Raw Story

A small boy who was last seen five years ago and was just recently reported missing has left authorities in Delaware County, Indiana, scrambling for answers.

Four-year-old Hayden Manis, who had been living with his grandparents, was last seen on Christmas Eve in 2019. The child had just been reunited with his father, Dustin Manis, who regained custody after completing court-ordered probation, drug treatment, and counseling.

According to reporting from The Independent, Dustin kept in touch with the family via Facebook but never produced the child. He reportedly told family and police that Hayden's mother had the boy, "but authorities later confirmed that was a lie and the Department of Child Services never placed Hayden with her."

“We think [Hayden] actually went missing sometime in 2020 but, so far, we have not been able to pinpoint an actual date,” Delaware County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jeff Stanley told 13News in Indianapolis.

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Dustin's last direct message to his aunt in 2023 read, "Hey aunt barb, I promise on everything all is well,” he wrote,“[I] promise [I’ve] just been having a lot going on try to work on my family that I am making and what not I appreciate u reaching out and checking.”

Muncie, Indiana, police arrested Dustin on drug charges in November 2024. He died a month later from a drug overdose, The Independent reported.

“Just because Dustin Manis is dead does not mean the investigation is dead. We’re still going forward,” Delaware County prosecutor Eric Hoffman told 13News.

Hoffman also said he no longer believes the boy, who would be 9 years old, is still alive.

“It’s haunting. It’s definitely haunting, some of the facts of this case,” Hoffman said. “There are very few days I come to this office and I don’t think about Hayden Manis. This case is on my mind, and it’s on the investigators’ minds on a daily basis. We’re not going to stop until we get to an answer. We need to know the truth.”

Read the story in The Independent here.

Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) on Tuesday struggled to answer questions from CNN's Dana Bash about major problems faced by American farmers thanks to the actions taken by X owner Elon Musk with the blessing of President Donald Trump.

During her interview with Smith, Bash played a video of a Missouri farmer named Skyler Holden discussing being unable to get payments he's owed from the United States Department of Agriculture to make improvements to his farm.

"It puts me in a bind because I've made business decisions based on that contract," Holden said.

"What do you say to Skyler Holden and people in that predicament?" Bash asked Smith.

"What I would say is that that the government needs to do a better job at working for the American people," Smith replied. "Too often it seems like the American people are working for the government, and the whole purpose of freezing and putting a hold on everything right now is to review, to make sure it's working the way that Congress and the executive is supposed to implement.

"It's unfortunate that this is the case. I've been talking with several farmers that have been experiencing this and trying to help guide them through this process, but it's all going to work out. Right now, it's a little bit disruptive, but that's what this administration promised whenever they were coming to Washington."

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Bash then pressed him and asked him to address the farmer who said that the current freeze in funding could "put him in a bad situation financially."

Smith dodged the question and said that the current problems with paying farmers were akin to issues he's experienced with trying to help a constituent file a claim with the Social Security Administration and he implied that this was because so many federal workers get to work from home.

Bash then pointed out that, under Musk, many federal workers have been shut out of their offices all together.

"There are a lot of full agencies that have been told not to come to work today that are causing some havoc around the country and around the globe," she said.

Watch the video below or at this link.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

A former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief warned CNN's Brianna Keilar that the Trump administration is signaling a completely free reign for big banks and other financial institutions to defraud, scam, and rip off working Americans.

Since Trump took office and dismissed Rohit Chopra, the CFPB — the post-financial crisis agency responsible for protecting consumers from financial corporate malfeasance, and an agency Republicans have long wanted to destroy — appears to be completely paralyzed, with Trump-aligned tech billionaire Elon Musk declaring the agency dead.

"As you watch what the Trump administration is doing here, why do you think they're doing it?" asked Keilar.

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"Well, I don't know," said Chopra. "I mean, we need to protect people from some of the biggest powerful corporations in America. And over the past few years, we took action so they would forfeit billions of dollars from people that they cheated. Companies like Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and more. And the truth is, people are really worried about high credit card interest rates, how they're going to pay their mortgage. We don't want to see their pocket picked. And by telling people the investigations are over, no more oversight, it just feels like a free pass to some of these big corporations to do whatever they please."

"There are partisan differences, historically, in — CFPB is pretty new, but there are differences of what CFPB's role should be, opinions on the agency," said Keilar. "Why is this different than just that?"

"Well, you know, I would say that there isn't so much partisan difference when you look at the actual work," said Chopra. "Medical bills, junk fees, protecting our personal data, it really enjoys broad support. The only place it's controversial is in Washington, and especially with the lobbyists representing Wall Street and these big companies. So, you know, here's what's different. This is in some ways a 'Defund the Police' movement that they're pushing when it comes to big corporations. The CFPB is one of the only agencies that is overseeing these very large financial institutions. And increasingly, big tech giants are wanting to control the flow of money and payments. And they, too, have been potentially wanting to interfere with the agency's operations as well."

