Category: blaze media

A “monster drought” is currently affecting more than 61% of the lower 48 U.S. states — the highest level for this time of year since 2000 — with nearly all of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West parched. Concerns over wildfires, water supplies, food prices, and even shortages are mounting quickly.

Glenn Beck pulls no punches about the severity of this drought: “The South is baked. Sugar cane, rice, peanuts, fruit trees [are] choking under severe, extreme, and even exceptional drought. Out in the plains (that’s our bread basket), winter wheat is sitting in dust; it can’t germinate because it doesn’t have the water. In the West, the mountain snow pack is vanishing before our eyes.”

Our farmers, he warns, are “barely hanging on,” and that burden will soon impact us.

“Food costs are going up and not a little — a lot. Beef, grains, produce, everything that comes from the fields all across our fruited plain. It’s going to cost more at the grocery store, and it’s coming sooner and faster than most people want to even admit,” says Glenn.

He urges his audience to start by fasting and praying.

“I’m asking you to fast and pray for rain all across the country. I’m asking you to fast and pray for our farmers because our farmers are under extreme stress. … They are probably the most important cog in the chain of this machinery,” he says.

The second thing Glenn implores his audience to do is “stop depending on this system.”

“It is really important that you become as food independent as possible. If you don’t have food storage, you should. If you have a scrap of yard, plant a garden this spring — tomatoes, beans, potatoes, greens, anything you can grow. Anything,” he pleads.

Whether it’s starting a “neighborhood garden,” learning how to “preserve” different foods, or “[stocking] a little extra when you can,” the time to prepare is now.

“This isn’t just about rain or fertilizer prices, market prices. … We are in a spiritual war, and I’m telling you, the very gates of hell will come against us in the days ahead,” Glenn warns.

Our current state of disunity, he cautions, will only make matters worse.

Glenn begs his audience to seek unity: “This too shall pass, but it will pass a whole lot easier if we stop pulling in different directions and start sticking together; if we stop hating one another and start helping one another; if we start to get to know our neighbors and say, ‘Look, I don’t care how you vote, man, but have you seen the price of food?”’

“Plant your seeds in the ground, and plant seeds of love in your heart and in your faith, and get ready because the storm is here.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

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

​Drought, Food crisis, Food prices, Food shortage, Glenn beck, Preparation, Shortages, Spiritual war, The glenn beck program, Water supplies, Wildfires, Food storage, Blazetv, Blaze media, Farmers 

The Trump administration has made it clear since its pullout from Minneapolis that the era of mass deportation is over and the administration will instead focus on criminal aliens. But sanctuary cities, which defend the worst of the criminal aliens, remain fully funded and undeterred well into Trump’s second term, with zero strategy to harness the news of endless heinous crimes committed in these fugitive jurisdictions.

How can it be that Republicans are planning one last party-line bill to fund ICE and aren’t even broaching the issue of sanctuary cities?

Just 15 months into this administration, the central campaign promise is dead.

According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, there were over 300 sanctuary jurisdictions in 2016. In response to Trump’s rise to power and his threat to enforce our sovereignty, this number rose to 564 by 2018 — an increase of roughly 88% in the first two years of the Trump administration. As of last year, FAIR identified at least 1,003 by May 2025.

After failing to ignore the courts and cut off funding executively for over five years of Trump’s two administrations, the upcoming budget reconciliation bill is the last opportunity to accomplish this legislatively without Democrat support. Why is this not the single biggest focus of budget reconciliation?

You will not find a more lopsided political issue than shutting down local policies that harbor dangerous criminals who invaded our country to begin with. We already know that Republicans have pulled the plug on mass deportations and have no plans to defund or strip sanctuary judges of jurisdiction or pass even minor cuts to legal immigration. Defunding sanctuary cities should be the bare minimum to achieve some of the election promises, yet as of now, they only plan to pass a simple $70 billion ICE funding bill with no policy provisions attached.

To allow Democrats to shut down Department of Homeland Security appropriations and then go through the effort of passing a party-line reconciliation bill just to restore baseline ICE funding would represent the greatest failure of this trifecta on Trump’s signature promise of dating back to 2016.

