To the disbelief of truth-seekers everywhere, the DOJ and FBI have determined in a two-page memo released this week that there was no proof Jeffrey Epstein had been working a vast blackmail operation and that there was no “client list.”

“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” the memo reads. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

However, many Americans still question whether or not they’re being told the truth, especially considering that the amount of power one could gain from having possession of the list is astronomical.

–

“That is extraordinary power,” Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck tells ATF whistleblower John Dodson. “Any confidence that it’s not being used?”

“I have confidence that it’s not being used in that the fact that the people that it hurts the most are in control over it. Maybe that’s the case — why it’s not being used,” Dodson responds. “I would almost argue that it would be a better state of the world if a Hoover FBI had it, right, and leveraged it against everybody.”

“Would be better than the people that were directly involved having it,” he adds.

“So that implies that people in the government were involved in that,” Glenn says.

“I mean, I think so. That’s merely my opinion, but I don’t think that stuff happens with the names that have been floated around there without the government involved. And again, it’s the government. It is so huge and it is so powerful, and it has ultimately zero accountability,” Dodson says.

“American people think that there’s accountability. There is none,” he adds.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Video, Upload, Camera phone, Free, Video phone, Sharing, Youtube.com, The glenn beck podcast, Glenn beck, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Epstein files, The client list, Epstein blackmail, Government corruption, Government lies 

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Epstein files sparked outrage among conservatives, supporters of President Donald Trump, and even among FBI leadership.

The dramatic Epstein saga has caused a rift between FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Bondi in recent days, one source familiar with the matter confirmed to Blaze News. Other reports indicate that Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel are both threatening to leave the bureau altogether unless Bondi is removed from office.

‘Fire Pam Bondi. Keep Dan Bongino.’

RELATED: FBI, DOJ Epstein memo sparks right-wing outrage: ‘Nobody is believing this’

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

As tensions emerge between the FBI and DOJ leadership, the MAGA base has made clear where its support lies.

“There is no question that the base is behind Bongino,” conservative commentator and reporter Julie Kelly said in a post on X. “I respect Pam Bondi and understand the immense challenge at taking the reins of such a systemically corrupt agency. But the self inflicted wounds and unforced errors are consuming attention away from other DOJ/FBI achievements. Time is ticking away and something drastic needs to change immediately.”

“It would be a huge loss for the country if we lost Dan Bongino at the FBI,” TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk wrote in a post on X.

Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck made a similar appeal to Trump, urging him to put Bongino over Bondi.

“America can’t lose Dan Bongino,” Beck said in a post on Instagram. “He has so much credibility. Everybody knows him, loves him. Pam Bondi has created so much doubt and chaos in this whole thing. There’s no reason for all of this.”

“Either it’s a massive cover-up, or she’s just fouled this up every single time,” Beck added. “Please, let’s not lose Dan Bongino. If there’s a choice — I hope not — but please, fire Pam Bondi. Keep Dan Bongino.”

RELATED: Is the FBI salvageable? Here’s what bureau insiders have to say

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Following Bondi’s now-infamous Epstein memo, which the DOJ leaked to the Beltway corporate outlet Axios, the administration has spent days doing damage control. Trump reiterated his support for Patel and Bongino in a Truth Social post on Monday, though he notably refrained from providing Bondi with the same praise.

“The FBI, under the direction of Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, is back to the basics: Locking up criminals, and cleaning up America’s streets.” Trump said in the post. “We have the Greatest Law Enforcement professionals in the World, but ‘Politics’ and Corrupt Leadership often prevented them from doing their job. That is no longer the case, and now, they have been unleashed to do their jobs, and they are doing just that. Keep it up — MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!”

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

​Dan bongino, Kash patel, Pam bondi, Fbi, Doj, Department of justice, Federal bureau of investigation, Donald trump, Trump administration, Charlie kirk, Julie kelly, Epstein, Epstein files, Epstein binders, Epstein memo, Politics 

Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday that she was taking many more steps to oppose the mass deportation order by President Donald Trump.

Among those policies is the establishment of a philanthropy-funded program that would provide cash assistance to the families affected by federal immigration enforcement operations.

CHIRLA has been accused of funneling taxpayer money to anti-ICE protests and allegedly playing a part in the rioting and violence.

