Nostr notes by The Blaze

Nostr event nevent1qqsz40xhvaxtyc858te08gdd87geev3u6l30wlpqa4d9nc90u9fjdhszyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjm44lf7

2026-04-22T16:36:22Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

President Donald Trump's pick to overhaul the Federal Reserve has enjoyed support from the commander in chief's allies in the Senate, but one lawmaker just might shut down the nominee's confirmation. Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve back in January after publicly feuding with current Chair Jerome Powell for failing to cut interest rates and for his multibillion-dollar renovation of the Fed building. Since then, Warsh took the first step of the confirmation process by going to Capitol Hill to testify before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday. 'Political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable.'Warsh received glowing reviews from the seven Senate Republicans after his hearing, including from GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who has butted heads with Trump in the past. Despite Tillis' endorsement of Warsh, the retiring senator drew a bold red line for the administration that could cost the confirmation. "Kevin Warsh is a great nominee to be chairman of the Federal Reserve, and I look forward to supporting him out of committee once the DOJ drops their bogus investigation into Chairman Powell that threatens the independence of the Fed," Tillis said in a statement. RELATED: Federal Reserve makes key decision on interest rates — and Trump won't like it Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty ImagesTillis has repeatedly demanded that the administration suspend its investigation into Powell, even threatening to block nominees he supports, like Warsh. Notably, the Senate Banking Committee is composed of seven Republicans and six Democrats, meaning Tillis' vote is necessary to advance Warsh's nomination assuming the vote falls along party lines. "The Department of Justice continues to pursue a criminal investigation into Chairman Jerome Powell based on committee testimony that no reasonable person could construe as possessing criminal intent," Tillis said following Warsh's nomination in January. "Protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable.""My position has not changed: I will oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ’s inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved."One viable "off-ramp" that has been floated by Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who chairs the committee, is to create a subcommittee to investigate and oversee the Federal Reserve's over-budget construction. This would, in effect, replace the Department of Justice's criminal probe into Powell but still allow the administration and its allies to investigate the Fed.It's unclear whether the DOJ would drop the investigation, but Tillis expressed enthusiasm about the potential resolution. “I not only think it’s a good off-ramp, but I also think it’s good governance,” Tillis said.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/the-lone-republican-who-could-tank-trump-s-fed-pick

Nostr event nevent1qqst4wfta09wn8puedres0apm93quv448x4qsl3vt9knxau40qv53xgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjzvjgct

2026-04-22T15:25:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate in California's gubernatorial race, invests in a new seven-figure television ad set to drop Wednesday, urging voters to cast their ballots for a strong leader.'I'm running for governor because California needs a leader tough enough to stand up for us.'"Typical politicians don't have the guts to tackle our big problems," Bianco said. - YouTube He pointed to his time as a sheriff, stating, "I've deported drug traffickers. I've locked up murderers and those who prey on our children and our seniors."Bianco pledged to eliminate California's income tax, protect girls' sports, and put child sexual predators behind bars for life without parole. "I'm Chad Bianco, and I'm running for governor because California needs a leader tough enough to stand up for us," he stated.Bianco's top priorities for securing a safer, stronger California include addressing public safety, affordability, education, immigration, homelessness, and housing, among other issues. "Chad Bianco is committed to restoring trust, protecting our communities, and creating opportunity for every Californian. From public safety to economic growth, his priorities put families first and focus on building a future where we can all thrive," Bianco's campaign website reads.RELATED: Democrats narrow field in California’s crowded gubernatorial race to avoid primary disaster Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesThe latest polling from the California Democratic Party showed Republicans Bianco and former Fox News host and small-business owner Steve Hilton beating their Democratic opponents in the race.Fourteen percent of those surveyed indicated they would vote for Bianco, while 16% said they would cast their ballot for Hilton.RELATED: Republicans shine in first poll since Eric Swalwell stumbled out of California governor's race Chad Bianco. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty ImagesDespite the withdrawal of two prominent candidates, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell and former State Controller Betty Yee, the Democratic Party still lacks a clear front-runner in the crowded race. However, former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) has shown improvement in the polls. He secured only 4% of the vote in an April 5 poll but increased his support to 13% in the latest poll on April 17. Becerra appears to be tied with climate advocate and businessman Tom Steyer (D). Many of those surveyed remain undecided. California's primary election will be held on June 2, with the first mail-in ballots being sent out on May 4. The top two vote-earners, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election in November.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/chad-bianco-makes-major-play-as-californias-gubernatorial-primary-closes-in

Nostr event nevent1qqsgua82epknx5aaurfuaa03952l9v4pws6n6mchtx4r3q44phejqaqzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjkh0zpa

2026-04-22T15:10:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A female shot a Maryland gas station store clerk amid an "incredibly brazen" attempted robbery Friday — and then strangely left the store empty-handed, police said.Howard County Police said officers were called to the Shell gas station in the 7200 block of Cradlerock Way in Columbia around 7:43 p.m. for a report of a shooting.'We don't see incidents like this very often. We have robberies and some thefts in gas stations where somebody may imply a weapon or show a weapon but not use it, and they usually leave with something.'An adult male gas station employee was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with serious injuries, police said, adding that the victim was listed in serious condition.Police released surveillance video Monday and offered a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the suspect.Police on Tuesday said Shantay Lashay O’Donnell, 46, of Virginia, was identified as the shooter in the attempted robbery.Police said she was in custody in another state on unrelated charges. O'Donnell will be served with multiple Howard County charges in the coming days, police said.RELATED: Thug pulls gun in convenience store, but clerk also is armed — and isn't having one bit of it "What we know is that this woman walked into the Shell store, walked around a little bit, and then as soon as she approached the counter, that's when she took out the gun and fired," Howard County police spokesman Seth Hoffman told WBAL-TV. "We know that she demanded the clerk to open the cash register, but as you can see, it all unfolded so quickly."Hoffman added to the station that the barely 20-second surveillance video shows nearly the entire incident.Police told WBAL they're investigating the incident as an attempted robbery and noted that the female in the clip didn't steal anything."We don't even think that [the clerk] had time [to open the register]. We don't believe he did," Hoffman also told the station. "She started shooting and then left without anything."Hoffman added to WBAL that "this is incredibly brazen; we don't see incidents like this very often. We have robberies and some thefts in gas stations where somebody may imply a weapon or show a weapon but not use it, and they usually leave with something. Here, we have somebody who just shot and left with nothing."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/female-shoots-gas-station-store-clerk-amid-incredibly-brazen-attempted-robbery-then-strangely-leaves-empty-handed-police

Nostr event nevent1qqsyvt6cyxz6gnxppm7qn6cn7y0vuupheg40sdemsy8rw33pfk8z4pczyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjgjp30m

2026-04-22T14:30:22Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

For years, video games have largely neglected to feature families, and if they did, they were either background elements or marked by tragedy, like deceased or missing parents.But apparently that trend is beginning to shift.“They are making video games that are, for the first time in probably decades, depicting parenthood in a positive and endearing light,” says BlazeTV host John Doyle, “and the situation on the ground is suggesting that this could single-handedly psyop an entire generation of women into having children.”On this episode of “The John Doyle Show,” Doyle delves into a new video game that’s gaining attention for being so pro-family, it’s awakening the motherly instincts of female gamers everywhere. The game is called Pragmata. It’s Capcom's new 2026 sci-fi action-adventure game in which the gamer plays as astronaut Hugh and his young android companion Diana, working together to fight a rogue AI and escape a hostile lunar research station.“Essentially, what people are taking from this, aside from the gameplay, is there is, I guess, a recurring kind of environment throughout the game where it depicts ... raising children, fatherhood, being a girl dad in a very positive and endearing way rather than what is typically the case in all forms of media,” says Doyle.He then plays a clip from Pragmata depicting a sweet moment between Hugh and Diana, where Hugh protectively watches Diana play with a globe on a kid’s table scattered with crayons and ABC blocks. It’s one of many drawn-out scenes that focuses on building their relationship rather than advancing the plot.Pragmata, Doyle explains, captures “the beauty of a young life interacting with the world, exploring it” and the fulfillment parents/caretakers receive when they become “responsible for” another life.This is a huge divergence from the majority of media that tends to focus on the “less desirable” aspects of parenting — “sleepless nights and screaming children in public and changing diapers and things getting broken and your furniture that you care about having apple juice spilled on it,” says Doyle. But can Pragmata really make a dent in the fertility crisis?“While I don't think that this kind of media is going to, I don't know, wake up the masses and make them realize the virtue of parenthood and everything like that, I do think that this kind of media uniquely affects the fertility rates of people who you would want to be having kids,” says Doyle.Those people, he argues, are the ones who can “carry the torch of their civilization.”“Civilization is sustained by having people who are intelligent, people who are stable, people who possess a certain temperament for governing, for making the trains run on time. Those are the kinds of people you want to be having kids specifically,” says Doyle.While this game likely won’t be the catalyst that causes someone to have a child, it does feed the broader pronatalism movement.“You're not going to cute baby video your way into a higher total fertility rate,” says Doyle. “However, it is symptomatic of, like, an overall vibe that people are experiencing.”To hear more, watch the episode above.Want more from John Doyle?To enjoy more of the truth about America and join the fight to restore a country that has been betrayed by its own leaders, 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-john-doyle-show/meet-the-video-game-triggering-baby-fever-women-everywhere

Nostr event nevent1qqsy7sf08vzv7sp20n3d2je6ypkvkuxxnhaeq8neef77dnzzqjdsgvszyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjzphlr4

2026-04-22T12:30:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Democrats have in recent years likened redistricting efforts to the Holocaust, called them "a threat to democracy," and characterized them as "authoritarian." However, in the lead-up to Virginia's gerrymandering referendum, Democrats adopted a disparate view.Presented with the opportunity to all but ensure that 10 out of the state's 11 congressional seats go to their comrades, Democrats reconstrued gerrymandering as a noble pursuit — an alleged means to "help level the playing field," a way to "restore fairness," and, in the words of Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a "response to what we're seeing in other states that have taken extreme measures to undermine democratic norms."'The result of a process that's unconstitutional and illegal.'With the help of out-of-state dark money and propagandizing by big-name liberals like former President Barack Obama, Democrats proved victorious on Tuesday in disenfranchising Republican voters in Old Dominion.The following loaded question appeared on the April 21 ballot: "Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia's standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?"With over 97% of the votes counted, the Associated Press reported that 51.5% of the ballots were cast in favor of the proposal and 48.6% were cast in opposition — a difference of just over 88,700 votes.Election Day votes, a majority of which were "no" votes, reportedly accounted for 55% of the total; early in-person votes accounted for 35% of the total; and mail-in votes accounted for 10% of the total, 72% of which were "yes" votes.RELATED: How Spanberger managed to hit record-low approval rating in 80 days Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesSpanberger stated, "Virginia voters have spoken, and tonight they pushed back against a President who claims he is 'entitled' to more Republican seats in Congress.""As we watched other states go along with those demands without voter input, Virginians refused to let that stand," continued Spanberger, who claimed when running for governor last year that she had no plans to redistrict the state. "We responded the right way: at the ballot box."In a statement where he ironically criticized "unprecedented gerrymandering," Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D) said that "fairness won. Accountability won. And the Commonwealth that gave America its Constitution has once again reminded the nation what that Constitution is for."Obama congratulated Virginia, thanking voters "for showing us what it looks like to stand up for our democracy and fight back."U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) excitedly announced that "House Democrats have crushed Donald Trump's national gerrymandering scheme." He added, "Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time."Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who previously emphasized that the new map was "the result of a process that's unconstitutional and illegal," said in a statement, "Thank you to all the voters who turned out to vote against this egregious power grab. The race was much closer than the left expected because Virginians know a 10-1 map is not Virginia.""I urge the Virginia Supreme Court to rule against this unconstitutional process that will disenfranchise millions of Virginians," added Youngkin.There are multiple lawsuits pending before the Virginia Supreme Court regarding the legality of the constitutional amendment. Oral arguments for the cases are tentatively scheduled for Monday.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/maximum-warfare-dems-celebrate-after-virginia-decides-to-disenfranchise-gop-voters

Nostr event nevent1qqsyr5r0gn4gw3yy9su3s0znwfv0mlh3xzp0pwvgvt3wma4xt6c7p4gzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjws4cd6

2026-04-22T12:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Economist Thomas Sowell once noted, “Immigration laws are the only laws that are discussed in terms of how to help people who break them.” The story of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Blank and his illegal alien wife, Annie Ramos, is a perfect example of Sowell’s assertion.According to CBS News, Ramos — who is now 22 — was illegally brought to the United States by her family in 2005. Staff Sergeant Blank married Ramos, knowing full well that she was an illegal alien. He stated to the New York Times, “I knew she didn’t have status. [But] we were doing everything the right way.” Ramos was eventually arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a few days after the couple was married, at the military base where Blank was stationed.If litigants are free to ignore court appearances without consequences, the whole system falls apart.Of course, despite Blank’s assertions to the contrary, nothing was done “the right way” in this case. After entering the United States unlawfully, the Ramos family was scheduled for an appearance before the U.S. Immigration Court. They failed to appear. When a respondent in immigration proceedings defaults, the immigration judge is required pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(b)(5) to enter an in absentia order of removal. This is clearly conveyed to all illegal aliens placed in immigration proceedings, both verbally by the immigration officers handling their cases and in all written notices issued by the court. In absentia removal notices may seem harsh to the casual observer, but they are not. Courts engage in serious business. And running legal tribunals costs taxpayers a significant amount of money. If litigants are free to ignore court appearances without consequences, the whole system falls apart. Accordingly, courts expect litigants to appear for scheduled hearings, on time, every time. That is why every court in the United States imposes penalties, ranging from monetary fines to additional criminal charges and extended sentences, when litigants fail to appear. Moreover, the above-mentioned statute governing in absentia removal orders provides an “out” for individuals who missed their hearings due to exigent circumstances. It specifically states that such an order may be rescinded “upon a motion to reopen filed within 180 days after the date of the order of removal if the alien demonstrates that the failure to appear was because of exceptional circumstances” or “upon a motion to reopen filed at any time if the alien demonstrates that the alien did not receive notice” of the hearing. There is no indication that Ms. Ramos or her family ever made any attempt to reopen immigration proceedings and seek rescission of the order of removal entered against them. That is likely because the Ramos clan was fully aware they were likely to be deported. Contrary to popular opinion, the vast majority of illegal aliens do not qualify for any form of relief from removal, with 79% to 80% being either ordered removed or granted voluntary departure. Instead, Ms. Ramos waited approximately 15 years and applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama administration’s ill-fated attempt to impose an immigration amnesty by executive fiat.And what of Staff Sergeant Blank’s status as a member of America’s armed forces? In 2022, the Biden administration unilaterally and arbitrarily directed the Department of Homeland Security “to generally refrain from seeking the deportation of U.S. military veterans or service members and their immediate family members.” Of course, that policy was unlawful. Neither the Uniform Code of Military Justice (the statute governing the actions of members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force) nor the Immigration and Nationality Act has any provisions exempting either service members, or their families, from the laws governing the admission of foreign nationals into the United States. And only Congress has the authority to enact such exemptions, which it has never done. Accordingly, the Trump administration rescinded team Biden’s illegal policy. It began applying the provisions of the INA to service members in the same manner as to everyone else. This is as it should be. Pro forma leniency toward alien immigration violators merely because they are related to a military member is bad policy. It makes our service members targets for foreign intelligence agents. And the presence of illegal aliens on military installations undermines the security of those facilities.Recently, Annie Ramos was released from immigration detention. It remains to see how ICE will proceed with her case. But both our political leaders and the generals in charge of our armed forces should tread carefully. Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and guardian commences his or her military career by taking an oath that begins, “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true allegiance to the same.” If military service becomes a free pass to violate the very laws that preserve our national sovereignty, then service members are not bearing true faith and allegiance to our Constitution — they are claiming to be exempt from it.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/uncle-sam-wants-you-to-obey-immigration-laws

Nostr event nevent1qqstsstp5ergjntvsgzaclz70eeuzc8qu7pnpnhpkslp8j7maf997dqzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj3vxprp

2026-04-22T10:30:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Many people were alarmed by an appalling viral video posted over the weekend of an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of Christ Crucified in Southern Lebanon. Others, however disgusted by the act, argued that he was simply a "bad apple" in the Israel Defense Forces.However, there may be more "bad apples" than originally thought, as footage of similar attacks on Christian holy sites have resurfaced in the wake of the alarming photograph. The monastery, which has roots dating back to the 15th century, was razed by Israeli forces during the 2006 Lebanon War.More recorded examples of IDF soldiers apparently acting inappropriately in and around holy sites have emerged online, lending credence to the idea that these incidents are not anomalous but rather represent a pattern of behavior. One notable example shows a group of Israeli soldiers apparently entering an Orthodox church, including the sanctuary — the restricted area behind the veil that only bishops, priests, and deacons are allowed to enter at specific times — mocking Christian saints, imagery, and rituals and pretending to have sex with each other after a mock wedding ceremony.RELATED: IDF soldier caught smashing Jesus statue with sledgehammer — officials and critics react COURTNEY BONNEAU/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty ImagesThe original video was posted by Younis Tirawi, the same journalist who over the weekend posted the photo of the IDF soldier smashing Christ's head with a sledgehammer. It should be noted that the IDF claims to have worked with locals in Debel, Lebanon, to replace the destroyed cross and said that it "expresses deep regret" over the recent incident.The older video, however, has not apparently received the same response from Israeli authorities. The video appears to have been first posted on November 25, 2024. Tirawi reported that the video was taken in a church in Deir Mimas, South Lebanon. Blaze News independently confirmed that the video matches the interior of the Monastery of St. Mamas in Deir Mimas. The video has a caption written in Hebrew, and the soldiers in the video are also speaking Hebrew. Tirawi described the soldiers as "Israeli soldiers from the Golani Special Operations Unit," more commonly referred to as the Golani Brigade, which has a history of operations in Southern Lebanon and the surrounding region. The caption also includes a translation, which reads, "First wedding in the team," followed by a cross emoji and an emoji of two raised hands. Multiple outlets covered the video at the time. These reports claimed that the Israeli soldiers themselves posted the video first, though this video appears to have been deleted. The Council on American-Islamic Relations also issued a condemnation of the actions in the video alongside its disavowal of an alleged "call by a top Israeli official for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza." On the same day the video of the soldiers in the church was posted, the Times of Israel reported that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, "It's possible to create a situation in which Gaza will have less than half its current population within two years."Cited by a detailed article of the incident by Public Orthodoxy, the Israel Defense Forces issued a vague statement seemingly regarding the incident at the Monastery of St. Mamas, though it did not acknowledge the specific actions shown in the video. The statement, dated November 26, 2024, reads: This is a serious incident that is not in line with the values of the IDF and its orders.The IDF respects all religions and condemns such behavior.The incident is under review, and those involved face disciplinary repercussions.Public Orthodoxy explained that the incident was not the first time the church has been harmed by Israeli forces. The monastery, which has roots dating back to the 15th century, was razed by Israeli forces during the 2006 Lebanon War. The article added that a pattern has emerged of Israeli soldiers filming and posting videos of themselves committing crimes, referring to a compilation of alleged examples by the Washington Post and Al Jazeera. The IDF and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. 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/idf-under-fire-after-shocking-footage-of-lebanese-church-desecration-resurfaces

Nostr event nevent1qqsynnscftluhhsunfrshr9my50ftj7fwmx8xdpu6c48laypc69jkqgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjq8sk35

