Category: blaze media

A convicted killer was caught on video smiling and giggling in a Florida courtroom earlier this week as the judge described the murder. The judge soon asked why he was laughing — and most definitely wasn’t amused by his answer.

Marcus Terry, 43, was found guilty last December of second-degree murder for killing his cellmate in the Dade Correctional Institute in Homestead in 2021, WTVJ-TV reported.

‘I’m not sure why you’re laughing.’

Terry was back in court Tuesday, and his attorney Steven Yermish requested that Judge Ellen Sue Venzer grant his client a new trial, claiming that inadmissible evidence made it into the December trial, the station said.

Venzer denied the motion for the new trial and continued with Terry’s sentencing, WTVJ reported.

The judge described the murder — during which the victim was stabbed in the brain with a pen — and said “he shoved a pillowcase into his mouth. When the guards came in to find out what was going on, he was standing on top of this man, and his hand was bloodied,” the station said.

During the murder description, however, Terry started to smile and giggle, according to WTVJ.

“I’m not sure why you’re laughing,” Venzer told Terry, the station said.

And how did the convicted killer respond?

RELATED: Thug who grinned in arrest photo after boy was murdered just got his sentence — and it should wipe smile right off his face

“You are amusing,” he told the judge, according to WTVJ.

As you might imagine, the judge didn’t take kindly to Terry’s response.

“I found nothing amusing about your behavior or the death of this gentleman,” Venzer said, according to the station.

“God have mercy on your soul,” the judge added while issuing a life sentence without the possibility of parole, WTVJ reported.

Terry can appeal his sentence, the station added.

Terry already was serving a life sentence for armed burglary and armed robbery when he killed fellow inmate Ray Matos, WTVJ said, citing court records.

The two had been cellmates for less than a week, the station said, citing a warrant.

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Filmmaker R.J. Moeller has a keen sense about people and pairings.

He recalls helping to connect Dennis Prager and comic Adam Carolla, two media personalities with wildly different skill sets and backgrounds. Yet Prager and Carolla clicked, and they toured the country as a very odd but endearing couple. They later co-starred in the 2019 documentary “No Safe Spaces,” which Moeller produced.

Most documentaries don’t move the cultural needle, but ‘Call Sign Courage’ gave its star a real-life happy ending.

Moeller also sensed something special about Lt. Col. Matt Lohmeier, a former Air Force pilot fired by the Biden administration in 2021 for slamming the military’s DEI culture on “The Steve Gruber Show.”

Lohmeier decried the military’s diversity initiatives, citing their ties to critical race theory.

That led Moeller to produce “Call Sign Courage: The Matt Lohmeier Story.” The documentary, recently promoted by X’s own Elon Musk on the social media platform, recalls Lohmeier’s battle against a formidable system.

He lost his job at Space Force and his pension, but the military veteran wouldn’t give up. His battle is the heart of “Call Sign Courage.” That story felt like a natural for the right documentary filmmaker, Moeller recalls, including Lohmeier’s faith and family connections.

‘Jon Hamm meets John Wayne’

“I thought, ‘This dude is special.’ The character, the depth, what he did when no one else wasn’t looking,” Moeller says. It didn’t hurt that his subject “looked like Jon Hamm meets John Wayne.”

Except Lohmeier wasn’t eager for his close-up.

“These news cycles move fast. He was happy to be forgotten about … he was exploring taking a high school teaching position,” Moeller says.

A mutual friend connected them all the same, and the filmmaker convinced Lohmeier to share his story with the world via film.

“If you give me 12 months … we’re going to make you a film,” the producer told him, sealing the deal.

Crucial allies

Funding is always tight for documentary filmmakers, but Lohmeier’s story attracted the Heritage Foundation’s attention, which helped pick up some critical fees. The nonprofit helped release the film free on X for a limited time last week. Now, the film — directed by Marshall Lee, who cut his teeth editing movies like “What Is a Woman?” and “Am I Racist?” — is available on Apple TV, Prime Video, and other VOD platforms.

Musk screened the film and helped arrange for the free X window. The result? Moeller says roughly five million people watched some or all of it over the weekend.

Moeller, who also produced “Live Not By Lies” for Angel Studios, understood how his subject matter’s fight to call out the military’s Marxist turn mattered to the film. Not everyone was happy to see that element included in the documentary.

“I cannot tell you how many conservative people in D.C., when they heard about this film or saw cuts of it, said, ‘Eh, don’t talk about Marxism so much.’”

“I’m leaving it in the film … it’s the most powerful stuff,” he says. “The more they tell us to not talk about Marxism, the more we’re going to do it.”

RELATED: Killer bear flick ‘Backcountry’ puts big-budget thrillers to shame

IFC Midnight

10,000 hours

Moeller is part of an emerging right-leaning brand of storytellers, the kind who once had little access to the public. Now, with X, YouTube, and other social media platforms, he’s able to share his skills with the public.

It all started for him in the existing movie ecosystem.

“I’m proud of the 10,000 hours I put into traditional Hollywood … you need to cut your teeth out there,” he says. Now, he’s eager to leverage what he calls the “wild, wild west” of storytelling outside the industry’s glittery walls.

“Hollywood failed by overspending and making stuff people didn’t want. Don’t make the same mistakes in the conservative film world,” he says.

The existing film industry “has things to teach us, like professionalism,” he says. “We need to bring in our values, our own money, and our audiences … we need to be really good stewards of that, to under-promise and over-deliver in this space.”

Making inroads

He remains hopeful that David can, if not slay Goliath, make inroads in the pop culture landscape.

“The center-right entertainment ecosystem is doing its best, and platforms like Angel Studios are taking big swings, but how to find and monetize an audience remains the biggest struggle for independent filmmakers,” he says. “We know the audience is there, but lining up quality work with proper distribution, especially marketing, so that everyone can turn a profit and rinse-and-repeat that 1,000 times is easier said than done.”

Moeller is hard at work on a new project, a pilot for a dramedy called “Are We There Yet?” with comedian Jeff Dye. The show, following a stand-up comedian “struggling with his faith, marriage, career, and sobriety,” will be shopped to streamers and potential buyers this summer, he says.

Most documentaries don’t move the cultural needle, but “Call Sign Courage” gave its star a real-life happy ending.

“The Trump campaign found out about the fact that we were telling Matt Lohmeier’s story, and they invited him to a campaign rally in North Carolina right before the 2024 election,” he says. “At that event, Trump offered Matt a position in his administration.”

​Call sign courage: the matt lohmeier story, Space force, Movies, Interview, Entertainment, Culture, Dei, Critical race theory, Marxism, Military 

In a truly free nation, 10 things must be present, says Glenn Beck: “rule of law,” “free, fair, and regular elections,” “protection of individual rights,” “separation of powers,” “independent judiciary,” “a free press and open information,” “civilian control of the military,” “protection of minority rights,” “economic freedom and property rights,” and “a culture that values freedom.”

When weighed against these standards, Canada, he argues, is the opposite of free.

To prove his case, he lists 20 recent examples of how Canada has abandoned these core pillars of freedom.

