Texas House Democrats fled to Illinois and other blue states on Sunday in an effort to thwart the people's will and to block the passage of a redistricting plan that would help the GOP gain five more congressional pickup opportunities ahead of the midterm elections.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) gave the "derelict Democrat House members" an ultimatum: Return to Texas and show up at work by 3:00 p.m. on Monday or face possible removal.

The absentee legislators, evidently keen to test their luck, refused to show up.

Attorney General Ken Paxton told Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck on Tuesday that the Texas Democrats are playing a "waiting game" that they will ultimately lose.

"I honestly would have locked them up when they were in the House. [The] Texas House speaker could have shut the doors and kept everybody in," said Paxton. "We did that back in 2003, and once the doors are locked, you can't get out, and you can spend the night there, and you vote."

Paxton noted that by failing to lock the lawmakers in for the vote on the redistricting plan, "they've let the cat out of the bag. The cat's gone. So now you need to arrest them, which you're not going to get help from jurisdictions like Illinois, Boston, or New York."

Texas House Democrats abandoning their posts on Sunday. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

After Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) announced Monday afternoon that a "quorum is not present," the Texas House passed a motion to issue arrest warrants for the Democrats who abandoned their posts.

Abbott subsequently announced that he had ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to "locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans."

Paxton suggested that while it is unlikely the absentee legislators will be arrested out of state, they'll inevitably "have to come back. They have jobs; they have families. They're not going to live in Illinois. It's cold up there. And New York's cold. Boston's cold. So they come back and we vote."

'Governor Abbott is not going to back down.'

While some Texas Democrats could face felony charges for allegedly soliciting funds to break quorum and evade the associated $500-per-day fine — Abbott ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate the delinquent Democrats for "potential" violations of Texas law, including bribery — the civil arrests awaiting the absentee legislators will not lead to jail time.

"It's not a prison sentence," Paxton told Beck. "I mean, unless you consider being on the Texas House floor, which I often did, a prison sentence. But the doors are shut, and you're stuck with all those people."

Beck pressed Paxton about the governor's threat of removal, whereby a district court could apparently determine that a legislator has forfeited office due to abandonment, then remove the legislator from office, thereby creating a vacancy.

Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The Texas attorney general, whose 2021 opinion was the cited basis of Abbott's plan, noted that removals would change the threshold of present bodies necessary for a quorum, possibly speeding things along, and that Abbott might be able to appoint replacements for the removed legislators, "at least until there's a special election."

As with the arrests, the removal plan does not appear to be a particularly swift remedy.

"It's definitely not a fast process, although we're trying to figure out a way to fast-track it so that we can get an answer sooner rather than later," said Paxton. "Otherwise, it's just a waiting game."

"In the end, we know how it's going to turn out," added Paxton, "because Governor Abbott is not going to back down, and he'll just keep calling them back until they show up."

— (@)

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Cincinnati official who said mob attack victims 'begged' for beating doubles down; woman punched in face records tearful clip

The Cincinnati city council member who made headlines last week for saying mob attack victims "begged" for the beating they received sat down for a video interview in which she doubled down on her perspective, refused to resign, and invoked race as a factor in the attack.

Meanwhile, the woman who was punched in the face by a male during the mob beatdown — and apparently knocked out as a result — recorded a tearful video in which she thanked those who've supported her.

'You never start a fight with a white person. But if they hit you first, that becomes a reason for all of the frustration and hurt and terror ... of generations, historical generational pain, to be released. And I believe that's what happened.'

WLWT-TV said the woman shared her video with the station and asked to be identified only by her first name — Holly — and thanked "everyone for all of the love and support. It is very humbling that you have sent your prayers, your blessings. It's definitely what's keeping me going, and you have just brought back faith in humanity, so God bless you all. And thank you. I appreciate everything that you're doing for me and my family. It's been very, very hard, and I'm still recovering. I still have very bad brain trauma and it's — thank you. Thank you, everyone."

Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio last week shared grisly images of Holly's face that appeared to have been taken soon after the attack and showed her with a horrific black eye and massive bruising.

"This is Holly," Moreno wrote on X. "She wanted to have a nice evening out with friends. Instead, she got this."

