Midwest
Navy vet charged with hate crime for smashing satanic statue in Iowa Capitol gets support from conservatives
Navy Reserve veteran Michael Cassidy received wide-spread support from conservatives and other notable figures after being charged with a hate crime for destroying a satanic statue that was erected at the Iowa state Capitol.
Notable figures like Elon Musk and Chaya Raichik, creator of Libs of TikTok, came to Cassidy’s defense after news of him being charged broke on Tuesday. Many who spoke out in support of Cassidy, lamented how left-wing protesters, who destroyed and vandalized statues of American historical figures, didn’t face the same stiff penalties that Cassidy now faces.
Local Iowa outlets reported that Polk County prosecutors accused Cassidy – who destroyed the statue in December – of violating the state’s hate crime statute and charged him.
NAVY VET DEFENDS BEHEADING IOWA CAPITOL’S SATANIC BAPHOMET STATUE: ‘CHRISTIAN CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE’
The Christian man who destroyed a statue of Baphomet at the Iowa state Capitol in December was recently hit with a hate crime charge for the offense. (Rep. Jon Dunwell)
The statue, depicting the horned demon Baphomet, was erected in the Capitol building by the Satanic Temple of Iowa as a religious display and therefore allowed to be there during the holidays under state rules.
After destroying the statue, Cassidy was initially cited for criminal mischief in the fourth degree and released after he told security that he had destroyed the statue. The felony hate crime charge was added Tuesday because according to a spokesman for the Polk County Attorney’s Office, the evidence indicated that Cassidy destroyed the statue for religious reasons.
“Evidence shows the defendant made statements to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property because of the victim’s religion,” Polk County Attorney’s Office spokesperson Lynn Hicks said.
The new charge means that Cassidy faces up to five years in prison. One of his lawyers, R. David Younts, told Fox News Digital, “It is deeply disappointing that my client is being targeted with this type of charge. His nonviolent actions were motivated by his sincere and deeply held religious faith.
“Nothing he did was targeted at any specific individual or organization. I hope that as the DA’s office carefully reviews the facts of this case they will dismiss the charge,” Younts added.
THE RISE OF THE SATANIC TEMPLE IN 2023
The statue of Baphomet was erected in the Capitol building by the Satanic Temple of Iowa last December. (Getty Images)
The official Libs of TikTok X account came to Cassidy’s defense and called out a perceived double standard in the U.S. justice system.
Mentioning the Black Lives Matter rallies of 2020, it stated, “Violent activists tore down dozens of statues including Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. None were held accountable or charged with a hate crime. Michael Cassidy knocks over a Satan statue made out of household items and gets charged with a hate crime.
“Welcome to America’s 2-tier-justice system. The police state made it clear who they worship. Wokeness and Satanism is the new religion,” the account added.
Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk weighed in on Cassidy’s legal charge, asking, “What has become of America?”
“It’s okay to hate Satan,” The Blaze columnist Auron MacIntyre wrote.
Pro-Trump influencer “DC Draino” mentioned a double standard here as well, posting, “Under the Biden regime: Razor wire is good for stopping Americans but bad for stopping illegal aliens. Statues of US Presidents can be torn down but touching statues of Satan is a hate crime. Violent criminals aren’t arrested but defending yourself will get you locked up. Insane.”
Libertarian commentator “Sal the Agorist” noted, “Destroy a statue of Robert E. Lee & you’ll get political points on MSM. Behead a statue of Satan & you’ll get charged with hate crime.”
The Post Millennial editor-in-chief Libby Emmons made a similar point, writing, “Statues of Jefferson, Washington were both torn down bc of hatred of white men. But the guy who tears down a statue of Satan is charged with a hate crime.”
“It’s now a crime in America to hate Satan,” conservative digital strategist Greg Price said.
“It was never mentioned that the trans Nashville shooter who specifically targeted Christian children committed a hate crime, but knocking over a statue of Satan is. America has fallen and we’re left to pay the price,” former NCAA athlete and anti-trans activist Riley Gaines wrote.
“Hate crime?!?!? Are you kidding me. Satan has NO PLACE in our state capitol,” conservative commentator Graham Allen said.
Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
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ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) -The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) announced its mounted unit will be heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to help out the Kansas City Police Department.
On June 9, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol Unit deputies will travel to Kansas City to assist with security and crowd control during the tournament.
According to the sheriff’s office, the entire task force dedicated to the tournament will consist of officers from Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio and Colorado.
They said three ACSO deputies and four horses will make the trip and assist in maintaining order and enhancing public safety outside Arrowhead Stadium during the following matches:
- Argentina vs. Algeria – June 16
- Ecuador vs. Curacao – June 20
- Tunisia vs. Netherlands – June 25
- Algeria vs. Austria – June 27
- Playoff game – July 3
- Quarterfinal game – July 11
The unit will also assist with the FIFA Fan Festival.
“Our mounted unit will serve as a highly visible law enforcement presence during the World Cup,” Lt. Rich Anselmi said. “Mounted deputies have an elevated vantage point that allows them to monitor large crowds and quickly identify potential security concerns. Our horses are highly trained and can move effectively through congested areas, help guide large groups of enthusiastic fans, and serve as friendly community ambassadors.”
ACSO said the horses have undergone training to simulate situations they may be in during the tournament, including exposure to smoke bombs, fireworks, flares and other loud noises. This training helps the horses remain steady, effective and safe during crowd control situations.
