Police officers searching high and low for a missing toddler in Louisville, Kentucky, last month received an unlikely assist from a four-legged hero.

While a drone and police helicopter searched overhead for signs of the 3-year-old boy, officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department's Seventh Division canvased the neighborhood, keenly aware that time was of the essence.

'Lassie found him!'

Officer Josh Thompson indicated that a fellow officer heard tell of a report from a woman "that called in about a kid. It wasn't the same description, but it was a young kid — hit her Ring doorbell camera, ran off."

After following up with the woman, Thompson learned that the boy had ventured to the home across the street.

The front porch of that residence was flanked by packages, and there were no obvious signs of anyone being inside. So Thompson inspected the rear of the house, taking note that "there's some spots where a kid may be."

When returning to the front of the home, hoping that this time someone might answer the door, Thompson realized that he was being tailed.

Photo by Luke Sharrett for the Washington Post via Getty Images

"There's a dog, starts walking with me," Thompson recalled. "At first, you don't know about dogs. You don't know where the dog's from, so I'm kind of being a little leery of the dog. He's barking, chirping at me a little bit, and then continues to follow me back to the front porch."

The dog was relentless, yapping at Thompson in an apparent effort to get his attention.

Bodycam footage shows Thompson gesture to the dog and say, "Let's go find him! Come on! Let's go!" Immediately, the dog spins, then begins leading the officer back toward the rear of the house.

"It led me all the way back to the back yard. At that point, I'm thinking, 'Okay, this kid's in this back yard,'" recalled Thompson.

Noticing that the back door was ajar, officers briefly checked inside the house for the child but found nothing. When the officers came out empty-handed, they were greeted again by the dog, which hurried over to a parked car.

Moments later, Thompson heard his fellow officer, who had accompanied the dog through the back yard, announce victory: "I got him!"

"The kid was in the front passenger seat, terrified," said Thompson.

With some coaching from the officers, the kid was able to unlock the door and was greeted with cheers.

"I don't think I've ever seen a happier kid in my life," said Thompson. "He jumped out of the car, bear-hugged my neck, and wouldn't let go."

In the footage, it's clear that the dog was similarly excited over the result, wagging its tail excitedly and darting its nose from officer to officer.

"Lassie found him!" says one of the officers.

Thompson suggested that in his two years patrolling the neighborhood, he had never seen the hero dog before or since.

"I don't know where the dog came from," he said. "But it was a blessing from God that day."

The LMPD stated, "Outstanding work by our officers, and a four-legged friend who reminded us that heroes come in all forms."

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Trump makes big appearance in Epstein files — just not the way Democrats may have hoped

When it became clear in December that the complete release of the Jeffrey Epstein files would be delayed, various Democrats suggested that President Donald Trump might be trying to conceal damning and previously unknown details about his relationship with the child sex offender.

For example, Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), a recipient of contributions from Epstein, suggested that "this is nothing more than a cover-up to protect Donald Trump from his ugly past."

Unfortunately for Schumer and other Democrats apparently desperate for dirt on the president, one of the newly released files reveals that Trump was anything but an ally to Epstein — that he reportedly thanked law enforcement for going after the pervert and stressed the importance of also focusing on Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former lover and co-conspirator.

'She is evil.'

A document dated April 23, 2020, details an interview conducted by FBI agents the previous year with a law enforcement official regarding his department's investigation into Epstein in the 2000s and his personal conversation on the topic at the time with Trump.

Although his name is redacted, the document appears to indicate that the interviewee became chief of the Palm Beach Police Department in 2001.

Michael Reiter — the man who served as chief of the PBPD from 2001 to 2009 and launched the first investigation into Epstein — confirmed to the Miami Herald that he was interviewed by FBI agents in 2019 and spoke with Trump in July 2006.

Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

According to the FBI's 302 summary of its interview, the interviewee told the feds that "TRUMP was one of the very first people to call when people found out that they were investigating EPSTEIN."

In addition to noting that he kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago and that people in New York knew Epstein was disgusting, Trump told the chief that he was "around EPSTEIN once when teenagers were present and ... 'got the hell out of there.'"

Trump expressed gratitude to the interviewee for doing something about the sex offender, stating, "Thank goodness you're stopping him; everyone has known he’s been doing this," the FBI said in the 302 document.

Trump also mentioned Epstein's "operative" Ghislaine Maxwell in his conversation with the chief, noting that "she is evil and to focus on her," said the document.

Maxwell, 64, was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls as young as 14 with Epstein, going all the way back to the early 1990s.

An FBI official told the Herald, "We are not aware of any corroborating evidence that the president contacted law enforcement 20 years ago."

