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Brian J. Cole Jr. denied placing pipe bombs on Capitol Hill in January 2021 for more than two hours under FBI questioning after his arrest in Virginia on Dec. 4. Cole said he did not recognize the person in a gray hoodie shown on video walking with a backpack on Jan. 5.

After two hours of questioning, Cole, 30, told FBI agents that “everything is just blank” and the interview was “a little too much to process,” according to a U.S. Department of Justice memorandum filed in the criminal case.

‘This could result in the collection of misleading information and false confessions during criminal justice interviews.’

Agents then leaned on him, stating he could face more criminal charges if he lied to them. Then they left him alone in the interrogation room for 20 minutes.

When they returned, agents asked Cole again if he is the suspect shown on surveillance video. “This time, the defendant paused for approximately fifteen seconds, placed his head face-down on the table and answered, ‘Yes,’” the DOJ stated.

The FBI’s tactics in interrogating a man the defense asserts has autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder will likely become a major bone of contention for defense attorneys. Cole, whose grandmother has said he operates at the level of a 16-year-old, had no lawyer present during four hours of questioning. According to the FBI, Cole signed a waiver of his Miranda rights.

‘Overwhelming evidence’?

In the first real courtroom clash in the pipe-bombs case on Dec. 30, defense attorneys fought back against a DOJ memo claiming there is “overwhelming evidence” that Cole planted “viable” pipe bombs near the Democratic National Committee building and the Capitol Hill Club during a 22-minute span on the night of Jan. 5, 2021.

Defense attorney J. Alex Little argued for Cole’s release from jail pending trial in a 16-page memo. During a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh, Little said Cole is not a danger to anyone. Pretrial detention is an extraordinary measure reserved for the few defendants who are a provable risk to society no matter what restrictions are imposed by the federal court.

Judge Sharbaugh said he received a two-count indictment on Dec. 29 from a District of Columbia Superior Court grand jury charging Cole with the same two counts that are in the federal criminal complaint.

The DOJ posted the indictment on the court docket, dated Jan. 2. It was signed by Jocelyn Ballantine, deputy chief of the National Security Section at the DOJ. Ballantine was previously a top official in the Capitol Siege Section under then-Attorney General Merrick Garland. Her appointment to the pipe-bomb case was greeted with outrage by former Jan. 6 defendants, who questioned why President Donald Trump had not removed her from the DOJ.

The suspect was across the street from a Capitol Police squad car while walking to the Jan. 5 bomb drop, video shows. Image from Capitol Police CCTV

Judge Sharbaugh did not immediately accept the indictment because there is a legal question whether D.C.’s federal district court can accept a grand jury indictment from the local Superior Court. In D.C., the Superior Court is akin to state, county, and local courts in the 50 states.

A ruling by U.S. District Chief Judge James Boasberg that Superior Court indictments can be accepted in federal district court is on appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Judge Sharbaugh asked both sides in the Cole case to submit briefs on the matter by close of business Dec. 31. He promised a ruling “in short order”on whether to accept the indictment and whether to release Cole into the custody of his grandmother.

Cole’s attorneys submitted a 20-page memo as directed by Judge Sharbaugh, but the DOJ filing didn’t appear on the official docket until Jan. 2.

Sharbaugh initially sidestepped the indictment issue and the 14-day requirement for a preliminary hearing and on Friday issued a ruling that Cole must remain jailed until trial. The judge said the DOJ convinced him “by clear and convincing evidence that there are no conditions of release that can reasonably assure the safety of the community.”

Judge Sharbaugh said he can make an “independent probable cause determination” even without an indictment or holding a preliminary hearing. He labeled the defense arguments “wrong,” stating that “longstanding caselaw in this district is consistent with that understanding.”

A short time later, Judge Sharbaugh issued an order stating he would accept the Superior Court indictment of Cole because the DOJ “represents that it will promptly seek a superseding indictment from a federal grand jury panel as soon as those panels reconvene.”

The DOJ’s briefing on the legality of the judge accepting the Superior Court indictment didn’t appear on the case docket until Friday, after the judge issued his decision. A portion of the document was redacted that described “extenuating circumstances” faced by the DOJ because federal grand juries were not available from Dec. 22 through year’s end.

Blaze News reached out to Little and the DOJ for comment but did not receive a reply by publication time.

Little sought to have a preliminary hearing Tuesday, because Cole was well beyond the 14 days prosecutors had under the law to secure an indictment or submit to an adversarial preliminary hearing. Cole made an initial court appearance on Dec. 5.

Police walked right past the DNC pipe bomb to first look under a bush where the bomb suspect sat 17 hours earlier. Photos by U.S. Capitol Police

Little said prosecutors told him they never sought an indictment from a federal grand jury. They rushed to seek an indictment from the Superior Court grand jury on Dec. 29 only after the defense made it clear it would demand a probable-cause hearing. A preliminary hearing allows the defense to cross-examine witnesses, unlike a grand jury, which hears only from prosecutors.

“The government wants to avoid a preliminary hearing, where its evidence will be tested in public,” Little wrote on Dec. 31. “Rather than subject its proof to cross-examination, the government sprinted to a different court — supervised by different judges and subject to different rules of evidence, privilege, and juror competency — to secure a last-minute indictment.

“Only after defense counsel insisted on holding the preliminary hearing did the government pursue its current path — seeking a federal indictment from a D.C. Superior Court grand jury,” Little said. “… The government either must present evidence at a preliminary hearing sufficient to establish probable cause, or the Court must release Mr. Cole from custody without conditions.”

Prosecutors contend that Cole gave a full confession to agents on Dec. 4.

“The defendant explained that he made the black powder in the devices using charcoal, Lilly Miller sulfur dust and potassium nitrate that he purchased from Lowe’s,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones. “The defendant mixed these ingredients in a Pyrex bowel [sic] and used a spoon or measuring cup to pour the black powder into the devices.

“According to the defendant, he learned to make the black powder from a video game that listed the ingredients and he also viewed various science-related videos on YouTube to assist him in creating the devices.”

The document did not identify the video game or provide specifics on the YouTube videos that allegedly guided Cole on making the bombs.

Little has moved twice to have his client released from the Rappahannock Regional Jail — either under court supervision or without conditions.

Prosecutors insist that Cole is a danger to the public, based primarily on the seriousness of the charges against him. Little told Judge Sharbaugh that Cole has maintained employment in the family bail bonds business since Jan. 6 and has no criminal record or evidence of political activism or online postings advocating violence.

Reset cell phone 943 times

The revelation of Cole’s autism and OCD puts the evidence — from the confession to the claim that he factory-reset his phone 943 times and beyond — and charges in a new light and raises the possibility that the defense will seek to suppress evidence as the case moves toward trial.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association, those with Level 1 autism need support or will exhibit “noticeable impairments.” In contrast, the APA characterizes Level 2 autism as “requiring substantial support” and Level 3 as “requiring very substantial support.”

“Inflexibility of behavior causes significant interference with functioning in one or more contexts,” according to the Autism Speaks website. “Difficulty switching between activities. Problems of organization and planning hamper independence.”

Experts say interrogation of persons with autism requires special handling due to the deficits presented by the disorder, which can easily lead to false confessions.

“Such impairments could manifest themselves in proneness to a host of vulnerabilities that place the individual at a severe disadvantage during the interviewing process,” said Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., writing in Police Chief magazine.

‘Gullibility should be carefully considered for its potential role in false confessions.’

“Further, individuals may respond promptly, without careful consideration, in a manner intended to please an interviewer,” wrote Brown, who specializes in forensic behavioral health. “This could result in the collection of misleading information and false confessions during criminal justice interviews.”

Detectives and agents need to be aware that autistic individuals can be gullible and at risk of being manipulated, Brown wrote.

Brian J. Cole Jr. at the scene of a minor traffic accident near his home in Virginia in April 2024.Prince William County images

“In some instances, gullibility should be carefully considered for its potential role in false confessions,” he said. “… This disorder may increase the risk of compliance in demanding and stressful situations. For example, individuals with autism could be vulnerable to doing things (e.g., confessing to a crime that they did not commit) to please others, particularly those in a position of power.”

