Pope Leo XIV says Western nations need to guarantee the freedom of expression.

The pope gave his “State of the World” speech from the Vatican in Vatican City on Friday and delivered remarks that may agitate some of his more liberal followers.

‘A new Orwellian-style language is developing which, in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive, ends up excluding.’

Real name Robert Prevost, the noted Chicago White Sox fan championed free speech when he explained that words need to once again be used to “express distinct and clear realities.”

This is paramount in order to engage in “authentic dialogue,” the Catholic leader continued, noting that truth-telling is necessary for “preventing conflicts.”

This led Pope Leo into pointing out a “paradox” in modern self-expression in the West, which only strengthens his belief in the idea that freedom of speech and expression should be guaranteed.

“It is painful to see how, especially in the West, the space for genuine freedom of expression is rapidly shrinking,” the pope said. “At the same time, a new Orwellian-style language is developing which, in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive, ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that are fueling it.”

RELATED: Pope Leo calls out gambling addiction and ‘demographic crisis’ in Vatican meeting

The 70-year-old explained that the inclusivity paradox leads to other consequences, such as the restriction of human rights, including “freedom of conscience.”

Those were not the only remarks the pope gave that were seemingly controversial. Rather, he also spoke strongly against the act of surrogacy.

Leo XIV said that surrogacy amounts to transforming gestation into a “negotiable service” that violates the dignity of both the child and the mother. Surrogacy reduces the baby to a “product,” the pope said, and causes a mother to exploit her body and the generative process, which distorts “the original relational calling of the family.”

RELATED: Catholic priest accused of changing the outcome of the last NFL game of the season

Photo by Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

Observers of the speech, reportedly including 184 ambassadors from states that have diplomatic relations with the Vatican, also heard the pope condemn assisted suicide as a form of “deceptive” compassion.

The leader said that the elderly and isolated — “who at times struggle to find a reason to continue living” — should be offered solutions to their suffering, such as “palliative care … rather than encouraging deceptive forms of compassion such as euthanasia.”

Leo concluded his speech by emphasizing the need for peaceful dialogue and living in truth. He added that a “peaceful world” is built by those who act from humble hearts.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Align, Pope, Pope leo iv, Vatican, Catholics, Catholicism, Faith 

Despite a relationship spanning more than 20 years, President Donald Trump said he will not intervene in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ jail sentence.

Combs is currently serving a 50-month prison sentence after being charged for two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in 2025.

‘I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great and seemed like a nice guy.’

After the president stated in October that Combs had asked him for a pardon, he recently confirmed to the New York Times that the request came in the form of a letter.

Pardon me

The two-hour interview with the Times serves as the first official confirmation that the letter to the president exists, with Trump allegedly saying he was willing to show it off to reporters, but ultimately did not.

Trump reportedly told the outlet that Combs “asked me for a pardon,” which was “through a letter,” but revealed he is not considering granting the request.

RELATED: Diddy’s Big Circus

Photo by Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images

“I have a lot of people [who] have asked me for pardons,” the president said in October. “I call him Puff Daddy, has asked me for a pardon,” he added, referring to one of Combs’ previous aliases as an artist.

Friendship ended?

As Blaze News reported, Trump told Newsmax in 2025 that the two had a prior relationship, but Diddy apparently made remarks that turned the president sour.

“I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great and seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile. And it’s hard. Like you, we’re human beings, and we don’t like to have things cloud our judgment. But when you knew someone and you were fine, and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements.”

“He was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” Trump included.

RELATED: 25 years later, the gaming console that caused so much chaos is still No. 1

Photo by Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

Combs over

Recently, Combs has asked an appeals court to overturn his convictions and release him from jail.

A report from the BBC said Diddy’s attorney made the argument that the producer was improperly sentenced and that his conduct was not criminal in nature.

