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Jon Stewart routinely derides President Donald Trump on his Comedy Central infotainment show. This week, however, the cynical liberal found himself reluctantly celebrating the president over a new mental health initiative that could greatly impact afflicted veterans.

Trump signed an executive order on Saturday aimed at accelerating research and removing barriers to psychedelic drugs — including hallucinogenic ibogaine compounds, psilocybin, and LSD — as potential treatments for serious mental illnesses, including PTSD and depression.

‘Credit where credit is due.’

In addition to tasking Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary with reducing product application review times for psychedelic drugs that have received breakthrough therapy designations for treating mental illnesses, Trump ordered the FDA and Drug Enforcement Agency to create a pathway for eligible patients to access investigational psychedelic drugs.

Per the order, the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA must also work with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the private sector “to increase clinical trial participation, data sharing, and real-world evidence generation regarding psychedelic drugs, and shall prioritize drugs that have received a Breakthrough Therapy designation.” Fifty million dollars will also be provided for state-level research into ibogaine.

The White House noted in a fact sheet that over 14 million American adults suffer from a serious mental illness; suicide rates remain alarmingly high; and the suicide rate among veterans is more than double that of the nonveteran adult population.

RELATED: 4 marijuana facts the pro-pot lobby doesn’t want you to know

Jim WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

Afforded an opportunity to speak at the signing ceremony on Saturday, podcaster Joe Rogan revealed that the ball got rolling on the executive order after he “sent President Donald Trump some information” about ibogaine.

Trump confirmed the genesis of the initiative, noting that Rogan “wrote me a little note about this, and I had it checked out. I didn’t just do it. … I went to [HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] and [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz] and went to some of the people that work for you, real pros, and everybody came back with the same answer.”

“Everybody thought it was incredible, and I told Bobby, I said, ‘Bobby, let’s just do it, and get Oz involved,” added Trump.

The president noted at the EO signing that “these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans.”

On the April 20 episode of his show, Jon Stewart alerted his liberal audience that he wanted to “give credit where credit is due. We don’t, obviously, often do this.”

“The president did a solid over the weekend,” said Stewart. “President Trump signed an executive order in front of his fraternity brothers fast-tracking the FDA process for novel psychedelic drug treatments for veterans suffering from all forms of PTSD and other psychiatric conditions, including addiction.”

After playing tape from the EO signing and reflexively attacking the president over his unscripted remarks, Stewart stopped himself and said, “I’m sorry. I’m falling into old habits. It’s good. You did a good thing. I’m nitpicking. I apologize.”

Stewart noted further, “A lot of the people are going to get the help they need.”

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​Department of veterans affairs, Depression, Donald trump, Drug, Drug enforcement agency, Drugs, Executive order, Food and drug administration, Jon stewart, Medicine, Psychedelics, Ptsd, Suicide rates, Veterans, White house, Oz, Kennedy, Makarty, Politics 

As artificial intelligence drives fresh excitement in the tech world, major figures such as Elon Musk are reviving an old political fantasy: universal basic income. The idea has drawn support from a strange coalition, from progressive politicians like Andrew Yang to libertarian thinkers like Charles Murray.

To its advocates, UBI is the obvious answer to a future in which machines displace human labor. But beneath the sleek language of innovation lies the same old welfare-state promise: material comfort in exchange for dependence. Its supporters speak as though it were the natural companion of progress. In reality, it threatens to rob millions of the work, structure, and purpose that give life meaning.

UBI attracts supporters for very different reasons. For Andrew Yang and others on the left, it promises relief from poverty through guaranteed cash transfers. For Charles Murray, it has represented a simpler and more streamlined alternative to the sprawling welfare state. For Elon Musk and many AI boosters, UBI solves the problem of those with too little cognitive ability to compete, left behind in an increasingly IQ-based economy.

Their motives differ, but they share a revealing assumption: that UBI is an inevitable response to progress rather than a political choice with deep moral and social consequences. In each case, the individual is treated less as a citizen with duties and aspirations than as a materialist problem to be managed.

Welfare for all

A version of UBI basically already exists in the United States. With the vast web of interlocking welfare programs offered by the state for things like disability, poverty, child care, minority status, and educational attainment, most people can find a way to qualify for assistance with food or housing. It might not provide a comfortable or desirable life, but if someone doesn’t want to work to survive in America, they often do not have to.

For many people, the state has become not a temporary backstop but a long-term provider. That arrangement may keep some households afloat, but it has not produced a flourishing class of free and self-governing citizens. It has more often produced dependence, passivity, and bureaucratic management.

The case for UBI made by many AI enthusiasts bears a familiar resemblance to the old socialist dream. Human labor may become unnecessary, they say, but machine-driven abundance will replace what is lost. Freed from drudgery, ordinary people will devote themselves to art, philosophy, travel, community, and self-cultivation. The nation will become a republic of fulfilled and creative souls, all liberated from economic necessity. It is an attractive vision. It is also the same old fantasy that material abundance can dissolve the harder facts of human nature.

The idea that AI can produce the predicted level of abundance is itself a huge, untested assumption.

Man is not a machine

AI is well-suited to handling many managerial tasks and repetitive interactions. It is far less capable in situations that require judgment, responsibility, dexterity, trust, and adaptation to messy reality. Even the systems that do work require expensive hardware, enormous energy consumption, and a dense supporting infrastructure. A country that struggles to maintain basic institutional competence should be wary of fantasies about a nearly labor-free future sustained by flawless technical systems. Before promising a world beyond work, the advocates of UBI should first show that the machinery behind that world can actually exist.

Even if one grants the premise that AI could replace most labor and generate enough abundance to meet material needs, UBI would still collide with basic truths about human nature. Men do not work merely to eat. Work gives shape to the day, imposes discipline, teaches competence, and anchors identity. People on welfare in the current system are not known for their high propensity to churn out great American novels or breathtaking sculptures. Instead, welfare recipients tend to watch television, play video games, and do drugs with their free time. Idleness, not unleashed creativity, is the fruit most often produced by removing the human need for labor.

Undoubtedly, some genuinely talented people who are trapped in unfulfilling jobs would benefit from this UBI scenario, but for the average person, it would be a disaster. For most people, even imperfect work provides something essential: structure, routine, responsibility, and a recognized place in the world.

Slaves to the tech plantation

A humanity freed from the necessity of labor would see the Pareto Principle run wild, with a small number of talented and driven people benefiting greatly as the rest fall into idleness. The mortality rate of men spikes when they retire because they lose the structure and meaning that had previously defined their lives.

UBI advocates also have a habit of addressing only the survival aspects of economic behavior while ignoring one of its most important functions — status. The status hierarchy is one of the most important aspects of how humans order our societies, and to determine our place within that hierarchy, we play status games.

Occupations can be extremely desirable for the status they confer, not just the resources they provide. A plumber may earn more than a professor, yet many people would still prefer the title and standing that come with academic life. If AI makes a base level of abundance available, people will compete over something to obtain status. Maybe artisanal, hand-manufactured items will become the new marker of status. The point is that these behaviors are hardwired into humans, and we should not expect them to disappear even if we solve the problem suddenly that they initially addressed.

AI enthusiasts rarely consider the consequences of disconnecting the entire production process from humans. Markets currently seek to maintain an equilibrium between human production and human consumption. There are artificial signals and plenty of distortion, but markets are still human-centered. If you decouple the system from human input by placing everyone on UBI, you create a closed techno-commercial feedback loop that no longer needs to be restricted by human concerns. In such a system, the citizen is no longer a participant but a dependent end user. That is not merely an economic shift. It is a transformation in the meaning of social life.

