Cross posted from https://programming.dev/post/49298790

What is notable about this development isn’t the intelligence failure, or even the relative success in uncovering the espionage operations. The more interesting part is the underlying sociological realities that made it possible. Emblematic of this reality is the emergence of a new figure in Israeli political life: the ordinary citizen-traitor who sells out his country not for ideology, but for a Telegram payment made in cryptocurrency. The fact that such attempts were made isn’t necessarily due to Iranian cunning — though that, too, deserves attention — but to internal conditions within Israeli society that created an opening for such infiltrations.

Cross posted from https://programming.dev/post/49298790

What is notable about this development isn’t the intelligence failure, or even the relative success in uncovering the espionage operations. The more interesting part is the underlying sociological realities that made it possible. Emblematic of this reality is the emergence of a new figure in Israeli political life: the ordinary citizen-traitor who sells out his country not for ideology, but for a Telegram payment made in cryptocurrency. The fact that such attempts were made isn’t necessarily due to Iranian cunning — though that, too, deserves attention — but to internal conditions within Israeli society that created an opening for such infiltrations.

Pessimism and me are like peas and carrots... Heaven seems boring and in the same vain so are rich people. Why do people whorship the goons on the idiot box? This I will never understand. See I am too self interested in myself, I pay no mind to those with unfair advantage and loud mouths, It brings me peace that in the dog pile only one idiot comes out with the ball and thank gawd all men die. What a flaccid world we live in stuck in a cloud of gas. There is a reason why things are the way they are.. Just cause you want to doesn’t mean you can or should. Snitches of the turd herd tribe crave their validation for they no longer trust their senses, let alone feel anything but envy. A race to no where with nothing to show... a burnt in shadow of a twisted image of righteousness. Rotten to the core in the core going against their gawd who doesn't even exist. It makes me laugh, a ex loved NFG but was heart broken to find out one of the members was a PDFile. I listen to music not the players. I don't whorship idols. Call me crazy but pass the blunt. The overman never gets excited. I am waiting and expecting the down votes baby. Nothing changes ever.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Book bans and attempts to restrict library materials across the United States remain near historic highs, underscoring a shift toward more coordinated, politically driven efforts to remove books from shelves, according to new data released by the American Library Association.

The association said it documented challenges to 4,235 unique book titles in 2025, just shy of the all-time record set two years earlier. While the total number of reported challenges has declined slightly from its peak, the breadth of titles targeted remains far above pre-2021 levels, reflecting what library advocates describe as a sustained national campaign against certain categories of books.

Topping the list of the most frequently challenged titles was “Sold,” a 2006 novel by Patricia McCormick that tells the story of a Nepali girl trafficked into sexual exploitation in India. Critics of the book have cited its depiction of sexual violence, though supporters argue the novel is widely used in schools to address human rights and global exploitation.

Other books facing repeated challenges include Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir “Gender Queer,” and Sarah J. Maas’ fantasy novel “Empire of Storms.” The American Library Association expanded its annual “most challenged” list to 11 titles this year after a four-way tie, adding works such as “A Clockwork Orange,” “Looking for Alaska,” and “Identical.” The objections most commonly raised involve LGBTQ+ themes, sexual content, depictions of violence, or portrayals of adolescent behavior such as drinking and smoking. According to the association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, about 40 percent of the books challenged in 2025 centered on the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals or people of color.

Library officials say a key change in recent years is who is initiating the challenges. More than 90 percent of challenges recorded last year came from organized groups or government officials, rather than individual parents or local residents. Just a small fraction originated from family-by-family complaints, a reversal from past decades when book challenges were typically isolated and community-based.

“These are not spontaneous objections,” said Sam Helmick, president of the American Library Association. “They are part of a coordinated effort to control what stories are available to students and communities.”

Advocacy groups such as Moms for Liberty have pushed for tighter controls on school and library collections, arguing that parents should have greater authority over what materials children can access. In response, several states, including Florida, Texas, and Utah, have passed or enforced laws that make it easier to restrict books deemed to contain “sexual” or “sensitive” content.

In Florida, where school media laws have led to widespread book removals and restricted access, librarians have reported uncertainty over how to comply with state standards without risking penalties. In Utah, entire titles have been removed statewide once they reach a threshold number of district-level bans.

The American Library Association cautions that its data likely understates the scope of the issue, since many challenges go unreported. Librarians may avoid filing formal complaints out of fear of backlash, job loss, or legal consequences, particularly in states where penalties are tied to content disputes.

Despite that, library leaders emphasize that resistance efforts are growing. Legal challenges have been filed in multiple states, and educators, authors, and students have increasingly spoken out against bans they view as censorship.