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said in response to the newly released document, "Trump didn't play their game, he helped expose it. And when they couldn't blackmail him they tried to smear him."

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‘Political theater’: Mamdani defends knife-wielding suspect who charged at police

In Queens, New York, Jabez Chakraborty was shot by law enforcement following a call from his family involving a mental and emotional distress crisis.

Bodycam footage from officers shows an immediate act of aggression after they enter the home on January 26 as Chakraborty charges officers with a large kitchen knife.

'I’m grateful to the first responders who put themselves on the line each day to keep our communities safe.'

New York Police Department Officer Tyree White orders Chakraborty to “put the knife down” several times, video shows. Chakraborty, 22, does not comply.

White then shoots Chakraborty, who sustained serious injuries but survived. Police said they recovered the knife at the scene.

The family later claimed they had asked for an ambulance, not police.

BWC Footage - P.O. White

However bodycam footage from another video shows a different account. In that video, a woman clearly says, “Yes,” when officers ask if she called them. She then opens the door and invites the officers inside. Officers again ask if they can enter the home, and she responds, “Yes,” confirming twice that she intentionally requested law enforcement assistance.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) initially praised first responders in a social media post.

“I’m grateful to the first responders who put themselves on the line each day to keep our communities safe,” the mayor said on X.

He later visited Chakraborty and his family in the hospital before shifting the tone of his public messaging.

"Jabez needs mental health treatment, not criminal prosecution by a district attorney," Mamdani said.

“No family should have to endure this kind of pain," he added.

Screenshot of NYPD video

Critics say Mamdani is “playing a dangerous game of political theater,” downplaying the danger of the incident and framing Chakraborty as blameless because of his mental health.

No criminal charges appear to have been filed in connection with this case. Blaze News has reached out to the NYPD to inquire about Officer White's status.

Mamdani has since said he is working on a plan to accelerate the creation of a Department of Community Safety, which would co-respond to 911 calls alongside law enforcement.

“What these policy options include are various co-response models involving teams of behavioral health specialists, peer experts, and of course police so that they can intervene if the need arises,” Mamdani said.

Critics have been quick to point out that creating the Department of Community Safety would be unaffordable as New York City is already under a $12 billion budget deficit.

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45-year-old 'primary aggressor' charged after wild brawl caught on video involving apparent HS students at ICE protest

A 45-year-old male has been arrested and charged in connection with a wild brawl involving apparent high school students at a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas — much of which was caught on video.

Buda Police said Chad Michael Watts of Kyle was charged Tuesday with two counts of assault causing bodily injury.

'We see that all the time in law enforcement — that videos start at the 10-second mark. What happened in the first 10 seconds?'

Police previously said students from Moe and Gene Johnson High School in Buda were conducting a “walkout” protest Monday — then officers were dispatched for a fight in progress just before 3 p.m. Buda is about 20 minutes southwest of Austin.

Arriving officers were notified that a juvenile female on the sidewalk and an adult male in a vehicle were engaged in a verbal argument, police said, adding that the argument escalated into a physical altercation involving multiple people.

The adult male departed the scene prior to officers arriving, but he was soon located and interviewed, police said. Since officers didn't witness the brawl, the adult male and the juvenile female were identified and released; no arrests were made at the time, police said.

However police said further investigation determined that Watts was the primary aggressor in the physical altercation, and probable cause was established for two offenses of assault causing bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor.

Hays County Jail records as of Wednesday morning indicate Watts has no bond and no release date.

Police said the investigation is ongoing to determine if additional charges will be filed.

"We’re trying to get to the original videos and have those submitted by those people that took the videos so we can have a solid case and have that chain of custody for our evidence,” Matt Schima, public information officer with the Buda Police Department, told KXAN-TV.

Schima added to the station that "we see that all the time in law enforcement — that videos start at the 10-second mark. What happened in the first 10 seconds? That’s very important as to what happened for the rest of the video. So I think a lot of the public is really taking the last part of the situation, and they’re making their judgments. So what we have to do to have a solid investigation is what initiated all of this.”

As police noted, the adult male was in a vehicle when he verbally argued with the juvenile female — and then things got physical. Indeed one clip recorded from a distance shows what appears to be the adult male on the street swinging at a female as they move from the street to the sidewalk and to the grass.

A second clip recorded very close to the fight shows what appears to be the adult male holding a MAGA hat while swinging at a female and pushing her backward as she fights back; she momentarily grabs the MAGA hat before she falls to the grass.