The danger grows sharper once one considers the political power UBI would concentrate in the state. The U.S. government already plays favorites, denying business loans, college scholarships, mortgage assistance, and other benefits to races, religions, or political affiliations that it finds undesirable. Every payment can become a point of pressure. Every dependency can become a tool of compliance.

It should be obvious that the state would become even more abusive if it became the only distributor of economic goods and services. Incredibly, socialists, libertarians, and techno capitalists can all make the same mistake, though it is not that surprising once you realize the underlying error. Their ideologies differ, but all are tempted by the same thin view of man as a creature defined mainly by material needs. But man is not a machine to be provisioned. We are more than just inputs and outputs; we are creatures who require meaning and purpose. That is something that a universal basic income can never give.

​Abundance, Ai, Auron macintyre, Labor displacement, Ubi, Welfare, Opinion & analysis 

The Southern Poverty Law Center was formally incorporated in 1971 by a pair of Alabama lawyers keen on handling anti-discrimination cases and advancing the cause of civil rights in the United States.

The SPLC morphed over time into a smear- and fear-mongering racket, raking in millions of dollars in contributions — over $106.47 million in fiscal year 2024 alone — and paying its executives gargantuan salaries while both attacking law-abiding conservatives and allegedly funding the very extremism it purportedly seeks to curb.

On Tuesday, the Justice Department announced that a grand jury in Alabama returned an indictment charging the SPLC with 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.

The organization is accused of secretly dumping over $3 million in donated funds to individuals linked to various extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and National Socialist Party of America — groups the SPLC was supposedly fighting against.

‘The SPLC hate group label will almost undoubtedly make it into press reports about future events.’

While liberal donors might now be waking up to the fact that the SPLC is a radical and rotten organization, conservatives have long recognized it as a menace and for good reason: The SPLC’s mischaracterizations and alarmist rhetoric helped set the stage for at least one shooting.

The Family Research Council is a conservative think tank that promotes family, marriage, and the rights of the unborn and speaks forcefully against divorce, pornography, and sexual deviancy. By maintaining orthodox and principled biblical stances on various social issues, the FRC found itself on the SPLC’s radar.

The liberal hate racket listed the Family Research Council as an “anti-gay group” in a winter 2010 report and put it on the same list of extremist groups as the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Nations — groups that allegedly “have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.”

RELATED: SPLC indictment BOMBSHELL: Charlottesville violence allegedly was a leftist-funded ‘false flag’

Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Heidi Beirich, then-research director at the SPLC, said there was no difference between the FRC and the KKK in the eyes of the SPLC; that “what we’re saying is these [anti-gay] groups perpetrate hate — just like those [racist] organizations do.”

The SPLC’s hate-mongering ultimately set the stage for a terrorist attack against the Family Research Council.

Floyd Lee Corkins II stormed into the office of the FRC in Washington, D.C., armed with a gun on Aug. 15, 2012. Corkins later told investigators that he got the name of the conservative organization from the SPLC’s list of alleged anti-gay groups and that he intended to kill as many FRC employees as he could.

‘They’d love nothing more than to see TPUSA in the crosshairs.’

The terrorist proved unable to execute his massacre thanks to the bravery of Leonardo Reno Johnson, the unarmed security guard on duty that day.

Despite catching a bullet to the arm, Johnson managed to disarm and subdue the shooter.

“Floyd Corkins was responsible for firing the shot yesterday that wounded one of our colleagues and our friend Leo Johnson,” said Tony Perkins, president of the FRC, “but Corkins was given a license to shoot an unarmed man by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center.”

The SPLC displaced any and all blame for the attack, stating the day after the shooting that “Perkins’ accusation is outrageous” and that the FRC “should stop the demonization and affirm the dignity of all people.”

As evidenced by its serial demonization of other conservatives and conservative groups, including Turning Point USA and its founder Charlie Kirk, the hate racket clearly did not learn anything from the incident.

The SPLC’s “Year in Hate and Extremism 2024” report contained a lengthy section titled “Turing Point USA: A Case Study of the Hard Right in 2024.”

This section stated that:

“Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA is a well-funded, hard-right organization with links to Southern Poverty Law Center-identified hard-right extremists and a tremendous amount of influence in conservative politics”;TPUSA under Kirk was “emblematic” of the American political right’s supposed embrace of “aggressive state and federal power to enforce a social order rooted in white supremacy” against a backdrop of “patriarchal Christian supremacy dedicated to eroding the value of inclusive democracy and public institutions”;TPUSA was advancing a “narrow vision” that fights for “white, male, Christian dominance in America” and results in the demonization of nonconforming men, women, and “nonbinary people”; andKirk framed Christianity as superior and Christians as persecuted to justify TPUSA’s “extreme, authoritarian vision for the country that threatens the foundation of our democracy.”

Kirk knew full-well what the hate racket was up to, stating on May 25, 2025, “The SPLC has added Turning Point to their ridiculous ‘hate group’ list, right next to the KKK and neo-Nazis, a cheap smear from a washed-up org that’s been fleecing scared grandmas for decades.”

“Their game plan? Scare financial institutions into debanking us, pressure schools to cancel us, and demonize us so some unhinged lunatic feels justified targeting us,” continued Kirk. “Remember the Family Research Council? An SPLC-inspired gunman went after them. They’d love nothing more than to see TPUSA in the crosshairs.”

The day before Kirk’s Sept. 10, 2025, assassination at Utah Valley University, the SPLC Hatewatch newsletter named Kirk and TPUSA as extremist, according to testimony entered into the congressional record in December.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), chairman of the House subcommittee on the Constitution and limited government, said during the same hearing, “As with FRC, in the aftermath of Charlie’s assassination, there have been no retractions, no accountability, and no acknowledgment of the risks inherent in branding mainstream political figures as existential threats. These incidents, separated by 13 years but linked by the same targeting architecture, underscore a sobering reality. The SPLC’s designations don’t merely stigmatize. They can serve as ideological permission slips for individuals already willing to commit political violence.”

Unlike Corkins, Kirk’s alleged assassin does not appear to have made any mention of the SPLC’s smears against his victim.

FRC president Tony Perkins welcomed the charges against the SPLC on Tuesday, noting that “for years, the SPLC has used its platform to label and target organizations with whom it disagrees, often blurring the line between legitimate concern and ideological attack. That kind of reckless characterization doesn’t just damage reputations, it has put lives at risk.”

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​Southern poverty law center, Splc, Charlie kirk, Family research council, Frc, Terrorism, Terrorist, Shooting, Attack, Leftism, Liberal, Fraud, Incitement, Radical, Liberalism, Conservative, Turning point usa, Politics 

Today is April 20, a day of celebration for marijuana enthusiasts everywhere. But did you ever wonder how it came to be?

It’s 1971 in Northern California, and a bunch of kids at San Rafael High School are on the hunt for a vast treasure: a secret patch of marijuana plants hidden in the backcountry of nearby Point Reyes.

Chinese organized crime has come to dominate the illegal marijuana trade across the country.

See, an older guy they know has been growing it, but now he’s worried that he’s going to get busted. So he tells the kids they can harvest it all and keep it — free of charge. He even draws them a map.

Every day after classes, they meet at the statue of Louis Pasteur to continue the search — always around 4:20 p.m. They begin using this as code to talk about the project. First “Louie 420,” later shortened to just “420.”

One of the kids has an older brother who is friends with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. They all start hanging out with the band, and “420” catches on as a sort of all-purpose slang for stoner culture. Later some genius figures out that “420” looks like the date 4/20, i.e. April 20, and here we are.

Oh, and those kids never did find the magical weed farm. And 55 years later, I think I know why. Ready to have your mind blown?

