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Tag: Auxio News Now

  • Trump Administration Moves to Cancel More Than $800 Million in Approved Federal Spending

    Trump Administration Moves to Cancel More Than $800 Million in Approved Federal Spending

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to cancel more than $800 million in federal spending previously approved by Congress, reopening a dispute over presidential authority to withhold appropriated funds.

    The White House said the action uses a rarely invoked mechanism known as a “pocket rescission” under the Impoundment Control Act. The administration says the targeted funding includes programs involving services for non-citizens, education and diversity-related initiatives. 

    The White House characterized the spending as wasteful and said the move is intended to protect taxpayers. 

    The action is already facing opposition on Capitol Hill. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has said the administration’s use of the maneuver violates federal spending law. Other lawmakers and legal experts have also questioned whether a president can effectively allow congressionally approved funding to expire without giving Congress sufficient time to act on a rescission request. 

    The dispute adds another chapter to the broader fight between the executive branch and Congress over control of federal spending.

  • AUXIO.TV CEO Addul Ali Meets Actor Kevin Sorbo at 2026 Salt & Light Conference

    AUXIO.TV CEO Addul Ali Meets Actor Kevin Sorbo at 2026 Salt & Light Conference

    MARION, NC — AUXIO.TV President and CEO Addul Ali met actor, director, producer and author Kevin Sorbo Friday during the 2026 Salt & Light Conference in Marion, North Carolina.

    The three-day conference, organized by the North Carolina Faith & Freedom Coalition, opened September 25 at Nebo Crossing Church and continues through September 27. Organizers describe the annual gathering as focused on faith, culture, public policy and civic engagement. 

    Sorbo is among the conference’s featured speakers and is also scheduled to headline a Friday evening Freedom Dinner before the opening-night general session. The conference program lists additional speakers from entertainment, ministry, media and government. 

    Ali’s meeting with Sorbo came as AUXIO.TV continues developing its programming and relationships across entertainment, faith, culture and public affairs.

    For AUXIO, the encounter also reflects the network’s broader effort to connect with personalities and organizations operating across the different areas its programming covers.

    Sorbo is best known for his acting career and has increasingly worked on faith-oriented film and media projects. His official studio schedule lists the Salt & Light Conference as part of his September 2026 appearances. 

    The Salt & Light Conference is in its ninth year and includes general sessions, breakout programming and special events throughout the weekend. 

  • Topper’s Record Shows What a K-9 Unit Adds to Public Safety on the East End

    Topper’s Record Shows What a K-9 Unit Adds to Public Safety on the East End

    By Raheem Soto, Publisher

    The recent work of Southampton Village Police K-9 Topper should cause residents to pay close attention to what happens next with the Village’s K-9 program.

    On September 15, Southampton Village Police said their license plate reader system alerted officers to a vehicle being operated by a man wanted by the NYPD in connection with a shooting. Officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop and took the man into custody.

    Police said a search of the vehicle recovered a loaded Mac-11 9mm pistol. Then Topper went to work.

    According to the department, Topper alerted officers to the vehicle’s center console, where police subsequently located a quantity of crack cocaine.

    That single incident illustrates something that can sometimes get lost when municipal budgets and equipment decisions are discussed in the abstract: a trained police dog is a working public-safety asset with capabilities that are difficult to duplicate.

    Southampton Village Police itself describes its K-9 unit as capable of assisting with burglaries in progress, tracking missing people, detecting drugs and evidence, apprehension, officer protection, deterrence and maintaining order. 

    And Topper’s record goes well beyond this month’s arrest.

    Village records show that in 2019, officials credited Topper with assisting Southampton Town Police in detaining and capturing a suspect. 

    In 2023, Topper and his handler, Officer James Moore, were recognized by the Village after another incident in which the K-9 team helped locate and safely resolve a situation involving a person in crisis. Trustee Robin Brown publicly described the incident as an example of how a trained Southampton Village Police resource could help bring a potentially dangerous situation to a positive conclusion. 

    Topper and Moore were recognized again in 2024 as Village employees of the month. 

