(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Was the shooting targeting President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents Association dinner an inside job? Were the gunshots that struck a Secret Service agent the result of friendly fire? Was the video of the assassination attempt generated by AI?
Those questions spread across social media following the April 25 assassination attempt against Trump. But newly released footage from the Department of Justice appears to undercut those claims, showing alleged gunman Cole Allen firing his weapon after exiting a secured room and moving into a hallway toward federal agents.
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro released high-definition surveillance video that appears to show what transpired in the moments leading up to the shooting and the confrontation itself. She said the video showed Allen striking an officer shortly before he was apprehended.
Today, we are releasing video already provided to U.S. District Court showing Cole Allen shoot a U.S. Secret Service officer during his attempt to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Footage showed Allen first surveilling what appeared to be a hotel gym on April 24. Wearing black boots, blue jeans and a navy blue sweater, Allen was seen looking around before briefly smiling at a nearby security guard. Audio was not captured, or at least was not shared publicly.
The footage, which was sped up, showed Allen walking around the gym without actually working out. Another clip showed him leaving the hallway area before returning roughly three minutes later.
The following day, April 25, security footage showed Allen wearing a coat and walking toward the event.
The video then shifted to an area where metal detectors were being dismantled, with several Secret Service agents visible as others appeared to remove the scanners. At the center of the frame, an unidentified agent stood watch, while TSA agents were positioned along a nearby wall.
In the corner of the footage, Allen was seen entering a room and then being followed by a Secret Service officer and a K-9 unit.
The dog appeared to detect something and alerted the handler. As the officer began to walk away, Allen suddenly burst out of the room, this time holding what appeared to be a rifle, and advanced into the hallway toward the agents, where authorities say he fired his weapon.
The rest has been widely reported. According to the DOJ and ATF, Allen discharged his firearm during the altercation. Authorities have told the media that six shots were fired, one by Allen and five by a Secret Service agent who was struck in a bulletproof vest.
Allen faces three preliminary federal charges, including attempted assassination of the president, interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Controversial podcast host Candace Owens was hit with another defamation lawsuit, this time by the man who once led security for late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Former police officer Brian Harpole filed suit Thursday in federal court in Tennessee against Owens, her LLC, the company behind her podcast, and Mitch Snow, a figure who has fueled conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk’s death.
The lawsuit was filed by attorney Matt Sarelson of Dhillon Law Group, the firm founded by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.
At the center of the lawsuit are allegations that Owens falsely accused Harpole of involvement in a plot to assassinate Kirk. Harpole, for his part, has previously blamed local police for failing to protect campus rooftops, allowing a gunman to fatally shoot his client.
The complaint cites multiple instances in which Owens directly and indirectly linked Harpole to what it describes as baseless conspiracy theories about the killing.
Kirk was shot while addressing a crowd at the University of Utah on Sept. 10, 2025. The suspect, Tyler Robinson, has been charged in connection with the killing.
Despite this, Owens has repeatedly released long-form videos suggesting there is more to Kirk’s death.
Snow and Owens have also claimed that Harpole met with Army intelligence officers and Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, at Fort Huachuca to plot Kirk’s murder, the lawsuit alleges.
Owens has further suggested there may have been another shooter, that Kirk was killed by an explosive device rather than a bullet and that the rapid cleanup of the scene points to foul play.
“Owens is the most high profile spreader of baseless Charlie Kirk conspiracy theories, but she is not the only one. Her actions have encouraged and emboldened and otherwise given cover to other people to jump on the Charlie Kirk conspiracy bandwagon,” Harpole’s attorneys wrote.
No evidence has linked anyone other than Robinson to Kirk’s murder.
The lawsuit says Harpole has suffered financial and emotional damages due to Owens’ accusations.
“All of Owens’s statements are either false on their face or create a false meaning reasonably conveyed by the published words,” the attorneys added. “They are not protected opinions, rhetorical hyperbole, or questions without defamatory implication. It is simply false that Harpole knew Charlie Kirk was going to die or was involved in the planning, commission, or alleged cover-up of the assassination.”