Cellphone video of the mob attack (1:34 mark) shows Holly, who's wearing a blue dress, apparently trying to intervene on behalf of a beaten-up man, but instead another female punches her in the back of the head — and seconds later, a male punches her in the face, knocking her flat on her back on the street.

Vivek Ramaswamy — who's running for Ohio governor — shared a disturbing close-up image of Holly's face after she hit the ground; her eyes are wide open, and her body is motionless. Video shows a few people soon trying to help her up.

Amid all of this, Victoria Parks — the city council's president pro tem — in a video interview posted Friday refused to back away from her incendiary Facebook comment about the mob attack victims, saying that "they begged for that beat down!"

Not only that, but Parks also suggested the white man who was caught on video slapping a black man in the face instigated the mob attack.

"I don't celebrate the fact that he got beat up," Parks told WKRC-TV after the 9:30 mark in the video. "But I also understand why he got beat up. And I believe he does, too. I'm sorry it happened. But there are actions and reactions. And it seemed to me that he was looking for trouble, and so he got trouble."

When the interviewer told Parks, "Certainly you could not be advocating violence," she replied, "By no means. Absolutely not, I'm not advocating violence."

But then she brought race into the mix, saying that one of the conversations black parents have with their children is "you never start a fight with a white person. But if they hit you first, that becomes a reason for all of the frustration and hurt and terror ... of generations, historical generational pain, to be released. And I believe that's what happened."

However, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock last week stated on “Jason Whitlock Harmony" that he's heard the argument that the white man "started it" by making physical contact with the black man and that was justification for the mob attack.

"That's ridiculous to me," Whitlock said. "The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified."

BlazeTV contributor Shemeka Michelle agreed, telling Whitlock the attack was "definitely unjustified. When they tried to show the video of the guy in the red being pushed and acting as if that was justification. ... But for all of these people to jump in — and it wasn't just men jumping in; there were women jumping in as if they were men."

Whitlock also posted a message on X calling out the mob attack the day after it happened, saying that "this behavior and lack of national outrage are unsustainable. It's unsustainable. The anti-white bigotry at the root of this behavior must be addressed. Sickening."

In addition, another Cincinnati council member Meeka Owens told WLWT in a separate story — referencing Parks' "they begged for that beat down" comment — that "making comments that inflame a violent incident is never acceptable" and that "endorsing violence is neither effective nor responsible." Owens added to the station that "it is not beneficial to the city nor the region when [Parks] advocates for violence as a means of retribution" and that "the comments of one lame-duck member of Cincinnati City Council do not represent the opinions or perspectives of the Council as a whole, and certainly not mine.”

While Parks announced in January that she isn't running for re-election, Owens added to NewsNation in a video interview that Parks' resignation should be an option as a result of her controversial words about the mob attack victims.

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6 now charged in Cincinnati mob attack; mayor says man who issued 'slap' prior to beatdown is being 'actively investigated'

Cincinnati officials on Friday said six people are now charged in connection with the mob attack that took place in the city's downtown area last weekend — and the mayor said a man seen on video issuing a "slap" prior to the beatdown is being "actively investigated."

Earlier this week, police said five people had been charged in connection with the mob attack, and three of them have been arrested to date. With the new development that six people have been charged, that leaves three people who have yet to be taken into custody.

'The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified.'

According to video of Friday's news conference, after a reporter asked if a charge is coming to the man who issued the "slap" prior to the mob attack, Mayor Aftab Pureval said that man is being "actively investigated."

"We take all violence very seriously," Pureval said, adding that "we expect more charges and more arrests."

The mayor also said during the news conference that he "profoundly disagrees" with city council member Victoria Parks, who infamously declared in a Facebook comment that the victims of the mob attack "begged for that beat down!"

In addition, Police Chief Teresa Theetge said at the news conference that next week she may be releasing "additional footage ... that tells a little bit more of the story" surrounding the mob attack.

You can view cellphone videos of the mob attack here, here, here, here, and here.

The final two videos appear to show a man dressed in a white shirt and black pants — who would soon be beaten up by the mob — making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts, who soon would take part in the mob attack.

However, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock on Monday stated on "Jason Whitlock Harmony" that he's heard the argument that the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants — a white man — "started it" by making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts — a black man — and that was justification for the mob attack.

But Whitlock wasn't having it.