    This is why the future of Southampton Village’s K-9 program deserves a transparent public discussion as Topper approaches the later stages of his service career.

    There have been community conversations about Topper eventually retiring and questions about what comes after him. I have not found an official Village resolution establishing that the K-9 program will end, nor documentation confirming claims that Village leadership has rejected obtaining another police dog.

    More recent information actually indicates continued investment in the capability.

    The newly formed Southampton Public Safety Foundation announced in September that it plans to provide specialized equipment for a new K-9 vehicle for the Southampton Village Police Department. The Foundation also said a donor-designated contribution will support the department’s K-9 program. 

    That is encouraging, but it also makes clarity important.

    Residents should know what the long-term plan is. Will Topper retire with another trained team prepared to take over? Will there be a gap in service? What will training, acquisition and ongoing operating costs look like? And how much of that support will come from the Village versus private donations?

    Those are reasonable public-safety questions.

    The East End presents unusual policing challenges. Our communities include beaches, wooded areas, waterfronts, seasonal population surges, major events and long stretches of territory where officers may need specialized resources quickly. A properly trained K-9 team can assist with far more than narcotics enforcement.

    Southampton Village’s own experience demonstrates that.

    The discussion about what follows Topper should therefore begin with his actual record — not assumptions about what a police K-9 does.

    From suspect apprehension to missing-person searches, crisis response and narcotics detection, Topper has provided Southampton Village Police with a capability that officers have repeatedly used in real-world situations.

    Whatever decision ultimately comes next, residents deserve to understand the plan and the public-safety capabilities involved.

    Topper has earned at least that much.

  • FORMER CHARLOTTE COUNCILWOMAN TIAWANA BROWN SENTENCED TO 10 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON

    FORMER CHARLOTTE COUNCILWOMAN TIAWANA BROWN SENTENCED TO 10 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former Charlotte City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison following her guilty plea in a federal COVID-19 relief fraud case.

    Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In the factual basis filed in U.S. District Court, Brown admitted that she knowingly joined a conspiracy with her daughters, Antionette Rouse and Tijema Brown, between April 2020 and September 2021 to obtain federal pandemic-relief money through fraudulent representations. 

    The case involved two programs administered by the Small Business Administration: the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or EIDL.

    Federal prosecutors originally charged the three women in May 2025. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, the indictment alleged they submitted at least 15 PPP or EIDL applications containing false information or documentation and obtained at least $124,165. 

    The indictment also detailed how some of the money was allegedly spent. Prosecutors said that approximately one month after Brown received $20,833 in PPP proceeds through a bank account associated with her nonprofit Beauty After The Bars, approximately $15,000 was spent on Brown’s birthday party. Court records listed expenses including a venue, catering, photography and video, decorations, a rented throne and a horse-drawn carriage. 

    Those allegations were made before Brown’s guilty plea. Her subsequent factual basis established that she admitted knowingly participating in the underlying conspiracy to defraud the federal relief programs. 

    Brown’s prosecution came while she was serving on the Charlotte City Council representing District 3. The conduct at issue, however, occurred between 2020 and 2021—before Brown was elected to the council. 

    The 10-month prison sentence means Brown will now serve federal time following the guilty plea.

    AUXIO.TV is continuing to review the federal court record for additional sentencing details, including restitution, supervised release and the judge’s reasoning for imposing the prison term.

    Sources: U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina court filings and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.

  • Mo’s Island Spice Owners Say They Faced Harassment After Displaying Sussman Campaign Signs

    Mo’s Island Spice Owners Say They Faced Harassment After Displaying Sussman Campaign Signs

    EAST SETAUKET, NY — A campaign fundraiser for Republican New York State Assembly candidate Will Sussman took on a broader meaning at Mo’s Island Spice after the restaurant’s owners said they had been subjected to harassment for displaying signs supporting his candidacy.

    The Jamaican restaurant operates at 18 Woods Corner Road in East Setauket. Its own website confirms the location and identifies the business as an authentic Jamaican restaurant serving the Setauket-East Setauket community. 

    According to information provided about the event, the owners said the problems began after they exercised their right to display Sussman campaign signs at their business.