1. Lab scandal cover-up

In 2021, Canadian Parliament learned that a top-security lab scientist had sent live Ebola samples to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and worked with the Chinese military on biological weapons research. Parliament demanded the documents four times, but the Liberal Party repeatedly blocked access, sued to prevent disclosure, delayed, and even triggered a snap election to shut down the probe.

“That’s rule of law being violated and separation of powers being violated,” says Glenn.

2. Corruption shielded

Three years after the lab scandal, the auditor general uncovered roughly $400 million in clear corruption. The Liberals in Parliament immediately shut down further investigation and discussion.

“Accountability, independent oversight — violated,” Glenn notes.

3. Rule by executive fiat

Following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation in 2025, a tiny elite group (just 0.33% of Canadians) installed Mark Carney as prime minister. During this period, the House of Commons suspended operations for eight months, leaving the country ruled entirely by executive orders with zero parliamentary debate, votes, or oversight.

“No oversight, no debate, no votes. Where’s your representation? Separation of powers? That’s not a democracy. That’s ruled by fiat,” Glenn warns.

4. Foreign election interference ignored

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service confirmed that China interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections by financially backing 11 candidates. Trudeau was informed but took no action.

“That’s free and fair elections out the window,” he states.

5. Unequal justice

A Liberal member of Parliament publicly encouraged people to claim a Chinese Communist Party bounty placed on a Conservative candidate. No charges or consequences followed.

“Equal application of the law — violated,” says Glenn.

6. Democracy by manipulation

In subsequent voting, 121 mail-in ballots were left uncounted, Elections Canada printed incorrect postal codes on envelopes (creating a 327-vote swing favoring the Liberals in one riding), and data errors distorted results. Additionally, five MPs switched to the Liberal Party within five months, conveniently giving the Liberals a two-seat majority.

“Democracy by design, or is it democracy by manipulation?” he asks.

7. Crushing peaceful protests

The government invoked the Emergencies Act against the 2022 Freedom Convoy truckers’ protest. They froze bank accounts of participants and their financial supporters nationwide. Two federal courts, including the Court of Appeal, unanimously ruled the action unjustified, illegal, and a direct breach of charter rights. The government continues to appeal despite the court rulings.

“That’s a silencing of free speech and assembly and property rights” as well as an abandonment of “judicial authority and rule of law,” Glenn emphasizes.

8. Government control of news

Bill C-18 (Online News Act) required Google and Meta to pay Canadian news outlets for simply linking to their content. Meta responded by blocking all news on Facebook and Instagram for Canadian users. This gave the government indirect control over what information reaches the public.

“Free press, information flow — controlled,” he asserts.

9. State regulation of culture and speech

Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act) placed platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify under federal regulation, imposing Canadian content quotas and DEI requirements. This allows the state to influence what people watch, listen to, and create.

“That’s [violating] speech” and “cultural expression influenced by the state,” Glenn declares.

10. Ignoring the public will

The government maintained the carbon tax even though two-thirds of Canadians opposed further increases. They removed the visible consumer tax but quietly kept hidden regulations and industrial carbon taxes that raised fuel prices. They also attempted an outright 100% electric vehicle sales mandate by 2035 before switching to indirect emissions rules that achieve the same goal.

“Transparency? There’s none there,” he observes.

“Property rights? Optional.”

11. Seizure of private land

Ontario’s Bill 212 gives the provincial government power to fast-track highway projects, override local bylaws, and quickly remove property owners from their land.

“No property rights,” Glenn reiterates.

12. Secret land grab

In Waterloo, authorities used confidential NDAs and threats of forced expropriation to seize 770 acres of prime farmland for an undisclosed “mega site.” Local farmers only learned about it after the deal was done.

Glenn calls it yet another violation of property rights.

13. Politicized justice

In New Brunswick, a judge deliberately shortened a convicted criminal’s sentence to prevent his deportation, prioritizing the man’s skills over proper enforcement of immigration law.

It’s a clear violation of “equal justice,” he argues.

14. Government competing against citizens

Toronto city council approved government-operated grocery stores that would avoid paying the same taxes as private businesses, allowing them to undercut regular competitors.

“Fair market violation,” Glenn notes.

15. Crushing local taxpayers

In rural New Brunswick, forced municipal mergers led to sudden property tax increases of 50% to 60% on homeowners.

16. Permission-based economy

British Columbia is shifting toward a permission-based economy where residents must obtain government approval for routine activities (such as selling eggs or offering riding lessons) or face fines up to $50,000 per day.

“Economic freedom? Gone,” Glenn concludes.

17. Gun confiscation

The government banned approximately 2,500 types of firearms previously owned legally. The buyback program was labeled “voluntary,” but citizens were warned they could face jail time for keeping their lawfully purchased guns past the deadline.

“[Are] there any property rights?” he asks.

18. Death as health care solution

Medical Assistance in Dying was introduced in 2016, and safeguards were removed in 2021. By 2024, over 22,500 people requested it and nearly 16,500 received it — accounting for 5.1% of all deaths that year. Since legalization, more than 76,000 Canadians have died through the program. It is now the fourth leading cause of death among adults and is increasingly offered for treatable conditions like back pain or mental health issues, while patients wait an average of 28 weeks for regular medical care.

“When the state controls your health care and offers death as a solution to its own failures, you’re no longer a citizen. You’re a cost center,” Glenn warns.

19. Criminalizing dissent

The “Combating Hate” bill (C-9) is advancing in Parliament. It introduces vague new criminal penalties for “hate” that could potentially outlaw religious beliefs, peaceful protests, and political dissent.

“There’s no freedom of speech there,” he stresses.

20. Exit tax on citizens

A former Google executive proposed a $500,000 “exit tax” on educated Canadians who choose to leave the country, effectively charging people for the right to emigrate.

“Isn’t that a Berlin wall of sorts?” asks Glenn.

All considered, Canada is no longer a free nation; and it’s no democracy either. “It’s a managed oligarchy with democratic trappings,” he warns.

And if America isn’t careful, she will fall into the same dystopia.

“Now recognize America, this is your future,” says Glenn. “We are already letting unelected bureaucrats and activists and judges rewrite the rules.”

“If we allow and tolerate foreign interference and media capture; if we accept that the government can freeze your bank account for protesting, seize your farm for progress; if we trade liberty for equity, safety, and Canadian content, we’re going to wake up in the morning in exactly the same place.”

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​Blaze media, Blazetv, Canada, Canada maid, Economic freedom, Foreign election interference, Free press, Glenn beck, Gun confiscation, Independent judiciary, Military, Property rights, Rule of law, Separation of powers, The glenn beck program 

On Wednesday, the first major televised California gubernatorial debate was hosted by Nexstar Media Group. Six leading candidates participated: Democrats Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, and Matt Mahan; and Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales watched the debate and came away with one conclusion: Some Democrats are so bad, they make even Gavin Newsom — one of the most far-left governors in America’s history — look almost competent.

“Things are looking bleak when California Governor Gavin Newsom looks like a good governor, a good leader,” she sighs. “And I got to tell you, he looks like a rock star right now compared to the Democrats who are trying to win his job in the election.”

“This isn’t a compliment to Gavin Newsom. That’s just how bad everyone else is.”

On this episode of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” Sara reviews three lowlights from the debate.

