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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images

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

The application form goes through the USA Jobs website.

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

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

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Although she rarely takes center stage, Melania Trump’s fashion always stands out.

The former model turned first lady is no stranger to a show-stopping look. Whether it’s her signature six-inch stilettos or a regal black-tie gown, Melania has donned many memorable outfits throughout 2025. Here are seven of her best looks so far.

7. Commander in chic

White House Press Pool/Getty Images

Melania sported a classy pinstripe skirt suit at the military parade over the summer, paired with a gray satin pump. The pinstripe’s color is inverted from black with white stripes to a subtle cream color with darker stripes, providing a summery twist on a beloved classic.

The choice of a skirt suit over a pant suit is a refreshing choice that contrasts with the professional attire of working women in Washington. The tailoring flatters her figure without overly exaggerating her contours, making for a simple yet stunning ensemble.

6. Burberry bound

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

En route to an oversees trip to the United Kingdom, Melania wore a gorgeous Burberry trench coat, undoubtedly a nod to British fashion and craftsmanship. The floor-length silhouette and popped collar add dramatic flair to a classic coat, paired with oversized sunglasses for a true model-off-duty look.

Melania’s brushed-back, low ponytail softly frames her face while still letting the coat speak for itself. A stark contrast from the casual airport clothes most Americans are used to, Melania’s travel outfit balances effortlessness with classic style.

5. Cheetah girl

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A true veteran of the fashion industry, Melania knows when to take a risk and how to pull it off. Melania flaunted a fabulous leopard coat during the 2025 International Women of Courage Award Ceremony, flawlessly utilizing a bold print as a sort of neutral.

The warm brown tones of the coat complement her hair color and complexion, making for a soft interpretation of an otherwise bold print. The print itself is also small enough to remain eye-catching without being distracting. Leopard print made a comeback in 2025, but it has arguably always been a fashion-forward classic, just like much of Melania’s timeless wardrobe.

4. Lace and lawmakers

Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Melania is known for her elegant play on suit wear, and this black lace ensemble from the 2025 White House Congressional Ball is no exception. Melania’s feminine take on a traditionally masculine suit features a soft velvet coat contrasted with satin lapels and an intricate yet modest lace undershirt (Lauren Sanchez, take notes).

Melania understands that the challenge is not just to find a fashionable outfit, but to find one that also flatters her features. The subtle but effective femininity of the suit pairs beautifully with her golden cascading hair, yet another indicator of Melania’s impeccable fashion instincts.

3. Suede sisters

Photo by Yui Mik – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Melania knows how to dress for the occasion, perfectly complementing Kate Middleton, the princess of Wales, during an overseas visit in the English countryside. The neutral color palette and suede coat put on display the perfect balance between classic, Ralph Lauren-esque Americana and traditional British outerwear.

Once again taking into consideration her complexion, the camel-colored coat pairs beautifully with her warm-toned hair and creme-colored trousers, making for an incredibly chic ensemble.

2. Inaugural icon

Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Easily one of her most iconic looks was from one of her first public appearances in 2025 during her husband President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The sleek navy skirt suit with matching stilettos were beautiful pieces on their own, but the star of the show was her eye-catching headwear that made several headlines.

Melania’s wide-brimmed hat was often paired with a demure grin or a quick glance that dazzled photographers and attendees alike. This stylish showstopper is one of her many looks that simply speaks for itself.

1. Emerald alliance

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Melania’s best look in 2025 was an emerald-green floor-length gown she wore while the White House hosted Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. The color choice is undeniably stunning as is the silhouette of the strapless gown.

The delicate ruching throughout the front of the gown elongates and flatters her figure beautifully without appearing too showy (again, Lauren Sanchez, take notes). The slight sheen of the fabric adds just the right glamorous touch to the jewel-toned dress and matching pumps. Melania’s elegance and class shine most in this gown.

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The notorious “Florida man” didn’t just live up to his reputation in 2025 — he shattered it.

The Sunshine State became a rolling highlight reel of off-the-rails antics, including a meth-fueled birthday joyride on a stolen train and a crazy police bodycam video capturing the arrest of a costumed suspect as stunned families watched in disbelief at a Chuck E. Cheese.

‘Would y’all put Mickey Mouse in handcuffs?’

So we hereby present the top five wildest incidents of the year involving the infamous “Florida man.”

1. Key West chaos: Man with meth pipe hijacks tourist train on birthday, police say

As Blaze News reported in July, a 57-year-old Florida man allegedly celebrated his birthday with a meth-fueled joyride by hijacking a tourist train in Key West.

Citing the arrest report, WPLG-TV said Jonathan Patrick Winslow stole the Conch Tour Train and even managed to pick up “two random passengers” while driving the trolley.

When confronted by cops, Winslow had a meth pipe in his possession — and he told deputies that it was a “weed pipe,” according to the police report.

Police said Winslow told officers he previously worked at the Conch Tour Train Depot, that he merely “borrowed” the train — and that “today is his birthday.”

Despite it being his birthday, Winslow was arrested and hit with burglary, grand theft auto, and drug charges.

2. Kids watch in shock as man in a mouse costume is arrested at Chuck E. Cheese

What was supposed to be a fun, innocent time for children devolved into a bizarre arrest caught on police bodycam footage that captured officers arresting a Chuck E. Cheese mascot — with kids and parents watching.

Blaze News reported in September that 41-year-old Jermel Jones was accused of allegedly purchasing items with someone else’s credit card.

“We’re gonna detain the mouse,” a police officer is heard telling a fellow cop on bodycam footage as they enter the pizza restaurant in Tallahassee.

An officer about to confront the man in the mouse costume is heard telling a woman, “Chuck E.’s a little bit busy, ma’am.”

A police officer orders the man in the costume, “Chuck E., come with me. Chuck E! Chuck E! Stop resisting! You’re being detained! Stop resisting! Let it go! Do not cause a scene here, sir.”

The Chuck E. Cheese mascot is handcuffed and then escorted out of the children’s restaurant as parents and kids watch in stunned disbelief.

A woman is heard yelling at the officers, “I would like y’all to walk him out the door instead of traumatizing all these children seeing someone like Chuck E. Cheese get arrested.”

She then asks, “Would y’all put Mickey Mouse in handcuffs?”

Jones was arrested and charged with theft of a credit card, criminal use of personal identification information, and fraudulent use of a credit card totaling over $100.

3. Florida man offers cops alcoholic drink during car chase — then gets tased

Only in Florida does a police pursuit include a suspect casually offering officers an alcoholic drink mid-chase.

In April, police were called to a local market after a report of a theft of alcoholic beverages, according to the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.

Blaze News reported that 39-year-old Richard Christopher Smith of Miami was driving a black minivan in circles near the market, after which a miles-long police chase ensued.

The sheriff’s office said Smith was holding a can of Ketel One vodka spritz out the window of the minivan as he drove by a deputy attempting to pull him over. Smith is heard in the bodycam video telling the officer, “I was just going to give you a drink, that’s it.”

The sheriff’s office said in a statement, “We don’t know if he was expecting us to just say ‘Cheers!’ and let him go, or what.”

Officials added, “After his toast, Smith attempted to ram two patrol vehicles in the midst of getting all four tires flattened by spike strips.”

The minivan slowed down, and the crazy police pursuit ended several miles away in the parking lot of a business at the Sebring Airport. Bodycam video shows Smith exiting the minivan and being greeted by cops with their guns drawn and ordering the suspect to get on the ground.

However, the suspect is seen not obeying orders and walking toward a deputy — and Smith gets tased and falls headfirst on the pavement.

According to the bodycam video, Smith asks officers why he’s being arrested, to which the deputy replies, “A lot of stupid s**t, right now.”

Smith is heard saying to the officers in the bodycam footage, “You guys had fun, though, right?”

Jail records show that Smith was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, driving under the influence, refusal to submit to a DUI test, and petty theft.

4. Here’s how an alligator sent Florida folks flying

Florida motorcyclists were sent flying over their handlebars after slamming into a large alligator on a highway.

Blaze News reported in June that two motorcyclists collided with a six-foot alligator on Interstate 4 in Orange City. The impact of hitting the alligator crossing the highway sent both riders soaring into the air.

Motorcyclist Cameron Gilmore told WESH-TV, “I saw it, like, 10 feet in front of me, and I just, you know, I thought — I knew I was going to hit it. It kind of just happened so quick.”

Gilmore added, “I didn’t even have a second to do anything. Couldn’t put on the brakes or not. And I just had to hold on.”

Gilmore said the collision caused him to “start flying for a long way.”

The two bikers were rushed to the HCA Lake Monroe Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

5. Sex offender gets rejected at job interview — reacts by flinging bottles of urine

A Florida man reportedly turned a denied job interview into a criminal spectacle and threw bottles of urine at a store.

As Blaze News reported in April, 51-year-old John Connaughton asked for a job interview at a door store in St. Petersburg.

Connaughton was rejected, after which he lashed out by hurling multiple bottles filled with urine at the front of the store, according to an arrest affidavit. Urine splattered on building materials and splashed at least one employee, court documents say.

The affidavit accused Connaughton of causing more than $1,000 in damage “to various building materials” by “splattering [them] with urine.”

Image source: Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement

Connaughton reportedly fled, but two men chased after him. Connaughton — a registered sex offender — raised his skateboard over his head as if he were going to hit one of the men with it, according to the arrest affidavit.

The St. Petersburg Police Department arrested Connaughton, and he was charged with felony battery, criminal mischief, and two counts of aggravated assault, according to court records.