2026-04-22T10:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A few years ago, surgeries and medications helped heal my broken body after a terrible accident. I was grateful for the modern medical system’s capabilities as eight broken ribs, a clavicle that was in five pieces, and a collapsed lung were treated and healed. What would have been miracles of biblical proportions 50 years ago were a process that allowed me to go back to work within months.The pharmaceutical drugs that got my body on the road to healing were a big part of that success. As a chiropractor with almost two decades in the field, I have seen medications, drugs, and related treatments do wonders, especially after an accident, surgery, birth, or some other significant medical event. But I have also seen the true cost of Big Pharma’s greed, as many patients come to me with years of problems that have been patched over by marketing posing as pharmaceutical solutions.Big Pharma’s solution is to 'fix' the problem with even more drugs.Take the push to prescribe GLP-1s to kids as young as 13 — who are then told they should be taking these weight-loss drugs for life. Why bother with exercise and healthy diets when you can just take Wegovy every month indefinitely? For pharmaceutical shareholders, that must look like a great business model. To anyone who cares about the health of the nation, it’s a scandal.My wife and I founded our chiropractic practice on the principles of Eric Plasker’s 100-year lifestyle philosophy. We quickly learned that living a good life for more than a century is almost impossible when you are overmedicated, sedentary, miserable, and addicted to taking the “cures” peddled to so many Americans.RELATED: 'Hold Big Pharma accountable': Vaxx giants are sure to be nervous about Rand Paul's new bill Liudmila Chernetska/Getty ImagesI see the problems caused by modern lifestyles every day at my practice. Patients come to me with aches and pains, over-inflamed by the food they eat, the drugs they take, lack of movement, and mental overload. I treat the body as one connected system led by the nervous system, using chiropractic adjustments to restore brain-body communication so that pain eases and overall health improves.I tell patients that where possible, prevention is always better than a cure. There are also changes we can all make that will keep us healthier for longer. Focusing on eating right and leading an active lifestyle will help to keep the medications at bay.If you’re suffering from a major illness or recovering from a severe accident, you should use the very best medicines our society offers. However, too many people rely on drugs as a be-all, end-all solution to their problems, turning to them for minor illnesses, for non-severe pain, and as a substitute for exercise, eating healthily, and taking a positive mental outlook on life.As a society, we have forgotten how to listen to our bodies. We have replaced movement with sitting and staring at screens, filling our bodies with high-sugar, overprocessed food, substituting real social connections with electronic friends, and letting stress rule our lives. Our bodies are at maximum toxic overload. And we wonder why we don’t feel good and are labeled the sickest nation in the world.Standard medical thinking is that a drug can “fix” the problem with the body. However, the drugs often have a two-part negative impact: they mask the messages that our body is trying to tell us and create unwanted side effects.Of course, Big Pharma’s solution is to “fix” the problem with even more drugs. The cycle is endless.Today, Americans pay roughly three times more for medicines than people in any other country, accounting for about three-quarters of the pharmaceutical sector’s profits. Sure, modern medicine can work miracles. But the sheer expense is often unmanageable for too many families, forcing them into financial difficulties or making choices between food and medicine.Instead of spending years patching themselves up and paying for overpriced drugs, my patients watch their bodies follow their natural healing processes. We’d all like to live to 100, but no pill or jab will help you reach that milestone. True health and longevity can only be achieved when we say no to Big Pharma and take control of our own health.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/want-to-live-to-100-dont-expect-big-pharma-to-help

Nostr event nevent1qqsw9jrjwrxndm969krvuycxn7a88qv3cpq9kxuyu6gkj0vallmqc0qzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjznrrke

2026-04-22T09:30:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A 6-year-old Florida girl thanked a police officer by giving her a heartwarming drawing after an investigation into alleged child abuse.The investigation began after the girl showed up at Enterprise Elementary School in Volusia County with bruises, swelling, and redness.The girl also allegedly told police that she was fed only once a week.When she was questioned by police, the girl said she had been slapped in the face 17 times because she was "acting up and destroyed her room" and spanked the next day by 29-year-old Jeffrey Morales.An arrest report said the girl's 35-year-old mother, Melissa Husk, had kept her out of school for two days afterward in order to cover up her injuries.Husk told the girl to tell people she fell and threatened that she would be taken away if she didn't, according to deputies.The girl also allegedly told police that she was fed only once a week and couldn't remember the last time she bathed or brushed her teeth. Morales was arrested for child abuse, while the mother was charged with child neglect.The girl was placed into the custody of the Department of Children and Families.WESH-TV obtained video of the man's arrest from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. RELATED: Child sex abuse material found on PE teacher's phone after he inappropriately touched students, police say The girl gave a drawing to one of the deputies involved in the case. The drawing appeared to be made on a kitchen paper towel and showed the girl next to the deputy officer."That's a keeper," reads a post with the drawing on the sheriff's office Facebook account.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/girl-abuse-photo-deputy-mother

Nostr event nevent1qqsz3stzppge55nymm2uyywwq3h7luv0u20x4clkv7qp0grclkedugszyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjz9s9hq

2026-04-22T08:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

In September 1787, the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia came to a close. Delegates had spent months debating and negotiating the structure for a new American government. When the final document was presented for signatures, most of the delegates agreed to support it. But one of the most influential figures in the room refused.George Mason of Virginia would not sign the Constitution.Mason’s refusal did not stem from radical opposition to the new proposed government. In fact, he played a major role in shaping America’s early political philosophy. Yet when the convention concluded, Mason believed something essential was missing. The proposed Constitution created a powerful federal government, but it contained no explicit protections for individual liberty. Without a Bill of Rights, Mason warned, citizens would have little protection against abuses of power.If artificial intelligence is going to help shape the future of our society in profound ways, should it not also be built to respect the same freedoms that Americans have fought for since the founding of the republic?History ultimately proved his concerns justified. Mason’s refusal helped spark the debate that led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights a few years later. His message was simple. When a new, powerful institution is created, the protection of liberty cannot be an afterthought.A new power is emergingMore than two centuries later, we find the United States again standing at the edge of a transformative moment. Today, the institution taking shape is artificial intelligence. And this institution may end up being just as consequential to society as the shaping of the country in the late eighteenth century.The most advanced AI systems are already beginning to shape our culture and how people access information, businesses make decisions, institutions function, and public discourse unfolds. These systems are being integrated into everything from banking and education to media and health care. In many cases, AI models act as intermediaries between humans and the world of information around them.This development carries enormous promise. Artificial intelligence could accelerate medical research, improve productivity, and unlock scientific discoveries that once seemed impossible.At the same time, the growing influence of AI raises an important question. What values will guide the systems that increasingly shape our society?AI is not neutral by default. Every model reflects decisions made by its designers. The data used to train it, the rules used to filter its responses, and the priorities embedded in its algorithms all influence how it interacts with users. Beyond just answering questions and responding to prompts, these systems influence what information people encounter and how issues are understood.In other words, the institutions building AI today are quietly creating the informational infrastructure of the future.Where are the safeguards for freedom?George Mason understood that powerful institutions require clear limits. His concern centered on ensuring that a strong central government would respect the rights of the people it serves.Artificial intelligence deserves the same scrutiny.Recent controversies surrounding AI tools have revealed how easily political or ideological assumptions can shape technological systems. A growing body of studies has found that many leading AI models tend to reflect left-leaning political assumptions in their outputs, raising concerns about viewpoint bias. Major AI platforms have faced backlash for producing historically inaccurate outputs to satisfy modern ideological expectations, as seen in widely publicized image-generation failures.Social media platforms, powered by similar AI-driven algorithms, already curate what users see, amplifying certain viewpoints while quietly burying others. Even leaders within the AI industry have acknowledged the risk that these systems could influence public discourse in ways that are difficult for users to detect.More egregious examples can be seen with Chinese AI models, such as DeepSeek, which have been shown to avoid or redirect discussion on topics that conflict with official government positions, reflecting the priorities of the state rather than the pursuit of truth.Taken together, these examples demonstrate how AI can be shaped to filter reality itself, whether by governments, corporations, or the assumptions embedded by developers.These examples illustrate a basic reality. Artificial intelligence can either serve as a tool for expanding human freedom or as an instrument for shaping and controlling public discourse and, by extension, society. The outcome will depend on the values embedded in these systems today.A meaningful step forward would be the adoption of clear, principled guidelines for building and deploying these systems. At minimum, AI development should prioritize truth-seeking over narrative-shaping, ensuring that systems are designed to inform rather than steer users toward predetermined conclusions.Developers should also commit to transparency in training data sources, so the public has a clearer understanding of what informs these models.Just as important, developers should resist coercion from governments or corporations seeking to suppress lawful speech or manipulate outcomes. They should reject internal policies that seek to bury dissenting views under the vague banner of “safety,” a term that too often masks subjective judgment.These principles may not solve every problem, but they would begin to align AI with the values of a free society.George Mason’s warning for the AI ageGeorge Mason refused to sign the Constitution because he believed liberty needed stronger protection before a new federal government was enacted. His insistence on a Bill of Rights helped ensure that the American experiment would endure longer by providing explicit protections for individual freedom.The United States now faces a similar moment as artificial intelligence becomes woven into the fabric of modern life. AI will influence how people learn, communicate, and understand the world. The values guiding these systems will shape society in ways that are difficult to predict.Before this technological infrastructure becomes fully embedded in our daily lives, it is worth asking a question that George Mason would likely recognize.If artificial intelligence is going to help shape the future of our society in profound ways, should it not also be built to respect the same freedoms that Americans have fought for since the founding of the republic?The founders believed liberty required clear protections before a new, powerful structure was fully unleashed. As we enter the age of artificial intelligence, their lesson remains as relevant as ever.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-founders-demanded-the-bill-of-rights-ai-also-needs-one

Nostr event nevent1qqsysw4hssjv87vsgy59kdm8472v9ly8fh0fh0y0vw4waxz5l57sa8qzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjl8q8ne

2026-04-22T01:38:23Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Former Capitol Police Officer Shauni Kerkhoff filed a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday against Blaze Media, former employees Steve Baker and Joseph Hanneman, and Baker and Hanneman's new online publication, Veritas Regnat, for their reporting on the Jan. 5 to Jan. 6, 2021, pipe-bomb incident in Washington, D.C.For nearly five years, federal authorities had been unable to identify the masked individual who placed one pipe bomb outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters and another outside the Republican National Committee headquarters the evening before the Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol. The devices did not detonate, and there were no injuries reported. The lawsuit cites a November 8, 2025, Blaze News article that named Kerkhoff as a "forensic match," based on gait analysis, to the bombing suspect. In December, the Department of Justice announced that the suspect had been identified as another person, Brian Cole Jr., from Woodbridge, Virginia. Blaze News retracted the article shortly after Cole's arrest. The complaint alleges that Kerkhoff, represented by the Alexandria-based defamation law firm Clare Locke, was "ultimately exonerated" and that the defendants' "false and defamatory accusations have irreparably changed her life." It further alleges that Blaze News' investigation "induced the FBI to open an investigation of Ms. Kerkhoff.""They then cited that investigation — which their own actions had caused — as independent corroboration of their accusation," according to the complaint. An April 1 motion filed by Cole's attorneys claimed that Kerkhoff was "interviewed by the FBI and took a polygraph examination" on Nov. 6, 2025, two days before Blaze News published the article naming Kerkhoff in connection to the pipe-bomb incident. In her lawsuit, Kerkhoff confirmed that two FBI agents confronted her on Nov. 6, claiming they were "investigating 'online chatter' that she was the pipe bomber." Kerkhoff’s complaint also alleges that her home was subjected to a search, and she participated in a polygraph interview that evening. While Kerkhoff's complaint does not mention the results of her polygraph, Cole's motion — which stated that she was asked two relevant questions, "Did you place those pipe bombs?" and "Did you place those pipe bombs that evening?" — asserted that she failed the examination. It also claimed that the polygraph examiner “noted” that Kerkhoff's answers seemed "rehearsed." Cole's attorneys stated that the FBI named Kerkhoff "as a person of interest" on Nov. 7, a day before Blaze News' article was released. “Blaze News initially reported, as confirmed by official intelligence sources, that based on a forensic gait analysis, Ms. Kerkhoff was a 94% match to the suspected pipe bomber. That report was retracted when the FBI arrested and DOJ charged another individual, who had reportedly confessed to the crime. According to recent court filings by that individual's legal counsel, Ms. Kerkhoff was a person of interest under surveillance by the FBI and failed a polygraph test administered two days before Blaze Media's article was published,” Michael Grygiel, attorney for Blaze Media, told Blaze News in a statement. “Blaze Media will vigorously defend this meritless lawsuit challenging its valid news reporting on a matter of legitimate public concern, which is protected under the First Amendment and Virginia’s anti-SLAPP law.” Kerkhoff's complaint alleges six counts of defamation against the defendants, including four against Blaze Media. She is seeking an unspecified amount in damages to be determined at trial. 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-capitol-police-officer-shauni-kerkhoff-files-lawsuit-against-blaze-media

Nostr event nevent1qqsytq0j8n2rvpg7turlcynzjmqqh4f6g9y5v38utru34c7e9lre3mczyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjs33lz8

2026-04-21T23:59:09Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has reportedly been tapped to participate in the next round of talks with Lebanon.The ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. appears to be on shaky ground after both sides accused each other of violating the terms they agreed to.The Times reported that Iran failed to respond to the latest negotiation positions from the US.Vice President JD Vance was scheduled to travel to Pakistan in order to further negotiate the peace deal with Iran, but that has been put on hold according to the New York Times.Also on Tuesday, the president said he would withhold resuming attacks on Iran to give the country's leaders time to come up with a "unified proposal" for a ceasefire to continue."I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other," he wrote on Truth Social.The Times reported that Iran failed to respond to the latest negotiation positions from the U.S.Iranian leaders also said they had no plans to attend the talks in Pakistan with the U.S. negotiators.CNN reported spotting Vance's motorcade at the White House early Tuesday afternoon.RELATED: Iran is plotting drone strike against the West Coast, FBI warns On a radio show Monday, the president warned Iran that the country was going to see "problems like they've never seen before" unless it agreed to a peace deal.He added that he believed the war on Iran was "very close to being over."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-huckabee-iran-deal-talks

Nostr event nevent1qqsra7u4s89w30950sw2feumzkncw07j4s5dwcrw92skv6ncdd3c9kgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjh4y8sy

2026-04-21T23:14:32Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

The Department of Justice announced Tuesday an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center for allegedly funneling money to extremist groups.The SPLC said earlier on Tuesday that the organization was being "targeted" by the Trump administration and speculated that the action was related to money paid to informants to gather information from hate groups.'We will not be intimidated into silence or contrition, and we will not abandon our mission or the communities we serve.'In a post on social media, the Department of Justice accused the SPLC of paying $1 million to a National Alliance affiliate, $300K to an Aryan Nations affiliate, and $73K to former members of the Ku Klux Klan, among others."As the indictment describes, the SPLC was not dismantling these groups; it was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a media briefing.The indictment includes six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering."As the indictment lays out, after SPLC paid members of these extremist groups, it created work product that reported on these activities that the members participated in or contributed to," Blanche added. "And to that end, it was doing the exact opposite of what it told its donors it was doing."SPLC interim president and CEO Bryan Fair pre-empted the announcement in a video posted to social media."The focus appears to be on the SPLC's prior use of paid confidential informants to gather credible intelligence on extremely violent groups," he explained. "This use of informants was necessary because we are no stranger to threats of violence."He said that the SPLC shared the information gained through informants with law enforcement agencies but protected the identities of the informants.RELATED: Southern Poverty Law Center attorney among 23 arrested for domestic terrorism "Today the federal government has been weaponized to dismantle the rights of our nation's most vulnerable people," Fair added."We will not be intimidated into silence or contrition, and we will not abandon our mission or the communities we serve," Fair concluded.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/splc-indicted-money-extremist-groups

Nostr event nevent1qqswdqyhl5vsq2kgqxa96c0sqehsfvwwyxrh2pu692axm2cjqk02hlgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj00zwvr

2026-04-21T23:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Last weekend during the Michigan Democratic Women's Caucus Legacy Luncheon, Democrat Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) quite literally shouted a speech, in which he implored Democrats to become "foot soldiers for democracy" and warned of "darkness and wind" facing the nation ahead of the midterms.At one point in his 25-minute fire-and-brimstone jeremiad, Booker, gesturing upward, bellowed, “What we need is not from on high!”On a recent episode of “Pat Gray Unleashed,” Pat played the clip of the speech and concluded that Booker is an “antichrist” among us. Pat translates Booker’s controversial line: “He is telling you we don't need God.”“Well, that's an antichrist. ... Maybe not the Antichrist, but he's an antichrist,” he argues, calling it “frightening.”The panel agrees that Booker and fellow Democrats’ wild antics are the result of Trump derangement syndrome.“The infection has really spread,” says Jeffy.“How do you come together with these people?” asks Pat. “There’s one way and it is from on high.”“We got to turn to God on high to come together on this, and if you're screaming that that's not what we need, what does that tell Americans?” he asks. “That tells you he's not the guy to follow, that's for sure. That's not the party to follow.”What is desperately needed, Pat explains, is for all politicians to “call for prayer for the nation to get together and have a common purpose and invoke the blessings of God.”He compares Booker’s comment to President Trump’s request for national prayer in preparation for the nation’s 250th birthday.“I'm serious about this being antichrist because [Booker] is telling people you don't need God,” Pat reiterates. “What we need are Democrats, I guess? So they're putting themselves in the position of God. ... It's despicable. It's anti-American. It's anti-Christian. It's anti-God.”Keith Malinak argues Booker is just a "Democrat telling the truth about Democrats."To see the clip of Booker’s speech and hear more of the panel’s commentary, watch the episode above.Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, 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/pat-gray-unleashed/pat-gray-calls-cory-booker-antichrist-after-shocking-speech

Nostr event nevent1qqsfkpmqny83v94yt7upcmwajfj3ktfwynckpx65avtvlr6vwj6d95gzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjzhrg4w

2026-04-21T21:10:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A Democratic county court clerk is demanding accountability for a teenager who allegedly stuck a gun in her face and stole her car in Maryland.Mahasin El Amin said she was on the phone in her white 2014 Lexus when a young man approached her on Thursday and then pulled a gun on her.'I’m just so grateful — grateful to God — because I thought I was going to die.' The man drove off with her car and left her fearing for her life."It’s the scariest thing that ever happened to me in my life," El Amin said in an interview Friday. "It was so quick — and all the thoughts like, 'I’m literally going to die.'"El Amin is the elected clerk of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County and is running for re-election. She is a Democrat.A day after the alleged carjacking, police spotted the vehicle and began a pursuit that ended with the driver crashing the Lexus and trying to get away on foot. He was caught and identified as 18-year-old Kairee Hicks of Bowie.El Amin said she was relieved when she heard of his arrest but was alarmed when she found out about his criminal past.Police recovered a gun during Hicks' arrest that they said was connected to a previous shooting and charged him with attempted first-degree murder."It shocked me to my core," said El Amin about the charges. "I’m just so grateful — grateful to God — because I thought I was going to die."El Amin said the incident served to remind others to be vigilant in order to stay safe from violent crime."I’m glad that this guy, this dangerous guy, is off the streets," she added. "That’s one less person that we have to worry about. The county is safer because he’s off the streets."RELATED: Former Biden staffer rips into Dem-controlled cities for spiraling into chaos: 'Is this a joke?' Despite this incident, carjacking crimes are dropping precipitously in the county. There have only been 18 carjacking reports so far in 2026, which represents an astounding 56% drop from the previous year. In 2023, there were 500 carjackings, according to a WJLA-TV report. Hicks was denied bond and remains in custody.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/carjack-past-maryland-county-clerk

Nostr event nevent1qqsykj8kq8ukwr99dgme3ps2fy7puqpcgsn6k7nxwsuxjp44q625cvszyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj0zgygj

