Texas Republicans Alarmed About Comptroller Candidate’s Purchase of Epstein Ranch

Headline USA Editor
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Texas Republicans Alarmed About Comptroller Candidate’s Purchase of Epstein Ranch

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) Texas Republicans are expressing alarm about a GOP state comptroller candidate, Don Huffines, for secretly purchasing a New Mexico ranch owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They and many others are calling for transparency and an investigation.

Huffines’ LLC purchased the ranch in 2023 with the owners’ names and purchase amount kept sealed. It wasn’t until after the LLC changed the name of a road and challenged property taxes in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, that through a public records request the ownership and property value were made public. Huffines’ wife is listed as a trustee and his son as LLC manager, The Center Square reported. Huffines’ attorney said the proceeds of the purchase went to victims; Epstein’s estate attorney in 2023 said proceeds went to cover administrative costs and creditors.

Huffines, a multimillionaire and former state senator, is running a campaign on government accountability and transparency. Critics argue the campaign pledge is the opposite of his actions with the ranch purchase. He could have invited state and federal investigators onto the property to do a forensic analysis, raised the buildings where sex trafficking, rape and other crimes of violence committed against underage girls occurred, donated directly to the victims’ fund, built a memorial on the property and set an example for other investors purchasing Epstein estate property, they say.

Among the more than three million Epstein Files released, more than 4,200 mention the Zorro Ranch purchased by Huffines. FBI witness statements include a Native American who says Epstein paid her mother to bring her and other children to the ranch for many years, where they say they were forced into sexual violence with high-profile men.

A woman from Cape Town, South Africa, told Sky News Epstein repeatedly raped her, including at the ranch. The New Mexico land commissioner first called for an investigation in 2019. Investigations are being launched to find possible remains buried on neighboring state land.

“It shows incredibly bad judgment to be associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in any form or fashion,” Wayne Hamilton, former executive director of the Republican Party of Texas, told The Center Square. “If you are buying a piece of land, the first thing that should have been done is total transparency. If the property is suspected of criminal activity, why not be transparent with state officials in New Mexico? Huffines wants to run the finances of Texas, yet he won’t be transparent with his own dealings with former Epstein assets.”

Tarrant County precinct chair Sheena Rodriguez, who’s been advocating for trafficked children for years, told The Center Square, “It’s a glaring indictment that Huffines would purchase property where girls were raped and tortured. If you were willing to do that for a good investment what else are you willing to do? We are dealing with people who live in an elitist world who don’t have to worry about the price of groceries going up. They have no moral qualms about investing in property where atrocities occurred.

“The comptroller manages state money for the eighth-largest economy in the world. As a taxpayer, how can I trust someone to manage our money when he’s making decisions like this with his personal business? He’s appearing to show that his so-called Christian values don’t care about sexual violence committed against innocent girls.”

A lifelong conservative Republican and leader in Marion County, Hunter Bonner told The Center Square, “I am at a loss as to why any person, who considers themselves a Christian, would want to spend one dime on anything that was previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein, other than to turn it over to law enforcement for a complete forensic investigation. That property was owned by a disgusting creature involved in the sex trafficking and abuse of children.”

Judy Adams, a Denton County Republican Party precinct chair, told The Center Square that when Huffines was a state senator, he helped “flip his district blue.” Secretively purchasing the Epstein ranch “is deeply troubling. Buying the property anonymously through a newly created LLC … raises serious ethical questions about his intentions and transparency” and “about his dedication to the constituents he claims to serve, and none of this aligns with true conservative principles.”

Mary Ann Jackson, a Harris County Republican Party precinct chair, said the revelations are “disgusting and disheartening” after she’s been “working hard to help the Texas Republican Party. Christian conservatives are tired of all the corruption and deceit. How could a candidate running for Texas Comptroller send out flyers about how he is going to ‘expose government corruption’ cover up his own personal [purchase of Epstein property]? Why not stay away from any connection to Epstein who is the epitome of a reprobate mind? If you couldn’t pass on such a financial deal, why wouldn’t you invite law enforcement to investigate the sex trafficking allegations around that ranch?”