Questions have been raised as to why the FBI didn’t pursue Cole as a person of interest in 2021, when the bureau developed a list of 186 phones based on tower dumps and a geofence warrant. Since FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Cole’s arrest involved no new evidence, Cole must have been on that list. It is not known if agents made contact with Cole or his family in 2021.

An FBI internal document obtained by the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight said the FBI classified 51 of the 186 devices as “not needing further action” because the phones “belong[ed] to law enforcement officers or persons on the exclusion list.”

Thirty-six of the 186 phone numbers were assigned to FBI special agents for interviews, and 98 of the numbers “required additional investigative steps,” according to a January 2025 U.S. House report. It is not clear whether anything came of those investigative steps, the report said.

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​January 6 

In the modern world, a diagnosis is often worn as if it’s a badge of honor.

But not everyone sees it that way. And Leland Vittert, an American journalist and anchor for NewsNation, certainly doesn’t.

Vittert, who is diagnosed with autism, tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey that the adversity his diagnosis caused him did not hold him back, but rather helped him become the successful journalist and reporter he is today.

Vittert didn’t speak until he was “well past 3,” and he had “lots and lots of problems in typical school.”

“If a kid touched me or looked at me the wrong way or whatever, I’d turn around and slug them,” he tells Stuckey, explaining he was “pretty aggressive” and had “big sensory issues.”

“Dad’s idea was to hold my hand through the adversity. And I think what he realized was that I was going to face that adversity later in life, which I did. … I had to learn how to adapt and how to interact with the world as the way the world interacted, not as the way I wanted to interact with it,” he explains.

And it was a struggle, he tells Stuckey, noting that he “couldn’t figure out how to relate to people emotionally the way they were emotionally.”

“I couldn’t figure out how to, you know, read a room, when to stop talking. All of these things I was going to have to learn,” he says. “And if you’re put in bubble wrap and told how wonderful you are all the time, you’re never going to learn that, right?”

That’s when Vittert’s father decided to prioritize self-esteem.

“So, when I was 5 or 6 years old, I was doing 200 push-ups a night. And after a couple months of doing that, you get some kind of reward. But my dad wanted to teach me that self-esteem is earned, not given, which is a very different philosophy, I think, than what we see now,” he tells Stuckey.

After self-esteem, Vittert’s father prioritized teaching him “how the world works socially.”

“So, my dad started spending hundreds of hours with me. Thousands of hours. Still is my best friend. … We’re recording this a little before noon, and I’ve already talked to him, I think, three times today,” he tells Stuckey.

“So, he would then take me out to lunch, and we’d go out to lunch with any of his friends. And because I spent so much time with him, I could sort of talk about business and politics and news and those kinds of topics,” he recalls.

“But as soon as we’d sit down at some diner for cheeseburgers and milkshakes, as soon as his friend sat down, I would either start blasting him with questions or blasting him with stories about my push-ups. And my dad would tap his watch. And that was my dad’s way of saying, ‘OK, be quiet,’” he explains.

“And the idea was, later on, as we were driving home, it was like, ‘OK, when Mr. so-and-so was talking about his weekend and you interrupted it to talk about your push-ups, why did you think he would be interested in that?’” he continues, telling Stuckey that he and his father would then role-play how Vittert could have asked the friend more questions about himself.

“It was this very minute-by-minute teaching of the emotional and human dynamic,” he adds.

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Bryce Crawford is an evangelist whose supernatural encounter with Jesus not only stopped him from taking his own life, but has catapulted him into a position where he’s helping transform a generation.

“I became a Christian when I was 17. I had depression and anxiety for years. Grew up in a Christian environment, went to a Christian school, but I had a supernatural encounter with Jesus when I was 17. Stopped me from taking my life,” Crawford tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey at AmFest.

This happened in 2020, when Crawford had gone to Waffle House for his “death row meal” on Christmas Day.

“I went to Waffle House, and I was at this table. No one preached to me. No one shared the gospel with me. The total opposite happened actually. This grown man dumped his life issues on me, and he said, ‘I’m losing my wife. She’s divorcing me and taking my kids,’” he explains.

“And then he said, ‘There’s no growth in a relationship if the love isn’t mutual.’ And when he said that, time stopped. And I had learned about Jesus all my life. … And for the first time, I thought to myself, maybe I don’t know God loves me because I haven’t given myself a chance to love him back,” he says.

“And so I prayed a crazy prayer. I said, ‘Jesus, if you’re real, take away my anxiety and depression because this is the reason why I want to take my life,’ and I haven’t had that crippling anxiety or depression since that day. It’s been almost five years,” he continues.

This was what led Crawford to Christianity and ultimately where he is now — preaching the gospel.

“The Bible says we plant seeds and water seeds. It’s not my job to save anyone. It’s not your job to save anyone. And so I found listening and being intentional with people is the greatest tool of evangelism,” he says. “It’s not love-bombing. It’s just caring about people.”

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Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of anti-Semitism over moves the freshly inaugurated mayor made during his first day in office Thursday.

The New York Times said Mamdani canceled two executive orders by his predecessor — former Mayor Eric Adams — that had barred city agencies from boycotting Israel and defined some criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic.

‘Singling out Israel for sanctions is not the way to make Jewish New Yorkers feel included and safe, and will undermine any words to that effect.’

“On his very first day as @NYCMayor, Mamdani shows his true face: He scraps the IHRA definition of antisemitism and lifts restrictions on boycotting Israel,” the Foreign Ministry wrote on X. “This isn’t leadership. It’s antisemitic gasoline on an open fire.”

The Times called the statement from Israel’s Foreign Ministry “an extraordinary accusation of anti-Jewish animosity.”

Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, added that Mamdani’s decision posed “an immediate threat to the safety of Jewish communities in New York City and could lead to an increase in violent anti-Semitic attacks throughout the city,” according to the paper.

The Times said New York City is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.

More from the paper:

Mr. Mamdani has been a strong critic of Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians throughout his public life, and the Israeli government has denounced him before. As recently as October, it described him as someone who “excuses terror and normalizes antisemitism” and said he “stands with Jews only when they are dead.”

The two Israel-related executive orders revoked on Thursday were among a dozen orders issued by Mr. Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, that were canceled or amended by the new mayor on his first day in office. A spokeswoman for Mr. Mamdani had no immediate comment but said that the mayor expected to address Israel’s comments at an unrelated news conference in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon.

On Friday, a coalition of major Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the UJA Federation of New York, issued a joint statement opposing the cancellation of the executive orders.

The statement indicated Mamdani had “reversed two significant protections against antisemitism” and expressed particular alarm over the revocation of Adams’ ban on city agencies boycotting Israel, the Times said, adding that Adams signed that executive order just last month.

“Singling out Israel for sanctions is not the way to make Jewish New Yorkers feel included and safe, and will undermine any words to that effect,” the statement said, according to the paper.

The other Adams order Mamdani canceled was a definition of anti-Semitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and included 11 examples intended to illustrate anti-Jewish bigotry — seven of which include or relate in some way to criticism of Israel, the Times said.

Mamdani’s views on Israel have been controversial, to say the least. The Times said the new mayor has criticized the Jewish state “in ways that were once seen as unthinkable for an elected official in New York.”

For instance, the paper said Mamdani has called Israel an apartheid state and has supported accusations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Mamdani also has supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel — and he even wants the New York Police Department to enforce an arrest warrant against the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Times added.

But the ride into office hasn’t been completely smooth for Mamdani, either. Last month, one of his appointees was forced to resign after the Anti-Defamation League brought to light anti-Semitic social media posts.

RELATED: ‘Money hungry Jews’: Mamdani appointee abruptly quits after her anti-Semitic online posts resurface

Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

The New York Post noted other officials who criticized Mamdani’s moves.

Bruce Blakeman, executive for Nassau County and a Republican gubernatorial candidate, said in a statement that “Mayor Mamdani wasted no time showing New Yorkers exactly who he is,” the Post reported. “His very first executive action as mayor was not to address crime, public safety, or quality of life — it was to repeal protections for Jewish people. At a moment of exploding anti-Semitism, Mamdani sent a message that Jewish concerns are negotiable and Jewish safety is optional. It’s indefensible.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) posted on X that “Zohran is officially the face of the Democrat Party,” the Post added.

Brooklyn Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov urged Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York to stand up to Mamdani, the Post said: “@GovKathyHochul can fix this with the stroke of a pen! Will she stand up to Mamdani or will she cower to avoid a Mamdani primary? The Jewish community is watching!”

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​Zohran mamdani, New york city, Israel, Antisemitism, Eric adams, Mayor, Politics 

America is approaching a civilizational breaking point as young men abandon the left to move right, while young women drift further left. This has left a massive gap that’s not only threatening the future of marriage and family formation, but even basic population replacement.

“This has come to a head to some degree. Now, I will say this, if you are a conservative young woman entering into marriage years, it is a good time to be you. … The market is very much in your favor,” BlazeTV host Steve Deace explains at AmFest.

“Countrywide, you’re unicorns,” he says, noting that despite their existence, “all these things eventually have to come to a head somewhere.”

“Someone is going to have to change, right?” he asks.

BlazeTV contributor Todd Erzen believes that there will need to be “incentivizations.”

“I just don’t think the mere biological cliff we are falling off, that realization is enough because that’s baked into the cake. That was the point all along. That is the dark success story of all of this,” Erzen says.

“I think there may ultimately need to be incentivizations that are kind of like a steroid that wake enough of the culture up to keep things going,” he continues.

However, “Steve Deace Show” executive producer Aaron McIntire disagrees.

“The bad news is, you look at countries like Japan, South Korea, they have faced the same sorts of demographic cliffs that we’re about to maybe go over. They have done all of these technocratic policies, you know, trying to actually animate, trying to just get people in the frame of mind of, ‘Hey, this is going to have a tax benefit for you. This is going to have some economic benefit for you if you have more children,’” McIntire says.

“They’re trying to encourage this, and it really hasn’t had much of a difference,” he says, adding, “So, I don’t think there’s any sort of technocratic solution that you can put in place.”

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A woman who was brutally stabbed multiple times last month at a Sonic Drive-In is speaking out about the unprovoked attack, KFOR-TV reported.

Linda Hollrah drove to the fast-food restaurant on NE 23rd Street in Oklahoma City to pick up her order, the station said.

‘I remember thinking over and over and saying over and over, “Why did this happen to me?”‘

When she parked her car, Hollrah’s attacker stabbed her through the window multiple times, KFOR said.

“Before I knew it, he just came straight up to my car, said no words to me, and just attacked me and just kept stabbing and stabbing,” Hollrah said to the station.

The attack left bloodstains in her car and in the parking lot, KFOR said.

“It’s hard to even still piece together kind of what my brain was going through, except just to fight for my life,” she added to the station.

The attack left her with numerous injuries, KFOR reported.

“I was stabbed once in my kneecap, three times in my forearm, once on my inner, two on my outer thigh, and then once in my upper abdomen, which ended up causing a nick in my liver that they had to repair for internal bleeding,” Hollrah explained to the station.

RELATED: Thug attacks mother walking her toddler in stroller, cops say; 10 days later — on Thanksgiving — he’s accused of even worse

KFOR, citing the incident report, said Sonic told police that the restaurant’s surveillance cameras were not working at the time.

Police instead are relying on video of the suspect before and after the attack that a nearby traffic camera recorded, the station said.

But so far no arrests have been made, KFOR noted, and police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers.

RELATED: Mainstream media turns a blind eye to vicious stabbing of young Ukrainian woman

— (@)

“I remember thinking over and over and saying over and over, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ Which, unfortunately, you know, nobody can answer and maybe will never be answered,” Hollrah shared with the station.

KFOR added that Hollrah has been unable to work during her recovery: “It’s stressful thinking about the mountain of debt that this is going to leave me in and having to pay for some things that my insurance probably won’t cover — very specialized things that I’m going to need,” she told the station.

Hollrah’s sister started a GoFundMe to assist her with expenses. As of Friday afternoon, $14,580 has been raised; the goal amount is $24,000.

“For a hard-working single mother, seeking out help isn’t always the easiest thing, so I asked Linda’s permission to invite our family and friends to support her in this way,” the GoFundMe states. “Any and all contributions are appreciated more than you know, as Linda and our family try to move forward from this senseless act of violence.”

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​Stabbing, Random, Unprovoked, Oklahoma city police, Sonic drive-in, Wounded, Woman, Suspect on the loose, Single mother, Crime 

As debates over America First, Islam’s compatibility with the West, and the future of the conservative movement continue to intensify, Jack Posobiec tells BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales that Republicans need to step up across the board.

“It’s America first,” Posobiec tells Gonzales. “It’s literally America first. … Any policy that America should have going forward should be a policy that says what is the best way forward in the best interest of the American people, right here, right now.”

And Posobiec explains that there’s one way to ensure Americans are put first — and the late Charlie Kirk knew it well.

“Charlie was totally committed to victory, and that obviously meant victory at the ballot box,” he tells Gonzales.

“We’re up against a lot of headwinds in 2026. And to put my analyst hat on, you know, if I were to sit here and say that everything’s hunky-dory and that we’re, you know, we’re wading into safe waters, I wouldn’t be a good sailor if I did that,” he says.

“I was in the Navy, and so, look, you’ve got to tell the captain that the ship is headed toward some rocky waters. And that’s just the truth of the matter,” he continues, pointing out that the Republican House is currently “hanging by a thread.”

“You see people resigning, you see people walking away, quitters, and that only reduces the majority from four to three to, it might even be two by the time we’re done with this conversation. That’s not a large majority,” he says.

“So, you’re defending all of that territory, and all they have to do is pick up a couple,” he adds.

And despite the left’s claims that President Trump is a dictator, he’s not even close — which means that the left does stand a chance.

“He is not Mussolini. He is not General Franco. He can’t just pass these edicts and they immediately become law. … And so, that’s why you need the Republicans in Congress to step up,” Posobiec tells Gonzales.

“You have a majority right now, Republicans, and it is incumbent upon you to use it while you have it,” he adds.

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President Donald Trump said early Friday morning that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States “will come to their rescue.”

Trump added that “we are locked and loaded and ready to go” in the post on his Truth Social network, which went live just before 3 a.m. Eastern time.

‘Trump should know that intervention by the US in the domestic problem corresponds to chaos in the entire region and the destruction of the US interests.’

Trump’s warning came hours after reports that at least six people have been killed after nearly a week of protests in Iran over grim economic conditions there, CBS News reported.

More from CBS News:

Iran has been plagued for years by staggering hyperinflation, fueled by Western sanctions imposed over the hardline clerical government’s nuclear program and backing for militant groups across the region.

Videos and photos from Tehran and other cities posted on social media have shown protesters marching through streets from early this week, often chanting anti-government, pro-monarchy slogans and sometimes clashing violently with security forces.

In an apparent bid to quell the unrest, Iranian authorities have acknowledged the economic concerns and said peaceful protests are legitimate, but suggested that foreign powers — usually a reference to Israel and the U.S. — are behind subversive elements fueling violence on the streets.

RELATED: Iran’s freedom fighters put America’s No Kings clowns to shame

Ali Larijani — a former speaker of Iran’s parliament and now the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council — said Friday on social media in reaction to Trump’s remarks that “Trump should know that intervention by the U.S. in the domestic problem corresponds to chaos in the entire region and the destruction of the U.S. interests,” CBS News reported.

Larijani added that “the people of the U.S. should know that Trump began the adventurism” and that “they should take care of their own soldiers,” according to the news network.

The “soldiers” remark appeared to be in reference to U.S. military forces in the Middle East in range of Iran’s ballistic missiles, CBS News added.

Ali Shamkhani — an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — warned that “any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut,” the news network reported.

“The people of Iran properly know the experience of ‘being rescued’ by Americans: from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza,” Shamkhani added in a social media post, CBS News said.

Prior to Trump’s Friday morning post on Truth Social, the U.S. and Israeli governments issued statements supporting the Iranian protests, the news network said.

“The people of Iran want freedom. They have suffered at the hands of the Ayatollahs for too long,” Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in a Monday X post. “We stand with Iranians in the streets of Tehran and across the country as they protest a radical regime that has brought them nothing but economic downturn and war.”

More from CBS News:

Tension between the U.S. and Iran escalated this week on the heels of a visit to the U.S. by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has campaigned his country’s close allies in Washington for decades to take a tougher stance on Iran.

After meeting with Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday, Mr. Trump said he had heard that Iran could be attempting to rebuild its nuclear program following the unprecedented U.S. strikes on its enrichment facilities in June. Mr. Trump warned that if Iran did try to rebuild, “we’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.”

Iranian President Mahsoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said Tehran would respond “to any cruel aggression” with unspecified “harsh and discouraging” measures, the news network added.

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​Donald trump, Iran, Protesters, Rescue, Trump, Kill, Politics 

Where do we go after Donald Trump?

The question has divided the right. When it comes to charting the correct course, a book published during the president’s first administration is timelier than ever: R.R. Reno’s “The Return of the Strong Gods.”

‘The perverse gods of blood, soil, and identity cannot be overcome with the open-society therapies of weakening,’ writes Reno.

MAGA 2.0?

One faction of the right appears keen to continue delivering on the promise of Trump’s “Golden Age” by leaning further into a muscular and nationalistic conservatism.

Liberal interlopers and other ideological refugees with forward operating bases situated right-of-center have been working ardently to politically neutralize this camp ahead of the 2028 election, smearing, for instance, some of those in Vice President JD Vance’s orbit as “woke right.”

Such liberal saboteurs are right to be fearful of this camp, as its dominance — affirmed by a Vance win — would signal the MAGA movement wasn’t a sprint but a marathon.

Libertarian libs

The second camp, whose potential champion in the 2028 primary field appears to be Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), is keen both to act as though the populist upheaval of the 2010s hadn’t irreversibly changed the game and to slink back onto the rhetorically conservative, libertarian-minded side of the liberal coin.

This is the politics that has purchased cultural and economic deregulation, a ruinous series of foreign entanglements, a demographic crisis, and a low-trust society marked by an anemic sense of “we.”

The old guard in both parties — those who’ve long railed against and/or sought to undermine the MAGA agenda — would doubtless regard the success and empowerment of this camp as a godsend.

Early polling data provide strong indications, however, that there is little appetite among likely Republican primary voters for a return to a George W. Bush-era style of Republican leadership. The reason is perhaps best explained in a book first published six years ago.

Weak loves vs. strong gods

In “Return of the Strong Gods: Nationalism, Populism, and the Future of the West,” R.R. Reno, a political philosopher and editor of First Things magazine, discusses both what was behind and what is ahead of the recent nationalist and populist uprisings in the West.

The book, which Reno has touted as an “essay in the politics of imagination,” is an engrossing elaboration on an article he penned years earlier detailing the full-spectrum campaign spearheaded by classical and progressive liberals after the Second World War to “disenchant and desacralize public life” and to produce an “open society” wherein the “strong gods” — the “objects of men’s love and devotion, the sources of the passions and loyalties that unite societies” — could inevitably be neutralized and/or replaced by “weak loves” such as relativism, diversity, and tolerance.

Reno suggests that the reasoning behind this project of societal opening and weakening was that earlier in the 20th century, strong gods had supposedly rendered the masses easily manipulable by demagogues and set the stage for those totalitarian regimes that warred against humanity.

The general theory of society underpinning the postwar consensus became, according to Reno, “characterized by a fundamental judgment: whatever is strong — strong loves and strong truths — leads to oppression, while liberty and prosperity require the reign of weak loves and weak truths.”

RELATED: Conservatives face a choice in ’26: realignment or extinction

MediaProduction via iStock/Getty Images

Making monsters

This, Reno insists, was a catastrophic overreaction.

In their campaign to water down dark loves, the war-traumatized liberal elites of yesteryear also watered down the powerful loves and intense loyalties that hold Western civilization together and supply a sense of belonging, purpose, and solidarity — such as family, nation, religion, and transcendent truth.

Reno notes that this campaign not only produced a dysfunctional society but incubated some of the very dark loves it was meant to destroy.

“The perverse gods of blood, soil, and identity cannot be overcome with the open-society therapies of weakening,” writes Reno. “On the contrary, they are encouraged by multiculturalism and the reductive techniques of critique. In its present decadent form, the postwar consensus makes white nationalism an entirely cogent position.”

“We cannot forestall the return of the debasing gods by reapplying the open-society imperatives. False loves can be remedied only be true ones,” adds Reno.

‘A language of love’

While the postwar liberal regime enjoyed great success in producing monsters and in disenchanting, disorienting, deracinating, and rendering homeless those guns-or-religion deplorables for whom America’s detached elites still brazenly express contempt, its success karmically set the stage for a popular yearning for anchorage, belonging, and a sense of “we,” which in turn prompted a rejection of the postwar consensus.

That rejection has manifested in various ways but most clearly in the rejection of the open society and its possessing forces of weakening that occurred on Nov. 8, 2016.

During his first term and again over the past several months, Trump has pursued reconsolidation and protection as opposed to deregulation and openness and delivered significant results along the way.

Those who’d seek to steer the right back toward the open society and sell voters on a rebrand of the postwar consensus stand a better chance of sweeping waves back into the sea.

While well-positioned to lead, those in the first camp may nevertheless want to heed Reno’s caution about the open society: “This project cannot be opposed solely on political grounds, as if nationalism alone can overcome the ‘destiny of weakening.’ We need strengthening motifs across the board.”

“Our task, therefore, is to restore public life in the West by developing a language of love and a vision of the ‘we’ that befits our dignity and appeals to our reason as well as our hearts,” wrote Reno.

“We must attend to the strong gods who come from above and animate the best of our traditions. Only that kind of leadership will forestall the return of the dark gods who rise up from below.”

​’return of the strong gods’, Conservatism, Donald trump, Election 2026, J.d. vance, R.r. reno, Ted cruz, Recommended reading 

Former President Barack Obama may have deported more immigrants than President Trump, but that isn’t stopping the left from accusing supporters of Trump’s immigration policy of being heartless and cruel.

“Biden also deported over a million people,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey says on “Relatable.” “Did you hear about ICE raids under Biden? Did you hear about ICE raids under Obama? Did you hear about kids in cages under any of these administrations, even though that was happening, if you want to call these detention centers cages?”

“Did you hear about all of the lost children who were abandoned and not accounted for under these administrations? Did you hear about the sex trafficking, the human trafficking, the drug and weaponry trafficking that was happening under these administrations?” she asks.

“No, it’s not because it wasn’t happening. It’s because the media is in bed with the Democrats, and they don’t want you to see the Democrats doing things that they are criticizing Donald Trump for,” she adds.

Stuckey calls this a “weaponization of empathy.”

And Democrats weaponize your empathy to make you feel like the well-being of a stranger who lives a world away should be a priority in your own life — but Stuckey couldn’t disagree more.

“Countries are like families, just on a bigger scale. You put the safety and security of your people first. Not because you hate people from other countries, but because you love people in your country. It is not possible for us to equally prioritize all of the interests of everyone in the world and all of their safety and security,” she says.

“I believe we see that principle in Romans 13, that governments were instituted by God to punish the wrongdoer and reward the good,” she continues, adding, “You take care of your people. Nations were God’s idea. Borders were God’s idea. Government, laws, all God’s idea, and they are good.”

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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Throughout scripture, God, who calls Himself a “father to the fatherless,” pulls no punches about His heart toward orphans: They are to be cared for.

Many faithful believers choose to live out this holy commandment through the adoption of a child. But while the redemption of a broken situation is a beautiful and joyful thing to behold, few talk about the pain that often accompanies adoption.

On this episode of “Unashamed,” the Robertsons speak with bestselling author and podcaster Lisa Harper about her adoption story.

After hearing a sermon on the passage in James about the importance of widow and orphan care, Lisa, a single woman in her 40s at the time, felt convicted to act.

After several years of wrestling, Lisa found herself prepared to adopt a baby from Haiti. “I got written into a story of a precious little girl who was a crack addict and had gotten pregnant,” says Lisa, noting that she “spent Christmas that year in a crack house.”

Right before she was set to bring her baby home, however, the adoption “fell apart at the 11th hour.”

Lisa returned home utterly crushed.

But two weeks later, something miraculous happened. Lisa received a phone call from a friend who was in Haiti working on building a communal kitchen to help feed children in a particular village. While she was there, a young mother in the village died of AIDS, leaving behind a sickly daughter with no one to care for her.

She told Lisa that the Lord spoke to her “clear as a bell in that ER room … ’Lisa Harper’s supposed to be that little girl’s mama.’”

Lisa, still mourning the loss of the first child, boldly and faithfully said, “Sign me up.”

“Missy’s 16 now, healthy as a horse,” Lisa says through tears. “She’s not my hope. Jesus is my hope, but she is tangible grace.”

“Missy does not have an orphan spirit. I had an orphan’s spirit,” she says, recalling her years of wrestling with feeling undeserving of God’s invitation to be part of his eternal family.

By the end of Lisa’s story, Jase, Al, and Zach Dasher are all wiping tears from their eyes. To hear it in full, watch the episode above.

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​Unashamed, Unashamed with phil robertson, Robertsons, Jase robertson, Al robertson, Zach dasher, Blazetv, Blaze media, Lisa harper, Christianity, Adoptions, Adoption, Haiti, Unasahmed 

President Donald Trump has secured a spot as one of the most iconic figures in American history. While many of his significant political actions are certain to be remembered, so will the countless clips and memes throughout his time in office.

Here are the five funniest Trump moments of his second presidency so far.

5. Making plastic straws great again

In the early weeks of his second term, Trump signed the “number one trending” executive order ending the “forced use” of paper straws across the country.

During the signing, Trump quipped about the ineffectiveness of paper straws, noting they “explode” in drinks, rendering them useless and often frustrating to drink from.

“We’re going back to plastic straws,” Trump said. “These things don’t work. … On occasion they break, they explode. If something’s hot, they don’t last very long. Like, a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds. It’s a ridiculous situation. So, we’re going back to plastic straws. I think it’s OK.”

“I don’t think that plastic is going to affect a shark very much as they’re munching their way through the ocean,” Trump added.

4. “Everything’s computer!”

Trump shared a unique friendship with serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, whose many business ventures include Tesla. These electric cars that were once one of the most iconic and prevalent vehicles in Silicon Valley quickly became associated with Musk and Trump’s political alliance.

In support of Musk, Trump had several Tesla models shown at the White House, where he candidly reviewed a Tesla vehicle himself.

“Oh wow, it’s beautiful!” Trump said as he stepped into the Tesla. “Wow. That’s beautiful. This is a different panel than I’ve — everything’s computer!”

3. Trick-or-treat

Trump recreated one of his most iconic moments during Halloween, when the White House hosts an annual trick-or-treat on the South Lawn, where the president and the first lady hand out candy to children.

In 2019, one of Trump’s funniest unscripted moments was when a child in an inflatable Minion costume came to the White House for candy. Trump, unsure of where to hand off the candy bar, made the executive decision to place it on the Minion’s head, producing one of the most meme-able moments of his first term.

Trump re-created this interaction in 2025 when a child dressed as Marshmello, a DJ who wears a marshmallow-shaped mask, came through the line. Just as he did in 2019, Trump opted to set the candy bar on the flat top of the marshmallow, sending the trick-or-treater on his way.

2. Autopen presidency

As Trump works to solidify his legacy after his second term, he has taken it upon himself to spruce up the White House grounds with a new ballroom, a paved patio in the Rose Garden, and touches of gold pretty much every place he can.

He has also made sure to commemorate those presidents who came before him.

One new feature at the White House is Trump’s hall of presidents, featuring an array of gold-framed presidential portraits alongside a walkway overlooking the Rose Garden. Trump cleverly added his own flair to the commemorative walkway, featuring a framed photo of the autopen between his 45th and 47th presidential portrait, memorializing former President Joe Biden’s autopen scandal.

1. The N-word

Trump has always had a flair for the dramatic, often echoing the showmanship of his reality TV days. Love him or hate him, he knows how to capture a crowd’s attention.

In one of his funniest and most underrated political speeches of 2025, Trump delivered an edgy punchline in an address to military brass in Quantico.

“It was really a stupid person that … mentioned the word ‘nuclear,'” Trump said during the address.

“I moved a submarine or two … over to the coast of Russia, just to be careful, because we can’t let people throw around that word,” he continued.

“I call it the N-word,” Trump added. “There are two N-words, and you can’t use either of them.”

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​Donald trump, Trump administration, White house, Plastic straws, Paper straws, Executive order, Everything’s computer, Tesla, Elon musk, Silicon valley, Trick-or-treat, Halloween, Minion, Marshmallow, 2025, New year, First lady, Marshmello, Autopen, East wing ballroom, Rose garden, Joe biden, The n word, Quantico, Politics 

Dennis Boldt was a 19-year-old private in the Army when he landed on the shores of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

On the 80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024, the San Antonio-based organization Walk Among Heroes arranged for Boldt and several fellow World War II veterans to return to the battlefields where they had served with valor decades earlier.

‘You are carrying the torch of the fallen.’

“Dennis met the president [or] leader of nearly every democratic nation, and he met Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and many other celebrities,” Walk Among Heroes president and founder Jeff Wells told Blaze News. “What continuously took me by surprise was the humbleness and gratefulness Dennis expressed to everyone he met. Dennis 100% could not understand why he was being treated like ‘royalty,’ in his words. They call his generation the ‘Greatest Generation’ for a reason. They are humble and truly believe they were just ‘doing their job.’”

During last year’s trip, Boldt had the opportunity to visit the grave of General George S. Patton Jr. in Luxembourg American Cemetery for the first time. Boldt, who served in the Third Army under Patton, was accompanied by the late general’s granddaughter Helen Patton.

“This is something I had never expected in my life,” Boldt said as he rested his hand on Patton’s gravestone, which was surrounded by flowers and American and French flags.

“I knew that I had served under him, but to be at his gravesite, with … his granddaughter, how is this possible for me?” he stated.

RELATED: What we owe our veterans this D-Day

Boldt expressed his deep appreciation for Patton’s leadership.

“Greatest honor that ever could have been presented to me and all my other comrades — that we … served under General Patton,” Boldt stated. “He was our leader. If it had not been for his thrust with the saber forward, we could not have made it.”

“It was our leader that led us to victory,” Boldt added.

Boldt also visited the Normandy American Cemetery for the first time, where he met with a young active-duty soldier and shared a powerful message with him.

“I thank you,” Boldt told him. “You are carrying the torch of the fallen.”

RELATED: 100-year-old World War II veteran nails what is wrong with current-day Americans in tearful guidance: ‘People don’t realize what they have’

At the conclusion of his trip, he shared some warm words with Walk Among Heroes.

“I’d like to say this: I feel like an old prospector that’s out in the field looking for a fortune. And I have found it,” he said as he pointed to those around him. “You people are my second family. I want you to know that. I think of you as my brothers and sisters. What you have all done for me here has made my time here valuable beyond all words.”

Boldt celebrated his 101st birthday in December.

When asked what fuels Walk Among Heroes, Wells shared that it is “our debt of gratitude for these heroes who paved the way for all us.”

“Their service and sacrifices allow us to enjoy the greatest privilege in the world — freedom. We must take advantage of every opportunity to honor them and thank them,” Wells added.

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​D-day, Veterans, World war ii, Wwii, Vets, Veteran, Dennis boldt, George patton, Normandy beach, Normandy, Politics 

The Great Commission, most famously recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, was Jesus’ final instruction to His disciples before His resurrected body ascended into heaven.

In Matthew 28:18-20, after gathering them on a mountain in Galilee, He said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Since that command was given roughly 2,000 years ago, generation after generation of faithful Christians have been bringing the gospel message to every corner of the world. Today, that mission is nearly complete, says entrepreneur, Christian ministry leader, and author Douglas Cobb, who just published a book on this subject titled “The Sprint to the Finish: The Global Push to Complete the Great Commission in This Generation.”

Less than 100 unreached people groups remain; Bible translation organizations project that 100% of the global population will have access to the Bible or key parts of Scripture by 2033; right now, mission networks are planting churches in the last untouched regions on Earth.

We are inching ever closer to fulfilling the Great Commission — a precursor to Christ’s final return.

On this episode of the “Steve Deace Show,” Deace and Cobb discuss this question: Are we living in the generation that will finish the mission Jesus gave His church?

“Jesus said in Matthew 24:14: ‘This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come,’” Cobb recites.

“As I read the Bible, it’s one of the most, if not the most, direct promise about the timing of Jesus’ return. He’s given us a mission to take the gospel to the whole world, and when we’re finished with it, that will open the door to His return. I don’t think He’ll come back until we’ve done that,” he tells Deace.

But the crazy thing is, we’re on the verge of doing it. The people alive right now might just be “the ones that finish this race,” Cobb says.

“Based on my understanding, I think we’re within a year or two of seeing the ‘every nation’ finish line crossed, and what I mean by that is, gospel work begun in every people group,” he continues.

According to the Finishing Fund — an organization Cobb started to accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission — the list of unreached people groups who “do not have a gospel program, a gospel effort under way” is “well under 100,” he says.

“The folks who work on Bible translation — the second finish line — have set 2033 as their deadline for the completion of the Bible in every language on the planet. And another group that I’m a part of, the ACHIEVE Alliance … [is] pursuing the ‘every place’ finish line, and similarly, they are working toward a 2033 goal for that effort of a church in every place everywhere,” he adds.

“We’re down to under 10 years on all three finish lines.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

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

​Steve deace, Steve deace show, Blazetv, Blaze media, Great commission, Jesus, Christ, Christianity, Global missions, Evangelism, End times 

Police officers responding to a report of a domestic dispute in Wilmington, Delaware, found a woman dead on Sunday at the home of Jill Biden’s ex-husband, Bill Stevenson.

According to the New Castle County Police Department, officers arrived around 11:16 p.m. and found Linda Stevenson, 64, unresponsive in the living room. Despite administering life-saving measures, Mrs. Stevenson was later pronounced dead.

‘She’s the greatest thing in my life.’

Detectives with the NCCPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit responded to the scene and have taken over the investigation. The decedent’s body was, meanwhile, turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science so that an autopsy can be conducted to determine the cause of death.

When pressed by the Daily Mail about the suggestion by the decedent’s daughter, Christina Vettori, that the death is being investigated as a murder, the New Castle County Sheriff’s Office responded, “No, it is a death investigation.”

No charges have been filed.

Bill Stevenson, the founder of the University of Delaware-area bar Stone Balloon, married the former first lady in February 1970. The pair divorced in 1975 — two years prior to her marriage to Joe Biden.

RELATED: ‘Obvious f**king failure’: Even Hunter Biden admits dad’s Afghanistan exit was a total disaster

Photo by Cynthia Johnson/Getty Image

Jill Biden’s biographer Julie Pace claimed in a 2022 interview that “she had these expectations of sort of what that marriage was going to be, and the marriage did not live up to those expectations.”

Stevenson told the Daily Mail in 2020 that he suspected that Jill was having an affair with Biden in August 1974 — when she declined to join him on a trip to meet Bruce Springsteen, allegedly claiming she had to look after Biden’s kids, who had lost their mother years earlier in a car crash. Jill and Joe Biden alternatively claim that they began dating in March 1975.

Stevenson claimed, however, that he was not bitter because “if it wasn’t for my divorce, I would never have met my wife, Linda, and she’s the greatest thing in my life.”

Citing law enforcement sources, TMZ reported that Bill Stevenson was the individual who called police to report the domestic dispute at his home and was present when authorities pronounced his wife dead.

The Office of Joe and Jill Biden did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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​Crime, Murder, Death, Jill biden, Joe biden, Linda stevenson, Bill stevenson, Infidelity, Dead, Politics 

When everyday people find themselves presumably overmatched and outgunned by armed crooks — and end up turning the tables on the thugs breaking the law — it’s nothing short of inspiring.

In 2025, Blaze News ran across its fair share of such stories. Such as when a concealed-carrying garbage truck driver found himself facing down a pair of would-be armed robbers — and won the battle … or when five armed males forced their way into a California home, only to find themselves on the losing end of things when the homeowner grabbed his own gun … and best tale of all, when a gun-wielding thug demanded a Rolex from a man on a West Hollywood street. The crook’s problem? His target allegedly was a retired wrestler. Oops!

So check out our satisfying top-five instances when everyday people turned the tables on armed thugs:

Home invasion victim fights armed burglar, then turns the tables on him — with deadly results

A Houston home invasion victim fought an armed burglar on the night of April 9, police said — and the victim turned the tables on the crook, taking his gun away and then shooting him dead with it.

Police told KPRC-TV that three burglars targeted an apartment on Westridge Street near the NRG Stadium in the southeast part of the city a little after 9 p.m. One of the masked males knocked on the door while the two others tried breaking in through a window, the station said, citing a police news release. The residents called 911 by that time, KPRC reported.

Police said one of the burglars pointed a gun at the two tenants, and a fight ensued after one of the tenants knocked the gun out of the burglar’s hands, the station reported.

During the fight, police told KPRC the burglar “pulled out a second gun from his waistband.” But the 20-year-old apartment resident who was fighting the burglar wrestled the gun away from the suspect and shot him, the station said.

The two other burglars ran off by the time police arrived, KPRC said, adding that the third burglar, who was shot during the fight, died from his injuries. Police have identified the deceased burglar only as an 18-year-old male, the station said.

No charges have been filed against the homeowner, KPRC said, but police confirmed that the Harris County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and that a grand jury would review the case.

Concealed-carrying garbage truck driver turns the tables on wannabe armed robbers — 1 of whom pays ultimate price

A concealed-carrying garbage truck driver turned the tables in late January on a pair of would-be armed robbers in Chicago, fatally shooting one of them and wounding the other, police said.

Chicago police told WLS-TV the shoot-out occurred around 5:15 a.m. Jan. 31, just steps away from a high school. The station, citing police, said a 28-year-old man working as a garbage truck driver was outside in the 900 block of South Homan Avenue when two males approached him, showed a gun, and announced a robbery.

But it seems the pair chose unwisely.

Police told WLS the suspects and the victim — who has a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card and concealed carry license — engaged in a shoot-out.

One of the suspects, 42, was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene, the station reported. The other suspect, 20, was shot in the neck and was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition, WLS noted.

The victim was taken to St. Anthony Hospital in good condition for an evaluation, the station said.

Police recovered two weapons from the scene, the station said, adding that Area Four detectives are investigating.

Gun-wielding thug demands Rolex from man. But victim allegedly is a retired wrestler — and the tables are about to turn.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told Blaze News that deputies responded just before 1 p.m. Oct. 22 to the 900 block of North Sweetzer Avenue in West Hollywood regarding an armed robbery call.

According to the victim, a dark-colored sedan was seen traveling down the street at a high rate of speed before stopping near his location, authorities said.

As you might expect, the driver didn’t need directions.

The sheriff’s department told Blaze News that an adult black male wearing a mask exited the vehicle holding a semiautomatic handgun and demanded the victim’s Rolex watch. But the victim refused to comply, and a physical struggle ensued, authorities said.

Patrick McCloskey told KTLA-TV he was working from home when he heard a woman screaming from the sidewalk: “The chaos was so intense, I didn’t know who jumped who. I ran to the door to see what was happening. At that point, I hear her yell, ‘Get the gun, get the gun!'”

Apparently getting hold of the gun wasn’t too difficult for the victim, as McCloskey explained to the station that the gunman “didn’t know that the guy was a retired wrestler. So he was able to get the gun off the guy and wrestle him down.”

Video of the incident’s aftermath shows the victim — who didn’t want to be identified — telling a deputy that he grabbed the gunman’s wrist and put him on the ground before taking the gun away, KTLA reported. The victim’s girlfriend then threw the gun over a nearby fence, and he held the suspect down until police arrived, the station said.

The sheriff’s department told Blaze News that a second adult male suspect exited the vehicle during the struggle but fled the scene in the dark-colored sedan prior to the arrival of deputies. Responding deputies recovered the gun and took the suspect into custody without further incident, officials said.

“I was told the gun was loaded,” McCloskey noted to KTLA. “The guy who is sort of the hero in all of this, who was able to pin the guy down, told me he saw a bullet in the chamber.”

McCloskey added to the station that the retired wrestler showed no mercy in his struggle with the gunman: “At one point the guy’s arm got dislocated, and he just held him down.”

5 armed thugs force their way into residence — but gun-toting homeowner isn’t about to back down

When five armed males forced their way into a residence in Los Banos, California, in late March, the homeowner also got himself a gun — and won the confrontation, shooting two of the intruders.

Police Chief Ray Reyna told KFSN-TV that “the homeowner approached the intruders with a gun he legally owns,” after which the chief said a shoot-out ensued with the homeowner shooting two of the suspects.

A dispatcher on police scanner audio indicated that one suspect was wounded in the leg and another was wounded in the stomach, KFSN reported. The two suspects were in custody at a Modesto area hospital where they were expected to survive, the station said. Los Banos is about an hour south of Modesto.

KFSN said police were searching for the other three suspects who escaped the home through a bedroom window and then took off in a car.

The chief told the station that at least four people were inside the home at the time of the incident, and they weren’t hurt.

Reyna added to KFSN that he has reason to believe the intruders are not from the area, and he said police are looking into a possible motive.

Thug picks wrong victim to allegedly point weapon at and chase — and the tables painfully turn on him

Deputies from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office in upstate New York responded to a reported physical altercation involving a weapon in Vernon on the evening of Dec. 1, officials said. Vernon is about 40 minutes east of Syracuse.

It was reported that an individual was acting erratically and pointed what was believed to be a handgun at two victims, officials said. The two victims tried to retreat into a nearby residence, but the suspect advanced toward them with the weapon, officials said.

A fight then broke out between the suspect and one of the victims, officials said, and the victim managed to get the weapon away from the suspect. Arriving deputies took the suspect into custody without issue, officials said.

The suspect was identified as Glenn A. Wallis, 40, of Vernon, officials said, adding that Wallis was taken to the Kurt B. Wyman Law Enforcement Building.

Wallis was charged with two counts of menacing in the second degree — a class A misdemeanor — along with one count of harassment in the second degree, which officials defined as a “violation.”

However, officials said a member of the Criminal Investigation Unit also charged Wallis with one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, which is a class D felony. According to WUTR-TV, the weapon that Wallis was brandishing was a pistol-style pellet gun. Wallis was then taken to and held at the Oneida County Correctional Facility.

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​Fighting back, 2025, Turning the tables, Crime, Crime thwarted, 2nd amend., Guns, Gun rights 

The 2028 presidential election is 34 months away, and in that time, there are sure to be plenty of surprises. There are, however, already clear signs of who may ultimately make a bid for the White House — and how they might fare in the primaries.

CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, expressed surprise on Monday by how Vice President JD Vance performed in a recent poll of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters against former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nimarata “Nikki” Haley, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and other prospects.

‘The rest of the field are like going around in go-karts.’

Enten alluded to prediction market odds indicating that Vance is “running well ahead of the field” and that “nobody else is even close.”

Polymarket puts Vance’s chance of becoming the Republican presidential nominee in 2028 at 54%. The site has the chances of the runner-up, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, securing the nomination at 9%. This high confidence in Vance’s chances is similarly expressed on the PredictIt site as well as on the federally regulated prediction market Kalshi, which suggests Vance and Rubio have a 48% and 10% chance of securing the nomination, respectively.

“JD Vance is like Mario Andretti, and Marco Rubio and the rest of the field are like going around in go-karts at this point,” said Enten. “That’s really what we are looking at. JD Vance is the clear, heavy favorite at this time.”

Enten noted that Vance’s staggering early lead reflected in the prediction markets “is not coming out of nowhere” and directed CNN talking head Sara Sidner’s attention to a poll conducted in October by the University of New Hampshire.

RELATED: ‘All in’: TPUSA’s Andrew Kolvet sets sights on 2028 presidential candidate after AmFest

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The poll found that among those who plan to vote in the 2028 Republican presidential primary in New Hampshire, 51% said they would vote for Vance; 9% said they would vote for Haley; 8% said they would vote for Gabbard; 5% said they would vote for Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders; 4% would vote for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.); and 3% each would vote for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Calgary-born Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who appears poised to run as the kind of Republican President Donald Trump crushed in the 2016 and 2024 GOP primaries, proved unable to capture 1% in the poll.

“Take a look here! JD Vance at 51%!” said Enten. “The next closest is Nikki Haley, who’s at 9 — who’s at 9! I mean, what is that? That’s 42 points ahead of the pack.”

“There’s a reason why he’s such a heavy favorite in the prediction market so far, because if you win the GOP primary in New Hampshire, chances are, you’re going to be the Republican nominee for president,” added Enten.

When asked by Sidner whether it was rare to see an early lead of this magnitude, Enten said, “I looked back. Hitting 50% plus in the early New Hampshire polls for a non-sitting president — JD Vance is the only one.”

“JD Vance is pulling off something historic at this time,” continued Enten.

While Vance’s early lead is unprecedented, the last five sitting vice presidents who ran for president all became their parties’ nominees.

A straw poll was also taken earlier this month at Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest, where widowed CEO Erika Kirk endorsed the vice president.

Blake Neff, the producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” noted that Vance won the AmFest straw poll “by more than Donald Trump won the 2024 one we did two years ago.” Whereas 82.6% of respondents previously said they wanted to see Trump as the 2024 GOP nominee, 84.2% of respondents said they wanted to see Vance as their nominee in 2028.

The UNH poll that found a majority of likely GOP voters support Vance likewise found that there is a much closer race developing across the aisle.

Among those who plan to vote in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary in New Hampshire, 19% of respondents say they would vote for former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; 15% would vote for California Gov. Gavin Newsom; 14% would vote for New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; 11% would vote for failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris; 8% would vote for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); and 6% would vote for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

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Without question, 2025 was anything but dull. Trump made a historic return to the White House. Biden regime policies were thankfully booted out the door. Left-wing violence reached astonishing heights. Natural disasters ravaged parts of the country. Infighting in conservatism burned bridges and fractured the MAGA base.

It’s been a wild year full of ups and downs. On this episode of “Relatable,” Allie Beth Stuckey revisits four defining moments of 2025.

1. Trump’s inauguration

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn into the presidency for his second term.

It was quite an eventful occasion. The sound system failed just as Carrie Underwood began “America the Beautiful.” But the blonde country icon didn’t skip a beat, launching into an a cappella performance and hitting every note with her usual precision and cadence.

“That was beautiful,” Allie says.

However, controversy erupted when Trump took his oath. Unlike the majority of presidents before him, he did not put his hand on the Bible, leading many to brand it a scandal. But Allie says there was nothing significant or covert about it. The fact that the Trump family provided their own family Bible for the ceremony is proof that he wasn’t making any sort of anti-Bible statement.

2. Vatican elects the first American pope

On May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel, announcing that the successor had been named. It was Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who selected the name Pope Leo XIV. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he is the first-ever American pope.

“It’s a really important historical moment — not just in the Catholic Church, but really in the West in general,” Allie says.

“Unfortunately, Pope Leo has some progressive views on some things that I would call unbiblical views on some things that I don’t love,” she adds.

3. Loss of four prominent Protestant leaders

The year 2025 sadly saw four courageous evangelicals pass away.

On May 26, Duck Dynasty patriarch, BlazeTV host, and devout Christ-follower Phil Robertson passed away at the age of 79 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

John MacArthur, an 86-year-old evangelical pastor and theologian, then died on July 14. He died from pneumonia after being hospitalized.

The following month on August 21, James Dobson — psychologist, author, and founder of the conservative Christian ministry Focus on the Family — passed away at age 89 from undisclosed causes.

And finally, reformed Baptist preacher and speaker Voddie Baucham Jr. passed away from an undisclosed emergency medical incident on September 25, 2025. He was only 56 years old.

“I mean, this is, like, just a generation of faithful evangelical Protestant pastors and leaders that we lost,” Allie says.

“Their legacy lives on, and God ordained all of their days, knew exactly when they were going to pass, but it’s still sad for all of us, but especially their families.”

4. Murder of Charlie Kirk

Lastly, 2025 will go down in history as the year when our beloved Charlie Kirk was murdered while speaking at a Turning Point USA event. On September 10, the TPUSA founder was struck in the neck by an assassin’s bullet on the Utah Valley University campus where he was launching his TPUSA 2025 tour. He left behind his wife, Erika, and their two children, as well as the TPUSA empire that has only exploded in growth since his death.

“I will never forget that day,” says Allie, who was friends with Charlie.

