At least seven people have been shot, including a 15-year-old, on a packed Florida boardwalk during the Memorial Day weekend.

The gunfire started shortly before 8pm Monday in the area of the 1200 block of North Boardwalk in Hollywood Beach, near Miami.

An online video showed the moment gunfire erupted on the popular hotspot. The crowd frantically scattered for cover and away from danger when gunshots started to ring out near the Margaritaville resort.

Other videos from the scene showed emergency responders treating several victims as they lay along the sand.

BREAKING: There are reports of a mass shooting on Hollywood Beach in Florida. According to CBS, at least seven people were shot and some of the victims are young children.

Permitless carry became law in the state in April. pic.twitter.com/C8P7iGhxaR

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 30, 2023

BREAKING: 5 people were injured in shooting incident on Hollywood Beach in Florida. According to initial reports, the suspect is a black male dressed in black with long dreadlocks. pic.twitter.com/VMh4tWe6dO

— EvoCentral (@evocentralnews) May 30, 2023

The situation has been categorized as a mass casualty incident.

Hollywood Beach Mayor Josh Levy told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that paramedics were on scene and some victims have been taken to the hospital.

‘It seemed like people might have gotten caught in the crossfire. But I can’t verify that,’ Levy said.

Police have not said if they have any suspects in custody.

The beach has seen a rush in visitors over the past few days for the three-day weekend. Hollywood Beach is located about 11 miles south of Fort Lauderdale and 20 miles north of Miami.

A New Jersey woman incarcerated at a state women’s correctional facility alleges a male transfer who identifies as female assaulted her after several instances of sexual harassment.

Shakira Reed, an inmate at New Jersey’s Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, told Reduxx in an exclusive report that a trans-identifying male named Jermain Gibson allegedly repeatedly punched Reed in the head, resulting in a broken nose and two black eyes in a scene that witnesses described left “blood everywhere.”

“I was attacked because I didn’t want to have sex with him,” Reed told Reduxx.

Prison authorities transferred Reed to Hunterdon Medical Center, where she received medical care before returning to the correctional facility’s on-site hospital unit. Following the assault, authorities punished both Gibson and Reed in holding cells in a 90-day “lockup” away from other inmates.

Reed said the assault occurred after weeks of sexual harassment from Gibson, including the inmate exposing himself to her as she walked past his cell. She reported the incident to authorities but said Gibson was not punished.

An anonymous female inmate told Reduxx that she witnessed Gibson sexually assaulting Reed.

“I lived on the wing with both of them. Gibson continuously harassed Reed and would often speak in his man voice because he thought it was funny when he was asked not to because it had made the women uncomfortable,” she said, according to the outlet.

“During the days leading up to the actual incident, he kept egging her on. When it actually took place, I could hear it. I didn’t see it, but it was so loud we heard them down the wing, and this took place in the rec room. We could hear Shakira yelling, ‘Stop hitting me!’”

“The recent events here are just unimaginable, and honestly, if I wasn’t living them, I wouldn’t even believe them. People need to know what this has been like for us because no one has ever come to ask us how we feel about them being here. This is misogyny within misogyny.”

Gibson, who is serving a mandatory minimum term of five years in connection with robbery charges, is one of over two dozen men who identify as female that have been transferred into the women’s correctional facility, Reduxx reported.

Multiple women have provided testimony to the outlet detailing ongoing sexual harassment and other related experiences by the male transfers at the women’s only prison.

Last year, another male inmate who identifies as a woman reportedly impregnated two females being held at the women’s only prison.

The double pregnancy occurred less than a year after the state began adopting new radical gender theory practices in its prison system, including placing inmates in the facility based on their gender identification.

Dan Sperrazza, New Jersey’s Department of Correction’s external affairs executive director, told NJ.com last year that “consensual sexual relationships with another incarcerated person” likely led to the two becoming pregnant.

In 2021, the state of New Jersey began enforcing radical gender theory in its correctional system. The change occurred after the state was sued by an anonymous prisoner who was being kept in men’s prisons despite identifying as a female.

A Target Corporation senior executive in the marketing department maintains a position with a controversial K-12 advocacy organization called GLSEN – Target’s Pride Month partner – which is focused on integrating gender ideology at all levels of K-12 schools, from curriculum to district policy.

Carlos Saavedra is a vice president of brand marketing at Target and a treasurer at GLSEN. GLSEN focuses on getting districts to adopt policies that will keep parents in the dark on their child’s in-school gender transition, providing sexually explicit books to schools for free, and integrating gender ideology at all levels of curriculum in public schools.

“GLSEN leads the movement in creating affirming… and anti-racist spaces for LGBTQIA+ students. We are proud of 10+ years of collaboration with GLSEN and continue to support their mission,” Target said. The retail giant provides annual donations to GLSEN, which has amounted to at least $2.1 million.

The retail giant did not immediately respond to a question on who was behind the decision to collaborate with GLSEN.

As part of this mission, GLSEN calls for gender ideology to be integrated into all classes, even math. It provides educators instructions on how they can make math “more inclusive of trans and non-binary identities” by including “they/them” pronouns in word problems.

GLSEN provides sample district policies which restrict parents’ knowledge on their child’s gender transition in schools.

Its policy for districts said, “[The local education agency] shall ensure that all personally identifiable and medical information relating to transgender and nonbinary students is kept confidential”

The policy continued, “Staff or educators shall not disclose any information that may reveal a student’s gender identity to others, including parents or guardian… This disclosure must be discussed with the student, prior to any action.”

GLSEN also provides books to full-time school employees for free, including some which contain sexually explicit content.

Target has faced backlash for its LGBTQ Pride merchandise, compelling it to move their collection away from the front of some locations after customer “outrage” to avoid a “Bud Light situation.”

Many Target locations across the country feature “tuck friendly” bathing suits for transgender people to mugs that say “gender fluid.” But the retail juggernaut has been criticized by some conservatives for the displays, with children’s items particularly irking many customers.

Target faced additional backlash partnering with U.K.-based brand Abprallen – whose designer, Eric Carnell, is an outspoken Satanist whose brand features occult imagery and messages like “Satan respects pronouns” on brand apparel.

Carnell, the transgender designer behind the brand, explained in an Instagram post that Satan represents “passion, pride and liberty” and “loves all LGBT+ people.”