In addition, photos have resurfaced of Trump and Combs standing side by side, appearing to get along in 1998. The photos were taken at the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge in Bridgehampton, Long Island.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Politics, Lifestyle, News, Diddy, Sean combs, Puff daddy, Trump, President, Presidential pardon, Entertainment 

Most drivers don’t expect to hear from the federal government — unless something has gone very wrong.

But this month, more than 168,000 Americans opened their mailboxes to find checks from the Federal Trade Commission, tied to a case that exposed widespread deception in the vehicle service contract industry.

The FTC’s action may be a turning point, signaling that regulators are paying close attention to misleading automotive advertising.

The fallout is significant: More than $9.6 million is being returned to consumers who were misled and often left paying for repairs they believed were covered by CarShield and American Auto Shield.

It’s one of the largest automotive-related refunds of the year — and it raises serious questions about how these companies operate, what consumers should watch for, and whether the settlement goes far enough.

Scam watch

After years investigating automotive scams and pushing for transparency, I can say this case highlights a deeper problem: service contract companies relying on aggressive marketing, inflated promises, and fine print that favors the seller.

In July 2024, CarShield and American Auto Shield — two of the most recognizable names in the extended warranty business — agreed to pay nearly $10 million to settle an FTC complaint. The allegations included misleading advertising, deceptive telemarketing, and coverage claims that didn’t match reality.

Many drivers believed they were buying protection for major repairs, sometimes paying up to $120 a month. When problems arose, they discovered that coverage often disappeared behind exclusions, denials, and carefully crafted contract language.

Cover story

According to the FTC, the companies advertised that virtually all repairs — or all repairs to “covered” systems — would be paid. Drivers were told they could use any repair shop and receive free rental cars during breakdowns. Instead, many were stuck with bills they thought they had avoided.

The FTC argued these claims persuaded consumers to buy service contracts that failed to deliver. Under the settlement, both companies must stop deceptive marketing practices and ensure that endorsements and testimonials reflect real, verifiable customer experiences — an important change given how central celebrity endorsements were to their advertising.

Checks and balances

Refunds are already under way. Checks have been mailed to 168,179 affected drivers and must be cashed within 90 days. No banking information or payment is required. Consumers with questions are directed to the refund administrator or the FTC’s website.

This action is part of a broader FTC push to hold companies accountable in industries where consumers are easily confused or misled. In 2024 alone, FTC enforcement returned more than $339 million to consumers nationwide. Automotive issues remain a major focus because unexpected repair costs can quickly become a financial burden.

Vehicle service contracts — often sold as “extended warranties” — can be useful when offered clearly and honestly. Too often, however, consumers are sold peace of mind that turns into high monthly payments and denied claims, with exclusions overwhelming any real benefit.

RELATED: Ford just lost $20 billion on its EV investment

Bloomberg/Getty Images

New scrutiny

The FTC’s move may signal a shift toward tougher oversight of automotive advertising. Whether it leads to broader industry reform remains to be seen, but companies using vague language and unrealistic promises are clearly facing more scrutiny.

Drivers deserve clear information and coverage that matches what is advertised. This case is a reminder to stay skeptical: If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Bottom line: Big print gives, small print takes away. Read the contract carefully — because most of these deals simply aren’t worth it.

​Federal trade commission, Carshield, Lifestyle, Consumer scams, Align cars 

After years of DEI, affirmative action, and replacement-level immigration, some young white Americans are beginning to demand political representation as a group. Conservatives are panicking about this rise in “white identity politics,” but they shouldn’t be surprised at all, says BlazeTV host Auron MacIntyre.

“For decades, whites have watched every other group in America successfully demand political action as a block from both the left and the right. Democrats build their entire party around racial grievance, but even conservatives are quick to speak to the needs of minority communities as a collective group,” Auron says.

Even though conservatives are typically anti-identity politics, they nonetheless “cater to them for any group except their core constituency: white Americans.”

Now some of those white Americans are saying, “Enough — we demand the same treatment.”