Candidates were asked about President Trump’s Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers executive order. Signed in April 2025, the order directs federal agencies to strictly enforce English proficiency requirements for commercial truck and bus drivers while cracking down on non-domiciled (foreign/non-resident) CDLs by limiting them mostly to specific temporary work visa holders and improving background checks — all in the name of road safety.

Predictably, three out of the four Democrats strongly opposed the policy. Xavier Becerra called it “reckless”; Katie Porter vowed she would “absolutely fight the Trump administration” to protect Californians from Trump; and Tom Steyer equated requiring English understanding to “racial profiling.”

Sara can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of these responses to what is a commonsense safety policy.

“I actually don’t care if you have, like, Whitey McWhiterson from Norway or Sweden who comes here and doesn’t speak a lick of English,” she quips in response to Steyer.

Referencing Porter, she gibes, “She said, ‘We have to protect Californians.’ Yeah, I think Californians are like, ‘I would like to also not just be run over by a truck driver who shouldn’t be here, who can’t read the road signs.”’

“You can never have nice things in California. That’s the rule. It’s unwritten, but that’s what the Democrats have decided,” Sara concludes.

In another part of the debate, the candidates were asked to give Newsom a letter grade on his performance handling homelessness.

Both Republicans gave Newsom an F, while Democrats gave him three B’s and one A.

“The homelessness is out of control. Anyone who has been to California understands that,” Sara says.

But the best moment in the debate in Sara’s view was when Katie Porter was asked about the viral Politico video from October 2025 showing her berating a staffer with phrases like, “Get out of my f**king shot!”

The first words out of Porter’s mouth were, “I apologized that day to that staffer four years ago.”

Sara can’t stress enough how critical it is that a Republican wins the California governor’s race.

“[California] is such a hellhole,” she says.

“Republicans, this is probably your last chance. It may be gone if you guys don’t take it back.”

To hear more of Sara’s commentary and watch clips from the debate, check out the episode 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.

​Blaze media, Blazetv, California, California governor’s race, California gubernatorial debate, Gavin newsom, Katie porter, Matt mahan, Nexstar media group, Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Steve hilton, Tom steyer 

A viral video of a Las Vegas slot machine has viewers concerned that yet another old piece of media has predicted the future.

Typically, “The Simpsons” is the most-cited show known for its eerily accurate depictions of future events, but in this case, a 1960 episode of “The Twilight Zone” is popping up on social media feeds.

‘This machine mocks me, it teases, it beckons.’

The video in question stems from the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, where a creepy, mobile gaming machine was seen moving about the showcase floor, seemingly begging passersby to give it a whirl.

“Slot machines can now follow you across the casino floor,” the caption read.

In addition to several commenters expressing concern about an incoming robot apocalypse, others quickly pointed out how closely this mimics the January 29, 1960, episode of “The Twilight Zone” called “The Fever.”

The episode follows a married couple who wins a vacation to Las Vegas, with the husband warning his wife that gambling is a “miserable, terrible waste of a time.”

But when a drunk man gives him a dollar, the man gives in, pulls the arm on a slot machine, wins, and gets addicted. The money and slots start calling his name, literally.

“Franklin,” they say, compelling him to leave his wife in the night. After 24 hours of losing money, Franklin is brought back to his hotel room after tipping over a machine that ate his last dollar. Still hearing his name, he opens the hotel room door to find the now-mobile slot machine in the hallway. The machine soon enters the hotel room and begins encroaching on Franklin, causing him to fall out of a window to his death.

RELATED: Arizona files 20 criminal charges against Kalshi for flouting state gambling laws

– YouTube

Although the slot machine’s assault was shown to be a hallucination, it is later seen ejecting a dollar coin toward Franklin’s corpse in the streets of Las Vegas. The voiceover accepts Franklin’s prior explanation that it was an evil, sentient being.

As for the new machine, it is actually several years old. In fact, Jacob Orth, who posted the viral video now seen 16 million times on X, posted the exact same video in 2025 with the exact same caption. However, that video only garnered around 100,000 views.

A different Vegas-centric account actually pointed out the machines during the 2023 Global Gaming Expo held at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“It’s all fun and games until the slot machine chases you down,” the account wrote.

RELATED: Trump has cut taxes for waitresses and bartenders across the country — but many have no clue about it

The machine, created by Apex, was criticized by a Vegas-focused account with about 220,000 followers, stating, “Slot makers have run out of ideas and the casino industry is doomed.”

The model does not appear to have made its way into any casinos, but closely resembles Apex’s typical product line.

The idea of the mobile slot machine perhaps reflects the 66-year-old TV program after all, given that Franklin said the “inhuman” machine teased him at every turn.

“This machine mocks me, it teases, it beckons.”

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​Casino industry, Casinos, Gambling, Las vegas, Return, Robot apocalypse, Slot machine, Television, The simpsons, The twilight zone, Viral video, Tech 

Some fans have a particular reason to heckle, while some do it for the love of the game.

In a study of over 1 million fan comments, the most negative and foul-mouthed MLB fanbases have been tabulated, inversely revealing who is most polite.

The least negative fans, and therefore the most positive fans, may surprise readers.

Judging a book by its cover often doesn’t work, and in this case, it doesn’t work for Aaron Judge’s New York Yankees either. Many baseball fans would assume the Bronx Bomber fanbase to be the most foul-mouthed, but they actually came in fourth in terms of comments containing swear words in an analysis of every team’s fan page on social media site Reddit.

Additionally, Vegas Insider’s research shows that Yankees fans are only the third-most negative in their comments overall.

Negative Nancys

The negativity award actually goes to the home of the Green Monster, with Boston Red Sox fans having the highest percentage of negative comments from their page at 27.6%.

In fact, at the time of this writing, the top thread on the Redsox Reddit page was titled “The F**kin Lineup,” which brought comments like “The lineup f**king sucks and we can only win when the starting pitchers go deep.”

Second on that list are Athletics fans, who are understandably angry given that their team has left Oakland, resides in Sacramento, and will soon move to Las Vegas.

Athletics fans’ remarks also contained the highest frequency of curse words, with over 6% of their comments containing swears, “f**k” being the most popular. Red Sox fans were runners-up on that list.

RELATED: Nike apologizes and removes Boston ad that joked about tolerance

Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos/Getty Images

Who’s positive?

The least negative fans, and therefore the most positive fans, may surprise readers, as Toronto Blue Jays commenters from the typically polite country of Canada are nowhere near the top.

In fact, Jays fans were 20th in terms of positive comments and were 13th in least negative comments. The distinct honor of most positive fanbase actually went to the home of the Rocky Mountains.

“The Colorado Rockies turned out to be the most positive fandom since 46.45% of their comments had a positive sentiment, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals,” a Vegas Insider spokesman told Fearless.

RELATED: Who’s to blame for the un-American ban on tailgating at the World Cup?

Elsa/Getty Images

The least frequent negative comments came from the Gateway to the West, though, where St. Louis Cardinals supporters were the only fanbase with less than 20% negative comments.

Yankees fans should not worry though. They still top some of the negativity lists in terms of sheer volume, posting the most comments that contained swear words — five out of every 100 did — and the most negative comments in total.