    The specific incidents described as harassment have not been independently documented through police reports, court records or other official records reviewed by Suffolk News Now. For that reason, the harassment allegation remains attributed to the restaurant’s owners rather than presented as an independently established fact.

    Sussman and his supporters responded by bringing a campaign fundraiser to Mo’s, turning the event into both a political gathering and an effort to patronize the local business.

    The setting added another political dimension to the event, with Democratic political offices located nearby. Organizers said Sussman’s gathering drew a sizable crowd and contrasted the activity at the restaurant with the neighboring Democratic operation. Suffolk News Now has not independently established comparative attendance figures for the two locations.

    Sussman is the Republican candidate for New York State Assembly District 4. His official campaign identifies affordability, public safety, government accountability and open-space preservation among the issues on which he is running. 

    Mo’s Island Spice also has an established connection to the area’s small-business community. Stony Brook University’s Small Business Development Center features Mo Green and Mo’s Island Spice in its business programming. 

    The dispute described by the restaurant’s owners puts a separate issue at the center of the story: what happens when a local business publicly takes a position in an election.

    Private citizens and businesses are generally free to express political views, but the precise legal implications of any alleged conduct toward the restaurant would depend on what occurred. No conclusion about whether any law was violated can be made from the information presently available.

    For Sussman’s campaign, the response was to hold the fundraiser at the restaurant and encourage supporters to patronize the business.

    For Mo’s Island Spice, the event placed attention on the owners’ allegation that displaying a candidate’s signs resulted in harassment—an allegation that warrants clear attribution unless additional documentation emerges.

  • Albee Al’s “Thug’s Motivation” Gains Momentum on YouTube

    Albee Al’s “Thug’s Motivation” Gains Momentum on YouTube

    AUXIO NEWS NOW — ENTERTAINMENT

    Rapper Albee Al is gaining fresh attention with his latest release, “Thug’s Motivation,” as the official video continues to build momentum on YouTube.

    According to the YouTube statistics visible on the official video page provided to AUXIO News Now, the track had reached approximately 117,000 views and 3,100 likes roughly three weeks after release.

    The video presents Albee Al in a gritty, stripped-down visual setting that matches the record’s street-focused tone. In one of the central scenes, he is shown seated indoors surrounded by jewelry and stacks of cash, reinforcing the song’s image of survival, ambition and street-earned success.

    The performance metrics suggest the record is connecting with Albee Al’s existing audience while continuing to circulate beyond its initial release window. Crossing 100,000 views within several weeks is a notable early benchmark for an independent or artist-driven release, particularly when paired with thousands of likes.

    “Thug’s Motivation” also fits squarely within Albee Al’s established lane: hard-edged street rap centered on perseverance, pressure and the realities of the environment he comes from.

    The title itself signals the record’s central theme. Rather than presenting motivation in a polished or inspirational form, Albee Al frames it through the perspective of someone navigating street life and using that experience as fuel.

    With the video continuing to accumulate views, “Thug’s Motivation” gives Albee Al another record generating visible engagement online.

    For now, the numbers tell the clearest story: 117,000 views, 3,100 likes and continued momentum just weeks after release.

    Here is the link to the official video

    https://youtu.be/8P7-xLWNCoA?si=hO9FzbL5wtDBMroT

  • Interior Opens More Than 92 Million Acres to Hunting as Access Expands Nationwide

    Interior Opens More Than 92 Million Acres to Hunting as Access Expands Nationwide

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of the Interior has finalized what it calls the largest expansion of hunting and sport-fishing opportunities in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service history, opening or expanding access across refuges and hatcheries in 32 states. 

    Under the final rule, more than 92 million acres — over 95% of National Wildlife Refuge System lands — are available for hunting. The department says the action creates 1,488 new hunting and sport-fishing opportunities across 111 field stations, including 107 national wildlife refuges and four national fish hatcheries. 

    Interior defines an “opportunity” as the ability to hunt or fish a specific species at a specific location.

    Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum framed the expansion as part of the Trump administration’s push to reduce federal barriers and give hunters and anglers greater access to public lands.

