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SCOTX Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock Torches Rogue Dallas Judge’s Insane COVID Mask Mandate in Courtroom – Demands She Scrap It by Friday or Else

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice James “Jimmy” Blacklock has demanded answers from a Dallas County judge accused of requiring masks and intrusive health disclosures as a condition of entering her courtroom.

In a sharply worded May 13 letter, Chief Justice Blacklock warned Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 Judge D’Metria Benson that he is “aware of no legitimate basis” under Texas law for conditioning access to a public courtroom on a mask mandate or heightened health screening.

The letter, obtained Tuesday, gives Benson until 5 p.m. Friday, May 15, to either clarify that no such policy exists, explain the legal basis for the restrictions, or withdraw them entirely.

“It has come to my attention that you may be requiring people entering your courtroom to wear facemasks and to divulge intimate information about their health,” Blacklock wrote.

He added:

“If this is true, please carefully reconsider whether you have legal authority for these actions.”

Blacklock pointed directly to the Texas Constitution, citing Article I, Section 13, which guarantees that “all courts shall be open.”

“I am aware of no legitimate basis on which a Texas judge may condition a person’s presence in a courtroom on a mask requirement or on a heightened health screening,” the Chief Justice wrote.

That is a stunning statement from the state’s highest judicial officer—and one that signals Texas’ judicial leadership may be increasingly unwilling to tolerate lingering COVID-style mandates years after the pandemic emergency ended.

Blacklock also invoked Rule 10(f) of the Rules of Judicial Administration, which gives the Texas Supreme Court authority to direct lower courts to amend or withdraw local rules, standing orders, or policies deemed unfair or unduly burdensome.

The Chief Justice’s letter was prompted by reports that Benson’s courtroom may be enforcing mask requirements and requiring visitors to disclose private health information before entry. Blacklock cited reporting by The Texas Lawbook regarding attorney Mark Curriden’s challenge to the policy.

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Fairfax County Democrat Prosecutor Exposed for Dropping Charges Against Illegal Alien Accused of Kidnapping 4-Year-Old Girl

Fairfax County, Virginia, Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano (D) dropped charges against an illegal alien accused of kidnapping a four-year-old with the intent to sexually assault her after the prosecutor’s office attempted to offer him a sweetheart plea deal, Rep. Brian Knott (R-NC) revealed on Thursda

During a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement hearing, Knott noted the case of Hyrum Baquedano Rodriguez, an illegal alien from Honduras, with multiple prior convictions for burglary and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

In June 2023, Rodriguez was arrested in Fairfax County after allegedly breaking into an apartment and attempting to kidnap a sleeping four-year-old girl.

According to police, Rodriguez broke into the girl’s room while she was asleep. When the toddler’s mother heard her crying, she entered the room and alleges her daughter told her a man grabbed her and then ran away.

After his arrest, police said the illegal alien’s fingerprints were found in the girl’s bedroom.

By May 2025, Descano’s office sought a plea deal with Rodriguez in which a criminal court judge would be barred from sentencing him to more than two years in prison. The judge overseeing the case rejected the deal, suggesting that the sentence was far too lenient.

When the judge rejected the plea deal, Descano’s office dropped the charges against Rodriguez. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were able to arrest the illegal alien before he reoffended.

“A disgusting, perverted individual preying on children — you dismissed the case,” Knott told Descano. “As the father of two young girls, one of whom is five, that is as shameful as anything I have seen. Quit defending the indefensible … it’s shameful. You’re a coward.”

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Warren Whines As Senate Banking Committee Advances Crypto CLARITY Act, Two Democrats Break Ranks

The Senate Banking Committee advanced the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act on a 15–9 vote Thursday, with Sens. Ruben Gallego (D‑Ariz.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D‑Md.) joining all 13 Republicans to move the sweeping crypto market structure bill to the full Senate.

The Clarity Act is the Senate’s bid to build a federal framework for digital asset trading, stablecoins and intermediaries, splitting oversight between the SEC and CFTC and setting registration, disclosure and compliance rules for exchanges, brokers and custodians. It now advances alongside a related bill from the Senate Agriculture Committee, with the two texts expected to merge before a floor vote.

Chair Tim Scott (R‑S.C.) cast the markup as a turning point after years in which crypto firms operated in what he called a “regulatory gray zone” under “outdated rules.” 

He said the bill aims to protect consumers, keep innovation in the United States and “close the doors that criminals, terrorists and hostile regimes have tried to exploit,” after months of cross‑party talks that expanded the draft by more than 200 pages.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R‑Wyo.), who leads the committee’s digital assets panel, called the Clarity Act “the hardest piece of legislation” she has worked on across decades in state and federal office. She described it as a “case of first impression” that tries to fit new asset types and software into a regulatory code built for earlier markets.

