Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) presided over one of the worst wipeouts for Republicans in contemporary electoral history. Nevertheless, he has kept his job as the top Republican in Congress’ upper chamber.

Though a small group of Republican senators opposed Thune’s re-election campaign, the four-term incumbent prevailed on Tuesday and will be the Senate minority leader come January.

‘I’m proud of what the Republican team has accomplished together.’

Thune has repeatedly drawn the ire of President Donald Trump’s base for failing to pass the SAVE Act, and Republican Sens. Ted Budd (N.C.), Mike Lee (Utah), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Rick Scott (Fla.), and John Kennedy (La.) signed a joint letter addressed to Senate GOP Conference Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) requesting that Thune’s quasi-coronation be delayed.

Ultimately, the effort petered out, and Thune ran for Senate minority leader unopposed.

“I appreciated the opportunity to have an open, honest, and transparent conversation with my colleagues today, and I am honored to have their continued trust and support to lead the Senate Republican Conference in the 120th Congress,” Thune wrote in a statement posted to X Tuesday afternoon.

RELATED: Jim Jordan snags top job as Republicans vote to shake up leadership after devastating midterms

‘I’m trying to be nice’: Trump piles pressure on Thune over SAVE America Act Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg/Getty Images

“I’m proud of what this Republican team has accomplished together, and we remain united in our commitment to advancing conservative priorities, working with President Trump and our colleagues in the House, and holding the line against Democrats’ efforts to enact their far-left, liberal agenda.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) was also elected as the new chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, replacing Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) as leader of the GOP’s Senate campaign arm as the party looks to regain its foothold in traditionally red states.

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​John thune, Mike lee, Senate leadership, Politics, Bernie moreno 

President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he wants to work with Democrats on immigration could have enormous consequences for the Republican Party — and BlazeTV host Steve Deace believes it may become the defining moment of the 2028 election.

“If he cuts a deal for amnesty of any kind, it will irreparably split our base. It will irrevocably split it for the future,” Deace warns, noting that it has “become the number-one issue for our base.”

And while young men ages 18 to 29 are among the strongest Republican voters against amnesty, Deace explains that “Millennials are young men too” who “have families” and are “the ones working a lot of the jobs right now.”

“This is their number-one issue,” he says.

Deace believes that’s what could happen if Trump “really means it.”

But he also points out that Trump has offered Democrats a deal like this before.

“He did offer the Democrats a Dreamer amnesty, remember, in 2019, which they didn’t take, and it shut the government down. People got so pissed off, the government got shut down over something that was pretty obvious to them that Democrats backed away. They still didn’t take the amnesty deal,” he says.

That’s why Deace says it’s “also entirely possible that this is a shrewd and clever move.”

“Save your stupid never-Trump 4D chess. Some of you act like Trump is not permitted to have a triple-digit IQ. He’s been way more successful in life than 99.99% of you,” Deace says.

“It’s entirely possible that this is an attempt to entrap Democrats, to show that, ‘Hey, they promised you that they were going to run on fixing your issues, but they’re the same communist radicals they’ve always been. I offered them a deal, even ticked off my own base to do it, man,’” he continues.

“And Democrats still wouldn’t take the deal,” he adds.

Deace also sees a third possibility: that “Trump is facing real impeachment.”

“And I think the president cares greatly about not being the only president ever removed from office. So it’s entirely possible that he threw this out there as an olive branch to several limp-wristed, you know, low-T Republicans that he is worried will vote with Democrats to have him removed from office to make an example out of him,” he explains.

However, while Trump’s comment may mean “one of those three things today,” Deace says that could change.

“We’re just going to wait and see what it means, because ultimately, we’ll find out,” he says. “You know a tree by its fruit, right?”

“We’ll find out by what the president does with this, and that will tell us what it means,” he continues. “If it means he sold out his base, it’ll take us years to recover from this.”

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.

​Donald trump, Amnesty, Immigration, Democrats, Blazetv show 

When is “your” truth not your truth?

When it rubs progressives the wrong way, of course.

