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2025-06-20 19:01:36

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/jewish-rep-max-miller-says-man-endangered-him-and-threatened-his-family-while-waving-palestinian-flag-we-know-who-you-are.jpg?id=61081595&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C104%2C0%2C104
Republican Rep. Max Miller of Ohio described on social media an alleged death threat against him and his family that he claimed was made by a man waving a Palestinian flag. Miller, who is Jewish as well as a U.S. Marine veteran, posted a video describing the incident where an anti-Israel man tried to get his attention as he was driving and then ran him off the road. 'Some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road when he couldn't get my attention to show me a Palestinian flag.'"Let's make something abundantly clear to anyone who needs to see this, which apparently, is a lot of people," said Miller. "If you have an issue with a legislator, your city councilman, your mayor, anyone like that, the appropriate thing to do is to reach out to them for a phone call to set up a meeting at one of our district offices. What is not OK is to assault anyone, whether you're a member of Congress or anybody else within our district, while you are driving to work," he added. "This morning as I was driving to work, some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road when he couldn't get my attention to show me a Palestinian flag," Miller said, "not to mention, 'Death to Israel,' death to me, that he wanted to kill me and my family!" He went on to thank God that no one else was in the vehicle to experience the incident, including his daughter. "We know exactly who you are. I have gone about my day. I have carried on my meetings. And we will not hide, and I will continue to fight against anti-Semitism, islamophobia, and all other forms of hate," Miller added. In the post, he said that he had filed a report with the U.S. Capitol Police as well as local law enforcement. "We know who this person is and he will face justice," he wrote. RELATED: Trump admin calls for Columbia University's accreditation to be pulled Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images The leadership of House Democrats issued a joint statement to condemn the alleged attack. "We condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on Congressman Max Miller and his family and are thankful they are safe," the statement read. "The rise in political violence in this country is unacceptable. This is a moment of crisis that requires Congress to act decisively in order to ensure the safety of every single member who serves in the People’s House."The reported incident is especially concerning only a week after two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses were brutally attacked at their homes by a man dressed up like a police officer. One lawmaker and his wife were killed, while the other couple narrowly survived. The suspect has since been captured, and much of the evidence in the case points to a political motivation for the attacks. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/max-miller-threat-palestinian-flag

2025-06-18 09:01:22

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61029471&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
This past Saturday, Israel continued its Operation Rising Lion with attacks on Iranian gas and oil facilities, Iranian Ministry of Defense buildings in Tehran, and missile launch sites in Tehran.President Donald Trump responded to the attacks on Truth Social, writing, “The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight. If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.”“However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!” he continued.The U.S. does have many assets currently in or near Israel, including military troops, U.S. diplomats, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, patriot missile batteries, fighter jets, and U.S. Navy destroyers.“Trump hints that the United States might get involved if Iran hits our assets,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says. “That was a pretty strong statement that President Trump said, right? If we are attacked in any way, shape, or form by Iran, the full strength and might is going to come down on you at levels never seen before.”“He hints that the United States might get involved. But we’re using our assets to already protect Israel, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if Iran attacks our Patriot missiles, our THAAD system, any of those assets,” she continues.Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also said in response to the attacks that there is “well-documented and solid evidence of the support provided by American forces in the region.”“Therefore, the U.S., in our opinion, is a partner in these attacks and must accept its responsibility,” Araghchi said.Gonzales notes that it would be hard for the U.S. to dispute this accusation, as President Trump had just spoken about Israel’s use of American weapons before the attacks.“It’s just like if a gun manufacturer makes a gun, and then eventually someone gets sold a gun and they go on to do a school shooting or murder people or whatever. Is it the gun manufacturer’s fault? Of course not,” Gonzales says.“This is Iran just begging, begging for the United States to get involved,” she adds.Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/trumps-warning-what-it-will-take-for-america-to-join-israels-war-with-iran

2025-06-18 00:12:21

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61030052&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0
BIG3 opening weekend has come and gone, but not without a tense — and memorable — altercation between players Stephen Jackson and Dwight Howard.“This is BIG3 opening weekend. No one’s going to be surprised when we hear, ‘Hey, shots fired at a BIG3 basketball game.’ No one’s going to be surprised, no one. This is the culture, the atmosphere. This is what the BIG3 is producing,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock says.“A bunch of solid to good former NBA players that are in their late 30s, early 40s, that are still little babies and children who can’t play a basketball game without getting into a fight that spills into the stands,” he adds.And Whitlock believes this attitude is not just reflected on the basketball court.“Stephen Jackson’s 47 years old. He’s the host of the "All The Smoke" podcast. He came to increased fame because he was friends with George Floyd. Stephen Jackson loves to lean into the victimhood mentality, into the rap, anger, gangster rapper mentality. He’s not evolving,” Whitlock says.“This is a plague, a mental plague,” he continues. “This has been going on now for 30-plus years. Affirm any and everything. Hey, Karmelo Anthony with a ‘K,’ you just stabbed another teenager, because he asked you to get up out of a seat in an area that you weren’t supposed to be in. Let’s affirm that. Let’s make up a fake narrative. Let’s all pretend, ‘Well, this kid feared for his life.’”“He had no choice but to stab him,” he mocks. “Let’s start a GoFundMe or a GiveSendGo, and let’s send a million dollars, half-million dollars, to Karmelo Anthony and his family. Let’s affirm Karmelo Anthony’s behavior because everything has to be affirmed.”“You can’t just affirm any and everything, and that’s what we’ve been doing in this society,” he adds.Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/fearless-with-jason-whitlock/stephen-jackson-affirms-karmelo-anthony-and-destroys-big3

2025-06-17 14:36:00

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/theres-a-simple-logic-behind-palantirs-controversial-rise-in-washington.jpg?id=61014130&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54
In 2003 Palo Alto, California, Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, and cohorts founded a software company called Palantir. Now, these 20-odd years later, with stock prices reaching escape velocity and government and commercial contracts secured from Huntsville to Huntington, Palantir seems to have arrived in the pole position of the AI race.With adamantine ties to the Trump administration and deep history with U.S. intelligence and military entities to boot, Palantir has emerged as a decisive force in the design and management of our immediate technological, domestic, and geopolitical futures.Curious, then, that so many, including New York Times reporters, seem to believe that Palantir is merely another souped-up data hoarding and selling company like Google or Adobe.The next-level efficiency, one imagines, will have radical implications for our rather inefficient lives.It’s somewhat understandable, but the scales and scopes in play are unprecedented. To get a grasp on the scope of Palantir’s project, consider that every two days now humanity churns out the same amount of information that was accrued over the previous 5,000 years of civilization.As then-Gartner senior vice president Peter Sondergaard put it more than a decade ago, “Information is the oil of the 21st century, and analytics is the combustion engine.”Palantir spent the last 20 years building that analytics combustion engine. It arrives as a suite of AI products tailored to various markets and end users. The promise, as the era of Palantir proceeds and as AI-centered business and governance takes hold, is that decisions will be made with a near-complete grasp on the totality of real-time global information.RELATED: Trump's new allies: Tech billionaires are jumping on the MAGA train The Washington Post/Getty ImagesThe tech stackFamously seeded with CIA In-Q-Tel cash, Palantir started by addressing intelligence agency needs. In 2008, the Gotham software product, described as a tool for intelligence agencies to analyze complex datasets, went live. Gotham is said to integrate and analyze disparate datasets in real time to enable pattern recognition and threat detection. Joining the CIA, FBI, and presumably most other intelligence agencies in deploying Gotham are the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Defense.Next up in the suite is Foundry, which is, again, an AI-based software solution but geared toward industry. It purportedly serves to centralize previously siloed data sources to effect maximum efficiency. Health care, finance, and manufacturing all took note and were quick to integrate Foundry. PG&E, Southern California, and Edison are all satisfied clients. So is the Wendy’s burger empire.The next in line of these products, which we’ll see are integrated and reciprocal in their application to client needs, is Apollo, which is, according the Palantir website, “used to upgrade, monitor, and manage every instance of Palantir’s product in the cloud and at some of the world’s most regulated and controlled environments.” Among others, Morgan Stanley, Merck, Wejo, and Cisco are reportedly all using Apollo.If none of this was impressive enough, if the near-total penetration into both business and government (U.S., at least) at foundational levels isn’t evident yet, consider the crown jewel of the Palantir catalog, which integrates all the others: Ontology.“Ontology is an operational layer for the organization,” Palantir explains. “The Ontology sits on top of the digital assets integrated into the Palantir platform (datasets and models) and connects them to their real-world counterparts, ranging from physical assets like plants, equipment, and products to concepts like customer orders or financial transactions.”Every aspect native to a company or organization — every minute of employee time, any expense, item of inventory, and conceptual guideline — is identified, located, and cross-linked wherever and however appropriate to maximize efficiency.The next-level efficiency, one imagines, will have radical implications for our rather inefficient lives. Consider the DMV, the wait list, the tax prep: Anything that can be processed (assuming enough energy inputs for the computation) can be — ahead of schedule.The C-suiteNo backgrounder is complete without some consideration of a company’s founders. The intentions, implied or overt, from Peter Thiel and Alex Karp in particular are, in some ways, as ponderable as the company’s ultra-grade software products and market dominance.Palantir CEO Alex Karp stated in his triumphal 2024 letter to shareholders: “Our results are not and will never be the ultimate measure of the value, broadly defined, of our business. We have grander and more idiosyncratic aims.” Karp goes on to quote both Augustine and Houellebecq as he addresses the company’s commitment first to America.This doesn’t sound quite like the digital panopticon or the one-dimensionally malevolent elite mindset we were threatened with for the last 20 years. Despite their outsized roles and reputations, Thiel companies tend toward the relatively modest goals of reducing overall harm or risk. Reflecting the influence of Rene Girard’s theory that people rapidly spiral into hard-to-control and ultimately catastrophic one-upsmanship, the approach reflects a considerably more sophisticated point of view than Karl Rove’s infamously dismissive claim to be “history’s actors.”“Initially, the rise of the digital security state was a neoconservative project,” Blaze Media editor at large James Poulos remarked on the dynamic. “But instead of overturning this Bush-era regime, the embedded Obama-Biden elite completed the neocon system. That’s how we got the Cheneys endorsing Kamala.”In a series of explanatory posts on X made via the company's Privacy and Ethics account and reposted on its webpage, Palantir elaborated: “We were the first company to establish a dedicated Privacy & Civil Liberties Engineering Team over a decade ago, and we have a longstanding Council of Advisors on Privacy & Civil Liberties comprised of leading experts and advocates. These functions sit at the heart of the company and help us to embody Palantir’s values both through providing rights-protective technologies and fostering a culture of responsibility around their development and use.”It's a far cry from early 2000s rhetoric and corporate policy, and so the issue becomes one of evaluation. Under pressure from the immensity of the data, the ongoing domestic and geopolitical instability manifesting in myriad forms, and particularly the bizarre love-hate interlocking economic mechanisms between the U.S. and China, many Americans are hungry to find a scapegoat.Do we find ourselves, as Americans at least, with the advantage in this tense geopolitical moment? Or are we uncharacteristically behind in the contest for survival? An honest assessment of our shared responsibility for our national situation might lead away from scapegoating, toward a sense that we made our bed a while ago on technology and security and now we must lie in it.
https://www.theblaze.com/return/theres-a-simple-logic-behind-palantirs-controversial-rise-in-washington

2025-06-12 23:11:32

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/man-caught-on-video-passing-out-face-shields-to-rioters-has-been-arrested-feds-say.jpg?id=60949122&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C99%2C0%2C100
Federal prosecutors announced the arrest of a man charged with conspiracy to commit civil disorders after he was allegedly caught on video passing out riot gear to protesters in Los Angeles.Protests against deportation operations from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents erupted into violence and vandalism that lasted several days, beginning Friday. One widely circulated video showed a man handing face shields from a carton in a truck to protesters.'We want to understand who these people are and where this organization's coming from.' Many suggested that the video was evidence that the violent protest had been orchestrated and funded by nefarious organizations.On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrest of Alejandro Theodoro Orellana by the FBI during a sting operation at his home."We have made it a huge priority to try to identify, locate, and arrest those who are involved in organizing, supporting, funding, or facilitating these riots," he said to Fox News."It appears they're well-orchestrated, and coordinated and well-funded," he added, "so we want to understand who these people are and where this organization's coming from, and today was one of those first arrests, the key arrests that we did."Essayli posted video of the man passing out the masks from the back of a black pickup truck.RELATED: LA schools to set up police safety perimeters to keep ICE agents away from students and their families A person who claimed to know Orellana told KTLA-TV that he was not known to be associated with criminal activity.“No, nothing of the sort. Nothing at all," said the resident. "No one in this block have I heard any, you know, bad news from or any gossip."The Trump administration responded to the rioting against federal operations by ordering National Guard troops as well as U.S. Marines to provide security for ICE officials.Democrats have accused President Donald Trump of acting as a totalitarian and trying to militarize cities. An emergency request from California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to block the military orders was denied by a judge, but Newsom has pressed on to accuse the president of acting contrary to the U.S. Constitution.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/face-shields-rioters-arrested-ice

2025-06-09 08:00:53

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/one-big-beautiful-bill-one-big-back-loaded-disaster.jpg?id=60566959&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C2%2C0%2C3
Republicans have a bad habit of passing major legislation without thinking through the consequences. The “one big, beautiful bill” suffers from one big, ugly dose of shortsightedness. It’s an ambitious package loaded with short-term tax cuts and spending increases, followed by a cliff’s-edge drop into fiscal and political chaos just three years down the road.That’s right. The expiration dates baked into the bill all but guarantee a showdown with Democrats during the 2028 election season, with Trump still in the White House, handing them enormous leverage and setting up Republicans for another round of fiscal self-sabotage.Another fiscal cliff in the makingTo keep the bill’s official price tag under control, drafters built in a series of sunset provisions. The goal: Limit the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate to just three years of deficits, even though they fully intend to extend those policies later. That gimmick allows Republicans to pretend the bill adds “only” $3 trillion to the national debt.Republicans just built a bomb — and they are poised to hand over the detonator to their political enemies at the worst possible time.But the policies don’t just disappear in 2028. If history is any guide — see the Bush and Trump tax cuts — most of the expiring provisions will be renewed. And when that time comes, Republicans will argue that these are now “current law” and therefore don’t count as new spending. It’s baseline budgeting sleight of hand, and everyone in Washington knows it.Let’s look at what’s on the chopping block at the end of 2028:$320 billion in extra defense and immigration spendingA larger standard deduction for all taxpayersA $500-per-child bonus tax creditA deduction for auto loan interest$1,000 “Trump accounts” for newbornsA higher standard deduction for seniorsExemptions from tax on overtime and tipsImmediate expensing for business structuresOn top of that, several key business tax provisions — 100% bonus depreciation, enhanced interest deductions, and the R&D credit — will expire in 2029. That timing coincides with the possibility of a Democrat retaking the presidency, leaving Republicans with even less control over what happens next.According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, extending the 2028-2029 provisions would add another $2 trillion to the national debt. That would push total costs above the original Trump tax cuts. And it would come just as the U.S. confronts mounting interest payments and an economy likely in no condition to absorb more debt.A perfect storm in ’28The timing couldn’t be worse. Democrats are already poised to take back the House in 2027. The GOP’s majority is razor-thin, and Democrats sit just a few seats away from regaining control. If recent special elections offer any clues, the midterms won’t be kind to Republicans.That means Trump will likely face a Democrat-controlled House in 2028, as his administration scrambles to extend the bill’s most popular provisions: child tax credits, overtime and tip exemptions, baby accounts, business deductions, and elevated defense and homeland security spending — all of it set to disappear just as voters head to the polls.Trump won’t want to campaign on tax hikes or cuts to defense and border security. He’ll push to renew the provisions — and Democrats will know it. They may agree with many of these policies, but they’ll still demand concessions, knowing Trump has no choice but to deal.RELATED: I was against Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ — Stephen Miller changed my mind Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesExpect ransom demands. Democrats could insist on undoing the repeal of Green New Deal policies. They might push to roll back modest Medicaid reforms included in the bill. They could demand changes to immigration enforcement or extract new spending commitments, especially if the economy continues to falter. Nothing would be off the table.In short, Republicans have given Democrats the upper hand in a high-stakes negotiation just as Trump is trying to shape his legacy and tee up a successor. They didn’t just walk into the trap — they built it.Lessons not learnedRepublicans keep making the same mistake. Rather than structurally reforming the federal government, they pass short-term tax cuts and temporary spending increases while pretending deficits don’t matter.This bill could have tackled the cost of health care, the explosion of federal spending, or the burden of inflation. It could have included structural reforms to entitlements, energy, or higher education. Instead, the GOP opted to pass a tax cut bill that tries to game the budget window.If they believe growth will eventually offset the deficit — fine. But in that case, why not go all in? Make the cuts permanent. Expand them. Flatten the code and eliminate more deductions. Build a case for supply-side reform rather than hiding behind fiscal gimmicks.Instead, they did the opposite. They chose a politically popular mix of spending and tax breaks and timed it to explode during an election that will determine Trump’s legacy, hoping no one would notice.The bottom lineThe one big, beautiful bill doesn’t reduce spending. It doesn’t rein in the bureaucracy. It doesn’t fix the structural problems crushing the middle class. It temporarily cuts taxes while baking in a debt explosion and surrendering future negotiating power to Democrats.If Republicans think deficits don’t matter, they should at least have the courage to admit it. If they think Trump’s policies will spark enough growth to pay for themselves, then make those policies permanent. But don’t pretend to care about fiscal restraint while quietly handing the next Congress a multitrillion-dollar mess.Republicans just built a bomb — and they are poised to hand over the detonator to their political enemies at the worst possible time.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/one-big-beautiful-bill-one-big-back-loaded-disaster

2025-06-06 13:59:56

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/rubio-not-taking-guff-from-icc-hammers-foreign-judges-over-targeting-of-us-and-israel.jpg?id=60539712&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1
Secretary of State Marco Rubio slapped four judges on the International Criminal Court with sanctions on Thursday over their efforts "to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without consent from the United States or Israel." The antagonistic efforts on the parts of the judges — Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia — are particularly provocative since the court has no jurisdiction over either country, as neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member of the court or party to the Rome Statute, which founded the court in 2002. "The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies," Rubio said in a statement. "This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel." The sanctions are in accordance with President Donald Trump's February executive order titled "Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court," in which he indicated the U.S. will "impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC's transgressions." In the order, Trump noted that the ICC has engaged in "illegitimate and baseless actions" targeting America and Israel; has unlawfully asserted jurisdiction over and launched probes concerning American personnel; and has "abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant." The ICC issued arrest warrants for the two Israelis in November, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes — including starvation as a method of warfare, murder, and persecution — allegedly committed between Oct. 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024. RELATED: Liberals freaked out over Vance's Munich speech. Just wait till they read the State Department's Substack. Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images Numerous Western officials said that they would implement the warrants, including then-EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. Trump said that the ICC's endeavor to have officials from non-member nations arrested "set a dangerous precedent," in part by threatening to infringe on the sovereignty of the U.S. and Israel and undermining both nations' national security and foreign policy work. 'The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty.' The State Department indicated in its announcement of the sanctions against the four ICC judges that the agency does "not take this step lightly" and that it "reflects the seriousness of the threat we face from the ICC's politicization and abuse of power." The ICC condemned the actions, claiming they constitute "a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all corners of the globe." "Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict. It only emboldens those who believe they can act with impunity," continued the ICC. "These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, they also target all those who support the Court, including nationals and corporate entities of States Parties." Blaze News reached out to the State Department for comment on the ICC's characterization of the sanctions but did not immediately receive a reply. RELATED: Rubio wages war on foreign free-speech tyrants with visa ban Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images As a result of the Trump administration's sanctions, the judges' property and interests in property in the U.S. or in the control of American persons will be blocked and reported to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Similarly, any entities directly or indirectly owned by the judges will also be blocked. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump and Rubio, stating, "You have justly stood up for the right of Israel, the United States, and all democracies to defend themselves against savage terror." "The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other U.S. ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC," said Rubio. "I call on the countries that still support the ICC, many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American sacrifices, to fight this disgraceful attack on our nation and Israel." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/rubio-isnt-taking-guff-from-icc-judges-takes-decisive-action-over-targeting-of-us-and-israel

2025-05-30 12:12:14

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/the-left-rages-over-59-white-refugees-but-defends-killers.jpg?id=60340560&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1
The left’s radical immigration agenda isn’t just dangerous, it’s hypocritical to the core. Some recent stories show just how radical leftists have become.Let’s start with a story Blaze News reported this month that should infuriate every law-abiding American. A 42-year-old Venezuelan man — a known hitman tied to the brutal El Chamu gang and accused of four contract killings — was released into the United States after being caught crossing the Arizona border illegally in 2022. That’s right: arrested, deemed inadmissible, then set free.Leftists' selective outrage reveals a disturbing truth: Their moral compass isn’t guided by justice or suffering. It’s guided by race and politics.But it gets worse. The Biden administration granted this suspected murderer a work permit because, at the time, the U.S. wasn’t talking to Venezuela about taking back its criminals.This man walked freely through our communities for nearly three years. He was finally arrested in February 2025 — not thanks to Biden but because President Donald Trump pressured Venezuela to resume accepting deportees. Immigration and Customs Enforcement picked him up in Grapevine, Texas, which happens to be in my backyard.This is what happens when ideology overrides public safety. And it’s not an isolated case.An activist judgeIn Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was just indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE agents. Dugan reportedly got “visibly angry,” confronted federal agents in her courtroom, and then snuck the man — who was facing battery charges and had been deported once before — out a private exit for the jury.This man is accused of punching one victim 30 times and attacking a woman who tried to intervene. Both victims were hospitalized. But Dugan, a sitting judge, allegedly aided his escape. That’s not just reckless — it’s criminal.And yet, as usual, the left rushed to glorify her. Some are actually comparing Judge Dugan to Harriet Tubman. I wish I were joking! Leftist lawyer Jeffrey Mandell and his friends at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are likening her actions to a modern Underground Railroad — as if protecting a violent illegal alien compares to the rescue of fugitive slaves. It’s beyond insulting. Harriet Tubman risked her life to free human beings from bondage. Judge Dugan risked the public’s safety to help a man accused of brutal violence. The left’s delusional moral equivalence here reveals exactly how twisted their priorities have become.Blind eye to genocideYet, these priorities don’t apply if you don’t have the left’s approved skin color.President Trump has made it a priority to deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. That’s what this is really about. But instead of recognizing the distinction between lawful immigration and criminal activity, the left screams that Trump wants to “kick out all immigrants” and destroy the American dream.Then, when the administration offers refugee status to 59 Afrikaners fleeing persecution in South Africa, the same people lose their minds.These are white farmers and their families — victims of racial violence, land seizures, and targeted killings. The South African government passed a law in 2024 that allows for the confiscation of land without compensation. Political rallies routinely feature chants of “Kill the Boer,” referring to white farmers. A political party leader led one such rally in 2023 — and it wasn’t subtle. The crowd chanted, “Shoot to kill!” with bloodthirsty fervor.Elon Musk, a South African native, called it open incitement to genocide. He’s right.You’d think the self-appointed champions of compassion would welcome these families with open arms. But no — they’re furious. MSNBC analyst Richard Stengel dismissed their plight as “apartheid nostalgia.” U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) called it “global apartheid.” And the Episcopal Church, which has helped resettle more than 100,000 refugees and proudly aids illegal aliens, publicly refused to help these 59 families. It even ended a 40-year partnership with the federal government over it.Why? Because these refugees are white.Narrative-driven immigrationIn summary, the left welcomed a Venezuelan gang hitman into the country and handed him a work permit. Leftists are defending a judge who allegedly helped a violent offender escape ICE. They have no problem with 10 million illegal immigrants who flooded the country under President Biden. But when it comes to 59 South African farmers fleeing actual persecution?They call it racism. They shut down programs. They rage on television.This isn’t compassion. It’s a radical ideological agenda that says borders should be open to criminals — as long as they fit the narrative — and closed to those who don’t.RELATED: ‘Not based on color’: Tom Homan debunks media claims about white South African refugees with Glenn Beck Anna Moneymaker / Staff, SAUL LOEB / Contributor | Getty ImagesIt would be laughable if it weren’t so morally bankrupt.Leftists' selective outrage reveals a disturbing truth: Their moral compass isn’t guided by justice or suffering. It’s guided by race and politics. Some victims are celebrated. Others are ignored, depending entirely on their skin color and the usefulness of their story.America is at a crossroads. We can continue this reckless, backward approach — or we can choose sanity, security, and fairness. President Trump is trying to restore order, but the radical left is fighting him every step of the way. And if this latest circus has shown us anything, it’s that leftists are just getting started.Want more from Glenn Beck? Get Glenn's FREE email newsletter with his latest insights, top stories, show prep, and more delivered to your inbox.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-left-rages-over-59-white-refugees-but-defends-killers

2025-05-29 20:47:58

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/leavitt-calls-on-scotus-to-stop-activist-judges-after-ruling-against-trump-tariffs-courts-should-have-no-role-here.jpg?id=60341316&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C166%2C0%2C167
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt ripped into the latest court order to get in the way of the Trump administration's agenda after the president's across-the-board tariffs were blocked. Leavitt accused the federal trade court of "judicial overreach" and called on the Supreme Court to end what many see as judicial activism. 'Ultimately, the Supreme Court must put an end to this for the sake of our Constitution.' "The courts should have no role here," she said in her media briefing on Thursday."There is a troubling and dangerous trend of unelected judges inserting themselves into the presidential decision-making process," she said. "America cannot function if President Trump, or any other president for that matter, has their sensitive diplomatic or trade negotiations railroaded by activist judges."The panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade tossed out most of the president's tariffs after finding that the tariffs were not authorized by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which Trump cited. The panel said that the emergencies cited by the president were not sufficiently related to trade. On Thursday, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted an emergency request from the Trump administration to reinstate the tariffs for the time being. The issue may have to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which Leavitt called upon in her statement to the media. "President Trump is in the process of rebalancing America's trade agreements with the entire world, bringing tens of billions of dollars in tariff revenues to our country and finally ending the United States of America from being ripped off," Leavitt continued. "These judges are threatening to undermine the credibility of the United States on the world stage." RELATED: Mexican president warns Trump tariff threat 'would lead to inflation and job losses' for both countries Photo by Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The three-panel federal trade court is composed of nominees from former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama and one nominated by President Donald Trump. "Ultimately, the Supreme Court must put an end to this for the sake of our Constitution," Leavitt concluded. The trade court ruling did not apply to other tariffs imposed under separate laws, but those tariffs have also been challenged by other lawsuits. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/leavitt-supreme-court-tariffs-scotus

2025-05-29 20:47:58

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/appeals-court-reinstates-trump-tariffs-blocked-by-trade-court.jpg?id=60341356&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C168%2C0%2C169
A U.S. appeals court reinstated the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Mexico, Canada, and China on Thursday, after a federal trade court blocked them only one day previously. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade found Wednesday that the administration had exceeded its authority by imposing the tariffs on the three largest trading partners to the U.S. On Thursday, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted an emergency appeal by the Trump administration to reinstate the tariffs for the time being. 'We are going to produce the cars and ships, chips, airplanes, minerals, and medicines that we need right here in America.' The administration had invoked the tariffs under the provisions of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, but the trade court said that it did not apply to tariffs. Other tariffs imposed through separate laws were not blocked by the trade court. RELATED: Trump announces sweeping new tariffs at 'Liberation Day' celebration at White House Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images Critics of the tariffs have pointed to chaos on the stock market as well as on the bond market, but supporters say the economic strength of the U.S. will improve in the long run under the new global structure. The three judges on the trade court include one nominated by Trump in his first term and two others nominated by former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. The president is facing several other court challenges to the sweeping tariffs he announced on "Liberation Day" at the White House in April. "From this day on, we're not going to let anyone tell us American workers and families cannot have the future that they deserve," the president said at the time. "We are going to produce the cars and ships, chips, airplanes, minerals, and medicines that we need right here in America." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-tariffs-reinstated-appeals-court

2025-05-29 17:42:38

@nprofile…hfrz
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A Florida sheriff recently welcomed an apprehended man from out of state who is accused of threatening to kill him — and the sheriff greeted the suspect with a promise to put him in a rubber room.Viral video shows Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood speaking face-to-face with 45-year-old Matthew Moulton at the Daytona Beach International Airport. 'Just so you know, I'm the one who made sure you came back, and I hope you enjoy your stay at the branch jail.' Moulton — of College Place, Washington — was extradited to Florida last Wednesday for reportedly making threats against the sheriff, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.Moulton was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail the same day and held on a $100,000 bond, the paper said, adding that he faces a charge of written or electronic threats to kill or do bodily injury, which is a second-degree felony in Florida — punishable with up to 15 years in prison.Moulton is accused of sending a threatening email to Sheriff Chitwood.RELATED: Wild video: Florida cop clings to hood of moving car, shoots through windshield on busy downtown street in broad daylight choochart via iStock / Getty Images Plus Citing the arrest report, WTVJ-TV said Moulton sent an alarming email to Chitwood around 5:24 a.m. March 20 in which he told the sheriff, "I'm going to have to threaten you with death. It's coming. There's nothing you can do to stop it."WFLA-TV, citing the affidavit, said Moulton likely was angry at Chitwood because the sheriff started a campaign last year to post mug shots and "perp walks" for students who fabricate public school shooting threats.Citing the arrest report, the News-Journal noted that Moulton wrote, "Do you know what the internet does with children you expose? They put them in AI and make child porn with them."The Volusia Sheriff's Office contacted law enforcement in Washington regarding the threatening email on the same day it was sent, the paper added.Law enforcement officers visited Moulton at his residence the same day to question him about the threatening email, according to WTVJ.The arrest report said Moulton told police that he "believed the threats to be satirical and artistic and designed within the parameters of the First Amendment," WTVJ noted.In a video shared on Facebook by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Moulton is seen being escorted down an airport escalator as Sheriff Chitwood stands waiting for him at the bottom.Chitwood greeted Moulton by saying, "Matthew, I’m Sheriff Chitwood. I'm the guy you want to kill, and there's nothing I can do about it. Challenge accepted."Moulton replied that he had sent him a sermon from Romans 5.RELATED: Deputies shoot growling Florida man dead after 'bizarre' standoff — and just moments after he survived alligator attack: Cops rarrarorro via iStock / Getty Images PlusSheriff Chitwood noted, "But you do know in Florida, a written threat to kill is a felony? You know that, right?""Just so you know, I'm the one who made sure you came back, and I hope you enjoy your stay at the branch jail," Chitwood told the man who reportedly wanted to kill him.Moulton said, "You violated my rights."Chitwood interjected by saying, "I will also tell you that you will not see Mickey Mouse on this trip, and you have to reimburse us for your flight here and for your stay at the county jail."Chitwood asked, "Why don’t you look me in the eye and tell me why you want me dead?"Moulton responded, "I am a Christian," to which the sheriff fired back: "So am I."Moulton claimed Chitwood wasn't a Christian because: "In Corinthians, it says bondsmen are not Christian."Sheriff Chitwood escorted the suspect to a police cruiser and told him, "OK, we're going to take you where you need to. We’ll make sure the cell has rubber in it."Moulton is scheduled to appear in court on June 19, WFLA said.RELATED: Florida sheriff warns illegal aliens to self-deport in 3 words; DeSantis vows Florida will back Trump's immigration crackdownLike Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-sheriff-video-threatened

2025-05-29 13:52:14

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=60336052&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C60%2C0%2C60
After years of unceasing Democrat lawfare, the Trump administration is setting its sights on potentially illegal activity that occurred under the Biden administration — and there's a lot of it.Top officials within the Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue are in danger of being subpoenaed if they refuse to interviews with House committees investigating allegations that the platform accepted fraudulent and foreign donations during the 2024 presidential campaign."Democrats are just, I mean, they are really floundering," Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck says on "The Glenn Beck Program." "And maybe we're going to see some more justice here. ActBlue officials, they have been asked to come testify in front of Congress because Congress is doing a foreign donations probe."“Foreign donations, that would be like if Trump was being funded by the Russians. That’s a pretty big deal," Glenn continues. "Now, the ActBlue people are refusing to testify, and Congress is like, 'That's fine, we'll subpoena you.' So there might be some people going to jail there."And Glenn believes this is only the beginning.“I’m telling you, handcuffs are coming. Handcuffs are coming over the next couple of months. I think we’re going to see lots of handcuffs coming out. We’re going to see handcuffs on the people of COVID, the COVID fraud, the cover-up,” Glenn says.“It’s going to be the people that knew that there were really dangerous side effects and then tried to cover that up and keep that out of the press and keep people from knowing about those side effects,” he continues.“Those people, you’re going to see them in handcuffs, I think, very soon,” he adds.Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/glenn-beck-predicts-jail-time-is-coming-for-democrats-including-covid-liars

2025-05-28 22:32:34

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/still-the-same-male-who-stole-a-women-s-olympic-gold-medal-imane-khelif-returning-to-women-s-boxing-after-gender-dustup.png?id=60333715&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=74%2C0%2C75%2C0
Controversial boxer Imane Khelif will defend a 2024 Dutch boxing championship next month, returning to women's boxing for the first time since winning Olympic gold last summer in Paris.At the Olympics, one female opponent of Khelif's forfeited, and another made a provocative gesture after it was revealed that Khelif was a male competing in the women's category. The International Boxing Association, the World Boxing Organization, and endocrinological experts all independently determined that Khelif is a man.'Proud that Imane Khelif is there again to defend her title!'The latter research group also revealed that Khelif had the "absence of a uterus" and the presence of "gonads in inguinal canals," meaning testicles in the abdomen. Still, Khelif persisted with claims that he was being attacked due to simple hate and made vows to return to women's boxing. The athlete even dared President Donald Trump to try and bar him from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.RELATED: Imane Khelif dares Trump administration to stop him from defending gold medal at 2028 Olympics: 'I am not transgender' Imane Khelif's (left) opponent Angela Carini (right) hangs her head after forfeiting at the Olympics. Photo by Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty ImagesKhelif has since been announced as a participant in the eighth Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands, where he will defend his 2024 women's title. The organization announced the five-day boxing tournament on X and specifically celebrated Khelif's return. While the aforementioned X post was taken down, you can still view it here: "In 2 weeks the biggest boxing event in Europe in Eindhoven! Proud that Imane Khelif is there again to defend her title!"Results from 2024's competition showed that Khelif defeated female boxers almost as easily as he did at the Olympics. Over three bouts, the Algerian dropped just one point out of a possible 15 — meaning a judge voted for an opponent of Khelif's only once.At the Olympics, Khelif won all four bouts by unanimous decisions.The boxer's return garnered disdain from NCAA championship swimmer and activist Riley Gaines, who called Khelif, "Still the same male who stole a women's Olympic gold medal."RELATED: 'A lot of people say it's not happening!': A definitive list of men who have dominated women's sports Imane Khelif of Team Algeria celebrates winning the Olympic gold medal in Women's 66kg boxing. Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty ImagesKhelif, 26, last made public comments in March and was sticking to the idea that he always has been, and still is, a "girl.""I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one," the boxer claimed.The Eindhoven Box Cup runs from June 5 to June 10.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/imane-khelif-returns-dutch-boxing

2025-05-26 20:05:45

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=60312157&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0
As a freshman in high school, the last thing Elliston Berry expected was to see AI-generated nude deepfakes of herself floating around — but unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. "I woke up with messages from my friend notifying me that these images of me were going around,” Berry tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey on “Relatable.” “It was terrifying. We didn’t know what to do; I was embarrassed to tell my parents. It was really, really scary.” “Thankfully, the photo was an Instagram photo. So everyone that has followed my Instagram knows the original picture, and obviously, my mom keeps up with all my social media, so she recognizes the original photo and she was like, ‘I know this isn’t real,’” Berry explains. However, while Berry and her parents took action immediately, it didn’t undo the harm that all her classmates seeing the image caused her. “This was my innocence. This was a nude photo of me, and I was a freshman, I was 14 years old, and everyone had seen this of me, and I was terrified,” she says. Her mother was understandably equally disturbed. “I’m at that point looking at her picture, and then the nude picture, and I’m going, ‘This is child pornography,’ and ‘what is happening here.’ You know, her high school’s over 2,400 students, so I’m like this is going around,” Berry’s mother says. "Just the magnitude of that.” Her parents were quickly able to find the account that was distributing the photos, but they couldn’t determine who was behind the account. “The account that was sending these photos was texting people from my school saying awful things,” Berry explains, “and kind of bullying us and tormenting us and just overall wanting to ruin us.” “And he was sending these out to our entire school,” she continues. “It was terrible. No one knew what to do. People I wasn’t friends with were receiving these photos." The student behind the account then started sending threatening messages that he was doing this because he wanted to “ruin” these girls and “go out with a bang.” “So, then, in today’s world, I’m calling the school going, ‘This could be a threat to the entire population of our school. You need to do something about this,’” Berry’s mother explains. Then the school had a lockdown drill on a Friday — which terrified Berry even more. “The one good thing that happened out of it was that while they were on lockdown, this kid decided to go online to his account and on school Wi-Fi start posting pictures, more of the girls. So at that point, they were able to catch him,” Berry’s mother tells Stuckey. “If he hadn’t done that, I don’t know that we would have ever caught him,” she adds. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/this-was-my-innocence-15-year-old-exposes-ais-horrifying-threat-to-girls