There was no marijuana crop. The guy just thought it was funny to send some dumb high-schoolers on a wild goose chase — complete with a corny treasure map. He and his buddies probably laughed about it once, then forgot about it. Meanwhile, these scrubs are combing through the poison oak in search of their dank El Dorado for weeks.

So when you think about it, 420 is a monument to how gullible and dumb smoking weed makes you.

Also, I’ve just been informed that today is April 23.

Sorry. Ever since they legalized weed out here in California, you can’t roll down your car window without being forced to inhale some sickly sweet cannabis vapors. Everyone in Los Angeles has caught a secondhand high, whether they want to or not.

That’s why I don’t know what day it is, and that’s why it just took me three hours — as well as two “Columbo” episodes and a bag of Funyuns — to write the preceding paragraphs.

Here are some other reasons legalization was a bad idea.

1. This isn’t your parents’ marijuana

Sorry, libertarians, but the whole legalization debate was built on a product that barely exists any more. In the 1970s, levels of THC (the chemical that makes you enjoy jazz music) hovered around 2%-3%. Today, it’s routine to find 15% to 20% THC in your classic “flower” — that green stuff Cheech and Chong smoked.

And nowadays we have a whole new lineup of cannabis concentrates, which can contain up to 60% to 80% THC levels. One minute you’re trying to make “The Dark Side of the Moon” sync up with “The Wizard of Oz”; the next you’re having a vision quest in the Vons frozen food aisle.

2. The psychosis link is real — and better established now

When it came to pot, former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson was firmly in the “it’s just a plant” camp — where any suggestion that marijuana could trigger serious mental health issues was treated as laughable “reefer madness” scare tactics.

Until his wife, at the time a senior psychiatrist at a facility for the criminally mentally ill, made an offhand comment about the latest violent offender she was treating: “Of course he’d been smoking pot his whole life.”

Of course?

That was the moment that sent Berenson digging, ultimately leading to his 2019 book, “Tell Your Children.”

What he found wasn’t a fringe theory, but something closer to a quiet consensus inside psychiatry, supported by study after study: Heavy cannabis use is linked to psychosis, and the link gets stronger with potency and frequency.

None of this means marijuana will cause psychosis in most users. But the fact remains that legalization normalized a product that, for a meaningful minority of users, can trigger something serious — and sometimes irreversible.

This is a trade-off that rarely makes it into the cultural conversation — and never into the marketing.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk urges Trump to reconsider reclassifying marijuana: ‘Protect public spaces for kids’

White House photo

3. Legalization didn’t replace the black market

One of the simplest arguments for legalization was also one of the most intuitive: If you make marijuana legal, the illegal market disappears.

But that didn’t happen.

Take California, the country’s largest legal cannabis market. State analysts and industry observers still estimate the illicit trade to be as large as or larger than the legal one. The reasons aren’t mysterious.

Illegal sellers don’t test, tax, or restrict — so they can move faster and sell cheaper. They can also use banned, highly toxic pesticides to maximize crop yields. This tainted weed often ends up on dispensary shelves right next to regulated dope.

Because enforcement focuses on still-illegal drugs like meth and heroin, the marijuana black market offers an attractive opportunity for criminal networks. Chinese organized crime in particular has come to dominate the illegal marijuana trade across the country — trafficking Chinese nationals to work the farms.

4. ‘Not addictive’ is not really true

“Weed isn’t addictive” has become one of the most repeated — and least examined — claims in the legalization era.

It’s true in a narrow, clinical sense: Marijuana doesn’t typically produce the kind of severe physical dependence associated with opioids or alcohol. But that’s not the only way habits take hold.

What is more common — and easier to miss — is behavioral dependence, building routines around use that are hard to break, even without dramatic withdrawal symptoms.

Research from agencies like the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that roughly three in 10 users develop cannabis use disorder — a figure that rises with daily use and higher-potency products.

It’s a widespread crisis that is all the more insidious for how undramatic it is: a gradual narrowing of motivation, attention, and energy.

​Legalized weed california, Thc levels increase, Chronic cannabis use, Drugs, Lifestyle 

Pope Leo XIV wants Christians and Muslims to focus on what unites them.

That was the clear message of his remarks last week inside a mosque in Algeria. But by highlighting common ground, the pope may be downplaying something just as important: the big and enduring differences — not to mention a long, uneasy history — that continue to shape relations between the two faiths.

Speaking at the Grand Mosque of Algiers on April 13, the pope emphasized mercy, solidarity, and what he called “concrete fraternity.” He urged believers to reject violence, warning that religion without compassion loses sight of human dignity. It was a gracious, carefully calibrated message, one that reflects decades of Catholic outreach to the Muslim world.

Real dialogue, if it is to be more than symbolic, requires more than shared language about peace and dignity. It requires clarity.

But it’s only part of the story.

Relations between the papacy and Islam stretch back more than 1,300 years to the era of Pope Donus in the 7th century, when the rapid expansion of Islam transformed the Christian world. What followed was not primarily dialogue, but conflict. Muslim armies swept through formerly Christian lands in North Africa and the Middle East. Europe responded with the Crusades. Constantinople fell. Naval battles like Lepanto became defining moments of civilizational struggle. For much of history, Christianity and Islam encountered each other not in shared spaces of worship, but on opposing sides of war.

That history does not dictate the future, but ignoring it doesn’t lend clarity to the present.

The Catholic Church’s modern approach to Islam largely dates to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Its declaration, Nostra Aetate, marked a turning point, stating that the Church “has a high regard for the Muslims,” who worship the one, merciful God. It called for both sides to move beyond past hostilities and work together for justice and peace.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church builds on that framework. It teaches that Muslims, “together with us, adore the one, merciful God” and are included in God’s plan of salvation. That’s pretty remarkable language, especially when viewed against centuries of conflict. They reflect the Vatican’s deliberate effort to emphasize common ground and reduce religious hostility.

But they do not erase fundamental differences.

Islam rejects the Christian understanding of God as Trinity, denies the divinity of Jesus, and does not accept the central claim of salvation through the cross and resurrection. These are not minor disagreements. They go to the heart of what each religion believes about God and humanity’s relationship to Him. Any serious discussion of Christian-Muslim relations must grapple with that reality.

Previous popes have approached this tension in different ways.

Pope St. John Paul II became the first pope in history to enter a mosque when he visited the Great Mosque of Damascus on May 6, 2001 — a groundbreaking moment in interfaith relations just months before 9/11. That same year, he sparked controversy by kissing the Koran. Supporters saw it as a sign of deep respect. Critics saw it as a confusing gesture that seemed to honor a text at odds with core Christian beliefs. Either way, it highlighted the risks that come with symbolic outreach.

Pope Benedict XVI took a more cautious approach. While committed to dialogue, he stressed that it must be grounded in truth and reason, not just goodwill. He argued that peace requires honesty about differences, including disagreements over religious freedom, an issue that remains unresolved in parts of the Muslim world where Christians face legal or social restrictions.

Pope Leo’s remarks in Algeria clearly point to the Vatican’s emphasis on unity. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. In a fractured world, a call for peace and mutual respect is not only understandable, but it’s also necessary.

There is, however, a difference between emphasizing shared values and presenting an incomplete picture.

Leo spoke movingly about fraternity but said little about the theological differences that define Christianity and Islam. He called for peace but did not address the question of reciprocity — whether Christians are afforded the same freedoms in Muslim-majority countries that Muslims enjoy in the West. He highlighted what unites while leaving largely unspoken what divides.

That move may be diplomatically prudent. It may even be pastorally appropriate in a mosque setting.

But for a global audience, it risks creating the impression that the differences are smaller, or less significant, than they really are.