2026-04-21T20:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Famed civil liberties attorney Alan Dershowitz says he has abandoned the Democratic Party.Dershowitz wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Democrats have become far too anti-Israel for him to continue voting for the party. As a result, he has switched his party registration.'I will ... urge pro-Israel Americans to change party affiliation or at least vote against Democrats.'"I am a lifelong Democrat. I started campaigning for the party's local candidates as a teenager in Brooklyn, N.Y., have been a registered Democrat for 67 years, made speeches for John F. Kennedy as a college student, and can count on one hand the number of Republicans I've ever supported for any office," he wrote. "Yet I've decided to bite the bullet and register as a Republican."The Harvard Law School professor emeritus said he opposes Republicans on policies of abortion, taxes, immigration, and health care, but he will throw his support to them because of Israel."I intend to work hard to prevent the Democrats from gaining control of the House and Senate," he continued."I will contribute money to Republican candidates, campaign for them, make speeches at Republican events, and urge pro-Israel Americans to change party affiliation or at least vote against Democrats," he added. "Until something changes, I will vote Republican for representative, senator, and president."Dershowitz left the Democrats and became an independent in 2024, but it appears he has gone further after the party became "the most anti-Israel party in U.S. history." RELATED: Judge allows Alan Dershowitz's $300 million lawsuit against CNN to proceed: 'CNN is quaking in its boots!' Dershowitz represented Jeffrey Epstein and was part of the team that obtained a controversial plea deal in 2008 for the convicted pedophile. He admitted to receiving a massage at Epstein's home but vehemently denied that it was a part of the pedophile's trafficking of young women.He also taught at Harvard University, represented President Donald Trump in his first impeachment, and was on the team representing Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.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/israel-alan-dershowitz-dems-gop

Nostr event nevent1qqswj830gnklh9d0r0h2e0rxayxlc5h0yj6vter8eczuq9ywcgeg4kgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj7ssxxp

2026-04-21T19:30:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its affiliates throw around tens of millions of dollars in American elections to ensure that hardline supporters of Israel are elected to the U.S. Congress on both sides of the aisle.While the pro-Israel lobbying firm has long enjoyed success in America, it has encountered a number of setbacks in recent months.For instance, by recently pouring millions of dollars into the Democratic primary against former New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski over his criticism of the Israeli government, AIPAC unwittingly paved the way for a fiercer critic of Israel, Analilia Mejia, to succeed ex-Rep. Mikie Sherrill.'One Republican is standing in the way.'In Illinois, AIPAC also made a bad investment in Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who got crushed in the 7th District Democrat primary to replace retiring incumbent Rep. Danny Davis.Despite its recent missteps and growing unpopularity on the left, AIPAC still appears confident that it can help unseat Rep. Thomas Massie (R) in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District by characterizing him as a turncoat and Republican challenger Ed Gallrein as the optimal choice.The United Democracy Project, an AIPAC super PAC established in 2022, recently spent $790,000 for a week of broadcast and cable ads in the Cincinnati, Louisville, and Charleston media markets, reported the Jewish Insider.In the 30-second ad that AIPAC apparently hopes will hurt Massie, a narrator states, "What happened to Thomas Massie? He's flipped. Massie started out as a conservative Republican but now votes with liberal Democrats."RELATED: IDF soldier caught smashing Jesus statue with sledgehammer — officials and critics react Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesThe ad does not specify which votes the UDP perceives as blemishes on Massie's record. The congressman did, however, recently vote in favor of resolutions directing Trump to remove the U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, and voted last year against Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.In November 2023, he also ruffled feathers when casting the lone "no" vote in Congress against a resolution that: reaffirmed the State of Israel's right to exist, deemed denial of that right a form of anti-Semitism, rejected calls for Israel's destruction, and condemned the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Massie stated at the time that he agreed with the "title 'Reaffirming the State of Israel's Right to Exist' and much of the language," but voted no "because it equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism.""On Israel, Massie votes with AOC and Ilhan Omar again and again," says the narrator of the AIPAC ad. "Massie's a flippin' disaster. That's why President Trump supports Ed Gallrein for Congress."Blaze News reached out to Massie's office for comment.In October, Trump endorsed Gallrein, a farmer and Navy SEAL combat veteran whose website notes that he's "fighting for President Trump's and the Republican Party's America First Agenda."Last month, Trump reiterated his support for the GOP challenger, stating that Massie — a lawmaker with an 86.77% lifetime Turning Point Action score and a 91.25% score this Congress — is the "Worst 'Republican' Congressman we have had in many years," and that Gallrein is alternatively "the person that will help us do the job, and do it right."The UDP previously blew over $328,000 in 2024 on a television campaign attacking Massie, reported McClatchy DC."Republicans are trying to help Israel," said the 2024 ad. "But one Republican is standing in the way. It's Kentucky's Tom Massie."A spokesman for UDP said at the time that the AIPAC group wanted "to make sure every voter in the state knows how bad he is on Israel."Recent polling suggests that AIPAC might be throwing good money after bad as far as Massie's race goes.According to a Quantum Insights poll released on April 9, Massie led Gallrein 46.8% to 37.7% among likely Republican voters, with 14% undecided and 1.5% saying they wouldn't vote. The same poll found that 49.9% of respondents preferred a candidate who is independent-minded while 37.4% preferred a strong Trump supporter.On the prediction market platform Polymarket, Massie presently leads Gallrein 71% to 28.6%. The primary race will be held on May 19.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/aipac-shells-out-big-again-in-hopes-of-taking-down-thomas-massie

Nostr event nevent1qqsvhhswpym65xf83wavuh37jxj58c6dl74gfnt29tt9l22as55zg5czyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjvczygc

2026-04-21T19:15:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A former elementary school teacher from Louisiana has been hit with 25 child sex-crime charges after accusations of illicit relationships with two students, according to authorities. In addition, a second Louisiana woman recently was arrested in connection with the eyebrow-raising case.The St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that its deputies started an investigation into 31-year-old Marisa Noel on Jan. 28.'We will continue to support our partners across the state and bring to justice anyone who exploits or sexually abuses the children of Louisiana.'Police said deputies launched the investigation after being tipped off about the teacher reportedly "having an inappropriate relationship with one of her former students."Police said at the time of the investigation, Noel was a fifth-grade teacher at Teche Elementary School in Breaux Bridge.Noel was arrested and booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center on April 13, according to jail records.Noel originally was charged with four counts of indecent behavior with juveniles and four counts of computer-aided solicitation of a minor.However, law enforcement said an additional victim was identified, which resulted in 17 more charges just two days after her arrest.The sheriff's office said Noel additionally was charged with 10 counts of indecent behavior with juveniles, three counts of computer-aided solicitation of a minor, two counts of child sexual abuse materials, one count of first-degree rape, and one count of unlawful communications.Louisiana law states that those convicted of first-degree rape can be sentenced to life in prison without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.However, if a victim is younger than 13 years old, the district attorney can seek the death penalty.Law enforcement did not reveal the ages of the alleged victims. However, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation said at least one of the alleged victims was younger than 13 years old.Police noted that Noel is no longer a teacher at Teche Elementary School.RELATED: Special-ed teacher accused of sexually assaulting students in her home, giving them alcohol; 1 victim said he 'felt trapped' The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation said in a press release that a second woman was arrested in connection with the case involving Noel.The news release said the Breaux Bridge woman was arrested as "part of an ongoing joint investigation with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office after a former fifth-grade teacher in the parish was arrested for first-degree rape and other crimes against children." Cortney Burleigh, 37, was arrested Thursday and charged with felony counts of cruelty to juveniles, obstruction of justice, and indecent behavior with juveniles/accessory after the fact.The news release did not specify Burleigh's role in the case but noted that she was not a teacher at the school.Attorney General Liz Murrill stated, "We will continue to support our partners across the state and bring to justice anyone who exploits or sexually abuses the children of Louisiana."The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations are conducting the ongoing joint investigation.The LBI, the sheriff's office, the elementary school, and St. Martin Parish School District didn't immediately respond to Blaze News' requests 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/teacher-sex-assault-rape-student-lousiana

Nostr event nevent1qqsd9jleepz5q0cda0ulgrjcvzk6tqqhfv0wvnnsv644swlmuzz7q9szyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjeu83j7

2026-04-21T19:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A report has found that many servers have no idea that the Trump administration's "no tax on tips" policy is the reason their tax refunds are larger this year.President Donald Trump touted the policy last week in Las Vegas after a DoorDash driver delivered McDonald's food to the White House.The majority of hospitality workers she interviewed in Washington, DC, had no clue about the policy.Despite such efforts, the Daily Wire found that many servers have no clue that the policy lowered their tax burden this year."Republicans have a messaging problem," reporter Brecca Stoll said.One waitress at Pearl Dive Oyster Bar said she had gotten a tax refund this year but did not receive one the year before. Stoll let her know that Trump was likely the reason she got a refund in taxes."Is that a good thing for us?" the woman asked skeptically."Well, if you got more money back!" Stoll replied."That’s one thing he's done good, I guess," she acknowledged reluctantly.Another had no clue at all about the change."Did you know your tips weren't taxed this year?" Stoll asked."I did not! Really? I did not know that. ... Maybe that's why we did good this year!" she responded while laughing.Stoll posted a video compilation of her conversations with servers who had no clue their taxes had been cut by Trump.A bartender told Stoll his reduced tax bill might have been from life changes."Because my son — I claim him — so, you know, it just boosted the profit," he said. "Other than that, I wouldn't have gotten too much at all." After Stoll informed him about the new no tax on tips policy, he laughed."Oh yes, I would definitely say that was it," he admitted.RELATED: Liberals SPEW hatred at DoorDash after marketing stunt with Trump at White House Stoll said the majority of hospitality workers she interviewed in Washington, D.C., had no clue about the policy that lowered their tax burden significantly.Some on social media responded that the culprit for the lack of awareness was the Democrat-aligned mainstream media and a lack of interest from the public.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/servers-unaware-tax-on-tips

Nostr event nevent1qqsyq7duzy052lzjwdlp26f6e0m48g5qdp266ajr42l80hhhnc7ak8szyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj4k9vja

2026-04-21T18:43:57Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A Democrat resigned from Congress Tuesday as her colleagues ramped up efforts to expel the lawmaker over her corruption scandal. Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida avoided her imminent expulsion by simply resigning, claiming that the House Ethics Committee's investigation was a "witch hunt" that violated her "due process rights." The investigative subcommittee effectively found Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of dozens of campaign finance violations after she was accused of laundering millions of dollars worth of COVID-era FEMA funds into her campaign account.'That is a dangerous path.'"This was not a fair process," Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement Tuesday. "The Ethics Committee refused my new attorney's reasonable request for time to prepare my defense. By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself. I will not stand by and pretend that this has been anything other than a witch hunt.""I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished. Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away so that I can devote my time to fighting for my neighbors in Florida's 20th district."RELATED: 'Mutually assured destruction': Another disgraced lawmaker to resign from Congress over sex scandal Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesCherfilus-McCormick argued that the committee was setting a "dangerous precedent," claiming she was not treated fairly during the investigation. "But let me say this plainly: we should be very careful about the precedent we are setting," Cherfilus-McCormick said in the statement. "In this country, we do not punish people before due process is complete. We do not allow allegations alone to override the will of the people. That is a dangerous path, and one that should concern every American, regardless of party."Cherfilus-McCormick is the second Democrat and third lawmaker in recent weeks to resign from Congress. Former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California dropped out of his gubernatorial race and later resigned from Congress after multiple women, including former staffers, accused him of sexual misconduct.Swalwell's resignation was accompanied by a resignation from former Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, who also got caught in a sex scandal with one of his former staffers who tragically took her own life by setting herself on fire. Gonzales later admitted to the affair and dropped out of his re-election race before eventually resigning from Congress altogether.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/disgraced-democrat-resigns-over-witch-hunt-investigation-to-evade-humiliating-expulsion

Nostr event nevent1qqsqtde23weeqzp6mt00qu7a7h95h2hghcuer5d3k2h0wlgpw3kn8rqzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjgwgm86

2026-04-21T17:59:09Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has obtained new documents revealing that the Biden FBI's targeting of GOP lawmakers in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, protests was not limited to Operation Arctic Frost but was rather "part of a pattern of political weaponization."The documents obtained by Grassley and published by the Daily Caller provide insights into the nature and baselessness of the Biden FBI's "Rampart Twelve" investigation, which was initially pursued against Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), and Andy Biggs (Ariz.), as well as against former Rep. Mo Brooks (Ala.), by the bureau's Washington field office.'My Democrat colleagues want to ignore these facts and evidence and defend the fired officials who participated in Biden’s lawfare.'As with Arctic Frost, this Biden FBI lawfare campaign saw investigators obtain toll records, at least for Boebert and Gosar. Toll records provide investigators with identifying information of callers along with the date, time, location, and length of a call.The Rampart Twelve probe was launched on Jan. 22, 2021, two days after Biden took office, on the basis of bogus claims made by then-Reps. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) as well as by Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.). These claims specifically alleged that the Republicans "may have assisted or conspired with persons, groups, or organizations who planned or organized the unlawful entry on January 6, 2021, of the United States Capitol Building."For instance, Sherrill, now the governor of New Jersey, alleged in a January 2021 video shared to Facebook that some lawmakers had brought groups of people into the Capitol ahead of Jan. 6 to conduct "reconnaissance for the next day."Text messages between prosecutors reveal a desire by elements at the Biden Justice Department to advance the case despite an awareness that proving the Republicans intended harm when supposedly bringing people to the Capitol "might be impossible" and that some of the imagery cited by the complainants "does not look suspicious."There was a clear desire to avoid additional levels of scrutiny when executing this lawfare campaign against the Biden administration's political opponents.After concern was apparently expressed about secretly investigating members of Congress, J.P. Cooney, a prosecutor who ultimately served as a top deputy to special counsel Jack Smith in two criminal prosecutions of President Donald Trump, provided some reassurance to Timothy Thibault, an anti-Trump FBI agent then with the the bureau, that doing so was OK.RELATED: Kash Patel says 2020 election fraud arrests are 'coming soon' Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesCooney noted in a Feb. 3, 2021, letter to Thibault that Attorney General Bill Barr did issue a memorandum in February 2020 requiring prior written notification and consultation with the assistant attorney general and the U.S. attorney with jurisdiction before investigating "declared candidates" for Congress. However, Cooney claimed that the Republican targets were fair game as they were no longer candidates but rather newly sworn-in members of the House.The FBI appears to have kept Rampart Twelve alive until at least January 2022, when Thibault informed a Washington field office FBI agent who wanted to interview Boebert and Gosar that "direction from FBIHQ is to close the case.""Rampart Twelve appears to be a predecessor case to Arctic Frost," Grassley said in a statement read by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) during the hearing on Tuesday. "The evidence to support the investigation didn't exist. Even so, J.P. Cooney personally concurred with opening the investigation even though his text messages told a different tale."Schmitt told the Daily Caller, "These bombshell documents reveal that bad actors at the highest levels of our government and intelligence agencies targeted broad swaths of the America[n] right and sitting members of Congress with no evidence of wrongdoing.""This fishing expedition was nothing more than a political agenda. Finally under the leadership of Chairman Grassley and the work of this committee, we are shining a light on this corruption that the Democrats ignored under Biden, and we will not stop until there is full accountability for those involved," added Schmitt.As of midday Tuesday, no liberal media outfit appears to have touched the story of the Biden FBI's Rampart Twelve fishing expedition."If not for my investigative work and brave whistleblowers, we wouldn’t know about FBI agents’ and DOJ prosecutors’ disgraceful efforts to try and destroy Republicans," Grassley told the Caller. "My Democrat colleagues want to ignore these facts and evidence and defend the fired officials who participated in Biden’s lawfare. I’ll continue working to expose the widespread constitutional abuses that occurred under the Biden administration, because transparency brings accountability."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/liberal-media-silent-as-senate-proves-fbi-spied-on-gop-without-evidence-as-soon-as-biden-was-president

Nostr event nevent1qqs9zwe4cvp69r8fdkdw9js2p0khpwl36z5ut2xfnu2h2k37qwelragzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj6w0xu3

2026-04-21T17:25:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Seven females and two males are accused of physically attacking one train passenger in Chicago last week, police said.Police called the crime an aggravated battery.'If confronted by an assailant/offender, remain calm and never pursue. Press the emergency button and alert the transit attendant,' police said.The incident took place just after 9:30 p.m. last Tuesday in the 600 block of South State Street aboard a train in the Chicago Loop neighborhood, police said.Police provided photos of the suspects. (Note: One of the suspects is shown twice — in the bottom far-right photos of the composite image next to the headline.)Police also provided the following descriptions of each suspect:Black male wearing a black T-shirt with white lettering and denim shortsBlack male wearing a black long-sleeved shirtBlack female wearing a blue T-shirt and blue shortsBlack female with red hair wearing a white topBlack female wearing a purple sweaterBlack female wearing a black flower-print sweaterBlack female wearing a black zip-up sweater and black shortsBlack female wearing a black hooded sweater and black pantsBlack female wearing a black T-shirt with white lettering and black pantsPolice cautioned citizens to "be aware of your surroundings and remember your location, bus/train car number, route or train line, train car number, and direction of travel. If confronted by an assailant/offender, remain calm and never pursue. Press the emergency button and alert the transit attendant. Call 911 immediately, provide detailed description of location and assailant."Police added that those with any information about this incident should contact Public Transportation Detectives at 312-745-4447 or submit anonymous tips at CPDTIP.com and use reference RD #JK189284.Police said another transit-related aggravated battery took place just after 4 p.m. Friday — this time on a CTA Red Line platform in the 1200 block of North Clark Street.RELATED: Gang of juvenile males chase college student into dorm, physically attack victim, go on rampage. It all happens around 3 a.m. Image source: Chicago PolicePolice said the victim — a 23-year-old female — was waiting on the train platform when one of the individuals pictured above pulled her to the ground by her hair, struck her on her face with a closed fist, and kicked her head and body.Another one of the females pictured above assisted the other female by blocking bystander attempts to help the victim, police said.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/7-females-2-males-accused-of-physically-attacking-1-train-passenger-chicago-police-say

Nostr event nevent1qqs8wn0q6kznzrajetzfyvpfdjeh8zd2hywmyhley28g5fhnwjjw53szyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjla3juh