    “America’s hunters and anglers now have something significant to look forward to in the fall as we plan to open and expand hunting and fishing opportunities nationwide,” Burgum said. 

    The rule also establishes first-ever hunting or sport-fishing opportunities at 14 refuges and three hatcheries. Interior says the changes include expanded access for upland game, migratory birds, big game and sport fishing at locations that were previously closed or more limited. 

    Cutting Federal Red Tape

    The expansion is also part of a broader Interior Department effort to simplify federal hunting and fishing regulations.

    The Fish and Wildlife Service is making more than 1,000 modifications to existing regulatory provisions, with the goal of better aligning federal rules with state fish and wildlife regulations. Interior says the changes are intended to reduce confusion for hunters and anglers while preserving conservation requirements. 

    The department followed that action with another change on Aug. 27, finalizing a streamlined process for migratory game-bird hunting seasons. Instead of repeating federal rulemaking every year, the Fish and Wildlife Service will establish seasonal conditions through annual hunting memoranda while continuing to use biological data to determine harvest levels. 

    Conservation Still Applies

    The expansion does not mean every acre of refuge land can be hunted without restriction.

    The Fish and Wildlife Service says hunting and fishing remain subject to station-specific rules and can only be allowed when they are compatible with each refuge or hatchery’s conservation mission. 

    The National Wildlife Refuge System currently includes 573 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts, drawing about 71 million visitors annually. 

    Interior also points to the economic role of outdoor recreation. Fish and Wildlife Service data cited by the department says more than 39.9 million Americans fish and 14.4 million hunt, contributing more than $144 billion annually to the U.S. economy. 

    Why It Matters

    The final rule gives the Trump administration a major public-lands policy win heading into the fall hunting season.

    It also signals how Interior under Burgum is approaching federal land management: more recreational access, closer alignment with state rules and fewer federal procedural barriers, while maintaining the department’s statutory conservation responsibilities.

  • Don Davis Burned Through Tens of Thousands in Taxpayer-Funded Office Spending

    Don Davis Burned Through Tens of Thousands in Taxpayer-Funded Office Spending

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Don Davis’ first year in Congress came with a hefty taxpayer-funded office bill.

    Official House spending records show the North Carolina Democrat reported tens of thousands of dollars in office-related expenses in 2023, including substantial purchases categorized as habitation expenses, office supplies and furniture.

    The spending is drawing renewed scrutiny as Davis seeks to hold onto one of the most competitive congressional seats in the country.

    House records show that in the second quarter of 2023 alone, Davis’ office reported multiple large transactions with Taff Office, including $11,772.35 and $10,202 in “habitation expenses,” along with additional office-supply and furniture purchases. 

    The same disclosure shows furniture and fixture purchases of $3,588, $1,313 and $1,979, plus thousands more in office supplies. 

    The House defines a “habitation expense” as a category covering minor office decoration and lower-cost furniture items such as chairs and tables under $500. More expensive furniture is separately reported under furniture and fixtures. 

    That distinction matters because Davis’ records show spending in both categories, meaning the total office-related bill extended beyond small decorative purchases.

    The money came from Davis’ Members’ Representational Allowance, the taxpayer-funded budget each House member receives to operate congressional offices and perform official duties. The House says the allowance is intended to cover expenses such as equipment, supplies, subscriptions, technology and other official office costs. 

    Davis currently maintains offices in Washington, Elizabeth City, Rocky Mount and Goldsboro. 

    His office has defended the spending as part of the cost of establishing a new congressional operation and equipping multiple district offices.

    But the size of the purchases raises an obvious taxpayer question: how much office furnishing is reasonable for a first-term member of Congress?

    The issue is not whether members are legally permitted to furnish their offices. They are.

    The issue is whether spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on furniture, decoration and supplies reflects the kind of fiscal restraint voters are entitled to expect from elected officials.

    For Davis, the optics are particularly difficult because the records do not describe a handful of incidental office purchases. They show multiple five-figure and four-figure transactions concentrated in the early months of his congressional tenure.

    The House disclosure system exists precisely so the public can scrutinize expenditures like these.