Lynn Davenport, a former Dallas County GOP precinct chair and delegate to the Republican Party state convention, has criticized Huffines, her former state senator, for investing in a biotech company that uses cells from baby hearts under 30 days old while claiming to be pro-life. She’s taking issue with Huffines “refusing to speak about his intentions for the property in the wake of questions surrounding potential burials of victims allegedly on the property under Epstein’s ownership. If he purchased the property for altruistic reasons to donate to the victims, why all the secrecy? He is running for Texas comptroller on a platform of transparency. I’m not buying it.”

Huffines is running against three other candidates in the March 3 Republican primary.

CPI Is Cooling But What About Inflation?

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CPI Is Cooling But What About Inflation?

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) The Consumer Price Index is cooling, but what about inflation?

The January CPI data give the impression that the Federal Reserve is finally winning the war against inflation. Not only was the data cooler than expected, but it’s also beginning to edge close to the mystical 2 percent target. CBS News called it “the best inflation news we’ve had in months.”

The January CPI report also boosted hopes that maybe the Fed will cut interest rates more deeply than it’s been signaling. According to CME Group’s Fed Watch tool, traders see an 83 percent chance of a rate cut in June.

The headline annual CPI rate came in at 2.4 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That was down from 2.7 percent in December and the same rate the BLS reported in May 2025, the month after President Trump announced his aggressive tariff policy. The forecast was for a 2.5 percent reading.

On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.2 percent, beating the 0.3 percent forecast.

Stripping out more volatile food and energy prices, core CPI prices rose 0.3 percent month on month. The annual core CPI dropped from 2.6 percent in December to 2.5 percent, the lowest reading since April 2021.

However, over the last six readings (with no October data), core CPI has increased by 0.3, 0.3, 0.2, 0.2, 0.2, and 0.3 percent, annualizing to 3 percent. Core CPI has been mired in this range for well over a year.

Digging a little deeper into the numbers, we find shelter prices rose 0.2 percent in January, the smallest gain in months. That dropped the annual shelter cost increase to 3 percent. Shelter makes up more than one-third of the CPI calculation.

After surging by 0.7 percent in December, food prices moderated, gaining just 0.2 percent last month.

Energy prices plunged by -1.5 percent month-on-month, also helping drive the overall CPI lower. Gasoline prices dropped by -3.3 percent.

Service costs heated up slightly, rising by 0.4 percent month-on-month after a 0.3 percent increase in December. Service price inflation is mostly unconnected with tariff pressures.

It’s important to take this (and every) CPI report with a grain of salt. It is still factoring in November data that they basically just made up. And the constant revisions to the labor data should also make you skeptical of government numbers.

You also need to remember that the CPI data understates price inflation by design. The government revised the CPI formula in the 1990s so that it understated the actual rise in prices. Based on the formula used in the 1970s, CPI is closer to double the official numbers. So, if the BLS used the old formula, we’d be looking at CPI closer to 6 percent. And using an honest formula, it would probably be worse than that.

However, this government data drives decision-making, so we need to pay attention to what it tells us.

This CPI data tells us that prices are still rising faster than the stated target; however, the price inflation trend appears to be slowing – at least for the items included in the BLS “basket of goods.”

The mainstream is certainly viewing it as good news. Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long told CNBC that the January report was “great news,” noting the slowing price increases for food, gas, and rent will “provide much-needed relief for middle-class and moderate-income families.”

But what did this CPI tell us about inflation?

Not much, when you define inflation properly.

Technically speaking, inflation is an increase in the supply of money and credit. Rising consumer prices (measured by the CPI) are just one symptom of this monetary inflation. In other words, the CPI report is kind of like a thermometer. It can tell you if you have a fever, but it can’t tell you what’s causing it.

To get the full inflation picture, you need to look at the trajectory of the money supply.

By that metric, we have plenty of inflation, and it is accelerating!

