Driver Arrested After SUV Hits Protester at "No Kings" Rally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A 21-year-old man was arrested after police say he intentionally drove an SUV into a crowd of protesters in Culpeper, Virginia, on Saturday afternoon.
Joseph R. Checklick Jr. of was charged with reckless driving and is being held without bond at the Culpeper County Jail, according to the Culpeper Police Department (CPD). The incident occurred during a "No Kings" rally near James Madison Highway, where officials say he struck at least one person with his vehicle.
Police say Checklick intentionally accelerated into the crowd of protesters near James Madison Highway Saturday afternoon. The demonstration was organized by local Democratic groups as part of nationwide protests against the Trump administration's policies.
Culpeper Democrats posted on Facebook, thanking the Culpeper Police Department for their "quick response and for keeping our protest safe." The group reported significant attendance at their event, with organizers claiming more than 600 attendees across two locations - over 200 at their Main Street location and over 400 on James Madison Highway.
The "No Kings" demonstrations were designed to counter what organizers describe as an excessive military display in the nation's capital. The protests took their name from their opposition to what they characterize as authoritarian tendencies in the current administration.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
43 minutes ago
North Carolina Gov. Stein vetoes his first bills. They are on concealed carry and immigration
RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed his first bills on Friday, blocking for now Republican legislation that would let adults carry concealed handguns without a permit and make state agencies and local sheriffs more active in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Stein, who took office in January, issued his formal objections to three measures backed by the GOP-controlled General Assembly presented to him last week. The former attorney general also had the option to sign any of them into law, or let them become law if he hadn't acted on the legislation soon. The vetoed measures now return to the legislature, where Republicans are one House seat shy of holding a veto-proof majority. Its leaders will decide whether to attempt overrides as early as next week. Voting so far followed party lines for one of the immigration measures, which in part would direct heads of several state law enforcement agencies, like the State Highway Patrol and State Bureau of Investigation, to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But one House Democrat ended up voting for the other immigration bill that Stein vetoed. It toughens a 2024 law that required sheriffs to help federal agents seeking criminal defendants. GOP prospects for enacting the permitless concealed gun measure, a longtime aspiration for gun-rights advocates, appear dimmer, because two House Republicans voted against the bill and 10 others were absent. In one veto message, Stein said the gun legislation, which would allow eligible people at least 18 years old to carry a concealed handgun, "makes North Carolinians less safe and undermines responsible gun ownership." Democratic lawmakers argued the same during legislative debate. Current law requires a concealed weapons holder to be at least 21 to obtain a permit. The person must submit an application to the local sheriff, pass a firearms safety training course and cannot 'suffer from a physical or mental infirmity that prevents the safe handling of a handgun" to obtain the permit. No safety training would be required if getting a permit is no longer necessary. 'Authorizing teenagers to carry a concealed weapon with no training whatsoever is dangerous,' Stein wrote. Gun-control groups praised the veto. Conservative advocates for the bill say removing the permit requirement would strengthen the safety of law-abiding citizens. 'Law-abiding North Carolinians shouldn't have to jump through hoops to effectively exercise their Second Amendment rights," Senate leader Phil Berger said in a press release criticizing the veto and planning for an override vote in his chamber. Permitless carry is already lawful in 29 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. North Carolina would also be one of the last states in the Southeast to implement that legislation. One vetoed immigration bill would require four state law enforcement agencies to officially participate in the 287(g) program, which trains officers to interrogate defendants and determine their immigration status. An executive order by President Donald Trump urged his administration to maximize the use of 287(g) agreements. Stein wrote Friday the bill takes officers away from existing state duties at a time when law enforcement is already stretched thin. The measure also would direct state agencies to ensure noncitizens don't access certain state-funded benefits. But Stein said that people without lawful immigration status already can't receive them. The other vetoed bill attempts to expand a 2024 law — enacted over then-Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto — that directed jails to hold temporarily certain defendants whom ICE believe are in the country illegally, allowing time for immigration agents to pick them up. The vetoed bill would expand the list of crimes that a defendant is charged with that would require the jail administrator to attempt to determine the defendant's legal