"That's ridiculous to me," Whitlock said. "The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified."

Whitlock on Sunday posted a message on X calling out the mob attack, saying that "this behavior and lack of national outrage are unsustainable. It's unsustainable. The anti-white bigotry at the root of this behavior must be addressed. Sickening."

The FBI on Monday opened an investigation into the mob attack, WXIX-TV reported. The incident is under investigation as a potential hate crime, according to Fox News.

Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio late Wednesday shared grisly images of a woman's face in an X post after she was beaten up and apparently knocked out cold during the mob attack.

The mother of one of the arrested mob attack suspects defended her 'honor roll' son earlier this week — a 34-year-old who's been charged with felonious assault and aggravated riot — saying, "My child is in school, he has five kids, he's on the B honor roll in school."

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'Despicable human being!!' Cincinnati official triggers venomous reactions to her comment about mob attack victims

A Cincinnati council member is drawing intense backlash over a comment she made about the victims of last weekend's viral mob attack.

Victoria Parks — the city council's president pro tem — said "they begged for that beat down!" the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

'Disgusting comment! Victim shaming! NO ONE deserves that type of assault! You need to be removed from public office!'

Parks' comment went up at 4:50 a.m. Sunday under another Facebook user's post that includes video of the physical attack. Her comment — in which she added, "I am grateful for the whole story" — was still visible Thursday morning within the post.

Those reacting underneath her comment didn't hold back:

"A city council member condoning violence in her city is not a good look," one commenter wrote.
"As someone who supports the majority of your positions, this comment is absolutely unbecoming of a city councilperson, disgraceful, and beyond the pale. You need to resign. Step aside and let someone with tact handle the job," another user said.
"Clown," another commenter replied.
"Racist," another user declared.

Others visited Parks' own Facebook page and flooded one of her posts — unrelated to the mob attack — with angry words:

"A well-deserved beat down is waiting for you," one commenter told Parks.
"What a despicable human being!!" another user told her.
"If that post is verified, and all signs suggest that it is, Victoria Parks was clearly condoning violence, specifically racially charged violence, with her public comment," another commenter wrote. "If this wasn’t just a one-off but part of a broader pattern of bias that influenced her decisions as a public servant, it could open the door to civil lawsuits. If her prejudice affected anything related to public safety, city resources, or law enforcement, the City of Cincinnati could face serious legal consequences."
"Try running your mouth in the state just to your west and see what comes your way," another user said.
"Mm-mm, the Lord is exposing folks left and right, and baby, He’s showing the world exactly who you are," another commenter observed. "That mouth ain’t fit for public office, or the pulpit. Jesus don’t bless no mess like this."
"You are so gross," another user told Parks.
"Disgusting comment! Victim shaming! NO ONE deserves that type of assault! You need to be removed from public office!" another commenter exclaimed.
"I would sure like to know why in the world a city councilwoman would make remarks like this. These people that are hitting, kicking and stomping the head of one person as a mob are nothing more than thugs with animalistic behaviors. Prosecute, prosecute, prosecute them," another user said before adding, "Kick Miss Stupidmouth off the city council!!!!!!"

Blaze News on Wednesday emailed Parks and asked her if she posted the comment and would care to explain it; Parks as of Thursday afternoon has not yet replied to Blaze News' inquiry.

Same deal with the Enquirer. The paper said Parks "did not respond to multiple messages Wednesday seeking comment. Parks’ office in Cincinnati City Hall was dark and the door was locked on Wednesday afternoon when an Enquirer reporter knocked. There was no answer."

However, WLWT-TV said Parks confirmed that she did post the comment and stands by it.

Fellow council member Meeka Owens noted to WLWT in reference to Parks' words that "making comments that inflame a violent incident is never acceptable" and that "endorsing violence is neither effective nor responsible." Owens added to the station that "it is not beneficial to the city nor the region when [Parks] advocates for violence as a means of retribution" and that "the comments of one lame-duck member of Cincinnati City Council do not represent the opinions or perspectives of the Council as a whole, and certainly not mine.”

Parks announced in January that she isn't running for re-election.

'The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified.'