The report was released during National Library Week, which runs through April 25. Helmick said the timing was intentional.

“Libraries exist to make space for every story and every lived experience,” he said. “As communities debate these issues, libraries continue to defend access, literacy, and the freedom to read.”

As the national conversation continues, librarians and free speech advocates say the outcome will shape not only school shelves, but also how future generations encounter ideas, identity, and history in public spaces.

IDF investigates viral photo of alleged soldier vandalizing Jesus statue in Lebanon, sparking outrage and debate over its authenticity.

A shocking image of an Israeli soldier vandalising a statue of Jesus Christ in South Lebanon has gone viral. But is it real, or did someone use AI to generate the shocking picture? Now, the IDF has confirmed that they are currently investigating the truth behind the photograph and have vowed that they will take action once the unnamed soldier is identified. Outrage Grows Over Image Of Soldier And Jesus Statue

The photograph was originally posted by Palestinian reporter Younis Tirawi on his official X account. Tirawi's post confirmed that the image was taken in southern Lebanon and that the man vandalising the statue is an Israeli soldier.

Tirawi also indicated that the statue belongs to the Christian town of Debel, who posted a photograph of the statue before it was vandalised. 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)',' the page reportedly remarked in the post.

Online reaction was swift. 'You don't have to be Christian to see what this represents: disrespect, dehumanization, and impunity,' one user commented. 'Actions like this fuel hatred far beyond any battlefield.'

'This guy literally had to go out of his way to do this. Disgusting,' another remarked.

'Let me get this straight, the statue was unharmed under hezbollah in southern lebanon and as soon as it was under israeli control they destroyed it?' another netizen wrote. 'And israelis are telling us hezbollah is the enemy of christians even though they were the ones who saved christians from ISIS?'

'Smashing Jesus' statue with a hammer in Lebanon. Trump, the "Christian" president, still all-in on Israel. Christian supporters quiet as usual when it doesn't fit the narrative,' one commented. IDF Launches Inquiry Into Viral Photograph

It did not take long before officials caught wind of the viral post. Israel Defense Forces Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, the official spokesperson for the IDF, responded to the post almost immediately.

'The IDF is currently examining the reliability of the photograph,' Shoshani wrote. 'If this is indeed a real, recent picture, these actions do not align with the IDF's values ​​and the behaviour expected of IDF soldiers.'

'The incident will be investigated thoroughly and in depth, and if necessary, steps will be taken in accordance with the findings,' he added.

For now, the IDF has not yet shared any update on the investigation. Some users have argued that the photograph could not be AI‑generated because it was originally shared by a journalist. Others countered that Tirawi could have been misled and might not have realised he was sharing an AI‑generated image. Either way, the image has already gone viral, with Tirawi's original post earning over 3.4 million views since it was posted on Sunday, April 19.

If verified, the IDF said the act would violate its values and expected standards of conduct. The image surfaced amid ongoing fighting and heightened scrutiny of soldier behaviour during operations in Lebanon, where clashes with Hezbollah and reports of civilian damage have already drawn international attention. The outcome of the IDF's review is still pending.

GLADEVIEW, Fla. (WKRC) - A mother allegedly repeatedly beat her son and even threatened to kill him after he accused her of cheating on his stepfather.

According to a criminal complaint and arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, police became aware of the situation when the 12-year-old victim told school officials that his mother had inflicted injuries onto him. The injuries included "a contusion with lacerations on his left face next to his left eye" and multiple other smaller injuries across his body.

The victim told police that on the day prior, his mother picked him up from school and "began to drive him in his stepfather's vehicle to the Gwen Cherry Park to meet for practice." The mother was identified as 32-year-old Lucianny Lizbeth Luna by authorities.

"The defendant was on the phone talking to who he believed [was a] male his mother was cheating with," the charging document read.

Luna reportedly told the man on the phone that she was taking her son to the park "to play," but her son chimed in and said that he wasn't going to "play" but was just going there so his coach can pick him up.

"The defendant then struck the victim in the face with her right hand, slapping him in the middle of his face," an officer wrote. "The defendant then grabbed his hair, pulled it, and struck him on the back of his head, approximately eighteen to nineteen times, with a small glass bottle."

"The victim stated that after he was hit, he felt in shock and froze for a moment, and the defendant began to shake him. The victim stated that when they were closer to his residence, she then attempted to slash him with her keys. The victim tried to deflect the strike, but the key stabbed him in his right palm. I observed a small laceration to his right palm."

Upon entering the home, the victim allegedly told his stepfather that Luna was "on the phone with the other man," and he responded by telling the boy to go take a shower. After the shower, the stepfather told the victim to repeat what he had said.

