Category: blaze media

Yesterday, President Trump announced on Truth Social that the administration was parting ways with Attorney General Pam Bondi. He thanked the former Florida AG for her service and said that she would be transitioning to an unspecified new job in the private sector, while Deputy AG Todd Blanche steps in as acting attorney general.

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales welcomed part of the news with enthusiasm.

“Finally happened. President Trump actually decided to fire some of the deadweight in his administration,” she says.

However, Sara strongly pushes back on Trump’s description of Blanche as a “very talented and respected legal mind.”

“Todd Blanche is, like, neck-deep in deep state, OK? Todd Blanche is like a Harvard elitist. Todd Blanche is not to be trusted. All of my sources within the DOJ are saying Todd Blanche is a problem,” she says.

Some of her sources have even suggested that Blanche, not Bondi, bears much of the blame for the DOJ’s perceived failures.

“Some of my sources have said that Pam Bondi is so incompetent that she just farmed everything out to Todd Blanche. Like she just handed everything over to Todd Blanche. Todd Blanche has actually already been running things, and this is how it’s going,” Sara says.

Even though Blanche is only a temporary acting AG while Trump searches for a permanent replacement, Sara warns that the damage he could do in the interim is significant.

“You could have an interim attorney general, an acting attorney general, for literal years. … If he’s here longer than five minutes, it’s going to be a problem,” she quips.

An attorney general, she argues, should be “should be competent … willing to fight … willing to go to the trenches.”

But neither Bondi nor Blanche, according to Sara, fits that bill.

Several names are now floating as potential replacements, with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin emerging as the leading contender. To hear Sara’s full take on the possible candidates, watch the video above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Blazetv, Blaze media, Doj, Pam bondi, Pam bondi fired, Todd blanche, Lee zeldin, Attorney general, Deep state 

Before the Artemis II mission blasted off to go around the moon, the astronauts were faced with one more earthly question about diversity and representation.

The last-ditch struggle session-style question came while the astronauts were in preflight quarantine, literally unable to escape the woke query.

‘It’s the story of humanity, not black history, not women’s history.’

Just three days before the launch on Sunday, the astronauts fielded questions, with a focus on race and gender coming from Spectrum News’ Anthony Leone. He asked, “There are so many firsts here for this mission. The first commander of a returned manned mission to the moon. The first black man, the first woman, the first Canadian to visit the moon. What do these firsts mean to each of you?”

The first to answer was Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, who squashed any idea of self praise:

“We are not doing this for the superlatives. We’re doing this because it’s a unique opportunity. We are going for all and by all. This is what NASA embodies.”

Next it was pilot Victor Glover who completely rejected the premise, going viral for his response.

“I want to highlight, I guess maybe one facet of this is the tension,” Glover explained.

“This dichotomy between happiness that a young woman can look at Christina and just physicalize her, her passion or her interest, or even if it’s not something she wants to do, she can just be like, ‘girl power.’ And that’s awesome. And that young brown boys and girls can look at me and go, ‘Hey, he looks like me, and he’s doing what?’ And that’s great, I love that,” Glover continued.

However, the astronaut then revealed he has grown tired of race being the first thing mentioned about his accomplishments:

“I also hope we are pushing the other direction that one day we don’t have to talk about these firsts, that one day this is just —” Glover paused to reset for emphasis. “Listen to this: that this is the human history. It’s about human history. It’s the story of humanity, not black history, not women’s history, but that it becomes human history.”

RELATED: The return to the moon starts NOW: ‘Exploration is what we do’

Glover then passed the mic to Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist. Koch did not disappoint either, telling reporters that the mission is “not about celebrating any one individual.”

“If there is something to celebrate, it’s that we are at a time when everyone who has a dream gets to work equally hard to achieve that dream … if we are not going for all and by all, we aren’t truly answering all of humanity’s call to explore. That, to me, is what’s worth celebrating.”

While the NASA astronauts all focused on the bigger picture rather than celebrating race or gender politics, the fourth crew member, Canadian mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, took a different route.

While Hansen began by saying the mission is an acknowledgment of “anybody who shows up” and is able to contribute something meaningful, he quickly pivoted to give progressives an answer to be proud of.

“I’m wearing a Canadian patch here that was designed by an Anishinaabe artist in Canada, and it just represents some of the beauty of indigenous culture and their perspective on the moon and the seven sacred laws and just the richness of doing something together and how inviting that is.”

The Anishinaabe refers to a grouping of native tribes that surrounded the Great Lakes region. Including the Algonquin and Mississauga people, as well as groups of smaller tribes, it is an oft-cited moniker favored by activists pursuing their political endeavors.

RELATED: America returns to the moon: How to watch Artemis II launch

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Glover is a devout Christian; he has been adamant about his faith and even asked for prayers regarding his moon mission. His brazen unwillingness to compromise on presenting his views has made him stand out throughout the mission lead-up.

“I want to use the abilities that God has given me to do my job well and support my crewmates and mission and NASA,” he said in a 2020 Christian Chronicle interview; in remarks to Christianity Today, Glover said that he “very intentionally” puts “God at the front” of his missions because “it’s the way I try to live my life as well.”

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

​Return, Astronauts, Nasa, Space, Woke, Progressive, The moon, Race, Gender, Tech 

The Department of Homeland Security has shut down a Democrat suggesting that an immigrant had been targeted over his skin color or religious beliefs.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin posted an article about the detention of the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the largest mosque in Wisconsin, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

‘This terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.’

The report said Salah Sarsour was a legal permanent resident of the U.S. for more than three decades. Local activists accused the Trump administration of targeting pro-Palestinian voices.

“They want to criminalize advocacy for Palestine,” said Othman Atta, another leader at the mosque, at a rally to oppose the detention. “That is the only reason that he is being targeted. There is nothing else.”

Baldwin pounced to accuse ICE of racism as well.

“Salah is here lawfully and has been a productive member of our community for 30 years,” she claimed. “This looks like ICE targeting someone because of their skin color or what they believe — and that is not the American way. This doesn’t make us safer. We need answers why ICE targeted Salah.”

Several hours later, she got those answers from DHS.

“ICE arrested a Jordanian national with a prior conviction for THROWING A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL at the homes of Israeli Forces,” DHS responded on social media.