In one widely shared cellphone video of the early Saturday morning beatdown, a man dressed in a white shirt and black pants is chased into the street and knocked down before multiple attackers repeatedly punch and kick and stomp him over the course of nearly a minute amid hooting and hollering. Soon a woman in a blue dress is seen apparently trying to intervene on behalf of the beaten-up man, but she's punched in the back of her head by another female — and seconds later, a male punches her in the face, knocking her flat on her back on the street. A disturbing close-up of the woman's face shows her eyes wide open and body motionless before a few people try to help her up.

A second clip shows three other men knocked to the surface of the same street. Then one attacker leaps and lands his body atop one of the male victims — pro-wrestling-style — while the victim is still lying on the street surface. Afterward, a laughing, smiling male pulls the attacker away.

A third video shows what appears to be the same victim from the previous clip getting pummeled from behind and knocked to the ground as a voice is heard saying, "Sleep him again!" The victim is then dragged by his foot into the middle of the street.

A fourth video, however, appears to show what preceded the beatdown as depicted in the first video. It shows the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants — who was beaten up in the first video — squaring off with a male in a red shirt and black shorts who would soon take part in the mob attack. It appears to show the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts — and then it's on.

An additional Facebook video appears to show even more of what occurred prior to the mob attack. It depicts what seems to be a verbal argument and minor scuffle that was on its way to calming down, and the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants seems to lightly slap the face of the male in the red shirt and black shorts, which — as noted above — leads to the beatdown.

However, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock on Monday stated on “Jason Whitlock Harmony" that he's heard the argument that the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants — a white man — "started it" by making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts — a black man — and that was justification for the mob attack.

"That's ridiculous to me," Whitlock said. "The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified."

Police have arrested three of the five charged suspects in connection with the mob attack — and one of the arrestees reportedly was out on bond for weapons charges when the street beatdown took place.

The arrestees so far are: 39-year-old Jermaine Matthews, 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon, and 34-year-old Montianez Merriweather, WXIX-TV reported. The two other charged suspects have not been named.

Merriweather and Vernon were booked Tuesday afternoon into the Hamilton County Justice Center on charges of felonious assault and aggravated riot, WXIX said, citing jail and court records. Matthews was booked into the county jail just after 1 a.m. Wednesday on charges of aggravated riot and assault, the station reported.

Merriweather was "identified on video punching [the] victim while co-defendants are stomping the victim in the head," while Vernon "struck [the] victim in the face with a closed fist prior to the victim becoming unconscious from the attack," WXIX reported, citing criminal complaints. Details on Matthews' case had not yet been filed in the court record, the station said.

The Cincinnati Enquirer said Vernon's bond was set at $200,000. Hamilton County court records show she has no prior criminal convictions in the county, the paper reported in a separate story.

Merriweather's situation is a bit more complicated, shall we say.

It turns out he was indicted July 10 on four felony charges after investigators said he was found in possession of a stolen firearm, the Enquirer reported. Court records indicate he was charged with carrying concealed weapons, receiving stolen property, improper handling of firearms in a vehicle, and weapons under disability, the paper noted. The weapons under disability charge stems from a 2009 felony conviction for aggravated robbery, the Enquirer said, citing documents.

But after his indictment just two weeks ago, Merriweather was released upon posting 10% of a $4,000 bond, the paper said.

"He never should have been out," Ken Kober, Cincinnati police union president, told the Enquirer.

Merriweather's bond in connection with the mob attack charges against him was set at $500,000, the Enquirer reported.

As for Matthews, his bond was set at $100,000, the paper said — although he later was charged with felony assault, as well, and a bond for that charge will be discussed at a Thursday hearing.

Matthews apparently is no stranger to law enforcement, either. More from WXIX:

Matthews is a convicted felon who pleaded guilty in 2009 to two counts of cocaine possession and a single count of cocaine trafficking, court records show.

He was sentenced to three years in prison.

During each of his two separate arrests in those cases — in December 2008 and February 2009 — police said Matthews tried to swallow a bag of crack cocaine but spit it out after being shocked with a Taser stun gun.

The FBI on Monday opened an investigation into the mob attack, WXIX reported. Fox News said the incident is under investigation as a potential hate crime.

Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge told NewsNation Monday she anticipates more people will be charged over the mob attack and said, "Anyone who put their hands on another individual during this incident in an attempt to cause harm will face consequences.”