‘This is MY list and if you disturb my peace here…vanquished.’

Truth bombed

Actor Ryan Phillippe recently found out when he dared to share a list of 18 things he no longer wants to engage with. Nestled at No. 3 — after “Halloween” and “Fantasy football” — was “Politics.”

“Putting this on main to keep me accountable,” the 52-year-old wrote, stressing: “It’s MY list, not imposing it on anyone.”

His critics were more than happy to pick up the slack.

Some readers immediately attacked Phillippe for seemingly being unsympathetic to their concerns. A recurring complaint was that disengaging from politics amounted to not caring about life and death.

Disengaging with politics is not a choice when “there are lives that depend on it,” one freelance writer replied.

“People are legit being kidnapped and killed by ICE and you can’t be bothered with politics lol,” wrote an aspiring food blogger.

RELATED: Actor Ryan Phillippe says ‘firm and fervent belief in God’ helped him shed addiction and depression

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

‘Must be nice’

A self-described Latino from Houston suggested Phillippe could afford to disengage only because his own children weren’t at risk of being abducted or shot for looking like illegal immigrants.

“I mean no one is snatching your kids up or shooting them just bc they look ‘illegal’ so yeah you can afford not to engage in politics,” the man wrote.

Other backlash ranged from simple messages like “Must be nice” to bashing Phillippe for using a Drake song on his post.

“Meanwhile you have a [pedophile] song playing on this post – have you tried growing tf up?” one reader said.

By contrast, his criticism of professional sports and gambling attracted comparatively little attention among the negative responses cited here, despite receiving the longest explanation on his list.

Phillippe said he was dropping professional sports as a pastime — with the notable exception of his beloved Philadelphia 76ers — primarily because of the industry’s partnerships with “corrosive gambling sites and apps.” He also cited rampant injuries, particularly in the NFL.

That complaint appeared alongside “doom scrolling” and “doomsday scenarios,” as well as more personal grievances such as “fake love,” “being used,” and “insincere obligations.” And then there was “Halloween,” which drew some humorous replies of its own.

RELATED: GUITAR HERO: Metallica front man puts music before political ‘bulls**t’

Jake Giles Netter/Disney/Getty Images

Peace out

Phillippe’s desire to cut unnecessary negativity out of his life may also reflect a spiritual journey he has discussed publicly. The actor previously said that working on the movie “Prey” helped reconnect him with God.

“It was right after filming it where I went on this spiritual journey where I started going really deep inside,” he remembered. “I got back into reading the Bible and various other religious tomes, but I found myself drawn to this notion of spirituality.”

“You look for more,” Phillippe added. “I wanted to have a relationship and understanding with God, and I was craving that.”

In response to the backlash in his comments, Phillippe wrote, “This is MY list and if you disturb my peace here…vanquished.”

Phillippe isn’t the only celebrity to suggest that politics doesn’t need to intrude on every aspect of entertainment. Artist Ed Sheeran and the band Metallica have also expressed reluctance to turn their public appearances into political diatribes or activism.

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​Ryan phillippe, Progressives, Ice, Entertainment 

Fourteen people have been charged with numerous crimes related to an apparent smuggling scheme that resulted in the deaths of seven migrants, including a 14-year-old child.

The alleged smugglers loaded up seven migrants into a Conex shipping container on a stationary train in the Del Rio, Texas, area on or about May 9, according to a Monday press release from the Department of Justice, citing court documents.

‘These defendants showed no regard for the value of human life and put people in harm’s way to pad their own pockets.’

The smugglers allegedly used red bolt cutters to cut the lock on the shipping container and then closed the door after leaving the migrants inside, the press release said.

The shipping container had no ventilation or cooling system, and the migrants were inside when outside temperatures reportedly reached 88 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. “It was secured from the outside and could not be opened from the inside,” the press release said.

When the container arrived in San Antonio, the smugglers allegedly discovered the migrants in distress and fled the scene, the press release continued. They even allegedly left the body of a deceased migrant near the railroad tracks.