Bass said in a media briefing that an executive order she was signing was meant to “provide protection for immigrants who might be attending a city event or at a city property,” while the city stays within the bounds of the law.

Part of that effort included cash assistance in the form of cards that would have several hundred dollars on them, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“You have people who don’t want to leave their homes, who are not going to work, and they are in need of cash,” Bass said.

She said the cards will be handed out by immigration advocacy groups, including the controversial organization Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. CHIRLA has been accused of funneling taxpayer money to anti-ICE protests and allegedly playing a part in the rioting and violence.

The funding for the cards will come from philanthropic partners, according to Bass.

She went on to say that the city is requesting information about the raids from the federal government.

“We are submitting a FOIA, a Freedom of Information Act request, regarding the dates and locations of all enforcement activities in Los Angeles,” she said.

RELATED: House Republicans investigating CHIRLA nonprofit over alleged role in ICE rioting

“I think you heard me repeat, every time I speak before you, that when people are taken from our city, we do not necessarily know where they are going. They are not provided regular access to families or to legal counsel,” she added. “And that the family members that are left behind don’t know whether their family members are in the city, in the state, or even in the country.”

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles for allegedly interfering with federal operations through their sanctuary city policies in defense of illegal aliens.

Los Angeles has in turn joined a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union accusing the federal government of unlawfully deporting migrants and of violations of due process laws.

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

​Karen bass vs ice raids, Cash payments to illegals, Los angeles ice rioting, Karen bass vs trump, Politics 

An Ohio couple is grieving the “unimaginable tragedy” of the death of their 1-year-old daughter after their pit bull unexpectedly attacked her, according to police.

Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell said that deputies were called out on a report of a dog attack at a home on Lake Road in Dover Township on July 2 at about 6 p.m.

‘It was about as terrible of [an] ordeal as we’ve come across in a long time.’

Campbell said an emergency dispatcher received an initial call where nothing could be heard and then received a second call moments later from the mother, who said her child had been killed.

When deputies arrived at the residence, they found the child with bites to her face and neck. She was declared dead at the scene.

The mother told officers that she was picking up clothing in a laundry basket with her daughter next to her when the dog suddenly attacked. Deputies said they observed defensive wounds on the woman, who tried to save her daughter.

“It was about as terrible of [an] ordeal as we’ve come across in a long time,” Campbell said.

He said the dog had not previously attacked any person but had been aggressive toward other dogs.

“While it … had a couple of incidents of aggression towards the other dogs, it had not towards the people. They didn’t have any sign of this,” he added.

RELATED: It’s way past time to ban pit bulls

Campbell said the father of the girl was not at home at the time of the attack and that he later euthanized the dog with deputies’ authorization. There were no charges in the case, and no charges are expected.

An online charity account identified the victim as Blakely Blosser and asked for donations to help the family deal with the tragedy.

The incident is resurfacing the debate over whether certain dog breeds should be banned. Peter Gietl, the managing editor for Return at Blaze Media, made the argument against pit bull ownership in a recent article after a similarly horrific incident.

“I’m not calling for a dog holocaust. But if you’re going to bring a living weapon into a crowded urban neighborhood, maybe we should pause. Maybe we need strict breed-specific legislation, as is common in the U.K., France, Denmark, and even parts of Canada. Maybe some things don’t belong in apartments or parks full of toddlers,” Gietl wrote.

“It’s not heartless to say that. It’s compassionate. It’s sane,” he concluded.

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

​Pit bull attack, 1 year old killed, Pit bull attacks family, Pit bull attacks child, Crime 

Baylor University, a prominent Baptist institution in Waco, Texas, has been a large part of religious culture in Texas, and up until a couple of days ago — before backlash from religious conservatives like BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey — that was all about to change.

The university was undergoing a progressive shift, and its recent acceptance of an almost $700,000 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation was only speeding that shift up, as the goal of the grant was to “foster LGBTQ inclusion and belonging in the church.”

The school publicly highlighted this funding through a press release from its Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. The grant was planned to go toward research that would focus on “understanding and addressing the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations to nurture institutional courage and foster change.”

“Baylor put out a press release about this. That in and of itself is a story. They are proud of this. They are excited about this. They are thankful for this grant money. This is not something that they are trying to slip under the rug,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey said when criticizing Baylor’s initial reaction to the grant.