“He lied on his immigration application and became a green card holder under President Clinton,” the department added. “This terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”

RELATED: Mamdani cites Quran and quotes Muhammed while announcing order to protect illegal aliens from ICE

Atta added that Sarsour’s wife and six children are U.S. citizens. He also claimed that U.S. authorities had known about the arrest by Israeli authorities since Sarsour immigrated to the U.S. in 1993.

“He is being deported because he’s exercising his right of freedom of speech,” Atta added.

Sarsour also owns at least three furniture stores in the Milwaukee area and was called a pillar of the community by his adult son.

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

​Tammy baldwin vs ice, Salah sarsour detention, Islamic pro-palestinian ice detention, Ice detention on skin color, Politics 

Chinese illegal aliens were arrested by the Department of Homeland Security after their son allegedly brought an explosive device to an Air Force base and their daughter allegedly helped him cover his tracks.

Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng were denied asylum and were residing illegally in the United States. Their children Ann Mary Zheng and Alen Zheng are U.S. citizens.

‘Her brother … had attempted to damage government property by fire or explosion,’ the DOJ alleges.

The Department of Justice charged Ann Mary for allegedly assisting Alen after he allegedly planted the explosive device at MacDill Air Force Base visitor center in Tampa.

Alen has been charged with attempted damage of government property by fire or explosion, unlawful making of a destructive device, and possession of an unregistered destructive device. Ann Mary has been charged with evidence tampering and assisting after the fact.

Ann Mary and Alen fled to China on March 12. Ann Mary was arrested when she returned to the United States on March 17, while her brother is believed to still be in China.

The DHS arrested their parents on March 18 for illegal entry, and they remain in ICE custody, according to the Daily Wire.

RELATED: Trump makes history at SCOTUS birthright citizenship hearing

Ann Mary Zheng. DHS

“Ann Mary Zheng, knowing that her brother, Alen Zheng, had attempted to damage government property by fire or explosion, assisted him in order to hinder and prevent his apprehension, trial, and punishment,” a DOJ press release reads.

“The indictment also charges Ann Mary Zheng with corruptly altering, destroying, mutilating, and concealing a 2010 black Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 with the intent to impair its integrity and availability for use in the federal prosecution of Alen Zheng.”

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

​Donald trump, Supreme court, Birthright citizenship, Chinese nationals, Anchor babies, Terrorism, Air force base, Military base, Dhs, Ice, Bomb threat, Politics 

A Democrat candidate who is running to flip a U.S. House seat in Texas once toured with an accordionist who had been convicted for indecent conduct with a child.

Bobby Pulido won two Latin Grammys as a Tejano music performer, but a New York Post report found that he performed many concerts with a child sex offender who also played the accordion.

‘Despite being caught on tape admitting he knew of this man’s criminality and praising him as recently as November, Mr. Pulido now falsely claims to have been unaware of his crimes.’

Frankie Caballero was sentenced to four years in prison for the second-degree felony with an 8-year-old girl in 2014.

The Post documented that Pulido performed with Caballero at concerts in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Tucson, and other places between 2018 and 2021.

In addition, the accordionist still identifies himself as the accordion player for Pulido on Facebook.

Pulido’s campaign manager, Abel Prado, told the Post that Pulido did not know about the child sex crime conviction.

“Bobby was never made aware of Caballero’s sex offender registration and would never knowingly associate with anyone with that kind of history,” Prado said. “Bobby extends his deepest sympathies and support to all of the victims involved.”

The report also notes that the court records of the conviction in 2014 were not public because the victim was a minor, but the charge, sex registry status, and the sentence are all available on an official website for the Texas Dept. of Public Safety.

Booking records at the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s website indicate that Caballero was booked on four counts related to indecent sexual contact with a child.

Pulido’s Republican opponent, Rep. Monica De La Cruz (Texas), released a statement accusing the musician of being less than truthful about what he knew.

“My heart goes out to the children who were sexually abused by a close friend and professional associate of Bobby Pulido. For three decades, Mr. Pulido brought a child predator into our neighborhoods with multiple convictions for sexually abusing children in Hidalgo County, including an 8-year-old girl,” reads the statement from De La Cruz.

“Despite being caught on tape admitting he knew of this man’s criminality and praising him as recently as November, Mr. Pulido now falsely claims to have been unaware of his crimes,” she added. “These are not South Texas values. As both a mother and a congresswoman, I want the families of these sexually abused children whose suffering Mr. Pulido ignored to know that I am here for you.”

She went on to ask the victims’ families to contact her office for federal resources of support.

RELATED: Democratic challenger in pivotal Texas election portrayed pervert who masturbates in public in music video

Prado also said that Pulido learned about Caballero’s criminal history in 2021 and immediately fired him.

De La Cruz trounced her Democrat opponent in the 2024 election by more than 14 points. President Donald Trump also won the district easily.

Prior to the revelations about his touring with a child sex offender, Pulido tried to gain media attention by asking 15-year-old Latinas to invite him to their birthday parties.

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

​Bobby pulido campaign for texas, Bobby pulido and sex offender, Child sex abuse accordionist, Rep monica de la cruz vs pulido, Politics 

A ticketholder at a Dallas Stars hockey game has said she called a fan misbehavior hotline on a group of men for doing what she describes as “Nazi salutes.”

The Stars’ home arena and the hockey team are investigating the incident that has gone viral online due to a fan video.

‘It was every goal they were doing it.’

The viral video was taken by Courtney Ripley, a Stars fan who was near the four men in question when they were making the alleged hand gestures during the game.

Typically, fans at American Airlines Center make a fist pump motion while chanting the “Dallas Stars” team name repeatedly. However, Ripley told WFAA-TV that “this group of men were doing Nazi salutes instead.”

“It was shocking,” she said. “It was every goal they were doing it.”

Ripley also said she reported the group of fans to the arena’s fan misbehavior hotline and was told that the organization sent a staff member to speak with the men. However, despite allegedly providing her video and their seat numbers, Ripley said not only was she told the men could not be located but that she never saw staff approach them at all.

“Kind of disappointing on that front too, a little bit,” she told WFAA.