Massive immigration has brought in large groups of people who naturally stick together ethnically and gain advantages through nepotism and tribalism, Auron explains. This makes pure individual merit, which whites are forced to rely on, a losing strategy, especially when they’re already demonized for their race by universities, corporations, and media outlets.

For years the message has been: “[Whites] aren’t allowed to advocate as a group like everyone else gets to, but they are allowed to be punished as a group.”

The fact that some whites are now calling for ethnic representation is merely “predictable results,” Auron says.

“If conservatives were serious about stopping the rise of collective white identity politics, they would stop lecturing young white people for noticing the obvious. They would instead attack the systemic bias against whites in corporations and academia. … If they were serious, conservatives would initiate an immigration moratorium and would aggressively prosecute ethnic cartels in the United States,” he continues.

“Conservative leaders should be lecturing blacks, Indians, Hispanics, and Jews just as aggressively as they lecture whites about ethnocentrism, if for no other reason than whites, you know, actually vote for the GOP, while all these other groups — outside of Hispanic males in the last election — vote overwhelmingly Democrat.”

“In short, show young white people that they can succeed without ethnocentrism by actually addressing and punishing ethnocentrism that is currently practiced by every other group here in the United States. Gather your courage and talk to the minorities who are already practicing the very behavior you claim to fear.”

To hear more of Auron’s commentary and analysis, watch the video above.

Want more from Auron MacIntyre?

To enjoy more of this YouTuber and recovering journalist’s commentary on culture and politics, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The auron macintyre show, Auron macintyre, White identity politics, Identity politics, Ethnocentrism, Ethnic bias, Blazetv, Blaze media, Dei, Affirmative action 

Melinda Spencer allegedly took abortion pills, ended the life of her unborn son, and buried his remains in a shallow grave in her backyard.

Yet a law in Kentucky exempting women from prosecution after obtaining an abortion — a law supported by the most influential pro-life organization in the state — appears to have prevented prosecutors from holding Spencer accountable for murder.

If a state refuses to make murder illegal for everyone, then some human beings will remain unprotected by design.

According to court documents cited by local media, Spencer, 35, told Kentucky State Police that the child “was not her boyfriend’s, and she did not want him to find out she was pregnant with another man’s baby.”

To conceal the pregnancy, Spencer allegedly ordered abortion pills online, intending to end the life of her unborn child without medical supervision.

Police say Spencer took the pills the day after Christmas, placed her deceased son in a light bulb box, and buried him in a shallow grave in her backyard. An autopsy determined the child was around 20 weeks’ gestation at the time of his death.

Initially Spencer was charged with first-degree fetal homicide, abuse of a corpse, concealing the birth of an infant, and tampering with physical evidence.

This week, however, Kentucky prosecutors dropped the homicide charge — not because they doubt that Spencer intentionally caused the death of her unborn child but because Kentucky law explicitly prohibits prosecuting a pregnant woman who murders her own unborn child.

— (@)

Miranda King, the prosecutor overseeing the case, acknowledged this limitation directly. In a public statement, she explained that the relevant statute “prohibits the prosecution of a pregnant woman who caused the death of her unborn child.” Spencer still faces the remaining, lesser charges.

King made clear that this frustrating outcome was not her preference.

“I sought this job with the intention of being a pro-life prosecutor but must do so within the boundaries allowed by the Kentucky state law I’m sworn to defend,” she said. “I will prosecute the remaining lawful charges fully and fairly.”

Kentucky is widely regarded as a conservative state with strong pro-life laws. Many Americans assume abortion was effectively banned there after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. This case exposes how incomplete that assumption is.

RELATED: Why the pro-life movement fails without a Christian worldview

jcphoto via iStock/Getty Images

Kentucky’s leading pro-life advocacy organization, Kentucky Right to Life, has long supported laws that shield women from criminal liability for abortion. In practice, this ensures that abortion remains legal for women, even if clinics are closed.