status. A jail also would have to tell ICE promptly that it is holding someone and essentially extends the time agents have to pick up the person. Stein said Friday while he supports sheriffs contacting federal immigration agents about defendants charged with dangerous crimes that they are holding, the law is unconstitutional because it directs sheriffs to keep defendants behind bars 48 hours beyond when they otherwise could be released for a suspected immigration violation. With the veto of this bill, House Speaker Destin Hall said, Stein sided with the 'most radical elements of his party's base over the safety and security of North Carolinians.' Latino advocates and other bill opponents had urged Stein to veto both immigration measures. They say the legislation would cause Hispanic residents to feel intimidated and fear law enforcement. Stein's vetoes help 'ensure North Carolina remains a safe state for everyone, including immigrants, who deserve equal treatment under the law," the group El Pueblo said in a news release.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Rhode Island lawmakers pass bill to ban sales of assault weapons
Rhode Island's Democratic-controlled state House on Friday approved legislation that would ban the sale and manufacturing of many semiautomatic rifles commonly referred to as assault weapons. The proposal now heads to the desk of Democratic Gov. Dan McKee, who said in a post on the social platform X on Friday evening that he plans to sign the bill into law. If that happens, Rhode Island will join 10 states that have some sort of prohibition on high-powered firearms that were once banned nationwide and are now largely the weapon of choice among those responsible for most of the country's devastating mass shootings. Advertisement 3 Rhode Island's state House approved legislation that would ban the sale and manufacturing of assault weapons. AP Gun control advocates have been pushing for an assault weapons ban in Rhode Island for more than a decade. However, despite being a Democratic stronghold, lawmakers throughout the country's smallest state have long quibbled over the necessity and legality of such proposals. Advertisement The bill only applies to the sale and manufacturing of assault weapons and not possession. Only Washington state has a similar law. Residents looking to purchase an assault weapon from nearby New Hampshire or elsewhere will also be blocked. Federal law prohibits people from traveling to a different state to purchase a gun and returning it to a state where that particular of weapon is banned. Advertisement Nine states and the District of Columbia have bans on the possession of assault weapons, covering major cities like New York and Los Angeles. Hawaii bans assault pistols. 3 Two men inspected AR-10s for sale at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center Gun Show in Belleville, Ill. REUTERS Democratic Rep. Rebecca Kislak described the bill during floor debates Friday as an incremental move that brings Rhode Island in line with neighboring states. 'I am gravely disappointed we are not doing more, and we should do more,' she said. 'And given the opportunity to do this or nothing, I am voting to do something.' Advertisement Critics of Rhode Island's proposed law argued that assault weapons bans do little to curb mass shootings and only punish people with such rifles. 'This bill doesn't go after criminals, it just puts the burden on law-abiding citizens,' said Republican Sen. Thomas Paolino. Republican Rep. Michael Chippendale, House minority leader, predicted that if the legislation were to become law, the US. Supreme Court would eventually deem it unconstitutional. 'We are throwing away money on this,' he said. It wasn't just Republicans who opposed the legislation. David Hogg — a gun control advocate who survived the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida — and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence described the proposed ban as the 'weakest assault weapons ban in the country.' 'I know that Rhode Islanders deserve a strong bill that not only bans the sale, but also the possession of assault weapons. It is this combination that equals public safety,' Hogg said in a statement. 3 A crowd of gun-rights advocates filled the State House rotunda in Rhode Island in March to protest a proposed ban on the manufacture and sale of assault-style weapons. David DelPoio/The Providence Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Advertisement Elisabeth Ryan, policy counsel at Everytown for Gun Safety, rejected claims that the proposed law is weak. 'The weakest law is what Rhode Island has now, no ban on assault weapons,' Ryan said. 'This would create a real, enforceable ban on the sale and manufacture of assault weapons, just like the law already working in Washington state, getting them off the shelves of Rhode Island gun stores once and for all.' Nationally, assault weapons bans have been challenged in court by gun rights groups that argue the bans violate the Second Amendment. AR-15-style firearms are among the best-selling rifles in the country. The conservative-majority Supreme Court may soon take up the issue. Advertisement The justices declined to hear a challenge to Maryland's assault weapons ban in early June, but three conservative justices — Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas — publicly noted their disagreement. A fourth, Brett Kavanaugh, indicated he was skeptical that the bans are constitutional and predicted the court would hear a case 'in the next term or two.'
