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What Easter is About

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The New Testament of the Bible contains the story of the life of Jesus Christ. Within its pages is recounted how He was crucified on Friday, and his body was hastily removed from the cross and placed into a tomb hewn into the rock, with very little time to appropriately prepare the body for final burial before the Jewish Sabbath started at sunset.

It was early Sunday morning when Mary Magdalene and other women disciples arrived at the tomb to see the sepulcher and prepare His body. Suddenly there was a great earthquake and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.

The angel said to the women, “Fear not: for I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is arisen. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” He then instructed her to go and tell Jesus’ disciples that He was risen from the dead and that He would go before them to Galilee; and there they would see Him.

The others ran to tell the Apostles what they had seen and heard, but Mary stood at the door of the sepulcher weeping. As she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”

And when she had spoken she turned back, and saw Jesus standing, but knew not that it was Him. He spoke to her and said, “Woman, why are you crying? Whom do you seek?”

She, supposing him to be the gardener, said, “Sir, if you have borne him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Jesus looked upon her with compassion, and said, “Mary.”

Suddenly recognizing His voice, she turned herself and said to him, “Rabboni,” which is to say, Master.

Mary ran to him and embraced him, but Jesus said to her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.’”

Watch this short video about the events that we celebrate at this season

What is the significance of this event nearly 2,000 years later? Each of us must decide its implications and importance for ourselves, and apply its lessons and realities in our own lives as we interpret the message for ourselves. John, the Apostle who recorded this version of the incident gives us his own explanation of why he recorded it: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”

Let us remember Him this Easter.

James Thompson is a Christian author, political commentator and ghostwriter. His latest book, Worlds Without Number, is available on Amazon or at Publisher.

2-2-22

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Kalmiopsis Grade School, Brookings Oregon

It was the last day of school, in third grade.

We children were amazed that the date was so special and unique, and nothing quite like it would ever come again in our lifetime.

The date was 6-6-66.

That was nearly 56 years ago, if my grade school math has stuck with me very well.

We sat at our desks and talked about it, wondering if we would actually think about it when we were older. Then we reflected on what that future would bring.

Our first mental leap was to 7-7-77, just over 11 years away. That would be a similarly unique date in history. We would be in the middle of college then. Oh, how things would be different for children who now had such little experience, and so little autonomy. We would be driving by then—yes, that was the important distinguishing characteristic of an adult life—the joy and freedom of driving wherever you liked, whenever you liked.  Our lives would be so much better then.

Then we moved forward in time, to 8-8-88.  We would be in our early thirties on that futuristic date, and would probably be independently wealthy, and be the captains of industry and finance—if not rulers of the known universe. It was hard to fathom, it was so far into the future.

But what of 9-9-99? we wondered aloud. It would be just before the new millennium, the famous milestone of 2000.  Surely, the long-awaited and promised bubble-top cars would drive us wherever we commanded, while we played cards in the backseat. Or if that was not fast enough to get us there, the jetpack would be handy by the front door. The downside was that we would be in our mid forties, but medical science would slow the aging process down to the point where we would still  be playing baseball daily.

Then came the unspeakable 10-10-10, and everything that it portended. We almost shuddered to think that far in advance. It was too distant . . . too much, for our young minds to speculate about. Would we be on the earth any longer? Certainly, we would be visiting frequently the surface of the moon, or at least orbiting stations in space.

Just as we thought that we had exhausted the important and unique milestones of the future, having run out of 66s, 77s, 88s and the like, it occurred to me that 11-11-11 would still be a unique date that followed the pattern, then Sherri mentioned that 12-12-12 would occur just the next year. We thought for a moment, but could not think of any additional number combinations that would fit our discussion of futuristic dates. So that was it–12-12-12 was the last date of historic uniqueness that awaited us in the far future.

My teacher that year, Mrs. Willis, was fresh to the profession, and I recalled well seeing her zoom up to the school on that first day at the beginning of the school year in her new red Mustang convertible. That was a sweet car. I had been her paperboy that year, and she would insist that I count out her change as she had taught me in math when I came to collect for the paper bill. At some time in my late thirties I visited that small town of Brookings, Oregon, with my two older children, and we dropped in on her randomly, just to thank her for a job well done. Her husband met us at the door, and explained that she had cancer, and not much time left. We were invited inside, and through her oxygen mask she visited with us until her strength gave out. I told her good-bye, and kissed her on the cheek as we left. She died a few weeks later. Time was beginning to take its toll on my life.

As each of those special date milestones has arrived I have thought about those little children who sat innocently and talked about our futures with such awe and optimism. There was no bubble-top car and no jetpack on any of those special milestone days, including today, 2-2-22, and I am not the first writer to make that sad observation, I know. But there have been changes—some for the better, and many for the worse. The important thing to me as I look at my own children, some older and some still teachable, and wonder what their future will hold for them, is that the only date in their future that is truly important is tomorrow. We can do something today to ensure a safe, happy, and healthy tomorrow. Perhaps we can do little about the days that will come after tomorrow. But today is enough to do what’s right for tomorrow, and as long as we honor it, and show proper respect and gratitude for it, tomorrow will be a great day.

By James Thompson

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Jeff Zucker out at CNN

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Jeff Zucker out at CNN after failing to disclose ‘consensual relationship’ with colleague: ‘I was wrong’

‘I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t,’ Zucker said of the ‘consensual relationship’ in his memo

Embattled CNN boss Jeff Zucker walked away from the liberal network on Wednesday after failing to disclose a “consensual relationship” with a CNN staffer. 

“As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today,” Zucker wrote in a memo to staffers shared by CNN’s Brian Stelter. 

“I came to CNN on January 28, 2013. Together, we had nine great years. I certainly wish my tenure here had ended differently. But it was an amazing run. And I loved every minute,” Zucker continued. “I am grateful to the thousands of incredibly talented CNN and Turner Sports employees who helped make this such a joy for me, and such a success for all of us. I wish each of you nothing but the best in the years ahead.”

Stelter noted that CNN staffers were “stunned” by the sudden resignation. 

Under Zucker, CNN has recently been plagued by scandals, embarrassing headlines and struggles to attract an audience, leading critics to wonder if he would be shown the door once a planned merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery is finalized later this year. However, the sudden resignation before the potential deal was finalized sent shock waves across the media industry. 