2026-04-21T17:14:42Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

On April 1, when Artemis II launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center to embark on its historic 10-day lunar flyby, Glenn Beck was sitting in the audience section designated for people who work in the space program and journalists invited to attend the launch.As he chatted with various scientists and fellow journalists, he noticed a husband and wife sitting among the group who were clearly not part of either world. He soon struck up a conversation with them and inquired about how they received an invitation.“They started telling me a story that was as impressive as the rocket going off itself,” he says.The story was about their 15-year daughter Olivia "Liv" Perrotto, who died of a rare and aggressive childhood cancer in January this year.A bright, space-obsessed girl who dreamed of becoming an astronaut or fighter pilot, Liv’s illness didn’t quell her courage to pursue her passions.“That 15-year-old lived more of a life than most of us could ever dream of,” says Glenn.Elon Musk and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman are largely to thank for that.On this heart-wrenching episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn shares a little-known story he says will “break your heart and then heal it right back up.” “This is a story that neither [Musk nor Isaacman] ... would tell you. They didn't do it for the credit, and I didn't ask [them] for permission to tell,” says Glenn, noting that it was Liv’s mother who “wanted the world to know what they did and what it meant.”When Liv was just 10 years old, she was diagnosed with undifferentiated sarcoma — a rare and malignant cancer. Overnight, her life went from normal childhood circumstances to “chemo, radiation, surgeries, [and] clinical trials.”“It was a really dark time until she heard about a SpaceX mission … called Inspiration 4. This one was commanded by a guy that most people didn't know at the time named Jared Isaacman,” says Glenn.“The crew of Inspiration 4 heard about this little girl with cancer, and Jared Isaacman paid to bring her and her family to the launch.""And this was the beginning of just a life-changing relationship,” he recounts.Isaacman’s involvement with Liv didn’t conclude with her attendance at the Inspiration 4 launch. “He became committed to her care and to her dreams,” says Glenn. “Without anyone knowing, without anyone asking, much to the family's surprise, this guy just threw himself in.”A few months after the Inspiration 4 launch, Isaacman asked Liv to design a “zero-gravity indicator” for his next mission. She quickly sent in a sketch of a Shiba Inu dog in an astronaut suit named Asteroid.The Polaris Dawn team, commanded by Isaacman, took Liv's hand-drawn sketch and turned it into an actual plush toy that they brought with them on the mission. A video taken by the team captured Asteroid floating in the cabin as the crew reached microgravity.“Nobody on that mission forgot about this little girl in Pennsylvania. They sent her a birthday cake on her birthday. They sent flowers to the hospital. They all got together on a Zoom call just days before she died,” says Glenn through tears.“Jared chartered his own plane to fly Liv cross-country so she could get treatments, personally called St. Jude to review her case,” he continues.But that was just the beginning.Isaacman also took Liv “up in a fighter jet, which he flew,” and introduced her to Charlie Duke, William Shatner, and many other big names from the broader space community.“The whole space world opened its arms to this little girl — somebody you’ve never heard of,” says Glenn, “and they didn't do it for the press; they just did it because her passion was contagious, so full of love.”Because of the kindness of Isaacman and others, “the space world was [Liv’s] world, not hospitals.”One of Liv’s other dreams was to speak to Elon Musk. At a town hall event he hosted in October 2024, she briefly got the chance. Liv had just learned earlier that day that her cancer had returned aggressively, but that didn’t deter her from standing in line all night just to ask Musk when he planned to send kids to space.After learning of her worsening condition, Musk planned a phone call with Liv in January 2026 so that she could ask him all her pressing questions. But the night he arranged to call her, Liv was too exhausted to carry on a conversation, so she requested that the call be moved to the next day. Musk agreed and immediately sent flowers and a kind note to the hospital.Tragically, Liv passed before the call came.“Both the notes and the flowers were put in this little girl's casket,” says Glenn.Liv’s legacy lives on through the courage she showed in the face of unimaginable pain, the Asteroid plush toy that now flies on SpaceX missions as the company’s official mascot, thanks to Elon Musk honoring her final wish, and the way her story continues to remind the world that acts of kindness and compassion are happening all around us — even when we can’t see them.Liv’s mother published her own article about the life of her courageous daughter. You can read it on glennbeck.com.To hear Glenn’s version of Liv’s beautiful story, grab your tissue box and watch the video 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/this-brave-15-year-old-fought-cancer-with-all-her-heart-what-elon-musk-and-jared-isaacman-did-will-leave-you-in-tears

Nostr event nevent1qqsg72u8rgqcak0pzclqle2c2u2jvx4cemtpwgvlhktrw3ntspf39lgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjp3p3yd

2026-04-21T17:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

In April 2026, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced that ground robots had completed more than 9,000 frontline missions in the previous month. The number was offered without fanfare, embedded in a press release alongside procurement timelines and delivery metrics, as though the figure were perfectly ordinary, which by then it was. Nearly 24,500 missions in the first quarter of the year; 167 units using uncrewed ground vehicles, up from 67 the previous November. The ministry did not dwell on what this meant.Ukrainian soldiers who complete verified missions using robots earn e-points through a digital platform that tracks, authenticates, and tallies their work. Those points can then be exchanged, through an online marketplace, for additional equipment. Orders reach frontline units in roughly 10 days. The whole apparatus, in its architecture and its assumptions about human motivation, looks less like a combat system and more like a loyalty program.The state understands its soldiers as participants in a platform, and it is engineering their behavior accordingly.The UGV itself is not a new idea. The Germans fielded the Goliath tracked mine in World War II, a remotely controlled demolition device that failed, in the end, because its control cable could be cut. The Soviets experimented with teletanks in the 1930s, aiming to spare soldiers from exposure that was otherwise certain to kill them. The problem of controlling a machine at distance through contested terrain, under fire, with limited bandwidth and imperfect video, is not a problem the 21st century invented. What the 21st century has done is make it cheap.The ultimate cannon fodderUkraine’s UGVs are designed, above all, to be expendable. The country operates under mass artillery and persistent drone surveillance, which creates a specific engineering pressure that earlier Western robotics programs never faced. American explosive ordnance disposal robots in Iraq were conserved, repaired, and mourned in a way that revealed something about how their operators understood them. Ukraine’s systems are produced in the thousands, iterated rapidly, accepted as losses, and replaced like ammunition.The substitution principle drives everything. The state’s explicit purpose, reiterated in every official channel, is to move the most dangerous tasks (ammunition resupply, casualty evacuation, mining and demining, certain forms of direct contact) away from human bodies and onto machines. The missions are logged. The ministry’s argument is that somewhere in those 9,000 March missions is a corresponding number of soldiers who did not die. The robot went; the human did not.RELATED: The US military needs to adapt to modern warfare The US military needs to adapt to modern warfareUSAF/Getty Images What makes Ukraine’s system interesting, and practically consequential, is the way it distributes agency. A UGV mission is not performed by a soldier or a robot, but by a network: the operator watching a video feed, the encoder compressing that feed under bandwidth constraints that determine whether the latency is tolerable or fatal, the repair crew, the procurement pipeline, the verification interface that converts the mission into a data object, the points system that converts the data object into future capability.The human is present throughout this chain and is, in some sense, responsible for it. However, responsibility, in this architecture, is not the same as when a soldier carries ammunition through a kill zone but is cast as clicking, uploading, or watching a screen.This practice is not unique to Ukraine. Mediated violence is familiar from drone programs and earlier remote weapons systems. What Ukraine has done is extend the logic farther into the supply chain, the metrics, and the incentive design, making explicit what other militaries have left tacit. The gamification is structural. The state is acknowledging, through the design of the e-points system, that it understands its soldiers as participants in a platform, and it is engineering their behavior accordingly.Us or themThe Ukrainian government is aware of the genuine tension in this design. Goodhart’s law holds that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. If points are awarded for confirmed hits, soldiers will pursue confirmed hits. Ukraine’s system tries to counteract this by assigning points also for evacuation missions, for the lifesaving work that does not produce the bright flash of verification. Whether this framework works, whether the incentive categories actually reshape behavior or merely sit alongside it, is an empirical question.By early 2026, seven UGV models from six Ukrainian manufacturers were available for direct order through the DOT-Chain Defence marketplace. Foreign platforms have entered the ecosystem too: Estonian-built THeMIS vehicles, first delivered in 2022, were absorbed into Ukraine’s logistics environment alongside the domestically produced systems. NATO was also watching. Its UNITE initiative, announced in late 2025, proposed to scale prototyped battlefield innovations among alliance members, with unmanned ground systems explicitly named as a future focus.Ukraine’s particular answer to a particular problem — how to fight at scale under conditions of acute manpower constraint — is becoming a transmissible model. The rapid iteration, the platform-mediated procurement, the tight loop between battlefield data and design revision are not incidental features of Ukraine’s approach. Other militaries, in more comfortable circumstances, studying this from a distance, may conclude that they want something like it.What they would be acquiring is a way of knowing, a way of governing through metrics and incentives and interfaces, that treats war as a system to be optimized. The appeal is obvious. Systems can be improved. Metrics can be refined. Platforms can be updated. The facts that cannot be put into the system — the exhaustion, the fog — remain outside the data. They do not affect the point calculations. They do not appear in the quarterly mission totals, which continue to rise.In March 2026, the machines completed 9,000 missions. The ministry reported this statistic as progress. It was surely also something else, something that does not yet have a name.
https://www.theblaze.com/return/ukraine-s-robot-operators-now-kill-for-e-points-is-the-future-of-war-a-game

Nostr event nevent1qqsfl04yp8lyn3r6hvtgsnxqhlkme9j8pxt3mkkypjnnsps8l3rfq0qzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjy9rhkg

2026-04-21T16:25:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, like other Democratic officials in the Constitution State, including Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, thinks that requiring individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections is intolerable.Lamont — flanked at a press conference late last month by Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas, his Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, and others — stated about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, "I, for the life of me, can't figure out why we're doing this. What's the rush? Seems to me that the SAVE Act is a solution looking for a problem."'Diminishing faith in the system.'The governor, speaking just one month after one of the individuals accused in the 2023 Bridgeport absentee ballot fraud case was sentenced to prison, added, "I don't want to put up all these bureaucratic roadblocks that make it tougher."While loath to make it tougher for individuals to vote without valid identification, Lamont certainly does not oppose all "bureaucratic roadblocks" or legislation aimed at requiring photo ID to prevent fraud. Lamont signed a law last month requiring bottle redemption centers in the state to obtain from any individual hoping to turn in over 1,000 containers the "person's name, the license plate number of any vehicle used to transport the containers to such redemption center, a copy of such person's driver's license, the collection points of the empty containers, and the number of containers tendered.""In Connecticut, you have to show ID to recycle more than 1,000 bottles in one day," Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) wrote in response to the passage of the legislation, "but not to cast a vote for the next leader of the free world."Libs of TikTok said, "Make it make sense."RELATED: How Republicans have failed to defund sanctuary cities for a generation Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty ImagesRepublican Connecticut state Rep. Craig Fishbein said in a statement to Blaze News, "The hypocrisy and overt priorities of the Majority Democrats here are staggering.""While just last summer, Connecticut saw criminal convictions for voter fraud; they brought us in under the guise of an emergency session to pass this bottle bill, while continuing to ignore, or perhaps support additional voter fraud — thereby disenfranchising those voters who properly vote, and further diminishing faith in the system itself," Fishbein added.The editorial board of Connecticut's Republican-American recently noted that "Connecticut Democrats’ solution to the bottle-deposit debacle reveals they agree that requiring ID is an effective anti-fraud measure. The question is why they pretend elections are the exception."The SAVE America Act, which would afford federal elections some semblance of a Connecticut bottle recycling standard of fraud protection, was passed in the House in a 218-213 vote on Feb. 11, then advanced to the U.S. Senate on April 10, but its fate is presently up in the air.On Sunday, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) alleged that "after two weeks in recess, John Thune is no longer considering the SAVE America Act."A congressional insider familiar with the bill's process subsequently told the Federalist that the proposed legislation is "still the pending business in the Senate."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/connecticut-democrats-take-photo-id-really-seriously-just-not-for-voting

Nostr event nevent1qqsxfa3e6mpujarwmy4mty7pjmgqgkjmp50lq6uny9dtp4eg5s9gc7szyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjrsq2me

2026-04-21T15:40:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

California's crowded gubernatorial race is beginning to narrow, with former State Controller Betty Yee becoming the latest prominent Democrat to drop out, a sign that the party may be coalescing around a leading candidate to avoid disaster in the upcoming primary.The California gubernatorial primary started with 61 official candidates in March, and approximately 20 have since dropped out.'I continue to believe there are too many Democrats in the field.'While two Republican front-runners have emerged, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host and small-business owner Steve Hilton, Democrats have not yet rallied unified support behind any leading contenders for the upcoming election on June 2.With Primary Election Day right around the corner, voters in the state will begin receiving mail-in ballots in two weeks.California's primary election operates on a nonpartisan basis, meaning all candidates are listed on the same ballot, and the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.The nonpartisan election rules could spell trouble for Democrats if they cannot rally enough support behind a candidate to beat at least one of the top two Republicans competing to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who has reached his term limit.RELATED: Billionaire Tom Steyer admits embarrassing 'mistake' after saying ICE should be 'abolished' in California governor's race Chad Bianco. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images. Steve Hilton. Robin L Marshall/FilmMagicDemocrats began the race with eight high-profile candidates: former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, climate advocate and businessman Tom Steyer, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California State Controller Betty Yee.The Democratic field narrowed when Swalwell announced last week that he was suspending his campaign for governor and resigning from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations.On Monday, Yee became the latest Democrat to drop out of the race, citing low polling results. She told local CBS affiliate KOVR that the Democratic Party had "for whatever reason decided to put money into a poll that would narrow the field" and that the results showed that "experience and competence was not polling as high as we thought when I first started this race.""We're in this new era where it's kind of almost reality TV show mentality that people want," Yee told the news outlet. "And, frankly, conflict sells. That's what gets people's attention. I'm not a flashy person. I don't come with gimmicks. I even said and joked with my team one time, 'Maybe I just need to bring like a folding stool and throw it off the stage just to get some attention.' I mean, what's it gonna take, right?"Yee stated that she plans to endorse one of the remaining candidates soon.The California Democratic Party's poll showed voters leaning toward Republican candidates Hilton and Bianco. The highest-polling Democratic candidates were Becerra and Steyer. However, many of those surveyed stated they were still undecided.RELATED: Republicans shine in first poll since Eric Swalwell stumbled out of California governor's race Betty Yee. ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP/Getty Images Rusty Hicks, the chair of the California Democratic Party, compared the latest polling results to those from an April 7 poll. Hicks stated that it showed Becerra had moved from 4% to 13%, with him "now tied for third with Tom Steyer." He also noted that the undecided rate had fallen from 24% to 20%."All of these are positive signs for ensuring a strong Democrat moves into the General Election. But it is not enough and our work is not done," he said.Hicks addressed Yee's decision to drop out of the race."Earlier today, we saw Betty Yee suspend her campaign. I commend her leadership and commitment to California. And I hope other candidates will consider her example," Hicks added. "I continue to believe there are too many Democrats in the field."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/democrats-narrow-field-in-californias-crowded-gubernatorial-race-to-avoid-primary-disaster

Nostr event nevent1qqswefesdwnt9xpqzsvuyu8fu9j627h9fplqdxzgl0tvzrj4pcej65szyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj5w2drk

2026-04-21T15:15:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Smart TVs operating on behalf of foreign entities have alarming capabilities.The TVs are capable of capturing screenshots of a user's TV display every 500 milliseconds and sending that data back to their home country.'The days of Chinese tech companies spying on Americans' televisions are over.'Consumer data is then allegedly sold, in the same way online browsing data is, so companies can bolster their ad targeting capabilities. This not only puts sensitive user information at risk, but serves as a massive profit generator for TV manufacturers.Until recently, there was no pushback against these major manufacturers, but in December, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton lined up lawsuits against Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL, directly accusing them of spying.Definitely not 'spying'Through its lawsuits, Texas secured an agreement from South Korean manufacturer Samsung in February to stop collecting "Automated Content Recognition" data without user consent.The settlement also compelled Samsung to implement disclosures and consent screens that are easy to understand by the user.RELATED: Texas sues five TV manufacturers for secretly 'spying' on owners Paxton commended Samsung for its changes and said the company "promptly implement[ed] important safeguards for consumers," while other smart TV companies have instead "chosen to illegally spy on Texans and act as digital invaders in their homes."Samsung rejected the idea that it was spying, however, and said the settlement "affirms what Samsung has said since this lawsuit was filed — Samsung TVs do not spy on consumers.""In fact, Samsung allows you to control your privacy — and change your privacy settings at any time," the company added, per BleepingComputer.The Texas AG also made some ground against Hisense, a Chinese manufacturer. A first of its kind temporary restraining order was granted against Hisense, which stopped the company from using its ACR technology to collect, use, sell, share, disclose, or transfer Texans' data.RELATED: States should work with AI, not against it Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty Images "The days of Chinese tech companies spying on Americans' televisions are over," Paxton declared. He has since vowed to bring the other companies, including Chinese brand TCL Technology, to court for "illegally spying on Texans," stating that legal actions will "move forward."Tech billionaire and defense contractor Palmer Luckey recently called the intrusions a "growing problem for American national security" with an unbelievable amount of "sensitive and classified" information getting collected by foreign nations."Users have no idea. Nobody expects that their TV or monitor is a surveillance tool," Luckey wrote on X. "When I have joked that Smart TVs should be illegal, I am only half-joking."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/return/yes-smart-tvs-are-spying

Nostr event nevent1qqsvtqtcepxl2qm9w23qv2c4z2qs9pl0r05enckm0rgwyhu5twzc0aczyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj2fupuz

2026-04-21T15:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A gang of juvenile males chased a Temple University student into a dorm, physically attacked the victim, and went on a rampage that included property damage — and it all took place around 3 a.m. Sunday.The assault occurred inside the Morgan Hall South dorm at Broad and Oxford Streets in North Philadelphia, WPVI-TV reported.'We're here for the safety of our residents and our students. So, when anybody is victimized, it's concerning to us. We take it very seriously.'Temple University police released surveillance photos showing at least nine males in connection with the assault, the station said.Police told WPVI the victim suffered minor injuries and declined medical treatment; officers are still looking into what led up to the attack.Investigators told the station in a separate story that cellphone video shows suspects damaging property inside the dorm lobby; one individual is seen smashing a monitor at a security desk.RELATED: 6 thugs just 12 to 14 years old accused of beating up, robbing mentally disabled man riding his bike on Easter night WPVI spoke with a student who said he used to live in the residence hall and received a campus alert about the attack."It puts the threat actually into perspective because, especially knowing as a college student your main priority is education, not really safety, but this happening is a little bit more in the forefront," sophomore Emanuel Turner told WPVI.Officials added to the station that they're working with Philadelphia police and school district safety officials to identify those involved in the attack.RELATED: Gang of teens caught on video beating up, robbing victim in shopping mall; similar attack happened at same mall last month Temple Police Deputy Chief Gaetano Sava told WPVI that the incident is "concerning. Whenever our residents, I mean, we're here for the safety of our residents and our students. So, when anybody is victimized, it's concerning to us. We take it very seriously."Campus police said Temple and Philadelphia Police are enhancing patrols, and officials urge those with information about the incident to contact the PPD tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or Central Detectives at 215-686-3093. You also can contact Temple’s Investigations Unit at 215-204-6200 or Temple Police at 215-204-1234.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/gang-of-juvenile-males-chase-college-student-into-dorm-physically-attack-victim-go-on-rampage-it-all-happens-around-3-am

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2026-04-21T14:45:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

President Donald Trump has warned Iran that the United States will swiftly resume the bombing campaign if they fail to strike a deal. Talks are set to resume in Islamabad, Pakistan, between the Iranians and the American delegation led by Vice President JD Vance ahead of the ceasefire's expiration on Wednesday. Trump announced the ceasefire earlier in April after threatening to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran, infamously dubbing the operation "Power Plant Day" and "Bridge Day." 'They have to use common sense.'"Well, I expect to be bombing because I think that's a better attitude to go in with," Trump said in an interview Tuesday. "But we're ready to go. I mean the military is raring to go. They are absolutely incredible.""We have the most powerful military in the world, and everybody knows it." RELATED: IDF soldier caught smashing Jesus statue with sledgehammer — officials and critics react Elke Scholiers/Getty ImagesSince the ceasefire was put into place almost two weeks ago, Trump has ordered the military to take control of the Strait of Hormuz in an attempt to constrain Iran even further. Despite the United States' many attempts to pressure Iran into making a deal, including the first round of negotiations that lasted 21 hours, a long-term agreement has not yet materialized."Iran can get themselves in a very good footing if they make a deal," Trump said. "They can make themselves into a strong nation again, a wonderful nation again. They have incredible people." "But they have to use reason, and they have to use common sense." 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-gives-iran-a-final-warning-ahead-of-peace-talks

Nostr event nevent1qqsdxjrmy53wl97spukvs3f39q9ecflqk0dxp29g223z7rx9mq9w3jczyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjs8fhwq

