From the desk of Rich Stephens
News for the week ending 6-14-26
Below find the expanded text from tonight’s broadcast. For corrections or additions, contact Rich directly.
Current Events
Karmelo Anthony Convicted of Murder, Sentenced to 35 Years
A Collin County jury convicted Karmelo Sincere Anthony of murder on June 9 and sentenced him to 35 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The case began April 2, 2025, at a high school track meet in Frisco. Frisco Police said officers and fire personnel responded around 10:00 a.m. to the 6900 block of Stadium Lane after an altercation between two students ended with one student stabbing another. Police later identified the victim as 17-year-old Austin Metcalf of Frisco Memorial High School and said Anthony, a 17-year-old student at Frisco Centennial High School, was charged with first-degree felony murder.
On June 24, the Collin County District Attorney announced that a grand jury had indicted Anthony for First-Degree Murder. District Attorney Greg Willis said prosecutors had presented evidence to the grand jury and asked for that indictment. “Today, I summarized that evidence, and I asked the Grand Jury to return a first degree murder indictment against Karmelo Anthony — which they did,” Willis said.
The case then moved through the 296th District Court under tight public-access restrictions. Collin County created a dedicated trial-information page for State of Texas v. Karmelo Sincere Anthony, Cause No. 296-83565-2025. The court barred courtroom photography, video, recordings, livestreaming, cell phones, and most electronic devices, and a gag order remained in place.
The Collin County Register of Actions shows jury selection and testimony began during the first week of June. On June 4, Anthony pleaded not guilty, the jury was sworn, opening statements began, and state witness testimony started. The state continued presenting witnesses on June 5 and June 6. After the state rested, the defense asked for a directed verdict, and the court denied that request. Defense testimony began June 6 and continued June 8. The defense rested later that day.
On June 9, the court read the guilt-or-innocence jury charge, closing arguments began, and the jury was sent to deliberate. The Register of Actions states: “Jury verdict: Guilty of murder.”
The punishment phase began the same day. The state rested its punishment case, the defense presented witness testimony, and the court read the punishment jury charge. After closing statements, the jury returned a punishment verdict of 35 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The court sentenced Anthony to 35 years in TDCJ and gave him 12 days of back-time credit.
The signed judgment and full trial transcript have not been publicly posted, but the court’s Register of Actions now confirms the conviction and sentence.
Frisco Police update identifying Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony
Collin County District Attorney indictment announcement
Collin County trial information page
Collin County order regulating trial proceedings
Collin County Register of Actions court record
Federal Officials Announce New Cases Tied To Unaccompanied Children And Sponsor Fraud
Federal officials announced new criminal cases tied to unaccompanied children, sponsor fraud, and human smuggling during a joint press conference with the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said more than 475,000 unaccompanied children entered the United States during the Biden administration. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the administration has found 146,000 children so far, but there are still nearly 300,000 missing.
The Department of Justice also announced indictments against three Guatemalan nationals in the Northern District of Ohio. Blanche identified them as Marissa Kawi Ko, Carlos Augustine Kawi Ko, and Glattis Marina Kch Chen. He said they allegedly took part in a conspiracy to smuggle more than a dozen children into the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Tyson Duva said Marita Ko allegedly submitted fraudulent sponsorship applications using other people’s identities, falsely claimed children were close relatives, and used other people’s birth certificates and Guatemalan consular ID cards. Duva said several applications were successful and caused the Office of Refugee Resettlement to release children into her care.
A search of her Cleveland residence two weeks ago found Marita, eight other adults, and four minor children living there. Duva said nearly all of the adults were illegal aliens, and four had themselves been unaccompanied children.
Officials also discussed the case of Juan Tiul Xi, a Guatemalan national previously indicted in Cleveland. DOJ previously said Tiul Xi helped a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl enter the United States illegally, then falsely claimed she was his sister in an Office of Refugee Resettlement sponsorship application.