2025-05-26 14:10:21

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=60320116&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C16%2C0%2C16
A 28-year-old Colorado native is in custody after allegedly threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump and attempting to firebomb the branch office of the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel. FBI agents arrested Joseph Neumeyer, a dual U.S. and German citizen, at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday after Israel returned him to the U.S. 'Death to Trump. Death to America.' "This despicable and violent behavior will not be tolerated at home or abroad, and the FBI, working with our partners, will bring him to face justice for his dangerous actions," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. The criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York indicated that Neumeyer made no secret online of his hatred for Trump and other members of his administration. For instance, on March 22, Neumeyer allegedly wrote in three separate messages, "We are killing Trump and Musk now"; "I will hunt you down and kill you both. White House"; and "Death to Trump." Two days later, Neumeyer allegedly wrote on Facebook, "To The United States Department of Justice[:] The former President has several hours to resign or certain death." RELATED: Chicago Marxist yells 'Free, free Palestine' after 'brutal terrorist attack' on Israeli staffers in DC Photo by Tom Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images In case there were any remaining doubts about the nature or target of his animus, the Colorado native allegedly wrote on March 31, "Death to Trump. Death to America." But the radical apparently was keen to do more than recycle extremist rhetoric online. FBI Special Agent Byron Cody noted in the affidavit that Neumeyer traveled to Toronto, Canada, in February, then departed for Israel in late April. The following month, Neumeyer allegedly noted on Facebook that he planned to "burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv," adding, "Death to America, death to Americans, and f**k the west." On at least one occasion, Neumeyer allegedly used the hashtag, "#martyrofisrael." According to the complaint, Neumeyer traveled to the embassy branch office on May 19 carrying a backpack containing three Molotov cocktails. As he approached the embassy office, he allegedly spat on a guard, then said, "F**k you" in English several times when confronted. 'Let his arrest carry an unmistakable message.' In the ensuing scuffle, the guard grabbed the backpack containing what Cody characterized as improvised incendiary devices; however, the suspect managed to flee the scene. Police recovered three bottles; at least one had a cloth protruding from its neck. They apparently contained ethanol. Law enforcement were able to track the suspect to a nearby hotel using surveillance video. When confronted, Neumeyer allegedly identified himself as the individual who spat at the guard and "stated, in sum and substance, that his backpack contained 'Molotov cocktail bottles,'" said the complaint. Neumeyer was subsequently arrested. RELATED: Anti-Israel social media users praise slaying of Israeli embassy staff in DC BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images The Department of Justice indicated that Neumeyer has been charged with attempting to destroy, by means of fire or explosive, the embassy branch office, and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 if convicted. Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi also noted that Neumeyer is charged with making threats to the president. "This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life," said Bondi. "The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law." FBI Assistant Director in Charge Jensen said in a statement, "Let his arrest carry an unmistakable message: The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue those who attempt to harm U.S. citizens and interests abroad." Patel noted on X, "He will now face justice." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/fbi-arrests-colorado-man-accused-of-trump-assassination-threats-us-embassy-firebombing-attempt

2025-05-26 12:07:37

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/john-j-pinder-jr-baseball-hero-who-chose-greater-sacrifice.jpg?id=52431318&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=220%2C0%2C18%2C0
This article originally appeared in Align on June 10, 2024. We repost it today in commemoration of Memorial Day. By March 1944, Army Tech. 5th Grade John J. Pinder Jr. had seen over a year of combat. With the 16th Infantry, he'd participated in the Allied landings at Algeria and fought in in the mountains of Sicily. Now he was in England, preparing for the planned invasion of Normandy. And yet it was his family's well-being, not his own, that concerned him. His younger brother Harold, a bomber pilot in the Army Air Corps, had been shot down over Europe that January. Having managed to get the details of his brother's disappearance, as well as his probable whereabouts in a German POW camp, Pinder wrote his father a nine-page letter sharing everything he knew. He concluded it by encouraging his father to hope for the best while implying that he would help him handle the worst. "You and I must go on trusting that 'the kid' is okay. As soon as I hear anything whatsoever, I'll let you know at once. You do the same for me. Remember there has never been anything but complete truth between all three of us boys." The boys (they also had a younger sister, Martha) grew up in McKee's Landing, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. John played sandlot baseball and soon developed a fearsome reputation on the mound; his curveball was especially deadly. He bounced around the minors for a few years, where he impressed fans and teammates with his determination, work ethic, and talent. They seemed to herald a great big-league career. These dreams were put on hold when Pinder entered the Army in January 1942. On the morning of June 6, 1944, Pinder and the 16th Infantry were the first to storm Omaha beach. Shrapnel from an artillery shell ripped through their transport when it was still 100 yards off shore, killing some men instantly and leaving the rest to wade through waist-deep water while being strafed with machine gun fire. For Pinder, the going was particularly tough. He carried the radio equipment necessary to establish communication between the Navy gunners and the men on the beach — bulky gear that weighed some 80 pounds. As Pinder made his way to shore, bullets ripped through the left side of his face; he held his cheek together and kept moving forward. Twice he ran back into the surf to gather more crucial equipment; on the second trip, machine gun fire ripped through his side, but he somehow kept going. He was helping set up the equipment when he passed out from blood loss. He died hours later; it was his 32nd birthday. His brother Harold learned of the death while still in the German prison camp. When the war ended, he was released and went home, living until 2008. Pinder was one of 12 soldiers to receive the Medal of Honor for valor on D-Day; all but four received the award posthumously. Pinder's father accepted the award on his son's behalf on January 26, 1945.
https://www.theblaze.com/align/john-j-pinder-jr-baseball-hero-who-chose-greater-sacrifice

2025-05-25 21:11:49

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=60314910&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0
On May 21, two Israeli Embassy diplomats, Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, a soon-to-be-engaged couple, were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., as they were leaving a Young Diplomats Reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee, where they were ironically discussing how to send more aid to Gaza. The suspect, 31-year-old Chicago native Elias Rodriguez, allegedly paced outside the museum, approached a group of four, and opened fire with a handgun, killing both Lischinsky and Milgrim. According to reports, he shouted, “Free, free Palestine” and “I did it for Gaza.” Rodriguez has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI and D.C. police are investigating the shooting as a hate crime and act of terrorism. “Let me just paint the scene for you,” says Glenn Beck. “He comes out, and he has an H&K 9mm pistol. He shoots it 21 times at these two — 21 times! That's rage. He then reloads as Milgrim, the girl, is trying to crawl away. … He reloads and shoots her more.” Should we be shocked by this heinous act of terrorism? As more and more disturbing information about Rodriguez's background comes to light, the answer to that question is no — this isn’t shocking at all. Rodriguez “has ties to a radical left-wing group — Party for Socialism and Liberation” — an American communist political party that identifies as Marxist-Leninist and advocates for a socialist revolution to overthrow capitalism. Further, “law enforcement sources have told the New York Post that he was a regular fixture at protests for causes, including the 2014 police shooting of teen Laquan McDonald, Black Lives Matter, and more. He has recently been at all the rallies opposing the war in Gaza,” says Glenn. Rodriguez’s GoFundMe page, which he started in 2017, aimed to raise money so he could attend “the People's Congress of Resistance, which was a leftist gathering in Washington D.C. that rallied under the slogan 'stand against imperialism, down with the warfare state.”’ “In other words, destroy America,” translates Glenn. The page also featured a testimonial about how, at age 11, his father’s Iraq War deployment and return with war souvenirs, including an Iraqi flag patch and a magazine pouch, sparked his opposition to U.S. military actions, shaping his radical worldview. When the FBI stormed Rodriguez’s house, they found a variety of signs, including one that read “Justice for Wadea,” which refers to Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy killed in a 2023 hate crime in Illinois, as well as a Hello Kitty sign. Rodriguez had an active online presence, too. He posted messages praising Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and phrases like “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” After Trump’s election win, he posted, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Hamas.” In December of 2024, he posted, “Violence does not have to happen but if it does then it should." “Stupidity doesn't have to happen, but when it does, it should,” mocks Glenn. To hear more about Rodriguez’s shady background, watch the episode above. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/dc-jewish-museum-shooters-marxist-anti-american-past-exposed

2025-05-23 19:11:55

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/florida-woman-allegedly-attacks-72-year-old-trump-supporter-wearing-maga-hat-batters-cop.jpg?id=60311223&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C8%2C0%2C8
A Florida woman attacked a Trump supporter wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, according to police. The woman also allegedly physically assaulted a police officer in the incident that occurred in a suburb of Tampa, Florida. Laura Elizabeth Garrett, 33, was arrested by officers of the Largo Police Department on Tuesday night. Garrett was charged with battery on a person 65 years of age or older, battery on a police officer, and obstructing or resisting an officer without violence, according to Pinellas County Jail records.'Police claimed that Garrett continued to be combative during her arrest, and she kicked and pulled away from officers.'Garrett was released from jail on Wednesday evening. Citing the arrest affidavit, WTVT reported that Garrett got into an argument with an elderly man wearing a MAGA hat around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at a public park in Largo, Florida. Garrett admitted to police that she had confronted the 72-year-old man because she wanted to question him about why he would support President Donald Trump, according to the arrest report cited by the television station. RELATED: Trump supporter assaulted at grocery store for wearing 'Trump 2024' hat: Police SDI Productions via iStock / Getty ImagesThe argument escalated, and the blue-haired woman reportedly dumped the liquid contents of a can on his head. The alleged victim told investigators that Garrett hit him on the back of the head and shoulder area with the can, according to the arrest affidavit. The arrest affidavit, obtained by the Smoking Gun, stated that Garrett "did actually and intentionally touch or strike" the alleged victim. "This incident was witnessed by an independent witness, who later provided a sworn statement," the arrest affidavit stated, according to Newsweek. Garrett reportedly jumped over a fence and walked away from the alleged crime scene. RELATED: White Kamala supporter, 82, arrested for hate crime after she assaulted 2 'brown-skinned' female Trump supporters: Police P_Wei via iStock / Getty Images Officers with the Largo Police Department later tracked Garrett down.Police said Garrett was confrontational when officers attempted to arrest her. According to the arrest affidavit, Garrett intentionally fell to the ground after she was handcuffed by police. As an officer was moving the suspect toward police transportation, she allegedly used her legs to trip the officer. According to Fox News, this caused the officer to suffer bruising of his knees.Garrett allegedly admitted to pouring a liquid on the Trump supporter but purportedly denied hitting the alleged victim with the can, Newsweek further reported.The Largo Police Department stated that the case has been referred to the State Attorney's Office for prosecution.RELATED: Florida man accused of stabbing pro-Trump friend to death with trowel found not guilty of murderLike Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-woman-attacks-trump-supporter-maga-hat

2025-05-21 14:22:55

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/rubio-hammers-van-hollen-over-his-ms-13-margarita-date-emphasizes-judicial-limits.jpg?id=60286366&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified Tuesday before his former colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding the State Department's fiscal year 2026 budget request. Democratic senators seized upon the opportunity to attack Rubio and the Trump administration, characterizing the government's foreign policy as regressive, oppressive, and isolationist. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), in particular, complained about the house-cleaning executed at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the cancellation of radical foreigners' student visas, the deportation of criminal noncitizens, and the admission of white refugees from South Africa. Rubio coolly dismantled Democrats' critiques and drove home the message that mature foreign policy "requires a balancing of interests"; that the U.S. is not withdrawing from the world but engaging in a way that "makes America stronger, safer, and more prosperous"; and that he does not answer to meddlesome federal judges when it comes to foreign policy engagements abroad. Van Hollen, fresh off trying to bring a Salvadoran MS-13 affiliate accused of domestic abuse and human trafficking back into the U.S., told Rubio, "Like the McCarthy-era witch hunts of the 1950s, your campaign of fear and repression is eating away at foundational values of our democracy." RELATED: Liberals rage after Trump welcomes white refugees to US: 'Farce and a sham' Newly arrived South Africans wait to hear welcome statements from U.S. government officials near Washington Dulles International Airport. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images "I have to tell you directly and personally," continued Van Hollen, "that I regret voting for you for secretary of state." Rubio immediately made Van Hollen regret his closing statement, replying, "First of all, your regret for voting for me confirms I'm doing a good job." The secretary of state then explained why the Democrat was off the mark about the changes at USAID — Van Hollen suggested cuts at the agency have already led to deaths in Sudan — and other actions taken by the administration in recent months. "I'm very proud of the work we've done over at the USAID," said Rubio. "For example, I don't regret cutting $10 million for male circumcisions in Mozambique. I don't know how that makes us stronger or more prosperous as a nation." 'The evidence is going to be clear in the days to come.' "I could go on and on," continued Rubio, running down a list of other wasteful USAID grants and programs eliminated under his leadership. Rubio then addressed a matter near and dear to Van Hollen's heart: the deportation of suspected terrorist gang members to El Salvador. RELATED: Dems' favorite MS-13 associate ran human trafficking operations, says ex-boss Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images "We deported gang members, gang members — including the one you had a margarita with," said Rubio. "And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger, and ... the evidence is going to be clear in the days to come." 'The judicial branch cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy.' Rubio was referring to MS-13 associate Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national the Trump administration deported on March 15. Van Hollen is chief among the Democrats who have tried to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States despite his initial illegal entry into the homeland, his failure to appear for hearings on traffic violations, the domestic abuse allegations lodged against him, his links to a terrorist gang, his identification by two immigration courts as a danger to the community, and his alleged history of human trafficking. Last month, Van Hollen met with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador and shared an intimate moment over drinks. — (@) Van Hollen, enraged by the margarita comment, tried to interject, but Committee Chairman James Risch (R-Idaho) cleared Rubio to continue setting the Democrat straight, this time about the separation of powers. "The judicial branch cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy. No judge can tell me how I have to outreach to a foreign partner or what I need to say to them. And if I do reach to that foreign partner and talk to them, I am under no obligation to share that with the judiciary branch," said Rubio. "Just like a judge cannot order me to negotiate with a foreign minister of Russia, they cannot order me to negotiate with a foreign minister or the president of El Salvador." 'If you're coming here to stir up trouble on our campuses, we will deny you a visa.' Rubio's issue with the judiciary is not hypothetical. An Obama judge ordered the Trump administration on April 4 to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States. "If I started sharing with courts or the media my conversations with foreign leaders and all of their details, no foreign leader would talk to me again, and we would break trust with them," added Rubio. "Diplomacy doesn't work that way." The secretary of state also addressed Van Hollen's concerns about terminating radical foreigners' student visas, stressing that visas are a privilege, not a right, and that "if you're coming here to stir up trouble on our campuses, we will deny you a visa. And if you have a visa, I'm going to find you, and I'm going to revoke it." Blaze News reached out to the State Department for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! -
https://www.theblaze.com/news/rubio-hammers-van-hollen-over-his-ms-13-margarita-date-emphasizes-judicial-limits

2025-05-21 13:53:35

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=60282835&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
In a viral video, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) decided to clap back at critics who accuse him of only hiring black people by claiming that black people are “the most generous people on the planet.” “Some detractors that will push back on me and say, ‘You know the only thing that the mayor talks about is the hiring of black people.’ No, what I’m saying is when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet,” Johnson said in an interview. “So business and economic neighborhood development, the mayor is a black woman. Department of planning development is a black woman. Infrastructure deputy mayor is a black woman. Chief operations officer is a black man. Budget director is a black woman. Senior adviser is a black man,” he continued. BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock of “Jason Whitlock Harmony” is not only unimpressed with Johnson’s statements, but worries this will only make things worse for black people. “This kind of conversation and talk, very problematic, and sets the stage for white bigots, white nationalists, to get into office, to get into positions of power,” Whitlock says. BlazeTV contributor Delano Squires is “not surprised.” “This is Brandon Johnson’s MO. He makes Lori Lightfoot look like a fairly reasonable public executive, because if there ever was a person who personified racial idolatry, I think it’s Brandon Johnson,” Squires tells Whitlock and BlazeTV contributor Shemeka Michelle. “It seems to be the main thing that he likes to talk about, so I’m not surprised that he did this,” Squires continues, adding, “It’s not good coming from a public executive, and it’s the type of thing that casts doubt on the competency of the people that he hires.” Squires also notes that in the interview, Johnson didn’t name any of his hires. Rather, he simply described them by the color of their skin. “Which, again, goes to show you the depth of his thinking. But it’s the type of thing that’ll call into question their qualifications, because people will say, ‘Oh, all Mayor Johnson wants is somebody who has the right skin color,'” he explains. “This is not the way you lead a city, and it’s not the way you lead a city in 21st-century America. This reminds me of how, maybe, you know, the old Irish or Italian politicians might have talked in the turn of the century when this sort of racial patronage was much more common,” he continues. “This is the type of thing that can lead to a serious sort of backlash that I don’t think is good for anyone,” he adds. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/fearless-with-jason-whitlock/chicago-mayor-claims-black-people-are-the-most-generous-people-on-the-planet

2025-05-21 13:50:52

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=60282835&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
In a viral video, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) decided to clap back at critics who accuse him of only hiring black people by claiming that black people are “the most generous people on the planet.” “Some detractors that will push back on me and say, ‘You know the only thing that the mayor talks about is the hiring of black people.’ No, what I’m saying is when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet,” Johnson said in an interview. “So business and economic neighborhood development, the mayor is a black woman. Department of planning development is a black woman. Infrastructure deputy mayor is a black woman. Chief operations officer is a black man. Budget director is a black woman. Senior adviser is a black man,” he continued. BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock of “Jason Whitlock Harmony” is not only unimpressed with Johnson’s statements, but worries this will only make things worse for black people. “This kind of conversation and talk, very problematic, and sets the stage for white bigots, white nationalists, to get into office, to get into positions of power,” Whitlock says. BlazeTV contributor Delano Squires is “not surprised.” “This is Brandon Johnson’s MO. He makes Lori Lightfoot look like a fairly reasonable public executive, because if there ever was a person who personified racial idolatry, I think it’s Brandon Johnson,” Squires tells Whitlock and BlazeTV contributor Shemeka Michelle. “It seems to be the main thing that he likes to talk about, so I’m not surprised that he did this,” Squires continues, adding, “It’s not good coming from a public executive, and it’s the type of thing that casts doubt on the competency of the people that he hires.” Squires also notes that in the interview, Johnson didn’t name any of his hires. Rather, he simply described them by the color of their skin. “Which, again, goes to show you the depth of his thinking. But it’s the type of thing that’ll call into question their qualifications, because people will say, ‘Oh, all Mayor Johnson wants is somebody who has the right skin color,'” he explains. “This is not the way you lead a city, and it’s not the way you lead a city in 21st-century America. This reminds me of how, maybe, you know, the old Irish or Italian politicians might have talked in the turn of the century when this sort of racial patronage was much more common,” he continues. “This is the type of thing that can lead to a serious sort of backlash that I don’t think is good for anyone,” he adds. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/fearless-with-jason-whitlock/chicago-mayor-claims-black-people-are-the-most-generous-people-on-the-planet

2025-05-14 14:50:30

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/george-clooney-helped-cover-up-biden-s-decline-all-while-biden-didn-t-even-recognize-him-book.png?id=60210372&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0
George Clooney was shocked when President Joe Biden did not recognize him at a 2024 fundraiser despite Clooney being one of the hosts of the event.A June 15, 2024, star-studded fundraiser hosted by Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Barack Obama pulled in a whopping $28 million for the Biden campaign. Fans took pictures with the celebrities while late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was set to host Obama and President Biden on stage for a Q and A.However, just a few weeks later, Clooney did a complete 180 turn and wrote an op-ed in the New York Times calling for the president to step down. In his piece titled "I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee," the actor said the Biden he saw at the fundraiser was not the "Biden of 2010. He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020."Clooney added that he and others held their tongue about Biden's obvious decline because they were "all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term."RELATED: Pretend newsman Clooney's message to America: Trust journalists!A new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson purportedly revealed the details of Biden and Clooney's interaction that caused the actor to do an about-face on the president's re-election campaign. George Clooney shakes President Joe Biden's hand after receiving a lifetime artistic achievement award in 2022. Photographer: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images'It was like watching someone who was not alive.'According to an excerpt from the book provided to the New Yorker, Biden hobbled into the fundraising event after flying in from the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, that morning.The president allegedly appeared severely diminished as if he'd aged a decade since last seeing Clooney at the White House in 2022, when the actor received recognition from the John F. Kennedy Center. Biden was reportedly taking tiny steps and was seemingly guided by an aide."It was like watching someone who was not alive," an unnamed source claimed. "It was startling. And we all looked at each other. It was so awful."Biden began to pass Clooney and said, "Thank you for being here.""Hi, Mr. President," Clooney reportedly replied in greeting."How are ya?" Biden replied.Clooney apparently then asked the president how his trip had gone, but it seemed clear by Biden's generic "it was fine" reaction that he did not recognize Clooney, one of the hosts of his own fundraiser who he had met many times before.The inside source described Clooney as being shaken to his core, although he was not the only person who noticed the president's declined cognitive function. Biden reportedly had obvious brain freezes at the event and what were referred to as clear signs of a mental slide.RELATED: George Clooney laments sale of 'mom-and-pop' shop ParamountJohn F. Trent, editor for Fandom Pulse, said the new Biden revelations seemed to be a way for those who were running cover for the president's decline to give penance."Anyone who had eyes to see could tell Joe Biden's mental capabilities had completely declined," Trent told Blaze News.In fact, Tapper and Clooney both congratulated each other for their work on the topic. In an interview on CNN, after Clooney praised the bravery of journalists for "setting a standard," the anchor told Clooney he felt the actor's op-ed asking Biden to step down was "brave.""I don't know if it was brave," Clooney replied. "It was a civic duty. ... The specific idea of [freedom of speech] is, you can't demand freedom of speech then say, 'You can't say bad things about me.'"The 64-year-old concluded, "That's the deal. You have to take a stand if you believe in it."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/joe-biden-george-clooney-forgetfulness

2025-05-13 17:07:43

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=60203838&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0
An alarming development from the depths of the media swamp has been brought to light by UnHerd’s Emily Jashinsky, who dropped a bombshell this week: Leaked documents expose Punchbowl News for offering corporations “editorial influence” — for the right price. Jashinsky posted a brief overview of the expose on X, writing: “Breaking Points got ahold of a leaked pitch deck from Punchbowl News. The document reveals how they allow corporations to buy influence over editorial decisions.” “WH told us several subscriptions were canceled by the Trump admin as well. We also have their numbers: They’ve charged corporate sponsors $210,000 for a week of email ads. You can see the pricing sheet, with subscriber numbers and open rates below,” Jashinsky continued. Christopher Bedford, Blaze Media’s D.C. correspondent and senior editor for politics, isn’t surprised in the slightest. “It’s the new journalism, same as the old journalism,” Bedford tells Matthew Peterson and Jill Savage on “Blaze News Tonight.” “Punchbowl are essentially unregistered lobbyists,” he continues. “If Punchbowl was good at its job, then corporations wouldn’t actually need to hire lobbyists, they would be able to read that newsletter, maybe pay a premium.” “What they often do, they push these different issues, advocacy things, they push their agenda, they spread Capitol Hill gossip, which is, you know, fun, but not necessarily that helpful, and they create all these false cliffs and these false deadlines,” he adds. But that’s not all. “Their reporting has been suffering,” Bedford explains. “Pedaling influence, selling influence, it’s kind of the game. And for so much of Washington, it’s really disgusting.” Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/blaze-news-tonight/washington-dc

2025-05-05 22:10:23

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/trump-bans-funding-for-controversial-gain-of-function-research.jpg?id=60140719&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=1%2C0%2C2%2C0
President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning gain-of-function research on pandemic pathogens that many believe was the true source of the coronavirus pandemic. The research typically involves modification of existing viruses in order to make them more infectious and studying the outcomes in order to prevent and treat possible pandemics. 'Researchers have not acknowledged the legitimate potential for societal harms that this kind of research poses.' After the global pandemic, many theorized that the source of the virus was a laboratory leak involving gain-of-function research, possibly at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The theory was initially ridiculed as a racist conspiracy theory by many, but has since been corroborated by more evidence. The administration said the order would "drastically reduce" lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research "like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology."Trump's order ends federal funding for the research in countries like China, Iran, and others without sufficient oversight. It also orders U.S. agencies to identify such research that might imperil public safety and end federal funding for any programs. "For decades, policies overseeing gain-of-function research on pathogens, toxins, and potential pathogens have lacked adequate enforcement, transparency, and top-down oversight," read a fact sheet from the administration. "Researchers have not acknowledged the legitimate potential for societal harms that this kind of research poses." Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was among the most prominent critics of the lab-leak theory and defended the use of gain-of-function research. "President Trump has long theorized that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and has consistently pushed for transparency in investigating its origins," said the statement from the administration. The Obama, Biden, and first Trump administrations all previously implemented policies pausing or limiting gain-of-function research. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-bans-gain-function-research

2025-05-05 22:07:38

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/ex-teacher-nervously-laughs-off-claims-of-sexually-abusing-student-in-parking-lots-during-secretly-recorded-phone-call-cops.png?id=60140387&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=62%2C0%2C63%2C0
A former teacher in Wisconsin is facing serious accusations of having an illicit sexual relationship with an underage student that allegedly happened several years ago, according to court documents. Rebecca Ryan, 43, was arrested on April 29 and charged with three counts of sexual assault by school staff, according to the Post-Crescent. Each charge reportedly carries a maximum prison sentence of three years and three years of extended supervision. Sgt. Schnese of the Appleton Police Department questioned Ryan and noted that 'she was breathing with shallow breaths' during the interrogation. Ryan is barred from having contact with the alleged victim or having any unsupervised contact with any children under the age of 18 that is not related to her. Ryan is currently being detained at the Outagamie County Jail on $50,000 bond, according to jail records. According to the criminal complaint obtained by WLUK-TV, the former student — who is now 25 years old — informed police in March that he was an alleged victim of child sex abuse by a former teacher when he was a 17-year-old student at Appleton West High School.The alleged victim said the sexual encounters occurred during the first semester of his senior year, between September 2017 and January 2018.The alleged victim claimed that it was Ryan who sexually abused him.The former student told detectives that the first time he had a sexual encounter with the teacher was in a vehicle in the overflow parking lot of Appleton West High School, according to the criminal complaint. The alleged victim also claimed that he and the teacher had sex on two other occasions inside a vehicle at two different parking lots, and the last sexual encounter happened before he turned 18 years old. Officers with the Appleton Police Department reportedly had the alleged victim call Ryan while police recorded the phone call. When the former student asked Ryan if she was still teaching, she allegedly replied that she is no longer a teacher and is now a nanny. The alleged victim reportedly asked Ryan if she would be willing to talk about their time together in high school. She reportedly responded, "I mean, I guess. It depends on what. I don't know. Ugh. I can talk to you about general."According to the affidavit, the alleged victim elaborated, "Like us having sex and stuff." Ryan reportedly replied with a nervous laugh and said, "No." She allegedly told the former student to "hold on a second," and he remained on the line for about three minutes without any response from Ryan, so he hung up on the call. The alleged victim purportedly called Ryan back, but the call was sent to her voicemail. Sgt. Schnese of the Appleton Police Department questioned Ryan and noted that "she was breathing with shallow breaths" during the interrogation. He wrote in the affidavit, "Shortly thereafter, Rebecca placed her head in her hands and said, 'I did not sleep with [VICTIM 1].'"The Appleton School District noted that Ryan had been employed by the district from August 29, 2016, through Feb. 9, 2018. The school district added, "During her time with the district, there were no reports or allegations involving inappropriate contact with students. We are committed to partnering with the Appleton Police Department as needed to support any ongoing investigations."Ryan is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 6.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/ex-teacher-nervously-laughs-off-claims-of-sexually-abusing-student-in-parking-lots-during-secretly-recorded-phone-call-cops

2025-05-05 19:07:32

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/whoopi-turns-election-denier-in-unhinged-view-whoop-de-do.jpg?id=60130526&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0
Amber Ruffin is the perfect political comic for our age. That’s not a compliment.The former late-night host (does anyone remember her Peacock show?) is now the new voice of the resistance alongside Colbert and co.Lucas wasn’t shoe-horning progressive platitudes into his movie or lecturing audiences on Jedi privilege. He cared about the franchise first and foremost. Ruffin gained attention after she was hired and later fired from being the comic host of last month’s White House Correspondents’ Association D.C. gala. The not-so-august body realized Ruffin’s hard-left shtick wouldn’t mesh with its laughable attempt to play the “we don’t choose sides, y’all” card.Ruffin has never been THAT funny.Now, she’s riding that cancellation wave to accidentally remind us the WHCA got it right the second time. She’s too unhinged even for late-night TV (but not “The View”).First, she promoted the “very fine people” hoax to smite President Donald Trump, as if everyone with a functioning brain didn’t know it’s been repeatedly debunked, even by the liberal Snopes.Now, she’s warning us on, where else, “The View” that President Trump will keep “disappearing” people who cross him. She also suggested Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will start abducting autistic children.Even “The View” producers must have blinked hard on that twofer. Here’s betting the show’s legal team brewed a few extra pots of joe that day ...'Sith' happens“Star Wars” fans once hated franchise creator George Lucas so much they made a movie about it. The 2010 documentary “The People vs. George Lucas” let fans take Lucas to the nerd woodshed. They roasted the filmmaker for replacing the original film trilogy with an “updated” version that messed with core parts of the saga.Google “Han shot first” to get the gist of the debate. The trio of underwhelming prequels Lucas delivered added fuel to the fire.Now? Well, after a decade of Disney-produced “Star Wars” content, some, if not all, is forgiven. The 20th anniversary rerelease of “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” (written and directed by Lucas) made a shocking $25 million last weekend. That’s more than many new films earn in their opening frames.Why? “Sith” was better than we remember, for starters. Plus, “woke” wasn’t even a thing back in 2005. Lucas wasn’t shoe-horning progressive platitudes into his movie or lecturing audiences on Jedi privilege. He cared about the franchise first and foremost. That’s all. Now, that’s more than enough.Maybe, the one sequel we need is “The People vs. George Lucas 2: The Apology” ...Off-keyNeil Young can’t stop embarrassing himself.It’s bad enough that the former free speech warrior tried to get Joe Rogan canceled for sharing the “wrong” pandemic views on his Spotify platform. It got worse when Young ripped his music off the platform in protest and, later, quietly put it back in.Now, Young is barking at Elon Musk’s EV company Tesla via song, and both the lyrics and the message couldn’t be more muddled.“Come on Ford, come on GM / Come on Chrysler, let’s roll again ... China’s way ahead, they’re making clean cars,” Young sang at a recent concert. Guess he hasn’t heard about China’s affinity for not-so-clean coal plants.Need more lyrics?“If you’re a Democrat, taste your freedom / Get whatever you want, taste your freedom.”Oh, and the song calls Telsa owners “fascists.”We’ve lost David Crosby, sadly, but can’t the surviving members of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young stage an intervention?Whoopi's whoopsieAnother day, another unhinged conspiracy on “The View.”This time, Whoopi Goldberg got the ball rolling by suggesting President Donald Trump fixed the 2024 presidential election. Quick! Get Robert Mueller on line one! The walls are closing in!I want to remind people that [Trump] took credit for Biden’s economy — BOOMING economy, claiming investors knew he was going to win. I think he should stop saying that because you’re going to make somebody investigate how investigators would know you were going to win. I'm just putting that out there. You know.Hey, she’s just asking questions. And since it’s “The View,” the questions remain nuclear-grade dumb.
https://www.theblaze.com/align/whoopi-turns-election-denier-in-unhinged-view-whoop-de-do

2025-05-05 19:07:32

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/former-gop-governor-and-trump-ally-to-challenge-vulnerable-house-democrat.jpg?id=60138919&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=145%2C77%2C99%2C375
Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage of Maine announced his campaign Monday to unseat Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, making him the first big GOP challenger to enter the 2026 race. LePage served as governor from 2011 to 2019 and attempted to run for a third term in 2022 until he lost against Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. Now, LePage has set his sights on Golden, who narrowly won re-election in 2024."The entrenched interests are fighting President Trump at every turn as he works to fix problems," LePage said in a statement Monday. "We need more straight talk to help take back Washington."'I am running to serve the people of Maine and help the President fix Washington. We’ve had too many years of Washington, DC trying to control the people.'Golden is one of a handful of Democrats who were re-elected to represent a red district. In 2024, President Donald Trump won Golden's district by over six points, opening up a potential pickup opportunity for Republicans.Golden himself flipped the seat in 2018 and has narrowly held onto it since, often bucking his own party for the sake of political preservation. Notably, Maine uses a ranked-choice voting system, which relies on the voters to rank candidates based on preference. If a candidate fails to secure a simple majority, the least popular candidate is eliminated, and the voters who ranked him or her as their first choice then have their votes distributed to their second-choice candidate. "I do not need a job, I am running to protect our Maine jobs," LePage said. "I am running to serve the people of Maine and help the President fix Washington. We’ve had too many years of Washington, DC trying to control the people. It is time to put the people before politics."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/former-gop-governor-and-trump-ally-to-challenge-vulnerable-house-democrat

2025-05-04 01:01:15

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https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/john-waynes-epic-freedom-train-could-save-americas-250th-birthday.jpg?id=60058539&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C49%2C0%2C50
Many Americans of Generation X and older will recall the red, white, and blue American Freedom Train that was a centerpiece of America’s glorious bicentennial celebration in 1976. But few know that the Freedom Train — pulled by a steam locomotive and filled with American historical artifacts — was the brainchild of none other than John Wayne. As we fast approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, it’s time to get Wayne’s American Freedom Train back on the tracks as part of the quarter-millennium celebration. Ross Rowland, who spearheaded the American Freedom Train effort as a young man, recently told me how Wayne came to have the idea. Rowland had run away from home in the 1950s and fortuitously ended up working as a groundskeeper for Wayne. The Duke befriended Rowland and eventually convinced him to return home. Rowland, whose father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been railroad men, had success on Wall Street and then commemorated the centennial of the 1869 “golden spike” — the completion of the transcontinental railroad — by having a steam train travel from New York City to Salt Lake City. There’s still a chance to make the quarter-millennium anniversary a spectacular, unifying event like the bicentennial was a half-century ago. Wayne joined Rowland for the final leg of that journey (and arranged to have “True Grit” premiere in Salt Lake City the night before). As they rode in an open-air train car, observing the large crowds as they passed, Rowland says Wayne told him something to the effect of, “You know, Ross, we’ve got America’s 200th birthday coming up. We should do this for that.” And they did. Rowland handled most of the planning and execution, Wayne got support from Bing Crosby and others in Hollywood, and President Richard Nixon agreed to let the train carry artifacts usually housed at the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and National Archives. The American Freedom Train was a tremendous success. During the bicentennial period, it traveled to all 48 contiguous states, stopped 138 times, and had an average of more than 50,000 visitors board at each stop. Riding along a moving walkway, visitors saw such artifacts as Paul Revere’s saddlebags, President George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, the actual Louisiana Purchase document, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat, Babe Ruth’s bat, John F. Kennedy’s handwritten copy of his inaugural address, and other artifacts, enough to fill 12 display cars. The American Freedom Train, perhaps more than anything else, tied the national and local bicentennial celebrations together. John Warner, who headed up the congressionally created American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, said the train was “the most visible” of the bicentennial offerings and was able to “sew together” various festivities. President Ford said it “brought the story of America to the people.” During the recent period of peak wokeness — from around 2020 to 2024 — it looked like the nation’s 250th anniversary risked becoming more of a condemnation than a celebration of American history. President Donald Trump’s defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris largely ensured that the occasion would be a celebration. Yet there is a very real danger that this milestone anniversary — perhaps the best chance in 50 years to reset how Americans view our nation’s founding — might barely register with the public, making it a massive lost opportunity. Planning for the quarter-millennium is woefully far behind where planning was at this stage for the bicentennial. The official planning entity, created by Congress during the Obama administration, is useless and focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. President Trump wisely created Task Force 250 to fill this void, but it faces a severe shortage of time. Fortunately, the American Freedom Train could hit the tracks in the first half of 2026. Rob Gardner, president of the American Steam Railroad, told me the “sister engine” of a locomotive that pulled the train during the bicentennial is being restored and will be ready for action. All that’s really needed is for President Trump to authorize the use of federal artifacts at the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and National Archives, consistent with his recent executive order telling the Smithsonian to stop denigrating America and instead “remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage.” Everything else would quickly fall into place. There’s still a chance to make the quarter-millennium anniversary a spectacular and unifying event like the bicentennial was a half-century ago. Reprising the American Freedom Train is a big part of that. Let’s bring back John Wayne’s rolling tribute to America’s finest. Editor’s note: This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/john-waynes-epic-freedom-train-could-save-americas-250th-birthday

2025-05-04 01:01:15

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/grass-fed-steaks-unprocessed-salt-and-more-chemical-free-picks-from-the-solarium.jpg?id=60068487&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=74%2C0%2C74%2C0
Note: The product recommendations that Align publishes are meant solely to inform and edify our subscribers; unless explicitly labeled as such, they are neither paid promotions or endorsements. Strolling the grocery store today can be like entering a mental war zone — especially when I have to step outside the fresh produce periphery and into the processed food interior. There, reading ominously extensive ingredient labels often finds me leaving without the item I wanted. I'm not a nutritionist or "health expert." I'm a filmmaker and a mother simply trying to make sensible, healthy purchases in a culture that seems determined to dose us with chemicals at every turn. And yet sometimes I wonder if I'm on the verge of becoming Julianne Moore's character in "Safe." You have to be very, very strong and diligent to stay the course, for yourself and your family. But it pays off. To make it easier, I created the Solarium, which curates trusted, third-party-tested foods, clothing, beauty products, and more — all free of seed oils, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, plastics, fluoride, retardants, endocrine disruptors, synthetic fragrances, artificial coloring, alcohols, carcinogens, and other harmful additives. Here are some of the products we've been enjoying lately. Organic dried mango from Magone's One of my greatest food pleasures is dried mango. The ones from Mangone's are still juicy and bursting with taste. Highly recommended. Take 12% off with promo code TheSolarium. Pungao Vital Nectar Pungao is an all-natural, honey-based energy enhancer and supplement. Not just for athletes, the ingredients in Pungao help nourish and energize your body with clean sugars, hydrating salt, and stimulating cinnamon and guarana. Take 10% off with promo code TheSolarium. Sport Drink An electrolyte-rich powder made with organic fruits, real sugar, and zero food dyes or chemicals. As simple and effective as its name, Sport Drink aims to provide a trusted hydration alternative to the neon-colored, chemical-laden mainstream brands. Take 10% off with promo code TheSolarium. Kindred Harvest teas Organic, whole-leaf tea without micro-plastics, glue, or heavy metals; blended, tested, and packed in the USA. Comes in black, green, hibiscus, and more. Raw Royal Jelly Bees are magical creatures: In addition to honey, they give us royal jelly, which encourages muscle and bone growth, boosts stamina, libido, and fertility, and helps prevent cancer. Take 10% off with promo code TheSolarium. Masa Chips Masa Chips use 3 simple ingredients: organic corn, 100% grass-fed beef tallow, and sea salt. So simple yet so hard to find chips made without seed oils, pesticides, or preservatives. Jake Steaks Grass-fed and -finished beef direct from the farmers to your front door. The cows are raised and finished on a variety of native grass. They are entirely pasture fed — zero corn or grain. Let Jake know the Solarium sent you. Honey from Busy Bee Candle Co. Busy Bee's "use the whole animal" mentality means it doesn't stop at clean, purifying beeswax candles; it also sells raw, untreated wildflower honey. Just as beeswax makes the perfect candles, honey is the perfect sugar — packed with incredible health benefits. Take 15% off with promo code TheSolarium. Greco Gum If you are going to chew gum, chew a natural, plastic-free gum that simultaneously builds your jaw muscles, assists digestion, and potentially prevents oral cancer. 100% crystallized resin, made by nature in Chios, Greece. First-time customers take 10% off with promo code TheSolarium. Vera Salt Hand-harvested, natural spring salt from Spain. Not processed or bleached, leaving its mineral content — potassium, magnesium, and calcium — intact. Oliva Dorado Olives farmed, harvested, cold-pressed, and bottled on-site at a single estate in northern Spain to create a 100% authentic extra virgin olive oil. No synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizer ever used. Kraut Krackers A nutrient-packed cracker made from wild-fermented sauerkraut, dehydrated at low temperature. All from four simple ingredients: organic purple cabbage, organic red beet, organic golden flax seeds, and pink Himalayan salt. Made in the USA.
https://www.theblaze.com/align/grass-fed-steaks-unprocessed-salt-and-more-chemical-free-picks-from-the-solarium