Owens appeared to welcome the lawsuit, writing on X: “BREAKING NEWS! Brian Harpole drops a surprise lawsuit on me granting me the power of subpoena LET’S GO.”
(Headline USA) The Onion’s plan to take over the Infowars platforms that Alex Jones built into a bullhorn of conspiracy theories and turn them into parody sites was in limbo again Thursday, after a court paused a proposed deal involving the satirical news outlet.
Infowars is facing liquidation because of the more than $1 billion in defamation lawsuit judgments Jones owes relatives of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for calling the massacre a hoax. The proposed deal would give The Onion temporary authority to use Infowars’ trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property while a state receiver in Texas works toward liquidation.
A state judge had scheduled a hearing Thursday on whether to approve The Onion deal. But the proceeding turned into a status conference because the Texas Third Court of Appeals approved an emergency motion by Jones’ lawyers that temporarily blocked the transfer of any Infowars assets. The judge set another hearing for May 28.
Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families had asked the Texas Supreme Court to overturn the appeals court ruling before Thursday’s hearing.
“This newly insane, unprecedented legal stalling does nothing but delay our deal with the receiver to take control of InfoWars,” Ben Collins, The Onion’s CEO, said in a social media post ahead of Thursday’s hearing. “We now expect new traps in Alex Jones’ amoral war to deny paying the Sandy Hook families, but we’re freshly surprised by the U.S. legal system’s appetite to put up with it.”
Jones declared victory in videos posted on his social media sites Wednesday night, calling The Onion’s plan illegal in part because he has court appeals pending in the case.
“I said days ago there’s no way the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas doesn’t overturn this — you know they’re all Democrats — because it’s so outrageous what you’ve done,” Jones wrote.
(Thérèse Boudreaux, The Center Square) After weeks of delay, the U.S. House finally approved the Senate’s legislation reopening the Department of Homeland Security.
Once President Donald Trump signs the legislation, the 76-day DHS shutdown will end and all agencies except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol will receive full annual funds.
“The House passing the Department of Homeland Secruity [sic] (DHS) funding bill is an important step toward protecting our nation and keeping critical agencies operational,” U.S> Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., posted on X after the vote.
“But there’s still work ahead. ICE and CBP were left out, and that must be fixed. Securing our homeland requires a fully funded DHS across the board, and House Republicans will continue working to get the job done.”
House Republicans had been waiting for actionable progress on budget reconciliation before agreeing to the Senate’s plan of funding ICE and CBP separately from the rest of DHS
Using a filibuster-proof budget reconciliation bill to provide advance annual funds for federal agencies is highly unorthodox.
“Democrats got absolutely nothing for their political charade and shenanigans,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters. “In spite of our razor-thin, historically small majority, House Republicans continue to deliver for the American people.”
The attack, which took place during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, was the country’s worst mass shooting in some three decades.
Citing a newly published government report from Australia, the Times reported Thursday that a Jewish security group had warned police six days before the event that a terrorist attack against the Jewish community was “likely.” The full report, which makes a number of security recommendations moving forward, is classified, the Times noted.
The report said police gave the Jewish event organizers the option to pay for protection, but would not send guards for free. The event organizers apparently opted not to pay.
“The New South Wales police told the commission that event organizers were responsible for providing security, and that any law enforcement assistance was supplementary. Event organizers have the option of paying for police presence but that did not appear to have been requested,” the Times said.
It had already been reported in December that at least one of the terrorists was known to Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, but hadn’t been considered an immediate threat.
The attack may have been even worse if not for the heroic actions of a 43-year-old man identified as Ahmed el Ahmed. Footage shows him disarming one of the terrorists. He was later shot twice but survived, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
A series of hearings on the attack are set to take place next week in Australia.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) A years-long effort has resulted in the extradition of a Chinese national facing multiple espionage charges in Houston.