DOJ said Tiul Xi pleaded guilty in December 2025 to encouraging and inducing an unaccompanied child to illegally enter the United States, making false statements, and aggravated identity theft. At the press conference, Duva said Tiul Xi sexually assaulted the child multiple times and will serve 10 years based on state and federal convictions.
Office of Refugee Resettlement Acting Director Angie Salazar said her agency has identified more than 81,000 addresses used repeatedly to take children, more than 76,000 missing safety checks, and more than 97,000 cases that lacked background checks.
Salazar said ORR now requires valid identity documents, fingerprint background checks, DNA testing when a family relationship is claimed, income verification, physical home checks, and in-person meetings with sponsors.
Blanche said DOJ has directed every U.S. attorney’s office to pursue viable charges related to sponsor fraud involving unaccompanied children, immigration violations, labor or sex trafficking, aggravated identity theft, and alien smuggling. He said every U.S. attorney’s office now has a designated coordinator for cases involving unaccompanied children.
The background number cited by officials appears to track a 2024 DHS Office of Inspector General report. That report said ICE had not served Notices to Appear on more than 291,000 unaccompanied children as of May 2024. It also said more than 32,000 unaccompanied children failed to appear for immigration court hearings from fiscal years 2019 to 2023.
DOJ / DHS / HHS Press Conference Video
DOJ: Guatemalan Man Unlawfully Residing In United States And Convicted Of Sexual Battery Indicted
DOJ: Guatemalan Man Unlawfully In U.S. And Previously Convicted Of Sexual Battery Pleads Guilty
DHS Office of Inspector General: ICE Cannot Monitor All Unaccompanied Migrant Children Released From DHS And U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services’ Custody
Pasadena Police Release Video After Officer Shoots Officer In Department Parking Structure
Pasadena Police released critical incident video this week from an officer-involved shooting inside the department’s own parking structure.
The incident happened September 7, 2025. Pasadena Police said it involved department personnel and injured one officer, who has since recovered.
Dash video shows an officer drawing his pistol and pointing it toward the driver before holstering the firearm. Moments later, a shot is heard and the officer grabs his shoulder.
Both the shooter and the victim were Pasadena police officers. In the critical incident video, Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris called it unsafe, out-of-policy horseplay involving loaded firearms.
Pasadena Police released the video on its official critical incident page under California’s police-video disclosure law. The department said the video includes mobile video footage, a statement from Chief Harris, and additional information about the incident.
The department said release of the video was delayed so investigators could complete essential steps and protect the ongoing investigation. Pasadena Police said the case remains under investigation and review by the department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The incident happened in California, a state Everytown for Gun Safety says “continues to lead the nation with the strongest gun laws.” Everytown’s 2026 state rankings put California first in the country for gun-law strength, with a composite score of 91.
Everytown’s California page says the state has the strongest gun laws in the country, including background checks for all firearms, concealed-carry permit requirements, secure-storage rules, training requirements for certain gun buyers, and laws meant to hold police accountable.
California’s gun laws may rank first in the country, but in this case, the people enforcing the law were shooting each other while playing with loaded firearms in a police parking garage.
Pasadena Police Department: Critical Incident Information Video PA2025-70379
Police Incidents: Pasadena Police Critical Incident Video Clip
Everytown: California Continues To Lead The Nation With The Strongest Gun Laws
Everytown Research: Gun Laws In California
Marion County Sheriff Announces 58 Arrests In Six-Day Child Predator Operation
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods announced 58 arrests after a six-day undercover child predator operation in Florida.
Detectives posed online as children or as parents trafficking their children. The suspects found the profiles, started the conversations, and arranged to meet what they believed were minors.
Woods said the crime is not limited to Marion County or Florida, then made his approach clear: “I want to find every one of these pieces of shits and get them out of my county.”
The operation involved the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Task Force, Homeland Security, the FBI, the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
The arrests included people in the country legally and illegally, fathers, coaches, husbands, immigrants, and a student. One suspect took a bus from Atlanta after talking with detectives for nine months. Another arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl in a Walmart bathroom. A Little League football coach allegedly tried to meet a 15-year-old boy.