The specific project the grant was funding is called “Courage from the Margins: Inclusion and Belonging Practices for LGBTQIA plus.”

“OK, that ‘plus,’ what does that even mean?” Stuckey asked, noting that the project would include interviewing women across the country in two groups of 25 young adults ages 18 to 24 to gather information about their experiences in church settings.

The findings from the research would be used to “develop trauma-informed training resources for churches with the aim of encouraging more inclusive practices and environments for LGBTQIA plus individuals and women.”

“This is what it looks like to actually manifest toxic empathy,” Stuckey said. “So what this grant is going to fund is research that will be used to then guilt churches into not only including but affirming those who identify as homosexual or as the opposite sex.”

“This research will be weaponized, will be used as a tool of emotional manipulation, a mallet of manipulation to hit you, believing person, over the head, biblical Christian person, into accepting that which God calls sin. That is what this research will be used for. That is its express purpose,” she added.

Now, Baylor has rescinded its initial acceptance of the funds.

In a letter posted to the university’s website, Baylor University President Linda Livingstone explained that returning the funds “is the appropriate course of action and in the best interests” of the school.

While Livingstone wrote that Baylor remains “committed to providing a loving and caring community for all — including our LGBTQIA+ students,” she explained that after reviewing the “details and process surrounding this grant,” the concern was in “the activities that followed as part of the grant.”

“Specifically, the work extended into advocacy for perspectives on human sexuality that are inconsistent with Baylor’s institutional policies, including our Statement on Human Sexuality,” she wrote.

That Statement on Human Sexuality says that Baylor “affirms the biblical understanding of sexuality as a gift from God. Christian churches across the ages and around the world have affirmed purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman as the biblical norm. Temptations to deviate from this norm include both heterosexual sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior.”

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.

​Video, Upload, Camera phone, Free, Video phone, Sharing, Youtube.com, Relatable, Allie beth stuckey, Relatable with allie beth stuckey, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Baylor university, Baptist university, Lgbtqia agenda, Lgbtq, Leftism 

A Republican election observer in the state of Washington declined to wear a face mask while inside a ballot count room in November 2024. Now, the GOP election observer has been hit with a felony conviction and faces jail time.

Tim Hazelo — a Navy veteran and the former chairman of the Island County Republican Party — was observing ballot counting on Nov. 4, 2024. Hazelo chose not to wear a face mask inside the ballot count room.

The article noted that the prosecutor ‘implied Trump supporters are members of the KKK and called them “racist bullies with second-grade intellects and behavior disorders.”’

Island County Auditor Sheilah Crider established a mask mandate in certain parts of the county elections office. Crider previously told KOMO-TV that she established the mask mandate because 50% of the staff tested positive for COVID-19 during the August 2024 primary.

KOMO recently reported that those who did not want to wear a mask could still observe the ballot counting from the hallway, but “some have said their view was obstructed from that vantage point.”

Hazelo was reportedly asked to wear a mask, relocate to the hallway, or leave the premises. Hazelo apparently refused to wear a face mask, and he was escorted out of the building by two police officers.

According to the arrest report obtained by KOMO, “It was determined Hazelo would be offered one final opportunity to comply with the policy set by the Island County auditor to wear a mask in the ballot processing rooms, and if he continued to refuse to comply with the policy, he would be asked to exit the room.”

RELATED: Fauci admits there was no scientific evidence for 6-foot social distancing or masking children, concedes lab leak was ‘possible’

LPETTET via iStock / Getty Images

Hazelo was arrested and initially charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, which was later dismissed. However, Hazelo was hit with additional charges by an anti-Trump prosecutor in February 2025. Hazelo was charged with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, in addition to one count of unauthorized access to a voting center — a class C felony.

Island County Prosecuting Attorney Gregory Banks charged Hazelo with a felony that could land him behind bars for a year.

Banks, a Democrat, has a history of making disparaging remarks on social media about President Donald Trump and his supporters, according to reports.

Conservative talk show host and columnist Jason Rantz previously reported that Banks made unsettling comments about Trump supporters.

Rantz wrote in MyNorthwest.com in 2019, “Greg Banks is the elected Island County Prosecutor. Up until last week, his public and personal Facebook account was littered with vulgar, vicious smears against conservative voters and President Donald Trump.”

The article noted that the prosecutor “implied Trump supporters are members of the KKK and called them ‘racist bullies with second-grade intellects and behavior disorders.'”