Another brand-name company is facing backlash over LGBTQ merchandise and promotions.

Some social media users recently aimed their ire at PetSmart for boasting about its all-new “You Are Loved” collection of 2023 Pride-themed clothing, toys and other items for pet owners’ four-legged friends.

The collection, unveiled just ahead of June’s Pride Month, includes rainbow-hued items such as dog bikinis, butterfly cat leashes and reptile cape costumes.

While PetSmart has celebrated Pride since 2019, according to a company news release on May 2, some online critics bashed the company this month and called for a boycott similar to what other brands like Bud Light and Target are facing.

“From the ‘Pride Shop’ at Petsmart. ‘You are loved PRIDE Dog Dress and Bikini,’ This is unacceptable. Please boycott,” one Twitter user blasted out.

From the ‘Pride Shop’ at Petsmart. ‘You are loved PRIDE Dog Dress and Bikini’. This is unacceptable. Please boycott. https://t.co/MSi4MRXVHJ pic.twitter.com/9ApB2FbgiU

— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) May 24, 2023

“Add @petsmart to the boycott list,” another user tweeted with a photo that appears to show an in-store collection of 2023 Pride gear for pets.

“To @PetSmart – Congratulations! We just added PetSmart to our permanent boycott list,” someone else tweeted.

And another account tweeted, “Looks like we can add @PetSmart to the ever-growing list of places to not buy from.”

Other social media users panned the outrage directed at the chain store with one person calling the anger “pathetic.”

“How pathetic. PetSmart always has #Pride merchandise,” the person tweeted in response to a Newsweek story about the backlash. “My dog’s favorite toy is a crinkle rainbow I bought several years ago.”

Another social media user commended the store’s commitment to Pride Month.

“Good for you, @petsmart, for standing firm in your support of all people whoever they are and whoever they love,” the tweet stated. “Our dogs will greatly enjoy their #Pride ‘donuts!’”

Another social media user sarcastically tweeted, “Be careful out there fellow cat owners – petsmart may turn them queer during Pride.”

PetSmart is “proud to elevate the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community,” Kristin Shane, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer, said in the May 2 statement.

“Our You Are Loved collection was initiated and inspired by our associate resource group team members to help pet parents and their pets celebrate the spirit of Pride and share our values of inclusion and unconditional love,” she added.

PetSmart also announced a $200,000 donation to GLSEN, an LGBTQ advocacy group that has also faced criticism in recent days for pressuring school districts to not tell parents if their children identify as another gender.

The US housing market is currently in the midst of an unprecedented decline in home prices – with properties in some cities selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars less than they were just a year ago.

The concerning data was revealed last week by Redfin, and marks a significant shift in the American real estate landscape following a historic surge seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two cities in the Bay Area – Oakland and San Francisco – are among the worst offenders when it comes to decline by dollar amount, a phenomenon researched said is fueled in part by diminishing demand and the looming possibility of a recession.

Other notable declines occurred in major metros like Austin, Boise, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Los Angeles – all of which saw their median home price shed at least $60,000 since April of last year.

San Francisco and Oakland both saw price drops into six figures with the median value decreasing by $220,000 and $174,000 respectively.

‘Pandemic boomtowns and pricey coastal markets are seeing historic home-price declines,’ the report published on May 22 discerned, before noting nationwide, the median home sale price has dropped nearly $18,000 – the most since January 2012.

In addition, researchers who looked at more than 91 American metro areas with populations of at least 750,00 observed the decline marked the third month of declines following roughly a decade of increases.

The steepest declines, though, were recorded in California markets commonly thought to be expensive – as well as towns that experienced an uptick in demand during the pandemic.

Such towns, including prime pandemic hotspot Austin, recorded dramatic losses that also neared the six-figures – with the Texas town where Elon Musk’s Tesla’s recently relocated to losing $85,000 in value since April.

In terms of percentages, the decrease amounted to 15.3 percent – equity that researchers revealed said has all but evaporated over the past year.

When taking into account overall he drop was the second most pronounced out of all the metropolitan areas analyzed by the real estate firm – bested only by Oakland, whose decrease erased 16.1% of listed homes’ overall median value.

The city sporting the third worst reduction rate was Boise, Idaho, are selling for $80,000 less than they were this time last year.

The percentage drop also came as nearly identical to the one associated with the Texas capital, at 15.1 percent. Both sport average listing prices around $500,000 – a number well under the half the average price of homes on the West Coast.

Last year, an analysis determined that both cities had the most overpriced real estate in the country, propelled by post pandemic demand.

Pricing history for the locales showed 2022 median homes should cost around $299,202 in Boise, but were still selling for 72 percent higher at $516,548.

Austin homes, meanwhile were 67.70 percent overpriced, the study from Florida Atlantic University found.

Researchers’ polling efforts found the historically costly locale surrounding San Francisco sported the fourth-worst rate for its mean sale price – despite its drop being by far the most pronounced when measured in dollars.

The distinction of fifth-most rapid percent decline was achieved by Salt Lake City, a locale whose downtown has seen a 40 percent spike in activity since February 2020, according to a May report.

As is the case with other pandemic boomtowns, that increase led to higher housing demand and, ultimately, more costly homes.

Per the new data from Redfin, it appears those prices are now coming back to earth – with it now costing $60,000 on average to purchase a home in the rising Utah city.

Other metropolitan areas to record decreases over the past year according to Redfin included Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC – all of which boast a cost of living well above the national average.

Another characteristic the lived-in districts share is a high rate of crime – rates that worsened in double-digits during the pandemic and, in most cases, have continued to persist.

Higher mortgage rates have also played a part in the decreases seen in these heavily populated areas – as they continue to deter both buyers and sellers from moving forward with potential transactions.

As a result, new listings, on average, dropped 26.1 percent year over year – the largest decline on record aside from April 2020, when the onset of the pandemic effectively brought the housing market to a standstill.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, promised nuclear weapons to any nation that joined Russia and Belarus.

The comment came just days after the Belarusian leader confirmed the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to his country. Putin has periodically hinted at a nuclear escalation since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, dramatically increasing tensions with the U.S. and the West.