While this is likely due to the team’s immense fanbase, it is still an accolade to be cherished.

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​Fearless, Mlb, Baseball, Hecklers, Fans, Boston, New york, Yankees, Red sox, Rockies, Cardinals, Sports 

The horrifying death of a 2-year-old boy in foster care is leading to intense scrutiny of local social workers in California.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release that the unidentified suspect was 17 years old at the time of the alleged murder of his foster brother, known as “Baby Jaxon.”

‘Jaxon will never have any way to tell his own story. My office will speak for him and all the lost children as we seek justice.’

Officers of the San Jose Police Department Patrol responded to a report of an unresponsive child at a residence on Otono Court on April 5.

Police found the 2-year-old unresponsive in his crib and immediately transported him to a local hospital in critical condition. When Jaxon was placed on life support, medical personnel reported that the child had suspicious injuries.

After an investigation, detectives said they found evidence that the boy’s foster brother had abused and sexually assaulted the child and placed him under arrest.

On April 9, Jaxon died of his injuries, and police began the investigation as a homicide.

Detectives said they discovered that the child had been placed into the foster care of a 40-year-old caregiver with a criminal history in February. She was arrested and booked but was later released.

The district attorney’s office said it was seeking to charge the murder suspect as an adult.

In addition to numerous counts of sexual abuse and murder, the suspect was also charged with child assault causing death and assault with a hair tie.

The child’s maternal aunt said the child was born premature and likely suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome as well as autism. She also claimed to have raised concerns about the foster family in February.

“Jaxon will never have a chance at life,” a statement from District Attorney Jeff Rosen reads. “Jaxon will never have any way to tell his own story. My office will speak for him and all the lost children as we seek justice.”

RELATED: Indiana teen targeted victims across several states for child sex abuse through social media, cops say

Critics are now demanding to know how the child was placed in a situation where he died only two months later. Jaxon reportedly was placed into foster care after his mother died and his father was unable to care for him, according to friends.

A union representing social workers of the Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children’s Services confirmed that seven workers had been placed on administrative leave after the incident.

“This is a terrible and horrific case,” Rosen added.

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​Baby jaxon murder, Rape and murder of 2 year old, Santa clara county california, Teen kills and rape child, Crime 

Neighbors of an elderly couple in Florida were stunned to find out the wife had been beaten to death with a hammer and her husband had been arrested for the grisly crime.

The Groveland Police Department said officers were called to a residence on Way Point Drive in Lake County on Sunday at about 9 p.m. for a wellness check.

‘Police found that DiFraia made comments about a suicide pact involving pills about a month before the gruesome incident.’

When they entered the home, they found 82-year-old Vincent DiFraia sitting in his living room with a vacant look on his face and bleeding from injuries they determined to be self-inflicted.

He was transported to Orlando Health South Lake Hospital for treatment.

When officers searched the rest of the house, they found his 84-year-old wife covered in blood while lying in bed. A hammer was found next to her, while the walls and ceiling of the bedroom were also splattered with blood, police said.

They also reported finding dried blood on the floor leading to the bathroom and in the bathroom sink.

Police said the woman had a “large impact wound” on the side of her head and had likely died 24 hours before she was found.

They found other bloody items as well.

During their investigation, police found that DiFraia made comments about a suicide pact involving pills about a month before the gruesome incident.

Police believe DiFraia killed his wife with the hammer and later cut his wrists with a knife before police entered the home.

DiFraia is being held at the Lake County jail on a charge of first-degree murder.

RELATED: Thug accused of killing woman in Florida hammer attack is Haitian illegal alien protected from deportation under Biden: DHS

Neighbors told WESH-TV that the couple was a nice couple.

“We all still kind of just battling with it, and for the victim too, you know, she was a really nice lady as well,” said one neighbor, who was not identified.

“For the most part, it’s a quiet neighborhood; everybody get along,” he added. “There’s a lot of elderly people that live here, and most of the homeowners have been here since day one. And yeah, this is just sad and unfortunate.”

His wife was identified as Evelyn DiFraia in the grand jury indictment of her husband.

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How did we end up with modern leftism and all its ills?

For Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, the answer depended on how deep you were willing to dig. For the average person, the problem seems to have started with World War II; the “more informed” soon realize that World War I is when things went wrong.

This battle will not be won on social media, through new platforms, or by means of yet another ideology.

But the “genuine historian,” writes von Kuehnelt-Leddihn in “Leftism Revisted,” goes further back in history still, all the way to the “mother of most of the ideological evils besetting not only Western civilization but also the rest of the world”: the French Revolution.

Paul Kingsnorth’s compelling diagnosis of what ails modern man in “Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity” places him somewhere in von Kuehnelt-Leddihn’s third category

The Machine

It’s not that this English writer — a recent convert to the Orthodox Church — dismisses the damage wrought by the 20th century, which shattered the West’s confidence in its animating principles and, in time, killed Christendom — setting in motion a broader campaign of deracination, disorientation, and disenchantment, advanced from both sides of the liberal political binary.

Like von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Kingsnorth understands that these terrible events are the expression of a sickness that took hold centuries ago, at the storming of the Bastille — an event that ushered in the birth of ideology, the razing of ancient hierarchies, the sacrifice of multitudes in the name of “Reason,” and the initiation of the continental variety of the liberal experiment.

Kingsnorth, however, goes a step farther. He does not merely trace the origins of the crisis — he names the thing that now drives it.

That which has demolished “borders and boundaries, traditions and cultures, languages and ways of seeing” is, according to Kingsnorth, a centuries-old “monster that grows in deserts,” coming of age in the spiritual wastelands created by the French and Industrial Revolutions.

This insatiable force — what Kingsnorth calls the “Machine,” but also “Progress” — has swallowed the world and, in doing so, made it increasingly difficult for those within it to perceive reality except through its own corrupting lens.

What cannot be quantified or digitized — “that irrational, illogical world of beauty, wild nature, and spiritual truth” — is not merely ignored but actively obscured.

Science, self, sex, screen

The Machine’s values — progress, openness, the rejection of limits and borders, therapeutic individualism, universalism, materialism, scientism, and the primacy of market logic — have become so ubiquitous, writes Kingsnorth, that we now treat them “as if they were natural as rain or wind.”

These values can be distilled into what he calls the “Four S’s”:

science, which offers a purely material account of origins;the self, which defines identity and purpose;sex, which anchors meaning in desire; andthe screen, “our main source of distraction from reality and the interface by which we are directed into the coming post-human reality of the Machine.”

They stand in direct opposition to the older order, grounded in the “Four P’s”: past, place, people, and prayer.

Where the Four S’s dissolve inheritance, the Four P’s depend on it.

Care for and attention to the Four P’s threaten the Machine’s liberal anti-culture and are therefore treated with suspicion or contempt — dismissed as naive at best and at worst as reactionary, bigoted, or “deplorable.”

Recall former President Barack Obama’s remarks about working-class Pennsylvanians who failed to embrace the promises of progress: “It’s not surprising, then, that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion …”

Like its supporters, the Machine’s critics are legion. Yet their opposition is often absorbed.

