West
Blue state sheriff says he’s ‘changing teams,’ urges support for Trump
A well-known conservative California sheriff joked that he was “changing teams” ahead of the 2024 election and urged people to support a “convicted felon.”
“I think it’s time we put a felon in the White House,” Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a video posted to social media Saturday.
Bianco’s comments come after former President Trump was convicted last week on 34 felony counts in New York, making the former president the first president to be convicted of a felony.
TRUMP ‘UNLEASHED’ NOW THAT HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL IS OVER
Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Bianco, who has openly teased the possibility of running for governor of California, said in the video that he has done all he could over three decades in law enforcement to “keep our community safe by arresting criminals and putting them in jail,” but lamented that leaders and California have become seemingly pro-criminal in recent years.
“For the last five years I’ve been very critical about our governor for slashing our budgets from corrections, for letting prisoners out early, for closing our prisons,” Bianco said. “I’ve been critical of our state legislature for passing laws to make it harder to put people in prison. I’ve been critical for their changing laws that let prisoners out early. And I’ve been critical of our attorney general for seemingly not caring about crime.”
The sheriff went out to lament the “love affair” the state’s leaders “have with criminals,” which he argued is based on a “belief that criminals are not responsible for their own actions.”
“They’re a victim of society,” Bianco said. “It’s society’s fault. It’s businesses’ fault. It’s cops’ fault. It might be my fault.”
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco takes a knee with demonstrators after thousands of them marched to the Robert Presley Detention Center during a protest against the death of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
BIDEN URGES RESPECT FOR LEGAL SYSTEM AFTER TRUMP CONVICTION WHILE PUBLICLY FLOUTING SCOTUS RULINGS
Bianco noted that the state’s leaders blame the judicial system, laws and law enforcement for being “systemically racist,” leading to criminals being put in jail as a result of “bias.”
But now they “let them out,” the sheriff continued, saying that they give criminals “housing, they give them money, they give them drugs and alcohol now.”
Bianco added that he was “tired” of the problem before a tongue-in-cheek admission that maybe he had “been wrong.”
House Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, center, listens to Sheriff Chad Bianco speak during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol to recognize law enforcement as part of Police Week on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I think I am going to change teams,” Bianco said.
“I think they’re on to something, but I don’t think they’re doing enough,” the sheriff quipped, before revealing that he thought putting a felon in the White House would be a good idea.
“Trump 2024, baby, let’s save this country and make America great again,” Bianco concluded.
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Montana
California woman sentenced for smuggling attempt at border in Montana
MISSOULA, Mont. — A California woman who tried to smuggle her husband into the United States through northwest Montana has been sentenced to six months of probation, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Tracy Routh Lautenslager, 54, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States at a location other than a designated port of entry. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case.
Court documents allege Lautenslager entered the U.S. through the Roosville Port of Entry on April 1, 2025, then drove to the Swisher Lake area near Lake Koocanusa. Border Patrol agents later learned a man had crossed the border on foot nearby. Canadian authorities eventually apprehended the man, identified as Lautenslager’s husband, a citizen of Great Britain with no legal status in the U.S.
Investigators say Lautenslager admitted the couple planned to avoid the port of entry by having her husband cross illegally while she drove into the U.S. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Stack and investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol as part of Operation Take Back America.
Nevada
Centennial vs. Liberty: Watch Nevada girls high school basketball showdown live
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The defending 5A state champion Centennial Bulldogs (7-3) open conference play with a challenging road test Wednesday night when they travel to Henderson to face the Liberty Patriots (10-7) in a Nevada 5A Southern basketball clash.
Coach Karen Weitz’s Bulldogs, seeking their second consecutive state title, will rely on their formidable frontcourt duo of forwards Nation Williams and Inieye Oruh, complemented by standout guard Sanai Branch. They will face a Patriots squad that has shown marked improvement under head coach Lorenzo Jarvis, powered by senior leaders Samantha Chesnut and Kiana Harworth alongside junior standout Neviah Nick.
With Liberty’s home court advantage potentially neutralizing Centennial’s championship pedigree, this early conference matchup could set the tone for both teams’ title aspirations in the competitive 5A Southern division.
Opening tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, January 7 with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.
• WATCH: Centennial vs. Liberty basketball is livestreaming on NFHS Network
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How to watch Centennial vs. Liberty basketball livestream
What: Defending champ Centennial faces resurgent Liberty in 5A Southern showdown
When: Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, January 7
Where: Liberty High School | Henderson, Nevada
Watch live: Watch Centennial vs. Liberty live on the NFHS Network
New Mexico
New Mexico maintains full childhood vaccine recommendations despite HHS rollback
SANTA FE, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) – The New Mexico Department of Health says it will continue to recommend the full schedule of childhood vaccines.
State officials announced the move Tuesday, directly defying a new federal policy that scaled back routine immunization guidance.
The announcement comes after U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reduced the number of vaccines it recommends for all children.
The New Mexico Department of Health stated the federal changes were “not based on new scientific evidence or safety data.”
“New Mexico will not follow the federal government in walking away from decades of proven public health practice,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Our recommendations remain unchanged.”
State health officials sought to reassure parents, emphasizing that vaccines remain widely available and covered by insurance.
“We know this is confusing for parents, but the science is clear: vaccines are safe, effective, and save children’s lives,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, chief medical officer for NMDOH.
All childhood vaccinations will continue to be covered under programs like Medicaid and the federal Vaccines for Children Program.
The state encourages parents to consult their healthcare providers using the American Academy of Pediatrics’ immunization schedule.
RECOMMENDED: CDC cuts childhood vaccine list, sparking healthcare professionals’ concerns
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