Another suspect agreed to meet a 14-year-old girl at the Marion County Jail and actually showed up there.
A second-grade teacher at Fessenden Elementary, who was in the United States from Jamaica on a work visa, was accused of trying to meet a little boy. During questions, Woods said the teacher had been terminated.
Woods also highlighted several other arrests. He said one suspect was already a registered sex offender, another was accused of trying to meet a 7-year-old child, and another told detectives he fantasized about randomly groping children in a store.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the operation brings Florida to nearly 1,700 child predator arrests since he took office. He said statewide prosecutions are up more than 50 percent, and human trafficking convictions are up more than 30 percent.
During questions, Sergeant John Liddell said the suspects generally face charges like traveling to meet a minor and soliciting a child, with additional internet, sex trafficking, or human trafficking charges in some cases.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office Press Conference Video
Marion County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Office
Judge Denies Stay, Takes Prosecutor Contempt Issue Under Advisement in Charlie Kirk Murder Case
On Friday, June 12, Tyler James Robinson was back in court in Utah in the aggravated murder case tied to Charlie Kirk’s death.
The court first denied Robinson’s request to stay all proceedings while the Utah Supreme Court considers whether to review the court’s earlier ruling on cameras in the courtroom. Robinson had asked the court to pause the case, including the preliminary hearing scheduled for the week of July 6, while that petition remains pending.
The judge said Robinson had not shown that a stay was necessary now. The court said any future request for electronic media coverage of the preliminary hearing would still be reviewed proceeding by proceeding, and that no request for coverage of that hearing had yet been ruled on. The judge said the defense could renew its request if later developments materially changed the circumstances, but ordered that the motion to stay was “respectfully denied.”
The defense then raised concerns about the timing of any future camera ruling. Defense attorney Richard Novak said media outlets had requested electronic coverage at every hearing so far, and argued that if the court waits until the morning of the preliminary hearing to rule on objections, the defense would have no meaningful opportunity to seek appellate review. The court did not issue an immediate change to the schedule at that point.
The court also received a discovery update from the state. Prosecutor Ryan McBride said that as of June 9, the state had sent 11 additional items to the defense. He said 10 were notebooks requested by the defense during discovery review, and one was an 11:02 statement prepared for the preliminary hearing. McBride said the state had provided “essentially everything” it had from investigative agencies to date, putting discovery at approximately 100%.
The main hearing focused on Robinson’s motion to hold two prosecutors in contempt: Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray and prosecutor Christopher Ballard, who also serves as the office’s public information officer.
The defense argued that Ballard violated the court’s pretrial publicity order through public statements to media outlets about bullet-fragment analysis. The dispute came after media reports said the bullet recovered in the case did not match the rifle allegedly tied to Robinson. Ballard testified that the coverage created concern inside the Utah County Attorney’s Office, and that he responded to several media inquiries after discussing the issue with Gray.
Ballard testified that he spoke by phone with TMZ, exchanged emails with USA Today and PolitiFact, did a Zoom interview used by Fox and Friends, and responded to other media requests. He said there were around eight or nine requests in total.
Defense attorneys pressed Ballard on whether his statements discussed specific forensic evidence in this case. Ballard said he was trying to speak generally about what an inconclusive bullet-fragment analysis means. The defense argued that the context made clear he was talking about the bullet evidence in Robinson’s case, and that the prosecutors were trying to influence public perception before a jury is selected.
Novak argued that Ballard’s explanation was not credible, saying Ballard referred to “the bullet” and “this bullet” while responding to media coverage of the actual evidence in the case. He also argued that Ballard made public statements about what future FBI and ATF reports were expected to show.
The defense asked the court to find a violation of the publicity order. As a remedy, Novak said the court should bar the state from seeking the death penalty against Robinson. He argued that lesser penalties, such as continuing education or referral to the state bar, would not protect Robinson’s constitutional rights.
The state argued that Ballard and Gray did not violate the court’s order. McBride said the prosecutors were responding to inaccurate reporting about a public court record, and that Rule 3.6 allows lawyers to discuss information contained in public records and to respond to recent publicity that may unfairly prejudice a client.
The state said Ballard did not tell the public that Robinson was guilty and did not claim personal knowledge beyond the evidence. McBride argued that Ballard’s statements were measured, tied to the public record, and intended to correct what the state viewed as a false narrative that the bullet evidence destroyed the prosecution’s case.
The judge did not rule immediately on the contempt issue.
The court also heard argument on Robinson’s motion to exclude hearsay evidence from the preliminary hearing. The defense argued that in a death penalty case, the federal Constitution should not allow the state to rely almost entirely on hearsay to establish probable cause. Defense counsel argued that Robinson should be able to confront and cross-examine the witnesses whose statements are used to bind him over for trial.
The state argued that Utah law allows reliable hearsay at preliminary hearings, and that the hearing only determines whether probable cause exists to proceed to trial. The state compared the preliminary hearing to the federal grand jury process and argued that Utah’s process already gives defendants more protection than a grand jury. The state said it expected to call four witnesses, and Robinson would be able to cross-examine those witnesses.
The judge took both the contempt motion and the hearsay motion under advisement.
The defense also asked the court to adjust the schedule for electronic media coverage requests before the July 6 preliminary hearing. Novak proposed requiring media requests by June 17, with briefing completed by June 24, so the court could rule with enough time for review before the hearing begins. The state opposed changing the court’s existing schedule.
The judge declined to adopt the defense proposal and said the court would rely on the schedule already in place.
The court set June 22 at 9:30 a.m. for rulings on the contempt issue and the hearsay motion. Robinson’s attorneys asked that he appear by WebEx audio from the jail.
DPS Identifies Suspect After Midland Shooting Leaves One Victim Dead, 10 Injured
On Friday morning, authorities responded to an active shooter in Midland, Texas.
In an initial city briefing, officials said a perimeter had been established and the immediate area was secured, but residents were asked to stay away from the scene. City officials said there were 11 known victims at that time, including at least one person dead at the scene. They said there was one known suspect, described as contained, with SWAT on scene near the 4600 block of West Wall.
The Texas Department of Public Safety later identified the suspect as 45-year-old Victor Mata Villarreal.
DPS said that at about 8:00 a.m., DPS, Midland Police, and other local, state, and federal law enforcement partners responded to reports of an active shooter in the 4600 block of West Wall Street. According to DPS, Villarreal began firing at officers and bystanders, then barricaded himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic.
Responding officers established a perimeter around the building. After a standoff, DPS said Villarreal was found dead inside the building around 12:30 p.m.
DPS confirmed one victim was dead and 10 others were injured. No law enforcement officers were injured.
DPS also said Villarreal had already been wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer. According to DPS, that charge came after Villarreal fired multiple shots at a Midland police officer during a vehicle pursuit on Wednesday, June 10.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the active shooter incident at the request of Midland Police. DPS said the investigation remains active and no additional information is being released.
Officials have not released the identity of the victim who died. They also have not released a motive or an official cause of Villarreal’s death.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI was on scene with special agents and victim specialists assisting Midland Police.
DPS asked drivers to avoid the area while authorities remain on scene. West Wall Street, also known as Business 20, is expected to remain closed from Fasken Road to Loop 250 for 24 to 48 hours.
Midland active shooter briefing video
Texas Department of Public Safety release on Midland shooting
FBI Director Kash Patel statement
Politics
The JAIL Act Would Let Victims Sue Judges And Government Entities After Repeat Violent Offenders Are Released Pending Trial
A pair of identical bills in Congress would create a federal civil cause of action against judges and other government entities when a repeat violent offender is released pending trial and later harms someone.
The bills are called the Judicial Accountability for Irresponsible Leniency Act, or JAIL Act. The House version, H.R. 5312, was introduced by Congressman Randy Fine on September 11 and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The Senate version, S. 3239, was introduced by Senator Tim Sheehy on November 20 and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Congress.gov lists H.R. 5312 as an identical bill to S. 3239.
The bill text is short. It says if a judge or government entity issues an order releasing a covered defendant on bail pending trial, and that defendant harms another person during release, the victim — or an immediate family member if the victim is deceased — may sue the judge or government entity in federal district court for damages.
The bill also says judicial immunity would not be a defense in that civil action.
A covered defendant is defined as a person charged with a crime of violence who has previously been convicted of a crime of violence. The bill uses the definition of “crime of violence” in 18 U.S.C. § 16, which covers offenses involving the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against a person or property, and certain felonies involving a substantial risk that physical force may be used.
Fine’s office said the House bill came after the murder of Iryna Zarutzka in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fine’s office said Decarlos Brown Jr. had 14 prior arrests and had been released without bail. Fine said, “If a bartender could be held accountable for serving too many drinks to someone caught driving with a DWI, a judge who released a murderer with 14 prior arrests should be held to the same standards.”
Sheehy’s office made a similar argument when the Senate version was introduced. Sheehy said, “It’s time to end the revolving door of the criminal justice system and hold accountable the government officials who refuse to uphold the law and keep American families safe.”
The bill has not advanced beyond introduction and committee referral. Congress.gov lists no CBO cost estimate, no amendments, and no completed CRS summary. Both versions remain in Judiciary committees.
Congress.gov: S. 3239 Text
Congress.gov: H.R. 5312 Text
Congress.gov: H.R. 5312 Cosponsors
Congress.gov: S. 3239 Related Bills
U.S. Code: 18 U.S.C. § 16 — Crime of Violence
Senator Tim Sheehy: Sheehy Introduces Bill to Hold Soft-on-Crime Judges Accountable
Congressman Randy Fine: Fine Introduces Bill to Hold Soft-on-Crime Judges Accountable
Senator Tim Sheehy: ICYMI — Soft-on-Crime Judges Need Consequences
House Judiciary Hearing Presses SPLC Over DOJ Fraud Allegations And Paid Informants
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week with representatives from the Southern Poverty Law Center, after the Justice Department charged the organization with wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.
The hearing was titled “The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate, Part II.” Republicans alleged that SPLC engaged in bank fraud and donor fraud while paying people tied to the same racist groups it claims to fight. The Justice Department says SPLC secretly funneled donated money to people associated with extremist groups, including groups tied to the Ku Klux Klan, the National Alliance, the National Socialist Movement, Aryan Nations, Unite the Right, and American Front.
DOJ alleges the scheme involved donor money, fictitious bank accounts, and concealment of the true nature, source, ownership, and control of the payments. Republicans on the committee said the alleged payments were not just ordinary informant payments, but donor-funded support to people who remained active inside extremist groups.
Chairman Jim Jordan focused on the 2017 Charlottesville violence. Jordan said one SPLC-paid field source helped coordinate transportation and attended the Unite the Right rally, where Heather Heyer was killed. Jordan said SPLC paid that field source $300,000 and said SPLC fundraising increased from $51 million to $133 million afterward.
Jordan also cited other field-source allegations from the indictment. He said Field Source 9 was tied to the National Alliance, was paid $1.2 million, and had a romantic relationship and joint bank account with an SPLC employee. He said another field source wanted to leave a racist group, but SPLC allegedly told him to stay and paid him a monthly salary.
Republicans also pressed SPLC interim president Bryan Fair on whether donors were told their money could be used to pay informants tied to extremist groups. Congressman Barry Moore asked whether SPLC told Alabama donors that donated funds could be used to pay informants tied to groups like the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, or the National Socialist Movement. Fair said allegations in the indictment would be addressed by counsel in the pending criminal case.
Several Republicans focused on alleged fictitious entities and bank accounts. Jordan listed names including Center Investigative Agency, Fox Photography, Northwest Technologies, Tech Writers Group, Rare Books Warehouse, Imagery Link, J&J Electronics, and Kelly’s Marine, and asked whether those were intermediary shell companies used to pay field sources. Fair again said those allegations would be addressed in court.