A third clip shows the bulk of the brawl, and the adult male is outnumbered. At least a dozen apparent high school students punch and kick him, knock him to the ground, and even put him in a headlock until he's able to get up and retreat to his vehicle. Those fighting and watching the brawl are heard yelling, "What the f**k?" and "Get him!" and "F**k ICE! You're a bitch!" and "F**kin' kill yourself!"

Once the adult male is back in his vehicle, one individual from the crowd is heard yelling at him, "Hey, you want another ass-beating, come on out!" The adult male eventually puts the MAGA hat on his head.

It's still unclear why the adult male got out of his vehicle in the first place.

When Blaze News asked police if the adult male indicated why he left his vehicle and physically fought the juvenile female, police replied that it's still under investigation.

If the public has original evidence, witness statements, or relevant information they would like to provide, they can contact Hays County Dispatch at 512-393-7896 or do so anonymously through Hays County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-324-TIPS (8477), www.callcrimestoppers.com, or through the “P3 Tips” phone application, police said.

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‘We do not support ICE’: Speedway gas station sparks backlash after booting Border Patrol boss

A confrontation at a Minneapolis gas station involving a U.S. Border Patrol commander has reignited debate over whether private businesses should deny service to federal law enforcement officers based on opposition to immigration enforcement.

Video circulated online by FreedomNTV shows Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino being followed out of a Speedway convenience store by a man believed to be a store employee or manager. In the footage, the man tells Bovino, “We do not support ICE. Get off our property.”

'It’s shameful conduct to try to penalize men and women who are enforcing federal law.'

Bovino does not respond in the video and exits the store without engaging.

The incident, which occurred in late January, is the latest in a series of encounters in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Department of Homeland Security officials have been turned away from private businesses, particularly in Minnesota, amid heightened anti-ICE activism.

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Similar refusals have been reported at hotels and retail locations, including a Hampton Inn-branded property in Lakeville, Minnesota, where ICE agents were denied accommodations and had reservations canceled. That episode drew national attention after Hilton removed the hotel from its brand. The General Services Administration likewise removed it from its federal lodging programs.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also denied entry to a building in a Chicago suburb earlier this year while attempting to use a restroom, according to DHS officials.

The Speedway video has fueled renewed scrutiny over the line between private business discretion and refusals of service aimed at federal agents performing official duties.

Photo by Jamie Kelter Davis/Getty Images

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zack Smith said that while private businesses generally control access to their property, singling out law enforcement officers because of their role raises serious ethical concerns.

“It’s shameful conduct to try to penalize men and women who are enforcing federal law,” Smith said. “Even if a business technically has the authority to refuse service, that doesn’t make it right.”

Smith added that similar incidents emerged during periods of unrest following 2020, when law enforcement officers increasingly became symbolic targets of political activism.

Following the Speedway incident, criticism of the convenience store chain spread rapidly online, with calls for consumer boycotts aimed at Speedway and its parent company, 7-Eleven.

7-Eleven and the DHS did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have not announced whether further action will be taken.

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Video: All-out brawl erupts between adult male with MAGA hat and more than a dozen apparent HS students at ICE protest

Cellphone videos caught the moment when an all-out brawl erupted between an adult male with a MAGA hat and over a dozen apparent high school students at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest Monday afternoon in Texas.

The Buda Police Department said a Hays County Sheriff’s Office school resource officer at Moe and Gene Johnson High School in Buda indicated that students were conducting a “walkout” protest on RM967. Buda is about 20 minutes southwest of Austin.

'Hey, you want another a**-beating, come on out!'

Law enforcement personnel responded to the area to provide safety and security for pedestrians and motorists, police said.

But police added that Buda officers were dispatched to the intersection of RM967 and FM1626 for a fight in progress just before 3 p.m.

Arriving officers were notified that a female juvenile on the sidewalk and an adult male in a vehicle were engaged in a verbal argument, police said, adding that the argument escalated into a physical altercation involving multiple people.

You can view a clip of the brawl in KXAN-TV's video report about the altercation; it shows what appears to be at least a dozen apparent high school students punching and kicking the adult male, knocking him to the ground, and even putting him in a headlock until he's able to get up and retreat to his vehicle. There is no audio.

Both primary parties involved were identified, the situation remains under investigation, and no arrests have been made at this time, police said.

A Hays Consolidated Independent School District spokesperson told KXAN-TV that the district is aware of the video of the fight but said police are handling the investigation since the incident happened off campus.

Image source: Buda (Texas) Police Department

Buda Police on Tuesday told Blaze News they expect to make an arrest or arrests but have no timeline for when that will happen. Blaze News asked police if the adult male involved in the fight is a teacher — due to numerous social media posts indicating he is — but police replied, "Not that we’re aware of."