    And as Davis faces another high-profile election in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, those receipts provide opponents — and taxpayers — with a concrete record to examine.

    The Bottom Line

    Davis may argue the expenditures were necessary to establish congressional offices.

    But taxpayers can reasonably ask why setting up those offices required such a large bill for furnishings, supplies and expenses classified by the House as office “habitation.”

    The records themselves do not establish wrongdoing.

    They do, however, establish something much simpler:

    Congressman Don Davis spent a lot of taxpayer money outfitting his offices.

    And voters are entitled to decide whether they think they got their money’s worth.

  • Supreme Court Backs Trump Administration in White House Ballroom Fight

    Supreme Court Backs Trump Administration in White House Ballroom Fight

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for construction of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project to continue, granting the administration’s request to stay a lower-court injunction while the broader legal fight proceeds.

    The Aug. 31 order came in National Park Service, et al. v. National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, placing the National Park Service — an agency within the Department of the Interior — directly at the center of the case. 

    The Court stayed an injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that had restricted portions of the East Wing project. The stay remains in effect while the government seeks Supreme Court review of the case. 

    The administration’s application was filed by the Solicitor General on behalf of the National Park Service and other federal applicants. The government argued that the lower-court order threatened to interrupt an integrated White House construction project and create security and operational consequences.

    The Department of the Interior’s role runs through the National Park Service, which manages President’s Park, including the White House grounds.

    NPS prepared the federal environmental assessment for the White House East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom project. According to the agency’s planning record, the selected action calls for replacing the existing East Wing with a new building that will house the White House State Ballroom and associated facilities. 

    The agency also completed a Finding of No Significant Impact, concluding that the selected project would not significantly impair park resources under the standards used by the National Park Service. 

    That makes Interior’s role more than administrative background. One of its agencies conducted the project review, manages the federal park property involved and is the lead named federal applicant before the Supreme Court.

    What the Supreme Court Decided

    The Court’s order is a significant procedural victory for the administration, but it does not constitute a final ruling that the ballroom project is lawful.

    The stay allows construction to continue while the litigation proceeds. 

    Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

    Roberts argued that the construction is likely unlawful because federal law generally prohibits construction of a new building or structure on federal park grounds in Washington without express congressional authorization. He noted that the project sits within President’s Park. 

    That dispute remains unresolved.

    Why It Matters

    The case now involves more than a White House renovation.

    It raises questions about presidential authority over federal property, Congress’ role in authorizing construction in Washington and the extent to which Interior Department agencies can approve and manage major changes to historic federal property.

    For the Trump administration, however, the immediate result is straightforward: the lower-court restriction has been stayed, and construction can continue while the case moves forward.

  • Duane “Keffe D” Davis Found Guilty in Tupac Shakur Murder Case

    Duane “Keffe D” Davis Found Guilty in Tupac Shakur Murder Case

    LAS VEGAS — A jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty in connection with the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, bringing the trial phase of the decades-old case to a close.

    A Court TV courtroom graphic supplied to AUXIO reported that the jury reached its verdict after deliberating for less than three hours.

    Davis was prosecuted in Clark County, Nevada, in the case arising from the fatal shooting of Shakur in Las Vegas nearly 30 years ago.

    The verdict represents a conviction, rather than an allegation or pending charge. Any sentencing decision, post-trial motions or appeal will be separate stages of the case and should be reported as those developments become part of the official court record.

    The Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County maintains the official records for felony criminal cases. The court says its Clerk of the Court maintains the official case files and that trial and hearing minutes are added to the court’s online records as they become available. 

    The court also warns that portions of its online case information can lag behind courtroom activity. Court minutes are entered after proceedings, while some filing information can take additional time to appear. The Clerk’s Office remains the controlling source for verification of the official case record. 

    Shakur’s killing has remained one of the most closely followed cases in music and hip-hop history. The rapper was 25 when he died following a shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996.

    Davis’ prosecution brought the case back into a courtroom decades later, generating renewed attention around the circumstances of Shakur’s death and the investigation that followed.

    With the jury now returning a guilty verdict, attention turns to the next stage of the criminal case.