In 2021, Kentucky Right to Life joined more than 70 other pro-life organizations in signing a national letter declaring opposition to “any measure seeking to criminalize or punish women” who obtain abortions.

Since then, the organization has opposed multiple abolition bills that would have established equal protection under the law for unborn children — specifically because such legislation would allow for the prosecution of mothers who willfully procure abortions.

Addia Wuchner, Kentucky Right to Life’s executive director, opposed an abolition bill in 2023 on the grounds that it might expose mothers to criminal charges. She took the same position last year, arguing that women are victims of coercion by the abortion industry.

That framing has deadly consequences.

RELATED: ‘Massive betrayal’: Republicans, pro-life groups push back on Trump’s call to loosen key abortion restriction

Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

Following Spencer’s arrest, Wuchner publicly expressed sympathy for the accused, describing Spencer as likely being “on her own” and calling that “probably the greatest tragedy,” before adding that “of course … a child’s life was lost.”

The ordering is revealing. The alleged murder of a child was treated as secondary to the emotional state of the alleged murderer. Empathy displaced justice and accountability.

— (@)

There are cases in which women are coerced into abortions under genuine duress. But coercion cannot be presumed as a universal explanation. By all available evidence, Spencer appears to have acted deliberately. Kentucky law nevertheless forecloses full accountability — and ensures that the central act in this case cannot be adjudicated as homicide.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe, states like Kentucky have continued to see record abortion levels, largely through self-managed chemical abortions ordered online. Laws that categorically exempt women from prosecution guarantee this outcome.

If a state refuses to make murder illegal for everyone, then some human beings will remain unprotected by design. And when that exemption applies even in cases involving concealment, burial, and admitted intent, justice becomes impossible by statute.

So long as that remains the case, women who willfully kill their unborn children in Kentucky will continue to get away with murder.

​Opinion & analysis, Abortion, Pro-life, Kentucky, Fetal homicide, Melinda spencer, Law, Justice, Abortion pills, Miranda king, Kentucky right to life, Roe v. wade, Dobbs v. jackson women’s health organization, Supreme court, Addia wuchner, Murder, Abolition 

A violent repeat offender brutally beat up elderly whites and Mexicans in a racially motivated attack in Arizona earlier this week, officials said.

In fact, 62-year-old Derek Kirven admitted to police he was targeting white and Mexican victims at the Escalante Multi-Generational Center in Tempe, KPNX-TV reported, citing newly filed court documents.

‘At that point, he essentially lost control. … He started to assault these people by punching them, throwing them to the ground.’

The station said Wednesday’s assault left several victims with serious injuries, including broken bones.

Tempe police said Kirven walked into a members-only area around 9 a.m. and was asked to leave because he was not a member, KPNX reported.

“He tried to come in, and he was told to leave because he was not a member, and then around 11:30 a.m., he came back,” Officer Jessica Ells told the station.

Police said that’s when Kirven snapped and began attacking people, many of whom were seated and waiting for lunch, KPNX said.

“At that point, he essentially lost control and began attacking all the members who were inside the center,” Ells added to the station.

“He started to assault these people by punching them, throwing them to the ground.”

You can view video of the attack here. A city of Tempe security guard eventually detained Kirven until police arrived, the station said.

One victim suffered a broken wrist, and another was left with a broken nose, KPNX said, citing court documents. A third victim — who has autism and suffers from seizures — was punched and knocked to the ground, the station noted.

What’s more, some victims were using walkers and had no way to defend themselves, police added to KPNX.

RELATED: Video: Female bully towers over and beats up elderly woman on Florida bus. Victim is left ‘battered and bruised’: Sheriff.

A fourth victim’s hearing aid, valued at $4,000, was damaged, the station said, adding that the victim was concerned the attack may have aggravated a previous open-heart surgery.

More from KPNX:

During an interview with police, Kirven said he felt staff asked him to leave because he is black, according to court documents.