2025-05-03 16:00:10

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https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/inflation-is-a-fed-failure-not-a-trump-tariff-consequence.jpg?id=60071302&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs would likely lead to higher rates of inflation. He made this claim on April 16 before an audience at the Economic Club of Chicago. This somewhat gratuitous statement must be examined in light of sound economic theory: Do tariffs actually cause inflation or not? Classic economics defines three primary sources of government funding: taxation, debt, and inflation. To tax is to levy fees on income, sales, property, and other activities to raise revenue for expenditures. Second, borrowing enables governments to finance operations through future tax revenues. Lastly, expansionary monetary policy may increase the money supply relative to the output of goods and services, raising prices and reducing the currency’s value. As Milton Friedman famously argued, this phenomenon is known as inflation. Whether one agrees with Trump’s tariff strategy or not, it represents a deliberate effort to defend America, defend domestic industries, and improve labor conditions for Americans. The Fed has three means of fulfilling its dual mandate: Changing the target short-term overnight rate. Setting reserve requirements. Open market operations. While changes to interest rates and reserve requirements influence borrowing and liquidity, the most potent tool recently has been the Federal Reserve’s large-scale asset purchases in the open market. These purchases are financed with previously nonexistent money, described in Latin as ex nihilo — or “out of nothing.” When the Fed expands its balance sheet in this way without a corresponding increase in the production of goods and services, the result is inflation. The expanding money supply In February 2020, the U.S. money supply stood at $4.1 trillion. By March, the COVID-19 pandemic had spread rapidly across the world. In a whirlwind of uncertainty, many businesses shut their doors, millions were laid off, and the U.S. economy fell into recession. As a counter-cyclical measure, the Federal Reserve expanded the money supply from $4.1 trillion to $8.97 trillion in about two years. Consequently, U.S. inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, surged from 1.4% in January 2021 to 9.1% by June 2022 on an annualized basis. After several months of elevated inflation, the CPI began to decline as the Federal Reserve reduced its balance sheet by $2.24 trillion, bringing it down to $6.73 trillion as of mid-April 2025. America has a monetary problem. Ballooning national debt From a fiscal perspective, the U.S. national debt surpassed $1 trillion for the first time in its then-205-year history at the end of President Ronald Reagan’s first year in office in 1981. The deficit expanded significantly during the Reagan years as the administration pursued tax cuts, strengthened Cold War defense spending, and battled inflation. By the close of the Clinton administration, the national debt had grown to $5.68 trillion. President Clinton achieved a budget surplus in his final year, driven largely by spending reforms and the post-Cold War reduction in defense outlays. Government spending rose dramatically during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, particularly through the 2008 financial crisis, bringing the debt to $19.6 trillion by the end of Obama’s tenure. Under President Trump, the debt increased further, reaching $26.95 trillion — largely due to emergency spending during the COVID-19 crisis. The debt expanded by another 85% during the first term of President Trump and the term of President Biden, ultimately reaching $36.3 trillion as Biden left office. Notably, nearly $9.5 trillion was added during the Biden administration, despite strong economic growth of 5.7% for his first calendar year in office. Rebutting tariff-spurred inflation This historical context in both fiscal and monetary policy reveals the flaw in Powell’s assertion. He warned that if the Trump administration continues to impose tariffs on key imports and the economy slows or contracts, the result could be inflation — or worse, stagflation. What Powell described, however, is not technically inflation — at least according to economists like Milton Friedman. Inflation, historically, is driven primarily by an increase in the money supply, not by fiscal policy or trade regulations. While tariffs and taxes can lead to higher prices, these increases are typically offset by a slowing economy or quickly reversed when such measures are lifted. Trump’s strategy President Trump’s interests in strengthening the U.S. economy and reinforcing the nation’s global leadership are on target. His push for tax reform, regulatory rollback, and more balanced federal spending reflects a prudent economic approach. Simultaneously, his administration continues to enforce border security and uphold a foreign policy centered on peace through strength. The United States must also respond decisively to China’s economic behavior. This includes addressing: Violations of World Trade Organization rules. Chinese firms listed on U.S. exchanges that fail to meet U.S. “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.” Intellectual property theft. Currency manipulation, which artificially boosts Chinese exports and disadvantages U.S. manufacturers. If the current tariff policy generates hundreds of billions in tax revenue, the U.S. economy may still achieve robust growth by year-end. The potential drag from tariffs could be counterbalanced by the stimulative effects of lower taxes, deregulation, and more disciplined federal spending. A firm response While a more traditional free-market approach would be preferred — centered on stable monetary policy, tax cuts, deregulation, and devolving power to the states — it is evident that China’s aggressive trade and military posture demands a firm response. Whether one agrees with Trump’s tariff strategy or not, it represents a deliberate effort to defend America, defend domestic industries, and improve labor conditions for American workers. Ultimately, history reveals that tariffs do not inherently cause inflation and should not alone justify restrictive monetary policy. Nor should tariff policy spark the uncertainty and instability that exist in today’s global economy, especially with allies that have stood with America through thick and thin, helping us build the freest and most prosperous global economy in the history of the world. Editor’s note: This article was originally published by RealClearMarkets and made available via RealClearWire.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/inflation-is-a-fed-failure-not-a-trump-tariff-consequence

2025-05-01 21:02:44

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https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/the-book-on-david-horowitz.jpg?id=60063958&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C48%2C0%2C48
My first acquaintance with David Horowitz, who died Tuesday at the age of 86 following a battle with cancer, was as Peter Collier’s co-author on “The Kennedys: An American Drama,” published in 1984. That year in Washington, I heard Peter and David explain their departure from the left, which had people talking.In 1987, when I met David at his Los Angeles home, he asked me what I did in the 1960s. I told him my primary interest was getting stoned, but like many others, I raised my voice against the war in Vietnam. David promptly invited me to the Second Thoughts Conference in 1987. As Peter Collier explained in the foreword to my “Bill of Writes,” the participants shared one central conviction:The god of the New Left had failed them personally during its nihilistic strut on the stage of the ’60s and they were ready to testify against the smelly little orthodoxies they had once affirmed. In the future, some of these Second Thoughters went on to be conservatives, but they would always have a more profound identity as “ex-leftists,” who knew that the utopia they (we) had been building had never really been anything more than a Potemkin waste site, and that while leftism might try to disguise itself as “liberal” or “progressive,” totalitarianism by any other name would smell just as rancid.The ex-leftists, myself now among them, were ready to take on Hollywood. They prompted David to found the Center for the Study of Popular Culture and bring me aboard as a journalism fellow. David once toned down my description of Lillian Hellman as a “Stalinist swamp sow,” but for the most part, we were on the same page. I worked with Peter on Heterodoxy, and both colleagues helped me out on the work that would become “Hollywood Party.” Heterodoxy transformed into Frontpage, where I write to this day. Photo by Lloyd BillingsleyDavid considered Peter the better writer, but David never wrote a dull page. Consider, for example, “Radical Son,” which belongs on a shelf with Whittaker Chambers' “Witness,” “Out of Step” by Sidney Hook, and “The God that Failed” by a group of ex-communists, including Arthur Koestler, Andre Gide, and Richard Wright.I recently reviewed the account of the Black Panthers in “Radical Son,” the founding of their school in Oakland, the murder of Betty Van Patter, and a lot more. But as it turned out, I had forgotten what David had written up front: “To Lloyd, comrade-in-arms, who joined us at Second Thoughts.”David Horowitz now joins Peter Collier, who died in 2019. Farewell, brave warriors for truth and freedom.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-book-on-david-horowitz

2025-05-01 17:35:30

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https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/mike-waltz-reportedly-on-his-way-out-as-national-security-adviser-after-inviting-liberal-reporter-to-sensitive-war-chat.jpg?id=60068266&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C4%2C0%2C5
Mike Waltz won his re-election bid in November to represent Florida's 6th congressional district. The decorated Green Beret decided, however, to give up his seat and corresponding job security to serve as President Donald Trump's national security adviser. He might come to regret that decision sooner rather than later. Three sources informed journalist Mark Halperin that Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, are expected to step down as early as Thursday afternoon. Multiple sources subsequently confirmed the departures to CBS News and other legacy media outfits. Sources alternatively told Politico that Trump is planning to kick Waltz to the curb, but that the decision is not final. There has been significant uncertainty about Waltz's future in the administration since March, when he included an anti-Trump polemicist in a private high-level group chat on Signal where senior administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, discussed attacks on Iran-backed Houthi terrorists. While Waltz insinuated in an interview that Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of the Atlantic, may have infiltrated the group chat by unseemly means or with an insider's help, he ultimately took "full responsibility" for the blunder. Trump, apparently unwilling to let Democrats and liberal personalities claim a scalp, signaled his continued support for Waltz, telling reporters that "it was very unfair the way they attacked Michael" and that "nobody gives a damn" about the Atlantic. Despite Trump's supportive messaging on the issue, unnamed White House officials told Politico in the immediate aftermath of the Atlantic's report on the contents of the private Signal chat that there is presently internal debate over whether to kick Waltz to the curb, claiming the general consensus is that "Mike Waltz is a f**king idiot." 'Trump certainly wasn't pleased with this.' One official who spoke to Politico on the condition of anonymity said some administration staffers are "saying he's never going to survive or shouldn't survive." "It was reckless not to check who was on the thread. It was reckless to be having that conversation on Signal. You can't have recklessness as the national security adviser," said the unnamed official. A senior White House official told Axios in late March that "Trump certainly wasn't pleased with this," but added "all this talk you see about Waltz not lasting is just way premature. There's a Washington feeding frenzy. And we all know that you don't give the mob what it wants." One source familiar with the situation told CBS News that Trump thinks enough time has passed since the Signal incident that Waltz and Wong's ousters can be spun as part of a reorganization. After the removal of Gen. Timothy Haugh as the head of both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, Trump underscored that where he's concerned, terminations are inevitable and routine: "Always we're letting go of people, people that we don't like or people that we don't think can do the job, or people that may have loyalties to somebody else. You'll always have that." When asked for comment, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Politico, "We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources." CNN noted that while Waltz boarded Marine One with the president on Tuesday, he subsequently remained behind while his colleagues boarded Air Force One 10 minutes later — a move some aides figured as possibly significant. One administration official told CNN that while there have been discussions to find Waltz a "soft landing spot," that recently ceased to be a priority, noting, "President Trump lost confidence in him a while ago." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/mike-waltz-reportedly-on-his-way-out-as-national-security-adviser-after-inviting-liberal-reporter-to-sensitive-war-chat

2025-04-29 21:08:04

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https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/exclusive-republicans-relish-trump-s-100-day-winning-streak-we-have-momentum-building.png?id=60057747&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=39%2C23%2C131%2C42
President Donald Trump is officially 100 days into his second term, and many of his allies have celebrated the milestone as a roaring success. Despite criticism from his political and media adversaries, Trump takes pride in his 100-day sprint, and Republican lawmakers are riding the momentum. 'He took the bull by the horns.'"Well, I think either we've done everything, or it's in the process of being done," Trump told reporters Tuesday. House Republicans are messaging in lockstep with the administration, sharing the president's enthusiasm in exclusive interviews with Blaze News. "The first 100 days of President Trump can be summed up in one slogan: promises made and promises kept," Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina told Blaze News. "It’s like a veil has been lifted from this country.”"I think it’s been the best presidency that I’ve seen in my lifetime," Republican Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri told Blaze News. "We’ve had four years to kind of plan and strategize what he would do when he returns, and we’re seeing the fruits of that."One frequently referenced victory has been the southern border, which has seen record-low encounters with illegal aliens under the Trump administration. Between the inauguration and April 1, only nine illegal aliens were released back into the country, compared to the 184,000 illegal aliens released under former President Joe Biden during the same time frame last year, according to press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 'President Trump is fulfilling his promises, but the accomplishment to me is the rate he’s doing it.'“The border security is incredible," Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia told Blaze News. "It’s historic. And we have a lot of thanks that goes to President Trump, as well as Tom Homan." “To do that in these first 100 days has been absolutely phenomenal," Republican Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina told Blaze News. “He took the bull by the horns." The numbers paint a very clear, indisputable picture on immigration. However, other areas like the economy have been swirling with controversy in recent weeks with ongoing trade wars and market uncertainty. Many critics, particularly in the media, have rushed to call the economy a failure. Despite their doom and gloom, the Trump administration and his supporters on the Hill remain confident. 'We have a long way to go, but he’s only been in office 100 days.'"We were losing billions and billions of dollars a day with trade, and now I have that down to a very low level, and soon we're going to be making a lot of money," Trump told reporters Tuesday. The consensus among Republicans was that Trump's presidency was not only a success but also impressively efficient. "President Trump is fulfilling his promises, but the accomplishment to me is the rate he’s doing it," Republican Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois told Blaze News. "He was working on his transition team before he was even elected so he could hit the ground running, and that's what he’s done." "He came in with the best Cabinet that I think we’ve ever seen," Burlison added. "He came in, and he got them appointed quickly, and he came in with a ton of executive orders."While Republicans enjoy the successes of the first 100 days, lawmakers are tasked with maintaining the winning streak. The House and Senate are officially back in session after a two-week recess, and reconciliation talks are resuming. “We have a long way to go, but he’s only been in office 100 days," Norman told Blaze News. "I’m very excited about it," Miller said. "I think we have momentum building to pass this one big, beautiful bill."While lawmakers in the House and Senate continue to iron out reconciliation talks, Republicans have maintained that Trump policies, such as no tax on tips, are a non-negotiable. 'Congress is not on page with President Trump, and I think that's a serious problem.'“No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on social security," Greene told Blaze News. "These were President Trump’s campaign promises that he said over and over again, promising the American people, and these are the promises that Congress has to deliver.”Spending cuts have also remained a top priority despite the negative press from the legacy media surrounding Elon Musk and DOGE's efforts. "It’s not going to be easy, but it’s like the cancer patient who’s taking the medicine that’s bitter," Norman told Blaze News. "I’m sorry, but if it will help you and cure the cancer, then we do it. And the cancer in this country has been overspending, and we’re going to fix it.” "We’re at $37 trillion in debt," Burlison added. "We have a $2-trillion-a-year annual deficit. If we grow that, I can’t live with myself."'We’ve gotta make sure we do government differently.'Although some Republicans say we are on track, others are not confident that Congress will stay on course."Congress is not on page with President Trump, and I think that's a serious problem," Greene told Blaze News. “If Congress does not deliver on these important campaign promises of President Trump, we’re gonna lose the midterms," Greene added. “It would be such a failure of a Republican-controlled Congress not to deliver on the mandate, the historic mandate, that was given in November.”Although there are some concerns that Congress will return to old spending habits, Trump remains optimistic about reconciliation. "If we get that done, that's the biggest thing. ... And I think we're going to get it done," Trump told reporters Tuesday. "We have great Republican support.""We’ve gotta make sure we do government differently," Harris said. “We’ve gotta stay the course that we’ve started.” Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/exclusive-republicans-relish-trump-s-100-day-winning-streak-we-have-momentum-building

2025-04-25 01:05:36

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https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/how-dei-took-a-sledgehammer-to-the-us-militarys-war-ethos.jpg?id=60022692&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=1%2C0%2C1%2C0
U.S. civil-military relations rest on a fundamental contradiction. The United States operates as a liberal society — one designed to protect individual rights and liberty. Yet the military, which defends that society, cannot function under the same liberal principles.To succeed, the military must maintain effectiveness, which demands a distinct and separate ethos. Liberal norms do not translate to battlefield realities.Trust and cohesion — core elements of military success — cannot survive a system that prioritizes categories over character.Civil society may tolerate — or even celebrate — behaviors the military must prohibit. The armed forces uphold virtues many civilians regard as harsh or barbaric, but those values serve a purpose. The military remains one of the few professions where issuing a direct order to “go die” is not only possible but sometimes necessary.Transmutation ‘on steroids’In his classic 1957 study, “The Soldier and the State,” Samuel Huntington defined a central tension in American civil-military relations: the clash between the military’s functional imperative — to fight and win wars — and the social imperative, the prevailing ideologies and institutions of civilian society.Huntington broke down the societal imperative into two main components. First, the U.S. constitutional framework that governs politics and military oversight. Second, the dominant political ideology, which he called liberalism — “the gravest domestic threat to American military security” because of its deep anti-military bias.Huntington warned that over time, the societal imperative would eclipse the functional one. Civilian ideology, not military necessity, would shape the armed forces, weakening the virtues essential for combat effectiveness.He also identified two outcomes of this liberal pressure. In peacetime, liberalism pushed for “extirpation” — shrinking or abolishing military power altogether. In times of danger, it favored “transmutation” — reshaping the military in its own image by erasing the traits that make it distinctly martial.Today, the ideology of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has taken that process to an extreme. This isn’t just transmutation. It’s transmutation on steroids.Identity politics destroys unityThe military began its embrace of DEI during Barack Obama’s administration, following the 2011 report “From Representation to Inclusion: Diversity Leadership for the 21st Century” by the Military Leadership Diversity Commission. That report shifted military priorities away from the functional imperative — effectiveness rooted in merit, performance, and mission — toward the societal imperative, with “diversity, equity, and inclusion” elevated as the new ideal.In practice, the Department of Defense replaced equal opportunity with “equity,” enforcing outcome-based preferences that favor certain demographic groups over others. Military leaders declared “diversity a strategic goal,” sidelining effectiveness as the primary objective.This shift has fractured the ranks. By treating race and sex as markers of justice instead of emphasizing individual excellence, DEI pushes identity politics into the chain of command. That approach divides more than it unites. Trust and cohesion — core elements of military success — cannot survive a system that prioritizes categories over character.The military depends on unity to function. DEI erodes that unity. As a governing ethos, it has proven deeply destructive — undermining the very effectiveness the armed forces exist to deliver.The rise of DEI has created a generation of senior officers who place ideological conformity above military effectiveness. Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley spoke openly about “white rage” and promoted critical race theory. His successor, Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, and former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti followed the same script — championing diversity for its own sake while sidelining readiness and merit.Restoring the missionThe Trump administration aims to reverse course and re-establish the military’s functional imperative as its central mission. It has issued executive orders with three clear goals: restore meritocracy and nondiscrimination in place of equity quotas; define sex in commonsense terms and respect biological differences; and eliminate divisive programs rooted in critical race theory.Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth now carries the mandate to restore the military’s traditional ethos — and put war fighting, not social engineering, back at the heart of military policy.Standing in opposition to a president elected to root out DEI from the military is a generation of flag and general officers molded by an era of “woke” liberalism. These leaders embraced the demand that the military mirror the politics and ideologies of civil society. Many now cling to the dangerous fiction that the military can remain professional and effective while operating under the dictates of identity politics.Officers once defended the military’s traditional ethos against efforts to civilianize the chain of command. Today, many senior leaders treat DEI as essential to military identity — and believe they can ignore the lawful orders of the commander in chief. That isn’t leadership. It’s insubordination, plain and simple.The Trump administration has made clear its intent: restore a professional, apolitical military ethos and rebuild public trust in an institution weakened by a decade of ideological drift. This return to principle marks the path toward healthier civil-military relations — where the armed forces serve their proper purpose: protecting and defending the United States.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/how-dei-took-a-sledgehammer-to-the-us-militarys-war-ethos

2025-04-24 21:35:49

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/pedro-pascal-attacks-jk-rowling-over-uk-s-supreme-court-ruling-protecting-biological-women-from-transgender-individuals.png?id=60031927&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C53
Actor Pedro Pascal attacked author J.K. Rowling over her reaction to a recent landmark ruling by the U.K.'s Supreme Court that defines a woman based on biological sex, which could bar biological males posing as transgender females from spaces designated for biological women. Last week, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom made a unanimous decision that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.'Awful disgusting S**T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.'The BBC said of the Supreme Court ruling, "Specifically, they ruled that the definition of sex as used in the Equality Act 2010 is 'binary' and decided by biology — a person who was not born as a biological female cannot obtain the legal protections the Act affords to women by changing their gender with a Gender Recognition Certificate."Rowling enthusiastically approved the Supreme Court ruling by posting a photo of herself on the X social media platform with a cigar and a drink with the caption, "I love it when a plan comes together. #SupremeCourt #WomensRights."Numerous celebrities applauded the reaction by Rowling, including Elon Musk, Megyn Kelly, Jordan Peterson, and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). However, not everyone was as enthusiastic over Rowling's celebration of the historic ruling by the U.K.'s Supreme Court. A pro-Palestinian and pro-transgender activist named Tariq Ra'ouf demanded a boycott of "Harry Potter" projects and experiences in an Instagram video. Ra'ouf said of Rowling's post, "This is some serious Voldemort villain s**t, right here." Ra'ouf urged everyone to make it their "mission" to make the "Harry Potter" franchise no longer profitable to "anyone who dares to do business with J.K. Rowling." Speaking of Rowling's opinion that men who identify as transgender shouldn't be invading spaces designated for women, Ra'ouf said, "That s**t, that awful disgusting s**t, that has consequences." In response to Ra'ouf's video, Pascal replied in the comments: “Awful disgusting S**T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.”The official Instagram of Pascal has nearly 10 million followers.Pascal – the 50-year-old star of HBO's "The Last of Us" – has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community over the years. Pascal has publicly supported his sibling, Lux Pascal, who came out as transgender in February 2021. Lux has accompanied Pascal to several red carpet premieres.On Tuesday, Pedro Pascal attended the U.K. premiere of Marvel's "Thunderbolts" movie in London, England. Pascal was wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the message "Protect the Dolls."According to Newsweek, "dolls" is an "affectionate term within the LGBTQ+ community to refer to transgender women."The $100 T-shirt is made by Conner Ives, who created the shirt to call attention to any anti-transgender sentiment."Given the U.S. federal government's current hostility towards trans people, support like this is needed now more than ever," according to the website that sells the pricey activist shirt. Also this week, "The Mandalorian" actor shared an Instagram post that featured an apparent coffin with the caption, "An unjust law is no law at all." In the post, Pascal tagged the "Trans Kids Deserve Better" Instagram account, which demands: "We deserve equal access to gender-affirming health care. To delay care to a trans person is to deny it. We don't have time to wait. Secondly, we should be able to give informed consent to our own treatment — just as any cisgender young person already can."As Blaze News previously reported, Pascal was widely lambasted after posting a social media tribute to Joseph Rosenbaum — one of Kyle Rittenhouse's attackers.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/pedro-pascal-attacks-jk-rowling-over-uk-s-supreme-court-ruling-protecting-biological-women-from-transgender-individuals

2025-04-23 20:51:28

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/district-judge-orders-trump-administration-to-restore-state-media-networks.jpg?id=60028596&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54
U.S. district court judges have done their apparent best to hamstring the second Trump administration just as they had the first. Between Jan. 20 and March 27, the Congressional Research Service indicated there were at least 17 cases of nationwide injunctions — 11 more than were issued during the entire presidency of George W. Bush and two shy of the total issued during Barack Obama's tenure. At this rate, the courts are on course to beat their previous record of 64 nationwide injunctions under the first Trump administration. There has been no indication in recent weeks that the judiciary will exercise some self-restraint — certainly not from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where a Reagan judge decided on Tuesday to reverse the Trump administration's shuttering of Voice of America and termination of over 1,000 potentially antagonistic journalists and employees at the U.S. Agency for Global Media. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth concluded that the administration's stated effort to "ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda" were "arbitrary and capricious." 'It has essentially become a hubris-filled rogue operation.' "Not only is there an absence of 'reasoned analysis' from the defendants," wrote Lamberth, "there is an absence of any analysis whatsoever." The judge overseeing Widakuswara v. Lake added, "The defendants are likely in direct violation of numerous federal laws," including the VOA's congressionally established charter in the International Broadcasting Act. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 14 aimed at reducing various "unnecessary" elements of the federal bureaucracy "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." Among the entities targeted was the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which supervises Voice of America, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and a handful of other state-funded outfits including Radio Free Europe. In a corresponding publication, the White House quoted Dan Robinson, a 34-year veteran of VOA, who stated last year: I have monitored the agency’s bureaucracy along with many of its reporters and concluded that it has essentially become a hubris-filled rogue operation often reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media. It has sought to avoid accountability for violations of journalistic standards and mismanagement. The White House also shared links to articles criticizing the state media outfit; a 2022 lawsuit claiming VOA has "been infiltrated by anti-American, pro-Islamic state interests"; and perceived evidence of VOA's bias, including an article downplaying the validity of the Hunter Biden laptop story. 'The defendants had no method or approach towards shutting down USAGM.' Pursuant to the president's executive order, approximately over 1,000 VOA journalists and other employees were placed on administrative leave, and funding was suspended to VOA's sister networks, including Radio Free Asia. Kari Lake, senior adviser for the USAGM, noted days later that VOA was "unsalvageable." "Let's reduce this to the bare minimum and start fresh," tweeted Lake. Lamberth was evidently of a different mind. "The defendants had no method or approach towards shutting down USAGM that this Court can discern," he wrote in his Tuesday ruling. "They took immediate and drastic action to slash USAGM, without considering its statutorily or constitutionally required functions as required by the plain language of the EO, and without regard to the harm inflicted on employees, contractors, journalists, and media consumers around the world." 'It's for our own national security.' "It is hard to fathom a more straightforward display of arbitrary and capricious actions than the Defendants' actions here," added the judge. Lamberth ordered the administration to "take all necessary steps to return USAGM employees and contractors to their status" prior to Trump's March 14 EO; to restore VOA programming; and to restore fiscal year 2025 grants to Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks. He also demanded that the administration provide him with monthly status reports "apprising the Court of the status of the defendants' compliance with this Order." Lamberth's ruling contained echoes from Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York, who issued a temporary restraining order barring the USAGM from canning staff last month. The Obama judge blasted the Trump administration for "taking a sledgehammer to an agency that has been statutorily authorized and funded by Congress." Patsy Widakuswara, VOA's White House bureau chief and one of the plaintiffs in the suit, said of Lamberth's Tuesday order, "My colleagues and I are grateful for this ruling. But we know that this is just a small step forward, as the government is likely to appeal." "This is not just about our jobs and journalistic freedom — it's for our own national security," continued Widakuswara. "Because every day that VOA is not broadcasting, is a day we cede the global information space and allow adversaries to fill it with disinformation and anti-American propaganda." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/district-judge-orders-trump-administration-to-restore-state-media-networks

2025-04-21 14:56:09

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/congressional-democrats-arrive-in-el-salvador-doubling-down-on-support-for-ms-13-affiliate.jpg?id=59995530&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C64%2C0%2C65
Four congressional Democrats arrived in El Salvador on Monday in hopes of pressuring the Trump administration into facilitating the return of Salvadoran MS-13 affiliate Kilmar Abrego Garcia — something the U.S. Supreme Court conditionally ordered earlier this month. The trip comes on the heels of Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen's (D) pilgrimage to support the suspected gangbanger — a trip critics seized upon as another damning example of Democrats' extra-national priorities — and in the wake of new polling showing record-low confidence in Democratic congressional leadership. While Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia (Calif.), Maxwell Frost (Fla.), Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.), and Maxine Dexter (Ore.) followed in the steps of Van Hollen, who traveled last week to San Salvador to both demand Abrego Garcia's release and share an intimate moment with the MS-13 affiliate, taxpayers did not similarly pay their way. 'You can spend your own money.' House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer refused the Democratic lawmakers' request to let taxpayer money be wasted on the trip, stating in an April 18 letter to Garcia and Frost, "It is absurd that you both displayed active hostility for over two years toward the Committee's oversight of the Biden Border Crisis and the consequences of millions of illegal aliens entering the country, yet now, you are seeking travel at Committee expense to meet with foreign gang members." "You may be pleased to know that a Democrat Senator, Chris Van Hollen, was photographed just yesterday in El Salvador enjoying margaritas garnished with cherry slices with the foreign gang member your letter references," continued Comer. "If you also wish to meet with him, you can spend your own money." Although denied the opportunity to send an official congressional delegation at taxpayers' expense, the Democrats decided to make the trip anyway. The four Democrats' offices informed Axios that they will meet with U.S. embassy officials in El Salvador. Evidently unfazed by the credible accusations lodged against Garcia — of human trafficking and domestic abuse — as well as an immigration court's determination that he is a "danger to the community," the Democrats will also advocate for Abrego Garcia's release. "Donald Trump and his Administration are running a government-funded kidnapping program — illegally arresting, jailing, and deporting innocent people with zero due process. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is Trump's latest victim," said Frost. "While Donald Trump continues to defy the Supreme Court, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held illegally in El Salvador after being wrongfully deported," Rep. Garcia said in a statement. "We are demanding the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision and give Kilmar and the other migrants mistakenly sent to El Salvador due process in the United States." An Obama judge ordered the Trump administration on April 4 to bring a deported MS-13 member back to the United States, which he originally stole into without inspection in 2011. On April 10, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the lower court's ruling in part, stating, "The order properly requires the Government to 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador." The court noted, however, that the "scope of the term 'effectuate' in the District Court's order is, however, unclear, and may exceed the District Court's authority," and that the lower court "should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs." White House officials indicated that the release and return of Abrego Garcia is up to El Salvador. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "That's up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That's not up to us. The Supreme Court ruled that if El Salvador wants to return him ... we would facilitate it: meaning, provide a plane." Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele indicated in the Oval Office last week that doing so is not possible. President Donald Trump made clear Friday that contrary to Democrats' characterization of Abrego Garcia as a "Maryland man" traduced, the Salvadoran bears the markings of his gang affiliation. Rather than leave the markings to the imagination, Trump shared a picture of the gang tattoo online. 'Americans are increasingly saying the country is on the right track when it comes to immigration policy.' "This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such 'a fine and innocent person,'" wrote Trump. "They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he's got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc." — (@) A new Gallup poll found that confidence in Democratic congressional leaders is at an all-time low — only 25% of respondents signaled confidence in the leftist lawmakers' ability to do or recommend the right thing. Democrats' lowest confidence rating was previously 34%, which was recorded in 2023. The four Democrats' protest in El Salvador is unlikely to improve their relationship with voters. After all, a recent Washington Post poll found in February that the majority of Americans support deporting all illegal aliens presently in the United States. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/congressional-democrats-arrive-in-el-salvador-doubling-down-on-support-for-ms-13-affiliate

2025-04-20 00:02:57

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/telling-americas-story-is-too-important-to-leave-to-radicals.jpg?id=59950946&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1
Every nation has a story. Recently, the Washington Post described the Smithsonian Institution, with its 21 museums and 14 educational and research centers, as “the official keeper of the American Story.” What kind of story have the Smithsonian museums been telling about our country? On March 27, President Trump issued an executive order arguing that there has been a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” and promote a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.” This “revisionist movement” casts American “founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.” A White House fact sheet calls for “revitalizing key cultural institutions and reversing the spread of divisive ideology.” Vice President JD Vance, a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, will lead the administration’s efforts. The debate over the Smithsonian is only one front in a wide-ranging, ongoing conflict over first principles and concepts of justice (equality versus equity). Critics of the executive order responded quickly. They maintain that the Trump administration wants to “whitewash the past and suppress discussion of systemic racism.” The Smithsonian, the critics contend, is led by nonpartisan professionals whose aim is to be truthful and inclusive and tell the whole story of America, including groups that have been neglected in the past. Professor David W. Blight of Yale, president of the Organization of American Historians, complained that the executive order is a “laughable thing until you realize what their intent actually is and what they’re doing is trying to erode and then obliterate what we have been writing for a century.” Is there a divisive ideology being taught, as the Trump administration maintains, and if so, what is it? What have university professors been writing about America, if not “for a century,” for at least the past decade? Professor Blight’s OAH revealed its ideology by embracing the New York Times’ 1619 Project, declaring: The 1619 Project’s approach to understanding the American past and connecting it to newly urgent movements for racial justice and systemic reform point to … the ways in which slavery and racial injustice have and continue to profoundly shape our nation. Critical race theory provides a lens through which we can examine and understand systemic racism and its many consequences. What do we call the ideology that, as the OAH explains, “acknowledges and interrogates systems of oppression — racial, ethnic, gender, class — and openly addresses the myriad injustices that these systems have perpetuated through the past and into the present”? As most are aware, the ideology expressed by the OAH is dominant in universities today. It views American history negatively through the lens of “oppressors” (white males) versus “oppressed” and “marginalized groups.” This ideology has been variously called political correctness, identity politics, social justice, and wokeness. We could use Wesley Yang’s term “successor ideology,” meaning it is the new, radical, left-wing ideological successor to the old patriotic liberalism of politicians like Walter Mondale and historians like Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Not surprisingly, given its pre-eminence in America’s universities, this divisive “successor ideology” is at the heart of the worldview propounded by the leaders of the Smithsonian. Something rotten in the Smithsonian The current secretary of the Smithsonian is Lonnie G. Bunch III, who is adept at dealing with donors, stakeholders, and Republican congressional appropriators. His language is mostly measured and reasonable. He talks in terms of truth, nuance, complexity, and nonpartisanship. But in reality, Bunch is a partisan progressive, a skilled cultural warrior, and a promoter of the leftist “successor ideology.” Bunch partnered with and promoted the biased 1619 Project, which asserts that slavery is the alpha and omega of the American story and that maintaining slavery was a primary motivation for some American colonists who joined the revolutionary cause. The architect of the 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones, bragged that it “decenters whiteness,” and she denounced her liberal academic critics as “old white male historians.” Nevertheless, Bunch proclaimed, “I want the Smithsonian to legitimize important issues, whether it's 1619 or climate change.” Of the Smithsonian’s participation in the 1619 Project, he declared, “I was very pleased with it.” Bunch proudly noted that people “saw that the Smithsonian had fingerprints on [the 1619 Project]. And that to me was a great victory.” Bunch pictures America as a nation in which systemic racism is pervasive. During the George Floyd riots, Bunch told the Atlantic, "It is really about systemic racism throughout, not just the police department, but many parts of the American system.” Further, he made excuses for the violence in the summer of 2020, which resulted in more than a dozen Americans killed and between $1 and $2 billion worth of property damage: How dare they loot. Well, that kind of protest is really one of the few ways the voiceless feel they have power. And while I am opposed to violent protests personally, I understand that frustration sometimes pushes you over the edge. I think what’s important for us to recognize is, let us not turn attention towards looting in a way that takes away what is the power of these protests. Three years ago, the Smithsonian assisted in the creation of a new College Board AP course on African American Studies. Ethics and Public Policy Center scholar Stanley Kurtz has revealed how APAAS is a radical neo-Marxist, anti-American project that calls for the socialist transformation of the United States. APAAS is soaked in the tenets of critical race theory, flirts with supporting violence, and implicitly advocates dismantling the American way of life, including free-market capitalism. It is a curriculum where students learn from Frantz Fanon that America is a “monster” and from Aimé Césaire that Stalin’s Soviet Union was a model society. Nevertheless, the APAAS curriculum is promoted on the Smithsonian’s Learning Lab. Under the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida legislature passed the Stop Woke Act that bars APAAS from the state’s K-12 schools because it promotes the divisive concepts manifest in CRT. Lonnie Bunch and his close ideological ally Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation, falsely accused DeSantis of ignoring African-American history. On the contrary, DeSantis created a new black history curriculum based on serious and accurate scholarship. In response to DeSantis’ opposition to APAAS, Bunch complained to Alexander: I am upset because you know we were involved in helping [APAAS] and the notion that somehow simply having a course that forces us to understand complexity, nuance, and ambiguity is a problem, that’s a problem for all of America. In truth, there is very little “complexity” and “nuance” in the Smithsonian-promoted APAAS. It is one-sided, partisan propaganda. Kurtz notes that APAAS is not in fact inclusive, ignoring the work of black conservatives “like Glenn Loury, Shelby Steele, or Robert Woodson” or even “liberal black intellectuals, like Randall Kennedy or John McWhorter.” Bunch often talks in terms of “nonpartisanship” and promoting the best of historical and cultural scholarship. But at the same time, he promotes the progressive left agenda, stating that the “job” of the National Museum of African American History and Culture is “really to create new generations of activists,” and “for me it really is about how … museums play a social justice role.”Our story To use one of Lonnie Bunch’s favorite terms, what is the “context” in which President Trump issued his executive order? It recognizes that a left-progressive cultural revolution (the “successor ideology”) has marched through our universities, schools, foundations, and museums, transforming the story of America into a tale of oppression and exploitation. The woke revolutionaries aim to “fundamentally transform the United States” from a nation based on a natural rights concept of the equality of citizenship to “equity,” a system of racial-ethnic-gender group quotas and group consciousness. The debate over the Smithsonian is only one front in a wide-ranging, ongoing conflict over first principles and concepts of justice (equality versus equity). If the cultural revolutionaries are “transformationist,” in the sense that they aim to deconstruct the American way of life, the position articulated by Trump’s executive order is “Americanist,” in the sense that it represents a cultural counterrevolution that affirms America’s past and principles. Are the Organization of American Historians and the current leadership of the Smithsonian right that America is a nation built on “slavery, exploitation, and exclusion”? Or is the American story what British writer Paul Johnson described as one of “human achievement without parallel,” the story “of difficulties overcome by skill, faith, and strength of purpose, and courage and persistence”? Was Johnson right when he wrote, “The creation of the United States of America is the greatest of all human adventures” and that Americans “thrown together by fate in that swirling maelstrom of history” are “the most remarkable people the world has ever seen”? Editor’s note: A version of this article appeared originally at the American Mind.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/telling-americas-story-is-too-important-to-leave-to-radicals