RELATED: ‘We want to be inclusive’: After Christian player posts Bible verses, Patriots coach says team needs to be ‘educated’

Ripley told the local outlet that the video only recently went viral, despite it being filmed during a December 21 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now, the American Airlines Center is coordinating with the Stars for an investigation.

“American Airlines Arena (AAC) has zero tolerance for any acts of hate and/or discrimination, and we aim to ensure an environment for our guests that is free from disruptive behaviors, including foul/abusive language and obscene gestures,” the arena said in a statement, per ESPN.

“As such, we strongly denounce the actions that appear to be depicted in the video footage and are conducting an internal investigation.”

A spokesperson for the Stars told ESPN on Thursday that the franchise is “fully aligned with the arena’s statement” and is working with the team to “find out exactly what happened.”

RELATED: Female ex-referee accuses NFL of sexism, sues after she was allegedly made to perform ‘an utterly humiliating’ act

Glenn James/NHLI/Getty Images

American Airlines Center has a plethora of prohibited behaviors they list as “disturbances,” which can result in an ejection from the arena. They include standing on chairs, “mooning,” interfering with the game, and lighting a fire.

Obvious infractions also include drunk and disorderly conduct, fighting, throwing objects, or violating laws.

While profanity and offensive words are also prohibited, the arena’s rules do not appear to include anything about gestures unless they are part of “taunting” players, employees, referees, or performers.

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

​Fearless, Fans, Dallas, Nhl, Hockey, Hate speech, Nazis, Salute, Woke, Sports 

President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on a short ride to the Supreme Court on Wednesday with just four words, a report says, and now rumors about her potential replacement are swirling around Washington.

Trump reportedly told Bondi, “I think it’s time,” to notify her of her firing the day before formally announcing her removal in a Truth Social post. Trump later announced her departure on Thursday, calling her a “Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” but reportedly privately expressing frustration with the lack of prosecutions against Democrats and her botched handling of the Epstein files.

‘I’m not going anywhere.’

Needless to say, Bondi had become a sore spot for the administration, prompting her to become the second departure from Trump’s Cabinet following former Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem.

Trump has since announced that Todd Blanche, Bondi’s former deputy, would temporarily step in as attorney general while the president continues weighing his options to fill the slot long-term.

Trump’s top pick continues to be EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who met with the president on Tuesday, according to one administration official. The meeting was about an unrelated topic, but the official told Blaze News that Trump floated the idea of Zeldin replacing Bondi. The next day, Trump informed Bondi of her firing.

RELATED: Bondi is OUT — and Trump already has a replacement in mind

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

While Zeldin is widely regarded to be the top choice, Trump has not yet made a formal announcement.

Other names have been circulating, although most of them would be considered long shots. Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Ted Cruz of Texas had been floated by onlookers, both of whom would likely sail through Senate confirmation. Critics quickly called out anonymously cited senators endorsing Lee for the role, saying they just want to get rid of one of the most conservative lawmakers.

“Senators who prefer working two and a half days a week are probably Lee’s biggest cheerleaders in taking another job,” a senior Republican source told Blaze News.

Lee later set the record straight in a post on X, saying, “I’m not going anywhere.”

RELATED: Bondi speaks out after ouster, still may have to testify before Congress

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

Another rumored candidate to be top cop has been Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently running a fierce campaign to oust Republican Sen. John Cornyn. The two have been facing off in a high-stakes primary that Trump was expected to weigh in on but so far has not done so.

Although Paxton is popular with the base, he would have to first be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on which his opponent sits. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina would also be a challenging committee vote to secure, not to mention Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who have known to defect on key floor votes.

Other possible candidates are some of Bondi’s top DOJ officials, including Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and even Blanche. While Blanche has assumed the role in the interim, he has shut the door on any future Epstein investigation, telling Fox News that “it should not be a part of anything going forward.”

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

​Donald trump, Lee zeldin, Mike lee, Ted cruz, John cornyn, Ken paxton, Thom tillis, Susan collins, Lisa murkowski, Kristi noem, Todd blanche, Pam bondi, Harmeet dhillon, Senate republicans, Senate confirmation, Attorney general, Epstein files, Department of justice, Doj, Politics 

CNN analyst Harry Enten delivered Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other members of his party some bad news on Thursday, revealing that President Donald Trump’s approval rating is under water but that Democrats’ approval rating is nearly scraping bottom.

Talking head John Berman noted that the new CNN poll conducted by SSRS found that while Trump had an approval rating of 35%, “bad news for Republicans hasn’t really been good news for Democrats.”

‘They don’t like their own party.’

“No, no, not at all,” said Enten.

“These numbers are just atrociously awful. A double A for the Democrats here.”

Seventy-four percent of respondents said that congressional Democrats did not have the right priorities. Even more damning was the response from Democrat respondents, 55% of whom said as much of their party’s representatives in Congress.

“This, to me, just jumps out of the screen because it screams ‘primary challenges’ all over the map, and it says that even if Democrats don’t like Donald Trump, they don’t like their own party either when it comes to Congress,” said Enten.

Whereas 32% of Americans hold a favorable view of the GOP, the poll found that only 28% of Americans hold a favorable view of the Democratic Party.

RELATED: Democrats’ gerrymandering campaign in Virginia hits a snag: Obama

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Berman characterized the damning responses as “Democrat-on-Democrat crime,” then asked about American support for the Democrat leadership.

“The bottom has fallen out,” said Enten.

“Even Democrats don’t like their own leaders when it comes to Congress. And overall, of course, the numbers are just absolutely awful.”

Enten cast doubt on whether Schumer will be able to remain the Senate leader for the Democrats, suggesting that it’s a “coin toss when it comes to Schumer actually winning the next Dem Senate leader selection.”

An Economist/YouGov poll published this week found that a plurality of Democratic voters — 41% — disapprove of the job Schumer is doing as minority leader of the U.S. Senate, and 37% signaled approval. Schumer’s overall approval rating was 20%.

David Axelrod, who served as a political strategist for former President Barack Obama, recently told PBS that Schumer “has been under fire for some time, particularly from progressives in the party,” and that his political fate may be linked to the midterm elections.

“There’s questions as to whether he’ll run in 2028. There’s even questions as to whether he might be challenged as leader,” said Axelrod. “I think the results of this election may impact that.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), whose overall approval rating was 24%, fared slightly better with Democrats than Schumer, with 43% signaling approval and 32% signaling disapproval of his job performance.