On May 10, a worker at the rail yard in Laredo saw a human leg sticking out of a container, and a subsequent search of the container found the remains of six deceased migrants. San Antonio law enforcement then found the body of the seventh migrant victim that had been left on the tracks.

Four of the deceased migrants were from Mexico, while three were from Honduras.

Twelve of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death. They may face life in prison if convicted.

The 14 defendants face numerous other serious charges related to their alleged part in the smuggling scheme. Some of the charges carry a sentence of decades in prison.

Seven of the 14 defendants are illegal aliens, four are U.S. citizens, and three are non-citizens, said the Justice Dept.

The smugglers were paid between $1,500 and $10,000 for each smuggled migrant to be brought into the U.S., court documents said.

RELATED: Illegal alien arrested for brutal murder of Virginia mom had been released under Biden: DHS

“By allegedly orchestrating this deadly human smuggling scheme, these defendants showed no regard for the value of human life and put people in harm’s way to pad their own pockets,” read a statement from Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva.

“Seven people are dead as the result of another callous alien smuggling scheme,” read a statement from U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons. “To those alien smuggling organizations like the one responsible for these seven deaths, your date with American justice will come, and when it does, we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

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​Human smuggling, Immigration, Politics 

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has won his bid to become the top Republican in the House next term.

Opposed by Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Jordan reportedly won the secret-ballot race for House Republican minority leader on Tuesday 106-73. Jordan’s experience as Judiciary Committee chairman may have contributed to his win, with subpoena and impeachment threats already flying after Democrats’ midterm victory.

‘Jim is exactly the right man for the job to fight back against the radical, crazy agenda of Democrats.’

Jordan promised party unity and campaigned on his familiarity with Democrats’ tactics in the House.

“I am battle-tested on the oversight front, and I know the Democrats’ playbook,” Jordan wrote in a letter to other House Republicans prior to his win. “I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority, to stay unified, and to coordinate and calibrate our response to the Democrats’ tactics.”

Jordan was widely considered to be the more conservative option and has remained close to President Donald Trump since 2016.

RELATED: With Trump’s backing, Hegseth vows to fight impeachment

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris celebrated Jordan’s victory in a statement posted to X.

“Congratulations to Jim Jordan, House Freedom Caucus founder and former chairman, on being elected House Republican Leader! A fierce fighter, uniter, principled conservative, and relentless advocate for the American people,” Harris wrote. “Jim is exactly the right man for the job to fight back against the radical, crazy agenda of Democrats.”

Neither Trump nor outgoing Speaker of the House Mike Johnson intervened in the race.

Current House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) was elected minority whip by a similarly large margin to Jordan, cruising to victory over Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), 103-76, in the secret-ballot vote.

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​Donald trump, Freedom caucus, Jim jordan, Mike johnson, Minority leader, Steve scalise, Politics, Tom emmer 

A mailman spotted a chilling note at the entrance of a New Jersey home late last week and alerted authorities, which led to a grisly discovery inside the residence.

Dom Clements, a carrier for the United States Postal Service, was delivering mail along his route in Mount Holly on Friday when he noticed something unsettling.

‘The whole situation was weird.’

Clements told the New York Post he saw a sign at the entrance of the home that read: “9-1-1 Inside.” He said the writing was above a drawing of two sad faces with Xs for eyes.

“I thought it was weird because the only person that would have been able to see that sign would have been me, ’cause I’m the only one that goes to that house every day,” Clements told the Post. “And it’s just like, nobody else can, you can’t see that sign from outside.”

The paper noted that it was a “ramshackle” and “dilapidated” home with “peeling paint and rotting window frames.”

Clements said the sign had been attached to the home using clear wrapping tape. The mailbox on the property also was sealed with the same clear wrapping tape, according to Clements.

Clements notified police about the ominous note.

Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said in a statement that three deceased elderly individuals were found inside the home Friday afternoon.

The prosecutor said their identities were being withheld until next of kin can be notified.

A neighbor told WCAU-TV that officers informed him there was “a lot of blood” when police found the bodies in the home.