Republicans seem incapable of making the cultural case against mass migration. But what is so hard about beating Democrats over the head every day with stories of heinous crimes committed by criminal aliens harbored by blue jurisdictions? Sadly, there is an unlimited supply of political ammo to use to force legislation that would finally end this subversion of American sovereignty.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Fairfax County, Virginia. Three out of the four murderers caught in Fairfax this year have been illegal aliens who should have been removed.

Abdul Jalloh, an illegal alien from Sierra Leone, allegedly stabbed Stephanie Minter at a bus stop. It turned out this was completely avoidable. Jalloh had 30+ prior arrests, including rape, assault, and weapons violations, yet prosecutor Steve Descano’s office dropped multiple felony charges against him despite three written warnings from police that he was dangerous. The sheriff ignored ICE detainers and released him repeatedly.Anibal Chavarria Muy, an illegal alien from Guatemala, allegedly hacked a man to death with a machete on March 29. This was 100% avoidable because he had already been arrested on assault and firearms charges, but Descano declined prosecution and the sheriff’s office ignored an ICE detainer.Misael Lopez Gomez, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was charged with beating his own baby to death on Mar 27, 2026. Just three weeks prior, he was arrested for driving without a license. Local officials clearly knew he was here illegally but released him to commit more crimes.

Overall, nine illegal immigrants have been linked to 12 murders in Fairfax County since 2019. Of course, sanctuary policies have been responsible for other heinous crimes as well. Israel Flores Ortiz, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was charged last month with groping 13 girls over six days at Fairfax High School. Descano, of course, undercharged him with simple assault and then tried to release him on bail. ICE has this man on its radar, but Fairfax officials would easily release him without informing ICE if they could get away with it.

RELATED: A birthright citizenship fix is more important than the SAVE Act

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Next door in Arlington, Virginia, Luzvin Garcia Moran allegedly nearly succeeded in abducting and raping a woman before he was arrested. It turns out he had prior drug, assault, and probation violations, yet Soros district attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti freed him each time.

The rationale for mass deportations has never before been buttressed by this many dangerous aliens, given the number of people waved in by the Biden administration. In the tragic irony of all ironies, just last Monday — amid the DHS funding lapse — Lauren Bullis, a DHS employee, was brutally shot and stabbed, allegedly by Olaolukitan Adon Abel in DeKalb County, Georgia.

Who is Adon Abel? Despite having prior convictions for sexual battery, battery against a police officer, obstruction, assault with a deadly weapon, and vandalism as an immigrant, the Biden administration’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted him full citizenship in 2022. This was, of course, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1427, which requires applicants to demonstrate “good moral character.”

How many Americans will even hear of Lauren Bullis? Republicans are incapable of publicizing all these heinous crimes facilitated by sanctuary cities to force a defund fight in middle of a DHS funding lapse, including when a DHS employee is murdered by one such recipient of Biden amnesty!

Appallingly, rather than building the case for defunding sanctuary cities and prohibiting driver’s licenses for illegal aliens in budget reconciliation, Trump and Republicans are using their waning political capital to pass an extension of FISA Section 702, the very program used to spy upon the Trump campaign.

Ironically, the Trump administration has already capitulated to Antifa by pulling the National Guard out of sanctuary cities and retreating from Minneapolis. According to new data published by ICE, the number of detainees plummeted by 12% since its peak in January. Just 15 months into this administration, the central campaign promise is dead.

The entire rationale for this capitulation is that Republicans would rather focus on criminal aliens. Well, in that case, why have they not publicized the endless list of heinous crimes committed in sanctuary jurisdictions to defund those insurrectionist cities, in the last party-line bill designed to fund the DHS?

​Opinion & analysis 

Another member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet is stepping down after a turbulent 13-month term at the Department of Labor.

The White House praised Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s time as labor secretary in a statement Monday announcing that she would be leaving the administration to join private industry.

‘While my time serving in the Administration comes to a conclusion, it doesn’t mean I will stop fighting for American workers.’

“Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector,” White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said on social media. “She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives.”

Cheung said Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling would become acting director of the agency.

Chavez-DeRemer had been known as a pro-union Republican before she joined the Trump administration and would not have been confirmed without the help of three Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The 58-year-old’s husband was reportedly banned from the Labor Dept. offices over sexual harassment allegations, but a criminal investigation related to those claims was closed.

In March, two of her aides were forced out of the department over allegations of misconduct that included drinking on the job and inappropriate vacation trips.