Chinese national Xu Zewei was extradited to the U.S. from Italy over the weekend and appeared before a federal judge in Houston on Monday.
He faces a nine-count indictment for his role in a People’s Republic of China HAFNIUM computer intrusion campaign targeting U.S. companies, which also compromised thousands of computers worldwide, according to the Office of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.
Zewei was taken into custody in Milan, Italy, last July at the request of U.S. authorities, The Center Square reported. He and PRC national Zhang Yu were both indicted in 2023; Yu remains at large.
The two are accused of being involved in a hacking scheme from February 2020 through June 2021 directed by the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB), according to the indictment. The MSS and SSSB are China intelligence services responsible for implementing domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence and other operations, investigators found.
The pair in early 2020 targeted U.S.-based universities and leading immunologists and virologists to hack into computer systems and steal research they were conducting on COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and testing, and provide it to SSSB officers, according to the charges. This included hacking emails from virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research at a university in the Southern District of Texas, the charges allege. Zewei also worked for Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd., “one of many ‘enabling’ companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government,” the charges allege.
“It is notable that the Chinese government directed theft of COVID-19 research” beginning in February 2020 after the outbreak of the virus in mainland China “and at a time when PRC officials were withholding information about the virus and its origin,” former U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei said last year when the indictments were unsealed. “The hacking of these American universities is not just a violation of intellectual property rights, it’s an attack on American scientific innovation. The hacking of a U.S. law firm is not just about computer crime. It’s about an attack on the American system of justice, which depends on the legal ability of clients to seek and obtain frank and confidential advice from their local counsel.”
Acting U.S. Attorney John Marck said Zewei is finally answering “for crimes that struck at the heart of American science and security — allegedly stealing COVID-19 research from our universities when the world needed it most.”
The FBI Cyber Division said the HAFNIUM campaign compromised more than 12,700 U.S. organizations. The two indicted were a few of many contractors the PRC used “to obscure its hand in cyber operations,” it said.
The hacking scheme involved exploiting vulnerabilities in a Microsoft Exchange Server, which is used to send, receive and store emails. In March 2021, Microsoft confirmed its exchange had been targeted by PRC-sponsored hackers; in July 2021, U.S. and foreign governments said the PRC MSS orchestrated HAFNIUM.
Zewei was charged on multiple counts of wire fraud, identity theft, obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, among other charges. If convicted, he faces decades in prison.
Anyone with information about Yu’s whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
An ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Houston Field Office.
(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A pro-abortion scholar struggled Wednesday to answer a question that touched on the gruesome reality of the procedures she defends, even as she continued offering politically correct talking points about “reproductive healthcare.”
American University senior scholar Jessica Waters faced questioning from freshman Rep. Brandon Gill, who bluntly asked whether she had a “favorite” type of abortion during a hearing before a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Limited Government.
Despite her extensive academic work on the topic, Waters appeared uncomfortable and at a loss for words when pressed on what seemed to be a straightforward question.
— Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) April 28, 2026
“I am an advocate for patients having access to the full realm of reproductive healthcare,” Waters said in video that quickly went viral on social media.
Gill pressed again, asking: “But do you have a preferred method of abortion that you like?”
“I do not,” Waters replied, this time with a slight smirk.
Gill then began listing specific abortion procedures, highlighting their disturbing details.
“The first kind is called a ‘suction abortion.’ This is when the cervix is dilated and a strong suction — 29 times the power of a household vacuum cleaner — tears the baby’s body apart and sucks it through the hose into a container,” Gill added. “Do you prefer that method?”
Waters responded that she stood by her “former testimony.”
Gill doubled down, asking Waters about dilation and curettage, a procedure that involves dilating the cervix and using a knife to cut the unborn child’s body parts.
At that point, Waters folded her arms and said she was there to testify about the FACE Act. Video of the interaction has been widely shared on social media, garnering over seven million views on Gill’s X page alone.