As the Federal Reserve revs up the money-creating machine even higher, the money supply is already growing at the fastest rate since July 2022, in the early stages of the tightening cycle.

After peaking in April 2022, the money supply began to decline as the Fed hiked rates that year. The money supply bottomed in October 2023 and began increasing again. The money supply is now well above the pandemic peak.

And money creation has accelerated over the last several months.

We also know inflationary pressures are increasing because the Federal Reserve is once again expanding its balance sheet.

While you’ll never hear anybody at the Fed utter the term, the central bank relaunched quantitative easing last month. That means they are once again buying U.S. Treasuries using money created out of thin air.

Again – this is by definition inflation.

So, why would the central bank continue to loosen monetary policy even when faced with sticky inflation?

Because, as I have been saying for months, the Fed is in a Catch-22.

The Fed needs to cut interest rates and run quantitative easing to support the debt-riddled bubble economy. But it also needs higher rates to keep price inflation under control.

Obviously, it can’t do both.

Any “cooler than expected” CPI report will throw more fuel on the easing fire and raise the possibility for more this year, despite the central bankers’ efforts to tamp down expectations for further easing.

In other words, you get more inflation — despite what the CPI data might indicate.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Chinese Consumers Gobbling Up Gold in Run-Up to Lunar New Year

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Chinese Consumers Gobbling Up Gold in Run-Up to Lunar New Year

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) Chinese consumers seeking a “safety net” are gobbling up gold even with prices at record levels.

The Chinese Lunar New Year holiday (Feb. 17) typically boosts Chinese gold demand. This year, buying is hotter than ever, even with elevated prices. As the South China Morning Post describes it, rich and poor alike have caught gold fever.

“From migrant workers splashing out on gold-coated jewelry, to white-collar workers pouring their savings into gold-linked investment funds, the metal is widely seen not only as a marker of social respectability, but also as a safety net amid an uncertain world.”

The Lunar New Year is a major gift-giving holiday in China. Migrant workers return to their home villages laden with gifts.

Consumers are reportedly snapping up 1-gram gold “beans” as a holiday gift.

“It feels more thoughtful than a red envelope with 1,000 yuan in cash,” Liu Huilan told the SCMP.

Major Chinese retailers report gold jewelry is selling for an average of ¥1,529 (US$221) per gram. That’s up from an ¥890 average during the same period last year.

The higher gold price, coupled with the surging silver price, has boosted the popularity of gold-plated silver jewelry. A jewelry shop owner told the South China Morning Post that it is much more affordable, and it will likely hold its value like pure gold jewelry. He said that he expected gold-plated jewelry to become even more popular as the silver price continues to rise.

Gold investment demand is also surging, particularly among middle-class workers in the cities.

Yang Ling works as a translator in Beijing. She said geopolitical instability is driving her and many of her friends to gold as a safe haven.

“When we heard about the Venezuela and Middle East situations worsening in early January, we invested more in gold that same day.”

She said she plans to invest her year-end bonus in a gold ETF.

Chinese buying helped push gold bar and coin demand to a 12-year high of 1,374.1 tonnes. In value terms, global bar and coin demand was a record-breaking $154 billion.

More than half of the global coin and bar demand came from two countries – China and India.

Chinese have also turned to gold ETFs over the last year, with Chinese funds more than doubling their gold holdings in 2025 (+133 tonnes). Meanwhile, Indian funds charted eight straight months of gold inflows to wrap up the year.

ETF demand is so strong that the Chinese government recently required banks to tighten risk-management policies last month, requiring investors to pass more stringent risk assessments before purchasing gold-related financial products.

A gold ETF is backed by a trust company that holds metal owned and stored by the trust. In most cases, investing in an ETF does not entitle you to any amount of physical gold. You own a share of the ETF, not gold itself. ETFs are a convenient way for investors to play the gold market, but owning ETF shares is not the same as holding physical gold.

One gold investor told the South China Morning Post that he expects gold investment to remain robust, even if the gold price rises more slowly, because it provides a sense of security.

“Gold’s gains this year may not match last year’s, but it remains the safest bet.”