Stelter indicated that Zucker’s relationship was with CNN marketing chief Allison Gollust, who the now-former CNN boss has long been speculated to have a relationship with. Gollust will remain at CNN, according to Stelter. 

Gollust was appointed as former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s communications director in 2012 before bolting to join Zucker four months later at CNN. She became close to Zucker after a 15-year tenure at NBC before her work in the Cuomo administration and was once even floated as a candidate to eventually replace Zucker atop the liberal network. 

Brian Flood is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to brian.flood@fox.com and on Twitter: @briansflood. 

Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Former Jeffrey Epstein friend found guilty on 5 of 6 counts

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A jury found Ghislaine Maxwell, the former friend of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, guilty on five of six counts.

A jury has found British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell guilty on five of six counts.

During six days of deliberations – with a break for Christmas – the jury sent 14 notes and requested the testimony of all four accusers as well as other witnesses. The panel also requested office supplies, including Post-it notes, white paper board and highlighters. 

Prosecutors argued that Maxwell acted as the millionaire’s madam, recruiting and training four women between 1994 and 2004 when they were teenagers.

“Ghislaine Maxwell was dangerous,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe said in closing statements. “She manipulated her victims and groomed them. She caused deep and lasting harm to young girls. It’s time to hold her accountable.”

Moe called her a “sophisticated predator” who “committed horrifying crimes.”

Three of the women, Jane, Kate and Carolyn, testified under pseudonyms or their first name to protect their privacy while the fourth, Annie Farmer, used her real name.

Jane said she met Maxwell and Epstein at a music camp when she was 14 and was lured back to his Palm Beach mansion where the couple allegedly fondled her. 

Kate testified that she was 17 when Maxwell introduced her to the convicted pedophile and asked her to give Epstein a sexual massage.

Carolyn testified that she met Epstein and Maxwell when she was 14. She was paid to give Epstein sexual massages and to recruit friends that were her age or younger. The abuse ended when she turned 18. “That’s when I realized I was too old,” she told jurors.

Annie Farmer, now 42, met Maxwell when she was 16 and in high school. Her older sister worked for Epstein. The couple flew her to Epstein’s sprawling New Mexico ranch, where she said the heiress fondled her and Epstein crawled into her bed. Prosecutors called a total of 24 witnesses.

Defense attorney Laura Menninger argued that the feds only zeroed in on Maxwell after Epstein hanged himself in a Manhattan jail cell at the age of 66 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

The lawyer told jurors that Maxwell was an “innocent woman” who became a proxy for Epstein’s sins after his death. Maxwell, the daughter of British press baron Robert Maxwell, knew nothing of Epstein’s depraved appetite for young girls, the attorney said.

Maxwell has been locked up since her July 2020 arrest. 

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Rebecca Rosenberg is a veteran journalist and book author with a focus on crime and criminal justice. Email tips to rebecca.rosenberg@fox.com and @ReRosenberg.

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All I Want For Christmas: America Back

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A Nation Under God Need Fear no Tyrant

We who have known something more than out of control spending, unfathomable national debt, unemployment, poverty, violence in the streets, government regulation and political/social/commercial cancellation have known a different America than most Americans today have seen.

This once-great nation was founded on principles of individual liberty, honor, and being responsible for one’s own family. These were principles taught long ago by the Lord of all humanity, and venerated in all of our teaching for the first 100 years of nationhood — which coincides with the explosive growth of the American economic system. Everything grew exponentially during that initial time, and nothing could possibly derail the steady progress of our nation, except a menace that began to overtake the earth in the late 19th Century — socialism.

Socialists pandered to the upwardly-mobile working class to gain a power base, promising people rewards for which they had not risked their own labors or capital. Socialism swept through the Soviet Union, then across China, and socialist leaders ordered the murders of millions of “rich,” who in China happened to be anyone with more than 1 acre of land, so that their property could be ‘redistributed.’ In fact, most of that property was merely seized and kept under the control of the socialist ruling class. No one gained anything more than they had before—except for the leaders—and most lost much in the deal.

The family unit, which had been a necessary component of the American nation’s rise from obscurity to global greatness — and indeed, under those principles this nation became great — was seen as an enemy to the spread of socialism. The family unit reminds people of their spiritual nature, and makes family members rely on one another. This is abhorrent to socialists, because the state must be one’s only family, and one’s only god. Indeed, today’s socialistic government propaganda teaches American women and minorities — and indeed, everyone — to depend on the government, for everything they need, from cradle to grave. The government merely prints the money, and throws the party.

Because Americans were reaping the tremendous rewards of liberty and capitalism for the first 100 years (capitalism is liberty’s economic engine), it was  impossible for socialists to make significant inroads in the US. However, in the early 1900s they began to find weaknesses in America’s working class, and began to infiltrate labor, then government. Their plan was simple–exploit the weak and the ignorant — by creating a sub-class of American citizens and by taking over the education system and media outlets.

Progressives, as they called themselves, fought civil rights for America’s blacks, forcing the newly liberated (by Republicans) citizens into long-term poverty. When Republicans tried to force through voting and other civil rights for blacks and other minorities, it wasn’t until Progressives adopted them as poster children for vastly expanded government spending that they went along with these Republican ideals, now claiming that they were the ones who had fought for civil rights. That promised liberty was never realized, however, because Progressives immediately used the underclass they had created to begin pulling the entire capitalist nation down with the Great Society they  launched in 1964, followed by decades of welfare spending (over $24 trillion to-date) — with only negative results.

It is now the end of 2021 and in this single year we have seen our country go from wealth to poverty. Because of the efforts of Progressives in the past few years, America has gone from civil to violent, from morality to immorality, from Christian to agnostic; and what do we have to show for these ‘progressive’ inroads? As we said at the outset, we have an ignorant nation with no understanding of where we came from or how we got to be the greatest nation in the world. Our teachers and journalists have re-educated our children and rewritten our history to the point that the man on the street believes that the KKK was made up of Republicans, that no one has to pay for gifts given by a generous government, and that guns should be taken from law-abiding citizens because young black men use them to kill fellow young black men in Democrat ghettos. It is absolute madness — and the insanity machine keeps cranking, day in and day out without the mainstream media taking the time to stop and think about why America is in such rapid decline.