Banks then “pulled the voluminous posts from his Facebook page and sent out a mea culpa to his staff Wednesday, saying that he had ‘done something pretty stupid,'” the South Whidbey Record reported in August 2019.

Banks reportedly told his staff, “That I was unable to see the harm my posts may cause to our reputation is more than embarrassing to me.”

“Banks also maintains he hasn’t treated staff members differently based on their Trump-related views, but he asked anyone with concerns to speak with him, the office administrator, one of the chief deputies, or human resources,” according to the news outlet.

However, Banks allegedly wrote another disparaging social media post about Trump supporters in 2020.

“The terrifying part is 38% of voters don’t see anything wrong with that. Even after we flush Trump, we have a difficult job to cleanse society of their diseased thinking,” Banks wrote, according to MyNorthwest.com.

Banks also hit a second Republican election observer, Tracy Abuhl, with a felony count of unauthorized access to a voting center.

Abuhl was charged with a felony for refusing to wear a face mask in the election office in November 2024.

“I was very peaceful, very respectful, but no, this is unconstitutional,” Abuhl told KOMO. “I’m there as a volunteer, a citizen. I was a Republican observer, and I couldn’t do my job.”

RELATED: Former FDA commissioner admits: ‘Cloth masks aren’t going to provide a lot of protection’

Hazelo proclaimed, “We have to stand up when we believe something is wrong.”

Hazelo argued that Washington law does not entitle a county auditor to impose a mask mandate for election observers.

Hazelo told KOMO, “They can say, ‘Look it’s highly recommended that if you feel sick, if you don’t feel good, or you don’t feel safe, or you’re worried — we highly recommend you wear this mask.’ A mandate goes too far.”

According to KOMO, Banks stated in his closing arguments on Thursday: “Let’s not get into a debate about masks. Follow the instructions, follow the law. This is about the administration of elections and the rules that allow that to happen.”

Banks added, “He (Hazelo) had his own rules. His own rules are, ‘I do what I want to do, I do it from the vantage point that I want, and I don’t care about the rest of it.'”

Hazelo’s defense attorney, Austin Hatcher, countered by stating that the Washington Administrative Code requires rules to be provided in writing.

“There’s no mask requirement on this sheet of paper. There’s no mask requirement on the official visitor and observer rules,” Hatcher declared. “He signed this rule sheet, he signed the sign-in paper, he openly went into the ballot processing center, and he sat down quietly, observed the process.”

Banks retorted that the mask mandate was displayed on multiple signs posted throughout the office, according to KOMO.

Hazelo pointed out, “The fact is, I signed in. I had authorization to be there. Whether or not I followed the rules after I went in has nothing to do with whether I had authorization to be there to begin with, so ‘unauthorized access’ doesn’t work.”

He told KOMO that election auditors didn’t have the power to establish a mask mandate, and that decision “should be done by the health department.”

On Thursday, a jury found Hazelo guilty of unauthorized access to a voting center and criminal trespass.

Hazelo told KOMO that he does plan to appeal the conviction.

Blaze News reached out to Hazelo’s and Banks’ offices but did not receive a response for comment at the time of publication.

RELATED: Nebraska teacher placed on leave after comparing anti-maskers to KKK

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

​Politics, Maga, Anti-trump, Donald trump, Face masks, Masks, Mask mandate, Washington, Trump voters, Trump supporters, News 

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republican lawmakers expressed support this week for Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., the Utah plastic surgeon presently on trial and facing more than 35 years in jail for allegedly destroying COVID-19 vaccines and handing out fraudulent fake vaccination records during the pandemic.

Moore, his neighbor Kristin Jackson Andersen, and two others were charged in 2023 with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government; conspiracy to convert, sell, convey, and dispose of government property; and conversion, sale, conveyance, and disposal of government property as well as aiding and abetting.

According to the federal indictment, Moore — a member of a group seeking to “‘liberate’ the medical profession from government and industry conflicts of interest” — signed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement in order to secure COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination record cards. He then ordered hundreds of doses of vaccines from the CDC.

Instead of administering the vaccines, Moore, 58, allegedly dumped around $28,000 worth of doses down the drain and handed out vaccination record cards in exchange for cash or donations to a charitable organization.