“It’s very simple. You have to join the union between Belarus and Russia, and that’s it: There will be nuclear weapons for everyone,” Lukashenko said in a comment aired Sunday night on Russian state TV.

“I think it’s possible,” Lukashenko added, saying that he was expressing his own view. “We need to strategically understand that we have a unique chance to unite.”

Lukashenko, who is one of Putin’s staunchest supporters, made the comment in response to earlier remarks by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, during a summit in Moscow on Wednesday.

Tokayev said at the forum of the Eurasian Economic Union that Belarus and Russia enjoy a close relationship where “even nuclear weapons are shared between the two.”

The Union State between Russia and Belarus was formed in 1999 and allows the two former Soviet republics to integrate economically, politically and militarily.

On Thursday, the Belarusian leader confirmed that Russia has moved on the plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, first announced in March.

It comes amid escalating nuclear rhetoric from Putin as his war effort in Ukraine flounders. Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world, which Putin said it will not hesitate to use if the country’s security or existence is threatened.

Belarus, which does not possess its own nuclear weapons after it transferred the stock it inherited from the Soviet era to Russia in the 1990s, is not officially a party to the war in Ukraine, although Moscow used its territory to launch the full-scale invasion last year.

Putin propped up Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime after violent protests nearly toppled “Europe’s last dictator” in 2020, deepening the country’s political and economic reliance on Russia.

In March, the Russian leader announced his plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, on Lukashenko’s request, drawing condemnation from the West.

Lukashenko confirmed that the movement of nuclear weapons had already begun on Thursday, without clarifying if they had already reached Belarusian soil, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta.

Meanwhile, defense ministers of the two countries, Sergei Shoigu and Viktor Khrenin, signed documents in Minsk last week, defining the procedure for keeping Russian nuclear weapons in Belarusian territory, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Moscow has already handed over to Minsk the “Iskander” missile system, which can carry nuclear weapons, Shoigu said, and has assisted in converting some Belarusian aircraft for the possible nuclear weapon use.

The State Department denounced the alleged deployment Thursday, calling it “the latest example of irresponsible behavior” by Russia.

An Iranian-born model, Mahlagha Jaberi, is dividing the internet after she wore a dress that resembled a noose to raise awareness for a string of executions in Iran.

Jaberi, who is 33-years-old, posted a video to her Instagram that she “[d]edicated to the people of Iran” after making an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. She shared the video with the hashtag, “#StopExecutionsInIran.”

Iran has executed multiple citizens by hangings in recent weeks, despite condemnations from the Biden administration and an admonition “not carry out these executions.”

The country has carried out at least 90 executions in the last 18 days, marking May as the “bloodiest month” in the nation over the last five years, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group.

Jaberi’s video and outfit choice is going viral online, with journalists, political commentators and government officials either praising or blasting the model for her protest video.

Leftist journalist Yashar Ali criticized Jaberi for the video, which he called “disgraceful.”

“As innocent Iranians are being executed, @MahlaghaJaberi thought it would be a good idea to wear a dress that has a noose sown into it and then film a seductive video using a song that has become an anthem for protestors. Absolutely disgraceful all around. And then to end the video with ‘stop executions’ and no other context or information makes it unhelpful!”

Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Doran said that Jaberi’s dress was an “eye catching” form of “protest.”

Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, wrote that Jaberi’s dress was a sign that she was “brave.” Others said they “stand” with her.

“More than 200 people were executed in Iran this year alone. Another brave woman. Maybe if women were the majority in politics, there would be no more wars? What do you think?”

As innocent Iranians are being executed, @MahlaghaJaberi thought it would be a good idea to wear a dress that has a noose sown into it and then film a seductive video using a song that has become an anthem for protestors.

Absolutely disgraceful all around.

And then to end the… pic.twitter.com/0gbbxk3GP5

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 29, 2023

An eye catching protest at the Cannes Film Festival. Iranian model Mahlaga Jaberi appeared in a dress with a noose neckline to draw attention to the brutal executions in Iran. pic.twitter.com/GJfEq0MSVY

— Mike (@Doranimated) May 28, 2023

Iranian-born model Mahlagha Jaberi arrived to Cannes Film Festival wearing a dress that resembled a noose – to draw attention to awful executions taking place in Iran.

More than 200 people were executed in Iran this year alone.

Another brave woman. Maybe if women were the… pic.twitter.com/K3znZya8o0

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 28, 2023

I love @MahlaghaJaberi for using her platform effectively & with her simple yet symbolic dress made a stand against executions in Iran…

I stand with her… pic.twitter.com/TX7AeecBgg

— CALI (@CALI4AZ) May 28, 2023

Jaberi posted a statement to her Instagram account following the backlash with some clarity about her fashion choice.

“76th Cannes Film Festival 2nd look,” she wrote. “My dress designed by @jilaatelier. We wanted to make a fashion statement to observe the glamour of Cannes, but more importantly, to bring media attention to the wrongful executions of Iranian people. Unfortunately, political statements are not allowed at the film festival and the security stopped me from showing the back of my dress, but the ‘noose’ meaning was well understood.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MAHLAGHA ☽ (@mahlaghajaberi)

Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, has condemned Iran’s recent spate of executions.

“We join the people of Iran and the international community in calling on Iran to not carry out these executions. The execution of these men – after what have been widely regarded as sham trials – would be an affront to human rights and basic dignity in Iran and everywhere.”

The Iranian-regime controlled Mizan News Agency, which is affiliated with the country’s opaque judiciary, reported that Saleh Mirehashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaqoubi were executed on May 19 in a prison the city of Isfahan.

“What we’re witnessing in Iran are not executions, but extrajudicial mass killings to create societal fear to maintain power,” Iran Human Rights Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said.

Mobile phones users have been given a chilling warning about how much time they spend chatting.

Radiation can be emitted from phones which can be harmful to our health, experts have said.

Apple reccomends customers using its latest iPhones, including the 14 Pro Max and the iPhone SE, try “a hands-free option, such as the built-in speakerphone, headphones or other similar accessories” to “reduce exposure to RF (radio frequency) energy”.

According to Germany’s Federal Office for Radiation, those radio frequency exposures can be exceptionally high from some mobile devices, and Android phones top the list.