Breaking the framework

Kingsnorth acknowledges that conservatism, at least in theory, comes closest to offering an anti-Machine politics rooted in human reality. It values tradition, centers home and family, affirms religious faith, and resists both centralized power and abstract utopianism.

But the problem, says Kingsnorth — drawing on Roger Scruton and G.K. Chesterton — is that mainstream conservatism operates largely within the same liberal framework it claims to resist.

As Chesterton observed in 1924, “Even when the revolutionist might himself repent of his revolution, the traditionalist is already defending it as part of his tradition.”

The result is a politics that conserves the aftermath of revolution rather than the inheritance it displaced.

The goalposts, in other words, were moved long ago — inside the belly of the beast.

Reactionary radicalism

After searching for a label for those who would genuinely resist the Machine — those seeking, as Rod Dreher has put it, to build “networks of resistance” — Kingsnorth arrives at a term deliberately resistant to left-right categorization: reactionary radicalism.

Reactionary radicalism, says Kingsnorth:

aims to defend or build a moral economy at the human scale, which rejects the atomized individualism of the liberal era and understands that materialism as a world view. A politics which embraces family and home and place, loving the particular without excluding the outsider, and which looks on all great agglomerations of power with suspicion. … A politics which aims to limit rather than multiply our needs, which strategically opposes any technology which threatens the moral economy and which, finally, seeks a moral order to society which is based on love of neighbor rather than competition with everyone.

But how, exactly, can this be put into practice?

This battle will not be won on social media, through new platforms, or by means of yet another ideology. These are the Machine’s native terrain — its shock absorbers.

Raw and the cooked

One increasingly widespread act of resistance Kingsnorth highlights is homeschooling, which he calls “the most important thing any parent can do to resist Machine culture.”

More broadly, he urges a turn away from the purely rational toward the reasonable; the building of parallel systems resilient enough to resist assimilation; the rejection of technologies that promise freedom while delivering dependence; and a renewed pursuit of transcendence.

In short: a recovery of the Four P’s.

To those still enthralled by the Machine, such people will appear as barbarians — unrefined, unassimilable, and threatening.

The question, Kingsnorth suggests, is what kind of barbarian one will become.

The “raw” barbarian has fled the Machine’s reach. The “cooked” barbarian remains within its walls but practices quiet, persistent dissent.

Either way, he has made himself inedible. Enough indigestible barbarians, and the all-devouring Machine may choke to death.

​Ancient hierarchies, Antimachine politics, Atomised individualism, Atomization, Cosmic realm, French revolution, Human reality, Ideological evils, Industrial revolution, Liberal experiment, Liberal extremism, Machine values, Modern sickness, Moral economy, Networks of resistance, Orthodox christian, Political binary, Posthuman reality, Postliberals, Progress theology, Ruins admiration, Therapeutic individualism, Traditionalist, Universalism, Utopian justice, Western civilization, Workingclass, World war i, World war ii, Paul kingsnorth, Against the machine, Books, Liberalism, Lifestyle, Culture, Faith 

As UFOs, aliens, and disclosure become increasingly popular topics of discussion, a theory is gaining traction among certain Christian circles: that aliens do not exist, and any contact with one is actually an encounter with a demon masquerading as an extraterrestrial.

Glenn Beck has mixed feelings about this theory. While he rejects the notion that any being that comes from another planet is not part of God’s design and is evil, he also believes that many alien and UFO encounters have demonic explanations.

To dive into this subject, Glenn invites Faithwire journalist and supernatural podcast host Billy Hallowell to “The Glenn Beck Program” for a fascinating conversation about several possible explanations.

Hallowell explains that the general consensus, “even among a lot of scientists,” is that “people are seeing something” that is very real. The crux of the alien debate today lies more in what people are seeing: beings from outer space or beings from a spiritual dimension.

The theory that they’re all spiritual beings isn’t without merit, he explains. The Bible “doesn’t just say there’s Satan and demons. It talks about principalities and powers, and there’s some mystery here in what is going on,” he tells Glenn.

Further, it’s plausible to believe that demons can take an alien form when you consider that throughout Scripture, angels “show up in different forms.”

However, the debate gets even more complicated in that not everybody agrees on what demons are.

“Now, the common belief is that demons are fallen angels. … The other theory is that demons are actually the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim,” Hallowell says.

The latter theory, he explains, draws from both Scripture and the book of Enoch and posits that the Nephilim (the giant offspring of human women and fallen angels) whose physical bodies were wiped in the flood went “looking for bodies, and that’s what demons are.”

Glenn is fascinated by this idea. “You’re saying that they didn’t go away, that this might be the explanation for what we’re seeing?” he asks.

Hallowell notes that according to the theories discussed, these entities — whether fallen angels or disembodied Nephilim spirits — can physically manifest, and some believe this explains why people report encountering beings that look like aliens.

This idea, he says, then leads to another question: “Why would they do that? Is there a deception here?”

Glenn isn’t sure what to believe about aliens, but he is certain that where demons are at work, deception is sure to be at play.

“The whole point of the dark side is deception,” he says.

To hear more of the conversation, watch the video above.

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​Aliens, Billy hallowell, Blaze, Blaze media, Blazetv, Demons, Disclosure, Extraterrestrial, Glenn beck, Nephilim, Satan, Spiritual warfare, Supernatural, The glenn beck program, Ufos, Deception, Alien encounters 

A grand jury on Tuesday indicted a former Alabama high school girls’ basketball coach who’s facing 32 sex crime charges in connection with accusations that she sexually abused a student, according to multiple reports.

Paige Adams — former girls’ basketball coach at Cold Springs High School — was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Cullman County Jail, according to jail records.

Before the accusations surfaced, Adams was described as ‘a great role model for the young people of Cullman County.’

The 35-year-old was charged with two felony crimes: school employee engaging in a sex act or deviant sexual intercourse with a student and school employee having sexual contact with a student under the age of 19, AL.com reported.

Adams also faces 30 misdemeanor counts of a school employee distributing obscene material to a student.

Adams was released from jail after posting a $225,000 bond but is required to wear an electronic monitor.

“This 32-count grand jury indictment speaks for itself,” Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker told WIAT-TV Tuesday.

RELATED: Teacher of the year finalist who kept contacting boy she sexually abused even after arrest learns fate: ‘Pretty stupid’

WIAT obtained court records Wednesday stating that Adams asked the student to send her obscene material depicting sexual activity on at least two occasions, only days before she resigned March 25.

The outlet added that Adams sent obscene material to the student at least 28 times between Feb. 13 and March 9.

Adams — who was in her first year as the varsity girls’ basketball coach at Cold Springs High School after being hired in March 2025 — resigned last month, and she was “escorted from school property,” according to AL.com.

Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette stated last month, “Our sole focus is protecting the students of Cullman County Schools. We are going to do what is always right, as we always have.”

1819 News reported that Barnette said of Adams, “This is the first formal complaint I have received regarding this employee. As soon as the concern was raised, an investigation was initiated. The employee chose to resign at that time.”

Before the accusations surfaced, Barnette called Adams “a great role model for the young people of Cullman County,” according to 1819 News.

WIAT reported that Adams’ husband filed for divorce April 6 — just two weeks before she was arrested.

Adams’ husband — the boys’ basketball coach at Cold Springs High School — requested sole custody of their child, according to WIAT.