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

​Poll, Polling, Chuck schumer, Hakeem jeffries, Congress, Senate, Midterms, Cnn, Harry enten, Democratic, Democrat, Approval, Favorability, Politics 

In a massive win for those against transitioning minors, the Supreme Court ruled this week that Colorado is not allowed to enforce its “conversion therapy” ban — which aimed to shut down conversations between therapists who do not believe in affirming sin and minors.

The 8-1 decision by the high court pointed out that it was wrong for the law to allow for therapists to affirm minors’ gender identities or sexual orientations but not allow them to help them change if they want to.

The initial lawsuit was brought by Kaley Chiles, a licensed Christian therapist, who argued that the conversations she had with her clients were a form of protected speech, while Colorado claimed the state was allowed to regulate her speech.

BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey is thrilled by the news.

“What this means is that Christian counselors, Christian mental health professionals are allowed to say what is true. Not only say what they believe biblically, which they should have a right to do, but also say what is true biologically. They were being punished by acknowledging and affirming biological reality,” Stuckey says.

“And people, including minors, should be free to have access to biblical counselors, counselors who will tell them the truth,” she continues, pointing out that the real “conversion therapists” are on the left.

“What is actual quote unquote ‘conversion therapy’ is the psychiatrist who tells the young, autistic, schizophrenic woman who is coming from an abusive household that, yeah, those feelings of distress that you feel about your body, it’s because you’re the opposite gender,” Stuckey explains.

“That is conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is when you tell a young boy, ‘Yeah, sure, you’re actually a girl. Let’s get you on those hormones. I’ll sign the waiver for you. I’ll sign the form telling the endocrinologist and telling the surgeon that you’re good to go,’” she continues.

“That is actually harmful, real conversion therapy that absolutely should be banned because it’s a lie,” she adds.

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.

​Relatable with allie beth stuckey, Relatable, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Allie beth stuckey, Supreme court, Minor transition, Colorado, Conversion therapy colorado, Conversion therapy, Gender affirming care for minors 

Military members will be allowed to carry their personal firearms on military bases, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday.

The previous policy against personal firearms has been heavily criticized each time a shooting at a military base takes the lives of unarmed military personnel.

‘Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I am signing into action today, and I’m proud to do so.’

In a video posted to the X platform, Hegseth said the decades-old policy would be lifted and troops will be allowed to request to carry privately owned firearms “with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection.”

“Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said. “Unless you’re training or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn’t carry. You couldn’t bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post.”

He cited the Dec. 2019 attack at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, which took the lives of three men and injured eight others, as well as other lethal shootings.

“In these instances, minutes are a lifetime. And our service members have the courage and training to make those precious, short minutes count,” he explained.

“Before today, it was virtually impossible — most people probably don’t know this — it was virtually impossible for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations,” he added.

“Well, that’s no longer.”

He said that in those instances where firearm possession is denied, the refusal must be in writing and fully explained.

“The War Department’s uniformed service members are trained at the highest and unwavering standards. These warfighters — entrusted with the safety of our nation — are no less entitled to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms than any other American,” Hegseth added.

RELATED: My friend survived the Global War on Terror. Leftist immigration policies got him killed.

“Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I am signing into action today, and I’m proud to do so,” he added before signing the memo in the video.

The previous policy against guns on bases can be traced back to rules signed under former President George H.W. Bush.

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

​Secretary of war pete hegseth, Gun free zones at military bases, Firearms at military bases, Hegseth on troop firearms, Politics 

Oracle employees have been laid off as part of a “broader organizational change,” with data revealing that the company has looked to hire thousands of foreign workers.

The software company, headquartered in Austin, Texas, is going through a huge transition as it prepares to back its infrastructural push toward artificial intelligence — reportedly at the cost of thousands of jobs.

‘We are grateful for your dedication.’

Oracle cut thousands of jobs this week, a number that has not been narrowed since CNBC confirmed with insiders on Tuesday. The company may have already been looking ahead, however, as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data shows that Oracle has already filed thousands of petitions for H-1B visas in the past two years.

According to immigration services, the H-1B program allows employers to “temporarily employ foreign workers” for specialized skills. The federal data hub shows that Oracle America Inc. filed for 2,690 visas for fiscal year 2025, which covers Oct. 1, 2024 to Sep. 30, 2025.

At the same time, for fiscal year 2026, the company appears to have made 436 requests. If that number holds, the total through September 2026 will be 3,126.

Immigration services says petitioners can file for H-1B visas “no more than six months before the employment start date.”

RELATED: Texas first: Gov. Abbott freezes H-1B visas after damning report from BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales

Oracle reportedly began layoffs on Tuesday, sending out a letter that stated the company was eliminating roles as part of a broader company shift.

“As a result, today is your last working day,” the letter read, per Business Insider. “We are grateful for your dedication, hard work, and the impact you have made during your time with us,” it added.

Employees were also offered a severance package in line with their “severance plan.”

RELATED: When the AI bubble bursts, guess who pays

CHRIS DELMAS/AFP/Getty Images

Reports from March suggested that the company was allegedly preparing to lay off between 20,000 and 30,000 employees, which would have represented upwards of 18% of its workforce, Yahoo reported.

Blaze News did not receive an immediate response from Oracle regarding its H-1B numbers, the jobs the visas are to replace, and how many would replace American workers.

Oracle has not provided public comment on the matter either.

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

​News, Oracle, H-1b, Visas, Tech sector, American jobs, Job market, Foreign workers, Politics 

Yet again, public officials have failed to mention a Christian holiday by name. In this case, the City of Houston has avoided referring to one of the most important Christian holidays of all, opting for a strange replacement in its stead.

On Thursday, the City of Houston account posted a graphic on social media, now seemingly deleted, explaining an office closure ahead of the Triduum.

The graphic seemed to emphasize the words ‘Spring Holiday,’ since they were both capitalized and written in a different color.

In an otherwise unremarkable announcement, the city said, “Due to the Spring Holiday, City of Houston offices will be closed on Friday, April 3.”

RELATED: Mamdani claims NYC is broke as his office reportedly plans to blow $10 million to hire woke activists

Source image of City of Houston X post

The graphic seemed to emphasize the words “Spring Holiday,” since they were both capitalized and written in a different color.