Chavez-DeRemer issued a statement on social media as well.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration and work for the greatest President of my lifetime,” she wrote.

RELATED: Trump’s Teamsters-backed labor pick pivots on pro-union position

“At the Department of Labor, I am proud that we made significant progress in advancing President Trump’s mission to bridge the gap between business and labor and always put the American worker first,” she added.

“While my time serving in the Administration comes to a conclusion, it doesn’t mean I will stop fighting for American workers. I am looking forward to what the future has in store as I depart for the private sector,” she concluded.

Trump’s cabinet has seen two other departures in the last few weeks: Kristi Noem as head of Homeland Security and Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general.

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

​Lori chavez-deremer, Labor sec resigns, Accusations against chavez-deremer, Trump cabinet member resigns, Politics 

Last week during a Pentagon worship service tied to the Iran conflict, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered what he called a “CSAR 25:17” prayer for rescue crews. In this prayer, he almost word-for-word quoted Samuel L. Jackson’s famous Ezekiel 25:17 monologue in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film “Pulp Fiction,” which does not quote the actual verse but rather loosely blends parts of it with other Bible verses and additional fictional elements.

Even though Hegseth never said the prayer was actual Scripture but rather “meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” the mainstream media framed it as an embarrassing misquoting of the Bible, ruthlessly mocking him for not knowing the difference between Scripture and a Hollywood monologue.

Glenn Beck went searching for where this narrative originated, and what he found deeply disturbed him.

Glenn brings in his executive producer, Rikki Ratliff-Fellman, who dug into the media controversy. According to her research, it’s “a Turkish psyop account and the Russian state media that are behind amplifying this noise about Pete Hegseth.”

“This whole thing went viral on X, and it appears to have started around a Turkish account and then became mainstream news reported by Variety, Independent, [and] other outlets,” she says.

Glenn immediately sees a pattern.

“We started the week with a viral post about Donald Trump not really being a Christian because, of course, he blasphemed Jesus,” he says, referencing Trump’s now-deleted AI-generated meme depicting him in white and red robes healing a sick person, which many interpreted as him equating himself to Jesus.

In response to this post, the Iranian Embassy in Tajikistan posted an AI-generated video showing a figure resembling Jesus Christ punching Donald Trump (depicted in the same flowing robes from his own recent AI “Jesus” image) and violently throwing him into a pit of lava/hell, complete with blood effects and dramatic narration. It went massively viral on social media, racking up millions of views.

Further, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned Trump’s post as the “desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood.”

Putting all these things together, Glenn sees the big picture: “We are in a giant psyop right now.”

“You have to understand, the only way that Iran can win this war is if we tear each other apart — and Russia knows it, and China knows it,” he says.

These two nations, both of which are hurting from the Iran war, as well as the “Shia Muslim crazies — the Twelvers — who actually believe in chaos and think [America is] the great Satan,” have only one weapon, he explains: “the American people against themselves.”

Glenn pleads with Americans to see these social media scandals for what they really are: a ploy to destroy America from within.

“Please, America, wake the F up. You’re not this stupid. Understand, your social media is nothing but a weapon of mass destruction,” he warns.

“Don’t believe anything on social media. Don’t jump to conclusions on anything. Please don’t get involved in tearing everyone apart.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

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

​China, Donald trump, Glenn beck, Hollywood monologue, Jesus christ, Mainstream media, Masoud pezeshkian, Pete hegseth, Psyop, Pulp fiction, Russia, Social media, The glenn beck program, Trump, Trump jesus meme, Twelvers 

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota faced intense scrutiny after revising the personal wealth she amassed in her required financial disclosure as a member of Congress.

Omar had previously reported that her wealth grew from $51K in one year to at least $6 million and up to $30 million. Members of Congress are not required to report exact sums but general valuations of their wealth.

‘While anyone can make a mistake on any type of form, the scope and scale of the mistake does not pass the smell test.’

In February, Republicans demanded financial documents from Omar and her husband related to the suspicious report of a massive increase in wealth.

Months later, Omar is saying mistakes were made.

“The amended disclosure confirms what we’ve said all along: The congresswoman is not a millionaire,” said Jacklyn Rogers, a spokesperson for Omar.

Rogers added that the form was amended “as soon as the discrepancy was identified.”