Authorities said the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct autopsies.

Neighbor David Babcock told WCAU-TV the residents of the home were two brothers and a sister in their 60s.

People magazine indicated that authorities have not said if foul play was involved, or if there are any suspects in the deaths of the three siblings.

RELATED: 4 children found dead. Now, toxicology report reveals what mom and grandmother allegedly drugged them with in murder-suicide.

Mount Holly Police Chief Clifford Spencer stated, “I want to reassure our residents that, based on the preliminary investigation, there is no ongoing threat to public safety.”

Spencer acknowledged that the situation is “deeply concerning to our community.”

“As your chief of police, I want to assure you that the safety and security of our residents remain my highest priority,” the chief added.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.

Clements told the Post the sign was “so bizarre” and “weird.”

The USPS employee added to the paper that “the only person who goes up to the door is the mail carrier.”

“It’s weird. The whole situation was weird,” Clements added. “Definitely don’t want it to happen again.”

Clements noted that the people who lived at the home seemed like “nice people.”

A local resident, who did not want to be identified, told the Post, “I mean, we’ve been here 50-some years. They were here before us, but they pretty much stayed by themselves.”

“I do know that one sister was a crossing guard for years,” the resident continued. “My kids knew her and everything like that. And so she worked parades and other things as a crossing guard here in town.”

The resident recalled, “The one brother, he was like clockwork. He would always walk down to 7-Eleven around 2:30, 3, and walk on back. I think he would get lottery tickets and something to drink. But other than that, they would barely leave their house. And none of them drove anywhere.”

When asked if he was surprised that something terrible happened at that residence, Babcock told WCAU “not really,” but he added that he didn’t expect it to be that horrific.

“We thought the house would get condemned, and they would send them to a group home,” Babcock said.

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​New jersey, Weird news, Bodies found, Usps, Crime 

Britain’s leftist government is set to offer interest-free loans to Muslim university students so that they can be compliant with Sharia law — an initiative that former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said will create a “two-tier education system.”

The U.K. Department for Education noted last year that while interest has historically been charged on all student loans in the isles, “some people feel unable to use existing student loans for university or college, due to their faith or conscience.”

‘Sharia loans are, by their very definition, exclusionary.’

Muslims, specifically, are prohibited by Sharia law from engaging in “riba” — the practice of charging interest or fees on loans, which is regarded as usurious and exploitative.

Britain has long humored implementing a Muslim loans system. At last, the Labour government — ever-keen to chase the support of the over 3.9 million Muslims in England and Wales — is poised to make good on its promise of introducing a “student finance product with an alternative to interest payments” that would be based on the Islamic finance principle of Takaful and certified by the new Islamic Finance Supervisory Board comprising appointees of the Islamic Finance Council UK.

Takaful, which comes from an Arabic word meaning “joint guarantee,” is a Saracen system of insurance where participants pool money together in a shared fund to support each other and protect one another from risk.

The Sharia-compliant program will not require borrowers to pay interest on the principal. Instead, they will pay an equivalent “contribution” that will be set aside to help future borrowers instead of going to the British Treasury, the Telegraph reported Tuesday.

RELATED: ‘Can’t wait to be arrested’: John Cleese formally reported to UK’s ‘counter-terrorism’ regime for criticizing Islam

Depiction of a Muslim university in Cairo. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images.

According to the government,

Students with the same circumstances will get the same amount of financial support. Students will make contributions back to a Takaful fund of the same amount and at the same time as students making repayments for conventional loans. We will base these contributions on what people earn, not what they have received.

The Sharia loans, which will be available to non-Muslims as well, are already advertised at numerous British universities including Oxford University, De Montfort University, and the University of Bristol, which characterized the option as an “interest-free” student-funding option.

Suella Braverman, the former home secretary now serving as an MP and Reform U.K. education spokeswoman, told the Telegraph, “This outrageous anti-British scheme creates a two-tier education system and divided society.”