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Trump Endorses Florida Congresswoman Pushing Amnesty Bill

Jose Nino
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Trump Endorses Florida Congresswoman Pushing Amnesty Bill

(José Niño, Headline USA) President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fl., for reelection on Tuesday, igniting immediate controversy over her sponsorship of immigration legislation that would provide legal status to millions of illegal aliens, according to social media posts and news coverage.

Trump posted on Truth Social giving Salazar his “Complete and Total Endorsement” for Florida’s 27th Congressional District. “Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar is doing a truly fantastic job representing the wonderful people of Florida’s 27th Congressional District!… María Elvira Salazar has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election – SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”, he proclaimed, as Fox News reported. The endorsement came alongside support for six other Florida Republican incumbents. 

Salazar thanked Trump on social media, listing priorities including restoring “dignity and order” to the immigration system, codifying border security, driving down housing costs, protecting American jobs, and confronting socialism and dictators.

The backlash centers on Salazar’s signature proposal, the DIGNIDAD Act of 2025, which she introduced with Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-TX, on July 15, 2025. DIGNIDAD stands for Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream Act. The Spanish language acronym itself has drawn criticism from restrictionists at the Center for Immigration Studies. 

Key provisions include green cards for an estimated 2.5 to 2.7 million unauthorized immigrants who arrived before January 2, 2021 as minors, and “Dignity Status” offering work permits and deportation protection for approximately 11.8 million unauthorized immigrants who arrived before January 1, 2021. Participants must pass background checks, pay $7,000 in restitution over seven years, pay back taxes, and purchase health insurance. The bill excludes citizenship and federal benefits.

The Center for Immigration Studies calculates the legislation would increase legal immigration by 55 percent, adding over five million people during the next decade. The bill has attracted 39 bipartisan co-sponsors including 19 Republicans.

The endorsement provoked swift backlash from populist conservatives. Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene stated “She supports illegals more than most Democrats. His endorsements are an insult to his base.” 

Salazar defended herself directly, responding to Greene, “Marjorie, you’re starting to sound like Laura Loomer. Not telling the truth. And you know it. It’s DIGNITY, not AMNESTY.”

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino

Former Project Veritas Board Member Admits to Being an FBI Informer

Jose Nino
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Former Project Veritas Board Member Admits to Being an FBI Informer

(José Niño, Headline USA) James O’Keefe released explosive hidden camera footage on Tuesday showing Matthew Tyrmand, a former Project Veritas board member, admitting he served as an FBI and Southern District of New York informant while providing information about O’Keefe and conservative organizations.

The undercover video captures Tyrmand making shocking admissions and violent threats against O’Keefe, who was indefinitely suspended from Project Veritas on February 6, 2023. According to his tweet, O’Keefe founded the conservative investigative organization in his father’s garage at age 25 while on probation and built it into a 75 person, $25 million newsroom over 14 years.

“I’ve already fed the Southern District tons of sh*t on him,” Tyrmand stated on the hidden recording, referring to O’Keefe. He also boasted about having “a thousand sources in the DOJ and CIA I talk to all the time.”

The footage shows Tyrmand making explicit death threats. “I would kill him. Because he is one of the most evil people I’ve ever known,” Tyrmand said about O’Keefe. The conservative journalist displayed a copy of his book “Breakthrough” that had been shot through with rifle bullets, specifically through the heart area where O’Keefe’s image appears on the cover.

According to a Washington Post report, O’Keefe’s supporters blamed his 2023 removal on what they called a “coup” orchestrated by Tyrmand, who was labeled the “ringleader” behind the internal effort to force O’Keefe out. 

The Project Veritas board accused O’Keefe of financial malfeasance, alleging he spent lavishly on personal luxuries including $14,000 on a charter flight to fix his boat and over $150,000 on private car services. An internal staff memo signed by employees called him a “power drunk tyrant.”