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2026 is widely predicted to be an explosive and turbulent year. AI is growing faster than we can keep track of. Global conflicts are simmering. The world economy is teetering on a debt-fueled monetary reset and possible dollar crisis.

It’s going to be a wild year.

On this episode of “Glenn TV,” Glenn Beck, Steve Deace, and Liz Wheeler give their top predictions for 2026.

Steve Deace

Prediction #1: America trades Taiwan for Venezuela’s oil

“I think that China and the U.S. are going to effectively swap Taiwan and Venezuela,” says Deace.

“With the disruption that is happening in markets and where we are in terms of a long-term paradigm shift, I think we are not just going to sit there and just let Venezuela with maybe the largest oil reserves in the world just go on the bye-bye here in our own hemisphere.”

This, in turn, he says, will spur China to “do the exact same thing to Taiwan.”

“Steve is right on the money,” says Glenn’s head writer and researcher, Jason Buttrill, who is a former U.S. Marine intelligence specialist and Department of Defense contractor.

Glenn notes that this has massive implications for chip-making, as Taiwan currently supplies the United States with over 90% of the world’s highest-performance chips that go into smartphones, modern weapons, and artificial intelligence.

Prediction #2: Global leader alleges alien contact

“I think we’re going to see at least one elected official somewhere in the world next year claim to have directly communicated one-on-one with non-human intelligence,” says Steve.

Public interest in extraterrestrial life is peaking right now, he says. “The number-one-selling movie in America right now on Amazon, the biggest website in the world, is ‘Age of Disclosure”’ — a 2025 documentary claiming to expose an 80-year global government cover-up of non-human intelligent life and a secret international race to reverse-engineer extraterrestrial technology.

On top of that, world-renowned director Steven Spielberg — who has been pretty quiet since what many thought was his farewell film back in 2022 — has come out of retirement to direct a “disclosure film on UFOs” in 2026.

“The pressure on this is amping up,” says Steve.

Liz Wheeler

Prediction #1: Cabinet turnover

“I think we’re going to see some significant Cabinet turnover in the Trump administration,” says Liz, noting that it is Attorney General Pam Bondi who is most likely on the chopping block.

“Listen, we voted for Trump because we want justice for all of the deep-state weaponization of the government targeted at us. And we have not seen that from the Pam Bondi Department of Justice,” says Liz.

“The Trump voter demographic has patience. We’re generous. We understand that we’re up against this conglomerate enemy, but I think people are starting to run out of patience.”

Prediction #2: Denaturalization and deportation of a certain member of Congress

Liz’s top prediction, she says, is that “a member of the U.S. Congress will be denaturalized and removed from Congress and deported from the United States of America.”

“I wonder who that could be,” laughs Glenn.

Liz is, of course, referring to Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) — a radical leftist who prioritizes foreign interests, especially her home country of Somalia, over America.

Besides the strong speculation that Omar illegally married her own brother, there is ample evidence that Omar’s father, Nur Omar Mohamed, came to America not because he was fleeing a tyrannical regime but rather because he was “a member of that regime,” says Liz.

“He was actually a high-ranking military official [in Somalia]. He tried to hide that association so that he could claim asylum here in the United States, but he was in charge of propaganda for that communist regime,” she explains, calling it “immigration fraud.”

If that is found to be true, then “Ilhan Omar’s naturalized citizenship status is itself illegitimate.”

Glenn Beck

Prediction #1: AI boom threatens US power grid

Glenn has been warning for some time that surging AI data-center energy demand will eventually strain the U.S. grid, causing rolling blackouts and brownouts.

“I think 2026 is going to be the first year that we see things like Texas having rolling brownouts for a week at a time. I think you’re going to start to see the strain on the grid by the end of next year in ways that you would never have expected,” he says.

Prediction #2: Civil rights movement 2.0 sparked by AI

“I think next year is going to be a huge year historically for the beginning of a civil rights movement,” says Glenn. “I think we are going to see massive civil rights cases come to the courts next year, and they’re only going to get bigger and bigger.”

He warns that these kinds of cases will be unprecedented, as courts will debate whether AI-generated content, like deepfakes for example, count as protected speech and whether censoring “harmful” AI output is a First Amendment violation.

2026 is also when AI rules and regulations will greatly impact public education, says Glenn. Whether it is heavy AI policing, which could spark a full-blown privacy revolt, or the opposite — intense AI implementation via proctoring software, keyword/voice monitoring, or facial recognition camera — a “civil rights movement” over technology in classrooms is sure to spark.

To hear more 2026 predictions, watch the episode above.

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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.

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Apple has introduced its own digital ID, which is connected to Apple Wallet — but Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck is not thrilled to hear about the company’s latest advancement, calling it a “very bad idea.”

“Digital ID is the first thing. Then it includes your medical records. It includes all your health — everything. It will give you access to the hospitals or not access to the hospitals. It will allow you to buy things or not buy things,” Glenn explains.

“It’ll allow you to access online or not access online. It is control of absolutely everything. And that’s in the design, and they talk about it openly,” he adds.

After the tyranny displayed during COVID, Glenn is among those most skeptical of advancements like digital ID.

“Presenting the new Apple digital ID,” Glenn says sarcastically. “Now at the TSA checkpoints in more than 250 airports all across the U.S., you can present your digital ID at TSA checkpoints and get right onto that plane.”

While Apple claims the digital ID is “not a replacement” for a physical passport, it does add an official government ID to a user’s Apple wallet.

“It does sort of sound appealing, doesn’t it? I mean, just speaking frankly for a moment,” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere chimes in.

While Glenn agrees that it does “sound appealing,” he points out that the end result would be anything but.

“I have to tell you, when you start putting everything, all records, all passports — it is your one universal key, and it’s tied directly to online, where it’s tracking everything, everywhere you go, every dollar you spend,” he says. “This is just a very bad idea.”

“There’s a story … it’s called the book of Revelation. I mean, how much clearer do you have to be, where you can’t go anywhere, you can’t buy anything, unless you have the mark. I’m not saying Apple is coming up with the mark of the beast, but this is the technology that sure kind of fits it,” he adds.

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AI company 2wai may have taken its latest commercial a bit too far — as it presents the idea that your loved ones could live forever, as AI avatars, of course.

In the commercial, a pregnant mother speaks to her passed loved one via the phone app, showing the avatar her stomach.

“Oh, honey, that’s wonderful,” the AI responds. “He’s listening. Put your hand on your tummy and hum to him. You used to love that.”

The deceased avatar is 2wai’s core product, a HoloAvatar — which is an AI rendition of a real person, brought to life by a large language model.

“The question on the table, based on what you just saw: ‘Is this idolatry or not?’” BlazeTV host Steve Deace asks BlazeTV contributor Todd Erzen on the “Steve Deace Show.”

“To quote Gandalf, ‘Run, you fools,’” Erzen responds. “This is grotesque idolatry. This is emotional pornography of the highest order.”

“I lost my mother three months before I got married. She never got to meet my four daughters. She was the finest human being I ever met. She was truly good. I would never dishonor her memory with this. I’m utterly disgusted by the perpetual childish neediness of grown-ups who would bow at this altar,” he continues.

“It is profoundly wicked and evil to normalize this in any way, shape, or form. May God have mercy on our souls, quite frankly,” he adds.

“Steve Deace Show” executive producer Aaron McIntire is on the same page as Erzen, telling Deace the product should be burned “with fire.”

“It’s possible that this might not be idolatry if we were all robots, but we’re not robots. Something like this is just not fit for human nature,” he adds.

Want more from Steve Deace?

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

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Second Amendment rights advocate Kyle Rittenhouse disappeared from the limelight for a bit to make incredible strides in his own life — but he’s back and more motivated than ever to keep up the good fight.

“I was just done with the media. I was done with the hate. I was done with the lies being pushed against me. It was a lot that I was dealing with. And then I moved to Florida. I took that hiatus. I met my beautiful wife, Bella. And we moved to Colorado,” Rittenhouse tells BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales at AmFest.

However, after the events of September 10, Rittenhouse knew it was time “to get back into the fight.”

“I need to pick up the mic because what happened on September 10 is not okay. We need more conservative voices out here. We need more than ever. And that is why I’m here,” he explains, pointing out that he’s back to “advocating for the Second Amendment.”

But it hasn’t been a warm reception from the left.

“I’ve had countless death threats since I’ve gotten back into the fight. I’ve had people saying they’re going to assassinate me, kill me, they’re going to do terrible, terrible things because that’s the left,” Rittenhouse tells Gonzales.

“We’ve seen an increase in left-wing violence since August 25, 2020, when they tried to kill me in the streets of Kenosha to now. It’s only gotten worse. And our job as conservatives, and our job as Americans and Christians, to be frank, is to stand up and fight,” he continues.

And while Rittenhouse believes in his fellow conservatives’ ability to do this with him, he does worry that too many fear being too “controversial.”

“We need to say, ‘Screw being controversial,’” Rittenhouse says. “We need to stand up for what’s right, because if we’re not, they’re going to take us over and we’re going to lose.”

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.

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An appropriations bill could allocate billions in funding to refugee programs after temporary government funding expires.

Congress passed a clean funding extension in November 2025 that expires on January 30, 2026, when new funding allocation could take place.

‘These programs provide a variety of benefits and services to refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants.’

This possibility has conservatives pointing out issues with legislation like a Senate appropriations bill, first proposed in July, for fiscal year 2026.

The bill, which allocates funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and “related agencies,” has garnered significant attention from online researchers regarding its allocation of funds to refugee programs.

“Hey guys, all those insane ‘refugee assistance’ grants I’m always tweeting? The [GOP] is about to supercharge the funds,” wrote Oilfield Rando, an X account with more than 235,000 followers.