2025-04-18 03:09:41

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/woke-wordplay-warps-language-and-the-meaning-of-freedom.jpg?id=59910857&width=2000&height=1500&coordinates=56%2C0%2C57%2C0
Someone just sent me a Passover greeting that traced the arc of tyranny from the ancient pharaohs to our current “dictator” in the White House. The message left little to the imagination: Donald Trump, apparently, is the modern-day pharaoh.The sender works, unsurprisingly, in our state bureaucracy in Harrisburg. She was happy as a lark during Joe Biden’s “compassionate” presidency, but now seethes at his swamp-draining successor.This isn’t a debate over rights. It’s a collision between incompatible worldviews.In the past, I might have written her back. I might have reminded her who actually weaponized the federal government against political opponents. I might have pointed to the sweeping executive orders, the censorship collusion, and the criminalization of dissent that flourished under the true despotism of President Joe.Unlike Biden and his handlers, Trump has made his intentions clear — and he’s doing what he promised. Transparency used to matter in politics. Apparently not any more.I might also have noted the waste, incompetence, and embedded corruption in the federal bureaucracy, including the office that cuts her checks. The Department of Government Efficiency was not a stunt. It was a necessary start. And its housecleaning is long overdue.Different ideological universesI’ve come to realize that trying to debate this acquaintance would be pointless. We’d only talk past each other. Words don’t mean the same thing to both of us. It’s not that I believe in “freedom” or “constitutional government” and she doesn’t. It’s that the definitions we assign to those words are so radically different that even if we used the same language, we wouldn’t truly agree.This insight came into focus while reading A. James Gregor’s “The Ideology of Fascism,” a book that sheds valuable light on political semantics. Gregor notes that fascists and communists genuinely believed in their own concepts of “democracy” and “freedom.” They weren’t just twisting the language — they inhabited entirely different ideological universes. And so, certain political divisions can’t be bridged. The terms are familiar, but the meanings diverge.To the woke left, for instance, it seems entirely reasonable to remove children from parents who “misgender” them or who insist on using biologically accurate pronouns. In their framework, punishing such offenses against identity isn’t oppressive — it’s the fulfillment of authentic freedom. The law, they argue, is merely shielding the vulnerable from unnecessary psychological harm.This isn’t a debate over rights. It’s a collision between incompatible worldviews.A new left lexiconIt’s apparently ignorant — or worse — to define “fascism” narrowly, as something confined to the interwar European dictatorships. According to today’s progressive orthodoxy, fascism now flourishes wherever LGBTQ guidelines aren’t strictly followed or wherever anyone dares to advocate for a less “compassionate” form of government — say, one that distinguishes between citizens and undocumented migrants.The logic, such as it is, goes something like this: Germany once drew sharp legal lines, and look where that led — tyranny and genocide. Ergo, any policy that establishes firm national boundaries or citizenship norms must be a step toward fascism.Meanwhile, “oligarch” no longer refers to the mega-wealthy class in general. As I’ve gathered from watching MSNBC, an oligarch is now anyone who donates to MAGA Republicans or refuses to get rid of a Tesla after learning that Elon Musk is a “fascist.”Likewise, the label “white nationalist” has been repurposed to apply to any MAGA-aligned Republican who fails to support the Democrats’ latest campaign against “white nationalism.” Trump’s support for voter ID laws or efforts to deport criminal illegal aliens? Those too, we’re told, reek of white nationalism — never mind that many of the ICE agents enforcing those policies have dark skin. That detail is irrelevant because it doesn’t fit the narrative.What many on my side view as a sprawling, wasteful, and unconstitutional bureaucracy, our political opponents treat as the very embodiment of constitutional government. The Constitution they revere is not the one written in Philadelphia. It is a “living document” — one that demands a constantly expanding class of civil servants to fulfill the goals of “democracy,” which now include identity politics, lifestyle diversity, and environmental dogma.Trump, in their view, is a modern pharaoh not because he consolidates power but because he makes life harder for the benevolent bureaucracy. He obstructs the compassionate machinery of the state. Worse, he sows “chaos” — unlike the Democrats, who have dutifully welcomed millions of illegal migrants to enrich America with fresh waves of sanctioned diversity.Liberty’s language hijackedNone of this is to say that millions don’t cynically exploit these twisted definitions of political virtue. Nor am I suggesting a moral relativism. I know where I stand. But it’s clear that large numbers of voters have swallowed these ideological rebrandings whole. And when basic political terms no longer mean the same thing to both sides, meaningful debate becomes nearly impossible.Western Europe now offers a sobering example. Countries across the continent have begun curtailing freedom of expression — not in spite of democracy but in its name. To those driving this trend in what we still, somewhat naively, call the “free world,” there is no contradiction between repression and the preservation of liberty.Even European governments that our own vice president has scolded for their illiberal tendencies insist they are safeguarding democracy and freedom. Against what? Against such “reactionary” threats as national sovereignty, religious conviction, and traditional gender norms.Even worse, a growing number of voters in both Europe and the United States agree. The language of liberty has been hijacked to justify its opposite. And for now, the hijackers have no shortage of passengers willing to go along for the ride.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/woke-wordplay-warps-language-and-the-meaning-of-freedom

2025-04-18 03:07:36

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/woke-wordplay-warps-language-and-the-meaning-of-freedom.jpg?id=59910857&width=2000&height=1500&coordinates=56%2C0%2C57%2C0
Someone just sent me a Passover greeting that traced the arc of tyranny from the ancient pharaohs to our current “dictator” in the White House. The message left little to the imagination: Donald Trump, apparently, is the modern-day pharaoh.The sender works, unsurprisingly, in our state bureaucracy in Harrisburg. She was happy as a lark during Joe Biden’s “compassionate” presidency, but now seethes at his swamp-draining successor.This isn’t a debate over rights. It’s a collision between incompatible worldviews.In the past, I might have written her back. I might have reminded her who actually weaponized the federal government against political opponents. I might have pointed to the sweeping executive orders, the censorship collusion, and the criminalization of dissent that flourished under the true despotism of President Joe.Unlike Biden and his handlers, Trump has made his intentions clear — and he’s doing what he promised. Transparency used to matter in politics. Apparently not any more.I might also have noted the waste, incompetence, and embedded corruption in the federal bureaucracy, including the office that cuts her checks. The Department of Government Efficiency was not a stunt. It was a necessary start. And its housecleaning is long overdue.Different ideological universesI’ve come to realize that trying to debate this acquaintance would be pointless. We’d only talk past each other. Words don’t mean the same thing to both of us. It’s not that I believe in “freedom” or “constitutional government” and she doesn’t. It’s that the definitions we assign to those words are so radically different that even if we used the same language, we wouldn’t truly agree.This insight came into focus while reading A. James Gregor’s “The Ideology of Fascism,” a book that sheds valuable light on political semantics. Gregor notes that fascists and communists genuinely believed in their own concepts of “democracy” and “freedom.” They weren’t just twisting the language — they inhabited entirely different ideological universes. And so, certain political divisions can’t be bridged. The terms are familiar, but the meanings diverge.To the woke left, for instance, it seems entirely reasonable to remove children from parents who “misgender” them or who insist on using biologically accurate pronouns. In their framework, punishing such offenses against identity isn’t oppressive — it’s the fulfillment of authentic freedom. The law, they argue, is merely shielding the vulnerable from unnecessary psychological harm.This isn’t a debate over rights. It’s a collision between incompatible worldviews.A new left lexiconIt’s apparently ignorant — or worse — to define “fascism” narrowly, as something confined to the interwar European dictatorships. According to today’s progressive orthodoxy, fascism now flourishes wherever LGBTQ guidelines aren’t strictly followed or wherever anyone dares to advocate for a less “compassionate” form of government — say, one that distinguishes between citizens and undocumented migrants.The logic, such as it is, goes something like this: Germany once drew sharp legal lines, and look where that led — tyranny and genocide. Ergo, any policy that establishes firm national boundaries or citizenship norms must be a step toward fascism.Meanwhile, “oligarch” no longer refers to the mega-wealthy class in general. As I’ve gathered from watching MSNBC, an oligarch is now anyone who donates to MAGA Republicans or refuses to get rid of a Tesla after learning that Elon Musk is a “fascist.”Likewise, the label “white nationalist” has been repurposed to apply to any MAGA-aligned Republican who fails to support the Democrats’ latest campaign against “white nationalism.” Trump’s support for voter ID laws or efforts to deport criminal illegal aliens? Those too, we’re told, reek of white nationalism — never mind that many of the ICE agents enforcing those policies have dark skin. That detail is irrelevant because it doesn’t fit the narrative.What many on my side view as a sprawling, wasteful, and unconstitutional bureaucracy, our political opponents treat as the very embodiment of constitutional government. The Constitution they revere is not the one written in Philadelphia. It is a “living document” — one that demands a constantly expanding class of civil servants to fulfill the goals of “democracy,” which now include identity politics, lifestyle diversity, and environmental dogma.Trump, in their view, is a modern pharaoh not because he consolidates power but because he makes life harder for the benevolent bureaucracy. He obstructs the compassionate machinery of the state. Worse, he sows “chaos” — unlike the Democrats, who have dutifully welcomed millions of illegal migrants to enrich America with fresh waves of sanctioned diversity.Liberty’s language hijackedNone of this is to say that millions don’t cynically exploit these twisted definitions of political virtue. Nor am I suggesting a moral relativism. I know where I stand. But it’s clear that large numbers of voters have swallowed these ideological rebrandings whole. And when basic political terms no longer mean the same thing to both sides, meaningful debate becomes nearly impossible.Western Europe now offers a sobering example. Countries across the continent have begun curtailing freedom of expression — not in spite of democracy but in its name. To those driving this trend in what we still, somewhat naively, call the “free world,” there is no contradiction between repression and the preservation of liberty.Even European governments that our own vice president has scolded for their illiberal tendencies insist they are safeguarding democracy and freedom. Against what? Against such “reactionary” threats as national sovereignty, religious conviction, and traditional gender norms.Even worse, a growing number of voters in both Europe and the United States agree. The language of liberty has been hijacked to justify its opposite. And for now, the hijackers have no shortage of passengers willing to go along for the ride.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/woke-wordplay-warps-language-and-the-meaning-of-freedom

2025-04-17 16:30:51

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/new-york-yankees-say-they-are-still-committed-to-dei-initiatives-our-diversity-and-inclusion-committee-continues.png?id=59941378&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C108%2C0%2C109
The New York Yankees said they are still hosting diversity, equity, and inclusion committees and summits, despite Major League Baseball removing references to such activities online.While MLB removed references to DEI initiatives as well as its DEI-centric hiring pipeline program in March, sources inside the organization claimed the Yankees are still engaging in possibly discriminatory hiring practices that were thought to be finished.At the same time, other race-based activities are still firmly in place.'Our dedication towards these efforts remains unchanged.'Ahead of Jackie Robinson Day, an annual celebration by the league in which every player wears Robinson's number, the New York Yankees were asked about their commitment to DEI by the New York Daily News. The franchise said that its commitments are unwavering."We are continually working with the members of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee and are actively engaged with our neighbors and community partners," said Brian Smith, the Yankees' senior vice president of corporate and community relations. "Our dedication towards these efforts remains unchanged, and our Diversity and Inclusion Committee continues to do its work."The outlet then noted the Yankees' alleged five pillars of diversity, which were a series of buzzwords such as socioeconomic development, social responsibility, and health and wellness. The remaining two pillars were focused on "education" and working on diversity and inclusion within the Yankees organization.This appeared to be in lockstep with what an MLB spokesman said on the matter in March: that the league's stance on DEI had not changed despite public perception."As the commissioner stated, our values on diversity remain unchanged. We are in the process of evaluating our programs for any modifications to eligibility criteria that are needed to ensure our programs are compliant with federal law as they continue forward."MLB diversity-related websites appear to remain down, however, even the one referred to just days ago in the local report, titled "Diversity and Inclusion Committee | New York Yankees."A page that showcased a press release about the creation of the committee also no longer exists.Although it seems the Yankees would prefer to be less public about the race-based initiatives, the diversity council reportedly meets twice per year and subsets of the group meet regularly.Inside sources were alleged to have claimed that New York Yankees' hiring practices have not changed either, meaning the team is still making staffing decisions based on race.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/yankees-dei-dediciation-hasnt-changed

2025-04-16 21:34:29

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/hysterical-feminists-rage-at-sideline-reporter-for-hitting-on-girl-in-viral-video-during-baseball-broadcast.jpg?id=59928000&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C334%2C0%2C334
A viral video showing a sports reporter asking for a young lady's phone number during a baseball broadcast angered feminists who called it sexist and misogynist. Sportscaster Wiley Ballard was interviewing two female fans during the broadcast of the Atlanta Braves games against the Toronto Blue Jays when he was encouraged by other broadcasters to ask for a phone number. 'This is highly inappropriate and joking about a new pickup method on air is gross and cringy.' "You got four innings, five innings to get the numbers!" joked play-by-play commentator Brandon Gaudin."All right, they want me to get your number," said Ballard to one of the women, who obliged. The commentators joked that it was a brilliant tactic to flirt with women at baseball games. "I should have thought of this years ago!" said Ballard.When the video hit the internet, however, an army of embittered Karens clawed out of the woodwork to accuse Ballard of acting inappropriately. "It's hard not to ignore the unbalanced power dynamics at play here, with many pointing out the obvious double standard had the genders been reversed. One can only hope Ballard learned his lesson," responded journalist Kristen Wong at Sports Illustrated."An unprofessional disgrace, from the reporter, to the guys in the booth, to the producer in the truck who could’ve stopped it at any point. It’s not 'fun'. It’s not 'cool'. It’s not 'harmless'. And it’s only a 'standard' for harassment," wrote Fox Sports writer Ralph Vacchiano. He added that the incident "put the woman in a terrible, unwelcome, unfair, even dangerous spot." "Yes it was unprofessional," wrote one fan on social media. "If a woman in sports media did the same thing she would get crucified." "This is disgusting behavior. We want to make women and everyone feel comfortable at sporting events and this is what gets promoted? Hey @wileyballard_ this is highly inappropriate and joking about a new pickup method on air is gross and cringy," replied fantasy NASCAR writer Matthew Selz.Others defended Ballard and told social media to calm down. "The fact that @wileyballard_ the kindest, most professional reporter I met covering Atlanta sports is at the eye of today's dumb internet storm is objectively hilarious," responded seasoned sports anchor Wes Blankenship. "Inhale. Exhale. And consider that you may be alive today because a gentleman asked a girl for her number.""All of the think pieces on Wiley Ballard have to stop. Dude is the [sic] one of the nicest guys in the business and has worked extremely hard to get where he is," replied broadcaster Brady Penn. "To those of you crying about it being 'inappropriate' or 'misogynistic' please stop. It was two adults having a fun bit that crushed."Despite the Wiley flirtations, the Braves went on to defeat the Blue Jays 8 to 4. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/feminists-sports-wiley-flirt-video

2025-04-16 21:34:29

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=59923447&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C220%2C0%2C220
Over the past decade, the once universally loved “Saturday Night Live” has become a clear propaganda tool of the left — consistently pushing left-wing issues while poking fun at the right. However, that may be changing after one April 12 "SNL" skit shockingly mocked gay surrogacy. The sketch took place at a chaotic dinner party where guests shared bizarre personal updates. One gay couple at the dinner party had a newborn baby, and the other guests then begin asking questions as to where and how they acquired a baby — even asking if they stole it. The skit took it so far as to ask the gay couple how just the other night they were going to a gay rave called “Bulge Dungeon” when there was a baby on the way. “There are two different ways to see this,” Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” says. “Either you can see it as using comedy to normalize two men purchasing a baby, or you can see it as a big vibe shift that we are actually starting to mock and deride something that deserves our mockery and derision.” “Because it is a legitimate question. How could two men, who do not have the genetic material nor the wombs to create and bear children, have a child?” Stuckey asks. While Stuckey is skeptical that the skit was pointing out the gay couple’s purchase of a baby as a bad thing, she did think one line from the skit was a home run. “That line about ‘last night you were talking about going to Bulge Dungeon and now you have a baby and we’re just wondering how to square that circle,’ that was a good one. That was the best line, because if you see a lot of these men who are purchasing children, you do have some questions, like, ‘Do you know the first thing about raising a child?’” Stuckey says. “And so I appreciate that whatever the motive is, that we are in the mode right now of mocking something that is absolutely depraved and destructive,” she adds. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/gay-surrogacy-snl

2025-04-16 21:32:15

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=59923447&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C220%2C0%2C220
Over the past decade, the once universally loved “Saturday Night Live” has become a clear propaganda tool of the left — consistently pushing left-wing issues while poking fun at the right. However, that may be changing after one April 12 "SNL" skit shockingly mocked gay surrogacy. The sketch took place at a chaotic dinner party where guests shared bizarre personal updates. One gay couple at the dinner party had a newborn baby, and the other guests then begin asking questions as to where and how they acquired a baby — even asking if they stole it. The skit took it so far as to ask the gay couple how just the other night they were going to a gay rave called “Bulge Dungeon” when there was a baby on the way. “There are two different ways to see this,” Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” says. “Either you can see it as using comedy to normalize two men purchasing a baby, or you can see it as a big vibe shift that we are actually starting to mock and deride something that deserves our mockery and derision.” “Because it is a legitimate question. How could two men, who do not have the genetic material nor the wombs to create and bear children, have a child?” Stuckey asks. While Stuckey is skeptical that the skit was pointing out the gay couple’s purchase of a baby as a bad thing, she did think one line from the skit was a home run. “That line about ‘last night you were talking about going to Bulge Dungeon and now you have a baby and we’re just wondering how to square that circle,’ that was a good one. That was the best line, because if you see a lot of these men who are purchasing children, you do have some questions, like, ‘Do you know the first thing about raising a child?’” Stuckey says. “And so I appreciate that whatever the motive is, that we are in the mode right now of mocking something that is absolutely depraved and destructive,” she adds. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/gay-surrogacy-snl

2025-04-15 17:04:57

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/dark-and-macabre-florida-woman-arrested-for-allegedly-selling-human-remains-on-facebook.png?id=59898361&width=2000&height=1500&coordinates=137%2C0%2C137%2C0
A Florida woman has been arrested for selling human remains on Facebook, according to police. Kymberlee Anne Schopper — a 52-year-old woman from Deltona — was arrested Thursday. She was charged with trading in human tissue, according to the Orange City Police Department.'Join us on a journey down our rabbit hole of curiosities, where the oddities of the world become the keys to unlocking a deeper appreciation for the diverse tapestry of existence.'Schopper was released Friday from the Volusia County Jail on a $7,500 bond.Schopper reportedly is one of the owners of the Wicked Wonderland store — self-described as "embracing the peculiar, the odd, and the misunderstood."The business states it offers taxidermy forms, bone art and jewelry, clown art, BDSM accessories, and a "large selection of wet specimens." The store's site notes that "every ethically sourced specimen is handled with the utmost care and respect.""Join us on a journey down our rabbit hole of curiosities, where the oddities of the world become the keys to unlocking a deeper appreciation for the diverse tapestry of existence," the site states. "To understand the odd is to truly appreciate the beauty of diversity." According to the business' website, the owners are "a mother and daughter team who revel in the madness of the strange and unusual; the dark and macabre."The owners both claim to "come from a medical background" and "have a passion for sharing our knowledge and expertise in the preservation and exploration of anatomy and pathology of all organic beings."Wicked Wonderland reportedly also sells merchandise on Facebook. On Dec. 21, 2023, police received a tip that Wicked Wonderland was selling human bones on Facebook Marketplace, according to WOFL-TV.The business allegedly was selling two human skull fragments for $90, a human clavicle and scapula for $90, a human rib for $35, human vertebrae for $35, and a partial human skull for $600.When investigators asked about the human remains, the other shop owner told police that she was unaware that it was illegal, according to the arrest affidavit. "She confirmed that the store had multiple human bone fragments, all purchased from private sellers, and mentioned she has documentation for these transactions but could not provide it at that moment," the arrest affidavit states. "She described the bones as genuine human remains and delicate in nature."Schopper allegedly told police the bones were "educational models," which would make it legal to sell the human remains. Police seized the human remains and submitted them for analysis by a medical examiner and experts. Experts allegedly suspect the cranium and the skull fragments were likely archaeological finds. The human remains are believed to range in age from 100 years old to more than 500 years old, WOFL-TV reported. Police said the investigation is ongoing. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-woman-selling-human-remains-facebook

2025-04-15 17:01:29

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/dark-and-macabre-florida-woman-arrested-for-allegedly-selling-human-remains-on-facebook.png?id=59898361&width=2000&height=1500&coordinates=137%2C0%2C137%2C0
A Florida woman has been arrested for selling human remains on Facebook, according to police. Kymberlee Anne Schopper — a 52-year-old woman from Deltona — was arrested Thursday. She was charged with trading in human tissue, according to the Orange City Police Department.'Join us on a journey down our rabbit hole of curiosities, where the oddities of the world become the keys to unlocking a deeper appreciation for the diverse tapestry of existence.'Schopper was released Friday from the Volusia County Jail on a $7,500 bond.Schopper reportedly is one of the owners of the Wicked Wonderland store — self-described as "embracing the peculiar, the odd, and the misunderstood."The business states it offers taxidermy forms, bone art and jewelry, clown art, BDSM accessories, and a "large selection of wet specimens." The store's site notes that "every ethically sourced specimen is handled with the utmost care and respect.""Join us on a journey down our rabbit hole of curiosities, where the oddities of the world become the keys to unlocking a deeper appreciation for the diverse tapestry of existence," the site states. "To understand the odd is to truly appreciate the beauty of diversity." According to the business' website, the owners are "a mother and daughter team who revel in the madness of the strange and unusual; the dark and macabre."The owners both claim to "come from a medical background" and "have a passion for sharing our knowledge and expertise in the preservation and exploration of anatomy and pathology of all organic beings."Wicked Wonderland reportedly also sells merchandise on Facebook. On Dec. 21, 2023, police received a tip that Wicked Wonderland was selling human bones on Facebook Marketplace, according to WOFL-TV.The business allegedly was selling two human skull fragments for $90, a human clavicle and scapula for $90, a human rib for $35, human vertebrae for $35, and a partial human skull for $600.When investigators asked about the human remains, the other shop owner told police that she was unaware that it was illegal, according to the arrest affidavit. "She confirmed that the store had multiple human bone fragments, all purchased from private sellers, and mentioned she has documentation for these transactions but could not provide it at that moment," the arrest affidavit states. "She described the bones as genuine human remains and delicate in nature."Schopper allegedly told police the bones were "educational models," which would make it legal to sell the human remains. Police seized the human remains and submitted them for analysis by a medical examiner and experts. Experts allegedly suspect the cranium and the skull fragments were likely archaeological finds. The human remains are believed to range in age from 100 years old to more than 500 years old, WOFL-TV reported. Police said the investigation is ongoing. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-woman-selling-human-remains-facebook

2025-04-13 23:01:54

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/silence-isnt-peace-its-just-surrender-in-slow-motion.jpg?id=59883452&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C20%2C0%2C20
Blaze Media recently published my opinion piece “Agree to disagree? More like surrender to the script.” In the days that followed, readers left thoughtful and reasonable comments.But when the Christian Post republished the same article, the comment section there sparked a firestorm.If God the Father had been willing to 'agree to disagree' with humanity about sin, He wouldn’t have sent His Son to die in our place.If you don’t have time to read the article or browse the responses, here’s the short version:The piece centers on a conversation I had with my friend Jeffrey, who strongly dislikes President Trump. Over the four years of the Biden administration, Jeffrey never once criticized Biden or his team — no matter how egregious their actions. Yet, barely two months into Trump’s return to office, Jeffrey was already taking shots at him. And he did so during what had been, until that moment, a relatively uneventful phone call.To be clear, I didn’t bring up the topic of the president. I knew it was a sensitive subject for Jeffrey. But during a conversation about a recent movie, he found a way to insert his objection to Trump’s deportation policy, calling those deported “asylum seekers.” He also declared that Trump was “bad for democracy.”I pushed back gently, noting that America is not a democracy but a constitutional republic. Jeffrey agreed.When I pointed out that an open border has led to sex trafficking, fentanyl deaths, and violent criminals infiltrating small towns, he said he didn’t support any of that. But then he quickly ended the conversation with, “Let’s just agree to disagree.”Trump broke the truceI found that well-worn phrase — “agree to disagree” — strange in this context. It suggests any disagreement, no matter how serious, can be casually brushed aside. Sure, my wife prefers chocolate ice cream, and I prefer vanilla. On that — and countless other minor things — we can “agree to disagree.” But when the stakes are higher? When lives are at risk — even the future of the nation? People should articulate and defend their positions.After my “agree to disagree” article appeared in the Christian Post, commenters there came after me. Apparently, I wasn’t being a good Christian because I stirred the pot by bringing up Donald Trump — “the great divider,” as some called him. Never mind that I didn’t bring up his name. My friend did. But I wasn’t about to let his cheap shots go unchallenged.In the original piece, I asked whether my friend — a faithful Christian — also sees his allegiance to the Democratic Party as an “agree to disagree” matter. Can a Christian’s loyalty to any political party cloud his judgment on what’s clearly right or wrong?Jeffrey said he opposes sex changes for kids and drag queen story hours. But when it comes to deportation, he sees Trump’s second-term policies as domineering and out of bounds.Disagreeing isn’t a sinOn critical issues — like the devastating effects of open borders — silence is complicity. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned, “Silence in the face of evil is evil. Not to speak is to speak.” When others looked the other way — or “agreed to disagree” — during the Nazi rise in 1930s Germany, Bonhoeffer stood firm. He was one of the few pastors who refused to be silent.Today, the American left censors, cancels, and silences anyone who disagrees. Leftists expect us to “agree to disagree” but only if we’re the ones doing the agreeing — and the disagreeing. That demand for submission is part of why the country now finds itself in such dangerous and unstable times.In my earlier article, one line struck a nerve:It’s hard to imagine these days that the words ‘Christian’ and ‘Democrat’ can be mentioned in the same sentence.That line sparked outrage. One commenter at the Christian Post wrote: “Nothing ends discussions — or even friendships — faster than questioning someone’s salvation over their political party.”But here’s the problem: That’s not what I said. That commenter assumed I questioned my friend’s salvation. I didn’t. Within the context of the article, it’s clear I questioned his wisdom — something entirely different.Jesus didn’t flinchA few years ago, it was trendy to wear wristbands with the initials “WWJD?” — short for “What Would Jesus Do?”But I always thought the better question was “WDJD?” — “What Did Jesus Do?”Without knowing the Gospels, we risk projecting our own preferences onto Christ. We imagine He would act just like us in any given situation. But if we read scripture and study His words, we begin to understand how He actually responded — and how we should, too.Nowhere in the four Gospels does Jesus “agree to disagree.” He never split the difference. He never wavered. He always led from a position of authority.Take His encounter in the Temple. Jesus didn’t debate the moneychangers. He didn’t issue a polite warning. He flipped their tables and drove them out (Matthew 21:12-13). He didn’t scold them and promise to check in again next Sabbath for a follow-up heart-to-heart.Jesus didn’t agree to disagree. He made it unmistakably clear: God’s house would not be defiled.Oswald Chambers, in his classic devotional “My Utmost for His Highest,” ends the March 24 entry with this piercing line: “You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it.”He cites Matthew 10:34, where Jesus says, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”That doesn’t sound like someone looking to “agree to disagree.”Debate or dodgeOne commenter tried to compare disagreement to a hung jury — where jurors can’t reach a unanimous verdict. But that analogy falls apart under scrutiny. Hung juries don’t arise from casual disagreement or an early vote. They happen only after jurors rigorously examine the evidence, debate the facts, and dig into every detail.A jury doesn’t begin deliberations by taking a straw poll and calling it quits. It doesn’t return to the judge after a 7-5 split and declare, “Let’s just agree to disagree.”A fair trial demands serious discussion — so should any conversation where truth and justice are at stake.If God the Father had been willing to “agree to disagree” with humanity about sin, He wouldn’t have sent His Son to die in our place. We could have gone on living however we pleased — hurting others, being hurt, and suffering the consequences. Jesus might have shown up just to stand on the sidelines, shaking His head as we destroyed ourselves.Consider the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. The Pharisees reminded Jesus that the law required her to be stoned. He could have done what Pontius Pilate would do later — wash His hands of the situation. He could have said, “The law is the law,” and let the crowd do as it pleased. Agree to disagree, right?But Jesus didn’t do that. Instead, He delivered a mic-drop moment that spared her life. Then, He told her, “Go and sin no more.”Compare that to what happened when Jesus stood before Pilate. Pilate, faced with the mob, knew Jesus was innocent. But instead of standing up to the crowd, he caved. He agreed to disagree — and sent Christ to the cross.When it comes to sin and judgment, “agree to disagree” is just cowardice dressed up as compromise. Jesus never did that.You posted, didn’t you?Some readers of my original article accused me of sounding self-righteous for taking a firm stance with Jeffrey. But I don’t believe we should compromise — or “agree to disagree” — on matters of real consequence. That’s why I laid out the facts clearly, whether Jeffrey knew them or not.There’s more to be said, but let me end with this:A surprising number of commenters on the Christian Post insisted that we should always “agree to disagree,” even on major issues. But every one of those comments proved my point. Not a single person “agreed to disagree” with me. Instead, they made sure their dissenting views were heard — some twisting my words, others going straight for personal attacks.If they truly believed in “agreeing to disagree,” they wouldn’t have commented at all.So who’s right about the value of “agree to disagree”?Well, it appears it's debatable, after all.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/silence-isnt-peace-its-just-surrender-in-slow-motion

2025-04-12 22:31:18

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=59886186&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0
There are a few far-right commentators orbiting the conservative space who stir controversy at every chance they get, and Nick Fuentes is one of them. Recently, the young podcaster set his sights on Jason Whitlock of “Fearless,” seemingly blaming him — and the color of his skin — for Fuentes’ own powerlessness over how others perceive him. “You are a token,” Fuentes began. “Hey, Jason, you’re a token. You are in conservative media as a black guy that can confer upon white people the dignity of not being called a racist for having their views. That’s why you get paid, and that’s why I don’t, because I didn’t have the privilege of being born black.” “I was born white, so there’s a limit on what I can say. There’s a limit on what I can say without being penalized in the so-called free marketplace of ideas, and everybody knows it,” he continued. “And everybody’s sick of it, especially in the conservative space, that blacks have had it easy.” While Fuentes went on to say that he’s sure Whitlock is “a sincere person,” he kept attempting to bash the “Fearless” host by saying he’s “playing by a different set of rules,” has “training wheels on,” and calling him “pal.” “If you said the stuff that you said as a white person, your a** would be gone,” he added. Whitlock found the clip of Fuentes bashing him to be rife with “jealousy.” “There’s a couple things going on here. There’s jealousy, there’s some sort of belief that I’m immune to the consequences of my journalistic standards, of my approach to journalism,” Whitlock says, noting that Fuentes compared him to a much younger former BlazeTV host. “I’m in my 50s, and he’s comparing me to a child who was at the beginning of his career in the media, and expects that a child, in this profession, should be treated like a decorated military veteran in this profession,” Whitlock says, adding, “That’s a level of privilege that they want that perhaps is irrational.” “And the assertion that I’ve been given everything, oh boy, that’s quite a stretch. But he can have that narrative,” Whitlock continues. “The one thing I do want to answer to is this thought that I’m here to confer dignity on white conservatives.” “I’m here to defend Christian values. I’m here to defend anyone that stands on Christian values, and I don’t want Christian values demonized as racist,” he adds. “I want to confer dignity to God’s truth, and I don’t want it smeared and promoted as racist or harmful for black people, and that’s what they’ve been doing.”Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/fearless-with-jason-whitlock/black-lives-matter

2025-04-12 22:31:02

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=59886186&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0
There are a few far-right commentators orbiting the conservative space who stir controversy at every chance they get, and Nick Fuentes is one of them. Recently, the young podcaster set his sights on Jason Whitlock of “Fearless,” seemingly blaming him — and the color of his skin — for Fuentes’ own powerlessness over how others perceive him. “You are a token,” Fuentes began. “Hey, Jason, you’re a token. You are in conservative media as a black guy that can confer upon white people the dignity of not being called a racist for having their views. That’s why you get paid, and that’s why I don’t, because I didn’t have the privilege of being born black.” “I was born white, so there’s a limit on what I can say. There’s a limit on what I can say without being penalized in the so-called free marketplace of ideas, and everybody knows it,” he continued. “And everybody’s sick of it, especially in the conservative space, that blacks have had it easy.” While Fuentes went on to say that he’s sure Whitlock is “a sincere person,” he kept attempting to bash the “Fearless” host by saying he’s “playing by a different set of rules,” has “training wheels on,” and calling him “pal.” “If you said the stuff that you said as a white person, your a** would be gone,” he added. Whitlock found the clip of Fuentes bashing him to be rife with “jealousy.” “There’s a couple things going on here. There’s jealousy, there’s some sort of belief that I’m immune to the consequences of my journalistic standards, of my approach to journalism,” Whitlock says, noting that Fuentes compared him to a much younger former BlazeTV host. “I’m in my 50s, and he’s comparing me to a child who was at the beginning of his career in the media, and expects that a child, in this profession, should be treated like a decorated military veteran in this profession,” Whitlock says, adding, “That’s a level of privilege that they want that perhaps is irrational.” “And the assertion that I’ve been given everything, oh boy, that’s quite a stretch. But he can have that narrative,” Whitlock continues. “The one thing I do want to answer to is this thought that I’m here to confer dignity on white conservatives.” “I’m here to defend Christian values. I’m here to defend anyone that stands on Christian values, and I don’t want Christian values demonized as racist,” he adds. “I want to confer dignity to God’s truth, and I don’t want it smeared and promoted as racist or harmful for black people, and that’s what they’ve been doing.”Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/fearless-with-jason-whitlock/black-lives-matter

2025-04-02 22:06:00

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=59782935&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
WNBA star Caitlin Clark may be known for her incredible skills on the basketball court, but sportscasters don’t seem to care about that. Rather, they choose to focus on something else: her race. “When given a chance to talk about Caitlin Clark, they’re always going to racialize it and try to demonize Caitlin Clark’s fanbase,” Jason Whitlock of “Fearless” comments. “Covering the WNBA this past season, Caitlin Clark’s rookie year, for all of the conversation that surrounded her, some which was fair, and some which wasn’t, the one thing that I cannot deny is the amount of little girls that were showing up to follow her,” ESPN analyst Monica McNutt said in a recent interview on BBC. “She was a white girl from the middle of America, and so she represented a whole lot to a lot of people,” McNutt continued, adding, “We attach our fandom to these icons for all types of reasons, and sometimes they may not be based in all truth.” Whitlock believes the interviewer, BBC journalist Katty Kay, spurred on the race baiting. “Did you see the strategy of the white liberal woman that was there to spur on the race baiting?” he asks. “She’s trying to lob up a softball, ‘play the race card Monica McNutt,’ and this is where I’m going to defend Monica McNutt.” “There’s that kernel and element of truth that Caitlin Clark and all the little suburban white girls that have hopped on board with the WNBA have hopped on board because Caitlin Clark resonates with them more so than the, and I’m just generalizing here, than the angry black lesbians who dominate the WNBA.” “There’s a high percentage of them, and they all like to get in front of a microphone and express their anger and demonize whiteness. The entire league went head over heels for Black Lives Matter,” he continues, adding, “So yes, have parents in suburbia and little girls in suburbia said, ‘Hey, I can relate to Caitlin Clark, look at her nuclear family, look at her Catholic nuclear family, she’s like us, she has a boyfriend.’” “Yes, people find that relatable,” he adds. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/fearless-with-jason-whitlock/caitlin-clark

2025-03-31 19:47:24

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=59763953&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
On March 25, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” The order requires voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, mandates that all ballots be received by Election Day, strongly encourages paper ballots, and gives federal agencies (like DHS) power to review state election practices. States that fail to comply risk losing federal funding. While there is certain to be pushback from the radical left, anyone with an ounce of sense knows this is a big win for election security, which a huge percentage of Americans no longer have faith in. “This would prevent the radical left from being able to do almost everything that they have done to us,” says Liz Wheeler. The simplicity of voter ID and paper ballots to solve the complex problem of election fraud is further proof of Donald Trump’s brilliance, she says. On top of that, it will expose who wants to cheat. “Listen to who opposes this, and you'll know who the cheaters are. ... There is no legitimate reason to oppose any of those things. If you oppose it, you are a cheater,” says Liz matter of factly. She’s less excited, however, about the Crossfire Hurricane EO that will declassify files related to the FBI’s probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign and alleged Russian interference. “This is good that he declassified this,” but “my expectations are low for the same reason that my expectations were low for the JFK files: I don’t expect that those in the FBI who were so corrupt that they staged lawfare against the president of the United States, illegally spied on him, lied and falsely accused him of colluding with Russia – I don't expect that they would have retained a file or a file cabinet full of incriminating information against themselves,” she says. The only reason we know the truth about Crossfire Hurricane, Liz argues, is because “we the people — independent journalists — recorded what happened and investigated what happened.” She doesn’t anticipate these files will have any kind of smoking gun because the FBI wouldn’t dare leave such a thing sitting around awaiting discovery. To hear more of Liz’s analysis, watch the clip above. Want more from Liz Wheeler?To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-liz-wheeler-show/brilliant-trumps-election-fraud-eo-locks-down-voting-while-exposing-the-cheaters

2025-03-31 19:46:39

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=59763953&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
On March 25, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” The order requires voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, mandates that all ballots be received by Election Day, strongly encourages paper ballots, and gives federal agencies (like DHS) power to review state election practices. States that fail to comply risk losing federal funding. While there is certain to be pushback from the radical left, anyone with an ounce of sense knows this is a big win for election security, which a huge percentage of Americans no longer have faith in. “This would prevent the radical left from being able to do almost everything that they have done to us,” says Liz Wheeler. The simplicity of voter ID and paper ballots to solve the complex problem of election fraud is further proof of Donald Trump’s brilliance, she says. On top of that, it will expose who wants to cheat. “Listen to who opposes this, and you'll know who the cheaters are. ... There is no legitimate reason to oppose any of those things. If you oppose it, you are a cheater,” says Liz matter of factly. She’s less excited, however, about the Crossfire Hurricane EO that will declassify files related to the FBI’s probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign and alleged Russian interference. “This is good that he declassified this,” but “my expectations are low for the same reason that my expectations were low for the JFK files: I don’t expect that those in the FBI who were so corrupt that they staged lawfare against the president of the United States, illegally spied on him, lied and falsely accused him of colluding with Russia – I don't expect that they would have retained a file or a file cabinet full of incriminating information against themselves,” she says. The only reason we know the truth about Crossfire Hurricane, Liz argues, is because “we the people — independent journalists — recorded what happened and investigated what happened.” She doesn’t anticipate these files will have any kind of smoking gun because the FBI wouldn’t dare leave such a thing sitting around awaiting discovery. To hear more of Liz’s analysis, watch the clip above. Want more from Liz Wheeler?To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-liz-wheeler-show/brilliant-trumps-election-fraud-eo-locks-down-voting-while-exposing-the-cheaters