“This renewed interest in [God] that we all saw at Charlie’s memorial, that we all saw on college campuses, it is happening,” she encourages.

“It seems like the love of many has grown cold really fast — like we so quickly went from this unified moment at the memorial to conspiracies, to accusations, to slander, to gossip, to division.”

But revival is still happening. Maybe it’s not as loud and bold as it appeared in the beginning, but it’s happening nonetheless. “When we get to the other side of eternity, we are going to see this incredible, complex, interwoven tapestry of all of these little unseen and unsung moments in the lives of believers that culminated in someone’s salvation, and angels rejoicing because of that,” Allie says.

To hear more of Allie’s 2025 recap, watch the episode above.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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Minnesota appears to be a mecca for fraudsters, particularly from the crime-ridden African nation of Somalia.

Private citizens and the Trump administration have taken steps in recent weeks to neutralize and expose the worst cases of graft in Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s back yard — including the fraud committed by members of the Somali community in relation to coronavirus relief funding and the student aid fraud plaguing the Gopher State’s publicly funded schools.

YouTuber Nick Shirley, 23, has played an outsized role in this anti-fraud campaign. His Christmas week videos alleging massive fraud in taxpayer-subsidized, Somali-run day care facilities prompted the Department of Health and Human Services to announce that it was derailing the gravy train.

‘Any dollar stolen by fraudsters is stolen from those children.’

“We have frozen all child care payments to the state of Minnesota,” HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said in a statement on Tuesday.

In a corresponding video, O’Neill noted that “intrepid journalists have made shocking and credible allegations of extensive fraud in Minnesota’s child care programs. We believe the state of Minnesota has allowed scammers and fake day cares to siphon millions of taxpayer dollars over the past decade.”

Alex Adams, assistant secretary of the HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, indicated that his office provides Minnesota with $185 million in childcare funds annually.

“That money should be helping 19,000 American children, including toddlers and infants,” said Adams. “Any dollar stolen by fraudsters is stolen from those children.”

RELATED: Patel: Convicted Somali fraudsters face loss of citizenship as DHS probes Minnesota

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Shirley visited a number of ostensible childcare facilities in Minnesota that each receive millions of dollars in government backing only to find them apparently devoid of children.

In one instance, Shirley visited Mako Childcare — whose owner is listed as Ayan Salah — and the Mini Childcare Center, which are housed in the same facility and appear to be one and the same. According to Shirley’s documentary, the two outfits are together licensed for 120 children and rake in roughly $3 million each year.

Shirley highlighted how the windows at the location were all blacked out, there was no outside play area, and there was no evidence of any children on or around the site. Despite signage indicating that the facility is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., the door was locked and no one responded to the doorbell.

After visiting a number of other locations with covered windows and not a single child in sight — while allegedly being tailed by Somali malcontents — Shirley paid a visit to the Quality Learing [sic] Center.

As Shirley knocked on the blacked-out door of the potentially fraudulent day care with the misspelled name, a woman warned those inside, “Don’t open up!”

According to the documentary, the apparently childless, playground-free Quality Learing Center is licensed for 99 children and has received around $4 million over the past two years.

Vice President JD Vance said in response to Shirley’s reporting, “This dude has done far more useful journalism than any of the winners of the 2024 [Pulitzer] prizes.”

‘This jaw-dropping reporting is an indictment of both the national news media and feckless, dangerous office holders in Minnesota.’

In response to Shirley’s videos, O’Neill indicated that all Administration for Children and Families payments moving forward will “require a justification and a receipt or photo evidence before we send money to a state.”

O’Neill noted further that he and Alex Adams have identified the individuals referenced in Shirley’s report and have demanded Gov. Walz undertake a “comprehensive audit of these centers,” pulling information on attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations, and inspections.

In addition to pausing funding to Minnesota, requiring more in the way of information from applicants nationwide, and demanding an investigation, O’Neill noted that the HHS has launched a fraud-reporting hotline and email address.

— (@)

Vance said of the actions taken by the HHS, “Turning off payments and forcing verification before taxpayer money flows out the door is one of the most important steps we can take to end the fraud in Minnesota. But there will be many more to come.”

Gov. Walz suggested the HHS’ firm response to credible allegations of widespread childcare fraud on his watch was somehow a nefarious plot on the part of President Donald Trump.

“This is Trump’s long game,” said the failed Democratic vice presidential candidate whose trouble telling the truth dogged him on the campaign trail last year. “We’ve spent years cracking down on fraudsters. It’s a serious issue — but this has been his plan all along. He’s politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans.”

Walz was thoroughly mocked and criticized online over his desperate attempt to shift blame onto Trump.

Zerohedge, for instance, quipped, “Brilliant execution by Trump’s sleeper Somali cell.”

Minnesota state Rep. Harry Niska (R) wrote, “Take some accountability. Your failure is no one’s fault but your own. Minnesota deserves better than this embarrassment.”

Shirley’s documentary not only prompted action by the HHS but by others in the federal government.

“This jaw-dropping reporting is an indictment of both the national news media and feckless, dangerous office holders in Minnesota like Tim Walz, who have allowed these massive fraud schemes to occur for years. NO MORE,” tweeted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Johnson added that the House Oversight Committee “has expanded its investigation into these schemes. Republicans have demanded data from Gov. Walz, AG [Keith] Ellison, the Treasury Department, and the Justice Department, and have requested interviews with several key officials in Minnesota who have allowed, or participated in this fraud.”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that Homeland Security Investigations was also looking into the matter, sharing a video of HSI officers visiting day care operations.

— (@)

Director Kash Patel said that the FBI was aware of the reports in the Gopher State and that “fraud that steals from taxpayers and robs vulnerable children will remain a top FBI priority in Minnesota and nationwide.”

Patel noted further that the fraud confirmed in the state to date “is just the tip of a very large iceberg,” adding that many of those responsible “are also being referred to immigrations officials for possible further denaturalization and deportation proceedings where eligible.”

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Hot on the heels of the U.S. government’s announcement of the Tech Force combing for 1,000 new recruits, 25 times that number of Americans have sent in their resumes to the cross-agency technology team.

The Tech Force, announced mid-month, urged the country’s best and brightest to head to its website to apply for short-term federal employment. Over the ensuing week, that number has risen to at least 25,000, according to Scott Kupor, the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

‘Tech Force will tackle the most complex and large-scale civic and defense challenges of our era.’

With a two-year government contract worth as much as $200,000, recruits will be part of an “elite group” of tech specialists hired to “accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) implementation” and solve critical tech challenges.

The unprecedented new group will primarily recruit those early in their careers, the Tech Force website explained, who specialize in engineering, AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, or project management in tech. Those brought on board can expect to implement AI programs and applications, modernize data, and provide digital service delivery at federal agencies.

“Backed by the White House, Tech Force will tackle the most complex and large-scale civic and defense challenges of our era,” the outfit promised. “From administering critical financial infrastructure at the Treasury Department to advancing cutting-edge programs at the Department of Defense, and everything in between.”

RELATED: BEWARE: With these new web browsers, everything on your computer can be stolen with one click

— (@)

Hires can look forward to working with agency leadership and “leading technology companies” to train and engage with senior management from partnered companies. The government openly states that once Tech Forcers are finished with their training program, they will seek employment at the partnering private-sector companies in order to demonstrate “the value of combining civil service with technical expertise.”

Along with the competitive high salaries, the government program says it provides benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and “performance-based awards.”

The duties and scope of the Tech Force varied to a great degree, with the official website providing a lengthy list of federal agencies that participants can expect to be placed within. These included the Departments of War, Treasury, State, Labor, Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, Housing & Urban Development, Transportation, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs.

Other agencies like the Small Business Administration, IRS, and Office of Personnel Management were also noted.

RELATED: NO HANDS: New Japanese firm trains robots without human input

Photo by Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images

Readers on X had mixed reactions to open recruitment, with several hoping the program would only be open to Americans and others sarcastically saying that it probably should not be filled “with Indians.”

The application form goes through the USA Jobs website.

The official account for the Young Republicans of Texas said the program could be an effective way to prove that there are “plenty of qualified Americans” in the tech field.

At the same time, others worried about a dystopian future that could arise from combining advanced technology and the Treasury Department.

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