RELATED: Warlord, terror, and taxpayer theft: Somali scheme allegedly bilks millions from Maine Medicaid to fund foreign army

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Particularly, conservatives online have taken issue with the bill’s recommendations for “Refugee and Entrant Assistance,” for which the committee recommends $5.691 billion.

“These programs provide a variety of benefits and services to refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, immigrants arriving on Special Immigrant Visas [SIV], trafficking victims, and torture victims,” the bill reads.

A whopping $564 million of those funds is recommended for “Transitional and Medical Services,” while providing grants to states and “nonprofit organizations to provide cash and medical assistance to arriving refugees, as well as foster care services to unaccompanied minors.”

More than $300 million is recommended for “Refugee Support Services.”

The Senate committee argued in the document that HHS needs to ensure funding for resettlement agencies so that they can maintain their infrastructure and capacity at a level to continue to serve “new refugees, previously arrived refugees,” and others who are eligible for “integration services.”

RELATED: ‘Rents will come down’ — but not in sanctuary cities: Loan agent chronicles homes apparently abandoned by illegal aliens

Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

According to the Baker Institute, the Trump administration set the refugee cap at 7,500 for fiscal year 2026, the lowest in U.S. history. This is reportedly a 94% reduction from the 125,000 cap that the Biden administration set for FY 2025.

President Trump famously admitted 59 South African refugees into the United States in May; however, there have been no other major intakes by the administration over the course of 2025.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations is majority Republican, with 15 Republicans and 14 Democrats.

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​Politics, Senate, Appropriations committee, Refugees, Asylum seekers, Haitian, Cuban, News 

“9-1-1. What is your emergency?”

When crisis strikes, Americans in big cities and rural landscapes alike trust that first responders such as firefighters and EMTs are just a phone call away. However, recent spikes in costs and wait times associated with fire trucks have left fire departments across the country scrambling to make do with what they have — sometimes to the detriment of public safety.

‘Your profits have grown five times over the last five years, $250 million, but nobody can get their equipment!’

Much of the problem appears to stem from a massive consolidation of fire apparatus manufacturers nearly 20 years ago. This consolidation “effectively created a duopoly” that severely restricted competition, according to a recent op-ed from Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Chief Dennis Rubin and retired New Haven, Connecticut, Battalion Chief Frank Ricci, who together have more than 60 years of field experience.

The problem has grown so wide in scope that it has drawn the attention of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. On April 3, 2025, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Management Chairman Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ranking Member Andy Kim (D-N.J.) sent a letter to the executives of Rev Group, Oshkosh Corporation, and Rosenbauer, which collectively corner between 70% and 80% of the fire-truck market share.

In just the past few months, multiple class-action lawsuits have been filed against these companies alleging anti-trust law violations, and Hawley claimed at a subcommittee hearing in September that their “business models are identical.”

One such “identical” tactic the companies appear to have taken, according to the lawmakers, is to delay fulfilling orders on purpose to keep costs and demand artificially high.

Just six short years ago or so, Rev Group, for example, had a backlog of fire equipment orders totaling about $1 billion, with an expected wait time of 12 to 18 months, the New York Times reported in February. Now, however, the company backlog total has quadrupled, and wait times have jumped to two or three years.

“Your profits have grown five times over the last five years, $250 million, but nobody can get their equipment!” Sen. Hawley railed to Mike Virnig, president of REV Fire Group, at the September hearing.

“What have these gigantic corporations done with all that market power? Well, they have hiked prices, restricted supply, and created a dangerous backlog of firefighting equipment,” added Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Furthermore, even when departments can get the equipment, it shows no “discernible improvements in technology,” the letter said.

RELATED: Retired Florida firefighter shot and killed by cops investigating ‘horrific’ child sex abuse material

Rubin and Ricci argued that this alleged market manipulation has had serious consequences. In the summer of 2023, so many pumper fire trucks were out of commission in Kansas City, Kansas, that firefighters were forced to use SUVs and a borrowed brush truck that lacked essential tools.

“Based on the lack of fire truck repair parts, our fire department in Kansas City, Kansas, has been negatively impacted on several occasions. This situation is not acceptable!” Chief Rubin — who previously served as chief of the department in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. — told Blaze News in a statement.

“The impact is real, and it directly affects ability to deliver the level of service the public counts on every day,” added P.J. Norwood, retired deputy chief in East Haven.

‘It is wrong when private equity companies deliberately distort the efficient operation of the free market.’

A spokesperson for Oshkosh indicated to Blaze News that disruptions to supply chains during COVID and customization are two major factors that can help account for the rise in prices and delayed orders.

“Depending on the options a customer chooses, producing a single fire truck can take up to 7,000 hours, with an average of approximately 2,000 hours,” the spokesperson said.

“We acknowledged the lead time problem as soon as it emerged, and we have made — and will continue to make — historic investments to increase throughput,” Dan Meyer, vice president of sales at Oshkosh’s Pierce Manufacturing, told Sens. Hawley, Kim, Warren, and others at the September hearing.

“We know customers want and deserve shorter lead times, and the manufacturers who can accomplish that will win their business. Pierce is determined to meet our customers’ needs, which is why our company is committed to investing in our people and our manufacturing capabilities to reduce lead times and best serve the firefighter community.”

Rubin and Ricci do not deny that specific customization demands from so many municipalities remain a major problem, and they encourage the adoption of “a more standardized production model, with separate lines for urban, suburban, or rural, and custom builds” to address this issue. They also believe that states and cities ought to revisit their bidding procedures to root out any unfair practices that further drive up prices.

Still they view the limited competition at the manufacturing level as the main cause.

“We must champion American manufacturing that wins on competition and merit — not monopolistic tactics,” Ricci told Blaze News.

“There’s nothing wrong with earning a profit, but it is wrong when private equity companies deliberately distort the efficient operation of the free market on the one hand — and then fire departments rig the bidding process on the other,” added Yankee Institute President Carol Platt Liebau. “If legislators aren’t willing or able to ask the tough questions, then of course it’s the taxpayers — as always — who are exploited and ripped off.”

Rev Group, Rosenbauer, and Sen. Kim’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Sen. Hawley’s office directed Blaze News to his statements at the September hearing.

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​Josh hawley, Andy kim, Fire truck, Rev group, Oshkosh corporation, Rosenbauer, Elizabeth warren, Politics, Dennis rubin, Frank ricci 

A Hall of Fame basketball player says that mandatory service would help Americans with discipline and structure.

Compulsory service is required in many first-world countries, like South Korea, Finland, and Sweden. While duties and service time vary, many believe the requirement can foster a more responsible citizenry.

‘Learn how to defend yourself. Shoot and handle guns properly.’

A former NBA player and champion, 6’10” Dwight Howard recently called upon President Trump to consider implementing a mandatory term of service for Americans.

“I honestly feel like the president should make one year of service mandatory for everyone born in America,” Howard wrote on X. “A lot of other countries do it. And I think it would help with discipline and structure.”

Howard then asked, “I’m curious what yall think[:] would this help America or nah[?]”

RELATED: NBA players finally drop brutal truth bombs on WNBA stars: ‘It should be common sense’

— (@)

Howard responded to a few reader remarks, including one who suggested such service could be performed during summers while a student is in high school.

In response, Howard revealed his stance on the duration for service.

“Everyone should do a year,” he wrote.

Another reader suggested mandatory customer service work for Americans, such as working in “retail, serving, bartending,” or answering phones. That notion saw Howard remain steadfast in his opinion that Americans should perform military service.

“I think military service would be better,” he replied. “Learn how to defend yourself. Shoot and handle guns properly. The bond and respect for each other would go up.”

RELATED: Rookie NFL QB declared the new Obama — and the ‘most powerful black man since 2009’

Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Following his NBA career, Howard played basketball overseas in the T1 League in Taiwan, where he again became a star. Perhaps this is where his inspiration came from, as Taiwan has a mandatory 12 months of military training for males ages 18-36, according to World Population Review.

Howard has discipline and law enforcement in his family’s background; an archived USA Basketball profile notes that his father, Dwight Sr., was a Georgia state trooper as of 2007.

According to Sky News, approximately 80 countries have some form of mandatory service or conscription. Some countries reportedly have mandatory service for women, as well, such as Sudan, Morocco, Mozambique, North Korea, and Sweden.

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​Fearless, Nba, Basketball, Military service, Mandatory service, Conscription, Draft, Sports 

One of the most consequential developments of 2025 has received far less scrutiny than it deserves: the steady surrender of executive authority to an unelected judiciary.

President Trump was elected to faithfully execute the laws of the United States, yet his administration increasingly behaves as if federal judges hold final authority over every major policy decision — including those squarely within the president’s constitutional and statutory powers.

Judicial supremacy thrives on abdication. It advances because presidents comply, lawmakers defer, and voters are told this arrangement is normal.

By backing down whenever district courts issue sweeping injunctions, the administration is reinforcing a dangerous precedent: that no executive action is legitimate until the judiciary permits it. That assumption has no basis in the Constitution, but it is rapidly becoming the governing norm.

The problem became unmistakable when federal judges began granting standing to abstract plaintiffs challenging Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to protect ICE agents under attack. Many assumed such cases would collapse on appeal. Instead, the Supreme Court last week declined to lift an injunction blocking the Guard’s deployment in Illinois, signaling that the judiciary now claims authority to second-guess core commander-in-chief decisions.

Over the dissent of Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch, the court allowed the Seventh Circuit’s decision to stand. That ruling held that violent attacks on ICE agents in Chicago did not amount to a “danger of rebellion” sufficient to justify Guard deployment and did not “significantly impede” the execution of federal immigration law.