(José Niño, Headline USA) Video footage of far-right provocateur Nick Fuentes shoving a woman off his front steps resurfaced this week after prosecutors officially dropped the battery charge against him. A Wednesday tweet from user@FearedBuck shared the clip, noting that the criminal case has now concluded.
Footage of Nick Fuentes pushing a woman who tried entering his home after he was doxxed, as the battery charge against him has been dismissed. pic.twitter.com/aiHLtR4v3x
The chain of events began on Nov. 5, 2024, when Donald Trump clinched the presidential election. That same day, Fuentes published a post on X that deliberately flipped the pro-choice slogan, writing “Your body, my choice. Forever.” The message exploded across social media, garnering over 90 million views in a matter of days and sparking furious condemnation from women and progressive activists, according toKnow Your Meme.
The backlash turned dangerous on Nov. 8, 2024, when Fuentes’s personal details — including his Berwyn, Illinois home address and phone number — were published on X.
Two days later, on Nov. 10, 2024, Marla Rose, a 57-year-old self-described progressive and Jewish feminist activist from Illinois, drove to Fuentes’s residence. Rose later explained she had only intended to view the exterior of the property and decided to approach the door after another woman nearby urged her to do so,per the Guardian.
When Rose moved to ring the doorbell, Fuentesopened the door, immediately sprayed her with pepper spray, shoved her down the front steps — breaking six of her ribs — and took her phone inside. Rose contacted police that evening, and authorities arrested Fuentes on Nov. 27, 2024 on a misdemeanor battery charge.
By Oct. 2025, Fuentes had negotiated a deferred prosecution deal requiring 75 hours of community service, completion of an anger management course, $635 in restitution to Rose for her phone, and a written apology letter delivered at a court hearing.
During aFeb. 27, 2026 hearing at the Maywood Courthouse, Rose was permitted to read Fuentes’s apology letter privately, though the judge prohibited her from reading it aloud or retaining a copy.
On April 23, 2026, Rosechose to drop the criminal charge and file a civil lawsuit instead, citing what she said was no proof that Fuentes ever fulfilled his community service or anger management obligations. “This is not how your average person who pushes a woman down the stairs and breaks six ribs would be treated,” Rose said. The civil suit seeks $10,000 for physical and emotional damages and the cost of a home security system.
The danger surrounding Fuentes escalated further in Dec. 2024 when a suspected triple murderer arrived at his Berwyn doorstep. Fuentesshared security camera footage showing a man in a motorcycle helmet approaching his home armed with a handgun and what appeared to be a crossbow, and later posted on X: “Last night an armed killer made an attempt on my life at my home, which was recently doxed on this platform. The gunman carried a pistol, crossbow, and incendiary devices. I believe he intended to kill me. He is now dead. I am okay!”
Last night an armed killer made an attempt on my life at my home, which was recently doxed on this platform.
The gunman carried a pistol, crossbow, and incendiary devices. I believe he intended to kill me.
Police — who did not independently confirm that Fuentes was targeted — identified the man as John R. Lyons, 24, of Westchester, who was wanted forkilling three people in Mahomet, Illinois earlier that day.
Headline USApreviously reported that Fuentes shared the footage publicly, identifying Lyons based on law enforcement information. Officers shot and killed Lyons after he broke into a nearby home and fatally struck two dogs.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
(Money Metals News Service) The core message of this Money Metals Midweek Memo episode is straightforward. When policymakers ignore incentives, they often create outcomes that run counter to their own goals. Host Mike Maharrey begins with a personal example, explaining that his move from Kentucky to Florida saved his family “thousands of dollars every year” by avoiding state and local income taxes.
That same principle is now playing out in Washington state. Lawmakers repealed a long-standing sales tax exemption on gold and silver, expecting to generate new revenue. Instead, the policy has driven businesses out of the state and disrupted an established industry. The conversation with Sound Money Defense League Director Jp Cortez and bullion dealer Craig Rhyne shows how tax policy shapes behavior in predictable ways.
