North Dakota Becomes 15th State To Prohibit Ranked-Choice Voting In Elections

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Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed legislation on Wednesday prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in North Dakota elections, making it the 15th state to do so.

“Now more than ever, we need a consistent, efficient and easy-to-understand voter experience across our entire state to maintain trust in our election system,” Armstrong said in a statement. “This is one more in a series of proactive, common-sense steps our Secretary of State and Legislature have taken to support election integrity.”

HB 1297 stipulates that “[a]pproval voting or ranked-choice voting may not be used in an election held within [North Dakota] to elect or nominate a candidate to any local, state, or federal elective office.” Any existing “ordinance enacted or adopted” by North Dakota localities that “conflict” with this prohibition is now considered “void” under the new law.

Under RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes are reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.

Meanwhile, approval voting is a system in which “voters may vote for any number of candidates they choose,” with the candidate “receiving the most votes” being the declared the winner, according to Ballotpedia. Until HB 1297’s enaction, the system was used in the city of Fargo. (Read more from “North Dakota Becomes 15th State To Prohibit Ranked-Choice Voting In Elections” HERE)

Report: AI Company DeepSeek ‘Funnels’ American User Data To Red China

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The Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepSeek is allegedly syphoning American user data to China’s communist government, according to a new congressional report.

Released on Wednesday by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the 16-page analysis contends that the China-based AI firm “collects detailed user data, which it transmits via backend infrastructure that is connected to China Mobile.”

A state-owned telecommunications giant, China Mobile was flagged by the Pentagon earlier this year for having ties to Beijing’s military. In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prohibited the firm from operating within the U.S. over concerns that “unauthorized access to customer … data could create irreparable damage to U.S. national security.”

The FCC subsequently added China Mobile to its list of “national security threats” in 2022, according to ABC News.

“While the extent of data transmission remains unconfirmed, DeepSeek’s integration with China Mobile infrastructure raises serious concerns about potential foreign access to Americans’ private information,” the House analysis reads. “By relying on China Mobile’s infrastructure, DeepSeek ensures that Americans’ data is stored and transmitted through networks controlled by the Chinese government.” (Read more from “Report: AI Company DeepSeek ‘Funnels’ American User Data To Red China” HERE)

Hillary Clinton: ‘Americans of Conscience Must Stand Against’ Trump Deporting Illegal Alien Accused of Gang Membership, Domestic Violence

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Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has thrown her support behind Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the accused MS-13 gang member and alleged domestic abuser who was deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration.

“Before the election, I warned that there is no safe haven under authoritarianism,” the former secretary of state wrote in a Wednesday X post:

“If they can ship Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a foreign prison—accused of no crime, with no trial—they can do it to anyone,” Clinton continued. “Americans of conscience must stand against this now.”

Abrego Garcia, 29, entered the United States illegally when he was 16 years old and has resided in Maryland with his wife, an American citizen, who accused him of physically abusing her in 2021:

According to court documents shared online by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Jennifer Vasquez Sura sought an order of protection after her husband allegedly punched and scratched her and ripped off her clothes. (Read more from “Hillary Clinton: ‘Americans of Conscience Must Stand Against’ Trump Deporting Illegal Alien Accused of Gang Membership, Domestic Violence” HERE)

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DOJ Releases Dossier Of Deported Maryland Illegal Alien’s Alleged MS-13 Gang Ties

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By Daily Caller. The Department of Justice (DOJ) released documents Wednesday demonstrating Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia’s membership in the MS-13 gang.

Abrego Garcia’s police interview, immigration court rulings and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deportable/inadmissible alien record highlighting his membership in the gang, which he has disputed in court, are included in the release.

In a December 2019 decision, the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed Abrego Garcia’s challenge to an immigration judge’s factual finding that he is “a verified member of MS-13.”

The board found the immigration judge “appropriately considered allegations of gang affiliation against the respondent in determining that he has not demonstrated that he is not a danger to property or persons.”

Officers found Abrego Garcia loitering in a Home Depot parking lot on March 28, 2019, wearing “a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie with rolls of money covering the eyes, ears and mouth of the presidents on the separate denominations,” the initial Prince George’s County Police Department Gang Field Interview Sheet states.