One crucial element police confirmed to Blaze News is that the adult male involved in the fight did indeed have a red MAGA hat on his person during the altercation.

There are a handful of videos of the fight apart from the clip included in KXAN's video report — and they are linked in comments under the police department's Facebook post about the brawl.

A third clip includes what the KXAN video shows — except with audio. Those fighting and watching the brawl are heard yelling, "What the f**k?" and "Get him!" and "F**k ICE! You're a bitch!" and "F**kin' kill yourself!"

Once the adult male is back in his vehicle — and his MAGA hat is back in his possession — one individual from the crowd is heard yelling at him, "Hey, you want another ass-beating, come on out!" The adult male eventually puts the MAGA hat on his head.

What isn't clear is why the adult male got out of his vehicle in the first place.

When Blaze News asked police if the adult male indicated why he left his vehicle and physically fought the juvenile female, police replied that it's still under investigation.

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Another CCP bio bust? Hazmat and SWAT teams raid Las Vegas house linked to COVID, Ebola lab.

Following the discovery that Chinese communist agents were coordinating intimidation, espionage, and coercion campaigns out of illegal police stations in the United States, officials found something potentially more threatening in Reedley, California: a Chinese biolab containing deadly pathogens including Ebola.

The secret Chinese lab apparently was not one of a kind.

'These items, importantly, were consistent in appearance to the items found and described in the Reedley, California, lab investigation.'

SWAT officers with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department raided a home in the city's northeast end on Jan. 31, discovering a suspected illegal biolab apparently linked to the Chinese national who owned the Reedley site.

Footage shows local and federal agents massing outside a Sugar Springs Drive residence near Washington Avenue and Hollywood early Saturday morning while drones patrolled overhead.

A tactical robot dog explored the interior and conducted air sampling before members of the LVMPD's All-Hazard Regional Multi-agency Operations and Response team made entry.

The main house was home to three renters who were safely removed and are apparently not targets of the investigation. The locked garage was home to "refrigerators, a freezer, laboratory-type equipment, and numerous containers holding unknown liquid substances," according to police.

The apparent biological materials, which were carefully collected over the course of the weekend along with other evidence, were initially transported to a Southern Nevada Health District facility for safe storage, then taken to an FBI lab for testing.

LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill indicated on Monday that "these items, importantly, were consistent in appearance to the items found and described in the Reedley, California, lab investigation."

Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images

McMahill noted further that "the home was owned by the same individual connected to a prior, illegal bio-lab investigation in Reedley, California, that occurred in 2023."

That individual is Jia Bei Zhu.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party noted in its report on the Reedley biolab that the California lab operated under the direction and control of Zhu, a Chinese citizen associated with communist regime-linked companies as well with Chinese military-civil fusion entities.

'This can't keep happening.'

Zhu, a wanted fugitive from Canada, where he is the subject of a $330 million judgment for stealing American intellectual property, illegally entered the United States under the false identity of "David He," said the report.

While unlawfully in the U.S., Zhu set up a network of companies and accumulated a vast supply of potential pathogens including including Ebola, COVID-19, HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, which he is accused of keeping and poorly storing at one or more unlicensed and unregistered labs.

In addition to thousands of samples of potentially dangerous diseases and hundreds of boxes of medical devices subject to a U.S. Food and Drug embargo, the Reedley lab was home to roughly 1,000 mice that were genetically engineered to mimic the human immune system.

One lab worker reportedly told local officials that the transgenic mice were altered "to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus." Dead mice were apparently disposed of "without the use of a licensed medical waste hauler."

According to the congressional report, the Reedley biolab received millions of dollars in unexplained payments from Chinese communist banks.

Zhu was arrested by federal agents on Oct. 19, 2023, and indicted the following month for allegedly distributing adulterated and misbranded COVID-19 test kits and making false statements to authorities about his identity. He was slapped with additional charges in 2024 for alleged conspiracy and wire fraud.

Zhaoyan Wang, Zhu's supposed lover and business partner, was charged with helping facilitate the alleged fraud through Universal Meditech Inc. and Prestige Biotech Inc. — biolabs she operated in Reedley and Fresno. Wang is also a Chinese national.

McMahill indicated that Zhu, who has a trial hearing scheduled for Feb. 23, remains in federal custody.

The LVMPD also arrested the property manager of the Vegas residence, 55-year-old Ori Solomon, on a charge of disposing and discharging hazardous waste. Solomon was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

On Saturday, the FBI searched a second Vegas home on Temple View Drive but found no threat at the location. The FBI also revisited the Reedley lab on Sunday, reported KFSN-TV.

Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) said in response to the latest lab discovery, "This can't keep happening."