Joel Moskowitz, a researcher at the University of California Berkeley’s School of Public Health said: “People are addicted to their smartphones.

“We use them for everything now, and, in many ways, we need them to function in our daily lives.

“I think the idea that they’re potentially harming our health is too much for some people.”

Moskowitz and his colleagues published a review of 46 case-control health studies on the issue of mobiles and health in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2020.

He said: “Our main takeaway, is that approximately 1,000 hours of lifetime mobile use, or about 17 minutes per day over a 10-year period, is associated with a statistically significant 60 per cent increase in brain cancer.”

However, things may not be quite that bleak as the UN’s World Health Organisation currently says that, as yet, “no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use.”

Germany’s Federal Office for Radiation lists data on each mobile phone’s specific absorption rate (SAR).

SAR is calculated in watts per kilogram of body weight and quantifies how much energy is absorbed per unit mass by the human body when it’s exposed to a radio frequency.

Usually, this is based on an absorption value recorded when you make a call with the phone to your ear.

In the EU, a SAR value of 2 watts/kg (w/kg) is allowed while in the US this is 1.6 w/kg.

The list was compiled by Digital Information World.

These five models emit some of the strongest radiation on the market: Motorola Edge ( 1.79 w/kg); OnePlus 6T (1.55 w/kg); Sony Xperia XA2 Plus (1.41 w/kg) Google Pixel 3 XL (1.39 w/kg); and the Google Pixel 4a (1.37 w/kg) in a tie with the Oppo Reno5 5G (1.37 w/kg).

Men are advised not to store your phone in your pant pockets while ladies should give them out of your bra.

Not too far behind, were the Google Pixel 3 (1.33 w/kg), Huawei’s P Smart (1.27 w/kg) and the OnePlus 9 (1.26 w/kg).

These are the phones known to emit the least radiation: the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G (0.19 w/kg); Samsung’s Galaxy Note10 (0.21 w/kg); the Samsung Galaxy A80 (0.22 w/kg); LG G7 ThinQ (0.24 w/kg); and the Motorola Razr 5G (0.27 w/kg).

As for iPhones, iPhone SE with that warning gives off a SAR or 0.98 w/kg.

It’s comparable to other popular models: iPhone 11 (0.95 w/kg); iPhone 12 (0.98 w/kg); iPhone 13 (0.99 w/kg); and iPhone 14 (0.98 w/kg).

Russia issued a warrant on Monday seeking the arrest of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) after the release of an edited video that made it appear the lawmaker was celebrating the United States spending money on the killing of Russians in Ukraine.

After top Russian investigator Alexander Bastrykin ordered criminal proceedings, the Russian Interior Ministry added Graham to its wanted list, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

At issue is a video, released by Ukraine’s presidential office, showing Graham meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy last week. It was edited to show Graham saying, “the Russians are dying,” and then describing how U.S. military aid to Ukraine is “the best money we’ve ever spent,” according to the Associated Press.

“It’s hard to imagine a greater shame for the country than having such senators,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, per Newsweek.

A longer video published by Reuters shows Graham making those comments in reverse order and not directly connecting them as the original clip had suggested.

After making the remarks lionizing the United States’ investment in helping Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion, Graham talked about how Ukrainians remind him of “our better selves in America” fighting for freedom. Zelensky pointed out that Americans are now free and Ukrainians will also be free, to which Graham then noted that “the Russians are dying.”

Despite any confusion, Graham, who has been a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, celebrated being a wanted man in Russia.

“I will wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin’s corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honor,” the senator said in a statement on Monday. “To know that my commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin’s regime brings me immense joy. I will continue to stand with and for Ukraine’s freedom until every Russian soldier is expelled from Ukrainian territory.”

Graham also made an “offer” to Putin, alluding to how the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I will submit to jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if you do,” Graham said. “Come and make your best case. See you in The Hague!”

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the idea that Graham’s words had been edited to be shown out of context as a “clumsy” excuse, according to TASS. “It is already impossible to clean oneself [and one’s reputation] from the stain of such remarks, even if they were uttered separately,” the ministry said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) reportedly expressed confusion last year when Vice President Harris was presiding over the Senate to cast a tiebreaking vote, according to a new report detailing the difficulties the ailing lawmaker faces as she continues her work in the Senate.

The new report from The New York Times outlines the many functions Feinstein’s staff is playing as the 89-year-old senator returns to work after bouts with shingles and encephalitis earlier this year.

The Harris example, however, reportedly took place last year and illustrates the difficulty Feinstein has had recalling, at times, the basics of how the Senate operates.

According to the new report, Feinstein expressed confusion to her colleagues when she saw Harris presiding over the chamber, in one of many tiebreaking votes the vice president has had to cast.

“What is she doing here?” Feinstein asked, according to the report. The report cites “a person who witnessed the scene.”

Reports of Feinstein’s memory issues stem back more than a year. And since returning to the Senate after a months-long absence because of her illness, the California Democrat appears frailer than she once had and relies more on her staff to help do her job.

Feinstein announced in February she would not run for reelection in 2024 but said she would continue serving the remainder of her term. Some Democrats began calling for her to resign during her prolonged absence, but momentum has slowed on the issue since she has returned to work.

Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem has announced an “unprecedented achievement” in the treatment of multiple myeloma cancer – the second-most common hematological disease. It accounts for one-tenth of all blood cancers and 1% of all types of malignancies.

The innovative treatment against the disease, which has long been considered incurable, was developed after a series of experiments carried out in the hospital’s bone-marrow transplant and immunotherapy department in recent years.

“We have a waiting list of over 200 patients from Israel and various parts of the world at any given time.”

Polina Stepansky

“Now, in light of the impressive results of CAR-T treatments, it seems that they have many more years to live – and with an excellent quality of life,” said Prof. Polina Stepansky, head of the department.

The treatment is based on genetic engineering technology, which is an effective and groundbreaking solution for patients whose life expectancy was only two years until a few years ago. They have used a genetic engineering technology called CAR-T, or Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, which boosts the patient’s own immune system to destroy the cancer. More than 90% of the 74 patients treated at Hadassah went into complete remission, the oncologists said.

“We have a waiting list of more than 200 patients from Israel and various parts of the world at any given time,” Stepansky said. “Due to the complexity of the production and the complexity of the treatment itself, only one patient a week enters the treatment, which is still being conducted as an experiment.”