2025-03-28 02:06:44

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/i-called-out-the-cia-on-x-and-then-my-account-disappeared.jpg?id=59318713&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C113%2C0%2C114
Some say the Central Intelligence Agency is the world’s leading cause of “coincidences.” This might be another one. Just as the government released thousands of JFK assassination files, I — a former CIA officer turned whistleblower — was suddenly blocked from posting reform proposals on social media. The experience showed just how powerful X has become in the fight against deep-state corruption. Americans want their country back from those who have taken control. I post regularly on X, sharing updates on CIA activity and government corruption. My account has 125,000 followers and delivers unfiltered information without paid promotion. After 17 years in the CIA, including high-level assignments across multiple global stations, I know how the agency operates — and how often it violates the U.S. Constitution without consequence. Since I began publicly exposing CIA corruption in 2010, I have created documents and posted videos about CIA misconduct. My computer crashes frequently — twice in the past four months — destroying all my data. Even my backup account on Carbonite failed to save this information. Recently, “someone” accessed my primary computer through the router and specifically targeted and corrupted only the files and videos related to the CIA, rendering them inaccessible. My account on X has been a quick and protected way to get this information to Americans. In my book, “Twilight of the Shadow Government: How Transparency Will Kill the Deep State,” written with my courageous co-author Kent Heckenlively, we reveal the CIA’s criminal and unconstitutional operations for everyone to see. “Light dispels darkness,” as so many have observed. In the book, Kent and I lay out 12 steps that must be taken to reform the CIA. Two weeks ago, on my X account, I spelled out 13 additional radical steps to reform the CIA and end its tyranny of secrecy once and for all. I posted each step back-to-back. These reforms are lethal to the CIA’s control over all three branches of our elected government — and the fear of reprisal against anyone who challenges its power. Maybe it was the 13th step that annoyed the agency the most: “Legally indict and charge CIA officials who engage in a criminal conspiracy to silence whistleblowers, block information from Congress, or violate U.S. and constitutional law.” It just wouldn’t be the same old CIA any more if they couldn’t lie to Congress or our duly elected president. The day after I posted the 13 steps, I received a warning from X stating I had violated its guidelines and was being suspended for multiple copyright violations. I was unable to log in and access my account. Four attempts to appeal the suspension resulted in a boilerplate response instructing me to log in to my account for further information. Of course, I was unable to log in to do so. What’s more, I could not follow any other X users or post comments on their pages. It was an endless loop of blockages. This occurred just as 80,000 pages of JFK assassination documents were released — a critical moment. I had prepared evidentiary posts indicating the CIA was involved in the murder of President John F. Kennedy. My position as a CIA officer who had worked in all four agency directorates — as well as being the only one to publicly challenge the state secrets privilege and publish a book about the history of the CIA without the agency's approval — made me unique among commentators. Finally, I contacted my dear friend Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who has reached the same conclusion regarding the CIA's culpability in the murder of his uncle — spelling out what had just happened. Since he is extremely busy with his new Cabinet post at Health and Human Services, I was unsure whether I would receive an answer. Within a matter of hours, I received a text back from Bobby. He advised me that he had passed my text to James Musk — Elon’s cousin and an X executive. James responded immediately. After researching the matter, James advised me that X had not suspended @kevin_shipp. Some entity — perhaps the CIA? — had created a fraudulent @kevin_shipp account, which caused an override of the true account and sent me a fictitious X community guidelines violation along with multiple copyright violation claims on the 13 steps to CIA reform. James uncovered this malicious attack in just under two hours. Following his guidance on how to regain access to the real account, @kevin_shipp was back up, and all 13 steps were there and open for comments. What a relief to see my first post go live again — just one word: “Test.” My co-author quickly shared the story on X, paying to boost the post. It reached 1.6 million people. The experience showed just how powerful X has become in the fight against deep-state corruption. Americans want their country back from those who have taken control. Watching Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and James Musk respond so swiftly and boldly to a targeted attack on my account was inspiring and reassuring. That night, I slept peacefully, knowing I wasn’t alone in standing up for our republic. This fight isn’t mine alone — it belongs to all of us. And with people like Kennedy and Musk stepping up, we’re finally pushing back.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/i-called-out-the-cia-on-x-and-then-my-account-disappeared

2025-03-26 17:06:36

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/mom-accused-of-forcing-elementary-school-age-child-to-wear-dead-dog-s-electric-shock-collar-visible-marks-seen-on-victim.png?id=58718445&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=32%2C0%2C32%2C0
A New Jersey mother is accused of child abuse after she allegedly forced her elementary school-age child to wear an electric shock dog collar, according to officials. Kimberly Cruz-Feliciano — a 30-year-old from Cape May — was arrested March 18, according to jail records. The child was 'forced to wear the shock collar at all times in the home.'Cruz-Feliciano was charged with two second-degree counts of aggravated assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of first-degree witness tampering with threat of force, and one count of third-degree hindering.The mother was detained at the Cape May County Correctional Center.In addition, the child's grandmother — 59-year-old Sonia Feliciano — allegedly witnessed the purported child abuse. She was arrested and charged with hindering and tampering with evidence. She was released pending future court proceedings.The child arrived at the Cape May City Elementary School with "visible marks on their body," according to authorities. On March 17, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Cape May City Police Department launched a joint investigation into the suspected child abuse. The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release, "Further investigation revealed that the marks were the result of an electric dog shock collar, prompting immediate and decisive action from law enforcement."Citing the criminal complaint, WPVI-TV reported that the child was "forced to wear the shock collar at all times in the home," and the dog shock collar was used "when the child made Cruz-Feliciano upset."The shock collar allegedly was used on the family dog before the animal died. However, the electric collar was “charged regularly” even after the dog died, according to court documents.Investigators said Cruz-Feliciano threatened the child with "more violence if they disclosed the ongoing abuse."When police interviewed Cruz-Feliciano, the mother allegedly admitted to the child abuse and stated she had her mother dispose of the dog shock collar.Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland stated, "This case highlights the ongoing dedication of our law enforcement agencies to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. We take all allegations of child abuse with the utmost seriousness, and we will continue to ensure that those responsible for such heinous acts are held fully accountable under the law."A neighbor told WPVI that authorities had been called to the home in the past: "It's just sad. I hate to hear something like that, I really do. And it's right here in the neighborhood, and I did not know that."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/mother-child-abuse-dog-shock-collar

2025-03-26 17:06:36

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=59082196&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0
When ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was on “The Megyn Kelly Show” this past Monday, he was quick to point out that he was the first person on the left to call out Joe Biden. “When I called out President Biden at the time, it was a year before the debate – a year. I said, ‘Yo, something's missing, he's not there; he's not going to make it to the Democratic National Convention,”’ he said. “I was excoriated; I was raked through the coals ... but look at you now because I was right.” Smith went on to list all the things he called the left out on: Kamala Harris, woke culture, cancel culture, transgender nonsense, and the border. Megyn Kelly may have been impressed with Smith’s criticism of the Democrat Party, but Jason Whitlock says he’s “a fraud.” He argues that the idea that Smith was “so ahead of the curve” and was “super insightful and courageous” is just ridiculous. “Stephen A. Smith is beating his chest” by claiming that he was the first to say “Joe Biden is cooked,” he says. “Anybody with a brain had already said that months and months and years ago.” This calling out Joe Biden and the Democrat Party is all part of his plan to run for president, Whitlock speculates. Long before Smith publicly floated the idea of running for president, Whitlock knew that his 2023 book “Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes” was “written to launch his presidential career.” How did he know Smith was gearing up to run for president? “There's a pattern to these planted imbeciles that the Democrats use. ... His book read just like Obama’s book – a book of fiction written to cover all the talking points necessary to be a Democrat candidate for president,” he says. If Stephen A. Smith was a true leader, he wouldn’t have been up there “preaching about the [COVID] vaccine and shaming people that wouldn't take the vaccine.” “I need something more authentic than Stephen A. Smith,” says Whitlock. To hear more of his commentary, watch the clip above. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/fearless-with-jason-whitlock/stephen-a-smith-prophet-of-bidens-demise-or-political-fraud

2025-03-24 20:05:40

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=58407828&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
The long-awaited release of Disney’s new “Snow White” remake has turned out to be a massive disappointment, as ahead of the box-office opening, it had the worst Rotten Tomatoes score for a Disney live-action remake. Before it’s official release, the critic score was 46%. One of the top critics, Otis Henderson, wrote, “I had high hopes that 'Snow White' would make me happy; instead, this dopey remake made me sleepy and grumpy.” While the professional movie critics weren’t pleased, the audience hasn’t been, either. “Wow Disney, you truly are incredible. It took you three years, multiple rewrites, unnecessary CGI, and $209 million just for me to enjoy a comment section of a movie I will never watch. Bless you,” one YouTube user wrote about the trailer. The film stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the evil queen, which has led to the remake coming under even more fire for poor casting. “I mean look, I love Gal Gadot, I don’t think she’s the greatest actress,” Matthew Marsden tells Sara Gonzales and Jaco Booyens on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.” “But why do you pick somebody who is quite clearly more beautiful than Snow White to play the queen?” But it’s not just the casting that the panel sees as a flop. “They have dried up with any creativity,” Booyens says. “That’s true,” Gonzales adds, “That’s like all they’re doing now is coming out with live actions of others like ‘The Lion King.’” Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/snow-white-dei

2025-03-24 18:52:29

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/everybody-should-be-fired-rob-lowe-says-entertainment-industry-has-abandoned-los-angeles-and-california.jpg?id=58407884&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C194%2C0%2C194
Actor Rob Lowe decried the state of the entertainment business in California and claimed that he was forced to miss out on a television show because of mismanagement. Lowe made the comments while speaking with guest Adam Scott on his "Literally! With Rob Lowe" podcast. He said that it was more expensive to walk across the street and shoot a film than it was to move the entire production to another country. 'It's criminal what California and LA have let happen. It's criminal. Everybody should be fired.' "It's cheaper to bring a hundred American people to Ireland than to walk across the lot to Fox, past the sound stages, and do it there," Lowe said. "Crazy!" Scott responded. Scott then asked Lowe if they were to film the popular series "Parks and Rec" again if they would have to move it out of California. "One hundred percent, we would be," Lowe replied. "We would be in Budapest." “It’s so weird how nothing shoots in Los Angeles,” Scott said. “Nothing!" Lowe interjected. “I had my next show already done, scripts, deals closed, and they said we’re shooting this in New York, and I said I’m not moving to New York to do this, and it went away. The show’s done. Not doing it." "Wow!" Scott replied. "No s**t!" Lowe explained that other places in the world offer tax incentives of up to 40% and other perks in order to steal production from Los Angeles. "That's not even talking about the union stuff!" he added. "It's criminal what California and L.A. have let happen. It's criminal. Everybody should be fired," Lowe said. Scott offered an anecdote about studios where he had worked, claiming they were bustling with new shows in the past but have since become a ghost town. "It's weird," he said. "Super, super weird," Lowe added. Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced a plan to double the tax incentives for the entertainment industry to $750 million in an attempt to revive business in Hollywood. Some have criticized the effort as not comprehensive enough to reverse the industry's decline. "It's just too expensive to shoot here," said Scott. The entire podcast can be viewed on the show's channel on YouTube. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/align/rob-lowe-entertainment-los-angeles

2025-03-24 18:52:29

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/masked-leftist-thug-cuts-off-harasses-tesla-driver-a-mother-on-her-way-to-doctor-and-tells-her-this-is-a-nazi-car.png?id=58407637&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C63%2C0%2C64
A mother on her way to a doctor's appointment last week in Lynnwood, Washington, told KCPQ-TV a male wearing a mask cut her off, got out of his vehicle, and began harassing her because she was driving a Tesla.Leigh, a Tesla owner for the last two years, added to the station that she first noticed the aggressive driver honking behind her as she approached a red light Wednesday morning.'I could only see his eyes. He also had a large bag in front of him and baggy clothes. I had no idea if I was safe or not.'"Thankfully, I was by myself," Leigh added to KCPQ. "When I made a left turn, they followed me and cut around me."She told the station things heated up when the driver of a white SUV cut her off, stopped in the middle of the road, got out, approached her vehicle, and began berating her."He gets out and walks straight up to my door window. So I cracked my window, and I said, ‘What? What is the problem?’" Leigh recounted to KCPQ. "He goes, ‘You need to sell your car. This is a Nazi car. You're driving it, you need to sell your car.’"The mother seemed "visibly shaken" when describing the encounter, the station said, and she noted that the driver — who was wearing a camouflage jacket and a ski mask — lowered his mask to tell her she "needed to learn to drive" and then returned to his car."I could only see his eyes. He also had a large bag in front of him and baggy clothes. I had no idea if I was safe or not," Leigh told KCPQ, adding that "I felt very threatened."You can view a video report here about the incident; it includes a clip of the masked male in question approaching her Tesla.As is the case with many Tesla owners, Leigh expressed values to KCPQ that reflect a liberal sensibility: "Being in Seattle, climate’s important, our footprint’s important. This seemed like the right move for our very busy family."Yet, once again, a radical leftist has taken it upon himself to menace someone who probably agrees with him about most issues."We drive a lot, and it saves us on gas," Leigh noted to the station, adding that "now it feels like a huge risk; it’s scary."More from KCPQ:Since the confrontation, Leigh says she has altered her driving routes, opting for highways instead of back roads to avoid stop signs and feel safer. She has filed multiple reports regarding the incident, but it remains unclear if the suspect will face any consequences."If it was easy to just turn over a $60,000 car and find something new that works, that’s one thing," she also told the station. "That’s not a decision that everybody can make overnight, and I think that puts a lot of us in a hard position."Leigh also told KCPQ, "Just really sad that this is what's happening to people. Honestly, it doesn't affect how I believe or what I believe — it's just the car I drive."More of the sameWhat Leigh experienced is part of an ongoing trend of open violence and vandalism the left has been carrying out against Tesla cars and Tesla owners. The company's CEO, Elon Musk, has been heading up the Trump administration's cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, which is deeply unpopular with leftists. Some examples:Recently a male who was caught on video keying a Tesla in San Jose, California, was arrested for a felony.Teslas at a Las Vegas service center were torched with Molotov cocktails and shot at.A Tesla protester lit himself on fire while trying to destroy Tesla charging stations in South Carolina, police said.Also, a now-removed website — “Dogequest" — purportedly doxxed Tesla owners around the country and mapped out possible targets for destructive protesters.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/masked-leftist-thug-cuts-off-harasses-tesla-driver-a-mother-on-her-way-to-doctor-and-tells-her-this-is-a-nazi-car

2025-03-11 22:02:22

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/embalmer-charged-with-felony-abuse-of-corpse-over-what-she-allegedly-did-to-dead-man-s-genitals.jpg?id=56815390&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
A licensed embalmer was arrested after she allegedly cut off a dead man's genitals and stuffed them into his mouth. The horrific incident was reported to Houston police by an embalming student at the Memorial Mortuary and Crematory in Texas. The trainee claimed to have seen 34-year-old Amber Paige Laudermilk commit the act after finding out the man had been a registered sex offender. 'No matter what one thinks of his life, the law requires that he be treated with dignity in death.' Police said that Laudermilk used a scalpel to stab at the genitals of Charles Roy Rodriguez in February. Rodriguez had been charged with sexual assault in 2001 and received 10 years of deferred adjudication before he died at the age of 58 of natural causes. Rodriguez was cremated after the alleged desecration of his corpse. “This case is about two troubled people: the victim who was a registered sex offender and the defendant, who is accused of viciously attacking his dead body,” said Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen in a post on Facebook. “No matter what one thinks of his life, the law requires that he be treated with dignity in death.” After Laudermilk allegedly committed the abuse, one of the witnesses said Laudermilk remarked, "You didn't see anything," in a manner that was perceived as a threat. “I don’t know the suspect’s past, but we have the utmost empathy for anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault or is the family or friend of someone who has been the victim of a sexual assault,” Rosen concluded. “The facts clearly indicate she was angry and I hope after this is resolved in the courts, she gets the help she needs.”Rosen posted an update that Laudermilk had turned herself in and was being held at the Harris County Jail with a bond of $5,000. Video from the mortuary can be viewed on the news report from KPRC-TV on YouTube. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/embalmer-corpse-mutilation-genitals-houston

2025-03-07 18:03:04

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/fauci-cabalist-top-gain-of-function-scientist-raise-alarm-about-dangerous-new-experiments.jpg?id=56662330&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1
One the world's most prominent gain-of-function researchers — whose methods were adapted by researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology for work on chimeric viruses — and one of the scientists who helped furnish Anthony Fauci with what he needed to downplay the lab-leak theory are now sounding the alarm about dangerous new coronavirus experiments conducted by the Chinese. Criticism may have been easier this time around, given that the critics and their friends do not appear to be directly linked to the dangerous research in question. Ralph Baric and W. Ian Lipkin expressed concern in a March 3 New York Times op-ed that Chinese scientists "are experimenting with viruses in ways that could put all of us in harm's way." Baric, a professor in the departments of epidemiology and microbiology at the University of North Carolina, is a leading proponent of gain-of-function research who successfully fought for an exemption from the Obama administration's moratorium on the dangerous practice in order to keep manufacturing artificial SARS-like viruses. He became an especially controversial figure during the pandemic, which has claimed the lives of over 7 million people worldwide. Lipkin, the John Snow professor of epidemiology at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health, was one of the co-authors of the controversial March 2020 paper "The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2," which Fauci used on multiple occasions to suggest to the American public that COVID-19 was not a lab leak but rather an animal virus that jumped to a human. Lipkin, who later thanked Fauci for his "efforts in steering and messaging" regarding the virus' origins, has reportedly long had a cozy relationship with Chinese communist authorities. Baric and Lipkin indicated that they are particularly concerned about experiments conducted by WIV researchers and other Chinese scientists on a deadly coronavirus called HKU5-CoV-2. These experiments are detailed in a recent paper published in the scientific journal Cell. The duo noted that the virus at the heart of the study "belongs to a subgroup of viruses that are classified alongside the one that causes MERS and that can have fatality rates far higher than that of the virus that caused the Covid pandemic." While HKU5 can infect humans and has the potential to be far more lethal than SARS-CoV-2, Chinese scientists have apparently been meddling with the fully infectious virus in a lab with "insufficient" containment controls. There are multiple biosafety level ratings for laboratories ranging from BSL-1 to BSL-4. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "each biosafety level builds on the controls of the level before it." 'Potentially dangerous research should not be done without proper precautions.' A BSL-4 lab, for instance, is designed to handle microbes that are "dangerous and exotic, posing a high risk of aerosol-transmitted infections" that could prove fatal. Researchers in such a lab must manipulate the infectious agents using a gas-tight sealed container with a double HEPA filtered exhaust while wearing protective gear. Alternatively, they must wear a full-body, air-supplied positive pressure suit. Researchers must also undergo routine medical surveillance for signs of infection. Such a high-security lab must also be located in a separate building or in a restricted zone of an existing building with double locking doors and provided with a dedicated supply of air along with decontamination systems. Despite the dangers posed to the researchers and the rest of mankind, the Chinese researchers have instead been experimenting in a lab described as BSL-2 plus. BSL-2 labs are meant to handle only microbes that pose, at worst, moderate hazards to researchers and the environment. "Decisions about what level of precaution is appropriate for research are typically made by a study's lead scientist and an institutional biosafety committee," wrote Baric and Lipkin. The lead scientist on this dangerous study was Shi Zhengli, whose track record for safety is less than stellar and with whom Baric has previously collaborated. According to a 2021 article in the MIT technology review, Baric asked Shi, who is the director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the WIV, for the genome of a new coronavirus Shi found in bat excrement. He apparently wanted to take the "spike" gene from the novel virus and stick it into a copy of a SARS virus he had on hand. Ultimately, Baric's team tested the resultant chimeric virus on humanized mice and in a petri dish of human airway cells and discovered that it could indeed infect humans. Baric and Lipkin noted in their op-ed that while the relevant authorities in China apparently approved the dangerous new experiments on HKU5, "it is not sufficient for work with a new virus that could have significant risks for people worldwide." "Work with viruses that have the potential to become threats to public health should be restricted to facilities and scientists committed to the highest level of safety," added the duo. According to Baric and Lipkin, governmental and nongovernmental agencies that fund research on viruses should require "proof that investigators meet global standards." Additionally, scientific journals should insist on similar standards for the studies they accept. The duo concluded, "Potentially dangerous research should not be done without proper precautions to prevent deliberate or accidental spread." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/top-gain-of-function-scientist-and-fauci-cabalist-raise-alarm-about-dangerous-new-experiments

2025-01-09 23:04:48

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/jim-gaffigan-says-people-told-him-to-avoid-criticizing-kamala-harris-because-the-election-was-so-important.jpg?id=55527569&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C104%2C0%2C104
Comedian Jim Gaffigan revealed that people had told him not to criticize Kamala Harris during the presidential election, and he called it a strategic mistake. He made the comments while appearing on "The Last Laugh" podcast with Matt Wilstein. 'That's actually bad to have that approach. And I think in hindsight people feel that way.' "What I thought was interesting about this election, maybe because it was so important, and maybe because it was such a short election for Kamala, that people were like, 'Don't criticize her,'" said Gaffigan. "And my whole thing is, that's actually bad to have that approach. And I think in hindsight people feel that way," he added. Gaffigan's comments were in line with much of the scorn being directed at the Democratic Party and Harris herself after garnering a record billion dollars in campaign contributions and failing so badly. Democrats lost the electoral vote and the popular vote, lost control of the U.S. Senate, and were unable to topple Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The comedian ignored the advice to avoid criticism of Harris when he emceed the prominent Al Smith Dinner in October during the election. Gaffigan skewered Harris for avoiding the dinner that raised millions for Catholic charities and even took a damaging jab at the Democrats for installing her without a primary to give voters a choice of candidate. Gaffigan also said on the same podcast that he regretted alienating some Trump supporters with his comments against President-elect Donald Trump. “I regret that people think that I was criticizing people that support Trump. That was never the intention," he said. “I also do acknowledge that there are true, die-hard Trump fans who probably enjoyed my comedy, but because they feel so passionately, will never forgive me,” he added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/align/jim-gaffigan-criticism-kamala-harris

2025-01-09 23:04:48

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=55525825&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C104%2C0%2C104
The Democratic mayor of Los Angeles is facing intense scrutiny after being absent from the city as a historic conflagration erupted on Tuesday in Pacific Palisades. Mayor Karen Bass was on a previously scheduled trip to Ghana to attend the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama when officials announced that southern California would face "destructive and potentially life-threatening" winds. At least 130,000 people are under evacuation order, including residents of Hollywood and Pasadena, and more than 2,000 structures have been destroyed.Some on social media tossed a 2021 tweet from Bass back in her face to highlight her hypocrisy and incompetence. Bass had been among the voices calling for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to be tossed out of office after he took his family to Cancun during a severe winter storm. "Ted Cruz fleeing Texas in the middle of a deadly crisis is part of a larger pattern of the GOP abandoning folks in crisis. We need to build a movement to kick them all out," she wrote. Ironically, Bass is now facing the same calls to resign after residents discovered she was thousands of miles away while they suffered from the fires. In one particularly damaging video, Bass refuses to answer any questions from an intrepid Sky News reporter who calls on her to respond to the outrage from her constituents. “Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster?” asked David Blevins. She had no response. So far, five people have died in the fires, and officials believe the death toll will be far higher. At least 130,000 people, including residents of Hollywood and Pasadena, are under evacuation order, and more than 2,000 structures have been destroyed. Reports that some firefighters are finding empty fire hydrants while trying to save lives and homes has exacerbated the criticism against Bass and other local officials. "You have to have water," said billionaire Rick Caruso, who ran against Bass for mayor, "and my understanding is the reservoir was not refilled in time and in a timely manner to keep the hydrants going. So that's a failure, whether on DWP's part or another city agency, but this is basic stuff."He went on to say residents were paying the ultimate price for the lack of leadership and management from city officials. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/la-mayor-tweet-wildfire-hypocrisy

2025-01-09 23:04:48

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=55525503&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0
Science fiction has become reality as Mark Milley may have ordered the use of directed-energy weapons against American citizens during the 2020 riots. “We all remember 2020, the summer of love, the burning buildings, all the looted stores, and an overall lack of legal consequences for crimes committed by rioters. However, in a Blaze exclusive, Blaze investigative journalists Steve Baker and Joe Hanneman revealed that the Pentagon approved the use of directed-energy weapons on rioters in June of that year,” Jill Savage of “Blaze News Tonight” explains. Baker didn’t set out to find this information, but through his investigation into the Capitol riot on January 6, it led him here. “My curiosity began to just lead me down a number of rabbit holes, and I began to pull a lot of threads, and throughout that process, I began to discover that there were new types of systems that I was not aware of that could be used to both control crowds as riot control but also had other uses to move people in ways that maybe the American public are not aware of,” Baker says. But this technology isn’t exactly new. In the 1950s, the Soviets were active in developing what are called psychotronic weapons. And when the Soviet Union fell in 1991, many Soviet scientists were selling their information and selling their science to the United States government and other buyers as well. “Elements of our government were able to purchase advanced technology in what they call the directed-energy weapons space, and some of that was much more advanced technology than what we have,” Baker explains, noting that the technology we now have is more advanced. “We have a video that Julio Rosas, our own correspondent, took in Kenosha back in 2020, of an actual audio device, an audio energy weapon, blasting at what they call it super audio levels to clear crowds out. There are microwave versions of that that they can blast at you and make you for a two-second pulse, it makes your skin feel like you’re on fire,” he continues. “Those are the very basic things that we’ve seen around for a long time. Those are not science fiction,” he adds. Now, Baker says the technology has gotten “much more sophisticated and much more miniaturized to the point where they can carry them in backpacks.” “So now they have backpack size, and what some of these special operatives have described to me in great detail are what they call agitation weapons. And this is the thing that we fear the most,” Baker says. “These weapons that we know have been used overseas in the military and by the CIA in operations to create color revolutions, to create riots, to create confusion in hotspots around the world, some of these devices may now be being used here.” Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/blaze-news-tonight/pentagon-directed-energy-weapons

2025-01-01 22:02:30

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=55437708&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=18%2C0%2C19%2C0
Long-running Atlanta radio station 104.7 The Fish, which is one of the largest Christian radio stations in the country, will go off the air on February 1st, 2025, according to WSB-TV. The station, which has been running in its current format for almost a quarter century, is one of the largest contemporary Christian radio stations in the country. The station is shutting down because the station's current owners, Salem Communications, sold the station as part of a package deal with two other stations to the Educational Media Foundation, which also runs a series of Christian radio stations. In a statement provided by Salem to the media, interim CEO David Santrella said, "Upon the closing of these three transactions, we will have transformed and significantly improved Salem’s balance sheet and capital structure. With the exception of its revolving line of credit, Salem will have no outstanding debt. Salem will also benefit from working with an important new strategic investor that is expected to bring significant new opportunities to the company as well as offer incredible expertise in the area of digital media."Salem executives also expressed hope that EMF would continue some form of Christian programming, saying that EMF had been a "delightful" partner during the sale. However, a number of on-air personalities at The Fish have already taken to social media to announce that they will not be retained when the new station opens in February. The hosts of the popular Kevin and Taylor Show confirmed that their show was ending but praised EMF, saying, "We've heard nothing but good things about the company who is taking over," and likewise expressing hope that Christian programming would continue on 104.7 in the new year.
https://www.theblaze.com/align/one-of-the-nation-s-largest-christian-radio-stations-will-close-its-doors-in-a-month

2024-12-13 00:00:21

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=55307130&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0
Caitlin Clark had become a conservative icon for what seemed to be a refusal to bend the knee to left-wing activism, but as the rule often goes, all good things must come to an end. In a recent interview with Time magazine, Clark made clear where her allegiance lies when she told the reporter, “I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege. A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been black players.” “This league kind of has been built on them. The more we appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made the league incredible, I think it’s very important,” she concluded. Steve Deace of the "Steve Deace Show” believes capitulating to the woke mob was always in her cards after joining the WNBA. “Caitlyn Clark is groveling to a league that she is bigger than, she does not need. She is her own brand. She could go play internationally where a lot of the woke silliness that we have here largely does not exist,” Deace explains. “She could just barnstorm the country with Caitlyn Clark’s Globetrotters and make every bit as much money, if not more, than what she’s making right now,” he continues. “The reason why I didn’t want her to go to the league is this was always bound to happen. She was never going to hold out, and it was frankly unfair to ask her to because it would be in denial of human nature.” Deace also believes that because Clark is a woman, she’s “in a uniquely challenging position.” “Men are relational creatures as well, but women are pre-eminently relational creatures, and asking a woman, just as a general rule, to be an iconoclast, goes against the natural order of things,” he explains. “I would like to say, therefore, what position she finds herself in is uniquely challenging for her being asked to go up against an entire league, an entire peer group,” he continues. “Caitlin Clark will literally commit lesbian lascivious acts as part of the halftime entertainment and marry a woman within the next year or she might as well name herself Donald Trump.” “Every time you turn onto Tolerance Boulevard it will always be a one-way street,” he adds. Want more from Steve Deace?To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics, Christian worldview, and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/steve-deace-show/caitlin-clark

2024-12-13 00:00:21

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=55307514&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C1%2C0%2C1
South Dakota police said a teacher was arrested for sexual exploitation after students pretended to be underage girls on Snapchat in order to catch him in the act. Huron police said officers were contacted by the principal of Huron Middle School after a parent saw concerning images on social media of a student. The boy said that he had started a hoax account after a 6th-grade girl said she had received messages from a teacher that made her uncomfortable.'The student told police that he used images from Pinterest to 'catfish' the teacher.' The student set up a hoax account that appeared to be 14-year-old girl and messaged the 28-year-old teacher, who was identified as Zachary Kaderabek. Another student set up a separate account pretending to be the sister of the first hoax account and also exchanged messages with Kaderabek. Police said that Kaderabek allegedly admitted to messaging students on Snapchat and sending four images of his penis. Kaderabek was indicted on Monday on two counts of solicitation of a minor as well as two counts of sexual exploitation. The Huron School Board voted on Tuesday to move him from paid administrative leave to unpaid administrative leave. Huron School District Superintendent Kraig Steinhoff released a statement about their actions regarding Kaderabek to KELO-TV.“The Huron School District is communicating with its attorney and is cooperating with law enforcement. All policies, procedures, and laws are being followed," said Steinhoff in part. The student told police that he used images from Pinterest to "catfish" the teacher. His hoax account was named "Kate." Kaderabek is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 14. A booking photo of the teacher can be viewed on KELO's YouTube video channel. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/students-catfish-teacher-perv-snapchat

2024-12-12 23:48:01

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=55307342&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C76%2C0%2C77
A Western New York town warned state officials that it would take action if the state didn't follow through on emptying out hotels of immigrants. Asylum-seekers have been housed in two hotels in Cheektowaga, a suburb of Buffalo, since June 2023. After two incidents of alleged sexual assault by asylum-seekers, local county officials said they would stop taking in immigrants and demanded the state vacate those from the hotels. 'These folks have a right to an asylum hearing and some of these folks will be granted asylum and there are already productive members of the community.' Cheektowaga Town Supervisor Brian Nowak said they did not intend to be anti-immigrant but wanted to enforce zoning laws at the hotels. "Moving on from having them in hotels is one thing, but saying we want to send you back to Mexico or Venezuela or whatever, that's a whole different story," said Nowak. "These folks have a right to an asylum hearing and some of these folks will be granted asylum and there are already productive members of the community that are living in these buildings," he added. "Moving on from our hotels being used as encampments or shelters, yes, but not to say we don't want migrants or immigrants as part of our society." On the same day as the vote from Cheektowaga, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that 25 hotels and shelters housing asylum-seekers in New York would close. Adams told WKBW-TV that the hotels in Cheektowaga would be emptied of immigrants by Dec. 16 and 18. "We’ve come a long way since the first buses from Texas arrived in our city over two years ago, when we were working around the clock to care for the thousands of people who were arriving every week," said Adams. Adams has faced fierce criticism for defending the city's sanctuary city policies and then folding after Republican governors began to send immigrants to take advantage of their social safety net. He has since criticized the Biden administration for the immigrant crisis and demanded more help from the state. "We are seeing real results from our hard work, including the ability to continue consolidating operations," Adams added. "We continue to look closely at all of our shelters and will make all determinations based on what’s best for our city and those in our care.” Many have said that voters turned against the Democratic Party in the election partly because of the panicked response to immigrants being sent to Democrat-controlled cities by Republican governors. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/ny-migrants-hotels-action-state

2024-11-22 19:45:50

@nprofile…83nr
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This past week, Ukraine launched missiles made by the United States into Russia despite Vladimir Putin’s warnings that an action like this would bring other countries into the middle of their ongoing war. “So Joe Biden gave the green light, and after he gave the green light, six U.S.-made missiles were used in this attack,” Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” comments, noting that Russia says they shot down five of them, while one of them hit their Ammunition Depot. “The use of Western non-nuclear rockets by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia can prompt a nuclear response,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a statement regarding the attack. While Gonzales isn’t cheering on Putin, she doesn’t think his response is “unreasonable.” “I mean, he’s like, ‘You guys are the ones who have the codes, you guys are the ones who are working in conjunction with Ukraine to send missiles and hit our people, this is not a proxy war anymore, this is your direct participation and we should respond accordingly,’” Gonzales tells Glenn Beck’s head writer and researcher, Jason Buttrill. “I think it’s absolutely insane that you had to caveat what you just said,” Buttrill comments. “I was tweeting about this earlier today, and I did the same thing. I put a subtweet, where I was like, ‘I’m obviously not saying that I’m a Putin lover, I don’t like Russia, I think they’re bad.’” The real question, however, is why Biden waited until the remaining few months of his presidency to escalate America’s involvement in the war. “Why would he wait until all the way at the end?” Buttrill asks. “First off, I don’t think that Biden did give this order.” “Personally, I think this is the death gasps of the regime. This military industrial complex, which includes the intelligence and diplomatic cores, I think that they are scared to death that their entire way of thinking since the end of World War II is about to change,” he explains. “This is the last you know, Hail Mary, to how do we lock in the old status quo through Trump’s administration. They want to force him into being a wartime president. That’s what’s going on right now,” he adds. Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/ukraine-missiles

2024-11-22 19:45:50

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=54969397&width=980
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) announced on Friday that her administration plans to cut state-run shelter costs by tightening stay limits for families with children.At present, families have a nine-month stay limit in taxpayer-funded accommodations. However, this duration will soon be capped at six months.'Governor Healey is only making this change so she can hang her hat on saying she is doing something.'A Friday press release from Healey's administration framed the new policy as a cost-cutting measure to reduce the amount of taxpayer dollars going toward lodging to house homeless local and illegal alien families. Ultimately, the administration's stated goal is to phase out the use of hotels and motels from the state's shelter model, which has been overrun amid the ongoing immigration crisis.The administration claimed the move would "help more families find stable, permanent housing."Beginning on December 10, families will either be placed on the "Rapid Shelter Track," which offers a 30-day stay for those who can obtain "self-sufficient permanent housing," or the "Bridge Shelter Track," which provides six months of housing to "high-risk families and those with more complex needs."Healey stated, "In recent years, the state's family shelter system has grown to be increasingly unsustainable. We've taken significant action to rein in its growth, and we've seen tangible results. The size of the system has remained stable for the past year, we no longer have families relying on Emergency Departments or the airport for shelter, and all shelter sites currently have a service provider instead of relying on the National Guard.""More needs to be done so that Massachusetts taxpayers do not continue to be on the hook for this federal problem. The changes we are making will reduce costs, phase out the use of hotels and better meet the needs of all families," Healey added.Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll stated there is "clearly a consensus around making shelter brief, rare and non-recurring."Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance told Blaze News that the Healey administration's latest announcement is nothing more than "window dressing" that "will do very little to deter illegal immigrants and inadmissible migrants from coming to Massachusetts.""They seek the taxpayer-funded housing and generous welfare benefits," Craney stated. "Governor Healey is only making this change so she can hang her hat on saying she is doing something. In reality, what she's been doing since she was elected Governor is make the situation a whole lot worse.""Under the Governor's watch, they have expanded very generous welfare benefits for illegal immigrants and inadmissible migrants, making us a top destination in the country," he continued. "If the Governor wants to do something about Massachusetts being the top magnet state in the country, she should work with the new administration which is trying to solve the problem."Healey stated earlier this month that her state police will "absolutely not" be cooperating with President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plan. She vowed to use "every tool in the toolbox" to "protect" illegal aliens from the incoming administration's efforts.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/massachusetts-to-boot-illegal-alien-families-out-of-overrun-shelter-system-but-won-t-aid-trump-s-deportation-efforts

2024-11-21 18:53:09

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/muslim-detroit-area-mayor-promises-to-arrest-netanyahu-another-israeli-official-on-one-condition.jpg?id=54889181&width=980
The Muslim mayor of a Detroit suburb has promised to arrest two high-profile Israeli officials — should they ever make the unlikely decision to visit his city.In 2021, Dearborn, Michigan, an Arab-majority city of over 100,000 residents, elected its first Muslim mayor: Abdullah Hammoud. Hammoud, a 34-year-old Democrat who previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives, has long been a sharp critic of Israel.On Thursday, he stretched that criticism into a full-on threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, should they ever venture onto Dearborn soil."Dearborn will arrest Netanyahu & Gallant if they step within Dearborn city limits," Hammoud wrote on X. "Others cities should declare the same."His post came just after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for the alleged "war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts" in Gaza between October 2023 and at least May 2024."This finding is based on the role of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its [sic] disposal," the ICC said.Following these allegations from the ICC, Hammoud claimed in his post that American "city leaders can ensure Netanyahu & other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States."In his post, Hammoud also lamented that "our president may not take action" on the arrest warrants. However, it is unclear whether Hammoud was referring to the outgoing Biden administration, the upcoming second Trump administration, or both. In 2021, before he was elected mayor, Hammoud called on Biden to demand a ceasefire in the ongoing hostilities in Gaza. Then earlier this month, he contravened other area Muslim leaders and refused to meet with Donald Trump in the days leading up to the 2024 election, though he also declined to endorse Kamala Harris.'Local authorities do not have the legal authority to detain a global leader under such circumstances. Regardless, this scenario is implausible.'On Thursday, the ICC announced it had issued the warrants after denying challenges from Israel regarding the institution's jurisdiction. According to WDIV, the ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute genocide and other war crimes when member countries refuse to or cannot do so themselves.Neither Israel nor the United States is a member of the ICC.Blaze News reached out the Dearborn Police Department to clarify whether its officers would follow through and arrest either Netanyahu or Gallant on the off chance they ever pay the city a visit. We did not receive a response.With such general animosity against Israel in Dearborn, many see Hammoud's post as just an empty threat."Yeah I’m sure he’s coming to Dearborn," joked James Dickson, a Michigan journalist and the host of the "Enjoyer" podcast."Anyone recall when the Michigan Legislature granted mayors in this state police powers?" wrote Chad Livengood, politics editor at the Detroit News.EJ Kimball, senior policy adviser at the U.S. Israel Education Association, made a similar suggestion, telling Blaze News in a statement:The United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court, meaning there is no jurisdiction to enforce an ICC arrest warrant within the U.S.Additionally, local authorities do not have the legal authority to detain a global leader under such circumstances. Regardless, this scenario is implausible, as Prime Minister Netanyahu would not travel to Dearborn or any similar jurisdiction.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/muslim-detroit-area-mayor-promises-to-arrest-netanyahu-another-israeli-official-on-one-condition