A 40-Year Exemption Reversed
Craig Rhyne has been involved in the precious metals market for decades. He began buying gold when it was $42 an ounce and silver at $1.29 after reading Harry Browne’s How to Profit from the Coming Devaluation. Over time, he built a major bullion business in Washington.
In 1983, Rhyne helped form the Industry Council for Tangible Assets and worked with others to remove Washington’s sales tax on precious metals. Their efforts succeeded in 1985. The state exempted gold, silver, platinum, coins, and bars from sales tax, and that policy remained in place for 40 years.
That stability ended when lawmakers revisited exemptions in search of new revenue. Precious metals became a target.
“Your Business Is on the Line”
Rhyne described a legislative process that left little room for meaningful input. Dealers were given only one minute to testify.
“Here, your life is on the line. Your business is on the line,” he said. “And they wouldn’t even give what they used to give, which is three minutes to testify.”
The tax burden itself is significant. Washington’s base sales tax is 6.5 percent, and combined local rates can reach 10.3 percent. On top of that, the state imposes a business and occupation tax, which Rhyne described as “a half percent gross receipts tax.”
When the Tax Exceeds the Profit
The numbers make the problem clear. Rhyne said his typical markup on an ounce of gold is about $100. With gold around $4,700, a one-ounce coin might sell for about $4,800 to $4,850.
The state’s tax on that transaction would be about $483. In many cases, the government would take far more than the dealer earns.
“Who in their right mind,” Rhyne asked, would pay hundreds more for the same coin when they can buy it from another state or online?
This question highlights the central issue. Buyers are not locked into one location. They respond quickly to price differences.
A Business Forced to Move
Rhyne responded to those incentives by relocating his business to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, effective January 1.
“I filled out all the forms for a new corporation… Moved as of January 1st of this year. And I’m in Idaho as we speak right now.”
The move carried emotional weight. His family has lived in Washington since 1899. “I love this state. This is my home,” he said. “But now they don’t give a damn… It’s just sad.”
His experience shows that policy decisions affect more than revenue. They reshape communities and force people to leave places they value.
A Nationwide Trend Ignoring Mobility
Jp Cortez explained that Washington is not alone. In 2024, both Washington and Maryland imposed new taxes on precious metals. In 2025, similar efforts appeared in Nebraska, Colorado, and New York.
In New York, lawmakers claimed a tax could generate $600 million each year, with $300 million going to New York City. Cortez argued that such projections overlook how easily buyers can avoid the tax.
Consumers can cross state lines, buy online, or store metals in other jurisdictions. These options make the tax base highly mobile.
Faulty Forecasts and Economic Blind Spots
Washington projected about $54.6 million in revenue from taxing gold and silver. Cortez pointed to Tennessee as a contrast. There, exempting precious metals was estimated to cost only $360,000 per year.
The wide gap between those figures shows how uncertain these projections can be. As Maharrey noted, many forecasts assume people will not change their behavior.
In reality, people adjust quickly. Businesses relocate. Customers find alternatives. The expected revenue often fails to materialize.
Maryland’s Rapid Reversal
Maryland provides a clear example of how fast these policies can unravel. After imposing a similar tax, the state saw immediate declines in business activity.
Cortez recalled testimony from a dealer who said, “From one day to the next, we lost 72% of our business.”
Within a year, Maryland lawmakers moved to reverse the policy. They recognized that the tax was driving away both customers and revenue.
Education and Grassroots Action
Both Rhyne and Cortez said misunderstanding plays a role in these policies. Many lawmakers assume precious metals buyers are wealthy investors.
Cortez challenged that idea. Many buyers are ordinary people purchasing small amounts over time. “Elon Musk isn’t swimming in a pool full of golden coins,” he said. “This is a cartoonish understanding of gold and silver investors.”
They emphasized the importance of education and public engagement. Cortez noted that individuals have more influence at the state level than they might expect. “We have found power in grassroots,” he said.
The Bigger Lesson: Incentives Always Win
The broader lesson goes beyond precious metals. Incentives shape decisions. When taxes make it costly to do business in one place, businesses leave. When consumers can avoid a tax, they will.