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3 arrested in Cincinnati mob attack; 1 reportedly was out on bond for weapons charges at time of street beatdown

Police have arrested three of the five charged suspects in connection with the Cincinnati mob attack caught on video over the weekend — and one of the arrestees reportedly was out on bond for weapons charges when the street beatdown took place.

The arrestees so far are: 39-year-old Jermaine Matthews, 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon, and 34-year-old Montianez Merriweather, WXIX-TV reported. The two other charged suspects have not been named.

'He never should have been out.'

The Cincinnati Enquirer said Vernon's bond was set at $200,000. Hamilton County court records show she has no prior criminal convictions in the county, the paper reported in a separate story.

Merriweather's situation is a bit more complicated, shall we say.

But after his indictment just two weeks ago, Merriweather was released upon posting 10% of a $4,000 bond, the paper said.

"He never should have been out," Ken Kober, Cincinnati police union president, told the Enquirer.

Merriweather's bond in connection with the mob attack charges against him was set at $500,000, the Enquirer reported.

As for Matthews, his bond was set at $100,000, the paper said — although he later was charged with felony assault, as well, and a bond for that charge will be discussed at a Thursday hearing.

Matthews apparently is no stranger to law enforcement, either. More from WXIX:

Matthews is a convicted felon who pleaded guilty in 2009 to two counts of cocaine possession and a single count of cocaine trafficking, court records show.

He was sentenced to three years in prison.

During each of his two separate arrests in those cases — in December 2008 and February 2009 — police said Matthews tried to swallow a bag of crack cocaine but spit it out after being shocked with a Taser stun gun.

The FBI on Monday opened an investigation into the mob attack, WXIX reported. Fox News said the incident is under investigation as a potential hate crime.

Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge told NewsNation Monday she anticipates more people will be charged over the mob attack and said "anyone who put their hands on another individual during this incident in an attempt to cause harm will face consequences.”

In the main cellphone video of the early Saturday morning mob attack, a man dressed in a white shirt and black pants is chased into the street and knocked down before multiple attackers repeatedly punch and kick and stomp him over the course of nearly a minute amid hooting and hollering.

'The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified.'

Then, a woman in a blue dress is seen apparently trying to intervene on behalf of the beaten-up man, but she's punched in the back of her head by another female — and seconds later, a male punches her in the face, knocking her flat on her back on the street. (It appears the video may not be viewable unless you're signed into X.) A disturbing close-up of the woman's face shows her eyes wide open and body motionless before a few people try to help her up.

A set of three other videos appear to show the same beatdown from different vantage points — and additional victims are seen, as well. (Again, the clips may not be viewable unless you're signed into X.)

One that lasts 23 seconds shows three other men knocked to the surface of the same street. Then, one attacker leaps and lands his body atop one of the male victims — pro-wrestling-style — while the victim is still lying on the street surface. Afterward, a laughing, smiling male pulls the attacker away.
Another video that lasts 12 seconds shows what appears to be the same victim from the 23-second video getting pummeled from behind and knocked to the ground as a voice is heard saying "sleep him again!" The victim is then dragged by his foot into the middle of the street.
The third video — which lasts one minute and 14 seconds — appears to show what preceded the beatdown in the main video. It shows the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants — who was beaten up in the first video — squaring off with a male in a red shirt and black shorts who would soon take part in the mob attack. It appears to show the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts — and then it's on.

An additional Facebook video appears to show even more of what occurred prior to the mob attack. It depicts what seems to be a verbal argument and minor scuffle that was on its way to calming down, and then the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants seems to lightly slap the face of the male in the red shirt and black shorts, which — as noted above — leads to the beatdown.

"That's ridiculous to me," Whitlock said. "The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified."

NewsNation reported that Police Chief Theetge blasted bystanders, noting that despite the preponderance of people with cell phones out and recording the beatdown, only one person called 911.

“For all those people recording with cell phones and for us to only get one call is unacceptable in this city,” Theetge added, according to the outlet.

The chief also ripped those who posted videos of the attack on social media given that the clips don't show the full context of it, NewsNation said: “That social media post and your coverage of it distorts the content of what actually happened and makes our jobs more difficult.”