This vague messaging, however, stood out all the more in contrast to another post on Thursday from an associated account.

On the page for the office of Mayor John Whitmire (D), the most recent post, containing a detailed message, wished everyone a happy Passover, one of Judaism’s important holidays.

The lengthy post read: “On this second night of Passover, Mayor Whitmire wishes a meaningful and peaceful Passover to all those who celebrate. May this season of reflection and renewal bring strength, gratitude, and time well spent with family and friends.”

The City of Houston has likewise celebrated Muslim holidays like Eid Mubarak and Eid al-Adha stretching back several years, a review of the page’s timeline revealed.

After facing some scrutiny online, the city appears to have deleted the “Spring Holiday” message. No replacement message has been posted.

Whitmire’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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

​Politics, Easter, Houston, City of houston, Triduum, Mayor john whitmire, Christianity, Catholic, Holy week, Christian 

How much would you pay for a TED Talk interrupted by classic rock tracks?

Bruce Springsteen fans are answering that question in real time. The Boss’ current tour is No Kings on steroids, letting the rocker rage at President Donald Trump at every step of his 20-date slate.

The left’s attempt to cancel JK Rowling suffered yet another humiliating defeat. Two, actually.

He’s calling it the “Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour.” Sure — if by “dreams” you mean the kind of overheated persecution fantasies that regularly drive the ladies of “The View” into a frenzy.

Boss-aholics are shelling out thousands to hear Springsteen crank it up to 11 on the orange man bad meter. Normal folks can simply go on Bluesky or watch “Morning Joe.” The true-blue Springsteen fans get lectures, plus songs honoring Renee Good, the woman who allegedly steered a car into an ICE agent.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for songs honoring Laken Riley or Sheridan Gorman, though …

‘Cannes’-do attitude

It can’t be worse than “Battlefield Earth,” right?

John Travolta shocked Hollywood this week by getting his directorial debut into next month’s Cannes Film Festival.

Travolta, whose career has sunk to direct-to-VOD titles in recent years, will screen “Propeller One-Way Night Coach” at the august film festival.

The film is based on his 1997 book about the glories of aviation. Travolta, a pilot himself since his early 20s, drew upon his own memories of flight for both projects.

Travolta’s film will touch down May 29, not in theaters, but on Apple TV+.

RELATED: Netflix ‘Manosphere’ doc: Virtuous voyeurism and dull TV

Netflix

‘Steeled’ for success?

If at first you don’t succeed, fail, fail again.

Milly Alcock, taking a page from the Rachel Zegler playbook, just put Geek Nation on notice. Watch “Supergirl” at your own peril.

The rising star plays the Girl of Steel in the June release, a project hot on the heels of last year’s “Superman” reboot.

And she’s making sure to attack potential fans weeks before the film’s debut. Here, she tells Vanity Fair why working on “House of the Dragon” made her a target for the very people who consume her content.

“It definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on. … We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies. I can’t really stop them. I can only be myself.”

Worst sales pitch ever? Maybe not. We’ve already seen Zegler mock anyone who actually liked the iconic Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” and look how that turned out. Bombs away!

Before that, those Lady “Ghostbusters” made the 2016 reboot a culture war battle, and that movie dramatically underperformed.

More recently, the creator behind “The Acolyte” attacked fans for not loving the show’s uber-woke storytelling.

Keep it up, Hollywood. At some point, putting the consumer on blast will no doubt pay off …

Wake up, Streeple!

Stephen Colbert isn’t content personally twisting the truth from his “Late Show” perch. This week, he teed up Oscar winner Meryl Streep to do the honors.

The “Devil Wears Prada 2” star visited the soon-to-be-history show, and at the end of the chat Colbert asked her if there was anything else she wanted to share.

Late-night shows routinely do “pre-interviews” where the guest sketches out the stories and anecdotes he or she will share when the cameras click on.

So Streep launched into a fake news scare tactic, saying the GOP’s SAVE America Act would disenfranchise female voters.

If that passes, all the married women that have changed their names are going to have to go to the registrar and prove that they are who they are. In other words, to your voting registrar. This is what I understand.

Streep, needless to say, understands incorrectly. That final “Late Show” broadcast can’t come soon enough, can it?

Rowling canceled? JK!

The left’s attempt to cancel J.K. Rowling suffered yet another humiliating defeat. Two, actually. Last month, the first trailer for the upcoming “Harry Potter” series shattered records for the streaming giant.

Now, we’re getting a “behind-the-scenes” peek at the December release coming April 5. “Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic” will air at 3 p.m. ET on HBO Max.

It’s a brilliant way to build anticipation for the series and get some serious eyeballs. It also points to the utter failure of the left’s smear campaign against all Rowling-related projects.

Progressives have been raging against the British author since she defied the trans movement’s agenda on select issues. She’s all for the trans community but not a fan of trans women competing against biological women, for example.

For that, she’s faced a six-year cancellation attempt, often hyped by the legacy media. Will somebody tell them it’s not 2020 anymore?

To paraphrase 1982’s “First Blood” … “It’s over, wokies. It’s over.”

​Entertainment, Lifestyle, Culture, Movies, Supergirl, Stephen colbert, Music, Bruce springsteen, John travolta, Hollywood, Toto recall 

A 40-year-old Florida male is accused of hitting a woman in the head with a hammer and killing her in a horrific attack recorded on surveillance video outside a Fort Myers gas station convenience store Thursday morning.

Rolbert Joachin is charged with homicide and criminal mischief for damaging property in the 8 a.m. incident, WINK-TV reported.

‘Very gut-wrenching … very sad. That’s someone’s mom, daughter, sister.’

Several gas station employees told Gulf Coast News the victim was a clerk at the business.

Store surveillance video shows the suspect smashing a car windshield, Gulf Coast News said, adding that store employees said the vehicle belonged to the victim.

Video then shows the woman coming outside — and the suspect approaching her and hitting her in the head with the hammer, Gulf Coast News said.

The below video report from Gulf Coast News shows the surveillance video but blocks out the hammer attack on the victim.

RELATED: Concealed-carrying motorcyclist fatally shoots alleged road-rage driver who charged at him with hammer, police say

The suspect then ran from the scene, after which three nearby schools were placed on brief lockdown, WINK said.