Between May 2021 and September 2022, the defendants also allegedly administered harmless “saline shots to minor children to trick them into thinking they had received a vaccine” at the request of their parents.

The Biden Department of Justice was evidently keen to throw Moore in jail; however, he has since become something of a folk hero for giving Americans a way to avoid experimental medicine at a time when vaccines were being foisted on the population.

‘This man is a hero, not a criminal.’

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. noted in April that Moore “deserves a medal for his courage and his commitment to healing.”

“He’s one of the few surgeons who stood against the worst COVID-era mandates,” said Texas surgeon Dr. Eithan Haim. “Which is why they’re trying to send him to prison.”

RELATED: What happened to RFK Jr.’s red line on risky vaccines?

Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

As jury selection began for his 15-day trial on Monday, supporters rallied in support of Moore outside the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. Courthouse in Salt Lake City.

Among those who showed up were Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz (R) and Republican state Reps. Karianne Lisonbee and Trevor Lee, reported the Utah News Dispatch.

“The way those of us [who] stood up and pushed back were treated was wrong. We were treated like second-class citizens if we didn’t get the shot, we didn’t get the vaccine,” Schultz told the crowd. “Think about it for just a minute. You had to have a vaccine passport to walk down the streets and go into a shop, to go to a Jazz game, to go to a restaurant. That was unbelievable.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced Tuesday that she was writing a letter to the Department of Justice asking that all charges be dropped against Moore — a move celebrated by Dr. Robert Malone, one of Robert F. Kennedy’s new appointments to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

“This man is a hero, not a criminal,” wrote Greene. “The Covid vaccine kills and injures people, but this brave doctor, who is a veteran by the way, is being prosecuted for helping people avoid tyrannical vaccine mandates under Democrats.”

“Big Pharma was given billions of taxpayer’s [sic] dollars for experimental covid vaccines and then the MrNA covid vaccines were forced on Americans, our military, and our children against their will,” continued Greene. “Covid vaccines do not stop the spread of covid and are proven to cause life threatening myocarditis, miscarriages, strokes, blood clots, and many other issues that many Americans are angrily still dealing with today.”

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R) echoed Greene, noting that Moore “should NOT be prosecuted for helping people avoid the tyrannical vax mandates, which were based on a corrupted FDA approval process.”

RELATED: FDA slaps damning warnings on COVID-19 vaccines; highlights Biden administration’s safety-risk gloss

Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images

Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R), who has repeatedly suggested that Kirk be let off the hook, said on Thursday, “I’m both surprised and disappointed that Dr. Kirk Moore is still being prosecuted — potentially facing three decades in prison — considering all that we’ve learned about COVID, the vaccines, and the unjust mandates imposed by the Biden administration.”

“I just did what was right,” Dr. Moore said outside the courthouse, clearly overwhelmed by the support.

Blaze News has reached out to the DOJ 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!

​Michael kirk moore, Kirk moore, Vaccine, Jab, Vax, Covid-19, Big pharma, Robert f. kennedy jr, Kennedy, Maha, Rfk, Marjorie taylor greene, Greene, Utah, Politics 

Democrat Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and many on the left have come out to attack the contrarian politician.

Fetterman has openly criticized his party on many issues, but his latest statement in support of federal immigration officials was too much for many. Democrats have vilified ICE for implementing mass deportation orders from President Donald Trump.

‘F**k your mom, your family, your beach vacation, everything you stand for, you bald, lobotomized prick.’

“ICE performs an important job for our country. Any calls to abolish ICE are [100%] inappropriate and outrageous,” wrote the Democrat on social media.

The senator was immediately assailed by many on the left who objected to his support of the rule of law. Many pointed out that his wife was an illegal alien and that he campaigned with a far softer tone on border enforcement.

“John Fetterman gets a lot of hate. But it’s not enough. We can do better,” said Micah Erfan, an official of the Texas Democratic Party. His response got more than 34,000 likes.

“F**k ICE and F**k off, Fetterman,” replied activist Maya Contreras.

“YOUR WIFE WAS UNDOCUMENTED!!!!” read one response with more than 50,000 likes.

“Dear @SenFettermanPA, you are an absolute fool. What we don’t need is a secret police agency where the ‘agents’ don’t wear uniforms, have badges with badge numbers, and where they randomly grab people off the street, refusing to show warrants. Those are Gestapo tactics. F**k you,” responded entrepreneur Robert Gaustad.