"While the victim was mid-sentence, the defendant struck the victim on the left side of his face, causing an injury near his eye," the complaint read. "The defendant then slammed the victim against the wall. The victim began to run away from the defendant, but then [his mother] grabbed the victims towel, holding him back."

The stepfather held Luna back temporarily so that the child could escape and hide in his room, but Luna followed him and began to threaten him from outside of his door, authorities said.

"The defendant was outside of his door yelling to the victim I want to kill you," the complaint claimed. "You're not my son. Come out the door, and I'll kill you with anything I have. The victim then called his aunt."

The child called his aunt and showed her his injuries, allegedly asking that she send his grandparents to pick him up. The aunt would later corroborate the child's story.

When Luna was confronted by police, she told them that she did hit the victim "several times on the back" but said she did not remember any strikes after that. She denied hitting her on the face or on the back of the head, authorities said.

Eight children and teens were killed early Sunday in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, authorities said. The suspected shooter is also dead, according to police.

Ten people were struck by gunfire in all, Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon said at a news conference. He described the incident as "domestic in nature" and said authorities believe at least some of those shot were the "descendants" of the shooter.

The ages of the deceased ranged from 1 to approximately 14 years old, police said. None of the people killed or injured were identified by name. Some of the injured have been hospitalized, said Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux.

The shootings took place at multiple residences in the Louisiana city, including two homes on the same block and a third in another part of the neighborhood, police said. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on X that multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident.

"Over 30% of our crimes and 30% of our murders in the city of Shreveport are domestic in relation. Now that number has gone up," Shreveport Councilman Grayson Boucher said at a news conference Sunday afternoon. "We've more than doubled our homicide in the city of Shreveport because of one act of domestic violence."

Officers responded to the shooting just after 6 a.m. ET at one of the residences where victims were shot, Shreveport police said. The suspect fled, carjacked a vehicle nearby and was chased by police, according to the department. Police said the suspect was killed after officers involved in that pursuit discharged their firearms.

The suspect was acting on their own, police said. The suspect has not yet been identified, but police said the department planned to release a name once necessary notifications had been made.

Louisiana State Police said its detectives will investigate the circumstances around the suspect's death, since it involved an officer. In a statement, the superintendent said investigators were "working to process the scene and gather further information."

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said he couldn't "even begin to imagine how such an event could occur," referring to the shooting, and said investigators will be "going through every piece of evidence at every scene" to understand what took place.

Arceneaux said the shooting "affects the entire community."

"This is a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had in Shreveport," he said, adding, "We all mourn for these families."

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said on X that he and his wife Sharon "are heartbroken over this situation" and are "praying for everyone affected," while Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said his "heart is with the Bossier Shreveport community as we mourn the innocent lives lost this morning."

"I wish the surviving victims a complete and swift recovery," Cassidy said. Bossier Parish, neighboring Shreveport, is where the car chase ended and the suspect was fatally shot, police said.

Majority House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose Louisiana district includes the site of the shooting, referred to it as a "heartbreaking tragedy" in a post on X and said he was holding "the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time."

Former congresswoman Gabby Giffords also addressed the shooting in a statement released through her organization, Giffords, which focuses on gun violence prevention.

"This is a devastating act of domestic gun violence, taking the lives of eight young children. My heart is breaking for their families, the survivors, and everyone in Shreveport today," Giffords said. "All of us should be outraged that we live in a country that routinely subjects our kids to such unimaginable violence."

The White House is also monitoring the situation, an official told CBS News.

2nd Mount Vernon police officer charged in 2 weeks raises alarm: "Who's doing the vetting?"

By H. Nelson Goodson Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

April 18, 2026

Minneapolis, Minnesota - The Hennepin County criminal complaint in Minnesota was filed on April 16, 2026 against USICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, who has been criminally charged with two state felony counts for 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. USICE agent Morgan is facing up to 7 years in prison and $4,000 to $14,000 in fines for each count, or both, if convicted on all counts.

According to the criminal complaint, several victims stated that on February 5, 2026, Morgan Jr. had pursued them on Minnesota State Highway 62 and I-35W and pointed a firearmed at two victims while he was recklessly driving illegally in the right shoulder.

At the time of the incident, Victim 1 was driving east on Hwy 62 through the above-described 1-35W interchange. Victim 2 was in the front-passenger seat. Victim 1 stated that they were queued with other vehicles in the single lane of traffic when they saw a black Ford Expedition approaching from behind, driving illegally on the right shoulder. Victim 1 moved their car partially onto the shoulder in front of the Expedition, attempting to "cut him off a little bit and block the Expedition driver's effort to bypass traffic unlawfully. Victim 1 was unaware that the driver, later identified as Morgan, the Defendant, was associated with a law- enforcement agency. There were no markings on Morgan's vehicle that would identify it as law enforcement and the vehicle was not displaying or using lights or sirens.