According to court documents, Adams and her husband had been married since 2015, but they separated in March when she resigned.

In April 2025, Adams’ husband said he was excited that she was hired as the girls’ basketball coach at the same school as him.

Adams’ husband previously told the Cullman Tribune, “Now we can be at the same place on a nightly basis. Secondly, being a head coach can be difficult at times. Us being at the same place and being able to support each other through the ups and downs was important to us.”

“And lastly, getting to have a front-row seat to watch Paige starting her journey as the head girls’ coach at Cold Springs is special to me,” the husband said.

Authorities did not disclose the age of the alleged victim or if the teen was a student at Cold Springs High School.

Adams’ arraignment hearing is scheduled for May 22.

The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and the Cullman County Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.

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​Teacher sex scandal, Bad teacher, Alabama, Paige adams, Teacher student sex scandal, Teacher arrested, Crime 

The man arrested for allegedly spraying Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) with apple cider vinegar has reached a plea deal after spending months in jail, according to court documents.

Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, pleaded not guilty in March despite being captured on video attacking Omar during a Jan. 27 town hall event and getting tackled to the ground.

The complaint claimed that Kazmierczak previously said that someone should kill Omar in comments years before the incident.

Prosecutors said Kazmierczak yelled that Omar was “splitting Minnesotans apart” before approaching her and spraying liquid onto her from a syringe.

Investigators later said the liquid was apple cider vinegar.

Omar defiantly continued her speech after the man was subdued.

“We will continue. These f**king a**holes are not going to get away with it!” she said to the crowd.

“I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” she wrote on social media after the incident. “I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”

The complaint claimed that Kazmierczak previously said that someone should kill Omar in comments years before the incident.

The Hill reported that the details of the plea deal were unavailable.

RELATED: VIDEO: Ilhan Omar lashes out at reporter over bizarre wealth discrepancy: ‘I don’t want to tell you jack s**t!’

While President Donald Trump suggested that the entire episode was staged by Omar to garner sympathy for her, House Speaker Mike Johnson denied the possibility in comments to reporters.

“I don’t have any evidence to believe that’s true,” Johnson said in January. “Look, we deal with member security issues as they arise. I called her as I do any member who has a situation like that, and I talked to her briefly.”

When pressed on the president’s claims, he added, “I haven’t seen any evidence to that.”

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​Ilhan omar sprayed, Anthony kazmierczak, Man who sprayed omar, Omar vs syringe, Politics 

Many readers are convinced that a piece of Helen Keller memorabilia could not possibly be real.

Keller, noted as being a deaf and blind humanitarian, educator, and writer who wrote 12 books, has been swept up by the latest craze of memorabilia resale.

‘What a time to be alive.’

In fact, the genre is nearly unheard of, as it exists as a hybrid of two separate collector’s items: trading cards and historical signatures.

That’s right, Keller’s signature was just auctioned off as a trading card — and it is authentic.

Rookie season

The Topps official “Helen Keller Cut Signatures 1/1” card was sold in a live auction on eBay for $3,551. For those thinking the card may be fake or a concoction created by a savvy entrepreneur, Topps went ahead and shared the results on its social media pages, reporting that the card was “just sold” on Thursday.

RELATED: Sports memorabilia industry in chaos after seller admits massive scheme to fake signatures, then commits suicide

‘What a time to be alive’

The reactions online were less than stellar, as not only did readers not believe it was real, but they couldn’t fathom why anyone would pay for such a thing.

“Is it authentic,” one reply asked. “Or is it just a joke card that got bid on fairly high?”

“I thought this card was satire. Good lord,” another sad reader expressed.

“I had to check to see if this was a parody account,” a sports page chimed in to say.

Other onlookers accepted the event had taken place, but couldn’t resist pondering what it said about life in 2026.

“‘I just spent $3,551 on an autographed Helen Keller rookie card’ is a real sentence somebody said earlier today. What a time to be alive,” wrote Mike Beauvais, creator of streaming platform Quibi.

RELATED: Fake Masters jackets, Beatles signatures, and a Kardashian photo named in fraudster’s memorabilia scheme worth up to $550K

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Team player

This isn’t the only instance of Topps trading cards using American icons as a product line. Back in 2009, Topps released its American Heritage series that featured the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Frank Sinatra, and Martin Luther King Jr.

At the same time, it included two other iterations of Keller on trading cards. First, she was included under the American Heroes series that also showcased Thomas Edison. She was also included in the Presidential Medal of Freedom series that also featured Bill Cosby and Jackie Robinson.

For those looking to get their hands on graded Keller items, a card with her signature is currently listed for just under $2,200, while another seller is asking $500 or best offer for one of the 2009 Topps cards.

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​Align, Auctioning, Ebay, Satire, Helen keller, Trading cards, Signature, Memoribilia, American history, Lifestyle 

A survey found that college graduates who earned a degree in liberal arts regretted their major the most of all respondents.

The ZipRecruiter study surveyed 1,500 graduates from the class of 2025 and another 1,500 students set to graduate in the spring.

Overall, about 1 in 5 of all grads said they were regretful of their majors.

The report said that many of the regretful liberal arts majors wished they had focused on scientific or quantitative fields instead.

After the liberal arts, recent grads with political science, international relations, or public policy degrees were the next-highest regretful, with about 46.3% ruing their decisions.

About 39.2% of grads with communications, media studies, or public relations majors said they wish they had chosen another focus.

Overall, about 1 in 5 of all grads said they were regretful of their majors.

A separate report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers listed the bachelor’s degrees most in demand from their member firms.

That survey found finance was the top major in demand, followed by mechanical engineering, computer science, and accounting. Also in high demand were business administration and management, electrical engineering, and information sciences/systems.

RELATED: Liberal arts college student cites Mao in video calling for more political assassinations after Charlie Kirk

One of the bright spots for recent grads was for those who sought nursing positions. The ZipRecruiter survey found that almost a third of nursing graduates were able to obtain a job before even graduating.

Nursing majors also had the highest median salary upon graduation, which was $70,000 a year.

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​Liberal arts degrees, Grads regret majors, Worst grad majors, Best job majors, Politics 

A longtime resident and county attorney says progressive policies have ruined Maryland and forced him to abandon the state after six decades.

Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker (R) told WBFF-TV in an interview that aired earlier this week that after his term ends, he will be seeking greener grass in North Carolina.

‘Maryland has now become a sanctuary state. Even after jacking up taxes to the tune of, what, $1.6 billion last year, we’re still looking at a structural deficit next year.’

“[Democratic Gov.] Wes Moore and the Democrats in the General Assembly, you’ve won. I’m leaving,” the Republican said.

Shoemaker listed a long string of policies that have worsened living conditions for Marylanders, including new tax hikes, lax criminal prosecution, and the designation of Maryland as a sanctuary state.

“Essentially, the way I see it, Maryland is a lost cause at this point,” he added.

Shoemaker has a long history of participating in Maryland government but says he no longer wishes to continue living there.