“The scheme from Labour proves they are addicted to double standards in all aspects of British life,” continued Braverman. “Sharia loans are, by their very definition, exclusionary and for the benefit solely of Muslim students, thus creating parallel institutions that are incompatible with the British way of life.”

Braverman, who has in recent years sounded the alarm about the failure of multiculturalism, added, “The whole idea is made even more farcical by the fact that the Treasury, and therefore British taxpayers, will have to foot the bill if they fail to pay.”

The burden of delinquent borrowers already weighs heavy on the British taxpayer.

According to a House of Commons Library report published in July, £21 billion is loaned to around 1.5 million higher-education students in England. As of March, the value of outstanding loans was over £295 billion.

The government estimated that only 55% of full-time undergraduates who enrolled in the 2025-2026 academic year would repay their loans in full.

A spokesman for the Department of Education told the Telegraph that it would be “completely false to assert that Alternative Student Finance arrangements would give favourable treatment to Muslim students.”

While a date has not yet been set for the program’s full implementation, the government has suggested that it will be launched in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Jacqui Smith, the Labour minister of state for skills, reiterated in a written parliamentary response on Oct. 7 that “the government is committed to introducing an Alternative Student Finance (ASF) product compatible with Islamic finance principles and continues to make progress towards its delivery.”

Smith noted further that “ASF will be introduced as soon as possible following the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and will mirror the mainstream student finance offer, requiring the same repayments to the scheme as those required for conventional loans.”

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​United kingdom, Sharia law, Muslim, Politics 

Vanderbilt students logged on to school computers to hear a cryptic message this week: “You have been compromised.”

On Monday morning, the university realized it had been hacked, with the audio message being embedded into its systems.

‘If you could not tell already, your databases are locked.’

After realizing the school’s computer system had been compromised, university IT teams reportedly went from classroom to classroom telling students and faculty to close Microsoft Word documents and disconnect from cloud services like OneDrive and Dropbox.

The breach was first discovered at 9:50 a.m. CT on Monday, school newspaper the Vanderbilt Hustler reported, with hackers leaving an audio warning to users across campus: “You have been compromised by BYOD. We suggest you reach out to us as soon as possible. Instructions have been placed on your desktop. Failure to communicate will result in this estate being brought to the ground completely. Make the right choice or rot with the wrong one,” an automated voice stated.

Ransomware group BYOD claimed responsibility for the breach and posted a threatening message warning Vanderbilt that the entire network had been downloaded, including private student information.

RELATED: Nvidia CEO admits to affair — as suspected lover is accused of smuggling banned chips to China-linked cutouts

“If you could not tell already, your databases are locked. We have your entire estate and research data. Over 1 million [Social Security numbers], full names, email addresses, phone numbers, student & employee records, full takeover of your DC, whatever was on your network, we possess,” the statement read, per Ransomware.live.

The statement concluded, “Anyways, you know where to find us (contact tab). We will take you down when communication has been established between our team and yours.”

This is at least the second university hack BYOD has claimed responsibility for in the last week. Michigan State University was victim of a hack recently that BYOD claimed had taken data related to 1.3 million current and former students.

RELATED: It’s getting harder to prove you’re human — and this ‘solution’ is only making it worse

Christopher Morris/Corbis/Getty Images

Vanderbilt students began expressing their frustration in the late hours of Monday night. The student government asked leadership for answers but stated they have not received adequate communication.

This came after the school said it would operate as normal on Tuesday, posting generic messages on its social media accounts asking faculty to “teach classes as scheduled.”

The university had previously asked students to disconnect from school Wi-Fi and be extremely vigilant if on their networks.

“Students are concerned about the cyberattacks and extortion threats, particularly what information was stolen, how it may be used, and how it could affect them personally,” the student government said in a statement. “We are frustrated by the university’s lack of clear communication, and our priority is ensuring that students receive timely updates and are not academically penalized for circumstances beyond their control.”

As of Tuesday morning, the student paper said little information had been provided by the school’s public safety team, but added that campus Wi-Fi and applications like Outlook, Zoom, and Google accounts were now safe to use.

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​Hacking, Vanderbilt, Tech