That conclusion alone should alarm anyone who still believes in separation of powers.

No individual plaintiff alleged personal injury by a Guardsman. No constitutional rights were violated. The plaintiff was the state of Illinois itself, objecting to a political determination made by the president under statutory authority granted by Congress. Courts are not empowered to adjudicate such abstract disputes over executive judgment.

Even if judges disagree with the president’s assessment of the threat environment, their opinion carries no greater constitutional weight than his. The commander in chief is charged with executing the laws and protecting federal personnel. Courts are not.

If judges can decide who has standing, define the scope of their own authority, and then determine the limits of executive power, constitutional separation of powers collapses entirely. What remains is not judicial review but judicial supremacy.

And that is precisely what we are witnessing.

Courts now routinely insert themselves into immigration enforcement, national security decisions, tariff policy, federal grants, personnel disputes, and even the content of government websites. The unelected, life-tenured branch increasingly functions as a super-legislature and shadow executive, vetoing or mandating policy at will.

RELATED: Judges break the law to stop Trump from enforcing it

Cemile Bingol via iStock/Getty Images

What, then, remains for the people acting through elections?

If judges control immigration, spending, enforcement priorities, and foreign policy, why bother holding congressional or presidential elections at all? The Constitution’s framers never intended courts to serve as the ultimate policymakers. They were designed to be the weakest branch, confined to resolving concrete cases involving actual injuries.

Trump’s defenders often argue that patience and compliance will eventually produce favorable rulings. That belief is not only naïve — it is destructive.

For every narrow win Trump secures on appeal, the so-called institutionalist bloc on the court — Chief Justice John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — uses it to justify adverse outcomes elsewhere. Worse, because lower courts enjoin nearly every significant action, the administration rarely reaches the Supreme Court on clean constitutional grounds. The damage is done long before review occurs.

Consider the clearest example of all: the power of the purse.

Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill explicitly defunding Planned Parenthood. The bill cleared both chambers and was signed into law. Under the Constitution, appropriations decisions belong exclusively to Congress.

Yet multiple federal judges have enjoined that provision, effectively ordering the executive branch to continue sending taxpayer dollars to abortion providers in defiance of enacted law. Courts have not merely interpreted the statute; they have overridden it.

That raises an unavoidable question: Does the president have a duty to enforce the laws of Congress — or to obey judicial demands that contradict them?

Continuing to fund Planned Parenthood after Congress prohibited it is not neutrality. It is executive acquiescence to judicial nullification of legislative power.

The same pattern appears elsewhere.

Security clearances fall squarely within executive authority, yet the first Muslim federal judge recently attempted to block the president from denying clearance to a politically connected lawyer. Immigration, long recognized as a sovereign prerogative, has been transformed by courts into a maze of invented rights for noncitizens — including a supposed First Amendment right to remain in the country while promoting Hamas.

States fare no better. When West Virginia sought to ban artificial dyes from its food supply, an Obama-appointed federal judge intervened. When states enact laws complementing federal immigration enforcement, courts strike them down. But sanctuary laws that obstruct federal authority often receive judicial protection.

Heads, illegal aliens win. Tails, the people lose.

RELATED: The imperial judiciary strikes back

Moor Studio via iStock/Getty Images

What we are witnessing is adverse possession — squatter’s rights — of constitutional power. As Congress passes fewer laws and the executive hesitates to assert its authority, courts eagerly fill the vacuum. In 2025, Congress enacted fewer laws than in any year since at least 1989. Meanwhile, judges effectively “passed” nationwide policies affecting millions of Americans.

This did not happen overnight. Judicial supremacy thrives on abdication. It advances because presidents comply, lawmakers defer, and voters are told this arrangement is normal.

It is not.

Trump cannot comply his way out of this crisis. No president can. A system in which courts claim final authority over every function of government is incompatible with republican self-rule.

The Constitution does not enforce itself. Separation of powers exists only if each branch is willing to defend its role.

Right now, the presidency is failing that test.

​Opinion & analysis, Imperial judiciary, Judicial supremacy, Judicial overreach, Supreme court, Clarence thomas, Neil gorsuch, Samuel alito, John roberts, Amy coney barrett, Brett kavanaugh, Constitution, Separation of powers, Immigration, Mass deportation, Congress, One big beautiful bill, Planned parenthood, Federal courts, Judges, Monarchy, National guard, Tariffs, Donald trump, Presidency 

Despite the U.S. Justice Department’s claim in a new court filing that there is “overwhelming evidence” of a Virginia man’s guilt in the D.C. pipe-bomb case, his location and movements on Jan. 5, 2021, do not appear to be as clear-cut as the FBI’s cellphone evidence implies.

When the FBI arrested Brian Jerome Cole Jr. Dec. 4 at his mother’s home in Woodbridge, Va., agents filed a federal court affidavit that relied heavily on pings from Cole’s cell phone. Those pings placed him in a variety of general areas on Capitol Hill the night of Jan. 5. The FBI said the pings were “consistent with” the phone being in certain tower sectors where the hoodie suspect was known to be.

‘No way. The kid doesn’t walk like that.’

Experts say cell-tower ping analysis is an imprecise method when trying to define a phone’s geographic location. The FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team field guide says a phone ping only indicates the device is somewhere within one of the three 120-degree sectors that radiate from the tower, which can reach a large area, depending on how far away the next closest tower is.

What’s coming Tuesday

Cole was charged in a criminal complaint with planting pipe bombs at the Democratic National Committee building and behind the Capitol Hill Club near the Republican National Committee building between 7:54 and 8:16 p.m. Jan. 5. The DOJ has charged the crime as an act of terrorism.

Cole will be in federal court in Washington, D.C., Tuesday afternoon for a detention hearing and a preliminary hearing. There, the government is expected to present enough of its case to establish probable cause that Cole committed the crimes with which he is charged.

Cole’s defense team filed a motion to ensure the preliminary hearing takes place Tuesday in addition to a hearing on whether Cole will remain jailed until trial. If for any reason the DOJ is not ready to proceed with the preliminary hearing, Cole would have to be released from federal custody, defense attorney John Shoreman wrote in a filing Monday.

The government’s case includes Cole’s reported confession that he didn’t have a side in the partisan divide, but “something just snapped” and, inspired by the IRA in Northern Ireland and video games, he decided to place bombs at both political parties’ headquarters at night and hoped they wouldn’t hurt anyone.

The FBI also cited alleged credit card purchases for bomb materials, Cole frequently wiping his cellphone data since mid-2022, cellphone pings and a license plate reader allegedly placing Cole at the crime scenes.

Location, location

The first ping the FBI describes in its evidence against Cole happened at 7:39 p.m., when his phone interacted with Tower 59323, located atop an apartment building at 103 G St. SW in Washington, D.C. The sector associated with Tower 59323 faces southeast, with an azimuth of approximately 120 degrees.

“Sector depictions represent a general antenna orientation and do not define precise or exclusive coverage boundaries,” said a retired FBI supervisory special agent who has worked with the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. He reviewed the ping evidence in the case for Blaze News.

The FBI said Cole’s phone also pinged off Tower 126187, which faces east from its location at 200 Independence Ave. SW.

“The idealized sector depictions for the two towers overlap in a limited area on the map,” the retired agent said. “However, without [radio frequency] calibration or carrier engineering data, the actual extent and shape of any overlap cannot be reliably determined.”

The expert said that while evidence suggests Cole’s phone was south of the hoodie suspect’s location at 7:39 p.m., it can’t be proven from the data.

‘No reliable nexus can be established between the cellular records and that individual.’

“The government’s interpretation of the sector orientations suggests that the handset may have been located south of the individual observed on video; however, sector-based [cell site location information] does not provide sufficient precision to determine the handset’s exact location or its position relative to the hoodie-wearing suspect,” he said. “Without RF calibration, distance metrics, or carrier engineering data, such directional interpretations remain general and non-exclusive.”

At the exact time the FBI claims Cole’s phone pinged on the southeast-facing tower sector, the hoodie bomb suspect walked along D Street Southeast, about to turn south on Capitol Street SE toward the DNC, according to video from U.S. Capitol Police security Camera 753. The hoodie suspect did not appear to be holding or otherwise using a cell phone at the time.

The retired supervisory special agent said the security video provides no evidence supporting Cole’s phone being at the same location as the hoodie suspect.

“Geometric comparison between tower locations, sector orientations, and the video-confirmed sidewalk location demonstrates that the location of the hoodie-wearing individual is not a clean main-lobe match for the southeast-facing sector of Cell Site 59323.” The ping was “a low-specificity, general-area location inference.”

“The surveillance video provides a high-specificity location constraint for the unidentified hoodie-wearing individual at specific times,” he said in an analysis commissioned by Blaze News.

“However, the video does not identify the individual and does not show the individual using, possessing, or interacting with a cellular device,” he said. “There is no visual evidence linking the individual on video to the handset reflected in the [cell site location information] records.”

If confirmed, that would put Cole’s vehicle more than one mile away from the hoodie suspect.

A ping, shorthand for a cellular device’s interaction with a tower, “documents the activity of a device, not the actions or identity of a person,” he said.

“Absent evidence demonstrating device possession or use by the individual observed on video, no reliable nexus can be established between the cellular records and that individual,” he said.

Further, Cole’s blue 2017 Nissan Sentra does not appear on any Capitol Police security cameras in the areas of the DNC or RNC, according to video investigator Armitas, who scrubbed the video feeds of dozens of USCP cameras. Armitas found only two Nissan Sentras on the road on Capitol Hill, one of which was driven by a white individual with a white passenger. Cole is black.