“Maryland has gotten progressively more woke every single year,” he continued. “Their fiscal policies are awful. They’re taxing people to death. Car registration fees are through the roof. And, you know, this most recent session in Annapolis was really, you know, sealed my fate and has hastened my departure. Maryland has now become a sanctuary state. Even after jacking up taxes to the tune of, what, $1.6 billion last year, we’re still looking at a structural deficit next year.”

He cited the Youth Charging Reform Act, which wipes out automatically charging 16- and 17-year-olds as adults on drug, assault, and gun offenses.

“It’s more criminal coddling legislation that we see emanating from Annapolis every single year,” he added. “They were just telltale signs that Maryland’s lost.”

He went on to say that people are leaving “in droves, and it’s sad.”

RELATED: Glenn Beck says if you live in THIS state, get out NOW

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce said that the state ranks 45th nationally in domestic migration with more than 18,000 residents leaving in one year period from July 2023.

“High taxes, rising living costs, housing affordability challenges and regulatory complexity are pushing residents to states with lower costs, better growth prospects, and more business-friendly climates,” read a statement from the chamber.

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​Haven shoemaker, Maryland is lost, Progressive policies in maryland, People abandoning maryland, Politics 

The state of California is handing out boatloads of cash to some of the biggest money-making studios in the world.

The money comes from the California Film Commission, which, in addition to providing tax credits for studios that rake in revenue, has a robust incentive program for productions that push diversity, equity, and inclusion.

‘The state also pushes productions to acquire suppliers based on their diversity.’

Dollars to doughnuts

As part of its $750 million annual industry push, the commission’s funding is not limited to independent films or smaller studios, but tens of millions are actually allocated to big-budget studios that have a history of massive revenues.

Chiefly in this instance, Variety has reported that a sequel to “The Simpsons Movie,” currently titled “The Simpsons Movie 2,” will receive $21.9 million in state funding as California has expanded into supplementing animation production.

The 20th Century Studios production is set for a release 20 years after the original hit movie, which took in $183 million domestically and $536 million worldwide against a $75 million budget.

While TV revenues are tight-lipped, it’s estimated that each episode generates between $3 and $5 million. It should go without saying that the longest-running American scripted primetime series is not hurting for cash.

RELATED: Disney down on DEI, says ex-staffer: ‘The vibe shift is real’

Alms for the A-list

Other major production houses getting a boost from the state include Netflix, which will get $10.9 million for a reboot of “13 Going on 30,” while an untitled Disney live-action movie will get over $18 million.

DreamWorks, which reportedly took in over $900 million in 2024, will also get a credit of nearly $25 million from California.

At the same time, Paramount will get just under $26 million; they took in a reported $28.75 billion in 2025.

RELATED: Welcome to WokeNut Grove: Sneak peek at Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ reboot

Chris Polk/FilmMagic/Getty Images

DEI on the prize

The film commission also sports a complex DEI program that offers tax credits in exchange for pushing its ideology on the production staff of any given project.

The state provides a checklist for productions to ensure they know to perform inclusive hiring, equity education, and “industry capacity building” to “increase an inclusive and qualified workforce.”

The state also pushes productions to acquire suppliers based on their diversity.

California’s “success roadmap” also shows that productions must issue “mandatory DEIA orientation,” with the added letter in the acronym for “accessibility.”

For live-action films, this must be done before principal photography begins, while animation has to show its DEI work within 120 days of production.

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​Align, California, California film commission, Disney, Diversity equity inclusion, Film, Gavin newsom, Movie studios, Netflix, Paramount, Tax credits, Tv production, Entertainment 

In an effort to fulfill President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order to restore the implementation of the death penalty at the federal level, the Department of Justice has decided to bring back a means of execution often associated with a blindfold and a cigarette.

After a moratorium on the death penalty under the Biden administration, the Trump DOJ has reintroduced the traditional firing squad method as well as the lethal injection protocols adopted in Trump’s first term.

President Trump has called for the death penalty in specific cases, including the vicious murders of Iryna Zarutska … and Charlie Kirk.

In a memo released Friday, the DOJ claimed that the purpose of these measures is “to expedite death penalty cases” by “clearing the way for the Department to carry out executions once death-sentenced inmates have exhausted their appeals.”

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” said a statement from acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”

RELATED: ‘Very good news!’ Imminent death sentence for 8 Iranian women halted, Trump says — because he intervened

Photo of memorial to Iryna Zarutska; Peter Zay/Anadolu/Getty Images

The memo claimed that the Biden administration, under the direction of Attorney General Merrick Garland, refused to implement the death penalty, even when the administration’s own attorneys sought it.

Moreover, shortly before leaving office, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of nearly every inmate on federal death row. The only three whose death sentences Biden did not commute were 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; Dylann Roof, who murdered nine people in a black church in 2015; and Robert Bowers, who murdered 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.

The DOJ under Trump is now actively seeking the death penalty against dozens of defendants, including three MS-13 gangsters accused of murdering a federal witness, the memo said. Two of the three are in the U.S. illegally.

The administration is even considering erecting a new execution facility.

Since retaking office, President Trump has called for the death penalty in specific state-level cases, including the vicious murders of Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina on August 22, 2025, and Charlie Kirk in Utah on September 10, 2025.

Several states already use the firing squad. In fact, beginning on July 1, Idaho will become the first state to use the firing squad as its main means of execution, while other states like South Carolina offer it as an option to death-row inmates.

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​Trump, Doj, Biden, Merrick garland, Todd blanche, Politics 

The daring raid that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has also landed one special forces soldier in hot water after he allegedly won $400,000 on a prediction market.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, was charged with personally benefiting from the use of classified information after betting $33,000 on the timing of the raid, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

‘Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today’s arrest is proof the system works.’

Van Dyke was reportedly a part of the planning of Operation Absolute Resolve between December 8, 2025, and January 6, 2026, and had access to classified information during that time.

At the end of December, Van Dyke allegedly created a Polymarket account and began making more than a dozen bets related to the raid.

When news of the trade began to make headlines, Van Dyke then allegedly took efforts to conceal his actions by trying to delete the Polymarket account and transferring the money to cryptocurrency accounts.

Polymarket said on social media that it had cooperated with the investigation.

“Last month, we published our enhanced market integrity rules to combat insider trading,” the company said. “When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation. Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today’s arrest is proof the system works.”

The indictment said Van Dyke was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina when he allegedly made the transactions on Polymarket.

President Donald Trump was asked about the case and likened it to baseball legend Pete Rose betting on himself.

RELATED: Insider bets. Multiple lawsuits. Free groceries. Are prediction platforms about to crash out?

“Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton.

“The defendant allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government by using classified information about a sensitive military operation to place bets on the timing and outcome of that very operation, all to turn a profit,” he added. “That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law.”

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​Maduro raid, War prediction market bet, Special forces soldier arrested, Prediction market insider trading, Politics 

According to BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has been quietly fighting a “legitimate color revolution effort by the deep state.”

The institutional left, she argues, has been attempting to “control the president’s every thought, every action, every decision, every policy in order to impose on you wokeism and destructive [left-wing policies],” and it’s Pete Hegseth who’s standing in its way.

This isn’t just her hunch either. On this episode of “The Liz Wheeler Show,” Liz dives into a recent @DataRepublican thread that blew the lid off the shocking truth behind the nonstop attacks on Pete Hegseth.