After a multi-hour search, police captured Joachin about a mile from the convenience store, the station said, adding that an arrest photo shows two officers detaining him in a neighborhood.

Arrest video also shows officers walking Joachin in handcuffs and placing him in the back of a police cruiser, WINK said. Joachin was taken to the Lee County Jail where he remained Friday morning. His jail record lists no bond and refers to Joachin as a transient.

Joachin’s court appearance was set for 8:30 a.m. Friday but was postponed to Monday after Joachin’s public defender requested a date change, which the judge granted, WINK reported.

The Gulf Coast News video report said the victim was the mother of two teenagers.

Andre Harris, a gas station regular, told Gulf Coast News the incident was “very gut-wrenching … very sad. That’s someone’s mom, daughter, sister.”

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

​Convenience store, Criminal mischief, Florida, Fort myers, Hammer, Homicide, Killing, Lee county sheriff’s office, Physical attack, Property damage, Rolbert joachin, Woman killed, Crime 

There is a particular pleasure in watching a film that understands its own premise so completely that it never needs to raise its voice.

“Project Hail Mary” is that kind of film. It is about the end of the world, or rather the quiet prevention of it, and it proceeds not with spectacle but with curiosity. You lean in. It also shows that Hollywood can still make films that put storytelling first.

Clarity is one of the rarest virtues in modern filmmaking, too often filled with giant robot explosions and woke speechifying.

The story, based on Andy Weir’s novel, follows Ryland Grace, played with a careful, disarming humanity by Ryan Gosling. He wakes alone on a spacecraft, far from Earth, with no memory of who he is or why he is there. The film reveals its answers slowly, trusting the audience to keep up. It is a confidence rarely seen in big studio science fiction, which tends to mistake noise for intelligence.

Quiet wonder

Grace is not a hero in the usual sense. He is a schoolteacher, a man more comfortable explaining than commanding. The film is built on problem-solving, on the steady accumulation of knowledge, on the small victories of understanding how things work. It recalls the best passages of Weir’s “The Martian,” where survival depends on smart people overcoming impossible odds.

What distinguishes “Project Hail Mary” from “The Martian” is companionship. Without giving too much away, Grace does not remain alone. The relationship that develops is one of the most unusual and affecting in recent science fiction.

It is built not on corny sentiment but on shared necessity. Two radically different minds find a way to communicate. The scenes have a kind of quiet wonder that science fiction used to trade in more often, before it became preoccupied with destruction. It’s not really a spoiler because it’s in the trailer, but Grace befriends a spider-like rock alien who is also trying to save his planet. They must learn to communicate and work together.

Hail competence

Gosling understands the tone. He avoids the temptation to play the material for easy laughs or grand emotion. Instead, he lets the humor arise from confusion and discovery. There are moments of genuine comedy, but they grow out of character rather than being cheap jokes. You believe him as a man who is scared, then curious, then determined.

The direction, handled with precision and restraint by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, resists the urge to turn every crisis into a set piece. Space here is not a battlefield; it’s a problem to be solved. The visuals are clean and intelligible. You always know where you are, what is happening, and why it matters. This may sound like faint praise, but it is not. Clarity is one of the rarest virtues in modern filmmaking, too often filled with giant robot explosions and woke speechifying.

There is also an undercurrent in the film that feels old-fashioned. It takes seriously the idea that competence is a moral good. That cooperation, even across impossible boundaries, is preferable to conflict. These are not fashionable ideas, but the film does not argue for them. It simply demonstrates them.

If the film has a weakness, it lies in its structure. The gradual revelation of Grace’s past, while effective, occasionally interrupts the forward motion of the central story. Some of the Earthbound sequences feel less vivid than the material in space. They serve the plot, but they lack the same sense of discovery.

RELATED: Commentary: ‘Barbie’ is for the boys

Tristan Fewings/Getty Images

Rare success

Still, the film succeeds where it matters most. It creates a world, poses a question, and then answers it honestly. It respects its audience. It believes that people will follow an idea if it is presented clearly enough.

I left the theater thinking not about explosions or villains, but about communication. About the fragile, stubborn act of trying to understand something that does not speak your language. That is a rare thing for a film to leave you with. It is rarer still for a film of this scale to have a competent, straight white male who is the hero and isn’t lectured about leftist ideology. What a novel idea. And the fact that this movie has been a runaway success at the box office and with audiences proves there’s been a longing for movies like this.

“Project Hail Mary” is not loud. It does not need to be. It knows what it is about, and it trusts that to be enough. In the end, saving the world with heroism and smarts will resonate more than bloated CGI.

​Project hail mary, Movies, Film, Ryan gosling, Science fiction, Entertainment, Culture, Andy weir, The martian, Books, Review 

As the Iran war nears its sixth week, reports emerged Friday morning of a developing situation with a U.S. fighter jet having allegedly been shot down by Iranian forces.

Axios reported Friday morning that a U.S. fighter jet was shot down by Iran, citing two sources familiar with the incident.

The aircraft reportedly appears to be an F-15.

Iranian state media published videos and photos allegedly showing parts of the downed plane and an ejection seat, according to Axios.

The aircraft reportedly appears to be an F-15.

RELATED: Iran outright rejects Trump’s peace plan, calling it ‘excessive’ and a ‘ploy’

AFP/Getty Images

A search and rescue mission for the crew is reportedly under way. An F-15 is designed for two crew members.

Blaze News has reached out to the White House and Department of War for comment.

This is a developing story.

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

​Politics, Iran, United states, F-15, Axios, Us fighter jet, Iranian state media, War in iran 

Radicals in Alabama appear to have found a gray-haired figure around which to rally to oppose the broader conservative effort to shield American children from mature and perverse content.

The Rutherford County Library Board removed Luanne James from her position as director of the library system after she refused to fulfill her duties and move hundreds of titles containing inappropriate content — ranging from a book targeting adolescents about sexual activity to books about “genderfluidity” and transgenderism — from the kids’ section to the adult section.

‘I stand by my decision.’

The usual suspects have characterized the bespectacled obstructionist as a free-speech champion and her termination as unlawful.