Real dialogue, if it is to be more than symbolic, requires more than shared language about peace and dignity. It requires clarity. It requires acknowledging that agreement on some moral principles does not erase profound disagreements about truth. And it requires confronting difficult realities, including the uneven state of religious freedom worldwide.

The Catholic Church’s own teaching reflects this balance. It calls for respect toward Muslims, rejects hatred and violence, and encourages cooperation where possible. But it also insists on the uniqueness of Christ and the truth of the gospel. Those elements are not in conflict.

The challenge is maintaining that balance in practice.

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to an Algerian mosque was a powerful symbol of goodwill. It showed a church willing to engage, to listen, and to seek peace across religious boundaries. But symbols, however compelling, are not the whole story.

If interfaith dialogue is to have real substance, it must be rooted not only in what is shared, but also in what is true — and in a clear-eyed understanding of history, theology, and the world as it is.

That is the harder message. It is also a far more necessary one.

​Christians, Divinity, Gospel, Muslims, Pope leo xiv, Theology, Opinion & analysis 

There’s an old saying: If they didn’t make you, they can’t break you.

But when you start living for the applause or fearing the critics, you have already lost your way. Eric Swalwell used to love the spotlight and ignore the noise, but eventually, that borrowed protection always falls apart.

Now, he’s standing there on his own, having to answer for it all. People don’t just wake up and decide to ruin their lives. It happens through tiny, bad choices that feel like no big deal at the time — mostly because nothing seems to go wrong immediately.

Judas didn’t just end up where he did by accident. It started with small compromises he thought he could handle.

If you think you’re above a fall like this, you’re already kidding yourself. This isn’t just about one man’s mistake; it’s a pattern. These things build up long before anyone sees them. By the time the truth comes out, the damage is already done.

We live in a world that loves the idea of “my truth” or “your truth,” but reality isn’t that flexible. The truth doesn’t care if you’re ready for it; it just is. When it hits, everything changes. The room gets quiet, confidence turns into defensiveness, and things start to unravel fast.

Most people see this happen and think one of two things: “That’s what you get for living that way” or “I’m just glad I’m not that guy.”

Both of those look like safe responses, but they aren’t. Those thoughts show up quietly, sounding like common sense or discernment rather than pride. That’s why we trust them. But if we think this is only about someone else, we’ve missed the point. It’s easy to judge and say he deserved it, but the Bible warns us not to celebrate when an enemy falls — not just to be polite, but because it reveals our own hearts. Wanting justice for him while expecting mercy for ourselves is exactly what keeps us from seeing our own need to make things right.

RELATED: Democrats’ ‘Sergeant Schultz strategy’ on Chavez and Swalwell

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty Images

This isn’t just something to gossip about; it’s a warning. Judas didn’t just end up where he did by accident. It started with small compromises he thought he could handle. That’s the big lie: that you can manage guilt without it costing you anything.

I’ve seen crowds scream the lyrics to AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” like the whole idea is just a joke. The music feels good, and the moment hides the reality. Until it doesn’t.

Eventually, the music stops, and the voices fade. There comes a moment when you can’t shout over the truth any more. The Bible shows us that when that first happened, no one needed an explanation.

They knew. They tried to hide. Nothing has really changed since then. When that moment comes for us, there won’t be any point in comparing ourselves to others. We’ll just stand there as we are — covered, or not.

There’s no spin and no audience to back you up. If we’re just relying on our own efforts, we’re completely exposed. But there is hope: Jesus Christ.

He doesn’t argue that we are innocent. Instead, He invites us to turn around and trust Him. He gives us His own goodness to stand in. There really isn’t a middle ground.

​Jesus christ, Eric swalwell, Common sense, Christian living, Opinion & analysis 

Alabama police are investigating the brutal murder of a mother, her pregnant daughter, and her son, who were all found tied up in separate rooms of their home in Wilmer.

Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said officers responded to the residence at about 2:30 a.m. Monday and found the “brutal scene” of murder.

‘I hope and feel comfortable we’ll have this animal or animals off the streets soon.’

Lisa Gail Fields, 46, was stabbed, her 17-year-old daughter Keziah Arionna Luker was shot, and her 12-year-old son Thomas Cordelle Jr. had his throat cut and was nearly decapitated, according to Burch.

“It was a brutal scene,” Burch said. “If you’ve got a beef with an adult … there’s nothing worth killing over, but to murder two children brutally. … I hope and feel comfortable we’ll have this animal or animals off the streets soon.”

Police also found an 18-month-old baby in the home who was unharmed.

“At this point, we don’t suspect any kind of domestic or family-type situation,” Burch said.

He went on to say the home was in a state of disarray, which could mean the perpetrators were searching for something. Police also believe there was more than one suspect involved because the three people had been subdued.

“It tells me that they had a plan coming in to bring zip ties or flex cuffs with them, so they had a plan,” Burch added.

A family member found the horrific scene after the father of the unborn child could not reach Luker. The victims were all found with their hands tied behind their backs.

Police said they have some positive leads in the case.

RELATED: Homeless man found tied up in vacant home was brutally beaten with signs of torture, police say

“It’s a senseless murder,” Luker’s father said to WALA-TV.

“She was a bubble of sunshine. A person that makes you smile,” he added, “a person that’ll make you laugh whenever you’re down. She had empathy for everybody. She loved her brothers; she loved her mom; she loved all of us.”

He added that she had just gotten her GED equivalent.

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​Alabama family murdered, Pregnant woman murdered, Brutal murders, Crime, Wilmer quadruple homicide 

For years, Glenn Beck has called for the abolition of the Federal Reserve, arguing it’s nothing more than a private banking cartel that enables endless government spending, devalues the dollar through inflation, and secretly steals wealth from Americans via corrupt monetary policies.

But new evidence that just surfaced proves the problem is even worse than he thought.

To explain what’s been happening behind the American people’s back, Glenn gives an analogy.

“Imagine the U.S. economy is like one giant, never-ending house party that’s been raging for years, and the Federal Reserve is the bartender in charge of the punch bowl. The punch bowl, that’s liquidity, easy money flowing through the banks and the markets and the businesses,” he begins.

For years, the “punch” was overdistributed, making partygoers drunk and willing to make poor decisions. “This is when stocks and houses get wildly overpriced. Companies borrow stupid amounts … and everybody starts to do stupid things,” Glenn says.

That’s exactly what happened in 2022 when the Federal Reserve “just printed a whole buttload of money,” he says.

But when things “got ugly,” it suddenly reversed course and announced an initiative called “quantitative tightening,” which essentially “drained the whole punch bowl.”

The Federal Reserve “needed to get rid of $2.3 trillion worth of bonds that they owned, and they said, ‘We’re just going to let them expire,”’ Glenn explains.

“In theory, this drains the money out of the system, makes it harder for you to get loans and everything else. Borrowing is more expensive. The bubbles will pop. It forces the economy to sober up.”

But this was just a ruse, Glenn says.

Instead of actually stopping the flow of “punch,” the Federal Reserve during the COVID-19 pandemic quietly redirected it instead.

“A lot of it ended up in a giant backroom keg called the overnight reverse repo facility. … These are money market funds, big investors, big banks,” Glenn says, “and they parked about $2.5 trillion in for safekeeping, and they were earning a safe interest rate from the Fed.”

But then the backroom keg finally ran dry.

“By 2023, something had changed. The short-term Treasury bills (super safe government IOUs) started paying higher interest than the keg in the back room, so the big investors said, ‘Why are we letting all the alcohol sit in the keg? We can have a party elsewhere,”’ Glenn says. “So they started draining the backroom keg $100-$200 billion every single month, and they poured that money right back into stocks and bonds and lending.”