The other Sentra appeared to be a visual match for Cole’s vehicle, Armitas said, but the driver’s characteristics and identity cannot be determined from the security video.

In a memo filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., seeking to keep Cole in jail pending trial, the DOJ said Cole told the FBI he parked his car on D Street Southeast at Folger Park and walked from there to the DNC.

Folger Park is just beyond the network of more than 1,800 Capitol Police surveillance cameras. The court filings in the Cole case do not indicate if Cole was somehow aware of the boundaries of USCP surveillance cameras when selecting a parking area.

The FBI said Cole’s vehicle was captured on a license plate reader taking the Capitol Street exit from Interstate 395 South at 7:10 p.m.

The hoodie suspect was first captured on Capitol Police video at 7:34 p.m., the FBI said. Capitol Police Camera 5050 showed the bomb suspect crossing E Street Southeast on New Jersey Avenue at 7:35 p.m.

DNC bench but no ping?

Another potential phone conflict happened at 7:44 p.m., when the FBI said Cole’s phone pinged off the eastern sector of Tower 126187.

Video shows the hoodie suspect was sitting on a DNC bench at 7:43 p.m., using a cell phone. That phone did not appear to have produced a manual ping between 7:43:36 p.m. and 7:44:19 p.m. At least, no such ping is referred to by the FBI in public Cole case documents.

It seems unlikely that the hoodie suspect was on Ivy Street at 7:44:36 p.m. as the FBI asserts. The bomb suspect had to walk from the DNC bench a short distance on Capitol Street to Canal Street, then use Canal to cross Ivy Street before proceeding up Ivy Street.

Could that distance be covered in just six seconds? It seems doubtful, even if the suspect was running. The hoodie suspect no longer appeared to be using a phone when the person disappeared from DNC camera view at 7:44:30.

Third potential contradiction

A third potential contradiction in the cell-tower evidence came at 7:59 p.m., when the hoodie-wearing suspect was — according to the FBI — on New Jersey Avenue SE, about to turn east on E Street SE and continue onto North Carolina Avenue SE. Capitol Police Camera 0703 at the entrance to the Capitol Power Plant captured a glimpse of the bomb suspect turning from New Jersey Avenue to E Street.

The FBI said at 7:59:36 p.m., Cole’s cell phone pinged in a sector of Tower 147990 that faces south approximately 180 degrees from its location at 200 Independence Ave. SW. The FBI links this ping to the hoodie suspect’s appearance at New Jersey Avenue and E Street.

At roughly 8 p.m., the hoodie suspect was believed to be walking northeast toward Folger Park. There is an eight-minute gap during which the bomb suspect is not visible on any security cameras. The FBI has theorized since early in the case that the suspect used Folger Park as a base of operations.

Since the FBI said the bomber only carried one pipe bomb at a time in the backpack, the suspect would have had to acquire the second bomb before reappearing on camera walking toward the Capitol Hill Club and the Republican National Committee building.

A 2017 Nissan Sentra believed by video investigator Armitas to be pipe-bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr.’s vehicle is shown a mile from where the hoodie-wearing suspect was at the same time.Capitol Police CCTV

The hoodie-wearing suspect’s likely resupply mission presents a possible problem for the FBI’s timeline. At 8:03 p.m., security cameras captured what Armitas believes to be Cole’s blue Nissan Sentra traveling north on 3rd Street SW toward C Street SW, according to several USCP cameras along the route.

If confirmed, that would put Cole’s vehicle more than one mile away from the hoodie suspect at 8:03 p.m. Since it is a six- to seven-minute drive to Folger Park from 3rd Street SW, Cole could not be in the same location as the hoodie suspect at the time. According to Capitol Police cameras, the Nissan Sentra tracked by Armitas traveled north on 3rd Street SW to C Street SW, then turned east.

That Nissan was last seen at 8:04 p.m. on Capitol Police Camera 8483 on C Street at Second Street SW, in front of the O’Neill House Office Building. The Sentra drove onto an entrance ramp to I-395, traveling west — away from Folger Park, the Capitol Hill Club, and the Republican National Committee building. Cole could not have been hiding in or near Folger Park from roughly 8:02 to 8:08 p.m. and also been driving away from Capitol Hill more than a mile away at the same time.

Confession claim

The DOJ detention memo said Cole confessed to placing the bombs and his intention was that they would detonate at night on Jan. 5 and not the next day, on Jan. 6. The DOJ said Cole “set the timer on the first device to the maximum duration (60 minutes) and planted the device.”

Armitas said the surveillance video released by the FBI from a DNC security camera shows that the bomber took the device out of a backpack and immediately placed it under the bush near the base of the park bench. “Video from 2 different angles shows that the timer was never set,” Armitas wrote on X Monday.

“This device requires 2 full turns of the dial to set it,” Armitas wrote, “not to mention you have to unclip and reclip all the alligator clips, otherwise turning the dial will close the switch across those clips, shorting the detonator — Kaboom. As we can see in the video, the device is pulled out of the backpack and immediately placed.”

Shoes and gait

Cole’s demeanor, mannerisms, and walk look distinctly different from the bomb suspect wearing the hoodie on FBI video.

According to Prince William County Police bodycam video from the scene of a minor traffic accident involving Cole in late April 2024, Cole has more of a lumbering walk with his feet facing outward with no cadence to his steps. Blaze News obtained the 48-minute video through a freedom of information request.

Cole noticeably leans his head and neck to the left, while the hoodie suspect stood upright with a straight back and squared shoulders. As the hoodie suspect walked south down Rumsey Court to place the second pipe bomb at 8:16 p.m. on Jan. 5, video showed a confident stride with a fast cadence. On the bodycam video, Cole looked unsure of himself, withdrawn, avoiding eye contact and appearing to lack the confidence displayed by the original bomb suspect.

Cole told the Prince William County officer he had a “lapse in focus” that led to him run into the pickup truck in front of him. When the officer issued Cole a citation for following too closely, it appeared that Cole’s eyes welled up with tears. “It’s not a criminal offense,” the officer reassured Cole. “It’s just a traffic offense. So you can go to court. You can fight it if you want or you can prepay it.”

The owner of a 7-Eleven on Minnieville Road in Woodbridge, not far from the Cole family home, said Brian Cole Jr. has come into his store for years, always purchasing the same thing: pizza and two Cokes.

“I saw him for 13 years a minimum of two to three times per week,” said Sunny Sandhu. “He was probably here every day.

“Every time he came in here, it was always the same thing, same routine,” Sandhu told Blaze News in an interview. “Always had his headphones on. Always made it the same order, bought two Cokes and a pizza.”

Sandhu said if he didn’t have a fresh pizza on display, he would offer to make one for Cole, but in those cases Cole always opted instead for chicken wings. He said Cole usually didn’t say anything, but occasionally would nod when Sandhu thanked him and said goodbye.

After Cole’s arrest, Sandhu said he watched the FBI video of the hoodie suspect walking down an alley to place the second pipe bomb near the RNC.

“I go, ‘No way. The kid doesn’t walk like that,’” Sandhu said. “This kid has no confidence in his stride at all.”

Cole has a “goofy walk” that does not resemble the FBI’s bomb suspect, Sandhu said. “There’s no way,” he said.

The 7-Eleven owner said the FBI didn’t come to his store asking about Cole before or since the Dec. 4 arrest.

An FBI whistleblower who has worked in the Washington Field Office filed a protected disclosure with the U.S. House on Dec. 11, asserting that Cole was simply mentally incapable of carrying out the placement of pipe bombs while evading a massive law enforcement dragnet for nearly five years. The disclosure was filed with U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

Attorney Kurt Siuzdak said his whistleblower client lives in the vicinity of the Cole home in Virginia and has observed Brian Cole “hundreds of times, if not more, over the course of nearly a decade.” He said his client described Cole as “detached and vacant” and displaying “awkward” behavior.

“It is obvious he has a mental disability and likely lives in a permanent vulnerable, intellectual and emotional state,” Siuzdak wrote. “It is well understood that individuals with mental conditions are susceptible to providing inaccurate and unwarranted ‘confessions.’ The FBI should have used caution and its behavioral experts to ensure any [interrogation] was proper.”

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) outlined a litany of problems he has with the state of the pipe-bombs case, including the fact that Cole is “borderline autistic,” as disclosed by Cole’s grandmother, Loretta Cole.

“They said, ‘Look, our son or our grandson, he’s autistic and he’s operating at a 16-year-old level and he’s not capable of this,” Massie said Dec. 11. “That was their claim, and I do think that that’s relevant to know his mental acuity.”

Different eyesight?

The way Cole held his cell phone at the accident scene is very different from how the hoodie suspect held and used a cell phone on Jan. 5. Cole kept the phone less than a foot from his face while reading the screen, video showed.

The hoodie suspect, in contrast, held the cell phone in his or her lap while sitting on the park bench behind the DNC. This could indicate that Cole’s eyesight is significantly different from the eyesight of the hoodie suspect.

The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star canvas sneakers Cole wore at the 2024 accident scene also appear to be larger than the Nike Air shoes worn by the pipe-bomb suspect on Jan. 5. The FBI said Cole told agents he used to have a pair of Nike Air Max shoes but threw them away because they were in poor condition.

Ignored evidence

In its narrative accusing Cole of being the pipe bomber, the FBI apparently did not ask Cole about stopping at a bush alongside the Congressional Black Caucus Institute at 7:48 p.m. — a video discovery made by Armitas and published by Blaze News Oct. 29.