“We were honored to be invited to participate in the FIFA World Cup event. Our horses truly enjoy this type of work. By nature, horses like having a job, and we can see how much they enjoy the teamwork and interacting with people,” Lt. Anselmi said.
Copyright 2026 KKTV. All rights reserved.
Kansas City continues to be a popular destination for Nebraska sports fans, as the 2026-27 non-conference basketball slate will add another former conference rivalry flair to the fun.
Nebraska basketball announced on Thursday that the Huskers would make a return to the T-Mobile Center and Kansas City in December to renew another former Big Eight and Big 12 rivalry. Nebraska will face Missouri on Saturday, Dec. 12, one season after the Huskers took on Kansas State in Kansas City. Ticket information for the contest will be announced in July, as tipoff time and broadcast information are set to be announced at a later date.
The former conference foes will rematch for the first time since Nebraska’s 69-58 home win at the Devaney Center on March 1, 2011. The 15-year wait is one that the program and its fans have been waiting for, according to the Huskers’ head coach.
“This is a matchup our fans will be excited about because of the history between the two programs over the years,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said in the announcement. “Coach (Dennis) Gates has a team that could challenge in the SEC this season, and this will provide us a strong test right after we finish our Big Ten December schedule. Playing this matchup in Kansas City brings back a lot of memories of old conference matchups, and I believe our fans will make this a great neutral-site environment.”
As Nebraska’s national mark has risen over the past three seasons, which included two NCAA Tournament trips and a Sweet 16 run last year, Missouri has also seen steady improvement under Gates. The Tigers have made an NCAA Tournament appearance in three of the last four seasons and are coming off a 20-13 season. Missouri has also totaled at least 20 wins in each of the last two seasons, along with double-digit conference victories in the SEC for the first time since joining the conference in 2012.
Missouri has also reloaded once again, securing a top-10 recruiting class this season, pairing with the 14th-ranked transfer class. The Tigers return six players from the 2025-26 season.
“When you look at scheduling, you have to mesh it with where the selection committee is,” Gates said Wednesday night at a ‘ZOU to YOU’ fan event in St. Louis. “So with the addition of spots in the NCAA Tournament, I think we got to do, and I have to increase our strength of schedule, because opportunity to get in there as a, not only a 20-win team, but something near below is definitely going to be there.”
Kansas City road trips have had promising returns for Nebraska athletics in the last 365 days, as Nebraska football secured a season-opening victory over Cincinnati inside of Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. Husker basketball then followed in December with an 86-85 win at the T-Mobile Center against Kansas State in late November. The Huskers held off a second-half rally by the Wildcats after leading 45-35 at halftime of the Hall of Fame Classic.
The Huskers’ leading scorer in the win, Pryce Sandfort, returns to lead a new core of Huskers after the NCAA Tournament run in March. Sandfort, Braden Frager, Cale Jacobsen, and Connor Essegian all participated in the contest a season ago and return to the team this year for a return trip to Kansas City.
None of the returning players have faced Missouri before, as the two programs rematch with a 126-93 all-time record in favor of the Tigers. Although Nebraska took the last matchup, the series is 5-5 in the last 10 matchups overall, as the last Kansas City neutral site contest went in favor of Nebraska 75-60 back on March 10, 2010.
The contest marks the third non-conference neutral-site game that has been announced by Nebraska, as the Kansas City road trip pairs with the Huskers’ visit to Uncasville, Conn., to face Providence and a visit to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., to battle Boise State. Nebraska will also take on Creighton in Omaha at the CHI Health Center for a true road game in its non-conference.
“Everybody’s playing neutral site games right now just to try to bolster up their budgets. We have some of those in place,” Hoiberg said Tuesday during his media availability. “Those neutral-site games are important for a team like us. We have to do everything we can to compete against teams that spend a lot more… Scheduling is a lot different than it used to be.”
Nebraska basketball will report back to campus in August and begin its fall practices in preparation for the exhibition slate starting on Oct. 9 as Nebraska hosts Saint Louis, then travels to BYU on Oct. 16.
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North Dakota
Armstrong applauds federal funding for upgrading coal infrastructure, including Antelope Valley Station
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong today applauded President Donald Trump’s announcement of his plan to address the nation’s energy emergency with funding under the Defense Production Act, including up to $425 million for the U.S. Department of Energy for 12 projects selected to expand and reinvigorate America’s coal fleet and up to $75 million for a coal export facility.
The funding includes over $27.4 million to help pay for a $70 million proposed project to modernize two coal-fired units at North Dakota’s Antelope Valley Station, operated by Basin Electric Power Cooperative near Beulah in Mercer County. According to the DOE, the upgrades will mitigate unplanned outages, improve efficiency and increase generation capacity. The project is designed to ensure continued affordable and reliable electricity while also supporting local employment at Antelope Valley Station and Freedom Mine, the DOE said.
“North Dakota enjoys the lowest electricity rates in the nation, and investments like this will ensure our fleet of coal plants can produce clean, reliable and affordable power for decades to come,” Armstrong said. “We appreciate the continued support by President Trump and his administration for policies that support U.S. energy dominance and a more stable electric grid to serve our citizens, grow our economy and strengthen our national security. Coal country, and our entire state, will emerge even stronger from this action today.”
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