I, like a fellow Republican, have a dream. One in which morality and reality retake their rightful place at the head of the Christmas table. Where the Lord Jesus Christ is our only Sovereign, and those whom we elect are public servants who diligently toil to uphold our Constitution and protect and defend it from all enemies, foreign and domestic. My dream is that our children will learn nobility through selflessness, instead of what they learn from these self-centered, self-serving socialists who have infiltrated our fair nation and brought it to the brink of total bankruptcy–economic and moral.

My wish for Christmas is that my fellow Americans, brothers and sisters of every race, color and creed, will look back to see where we came from, and how we got here, and join me in restoring this nation to its former glory — as it was before the socialists took it over and prepared it for final destruction.

Surely, an enemy hath done this. He who has an ear, let him hear.

James Thompson

A Day of National Thanksgiving

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY, not Turkey Day

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is thanks_family.jpg

For many generations Americans have rightly paused on Thanksgiving Day to give thanks to a generous God, who is our Heavenly Father. America was founded on principles of Judeo-Christian ethics, and a shared faith in a personal God, who caringly watches over the affairs of humanity with a concerned eye–while leaving us to exercise our own free will.

As socialists have struggled to wrestle our personal liberties from us, one of their main tools has been to secularize our society. Indeed, the ACLU, Democratic Party and similar leftist organizations have led the fight to remove any mention of God, or His Son Jesus Christ, from the public’s vernacular.

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As a result of this attempt to make God and Christ politically incorrect in our nation, we have recently been greeted with “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” and with “Happy Turkey Day” instead of “Happy Thanksgiving Day.”

We can see why the left would seek to take Christ out of Christmas, but why the shift from Thanksgiving Day to Turkey Day? Because “Thanksgiving” implies there is a reason to be thankful, and someone to whom we should give thanks–and that’s God.

I for one am careful to wish everyone I meet, at the store, at work, or in other public places, a hearty Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas. As a child of our Heavenly Father, I would much rather offend an anti-American, than offend God.

Happy Thanksgiving Day America, and may God bless us.

By James Thompson

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Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty on all counts

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Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted of all charges after tense trial in Kenosha

FAST FACTS

  • Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, is on trial for killing two men and wounding a third with a rifle during a turbulent night of protests that erupted in Kenosha.
  • Judge Bruce Schroeder granted one juror’s request Thursday to take copies of the instructions home with them and noted that the 36 pages are complicated. 

Jurors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Friday declared Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts, capping off an intense trial surrounding the deadly unrest in that city last summer. 

A breakdown of the Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty verdict

Count 1: First Degree Reckless Homicide – Not Guilty

Count 2: First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety – Not Guilty

Count 3: First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety – Not Guilty

Count 4: First Degree Intentional Homicide – Not Guilty

Count 5: Attempted First Degree Intentional Homicide – Not Guilt

Rittenhouse, 18, would have faced a mandatory life sentence if found guilty and convicted of first-degree intentional homicide.

The verdict came on the fourth day of deliberations and 15th day of the trial.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, during a press briefing prior to the not guilty verdict being announced in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, said “once it’s concluded, I’m sure there will be something we have to say from the White House.”

Jurors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Friday declared Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts, capping off an intense trial surrounding the deadly unrest in that city last summer.

Rittenhouse, 18, would have faced a mandatory life sentence if found guilty and convicted of first-degree intentional homicide.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better jury to work with and it has truly been my pleasure,” Judge Bruce Schroeder said after delivering the verdict. “I think, without commenting on your verdict, the verdicts themselves, just in terms of your attentiveness and the cooperation that you gave to us, justifies the confidence that the founders of our country placed in you so I dismiss you at this time.”

He continued: “You’re never under any obligation to discuss any aspect of this case with anyone. You’re welcome to do so as little or as much as you want.”

Prosecutor demonstrates what it’s like to look manly for the courtroom cameras as he threatens jury with a rifle.

The verdict came on the fourth day of deliberations and 15th day of the trial.

Jurors deliberated for a total of 26 hours and found Rittenhouse not guilty on five counts including first-degree reckless homicide, two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. Judge Bruce Schroeder had previously dismissed two additional counts related to his weapon.

Local officers, media and protesters were seen positioned around the Kenosha County Courthouse Friday.

Rittenhouse was facing charges of first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety after he fatally shot two people and injured a third person during the second night of civil unrest in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020.

The judge tossed one charge of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 on Monday after Rittenhouse’s defense team argued that a subsection of the law concerning short-barreled rifles was grounds for dismissal. 

His attorneys argued that the then-17-year-old was acting in self-defense after being attacked from behind when he shot Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, as well as deceased Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26 in the riots following the police shooting of a 29-year-old Black man, Jacob Blake.

Audrey Conklin. Follow her on Twitter at @audpants. Jiovanni Lieggi contributed to this report.

Brian Laundrie Dead

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Brian Laundrie Confirmed Dead

Brian Laundrie’s family has been notified that the bones found in Florida swamp next to a notebook belonging to Laundrie are his.

The FBI confirmed to reporters in Florida Wednesday that investigators found what appear to be human remains, “along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie,” just hours after Laundrie’s parents searched the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. Those remains are now confirmed to belong to the fugitive.

The remains found near the Carlton reserve belong to Brian Laundrie, a missing 23-year-old wanted in connection with the murder of his fiancée, Gabby Petito.

Law enforcement had been searching for Laundrie since his parents, Chris and Roberta, reported him missing on September 17. His disappearance came days before Gabby’s remains were found in Wyoming, where the couple had been visiting during a months-long trip cross country that they documented on social media.

A large-scale manhunt for Laundrie yielded minimal results until Wednesday when his parents joined the search. During a search of the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, the couple, along with law enforcement, found a backpack and notepad belonging to Laundrie. Human remains were later found near Laundrie’s belongings and on Thursday, officials confirmed the remains were linked to the 23-year-old.

The FBI in Denver confirmed in a release that dental records matched those of Brian, adding that they were “grateful” for the work of every agency involved with the search.

The Carlton Reserve and nearby area became a central focus point in the search for Brian, as it’s the last place he was believed to have gone. His parents told police he embarked on a camping trip at the reserve days before they reported him missing.

Despite repeated searches of the area, nothing was found until Brian’s parents headed to the area, sparking increased suspicion of their potential involvement. However, officials noted that the area had been underwater until recently, accounting for why nothing was found earlier in the search.

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Brian Laundrie Dead?