The undercover journalist who met with Tyrmand recorded him over several months. On the tapes, Tyrmand acknowledged he could lose his brokerage license and face criminal civil torts for violating his non-disclosure agreement and leaking information about a company called Petrogen. His BrokerCheck report shows employment with Bradley Woods & Co. Ltd. in New York.

Tyrmand also disclosed how he has advised and solicited investments for several companies, including pharmaceutical firms, while serving on the Project Veritas board. These companies include Cathaid Inc., Leicester, MTTC1 Venture, Matt Tyrmand LLC, and ClaimFound.

After gathering the footage, O’Keefe and his team traveled to Miami Beach to personally confront Tyrmand on camera in a classic O’Keefe style ambush. In the confrontation video, O’Keefe directly accuses Tyrmand of being “a rat” who went to the FBI and served as an SDNY confidential informant.

When asked why he did it, Tyrmand responds “Truth, justice, and the American way.” before trailing off.

O’Keefe filed a restraining order against Tyrmand in Palm Beach County, Florida, citing the threats and the bullet riddled book. After his 2023 departure from Project Veritas, O’Keefe founded a rival organization called O’Keefe Media Group.

As Headline USA previously reported, Project Veritas and O’Keefe have been locked in litigation since the split, with the organization suing him over alleged misuse of funds and employee mistreatment. O’Keefe has long maintained his ouster was never adequately explained.

“At some point, denial collapses when you can see their lips moving as they admit to it,” O’Keefe stated in announcing the footage on Twitter. 

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

 

NM Epstein Ranch Now Owned by Texas Comptroller Candidate

Headline USA Editor
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NM Epstein Ranch Now Owned by Texas Comptroller Candidate

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, where multiple alleged child sex crimes were committed, is now at the center of a state comptroller race in Texas.

Former Republican state representative, business owner and gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines is running for comptroller to manage the state’s finances.

The 8,000-acre property in Stanley, New Mexico, in southern Santa Fe County, was sold in 2023 to San Rafael Ranch, LLC, for an undisclosed amount, with the owners’ names kept confidential, KRQE News reported.

It wasn’t until a street name change and property taxes were contested that public records requests revealed the owner of San Rafael Ranch was Huffines. His wife, Mary Catherine, is listed as a trustee. His son, Colin Huffines, is listed as an LLC manager. A records request made public by the Santa Fe New Mexican, shows the estate was valued at $21.1 million in 2023 but after Huffines protests, the county tax assessor dropped the value to $13.4 million.

Epstein was reported dead in August 2019 in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, one month after the first Trump administration charged him with sexually exploiting dozens of underage girls. Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in the sex trafficking scheme.

Under the second Trump administration, more than three million files have been released related to Epstein allegations, with much of the documents redacted.

Epstein’s properties stretched from Paris to New Mexico, with combined real estate values totaling roughly $117 million, Forbes reported. From 2019 through 2025, Epstein’s estate had distributed more than $160 million to survivors; in 2024, the estate received a $112 million IRS tax refund; last March, it still had $131 million in assets, Forbes reported.

More than 4,200 records have been released by the Department of Justice about the Zorro Ranch. One details a Native American woman who was interviewed by the FBI and claimed her mother trafficked her and other children to the ranch, where Epstein held them in property bedrooms and forced them to perform sexual acts to high-prominent clients. Multiple documents describe gruesome sexual abuse of children at the mansion the Huffines purchased, referred to by victims as “the house on the hill.”

The property is also connected to a murder-for-hire scheme and other crimes committed by a Florida nonprofit leader sentenced to more than 34 years in prison. He was convicted of a $2.7 million check kiting and money laundering scheme, Paycheck Protection fraud and filing $300 million worth of fraudulent warranty deeds for properties nationwide, including Zorro Ranch.

Prior to the Huffines purchase, New Mexico State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard canceled state cattle grazing licenses with the Epstein property in 2019. She also called for a state investigation into state land being used for criminal acts, including the burying of abused deceased children. Neither the state land nor Zorro Ranch had been searched as part of a criminal investigation, she said.