2026-04-21T14:30:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Democrats had a meltdown during a committee hearing while grilling Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on all of the programs he is attempting to shut down.And no one was ready for his answer. 'We found organizations that were receiving grants from Interior where 80 to 100% of the revenue of that NGO was a grant from the federal government.'In a Monday House Committee Hearing, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) asked for clarification on Burgum's proposed "complete elimination" of some programs in the Fish and Wildlife Service, including some state and tribal wildlife grants.Burgum replied with a shocking statistic about where some "nongovernmental organizations" get their money.RELATED: Revamped National Parks program prioritizes Americans and ensures foreigners 'contribute their fair share' Heather Diehl/Getty Images"There was a review done of the grants," he said. "And that is an area where there's been substantial review. We found organizations that were receiving grants from Interior where 80 to 100% of the revenue of that NGO was a grant from the federal government.""And yet those organizations, we were the sole source of their revenue, but they would have a CEO making $650,000 and four $400,000 lobbyists," Burgum continued. DeLauro stammered in reply: "It would be very interesting because we can't get any information. We may agree with you. Give us the reasons why all of these grants are cut, the organizations are cut. ... We just can't take your word."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/democrat-melts-down-after-secretary-doug-burgum-drops-bombshell-about-ngos-during-committee-hearing

Nostr event nevent1qqs9xl8py4jaj7vaqvfnetvq87nmzs63e0smrr3ekpq8586mxsasztqzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj7qcasg

2026-04-21T12:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

With the Artemis II crew returning safely to Earth, Americans will celebrate the technological achievement. We should. Sending human beings beyond low Earth orbit and around the moon again is no small feat. It represents decades of engineering, discipline, and courage.But one astronaut in particular offers more than a technological triumph. He offers a picture of American excellence.Victor Glover did not arrive at that moment by accident.What he did required a different kind of courage: not the physical courage of launch and re-entry, but moral courage.He is not a symbol manufactured by a press office. He is not the product of a diversity initiative and a woke Marxist education. He is the result of something much older and much more demanding: hard work, discipline, intelligence, perseverance, and grit.Glover trained as an engineer. That alone requires precision, patience, and a mind trained to see reality clearly. He then became a naval aviator and test pilot, both fields where failure is not theoretical. In that world, mistakes are measured in lives, not opinions. Thousands of flight hours, high-stakes missions, constant evaluation.And still that was not the end.In 2013, he was selected by NASA. But selection is not arrival. It took years, seven long years, before he would fly his first mission. Many would have grown restless. Many would have settled. Glover did not.In 2020, he flew on SpaceX Crew-1 and spent six months aboard the International Space Station. Six months of isolation, pressure, and relentless responsibility. That mission alone would define a career for most. For Glover, it was preparation.Because what defines him is not a single accomplishment, but a pattern: He does not quit.In a culture obsessed with shortcuts, Glover represents something rare: grit. The kind of grit that shows up quietly, day after day, without applause. The kind that builds a character capable of flying beyond Earth and returning safely.Naturally, in our current climate, that kind of excellence cannot simply be recognized for what it is. It must be reframed.Glover is frequently asked about being “the first black astronaut” to achieve various milestones. But here again, he distinguishes himself. He refuses to reduce his work to categories imposed by modern DEI ideology. Instead, he consistently redirects the conversation to what unites us.RELATED: NASA's Victor Glover shares gospel as he circles dark side of the moon: 'Love God with all that you are' Danielle Villasana/Getty ImagesHumanity. Shared purpose. The wonder of exploration. That refusal pushes back, calmly and intelligently, against the narrowing of human achievement into demographic boxes. Glover does not deny history, but he does refuse to let it define the meaning of his work. And then there is something even more striking. He brings it all back to Christ.At a moment when humanity once again turns its attention to the moon, when millions listen, watch, and wait, Glover did something that many in his position would avoid: He spoke openly about his faith.Before losing radio contact on the far side of the moon, Glover quoted Jesus’ command to love God. In doing so, he joined a small but remarkable tradition of astronauts who understood that the greatest realities are not technological but theological.It is impossible to hear that moment without recalling Apollo 8.As that crew orbited the moon for the first time in 1968, one of the astronauts, Frank Borman, read from Genesis:In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.That reading was broadcast to the entire world. It remains one of the most watched moments in human history. But it also sparked controversy. The reaction was swift. Legal pressure followed. And by the time Apollo 11 reached the moon, the environment had changed.Buzz Aldrin, a Presbyterian elder, still took the Lord’s Supper, but he did so privately, inside the lunar module, before stepping onto the surface of the moon. His church had provided the elements. He didn’t bring public attention to it like Borman. It was not broadcast.That contrast tells a story. The early openness to public expressions of faith gave way to pressure to keep religion quiet, especially in scientific contexts.Victor Glover must have known that history. He knew the unspoken rule: faith belongs in private. And he rejected it.What he did required a different kind of courage: not the physical courage of launch and re-entry, but moral courage. This is the courage to clearly speak the gospel when silence would be easier and the courage to affirm what is true about Jesus when others prefer ambiguity.He did not rant. He did not posture. He simply spoke from his heart about his faith. He quoted the Bible. And in doing so, he reached millions.That clarifies something many have forgotten: Science and faith are not enemies. The attempt to separate them, to exile God from the public square — from education, from exploration — is not neutrality. It is a philosophical choice to show bigotry toward Christians.And it is one Glover quietly refused to accept. This is where his example extends beyond a single mission. Victor Glover represents a distinctly American synthesis: A man who works hard, who masters his craft, who pushes exploration to its limits.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/victor-glover-reminded-us-what-an-american-is

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2026-04-21T11:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Do you know how easy it is to bake your own bread?I didn't, and now I do. And I want to share this knowledge with you.Want homemade sandwich bread? Just replace the water with milk or half and half and add melted butter and a tablespoon of sugar.Once you know, it will be harder to go back to the chemical-infused grain product the big, industrialized food manufacturers tell us is "bread."Especially since the real thing — what everyone understood as "bread" for all of human history until about 100 years ago — is cheaper, more nutritious, and doesn't taste like Styrofoam.Sourdough ... for the rest of usAnd don't worry — we're not going to ruin the fun by approaching it like neurotic, fussy "homesteading" influencers obsessed with buying shiny new equipment to make old-fashioned techniques “authentic.”You’re not going to need a kitchen scale or a digital probe thermometer. You’re going to make something delicious and wholesome just the way your great-grandmother did, and she didn’t use any of these modern techno crutches.With that out of the way, let’s talk about sourdough. I didn’t want to use the word before clearing the conceptual brush, because it’s contaminated with “lifestyle” associations. People imagine a complex “artisan” process that can only be achieved by some irritating guy from Minneapolis who talks in upspeak on YouTube.A few months ago I wrote about cooking from scratch, by hand, without relying on gadgetry and GPS-style “turn by turn” directions. In that piece, I said I was going to learn to bake bread from a natural sourdough starter all by hand, with no scales, no metric-graduated beakers, and no obsessive feeding schedule.I’ve done it. And it turned out as I thought it would. My hands now know what the right dough consistency feels like. My eyes can tell if the loaf has risen for long enough that it can be baked. The only tools I have relied on were cup measures and a glance at the clock so I know about how long the dough has been fermenting (rising). I don’t need directions or scales or thermometers because I own the knowledge in my hands and mind through direct practice.The duds? Only about two or three loaves. My problem? Using a starter that was too weak; I hadn’t let it fully develop in the beginning culture stage before I started baking with it. Once I sorted that out, I ended up with this hearty specimen: Josh SlocumYou’re going to make a loaf that good, and you’ll have it down by memory in one month.Then you’ll branch out into other kinds of bread. Want homemade sandwich bread? Just replace the water with milk or half and half and add melted butter and a tablespoon of sugar. That’s all I did. Here’s the result from my first try: Then I wanted something fancier, something like the loaves I’ve been paying $9 for at a local bakery that does it the old-fashioned way with nothing but flour, water, culture, and salt. I just added olive oil and rosemary and put fancy salt on top: Want to do it yourself?As I mentioned, I'm not going to give you a recipe. At least, not in the modern-day sense of a set of precisely calibrated steps and measurements designed to produce the exact same outcome every time.Instead I'm going to give you a basic outline that forces you to absorb the process physically and by instinct, rather than just memorizing turn-by-turn directions. If you’re not afraid of plunging your hands directly into the dough and making practice loaves until you get it right, you’ll be baking like this in a few weeks.For the starterYou’re not going to buy a starter from any of those online marketplaces. You’re going to make your own. The yeast comes from the rye flour and from the air.IngredientsStone-ground whole rye flour. Yes, whole, and yes, rye, even if you don’t plan to make rye loaves. Rye is packed with natural yeast and bacteria that make starters get off the ground quicker than white flour.WaterA jarMethod:Take about a cup of whole rye flour and add enough room-temperature water to make a thick paste. And I do mean "paste" — something with the consistency of the stuff you remember using in school for papier-mâché volcanoes.But don’t get neurotic. If it’s thinner or thicker than my paste, it’s still going to work.Mix it well in the jar. Then take a rubber band and put it around the outside of the jar at the level where the starter is now. This is so you can see rise over time. Cover that jar loosely with a towel, cheesecloth, or a loose lid and put it in the oven with the light on. Leave it for 24 hours. Then discard half of it and add the same amount of rye flour and water back in, mix, and leave for another day.You’re going to do this for at least seven days. After the first few days, you’ll see some bubbles. It’s not ready yet. Keep discarding and feeding. You may even notice it smells a little off the first few days. That’s normal.By day seven (or a bit longer), you’ll notice that the starter smells sour, in a pleasant way, and yeasty. That’s what you want. At that point, you should also be seeing it double in size between feedings. If it’s not doing that, keep going with daily feedings.Now you’ve got a stable starter. Stick it in the fridge. You can keep using rye to feed it for baking, or you can feed it white flour and convert it. I just use whatever flour I have handy because I don’t mind my loaves having mixed grains.Your first loafSo far we have used rye flour and water. Now to add our two final ingredients: white bread flour and salt.Again, that's white bread flour, not all-purpose. Bread flour has a higher protein ratio, which you need for building structure and rise.First, take your starter out of the fridge and feed it flour and water. Put it in your oven with the light on. This gives it the perfect 80 degrees F temperature that it likes. Colder than that and it takes forever. Significantly hotter than that, and you may kill the yeast.Wait for it to double in size, three to four hours.Take it out and mix about a half-cup of starter into about a cup and a half of room-temperature water. Put the jar of starter back in the fridge. You only need to keep about a tablespoon of it — that will inoculate all the flour the next time you feed it for baking.In a large bowl, put in about four and a half cups of bread flour and two teaspoons of salt. Mix the salt through the flour. Now add your wet mixture of water and starter. Stir or use your hands to mix until it all comes together and there are no more dry flour spots. It will be rough and shaggy.RELATED: Cooking is easy; it's our modern anxiety that makes it hard The Print Collector/Getty ImagesKnead? No needGuess what? You’re not going to knead. The reason most people knead is because we have used commercial yeast since it became available in the 1860s. Commercial yeast rises in just hours, too short a time for the yeast to build the bread structure, so you have to do it by hand to develop the gluten.Not so with sourdough, using this method. Time is going to do everything kneading does and more.Cover the dough and put it in a cold room or cellar if you have one. Somewhere between 40 and 50 degrees F. Let it sit 18-24 hours.This is cold fermentation, which gives you the tang of sourdough, and it makes the bread more nutritious and long-lasting before it goes stale. If you don’t have a cold room, let your dough ferment for a few hours on the counter, then put it in the refrigerator overnight.At the end of fermentation, you are ready to bake. Preheat a Dutch oven in your oven at 450 degrees for 45 minutes. Shape your dough into a ball or loaf, and put it in the Dutch oven. Cover, put back in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes, still at 450.Remove the lid, turn the oven down to 400, then bake for about 10 to 15 more minutes to get a golden crust.You have made bread that is miles above the plastic grotesquerie sold at grocery stores, for almost no money and for very little effort. No scales; no precise measuring. This is how your ancestors and all humans made bread for thousands of years before the late 19th century.If your first few loaves aren’t great, keep going.Don’t forget to slather it in butter.
https://www.theblaze.com/align/how-to-bake-your-own-bread-no-gadgets-recipes-or-kneading-required

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2026-04-21T10:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

The "Squad" is about to pick up a new member with Analilia Mejia, and it's because the media won't stop lying. Some politicians rise by appealing to voters' sympathetic nature, making lofty promises of an easier life with less struggle. In doing so, they deliberately ignore the root causes of society's problems and discredit any fixes that would diminish their own power.The modern-day Democratic Party embraced radical ideologies and extreme rhetoric that will ultimately harm the American people, all while disguising those policies as compassion. Just look at media darlings like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. Politicians who thrive on deception need gatekeepers to keep inconvenient truths from the public.What's worse, their deception is amplified by the mainstream media. Information is presented in such a biased way that the ill-informed voter is left believing that if they don't vote the "correct" way, the United States will no longer exist.This pattern is now so prevalent that political candidates who would never have been considered a legitimate threat 10 to 20 years ago are beginning to fill important political seats. These deceptions have helped far-left candidates like New Jersey Democrat Analilia Mejia rise to power. Here are three key deceptions Mejia has exploited.Iran, taqiya, and the pro-Palestine blind spotNowhere is the media's selective blindness more dangerous than in its coverage of Iran. The regime is an Islamic theocracy that has never hidden its ambitions. It has pursued nuclear capability, funded terrorist proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and embraced an ideology openly hostile to both Israel and the United States.For years, Iran's rulers have negotiated in bad faith while enriching uranium, arming proxies, and extending their influence across the region. Under those conditions, military options were no longer theoretical. Strikes on nuclear sites, missile infrastructure, and naval assets became necessary to prevent a far greater disaster. Yet the same media that downplays Iran's "Death to America" chants and its direct funding of Hamas portrays the conflict as Israeli overreach or American aggression. Mejia, a vocal pro-Palestine activist who has worn the keffiyeh and accused Israel of genocide, has built her platform on this distorted framing. She either ignores or downplays the fact that Hamas is an Iranian proxy whose actions serve Tehran's larger campaign against both Israel and the West. When politicians demand a ceasefire on terms that leave Iran and its proxies room to regroup, they do not move the region closer to peace. They shield the aggressor while pretending to restrain the war. The press helps them do it by burying Iran's long record of deceit, terror sponsorship, and open threats beneath soft phrases like "regional tensions."Fraud, voter ID, and the 'rights' that protect the scamThe media's coverage of election integrity and government fraud follows the same dishonest script. When Republican-led investigations and the work of independent journalists exposed massive Medicare and Medicaid scams in deep-blue states (hospice fraud in California potentially costing billions and Minnesota providers suspended after hundreds of millions in questionable claims), the story barely registered. These schemes only came to light under renewed scrutiny from the current administration; Democratic states had little incentive to police their own. Yet the same outlets that yawn at taxpayer rip-offs scream that Republicans' push for voter ID and stricter verification are "voter suppression." New Jersey provides fresh proof that fraud is real and corrosive. In January 2026, two Bergen County non-citizens were federally indicted for illegally voting in a U.S. election and lying on citizenship applications. In August of 2024, an ex-Plainfield mayoral candidate was charged with attempting to submit nearly 1,00 fraudulent voter registrations. In 2025, county officials reported that homeless residents in Atlantic County were being solicited for fake messenger ballots. In 2024, James Devine pled guilty to submitting nearly 2,000 fake signatures on nominating petitions for the 2021 New Jersey gubernatorial primary. In 2022, Frederick Gattuso was convicted of tampering with public records when he voted twice using the registration of two people with similar names. These are not isolated "myths"; these are documented crimes that erode trust in the integrity of the electoral process.Censorship and the Elon Musk exceptionMejia's victory speech singled out Elon Musk as one of the "true radicals" subverting democracy. That line revealed a great deal. It showed exactly where she stands on speech, dissent, and who gets to control the public square.During COVID, Democrats and allied Big Tech openly coordinated to suppress dissenting voices. The Hunter Biden laptop story was buried as "Russian disinformation" by 51 former intelligence officials, the lab leak theory was censored as a conspiracy, the Great Barrington Declaration on lockdowns was throttled, and vaccine skeptics were deplatformed. Government pressure on social media, revealed in the Twitter files, showed a clear pattern of state-backed censorship of conservative viewpoints. Enter Elon Musk, who purchased Twitter (now X) precisely to restore free speech and end that collusion. Under his leadership, X became the only major platform where all sides could be heard. The media was complicit in the original censorship and now portrays Musk's commitment to open discourse as dangerous "chaos." Mejia's anti-Musk stance is no surprise; politicians who thrive on deception need gatekeepers to keep inconvenient truths from the public.Voters must see through the wolf in sheep's clothing. Politicians like Analilia Mejia promise an easier life, compassion for the marginalized, and protection from "extremists," all while leaning on a media echo chamber that distorts threats, buries successes, and censors dissent. They ignore root causes — Islamic terrorism sponsored by Iran, rampant fraud that wastes taxpayers' dollars, politicized institutions that target reformers, and the slow erosion of open debate — because confronting those realities would shrink their power. The result is not progress; it is a more divided, less secure, and less truthful America. New Jersey's newest congresswoman and her ideological allies offer lofty rhetoric wrapped in deception. Americans who value security, prosperity, and liberty must reject the easy promises and demand the harder truths. The future of the Republic depends on it.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/new-jersey-just-sent-a-media-manufactured-radical-to-congress

Nostr event nevent1qqsgt990h0rtnre5zkfnt7rnrcr3qtatl8k9zwuvzc4py02hqwrtsvgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjua8mzv

2026-04-21T09:30:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Rapper and singer Azealia Banks went on a rant against gay liberals and thanked God for the Republican Party.Banks posted the rant Sunday on her official X account, where it got a lot of attention. 'I don't care how many f**king dead gazan kids you try guilt tripping me with.... Liberalism is f**king dead.' "I honestly really much prefer a Republican Government. It's f**king refreshing to exist as a woman in America without gay men's retarded and completely irrelevant voices and opinions on anything at all being a factor. Literally thank God for the GOP," she began.She appeared to voice opposition to transgender-identifying people."Gay men don't do s**t but bamboozle women out of their place in society so they can siphon $ away from womens health to fund sex changes for themselves and convince you that your [sic] mentally ill for saying anything about it. F**k that. Defund the faggots," she added.She went on to claim that she had been called a b***h and a bigot by gays."We are simply not bringing the dnc back. I don't care how many f**king dead gazan kids you try guilt tripping me with.... Liberalism is f**king dead," Banks continued.Banks previously said on social media that no one was born gay or identifying as transgender, but that both were a result of mental illness stemming from trauma."I don't care HOW MANY fat black bitches, ashy black faggots or off brand african immigrants you try polluting black america's image with," she concluded. "LIBERALISM IS OVER."Banks is known for her outspoken, expletive-ridden rants.RELATED: Azealia Banks melts down over RFK Jr. proposal to restrict 'junk food' from food stamp program In 2025, she lambasted HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for suggesting that junk food should be restricted from federally funded food aid programs.In 2015, she said she hated "fat white Americans" and everything about the U.S."All the people who are crunched into the middle of America, the real fat and meat of America, are these racist conservative white people who live on their farms," the rapper said.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/azealia-banks-trans-gay-rant

Nostr event nevent1qqsrg9faesxreu4cx8602g4qcy5dtyya8q5gtudzrxv70ra7rpmkc0qzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjmy4q6r