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Chaos erupts at illicit 'fight club': Shots fired, teens injured, 13 arrested at brawl

Chaos erupted at an illegal "fight club" in New York, which resulted in teens being shot and 13 people arrested, police stated.

Officers from the Suffolk County Police Department's Seventh Precinct responded to a report of possible gunshots fired around 6 p.m. Sunday at the Brookhaven Aquatic Center parking lot in the hamlet of Shirley in Long Island.

'An example needs to be set.'

Once police officers arrived, they discovered that a "scuffle had broken out among several people who were attending an unauthorized fight club event," the Suffolk County Police Department told Blaze News.

Photo by Denys Yelmanov via iStock / Getty Images Plus

The Suffolk County Police Department said one of the participants in the alleged fight club "brandished and discharged a blank-firing gun during the scuffle, which injured a 17-year-old male and a 19-year-old male."

The two teens were rushed to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Suffolk Police Chief of Detectives William Doherty noted to WABC-TV that "the gun was designed to fire blanks. It wasn't a firearm that expelled the projectile, but the blanks were fired close enough to two individuals to injure them."

Detectives with the Suffolk County Police Department charged 25-year-old Devine Brown of Mastic Beach with assault in the second degree, menacing in the second degree, prohibitive use of a weapon, and unlawful assembly. Brown was held at the Sixth Precinct jail.

The other 12 suspects, all from Suffolk County, were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly and were issued field or desk appearance tickets. They include:

Jehsiah Williams, 23, of Mastic
Devin Black, 20, of Mastic Beach
Tariq Nix, 20, of Mastic
Alejandro Hightower, 20, of Holbrook
Malachi Leftenant, 19, of Shirley
Honest Thompson, 19, of Middle Island
Jason Alvarez, 18, of Riverhead
Henry Thompson, 18, of Moriches
Lorenzo Whyte, 18, of Shirley
Kyron Deer, 18, of Coram
Thomas Zuzierla, 18, of Mastic
A 16-year-old boy; police did not name him because of his age

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico told News 12 Long Island that he's seeking tougher laws to penalize those who profit from criminal activity.

"An example needs to be set because the good people of Mastic, Shirley, Mastic Beach, and elsewhere have had it with all this stupidity," Panico stated.

The investigation into the alleged fight club incident is ongoing. Detectives with the Suffolk County Police Department are urging anyone with information on the incident to contact the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752.

This is actually the second time an unauthorized "fight club" was recently exposed in Suffolk County.

Last month, approximately 70 people attended an illegal "fight club" at Walt Whitman Park in Melville, according to Newsday.

Police said they were tipped off about the brawl at the park after the melee was publicized on Instagram.

The spectators watching the rumble — mostly young adults in their early 20s — scattered when cops arrived. However, police arrested two combatants.

Finley McCloskey and Jake Zimilies — both 19-year-old Northport residents — were issued appearance tickets and charged with unlawful assembly, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

Police noted that the Instagram account that promoted the "fight club" was deactivated after the bust.

The premise of a "fight club" was first popularized by the 1996 novel “Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk, which was based on his own experiences participating in secret brawl rings.

The book was adapted into the 1999 Oscar-nominated movie of the same name, which starred Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.

The most popular quote from the "Fight Club" film is regarding the secrecy of the underground fight club: "Gentlemen, welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: You DO NOT talk about Fight Club!"

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ICE accuses media of peddling 'FALSE narrative' about non-criminal deportations

The Department of Homeland Security says the media is misleading the public about who is being deported.

Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin decided to strike back against media members who have accused her agency, especially Immigration and Customs Enforcement, of increasingly going after illegal aliens who do not have criminal backgrounds.

New ICE arrest data from late June shows that federal agents ramped up arrests of those who are considered "other immigration violator(s)," but it is that definition that has some journalists and the DHS playing the blame game.

'This deceptive "non-criminal" categorization is devoid of reality and misleads the American public.'

The DHS is battling narratives from outlets like NPR, CBS News, and the Cato Institute that have argued that the Trump administration said, through Attorney General Pam Bondi and border czar Tom Homan, that enforcement would focus on aliens who have committed crimes in addition to illegally crossing the border.

CBS host Major Garrett even posited to Homan last week that "a growing number of those detained ... are not criminals."

"They are here illegally, which is a crime. But they don't have other felonies on their records," Garrett explained.