After the Epstein Files were released, she’s again calling for state and federal investigations, wanting to use radar and cadaver dogs to search for remains, Scripps News reported.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign political consultant Dave Carney criticized what he called the “sleaze ball secret land deal,” noting that New Mexico officials wanted “to search for buried bodies… What kind of person thinks that’s a good and decent investment?” He also asked, “Who would give Jeffery Epstein’s estate millions of dollars? No wonder it was done in secret!”

Huffines has characterized his comptroller campaign as bringing accountability to managing state resources and championing conservative, Christian values. When asked how purchasing property used by convicted sex traffickers reflected these values, his attorney, Allen Blakemore, said in a statement, “Four years after Mr. Epstein’s death, the Huffines family purchased property in New Mexico listed at public auction whose proceeds benefited his victims. Prior to the auction listing, they had never visited the property.”

An attorney for Epstein’s estate told KRQE News the proceeds of Zorro Ranch were used “for estate administration, including payment of creditors.”

Border Enforcement Official Allegedly Sheltered Illegal Alien Lover

Jose Nino
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Border Enforcement Official Allegedly Sheltered Illegal Alien Lover

(José Niño, Headline USA)  Federal authorities arrested a border enforcement supervisor after discovering he allegedly sheltered an illegal alien romantic partner at his Texas home while his official duties required him to enforce immigration restrictions.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas revealed on Wednesday that prosecutors charged 52-year-old Andres Wilkinson with harboring an illegal alien. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the charges against the veteran border protection official.

Wilkinson appeared on Thursday before a federal magistrate and remains behind bars awaiting a detention hearing scheduled before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian C. Bajew.

The defendant began his career with CBP in 2001 and earned a supervisory promotion in 2021. His responsibilities in the elevated position included directing the application of customs and immigration statutes.

Federal investigators discovered that an illegal alien was living at Wilkinson’s home without lawful permission to remain in the country, according to the criminal complaint. Prosecutors allege Wilkinson understood her illegal immigration circumstances yet chose to pursue a romantic connection with her.

Charging documents state the illegal alien first arrived in the United States holding a non-immigrant visa in August 2023 and subsequently remained beyond her permitted stay.

Between June and November 2025, federal agents watched Wilkinson’s property and witnessed the illegal alien occupying the residence alongside Wilkinson and her minor child, the charges indicate. Surveillance also captured the woman operating motor vehicles carrying Wilkinson’s registration, court filings claim.

Federal agents questioned the illegal alien in February 2026, court records show. The charging document claims she took up residence with Wilkinson beginning in August 2024. Prosecutors further claim Wilkinson furnished economic support encompassing shelter, credit cards, help meeting financial responsibilities, and permission to drive vehicles bearing his registration. The complaint additionally claims Wilkinson deliberately drove the illegal alien past U.S. Border Patrol inspection stations.

Charging papers also claim Wilkinson journeyed with the illegal alien to San Antonio and that electronic communications demonstrated she and her child made their home with him.

A conviction could result in Wilkinson serving up to 10 years in a federal correctional facility along with a potential monetary penalty reaching $250,000.

The CBP Office of Professional Responsibility located in Laredo spearheaded the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Cardenas handles the prosecution.

Federal authorities brought this case under Operation Take Back America, a countrywide program deploying comprehensive Department of Justice assets to counter illegal immigration incursions, eliminate cartel networks and transnational criminal enterprises, and shield neighborhoods from violent offenders.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

 

Detroit Police Chief Targets Officers Allegedly Coordinating with ICE

Luis Cornelio
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Detroit Police Chief Targets Officers Allegedly Coordinating with ICE

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said Thursday that officers purportedly collaborating with federal immigration agents will be held “accountable,” as the city defends its so-called “welcoming” status.

Bettison made the comments during a hearing with the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners regarding two incidents, one on Dec. 16 and another on Feb. 9, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“Of our officers, 98-99 percent do it the right way each and every day,” Bettison claimed. “But I do have one or two percent that decide to violate our rules, our policies and our procedures, and to those officers, I will hold them accountable.”