According to Prof. (emeritus) Yechezkel Barenholz, a world leader in oncology research and head of the membrane and liposome research lab at Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, the CAR-T technology is a major achievement that will make the diagnosis much easier and simpler and treatment possible.

The CAR-T cell treatment was developed and produced by Hadassah in collaboration with Prof. Cyrille Cohen, head of the immunology and immunotherapy laboratory at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan.

“We have evidence of a very positive overall response rate with minimal side effects, and they are mild,” Stepansky said. “These are dramatic results. This is a huge hope for patients with a disease that has not yet had a cure.”

The experimental treatment will also be provided throughout the US in the coming months.

What is the blood cancer known as multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer of the bone marrow, which is the spongy tissue at the center of some bones that produces the body’s blood cells. The disease was named multiple myeloma because cancer often affects several areas of the body, including the skull, pelvis, ribs and spine. Many times, it is suspected or diagnosed after a routine blood or urine test.

At first, it may not produce any symptoms, but as it develops, myeloma causes a wide variety of problems, including chronic bone pain; weakness, shortness of breath and fatigue resulting from anemia; high levels of calcium in the blood that can trigger symptoms, including extreme thirst, stomach pain, needing to urinate frequently, confusion and constipation; weight loss, dizziness, blurred vision and headaches; repeated infections, bruising and unusual bleeding; weak bones that fracture easily; and kidney problems.

The disease is more common in people over the age of 60. It is usually diagnosed after the age of 70 and rarely under the age of 40, in men more than women and in people with a family history of multiple myeloma

The American company “Immix Bio has acquired a patent license, and we are about to open a clinical trial in the US,” Stepansky said. “The plan is to reach commercialization and FDA approval as a drug within a year.”

The groundbreaking idea of using immune-system cells to fight cancer cells was born several decades ago at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot by Prof. Zelig Eshhar’s immunology department. The development and promotion of CAR-T treatments, whose function is to program the patient’s white blood cells by collecting healthy cells from the immune system, has since been led by Stepansky. As part of the treatment, a process is performed to isolate the T cells, which are the active cells in the immune system that can fight tumors by themselves.

This is carried out by apheresis, which takes donated blood components and separates the red and white blood cells. The process takes two to four hours and is similar to a regular blood donation. The T cells are then engineered in the Hadassah laboratory, which was built especially for this purpose, according to the strictest international standards in clean rooms.

In the next step, a genetic engineering procedure is performed by adding a virus along with a genetic segment that encodes a receptor against the cancer cells. Many engineered cells are then injected into the patient. Ultimately, the engineered T cells target the tumors and destroy the cancer.

Until now, this treatment has been available only in China and the US for nearly $400,000 per patient treatment, and it is very limited in its availability.

Only 20% of those who need to receive it in these countries actually get it,” Stepansky said. “With the development led by the researchers at our Danny Cunniff Leukemia Research Laboratory, we were able to reduce the price dramatically and make the treatment affordable and accessible.

“Moreover, Hadassah developed a more sophisticated and advanced treatment than that offered in the world. As the first and only institution in Israel that develops, manufactures and delivers CAR-T treatment, Hadassah is actually leading the field that will enable the development of future treatments with CAR T cells for the benefit of patients with other types of cancer,” Stepansky said.

Authorities have rescued eight people as search efforts continue after an apartment building in Davenport, Iowa, partially collapsed Sunday evening.

First responders arrived on the scene around 5:00 p.m. local time Sunday to find that a large section of the six-story building had given way. Seven people were rescued immediately, and an eighth person trapped in the rubble was found overnight, Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten said Monday morning, according to the Associated Press.

Rescue teams with canines searched the building all night, and the fire chief said Monday that “No known individuals are trapped in that facility,” The Quad-City Times reported.

Carlsten added that the rescue operation would soon “become a recovery operation” as there was no “credible evidence” of missing people. Authorities did not report any fatalities or say how many people were injured as of Monday morning, and it remains unclear what caused the section of the apartment building to suddenly collapse.

After arriving on the scene, fire crews found a “large natural gas leak,” and water was also leaking from pipes that had broken. The gas and water lines were shut off, but authorities remained concerned about the rest of the building’s structural integrity.

“Even while we were on scene, we still had multiple secondary drops of debris coming from that structure,” Carlsten said. “We want to make sure all our responders can … process through in a safe manner, but we still want to get through there as quickly as possible.”

🚨#BREAKING: A Large apartment Building has partially collapses with reports of residents possibly trapped inside
⁰📌#Davenport | #Iowa⁰⁰Authorities are presently at the location of a building collapse in Davenport, Iowa after a significant apartment building has experienced… pic.twitter.com/WJmxFzxWXi

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 29, 2023

Crews had been working on the exterior brick walls at the time of the collapse, and there were reports of falling bricks during the repair work last week, CBS News reported. The owner of the building had obtained a permit for the repair work. The county assessor’s office also said nearly 20 permits were filed last year for repair work on the building’s electrical and plumbing issues.

Jennifer Smith, who owns a business in the building, complained about water leaking into her business and said that requests to fix the problem were ignored.

“We call and report it and it’s always, ‘We’ll fix it, we’ll be there,’ and they don’t,” she told the Quad-City Times.

China plans to complete a mission to land a person on the moon by 2030, a government official announced on Monday, in the highest-level confirmation of China’s ambitions for a crewed lunar landing.

Chinese scientists have previously nodded at a 2030 goal in a less formal capacity; for example, the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program said last month that a 2030 landing would be “no problem.”

“We can clasp the moon in the ninth heaven,” Lin Xiqiang, the deputy director of China’s Manned Space Agency, said at a news conference on Monday, quoting a Mao Zedong poem.

Mr. Lin said the moon landing project, part of the country’s broader Lunar Exploration Project — also known as the Chang’e Project, for the Chinese moon goddess — had “recently” been kick-started, though he did not offer specifics. The project would also seek to enable short-term stays on the lunar surface, as well as collect samples and conduct research, he said.

The Monday announcement came at a news conference to mark the liftoff of three new astronauts on Tuesday to China’s new space station, which was completed late last year.