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Coroner arrives at Florida park after fugitive’s items found

Coroner’s arrival comes hours after Brian’s parents, law enforcement seen inspecting a bag at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park Wednesday morning

North Port, Fla. – Chris and Roberta Laundrie, the parents of fugitive Brian Laundrie, ventured into Florida’s Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park early Wednesday morning, where Fox News Digital saw an officer apparently tell parents that law enforcement “might have found something.”

Steven Bertolino, who represents the Laundrie family, confirmed to Fox News Digital that the Laundries informed law enforcement last night of their intentions to search the park and met officers there. Bertolino confirmed that while searching areas that Brian frequented, “some articles belonging to Brian were found.”

Officers are now conducting a more thorough search of the area, Bertolino said. A spokesperson for the Sarasota County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the office was called to the Myakkahatchee on Wednesday, but would not say anything more. 

The park is now closed to the public, having reopened only Tuesday following a weeks-long search for the fugitive. 

Brian Laundrie has been named a person of interest in the disappearance and subsequent homicide of his fiancee, Gabby Petito. The FBI later issued a warrant for his arrest on charges related to his unauthorized use of her bank card. 

The Laundries, who have claimed their son went to Myakkahatchee on Sept. 13, the day he was last seen, left their North Port home just before 7:15 a.m. local time for the environmental park, where two men in hiking gear – including at least one who later identified himself as a law enforcement officer – began trailing behind them. 

A map showing the location of the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in relation to North Port, Fla., where Brian Laundrie’s family lives. (Google Maps)

The Laundries and one of the men appeared to discuss a discovery before the parents left the park, which was then closed to media and the public.

In a worldwide exclusive, video obtained by Fox News Digital shows the Laundries and the law enforcement officer huddling and speaking as the officer appears to show the couple an unknown discovery. The officer appeared to tell the parents: “I think we might have found something.”

During the couple’s time inside, Chris Laundrie could be seen continually moving in and out of areas of the brush. After a short while, he and Roberta Laundrie separated, with Chris and the two men moving into brush on the left side of the trail for approximately 12 minutes.

Chris returned without law enforcement, and the couple continued on. The Laundries later discovered a white bag and a dark-colored object after traveling through a patch of brambles at the edge of the brush at a clearing. They then could be seen putting the object into the bag and handing it over to the law enforcement officer shortly thereafter, who later took it from them.

On their way out of the park, the couple made a phone call and then received a call. There they were soon joined by the law enforcement officer, who could be seen patting Chris Laundrie’s shoulder as he huddled with the couple. 

The couple left the park at 8:45 a.m. and appeared emotional when confronted by protesters there.  Video

Meanwhile, about a dozen uniformed law enforcement officers and approximately six people in plainclothes could be seen entering the park, with several police or unmarked vehicles and gators seen entering. The North Port Mobile Command Center arrived at the park shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time. 

The Laundries returned home shortly thereafter. A spokesperson for North Port Police Department referred Fox News Digital to the FBI for comment. An FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond. 

Michael Ruiz is a U.S. and World Reporter for Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @mikerreports. If you’ve got a tip, you can email him at Michael.Ruiz@Fox.com.

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Not All Dems Support Skyrocketing Debt

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Democrats at each other’s throats as another senator takes swing at Biden’s $3.5T spending spree agenda

AZ Senator Sinema reiterates she won’t back $3.5T spending bill – says Biden and Schumer ‘fully aware’ of her stance

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., reiterated Thursday that she will not support a $3.5 trillion spending bill, in the latest sign of discord among key Democrats as President Biden scrambles to rally support for his signature piece of legislation.

“Senator Sinema said publicly more than two months ago, before Senate passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, that she would not support a bill costing $3.5 trillion,” Sinema’s office said in a statement shared on her Twitter account. “In August, she shared detailed concerns and priorities, including dollar figures, directly with Senate Majority Leader [Chuck] Schumer and the White House. Claims that the Senator has not detailed her views to President Biden and Senator Schumer are false.”

Biden has personally met with Sinema and fellow moderate Democrat holdout Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on multiple occasions this week to negotiate an agreement on the spending bill. With a razor-thin majority, Biden needs every Senate Democrat to support his bill for it to pass.

Earlier Thursday, Manchin said he would not support a spending bill with a topline number larger than $1.5 trillion. 

Sinema’s latest statement followed criticism from prominent progressives who say moderate opponents to the full spending bill have not been clear on their priorities. Critics included Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., one of many progressives who will not vote to approve the $1.2 trillion bipartisan physical infrastructure deal unless the Senate first passes a spending bill focused on social programs.

“We need to know what he’s a skeptic on so that we can have the conversation with him. There has been no clarity in what they actually want, both Sinema and Manchin,” Omar told the Washington Post.

The statement from Sinema’s office added that Biden and Schumer “are fully aware of Senator Sinema’s priorities, concerns and ideas.”

“While we do not negotiate through the press – because Senator Sinema respects the integrity of those direct negotiations – she continues to engage directly in good-faith discussions with both President Biden and Senator Schumer to find common ground,” the statement said.

By Thomas Barrabi

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Taliban Opens Fire on Protesters

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Taliban fighters Thursday opened fire on a group of protesters celebrating Afghanistan’s independence day and waving the Afghan national flag in Kabul. 

Afghans gathered in the streets to commemorate the anniversary of a 1919 treaty that gave the country independence from Great Britain and waved the Afghanistan national flag, only to be dispersed by gunfire from Taliban forces.

In the video obtained by Fox News, Afghans who were upset that the Taliban changed the national flag after taking over on Sunday took to the streets on foot and in cars waving the former national flag. Shots can be heard being fired by the Taliban and the crowd quickly disperses in panic. 

Taliban opens fire on protesters waving Afghan national flag

“In many cities, the Taliban opened gunfire and charged and beat the people,” a source told Fox News, explaining that protesters were attacked by Taliban fighters across the country in similar fashion.

The source added that the Taliban had removed a large Afghan flag in Kabul and the protesters in the video were attempting to replace it but were driven back. 

“May the Afghan flag fly forever,” the protesters could be heard chanting while others shouted, “Long live Ashraf Ghani” in reference to the now-deposed former president of Afghanistan, who fled the country as the Taliban took control. 

“May Afghanistan live forever,” others chanted. 

At least two people were reportedly killed in a similar protest in the country’s Kunar province after gunfire prompted a stampede.