2026-04-21T09:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A “monster drought” is currently affecting more than 61% of the lower 48 U.S. states — the highest level for this time of year since 2000 — with nearly all of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West parched. Concerns over wildfires, water supplies, food prices, and even shortages are mounting quickly.Glenn Beck pulls no punches about the severity of this drought: “The South is baked. Sugar cane, rice, peanuts, fruit trees [are] choking under severe, extreme, and even exceptional drought. Out in the plains (that's our bread basket), winter wheat is sitting in dust; it can't germinate because it doesn't have the water. In the West, the mountain snow pack is vanishing before our eyes.”Our farmers, he warns, are “barely hanging on,” and that burden will soon impact us.“Food costs are going up and not a little — a lot. Beef, grains, produce, everything that comes from the fields all across our fruited plain. It's going to cost more at the grocery store, and it's coming sooner and faster than most people want to even admit,” says Glenn. He urges his audience to start by fasting and praying.“I'm asking you to fast and pray for rain all across the country. I'm asking you to fast and pray for our farmers because our farmers are under extreme stress. ... They are probably the most important cog in the chain of this machinery,” he says.The second thing Glenn implores his audience to do is “stop depending on this system.”“It is really important that you become as food independent as possible. If you don't have food storage, you should. If you have a scrap of yard, plant a garden this spring — tomatoes, beans, potatoes, greens, anything you can grow. Anything,” he pleads.Whether it’s starting a “neighborhood garden,” learning how to “preserve” different foods, or “[stocking] a little extra when you can,” the time to prepare is now.“This isn't just about rain or fertilizer prices, market prices. ... We are in a spiritual war, and I'm telling you, the very gates of hell will come against us in the days ahead,” Glenn warns.Our current state of disunity, he cautions, will only make matters worse.Glenn begs his audience to seek unity: “This too shall pass, but it will pass a whole lot easier if we stop pulling in different directions and start sticking together; if we stop hating one another and start helping one another; if we start to get to know our neighbors and say, ‘Look, I don't care how you vote, man, but have you seen the price of food?"’“Plant your seeds in the ground, and plant seeds of love in your heart and in your faith, and get ready because the storm is here.”To hear more, watch the video 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/the-storm-is-here-glenn-beck-delivers-urgent-plan-to-prepare

Nostr event nevent1qqsxwazkkdexvacpmsjjnvphl3xnkfnnas8l673j80ctpng0642pkhczyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjmlf4ns

2026-04-21T08:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

The Trump administration has made it clear since its pullout from Minneapolis that the era of mass deportation is over and the administration will instead focus on criminal aliens. But sanctuary cities, which defend the worst of the criminal aliens, remain fully funded and undeterred well into Trump’s second term, with zero strategy to harness the news of endless heinous crimes committed in these fugitive jurisdictions. How can it be that Republicans are planning one last party-line bill to fund ICE and aren’t even broaching the issue of sanctuary cities?Just 15 months into this administration, the central campaign promise is dead.According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, there were over 300 sanctuary jurisdictions in 2016. In response to Trump’s rise to power and his threat to enforce our sovereignty, this number rose to 564 by 2018 — an increase of roughly 88% in the first two years of the Trump administration. As of last year, FAIR identified at least 1,003 by May 2025.After failing to ignore the courts and cut off funding executively for over five years of Trump’s two administrations, the upcoming budget reconciliation bill is the last opportunity to accomplish this legislatively without Democrat support. Why is this not the single biggest focus of budget reconciliation?You will not find a more lopsided political issue than shutting down local policies that harbor dangerous criminals who invaded our country to begin with. We already know that Republicans have pulled the plug on mass deportations and have no plans to defund or strip sanctuary judges of jurisdiction or pass even minor cuts to legal immigration. Defunding sanctuary cities should be the bare minimum to achieve some of the election promises, yet as of now, they only plan to pass a simple $70 billion ICE funding bill with no policy provisions attached. To allow Democrats to shut down Department of Homeland Security appropriations and then go through the effort of passing a party-line reconciliation bill just to restore baseline ICE funding would represent the greatest failure of this trifecta on Trump's signature promise of dating back to 2016.Republicans seem incapable of making the cultural case against mass migration. But what is so hard about beating Democrats over the head every day with stories of heinous crimes committed by criminal aliens harbored by blue jurisdictions? Sadly, there is an unlimited supply of political ammo to use to force legislation that would finally end this subversion of American sovereignty.Nowhere is this more evident than in Fairfax County, Virginia. Three out of the four murderers caught in Fairfax this year have been illegal aliens who should have been removed.Abdul Jalloh, an illegal alien from Sierra Leone, allegedly stabbed Stephanie Minter at a bus stop. It turned out this was completely avoidable. Jalloh had 30+ prior arrests, including rape, assault, and weapons violations, yet prosecutor Steve Descano’s office dropped multiple felony charges against him despite three written warnings from police that he was dangerous. The sheriff ignored ICE detainers and released him repeatedly.Anibal Chavarria Muy, an illegal alien from Guatemala, allegedly hacked a man to death with a machete on March 29. This was 100% avoidable because he had already been arrested on assault and firearms charges, but Descano declined prosecution and the sheriff’s office ignored an ICE detainer.Misael Lopez Gomez, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was charged with beating his own baby to death on Mar 27, 2026. Just three weeks prior, he was arrested for driving without a license. Local officials clearly knew he was here illegally but released him to commit more crimes. Overall, nine illegal immigrants have been linked to 12 murders in Fairfax County since 2019. Of course, sanctuary policies have been responsible for other heinous crimes as well. Israel Flores Ortiz, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was charged last month with groping 13 girls over six days at Fairfax High School. Descano, of course, undercharged him with simple assault and then tried to release him on bail. ICE has this man on its radar, but Fairfax officials would easily release him without informing ICE if they could get away with it.RELATED: A birthright citizenship fix is more important than the SAVE Act Win McNamee/Getty ImagesNext door in Arlington, Virginia, Luzvin Garcia Moran allegedly nearly succeeded in abducting and raping a woman before he was arrested. It turns out he had prior drug, assault, and probation violations, yet Soros district attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti freed him each time.The rationale for mass deportations has never before been buttressed by this many dangerous aliens, given the number of people waved in by the Biden administration. In the tragic irony of all ironies, just last Monday — amid the DHS funding lapse — Lauren Bullis, a DHS employee, was brutally shot and stabbed, allegedly by Olaolukitan Adon Abel in DeKalb County, Georgia. Who is Adon Abel? Despite having prior convictions for sexual battery, battery against a police officer, obstruction, assault with a deadly weapon, and vandalism as an immigrant, the Biden administration's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted him full citizenship in 2022. This was, of course, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1427, which requires applicants to demonstrate "good moral character."How many Americans will even hear of Lauren Bullis? Republicans are incapable of publicizing all these heinous crimes facilitated by sanctuary cities to force a defund fight in middle of a DHS funding lapse, including when a DHS employee is murdered by one such recipient of Biden amnesty!Appallingly, rather than building the case for defunding sanctuary cities and prohibiting driver’s licenses for illegal aliens in budget reconciliation, Trump and Republicans are using their waning political capital to pass an extension of FISA Section 702, the very program used to spy upon the Trump campaign.Ironically, the Trump administration has already capitulated to Antifa by pulling the National Guard out of sanctuary cities and retreating from Minneapolis. According to new data published by ICE, the number of detainees plummeted by 12% since its peak in January. Just 15 months into this administration, the central campaign promise is dead.The entire rationale for this capitulation is that Republicans would rather focus on criminal aliens. Well, in that case, why have they not publicized the endless list of heinous crimes committed in sanctuary jurisdictions to defund those insurrectionist cities, in the last party-line bill designed to fund the DHS?
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/how-republicans-have-failed-to-defund-sanctuary-cities-for-a-generation

Nostr event nevent1qqs0v5ju6c62jzvyvvt92srluj0e5gp6txlxw2taye9ssm8uyfqz5hqzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjfs6zhz

2026-04-20T23:09:23Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Another member of President Donald Trump's cabinet is stepping down after a turbulent 13-month term at the Department of Labor.The White House praised Lori Chavez-DeRemer's time as labor secretary in a statement Monday announcing that she would be leaving the administration to join private industry.'While my time serving in the Administration comes to a conclusion, it doesn't mean I will stop fighting for American workers.'"Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector," White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said on social media. "She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives."Cheung said Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling would become acting director of the agency.Chavez-DeRemer had been known as a pro-union Republican before she joined the Trump administration and would not have been confirmed without the help of three Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.The 58-year-old's husband was reportedly banned from the Labor Dept. offices over sexual harassment allegations, but a criminal investigation related to those claims was closed. In March, two of her aides were forced out of the department over allegations of misconduct that included drinking on the job and inappropriate vacation trips. Chavez-DeRemer issued a statement on social media as well."It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration and work for the greatest President of my lifetime," she wrote.RELATED: Trump's Teamsters-backed labor pick pivots on pro-union position "At the Department of Labor, I am proud that we made significant progress in advancing President Trump's mission to bridge the gap between business and labor and always put the American worker first," she added. "While my time serving in the Administration comes to a conclusion, it doesn't mean I will stop fighting for American workers. I am looking forward to what the future has in store as I depart for the private sector," she concluded.Trump's cabinet has seen two other departures in the last few weeks: Kristi Noem as head of Homeland Security and Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general.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/chavez-deremer-labor-sec-resigns

Nostr event nevent1qqsrysj02wrhc32aedey2xk08clkmjq6jl89t0z8kd0mu9qaw6r7y5czyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj0jh7kk

2026-04-20T22:42:10Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Last week during a Pentagon worship service tied to the Iran conflict, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered what he called a “CSAR 25:17” prayer for rescue crews. In this prayer, he almost word-for-word quoted Samuel L. Jackson’s famous Ezekiel 25:17 monologue in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film “Pulp Fiction,” which does not quote the actual verse but rather loosely blends parts of it with other Bible verses and additional fictional elements.Even though Hegseth never said the prayer was actual Scripture but rather “meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” the mainstream media framed it as an embarrassing misquoting of the Bible, ruthlessly mocking him for not knowing the difference between Scripture and a Hollywood monologue.Glenn Beck went searching for where this narrative originated, and what he found deeply disturbed him. Glenn brings in his executive producer, Rikki Ratliff-Fellman, who dug into the media controversy. According to her research, it’s “a Turkish psyop account and the Russian state media that are behind amplifying this noise about Pete Hegseth.”“This whole thing went viral on X, and it appears to have started around a Turkish account and then became mainstream news reported by Variety, Independent, [and] other outlets,” she says.Glenn immediately sees a pattern.“We started the week with a viral post about Donald Trump not really being a Christian because, of course, he blasphemed Jesus,” he says, referencing Trump’s now-deleted AI-generated meme depicting him in white and red robes healing a sick person, which many interpreted as him equating himself to Jesus.In response to this post, the Iranian Embassy in Tajikistan posted an AI-generated video showing a figure resembling Jesus Christ punching Donald Trump (depicted in the same flowing robes from his own recent AI “Jesus” image) and violently throwing him into a pit of lava/hell, complete with blood effects and dramatic narration. It went massively viral on social media, racking up millions of views.Further, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned Trump’s post as the “desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood.”Putting all these things together, Glenn sees the big picture: “We are in a giant psyop right now.”“You have to understand, the only way that Iran can win this war is if we tear each other apart — and Russia knows it, and China knows it,” he says.These two nations, both of which are hurting from the Iran war, as well as the “Shia Muslim crazies — the Twelvers — who actually believe in chaos and think [America is] the great Satan,” have only one weapon, he explains: “the American people against themselves.”Glenn pleads with Americans to see these social media scandals for what they really are: a ploy to destroy America from within.“Please, America, wake the F up. You’re not this stupid. Understand, your social media is nothing but a weapon of mass destruction,” he warns.“Don’t believe anything on social media. Don’t jump to conclusions on anything. Please don’t get involved in tearing everyone apart.”To hear more, watch the video 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/glenn-beck-warns-trump-jesus-meme-scandal-and-hegseth-prayer-smear-are-part-of-the-same-foreign-psyop

Nostr event nevent1qqsdg9jqtx57v2nz6l0wuwwl69j4xhp59num4qmpf3len9rhuu2ca2qzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj3p7sjq

2026-04-20T22:00:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota faced intense scrutiny after revising the personal wealth she amassed in her required financial disclosure as a member of Congress.Omar had previously reported that her wealth grew from $51K in one year to at least $6 million and up to $30 million. Members of Congress are not required to report exact sums but general valuations of their wealth.'While anyone can make a mistake on any type of form, the scope and scale of the mistake does not pass the smell test.'In February, Republicans demanded financial documents from Omar and her husband related to the suspicious report of a massive increase in wealth.Months later, Omar is saying mistakes were made."The amended disclosure confirms what we've said all along: The congresswoman is not a millionaire," said Jacklyn Rogers, a spokesperson for Omar.Rogers added that the form was amended "as soon as the discrepancy was identified."The new disclosure form says Omar and her husband's assets are worth between $18,004 and $95,000.Economic expert and Blaze Media contributor Carol Roth explained the dubious nature of the revision in a statement to Blaze News."Who among us hasn't made a $6 million to $30 million error in estimating our net worth for disclosure documents?" Roth replied."While anyone can make a mistake on any type of form, the scope and scale of the mistake does not pass the smell test. It seems appropriate for the appropriate governmental bodies to put forth extra scrutiny on Rep. Omar and her family's finances, given this 'mistake,'" she added.RELATED: GOP demands financial docs from Omar's husband: 'Who's funding this? Who's buying access?' Republican Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota sharply criticized Omar after the financial revision."Not only should her accountant be fired, but that girl should be fired and she does not deserve to be in Congress," Emmer said."Quite frankly, if she is discovered to be involved in any of this fraud personally, that she benefited from it, even by her actions of promoting it and trying to resist investigations, she should be held accountable to the fullest extent," 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/news/ilhan-omar-finance-revision-millions

Nostr event nevent1qqsrj99c53x4dwzxq2sjl9dqc6vda3wxf4dxga8wg4e4rssu8gyxjfqzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj8z40p2

2026-04-20T20:48:21Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Nike promised it would "do better" after apparently getting complaints over a new ad in Boston.The ad was part of a marketing campaign centered on the Boston Marathon, an elite annual race that took place on Monday. The simple text ad apparently sparked enough controversy with Nike that the company pulled the graphic almost immediately after putting it up.'We'll use this moment to do better and continue showing up for all runners.'The ad was featured in the window of Nike's Newbury Street store in Boston, reportedly just a few hundred feet from the marathon's finish line. It featured black text on a dark red background that read, "Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated."The ad was up for only about a day, according to multiple outlets like Marathon Handbook, which said it was put up on April 16 but was taken down by the following morning.Nike was quick to apologize for the joke, saying, "We want more people to feel welcome in running — no matter their pace, experience, or the distance.""During race week in Boston, we put up a series of signs to encourage runners," the company continued, according to Runner's World. "One of them missed the mark. We took it down, and we'll use this moment to do better and continue showing up for all runners."RELATED: Nike ditches wokeness in family-friendly golf ad: 'More of this, please!' - YouTube Nike also released a statement to Boston.com that claimed, "We listen to the voice of the athlete."The media team also attached an image that appeared to be a replacement ad for the same store. The image reads, "Boston will always remind you, movement is what matters."Counternarratives have since emerged stating that Nike's original messaging was not out of place given the elite level of competition at the Boston Marathon.Jennifer Sey, a U.S. national champion in gymnastics and frequent Nike critic, said that when it comes to advertising, Nike has "one swing and a miss after another. For at least 5 years.""Nike can't get anything right at the moment," Sey wrote on X. She then called company leadership out-of-touch "egomaniacs.""It's always been a douchey culture," she added.RELATED: Thugs rob teen of his iPhone, Nike sneakers; but boy's family finds 1 suspect — and delivers painful payback: CopsNike can’t get anything right at the moment. It’s one swing and a miss after another. For at least 5 years. I think the leaders there are probably out of touch weekend warrior egomaniacs. It’s always been a douchey culture. pic.twitter.com/Slj2noftUY— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) April 20, 2026"This is the Boston Marathon. ... Obviously, they're going to encourage them to run," said runner and YouTuber Rob Tolo."Why are we getting offended by that, bro? This is for the elite of the elite," he added. "This is Boston, bro. I'd love to qualify for that one day."Commentator Jake Heyen said he disagreed with the backlash too and that Nike's objective was to celebrate ambition and performance."The messaging of this ad should not be controversial, and honestly, I would respect Nike much more if they brought the sign back today with even more hardcore messaging," he said.Nike stock dropped by a couple of dollars per share amid the controversy on Thursday but had recovered by Friday morning.However, shares have fallen by more than 27% in 2026, averaging out to a 17% drop since April 2025. Value peaked at nearly $80 per share last August before plummeting to just over $46 per share at the time of this writing.The company's all-time high was around $170 per share in 2021. Nike is currently back down to 2015 numbers.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/nike-apologizes-and-removes-boston-ad-that-joked-about-tolerance

Nostr event nevent1qqsxzpgwr7jdc8m39rz4yd26l60r5ht229jraujzxld3682ngu74jlgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjtwtyns

2026-04-20T20:28:09Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

A "planned fight between two young" individuals on Monday led to a mass shooting where at least two people were killed, say North Carolina police.Winston-Salem police said on social media that the fight began at about 9:52 a.m. at Leinbach Park, which is only about 400 yards away from Jefferson Middle School on Sally Kirk Rd.'Several individuals — both victims and suspects — have been identified and located.' While police were on their way to the park to respond to the fight, a shooting broke out. Police said several people shot at each other, and later the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that at least two people had died in the incident."Several individuals — both victims and suspects — have been identified and located. Due to the number of people involved, efforts are ongoing to account for everyone. At this time, some of those involved in the incident are juveniles," said police.The shooting led to lockdowns at several schools.WGHP-TV reported a massive police presence in the area, with many businesses and streets closed down as the investigation continues. Police called for the community not to use personal drones in the area to avoid interfering with police drones searching for other possible suspects and victims.RELATED: VIDEO: Heroic high school principal saves the day, stops shooter in his tracks Although police said schools were returning to their normal schedule, some parents showed up to pick up their children. This is a developing story. 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/salem-winston-shooting-lethal-fight

Nostr event nevent1qqs0w3984lytrwuhf8uwvlx93m6kuheptk9gtn47d2etprl9pwvej6qzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjhllegz

2025-12-04T14:25:10Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter, a pair of convicted hackers based in Alexandria, Virginia, were arrested on Wednesday over an alleged conspiracy to destroy government databases and other crimes.After doing prison time for wire fraud and conspiring to hack into the U.S. State Department, the Akhter twins, one of whom previously served as a cybersecurity contractor with the State Department, managed to secure jobs as federal contractors — working as engineers for Opexus.'Their actions jeopardized the security of government systems.'Opexus, a company that handles sensitive data for most federal agencies and has received over $50 million in contracts from various agencies over the past decade, determined earlier this year that it had been compromised in February by two employees.A Bloomberg investigation revealed in May that after one of the agencies with which Opexus was working, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, flagged the twins as possible threats on account of their criminal records, the duo were fired on Feb. 18.The company later discovered that while being fired and immediately afterward, the twins allegedly accessed sensitive documents and compromised or scrubbed dozens of databases, including those containing data from the General Services Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.The FBI, FDIC Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.The brothers were indicted on Nov. 13 for allegedly working to harm Opexus and its U.S. government clients "by accessing computers without authorization, issuing commands to prevent others from modifying the databases before deletion, deleting databases, stealing information, and destroying evidence of their unlawful activities," the DOJ said in a release.RELATED: Could hackers target your car's tires? Muneeb Akhter. Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/Washington Post via Getty ImagesAccording to the indictment, Muneeb Akhter allegedly deleted approximately 96 databases storing U.S. government information — including databases containing records and documents related to Freedom of Information Act matters as well as sensitive federal investigative files.Muneeb Akhter is also accused of asking an artificial intelligence tool how they could cover their tracks after deleting a DHS database.After he got fired from Opexus, Muneeb Akhter allegedly obtained data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and is accused further of stealing copies of IRS information including federal tax information and other identifying information for at least 450 individuals.Opexus did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News."These defendants abused their positions as federal contractors to attack government databases and steal sensitive government information," said Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice's Criminal Division, in a statement. "Their actions jeopardized the security of government systems and disrupted agencies’ ability to serve the American people."Muneeb Akhter has been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and to destroy records, two counts of computer fraud, theft of federal records, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. His twin, Sohaib Akhter, was charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and to destroy records and computer fraud.While Sohaib Akhter faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison, Muneeb Akhter faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years of prison time for each aggravated identity theft count and a maximum penalty of 45 years for the other charges.The duo pleaded guilty in 2015 to a different set of crimes.Muneeb Akhter hacked into the website of a cosmetics company and stole thousands of customers' credit card and personal information. He and his brother used the stolen data to pay for flights, hotel stays, various goods, and attendance at professional conferences. Muneeb Akhter proceeded to hand off the stolen data to a "dark net" operator who cut him in on the profits from the sales.The other brother, meanwhile, used his contract position at the State Department in 2015 to steal personally identifiable data belonging to various people including co-workers and a federal law enforcement agent who was investigating him.According to the Justice Department, Sohaib Akhter later hatched a scheme to ensure perpetual access to various State Department systems and, with the help of his twin, attempted to install an electronic collection device inside a State Department office, which would have enabled the hackers to remotely steal federal data.Years earlier, Muneeb Akhter hacked into a Maryland-based private data aggregation company that he was performing contract work for, giving his brother access to a database of federal contract information to give their technology company an upper hand when bidding for contracts and clients.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/convicted-hacker-twins-who-landed-jobs-as-federal-contractors-nabbed-for-allegedly-deleting-government-databases