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DOJ Investigation Determines Yale’s Medical School Discriminated Against Whites and Asians

The Justice Department on Thursday, after a years-long investigation, determined that Yale’s School of Medicine discriminated against White and Asian applicants.

Yale selected applicants based on their race rather than their test scores.

According to the Justice Department, Black and Hispanic applicants with lower academic qualifications were admitted to Yale’s medical school over their White and Asian counterparts

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said Yale’s race-based program is in violation of federal law.

Via the DOJ:

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has completed a year-long investigation into the admissions policies and practices at the Yale School of Medicine.

Yale’s documents show that its leadership intentionally selected applicants based on their race.

Yale’s documents reveal that they studied how to use racial proxies to circumvent the Supreme Court’s prohibition on using race to select students.

Yale’s admissions data demonstrate that Black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of admission to Yale than White or Asian students with the same test scores.

“Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform.” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“This Department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law,” Dhillon said.

The investigation showed that, in general, Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted with consistently lower academic qualifications than their White and Asian counterparts. These facts support the Department’s finding that Yale violated the law by intentionally discriminating based on race in its admissions, in clear violation of federal law.

Medical schools use substantial federal financial assistance to train the next generation of doctors.

The Department is continuing its focus on eradicating illegal race politics from admissions at medical schools, where quality and excellence are vitally important to public safety.

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Communist Mamdani’s Latest Redistribution Scheme: Tax On All New York Homes Over $1 Million Bought With Cash

Two days ago crestfallen commie mayor Zohran Mamdani abandoned his desperate plan to aggressively hike property taxes (even more) on New Yorkers following unprecedented pushback (but not before earning the former capitalist mecca a credit rating downgrade warning from most rating agencies). However, since communists who are not redistributing wealth (eventually under the barrel of a gun) are useless communists, it only took Mamdani administration 48 hours before pitching his latest idea how to take: according to Bloomberg, New York lawmakers are planning a new tax on New York City homes purchased in cash for at least $1 million.  The lawmakers are also considering expanding the tax to all-cash purchases over $1 million in New York, including those in the suburbs and upstate.

The New York City levy alone is expected to raise $160 million to help fill the city’s budget hole. The proposed tax would be levied at 1% of the purchase price and would be paid by the buyer, according to the people. 

A spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul said she “announced a general agreement with the State Legislature on many of the major elements of the FY 2027 Budget. The final budget bills will provide additional details.”

All-cash transactions have risen in New York as soaring mortgage costs have deterred financing, and instead buyers opt to be hit with capital gains taxes and liquidated other securities to fund real estate purchases. They are also an attractive option for sellers in New York City’s ultra-competitive real estate market as it’s faster than dealing with the lengthy mortgage approval process, and less likely to fall through.

Such purchases made up more than 60% of the nearly 18,000 transactions in New York City in the first six months of 2025, according to data compiled by the Center for New York City Neighborhoods. The report found that in Manhattan, nine out of 10 purchases over $3 million were done in all-cash transactions between January and June of 2025.

New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said the tax would be included in the final budget as “part of the plan to help close the city’s deficit.” State Senator James Skoufis, who sits on the chamber’s finance committee, also said in an interview the new levy was discussed.

Mamdani unveiled his $124.7 billion budget plan for the fiscal year that starts on July 1 that includes more assistance from Albany. He is also counting on funds from a proposed tax on second homes worth more than $5 million that state and city lawmakers are still figuring out how to implement. Hochul said the state will send $4 billion in new aid to the city to help close the budget hole.

“New Yorkers are already the most heavily taxed residents in the country, and the city’s budget issues will not be solved by more taxes,” said James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York. He said that the new proposal would further burden home buyers and sellers in the city and threaten existing revenue. 

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US Secret Service and Press Get Into Tense 30-Minute Standoff with Chinese Agents During Trump’s Visit

An armed Secret Service agent and members of the press got into a tense, 30-minute standoff with Chinese agents on Thursday during Trump’s visit.

President Trump on Wednesday evening arrived in Beijing for a state visit.

China rolled out the red carpet for President Trump – literally.

President Trump shook hands with Xi Jinping ahead of their high-stakes bilateral meeting.

On Thursday, however, there was a tense standoff after Chinese security stopped an armed US Secret Service agent from entering Beijing’s Temple of Heaven with their firearm.

“Chinese security officials allegedly blocked an armed U.S. Secret Service agent from entering an event on Thursday during President Donald Trump’s visit to the country, according to media members on the ground,” Fox News reported.