Liz begins by reading through the X thread posted by @DataRepublican on Monday:

The thread argues that Hegseth is being relentlessly attacked not because of any personal scandals (drinking, women, etc.), but because he’s a loyal secretary of war who would prevent the military/security forces from defecting.

According to the thread, this loyalty is what’s stopping a would-be soft coup attempt against Trump. Citing academic studies, training videos, and planning docs from left-leaning groups that emphasize getting security forces to disobey or stand down, the post posits that you can’t execute a successful color revolution without flipping or neutralizing the military — and Hegseth, being outside its influence networks and loyal to Trump, makes that impossible.

Two people @DataRepublican highlights in the thread are Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan — “the two most cited scholars in the color revolution field.” According to their research into 323 different regime change campaigns, security force defections make those campaigns “46 times more likely to succeed.”

“Once you meet these women, you will not only understand who is behind much of the civil unrest in our country, but how they do it,” says Liz.

Stephan, she argues, “is the epitome of a blob creature,” citing her careers at the State Department, the Atlantic Council, the Council on Foreign Relations, and in academia. Liz notes that she also founded and directed the “program on nonviolent action at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).”

Chenoweth, who “serves in many different capacities at Harvard University,” is famous in the color revolution world, Liz says, for coining the “3.5% rule,” which argues that it takes only 3.5% of the population’s participation, combined with a military willing to defect, for a color revolution to be successful.

Maria Stephan and Erica Chenoweth, Liz contends, are connected to the founders of the No Kings movement, Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, who “get their funding … almost directly from George Soros.”

“Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg are on video talking about how their protests, the No Kings protests, are essentially a color revolution,” says Liz, playing a clip from their joint podcast where they interviewed none other than Chenoweth.

“Maria Stephan is also involved in the No Kings protest through her organization New Horizons Project. She actually trained No Kings protesters,” she continues, playing more videos from @DataRepublican capturing Stephan training protesters on how successful campaigns depend on “defections and loyalty shifts within key institutional pillars,” specifically business, labor, faith, education, civil service, and military/police, which must be “[cracked]” so that “the entire edifice can crumble.”

Liz says Stephan’s framework is “almost exactly the same thing” as Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony and the “war of position,” which argues that revolutionaries must first capture the institutions of culture, education, media, ideas, and other key pillars of society in order to eventually seize power.

In the same thread, @DataRepublican also highlighted Gene Sharp, the father of modern “color revolution” tactics, and Hardy Merriman (Sharp’s former assistant), for co-writing the main training manual used for regime changes in over 50 countries.

Merriman then created a U.S. version that tells government and military people: You don’t owe loyalty to the president — only to the Constitution — and teaches them how to quietly defect (slow down, leak, ignore orders, etc.) so the regime can be brought down.

All of this explains the “character assassination” attempts on Pete Hegseth, says Liz.

“Seventy-two hours after President Trump named Pete Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of war … Democracy Playbook 2025 specifically named Pete Hegseth as a threat because he cannot be convinced or compromised to the point of defection,” she says, noting that this playbook was edited by “Democrat super lawyer” Norman Eisen, who Liz exposed last year for being one of the central architects and coordinators of a “resistance” network seeking to topple the Trump administration.

But that’s just the beginning of the intricate network Liz uncovers in this episode.

She continues unpacking the rest of @DataRepublican’s thread to reveal how these color revolution tactics are allegedly being deployed against Trump right now and why unco-optable Pete Hegseth is literally the one man preventing a successful soft coup.

If you want the full picture — and to see exactly how deep this goes — watch the entire eye-opening episode above.

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ICE agents have a hard enough time staying safe with leftist politicians trying to defund them, media villainizing them, and rioters threatening them. For months, ICE agents even watched their backs as location-tracking apps pinpointed their every move on the streets, at least until alleged government pressure wiped them from the App Store and Google Play. Unfortunately for ICE, the ban didn’t last long, as a district court judge just ruled their removal unconstitutional, seemingly disregarding the safety of ICE agents while blaming the Trump administration.

The rise and fall of anti-ICE apps

ICE-reporting apps — led by ICEBlock on iOS — popped up online around April 2025, shortly after deportation raids in Democrat-run strongholds earned the ire of politicians, media, and rioters on the left side of the aisle. The apps were billed as a way to report and monitor the location of ICE agents and hold them accountable for “alleged civil rights abuses and failures to adhere to constitutional principles and due process.”

It sounds altruistic, if any of that were true, but it’s ICEBlock’s off-label use cases that make it far more dangerous to the people, government officials, and United States sovereignty.

The next step in deciding the fate of ICE-tracking apps is to take the case to court.

With ICE agent locations marked on a map, apps like ICEBlock gave illegal aliens enough information to hide or flee from law enforcement to avoid deportation. ICEBlock also essentially showed rioters exactly where to go to confront ICE on the street, adding fuel to countless attacks on agents and the deaths of two American citizens.

In October 2025, the Trump administration reportedly sought to ban ICE-tracking apps, noting that they posed a major threat to ICE officials and public safety at large. At the time, former United States Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed.”

Apple quickly removed ICEBlock from the App Store, prompting the developer, Joshua Aaron, to sue the Trump administration for censorship. Although Apple wasn’t directly implicated in the lawsuit, Aaron added, “We are incredibly disappointed by Apple’s actions. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move.”

Cue the eyeroll.

RELATED: The FBI busted an anti-ICE attack squad by reading its encrypted messages

FOTOKITA/Getty Images

Violence against ICE is a real threat

There’s no doubt that Pam Bondi was right about the threats against ICE agents, something we covered extensively at Blaze News. Here are just some of the most egregious stories:

Anti-ICE mob turns hostile, breaching barriers outside detention facility — several officers injuredLos Angeles anti-ICE protesters harass DHS agents, military members on Independence DayInside the Portland ICE facility under siege by Antifa extremistsICE agents fear for their safety after security fence removed at Chicago-area facility amid sometimes violent protestsBorder Patrol agents dodge bullets and bricks from leftist rioters in sanctuary city: DHSVIDEO: Unhinged anti-ICE extremists hurl profanities at agents in Minneapolis: ‘Get the f**k out!’

ICE agents aren’t the only ones at risk. Due to increasingly divisive rhetoric by left-wing politicians, agitators took to the streets and threatened ICE to the point that two protesters lost their lives.

ICEBlock returns … maybe

Fast-forward to today. Months after ICEBlock’s removal, Obama-appointed District Court Judge Jorge L. Alonso issued a preliminary injunction in favor of Joshua Aaron, agreeing that banning or blocking ICE-tracking apps, websites, and services violates the First Amendment. He went on to say that both the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security illegally coerced tech companies to remove ICEBlock and similar apps from the App Store and Google Play. Facebook was also reprimanded in the decision for shutting down an ICE-tracking Facebook Group called “ICE Sightings — Chicagoland.”

It’s important to note that Alonso’s ruling is only a preliminary injunction and not a final ruling, meaning that its protections are temporary, pending a full trial. If the case falls in favor of ICE-tracking apps and services, ICEBlock and the like can return to online spaces indefinitely, leaving the Trump administration with one less legal option to protect the whereabouts and operations of ICE agents.

​Tech