He told detectives he intentionally targeted white and Mexican people and said he hoped more than one of them would die from their injuries, court documents show.

Court documents also state Kirven told police he would assault people again if given the chance.

Court papers indicate Kirven used racial slurs when referring to the victims and toward a Hispanic detective during the interview, KTVK-TV reported, adding that investigators said he called another detective names like “confederate,” “hillbilly” and “white trash.”

According to police reports, staff at the center offered Kirven a membership earlier Wednesday morning, but he did not have identification, the station said.

Kirven has an extensive criminal history in Arizona and New Mexico, KPNX said, citing court documents. The station added that he served time in New Mexico’s prison system for aggravated battery several years ago.

KPNX also said records show Kirven is a transient with felony convictions across multiple states, including kidnapping and aggravated battery, and he had two outstanding warrants at the time of his arrest.

Kirven was booked on multiple counts of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, trespassing, and criminal damage, KTVK reported.

Kirven is now in the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and is being held on $500,000 bond, KPNX said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Physical attack, Elderly victims, Racism, Racially motivated attack, Arizona, Arrest, Jailed, Race, Repeat offender, Crime 

Anyone who’s been paying attention knows that Western civilization is on the brink of collapse. The values that built it have been ripped up and condemned as antiquated, imperialist, or white supremacist.

But instead of despairing, Westerners ought to take heart in one trait the West has exemplified time and again: resilience.

Historian Allen Guelzo, co-author of “The Golden Thread” book series, tells BlazeTV host Steve Deace that “unlike other civilizations, which have risen, reached a certain peak, and then gone rapidly into decline, the Western tradition … has shown a remarkable resilience to rise, to falter, to look like it’s about to slide downwards maybe into the abyss of forgetfulness, but yet somehow finding the way to recover itself.”

This bouncing back has happened over and over again, Guelzo says.

“We had a moment like that at the end of the Roman Empire when it appeared that we were about to disappear into what is commonly called the Dark Ages,” he recaps.

It happened again after the Black Plague of the 1300s wiped out “two-thirds of the European population” and again after the Thirty Years’ War left so much death and chaos in its wake, it appeared that “violence and power were about to stamp out any notion of law and inquiry.”

In more recent years, the West faced two World Wars and the greatest genocide in Western history.

And yet, in all of these cases, “there was something which bounced back in this Western tradition,” Guelzo remarks optimistically.

Today, we stand at yet another “civilizational moment” where destruction is knocking at our door.

Guelzo is hopeful our future will mirror our resilient past, but for that to happen, people — especially younger generations — must cultivate an interest in history.

“History itself tells us who we have been. What we are today is what we were in the past,” he says. “The great Marcus Tullius Cicero … once said that anyone who remained ignorant of their history was condemned perpetually to live as a child, and I think that’s true.”

“The Golden Thread” series, which Guelzo co-authored with former Harvard history professor James Hankins, are exactly the kind of books that will spark an interest in Western history.

“It is a good deal more than just long lists of names, dates, places — which is the kind of thing that most people tell me they dread about history,” Guelzo laughs. “These books are also full of ideas; they are full of philosophy; they are full of art; they are full of great paintings; they are full of music.”

“It’s full of color. It’s full of life. It’s full of acknowledgments that the Western tradition has sometimes put its foot down wrongly. It’s made mistakes. People have suffered for that, and yet, even with that, the vitality of that tradition has been one of recovery; it has been one of uplift; it has been one that promotes human flourishing,” he adds.

It is this knowledge that can save Western civilization from collapse, Guelzo tells Deace.

“We can save it because it has been saved before.”

To hear more of the conversation, watch the episode above.

Want more from Steve Deace?

To enjoy more of Steve’s take on national politics, Christian worldview, and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Steve deace show, Steve deace, The golden thread, Allen guelzo, History, Western civilization, Fall of the west, Blazetv, Blaze media, Western history