A manned lunar landing would be a major milestone for China’s, and the world’s, space exploration: No human has been on the moon since the United States’ Apollo missions in the 1960s and ’70s. And it could mark a significant achievement for China in its burgeoning competition with the United States in space. China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, has said that the country should become a “great space power.”

NASA has also announced a plan to put people — including the first woman and first person of color — on the moon again, with a target of 2025. But the Artemis program, as the plan is known, has faced delays. Both Beijing and Washington have also laid out goals of building a research station on the moon and landing people on Mars.

Space has become another arena for U.S.-China tensions, with echoes of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. NASA’s administrator, Bill Nelson, has said that the United States should “watch out” for Chinese attempts to dominate the lunar surface and keep Americans out. A Pentagon report last year warned that China could overtake American capabilities in space by 2045.

China’s space program has developed rapidly in recent years, while America’s has often been bogged down by conflicting priorities and changing administrations. China is the only country to have successfully landed on the moon in the 21st century, and in 2019 it also became the first to land a probe on the moon’s far side.

While some have hoped that China and the United States could cooperate on space exploration even as geopolitical tensions rise, a provision in the U.S. law that finances NASA bans direct cooperation with the Chinese space agency or Chinese-owned companies. China has signaled that it will cooperate with Russia on space programs.

Four men were arrested and charged after alledgedly stealing $7,000 worth of merchandise from a Georgia Lululemon store. Staff who were present during the robbery called police to report the crime, and were fired for doing so. The men were found and aprehended as a result of the call.

Bayo Allen, 19, Quintavious Gooch, 19, Braylon Shivers, 20, and Nicholas Lynch, 26, were arrested two days after the April 24 robbery that was caught on camera, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Shivers, Gooch, and Allen remain behind bars at Georgia’s Fayette County Jail.

According to booking records, Allen and Gooch have been charged with “theft by shoplifting” and “theft by receiving stolen property.” They are both being held on a bond of nearly $15,000.

Shivers was also charged with marijuana possession and is being held on a bond of nearly $17,000.

Surveillance video of the April incident showed thieves grabbing armloads of the pricey athletic brand’s clothing from the Peachtree Corners store.

Two staffers lost their jobs after confronting thieves at Lululemon

pic.twitter.com/R1bPJEmZDL

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 29, 2023

The video was posted to Facebook last week by Jason Ferguson, husband of former assistant manager Jennifer Ferguson, who said she was fired from the store for calling the police on the masked, hooded thieves.

“This was this group’s fifth (maybe close to 10th) time robbing the store with NO ACTION TAKEN by Lululemon to curb the robberies and keep the employees safe,” Jason Ferguson wrote in his post.

Lululemon has a policy in their company handbook stating that employees will not interfere with robberies for their own safety. The employees were meant to scan a QR code after the theft, and to essentially brush it under the proverbial rug otherwise.

23-year-old Rachel Rogers, who worked as a store associate, recorded the latest robbery and said that the Peachtree Corners store had been the target of the same group of thieves for weeks, stating that they would consistently rob the store around an hour before closing, snatching merchandise from store fixtures closest to the door, then flee in their getaway car.

A spokesperson for Lululemon told investigators that four men who were wearing the same clothing had been responsible for robbing another Lululemon store in the Atlanta area the same week. It is unclear if the suspects have been charged in both robberies.

Ferguson, a mother of four, was seen yelling for the group to leave the store in the video, as the thieves swiped leggings from a store fixture and an accomplice held the door open.

The employees followed the group outside, not physically trying to stop them, and called the Gwinnett Police Department, whose officers were able to track down the red Subaru SUV used as a getaway car despite the suspects allegedly changing the license plate as they fled.

Ferguson said that the police arrived to the scene quickly to gather statements and expressed concern that earlier robberies at the location had not been reported.

He said that their report led to the suspects being arrested the next day, as they attempted to steal from another Lululemon store in Peachtree City.

Ferguson and Rogers claim that they were fired for trying to stop the thieves and for “breaking employee handbook policy” of not interfering with a robbery.

A spokesman for Lululemon said, “The safety and security of our employees and guests is always lululemon’s top priority, and we have policies and protocols in place to uphold a safe environment,” according to the Daily Mail.

“We take thefts and vandalism very seriously and our focus right now is supporting our educators, as well as continuing to collaborate with local partners and law enforcement.’

The women said that the company has a policy of reporting robberies internally instead of contacting law enforcement, despite the employee handbook asking staff to call 911 after the suspects have left the store.

Jennifer Ferguson said: “We are not supposed to get in the way. You kind of clear path for whatever they’re going to do.”

“And then, after it’s over, you scan a QR code. And that’s that. We’ve been told not to put it in any notes, because that might scare other people. We’re not supposed to call the police, not really supposed to talk about it.”

Jennifer Ferguson and Rogers said they were fired for breaking a “zero tolerance policy.”

“It wasn’t very clear. They didn’t give specific reasoning besides just saying they have a ‘no-tolerance policy,” Rogers said.

Hey Brother,

Just checking in. Looks like some of the other boys have come by today.

Lots of flowers. Did you ever think you’d be getting a bunch of flowers from guys in the platoon? I sure didn’t.

But here you go.

They’ll look good for a little while anyway.

Then they’ll wilt and brown. Then the gravekeeper will take them away.

Nothing stays forever.

I wish you could have stayed a little longer, though.

I’d really like to see you smile again. Hear you laugh.

Your laugh made other people laugh—me included.

A little joy in the world.

Joy that is now gone. I miss that.

I miss you.

But the world moves on. Time stops for no man.

Look at me. Gray hair. Wrinkled skin.

I will not squander a moment—not a breath, not a sunset, not a laugh. I will live to honor the gift you gave me.

I’m the old guy we used to laugh about.

Who’s laughing now?

Even my kids are all grown up.

They aren’t kids anymore. You’d be proud.

Time goes quick.

You taught me that.

You taught me so much.

I was angry at first—angry at you, angry at myself, angry at the world.

I couldn’t understand why—why you?

Why were you taken from this world? Taken from me?

My anger grew—but it was all for me. Selfish.

Eventually, the anger consumed itself.

I realized my anger was unwarranted.

Over time, it diminished.

Instead, I became thankful.