2024-11-20 15:39:22

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/dem-bucks-county-official-backpedals-on-apparent-vow-to-count-illegal-ballots-misinterpretation.jpg?id=54798546&width=980
Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia (D) is backpedaling on her pledge to count illegal ballots in the Senate election between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick.While multiple news outlets declared McCormick the winner, Casey has refused to concede the race, instead demanding a recount since the results were within the 0.5% margin that could trigger such a review.'Misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on my part.'The recount has sparked concerns about election integrity after Ellis-Marseglia basically admitted she planned to defy the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order not to count undated or misdated mail ballots."People violate laws any time they want," Ellis-Marseglia stated. "So, for me, if I violate this law it's because I want a court to pay attention. There's nothing more important than counting votes." Again, on Monday, the state's Supreme Court ruled that undated and misdated ballots cannot be counted.Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley accused Democrats of "brazenly trying to break the law by attempting to count illegal ballots" to "steal the seat" from the Republican candidate."The RNC has filed four lawsuits over this already and will fight for as long as necessary," Whatley said. "This is the exact kind of left-wing election interference that undermines voter confidence."On Monday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) broke his silence on the matter, claiming that there was "a lack of legal clarity surrounding undated mail-in ballots that caused significant confusion and put counties in a challenging legal position."He stated that county officials "were damned if they did and damned if they didn't — likely facing legal action no matter which decision they made on counting.""As we move forward, I want to be clear: any insinuation that our laws can be ignored or do not matter is irresponsible and does damage the faith in our electoral process," Shapiro stated, presumably referring to Ellis-Marseglia's previous statement."The rule of law matters in this Commonwealth, and as I have always said, it is critical for counties and officials in both parties to respect it with both their rhetoric and their actions," he added.Whatley called Shapiro's statement "better late than never.""Heartening to see. Once Democrats came to the conclusion that even ignoring the Pennsylvania Supreme Court can't scrape up enough ballots to win ... Governor Shapiro suddenly discovers that he stands with the rule of law," Whatley said.Later that day, Ellis-Marseglia appeared to backpedal on her previous comments, according to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer.She blamed a "misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on my part.""I apologize for all the upset and confusion it caused," she said.Ellis-Marseglia claimed that the court's reaffirmed ruling on Monday provided some much-needed clarity."This is exactly what I was hoping for, for the court to weigh in and give us clarity," she said. "We were under a stay, and now we have full clarity."Blaze News reached out to Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn to determine whether her office plans to open an investigation into the matter. However, Schorn did not respond to a request for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/dem-bucks-county-official-backpedals-on-apparent-vow-to-count-illegal-ballots-misinterpretation

2024-11-20 15:37:39

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/suicidal-recklessness-biden-s-missile-authorization-against-russia-prompts-talk-of-wwiii-impeachment.jpg?id=54805840&width=980
Before relinquishing power in January, President Joe Biden may turn America's proxy war with Russia into a direct nuclear conflict. Elements of the Biden administration, various lawmakers from both major parties, Ukrainian officials, and others appear convinced that attacks on Russia using American long-range missiles might put Kyiv in a better bargaining position should the Eastern nations ever sit down to negotiate an end to the war, which has lasted over 1,000 days and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Critics have suggested not only that the move might protract the war, which the majority of Ukrainians now want to end with immediate negotiations, but that it might trigger a nuclear holocaust or at the very least prevent — by design — President-elect Donald Trump from brokering peace upon taking office. Missiles fired After authorizing Ukraine's use of long-range missile systems against targets in Russia — a move long resisted by U.S. officials concerned about escalation and identified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a trigger for war between Washington and Moscow — Kyiv launched six U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System missiles Tuesday morning at a weapons depot in Karachev, a Russian city 70 miles inside the country, in the Bryansk region. 'We must not fear doing more now.' According to CNN, Russian air defenses allegedly shot down five of the ATACMS supersonic missiles, and the sixth was damaged. Pieces of the damaged missile rained down near a military facility, causing a fire but resulting in neither death nor damage. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the attempted missile strikes and suggested that these and subsequent long-range missile strikes would be interpreted as U.S. military actions. Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said in a statement, "The [Russian] president mentioned this several times. If long-range missiles are going to be applied from Ukraine into Russian territory, it will also mean that they are operated by American experts, military experts, and we will be taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia and will react accordingly." In his Tuesday address to the European Parliament, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "We must not fear doing more now." "While some European leaders think about, you know, some elections or something like this at Ukraine's expense, Putin is focused on winning this war. He will not stop on his own. The more time he has, the worse the conditions become," said Zelenskyy. The Institute for the Study of War indicated that as of June, Putin had captured roughly one-fifth of Ukraine, with Russian forces occupying 75% of the total area of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts. "Today is the best moment to push Russia harder, and it's clear without certain key factors Russia will lack real motivation to engage in meaningful negotiation," added Zelenskyy. Hours later, Russia reportedly conducted missile strikes on Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernihiv, and Sumy, as well as drone attacks inside Ukraine. The U.S. embassy in Kyiv announced Wednesday morning that it was shutting its doors, citing the potential of a "significant air attack." Nuclear, mine policies updated Russian state media indicated that Moscow revised its nuclear doctrine this week in hopes of "making conventional warfare unachievable," qualifying attacks by a non-nuclear state in conjunction with the support of a nuclear state as a joint attack, satisfying the need for for nuclear deterrence. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of the Russian Federation's security council, noted on X, "Russia's new nuclear doctrine means NATO missiles fired against our country could be deemed an attack by the bloc on Russia. Russia could retaliate with WMD against Kiev and key NATO facilities, wherever they're located. That means World War III." Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled that he would also respond with nukes to conventional attacks on Russia or Belarus. Russia has over 5,000 nuclear warheads and boasts a supersonic missile with a range of 625 miles. Sergey Naryshkin, director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, claimed that the West realizes "the revisions Putin outlined have largely undermined the attempts by the United States and NATO to achieve a strategic defeat of our nation. Furthermore, the expanded criteria for using nuclear weapons essentially rule out the possibility of defeating the Russian Armed Forces on the battlefield." U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told the Associated Press, "I'm unfortunately not surprised by the comments the Kremlin has made around the publication of this new, revised document," adding that Russia has routinely sought to "coerce and intimidate both Ukraine and other countries around the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior." The U.K. and other NATO members condemned the "irresponsible rhetoric" and reiterated their support for Ukraine. The Biden administration had a policy update of its own. Citing unnamed U.S. officials, the Washington Post reported that Biden authorized the provision of antipersonnel land mines to Ukraine. "When they're used in concert with the other munitions that we already are providing Ukraine, the intent is that they will contribute to a more effective defense," said one of the officials. While the U.S. is not one of the 164 parties to the Ottawa Convention, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, Biden reportedly resurrected an Obama-era policy in 2022 banning the transfer and use of American antipersonnel land minds outside Korea. Reactions Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck suggested that the Biden administration is painting Russian President Vladimir Putin "into a corner." "A man who is a bloodthirsty killer — you don't keep backing him into a corner, or what happens? Eventually he says, 'I'll have absolutely no credibility' [with] his people who have just been bombed with U.S. missiles, which he just said two days ago will be an act of war," said Beck. "We have entered a moment of madness. What Joe Biden did is impeachable." 'Americans do not want World War III.' A day prior to the ATACMS strikes, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) insisted that Biden had committed "an unconstitutional Act of War" that qualified as an impeachable offense. — (@) Texas Rep. Keith Self (R) penned a letter to Biden Tuesday, challenging his decision to authorize Ukraine's use of ATACMS against Russia. While Self suggested the missile systems might have proved strategically useful earlier in the conflict, at this stage in the war, their use is "counter-productive to President-elect Donald J. Trump's stated goal towards a negotiated peace." 'This is the faceless power of failing experts in action.' "If this desperate move by your administration represents an attempt by deep-state operatives to hamstring the incoming Trump presidency, it's a dangerous miscalculation," wrote Self. "I am very concerned that this miscalculation could have catastrophic results. Americans do not want World War III." "January 20 can't get here fast enough," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told Fox News' Laura Ingraham. "It looks like a green light for escalation on the part of Ukraine. ... What would happen if Russia would launch and retaliate missiles into the territory of a NATO member? Then our treaty obligations would be triggered. Then we're talking about a full-scale war." Hawley noted further that the man who authorized the use of the long-range missiles against a nuclear power was considered too decrepit by his own party to stay in the presidential race earlier this year. Blaze News editor in chief Matthew Peterson stressed that "what is happening in regard to Russia and Ukraine while we have no functional President is one of the last, most reckless and outrageous acts from the supposed 'adults in the room' who have consistently driven our nation towards the cliff the last four disastrous years." "This is not 'democracy,'" continued Peterson. "This is the faceless power of failing experts in action: thwarting the will of the people in the midst of the final 'lame duck' period of an aging dementia patient of a President. This is a form of masochistic, suicidal recklessness enacted by weak men." Peterson added on "Blaze News Tonight," "There is really something that I think that is despicable about the self-assured foreign policy expert in this country. Of all the different sectors of government experts who get degrees, foreign policy people dress themselves up in the suits and in the trappings of -isms and -istics, and, 'We know all this stuff and we have domain knowledge that you don't have.' They're consistently the most evil, dangerous, and really foolish sector of the entire government complex." — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/suicidal-recklessness-bidens-missile-authorization-against-russia-prompts-talk-of-wwiii-impeachment

2024-11-20 15:37:39

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/dem-bucks-county-official-backpedals-on-apparent-vow-to-count-illegal-ballots-misinterpretation.jpg?id=54798546&width=980
Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia (D) is backpedaling on her pledge to count illegal ballots in the Senate election between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick.While multiple news outlets declared McCormick the winner, Casey has refused to concede the race, instead demanding a recount since the results were within the 0.5% margin that could trigger such a review.'Misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on my part.'The recount has sparked concerns about election integrity after Ellis-Marseglia basically admitted she planned to defy the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order not to count undated or misdated mail ballots."People violate laws any time they want," Ellis-Marseglia stated. "So, for me, if I violate this law it's because I want a court to pay attention. There's nothing more important than counting votes." Again, on Monday, the state's Supreme Court ruled that undated and misdated ballots cannot be counted.Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley accused Democrats of "brazenly trying to break the law by attempting to count illegal ballots" to "steal the seat" from the Republican candidate."The RNC has filed four lawsuits over this already and will fight for as long as necessary," Whatley said. "This is the exact kind of left-wing election interference that undermines voter confidence."On Monday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) broke his silence on the matter, claiming that there was "a lack of legal clarity surrounding undated mail-in ballots that caused significant confusion and put counties in a challenging legal position."He stated that county officials "were damned if they did and damned if they didn't — likely facing legal action no matter which decision they made on counting.""As we move forward, I want to be clear: any insinuation that our laws can be ignored or do not matter is irresponsible and does damage the faith in our electoral process," Shapiro stated, presumably referring to Ellis-Marseglia's previous statement."The rule of law matters in this Commonwealth, and as I have always said, it is critical for counties and officials in both parties to respect it with both their rhetoric and their actions," he added.Whatley called Shapiro's statement "better late than never.""Heartening to see. Once Democrats came to the conclusion that even ignoring the Pennsylvania Supreme Court can't scrape up enough ballots to win ... Governor Shapiro suddenly discovers that he stands with the rule of law," Whatley said.Later that day, Ellis-Marseglia appeared to backpedal on her previous comments, according to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer.She blamed a "misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on my part.""I apologize for all the upset and confusion it caused," she said.Ellis-Marseglia claimed that the court's reaffirmed ruling on Monday provided some much-needed clarity."This is exactly what I was hoping for, for the court to weigh in and give us clarity," she said. "We were under a stay, and now we have full clarity."Blaze News reached out to Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn to determine whether her office plans to open an investigation into the matter. However, Schorn did not respond to a request for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/dem-bucks-county-official-backpedals-on-apparent-vow-to-count-illegal-ballots-misinterpretation

2024-11-19 17:40:32

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/trump-support-in-sports-isn-t-going-away-las-vegas-raiders-usa-soccer-and-golfers-are-all-supporting-the-president.png?id=54702155&width=980
More and more athletes are jumping on the presidential bandwagon and supporting Donald Trump with their dance moves. After Trump won the presidency for the second time, athletes from across the country paid tribute to him with his signature dance as a form of celebration. Now, nearly three weeks since the election victory, the Trump-themed dances show no sign of slowing down, and the trend is spreading across more sports. Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers showed off his moves after a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Although the Raiders fell short with a 34-19 loss, Bowers led all receivers in receptions and yards. Perhaps unlike before the election, the Raiders' communications team was not shy about showcasing Bowers' dancing touchdown celebration and posted a stand-alone clip of the 21-year-old on social media. In soccer, the U.S. Men's National Team appropriately represented the new president during a CONCACAF Nations League match against Jamaica. Team USA took home a 4-2 victory, and when star winger Christian Pulisic scored just 13 minutes in, he ran to the corner flag to dance in front the St. Louis crowd. "Made it look too easy," the team proudly wrote above the video clip on X. In another angle of the celebration, Juventus player and international star Weston McKennie can be seen joining in on the dance. Either talented athletes are doing the Trump dance or the dance itself is a good-luck charm, because LPGA golfer Charley Hull found herself in a race for the Annika tournament championship over the weekend. Hull pulled out the Trump dance during the final round and landed herself in a three-way tie for second place on the leaderboard, earning $229,909. These weren't the only athletes showing off the president's dance moves. UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones made a point of thanking Trump at UFC 309. Trump was in the audience at the Madison Square Garden event. Jones shared his rendition of the viral dance before handing the president his belt to hold after his victory. With college football players and even Wayne Gretzky coming out of the woodwork as Trump supporters, enthusiasm for the red, white, and blue is at an all-time in the sports world and shows no signs of stopping. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/trump-support-raiders-usmnt-lpga

2024-11-18 16:32:23

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/biden-reportedly-clears-ukraine-to-take-actions-that-putin-suggested-would-trigger-nato-russia-war.jpg?id=54561987&width=980
The Biden administration has reportedly cleared Ukraine to use American long-range missile systems against targets in Russia — a move long urged by Ukrainian officials, resisted by U.S. officials concerned about escalation, and identified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a trigger for a direct conflict between NATO and Russia. Background In February, President Joe Biden secretly signed off on the transfer of the Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Garron Garn told CNN that following Biden's approval, the ATACMS were included in the $300 million aid package announced on March 12 then delivered the following month. The American-made supersonic missiles have a range of up to 190 miles. Ukraine also has British-made Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of 155 miles. The U.S. has blocked the use of such weapons in recent months over fears of escalation. However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed in September that the Biden administration was considering clearing Ukraine to start lobbing them into Russia, citing the need to adjust and adapt "as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed." Putin, whose nation has over 5,000 nuclear warheads and boasts a supersonic missile with a range of 625 miles, responded to Blinken's suggestion by telling a reporter, "It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia." Putin, who invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, claims the use of ATACMS would constitute direct action on the part of the U.S. because American satellite reconnaissance would allegedly be necessary for successful missile strikes. He noted in June, "Ukrainian servicemen cannot do everything on their own and strike with this missile. They are simply technologically incapable of doing this." He equated an ATACMS strike as the work of the Pentagon and a Storm Shadow strike as the work of the British government. Escalation According to Reuters, two American officials and a third source familiar with the decision confirmed that the Biden administration has cleared Ukraine to employ the missiles internationally and that the first of the long-range missile strikes are expected to take place in the coming days. A U.S. official told CNN that the missiles will likely hit targets in the Kursk region of Russia, where Kyiv launched its summer counteroffensive and where Moscow recently deployed nearly 50,000 troops, including North Korean soldiers. According to one official, the decision to authorize the use of the ATACMS was driven in part by the recent involvement of the North Korean troops in the fighting. 'This is an impeachable offense.' By maintaining a foothold in Kursk with the help of long-range missiles, Ukraine might be in a better bargaining position in January should Trump bring Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy and Putin to the negotiating table. The New York Times indicated that Ukrainians hope to be able to trade territory in Kursk for Ukrainian territory presently occupied by Russian forces. Reaction Zelenskyy noted Sunday evening, "I am deeply grateful to all our partners who support us with air defense systems and missiles. This is a truly global effort." "The plan for strengthening Ukraine is the Victory Plan that I presented to our partners. One of its key elements is providing our army with long-range capabilities," continued Zelenskyy. "There's been much said in the media today that we have received approval to take relative actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves." Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media, "If such a decision was really formulated and brought to the attention of the Kyiv regime, then, of course, this is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation in terms of the involvement of the United States in this conflict." The Washington Post noted that the decision was not altogether unexpected in Moscow. "The standoff will become even fiercer, and the talks will become more difficult," said Andrei Kartapolov, a former Russian Army officer and chairman of the parliamentary defense committee. "We expected them to escalate before the end of Biden's office — that was completely obvious." The Biden administration's decision, which comes with only months remaining in the Democratic president's term, amounts to a significant escalation that has various adversarial nations, especially China — whose alliance with Russia has grown considerably since Putin's invasion of Ukraine — paying close attention. 'Ukraine can't properly defend itself if one hand is tied behind its back.' There are presently tens of thousands of North Korean troops engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces. North Korea not only has a defense treaty with Russia but a firm mutual defense pact with China. Despite its defense obligations, China has emphasized that North Korea's presence in Ukraine is its "own business" and has signaled a reluctance to get directly bogged down in the conflict. Nevertheless, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian desperately impressed upon his American counterparts the need for de-escalation. Responding to reports that the U.S. has cleared the use of the Army Tactical Missile System by Ukraine against Russia-based targets, Lin Jian, the spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated, "China's position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear, and an early ceasefire and pursuit of a political solution are in the interests of all parties. Promoting a de-escalation of the situation as soon as possible is the top priority." The Chinese regime also insisted that Russia, which executed a large-range missile and drone attack against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure over the weekend, should similarly pursue de-escalation. Some American lawmakers have expressed support for Ukraine's use of the missiles, including Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who stated, "Biden's decision to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of ATACMS in Russia is long-awaited progress. But it's critical that authorized targets include Russian oil refineries, which pump out the lifeblood of the Kremlin's war machine." Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker (R) similarly expressed optimism over the development, stating Sunday, "If initial press reports are true, I am encouraged at the prospect of allowing Ukraine to use long-range ATACM missiles supplied by the U.S." Republican Rep. Mike Turner (Ohio) wrote, "Ukraine can't properly defend itself if one hand is tied behind its back. Today's news that the Biden Administration is finally allowing Ukraine to use some U.S.-provided ATACMS to strike limited targets within Russian territory is long overdue." Turner stressed the need to "put pressure on Vladimir Putin" ahead of Trump taking office. Other American lawmakers are less than enthused over the prospect of a shooting war with Russia. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) tweeted, "By authorizing long range missiles to strike inside Russia, Biden is committing an unconstitutional Act of War that endangers the lives of all U.S. citizens. This is an impeachable offense, but the reality is he’s an emasculated puppet of a deep state." Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale (R) wrote, "American long range missiles being used to attack Russia? As many as 12,000 North Korean troops staged in Russia. When will Congress reclaim its authority and stop this proxy war we are entangled in?!" Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/biden-reportedly-clears-ukraine-to-take-actions-that-putin-suggested-would-trigger-nato-russia-war

2024-11-18 16:32:23

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/msnbc-s-morning-joe-hosts-meet-with-trump-for-the-first-time-in-7-years-as-viewership-plummets.jpg?id=54560144&width=980
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, co-hosts of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," announced Monday they had met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week in an effort to reopen the lines of communication for the first time in seven years. Scarborough and Brzezinski, who are married, told the audience that although they disagree with Trump on most issues, they felt it was important to speak with him following the "five years of political warfare" that has divided our country. Notably, this announcement was made after the network's viewership has reportedly plummeted by a double-digit percentage drop since Election Day. 'Joe and I realized it's time to do something different, and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, but also talking with him.'"Over the past week, Joe and I have heard from so many people, from political leaders to regular citizens deeply dismayed by several of President-elect Trump's Cabinet selections, and they are scared," Brzezinski said. "Last Thursday, we expressed our own concerns on this broadcast and even said we would appreciate the opportunity to speak with the president-elect himself. "On Friday, we were given the opportunity to do just that," Brzezinski continued. "Joe and I went to Mar-a-Lago to meet personally with President-elect Trump. It was the first time we have seen him in seven years."The co-hosts have been some of Trump's most vocal critics for nearly a decade, as well as frequently hosting prominent Democratic lawmakers on their platform. Despite their differences, Scarborough and Brzezinski noted it was their job as commentators to set aside their disagreements. "Now, we talked about a lot of issues, including abortion, mass deportation, threats of political retribution against political opponents and media outlets," Scarborough said. "We talked about that a good bit. And it's gonna come as no surprise to anybody who watches this show, has watched it over the past year or over the past decade, that we didn't see eye to eye on a lot of issues. And we told him so." "What we did agree on was to restart communications," Brzezinski said. The co-hosts also emphasized Trump's desire to work across the aisle with Democrats and to mend the division our country has experienced over the years. "My father often spoke with world leaders with whom he and the United States profoundly disagreed," Brzezinski continued. "That's a task shared by reporters and communicators alike." "In this meeting, President Trump was tearful. He was upbeat. He seemed interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues," Brzezinski said. "And for those asking why we would go speak to the president-elect during such fraught times, especially between us, I guess I would ask back, why wouldn't we?"Brzezinski went on to say that although they personally disagreed with Trump, they wanted to factor in the tens of millions of people who supported him. "Five years of political warfare has deeply divided Washington and the country," Brzezinski said. "We have been as clear as we know how in expressing our deep concerns about President Trump's actions and words in the coarsening of public debate.""But for nearly 80 million Americans, election denialism, public trials, and January 6 were not as important as the issues that moved them to send Donald Trump back to the White House with their vote," Brzezinski continued. "Joe and I realized it's time to do something different, and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, but also talking with him."Trump also spoke to Fox News of the meeting, saying it was "extremely cordial.""In order to Make America Great Again, it is very important, if not vital, to have a free, fair, and open media or press," Trump told Fox News."Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communication," he said. "In many ways, it’s too bad that it wasn’t done long ago." "And while many others are calling for meetings, I am not looking for retribution, grandstanding, or to destroy people who treated me very unfairly or even badly beyond comprehension," Trump continued. "I am always looking to give a second and even third chance, but never willing to give a fourth chance — that is where I hold the line." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/msnbcs-morning-joe-hosts-meet-with-trump-for-the-first-time-in-7-years-as-viewership-plummets

2024-11-18 16:31:50

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/biden-reportedly-clears-ukraine-to-take-actions-that-putin-suggested-would-trigger-nato-russia-war.jpg?id=54561987&width=980
The Biden administration has reportedly cleared Ukraine to use American long-range missile systems against targets in Russia — a move long urged by Ukrainian officials, resisted by U.S. officials concerned about escalation, and identified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a trigger for a direct conflict between NATO and Russia. Background In February, President Joe Biden secretly signed off on the transfer of the Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Garron Garn told CNN that following Biden's approval, the ATACMS were included in the $300 million aid package announced on March 12 then delivered the following month. The American-made supersonic missiles have a range of up to 190 miles. Ukraine also has British-made Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of 155 miles. The U.S. has blocked the use of such weapons in recent months over fears of escalation. However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed in September that the Biden administration was considering clearing Ukraine to start lobbing them into Russia, citing the need to adjust and adapt "as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed." Putin, whose nation has over 5,000 nuclear warheads and boasts a supersonic missile with a range of 625 miles, responded to Blinken's suggestion by telling a reporter, "It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia." Putin, who invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, claims the use of ATACMS would constitute direct action on the part of the U.S. because American satellite reconnaissance would allegedly be necessary for successful missile strikes. He noted in June, "Ukrainian servicemen cannot do everything on their own and strike with this missile. They are simply technologically incapable of doing this." He equated an ATACMS strike as the work of the Pentagon and a Storm Shadow strike as the work of the British government. Escalation According to Reuters, two American officials and a third source familiar with the decision confirmed that the Biden administration has cleared Ukraine to employ the missiles internationally and that the first of the long-range missile strikes are expected to take place in the coming days. A U.S. official told CNN that the missiles will likely hit targets in the Kursk region of Russia, where Kyiv launched its summer counteroffensive and where Moscow recently deployed nearly 50,000 troops, including North Korean soldiers. According to one official, the decision to authorize the use of the ATACMS was driven in part by the recent involvement of the North Korean troops in the fighting. 'This is an impeachable offense.' By maintaining a foothold in Kursk with the help of long-range missiles, Ukraine might be in a better bargaining position in January should Trump bring Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy and Putin to the negotiating table. The New York Times indicated that Ukrainians hope to be able to trade territory in Kursk for Ukrainian territory presently occupied by Russian forces. Reaction Zelenskyy noted Sunday evening, "I am deeply grateful to all our partners who support us with air defense systems and missiles. This is a truly global effort." "The plan for strengthening Ukraine is the Victory Plan that I presented to our partners. One of its key elements is providing our army with long-range capabilities," continued Zelenskyy. "There's been much said in the media today that we have received approval to take relative actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves." Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media, "If such a decision was really formulated and brought to the attention of the Kyiv regime, then, of course, this is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation in terms of the involvement of the United States in this conflict." The Washington Post noted that the decision was not altogether unexpected in Moscow. "The standoff will become even fiercer, and the talks will become more difficult," said Andrei Kartapolov, a former Russian Army officer and chairman of the parliamentary defense committee. "We expected them to escalate before the end of Biden's office — that was completely obvious." The Biden administration's decision, which comes with only months remaining in the Democratic president's term, amounts to a significant escalation that has various adversarial nations, especially China — whose alliance with Russia has grown considerably since Putin's invasion of Ukraine — paying close attention. 'Ukraine can't properly defend itself if one hand is tied behind its back.' There are presently tens of thousands of North Korean troops engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces. North Korea not only has a defense treaty with Russia but a firm mutual defense pact with China. Despite its defense obligations, China has emphasized that North Korea's presence in Ukraine is its "own business" and has signaled a reluctance to get directly bogged down in the conflict. Nevertheless, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian desperately impressed upon his American counterparts the need for de-escalation. Responding to reports that the U.S. has cleared the use of the Army Tactical Missile System by Ukraine against Russia-based targets, Lin Jian, the spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated, "China's position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear, and an early ceasefire and pursuit of a political solution are in the interests of all parties. Promoting a de-escalation of the situation as soon as possible is the top priority." The Chinese regime also insisted that Russia, which executed a large-range missile and drone attack against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure over the weekend, should similarly pursue de-escalation. Some American lawmakers have expressed support for Ukraine's use of the missiles, including Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who stated, "Biden's decision to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of ATACMS in Russia is long-awaited progress. But it's critical that authorized targets include Russian oil refineries, which pump out the lifeblood of the Kremlin's war machine." Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker (R) similarly expressed optimism over the development, stating Sunday, "If initial press reports are true, I am encouraged at the prospect of allowing Ukraine to use long-range ATACM missiles supplied by the U.S." Republican Rep. Mike Turner (Ohio) wrote, "Ukraine can't properly defend itself if one hand is tied behind its back. Today's news that the Biden Administration is finally allowing Ukraine to use some U.S.-provided ATACMS to strike limited targets within Russian territory is long overdue." Turner stressed the need to "put pressure on Vladimir Putin" ahead of Trump taking office. Other American lawmakers are less than enthused over the prospect of a shooting war with Russia. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) tweeted, "By authorizing long range missiles to strike inside Russia, Biden is committing an unconstitutional Act of War that endangers the lives of all U.S. citizens. This is an impeachable offense, but the reality is he’s an emasculated puppet of a deep state." Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale (R) wrote, "American long range missiles being used to attack Russia? As many as 12,000 North Korean troops staged in Russia. When will Congress reclaim its authority and stop this proxy war we are entangled in?!" Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/biden-reportedly-clears-ukraine-to-take-actions-that-putin-suggested-would-trigger-nato-russia-war

2024-11-18 16:31:49

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/msnbc-s-morning-joe-hosts-meet-with-trump-for-the-first-time-in-7-years-as-viewership-plummets.jpg?id=54560144&width=980
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, co-hosts of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," announced Monday they had met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week in an effort to reopen the lines of communication for the first time in seven years. Scarborough and Brzezinski, who are married, told the audience that although they disagree with Trump on most issues, they felt it was important to speak with him following the "five years of political warfare" that has divided our country. Notably, this announcement was made after the network's viewership has reportedly plummeted by a double-digit percentage drop since Election Day. 'Joe and I realized it's time to do something different, and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, but also talking with him.'"Over the past week, Joe and I have heard from so many people, from political leaders to regular citizens deeply dismayed by several of President-elect Trump's Cabinet selections, and they are scared," Brzezinski said. "Last Thursday, we expressed our own concerns on this broadcast and even said we would appreciate the opportunity to speak with the president-elect himself. "On Friday, we were given the opportunity to do just that," Brzezinski continued. "Joe and I went to Mar-a-Lago to meet personally with President-elect Trump. It was the first time we have seen him in seven years."The co-hosts have been some of Trump's most vocal critics for nearly a decade, as well as frequently hosting prominent Democratic lawmakers on their platform. Despite their differences, Scarborough and Brzezinski noted it was their job as commentators to set aside their disagreements. "Now, we talked about a lot of issues, including abortion, mass deportation, threats of political retribution against political opponents and media outlets," Scarborough said. "We talked about that a good bit. And it's gonna come as no surprise to anybody who watches this show, has watched it over the past year or over the past decade, that we didn't see eye to eye on a lot of issues. And we told him so." "What we did agree on was to restart communications," Brzezinski said. The co-hosts also emphasized Trump's desire to work across the aisle with Democrats and to mend the division our country has experienced over the years. "My father often spoke with world leaders with whom he and the United States profoundly disagreed," Brzezinski continued. "That's a task shared by reporters and communicators alike." "In this meeting, President Trump was tearful. He was upbeat. He seemed interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues," Brzezinski said. "And for those asking why we would go speak to the president-elect during such fraught times, especially between us, I guess I would ask back, why wouldn't we?"Brzezinski went on to say that although they personally disagreed with Trump, they wanted to factor in the tens of millions of people who supported him. "Five years of political warfare has deeply divided Washington and the country," Brzezinski said. "We have been as clear as we know how in expressing our deep concerns about President Trump's actions and words in the coarsening of public debate.""But for nearly 80 million Americans, election denialism, public trials, and January 6 were not as important as the issues that moved them to send Donald Trump back to the White House with their vote," Brzezinski continued. "Joe and I realized it's time to do something different, and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, but also talking with him."Trump also spoke to Fox News of the meeting, saying it was "extremely cordial.""In order to Make America Great Again, it is very important, if not vital, to have a free, fair, and open media or press," Trump told Fox News."Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communication," he said. "In many ways, it’s too bad that it wasn’t done long ago." "And while many others are calling for meetings, I am not looking for retribution, grandstanding, or to destroy people who treated me very unfairly or even badly beyond comprehension," Trump continued. "I am always looking to give a second and even third chance, but never willing to give a fourth chance — that is where I hold the line." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/msnbcs-morning-joe-hosts-meet-with-trump-for-the-first-time-in-7-years-as-viewership-plummets

2024-11-17 18:02:46

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/blaze-news-original-christians-to-provide-happy-thanksgiving-to-hurricane-victims-in-western-north-carolina.jpg?id=54501440&width=980
As devastating as the images were coming out of Western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene in late September, sadly, it is all too easy for those of us personally unaffected by the storm to move on with our lives. Emotions were high leading up to the election, and now supporters of President-elect Donald Trump have focused much of their attention on the prospects of his second term. Not so for those in North Carolina. Though voter turnout was still remarkably high in North Carolina, exceeding turnout in 2020 by more than 100,000 votes and exceeding 2016 numbers by more than 1 million, much of the western part of the state, normally protected from the storms that batter the coast with some regularity, remains wiped out from flooding. Not content to carry on with the holiday season while their compatriots across the state still suffer, some Christians in an eastern region of North Carolina have made preparations to provide supplies, Bibles, and a hearty Thanksgiving meal to those in need. To learn more about what has been dubbed Operation Thanksgiving Blessings, Blaze News spoke with the man behind the plans, David Burke, who in turn prefers to give all the credit to someone else. "No way in the world would all this stuff ever have happened if it wasn't for God," he said, adding with a laugh, "I'm not that smart." Operation Thanksgiving Blessings Blaze News spoke with Burke on multiple occasions and can verify that he is, indeed, that smart. By trade a project manager for a metal fabrication company, Burke has also been known to dabble in some cooking competitions. "I was ranked as high as #3 in the state of North Carolina for whole-hog BBQ competition with the Roth Carolina Pork Council," he noted proudly in a message to Blaze News. After attending church one Sunday morning in early October, just a week or so after Hurricane Helene ravaged his state, Burke sensed that he had to do more for the victims than pray or write a check. "The Sunday school lesson was on home community service, of all things," he said. "I'm 59 years old. Never once have I had a Sunday school lesson on community service until about three weeks ago, four weeks ago." David Burke, speaking to children at a church that donated 100 Bibles for Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. Photo used with permission. After a series of coincidences, putting Burke in touch with people living hours away, he finally figured out what he was going to do: arrange to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for those living in an area that has thus far received little help from the government. Citing Newland, North Carolina, Mayor Derek Roberts, who claimed his daughter received just $300 from FEMA after losing her entire house to the flooding, Burke claimed that government assistance has been almost nonexistent in some cases and that the people of Western North Carolina have more or less had to fend for themselves. "I knew right then that's where we needed to go," Burke told Blaze News. Burke lives near Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, a rural area about 100 miles northeast of Raleigh and more than 260 miles east — about a six-hour drive — from Elk Park, the area he intended to feed. The distance and the scope of his plans meant that Burke needed help. As so many people do these days, Burke turned to social media, creating a Facebook page as a landing site for those interested in getting involved. And, as it were, the floodgates opened. Famed turkey company Butterball donated 100 turkeys weighing about 24 pounds each. Glover Construction is providing enough ingredients to make 300 gallons of Brunswick stew, a local staple that Burke described as "a thick vegetable soup." Even an area prison with a farm on its grounds reportedly offered 180 dozen eggs — more than 2,100 total — for the effort. Restaurants such as Napoli Pizza and Italian Restaurant in Murfreesboro chipped in by holding fundraisers. By pooling all proceeds from the fundraiser — including tips — Napoli's alone collected $4,000 for Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. Napoli's owner, Mari Rizo, told Blaze News she was thrilled with the success of the fundraiser. "At Napoli's Pizza and Italian Restaurant, we’ve always believed in the power of community. When we heard about the devastating impact of the hurricane on families in Western North Carolina, we felt compelled to help. Our team wanted to do something meaningful to give back, especially with Thanksgiving approaching," Rizo said in a statement to Blaze News. "To the families in Western North Carolina who are facing difficult times, we want you to know that we are thinking of you. We hope that this gesture helps to bring some comfort and joy to your holiday. Our hearts are with you, and we will continue to do everything we can to support you through this difficult time." Photo of Napoli's fundraiser. Used with permission. The Seaboard Lions Club, of which Burke is a member, has also collected monetary and supply donations and stored them on the organization's 20-acre site. "Everybody knows somebody, and in our world, the more people you know ... [the] better off you are," Burke said of the growing network of donors and volunteers involved with Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. Burke told Blaze News that his initial goal was to cook and serve about 5,000 total meals on Thanksgiving Day, but that goal expanded after he spoke with a woman who had a similar idea about feeding others living near Fletcher, North Carolina — about 90 miles away from Elk Park — on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. "We got another 40 turkeys donated and another 20 hams, and so what we're gonna do is we're gonna cook all that food for those 500 as well on Thanksgiving Day, and we'll pack it in bulk and send it to her. And then all she'll have to do is warm it back up and serve 500 people on Saturday as well," Burke explained. As generous as a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal is, the food represents just a tiny fraction of the goods and services Operation Thanksgiving Blessings will offer those in Western North Carolina. Burke and his team have loaded 53-foot trailers with other supplies as well, including clothes for the winter, heaters, blankets, baby supplies, gloves, hats, personal hygiene items, paper products, and cleaning supplies. ORBIS Corporation even donated 750 plastic bins for storage, a necessity for folks who lost not only all their possessions but a place in which to keep them. "ORBIS is honored to support this incredible cause and support the people of Western North Carolina in their time of need," the company told Blaze News. Photo of supplies. Used with permission. The details The crew from the Roanoke Rapids area has already begun packing up trailers and trucks, ready to haul everything out to the western part of the state just a day or so before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day, they will set up shop at Cranberry Middle School at 6051 N. U.S. Hwy 19E in Elk Park, North Carolina. Folks can begin arriving at 11 a.m. and sit down and enjoy their meal or pick one up and take it to go. Screenshot of flyer featured on OTB Facebook page. Used with permission. Burke told Blaze News that his group has all the supplies and donations it can handle. He suggested that anyone still interested in making a monetary donation mail a check to the Seaboard Lions Club at P.O. Box 76, Seaboard, North Carolina, 27876. Sending it to David Burke's attention and including "OTB" on the memo line of the check will help earmark it for Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. Burke emphasized to Blaze News that "every red penny" the Lions Club receives will be distributed to people living in and around Elk Park. Ever committed to transparency, Burke even offered to have Blaze News share his private phone number in this article, an offer that we politely declined. "I don't want people to sit around and wonder what we're doing," he explained. "I want them to see exactly what's going on and see God at work." Feeding bellies and souls Burke, a devout Christian, takes the biblical call to love and serve others seriously, and he is happy to use his talents as a project manager and as a chef to give those who have lost all their material possessions a Thanksgiving meal they will never forget. However, he believes that evangelizing them for Christ is even more important. "We're looking for that one person out there that doesn't believe, doesn't think God is real," he told Blaze News, "and it is our hope that we can change his mind or her mind." "By showing them that people care and that God has been working this whole time to make all this come together, maybe, just maybe, we'll save that one," he continued. Burke is hardly the only Christian involved in Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. In fact, he has teamed up with members of churches across the state to identify and reach people in need. For instance, Burke connected with a pastor from his hometown of Murfreesboro but now living in Boone, North Carolina, who began collecting supplies sent via Amazon from all over the country. Burke also made contact with the student body president of Appalachian State University, who once attended Sunday school taught by Burke and his wife. "I called and talked to her, and I told her ... 'Go out there, and you tell these people that you're gonna come bring some help to them at Thanksgiving. ... And I'll be standing right behind you,'" he recalled to Blaze News. "I said, 'You've been on mission trips with me before. You know exactly what I want to get done. So let's see if we can make it happen.'" Burke acknowledged to Blaze News that some people, especially those who lost their homes, pets, and even loved ones in Hurricane Helene might struggle to believe in a loving, all-powerful God. But he added that faith in the face of doubt is still the answer. "Why did God let this happen? I can't answer that question, but it's all within His plan," he explained. "His plan has meaning. He doesn't make any mistakes, and so all we have to do is we have to have the faith." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-original-christians-to-provide-happy-thanksgiving-to-hurricane-victims-in-western-north-carolina