A report from journalist Austin Kocher made the same point, showing that 44% of ICE's arrests now represent illegal aliens who have not committed additional crimes.

It is precisely this angle that the DHS is calling a "false" and "deceptive" narrative.

- YouTube

"The media continues to peddle this FALSE narrative that ICE is not targeting criminal illegal aliens," Assistant Secretary McLaughlin told Blaze News in a statement. "The official data tells the true story: 70% of ICE arrests were criminal illegal aliens with convictions or pending charges."

It is likely that, as June's data is incomplete, the secretary is using data from May, which shows about 71% of ICE arrests included those with either prior convictions or pending criminal charges.

Those without additional convictions, or "other immigration violators," make up the remainder. ICE defines this category as individuals without any known criminal convictions or pending charges in "ICE's system of record at the time of the enforcement action."

However, the DHS assistant secretary says the media are reading between the lines and using their own narrative.

"Many illegal aliens categorized as 'non-criminals' are actually terrorists, human rights abusers, gang members, and more — they just don't have a rap sheet in the U.S. This deceptive 'non-criminal' categorization is devoid of reality and misleads the American public," McLaughlin's statement added.

Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images

"The criminal numbers are much higher than a lot of the media is reporting," Homan said on CBS News. "They're simply not counting misdemeanors [and] those that are pending criminal charges."

Many of the convicted criminal aliens are with others who have not committed additional crimes, Homan asserted.

"They're coming, too," he reminded the host. "We'll tell ICE agents, 'You're going to enforce the law.'"

The border czar added, "We still focus on public threats and national security threats, but if we find an illegal alien in the process of doing that, they're going to be arrested too."

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Chinese nationals on student visas allegedly ripped off elderly Americans in nasty scheme

There has long been controversy over the provision of student visas to Chinese nationals, around 277,000 of whom studied in the U.S. last year.

For starters, this army of military-age individuals hails from an adversarial communist nation that has in recent years targeted the U.S. with cyber attacks, intimidation and coercion campaigns, deadly fentanyl, election interference, and threats.

Victims were allegedly instructed to tell inquiring bank tellers that 'home remodeling' was the reason for their massive bank withdrawals

In apparent service of China's goal of displacing the U.S. and becoming the global hegemon by 2049, Chinese students have also reportedly engaged in espionage, spy recruitment, bio-material smuggling, and intellectual theft on college campuses, which the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has emphasized constitute "soft targets."

It turns out some Chinese students may not be here to give Beijing a competitive edge but rather to rip off elderly Americans.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Friday that eight Chinese nationals who secured student visas to attend college in America were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to the indictment, the defendants — whose ages range from 24 to 35 and who were stationed in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania — allegedly kicked off a wide-scale computer "pop-up" scam targeting elderly Americans, falsely claiming that their computers or bank accounts had been compromised.

HUNG CHIN LIU via iStock / Getty Images

The "pop-up" would provide victims with a phone number to call. When the number was called, members of the conspiracy would allegedly inform victims they needed to move money out of their banks accounts in the interest of security. In some cases, victims were allegedly instructed to tell inquiring bank tellers that "home remodeling" was the reason for their massive bank withdrawals.

Chinese nationals involved in the conspiracy allegedly traveled to victims' homes disguised as federal law enforcement officers, then hustled large amounts of cash on the false pretense that the money would be protected.

The alleged fraudsters are believed to have defrauded over 50 victims across 19 states of over $10 million between August 2023 and late February 2024.

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud could land the supposed students up to 20 years in prison.

'Schemes like these cause significant emotional and financial harm to elderly victims across the country.'

"As outlined in the indictment, this criminal enterprise not only exploited elderly victims but did so by impersonating federal law enforcement — an egregious abuse of trust," Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office, said in a statement.

"We urge older Americans and their families to remain alert to these kinds of scams," continued Jacobs. "The FBI will never ask for money or payment of any kind."

The Federal Trade Commission underscored that legitimate tech companies "won't contact you by phone, email, or text message to tell you there's a problem with your computer," and "security pop-up warnings from real tech companies will never ask you to call a phone number or click on a link."

"These indictments highlight the relentless efforts of Homeland Security Investigations to safeguard our elderly population from complex fraud operations," said Special Agent in Charge Edward Owens of Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia. "Schemes like these cause significant emotional and financial harm to elderly victims across the country."