The new disclosure form says Omar and her husband’s assets are worth between $18,004 and $95,000.

Economic expert and Blaze Media contributor Carol Roth explained the dubious nature of the revision in a statement to Blaze News.

“Who among us hasn’t made a $6 million to $30 million error in estimating our net worth for disclosure documents?” Roth replied.

“While anyone can make a mistake on any type of form, the scope and scale of the mistake does not pass the smell test. It seems appropriate for the appropriate governmental bodies to put forth extra scrutiny on Rep. Omar and her family’s finances, given this ‘mistake,'” she added.

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

Republican Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota sharply criticized Omar after the financial revision.

“Not only should her accountant be fired, but that girl should be fired and she does not deserve to be in Congress,” Emmer said.

“Quite frankly, if she is discovered to be involved in any of this fraud personally, that she benefited from it, even by her actions of promoting it and trying to resist investigations, she should be held accountable to the fullest extent,” he added.

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

​Rep ilhan omar, Omar financial disclosure, Ilhan omar revises wealth, Financial fraud democrat, Politics 

Nike promised it would “do better” after apparently getting complaints over a new ad in Boston.

The ad was part of a marketing campaign centered on the Boston Marathon, an elite annual race that took place on Monday. The simple text ad apparently sparked enough controversy with Nike that the company pulled the graphic almost immediately after putting it up.

‘We’ll use this moment to do better and continue showing up for all runners.’

The ad was featured in the window of Nike’s Newbury Street store in Boston, reportedly just a few hundred feet from the marathon’s finish line. It featured black text on a dark red background that read, “Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated.”

The ad was up for only about a day, according to multiple outlets like Marathon Handbook, which said it was put up on April 16 but was taken down by the following morning.

Nike was quick to apologize for the joke, saying, “We want more people to feel welcome in running — no matter their pace, experience, or the distance.”

“During race week in Boston, we put up a series of signs to encourage runners,” the company continued, according to Runner’s World. “One of them missed the mark. We took it down, and we’ll use this moment to do better and continue showing up for all runners.”

RELATED: Nike ditches wokeness in family-friendly golf ad: ‘More of this, please!’

– YouTube

Nike also released a statement to Boston.com that claimed, “We listen to the voice of the athlete.”

The media team also attached an image that appeared to be a replacement ad for the same store. The image reads, “Boston will always remind you, movement is what matters.”

Counternarratives have since emerged stating that Nike’s original messaging was not out of place given the elite level of competition at the Boston Marathon.

Jennifer Sey, a U.S. national champion in gymnastics and frequent Nike critic, said that when it comes to advertising, Nike has “one swing and a miss after another. For at least 5 years.”

“Nike can’t get anything right at the moment,” Sey wrote on X. She then called company leadership out-of-touch “egomaniacs.”

“It’s always been a douchey culture,” she added.

RELATED: Thugs rob teen of his iPhone, Nike sneakers; but boy’s family finds 1 suspect — and delivers painful payback: Cops

“This is the Boston Marathon. … Obviously, they’re going to encourage them to run,” said runner and YouTuber Rob Tolo.

“Why are we getting offended by that, bro? This is for the elite of the elite,” he added. “This is Boston, bro. I’d love to qualify for that one day.”

Commentator Jake Heyen said he disagreed with the backlash too and that Nike’s objective was to celebrate ambition and performance.

“The messaging of this ad should not be controversial, and honestly, I would respect Nike much more if they brought the sign back today with even more hardcore messaging,” he said.

Nike stock dropped by a couple of dollars per share amid the controversy on Thursday but had recovered by Friday morning.

However, shares have fallen by more than 27% in 2026, averaging out to a 17% drop since April 2025. Value peaked at nearly $80 per share last August before plummeting to just over $46 per share at the time of this writing.

The company’s all-time high was around $170 per share in 2021. Nike is currently back down to 2015 numbers.

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

​Advertisements, Advertising, Backlash, Boston, Boston marathon, Fearless, Marathon, Nike, Runners, Tolerance, Woke, Sports 

The Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on whether religious institutions must set aside their core beliefs in order to participate in a state-funded program.

The St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy case, broadly speaking, is a challenge to the Archdiocese of Denver’s requirement that families and staff support Catholic beliefs. The state takes issue with this requirement when considering whether to allow Catholic schools in the archdiocese to participate in the Universal Preschool Program.