A “welcoming city” refers to jurisdictions that do not require officers to investigate a person’s immigration status during routine investigations. By contrast, sanctuary cities refuse to honor ICE detainers and actively decline to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

In the first incident, a Detroit sergeant reportedly called Border Patrol after an officer requested a translation during a traffic stop of a non-English-speaking individual.

Bettison said that Border Patrol determined the person was not a U.S. citizen and detained the individual as a result.

In the second incident, a Detroit officer allegedly contacted Border Patrol while investigating an individual on a felony warrant.

“Border Patrol did respond, and Border Patrol ultimately took this individual,” Bettison said, citing body-worn camera footage reviewed by the DPD.

The commission is set to decide whether to suspend the officers involved ahead of a Feb. 19 hearing.

Stephen A. Smith Offers Strongest Hint Yet at White House Bid

Luis Cornelio
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Stephen A. Smith Offers Strongest Hint Yet at White House Bid

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) ESPN personality and podcast host Stephen A. Smith has for months flirted with the idea of running for president in 2028, but on Sunday, he offered his strongest signal yet that he may enter the race. 

Appearing on CBS News Sunday Morning, Smith said he is giving “strong consideration” to seeking the Democratic nomination ahead of the 2028 general election. 

“I will confess to you: I’m giving strong consideration to being on that debate stage for 2027,” Smith told CBS host Robert Costa, referring to the first primary debate. 

“I’ve got this year coming up, 2026, to think about it, to study, to know the issues, etc., because I don’t know everything. But I am going to spend this year thinking about that before I make a decision as to what I want to do,” Smith added. 

Costa jokingly responded that Smith had “only had a few thousand debate practices over the last few years, right, every morning?” 

The ESPN host replied, “I’m not worried about a debate one bit. Not even a little bit.” 

Sunday’s comments are the latest indication that he could enter the race. He has also said he would run if he saw candidates he views as unfit. 

“I hope somebody from the Democratic Party steps up. I hope I light a fire under them and get a more qualified individual in this mix, so people can stop asking me this stuff and I can enjoy my life,” Smith said during an interview on Fox News’s Hannity in April 2025. 

Smith’s talk of a presidential bid has been well-received even by President Donald Trump. 

“I love watching him. He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important. People watch him,” Trump said during a NewsNation town hall in 2025. “I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates, and I will tell you, I’d love to see him run.” 

Walz’s $10M Anti‑ICE Loans Initiate COVID Fraud Comparisons

Luis Cornelio
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Walz’s $10M Anti‑ICE Loans Initiate COVID Fraud Comparisons

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Embattled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s $10 million forgivable loan plan for businesses purportedly affected by ICE operations sparked immediate criticism and comparisons to Minnesota’s pandemic-era fraud scandal. 

Walz announced the program during a Thursday press conference in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal of federal agents from the state. 

Critics, including Republican lawmakers, quickly warned Walz’s program will open the door to widespread abuse, echoing the massive fraud tied to a similar COVID-era program. 

At the press conference, Walz said, “We’re going to be proposing a reinstitution of our small business emergency fund. It’s what we used very successfully during COVID … We’re going to be proposing a first-time $10 million one-time targeted loans.” 

Walz framed the loans as a way to provide “breathing room” for businesses to maintain payrolls, claiming it could take “three” to “six months” for the state to fully recover from ICE’s presence. 

State GOP Sen. Michael Holmstrom delivered a swift rebuke of the $10 million loan program, writing on X: “This is an immediate NO from me. MN taxpayers do not deserve to have more money stolen from them.” 

Holmstrom’s criticism appears to point to Minnesota’s COVID‑19‑era relief program, which was later exposed for massive fraud involving some Somali American business owners and even prompted federal intervention under President Donald Trump. 

During the pandemic, federal prosecutors stepped in after businesses exploited a federally backed reimbursement program by submitting invoices for meals that never existed. Worse still, some of the businesses themselves were entirely fabricated. 

Altogether, the pandemic-era fraud cost the federal government an estimated $1 billion to $9 billion. 

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