2024-11-17 18:02:46

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=54530418&width=980
Donald Trump won the election, but that isn’t the only win Americans are seeing. “This was really not an election of Trump versus Kamala, it was really an election on reality and how many people had woken up to something roughly real that they were getting versus the endless lies of the mainstream media,” Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” explains. “I mean, CNN is now talking about the podcasters and the online streamers and everything else. MSNBC is now for sale via Comcast. CNN, it’s now being reported, is about to axe a bunch of their top talent,” he adds. Megyn Kelly is in full agreement, noting that unlike Kamala, who relied on the mainstream media, Trump utilized the podcast circuit to get his message out to voters. “The young people do not watch cable news at all. Older people, senior citizens watch cable news,” Kelly says, adding that because of the memes, commentary, and fact checking on social-media, “mainstream anchors could not get away with the lies they were telling.” “The Tim Walz stolen valor stuff, that exploded online. We all really had a massive role in shaping the narrative in a way that would have been unthinkable even four years ago,” she says, “It’s a totally new game now.” When Kelly worked at Fox News, she recalls the media company refusing to entertain actress Jenny McCarthy’s claims that the childhood vaccine schedule was way over-the-top — and now it’s the same thing with trans ideology and pronouns. “I remember Fox News being like, ‘Oh, hell no, we are not even going there,’ and now today the same thing is happening with the trans stuff. Fox News uses quote ‘preferred pronouns.’ That’s a news corp. policy. They say ‘he’ when it should be ‘she,’” Kelly explains. “You could never have the frank and honest discussions that we have on our shows about race, race essentialism, the election denialism stuff, the COVID truths,” she continues. “I only would really put it together later that a lot of that is driven by just the agenda of the owners and the people at the top, and a lot of it is driven by the advertisers.” “I mean, RFK Jr. is not wrong when he points out what a huge advertiser Pfizer is all over television,” she adds. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-rubin-report/mainstream-media-2669892077

2024-11-17 18:01:39

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/blaze-news-original-christians-to-provide-happy-thanksgiving-to-hurricane-victims-in-western-north-carolina.jpg?id=54501440&width=980
As devastating as the images were coming out of Western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene in late September, sadly, it is all too easy for those of us personally unaffected by the storm to move on with our lives. Emotions were high leading up to the election, and now supporters of President-elect Donald Trump have focused much of their attention on the prospects of his second term. Not so for those in North Carolina. Though voter turnout was still remarkably high in North Carolina, exceeding turnout in 2020 by more than 100,000 votes and exceeding 2016 numbers by more than 1 million, much of the western part of the state, normally protected from the storms that batter the coast with some regularity, remains wiped out from flooding. Not content to carry on with the holiday season while their compatriots across the state still suffer, some Christians in an eastern region of North Carolina have made preparations to provide supplies, Bibles, and a hearty Thanksgiving meal to those in need. To learn more about what has been dubbed Operation Thanksgiving Blessings, Blaze News spoke with the man behind the plans, David Burke, who in turn prefers to give all the credit to someone else. "No way in the world would all this stuff ever have happened if it wasn't for God," he said, adding with a laugh, "I'm not that smart." Operation Thanksgiving Blessings Blaze News spoke with Burke on multiple occasions and can verify that he is, indeed, that smart. By trade a project manager for a metal fabrication company, Burke has also been known to dabble in some cooking competitions. "I was ranked as high as #3 in the state of North Carolina for whole-hog BBQ competition with the Roth Carolina Pork Council," he noted proudly in a message to Blaze News. After attending church one Sunday morning in early October, just a week or so after Hurricane Helene ravaged his state, Burke sensed that he had to do more for the victims than pray or write a check. "The Sunday school lesson was on home community service, of all things," he said. "I'm 59 years old. Never once have I had a Sunday school lesson on community service until about three weeks ago, four weeks ago." David Burke, speaking to children at a church that donated 100 Bibles for Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. Photo used with permission. After a series of coincidences, putting Burke in touch with people living hours away, he finally figured out what he was going to do: arrange to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for those living in an area that has thus far received little help from the government. Citing Newland, North Carolina, Mayor Derek Roberts, who claimed his daughter received just $300 from FEMA after losing her entire house to the flooding, Burke claimed that government assistance has been almost nonexistent in some cases and that the people of Western North Carolina have more or less had to fend for themselves. "I knew right then that's where we needed to go," Burke told Blaze News. Burke lives near Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, a rural area about 100 miles northeast of Raleigh and more than 260 miles east — about a six-hour drive — from Elk Park, the area he intended to feed. The distance and the scope of his plans meant that Burke needed help. As so many people do these days, Burke turned to social media, creating a Facebook page as a landing site for those interested in getting involved. And, as it were, the floodgates opened. Famed turkey company Butterball donated 100 turkeys weighing about 24 pounds each. Glover Construction is providing enough ingredients to make 300 gallons of Brunswick stew, a local staple that Burke described as "a thick vegetable soup." Even an area prison with a farm on its grounds reportedly offered 180 dozen eggs — more than 2,100 total — for the effort. Restaurants such as Napoli Pizza and Italian Restaurant in Murfreesboro chipped in by holding fundraisers. By pooling all proceeds from the fundraiser — including tips — Napoli's alone collected $4,000 for Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. Napoli's owner, Mari Rizo, told Blaze News she was thrilled with the success of the fundraiser. "At Napoli's Pizza and Italian Restaurant, we’ve always believed in the power of community. When we heard about the devastating impact of the hurricane on families in Western North Carolina, we felt compelled to help. Our team wanted to do something meaningful to give back, especially with Thanksgiving approaching," Rizo said in a statement to Blaze News. "To the families in Western North Carolina who are facing difficult times, we want you to know that we are thinking of you. We hope that this gesture helps to bring some comfort and joy to your holiday. Our hearts are with you, and we will continue to do everything we can to support you through this difficult time." Photo of Napoli's fundraiser. Used with permission. The Seaboard Lions Club, of which Burke is a member, has also collected monetary and supply donations and stored them on the organization's 20-acre site. "Everybody knows somebody, and in our world, the more people you know ... [the] better off you are," Burke said of the growing network of donors and volunteers involved with Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. Burke told Blaze News that his initial goal was to cook and serve about 5,000 total meals on Thanksgiving Day, but that goal expanded after he spoke with a woman who had a similar idea about feeding others living near Fletcher, North Carolina — about 90 miles away from Elk Park — on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. "We got another 40 turkeys donated and another 20 hams, and so what we're gonna do is we're gonna cook all that food for those 500 as well on Thanksgiving Day, and we'll pack it in bulk and send it to her. And then all she'll have to do is warm it back up and serve 500 people on Saturday as well," Burke explained. As generous as a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal is, the food represents just a tiny fraction of the goods and services Operation Thanksgiving Blessings will offer those in Western North Carolina. Burke and his team have loaded 53-foot trailers with other supplies as well, including clothes for the winter, heaters, blankets, baby supplies, gloves, hats, personal hygiene items, paper products, and cleaning supplies. ORBIS Corporation even donated 750 plastic bins for storage, a necessity for folks who lost not only all their possessions but a place in which to keep them. "ORBIS is honored to support this incredible cause and support the people of Western North Carolina in their time of need," the company told Blaze News. Photo of supplies. Used with permission. The details The crew from the Roanoke Rapids area has already begun packing up trailers and trucks, ready to haul everything out to the western part of the state just a day or so before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day, they will set up shop at Cranberry Middle School at 6051 N. U.S. Hwy 19E in Elk Park, North Carolina. Folks can begin arriving at 11 a.m. and sit down and enjoy their meal or pick one up and take it to go. Screenshot of flyer featured on OTB Facebook page. Used with permission. Burke told Blaze News that his group has all the supplies and donations it can handle. He suggested that anyone still interested in making a monetary donation mail a check to the Seaboard Lions Club at P.O. Box 76, Seaboard, North Carolina, 27876. Sending it to David Burke's attention and including "OTB" on the memo line of the check will help earmark it for Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. Burke emphasized to Blaze News that "every red penny" the Lions Club receives will be distributed to people living in and around Elk Park. Ever committed to transparency, Burke even offered to have Blaze News share his private phone number in this article, an offer that we politely declined. "I don't want people to sit around and wonder what we're doing," he explained. "I want them to see exactly what's going on and see God at work." Feeding bellies and souls Burke, a devout Christian, takes the biblical call to love and serve others seriously, and he is happy to use his talents as a project manager and as a chef to give those who have lost all their material possessions a Thanksgiving meal they will never forget. However, he believes that evangelizing them for Christ is even more important. "We're looking for that one person out there that doesn't believe, doesn't think God is real," he told Blaze News, "and it is our hope that we can change his mind or her mind." "By showing them that people care and that God has been working this whole time to make all this come together, maybe, just maybe, we'll save that one," he continued. Burke is hardly the only Christian involved in Operation Thanksgiving Blessings. In fact, he has teamed up with members of churches across the state to identify and reach people in need. For instance, Burke connected with a pastor from his hometown of Murfreesboro but now living in Boone, North Carolina, who began collecting supplies sent via Amazon from all over the country. Burke also made contact with the student body president of Appalachian State University, who once attended Sunday school taught by Burke and his wife. "I called and talked to her, and I told her ... 'Go out there, and you tell these people that you're gonna come bring some help to them at Thanksgiving. ... And I'll be standing right behind you,'" he recalled to Blaze News. "I said, 'You've been on mission trips with me before. You know exactly what I want to get done. So let's see if we can make it happen.'" Burke acknowledged to Blaze News that some people, especially those who lost their homes, pets, and even loved ones in Hurricane Helene might struggle to believe in a loving, all-powerful God. But he added that faith in the face of doubt is still the answer. "Why did God let this happen? I can't answer that question, but it's all within His plan," he explained. "His plan has meaning. He doesn't make any mistakes, and so all we have to do is we have to have the faith." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-original-christians-to-provide-happy-thanksgiving-to-hurricane-victims-in-western-north-carolina

2024-11-17 18:01:39

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=54530418&width=980
Donald Trump won the election, but that isn’t the only win Americans are seeing. “This was really not an election of Trump versus Kamala, it was really an election on reality and how many people had woken up to something roughly real that they were getting versus the endless lies of the mainstream media,” Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” explains. “I mean, CNN is now talking about the podcasters and the online streamers and everything else. MSNBC is now for sale via Comcast. CNN, it’s now being reported, is about to axe a bunch of their top talent,” he adds. Megyn Kelly is in full agreement, noting that unlike Kamala, who relied on the mainstream media, Trump utilized the podcast circuit to get his message out to voters. “The young people do not watch cable news at all. Older people, senior citizens watch cable news,” Kelly says, adding that because of the memes, commentary, and fact checking on social-media, “mainstream anchors could not get away with the lies they were telling.” “The Tim Walz stolen valor stuff, that exploded online. We all really had a massive role in shaping the narrative in a way that would have been unthinkable even four years ago,” she says, “It’s a totally new game now.” When Kelly worked at Fox News, she recalls the media company refusing to entertain actress Jenny McCarthy’s claims that the childhood vaccine schedule was way over-the-top — and now it’s the same thing with trans ideology and pronouns. “I remember Fox News being like, ‘Oh, hell no, we are not even going there,’ and now today the same thing is happening with the trans stuff. Fox News uses quote ‘preferred pronouns.’ That’s a news corp. policy. They say ‘he’ when it should be ‘she,’” Kelly explains. “You could never have the frank and honest discussions that we have on our shows about race, race essentialism, the election denialism stuff, the COVID truths,” she continues. “I only would really put it together later that a lot of that is driven by just the agenda of the owners and the people at the top, and a lot of it is driven by the advertisers.” “I mean, RFK Jr. is not wrong when he points out what a huge advertiser Pfizer is all over television,” she adds. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-rubin-report/mainstream-media-2669892077

2024-11-17 03:00:36

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/abandoned-by-democrats-voters-find-a-voice-in-trumps-agenda.jpg?id=54491138&width=980
People often ask how a former Bernie Sanders supporter like me could back Donald Trump. For me, it came down to one key issue: the Democrats’ abandonment of the working class. Sanders himself recently said it’s no wonder working Americans are leaving a party that no longer serves them.The presidential election underscored this shift, as Trump saw record turnout among black and Latino voters. Yet instead of asking why, the left resorted to lazy stereotypes. MSNBC and other networks labeled black men “misogynists” and Latinos “racists” simply for voting Republican. These dismissive labels only deepen the disconnect. Rather than recognizing the cracks in their base, Democrats brush off real concerns, assuming they’ll regain minority support in a few years without changing their tone or agenda.It’s no surprise that Americans turned out in record numbers for Trump, drawn to his focus on real issues and his willingness to engage with them directly.The truth is simple: The Democrats lost because they stopped listening to everyday Americans.Over time, they shifted focus to appeasing radical supporters and coastal elites. Instead of tackling economic issues like jobs and inflation, Democrats centered their platform on identity politics and social issues that resonate mainly with urban and affluent progressives. This approach alienates Americans grappling with real-world issues — concerns Democrats used to prioritize but now dismiss as outdated or irrelevant.This election cycle highlighted that disconnect. Democratic elites like Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and their Hollywood allies spent more time lecturing Americans on how they should think and vote than addressing their daily struggles. For voters barely getting by, these lectures felt out of touch and tone-deaf.Democrats focused almost exclusively on women’s issues, especially abortion, neglecting the bread-and-butter topics most Americans care about: job security, rising costs, and public safety. Men — and the average voter — were left feeling sidelined by a party that once claimed to represent them. The Democrats’ relentless single-issue focus underscored a shift from uniting Americans to dividing them by identity.Meanwhile, Trump and GOP leaders like JD Vance took a different approach. While Harris skipped major bipartisan events like the Al Smith Dinner, Trump showed up where it mattered — flipping burgers at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, while Vance poured beers at a Wisconsin pub. These weren’t just photo ops; they were genuine efforts to connect with everyday Americans, listen to their concerns, and emphasize shared values. By showing up, Trump and his team reminded voters that they’re willing to meet people where they are — a concept Democrats seem to have forgotten.Trump didn’t stop there. Recognizing Americans’ desire for unity over division, his campaign built a coalition that crossed traditional party lines. He assembled a bipartisan “Avengers” task force, featuring figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and even Elon Musk. This team focused on issues that unite Americans — economic security, public safety, and national sovereignty. It was a sharp contrast to the Democrats’ divisive identity politics, and it resonated with voters tired of being labeled as “the problem” or forced to align on every single issue.Harris’ campaign, in contrast, spent nearly three times as much as Trump’s, burning through close to $1 billion, only to underperform Biden’s 2020 numbers and end $20 million in debt. Harris simply didn’t connect with voters. Her race-driven messaging left many feeling overlooked and undervalued. Instead of addressing real concerns, her campaign focused on topics that, while important to some, missed the mark for a large slice of the voting population. It’s no surprise that Americans turned out in record numbers for Trump, drawn to his focus on real issues and his willingness to engage with them directly.The Democrats’ refusal to listen or adapt led to a massive red wave, as voters from diverse backgrounds chose a path that aligns with their lived realities. Trump’s approach resonated because it addressed the everyday struggles Americans face.People are tired of empty promises and tone-deaf lectures from leaders who seem out of touch. They want leaders who speak to their concerns about jobs, safety, and economic opportunity — leaders who prioritize practical solutions over ideological rigidity. While Democrats continue to alienate voters by talking down to them and dismissing dissent, Republicans are building a coalition that listens to and values Americans across all walks of life.The facts of this election reveal that the Democratic Party’s focus on ideological purity has cost Democrats their connection to the everyday American. Working-class families, once the backbone of the Democratic base, are tired of empty promises and divisive rhetoric. They’re rejecting a narrative that labels them “racists” or “misogynists” simply for voting in their own best interests. Instead, they’re joining a movement that prioritizes their voices, addresses their concerns, and puts America first.Trump’s win isn’t just a victory for one candidate; it’s a triumph for Americans who want their voices heard. It sends a message to Washington that people are finished with being dismissed and sidelined. They have chosen leaders who stand up for real issues and who are unafraid to challenge a political establishment that, for too long, has forgotten whom it serves.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/abandoned-by-democrats-voters-find-a-voice-in-trumps-agenda

2024-11-15 02:07:15

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/crucible-of-champions-the-isolated-region-that-breeds-the-ufc-s-stone-cold-killers.jpg?id=54500590&width=980
At UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, Khamzat Chimaev, a beast from Chechnya, showed the world why he’s becoming one of the most feared men in mixed martial arts. Known for his brutal, relentless style and the nickname “Borz” (“wolf” in Chechen), Chimaev didn’t just beat former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker — he tore through him with a ruthless efficiency that left fans stunned. Within minutes, Whittaker — a fighter known for his strength and skill — was battered, his jaw tested by vicious strikes. From a young age, boys learn to endure cold, navigate difficult terrain, and face challenges head-on. They don’t just hear stories of heroes; they are expected to become them. Whittaker wasn’t just outclassed. He was embarrassed, thrown around like a cheap rag doll. But to truly grasp the depth of Chimaev’s dominance, one has to understand where he comes from and what fuels him. Where champions are made The North Caucasus is a place synonymous with survival. These rugged mountains, shadowed by centuries of struggle, breed people with an iron sense of identity. No trans madness here. No teaching children that there are 700 different genders. In places like Dagestan and Chechnya, where empires and Soviet boots once pressed down, boys aren’t just taught to fight; they’re taught to endure, to dominate, to win at all costs. Fighting here isn’t recreation; it’s in the blood. It is, for many, a ticket to a better life. While kids in the U.S. are glued to screens, boys here are rolling on mats, learning skills that build character and raw strength. Sure, they shed a tear — they are children, after all — but quickly wipe them away and resume training. In America and other affluent Western nations, parents often cushion their children against the hard knocks of reality. Playgrounds are rubber-padded, and competitive games come with participation trophies. Schools emphasize positive reinforcement and conflict resolution through dialogue. Safety and self-expression are the goals. But only a fool would deny that this soft approach has eroded the concept of toughness. Children in the U.S. and beyond, especially boys, are becoming weaker, both mentally and physically. Contrast this with the North Caucasus, where raising boys is less about emotional insulation and more about preparing them for an unforgiving world. Here, childhood is not an insulated period of delicate growth; it’s an initiation into manhood. From a young age, boys learn to endure cold, navigate difficult terrain, and face challenges head-on. They don’t just hear stories of heroes; they are expected to become them. The bar for what constitutes “soft” or “hard” is drawn starkly differently than in America. In the North Caucasus region, by the age of 10 a boy has already practiced wrestling in the dirt and spent cold nights learning survival skills outdoors. Here, every boy is like a mini Joe Rogan, minus the tattoos and impressive bank balance. Failure is seen as part of learning, not something to be avoided. The experience is grueling but purposeful — the expectation is to grow tough enough to shoulder family and community responsibilities. This isn’t cruelty; it’s preparation. Preparation for greatness.Epitome of greatness One cannot speak about greatness without discussing Khabib Nurmagomedov. To the people of Dagestan, he’s more than a champion. He’s a legend, revered with the same awe reserved for greats like Muhammad Ali or Michael Jordan. Khabib is arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time, a man who dominated with a ferocity that broke opponents. In the Octagon, he didn’t just win titles — he took souls. Stephen McCarthy If in doubt, let me point you in the direction of Conor McGregor. Before stepping into the ring with Khabib, he was the brightest star in the UFC, a fighter believed to be unbeatable. A sporting icon who had elevated himself to near-mythic status, McGregor was systematically dismantled by a monster from the mountains. The buildup to their fight was nasty, with McGregor hurling cheap shots at Khabib’s now-deceased father. However, the Irishman, then the undisputed king of trash talk, would soon find himself getting a taste of his own medicine. The moment the bell rang, McGregor, full of his usual swagger, quickly realized he was facing a fighter intent on destruction — specifically, the destruction of him and his legacy. Clash of civilizations The audience, the vast majority of whom expected yet another McGregor victory, also understood they were not just watching a contest; they were witnessing a reckoning. With each takedown, Khabib sent a message to the world. He was there to make history. His ground-and-pound wasn’t flashy, but it was brutal, precise, and mercilessly effective. McGregor’s legendary counter-punches, the lethal strikes that had taken down countless opponents, proved useless against the relentless force of the Dagestani. Every attempt to escape failed. Khabib was relentless, a human Terminator, there to take McGregor apart piece by piece. The Dubliner spent most of the fight flopping around like a trout on a fisherman’s deck, desperately gasping for air. In truth, October 6, 2018, was the day the Conor McGregor we knew and loved died. He never recovered. How could he? The Grim Reaper had just visited and violated him. While McGregor was busy nursing his bruised body and his battered ego, Khabib returned to his homeland a hero. To the young boys of Dagestan, he was — and remains — a symbol of what's possible. Meanwhile, in the West, many boys and girls worship fleeting idols — TikTok influencers and pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter — whose fame is built on hollow trends and fake personas. They are all style and zero substance. We often speak of being "advanced," but take a hard look at our children and ask yourself: Are we truly moving forward, or are we losing the core values that build resilience, character, and true strength? Khabib’s triumph was more than a victory — it was a reminder of what real heroes look like.
https://www.theblaze.com/align/crucible-of-champions-the-isolated-region-that-breeds-the-ufc-s-stone-cold-killers

2024-11-15 02:00:31

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=54502858&width=980
Liberals online began wailing and gnashing their teeth almost immediately after President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to a seat in his Cabinet on Thursday.As had long been rumored, Trump tapped RFK Jr. to be health and human services secretary. During his independent run for president, RFK Jr. made health a major focus of his campaign.'Putting an anti-vaxxer in charge of public health is like putting the Unabomber in charge of the mail.'After Kennedy dropped out in August and formally endorsed Trump, social media became ablaze with the slogan "Make America Healthy Again," a phrase that Trump often uttered in the close of his rally speeches."I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health," Trump wrote in a statement posted to X late Thursday afternoon.In his statement, Trump also called public health and safety an administration's "most important role" but said that lately, Americans have endured an "overwhelming Health Crisis" on account of "harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives."Under Kennedy's leadership, health agencies will fight back against the chronic disease "epidemic," return to the "Gold Standard" of scientific research, and become "beacons of Transparency," Trump continued. — (@) CNN reported that Kennedy accepted the nomination sometime on Thursday.In its article about the RFK nomination, the liberal outfit also described Kennedy as "one of the nation’s most prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists" and accused him of spreading "false conspiracy theories about the safety and efficacy of vaccines." However, the outlet did not provide any examples of such alleged conspiracy theories.The New York Times also claimed in its headline about the nomination that Kennedy "spread false information about vaccines." Liberals online melted down over the news of Kennedy's nomination as well."Putting an anti-vaxxer in charge of public health is like putting the Unabomber in charge of the mail," tweeted the left-wing influencer known as Jo."It’s difficult to describe how utterly wretched RFK Jr. is. Not that I necessarily expect them to, but the Republican Senate *has* to put their foot down here. He’s one of the most deranged sociopaths in public life, and his war on childhood vaccination is unconscionable," wrote a user with 19K followers."RFK Jr. ran a spoiler campaign to help elect Donald Trump. Now, he’s reaping the benefits with a position that will jeopardize the health of millions of Americans," said a group of Democratic activists called End Citizens United.However, not all Democrats assailed the pick. Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado in fact cheered it, claiming that RFK Jr. would help take "on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly.""He will face strong special interest opposition on these, but I look forward to partnering with him to truly make America healthy again and I hope that we can finally make progress on these important issues," Polis added.One industry likely to be upset by the pick is Big Pharma. Shortly after Trump announced the nomination, the stocks of many pharmaceutical companies reportedly tanked.Kennedy did not make a statement about the Cabinet position but did retweet Trump's statement. Soon after Trump's landslide election victory, Kennedy hinted that he likely would be heavily involved in public health agencies during Trump's second term."President Trump has given me three instructions," Kennedy said, according to CNN. "He wants the corruption and the conflicts out of the regulatory agencies. He wants to return the agencies to the gold standard, empirically-based, evidence-based, science and medicine that they were once famous for. And he wants to end the chronic disease epidemic with measurable impacts on a diminishment of chronic disease within two years."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-ruffles-more-feathers-with-rfk-jr-cabinet-pick

2024-11-15 01:54:25

@nprofile…83nr
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Donald Trump has made it official: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been tapped to run a new “Department of Government Efficiency” (or DOGE), tasked with slashing the federal bureaucracy and spending. “Their duty will be over by July 4, 2026, which is the 250th anniversary of America. So we’ve got a lot of work to do until then,” Glenn Beck of “The Glenn Beck Program” comments, thrilled with the news. The point of the Department of Government Efficiency is cutting waste in the government — though that might include mass firings of government employees. “Ramaswamy has come up with this great idea of how to fire people. OK, we know the problem is that you just can’t fire people because they’re just going to take you to court,” Glenn says. “If you’re running a company, and you need to reduce the size of the company, you will have companies that will just cut whole divisions because they don’t want any of the lawsuits.” “It has to be everybody, right? So what Ramaswamy has come up with, and he says this is only a thought exercise, but I think it’s brilliant. What he’s come up with is ‘We’re going to reduce the government by half, and here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to say everyone who has an odd number at the end of their social security number, you’re fired,’” Glenn explains. However, if an employee is elected to the office they hold, they can’t be fired this way. “If you’re elected into that office, you’re not fired. But everybody else, because we’re reducing the size of the government by half,” Glenn says. While Stu Burguiere loves the idea of reducing the government by half, he’s skeptical of the method potentially being employed. “Merit has nothing to do with random groups of firing, you want to fire the employees that suck,” Stu says. “To be able to get to the place where you have merit, you have to reduce the size of the government first. You have blood letting that have to happen,” Glenn responds. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy

2024-11-15 01:05:51

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/leftist-echo-chamber-cracks-as-alternative-media-gains-ground.jpg?id=54496021&width=980
Donald Trump dealt an earth-shattering blow to the American left. The reality television star not only secured a convincing win in the Electoral College but also captured the popular vote and carried down-ballot Republicans to victory, with the GOP taking control of the Senate and likely retaining the House. Typically, such a decisive mandate for the opposition would lead a political party to reflect on the policies or rhetoric that contributed to such a defeat. But Democrats are having none of that.Instead of examining their platform, tone toward the American people, or use of power, liberal pundits and politicians have reached a different conclusion. From MSNBC to CNN and HBO, they have conducted election postmortems, blaming their loss on one main problem: that the American people have too much free speech.Democrats had constructed a reality in which their ideology was unquestionable and their victory inevitable.A few thoughtful voices on the left have suggested that policies like opening the border, demonizing men, ignoring the economic struggles of middle Americans, and promoting radical gender politics to children may have hurt the Democrats' chances. Yet these moderating voices have been quickly labeled as racist and sexist, silenced by progressives deeply invested in their own radical ideology. Instead, the left has chosen to lay the blame for its loss on alternative media.The left has sounded the alarm about the dangers of misinformation and disinformation for years. Progressives once held a near-total monopoly over the elite institutions that shape ideological consensus in America. In a world where individuals are often isolated from real interactions or events, the dominant narrative provided by news and entertainment had the power to define reality. That is how a nation can be convinced to treat a severe flu like the Black Death. Democrats have lived inside this self-constructed reality for so long that they have forgotten its artificial nature — like a fish that doesn’t know it’s wet.Progressives genuinely believe Americans are inherently racist, sexist, and homophobic, and they worry that without a controlled flow of carefully curated information, people will revert to their “brutal” nature and start throwing Nazi salutes in honor of the eternal Trumpenreich. Leftist operatives don’t view themselves as propagandists because they rely on narratives shaped by a network of credentialed institutions.When progressives talk about “our democracy,” they really mean the consensus upheld by “experts” who show loyalty to their ideology. Any information that contradicts this narrative becomes “misinformation” — not because it’s factually incorrect but because it challenges their carefully curated information ecosystem.In this moment of utter defeat, Democrats have pointed fingers at podcasters like Joe Rogan and Theo Von, frustrated by their influence on young men. Some leftist pundits even suggest the need to create a “progressive Joe Rogan” or build their own network of influencers.But this approach is delusional on multiple levels. The left already has a massive influence network that spans mainstream media, Hollywood, corporate America, academia, and the unelected federal bureaucracy. Progressives don’t view this as an “influence network,” however. They see it as basic institutional reality. They have convinced themselves that the shadows they cast on the wall are reality, and anything outside them is nefarious and artificial.Progressives have plenty of young male influencers, like David Pakman and Hasan Piker. These voices enjoy major funding and the advantage of speaking with little to no fear of censorship from big tech. But it is exactly this obvious alliance with the status quo that dooms their efforts. Liberal commentators aren’t rebels speaking truth to power; they’re pushing on an open door. Their apparent lack of authenticity is palpable, and audiences sense it. This disconnect is so pronounced that Pakman recently made a video addressing the fact that his own audience is leaving in droves.The left’s challenge isn’t a lack of media reach. Despite emerging cracks in their foundation, progressives still hold significant influence over legacy media, education, and government bureaucracies that shape public opinion in the United States. The real problem is that each of these institutions has sacrificed its credibility in pursuit of ideological control. Soft power is delicate. It requires disciplined actors who can leverage institutional control without overtly advancing their own interests. Progressives have lost all such discipline and burned the precious currency of institutional legitimacy for short-term gain. Now they will reap the whirlwind.The left still has extensive media representation, but it no longer holds a media monopoly. Despite a substantial advantage in funding, prestige, and infrastructure, audiences are abandoning traditional media because of their consistent misinformation. They lied about the border, misled on the pandemic, skewed coverage of Trump, manipulated poll results, and even deluded themselves into thinking Kamala Harris could win a presidential election. Even in defeat, progressive commentators remain oblivious to the reality they've so fervently insulated themselves from.Leftists now watch the success of podcasters like Rogan and platforms like X, marveling at their influence. On HBO panels and in New York Times columns, they exclaim, “Media can shape reality! I’ve got to get me some of that!” The lack of self-awareness is remarkable. Yet Democrats cannot produce a candidate capable of appearing on Rogan’s show, let alone replicate his authentic style. Rogan may not be conservative, but he doesn’t dismiss Americans or their concerns, offering an everyman quality that is hard to fabricate.The Democratic Party’s problem isn’t a lack of media reach; it’s a toxic message and an unwillingness to engage with middle America. The party demonizes young white men and labels middle Americans as “trash,” alienating these demographics. The problem isn’t that comedians have podcasts that diverge from the Democratic Party line; it’s the Democrats’ toxic disregard for average Americans’ concerns.Democrats had constructed a reality in which their ideology was unquestionable and their victory inevitable. Only “outdated” institutions like the Electoral College and voter ID stood between progressives and the “end of history.” Now, a resounding defeat in the popular vote has left them bewildered, searching for someone to blame. There will be no introspection or lessons learned. Instead, leftists have doubled down on radical policies and contempt for Americans. It’s a powerful reminder that decadence breeds weakness and insularity fosters delusion.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/leftist-echo-chamber-cracks-as-alternative-media-gains-ground

2024-11-14 16:42:18

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=54496146&width=980
“Make America Healthy Again” was a winning message for Trump’s campaign, especially considering the government appears to have been making America as unhealthy as possible over the past four years. “There’s been such a groundswell across political categories of Americans who, just looking around, they can tell that people are spiritually and physically unwell, that there’s a pandemic of sorts of just real unfitness in America, and they’re suspicious of their food, they’re suspicious of vaccines,” James Poulos of “Zero Hour” tells Senator Rand Paul. Paul agrees, telling Poulos that “the government needs to turn over a new leaf and try being honest.” “Because of their vast dishonesty, people are hesitant. People don’t believe the government any more, and I’ll give you an example of why they probably shouldn’t,” he adds, before citing the COVID response as the primary reason. “The vaccine committees that came forward to approve a booster vaccine for COVID, they really recommended only for over 65, or those who are at risk for COVID. The Biden administration, though, came forward and said, ‘No, your 6-month-old should take it. Everybody from 6 months of age and up should take this COVID vaccine,’” he continues. “Well, when you do the investigation, you find that the vaccine is actually of greater risk to a young person, to a child, a toddler, adolescent, teenager, young adult, than the disease,” he adds. But why wouldn’t they warn the American people that the cure may be more dangerous than the disease? Because that’s not how the pharmaceutical companies, who worked with the federal government to make the vaccines, make their money. “It appears as if the government perhaps is more concerned with the profit of Pfizer and Moderna than they are actually with the truth,” Paul says, adding, “People are suspecting everything the government tells them, because we’ve had such a spate of dishonesty.” Want more from James Poulos?To enjoy more of James's visionary commentary on politics, tech, ideas, and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/zero-hour/covid-rand-paul

2024-11-12 20:24:53

@nprofile…83nr
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/creator-of-giant-vote-for-trump-sign-in-new-york-teases-run-for-congress.jpg?id=54489908&width=980
The man responsible for the giant "Vote for Trump" sign that recently lit up the sky in Upstate New York is now considering a run for federal office.It's no secret that Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule, supports President-elect Donald Trump. Not only did Constantino create a Trump-related PAC, but he also ordered a 100-foot "Vote for Trump" sign to be constructed atop a Sticker Mule facility in Amsterdam, a city of some 18,000 residents about 35 miles northwest of Albany.'President Trump is a unity president, and I'll do whatever I can to help him make America great for everyone.'Now that Constantino and more than 75 million other Americans have gotten their wish and Trump has won re-election, Constantino is thinking about how he can best serve his president and his country going forward. With Trump tapping New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) as ambassador to the United Nations, Constantino is now mulling a run for the seat Stefanik will vacate after a decade in office, should she be confirmed."I am strongly considering running for the NY-21 Congressional seat. Thank you!" he tweeted Monday night.Constantino went into greater detail about the possible run on an appearance on Monday's episode of "The StoneZONE" hosted by longtime Trump ally Roger Stone."I want to do whatever is most impactful in the world, what's best for the country, and it seems like this might be it," Constantino said.According to the Post Millennial, Constantino and Stefanik went to high school together, and he has long supported her work. He has also already begun gathering a team to consider the next steps in the process."President Trump is a unity president, and I'll do whatever I can to help him make America great for everyone. If that's in Congress, I'll fight hard to win big and continue winning after I'm elected," Constantino said in a statement to the Post Millennial.So far, Constantino seems to have one friend in his corner. In a statement to the Post Millennial, Stone said Constantino "has what it takes.""He built his company from the ground up, creating thousands of jobs. He stood up for President Trump in the face of certain backlash. We need smart and courageous people who aren’t career politicians like him in Washington now more than ever."A month ago, Constantino appeared on "The Glenn Beck Program," telling Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck that Trump "did tremendous things for the country" in his first term, especially regarding free speech."Nobody wants to have duct tape put on their mouth. Nobody wants the right to speech taken away," Constantino said.Free speech was just one of many reasons that Constantino, a registered Democrat, constructed the Trump sign on his building."I'm trying to end this epidemic of anti-Trump hate that's been bad, really, for both sides," he explained to Beck. "People got to be able to be comfortable to say they like President Trump."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/creator-of-giant-vote-for-trump-sign-in-new-york-teases-run-for-congress

2024-11-12 20:23:59

@nprofile…hfrz
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/creator-of-giant-vote-for-trump-sign-in-new-york-teases-run-for-congress.jpg?id=54489908&width=980
The man responsible for the giant "Vote for Trump" sign that recently lit up the sky in Upstate New York is now considering a run for federal office.It's no secret that Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule, supports President-elect Donald Trump. Not only did Constantino create a Trump-related PAC, but he also ordered a 100-foot "Vote for Trump" sign to be constructed atop a Sticker Mule facility in Amsterdam, a city of some 18,000 residents about 35 miles northwest of Albany.'President Trump is a unity president, and I'll do whatever I can to help him make America great for everyone.'Now that Constantino and more than 75 million other Americans have gotten their wish and Trump has won re-election, Constantino is thinking about how he can best serve his president and his country going forward. With Trump tapping New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) as ambassador to the United Nations, Constantino is now mulling a run for the seat Stefanik will vacate after a decade in office, should she be confirmed."I am strongly considering running for the NY-21 Congressional seat. Thank you!" he tweeted Monday night.Constantino went into greater detail about the possible run on an appearance on Monday's episode of "The StoneZONE" hosted by longtime Trump ally Roger Stone."I want to do whatever is most impactful in the world, what's best for the country, and it seems like this might be it," Constantino said.According to the Post Millennial, Constantino and Stefanik went to high school together, and he has long supported her work. He has also already begun gathering a team to consider the next steps in the process."President Trump is a unity president, and I'll do whatever I can to help him make America great for everyone. If that's in Congress, I'll fight hard to win big and continue winning after I'm elected," Constantino said in a statement to the Post Millennial.So far, Constantino seems to have one friend in his corner. In a statement to the Post Millennial, Stone said Constantino "has what it takes.""He built his company from the ground up, creating thousands of jobs. He stood up for President Trump in the face of certain backlash. We need smart and courageous people who aren’t career politicians like him in Washington now more than ever."A month ago, Constantino appeared on "The Glenn Beck Program," telling Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck that Trump "did tremendous things for the country" in his first term, especially regarding free speech."Nobody wants to have duct tape put on their mouth. Nobody wants the right to speech taken away," Constantino said.Free speech was just one of many reasons that Constantino, a registered Democrat, constructed the Trump sign on his building."I'm trying to end this epidemic of anti-Trump hate that's been bad, really, for both sides," he explained to Beck. "People got to be able to be comfortable to say they like President Trump."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/creator-of-giant-vote-for-trump-sign-in-new-york-teases-run-for-congress