Nostr event nevent1qqstv7ktlusgyxd8vhvp0j8rzcv36py5rmq3r3nl8zvzr0c57vkrp9szyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjpjh50y

2025-12-04T14:25:10Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter, a pair of convicted hackers based in Alexandria, Virginia, were arrested on Wednesday over an alleged conspiracy to destroy government databases and other crimes.After doing prison time for wire fraud and conspiring to hack into the U.S. State Department, the Akhter twins, one of whom previously served as a cybersecurity contractor with the State Department, managed to secure jobs as federal contractors — working as engineers for Opexus.'Their actions jeopardized the security of government systems.'Opexus, a company that handles sensitive data for most federal agencies and has received over $50 million in contracts from various agencies over the past decade, determined earlier this year that it had been compromised in February by two employees.A Bloomberg investigation revealed in May that after one of the agencies with which Opexus was working, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, flagged the twins as possible threats on account of their criminal records, the duo were fired on Feb. 18.The company later discovered that while being fired and immediately afterward, the twins allegedly accessed sensitive documents and compromised or scrubbed dozens of databases, including those containing data from the General Services Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.The FBI, FDIC Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.The brothers were indicted on Nov. 13 for allegedly working to harm Opexus and its U.S. government clients "by accessing computers without authorization, issuing commands to prevent others from modifying the databases before deletion, deleting databases, stealing information, and destroying evidence of their unlawful activities," the DOJ said in a release.RELATED: Could hackers target your car's tires? Muneeb Akhter. Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/Washington Post via Getty ImagesAccording to the indictment, Muneeb Akhter allegedly deleted approximately 96 databases storing U.S. government information — including databases containing records and documents related to Freedom of Information Act matters as well as sensitive federal investigative files.Muneeb Akhter is also accused of asking an artificial intelligence tool how they could cover their tracks after deleting a DHS database.After he got fired from Opexus, Muneeb Akhter allegedly obtained data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and is accused further of stealing copies of IRS information including federal tax information and other identifying information for at least 450 individuals.Opexus did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News."These defendants abused their positions as federal contractors to attack government databases and steal sensitive government information," said Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice's Criminal Division, in a statement. "Their actions jeopardized the security of government systems and disrupted agencies’ ability to serve the American people."Muneeb Akhter has been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and to destroy records, two counts of computer fraud, theft of federal records, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. His twin, Sohaib Akhter, was charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and to destroy records and computer fraud.While Sohaib Akhter faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison, Muneeb Akhter faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years of prison time for each aggravated identity theft count and a maximum penalty of 45 years for the other charges.The duo pleaded guilty in 2015 to a different set of crimes.Muneeb Akhter hacked into the website of a cosmetics company and stole thousands of customers' credit card and personal information. He and his brother used the stolen data to pay for flights, hotel stays, various goods, and attendance at professional conferences. Muneeb Akhter proceeded to hand off the stolen data to a "dark net" operator who cut him in on the profits from the sales.The other brother, meanwhile, used his contract position at the State Department in 2015 to steal personally identifiable data belonging to various people including co-workers and a federal law enforcement agent who was investigating him.According to the Justice Department, Sohaib Akhter later hatched a scheme to ensure perpetual access to various State Department systems and, with the help of his twin, attempted to install an electronic collection device inside a State Department office, which would have enabled the hackers to remotely steal federal data.Years earlier, Muneeb Akhter hacked into a Maryland-based private data aggregation company that he was performing contract work for, giving his brother access to a database of federal contract information to give their technology company an upper hand when bidding for contracts and clients.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/convicted-hacker-twins-who-landed-jobs-as-federal-contractors-nabbed-for-allegedly-deleting-government-databases

Nostr event nevent1qqsy6me3fr2snassc00t6k8xxj4muhysffqv5477e5gkrs99gxvnftszyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj4u4dks

2025-11-15T11:10:07Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

For most of modern Western scientific history, mind reading has been dismissed as fantasy. It’s a topic mainstream medicine ignores, as it can’t be explained without challenging the materialist worldview — that the universe and everything in it is merely physical stuff — which has dominated science since the Enlightenment.But one person is changing that. Dr. Diane Hennacy, a neuroscientist and author, says her research proves that mind reading, telepathy, and other paranormal abilities are not only possible, they’re thriving in a very specific population: nonverbal autistic people.In this riveting interview, Glenn Beck speaks with Dr. Hennacy about mind-bending phenomena that will upend the way you think about human consciousness. Dr. Hennacy’s research inspired the highly popular podcast “The Telepathy Tapes” — a deep dive into claims of telepathy, savant skills, and other types of extrasensory perception in nonspeaking autistic people.Most believe that autistic individuals who cannot speak aren’t cognitively functioning at full capacity. In other words, they’re not “all there,” but Dr. Hennacy says the opposite is true. They’re ultra there. Even though autism is the result of a disruption in one’s brain development, the brain doesn’t necessarily fail to develop; it just pivots and develops differently to accommodate for a loss of sensory motor skills.Her theory is that when autism bars a child from verbal communication and typical cognition, he taps into different kinds of processing. “It's a more primal sense that I think we all have, but what happens is it gets buried ... and it atrophies to some extent,” she explains.These alternative pathways to knowledge and communication give people abilities the neurotypical world can’t even begin to fathom, like the ability to read minds, communicate telepathically, accurately predict the future, perform complex skills they’ve never been taught, and access hidden information — almost as if they see beyond the physical realm into an immaterial plane of universal knowledge.Dr. Hennacy gives several examples: a boy who could sense illness in people, children who can read their caretaker’s mind with near perfect accuracy, and people who can perform extraordinary tasks without ever having been taught.Non-speakers she’s met and studied from all over the world report congregating at a place dubbed “the hill” — an immaterial spiritual space they say is “guarded by angels,” who teach them things.“If you look at spiritual traditions, [specifically] Eastern spiritual traditions, they talk about a place that sounds just like the hill, and it really is a spiritual realm that you can go to when you reach a certain level of spiritual development,” says Dr. Hennacy.“In a way, I think that we all come from the hill, and what happens is as we identify more and more with this identity — as Diane or Glenn or whoever ... we become more and more disconnected from the source that we come from,” she theorizes.“Now what we need to do is we need to learn how to climb the hill back up, and I think that these autistic kids, it's almost like they’re our sherpa guides.”To hear Dr. Hennacy’s story — how she went from a scientist committed to the materialist paradigm to one of the world’s leading experts in extrasensory perception — and hear more of her stunning research, watch the full interview 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/glenn-beck-podcast/what-if-autism-is-actually-a-doorway-to-the-spirit-realm-leading-neuroscientist-says-its-true

Nostr event nevent1qqspx2lykcetsdyalt3xdqrs0txgjmm3ugk8ttgcgv46yvxsru8h80qzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj3p8mt2

2025-11-01T00:07:26Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Students and alumni of the University of Pennsylvania were surprised to receive a vulgar email from the university's account after it was hacked Friday.The university confirmed that the email came from a security breach and that its incident response team was investigating the incident.'This is obviously a fake, and nothing in the highly offensive, hurtful message reflects the mission or actions of Penn or of Penn GSE.'"The University of Pennsylvania is a dogs**t elitist institution full of woke retards. We have terrible security practices and are completely unmeritocratic," reads the hacked email, which was posted to social media. "We hire and admit morons because we love legacies, donors, and unqualified affirmative action admits. We love breaking federal laws like FERPA (all your data will be leaked) and Supreme Court rulings like SFFA," the email continues. "Please stop giving us money."The subject heading reads, "We got hacked (Action Required)." The hackers referred to the Supreme Court decision in favor of the Students for Fair Admissions in 2023 that forbid race-based affirmative action in admissions to colleges. They also accused the college of violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects students' school records data. RELATED: Cybersecurity expert says he accidentally discovered 'disturbing' data transfers from TikTok: 'The app should be banned' A university spokesperson released a statement decrying the email. "A fraudulent email has been circulated that appears to come from the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education," the statement reads. "This is obviously a fake, and nothing in the highly offensive, hurtful message reflects the mission or actions of Penn or of Penn GSE."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/upenn-email-hacked-vulgar

Nostr event nevent1qqs98ggmrmag5sm94fzrp4s3nhx00u6ft52ps9mcxmhppj6j496zdkgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjhrwqys

2025-11-01T00:04:48Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

Students and alumni of the University of Pennsylvania were surprised to receive a vulgar email from the university's account after it was hacked Friday.The university confirmed that the email came from a security breach and that its incident response team was investigating the incident.'This is obviously a fake, and nothing in the highly offensive, hurtful message reflects the mission or actions of Penn or of Penn GSE.'"The University of Pennsylvania is a dogs**t elitist institution full of woke retards. We have terrible security practices and are completely unmeritocratic," reads the hacked email, which was posted to social media. "We hire and admit morons because we love legacies, donors, and unqualified affirmative action admits. We love breaking federal laws like FERPA (all your data will be leaked) and Supreme Court rulings like SFFA," the email continues. "Please stop giving us money."The subject heading reads, "We got hacked (Action Required)." The hackers referred to the Supreme Court decision in favor of the Students for Fair Admissions in 2023 that forbid race-based affirmative action in admissions to colleges. They also accused the college of violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects students' school records data. RELATED: Cybersecurity expert says he accidentally discovered 'disturbing' data transfers from TikTok: 'The app should be banned' A university spokesperson released a statement decrying the email. "A fraudulent email has been circulated that appears to come from the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education," the statement reads. "This is obviously a fake, and nothing in the highly offensive, hurtful message reflects the mission or actions of Penn or of Penn GSE."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/upenn-email-hacked-vulgar

Nostr event nevent1qqsdxsy4dc99mvyluzgtzue3rkvl562ls6tzqg90y24gptlra8mwmrszyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjgxa2ul

2025-10-20T17:58:56Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

An outage on Amazon's web hosting service caused a sweep of app outages after the company faced issues at an east-coast operations center.AWS hosts about 6.3% of all websites, but some of the biggest brands' communications platforms also rely on the service.'I don't trust Signal anymore.'When reports started rolling in around 3 a.m. Eastern Time, Amazon said it was dealing with an "operational issue" that was affecting 14 services at its northern Virginia center.Snapchat, McDonald's, and even Ring doorbell cameras were among some of the applications affected. Even gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite were affected, as were messaging and communications programs like Zoom and Signal. According to NBC News, about 6.5 million reports piled up that said over 1,000 sites and services had gone offline.After 6:30 a.m., AWS said it had "fully mitigated" the issues; that was until 10:14 a.m., when it confirmed "significant API errors and connectivity issues across multiple services in the US-EAST-1 Region."The widespread outage sparked conversations about the fragility and dependency of major companies and even institutions, as the blackout affected the U.K. government's HM Revenue and Customs department, which handles tax services.With Signal affected, purporting to be an encrypted chat, X owner Elon Musk jumped on the opportunity to cast doubt on the app and direct readers to his own version, X chat.RELATED: Amazon invests $500M in mini nuclear reactors to power AI operationsThe messages are fully encrypted with no advertising hooks or strange “AWS dependencies” such that I can’t read your messages even if someone put a gun to my head. You can also do file transfers and audio/video calls. https://t.co/l0GIIZYz6y— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2025"I don't trust Signal anymore," Musk wrote on X, responding to a user alarmed that Signal was not working.Just over 20 minutes later, Musk started promoting his own messenger: "The messages are fully encrypted with no advertising hooks or strange 'AWS dependencies' such that I can't read your messages even if someone put a gun to my head."This is a contrast from May 2024, when Musk openly praised AWS for developing generative AI that helps write website code."Impressive. My hat is off to what Amazon has accomplished with AWS," Musk wrote at the time.RELATED: AI isn’t feeding you — (@) This is not the first time Signal has been accused of being insecure. In a 2023 interview with the popular online influencer group Nelk Boys, conservative host Tucker Carlson claimed the NSA had hacked his Signal account around the time he was attempting to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.Carlson said he got a call from someone in Washington, D.C., who sat down with him and had knowledge of his conversations about planning an interview with Putin because the NSA had allegedly read Carlson's messages.An NGO called Article 19, which describes itself as a group "defending freedom of expression and information around the world," told NBC News that the organization felt the disruptions were "democratic failures.""When a single provider goes dark, critical services go offline with it — media outlets become inaccessible, secure communication apps like Signal stop functioning, and the infrastructure that serves our digital society crumbles."According to Wojciech Gawroński, who runs the website AWS Maniac, Amazon has suffered one to two major outages per year between 2011 and 2021.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/amazon-web-services-outage-worldwide

Nostr event nevent1qqsfyl0juuj7z4yduwlzkrh0eja3nx3dnyyf9eh3kc5cg9r468kwpaczyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj84k5zw

2025-09-30T18:01:51Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Reality is hard for many people across the political spectrum to accept, especially when it comes to children being raised by their married, biological mother and father.“Before you post your caveats and your kind of exceptions to that, that is the ideal. That is in general true. That is in principle true. Every data set we have — and we’ll get into some specific numbers — shows that kids are best suited to live with their married biological mom and dad,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey says.While sometimes the scenarios that lead to a child being separated from both or one of his biological parents are tragic, sometimes they’re also simply because of the “sexual revolution that has occurred over the past 20 years and especially the past 10 since Obergefell.”“We are talking about intentionally creating motherless and fatherless children, intentionally taking children out of the ideal and putting them in — in the most charitable terms — a less than ideal situation, knowing that the data shows us that this is not best for their well-being,” Stuckey explains.And it’s no longer just two men or two women ensuring that children grow up in these less than ideal, fatherless or motherless situations.In Canada, three men who are in a “polycule” adopted a three-year-old girl through Quebec’s youth protection services. The “polycule” had to be approved first as foster parents, which they say required “a lot of work and openness to their relationship.”“It’s through that process that they learned that we are a little different because we’re three, but we’re not different from any other family,” one of the men said in an interview.“You actually are, though, because you’re three dudes, which tells me you have no moral limits. Like if you’re willing to not only defy nature, and you are willing to defy even liberal definitions of marriage, and you live in some kind of inherently unstable polycule situation, then you do not have the correct components to raise a child,” Stuckey says.“Even if we take religion out of it, let’s just look at this scientifically,” she continues. “Two men or two women who want to be in a relationship have to acknowledge that they do not have the parts that are needed to create a child. And therefore, because biology, not bigotry, has set limitations on your reproductive abilities, then there should be limits and restrictions and regulations around your ability to obtain and raise a child.”“I’m very sad for this little girl. … This little girl would be better off in foster care until she is 18 years old than living with three men who are living in a polycule situation. One hundred percent. Because there is no end to the confusion and instability and chaos that a situation like this can cause,” 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/polyamory-adoption

Nostr event nevent1qqstejwqm5hxe97d5xfmvvyy5e48pdcpn9kf56vlx57smgw7mazskpczyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjdaymav

2025-05-19T19:52:32Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

The top leaders of the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed in a recent interview that the evidence in the suspicious death of sex offender billionaire Jeffrey Epstein pointed to a definitive conclusion. While the circumstances of Epstein's death have led many to suspect that he was killed in order to protect those who were complicit in his alleged underage trafficking ring, FBI Director Kash Patel said the evidence supported the official explanation of suicide. 'You know a suicide when you see one, and that's what that was.' Patel made the admission while he and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino were being interviewed by Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business. Video of the interview aired on Sunday. "You said Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide," said Bartiromo. "People don't believe it." "They have a right to their opinion," Patel replied, "but as someone who has worked as a public defender, as a prosecutor who's been in that prison system, who's been in the metropolitan detention center, who's been in segregated housing, you know a suicide when you see one, and that's what that was." "He killed himself," Bongino agreed. "Again, I've seen the whole file. He killed himself."Video of the interaction between Bartiromo, Patel, and Bongino was widely circulated on the internet, where it garnered millions of views. Some members of the Trump administration had been criticized for promising to release Epstein files and apparently stalling on the issue. RELATED: Federal judge orders dozens of names of Jeffrey Epstein associates be unsealed Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck responded to the admission from the FBI on social media. "FBI Director @Kash_Patel and @dbongino now claim they believe Epstein's death WAS a suicide," wrote Beck. "They didn't used to believe that. I STILL don't believe that. However, I know Dan Bongino. I think he's a credible guy. He loves his country. I know Kash Patel. I think he's an honorable guy. He loves his country." Beck listed the evidence that the FBI must release in order to alleviate the suspicions of many who doubt the official story of Epstein's death. "I tend to believe Patel and Bongino. I don't believe there's some sort of conspiracy inside MAGA," Beck added. "But I also believe that Epstein didn't kill himself with a PAPER SHEET. So, show us the facts. We must restore trust."One of the Epstein accusers, Virginia Giuffre, died in April from suicide, according to a statement from her family, which sparked even more speculation. The 41-year-old had been in a bus accident and accused her husband of abuse prior to her death. Authorities have initially said the suicide was not suspicious. RELATED: Pam Bondi says Epstein client list is sitting on her desk 'right now' and being reviewed for release 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/epstein-bongino-patel-suicide-confirm

Nostr event nevent1qqs0xqps3ucu0e4mlde7v3wh7ge4c9q93ct3qndun9g7zcc7uwly4pszyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjhx586k

2025-04-11T01:12:19Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

If you’re an American woman, there’s a high likelihood you grew up playing with the classic American Girl dolls — where each doll came with a story depicting a historical, pure Americana tale. But if you’re a young girl in today’s America, that’s all changing. The classic American Girl doll has taken a turn for the politically correct, with its latest Instagram post featuring an American Girl doll celebrating the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr as a part of its “Cultural Celebrations” outfit line. Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” grew up playing with the dolls and devouring their stories, so she's more than a little disappointed that her daughters won’t experience the same magic that once was. “I’m a girl mom who has three little girls who love dolls and would love American Girl. I would love to take them to the American Girl store. I grew up reading the American Girl books. They were some of my favorite books. I remember their lives; I remember their stories and all of their different personality traits,” Stuckey recalls. “They always championed basic virtues and also just showing appropriate confidence as a girl and the value and the uniqueness of being a girl,” she continues. “But we’ve started seeing some sketchy things over the years, because as we know, as a principle, if an institution is not explicitly biblical, not just explicitly conservative, but explicitly biblical, it will end up veering into degeneracy.” “It will end up veering to the left, questioning basic realities like gender, breaking down the moral values that we have agreed upon at least as culturally Christian Americans for a very long time,” she adds. Stuckey’s concern is that Islam is now being seen as a formidable part of American society. “When I look at Muslim-majority countries everywhere, most of them are completely rot with archaic violence and chaos and oppression of the most vulnerable. When we look at all of the major terrorist groups around the world,” she says, “all of these terrorist groups, save a couple, are Islamic in nature.” “When we look at the religious affiliations of the groups most violently persecuting both Jews and Christians around the world, it’s all Islam,” she continues. “That is not to say that every person who is Muslim is violent; that is not to say every person who is Muslim is going to be a terrorist or is going to be a radical extremist, but obviously we see the common denominator there.” 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/islam-american-girl