After briefly using the vehicle to attempt to block Morgan from using the shoulder, Victim 1 returned the vehicle to the legal traffic lane. Morgan continued to travel on the shoulder but rather than continue to drive past the victims, he pulled alongside their vehicle, rolled down his window, and pointed a black handgun directly at Victim 1 and Victim 2. Victim 1 had a clear view of Morgan's appearance, saw that he was wearing a black t-shirt, saw that the gun was pointed directly at their heads, saw that the gun was a Glock or Sig Sauer handgun with what appeared to be a red-dot sight, and noted that Morgan yelled something indiscernible. The windows on Victim 1's car were closed, and the victims weren't able to hear what Morgan was velling. Victim 1 felt threatened for their safety and immediately called 911.

Victim 2 corroborated Victim 1's report. Victim 2 was in the front-passenger seat and saw the Expeditior driving on the right shoulder of Hwy 62 "really, really fast." Victim 2 said that Victim 1 moved the car into the shoulder to "slow him down." Victim 2 explained that in response Morgan pulled alongside them, rolled down his window, and pointed his gun straight at Victim 2 and Victim 1. This caused Victim 2 to feel threatened and scared for their safety. As with Victim 1, Victim 2 was unaware that Morgan was a federal agent, noting that the Expedition had no markings to indicate it was being used by law enforcement.

Victim 2 shared with troopers two videos recorded with a cell phone after Morgan pointed his firearm at them. On the videos, Victim 1 and Victim 2 are driving behind Morgan and recording the back of the Expedition, which had an identifiable Utah license plate.

By H. Nelson Goodson Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

April 18, 2026

Minneapolis, Minnesota - The Hennepin County criminal complaint in Minnesota was filed on April 16, 2026 against USICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, who has been criminally charged with two state felony counts for 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. USICE agent Morgan is facing up to 7 years in prison and $4,000 to $14,000 in fines for each count, or both, if convicted on all counts.

According to the criminal complaint, several victims stated that on February 5, 2026, Morgan Jr. had pursued them on Minnesota State Highway 62 and I-35W and pointed a firearmed at two victims while he was recklessly driving illegally in the right shoulder.

At the time of the incident, Victim 1 was driving east on Hwy 62 through the above-described 1-35W interchange. Victim 2 was in the front-passenger seat. Victim 1 stated that they were queued with other vehicles in the single lane of traffic when they saw a black Ford Expedition approaching from behind, driving illegally on the right shoulder. Victim 1 moved their car partially onto the shoulder in front of the Expedition, attempting to "cut him off a little bit and block the Expedition driver's effort to bypass traffic unlawfully. Victim 1 was unaware that the driver, later identified as Morgan, the Defendant, was associated with a law- enforcement agency. There were no markings on Morgan's vehicle that would identify it as law enforcement and the vehicle was not displaying or using lights or sirens.

After briefly using the vehicle to attempt to block Morgan from using the shoulder, Victim 1 returned the vehicle to the legal traffic lane. Morgan continued to travel on the shoulder but rather than continue to drive past the victims, he pulled alongside their vehicle, rolled down his window, and pointed a black handgun directly at Victim 1 and Victim 2. Victim 1 had a clear view of Morgan's appearance, saw that he was wearing a black t-shirt, saw that the gun was pointed directly at their heads, saw that the gun was a Glock or Sig Sauer handgun with what appeared to be a red-dot sight, and noted that Morgan yelled something indiscernible. The windows on Victim 1's car were closed, and the victims weren't able to hear what Morgan was velling. Victim 1 felt threatened for their safety and immediately called 911.

Victim 2 corroborated Victim 1's report. Victim 2 was in the front-passenger seat and saw the Expeditior driving on the right shoulder of Hwy 62 "really, really fast." Victim 2 said that Victim 1 moved the car into the shoulder to "slow him down." Victim 2 explained that in response Morgan pulled alongside them, rolled down his window, and pointed his gun straight at Victim 2 and Victim 1. This caused Victim 2 to feel threatened and scared for their safety. As with Victim 1, Victim 2 was unaware that Morgan was a federal agent, noting that the Expedition had no markings to indicate it was being used by law enforcement.

Victim 2 shared with troopers two videos recorded with a cell phone after Morgan pointed his firearm at them. On the videos, Victim 1 and Victim 2 are driving behind Morgan and recording the back of the Expedition, which had an identifiable Utah license plate.

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