The administration became embroiled in a legal dispute after Abrego Garcia, who entered the country illegally in 2011, was deported in March to El Salvador as a result of an error. In court records, they argued Abrego Garcia could not “relitigate the finding that he is a danger to the community.” (Read more from “DOJ Releases Dossier Of Deported Maryland Illegal Migrant’s Alleged MS-13 Gang Ties” HERE)

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‘Maryland Man’ Kilmar Abrego Garcia Exposed in Police Records as ‘Violent’ Repeat Wife Beater

By Fox News. A now-deported illegal alien accused of being an MS-13 gang member that was living illegally in Maryland has a record of being a “violent” repeat wife beater, according to court records filed in a Prince George’s County, Maryland, district court by his wife.

Fox News obtained the written domestic violence allegations filed in court against 29-year-old Kilmar Abrego Garcia by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, in 2021.

In the filing, written in Vasquez’s own handwriting, she alleges Abrego Garcia repeatedly beat her, writing: “At this point, I am afraid to be close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me.”

Vasquez alleged that Abrego Garcia punched and scratched her on her eye, leaving her bleeding. He also allegedly threw her laptop on the floor.

She wrote that on another day, Abrego Garcia got angry again, started yelling, and ripped her shirt and shorts off before grabbing her arm and leaving marks. (Read more from “‘Maryland Man’ Kilmar Abrego Garcia Exposed in Police Records as ‘Violent’ Repeat Wife Beater” HERE)

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Inside The Briefing Room, An Angel Mom Begs White House Media To ‘Tell The Truth’ About Illegal Crime

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Reporters from the United States’ most prominent outlets waited excitedly for the “special guest” touted by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at her surprise briefing on Wednesday afternoon. Some hoped for President Donald Trump himself, and others speculated that Secretary of Education Linda McMahon or Attorney General Pam Bondi would appear by Leavitt’s side.

So it was with some surprise that their eyes followed the figure who emerged from behind the sliding door — a woman dressed completely in black, devoid of makeup or jewelry, her hands clasped together in front of her. She stood quietly behind Leavitt as the White House press secretary introduced her: She is Patty Morin, the mother of a woman brutally slain by illegal immigrant Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez as she was exercising on a Maryland trail.

The 23-year-old murderer was arrested in June in Tulsa, Oklahoma and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in Rachel Morin’s death.

And on Wednesday, before a room crowded with legacy reporters who repeatedly berate Leavitt over the deportation of illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Morin quietly shared her story.

You could have heard a pin drop in the crowded James S. Brady Briefing room as she spoke. (Read more from “Inside The Briefing Room, An Angel Mom Begs White House Media To ‘Tell The Truth’ About Illegal Crime” HERE)

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1,300+ Foreign Students Lose Visas in Trump’s Sweep to End Radical Campus Insanity: Report

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President Donald Trump’s administration appears to have amplified its efforts to crack down on radical college campus protests, revoking visas for more than 1,300 foreign students, according to an analysis from Inside Higher Ed.

The publication reported that as of Wednesday morning, it verified that 1,321 students have had their legal status changed by the Department of State.

A chart on the outlet’s website showed a breakdown of how many foreign students at each university were affected.

According to the chart, the University of Texas System had the greatest number of impacted students. A Monday article from the Austin American-Statesman stated that 176 students within the school’s system had their visas revoked.

Randa Safady, the UT System’s vice chancellor of external relations, told the news outlet, “UT institutions learn of the revocation of student visas or immigration status changes by checking the Federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a federal tracking system for exchange visitors.” (Read more from “1,300+ Foreign Students Lose Visas in Trump’s Sweep to End Radical Campus Insanity: Report” HERE)

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Report: Trump Taps Whistleblower Who Exposed Feds’ Hunter Biden Cover-Up As Acting IRS Chief

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A former IRS agent instrumental in blowing the whistle on the Biden administration’s cover-up of Hunter Biden’s tax crimes is expected to be tapped by President Trump to temporarily lead the agency, according to a Tuesday report.

A memo obtained by The Wall Street Journal reportedly indicates that the president is planning to name former agent Gary Shapley as acting IRS commissioner. The revelation comes days after reports surfaced that the tax agency’s current acting chief, Melanie Krause, will be stepping down from the position.

Trump’s nominee to permanently lead the IRS, former Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., is still awaiting Senate confirmation.