“F**k you, f**k your mom, your family, your beach vacation, everything you stand for, you bald, lobotomized prick,” said another account.

RELATED: Video shows protester apparently shooting at federal agents during immigration operation at California farm

Fetterman received praise from President Donald Trump earlier when he defended ICE agents from unhinged rhetoric from many Democrats.

Others on the right were glad to see his statement.

“Amen,” replied Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Many on the left were furious at the Trump administration over a large operation targeting illegal aliens at a farm in Camarillo, California, on Thursday. Officials said they found nearly a dozen unaccompanied minors who may have been made to work at the weed farm.

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

​Fetterman on ice, Fetterman vs democrats, Dems defending ice, Social media vs fetterman, Politics 

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — “Are you here legally?” is a question normally asked by federal agents while determining the legal status of an immigrant, but it is a question being increasingly asked by Florida police departments and sheriff’s offices, as they have joined forces with the Trump administration.

Florida law enforcement personnel have become integrated with U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the 287(g) program. The program gives local officers certain powers normally reserved for ICE agents, like arresting illegal aliens without needing to be part of an operation with their federal counterparts.

Blaze Media was with the Florida Highway Patrol on Wednesday to see how the state’s largest law enforcement agency is helping the Trump administration follow through on mass deportations. FHP and other Florida law enforcement personnel who are part of the 287(g) program still carry out their normal patrol duties, and often, troopers will encounter illegal aliens during routine traffic stops.

RELATED: Alligator Alcatraz is a warning to illegal immigrants in the US: Leave now or end up here

Alligator Alcatraz is a warning to illegal immigrants in the US: Leave now or end up here Julio Rosas/Blaze Media

The reasons for the traffic stops range from observing drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts to having unsecured loads in the backs of work trucks.

In one stop initiated by the FHP sergeant whom Blaze Media was with, the driver and one passenger of a work truck were not wearing seatbelts. The passenger in the middle, originally from Venezuela, had a seatbelt on, but his claim for asylum was no longer valid and he was taken into custody. The driver had a green card, and the other non-seatbelt-wearer was a U.S. citizen.

During another traffic stop, it was discovered that the driver was in the country unlawfully and did not have a license. While being put in the FHP squad car, the man joked about being sent to Alligator Alcatraz, the state-run illegal alien holding facility in the Everglades.

RELATED: Florida’s next phase to carry out mass deportations as feds say state’s efforts are the blueprint

— (@)

The FHP team took 11 illegal immigrants into custody and transported them to a Border Patrol station for further processing. Some had been in the U.S. for only a few years, while others had been living here for over 20 years.

Florida currently leads the nation in the number of state and local police agencies that are part of the 287(g) program. It is state law for every level of government to do its best to aid federal immigration enforcement.

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

​Politics 

In 2020, platinum-selling artist Akon began an ambitious project to build a futuristic city in his ancestral homeland of Senegal. The city promised state-of-the-art infrastructure that acts as an “extension of the sea into the land.”

The singer started the $6 billion project, called AkonCity, with plans for a 2,000-acre resort, condos, and a stadium, all powered by renewable energy. In addition to featuring his own Akon Tower, the city was to use Akon’s cryptocurrency, “Akoin,” as its primary monetary type.

Five years later, not only is Akon’s coin circling the drain, but the Senegalese tourism board has seemingly wiped the 52-year-old’s dream off the storyboard.

When the hit film “Black Panther” was released in 2018 — a film about a supernatural black ethno-state — Akon said the movie’s success was a sign from God that he should continue building his city.

‘God allowed this movie to be successful … this can be possible in Africa.’

“When the movie came it was almost like a blessing, almost like God allowed this movie to be successful for me to get compared to such success to give people that mind state that this can be possible in Africa,” Akon said, according to Africa News.

By mid-2024, however, Akon was given an ultimatum by Senegal to either start a significant amount of construction or abandon the land so that other projects could take over.

That October, the singer insisted during an interview on “The Bootleg Kev Podcast” that relations with Senegal were good and the project was “still in motion.”

Plans for an “African restaurant” and “African open bazaar” could not save AkonCity, though, and this week the head of Senegal’s tourism authority officially shut down Akon’s Wakanda, forever.