Security video shows the hoodie suspect walked from New Jersey Avenue down a sidewalk next to the CBCI building, 413 New Jersey Ave. Southeast. The suspect spent one minute, 17 seconds near the bush — first bent over, then sitting down in front of the shrub — Capitol Police security video shows. The suspect rummaged through a backpack while sitting cross-legged, then leaned into the bush and appeared to place or attempt to place something underneath.

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

The suspect stood up after 77 seconds and walked to the DNC building. There, the suspect sat on a park bench and, at 7:54 p.m., placed a pipe bomb under an adjacent bush, video released by the FBI showed.

The DOJ memo does not mention the CBCI or indicate whether Cole explained why he stopped at the bush next to the headquarters of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Information on the bomber’s time near the CBCI and the video showing the suspect’s actions was shared with the FBI by Armitas earlier this year.

It also does not mention that the bomb suspect stopped in a garden in front of the C Street Center, 133 C St. SE. The building has long served as a dormitory or rooming house for members of Congress and staff.

Armitas said he believes the suspect was attempting to place the second pipe bomb in the bushes in front of 133 C Street but may have been interrupted by a Capitol Police squad car that turned onto C Street from the east with its emergency lights on.

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​January 6 

Pope Leo XIV says people need more face-to-face interaction in their lives.

Speaking with Italian mayors from the association of local Italian authorities, the Assocazione Nazionale dei Comuni Italiani, the pope touched on some of the biggest issues faces the world today.

‘Democracy atrophies, becomes just a name, a formality.’

During the Vatican meeting, Pope Leo noted that a “demographic crisis” and “struggles” among families and young people remain top issues. According to Vatican News, the Catholic leader also stated that social isolation and “social conflicts” are pervasive issues in Italy.

At the same time, the pope — Robert Francis Prevost — said he wanted to focus on one of the biggest topics in today’s world: gambling. The Chicago native explained that he wanted to “draw attention in particular to the scourge of gambling,” which has “ruined many families.”

Citing a “major increase” in gambling in Italy in recent years, Prevost cited a recent report that described gambling as a “serious problem” in terms of education, mental health, and societal trust for Italians.

RELATED: New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan resigns; pope appoints his replacement

Photo by Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

The pope stressed that gambling addiction is a form of “loneliness” and called on the local mayors to promote “authentically human relationships between citizens” as a way to tackle the issue.

Pope Leo reportedly drew from 20th-century Italian priest and activist Don Primo Mazzolari in order to illustrate the need for social interactions between Italians.

“[Italy] does not only need sewers, houses, roads, aqueducts, and pavements,” but also “a way of feeling, of living, a way of looking at one another, and a way of coming together as brothers and sisters.”

RELATED: Pope Leo XIV, Eastern Orthodox patriarch signal greater unity at site where Nicene Creed was adopted 1,700 years ago

Photo by Jacopo Raule/Getty Images for Philipp Plein

To solve many of these modern issues, authorities must listen to the weak and the poor, the pope said. If not, he said, “democracy atrophies, becomes just a name, a formality.”

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​Align, Faith, Religion, Catholics, Gambling, Italian, Pope, Pope leo, Lifestyle 

When Lindsay Tornambe was just 11 years old, her parents and four siblings moved out to remote Minnesota to join a religious compound called River Road Fellowship. The group was led by a man named Victor Barnard, who claimed that God had ordained him to gather and shepherd the fragmented people of the Way International — a deeply heretical “Christian” sect — after its founder Victor Paul Wierwille died in 1985.

At first, things were almost idyllic. Lindsay spent her days playing with the other kids, tending to animals, and skating on the frozen lake. But it wasn’t long before Barnard’s sinister intentions shattered the pastoral facade he had created, condemning Lindsay and other victims to years-long servitude in a sex cult.

On this episode of “Relatable,” Allie Beth Stuckey interviews Lindsay about her decade as a “maiden” in a cult whose leader is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence.

After secretly grooming Lindsay, Victor, who had taken off his wedding ring, claiming he was “married to the church” like Christ, reportedly preached a sermon from the passage in Exodus where God commands the Israelites to “give” Him their firstborns, meaning redemption through small payments or temple service.

As many cult leaders do, however, Victor reportedly twisted the passage to mean that parents must literally give their firstborn daughters over to him.

“He read off a list of names. Mine was on there,” says Lindsay.

This all happened during the early 2000s, amid lingering influences from the 1999 “Summer of Love” — a notorious period in the Way International when leadership allegedly encouraged widespread sexual promiscuity among members, including married people, as a supposed expression of “God’s love.”

Victor, however, didn’t frame the girls’ role as sexual. They were merely being asked to serve Christ and the church. Lindsay, after seeing her friends eagerly volunteer, consented to being a “maiden,” having no idea what awaited her.

She, along with nine other young girls, was then removed from her family home and taken to live in Victor’s private living compound. The maidens were assigned different duties, like gardening, cooking, cleaning, and assisting Victor with various tasks, many of which were intimate.

“Things in the beginning were kind of okay,” says Lindsay, noting that she initially believed her time as a maiden was temporary.

“I was under the impression that I would serve there and live at the camp … and then I would go home and be homeschooled,” she says.

But a shepherdess who helped oversee the young girls told 13-year-old Lindsay, who had expressed excitement about returning home to her family, that her role as a maiden was a lifetime commitment. “You’re not going home. This is your home now,” she said.

“It was shortly after that that I was raped by Victor for the first time,” says Lindsay, adding that he justified his actions by claiming that “Jesus Christ had Mary Magdalene and the apostle Paul had Phoebe” as sexual partners.

He also claimed that “even though he would be having sex with me, I could remain a virgin spiritually,” she adds.

This abuse, which was often accompanied by physical and emotional abuse, lasted for years, she says.

Eventually, fear and manipulation brainwashed Lindsay into believing she genuinely loved her captor. “One thing that Victor would tell us is that the more we dedicated ourselves to him in this life and to God, the better place in heaven we would have, and so I think the thought of not being in heaven with the maidens and with Victor really scared me,” she says.

But Lindsay’s sympathetic view of Victor was a ticking time bomb.

In 2008, after most of the girls had been moved to another remote location in Washington state, one of the maidens was deported to Brazil after her student visa expired. Victor sent other maidens to live for temporary periods in Brazil alongside her.

When it was Lindsay’s turn to go, she was exposed to the outside world for the first time since her family had joined the commune. The taste of freedom was intoxicating.

When she returned to Washington, the maidens had started their own cleaning business. As a housemaid, Lindsay got another taste of life outside the cult, as she studied family pictures on walls and heard secular music drifting from radios.

This view of the outside world had already begun to sour Lindsay’s feelings for Victor, but then news came that he, still legally married to his wife, who lived next door to him, had been sleeping with married women in the community.

In Minnesota, it is against the law for pastors to have sexual relations with their congregants, so one of the women in the commune reported Victor to the police and even shared some information about his “maidens,” forcing him to flee. The infidelity broke up the original commune in Minnesota, sending Lindsay’s family back to their home state.

Lindsay, deeply disturbed by Victor’s philandering but still unaware of her own abuse, decided she was done being a maiden. Even though fellow maidens and Victor pleaded with her to stay — calling her Judas and accusing her of not loving God — Lindsay’s mind was made up.

She called her parents, who were still committed to the Way International and Victor, and they agreed to allow her to come home.

“They gave me $500 and bought me a train ticket, and I took Amtrak all the way from Washington state to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia,” says Lindsay.

Re-entering secular society at 23 proved difficult and confusing for Lindsay. “At that point, I thought the only way to make a man happy was to sleep with him, and so I slept around a lot. I lived in a lot of sin,” she says.

“I just was really interested in exploring and living life and making friends and getting away from my parents, because they were still supporting Victor.”

While her outside life looked fun and exciting, Lindsay’s internal world grew darker over the years, as she reckoned with her past life in the cult.

“I just kept thinking over and over again: If God is a God of love that I read and believed for so long, why would he let this happen to me? If heaven is so great, why don’t I kill myself now and not live in this internal pain that I feel?” she admits.

To quell the pain, Lindsay experimented with a gamut of “remedies” — self-love programs, crystals, witchcraft, even self-harm.

“I always came up feeling so empty, so unsatisfied,” she says.

But despite Lindsay’s doubt and sin, God was working in ways she couldn’t see. Single motherhood, unexpected friendships, and perfect timing wove together and allowed Lindsay to distinguish the real God from the phony one who had been used to warp and manipulate her as a child.

To hear the beautiful story of Lindsay’s redemption, including where her family is today and the trial that landed Victor behind bars, watch the full interview above.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

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

​Relatable, Relatable with allie beth stuckey, Allie beth stuckey, Lindsay tornambe, Cult, Sex cult, Cult survivor, Child abuse, The way international, Religious cult, Victor barnard, Blazetv, Blaze media, Christianity 

The National Geographic Society undertook a massive astronomical survey between 1949 and 1958 at the Palomar Observatory in California, snapping thousands of photographs of the sky from the north celestial pole to 33 degrees south of the celestial equator.

According to a 1959 leaflet issued by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the result was a “map of the sky, one that can be used like any road map, to help the astronomer find his way to objects too faint to see directly at the eye-piece of a telescope.”

The Palomar Observatory Sky Survey images captured a multitude of inexplicable star-like objects that astronomers had reportedly seen appear then quickly vanish. The objects, which flashed in the sky several years before the October 1957 launch of Sputnik, supposedly cannot be chalked up to gravitational lensing, gamma ray bursts, fragmenting asteroids, and/or various non-astronomical effects.