Along with fellow and former IRS agent Joseph Ziegler, Shapley was a key figure in bringing to light the Biden Department of Justice’s reported attempts to interfere with the IRS’s investigation into Hunter Biden. As Tristan Justice previously wrote in these pages, the two whistleblowers came forward in summer 2023 alleging that the Biden DOJ “thwarted investigative efforts, ‘slow-walked’ cooperation with tax agents, and even concealed critical evidence implicating President Joe Biden in a criminal bribery scheme.”

Throughout their investigation into Hunter’s tax crimes, Shapley and his team uncovered damning WhatsApp messages between the younger Biden and Henry Zhao, a Chinese business associate and member of the Chinese Communist Party. As The Federalist’s Elle Purnell previously reported, the messages reportedly showed Hunter “using threats of his father’s political power to extort unfulfilled ‘promises and assurances’ from Zhao.” (Read more from “Report: Trump Taps Whistleblower Who Exposed Feds’ Hunter Biden Cover-Up As Acting IRS Chief” HERE)

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Karmelo Anthony, Family Move Into $900K Home in Gated Community After Teen’s $1M Bond on Murder Charge Cut to $250K: Report

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Karmelo Anthony — the Texas teen charged with murdering high school star athlete Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet April 2 — and his family reportedly moved into a $900,000 home in a gated community after Anthony’s $1 million bond was cut to $250,000 Monday, and he walked free from from jail later that same day, the Daily Mail reported.

The outlet added that Anthony, 17, and his family are renting a Frisco home in a development known as “Richwoods” for an estimated $3,500 per month, according to Zillow, and that no one answered the door for a request for comment.

However, the Daily Mail said that when visiting the home Tuesday, a white Suburban, a black Acura, and a third sedan were seen parked in the driveway.

One resident who asked the outlet for anonymity said the Anthony family just purchased a new vehicle: “He got a new car. If you look at the license plate, it’s got a paper tag, and it says it expires June 4.”

The Daily Mail reported that “the lavish lifestyle is in stark contract to the cash struggles Anthony’s father, Andrew Anthony, claimed to have in court Monday, where the parent claimed he was the sole breadwinner.” (Read more from “Karmelo Anthony, Family Move Into $900K Home in Gated Community After Teen’s $1M Bond on Murder Charge Cut to $250K: Report” HERE)

Country Reportedly Confiscated American College Student’s Passport After Releasing Him From Prison

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A college student from the Chicago area and his friend were released from Danish prison Monday and reportedly had their passports confiscated over an Uber dispute.

Owen Ray, the accused college student, graduated from the same college prep school, according to CBS News. They will now go to trial in Denmark. A spokesperson told the outlet that the students’ passports were confiscated.

Ray and his friend traveled to Copenhagen, the country’s capital, over their spring break to spend time with friends, Jordan Finfer, Ray’s U.S. attorney, said.

Ray’s parents protested the events in Denmark and insisted that their son is a victim. “We remain deeply concerned that Danish authorities have confiscated his passport and will not allow him to return to the United States – something we understand is unusual in Danish court proceedings,” they said. “The facts make clear that Owen is the victim in this case, and we urge Danish officials to allow him to return home to the United States without delay.”

(Read more from “Country Reportedly Confiscated American College Student’s Passport After Releasing Him From Prison” HERE)

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Harvard: Hating Trump Is More Important Than Helping Sick And Poor People

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Harvard rejecting $2 billion in federal grant money is apparently right up there with Cory Booker’s inconsequential Senate speech in terms of powerful opposition to Trump, so let’s talk about it.

The university’s president, Alan Garber, on Monday published an open letter announcing that the institution would not be accepting the money under the Trump administration’s terms, laid out in the government’s own letter last week. “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” wrote Garber in the missive, which earned him a pat on the head from podcaster Michelle Obama’s husband.

“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions — rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom,” wrote former President Obama on X.

Take your wins where you can get them, I guess, but it’s unclear exactly what Democrats, Harvard, or anyone else gained here. The university has now forfeited billions of dollars that, by Garber’s own admission, would have enabled it to contribute not only to “the health and well-being of millions of individuals but also the economic security and vitality of our nation.” And for what?

The letter that the government sent to Harvard last week was admittedly stacked with a catalogue of stipulations that would have to be satisfied for the school to get the money, though the requirements were hardly outside the bounds of what Harvard would surely say is already in place. (Read more from “Harvard: Hating Trump Is More Important Than Helping Sick And Poor People” HERE)

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