U.S. forces are trying to evacuate thousands of American citizens and allies trapped in Kabul, where the Taliban has taken full control of the city with the sole exception of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, where 4,500 U.S. troops are currently occupying.

President Biden has authorized 6,000 U.S. troops to deploy to Afghanistan to assist in the evacuation mission, as the Taliban pushes to restore the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan – the formal name of the country under the Taliban rule before the militants were ousted by U.S.-led forces in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were orchestrated by Al Qaeda while it was being sheltered by the Taliban in Afghanistan. 

The president, adamantly standing by his initial decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Aug. 31, outlined the current mission for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, saying it will be “short in time, limited in scope and focused on our objectives: get our people and our allies as quickly and as safely as possible.”

By Andrew Mark Miller | Lucas Y. Tomlinson contributed to this report.

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Good Guy with Gun Stops Mass Killing

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An unnamed “good guy with a gun” put a stop to what could have been a horrific mass killing over the weekend by using his own weapon to gun down a massacre suspect, KFSM-TV reported.

What are the details?

Authorities said an armed 26-year-old Zachary Arnold, a resident at the Fort Smith, Arkansas, apartment complex where the event occurred, was outside his building Saturday morning when he began screaming for residents to come outside.

Arnold, who was armed with a rifle, was first met by an elderly neighbor, 87-year-old Lois Hicks.

One neighbor told the station that Hicks and another elderly woman came out to “console” Arnold when he opened fire.

“There were two older women, both had come out,” the neighbor explained. “One of them had ran back in, and the other one ran back in, but she didn’t close her door, then he walked in and did what he did.”

After fatally shooting Hicks, authorities said, Arnold continued to fire rounds from his rifle and tried to persuade other residents to come out of their homes.

Another neighbor told the station, “He was yelling and screaming, ‘You guys get out here, come out here, everyone get out of this building right now!'”

One neighbor, who remains unnamed at the time of this reporting, grabbed his own rifle and bravely exited his apartment to put a stop to the mayhem. The male neighbor fatally shot Arnold, immediately ending the would-be mass killing.

A resident told the station, “If he didn’t do that, who knows how much worse it could have gotten.”

It currently remains unknown what prompted Arnold to storm his own apartment complex, and the incident remains under investigation. It is unclear whether the unnamed good Samaritan will face charges in connection with the shooting.

No other residents were injured, and KARK-TV reported that the Fort Smith Police Department said they will submit a completed case file to the Sebastian County prosecuting attorney’s office for review.

What else?

Dixie Property Management issued a statement on the killing and said, “We are terribly saddened by the incident which happened this morning. We are working diligently with the police in any way we can. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families today.”

FSPD public information officer Aric Mitchell told KNWA-TV that the department is grieving with the rest of the community.

“Our hearts and prayers are with everyone affected by today’s events,” Mitchell told the station. “We will release additional information when appropriate and at the conclusion of our investigation.”

By Sarah Taylor

Supreme Court Unanimous Against Biden Admin, Protects 4th Amendment Rights

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The United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled Monday that a so-called exception to the Fourth Amendment called “community caretaking” does not permit police officers to enter and search your home without first obtaining a search warrant, even if doing so may be in the public’s interest.

Background

The Supreme Court heard the case — Caniglia v. Strom — upon appeal by Edward Caniglia, a Rhode Island man whose house was searched by warrantless police officers in 2015. During that search, police seized two firearms, which Caniglia recovered only after jumping through numerous bureaucratic hoops.

Caniglia later sued law enforcement, arguing their actions violated his Fourth Amendment right against a warrantless search and seizure.

However, police claimed they acted lawfully under the “community caretaking” exception, which originated from Cady v. Dombrowski, a 1973 Supreme Court case that said police officers can conduct certain “community caretaking functions” if done in a “reasonable” manner. In that case, police officers had seized a gun located in an impounded car without a warrant.

The ruling overturned rulings by the federal district court and First Circuit Court of Appeals.

What did the high court say?

In a 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled the “community caretaking” exception does not apply to private residences.

“What is reasonable for vehicles is different from what is reasonable for homes. Cady acknowledged as much, and this Court has repeatedly ‘declined to expand the scope of … exceptions to the warrant requirement to permit warrantless entry into the home,'” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the majority opinion.

In fact, Thomas specifically rebuked the First Circuit Court of Appeals for extending the exception.

The First Circuit’s “community caretaking” rule, however, goes beyond anything this Court has recognized. The decision below assumed that respondents lacked a warrant or consent, and it expressly disclaimed the possibility that they were reacting to a crime. The court also declined to consider whether any recognized exigent circumstances were present because respondents had forfeited the point.

Nor did it find that respondents’ actions were akin to what a private citizen might have had authority to do if petitioner’s wife had approached a neighbor for assistance instead of the police. Neither the holding nor logic of Cady justified that approach. True, Cady also involved a warrantless search for a firearm. But the location of that search was an impounded vehicle—not a home—”‘a constitutional difference'” that the opinion repeatedly stressed. In fact, Cady expressly contrasted its treatment of a vehicle already under police control with a search of a car “parked adjacent to the dwelling place of the owner.”

“But this recognition that police officers perform many civic tasks in modern society was just that—a recognition that these tasks exist, and not an open-ended license to perform them anywhere,” Thomas added.

Anything else?

In rejecting the extension of the “community caretaking” exception to the Fourth Amendment, the Supreme Court rejected an argument from the Biden administration, which had urged the court to uphold as legal the violation of Caniglia’s constitutional rights.

An amicus brief filed by Justice Department lawyers said:

The touchstone of the Fourth Amendment is reasonableness. For criminal investigations, this Court has generally incorporated the Warrant Clause into the Fourth Amendment’s overarching reasonableness requirement, but it has not generally done so for searches or seizures objectively premised on justifications other than the investigation of wrongdoing. The ultimate question in this case is therefore not whether the respondent officers’ actions fit within some narrow warrant exception, but instead whether those actions were reasonable. And under all of the circumstances here, they were.

The brief further argued that warrants should not be “presumptively required when a government official’s action is objectively grounded in a non-investigatory public interest, such as health or safety.”

The Justice Department, in fact, was so keen on the Supreme Court not ruling in Caniglia’s favor that they urged the court to uphold the officers’ actions “by concluding that the officers are entitled to qualified immunity” if they rejected the Fourth Amendment argument.