“We’ve ruled out some of the prosaic explanations, and it means we have to at least consider the possibility that these might be artificial objects from somewhere,” Stephen Bruehl, a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Live Science.

In a peer-reviewed study published in October in the journal Scientific Reports, Bruehl and co-author Beatriz Villarroel, a Swedish astronomer, found that there are “associations beyond chance between occurrence of transients and both nuclear testing and [unidentified anomalous phenomenon] sightings.”

The duo analyzed the transient data available for the time period Nov. 19, 1949, to April 28, 1957, and tested for possible associations between the occurrence of 107,875 transients, which were observed on 310 of the 2,718 days in this period, and above-ground nuclear weapons tests, which were conducted by the U.S., the U.K., and the former USSR on 123 days during the study period.

RELATED: Pentagon psyop exposed: Military reportedly cooked up tales of alien technology in weapons cover-up

Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

The researchers found that a “transient was 45% more likely to be observed on dates within a nuclear test window compared to dates outside of a nuclear test window.”

The duo also linked the transients to unidentified flying object/unidentified anomalous phenomenon reports, noting that “for days on which at least one transient was identified, significant associations were noted between total number of transients and total number of independent UAP reports per date.”

‘Why do they seem to show interest in nuclear testing?’

“For every additional UAP reported on a given date, there was an 8.5% increase in number of transients identified,” Bruehl and Villarroel wrote.

When it came down to hypothesizing what the transients might be, the duo came up with two possibilities that could account for associations of transients with both nuclear testing and UAP reports.

“The first involves an unexpected and previously undocumented atmospheric phenomenon triggered by nuclear detonations or related to nuclear fallout that may serve as a stimulus for some UAP reports and appear as transients on astronomical images,” they wrote.

The duo noted, however, that this first hypothesis is problematic, as effects in the atmosphere “would be likely to result in a streak on the image over the 50 min exposure, yet all transients appear as distinct point sources rather than streaks.”

Additionally, the researchers noted that transients were “most often observed one day after a nuclear test; such atmospheric phenomena would have to be sustained and remain localized in one location for approximately 24 h to account for the visual appearance of transients.”

After poking holes in their first hypothesis, the duo propped up their second hypothesis on the “well-known strand of UAP lore suggesting that nuclear weapons may attract UAP.”

“Within this latter hypothesis, our results could be viewed as indicating that transients are artificial, reflective objects either in high-altitude orbits around Earth or at high altitudes within the atmosphere,” they added.

Bruehl said to Live Science, “If it turns out that transients are reflective artificial objects in orbit — prior to Sputnik — who put them there, and why do they seem to show interest in nuclear testing?”

Michael Wiescher, a nuclear astrophysicist at the University of Notre Dame in France, suggested to Scientific American that nuclear tests alone might be the simpler explanation for the transients as they “obviously have an impact on the atmosphere” and can leave “a lot of junk in the outer atmosphere.”

Sean Kirkpatrick, former head of the Department of War’s UAP-investigating All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, similarly suggested that the explanation likely has to do with nuclear tests and the sun, noting that the “first thing that comes to mind is solar flare radiation or ionized particle radiation from nuclear testing.”

Kirkpatrick also suggested that high-altitude balloons, which were used for nuclear monitoring, could account for some of the UAP reports.

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​Alien, Extraterrestrial, Space, Transients, Survey, Astronomy, Aliens, Et, Nuclear, Nuclear testing, Nuclear tests, Unidentified, Aerial phenomenon, Ufos, Ufo, Flying object, Politics 

One of the most vital components in consumer electronics just reached a critical low. Big AI data centers are taking up RAM faster than manufacturers can make it, and the cost is getting passed on to consumers. As the shortage takes hold, prices on many popular electronic devices are expected to jump in 2026 by up to 30%, further straining wallets and the U.S. economy.

What is RAM?

Every electronic device you own — your smartphone, tablet, laptop, smartwatch, and even your game console — comes with a tiny brain packed inside. The CPU is the control center that runs processes and commands, launching apps and keeping them awake as you click, type, and interact. The GPU handles heavier tasks, from rendering graphics to managing larger processes and more. Local storage, usually in the form of an SSD or HDD, is akin to long-term memory, holding a complete archive of your files, photos, and everything else you saved on your device over the course of weeks, months, and years. Then there’s RAM.

Big Tech and AI companies are prioritized over regular citizens like you and me.

RAM, or Random Access Memory (sometimes shortened to “memory”), is your computer’s short-term memory. It holds temporary bits of data to keep your open apps running smoothly. RAM is the reason you can switch between several tabs in your web browser without the page reloading, or open a couple Word documents side by side to copy and paste information, or type an email while you also stream your favorite show on BlazeTV.

Some devices come with more RAM installed than others. The more RAM you have, the more apps you can run at the same time (i.e., multitask) without crashes or data loss. As consumer electronics advance, the need for more RAM grows at a steady pace. For example, the very first iPhone from 2007 launched with a measly 128MB of RAM, while the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max packs 12GB of RAM. That’s a huge jump!

A RAM shortage is coming

Consumer electronics aren’t the only devices that need a lot of RAM. Data centers demand tons of it — especially the ones built to train and maintain large language models like ChatGPT by OpenAI, Gemini by Google, and Grok by xAI.

Remember how much RAM comes with the latest iPhone Pro Max? A basic AI model — the type that can run directly on a phone — requires 8-16GB of RAM. That means, depending on the model, even the best iPhone in the world will hit a RAM bottleneck due to its own hardware limitations.

Moving a step up, medium-level AI models require 32GB to 64GB of RAM. In terms of consumer devices, only the most expensive laptops on the market that are worth thousands of dollars can run these models natively. This is why most models at this level run in data centers where information is processed on a server and beamed back to users via the cloud.

At the highest end, advanced AI data centers like the ones being built by Big Tech demand 128GB to 256GB of RAM or more. This kind of RAM is necessary for training large language models, processing data, and creating content for users on the other end. You use about this much RAM every time you send a query to your favorite AI platform, whether it’s a simple question to an answer you could find on the web, a request to create an image for your Christmas card, or a command to write your annual review for work. This is also why AI data centers require so much energy to keep the lights on.

Prices on electronics are going up

Earlier this year, President Trump unveiled an AI Action Plan to build America’s first AI infrastructure. The deal streamlines the permit process to create new AI data centers across the United States. More data centers mean a higher demand for vital computer components. As the plan moves forward, RAM manufacturers are already feeling the pressure.

RELATED: Will this tech company’s huge losses sink our economy next?

Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In early December, Micron, one of the largest makers of RAM products on the planet, announced it was closing its consumer business, Crucial, after 29 years. Its new mission is to create RAM directly for Big Tech AI brands and data centers. The news is a double-edged sword, as the shutdown will both help alleviate some of the demand created by Big Tech while it also eliminates a vital option for consumers who rely on Crucial for their upgradable RAM sticks. Crucial will end all consumer shipments in February 2026.

Days later, popular PC maker Dell sounded the alarm on the upcoming RAM shortage. Due to low availability, the prices of their PCs are expected to jump anywhere between 10% and 30%, effective immediately. The report from Business Insider notes that this is an industry-wide shortage, so you should expect higher prices from brands like Lenovo and HP as well. In an attempt to make up for the shortage, Dell and Lenovo will also reportedly launch cheaper mid-range laptops with lower RAM specs topping out at 8GB, which as we already covered, is quite low for handling the demands of modern smart devices.

Not to be left out, the shortage also extends to mobile devices. In the latest projections by Counterpoint Research, the price of smartphones will inflate by 6.9% in 2026. Although Apple and Samsung are best positioned to endure the RAM shortage, no brand is immune to the price spikes. That said, Chinese OEMs are expected to take the hardest hit.

RAM-ifications of the great memory shortage

All of this is part of a bigger problem facing the American people as Big Tech and AI companies are prioritized over regular citizens like you and me.

For starters, times are still tough for most Americans just trying to get by. Latest reports indicate that job growth is slowing, the unemployment rate is going up, and AI has even led to more lost jobs than it has created. When asked about this phenomenon, Big Tech CEOs like Sundar Pichai of Google claim that “people need to adapt” to get along in the new age of AI. Until that happens, the coming price increase in consumer electronics will force many to skip out on upgrading their devices this year, negatively impacting businesses and the economy as more people hold on to the money they have left.

Another notable strain on the American people directly targets our power grid. AI requires a lot of energy to run and maintain, and without it, Glenn Beck warns that rolling brownouts are on the way. To alleviate the problem, President Trump recently approved the use of nuclear power — something that would’ve been nice to have for us normal people ages ago, but at least it’s a start. Until those nuclear plants are operational, however, our current power grid will continue to buckle under the weight of all the new data centers being built right now, the same ones responsible for the RAM shortage. Simply put, if the nuclear plants are postponed for any reason, or if they’re deactivated if/when Democrats retake power, the American people will be the first to go without in favor of the AI giants and their resource-guzzling LLM machines.

Unfortunately it doesn’t look like this mess is going to end anytime soon. President Trump recently put in a fast-lane for AI development, limiting state laws and reducing federal regulations to make it easier for Big Tech to compete against China in the race for artificial general intelligence. With fewer restrictions, AI companies can continue to strain our power grid, gobble up vital computer components, and push AI onto every facet of our daily lives, whether we want it there or not.

​Tech, Ai, Ram 

The cultural powers that be determined long ago that a film needn’t deal directly with the Nativity of our Lord and Savior to qualify as a “Christmas movie.”

Many films apparently qualify simply by virtue of their plot events’ proximity to December 25, their festive backdrops, and their occasional visual reference to Coca-Cola Claus, starred pines, and/or the birth of God.