Nostr event nevent1qqs9egqtwffr3m29wmlt66p624vf0fkha4j6qux52cr8qlycyrn0wkgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj2cg8ke

2025-04-05T21:09:10Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

A motley crew of leftists descended on the nation's capital on Saturday. Blaze Media national correspondent Julio Rosas was on the scene, capturing some of the less inhibited among the activists resort to their apparent default: dehumanizing rhetoric. As part of a nationwide "Hands Off!" protest, some radicals ambled to the National Mall to express their displeasure with President Donald Trump and his popular agenda. While uniformly anti-Trump, there was a variety of grievances expressed by the cacophonic mob even though the organizers made clear that they had three reasons for mobilization. The reasons were: to stop Trump and Elon Musk's imagined "illegal power grab"; to condemn the administration and congressional Republicans for supposedly "gutting services, raising prices, and racing towards slashing Medicaid, Social Security, and more"; and to clutch pearls about the administration's supposed pursuit of "destruction for the benefit of their billionaire allies." Of course, numerous protesters veered off message, dusted off the slogans of yesteryear, and championed the causes of Black Lives Matter, gender ideology, and an unaccountable federal bureaucracy. Other radicals farther afield donned keffiyehs and swarmed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Potomac Center Plaza as part of the separate "April 5 March on Washington." Those in this second camp, which Rosas tracked over the course of the day, protested the Trump administration's foreign policy as well as its enforcement of federal immigration law; demonized ICE agents; condemned the deportation of pro-Hamas radicals, including Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk; criticized Israel; and reaffirmed their "commitment to the liberation of Palestine." The groups that ultimately swarmed the ICE headquarters included the Palestinian Feminist Collective, the climate alarmist group Planet Over Profit, and the local chapters of the George Soros-funded Students for Justice in Palestine — a group endorsed last year by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Gaza-based terrorist group that combines Marxist-Leninist ideology with Arab nationalism. Outside the ICE offices, protesters demanded the release of Mahmoud Khalil and other pro-Hamas international students facing deportation. Khalil, a Syrian-born activist leader who previously attended Columbia University, allegedly hid his former employment with a Hamas-tied UN agency when filing his green card application. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in reference to Khalil's arrest last month, "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported." — (@) Activists also called for a moratorium on ICE removal operations. Prior to raging impotently outside the ICE offices, various activists made speeches. 'There is only one solution: antifada, revolution.' Linda Sarsour — the Palestinian-American activist whose radicalism proved too much even for the Biden administration which disavowed her — told the mob standing near an "abolish Israel" sign that "we are all adversaries to U.S. foreign policy" and that the radical mob was "the moral consistency of America." One speaker honored Palestinian "martyrs" killed during the Hamas-Israeli war without distinguishing between civilians and terrorists. Another tethered Palestinian activism to the broader socialist cause, indicating that capitalism is at fault. Muna Qadan of the Palestinian Feminist Collective threatened a "new world order" and the "vengeance of the oppressed" and stated that "there is only one solution: antifada, revolution." 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/leftists-swarm-ice-headquarters-whining-about-deportation-of-pro-hamas-radicals

Nostr event nevent1qqsz7ek3p9nc72p3jt0cw35r2xmmgxa8w78ryjxlk0qx5njsg8wcl8gzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj2kmn6z

2025-04-05T14:05:49Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

As Blaze News reported last week, a Los Angeles County deputy with a stellar record is staring down hard time in federal prison after a suspect accused him of using excessive force during a 2023 arrest. Evidence now indicates that L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna may have prompted a federal investigation into the incident, leaving deputies and other personnel feeling betrayed. Blaze News caught up with the deputy's attorney, Tom Yu, as well as a spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Professional Association, Nick Wilson, to better understand the prevailing sentiment among L.A. County deputies about this case and to learn why they hope Deputy Trevor Kirk may yet avoid time behind bars. 'Safely handcuff the suspect': Deputy Kirk and a fateful detainment On June 24, 2023, Deputy Trevor Kirk and another deputy drove to the WinCo supermarket in Lancaster, California, in response to a report of a possible robbery in progress involving a man and a woman. A source affiliated with LASPA told Blaze News that the woman had been "caught in the act." When loss prevention officers confronted the suspects in the case — Damon Barnes and Jacy Houseton — the suspects allegedly assaulted the officers. According to reports, Houseton even pulled down her face mask and spat on one of security guards. Kirk and the other deputy encountered Barnes and Houseton in the parking lot outside the store, identifying them as individuals who matched the suspects' description. Though Barnes ran his mouth a bit, he was otherwise detained without incident. Houseton was a different story. 'She took a swing at him, backed off, and then continued to actively resist arrest.' While deputies placed Barnes in handcuffs, Houseton stood nearby filming with her cell phone. Having already identified her as the other suspect in the alleged robbery and possible assault, Kirk then reached for her cell phone. After a brief scuffle, Kirk brought Houseton to the ground, at which point she began accusing him of "manhandling" her. She also repeatedly threatened to sue Kirk and hollered phrases often associated with George Floyd and Eric Garner, who both died during encounters with law enforcement: "Get your neck [sic] off my … off my … I can’t breathe." Houseton continued to yell and flail about. She also appeared to disobey orders to put her hands behind her back, so Kirk pepper-sprayed her in the face on two separate occasions. Houseton later received treatment for injuries. Bodycam video of the incident can be seen below: — (@) A summary of the incident from the Department of Justice painted a grim picture of Kirk's actions. "Kirk grabbed J.H. by her arm, hooked his left hand behind her neck, and violently threw her face-first to the ground," it said. It also accused him of pressing his knee into Houseton's neck and failing to issue her the proper commands. In February, Kirk, a 32-year-old Army veteran and father of two, was convicted by a federal jury of one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. According to court records, it took jurors just two hours to render their verdict. In reporting on Kirk's conviction, KCAL described the incident as a "vicious assault" involving a "disgraced deputy." Attorney Tom Yu and LASPA representative Nick Wilson are frustrated with the way the incident has been framed by federal investigators and critics. For one thing, by all accounts, Kirk has an "outstanding" record, Yu said. Kirk is well liked in the department and has no other allegations of misconduct against him or any poor performance reviews. With regard to the incident with Houseton, Wilson told Blaze News that Kirk used only "minimal force" that qualified as a low-level, "category 1" use of force, as listed in the policies of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Wilson also claimed that Houseton had been "resistive" and "violent" during the encounter with Kirk. "She took a swing at Trevor Kirk when he first went to detain her and put hands on," he said. "She took a swing at him, backed off, and then continued to actively resist arrest." "Deputies are trained to take suspects who resist to the ground in order to gain compliance and to safely handcuff the suspect," Yu said in a statement in the days following the incident. What's more, both Barnes and Houseton have a criminal history. Barnes has a string of arrests dating back to 1987, including convictions for arson, weapons and drug offenses, and resisting an officer. He was also accused of robbery in 1995. Houseton was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 2005 but had that conviction effectively dismissed from her record three years later, presumably after satisfying the terms of her probation. To be fair, Yu noted, Kirk did not know about those prior convictions when he met the pair in the parking lot that day. However, Kirk also did not know whether they were armed, though it turns out they were not. Neither Barnes nor Houseton was ever charged in connection with the alleged robbery of the WinCo store, which KCAL-TV later downplayed as merely a possible "shoplifting," or the alleged assault on the loss prevention officers. Houseton did follow through on her promise to sue the department and was reportedly awarded $1 million. At a press conference about the lawsuit, Houseton claimed Kirk "tried to kill" her and implied that the excessive force was racially motivated. Her attorney, Caree Harper, added, "It doesn't happen to white folks like this, and we're not gonna have it happening to black folks like this." WinCo did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. 'Hanging deputies out to dry': Sheriff Luna gets involved An internal affairs investigation was initiated almost immediately following the detainment at WinCo, and the fallout might have been kept in house but for one problem: Video of the encounter between Kirk and Houseton had already been made public. Activist groups — including Cancel the Contract Antelope Valley, a far-left "social justice" organization — quickly planned demonstrations denouncing what they viewed as another racially charged instance of police brutality. "As black residents of this community, we are tired of living in fear of the police," said group co-founder Waunette Cullors. 'The sheriff buckled under political pressure.' About a week after the incident, Sheriff Robert Luna addressed the controversy publicly, describing the video footage as "disturbing." "It's disturbing. There's no ifs, ands, buts about it," he said at a press conference. Wilson believes that in the summer of 2023 — a time when BLM riots and "defund the police" movements continued to reverberate three years after George Floyd's death — Luna was sensitive to external pressure. "After this use of force, the civil rights community, the activist movements raised hell within the sheriff's department," Wilson told Blaze News. Even though Kirk was reportedly "cleared at a station level," Luna decided to invite federal agencies to investigate Kirk's actions as well, Wilson claimed. "The sheriff buckled under political pressure and made sure that this case was handed over to the DOJ for prosecution," Wilson continued, thereby "hanging deputies out to dry." Both Wilson and Yu told Blaze News they were "certain" that Luna's office initiated federal involvement, though Luna denies it. In a statement to Blaze News, Deputy Miesha McClendon of the Sheriff's Information Bureau claimed, "Despite allegations to the contrary, this case was not referred to the FBI nor the U.S Attorney’s Office by anyone within the Department as indicated in the official court transcript." McClendon also added: The Department recognizes that having one of our employees convicted by a federal jury is a significant matter, and we understand the frustration it has caused among our personnel. ... The Department will be conducting a thorough review of the case to identify any specific issues to determine if modifications to training are needed. Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images L.A. deputies were so outraged at the treatment of one of their own — a colleague some believe was "politically" persecuted after simply following department protocol — that upon Kirk's conviction in February, Luna held a private meeting with personnel from the Lancaster sheriff's station. During that two-hour meeting, which was secretly recorded, Luna expressed regret for characterizing the footage as "disturbing." He also suggested that he had nothing to do with contacting the feds about the incident. "I can tell you this with confidence that what I said that day," Luna appeared to say, referring to his "disturbing" remark, "did not have anything to do with the FBI. "The FBI received this case from the plaintiff's attorney," Luna explained. The "plaintiff" in this case was presumably Houseton, who filed a lawsuit. During the clips of the conversation reviewed by Blaze News, the voice identified as Luna's admits to having "failed" his team members. He also indicates that he had not personally reviewed the incident footage, which others in the room characterize as "innocuous" and not too "grievous." Deputies also repeatedly ask Luna to use the power of his office to stand with Kirk and publicly oppose his conviction. Luna promised he would consider it. Luna's history with law enforcement in general is rather mixed, even though he has spent his entire career as a cop, first with the Long Beach Police Department and now as the head of the largest sheriff's department in America. Though Luna wanted to be a police officer from the time he was little, he indicated to the L.A. Times that he grew up in a community that was generally distrustful of law enforcement. Luna also recalled to the Times an incident in which he was apparently the victim of unnecessary police aggression. "At age 13, he said, he was slammed face-first against the hood of a sheriff’s deputy’s car for crossing against a red light on his bicycle," the outlet summarized for a profile piece in October 2022, shortly before Luna was elected sheriff. Luna also campaigned for sheriff on the promise of breaking up so-called "deputy gangs." While he has since managed to ban such gangs, he has yet to name a single deputy gang member, Wilson told Blaze News. Additionally, Luna has a track record of handling possible instances of excessive force within his department. During one of the occasionally violent demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd's death, an officer with the Long Beach Police Department shot a journalist with a "foam projectile," the LAist reported in 2020. LBPD — then helmed by Police Chief Luna — ultimately determined that the shooting "was within policy," the outlet said. 'To show unity': Deputies make their voices heard The deputies of L.A. County have not taken the conviction of Kirk or Luna's alleged capitulation to leftist pressure lying down. For example, a handful, including a sergeant, have reportedly refused to accept medals and other accolades awarded by the department. They even "refused to actually go to the awards ceremony," Wilson insisted. 'The magnitude of this boycott ... makes Luna look terrible in the law enforcement community nationwide.' In a more widespread show of solidarity with Kirk, hundreds of L.A. deputies and other staff members have decided to boycott one of their favorite annual events: the Baker to Vegas relay. While the L.A. Sheriff's Department regularly fields two dozen or so relay teams, this year, at least 20 sheriff's stations — including Santa Clarita, West Hollywood, two detention centers, the Training Bureau, and, of course, Kirk's home station in Lancaster — are refusing to participate. Protesting the Baker to Vegas relay is no minor demonstration. Billed as "the world’s most prestigious and unique law enforcement foot race," the event draws teams from across the country and across the globe. "There's folks flying in from Brazil. There's folks from Australia, from Germany," Yu told Blaze News. "This is a big thing." Yu would know. Now an attorney, Yu spent 15 years as a deputy with the LASD. The deputies who race are very "competitive," he said, often averaging five and a half minutes per mile. "I tried out for a county-wide team," Yu recalled. "I ran a six-minute mile, and I did not make the team." "It's to show unity," Yu explained. "It's to run for your fallen brothers and sisters, for mental health. There's a lot of suicides in law enforcement, so it's a huge race." Wilson confirmed to Blaze News that Sheriff Luna has participated in the event and understands its importance to department staff. "The magnitude of this boycott ... makes Luna look terrible in the law enforcement community nationwide," Wilson said. "To have the deputies not show up, it makes Luna look terrible." This year, the Baker to Vegas race is scheduled for April 5 and 6. Instead, many L.A. deputies are opting to participate in a 5K race to raise money for Kirk and his family. While Yu and Wilson are expecting a good turnout for the alternative race, they claimed that Luna may be trying to spoil or otherwise interfere with the event by attempting to ascertain the individuals orchestrating it. Wilson shared with Blaze News a screenshot of one such message, allegedly from a Luna ally: Screenshot shared with Blaze News. Used with permission. Yu and Wilson believe the purpose behind these probing questions is to intimidate would-be participants and convince them not to join the Kirk race. "We've had multiple deputies tell us and send us screenshots of friend requests and questions from Luna's staff asking who's boycotting, who is drumming this up, and applying pressure to deputies ... as a form of retaliation," Wilson said. In the statement given to Blaze News, Officer McClendon of the information bureau addressed the accusations of intimidation: The Department issued an internal global email on March 5, 2025, to personnel after it had received several reports from personnel who have stated they have been targeted with actions of harassment, threats of retaliation, and bullying related to participating in the Baker to Vegas race. We want to emphasize that whether or not personnel choose to participate, any form of harassment, retaliation, or misconduct will not be tolerated under any circumstances. 'No-brainer': Trump, Dhillon, and righting a wrong Despite what Wilson calls the "cloud" hanging over the department, he, Yu, and others hold out hope that Kirk can still avoid prison time. The clearest way for him to do so would be for the judge, a long-serving Reagan appointee, to vacate the verdict. While such an outcome may sound like a long shot, there are encouraging signs. For example, following the guilty verdict, the judge did not remand Kirk to custody, a decision which Yu described as "very rare." 'They were laughing, smiling, high-fiving each other, giving each other hugs.' Moreover, the federal investigation into Kirk and his federal prosecution began under the Biden administration. During the trial, Wilson and Yu claimed that in a show of force, federal agencies packed the courtroom with young agency newcomers who enthusiastically supported the prosecution. After the guilty verdict was announced, these agency supporters cheered loudly, Wilson claimed. "They were laughing, smiling, high-fiving each other, giving each other hugs," he said. "It was shocking." With President Trump now in office, the DOJ has new leadership who may view the prosecution of Kirk in a different light. One individual with some influence in the Trump administration with strong ties to California is Harmeet Dhillon, now the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ. Wilson, Yu, and others are hoping she will intervene on Kirk's behalf. Dhillon's office and the DOJ did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images While Dhillon is aware of Kirk's case, she likely does not know "the extent of the miscarriage of justice," Yu said. Wilson believes that if the right people in the administration get wind of Kirk's situation, they will act. "If they understood the extent of this, this would be a no-brainer," he said. "It's just getting the information to them." 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-la-sheriff-threw-deputy-to-federal-wolves-to-appease-liberal-mob-union-rep-says

Nostr event nevent1qqsxe6tzqpjmcncjn9yyql94yu4uvnv9tsexw2kgsyppkqarz0dqtgczyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wj8s654a

2025-04-02T22:06:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

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

Nostr event nevent1qqsfphur8cch06zrp3tzjl3w6dx2lyxwws2asl3s042ntg4t0qymy2czyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjdzhjjn

2025-03-11T22:02:22Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

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

Nostr event nevent1qqsde90gqu4mmvyv7auakc8m3lan3y0tt9ke98zvk6h3r6x8fxnphdgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjkrpnqq

2025-03-07T18:03:04Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

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

Nostr event nevent1qqs8sfqrr4js8plhq6panhja0ss5epy6uvezchp45k5j5j5uy5s5vugzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjgfaq4m

2025-02-07T00:06:45Z

The Blaze (nprofile…83nr)

President Trump’s shock-and-awe strategy is working beautifully, but it’s usually Democrats whose jaws are on the floor. However, his recent announcement to turn Gaza into an America-owned boomtown has everyone dumbfounded — including Glenn Beck. While Glenn doesn’t necessarily agree that America should own lands that belong to Israel, he can’t help but see the absolute genius in Trump’s plan. Glenn explains that Trump’s idea to own Gaza equates to “all of the Palestinians in Gaza going away,” but nobody is talking about that because they’re too busy talking about how “the United States wants to make Gaza into the Riviera.” Trump drops a proposal and suddenly “we are not talking about moving 1.7 million people into other countries,” says Glenn, calling the tactic moving “the Overton window.” This kind of strategy, however, wouldn’t work if Trump was a bluffer. But he’s not. “He never bluffs,” says Glenn, calling this trait “the best thing about Donald Trump.” Glenn explains that when Trump presents a proposal like this, everybody takes him seriously, and they should. Truth be told, Trump most likely would jump at the opportunity to own and run Gaza. But is that really in the cards? “I don’t think so,” says Glenn. To hear his full analysis, watch the clip 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/glenn-becks-analysis-of-trumps-new-plan-for-gaza-he-never-bluffs

Nostr event nevent1qqs0j82cu4japxujmh807fh2auy62uwup6h0l2uad9cwekv4y7aw5xgzyp5ph7hajgahduar3rvnkahttcqw5qucxu8g7vp6uun0hccsc63wjx6eavt

2025-02-04T00:03:00Z

The Blaze (nprofile…hfrz)

Republican holdout Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Monday that she would vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. Gabbard's nomination appeared to be on the ropes after some Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee grilled her over her support for whistleblower Edward Snowden and questionable comments about the intelligence community. 'Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size.' Among the swing votes were Collins, who said her concerns were satisfied after she personally spoke with Gabbard and heard that she planned to reduce the size and scale of the DNI office. “After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence,” said Collins in a statement. “The Office of the Director of National Intelligence … has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size.”Gabbard's nomination may come down to Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who grilled her about Snowden during the hearing. She said unequivocally that she believed Snowden broke the law but would not say whether she still believed he deserved a pardon. Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said afterward that he was surprised by her response to the line of questioning. "I was surprised because that doesn't seem like a hard question on that," Lankford said Thursday. "It wasn't intended to be a trick question by any means."The committee will likely vote on Gabbard's confirmation on Tuesday. If the committee approves, the entire Senate will vote on the confirmation. "I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security," Collins concluded. Collins came out against the nomination of Pete Hegseth to head the Department of Defense, but he was confirmed in a tie vote that was decided by Vice President JD Vance. 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/susan-collins-gabbard-nomination-dni