John Gurganus, acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, declined to comment when asked whether there was cause to suspect the scheme was state-backed and whether the DOJ believes similar conspiracies executed by foreign nationals on student visas were underway.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on May 28 — just weeks after a bombshell report about Chinese spies at Stanford University — that the State Department would work with the Department of Homeland Security to "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields."

President Donald Trump revealed two weeks later that the U.S. was dropping its plans to revoke Chinese student visas in exchange for the communist nation continuing the supply of necessary rare-earth minerals.

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Watch: Pistol-whipping carjacker picks wrong car — and has instant regrets when pastor gives him shock of his life

New video shows a teen attempting an armed carjacking in crime-ridden Baltimore, but the intended victim — a prominent pastor — fought back and turned the tables on the crook.

Rev. Kenneth Moales Jr. — pastor of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bridgeport, Connecticut — was in Baltimore for a funeral in late June.

'I knew my life was at stake.'

Moales parked his car outside a seafood restaurant in the city's Upper Fells Point neighborhood just before 9 p.m. June 29, WBAL-TV reported.

A teen wearing a ski mask approached Moales' vehicle while the pastor was still inside it, the station said, adding that the teenager allegedly asked the pastor for help regarding his dead cell phone.

The teen — armed with a gun — ordered the pastor to exit his vehicle, WBAL said.

"When I looked at him, I knew like something about this wasn't right. I was looking to kind of drive away, and he immediately pulls up his ski mask," Moales told WBFF-TV. "Puts it up over his face, whips out the Glock, points it at the car, like, 'Get out the car.'"

Moales added to WJZ-TV, "He's placed materialism over my life, and unfortunate[ly] for him, he picked the wrong car."

The pastor made a split-second decision to fight back against the young carjacker.

"I immediately got into a fight. So I just punched him in the face. I reach out for the gun," Moales recalled to WBFF.

Surveillance video shows Moales tackling the teen and slamming him on the wet pavement for approximately 20 seconds.

Moales also told WBFF, "I really believe I was fighting for my life and, more importantly, trying to get home to my wife and children."

Citing charging documents, WBAL reported that the carjacker pistol-whipped the pastor in the head.

During the melee, Moales recounted to WJZ that he was able to wrestle the gun away from the teenager.

What's more, the pastor offered the teen an opportunity to get away.

Moales recalled to WBFF, "I realize how young he is, and that's when I tell him, 'Hey, I'm a pastor. Relax, calm down. I'm a pastor. I'm not going to press charges. You know, I'm going to let you go, but you’ve got to get out of here.'"

However, the carjacker didn't accept the offer — and proceeded to steal the pastor's vehicle.

"I told him, 'I'm a father, a husband, and a pastor, and you can just go now, and I won't press charges,'" Moales recounted to WVIT-TV. "But even after all of that — after I had let him go and given him a chance to not face charges — he still drove off in my car."

He added to WBFF, "You would think once I let him know I was a pastor that there would be, in one way or another, some level of remorse, and there was neither, none at all. He [couldn't] care less. And that’s what’s left me hurt — I’m not going to say broken — [but] hurt, concerned, and knowing what my new mission is."

The pastor suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to a statement from his congregation.

WJZ reported that within hours of the carjacking, officers with the Baltimore Police Department located the pastor's vehicle with three suspects inside — ages 15, 16, and 19.

All three teenagers were arrested and charged with auto theft, WBAL said.

The two minors were not identified because they are underage, but WBAL identified the 19-year-old suspect as Mehkai Tindal, according to charging documents. It isn't clear which of the three attacked Moales.

The harrowing experience provided the pastor with an eye-opening perspective — and a new mission.

Moales told WVIT, "I have forgiven the young man — but this violent crime just shows me that I need to work even harder to help young people right here in Bridgeport, because a lot of these kids are hopeless and this problem is not unique to Baltimore."

The pastor added to WBFF, "If we don't commit to educating this generation in a significant way, what happened to me is just a beginning. If they'll, if they'll pistol-whip a pastor, you about know what they'll do to my members."

Moales noted to WBAL, "My prayer today is, 'God, thank you for covering me. Thank you for my life.'"

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