which is referred to as the solar wind, fills out the heliosphere and sets it ballooning billions of miles outward.

Earth has its own protection too – our magnetic field – but that only covers our planet. For everything else in the solar system, the heliosphere takes on the heavy lifting. (Read more from “Huge Space Bubble Called the ‘Heliosphere’ Allows Life to Exist on Earth, and We Know Very Little About It” HERE)

Elon Musk Labels the ADL a ‘Hate Group’ After Turning Point USA Is Named as an Extremist Group

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Elon Musk has branded the Anti-Defamation League, a legal group founded to combat antisemitism, as a “hate group.”

The tech billionaire made the comments on his social media platform X, while also railing against the ADL’s classification of Turning Point USA as extremist.

The ADL was founded in 1913 and, according to its website, aims to “stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” . . .

However, on X, Elon Musk claimed that the “ADL hates Christians, therefore it is a hate group.”

His post was in response to a right-wing influencer’s claim that the ADL “considers Christianity a hateful terrorist extremist belief.”

(Read more from “Elon Musk Labels the ADL a ‘Hate Group’ After Turning Point USA Is Named as an Extremist Group” HERE)

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Trump Releases 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan

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. . .A Hamas official said Monday that they had not seen the plan, and that while they were opening to releasing the hostages, in theory, they would not disarm, seeing the use of force (i.e. terror) as central to their pupose.

The 20 points (annotated) are below:

Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.

Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.

If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.

Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned. [It is not clear what happens to enforce this provision if Hamas does not agree to the deal.]

Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners [i.e. those convicted in a court of law of having murdered Israelis] plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.

Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. [It is not clear who is paying for this aid.] At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.

Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.

Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.

A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.

A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.

No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.

Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.

A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.

The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.

Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.

In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF. [This suggests that the IDF will be allowed to continue military operations in other areas.]

An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.

While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.

The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

(Read more from “Trump Releases 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr