Midwest
Bondi pushes back on First Amendment claims after Don Lemon, others arrested over church disruption
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Attorney General Pam Bondi pushed back Saturday against First Amendment criticisms after the Trump administration arrested journalist Don Lemon and other anti-ICE agitators accused of storming a Minnesota church, warning that attacks on houses of worship will not be tolerated.
“When we say God bless America, we mean it. We’re going to protect America, and if you do that in any house of worship in this country, we’re going to find you. We’re going to indict you, and I’m going to prosecute you,” she said on “My View with Lara Trump.”
Her remarks come amid criticism that the arrests violated the agitators’ First Amendment rights, something she dismissed by pointing to Title 18’s Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996 as evidence to the contrary.
“You also have a First Amendment right to worship freely and safely. On a Sunday morning, all of those parishioners, so many of them thought they were going to be involved in a mass shooting. They didn’t know what was happening,” she said.
DON LEMON RELEASED FROM CUSTODY AFTER LA COURT APPEARANCE
Attorney General Pam Bondi conducts a news conference at the Department of Justice on Dec. 4, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“People have the right to go to church, to synagogue, to a mosque, wherever you worship and feel safe while you are there, and under the Donald Trump administration, we’re going to make that possible for them.”
Bondi described the incident as a coordinated operation that unfolded as families arrived for worship, with the agitators caravanning to the church, entering and sitting in the pews alongside those there to worship.
“These parishioners are coming in, and they didn’t realize they had already been infiltrated. They had part of these attackers walking in with them, sitting next to them in the pews. They’re there to worship God,” she said.
According to Bondi, the group stormed the church from multiple directions, shouting chants in unison as the service was underway, leaving congregants scrambling for safety.
DON LEMON REMAINS DEFIANT, DARES TRUMP DOJ TO ‘MAKE ME INTO THE NEW JIMMY KIMMEL’ AS POTENTIAL CHARGES LOOM
Anti-ICE agitators stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, disrupting services last month. (Validated UGC, Black Lives Matter Minnesota via The Associated Press)
She said parents were temporarily blocked from reaching their children at Sunday school, while others were prevented from exiting the building as panic spread through the sanctuary.
“Some of the lucky women ran out the side door, falling on the ice, legs up in the air. One woman hurt her arm so badly she had to go to the hospital,” she recounted.
“Parishioners were blocked from exiting the church. Don Lemon, on video, blocked one of them. Screaming, yelling at the pastor. That’s illegal in this country.”
Lemon, a former CNN anchor, was charged in Los Angeles Friday afternoon on allegations of conspiring to violate someone’s constitutional rights and alleged FACE Act violations.
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Now an independent journalist, Lemon said he had been attending the demonstration as a reporter, not as a protester. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Lemon remarked, “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group.… I’m a journalist.”
Lemon and his defenders argue that the arrest violated his First Amendment rights.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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Milwaukee, WI
Brandon Woodruff exits Milwaukee Brewers' loss in 4th inning
Minneapolis, MN
Teen in critical condition after being pulled from Minnehaha Falls
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A 16-year-old boy was pulled from the water at Minnehaha Falls after going missing while swimming with family.
Fire crews respond to missing swimmer at Minnehaha Falls
What we know:
Minneapolis Fire Department crews arrived at Minnehaha Falls around 5:20 p.m. after reports that a teenager had gone underwater and did not resurface. Firefighters put on swift-water rescue gear, set up rope safety lines and entered the water at the spot where the boy was last seen.
Crews quickly found the teen submerged in the water and brought him to shore. Firefighters started lifesaving efforts, including CPR, before the boy was taken to a local hospital. According to the Minneapolis Fire Department, he was in critical condition.
Minneapolis Park Police say the area the teen was in is not authorized for swimming but had attracted swimmers due to hot weather.
What we don’t know:
There are no updates on the teen’s current condition or further details about how the incident happened.
The Source: Information from the Minneapolis Fire Department and the Minneapolis Park police.
Indianapolis, IN
Peace on the Plaza: Community building through basketball
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — While fireworks are the centerpiece of most Independence Day celebrations, one July 4th event in Indianapolis focused on bringing unity through athletic competition.
“Peace on the Plaza” was held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon and evening. The focal point of the event was a 3-on-3 basketball tournament featuring eight teams with young men who have ties to area nonprofits and other community organizations, like IndyPeace.
Shardae Hoskins, Administrator for Community Violence Reduction for the City of Indianapolis, said the participants were, “a bunch of teams that all play together often, and are all a part of mentoring or other community organizations… We really wanted to highlight those teams and give them an opportunity to play on such a big stage.”
The event was part of the city’s violence reduction strategy.
“Communities that have meetings, communities that have parks or opportunities for each other just to gather with each other, also have reduced violence,” Hoskins said. “Community builds peace.”
The teams were coached by people like Chauncey Anderson, a life coach who works with young adults to help them become productive citizens.
“My team got knocked out early, I’m kinda in my feelings about that,” Anderson said, smiling. “But they did (well), they held the fort down. And at the end of the day, they showed good sportsmanship and they just linked up with some people that they didn’t know prior to this. So it was a win.”
For those not interested in hoops, the other side of the basketball court had games like cornhole and Giant Jenga. Nearby, workers gave out free snow cones to offer relief from the sweltering heat. There were also opportunities to sign up for free programs to build skills, like conflict resolution.
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