How it started

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) repeatedly expressed concern in 2023 over children’s exposure to “inappropriate, sexually suggestive materials without adequate means of parental supervision” in her state’s taxpayer-funded libraries.

Ivey noted in a Sept. 1, 2023, letter to the director of the Alabama Public Library Service that the growing parental concern underpinning her own would not be remedied by removing books containing inappropriate content, including radical “gender transition” propaganda, but rather by “ensuring that these books are placed in an appropriate location.”

In the same spirit, the Alabama Legislative Services Agency proposed rule changes to the APLS in 2024 that would make libraries’ state funding conditional on moving content “inappropriate” for kids to an adult section.

Last month, the APLS board of trustees said that the Legislative Services Agency approved the change, reported AL.com.

RELATED: Reactions to SCOTUS ruling on conversion therapy come pouring in

Luis Soto/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Rutherford County Library board meeting documents reveal that Luanne James expressed a willingness to relocate some thematically and graphically mature titles but dug in her heels to keep numerous provocative works of LGBT agitprop in the juvenile sections of her county’s libraries.

The Murfreesboro Daily News Journal reported that among the over 130 titles that James refused to move are:

“Pride in Sports,” an LGBT activist book by a lesbian couple that apparently attempts to normalize non-straight sexual preferences and sex-rejection procedures; “Welcome to Your Period,” a book about menstruation that contains illustrations of female body parts and claims that doctors can administer drugs to “try to block or stop periods and other physical changes” for “transgender children,” which the authors claim “have existed for as long as time”; “The Every Body Book,” a book that discusses and illustrates various body parts while pushing gender ideology on kids; and “Lily and Dunkin,” a story about a romance involving an 8th-grade boy deluded into thinking he’s really a girl.

To James’ chagrin, the board decided in an 8-3 vote on March 16 to move over 100 of the inappropriate LGBT titles to the adult section.

James noted in a letter to the board two days later that “restricting access to these materials through subjective relocation or removal constitutes a violation of the community’s right to information and a direct infringement on the principles of free speech.”

“I will not comply with the Board’s decision to relocate these books,” wrote James. “Doing so would violate the First Amendment right of all citizens of Rutherford County and myself.”

How it’s going

Having proven unwilling to do her job, James was relieved of it on March 30.

The board’s 8-3 vote to kick James to the curb was met by a mix of applause by detractors and furious booing by supporters at the packed Rutherford County Courthouse. James later said, “I stand by my decision,” reported the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal.

Cody York said in a statement obtained by the Daily News Journal that James’ “refusal to implement a lawful directive of the Rutherford County Library Board constitutes insubordination.”

Nashville attorney Chuck Mangelsdorf said, “Her termination we believe is completely unlawful,” and said James is “a guardian of the First Amendment.”

PEN America said in a statement that it “stands with Rutherford County Library System Director Luanne James in her refusal to banish LGBTQ+ children’s books from access by relocating them to the adult section. Children and teens deserve access to diverse books that represent their identities and stories and books that introduce young people to new ideas and perspectives.”

Kasey Meehan, the director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, claimed that James’ “story will echo from the courthouse in Murfreesboro, Tenn., across the country as emblematic of the fight against censorship and suppression,” reported the Advocate.

Supporters have already crowdfunded over $72,000 on GoFundMe for James.

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

​Propaganda, Lgbt, Trans, Transgender, Books, Library, Alabama, Rutherford, Luanna james, Pen america, Infowars, Info wars, Ivey, Politics 

Concerns about free speech in the United Kingdom are growing as new laws surrounding speech, public protest, and religious criticism threaten to change the future of civil liberties — and activist Tommy Robinson, who has been on the wrong side of these laws already — is prepared to fight back.

“Their problem always has been that I always speak facts,” Robinson tells Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck on “The Glenn Beck Program.”

While there are strict laws against “incitement to hatred,” which Robinson has often been accused of, he points out that he’s just telling the truth.

“That’s what this law they’re now bringing in is about. They don’t want the public to be aware of facts or truth if you speak the truth about Islam. They want to limit what you can say, and that’s now what their new law intends to do,” he explains.

And Robinson doesn’t plan to stop speaking out about Islam anytime soon.

“This law won’t change anything I say. So if I’m honest, I will continue. I won’t limit my speech if I’m telling the truth. If that means I’ll end up in prosecutions, it means I will end up in prosecutions,” Robinson tells Glenn.

“Most of these laws are about instilling fear,” he continues, noting that the Labour government also intends to remove the jury service.

“What does that mean?” Glenn asks.

“You can be taken to court in the U.K., and if they drop it to a low charge, you do not get a jury,” Robinson explains.

“And that means they can only give you … 12 or 24 months,” he continues, noting that they’re now changing that.

“They’re changing it so you can get four years,” he says.

“So not only are they bringing in a law that prohibits you from telling the truth, they’re also … taking away your ability to be tried by 12 members of the public. You’ll just be tried by a judge,” he explains.

Robinson’s last prison sentence, he tells Glenn, was 18 months in jail for making a film called “Silence.”

“That film was 100% factual. No one has argued with any of the facts I’ve presented in that film, or the judge didn’t have a problem with the facts I presented in the film. Just the fact that I showed the public the film,” he says.

“If I was able to have a jury to let the jury decide, I believe I’d never have gone to jail once. But I’ve never been given the opportunity to have a jury,” he adds.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

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

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Blaze media, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Tommy robinson, Blasphemy laws, Hate speech, Orwellian 

President Donald Trump politely kicked Pam Bondi to the curb on Thursday, touting her as a “Great American Patriot” and crediting her with “overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country” during her nearly 14 months on the job.

Hours after Trump publicized the ouster and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting attorney general, Bondi took a page out of ex-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s book, expressing her gratitude to the president and framing her time at the Justice Department in positive terms.

“Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime, and easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history,” Bondi wrote on X.

‘She must answer for her mishandling of the Epstein files.’

Bondi — criticized in recent months over her DOJ’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, her bizarre Epstein testimony, her suggestion that “hate speech” should be policed, and her perceived inefficacy and failure to prosecute the individuals who waged potentially illegal lawfare against Trump — echoed Trump’s remark about the precipitous drop in crime over the past year.