By Chris Enloe

Tucker Carlson on UFO Disclosure: ‘The most consequential thing to happen to this . . . world, maybe ever’

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Tucker Carlson reported on UFO Disclosure in his Friday program, opening it with: “We’ve spent some time reporting on this story—we should have spent a lot more time, because this could be the most consequential thing to happen to this country, to this world, to this world, maybe ever.”

A forthcoming report from the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies about the presence of UFOs could shed light on “a potential catastrophic failure of intelligence,” a former British defense official told “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Friday. 

“If it happened because skeptical bureaucrats were just saying to themselves, ‘It can’t be, therefore it isn’t,’ then there must be a reckoning,” said Pope, who worked for the U.K. Ministry of Defence as a civil servant for more than two decades and investigated reported UFO sightings for part of that time. 

Pope was responding to comments made to the New York Post by Luis Elizondo, the former head of the Pentagon’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. In his comments, Elizondo raised the possibility that so-called UFOs are actually “adversarial foreign technology that for several decades now has managed to leapfrog us and evade all 18 members of the intelligence community, despite our best human intelligence, signals intelligence, imagery intelligence, yada, yada, yada.

“That would be,” Elizondo told the Post, “an intelligence failure that would eclipse just about anything else this country’s ever faced, especially if this has occurred for decades. If there’s a foreign adversary that could put a nuclear warhead within moments over Washington D.C., that’s a problem.”

“Every day, it seems like new information drops, things that the public and the media weren’t told,” Pope told Tucker Carlson Friday. “So, for example, former [Trump] Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe just threw into the conversation the other day, the fact that the satellite imagery of all of this and some of the speeds being reported seem to blow the theory about [these objects being] foreign drones out of the water.”

Pope said the expected June report must give clear explanations of UFO encounters, and Congress should pay close attention as well.

“[The data came from] pilots, radar operators, satellite data, measurement and signature intelligence,” he said. “There’s such a lot of information now, so much that the U.S. Navy has instructions for its pilots on what to do if they encounter these things.

“Now, I think as we go into May, the run-up to this report going to Congress, there’s going to be a lot of things going on behind the scenes, a lot of politicking … [and] I anticipate more leaks of information, photos, videos, documents. There’s a lot more to come here.”

By Charles Creitz |

Chauvin Trial Judge Slams Maxine Waters ‘Get More Confrontational’ Comments

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Dem. Rep. Maxine Waters on Saturday night called for protesters to “stay on the street” and “get more confrontational” if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted by a jury in the killing of George Floyd.

A lawyer defending Derek Chauvin, who is on trial for the death of George Floyd, cited Rep. Maxine Waters’, D-Calif., comments to Minnesota protesters over the weekend in court on Monday.

“And now that we have [a] U.S. representative … threatening acts of violence in relation to this specific case, it’s it’s mind boggling to me to have,” Attorney Eric Nelson said, as he attempted to argue that the jury may have been unduly influenced by external factors.

Judge Peter Cahill said that he wished elected officials would stop referencing the case “especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law” so as to let the judicial process play out as intended.

He added, however, that he did not believe the comments unduly influenced the jury as they had been told not to watch the news.

Waters urged protesters in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where Duante Wright was recently shot by a police officer, to “stay in the street” as she joined the protests on Saturday and violated the local curfew.

“We’ve got to stay in the street and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational,” Waters said, referencing a scenario where Chauvin is not convicted. “We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.”

As previously reported by Fox News, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on Monday that she did not believe Waters needed to apologize for her comments. She also said she did not think they would incite violence as local communities deal with intensifying protests.

After three weeks of testimony, closing arguments began Monday in Chauvin’s trial.

It is not clear how quickly the jury will reach a verdict.

By Brittany De Lea

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick Died of Natural Causes, Not Injuries in Jan. 6 Capitol Incident

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U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes the day after he confronted rioters during the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to Washington’s top medical examiner.

The chief medical examiner, Francisco Diaz, said Monday that an autopsy of Sicknick found no evidence the 42-year-old suffered an allergic reaction to chemical irritants. Diaz ruled the Sicknick, 42, died from “acute brainstem and cerebellar infarcts due to acute basilar artery thrombosis.”

The medical examiner’s report showed that Sicknick was sprayed with a chemical substance around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6 and collapsed at the Capitol around 10 p.m. that evening. He died around 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 7, according to the examiner’s office.

Diaz told the Washington Post, which first reported the news, that the Jan. 6 events “played a role in his condition.”

Federal officials arrested and charged two men last month with assaulting Sicknick with bear spray during the riot. Julian Elie Khater, 32, of State College, Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, each faced an array of charges, including assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to injure an officer, although authorities stopped short of charging them with his death.

Each assault charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Law enforcement officials initially said that Sicknick was struck by a fire extinguisher — an idea perpetuated by The New York Times in a February report that was quietly updated one month later. U.S. Capitol Police later said Sicknick had “succumbed to his injuries” after defending the building, although questions lingered about the cause of death.

Sicknick, who joined the force in 2008, “was injured while physically engaging with protesters,” Capitol Police said. “He returned to his division office and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”

Sicknick was one of five people who died after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, interrupting the electoral count that certified Joe Biden as the victor of the November election. About 140 officers were injured in the siege, according to the Capitol Police officers’ union. 

At the beginning of February, the officer was honored in the Capitol Rotunda, where President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were among those to pay their respects.  

Megan Henney is a reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. Follow her on Twitter @megan_henney.

Pentagon: Navy Captured Footage of Pyramid-shaped UFOs, Orbs

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The Pentagon has confirmed the authenticity of newly leaked video and images showing multiple UFO sightings by U.S. Navy personnel, as the government prepares to release a highly anticipated first-of-its-kind report on UFOs this summer.

An 18-second video shows what is described as three pyramid-shaped UFOs hovering over the warship USS Russell at night in July of 2019 off the San Diego coast. At one point, the pyramid-shaped craft reportedly hovered 700 feet over the tail of the Russell.

This is the first video the public has seen from the July 2019 incident in which mysterious UFOs described as unmanned aerial vehicles reportedly harassed at least three U.S. warships during military exercises over multiple days — at one point matching the speed and bearing of one destroyer for 90 minutes while performing “brazen” maneuvers.

Months earlier, an FA-18 pilot reportedly used his cellphone to snap photos of three different unidentified aircraft off the coast of Oceana in March including two UFOs dubbed the “Metalic Blimp” and “The Sphere.”