"The federal government must do more to stop illegal labs from operating in our communities," added Kiley.

Kiley and fellow California Reps. Jim Costa (D) and David Valadao (R) have called for a hearing on their Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025.

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Indiana Upgrades Immigration Bill As States Step Up To Boost Deportation Efforts

During a hearing Monday, self-described immigrants testified in favor of illegal immigration and called both the United States and basic law enforcement racist.

Violent repeat offenders — 1 was arrested 14 previous times — accused of attempted murder, sexual abuse in two Chicago cases

Two violent repeat offenders — one of whom had been arrested 14 previous times — are accused of attempted murder, sexual abuse, and aggravated battery in separate cases in Chicago.

The first suspect is accused of sexually abusing a woman inside a Chicago Transit Authority elevator at the Jackson Red Line station in the Loop on Tuesday, CWB Chicago reported.

Briana Bush last week also was charged with three counts of aggravated battery in connection with the stabbing of a 24-year-old man, the outlet said.

Kurtis Porter is charged with criminal sexual abuse by force and aggravated battery of a transit passenger, the outlet said.

Porter allegedly followed a 29-year-old woman into the elevator around 5:40 p.m., the outlet said, adding that police said CTA security video shows Porter obstructing the surveillance camera upon entering the elevator.

The victim told police Porter exposed himself, sexually abused her, and grabbed her face during the attack, the outlet said.

Police and CTA distributed an internal bulletin that included images of Porter, the outlet said, adding that a CTA supervisor recognized Porter hours later and notified nearby patrol officers.

Judge Shauna Boliker on Friday ordered Porter detained, the outlet said. Cook County Jail records indicate that Porter — a 30-year-old — is behind bars on no bond.

LAPD defies Newsom: Chief refuses to enforce mask ban on ICE

The Los Angeles Police Department says it will not enforce a new California law that restricts federal immigration agents from wearing face coverings, pushing back against a measure backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and aimed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department will not stop or cite federal agents for violating the state’s mask ban, citing safety concerns and the risk of escalating confrontations between law enforcement agencies.

'It's not a safe way to do business.'

“The reality of one armed agency approaching another armed agency to create conflict over something that would be a misdemeanor at best or an infraction — it doesn’t make any sense.”

Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The No Secret Police Act, signed by Newsom in September, prohibits most law enforcement officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks or facial coverings while carrying out official duties, with limited exceptions for undercover work or protective equipment. Supporters say the measure increases transparency and prevents the use of “secret police” tactics during immigration operations.

Federal officials and Republican leaders have sharply criticized the law, arguing it endangers agents by exposing their identities and unlawfully interferes with federal authority. The U.S. Department of Justice has challenged the law in court, saying it violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

McDonnell said the LAPD’s role is to maintain public safety, not to police federal officers engaged in immigration enforcement.

"You have the ICE agents who are doing their job. And for us to come in then and try and create an enforcement action for wearing a mask, it's not a safe way to do business," McDonnell said.

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'Blessing from God': Furry, four-legged sleuth helps officers find missing toddler

Trump makes big appearance in Epstein files — just not the way Democrats may have hoped

‘Political theater’: Mamdani defends knife-wielding suspect who charged at police

45-year-old 'primary aggressor' charged after wild brawl caught on video involving apparent HS students at ICE protest

‘We do not support ICE’: Speedway gas station sparks backlash after booting Border Patrol boss

Video: All-out brawl erupts between adult male with MAGA hat and more than a dozen apparent HS students at ICE protest

Another CCP bio bust? Hazmat and SWAT teams raid Las Vegas house linked to COVID, Ebola lab.

Indiana Upgrades Immigration Bill As States Step Up To Boost Deportation Efforts

Violent repeat offenders — 1 was arrested 14 previous times — accused of attempted murder, sexual abuse in two Chicago cases

LAPD defies Newsom: Chief refuses to enforce mask ban on ICE

'Sit this one out': Father of teen killed in Parkland shooting responds when Newsom criticizes Florida permitless carry proposal

Yes, Adam Schiff Can Be Prosecuted For Deliberately Leaking Classified Information To Hurt Trump

Israel Unearths the Truth

GOP lawmakers move to codify DOGE to block left's lawfare

Speaking Openly About Loneliness As A Political Weapon Can Help People Resist Tyranny

The Lie At The Heart Of The College Free-Speech Debate Is That Free Speech Exists On Campus

Republican Rep. Aaron Bean targets Department of Education with 'FREEZE Act' to prohibit appointing people to department, creating new roles

We’ll keep you informed with top stories for conservatives who want to become informed decision makers.