A report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association comparing crime stats in 2025 to stats from the previous year found that homicides dropped nationally by 19.3%; rapes dropped by nearly 9%; robberies dropped by 19.8%; and aggravated assault dropped by 9.7%.

RELATED: If the Justice Department won’t execute Trump’s orders, who’s in charge?

Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

“Since February 2025, we have secured the lowest murder rate in 125 years, secured first-ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa, shattered domestic and transnational gangs across the country, taken custody of more than 90 key cartel figures, and won 24 favorable rulings at the Supreme Court,” wrote Bondi.

Bondi added, “I remain eternally grateful for the trust that President Trump placed in me to Make America Safe Again.”

Although Bondi noted that she is “moving to an important private sector role,” she still may have to answer for actions taken while serving as attorney general.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted last month to subpoena Bondi on the release of the Epstein files.

Democrats on the committee emphasized in a joint statement on Thursday that Bondi “will not escape accountability and remains legally obligated to appear before our Committee under oath. She must answer for her mishandling of the Epstein files and the special treatment she has given Ghislaine Maxwell.”

The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.), tweeted, “Pam Bondi and Donald Trump may think her firing gets her out of testifying to the Oversight Committee. They are wrong — and we look forward to hearing from her under oath.”

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (S.C.) wrote, “My subpoena still stands. When the Oversight Committee moved to subpoena Bondi, I did it by name, not by or not as the sitting Attorney General of the U.S.”

Around the time the subpoena was issued, Mace stated, “AG Bondi claims the DOJ has released all of the Epstein files. The record is clear: they have not. The Epstein case is one of the greatest cover-ups in American history. His global sex trafficking network is larger than what is being revealed. Three million documents have been released, and we still don’t have the full truth. Videos are missing. Audio is missing. Logs are missing. There are millions more documents out there. We want to know why the DOJ is more focused on shielding the powerful than delivering justice.”

Citing people familiar with the discussions between Bondi and the committee, the New York Times reported that Bondi has not yet committed to appearing for her scheduled April 14 deposition.

Todd Blanche said in a statement that Bondi “led this Department with strength and conviction” and that the DOJ will “continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe.”

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

​Termination, Firing, Pam bondi, Bondi, Jeffrey epstein, Epstein, Deposition, Oversight committee, Donald trump, Department of justice, Justice department, Doj, Politics 

There is something seriously wrong with American health care. Rising costs mean that Americans now pay nearly twice as much as people in similar countries, without getting better outcomes. “It’s complicated,” say those who want to keep prices high and rising. But some of it is simple, as my organization is showing with research on hospital systems like Cleveland Clinic.

Hospital executives are leading luxurious lifestyles while claiming that every dollar spent — on television commercials, Abu Dhabi real estate, or modern art — is ‘health care.’

A longtime household name, Cleveland Clinic presents itself as an altruistic institution focused on health and patients. As a tax-exempt corporation, everything Cleveland Clinic does is subsidized by taxpayers, and it receives many other direct and indirect benefits in the interest of public health. Yet it pays executives millions, has massive holdings overseas, and maintains a collection of fine art.

Why are your health care bills and insurance premiums going up? Why is government spending and borrowing more and more to subsidize care? Look no farther than the misplaced priorities of profit-maximizing “nonprofit” hospitals like Cleveland Clinic.

Recent news has exposed massive waste and fraud against taxpayers in places like Minnesota, California, and Washington state. Yet the problem is deeper and more systemic. Rooting out actual theft is essential. So is confronting waste and abuse, especially within large health care institutions.

Last month, Save Our States launched a campaign calling out a massive hospital system run by the University of Miami. While its transplant center was failing, hospital executives were focused on building a lavish new lobby and expanding into Abu Dhabi.

Our new exposé on Cleveland Clinic found surprisingly similar luxury expenses. It has an in-house art museum, for example, boasting a “world-renowned collection” of nearly 7,000 pieces of contemporary art. Like many hospitals, it spares no expense on public relations and advertising — Cleveland Clinic even ran its own Super Bowl ad.

The clinic pays millions in executive salaries. Those executives are planning a massive new sports center with the Cleveland Cavaliers, to go along with their fancy foreign facilities in places like London, Toronto, and — once again — Abu Dhabi.

How do these expenses benefit American patients? And why should taxpayers subsidize any of it?

Some medical providers do pay taxes. A doctor with an independent practice gets taxed like any other business. But sell that practice to a tax-exempt hospital, even one with billions in revenue, and suddenly it becomes tax-exempt. At the same time, hospital-owned practices often start adding “hospital facility fees” on top of regular bills.

They charge patients more for the same services, then pay less in taxes. No wonder massive hospital systems buy up smaller practices and facilities. These are policy choices, not market forces, driving consolidation in health care. The result is lower quality, higher prices, and misplaced priorities.

RELATED: America has a spending problem Congress refuses to fix

DNY59/Getty Images

For many Americans, the rising prices go first to their insurance, later showing up in rising premiums and lower take-home pay. And all Americans see the cost in taxes. Everyone pays somehow, in higher costs, less access to care, or both.

Meanwhile, hospital executives are leading luxurious lifestyles while claiming that every dollar spent — on television commercials, Abu Dhabi real estate, or modern art — is “health care.”

During its spending spree, Cleveland Clinic has faced allegations of deceptive billing, accusations of overcharging patients, reports of underpaying nurses, and stories of medical debt lawsuits brought against its own patients.

Our new site, ClevelandClinicBetrayedPatients.com, documents the misplaced priorities of this massive, taxpayer-supported hospital system.

Given that Cleveland Clinic is in Vice President JD Vance’s home state of Ohio, hopefully he can make it a focus of his new appointment by President Trump to lead the “war on fraud.” The vice president and congressional leaders need to scrutinize spending at all subsidized hospitals — starting with the biggest.

The question is not: “Does it do some good somewhere?” One good program does not justify waste elsewhere. The question is: “Are any taxpayer dollars subsidizing waste, abuse, or unnecessary extravagance?”

Americans need health systems that respect taxpayers and put patients first. More than anything, we need the kind of competition that creates accountability, demands transparency, fosters innovation, and produces better services at lower prices.

​Tax exempt, Cleveland clinic, American healthcare, Healthcare costs, Affordability, Save our states, War on fraud, Jd vance, Opinion & analysis