The unidentified aircraft captured by the pilot in March 2019 were able to remain stationary in high winds, with no movement, beyond the capability of known balloons or drones, according to the Mysterywire.com.

“I can confirm that the referenced photos and videos were taken by Navy personnel,” Department of Defense spokesperson Susan Gough told Fox News. “The UAPTF [Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force] has included these incidents in their ongoing examinations.” 

The video and images were leaked to filmmaker Jeremy Corbell, who made the documentary “Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers,” and KLAS TV’s chief investigative reporter George Knapp. 

Corbell and Knapp independently confirmed the leaked documents are unclassified images that were part of a series of classified briefings intended to educate members of the U.S. Intelligence Community about UFOs traveling in restricted airspace.

“This is explosive information,” Corbell told Fox News. “This is probably the best UFO military filmed footage certainly that I’ve ever seen, but I think also that the world has ever seen.”

In a separate event, three photos, leaked to Corbell, purportedly from the USS Omaha, show a “spherical” UFO descending into the ocean seamlessly disappearing without destruction. According to Corbell, a submarine unsuccessfully attempted to find the unidentified aerial vehicle. 

“This is an extraordinary piece of technology,” Corbell said. “Whoever is operating these technologies are far more advanced than anything we have in the U.S. arsenal and that should be a warning sign. We need to find out the intent of the operators of these vehicles.”

The Pentagon’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) is now investigating what these unidentified aircraft are. The UAPTF was formed in the summer of 2020 in an effort to improve the Department of Defense’s “understanding of, and gain insight into, the nature and origins UAPs” particularly those “incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our training ranges or designated airspace.”

The fact that the UAPTF is still investigating these new incidents as unidentified aerial phenomena means they’ve already ruled out that they are balloons or basic drones from another country, Corbell said.

“These craft are not pushing something out the back to go forward,” Corbell explained. “They are gravitationally propelled craft that are transmedium — that can go from space to air to sea without destruction.”

The Pentagon’s candor and decision to even acknowledge that the video and images of pyramid-shaped aircraft and UFOs over waters near Oceana are in fact real — is exciting UFO enthusiasts and experts worldwide who hope it’s the beginning of more transparency.

Last April, the Pentagon released three UFO videos captured by naval aviators who are heard expressing awe at unknown objects flying and maneuvering at incredible speeds.

This June, the government is expected to release a report on UFOs that former intelligence director John Ratcliffe told Fox News will show that “frankly, there are lot more sightings than have been made public … things that we are observing that are difficult to explain.”

Last year’s $2.3 trillion appropriations bill signed by President Trump in December included a provision ordering the nation’s intelligence community to submit a report within 180 days detailing everything the government knows about unidentified flying objects or unidentified aerial phenomena. 

“We are talking about objects that have been seen by Navy and Air Force pilots or have been picked up by satellite imagery that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain,” Ratcliffe told Fox News, “movements that are hard to replicate, that we don’t have the technology for or traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom.”

According to data from the National UFO Reporting Center, sightings of unidentified objects in the air reportedly rose in 2020 by about 1,000 nationwide, to more than 7,200 sightings. 

“Generally, we are getting more of what appear to be legitimate sightings of actual UFO’s then was the case even a few years ago,” said Peter Davenport, director of the UFO reporting center.

Since November, he’s received five reports from cockpit crew members of unidentified objects flying at high altitude: “It’s unusual. I don’t recall in 27 years having received five reports in just a matter of months.”

Corbell said he does not know whether the recent images he obtained show UFOs from extraterrestrials visiting our planet, though he is certain the public should demand that our government transparently investigate their origins.

“UFOs are real and they are here, but we don’t know who they are or the intent,” Corbell said. “That’s no longer a question. You have just not been paying attention.”

Bryan Llenas currently serves as a National Correspondent for Fox News Channel (FNC) based in New York. Follow him on Twitter @BryanLlenas.

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Nation of Islam Member Noah X Attacks Capitol, Kills Officer

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“Follower of Farrakhan” attacks US Capitol and Murders Capitol Policeman

The knife-wielding driver who killed a US Capitol cop before being gunned down by police is a Nation of Islam devotee from Indiana, according to reports and his own Facebook account.

Noah Green, 25, who may have been living in Virginia, described himself as a “Follower of Farrakhan” on his Facebook page, in reference to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

Green appeared to have come on hard times from his Facebook page reviewed by The Post before his account was taken down.

“I was on the right track and everything I had planned was coming into existence. It required long hours, lots of studying, and exercise to keep me balanced while experiencing an array of concerning symptoms along the path (I believe to be side effects of drugs I was intaking unknowingly),” he wrote on March 17, signing the message Brother Noah X.

“However, the path has been thwarted, as Allah (God) has chosen me for other things. Throughout life I have set goals, attained them, set higher ones, and then been required to sacrifice those things,” he continued.

The United States Capitol was locked down on Friday after a knife-wielding suspect rammed into the North Barricade, leaving a Capitol Police officer and the suspect dead and another officer injured. 

US Capitol Police have identified the slain officer as William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force.

Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans died Friday when an attacker with a knife lunged toward authorities, officials said. (United State Capitol Police)

His Facebook posts were first reported by MSNBC, which read them on-air.

Green slammed into a fence outside the US Capitol just after 1 p.m. Friday and struck two officers before crashing into a barricade.

Green allegedly got out of the car with a knife and lunged at an officer before being fatally shot, reports say.

One of the officers, 18-year veteran William Evans, died at the hospital. The other officer is being treated at an area hospital.

This is a developing story.

By Editorial Staff

This Easter, Let Us Remember

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The New Testament of the Bible contains the story of the life of Jesus Christ. Within its pages is recounted how He was crucified on Friday, and his body was hastily removed from the cross and placed into a tomb hewn into the rock, with very little time to appropriately prepare the body for final burial before the Jewish Sabbath started at sunset.

It was early Sunday morning when Mary Magdalene and other women disciples arrived at the tomb to see the sepulcher and prepare His body. Suddenly there was a great earthquake and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.

The angel said to the women, “Fear not: for I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is arisen. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” He then instructed her to go and tell Jesus’ disciples that He was risen from the dead and that He would go before them to Galilee; and there they would see Him.

The others ran to tell the Apostles what they had seen and heard, but Mary stood at the door of the sepulcher weeping. As she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”

And when she had spoken she turned back, and saw Jesus standing, but knew not that it was Him. He spoke to her and said, “Woman, why are you crying? Whom do you seek?”