In a way, the Christmas imagery does visually what the movie’s eponymous theme song does sonically: tease at something lovely and wonderful beyond the nightmare.

Rest assured as the bare-footed cop wastes German terrorists at his estranged wife’s office party; as the two burglars repeatedly fall prey to an abandoned adolescent’s mutilatory traps; and as the inventor’s son unwittingly turns his Chinatown-sourced present into a demon infestation — these are indeed Christmas movies.

Given the genre’s flexible criteria, Terry Gilliam’s 1985 masterpiece “Brazil” also qualifies.

State Santa

In truth, the Python alumnus’ film about a bureaucrat’s maddening investigation of his totalitarian government’s execution of the wrong man is a far stronger entry than “Die Hard,” “Home Alone,” “Gremlins,” and other such flicks.

Not only is there Christmastime imagery throughout, but such visuals are also of great importance, providing insights both into the treachery of the film’s principal antagonist — the state — as well as into what appears missing in Gilliam’s dystopian world.

In the opening scene, a man pushes a cart full of wrapped presents past a storefront window framed by tinsel and crowded with “Merry Christmas” signage, television sets, and baubles.

Next we enter an apartment where a mother reads “A Christmas Carol” to her daughter, a father wraps a present, and a boy plays at the foot of a well-dressed evergreen.

After numerous scenes featuring gift exchanges, mutterings of “Happy Christmas,” and Christmas trees, we meet a kindly faced man dressed as Santa.

Jingle hells

This is, however, no feel-good Christmas movie.

The storefront window is firebombed.

Armored police storm into the family’s apartment, jab a rifle in the father’s gut, and take him away in a bag while his wife screams in horror.

The gifts exchanged and piling up throughout the film — besides the offers of job promotions and plastic surgery — appear to all be versions of the same novelty device, a meaningless “executive decision-maker.”

The kindly faced man dressed as Santa is a propaganda-spewing government official who rolls into the protagonist Sam Lowry’s padded cell on a wheelchair to inform Lowry — played by Jonathan Pryce — that his fugitive lover is dead.

With exception to the heart-warming domestic scene interrupted by the totalitarian bureaucracy’s jackboots at the beginning of the film, the Christmas imagery rings hollow and for good reason.

Extra to dehumanizing workplaces, purposefully meaningless work, bureaucratic red tape, and paperwork that’s so bad it ends up killing Robert DeNiro’s character — at least by the tortured protagonist’s account — the regime’s population-control scheme relies on consumerism.

The regime has, accordingly, done its apparent best to empty Christmas of the holy day’s real significance and meaning, donning it as a costume to sell and control.

RELATED: Santa Claus: Innocent Christmas fun or counterfeit Jesus?

Beyond the nightmare

“Brazil” is not, however, an anti-Christmas film.

The emptiness of the costume prompts reflection about its proper filling — a reflection that should invariably lead one to Christ.

In a way, the Christmas imagery does visually what the movie’s eponymous theme song does sonically: tease at something lovely and wonderful beyond the nightmare Gilliam once dubbed “Nineteen Eighty-Four-and-a-Half.”

“I had this vision of a radio playing exotic music on a beach covered in coal dust, inspired by a visit to the steel town of Port Talbot. Originally the song I had in mind was Ry Cooder’s ‘Maria Elena,’ but later I changed it to ‘Aquarela do Brasil’ by Ary Barroso,” Gilliam told the Guardian.

“The idea of someone in an ugly, despairing place dreaming of something hopeful led to Sam Lowry, trapped in his bureaucratic world, escaping into fantasy.”

Whereas the recurrent theme from the samba references a fantasy the regime can crush, the various indirect reminders that Christmas is about more than presents and half-hearted niceties reference a hidden truth and source of eternal hope: that God was born in Bethlehem.

​Brazil, Terry gilliam, Entertainment, Culture, Christmas movies, Faith, Christianity, Merry christmas 

Everyone keeps promising that artificial intelligence will deliver wonders beyond imagination — medical breakthroughs, massive productivity gains, boundless prosperity. Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. But one outcome is already clear: If data centers keep driving up Americans’ electricity bills, AI will quickly become a political liability.

Across the country, data center expansion has already helped push electricity prices up 13% over the past year, and voters are starting to push back.

Handled correctly, AI can strengthen America. Handled poorly — by letting data centers overwhelm the grid and drive families toward energy poverty — it will accelerate decline.

In recent months, plans for massive new data centers in Virginia, Maryland, Texas, and Arizona have stalled or collapsed under local backlash. Ordinary Americans have packed town halls and flooded city councils, demanding protection from corporate projects that devour land, drain water supplies, and strain already fragile power grids.

These communities are not rejecting technology. They are rejecting exploitation. As one local official in Chandler, Arizona, told a developer bluntly, “If you can’t show me what’s in it for Chandler, then we’re not having a conversation.”

The problem runs deeper than zoning fights or aesthetics. America’s monopoly utility model shields data centers from the true cost of the strain they impose on the grid. When a facility requires new substations, transmission lines, or transformers — or when its relentless demand drives up electricity prices — utilities spread those costs across every household and small business in the service area.

That arrangement socializes the costs of Big Tech’s growth while privatizing the gains. It also breeds populist anger.

A better approach sits within reach: neighborhood battery programs that put communities first.

Whole-home battery systems continue to gain traction. Rooftop solar panels, small generators, or off-peak grid power can recharge them. Batteries store electricity when it’s cheap and abundant, then release it when demand spikes or outages hit. They protect families from blackouts, lower monthly utility bills, and sometimes allow homeowners to sell power back to the grid.

One policy shift should become non-negotiable: Approval for new data centers should hinge on funding neighborhood battery programs in the communities they impact.

In practice, that requirement would push tech companies to help install home battery systems in nearby neighborhoods, delivering backup power, grid stability, and real relief on electric bills. These distributed batteries would form a flexible, local energy reserve — absorbing peak demand instead of worsening it.

RELATED: Your laptop is about to become a casualty of the AI grift

Photo by: Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Most importantly, this model reverses the flow of benefits. Working families would no longer subsidize Big Tech’s expansion while receiving nothing in return. Communities would share directly in the upside.

Access to local land, water, and electricity should come with obligations. Companies that consume enormous public resources should invest in the people who live alongside them — not leave residents stranded when the grid buckles.

Politicians who ignore this gathering backlash risk sleepwalking into a revolt. The choice is straightforward: Build an energy system that serves citizens who keep the country running, or face their fury when they realize they have been sacrificed for someone else’s high-tech gold rush.

Handled correctly, AI can strengthen America. Handled poorly — by letting data centers overwhelm the grid and drive families toward energy poverty — it will accelerate decline.

We still have time to choose. Let’s choose wisely.

​Affordability, Ai data center, Artificial intelligence, Big tech, Chandler arizona, Costs of living, Electricity, Opinion & analysis, Populism, Power, Power grid, Solar panels, Water 

Nature won’t tolerate a vacuum, as space will inevitably be filled by something. In physics, it’s air, particles, or water. In culture, it’s ideologies. When one set of voices goes silent, the void will demand others rise up.

The woke mind virus — which successfully convinced millions of people across the world that cutting off healthy body parts is “affirming care” and drag queens reading to toddlers is progress — is the result of evangelical Christians bowing out of cultural conversations for fear of ruffling feathers, says BlazeTV host Steve Deace.

He condemns “Hawaiian shirt-wearing, sweater vest-owning, skinny jean-having, furrowed brow perpetually-possessing evangelicalism” that sat back quietly while progressives ransacked traditional marriage, biological sex, and history. This cowardice, Deace argues, is why we have “an entire generation of believers” who don’t understand that we can genuinely love our neighbors and fight for cultural victories simultaneously.

On this episode of the “Steve Deace Show,” Steve speaks with managing editor of the Babylon Bee, Joel Berry, about the disastrous decline of evangelical influence and what Christians need to do to reclaim their position as a driver of culture.

Evangelicals as a whole, says Berry, have foolishly adopted Tim Keller’s “third way” theory, which argues that Christians should avoid aligning fully with either the political left or right and instead seek a “third way” that allows them to appeal to secular people.

The falsity of Keller’s theory that nonpartisanship leads to “reformed culture and regenerated hearts,” however, is evidenced by the fact that “black babies are still more likely to be aborted than born” in the city where Keller’s church resides, says Berry.

“He rarely spoke about abortion from the pulpit; he was quiet about cultural issues like gay marriage; and this was kind of the state of the entire church for many decades,” he tells Steve.

While Keller pitches his avoidance of politically charged subjects as a more effective method for drawing people to Christ, Berry says it’s just cowardice. “Once you take the truths of scripture and try to live them out in the real world, live them out in the culture and in politics, it gets really messy. It gets scary,” he says.

But just like the famous Nazi-dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who bravely helped form the Confessing Church in opposition to Nazi-controlled Christianity (and died for it), “We need to be bold,” Berry argues. “Pastors need to start being more outspoken from the pulpit about the issues that their congregation is facing, day in and day out.”

The idea that shying away from or softening biblical truths in hopes that people will be attracted to the faith and ultimately change their hearts is counterintuitive. “The word of God” — no-holds-barred, no sugarcoating — “is powerful to affect change,” says Berry.

“The Bible talks about how we don’t use the weapons of the world. We wage war with spiritual weapons that have the power to tear down strongholds. That’s the message that needs to be preached. People need to see that there actually is a hope for change to turn around this culture through the power of God’s word and Spirit-filled believers.”

To hear Deace’s response, watch the video above.

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