What was the result?

“More punch than we started with in the first place!” Glenn exclaims.

“That’s why the Dow Jones keeps hitting new highs, government keeps funding huge deficits. … The bartender was pretending to cut off the drinks while secretly letting the elite guests go into the back room and get the hidden stash.”

These still-drunk elites, Glenn says, continue to “make stupid, dumb bets,” which just makes the “hangover worse” for the normies.

“Look out, gang — you’ve been lied to yet again,” he cautions, calling the Federal Reserve a “criminal organization” that is “stealing from the American people.”

“End the Fed,” he pleads.

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.

​Blaze media, Blazetv, Bonds, Criminal organization, Dollar devaluation, Dow jones, End the fed, Federal reserve, Glenn beck, Government spending, Inflation, Interest rate, Loans, Money market funds, Repo facility, Stocks, The glenn beck program, Treasury bills, Wealth theft 

“Dozens of bystanders” reportedly were recording video while a 15-year-old boy was mercilessly beaten and then fatally shot at a New York City playground last week.

Former Mayor Eric Adams posted video on X showing Thursday’s deadly altercation, and the New York Daily News reported that the clip shows “dozens of bystanders … recording” while the beatdown took place.

‘They treated it all as entertainment. He was already beat up. He was helpless, and they shot him.’

The Daily News added that the video shows at least three individuals repeatedly punching and kicking victim Jaden Pierre as he tries to protect himself amid the attack.

The paper said one of the attackers is seen grabbing Pierre’s hoodie and throwing him to the ground. After Pierre gets back up, one of the attackers pulls a gun and pistol-whips Pierre, and gunfire rings out, the Daily News said, adding that Pierre collapses to the ground, and the crowd runs away.

The paper said Pierre suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.

The day after the fatal shooting, New York City Police posted images of an individual they said is wanted for the homicide of the 15-year-old victim.

On Tuesday, the NYPD said 18-year-old gang member Zahir Davis is the individual being sought in connection with the shooting at the Nautilus Playground inside Ray Wilkins Park in Queens, according the the Daily News.

However, police sources told the paper the shooter has connections to the Caribbean nation of Jamaica and may have fled there after the deadly altercation.

There are conflicting reports regarding why a crowd gathered at the playground that day. The Daily News said Pierre was attending a water-gun fight he helped organize over social media. WPIX-TV also said it was a water-gun fight. However, WABC-TV said the gathering was for a water-balloon fight.

The Daily News said an unidentified associate of Davis recognized Pierre from a previous brawl, after which Davis and the unidentified associate cornered Pierre against a fence, where they were caught on video beating the teen as dozens of bystanders stood by recording the attack.

Soon the shooting took place, the paper said, adding that police said forensic investigators will determine if the shooting was accidental.

“When you watch the video, he strikes him in the head with a gun, and as he comes down, the shot rings out,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said, according to the paper.

Kenny said the man who incited Thursday’s attack jumped Pierre in January, and Pierre’s friends retaliated by beating that same man, the Daily News reported.

Kenny also noted that Davis is part of the BG4 crew — short for Blitz Gang 4 — which operates in southeast Queens, the paper said.

At a Monday evening vigil for Pierre, New York Attorney General Letitia James said detectives had identified the shooter and urged the suspect to surrender himself, the Daily News said.

RELATED: Blaze News original: 10 times bystanders failed to help victims of brutal violence — and often recorded video instead

“I want everyone to know that the police know who shot Jaden,” James said as she stood with the victim’s family and hundreds of mourners just steps from the scene of the crime, according to the paper.

The attorney general added, “I would urge this gentleman to turn himself in, to surrender as soon as possible, before the NYPD gets to you. They know who you are,” the Daily News reported.

Gardy Pierre, the victim’s father, added the following during the vigil, according to the above WCBS-TV video: “I know how tough he was. They knew, man. That was the only way to put him down. ‘Cause they know he’s gonna stand up tall on 10 toes every time, man.”

The victim’s older sister, 17-year-old Nellie Pierre, had harsh words for those recording video of the attack on her brother, telling the Daily News that “everyone there recording did nothing. They treated it all as entertainment. He was already beat up. He was helpless, and they shot him.”

The paper, citing relatives, said Jaden attended ninth grade at Eagle Academy and was looking forward to starting a new job through the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program.

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​Fatal shooting, Boy fatally shot, New york city, Playground, Physical attack, Suspect named, Suspect at large, Bystanders record video, Bystanders fail to intervene, Water gun fight, Queens, Jaden pierre, Zahir davis, Crime 

A controversial referendum that passed Tuesday to redistrict Virginia’s congressional maps has been blocked by a judge.

Virginia has six Democrats and five Republicans currently in Congress, but the redistricted map could lead to Democrats controlling all but one of the seats.

‘This is not saving democracy. … This is a sham.’

The Tazewell Circuit Court judge blocked the state from certifying the results of the vote and claimed that the process had broken several Virginia state laws. Republicans have filed several lawsuits against the redistricting effort.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said the state would appeal the decision.

“Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have veto power over the people’s vote. We look forward to defending the outcome of last night’s election in court,” Jones said.

While Republicans objected vehemently to the redistricting, Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger argued that it was merely a “response to what we’re seeing in other states that have taken extreme measures to undermine democratic norms.”

Critics have pointed out the biased wording of the referendum that would mislead otherwise uninformed voters.

“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,” the measure reads, “while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”

RELATED: ‘Maximum warfare’: Democrats celebrate after Virginia decides to disenfranchise GOP voters

“The Democrat Party is ruthless, and what they did, you know, they wrote a ballot initiative that was completely disingenuous,” Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin said about the vote.

“This is not saving democracy,” he added. “If you look at the actual vote totals by county, which I did this morning, it proves that the 6 to 5 ratio was accurate. This is a sham.”

“House Democrats have crushed Donald Trump’s national gerrymandering scheme,” U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) claimed. “Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.”

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​Judge blocks va referendum, Tazewell circuit court judge, Democrats gerrymander, Va redistricting vote, Politics 

One Florida man’s complaint against Republicans forbidding snacks and soda purchases in the food welfare program sparked a massive debate online.

Critics of the Trump administration have angrily denounced the ban on unhealthy foods purchased with taxpayer funds through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

‘There are thousands of people who don’t use benefits who have to say no to soda/candy bc they can’t afford it.’

One Florida man became the center of the debate on the X social media platform after complaining about the ban on Monday.

“As of today, Florida SNAP recipients can’t buy soda or candy because God forbid we allow a single mom and her kids a few moments of happiness at the end of the day,” wrote the man, who identified as a NeverTrumper.

The suggestion was immediately buried by a landslide of responses from those defending the ban on taxpayer-funded candy and soda.

“There is no nutritional value in candy or soda. What Texas and Florida are doing fits the purpose of the program, which is making sure families have access to nutritious food. It buys meat, milk, bread, eggs, etc,” economic expert Amy Nixon replied.

“Where does it end? How much should taxpayers be on the hook for? It’s not Monopoly money. We give people who (mostly) made decisions resulting in the [U.S.] paying their way. There are thousands of people who don’t use benefits who have to say no to soda/candy bc they can’t afford it,” responded Blaze Media social media editor Jessica O’Donnell.

“SNAP recipients can still buy soda and candy if they want. They just have to use their own money, like everyone else. SNAP is government assistance for supplemental NUTRITION; soda & candy is not nutrition,” GOP communications specialist Christina Pushaw replied.

“Soda and candy are luxuries. If you are reliant on taxpayer funding to feed your family, then you cannot afford luxuries. Many average citizens who DO NOT rely on taxpayer funding have to cut out luxury items,” another popular response reads.

“Taxpayer funded SNAP was not designed to bring single moms and kids moments of happiness,” another critic replied. “It’s [sic] intent is to provide low income households with basic nutritional sustenance. If junkfood makes you happy, you’re welcome to buy it with your earned money like the rest of us.”

A group of SNAP recipients has filed a lawsuit to stop the ban on junk foods, sugary sodas, and energy drinks after arguing that it’s discriminatory against diabetics and people with “avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.”

RELATED: Able-bodied 38-year-old man goes viral for response to Trump food stamp restrictions: ‘That’s some bulls**t!’

The original poster followed up with a response to the furor he caused.

“I’m obviously not spending my day replying to all of these but if you are bothered by people getting a soda and some candy but not the billions and billions of dollars that we waste every day at the Pentagon, you should do some soul-searching,” he wrote.

“We could fund an entire week of nationwide snap benefits for every day of our engagement with Iran,” he added.

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​Snap benefits to end, Sugary snacks on snap, Florida man online, Online debate, Politics 

A naturalized citizen from the U.K. who allegedly went on a shooting spree in Georgia and murdered a DHS employee walking her dog has been found dead in his prison cell while awaiting trial.

Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, was arrested after a witness saw him last week standing over the body of Lauren Bullis, an auditor with the Department of Homeland Security.

Police said the killing was the third murderous attack Adon Abel had committed in a series that included the lethal shooting of a woman and another shooting that killed a homeless man.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Adon Abel was found unresponsive in his jail cell just after 6:48 p.m. Tuesday and was pronounced dead 29 minutes later after detention staff tried to revive him.

Officials said there was no evidence of foul play in his death, and an internal investigation will determine the circumstances of his death.

Bullis was walking her dog on April 13 when Adon Abel shot and stabbed her, according to police. Her neighbor said she saw the man trying to pull the victim’s pants off after the attack before he fled.

Police said the killing was the third murderous attack Adon Abel had committed in a series that included the lethal shooting of a woman and another shooting that killed a homeless man.

DHS later released the man’s extensive prior criminal convictions that included “sexual battery, battery against a police officer, obstruction, assault with a deadly weapon, and vandalism.”

“These acts of pure evil have devastated our Department and my prayers are with the families of the victims,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.

Adon Abel was naturalized by the Biden administration in 2022.

RELATED: ‘Monster’ suspected of brutally murdering DHS employee walking her dog is an immigrant naturalized by Biden, DHS says

Mullin went on to say that the Trump administration is making efforts to prevent dangerous criminals from entering the country through the immigration system.

“In an effort to remove murderers like this from our communities, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the creation of a new vetting center on December 5, 2025, to enhance screening and vetting of immigration applications, with a focus on identifying terrorists, criminal aliens, and other threats to public safety,” reads a statement from DHS.

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​Olaolukitan adon abel, Murder of dhs employee, Adon abel found dead, Politics, Georgia murder spree 

President Donald Trump says he has secured an agreement with the Iranian regime to stop the planned execution of eight women who had reportedly protested against the ruling party.

The women were reportedly swept up in the regime’s crackdown on protests in January that led to thousands being killed and tens of thousands of arrests. Official estimates of the death count vary widely.

‘I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request, as President of the United States.’

“Very good news! I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed,” the president wrote in a statement on Truth Social.

He went on to say that four of the women would be released immediately and another four would be sentenced to one month in prison.

“I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request, as President of the United States, and terminated the planned execution. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.

The Trump administration is negotiating with the remaining elements of the Iranian regime after devastating strikes from the U.S. and Israel.

On Tuesday, the president had posted a request to the Iranian regime to do no harm to the women as a show of good faith for their peace negotiations.

The president was responding to a post on social media by pro-Israel activist Eyal Yakoby that included photos of eight women. Among them was Bita Hemmati, a woman accused of committing violent acts in the protest, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an opposition organization.

On Tuesday, Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran in order to allow the regime to come up with a “unified proposal” for peace negotiations. Iran later announced that it had seized two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

RELATED: AIPAC targets Massie with massive spend as primary hits the homestretch

A Norwegian human rights group said that two of the women had already been let out on bail since late March, and the Iranian judiciary denied that the women were facing the death penalty.

Amnesty International said there was evidence to prove the regime had conducted “mass unlawful killings” on an “unprecedented scale” to quell the protests. Former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had admitted to “thousands” of deaths.

Iran claimed more than 3,000 people had been killed, but some estimates place the death toll to as many as 20,000, according to Amnesty.

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​Trump iran, Us-israeli strikes on iran, 8 women protesters in iran, Trump iran negotiations, Politics 

The Israel Defense Forces have been painted into a corner recently, as they were forced to acknowledge and respond to an atrocious act of sacrilege committed by those in their ranks.

Blaze News previously reported on two separate incidents involving IDF soldiers desecrating Christian sites and symbols.

The secular headquarters ‘have very little control of the behavior on the ground.’

The first incident involved a uniformed IDF soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in the face with a sledgehammer. The second, which occurred in late November 2024, was a video showing the desecration of an Orthodox church in Deir Mimas, Lebanon.

While the IDF has acknowledged both incidents to some degree, the extent of their response to the recent viral photo of the IDF soldier smashing the Christ statue was a rare step for Israeli leadership.

RELATED: IDF under fire after shocking footage of Lebanese church desecration resurfaces

Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “shocked and saddened” by the photo, the IDF announced punishments following the conclusion of their investigation.

The IDF announced Tuesday that both the soldier who photographed the smashing of the statue and the one who destroyed it would be removed from combat duty and receive 30 days of military detention.

Six additional soldiers who were present at the scene failed to intervene, stop, or report the incident. They have been “summoned for clarification discussions,” and “further command-level measures will be determined” moving forward.

Yet a new article from the Telegraph has suggested that these incidents may be a symptom of changing religious dynamics within the IDF’s ranks.

The Telegraph reported that a stricter sense of religious observance has begun to change the IDF culture.

Citing examples such as female soldiers being reprimanded for dressing “immodestly” and other soldiers being jailed for barbecuing on Shabbat, the Telegraph suggested that the IDF’s culture would be “almost unrecognizable” to the Israeli soldiers of the first decades of the state’s existence.

It is common knowledge that Israel’s military has historically been a secular institution within a largely secular government.

However, the author suggested that the IDF’s ranks are beginning to fill with Israelis who adhere to a “messianic and ultra-nationalist ideology” that informs the very reason they joined the military service in the first place.

This trend has caused tensions to rise between the religious soldiers and the generally secular leadership.

Chairman of the Secular Forum Dr. Ram Vromen told the Telegraph that the leadership views these changes with hostility.

“For years before October 7, secular people increasingly identified the combat roles with things they were not sympathetic to, like the occupation in the West Bank, so they volunteered for other roles,” he said. “But the religious and the religious nationalist recruits volunteer for combat roles enthusiastically.”

Vromen added that the secular headquarters “have very little control of the behavior on the ground,” likely referring to the recent incidents that have harmed the IDF’s public image.

It was later argued that the IDF, even if its leadership remains secular, faces a dilemma.

Between growing personnel shortages during the war and an increasing reliance on these religious soldiers to do the warfighting, the military cannot afford to lose them; however, the religious cultural shift continues to solidify its hold on the institution through an “increasingly muscular military rabbinate” and a takeover of most educational activities in the military.

As a result, the IDF may be forced to deal with increasingly popular ideas such as the expansionist “Greater Israel” project, along with more incidents like those mentioned above.

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​Benjamin netanyahu, Desecration, Israel defense forces, Jesus christ, Lebanon, Orthodox church, Politics, Sledgehammer, Soldiers, Idf, Idf soldier, Prime minister, Greater israel, Ram vromen, Secular forum, West bank, The telegraph 

The internet icon known as the Scottish axe girl gave testimony in the trial of a man accused of attacking her last August.

Following her testimony, a judge lectured the young girl about possessing the weapons in the first place.

‘Come here, sexy. I’ll show you how to have a good time.’

The case goes back to the summer of 2025 when the 13-year-old girl was captured on video brandishing an axe and a knife in Dundee, Scotland.

Blaze News previously reported on allegations that a man had attacked the young girl after making sexual comments. Scotland Police stated than an adult man and woman had been charged in relation to the incident, along with a young girl.

The accused have since been identified as 22-year-old Ilia Belov and 20-year-old Nadjedzha Belova; both were charged with violent offenses against a group of girls between 12 and 14 years old. The man is also accused of following four young girls, according to the BBC, but he denies the allegations.

During Belov’s trial last week, the teen girl testified that the man repeatedly said, “Come here, sexy. I’ll show you how to have a good time.”

The girl said the remarks made her “angry,” so she “turned around and shouted at him.”

RELATED: US birth rate plummets to record low in 2025 amid estimated 1,126,000 abortions

The 13-year-old also testified that a woman approached the group and threw the girl’s sister to the ground, which is when the girl tried “to go for” the woman but was pushed by the man.

The child then accused the adult male of pushing her on the head, which hit a handrail, and the adult female of kicking her sister “in the head.”

The girl told the defense attorney that it was at this point she brandished the axe and knife from her waistband, which was when she was filmed.

Defense lawyer Larry Flynn claimed that his client, Belov, did not start the incident and was simply responding to comments that were made to him. He also claimed that the witness called Belov an “immigrant,” but the young girl denied the allegation.

RELATED: Police charge man and woman in connection with Scottish axe girl incident

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

After the young girl presented her testimony, Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith — the judge presiding over the trial — told her she shouldn’t have been carrying weapons in the first place.

“I hope you reflect that it’s not a good idea to carry weapons in the city of Dundee,” he reportedly said.

“There is no such thing as a defensive weapon; there are only offensive weapons,” he added.

According to U.K. law, it is an offense to carry “a bladed or sharply pointed article” in public. Although there are carveouts for a “reasonable excuse,” such as work, religion, or costume, the application of these rules can be strict.

According to the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland, a government oversight agency, a gardener was convicted for possessing an axe in the door of his car because it was not stored in a tool bag in the trunk with his other tools.

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​Politics, Scotland, United kingdom, Immigrants, Self defense, Scottish axe girl, Knife, Weapons, News 

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota refused to answer a reporter’s questions about revisions to her wealth disclosures.

Omar changed a disclosure of her assets from millions down to far less after Republicans demanded financial documents from her and her husband.

‘Last time I spoke to you, you said I was “stupid” for asking about your financial disclosure, but there’s some discrepancies on there, would you like to explain that?’

When pressed by a LindellTV reporter Alison Steinberg about the disclosures, Omar refused to answer even the simplest of questions.

“Last time I spoke to you, you said that I was ‘stupid’ for asking about your financial disclosure, but there’s some discrepancies on there. Would you like to explain that?” asked Steinberg. “Would you like to explain them? How did you make such a big mistake on them?”

“I said absolutely I think you’re stupid for asking me anything,” Omar responded.

“I am?” she asked.

“Yes!” Omar replied.

“Well, what about the American people who are wondering how you made such a big mistake?” Steinberg pressed.

“I have explained to the American people,” Omar said, smiling.

“What’s the explanation?” Steinberg asked.

“I have given them the explanation,” Omar claimed.

“Do you want to tell our viewers?” Steinberg asked.

“I don’t want to tell you jack s**t!” Omar interrupted.

“Oh!” Steinberg responded.

“How about that?” Omar said.

“OK!” Steinberg said.

“OK, have a good day!” Omar added.

LindellTV posted video of the interaction on social media where it quickly went viral.

RELATED: GOP demands financial docs from Omar’s husband: ‘Who’s funding this? Who’s buying access?’

Omar had initially reported her assets as being between $6 million and up to $30 million after growing in one year from $51,000. After investigative reporters began questioning the possibility of such a massive growth in assets, congressional Republicans demanded financial documents from her husband about their business investments.

Months later, a spokesperson for Omar said that the report had been a mistake and that they had revised the asset value to $18,004 and $95,000.

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​Ilhan omar finances, Lindelltv alison steinberg, Omar freaks out, Financial disclosures, Politics 

Whether you send texts through iMessage on iPhone, RCS on Android, or a third-party app like Signal, all of them boast end-to-end encryption, which is designed to keep your chats safe, secure, and private. No one can read them but you, right? Not so fast. Thanks to a little flaw in the way your phone delivers notifications, the FBI may be able to read your conversations and even use them against you in a criminal trial.

The case

On July 4, 2025, a group of “violent assailants equipped with tactical gear and weapons” descended on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas. One source claims that they set off fireworks and vandalized the facility. A police officer was even shot in the neck during the event. Luckily, the officer survived, and 10 perpetrators were apprehended four days later. Eight of the defendants were found guilty of multiple charges in their trial last month, and part of the evidence used to convict them came from an unlikely source: text messages procured by the FBI that were sent via Signal, an end-to-end encrypted messaging app.

This bombshell revelation comes with a few hard facts to keep in mind.

The question on everyone’s minds is, “How?” Signal’s powerful E2EE technology — dubbed the Signal Protocol — is lauded by technology enthusiasts and privacy proponents as one of the best open source encryption solutions available, yet somehow it was bypassed entirely. Even more concerning, the Signal app was already deleted from the suspect’s phone by the time the FBI gathered the incriminating messages, meaning that at least some chat data was both left behind and accessible.

So if Signal is exceptionally safe, secure, and private, how did the FBI easily gather these incriminating text messages for trial?

As it turns out, the flaw that handed this data to the FBI had nothing special to do with Signal. The feds could have gathered messages from any app, thanks to the way smartphones manage one of their most popular features.

The flaw

When you receive a push notification on your device, it comes across as a glanceable snippet of information complete with the app’s name, the app’s icon, and the details of the notification. These are known as notification previews.

Push notifications work for nearly every app — messages, social media, email, everything. And to make sure you get the most useful information from push notifications, they’re set to show snippets by default, letting you know exactly why you were pinged in the first place.

Unfortunately, while the apps that send push notifications can be encrypted, the information displayed in push notifications is stored as plain text within the device and openly available with the right tools.

RELATED: RED FLAG: FBI says these apps let China suck up your personal data

Dragos Condrea/Getty Images

That means the FBI can easily access and read this information for any push notification from any app on your device, assuming it has your phone in its possession. This includes private chats.

Notification previews on (left) and off (right)Zach Laidlaw/iOS 26 on iPhone 17 Pro Max

Cold hard facts

This bombshell revelation comes with a few hard facts to keep in mind:

This flaw only records incoming messages through the notifications system. It cannot save or replicate outgoing messages from the target device, since these are never displayed as notifications for the main user.The FBI can’t remote-connect to a targeted device to access this information. It must physically have the phone in its possession, which requires a warrant or subpoena.Although this particular case involved an iPhone, the flaw works on both iPhone and Android.

The worst part is that this isn’t the first time this particular exploit has popped up. In late 2023, Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.) warned that governments could spy on iPhone and Android users through push notifications using a similar method. This vulnerability has been known and exploited for years with no solutions from Apple or Google.