She, supposing him to be the gardener, said, “Sir, if you have borne him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Jesus looked upon her with compassion, and said, “Mary.”

Suddenly recognizing His voice, she turned herself and said to him, “Rabboni,” which is to say, Master.

Mary ran to him and embraced him, but Jesus said to her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.’”

https://youtu.be/_S3TI4bYerU
Watch this short video about the events that we celebrate at this season

What is the significance of this event nearly 2,000 years later? Each of us must decide its implications and importance for ourselves, and apply its lessons and realities in our own lives as we interpret the message for ourselves. John, the Apostle who recorded this version of the incident gives us his own explanation of why he recorded it: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”

Let us remember Him this Easter.

James Thompson is a Christian author, political commentator and ghostwriter.

Islamic Trump Hater Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa Murders 10 in Boulder

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Boulder mass shooting suspect identified, charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder

Boulder Shooter Identified As Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa A 21-Year-Old Trump-Hater And Alleged ISIS Sympathizer

Boulder, Colo., police officials updated the public regarding Monday’s mass shooting at the King Soopers grocery store that left 10 people dead, including the first police officer to arrive on the scene, revealing they have charged the suspect with 10 counts of first-degree murder. 

Police identified the suspect as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, a 21-year-old Arvada, Colo., man, though his motive for the attack was not specified at this time. Police also identified the 10 victims, whose families were notified by 4 a.m. local time. They range in age from 20 to 65 years old. 

Authorities have identified the victims as Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62, and Jody Waters, 65.

“Our hearts got out to all the victims killed during this senseless act of violence,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said Tuesday. She pledged that the department would “bring justice to each of these families.”

Boulder Shooter As Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa frequently posted anti-Trump propaganda on his Facebook account

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty pledged Tuesday “to make sure that the killer is held absolutely and fully accountable for what he did, to them, to all the loved ones and friends of the victims, and to the boulder community yesterday.”

Dougherty said Alissa was expected to be transported at some time today to Boulder County Jail from a local hospital, where he was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to his leg. 

Officials said they are still working to determine a motive in the shooting.  According to Herold, Alissa lived “most of his life in the United States,” though she did not provide additional information beyond that. 

Herold appeared visibly upset as she described the heartache being experienced not only by the victims’ family members, some of whom she spoke with personally, but also the community as a whole. 

Boulder Mass Shooter Islamic Middle-Eastern Immigrant Named as As Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa

“It’s hard. It’s challenging,” Herold said. “I live three blocks up the street from that store. You’re worried about your neighbors, you’re worried about your partner. You’re worried about everything when you get that call. So, yeah, I feel numb. And it’s heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking to talk to victims, their families. It’s tragic.”

Speaking about the loved ones of the victims, she said: “I can just tell you that they’re heartbroken. This is the worst call that you could ever receive as a family member.”

Talley, who had been with the Boulder police since 2010, was the first to arrive after responding to a call about shots fired and someone carrying a rifle. 

Herold said he had seven children, ranging in age from 5 to 18, and had just had the family in her office two weeks ago to give them an award. 

“He’s a very kind man, and he didn’t have to go into policing. He had a profession before this but he felt a higher calling. And he loved his community. He’s everything that policing deserves and needs,” she continued. “He was willing to die to protect others, and that gets lost in translation.”

Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver described Talley as “a truly heroic public servant.” 

Talley, he said, “joins the ranks of six other Boulder police officers who have laid down their lives for the people of our city. We can never thank Officer Talley or his family enough for their sacrifice, but we will not forget it. Many are alive today because of the actions of Eric Talley and other first responders and their bravery is a blessing to us all.”

Police were first dispatched to the King Soopers on Table Mesa at approximately 2:40 p.m. local time when officers arrived and “immediately engaged the suspect” and shot him, Herold said. 

gunshots and saw three people lying face down, two in the parking lot and one near the doorway. He said he “couldn’t tell if they were breathing.”

Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are also heard at the beginning of the video.

Officers could be seen leading a shirtless man with a bloodied leg out of the store in handcuffs, but authorities would not say at the time if he was the suspect. 

Herold said Tuesday the suspect was taken into custody at 3:28 p.m. local time. 

“I want to say to the community, I am so sorry this incident happened and we are going to do everything in our power to make sure this suspect has a thorough trial and we do a thorough investigation,” Herold said. 

Monday’s mid-afternoon attack was the seventh mass killing this year in the U.S., following the March 16 shooting that left eight people dead at three Atlanta-area massage businesses, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

The Daily Camera, Boulder’s local newspaper, called Monday’s mass shooting apparently “the deadliest in Boulder County history and among the deadliest in the state.”

Boulder Mass Shooter Muslim is named as As Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa

The most recent attack in Boulder, about 25 miles northwest of Denver and home to the University of Colorado, stunned a state that has seen several mass shootings, including the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting.

On April 20, 1999, two teenage boys dressed in black trench coats went on a killing rampage at Columbine High School in suburban Denver. They shot and killed 12 classmates and a teacher and wounded two dozen others before taking their own lives.

Just after lunch period began, the two teens opened fire in the parking lot. Then one gunman threw a bomb into the parking lot and the pair made their way inside, where they continued their heinous attack.

The gunmen, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, were heavily armed with an assault rifle, sawed-off shotguns and handguns. They also went equipped with homemade grenades and pipe bombs.

Years later, on July 20, 2012, James Holmes killed 12 people and left nearly 60 injured when he opened fire at an Aurora movie theater attack. Holmes carried out the shooting during the midnight showing of the Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Aurora is approximately 35 miles from Boulder.

Holmes had on an all-black ensemble of protective gear at the time of the shooting and was believed to have hurled two gas canisters into the theater before opening fire, according to reports from the time. 

He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Separate from mass shootings, another prominent case in the area was the 1996 death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey. JonBenet was reported missing from her home on Dec. 26, 1996. Her body was later found in the basement of her family’s home.

As of 2016, police had collected 1,500 pieces of evidence, including the analysis of 200 DNA samples, traveled to 18 states to interview about 1,000 people and have received, reviewed or investigated more than 20,000 tips, letters or emails, a law enforcement official said at the time.

Boulder Police Department has, at times, come under fire for its handling of the investigation.

By Stephanie Pagones | Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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