2024-10-28 14:20:07

Kamala avoids Biden's help on campaign trail despite lagging poll numbers: Report
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/kamala-avoids-biden-s-help-on-campaign-trail-despite-lagging-poll-numbers-report.jpg?id=53892578&width=980
President Joe Biden has offered to stump on behalf of his number two, Kamala Harris, in the waning days of election season, only for Harris to give him the cold shoulder, reports indicate.Several outlets have reported that the Harris campaign is keeping Biden at arm's length. The following are a smattering of headlines that have been published in just the last few days:"Harris stiff-arms Biden in final stretch" — Axios,"Kamala Harris Is Ghosting Joe Biden, Who Wants To Campaign With Her" — Times Now,"Wishing he could do more, Biden fades into campaign's background" — Politico, and"Kamala Harris keeps snubbing President Biden's requests to campaign for her: report" — the New York Post.While the Axios headline uses a football metaphor, the report actually compares the relationship between Harris and Biden to "a slow-moving break-up." Sources familiar with the situation told the outlet that anytime Biden offers to campaign on her behalf, Harris' people offer the same response: "We'll get back to you.""He's a reminder of the last four years, not the new way forward," another unnamed source told the outlet.'There’s really not anything he can do to help at this point.'With just over a week left before Election Day, Biden and Harris have no joint public appearances on their schedule, and Biden's stop in Pittsburgh to meet with various union leaders on Saturday reportedly took the Harris team by surprise."I have walked the picket line, and so has Kamala," Biden said during a 20-minute speech at the Allegheny-Fayette Labor Council apprentice training center, according to TribLive. "This is about decency versus lack of decency. This is about character."While Biden's overall approval rating has been in the tank for some time, Scranton Joe still enjoys some enduring support among blue-collar, Catholic areas of the Rust Belt, particularly Pennsylvania. He also appears to do well with some seniors, a reliable voting bloc.Harris could likely use those votes. Most polls on RealClearPolitics show former President Donald Trump with a slight lead in Pennsylvania, a state with a whopping 19 electoral votes. In 2020, Biden officially bested Trump in the Keystone State by 1.2%.White House spokesperson Andrew Bates denied that the Harris team did not know about Biden's trip to Pittsburgh and insisted that Biden stands ready to help Harris in any way he can. "We are in close touch with the campaign to determine when, where and how the president can be helpful," Bates told Axios.However, in a recent "Days Ahead" email sent by the Harris team, which listed a series of campaign events, Biden's stops in Pittsburgh were not mentioned.At a stop in New Hampshire last Tuesday, Biden also ruffled a few feathers after he railed about locking Trump up. "We gotta lock him up," Biden said. Perhaps recognizing that he may have overstepped and admitted a deliberate lawfare campaign against a political rival, Biden quickly added, "Politically lock him up. Lock him out. That’s what we have to do."Thus far, Biden's overtures have reportedly failed to ingratiate him with Harris and her team, even as RCP averages suggest she currently trails Trump in other key battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. "I don’t think it’s all that useful to the campaign," one Democrat said of Biden's campaign events, according to Politico. "But there’s really not anything he can do to help at this point. Maybe some of these events around policy accomplishments make a difference on the margins. But at best, they’re probably a wash."Neither the Harris campaign nor the vice president's office responded to a request for comment from Axios. The New York Post likewise reached out for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/kamala-avoids-biden-s-help-on-campaign-trail-despite-lagging-poll-numbers-report

2024-10-25 10:35:01

Blaze News original: Americans don't trust the media. Here are 7 examples why they probably shouldn't.
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=53851153&width=980
Trust in the mass media has bottomed out. Gallup, which has been tracking public trust in newspapers, TV, and radio for over 50 years, revealed Oct. 14 that a plurality (36%) of Americans have no trust at all in the mass media. 33% of respondents said they don't trust the mass media "very much." Only 31% of Americans indicated they trust the media to report the news "fully, accurately and fairly." Some academics and media outfits have in recent years tried to pin this breakdown of trust on President Donald Trump and on other individuals who have expressed contempt for the mainstream press, such as the late Rush Limbaugh. Although simple and politically expedient, such explanations fail to account for why this decline was under way long before Trump's descent down the golden escalator on June 16, 2015, and the debut of Limbaugh's self-titled show in October 1984. Extra to considering several proposed drivers of the broader trend, Blaze News spoke to Jacob L. Nelson, associate professor in the University of Utah’s Department of Communication and author of "Imagined Audiences: How Journalists Perceive and Pursue the Public," about both Gallup's findings and what his own research has revealed about Americans' degrading trust. While there are multiple and in some cases competing explanations for why Americans don't trust the media, one thing is clear: The continuous advancement of brazen falsehoods and deceptive narratives is not helping. Blaze News has highlighted seven egregious examples of false or misleading reports that have served both to justify Americans' distrust and to illustrate what a trustworthy media might seek to avoid. Bad diagnosis Gallup data indicates that the decline in Americans' trust in the mass media has been under way since 1976. Among those signaling a "great deal" or "fair amount" of trust in the media, there appears to have been a brief rebound from 2000 to 2003, but the downward trend resumed in 2004 — around the time weapons of mass destruction were not discovered in Iraq. This year, a record-low number of respondents (31%) expressed a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media — down one point from last year's similarly abysmal figure. Meanwhile, outright distrust rose from 4% in 1976 to 36% in 2024, briefly cresting at 39% last year. Slight distrust rose from 22% in 1976 to a high of 41% in 2016. It now sits at 33%. In the Trump years, trust in the media skyrocketed among Democrats. Broken down by party affiliation, Gallup indicated that 54% of Democrats, 27% of independents, and 12% of Republican respondents signaled a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the media. Republican trust in the media dropped off around the time of the Watergate scandal and in the lead-up to President Richard Nixon’s resignation. After a brief increase, trust began steadily declining from 1976 onward, enjoying partial though fleeting recoveries at points in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The biggest one-year drop appears to have taken place between 2015 and 2016. Independents' trust, though historically stronger than that of their Republican counterparts, has — with only a few exceptions — largely degraded in parallel. Democrats' trust (i.e. "great deal" / "fair amount") tells a different story. Starting six points higher at first measure in 1972, Democratic trust declined parallel to Republicans' trust from the end of the Vietnam War until 1997 but then began zigzagging erratically during George W. Bush's first term. During the Obama years, trust dropped, reaching an all-time low of 51% in 2016. However, in the Trump years, trust in the media skyrocketed among Democrats, reaching an all-time high of 76% in 2018 — amid the lead-up to the first impeachment of the Republican president. According to Gallup, Democrats' trust in the media tanked 16 points between 2022 and 2024 to 54%. Another telling insight from the survey is the generational divide. Geriatrics' trust in the media currently sits at 43%, having bounced around the high 40s for the past 14 years. Respondents ages 50-64, meanwhile, are less trusting, with only 33% expressing confidence in the media. Only 26% of Americans ages 18-49 expressed a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the media. Possible drivers This decline has prompted a great deal of speculation in recent years about potential causes. Some analysts have suggested that the growing distrust in the media is the result of a far greater social crisis. While less an answer and more a prompt for additional question, this is nevertheless borne out by polling data. Gallup indicated earlier this year that the public's average confidence in 17 institutions, including the U.S. Supreme Court, Congress, organized religion, higher education, and banks, has been lower than 30% for the past three years. As television news and newspapers are among the institutions least trusted, it's clear they are still excelling at shedding public confidence. Journalist and author Matt Taibbi noted in a recent Canadian state media documentary that trust may have been degraded in part by a change in the media's business model. Taibbi noted that prior to the 1990s, American broadcast news sought to secure the largest possible audience with minimal objectionable content. But facing increased competition, these outlets began targeting specific demographics in the early 2000s. This, coupled with technological disruptions — AI is now threatening a new shake-up — has allegedly helped to polarize the media landscape. Owing to the rise of social media and supposed democratization of information, the mainstream media also has faced increasing competition for the public's trust and attention from new sources and platforms. The Pew Research Center revealed Oct. 16 that young American adults and Republicans are now almost as likely to trust information from social media sources as from national news organizations. The survey found that among all U.S. adults, 74% of respondents said they had a lot or some trust in local news organizations. 59% said the same of national news organizations. 37% said social media sites had secured their confidence. Whereas the supermajority of Democrats trusted both local and national news organizations, 66% of Republicans supported local outlets and only 40% supported national news organizations — narrowly beating social media sites by three points. Among adults 18-29, 52% expressed confidence in social media sites, 56% in local news, and 71% in national news organizations. Blaze News senior editor Cortney Weil noted that extra to providing Americans with alternative information sources, social media platforms such as X have been helpful in illuminating deceptive media practices. Between Trump and Elon Musk's purchase of perhaps the most powerful social media platform in the world, everyday Americans can see that members of the media all too often launder their preferred narrative through their reporting under the guise of journalism. Some Americans may have begun nurturing distrust not only after achieving a better understanding of how the proverbial sausage is made but upon discovering who is operating the grinder and where. There appears to be incredible ideological conformity in the press, where liberals are grossly overrepresented. A 2020 study published in the journal Science Advances indicated that a survey of U.S. political journalists found that among the 78% of respondents who identified with or leaned toward a particular party, eight in 10 said they were liberal/Democrats. 'I have to present myself as someone who is deeply skeptical.' The problem of real or perceived viewpoint bias is compounded by the de-localization of newsrooms over time to coastal hives amid sweeping consolidation. "Unless and until media outlets step away from the NYC/D.C./L.A. bubbles and venture out into real America, I don't harbor much hope for them," said Weil. While these factors might account for Republicans' disproportionate distrust, the lack of intellectual diversity in the press has turned off liberals as well, such as Peabody Award-winning editor Uri Berliner, who complained — just prior to his conveniently timed ouster — that NPR, where he worked for 25 years, had become an "openly polemical news outlet serving a niche audience." Money-poisoned wells and oversaturation Professor Jacob Nelson at the University of Utah has spent years analyzing trust, objectivity, and bias in reporting. Nelson told Blaze News that in his research, interviewees suggested when asked about their confidence in the media that "the news as a whole is inherently untrustworthy." "My sense is that that's in large part due to the fact that the media environment has grown so saturated and now comprises so many different providers of news, many of which are antagonistic toward one another and sort of presenting themselves as, 'We are the ones who have the truth, and if you go elsewhere, that is not where you find the truth,'" said Nelson. "And rather than make people feel as though, 'Okay, I can trust this outlet,' I think that oftentimes people feel, 'Okay, well, if everyone is telling me that everyone is untrustworthy, then I feel like I can't trust anyone, or at the very least, I have to present myself as someone who is deeply skeptical,'" continued Nelson. "'Otherwise, I might be construed as being, you know, like a sucker or someone who is not savvy enough to make sense of what's true or what's false in the world.'" While reluctant to opine on a possible correlation between the rise of populism and the decline in public trust, Nelson speculated that an anti-elitist verve and sensitivity to patronization might prompt some Americans to discount the supposed expertise of media professionals and harbor distrust. Nelson suggested that a significant factor affecting trust is the perception that journalism is compromised by commercial interests. "We did these interviews with people where we asked them, 'Do you trust journalism? Why or why not?'" Nelson told Blaze News. "The question that we kept asking people was, 'Why is it that you think that news organizations are attempting to deceive you?
https://www.theblaze.com/news/americans-dont-trust-the-media-here-are-7-examples-why-they-probably-shouldnt

2024-10-24 20:10:01

Dems panic as Republicans bank record-breaking early votes in key states
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/dems-panic-as-republicans-bank-record-breaking-early-votes-in-key-states.jpg?id=53856366&width=980
Less than two weeks from the presidential election, Republicans are breaking turnout records for early voting and mail-in ballots across several key states.In previous election cycles, Democrats have overwhelmingly outperformed Republicans when it comes to voting early. In 2020, over 22 million Democrats voted early, while just 15 million Republicans and nearly 12 million independents did the same. Although more Democrats have voted early, Republicans are actually outperforming them in some crucial swing states.Early voting was notably higher in 2020 due to the pandemic, but the trend remains true for previous election cycles. In 2016, just eight million Republicans voted in advance, as well as nearly 10 million Democrats and five million independents. This time around, Republicans are narrowing the gap. With over 26 million early votes counted, 11 million have been from Democrats, over 10 million have been from Republicans, and nearly five million have been from independents. Historically, the Republican Party has been averse to the idea of early voting. This time around, Trump has made the change to embrace it, and Democrats are beginning to panic. "A few more days like this, though, and the Democratic bedwetting will reach epic proportions," Jon Ralston, CEO of the Nevada Independent, told The Hill about early voting in Clark County, home of Las Vegas. "I think it comes solely down to the fact that last cycle, Donald Trump told Republicans not to vote early, and this time, the party is telling them to vote early," Jon McHenry, a GOP polling analyst and vice president at North Star Opinion Research, told Blaze News. "Pretty simple."Although more Democrats have voted early, Republicans are actually outperforming them in some crucial swing states. In Georgia, 48% of the early votes have been cast by Republicans, while 46% have been from Democrats. Similarly, in Arizona, Republicans are outperforming Democrats 42% to 36%, as well as 40% to 36% in Nevada.The two parties are nearly tied in North Carolina, with 35% of early votes coming from Democrats and 34% from Republicans. “The large mail ballot lead enjoyed by Dems has been erased and more by the GOP lead in in-person early voting,” Ralston told The Hill. While Republicans are making strides in the Sun Belt, Democrats have held onto their lead in the Rust Belt states. In Michigan, 52% of early votes were cast by Democrats, while just 38% came from Republicans. In Pennsylvania, the swing state with the highest electoral vote count, 62% of early votes came from Democrats and 29% came from Republicans. In Wisconsin, 37% of early votes were cast by Democrats and 21% of Republicans did the same. "It doesn't matter a whole lot, whether you get them early or you get them late, as long as they get there," McHenry told Blaze News. "The advantage of getting them early is that you know that they're already banked. You won't have to sweat Election Day quite as much."Notably, nearly half of early votes in Wisconsin and a third of votes in North Carolina came from independents. Roughly a quarter of early votes in Nevada and Arizona also came from independents. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia have had the lowest independent turnout, bringing in 10%, 9%, and 6%, respectively. "Just because you're registered as a Democrat doesn't mean you voted for Kamala Harris," McHenry told Blaze News. "You might be registered as a Democrat, but you've gotten sick to death of the Democrats over the last four years and just didn't bother to change your registration. You might just vote for Trump." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/dems-panic-as-republicans-bank-record-breaking-early-votes-in-key-states-2669472463

2024-10-23 19:50:01

Harris' desperate, last-ditch effort to win over voters? Recycle tired Trump-Hitler narrative
https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=53852406&width=980
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a last-minute addition to her schedule on Wednesday afternoon to deliver remarks outside of the vice president's residence.While the White House's announcement did not disclose the topic ahead of time, it became glaringly evident from Harris' opening remarks that the sole purpose of the address was to torch her opponent, former President Donald Trump.'Increasingly desperate because she is flailing, and her campaign is in shambles.'During her three-minute speech, Harris explained that Trump's former chief of staff, retired Marine General John Kelly, "confirmed that while Donald Trump was president, he said he wanted generals like Adolf Hitler had.""Donald Trump said that because he does not want a military that is loyal to the United States Constitution; he wants a military that is loyal to him," Harris continued. "One that will obey his orders even when he tells them to break the law or abandon their oath to the Constitution of the United States."The Trump campaign responded to Kelly's claims, stating that he "beclowned himself with these debunked stories he has fabricated."During Harris' address, she doubled down on statements claiming that Trump has "called his fellow Americans, the 'enemy from within.'""And let's be clear about who he considers to be the enemy from within — anyone who refuses to bend a knee or dares to criticize him," Harris claimed. She stated that Trump plans to go after judges, journalists, and non-partisan election officials. Harris was presumably referring to comments that Trump made over the weekend, during which he specifically referred to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Representative Adam Schiff (D-California) as "the enemy from within."Harris continued her Wednesday address, stating, "It is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler, the man who is responsible for the deaths of six million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Americans.""It is clear from John Kelly's words that Donald Trump is someone who, I quote, 'certainly falls into the general definition of fascist,'" Harris said.She claimed that Trump "vowed to be a dictator" and "use the military as his personal militia." "Donald Trump is increasingly unhinged and unstable," Harris declared."So, the bottom line is this: We know what Donald Trump wants. He wants unchecked power. The question in 13 days will be, what do the American people want," Harris concluded before ending the address. She did not take any questions from reporters. In a Sunday interview, Harris accused Trump of demeaning the office by making critical remarks about her. NBC News accused Trump of using "incendiary rhetoric" against his opponent. Harris' impromptu Wednesday address kicked up criticism on social media, with many claiming that her campaign's final message to voters ahead of the upcoming election signaled desperation. In a post on X, conservative influencer Benny Johnson responded to Harris' claim that Trump desires "uncheck power.""This is coming from the administration that has abused its power against Trump from DAY ONE," Johnson wrote. "TOTAL DESPERATION," he said of Harris' campaign.Rudy Giuliani wrote in a post on X, "Kamala Harris is now comparing Donald Trump to Adolph Hitler. Kamala knows there have been two assassination attempts and countless threats on his life. It couldn't be any clearer—this is a dog whistle to potential assassins. Disgraceful."Trump's campaign responded to Harris' press conference, writing, "Kamala Harris is a stone-cold loser who is increasingly desperate because she is flailing, and her campaign is in shambles. That is why she continues to peddle outright lies and falsehoods that are easily disproven. The fact is that Kamala's dangerous rhetoric is directly to blame for the multiple assassination attempts against President Trump and she continues to stoke the flames of violence all in the name of politics. She is despicable and her grotesque behavior proves she is wholly unfit for office."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/harris-desperate-last-ditch-effort-to-win-over-voters-recycle-tired-trump-hitler-narrative

2024-10-23 19:05:02

Over 600 female athletes have lost medals to transgender competitors, shocking UN report reveals
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A United Nations report reveals that a staggering number of female athletes have lost medals to transgender competitors.The report states that as of March 2024, more than 600 female athletes have been pushed off podiums in 29 sporting categories.'Male athletes have specific attributes considered advantageous in certain sports, such as strength and testosterone levels that are higher than those of the average range for females, even before puberty, thereby resulting in the loss of fair opportunity.'As such, women have lost almost 900 medals to men who identify as women in over 400 competitions, the report says.The report, titled "Violence against women and girls in sports," was published by the U.N.'s special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem.In the document, Alsalem explains that various national federations and governing bodies have allowed males who identify as females to compete in female sports categories.Alsalem goes on to say that no matter the age at which transgender males compete against females, inherent athletic advantages for trans competitors will persist: "Male athletes have specific attributes considered advantageous in certain sports, such as strength and testosterone levels that are higher than those of the average range for females, even before puberty, thereby resulting in the loss of fair opportunity."Alsalem also cited the 2024 Paris Olympics, during which "female boxers had to compete against two boxers whose sex as females was seriously contested" and noted that "the International Olympic Committee refused to carry out a sex screening."Controversial boxers Lin Yu‑ting of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and Imane Khelif of Algeria both won gold medals in women's boxing this past summer. Controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif beats Italian boxer Angela Carini by forfeit at the Paris 2024 OlympicsPhoto by Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty ImagesBoth the International Boxing Association and the World Boxing Organization found that Khelif was biologically a man, but the International Olympic Committee decided to allow Khelif to box in the women's category anyway.Khelif has since filed criminal hate speech complaints in France over alleged abuse during the Olympics.The U.N. report claimed that reliable sex screening procedures can be provided through a simple cheek swab and that female Olympians were in favor of its use in the past."A 1996 survey of female Olympians found that an overwhelming number (82 percent of the 928 surveyed) supported sex tests," the report noted.Last week a group of female activists and former athletes urged the U.N. to push for limitations on men who wish to compete against women in their events.Olympic silver medalist Sharron Davies and former West Virginia athlete Lainey Armistead were among those who spoke at the United Nations General Assembly meeting, alongside Alsalem and lawyers such as Kristen Waggoner of the Alliance Defending Freedom.The group of women called for the international sports community to ensure that women can participate in athletics without being at risk of harm from men.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/women-miss-out-on-medals

2024-10-23 18:55:01

National Guard husband vanishes, and his wife's alleged affair — and a new mattress — raise chilling questions of murder
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A Utah mother allegedly shot her husband to death in their bed in September, according to claims by her alleged lover. The husband has been missing since last month. Jennifer Gledhill, 41, told police she and her estranged husband met to talk Sept. 20 and began “drinking whiskey," according to an arrest report. The mother of three allegedly told her lover that she transported her husband's body "north, dug a hole, and buried him in a shallow grave." Gledhill and her husband — 51-year-old Matthew Johnson — allegedly agreed to have sex that night. "Jennifer informed [the officer] due to the intoxication from the whiskey she had a hard time recalling the events that took place after her and Matthew had sex," the warrant states, according to KSTU-TV.Johnson — a member of the Utah National Guard — was reported missing Sept. 23. The next day, Gledhill reportedly contacted the Cottonwood Heights Police Department to file a domestic violence incident report against her husband. She allegedly informed an officer that "bruises were all over her body," and she wanted them photographed for evidence. The warrant noted that an officer noticed several bruises on Gledhill's arms, hands, legs, and a bruise under her left eye.Gledhill claimed Johnson "became upset," but she could not remember why, according to the warrant. "Jennifer informed me she remembered Matthew was on top of her with a closed fist striking her several times," Gledhill reportedly told police. However, an informant told investigators a different story. An unnamed man who claimed to be having an affair with Gledhill reportedly told police that she informed him that she sustained bruises from "moving Matthew’s body and cleaning the mess in the house."'I washed everything & vacuumed & it's not an issue anymore.'The alleged lover also made another bombshell accusation. Fox News reported that the lover informed investigators that Gledhill came over to his house on Sept. 22, and she told him that she was "likely going away for a long time."According to police, the informant claimed that Gledhill told him that she and Johnson got into a fight on Sept. 20 "because he knew she had been sleeping with someone else." The informant allegedly told police Gledhill confessed to him that she shot Johnson in the head with his 9mm Glock "as he slept in their shared bed."Court documents said Gledhill told her lover "that she loaded Matthew’s body into a rooftop storage container, slid him down the stairs by herself, and loaded him into the back of her minivan."Documents added that the mother of three allegedly told her lover that she transported her husband's body "north, dug a hole, and buried him in a shallow grave." The probable cause affidavit noted that Gledhill sent the informant text messages and messages on WhatsApp, including one that reportedly read: "I washed everything & vacuumed & it's not an issue anymore."Gledhill told the informant that if she were told a story like the one she told him that "she would take it to the grave," according to court documents. A neighbor reportedly told police that she witnessed Gledhill’s parents inside the home "cleaning" the garage and "moving things around" on Sept. 24. The suspect's mother reportedly confirmed to investigators that she was at her daughter's house Sept. 24. Johnson has yet to be found.'Take it to the grave.'Detectives found Johnson's truck and his cellphone inside it less than a mile from his home.While serving a search warrant at Gledhill’s residence, detectives allegedly noted that the mattress in the master bedroom "appeared to be brand new."Prosecutors claimed, "The evidence is significant that defendant obstructed the investigation by removing the mattress she admitted to [the] informant that she shot Matthew on while he was sleeping and replaced days later with a new mattress."Gledhill’s mother allegedly told detectives that she purchased a new mattress from Amazon at Gledhill’s request."Additionally, the entire wall behind the master bed appeared to have fresh wipe marks from cleaning," court documents state. "Several reddish-brown spots were located on the walls, bed frame, and blinds of the master bedroom. Detectives noted that the wall behind the master bed was covered in bleach."Police noted "a strong smell of chlorine in the basement" and bleach stains on "several stairs" with black carpeting.During a search of the suspect’s vehicle, detectives discovered bags of what appeared to be drugs packaged "for individual sale" and roughly $200 in cash.Citing cellphone records, prosecutors said "at no point" after Sept. 21 did Gledhill "ever attempt to contact" Johnson.When investigators asked the suspect’s father if he had recently entered the master bedroom, he reportedly responded, "I did not go in where the incident happened."According to police records, Gledhill previously made "unsuccessful attempts to secure a protective order against Matthew during the course of their marriage and was found by the court to be an instigator and one to goad Matthew into a response in order to get him in trouble," prosecutors argued. On Oct. 2, Gledhill was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, five counts of obstruction of justice, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, abuse of a human body, and tampering with a witness.During her first court appearance Monday, 3rd District Judge Todd Olsen ordered her to not have contact with any of her three young children — ages 11, 7, and 5 — either in person or electronically.KSL-TV reported Gledhill "wiped tears from her face" as the judge issued the order.Gledhill's attorney, Jeremy Deus, argued, "I think this is a heavy-handed tactic by the state to try to put undue pressure on her."Deus added, "I can't imagine what it's like to say that she can't see the children and, in effect, tell the children that they can't see mom, either. They're not named victims in the case. I don't see a basis for having a protective order that prevents them from having contact with their mother in any form or fashion."Like Blaze News? 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https://www.theblaze.com/news/utah-mom-murder-national-guard-mattress-sex

2024-10-23 17:20:01

Tulsi Gabbard announces she is joining the GOP: 'The Democrat Party has no home for people like us'
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Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard helped torpedo Kamala Harris' presidential campaign in 2020. Keen to do so once again but also to spare America from losing further blood and treasure abroad as a consequence of the interventionism favored by the vice president and her new buddy Liz Cheney, the former congresswoman endorsed President Donald Trump in August, stressing that unlike Harris, he would "do the work and walk us back from the brink of war." At a rally Tuesday in Greensboro, North Carolina, the former Democrat went a step farther, announcing that she was joining the Republican Party. "To those of you here and those watching at home who are independent people like myself, who love our country and are committed to the Constitution and to freedom, the Democrat Party has no home for people like us," said Gabbard. "But we do have a home in the Republican Party." "It is because of my love for our country and specifically because of the leadership that President Trump has brought to transform the Republican Party and bring it back to the party of the people and the party of peace that I'm proud to stand here with you today, President Trump, and announce that I'm joining the Republican Party," added the former Hawaii congresswoman, to the sound of thunderous applause. 'A vote for President Trump is a vote for peace.' Earlier in her remarks, Gabbard noted that she spent over 20 years as a Democrat but found that the party had morphed into something unrecognizable. Gabbard noted that like her party, Harris is "anti-freedom, she is pro-censorship, she is pro-open\-borders, and she is pro-war." The former congresswoman is particularly sensitive to Harris' disregard for American freedoms, having learned over the summer from several federal Air Marshal whistleblowers that the Biden-Harris administration was apparently surveilling her via a program designed to identify and monitor potential terrorists. Gabbard's alleged enrollment in the Transportation Security Administration's Quiet Skies program was all the more offensive because she enlisted in the military in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, countering extremism across three war zones. The congresswoman previously told Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck, "The only assumption that I can make is that they're coming after me because of my speaking the truth and revealing who they really are." While continued abuses under a possible Harris administration are clearly a concern for Gabbard, she underscored that the choice between Trump and the vice president was ultimately a choice between peace and war. "President Trump has pledged to stop wars, not start them," Gabbard told the crowd Tuesday in Greensboro. "And this is why, in the eyes of the Kamala Harris, Dick Cheney Democrat Party, they will do everything possible to try to destroy him." Noting that Election Day was just two weeks away, Gabbard impressed upon the crowd that "a vote for President Trump is a vote for secure borders and safe communities, and a vote for President Trump is a vote for peace here in America and around the world." The pro-peace message at the Trump rally was at odds with the message advanced at Harris' phony town hall Monday in Royal Oak, Michigan, where the vice president and Liz Cheney criticized Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine. Cheney said, "I think that if you look at where the Republican Party is today, there's been a really dangerous embrace of isolationism." Harris signaled her agreement, stating, "Isolationism, which is exactly what Donald Trump is pushing — pull out of NATO, abandon our friends — isolationism is not insulation. It is not insulation. It will not insulate us from harm in terms of our national security." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/tulsi-gabbard-announces-she-is-joining-the-gop

2024-10-23 16:25:01

40 sheriffs torch Biden-Harris’ open-border policies for unleashing crime and drugs on small-town America
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A coalition of more than 40 sheriffs from 18 states released a joint letter addressed to the public on Tuesday, slamming the Biden-Harris administration’s destructive open-border policies for unleashing crime and drug surges in small-town America.In the letter, obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, the sheriffs expressed “grave concern for the safety and security of our communities” nationwide, noting that under the current administration, “Every town is a border town.”'The impact is broken families, lost futures, and devastated communities.'“As sheriffs, our first duty is to protect the citizens we serve, but today, we find ourselves confronted by a growing crisis that threatens the very fabric of our country and its sovereignty: open-border policies,” they wrote.The sheriffs blamed the administration for allowing between 10 to 15 million foreign nationals to cross the border illegally, adding that those totals are “more than the individual population of 46 states in our nation.”By refusing to enforce the country’s existing immigration laws, the Biden-Harris administration has “allowed dangerous criminals, human traffickers, and drug cartels” to infiltrate American communities, they contended.“The result is a flood of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, into our cities and towns. The impact is broken families, lost futures, and devastated communities,” the sheriffs continued.The Biden administration, Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, and their Democratic allies have repeatedly insisted that the only way to stop the immigration crisis is for Congress to pass more laws — specifically, the failed so-called "bipartisan" border Senate bill, the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, H.R. 815.However, the coalition of sheriffs appeared to push back on the administration’s false claims that it does not already have the authority to shut down mass illegal immigration.“The President alone can act to fix this crisis. The president can suspend or restrict the entry of noncitizens if it is deemed in the national interest, proclaim a national emergency along the border, and redirect federal funds to construct a border wall. The Biden-Harris Administration has done none of these. And we are seeing the consequences,” they wrote.Sheriffs Rich Stanek of Hennepin County, Minnesota; Chad Leonard of Dallas County, Iowa; Adam Infante of Dallas County, Iowa; and Mark Lamb of Pinal County, Arizona, were among those who signed the letter.Sheriff James Custer of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, another signatory, told the DCNF about how the fentanyl crisis has impacted his community.“I’ve seen this trend has been going on over the last three years, the fentanyl crisis, that has come across our southern border. ... Our overdose deaths rose each year,” Custer stated. “Now we are in a slight decline this year, but we have several deaths pending toxicology results.”Sheriff Bob Songer of Klickitat County, Washington, who also signed the sheriffs’ letter, told the DCNF, “Personally, I think both the Biden administration and their administrative staff ought to be charged with treason, they’ve broken this country to where we don’t have a border.”The Biden-Harris administration and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/40-sheriffs-torch-biden-harris-open-border-policies-for-unleashing-crime-and-drugs-on-small-town-america

2024-10-23 13:30:04

Texas couple allegedly assaulted by police while praying on Jan. 6 sentenced to rot in prison
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A Texas married couple who said police assaulted them while they were praying on Jan. 6 were sentenced to years in prison Oct. 22 on felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from their time outside the U.S. Capitol during protests and subsequent rioting.Mark Fulton Middleton, 54, and Jalise Kay Middleton, 54, of Forestburg, Texas, had asked U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss to sentence them to home detention and probation, while the U.S. Department of Justice sought sentences of 7.25 years in prison for each.Judge Moss sentenced Mark Middleton to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, while he gave Jalise Middleton 20 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.In February, the Middletons were found guilty by a Washington, D.C., jury of assaulting, resisting, or impeding two police officers, civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct, engaging in physical violence and several other related misdemeanors.'The officer was pulling her scarf and choking her.'A guilty verdict on the felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding was dismissed in September due to the June 2024 Supreme Court ruling in Fischer v. United States. That opinion vastly limits use of an accounting-fraud statute — 18 U.S. Code §1512(c)(2) — to prosecute cases that are not related to documents or other evidence. It was the most widely charged felony in Jan. 6 cases.The crux of the Middletons’ case was what took place at the police line on the Capitol's West Plaza at about 2:10 p.m. on Jan. 6. The large crowd on the north side of the plaza pressed against the bike racks police were using to hold demonstrators back.Police on the west front had been lobbing explosive munitions and firing other projectiles into the crowd for more than an hour, Capitol Police security video showed. A grenade exploded six-people deep in the crowd about a minute before the Middletons had their tangle with police, security video showed. Tear gas swirled about in the stiff wind.The Middletons say if police had not picked up the bike rack barricades and pushed them into the protesters, they would not have made contact with the officers. What prosecutors described as the couple preparing to throw their bodies against the police line was actually the Middletons facing each other and praying, a defense attorney said.“The videos do show that at one point, Mrs. Middleton’s scarf was being pulled by a police officer and Mr. Middleton has testified that he tried to pull Mrs. Middleton away from the police line and to have the police let go of his wife,” wrote defense attorney Stephen Brennwald in Mark Middleton's 21-page sentencing memo. An incendiary grenade is lobbed into the crowd by a Metropolitan Police Department officer at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Not far away, Mark and Jalise Middleton scuffle with police at the barricades.U.S. Capitol Police CCTV“That is a natural reaction that any person would have, even if the two people hadn’t been married for decades as the Middletons have,” he said.Brennwald said there is no question that police initiated contact with the Middletons and others nearby.“Her behavior only happened because she was assaulted first—hit by a police officer and pushed by a large violent protester behind her,” defense attorney Kira West wrote in Jalise Middleton's 27-page sentencing memo.“The officer was pulling her scarf and choking her and Ms. Middleton indiscriminately swatted at him to escape what she perceived was going to be her sudden death,” West said.Prosecutors took a dimmer view of the 5- to 7-second encounter.“Mark Middleton heckled police officers, including by shouted obscenities,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean McCauley and Brendan Ballou in a 47-page sentencing supplemental memo. “Together, the Middletons then threw their bodies into the barricades. When officers tried to restore the barricades and ordered them to get back, both the Middletons assaulted two officers.”'I felt responsible to let my voice be heard and make a difference.'Prosecutors cited the political speech of both Middletons since Jan. 6 and accused them of “spreading falsehoods.”“Mark Middleton has used his Twitter to trumpet—on an at least daily if not almost hourly basis—convicted January 6 rioters, promulgate conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, and spread baseless lies about January 6,” prosecutors wrote.The Middletons bragged about their deeds on social media and lied under oath during their trial, the DOJ said.“They have sought to personally benefit by using the notoriety of their crimes to raise money and seek fame,” the DOJ wrote.West rejected claims her client lied at the trial.“Ms. Middleton made no false statements while testifying. Her testimony lines up with the video evidence in the case as well as other testimony and videos from other J6 trials,” West wrote.The Middletons had a right to exercise freedom of speech regarding their concerns over the 2020 presidential election, West said.“When this court considers all of the factors before it, the court must conclude that these are not the actions of someone there to overthrow the government or incite violence, but rather a concerned citizen who believed the election was stolen,” West said. Married couple Mark and Jalise Middleton of Forestburg, Texas, either assaulting police on Jan. 6, 2021, as prosecutors claim or defending themselves after police pulled hard on Jalise Middleton’s scarf as a defense attorney asserts. Photo from Metropolitan Police Department Bodycam In his sentencing memo for Mark Middleton, Brennwald said he was not suggesting the Middletons “should have been where they were in the first place" or that police “did not have the right to, in some manner, move the crowd away from its location.” “But the aggressiveness demonstrated by the police in this instance was not the finest example of police behavior, and ended up being counter-productive, as it inflamed passions in the crowd,” he wrote.In an Oct. 19 letter to Judge Moss, Jalise Middleton said she was in fight-or-flight mode when the incident occurred.“I felt responsible to let my voice be heard and make a difference,” she wrote of her decision to come to Washington, D.C. “The truth is, Jesus Christ makes the difference. My only job that day was to pray and stand ﬁrm. Amidst the chaos that quickly ensued, I forgot to trust him."“Furthermore, I do passionately believe my actions that day were consistent with what any person would have done in our shoes,” Jalise Middleton wrote.The FBI seized Jalise Middleton's wedding ring while executing a search warrant at the couple's home. Agents then took it with them. The Middletons have been married since May 1990.“Wouldn’t a photograph of it suffice?” West asked. “Apparently not.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/texas-couple-allegedly-assaulted-by-police-while-praying-on-jan-6-sentenced-to-rot-in-prison

2024-10-23 00:45:01

Armed homeowner in New Mexico confronts alleged intruder who broke in before 4 a.m. It doesn't end well for uninvited guest.
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A homeowner in New Mexico fatally shot an alleged intruder who broke into a residence early Tuesday morning, Bernalillo County deputies told KOB-TV.The station said deputies responded to a call around 3:45 a.m. about an intruder at a home near Lost Horizon Drive on the West Mesa, the station said. The area is part of Albuquerque.'That’s why we have our 2nd Amendment!!!'The homeowner reported shooting the intruder, the sheriff's office told KOB.Arriving deputies found the alleged intruder critically injured and tried life-saving measures on the individual, the station said.Medics took the suspect to a hospital, but the suspect died, KOB reported.Sheriff's office detectives who work on violent crimes and homicides are investigating the incident, the station said.How are observers reacting?Plenty of people are reacting to KOB's story on the station's Facebook page. Here's a sampling of what they had to say:"Unfortunately we have to protect our own because by the time police show up — if they show up — it's too late," one commenter wrote. "We all work hard for our things and need [to] protect our families. When [suspects are] arrested, they're just let right back out to do it all over again...""This is great news! More criminals need this fate!" another user concluded."This was totally warranted!" another commenter said. "Good job protecting yourself, family, & your home! There needs to be ... repercussions for the outrageous amount of crime in this city.""Good job!!!" another commenter exclaimed. "That’s why we have our 2nd Amendment!!!""Good," another commenter noted before adding, "Tired of this crap. When [they're] in your home, you gotta protect it. I stand for the homeowner. Job well done.""Finally some good news today," another user stated before adding, "Great job on protecting your family and what’s yours. Sends a perfect message to thieves; [we've] had enough of their BS."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/armed-homeowner-in-new-mexico-confronts-alleged-intruder-who-broke-in-before-4-am-it-doesnt-end-well-for-uninvited-guest