Watch the video below or at the link here.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The American Bar Association released a statement on Monday reminding lawyers they must stand up for the rule of law.

The statement comes amid a flood of legal battles between the Trump administration and several workers who were fired.

Americans can expect a certain amount of change with a new administration, the group said. However, "Americans also expect that changes will take place in accordance with the rule of law and in an orderly manner that respects the lives of affected individuals and the work they have been asked to perform," said association president William R. Bay.

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He called out "wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself" under the new administration, specifically attempts to end birthright citizenship and dismantling USAID, which was congressionally created and funded.

"We have seen attempts at wholesale dismantling of departments and entities created by Congress without seeking the required congressional approval to change the law," Bay continued. "There are efforts to dismiss employees with little regard for the law and protections they merit, and social media announcements that disparage and appear to be motivated by a desire to inflame without any stated factual basis."

He called it "chaotic" and acknowledged it might "appeal to a few," but it doesn't make it right. "Most Americans recognize it is wrong. It is also contrary to the rule of law."

He also said that the Bar Association believes everyone should be held accountable under the law, even the government itself.

Bay quoted U.S. District Judge John Coughenour's ruling last week, saying, “Nevertheless, in this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow.”

"These actions do not make America stronger. They make us weaker," wrote Bay.

He warned there are "real-world consequences" to the mass government purge and public targeting of workers.

"Recently hired employees fear they will lose their jobs because of some matter they were assigned to in the Justice Department or some training they attended in their agency. USAID employees assigned to build programs that benefit foreign countries are being doxed, harassed with name-calling and receiving conflicting information about their employment status," he said, warning it should concern every American.

Bay closed by saying, "The ABA does not oppose any administration. Instead, we remain steadfast in our support for the rule of law."

He asked elected officials to stand up with them in support of the rule of law, though the Republican-led House and Senate have been unwilling to fight back against Trump thus far.

"The administration cannot choose which law it will follow or ignore," Bay argued.

He further called on all attorneys to join him in supporting the oath they all took to become lawyers in which they pledged to follow the law.

Read the full letter here.

Elon Musk's dismantling of the agency that provides overseas humanitarian aid harms children who rely on it for protection from online exploitation and human trafficking, a new report in Wired alleged.

Musk reportedly slashed the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, from 10,000 employees around the world to fewer than 300.

"Groups identifying victims and providing care for those who have been subject to online exploitation or human trafficking are struggling to support the vulnerable children," reported Matt Burgess for Wired. "Such child safety projects often take place in poorer countries, which can have fewer resources to support victims or investigate crimes."

Jessica Ryckman, the executive director of the nonprofit Lawyers Without Borders, told Wired, "Many of these victims engage with their traffickers through electronic means. It is exploitation that is advanced through digital technology.”

According to the report, the child safety programs saved more than 350 children in the Philippines during the first Trump administration and arrested nearly 100 alleged criminals. "The new cuts also come as record levels of online child sexual abuse imagery are being discovered," Burgess wrote.

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The article quoted an employee of a South American child protection group who said, “Victims and perpetrators alike originate from diverse regions and countries, underscoring the necessity for continued international engagement and coordinated efforts to address these crimes comprehensively. The interruption of these funds inevitably limits the scope and reach of these critical services."

In addition to USAID, global child protection projects have also lost much-needed funding from the U.S. State Department for at least 90 days, following a Trump administration order.

Burgess wrote, "Both government bodies have provided funding to help countries and people around the world. This includes USAID’s vast swath of health care and education programs—their withdrawal is putting millions of lives at risk and limits tackling the climate crisis."

Last week, a federal judge froze Musk's plan to completely gut USAID. According to The New York Times, "The judge was ruling on a lawsuit filed on behalf of the largest union representing federal workers and the union that represents Foreign Service officers." In his decision, the judge said, "The unions had established that the employees affected by the leave and withdrawal orders would suffer 'irreparable harm.'"

Neither USAID nor the State Department provided a comment for the article.

Read the entire Wired article here.

MAGA influencer Steve Bannon, a former strategist for President Donald Trump, will reportedly plead guilty to fraud charges in New York to avoid more jail time.

Law360 first reported on Monday that Bannon would enter a guilty plea.

Bannon's trial for allegedly duping contributors to his "We Build the Wall" charity was scheduled to start on March 4 after being delayed.

"I've been smeared by a political prosecution — persecution — for years, and I need someone who's a little more aggressive," Bannon told a judge after shaking up his legal team last month. "I need every tool in the tool box."

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Last year, Bannon spent four months in federal prison after being found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before the Jan. 6 Committee.