SPLC defended its informant program. Fair said SPLC paid confidential informants to infiltrate extremist organizations and said the program helped protect the public and SPLC staff. SPLC has also said it shared intelligence with law enforcement, including before Charlottesville and in a 2019 Atomwaffen Division case in Las Vegas.
Democrats argued that paid informants are a normal investigative tool. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin said the claim against SPLC treats undercover informants as support for extremist groups, even though law enforcement uses informants against organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and extremist violence. Democrats also said SPLC’s informants helped generate warnings to law enforcement before Charlottesville.
Democrats also framed the prosecution as political. Raskin said the Trump administration was attacking SPLC because of its civil rights work. Professor Mary McCord, a former Justice Department official, warned that prosecutors can abuse their power by selecting unpopular people or organizations and then looking for an offense. She argued that targeting organizations because of their views threatens First Amendment rights.
Fair denied the allegations in broad terms. He said SPLC “strongly” denies the indictment allegations and said the organization does not fund hate groups. But he repeatedly declined to answer indictment-specific questions, saying they would be handled by counsel in the pending criminal case.
House Judiciary Committee: The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate, Part II
House Judiciary Committee Hearing Video
Justice Department: Federal Grand Jury Charges Southern Poverty Law Center
Bryan Fair Written Testimony
Dr. Alveda King Written Testimony
Ryan Bangert Written Testimony
Mary McCord Written Testimony
Southern Poverty Law Center: SPLC Motions On Grand Jury And Informant Program
World
Sudanese Immigrant Charged After Belfast Knife Attack
On Monday night, a Sudanese immigrant attacked a local Belfast man with a kitchen knife.
Stephen Ogilvie suffered serious slash wounds to his back and face, and police said he also had significant injuries to his eyes. Bystanders ran toward the attack and stopped it before officers arrived. Police said their quick action saved Ogilvie’s life.
Police have not publicly named the attacker in the official statements reviewed, but said he was charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with blade or point in a public place, and threats to kill.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the suspect traveled from Sudan to Paris, then flew to Dublin, then took a bus to Belfast on February 10, 2023, and claimed asylum that day. He was later granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom.
Boutcher said the suspect was not known to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and was not listed on national security databases. Police also said there was no information at that stage suggesting the attack was terrorism-related.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said officials understood the suspect was in Northern Ireland on a five-year visa and entered through Dublin. She said people’s concerns had to be taken seriously, and that after conviction, “this dangerous man must be deported immediately.”
In the Northern Ireland Assembly, Brian Kingston of the Democratic Unionist Party said the video showed a man pinned to the ground while another man slashed at his face and throat. Timothy Gaston of Traditional Unionist Voice said, “It is time to close our borders,” before the Speaker cut him off.
The response then moved from politics to the street. Police said addresses were being shared online, putting people at risk, and protests gave way to disorder in several areas. By the next night, police were dealing with violence in Glengormley, Newtownabbey, Portadown, Belfast, and Derry/Londonderry.
Across the second night of disorder, police said 16 people were arrested and 12 officers were injured. In Glengormley, a bin lorry, car, and vacant building were set on fire, and a hijacked van was pushed toward police.
Ogilvie’s family rejected the violence. In a statement released through police, they said he was stable, thanked the people who saved his life, and said peaceful protest is the only way forward.
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson Update
Northern Ireland Leaders Press Conference On North Belfast Attack
UK Parliament Session Referencing The Belfast Attack And Related Immigration Questions
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Attempted Murder Following Serious Assault In North Belfast
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Detectives Charge Man To Court Following North Belfast Knife Attack
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Family Of Stephen Ogilvie Issue Statement
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Social Media Posts With Addresses May Be Criminal Offence
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Missiles Thrown At Police In Glengormley
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Appeal For Calm After Second Night Of Disorder
Northern Ireland Assembly Official Report: Serious Stabbing In North Belfast
CBS News: Video From North Belfast Knife Attack
Joey Mannarino: Video From North Belfast Knife Attack
Breaking911: Video From Belfast Disorder
Finance
May Jobs Report Shows 172,000 Jobs Added As Unemployment Holds At 4.3 Percent
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the May jobs report on June 5, showing total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 172,000.