How to hide your notifications from government spying

The good news is that there is something you can do to fix the problem right now, but it will make your phone a little less glanceable. Apple’s iOS offers a way to hide app previews from the notification system. When previews are disabled, you will still see when you receive a notification, but the information inside will be hidden from the notification shade, ensuring it isn’t recorded or saved for later access.

To disable notification previews on iPhone, open the “Settings” app and tap “Notifications.” In the first section of text, you’ll find “Shows Previews.” Tap there and change the preview option to “Never.” If you don’t want to disable all previews, you can also disable these on an app-by-app basis by clicking on the app you want to hide and adjusting its settings.

Zach Laidlaw/iOS 26 on iPhone 17 Pro Max

As for Android, the only way to hide notification previews is to disable notifications entirely, either for the whole system or for individual apps.

This isn’t advised, of course, since you may miss important notifications, but if you’d like to add an extra layer of protection between you and the government, open the “Settings” app and hop into the “Notifications” section. Then select “App Notifications” and uncheck every potentially problematic app on the list. For even more insurance, disable notification history as well.

Zach Laidlaw/Android 16 on Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

Given that this flaw has existed for years without a solution makes it unlikely that Apple or Google will patch their operating systems anytime soon. Unfortunately, this appears to be more of a feature than a bug, prompting users to take their notification settings into their own hands to prevent unwanted data leaks.

​Tech, Fbi, Encrypted data, Privacy, Smartphone 

A longtime Democrat congressman from Georgia has passed away.

Rep. David Scott died on Wednesday at the age of 80, his office confirmed, according to the New York Post. The South Carolina native was first elected to the Georgia Assembly in 1974, to the state Senate in 1982, and then to Congress in 2002.

Scott is the fifth member of the 119th Congress to die since they took office in January 2025.

During his re-election campaign in 2024, some Democrats called on Scott to step aside and make way for younger candidates.

“David Scott is Exhibit A for term limits,” said an unnamed Democrat lawmaker who spoke with Politico at the time. “He was a respected, talented member who has become diminished. And it’s painful for people to watch.”

Despite the naysayers, Scott won re-election that year and was running for re-election this year as well. A cause of death has not been released.

“Congressman Scott’s passing is deeply sad,” said Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), NBC News reported.

“David Scott was a trailblazer who served the district that he represented admirably, rose up from humble beginnings to become the first African American ever to chair the House [Agriculture] Committee. He cared about the people that he represented. He was fiercely committed to getting things done for the people of the great state of Georgia, and he’ll be deeply missed.”

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also honored Scott in a statement: “We are all deeply saddened by the news of Rep. David Scott’s passing. For more than two decades, David faithfully served the people of Georgia’s [13th] Congressional District and spent the majority of his life in service to others. We are lifting up David’s wife Alfredia, his two daughters, and his grandchildren in prayer as they mourn.”

RELATED: California Republican suddenly dies at age 65

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) died suddenly in January. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc/Getty Images

Of note, Scott is the fifth member of the 119th Congress to die since they took office in January 2025. Reps. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) and Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) died in March 2025, Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) died in May, and Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) died suddenly in January.

Then, just in the last few weeks, Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) resigned from the House in disgrace.

For now, Republicans maintain a 217-212 majority, plus independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California, who caucuses with them.

Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp now has 10 days to declare a special election, though six other Democrats were already challenging Scott in the primary race scheduled for May 19. Politico characterized the district as “deep blue.”

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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 Images

Tillis 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.

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Charlottesville, Virginia, became a flash point as tensions grew in August 2017 over the fate of American monuments that liberals deemed too racist to leave standing in public spaces.

A hodgepodge of protesters and counterprotesters — which included radical leftists, those opposed to removing Confederate statues, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists — descended on the city ahead of the so-called Unite the Right rally on Aug. 12.

Agitators helped ensure that the event went sideways.

‘Trigger the violence because you can’t stop the legitimate speech.’

Following a series of skirmishes between various factions, one demonstrator drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, injuring over 30 and killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

According to the grand jury indictment filed against the Southern Poverty Law Center on Tuesday, this bloody and tragic event — which the American left politically exploited for years and former President Joe Biden cited as his reason for running in 2020 — was the product, in part, of liberal machinations.

The indictment accuses the SPLC — a liberal outfit whose bread and butter is smearing law-abiding conservatives as “extremists” — of funneling millions of dollars to the very extremist groups it claimed to be fighting.

RELATED: Oath Keepers, Proud Boys feel hopeful and skeptical after Trump DOJ’s moves to end Biden-era witch hunt

Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto/Getty Images

In addition to allegedly bankrolling leaders and organizers in the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nation, the National Socialist Party of America, and the National Alliance, the SPLC allegedly “had a field source who was a member of the online leadership chat group that planned the 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ event,” according to the indictment.

This field source, who is not named in the indictment, allegedly made “racist postings under the supervision of the SPLC and helped coordinate transportation to the event for several attendees.”

For their contributions to the cause, this field source was allegedly paid over $270,000 by the SPLC in secret between 2015 and 2023.

The SPLC did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

While its insider was allegedly setting the stage for the rally, the SPLC worked feverishly to emphasize the importance of the planned event, noting in an Aug. 7, 2017, Hatewatch post, for example, that “the event may well become a seminal point for the Alt-Right and the extremist hate fringe: It’s a bold move beyond the anonymity of web sites, message boards, pseudonyms and social media — a move to take the hardcore, racist, white nationalist message to the public square.”

In the same post, the SPLC hyped the possibility of violence at the “‘summer of hate’ gathering of racist extremists from all corners of the country,” noting that “the looming social chemistry on a hot summer weekend … seems to point to the clear possibility of violence.”

The bloodletting in Charlottesville proved to be a windfall for the SPLC.

Days after the event, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that “hate is a cancer and left unchecked it destroys everything in its path.” Seeking to “help organizations who work to rid our country of hate,” Cook announced that his company was making a $1 million contribution to the SPLC.

Soon thereafter, JP Morgan Chase & Co. pledged half a million to the SPLC, and George and Amal Clooney announced that they were dumping $1 million into SPLC to help it highlight the imagined dangers of white-supremacist ideology.

The Clooneys said in a statement at the time, “What happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate.”

According to the indictment against the SPLC announced by the Justice Department on Tuesday, such donations collected from deep-pocketed liberals “under the auspices that the funds would be used to ‘dismantle’ violent extremist groups … was, instead, being used, in part, by the SPLC to pay leaders and others within these same violent extremist groups.”

The SPLC allegedly poured over $3 million in such funds to field sources associated with violent extremist groups between 2014 and 2023. These money transfers were allegedly made through a series of bank accounts created in the name of fictional entities, including the Center Investigative Agency, Fox Photography, North West Technologies, and Rare Books Warehouse.

The revelation that an SPLC plant might have been involved in the Unite the Right rally would help explain why the organization was so desperate to attack the notion that the event was a “false flag” from the start.

In the immediate aftermath of the violent rally, Alex Jones reportedly accused the SPLC of hiring actors to dress up like racists and prompt a crackdown by police on the rally’s legitimate attendees.

“That’s the plan,” Jones said. “Trigger the violence because you can’t stop the legitimate speech.”

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R) was among the others who similarly suspected something was fishy, telling Vice News in October 2017 that the rally was likely “created by the left.”

The SPLC insisted that claims that the event was a “false flag” operation or that leftist infiltrators were among its organizers — Jason Kessler, the event’s primary organizer, was previously an Obama-supporting Occupy protester — were ludicrous “conspiracy theories” that served only to demonstrate “the strength of the link between the conspiratorial extreme right (Jones, Infowars, Gateway Pundit, etc) and the racist ‘alt-right.'”

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