Washington’s policy aimed to increase revenue. Instead, it pushed economic activity out of the state. The result is likely less revenue, not more.
A Closing Reflection
This episode highlights a recurring problem in public policy. Good intentions do not guarantee good outcomes. When lawmakers fail to consider how people respond, their policies can produce the opposite of what they intended.
Craig Rhyne’s move to Idaho is not an isolated case. It is a clear example of cause and effect. The state changed the incentives, and people changed their behavior.
The purpose of this discussion is to bring that reality into focus. Policy is not just theory. It affects real lives and real decisions. As Maharrey stressed, incentives matter. When they are ignored, the consequences are predictable.
(José Niño, Headline USA) On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.,released an interim report alleging that Biden administration health officials deliberately suppressed a superior algorithm for detecting COVID-19 vaccine safety signals. The report is titled “Unmasked: How Biden Health Officials Purposely Turned a Blind Eye Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals.”
Johnsonannounced the findings on social media on Wednesday. “Today, I released a report showing that Biden health officials knew that safety signals for COVID-19 injection injuries were being hidden by their VAERS analytic algorithm,” he wrote. “They were shown an updated algorithm that signaled serious adverse events, but they refused to use it. Their cover-up jeopardized the health of millions of Americans.”
Today, I released a report showing that Biden health officials knew that safety signals for COVID-19 injection injuries were being hidden by their VAERS analytic algorithm.
They were shown an updated algorithm that signaled serious adverse events, but they refused to use it.… pic.twitter.com/R5L99g8DiO
The report centers on Dr. Ana Szarfman, at the time a senior medical officer and safety data mining developer at the FDA who helped develop the agency’s own data mining system. Beginning in early 2021, Szarfman, working with Dr. William DuMouchel — the statistician who developed the FDA’s original Empirical Bayesian data mining algorithm — attempted to get FDA officials to adopt an updated statistical method, according to the Daily Signal’s reporting on the Senate document.
The FDA’s existing approach used Empirical Bayesian data mining, specifically the Gamma Poisson Shrinker model. The central flaw was masking — the volume of adverse event reports from other vaccines obscured signals specific to COVID-19 vaccines. Internal documents obtained by the subcommittee show officials privately acknowledged this method was “mostly useless” for detecting COVID-19 vaccine safety signals.
Szarfman and DuMouchel developed an updated method called the Regression-Adjusted Gamma Poisson Shrinker (RGPS) that corrected for masking. Using this method, they detected “approximately 25 statistically significant safety signals for adverse events associated with the COVID-19 vaccines that were not previously detected by FDA’s current methodology, including sudden cardiac death, Bell’s palsy, and pulmonary infarction,” the report states.
Documents obtained by the subcommittee show officials resisted the findings. By May 2021, senior officials in FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research directed Szarfman to cease her analysis. Then-CBER Director Dr. Peter Marks called her work a “major distraction” and warned that “the strategy that she is using could create erroneous conflicts that feed in to anti-vaccination rhetoric,” according to Epoch Timesreporting on the internal records.
The report notes that FDA officials refused to adopt the improved method, citing concerns about using a “brand new, possibly unvalidated tool in the context of an EUA.” Internal emails show officials recognized their system’s limitations, with one writing that masking “can be driven towards the null by COVID-19 vaccine reports contributing substantially to the comparator group.”
The FDA also restricted access to its analyses.The Daily Signal reported that a CDC official later wrote that “because of the FOIAs we may have asked FDA to stop sending these weekly data-mining outputs” — raising questions about whether the decision to limit distribution was driven by FOIA and congressional oversight concerns rather than data security.
Johnson concluded that “FDA officials had ample opportunity to involve Drs. Szarfman and DuMouchel — both experts in data mining — in their safety surveillance efforts, but instead, cast them and their analyses aside.”
The interim report was released alongside approximately 600 pages of internal FDA records and can befound here.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