“A Secret Service agent was reportedly blocked from entering Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven with their weapon on Thursday, according to reporters. The incident triggered an alleged “intense standoff” that delayed entry to the venue for over a half-hour due to heated discussions,” Fox News said.

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Vance demands all 50 states crack down on Medicaid fraud

Vice President JD Vance has warned that the government may withhold federal Medicaid funds from states that fail to crack down on Medicaid fraud. This comes as the Trump administration launches a crackdown on suspected fraud in state programs and defers $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements from California.

The initiative came as people across the U.S. have expressed concern about increasing health costs and barriers to access, some of which come from the federal government’s own acts.

“We’re announcing that the federal government is deferring $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements from the state of California. And the simple reason is because the state of California has not taken fraud very seriously. We want California to get serious about this fraud,” said Vance at news conference.

The vice president was joined by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and other officials, who all outlined new requirements for Medicaid programs in all 50 states, including showing aggressive prosecution of fraud or risk losing government funding for their anti-fraud units.

Dr. Oz referenced data from the White House Fraud Task Force on rapid growth in California’s hospice and home health sectors and described a “stunning level of suspected Medicaid and hospice fraud” uncovered in California, such as a 1,500% increase in hospice claims.

“In February, we had the largest anti-fraud announcement from CMS. Today’s effort is larger. It’s much larger, and there’s a reason for that. Half of the fraud, we believe, in the federal government, could be coming out of health care services,” said Oz.

Vance also singled out Hawaii and New York as potential targets for Medicaid fraud as they have not taken the fraud issue seriously.

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India Panics, Further Tightens Gold Flows As Rupee Collapses

With the Rupee accelerating its declines to ever lower record lows against the dollar, Indian authorities have stepped up capital controls, focusing on curbing demand in the gold ‘exit’ route.

4 days ago, there were no signs of import duty hikes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi  issued a rare weekend appeal urging citizens to forgo gold purchases as well as unnecessary foreign travel in order to help hold up the currency..

2 days ago, tariffs were more than doubled on gold and silver imports to 15% and 6% respectively.

And today, they are doing even more with India now tightening the advance authorisation route, effectively capping how much gold individual exporters can bring in through that channel. 

A government notification stated that imports of bullion exceeding 100 kilograms would be subject to prior authorization, adding that any subsequent imports would only be granted after exports equivalent to 50% had been carried out.

The notification also introduced stricter checks for first-time applicants seeking permission to import gold under the scheme.

The government has also linked future import approvals to export performance.

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Dangerous Substance Found in Baby Food Jars Leads to Arrest, Discovery of Extortion Scheme

A 39-year-old man allegedly put rat poison in at least five baby food jars sold across central Europe, leading to his arrest in Austria.

The poisonings resulted in HiPP, the manufacturer of the baby food, recalling jars across Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office started investigating after a baby food jar in Eisenstadt, Austria, was determined to contain rat poison on April 18.

Investigators later found that jars of 190-gram carrot-and-potato baby food jars — meant for consumption by 5-month-olds — were the products impacted by the tampering.

They were sold in SPAR food markets in Austria.

HiPP recalled all of its baby food jars sold in SPAR stores, with vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also recalling HiPP products as a precaution.

The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office announced the arrest but declined to provide further details, saying they could jeopardize the investigation, according to a report from USA Today.

The suspect was arrested in Salzburg, a city that borders Germany.

HiPP said that the poisonings may have come as an attempt to extort the company.

An email was sent to HiPP two months ago demanding $2.3 million in the following six days, although the message was not noticed until two weeks after the deadline had already passed.

The email was sent to an address that was not frequently checked.

The National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State University says that rat poison, which is designed to kill mice and rats, can be lethal to children.

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UK Healthy Life Expectancy Plummets

People living in the United Kingdom will be spending fewer years in good health as “healthy life expectancy” plummets. The UK is going backward compared to most other “wealthy” countries.

Healthy life expectancy (HLE) in the UK has fallen by about 2 years, to just over 60 years for both men and women, making Britain one of only five wealthy nations where people live fewer years in good health, according to a new analysis by the Health Foundation charity.

This means that the amount of life a person spends in good health has decreased.

The findings, based on data from the Office for National Statistics between 2012–2014 and 2022–2024, show the measure dropped from 62.9 to 60.7 for men and from 63.7 to 60.9 for women, according to a report by The Guardian. 

Andrew Mooney, the think‑tank’s principal data analyst, has warned of “a significant economic cost, with poor health driving people out of the workforce and locking young people out of education, employment and training.”

The Health Foundation has blamed the decline in HLE on a combination of poverty, poor housing, obesity, the lingering effects of the Covid‑19 pandemic, and a surge in mental health illnesses, especially among young people.

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