Thankful to have known you.

Thankful to have spent time with you.

Thankful to have served alongside you.

Thankful to call you friend and brother.

Thankful for this life you have given me.

You won’t grow old so I can.

Your dreams were lost so my dreams could be found.

Your hopes were extinguished, so my hopes could be realized.

Your future was cut short—so my future could flourish.

In your death, you gave me life.

I will live this life to the fullest.

I promise:

I will not squander a moment—not a breath, not a sunset, not a laugh.

I will live to honor the gift you gave me.

The life I owe to you.

I will never forget.

Until next time,

Your Brother

ESPN broadcaster Sam Ponder came under fire on Sunday as her support for keeping women’s sports fair and equal was the subject of an opinion column from USA Today’s Nancy Armour.

Ponder, and fellow ESPN colleague Sage Steele, have voiced their support for Riley Gaines, who has taken the reins to lead the calls for transgender athletes to participate in sports against the gender they were born as instead of the gender they identify as.

Gaines has been at the forefront since she tied with Lia Thomas in the NCAA Championship in 2022.

Recently, Ponder spoke about the issue again after Gaines tweeted the messages she received about transgender high school runners participating in the girls division in California.

“I barely said anything publicly abt this issue & I’ve had so many ppl msg me, stop me in the street to say thank you+ tell me stories abt girls who are afraid to speak up for fear of lost employment/being called hateful. It is not hateful to demand fairness in sports for girls,” Ponder tweeted.

However, Armour called Ponder’s words “plain old bigotry” in her column.

“Don’t be fooled by the people who screech about ‘fairness’ to cloak their bigotry toward transgender girls and women, the transgender girls and women who have the audacity to want to play sports, in particular,” Armour started the column.

“This is, and always was, about hate, fear and ignorance.”

Armour particularly took issue with Ponder choosing to speak out about this issue rather than talk about how girls and women’s sports don’t have equitable funding with boys and men.

“Did Ponder use her platform to express outrage at any of this? Urge her nearly half-million followers on Twitter to write or call their representatives and ask that women be given the funding and opportunities they rightfully deserve? Did she publicly participate in any of the many excellent documentaries, videos and commentary ESPN did to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX last year? Or even Tweet about them?” Armor wrote.

“No, she did not. Her public concern about ‘fairness’ for female athletes starts and stops with the miniscule number of transgender women who are participating in sports.”

Armour accused Ponder of putting transgender people in further danger with her tweets “by further amplifying the bogeyman that cisgender women’s participation in sports is being threatened by transgender girls and young women.”

Armour concluded that Ponder’s opinions have nothing to do with “fairness.”

Earlier this month, a Washington Post-KFF poll showed that the majority of American adults believe gender is determined at birth and are against biological males competing in women’s sports.

Sixty-six percent of American adults do not believe that biological males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports competitions at the high school level, while 34% support biological males competing against women.

When it comes to college and professional sports, 65% of American adults don’t believe that biological males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports, while 34% in both categories were behind the idea.

In youth sports, 62% of American adults did not believe biological males should be allowed to compete against biological girls, while 37% were behind allowing transgender girls to compete with biological girls.

Amid a culture-war storm that has hit several American companies in recent weeks, including Bud Light and Target are now focusing on Kohl’s approach to the debate and putting the company’s marketing strategy under increased scrutiny.

To commemorate “Pride Month” Kohl’s has released new LGBTQIA+ themed apparel for adults, children, and even babies.

The Twitter account End Wokeness made the discovery and tweeted out a photo of a display in Kohl’s that was advertising pride clothing and accessories.

Included in the display was some trans themed baby clothing that contained a dog with a trans flag and children waving LGBTQ flags on them.

Kohl’s is pushing LGBTQ Pride for literal babies pic.twitter.com/SzoHSXGp4n

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 28, 2023

Alex Lorusso who goes by the Twitter handle ALX, confirmed the merchandise is in fact from Kohl’s and was able to find the merchandise on Kohl’s website.

In case you need clothes for your Gay or Trans 3 month old, Kohl’s has you covered pic.twitter.com/N9liAriCzD

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) May 28, 2023

Kohl’s LGBTQIA+ section reads:

We are committed to amplifying and affirming the voices
of the LGBTQIA+ community, celebrating the joy that
comes from living authentically and unapologetically not
just this month, but all year long.

Looks like Kohl’s didn’t learn a thing from Bud Lite and Target pic.twitter.com/qRzlmepW4B

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 28, 2023

Target has not removed all of its Pride-themed merchandise but has not yet said which specific items it will stop selling on its website and in its stores as they are still under review. The satanic-themed products were immediately removed, according to Reuters.

In recent months, several major brands—including Adidas and Nike—have been hit by backlash after featuring trans models and influencers in their promotional campaigns.

Bud Light, which offered a paid sponsorship deal to trans activist and social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney in early April, was the subject of a major boycott last month called by conservative customers who felt the company had betrayed its core values.

Similar threats were made to Target, whose trans swimsuits—part of its Pride month’s clothing collection—became the object of massive controversy online. The anger of conservatives focused on a few items in the collection, including genderfluid and “tuck-friendly” swimsuits and a satanic-themed queer-friendly T-shirt.

Many top conservatives slammed the bipartisan agreement reached between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the weekend that is expected to prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debt.

While the details of the agreement are still being ironed out, and congressional leaders still have to convince their Members to vote for it, some on the top Republicans in Washington, D.C., are not happy with the agreement.

“There are members of the GOP claiming Democrats got nothing from the ‘deal.’ Oh really? 1) An uncapped debt ceiling with an expiration date – worth approximately $4 trillion…? 2) basically no cuts – a freeze at bloated 2023 spending level?” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a House Freedom Caucus member, tweeted. “ZERO claw back of the $1.2 Trillion ‘inflation reduction act’ crony giveaways to elite leftists for grid-destroying unreliable energy…? 4) 98% of the IRS expansion left fully in place…? 5) no work requirements for Medicaid? – & only age adjustments for TANF/SNAP…?”

“No REINS act statutory requirement for congress to approve huge regulations – just an ‘administrative’ paygo that the administration will get to enforce? 7) No border security!! – & a deal allowing them to avoid policy riders in the fall… 8) more…” he added.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) responded, “With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?”