RELATED: Trump’s mining plan is smart — but China remains in the room

“The Akon City project no longer exists,” said Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of the Senegalese tourism authority, according to Newsweek.

The outlet also reported that Akon publicly acknowledged that the project “wasn’t being managed properly.”

“I take full responsibility for that,” Akon added.

Senegalese authorities reportedly stated that developments at the site would continue, but plans would be revised and downsize, all while still involving Akon. The country allegedly wants to follow through on some of the projects as it prepares to host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Despite the promise of an economic boom, residents described the city in late 2022 as a series of empty fields that were being grazed by goats.

As much could be expected from a vacant African construction site, but expectations were always too high, according to Akon.

The entrepreneur admitted to Bootleg Kev in their 2024 interview that he regretted promoting the project while it was still in the design phase. Akon said that while public perception was that construction was already under way, he still had to overcome hurdles like environmental licenses and land surveys.

These are processes that “you learn as you go,” Akon told the host.

Akon also said he brought on one of the designers of Saudi Arabia’s project the Line, a futuristic walled city of dystopian nightmares, but this still did not help the project go forward.

Perhaps the most wide-eyed element of the project was the city’s cryptocurrency backing. The primary coin, Akon’s Akoin, has spectacularly underachieved in terms of growth.

Peaking at $0.4955 USD in February 2021 according to Crypto.com, Akoin is currently valued at $0.003 USD. Interestingly, this is still more valuable than Senegal’s CFA franc, which is worth $0.0018 USD at the time of this writing.

Efforts to popularize the cryptocoin reportedly struggled in the Senegalese market, and the coin was not accepted by regulators, per Dexerto.

RELATED: Right-wing investor to challenge traditional banking with national crypto bank

Real name Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, Akon was born in St. Louis to Senegalese parents. With over 5 million albums sold, the artist was beloved across the world, particularly for his diamond-selling club song “Sexy Bitch.”

Only time will tell what the Senegalese project will look like moving forward, but Akon has had successful projects in the region before.

According to the Borgen Project, Akon’s Lighting Africa project has brought solar energy to 25 African nations, serving 28.8 million Africans with street lights and solar panels.

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

​Return, Africa, Akon, Konvict music, Senegal, Wakanda, Crypto, Cryptocurrency, Tech 

At a recent White House Cabinet meeting, President Trump shocked his supporters when he abruptly interrupted a reporter who was grilling Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Jeffery Epstein case.

The outburst was unexpected, since part of Trump’s 2024 campaign promise was to release all Epstein files, stating, “Every document, every name, no redactions.”

“Your memo and release yesterday on Jeffrey Epstein, it left some lingering mysteries. One of the biggest ones is whether he ever worked for an American or foreign intelligence agency. The former labor secretary, who is Miami U.S. attorney Alex Acosta, he allegedly said that he did work for an intelligence agency,” the reporter said to Bondi.

“So could you resolve whether or not he did? And also, could you say why there was a minute missing from the jailhouse tape on the night of his death?” the reporter followed up.

–

“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years. We have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things, and are people still talking about this guy? That is unbelievable,” Trump cut in.

“I can’t believe you’re asking a question about Epstein, at a time like this where we’re having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration,” he continued, adding, “Do you want to waste time answering?”

Pam Bondi then took her time to answer, explaining that when she was originally asked a question about the client list, she said it was sitting on her desk to be reviewed alongside the JFK and MLK files.

“That’s what I meant by that. Also, to the tens of thousands of video, they turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein. Child porn is what they were. Never going to be released. Never going to see the light of day. To him being an agent, I have no knowledge about that,” Bondi said.

She then addressed the reporter’s concerns about the video tape of Epstein’s cell, saying “every night the video is reset and every night should have the same minute missing.”

BlazeTV host Pat Gray is one of Trump’s shocked supporters.

“I can’t believe we’re still talking, a lot of times, about the 2020 election. He doesn’t have any problem still talking about that,” Gray says, frustrated.

“I know it’s stupid, it really is,” he mocks. “We just found out, the day before yesterday, there are no Epstein files, and we’re still talking about it today. Incredible.”

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.

​Video, Upload, Camera phone, Free, Video phone, Sharing, Youtube.com, Pat gray unleashed, Pat gray, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Epstein files, Epstein client list, President trump, Pam bondi, Epstein case, Jeffrey epstein, Client list