Dem House candidate's 2013 arrest resurfaces in pivotal race for control of Congress

A far-left candidate running for the House of Representatives in Michigan was arrested for resisting police during a 2013 protest.

William Lawrence, co-founder of the progressive Sunrise Movement, is challenging Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., in one of the most closely-watched elections in the country. With so few congressional seats still expected to be up in the air, a victory there could be decisive for whichever party wins control in November.

Fox News Digital obtained documents that show Lawrence was among a group of people arrested in 2013 during a demonstration against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, a 645-mile piece of infrastructure running crude oil and natural gas between Wisconsin and Ontario — with Michigan in between.

He and others chained themselves to machinery in protest of the pipeline, which helps the U.S. meet critical energy needs but has also been a subject of pushback by environmental groups and indigenous tribes whose land the pipeline partially runs through.

The defendants were charged with trespassing, as well as resisting and obstructing a police officer. The documents stated that Lawrence and three others had to be cut off of the equipment but were then arrested without incident.

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Lawrence himself previously posted on X, "Defund the Police!" in May 2020. A tweet the following month called to defund the Lansing, Michigan, police, specifically.

He told Fox News Digital in a statement this weekend, "I don't support defunding the police. I follow the lead of first responders and gun violence prevention advocates I have met with here in the district, who support increased funding for youth programs, mental health resources, and community violence intervention, working in collaboration with law enforcement."

His campaign also pointed out the conviction was expunged under Michigan state law.

He's also since addressed the arrest himself on Instagram. He said in a video earlier this year that he "took a stand" against energy company Enbridge, adding, "Was it righteous? Absolutely. Was it wise? Perhaps not."The fact is, they were back operating that afternoon, while my collaborators and I faced legal consequences for years," he said. "I wouldn't advise you do what I did, but my conviction remains, and you can always count on me to fight for pure Michigan and our water."

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While Lawrence was backed by progressive groups in his primary election, he has since said he's left the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as his general race begins to heat up.

But it did not stop House Republicans' campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), from tying him to the far-left.

Rep. Tom Barrett speaks at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Nov. 4, 2024, before former President Donald Trump holds his final campaign rally ahead of Election Day. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP)

"Socialist felon William Lawrence is a radical far-left liberal who puts his extreme climate agenda ahead of common sense and the priorities of hardworking Michiganders. Lawrence’s extreme agenda makes one thing clear: he is far too radical for Mid-Michigan and can’t be trusted to put Michigan families first," NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon said.

Republicans are facing an uphill battle to keep control of the House this year, with the party in power traditionally facing significant losses during the midterms. But the far-left insurgency that's gripped the Democratic Party has given the right new hope that they could buck historic political trends.

 

Judge denies Karmelo Anthony's bid for new trial after ex-lawyers detail dispute that kept him from testifying

Karmelo Anthony’s conviction and 35-year prison sentence will stand after a Texas judge formally denied his bid for a new trial, leaving the former high school athlete to continue his fight on appeal.

Retired District Judge Michael Chitty signed the order Saturday after reviewing Anthony’s motion, the court record, evidence and arguments, briefs and relevant case law. The order was filed Monday and does not detail the judge’s reasoning for denying a new trial.

The decision leaves Anthony’s murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence in place. His challenge will continue on direct appeal.

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said his office expected the decision and remains confident in the case.

"We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial. The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process," his statement said. 

"Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing."

Chitty heard two days of testimony in McKinney, Texas, after Judge Sid Harle removed the judge who presided over Anthony’s murder trial, Judge John Roach, from the remaining trial court proceedings earlier this week.

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Harle found that a reasonable outside observer could question whether Roach appeared impartial after he publicly said the jury "got it right" and defended several of his trial decisions.

At the center of the new trial hearing was an oral agreement between Anthony’s original defense attorneys and prosecutors to keep potentially damaging character evidence involving both sides from reaching the jury.

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Former lead defense attorney Mike Howard testified that he understood the agreement to allow Anthony to testify if he stayed focused on the confrontation under the tent at a Frisco track meet.

On the final day of the trial, prosecutors told the defense the agreement would not apply if Anthony took the stand and that the defense had opened the door to character evidence. Howard said the dispute led to a heated break in the proceedings and made Anthony unwilling to testify.

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Under cross-examination, Howard acknowledged the lawyers never expressly agreed on whether a testifying defendant was covered by the arrangement. He also said he could not say whether prosecutors acted in bad faith.

 

Massive garbage heap collapses onto homes, killing at least 30 as rescuers search for survivors

At least 30 people were killed in a massive landslide in Guinea on Sunday when a mountainous open-air landfill collapsed and buried nearby shacks, trapping numerous victims beneath a mass of garbage.

The incident happened at Dar Es Salam, the largest waste dump in the West African country's capital, Conakry, according to a report from The Associated Press (AP).

Guinea News reported that the weight of the waste caused a three-story building beneath it to cave in.

Six people were seriously injured and several homes were destroyed in the incident, according to reports. Officials launched a search-and-rescue operation to find any survivors.

The AP reported that the landfill was originally scheduled to close Sunday after officials warned of hazardous conditions, citing Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion.

The decision followed reports of a similar incident at the landfill in recent years, raising concerns about its safety.

As a precautionary measure, residents who lived near the site had also been given eviction notices and were forced to vacate the area, the AP said.

However, many people remained nearby at the time of the disaster, according to reports.

"We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere," Dienabou Touré, the minister of territorial administration and decentralization, said at the scene, according to the AP.

Reuters reported that the landfill suffered a similar incident in 2017, when torrential rains caused a mudslide that killed at least eight people.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Charles Manson's granddaughter reveals moment she discovered dark family secret: 'It was devastating'

In 2022, Sophia Maddox received a phone call that upended everything she thought she knew about her family — and sent her searching for answers about one of America's most notorious criminals.