The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3 percent. BLS said the rate has remained in a narrow range between 4.3 percent and 4.5 percent since July 2025. The number of unemployed people was 7.3 million.
The labor force participation rate held at 61.8 percent, and the employment-population ratio was 59.2 percent. BLS said both measures showed little change over the year after accounting for annual population control adjustments.
The job gains were led by leisure and hospitality, local government, and health care. Leisure and hospitality added 70,000 jobs in May, including 48,000 in food services and drinking places. Local government added 55,000 jobs, largely from local government excluding education, which added 44,000. Health care added 35,000 jobs, including 26,000 in ambulatory health care services.
Other areas were mixed. Social assistance continued to trend up by 12,000 jobs. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction added 5,000 jobs. Financial activities declined by 22,000 jobs and is down 107,000 from a recent peak in May 2025.
Transportation and warehousing was essentially unchanged in May, adding 1,000 jobs, but BLS said the sector is down 92,000 jobs since reaching a peak in February 2025. Air transportation lost 9,000 jobs in May, largely reflecting a business closure.
Private payrolls increased by 120,000. Goods-producing industries added 28,000 jobs, including 17,000 in construction and 7,000 in manufacturing. Private service-providing industries added 92,000 jobs.
Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm employees rose 12 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $37.53. Over the year, average hourly earnings were up 3.4 percent. Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees rose 8 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $32.31.
The report also revised prior months upward. March was revised from 185,000 jobs added to 214,000. April was revised from 115,000 to 179,000. Together, March and April were revised up by 93,000 jobs.
The White House posted a video on the May jobs report and later said the economy added 172,000 jobs in May, calling the report one that “crushed expectations.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics release itself did not compare the May number to economist forecasts.
The next Employment Situation report, covering June, is scheduled for July 2.
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Situation — May 2026
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Situation Release Schedule
White House: May Jobs Report Video
White House: President Trump Is Restoring American Greatness One Win At A Time
Markets
Markets recovered a bit this week. The Dow Jones closed at a record high 51,202 after picking up 336 points, more than erasing last week’s loss, but still only a .66% gain.
NASDAQ picked up 179 points, a .7% gain and closed at 25,888.
The S&P500 saw a .65% gain, picking up 48 points to finish the week at 7431.
Gold continued to recede, dropping $114 and closing futures trading at $4,239.
Sports
World Cup
The World Cup has come to the United States. The first round is a series of 4 team round robin matches where the top two teams from each group, plus the 8 best third place teams will advance to the 32 team bracket. The USA won their first match against Paraguay on Saturday June 13 and now sit on top of group D with a win and +3 goals advantage. They will play Australia on June 19 at 3pm eastern.
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals came to a close Saturday night, June 13 in San Antonio. After trailing by as much as 15 in the 3rd, the Knicks outscored the Spurs 29-18 in the 4th quarter to win game 5 and take the championship series 4-1. The final of that game was 94-90.
Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Caronlina Avalanche lead the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The east coast squad has a 3 games to 2 advantage. Game 6 is Sunday night, June 14 at 8 eastern. That game will be played in Las Vegas and I’ll bring you updates next week.
MLB Weekly Update
In Major League Baseball, I’m telling you, if you aren’t watching the Brewers, you’re missing some good baseball. Jacob Misiorowsky struck out 15 in a 95 pitch, 1 hit, complete game shutout against the Phillies on Friday June 12. He once again broke his own record with the fastest pitch ever recorded by a starter at 104.5 mph. The New York Yankees have slipped to the top of the AL East with a 1 game edge on the Tampa Bay Rays. Just a half game separates Cleveland from the White Sox in the AL Central and Seattle has a one game advantage over the Athletics in the AL West. Atlanta still controls the NL East by 8 games and the dodgers have the same 8 game advantage over the padres in the West. In the NL Central, the Brewers are still 4 games ahead of the Cardinals.
Rich Stephens
The Cold Take