⚖️ Justice Served: 71-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 53 Years in Hate Crime Murder of 6-Year-Old Palestinian-American Boy In a chilling case that shook the nation, a 71-year-old Illinois man has been sentenced to 53 years in prison for the brutal stabbing death of 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Palestinian-American boy. Prosecutors say the attack was racially and religiously motivated, fueled by anti-Muslim hatred and misinformation surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict. Wadea was stabbed 26 times in what officials described as a “pure act of hate.” This sentencing sends a clear message: 🔹 Hate will not be tolerated. 🔹 No child should ever pay the price for adult politics. Wadea’s memory now becomes a rallying cry for compassion, justice, and vigilance against extremism at home. #JusticeForWadea #HateCrime #PalestinianAmerican #ReligiousFreedom #StopTheHate #BETTRNews #HumanityFirst https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/man-sentenced-53-years-prison-hate-crime-murder/story?id=121400634

🚨 $300,000 Stolen After Bags Fall From Brinks Truck in Oak Park, Illinois! 💰 Talk about a cash grab — literally. On April 22, 2025, a Brinks armored truck accidentally dropped three bags of cash onto South Austin Boulevard in Oak Park, Illinois after the backdoor swung open. Within minutes, dozens of people rushed into traffic, grabbing the loose money and fleeing — on foot and by car. 🚗💨 🕒 Time of Incident: 5:07 PM 💸 Estimated Amount Taken: ~$300,000 👥 People Involved: 50 to 100 individuals 🚔 Police Statement: Keeping the cash is a crime — authorities urge people to return it. As of today, no arrests have been made, but surveillance footage and eyewitness reports are being reviewed. Oak Park police have made it clear: taking money off the street is theft, even if it’s "found" flying out of a truck. 🔗 Full story here: https://people.com/dozens-of-people-stole-300-000-after-it-fell-out-of-brinks-truck-chicago-11722949 #BrinksTruck #OakPark #CashGrab #CrimeNews #BreakingNews #IllinoisNews #LawAndOrder #BETTRNews https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/chicago/news/bags-of-cash-stolen-brinks-armored-truck-oak-park/

🏚️ BETTR Newswire | States Where Homelessness Has Skyrocketed 90%+ Since 2000 — And What They Have in Common Homelessness isn’t just a big-city problem—it’s a systemic crisis. Since 2000, multiple U.S. states have seen homelessness increase by 90% or more, with some exceeding 200% growth. Despite varied geography, these states share common policy patterns—and failures. 📈 States with Homelessness Increases Over 90% Since 2000: 📍New York: +175% Sheltered homelessness in NYC alone jumped from 22,955 in 2000 to over 63,000 in 2020. Major driver: lack of affordable housing, failed shelter expansion, and mass migration to cities like NYC. 📍California: +110% Homelessness has more than doubled since 2000, with over 180,000 now unsheltered. High taxes, housing shortages, and permissive street camping laws worsened the crisis. 📍North Dakota: +200% The oil boom brought a flood of workers and zero housing prep. Rents spiked, and towns became overwhelmed with newly homeless individuals unable to keep up with costs. 📍Colorado: +145% Legal marijuana, high cost of living, and unaffordable Denver housing triggered a massive increase. Tourism-fueled migration added pressure to shelters and services. 📍Rhode Island: +120% Affordable housing loss, state inaction, and service gaps led to a doubling of the homeless population, especially in Providence. 📍Vermont: +100% A small state with big shelter limitations. Rising rent, rural isolation, and a lack of detox and mental health programs fueled the surge. 📍Illinois: +90% Public housing failures, urban decline in Chicago, and collapsing middle-class jobs led to nearly doubling the homeless rate across the state. 🧩 What These States Have in Common: Democrat-Dominated Governance Most are run by progressive policymakers who talk compassion but often block effective housing expansion and enforcement. Housing Supply Failure Over-regulation, restrictive zoning, and anti-development politics have created a chokehold on affordable housing supply. Sanctuary Policies + Lax Enforcement Cities welcome migrants but lack scalable services. Public drug use and tent cities are tolerated, worsening urban decay. Mental Health and Addiction Gaps Many of these states closed or cut back inpatient care, detox centers, and long-term rehab—leaving vulnerable populations on the streets. 💬 BETTR Ideas for BETTR Results Mandate state-level audits of all homeless spending Incentivize fast-build modular housing Expand faith-based & community shelter networks Empower localities to enforce public space use laws while increasing treatment access Enough with the photo ops. It’s time for real results. #Homelessness #HousingCrisis #UrbanPolicyFailure #NewYork #California #Illinois #Colorado #Vermont #RhodeIsland #NorthDakota #BETTRSolutions #FixTheSystem #2026Governor 📅 April 21, 2025 https://www.security.org/resources/homeless-statistics/