At the time, the 22-year-old aspiring filmmaker and actress was living in Los Angeles, juggling odd jobs to make rent, while her father, Daniel Arguelles, was searching for answers about his own past. Raised by his mother and stepfather, Arguelles had been trying to identify his biological father when he called Maddox with a startling discovery.

"He told me he thinks he found out who his father is, and if it's true, it's really dark," Maddox told Fox News Digital. "He wasn't sure if I was ready to know. And my dad is not a dark person. He never taught me any dark things. So if he says it's dark, my first thought is it must be famously dark. So I asked him to just get it out of the way."

Is it Ted Bundy?'" she recalled. "He said, 'Bigger. Think of the biggest movie you know and the biggest director you know.' And I thought of the movie 'Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.' I was trying to remember the name mentioned in the film. And then I realized who it was: Charles Manson."

Maddox immediately Googled Manson's name. The resemblance, she said, was uncanny.

Trump fires back after protester interrupts Myrtle Beach rally for Graham: 'Mom is voting for us'

President Donald Trump had a striking message for a protester who interrupted his South Carolina rally Friday night: Mom isn't going to be happy.

A protester stood up and interrupted Trump at about 7:28 p.m., before being escorted from the Myrtle Beach Convention Center by police and convention center staff, according to a White House pool report.

As the protester was still being escorted out, Trump briefly paused his remarks and turned to the commotion.

"If Trump isn't actually on the ballot," Trump said while discussing Republican turnout, before asking supporters to "pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot.

"Just come and vote. It's so important," Trump said. "So, just say that I'm on the ballot one more time. You got to say it, and you got to come out and vote."

With your support, Darline will defend common sense in our nation's capital," Trump said. "She'll fight for lower taxes, bigger paychecks, no amnesty for illegal aliens. And she'll always protect your Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms."

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President Donald Trump listens to Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., speak during a campaign rally at Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump also said Graham would be a strong advocate for the armed forces.

"But as much as anybody in this Senate and maybe more, Darline will support our military," Trump said.

Graham later joined Trump onstage, thanking him for his endorsement and his friendship with her late senator brother, Lindsey.

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"Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for your endorsement. It has meant the world to me," Graham said. "Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming to South Carolina. This is MAGA country, right?"

 

Trump's 50% tariffs take effect after US, Canada fail to reach trade deal

President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods are taking effect early Saturday morning, after the U.S. and Canada failed to reach a trade deal, according to senior Trump administration officials.

The new tariffs, targeting dozens of products from hockey sticks to wine, went into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Both U.S. and Canadian officials blamed the other side for the trade talks falling through.

"Tonight, Canada declined to finalize the trade deal under the terms agreed earlier this week, despite the U.S. offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market, new demands and walk backs of other commitments by Canada have upended the careful balance reached in the past days," U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. "In addition, Canada is continuing to maintain its prolonged retaliation against the United States, including, among other things, flat-out prohibitions on certain American goods and services.

" Carney said the 50% tariff would be applied to roughly $28 billion of Canadian goods and that Canada would match the U.S. "dollar for dollar."

The move comes just days after Trump pushed back a previous deadline while the two sides negotiated a trade agreement.

Trump claimed earlier this week the United States had reached a preliminary deal to resolve a dispute with one of its top trade partners, saying the breakthrough had prompted him to issue a reprieve from the levies.

Due to exemptions on key goods, the tariffs were expected to hit only a fraction of U.S. imports from Canada. Still, the list of affected goods features an array of food items such as dairy products, honey, whey protein and molasses as well as alcoholic beverages like whiskey and vodka.

It all comes weeks after Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on 60 trade partners, including the European Union. Those levies ramped up an effort to reconstruct far-reaching duties struck down by the Supreme Court earlie

Earlier this week, Trump struck an optimistic tone on the trade talks, saying he had a "very good conversation" with Carney.

The president claimed that as part of the preliminary deal, Canadian tariffs on American agricultural goods would be "non-existent."

"The tariffs will be non-existent for our farmers. Our farmers were paying tremendous tariffs into Canada. And those tariffs are going to be totally eviscerated down to zero," Trump noted.

When later asked by a reporter whether the deal would reduce tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, Trump added, "Well, we're looking at that."

The U.S. trade representative's office on X responded to Trump's announcement Tuesday, providing a bit of insight into what a final deal might entail.

"The deal will include comprehensive market access for all American goods, economic security commitments, digital trade alignment, and many important provisions that will continue to protect our market and American workers, along with our Canadian partners," the USTR posted.

Earlier this week, Trump had suggested the deal might include a renewed effort to build the Keystone Pipeline despite the project being canceled in 2021 after years of criticism about the project's environmental impact.

"Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!" Trump added in the post.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attends the announcement of a Quebec-Newfoundland hydro agreement in St. John's, Canada, August 17, 2026.

Greg Locke/Reuters

Unlike previous tariffs, the new U.S. tariffs on Canada would have applied to products compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement. The levies included significant exemptions, however, leaving out some top Canadian imports such as oil, gas and potash.

Trump has carried out on-again, off-again trade negotiations with Canada since he took office, aiming to resolve a dispute that began with tariffs announced by Trump early in his second term.

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Trump sought to impose the new tariffs under a legal authority enshrined in section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the president to enact levies up to 50% for countries found to have discriminated against the U.S. relative to their treatment of other nations.

The provision has never been invoked before, meaning the move lacks judicial precedent, Abigail Watt, an economist at UBS, said in a memo shared with ABC News.

ABC News' Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.

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In an announcement late Friday night, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada was suspending the trade talks with the U.S., citing what he called "last-minute changes" to U.S. proposed terms that he described as “unfair” and “uneconomic.”