With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats? https://t.co/EFpSkh2N8q

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) May 28, 2023

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) echoed Lee’s tweet, writing: “Fake conservatives agree to fake spending cuts. Deal will increase mandatory spending ~5%, increase military spending ~3%, and maintain current non-military discretionary spending at post-COVID levels. No real cuts to see here. Conservatives have been sold out once again!”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) responded to the following quote from McCarthy: “Right now, the Democrats are very upset. The one thing [Hakeem Jeffries] told me, there is nothing in the bill for them – there is not one thing in the bill for Democrats.”

“He’s right. There’s not ‘one thing’ for Dems. There are $4 trillion things—a blank check—for Democrats,” Cruz responded. “Plus 87,000 things: new IRS agents to harass Americans. All in exchange for eliminating virtually ALL of the House’s spending cuts.”

He’s right. There’s not “one thing” for Dems.

There are $4 trillion things—a blank check—for Democrats.

Plus 87,000 things: new IRS agents to harass Americans.

All in exchange for eliminating virtually ALL of the House’s spending cuts. 🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/7OnaHFePeW

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 28, 2023

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) added, “This pretty much says it all. Democrats got everything they wanted with this bill and don’t have to defend their reckless spending prior to the 2024 election. It’s a win for them.”

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) released text of the bill to raise the debt ceiling limit until 2025 Sunday evening following his deal with President Biden over the weekend.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S. government will hit the debt ceiling and run out of money to pay bills June 5. The bill that lawmakers must review and vote on, known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act, would boost defense spending and claw back unspent COVID aid relief funding.

Read the bill’s full text, via DocumentCloud:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has picked up support for his presidential campaign from what might at first appear an unlikely place: people who had worked for former President Trump’s campaign or administration or supported him.

Multiple former Trump supporters are backing DeSantis’s challenge to Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

Here are the most notable former Trumpers currently on Team DeSantis:

Ken Cuccinelli

Cuccinelli, a former senior Trump administration official who served as Homeland Security acting deputy secretary, has been among the most vocal and upfront former Trump supporters who have shifted to DeSantis.

He launched the “Never Back Down” super PAC in March to urge DeSantis to run for president. He said at the time that he had been speaking to “many grassroots conservative activists” who wanted DeSantis to run.

“Ron DeSantis doesn’t just talk, he acts, but most of all he never backs down,” Cuccinelli says in the video announcing the super PAC. “Gov. DeSantis, today I’m asking you to run for president. You’ve had our back, now we will have yours.”

The super PAC has since launched ads attacking Trump and promoting DeSantis as the leader of the country’s future. One ad last month slammed Trump as a “gun-grabber” over comments that he has made in support of gun control legislation, while another tried to position DeSantis as the rightful successor to Trump.

Cuccinelli is also reportedly part of “The Eight-Year Alliance,” a coalition of various former Trump officials supporting DeSantis.

Steve Cortes

Cortes served as a senior adviser to Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, but he now works as an adviser and surrogate for Never Back Down.

He threw his support behind DeSantis earlier this month as “the best possible option to win the presidency” in 2024. He said in an op-ed in Newsweek that he did not arrive at his decision to support DeSantis lightly, having served as a spokesperson and adviser to Trump for much of the past seven years, but that the “America First movement” is bigger than any one individual.

Cortes pointed to polls showing widespread dissatisfaction with the country’s direction and that voters do not want to see a rematch of the 2020 race between Trump and President Biden.

He noted the 2018, 2020 and 2022 elections in which Republicans had disappointing performances with Trump as the GOP’s leader and argued “there is no substitute for victory.” DeSantis demonstrated his appeal, Cortes and other supporters say, in a landslide victory to be reelected as Florida’s governor by almost 20 points.

Cortes also argued DeSantis has discipline and has demonstrated results in policy while avoiding the “chaos” of the Trump presidency.

“Now it’s time to take that same approach for the nation. In Ron DeSantis, Republicans can rally to a fresh, vibrant, and optimistic agenda, one that includes electoral victory followed by disciplined and focused policy achievements,” he said.

Chip Roy

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) became the first sitting member of Congress to endorse DeSantis for president in March, more than two months before DeSantis officially announced that he was running. Roy was one of a few House members to preemptively endorse DeSantis.

Roy said in an email to his supporters that the next president “must be a vibrant and energetic leader with the faith, vision, and courage to chart a new course.”

He previously supported Trump for reelection in the 2020 presidential election, and texts obtained by CNN revealed he sent messages to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows trying to help with Trump’s legal challenges to the election results.

But Roy had a falling out with Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, criticizing the former president for trying to pressure Republicans to reject the results.

He said in his endorsement that DeSantis rejects “woke corporate America and higher education” and takes stances that are not politically correct. He added that the GOP needs a “new generation of leadership.”

Thomas Massie

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) supported Trump during the 2020 election, but he and the former president have not always been on the best of terms in the past few years, and Massie endorsed DeSantis last month.

Trump slammed Massie as a “third rate grandstander” and called for him to be kicked out of the Republican Party in 2020 over Massie’s opposition to the $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package that passed at the outset of the pandemic.

Massie said during his 2022 reelection campaign that he expected Trump to stay out of his primary race, but Trump endorsed Massie as a “Conservative Warrior” and “first-rate Defender of the Constitution.”

Massie became the second House Republican to preemptively endorse DeSantis for 2024, saying that DeSantis is a “proven energetic leader” who has fought for economic freedom, personal liberty, fiscal responsibility and limited government.

“America needs a leader who is decisive, respects the Constitution, understands policy, puts family first, and leads by inspiring,” Massie said. “That’s why I’m endorsing Ron DeSantis for President.”

Bob Good

Never Back Down announced earlier this month that Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) was endorsing DeSantis because he has demonstrated that he can produce “effective results for every man, woman, and child.” He said at the time that he expected DeSantis to win the presidency if he decided to run.

“Courageous conservative leadership is what America needs to stand against the insanity of woke corporations, corrupt Washington politicians, and continued attacks on our faith, families, and freedoms,” he said.

Good, who received an endorsement from Trump in his 2020 race and supported Trump’s reelection bid, said DeSantis has shown “strength in the face of adversity.”