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Texas Homeowners Worry About 'Loopholes' in New Property Tax Cut Law
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas homeowners struggling under the growing burden of rising housing costs are supportive of the new package of property tax cuts signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on Monday. However, some are worried that appraisers may find "loopholes" around them to keep bills high. "The governor is trying to help, but local counties will just find loopholes in the laws and pull the money from our pockets," Jeff, a Parker County Texas homeowner, told Newsweek, revealing a deep frustration with Texas' County Appraisal Districts (CAD) which seems to be shared by several other readers. What's Behind Texas Homeowners' Frustration? Property tax bills have surged over the past five years in Texas due to skyrocketing home values exacerbating locals' affordability struggles. Between 2019 and 2023 alone—years marked by the pandemic homebuying frenzy—property taxes in the Lone Star State jumped by 26 percent, according to Cotality. As of 2025, Texas homeowners pay the seventh-highest property taxes in the country, according to SmartAsset, at an effective rate of 1.63 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 0.90 percent. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva On average, a Texas homeowner pays $3,872 a year in property taxes, which are levied by local governments and used to fund public services, including schools, roads, police, and firefighting. The rise in property taxes, which has occurred nationwide, has hit senior homeowners the hardest, as they often rely on a fixed income and are less well-equipped to shoulder a suddenly heavier financial burden. What Do the New Laws Promise Homeowners? The new package of property tax cuts, which includes two key bills raising the homestead exemption in the state, is Abbott's latest attempt to offer homeowners relief after signing into law what was the largest property tax cut in the state's history in 2023. One bill contained in the package, signed by the governor on Monday, SB 4, would raise the existing homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 for all homeowners. Another, SB 23, would raise it to $200,000 for those with disabilities or those aged 65 and above. The two bills include constitutional amendments that would need to be approved by voters in November to be enshrined into Texas state law. Why Do Homeowners Remain Skeptical About Relief? Several readers wrote to Newsweek, expressing enthusiasm for the new property tax cuts, but also voicing concerns that they might not result in a significant reduction in their bills. "No homeowner over 70 should pay property taxes. And 65 to 70 only half. Our senior years are fraught with enough worries, medical, food, insurance etc without worrying about losing their home," one Austin-based homeowner said. "I've had to sell all of my investment holdings to afford property tax for my remaining years. But it seems that the CAD just raises our appraised values to counteract Abbott's help." Jeff said that his home has appreciated in market value by 73 percent since 2020, a number that he can hardly believe is accurate. "Local governments blame [price] growth, but in all reality, it's poor management by our local government," he said. "I personally have now protested my taxed appraised market value three times now, each time getting minimal relief. The fact that they are willing to adjust your market value tells you they are playing the numbers to bring in more money," he said. John, another Texas homeowner, said that, on average, his property evaluations have increased from $270,000 to $563,000 over the last eight years. "My annual property tax leapt from $4,300 annually, to just north of $7,000," he said. "This past year, as well as this year, upcoming, will be in the neighborhood of $6,200, largely due to the efforts of the past two legislative periods," he added. The news of the new property tax cuts signed by Abbott was "music to my ears," John said. "You've always heard that mantra, 'I don't want to rent my home after it's paid for from my school district,'" Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said after the two bills passed the state legislature. "Well, seniors, to the average senior out there, you're never going to have to do that again." John said that Patrick's comment about paying rent to the school district "is no quip." "My breakdown, most recently, is at $15,00 city, $1,250 county, and $3,500 school district distribution," he said. "While it's true that 'it takes a village,' my kids are adults in the workforce themselves. While paying much higher property taxes to schools, I was still on the hook for community pencils, paper, notebooks, and Kleenex, for distribution to children by the teachers," he said. "Along with anything teachers did to create a more engaged environment in their classrooms, that was out of their pockets." While John appreciates how municipal governments spend the money he pays in property taxes, he feels that there is insufficient transparency regarding the way school districts allocate their funding. "Long story short, I will support this legislation to the extent of posting pro-bill signage in my yard, and on my vehicle, if I do think it will come to that," he said. "People are sick to death of the Central Appraisal Districts and their chokehold on property owners." Are you a Texas homeowner? I'd like to hear from you about your experience with property appraisals and rising property tax bills. Email me at