‘Colorado promised free preschool for all, then slammed the door on families who chose a religious education for their children. After three losses in religious freedom cases at the Supreme Court, Colorado should know better.’

The archdiocese requires staff and families to sign statements to “affirm that they will support the teachings of the Catholic Church” and that “all Catholic school families must understand and display a positive and supportive attitude toward the Catholic Church,” according to Fox News.

Colorado officials, however, argue that these requirements are not inclusive of all children.

RELATED: Why the Supreme Court nuked Colorado’s ‘Must Stay Gay’ law (and what to expect next)

Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post/Getty Images

“All participating providers — whether religious or secular — must ensure that children have equal opportunity to enroll in and receive preschool services regardless of those children’s (or their families’) religious affiliation, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, lack of housing, income level, or disability,” the state said.

The state’s universal preschool program covers all types of schools and offers 15 hours of free preschool each week in the year before the child enters kindergarten.

Nicholas Reaves, senior counsel at Becket and attorney for the families and preschools, told Blaze News, “Colorado promised free preschool for all, then slammed the door on families who chose a religious education for their children. After three losses in religious freedom cases at the Supreme Court, Colorado should know better. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that states cannot exclude families from government benefits because of their faith. We’re confident the Court will say the same thing here and put a stop to Colorado’s no-Catholics-need-apply rules.”

Families in the case remain hopeful that the Supreme Court will side with their appeal.

“All we want is the freedom to choose the best preschool for our kids without being punished for our faith,” Dan and Lisa Sheley, Catholic parents of seven and Becket clients in the case, said in a statement provided to Blaze News. “Colorado promised families a universal preschool program, then cut out families like ours because we chose a Catholic education. We pray the Supreme Court will remind Colorado that universal means everyone.”

“Colorado is punishing young religious families. In a state that loudly preaches inclusion, it’s shocking to see Colorado go out of its way to exclude families like mine,” Erika Navarrete Nagle, a Catholic mother of three whose children attend St. Mary’s, told Blaze News. “I hope the Supreme Court will make it clear that no family should be targeted for what they believe.”

The Supreme Court will hear arguments for this case in the fall.

Editor’s note: The author attended St. Mary Catholic Parish and School.

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

​Becket, Catholic, Catholic beliefs, Catholic parish, Colorado, Colorado officials, Denver, Government benefits, Politics, Religious exceptions, Religious freedom, Scotus, St mary catholic church, Supreme court, Universal preschool program 

A “planned fight between two young” individuals on Monday led to a mass shooting where at least two people were killed, say North Carolina police.

Winston-Salem police said on social media that the fight began at about 9:52 a.m. at Leinbach Park, which is only about 400 yards away from Jefferson Middle School on Sally Kirk Rd.

‘Several individuals — both victims and suspects — have been identified and located.’

While police were on their way to the park to respond to the fight, a shooting broke out.

Police said several people shot at each other, and later the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that at least two people had died in the incident.

“Several individuals — both victims and suspects — have been identified and located. Due to the number of people involved, efforts are ongoing to account for everyone. At this time, some of those involved in the incident are juveniles,” said police.

The shooting led to lockdowns at several schools.

WGHP-TV reported a massive police presence in the area, with many businesses and streets closed down as the investigation continues.

Police called for the community not to use personal drones in the area to avoid interfering with police drones searching for other possible suspects and victims.

RELATED: VIDEO: Heroic high school principal saves the day, stops shooter in his tracks

Although police said schools were returning to their normal schedule, some parents showed up to pick up their children.

This is a developing story.

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

​Mass shooting, Winston salem north carolina, Middle school shooting, Fight leads to lethal shooting, Crime 

Another progressive, anti-Israel Democrat is set to be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives after the pro-Israel lobbying firm AIPAC accidentally boosted her campaign.

Democrat Analilia Mejia won the New Jersey special election last week to replace former Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who was elected governor in November 2025. Mejia is expected to be sworn in Monday afternoon, allowing Democrats to regain one seat after being down a vote following Sherrill’s resignation last fall.

This miscalculation was unprecedented for the lobbying group.

In the lead-up to the race, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee dumped millions of dollars into the Democratic primary against former Rep. Tom Malinowski for criticizing the Israeli government. The campaign attempted to liken Malinowski’s track record to President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, successfully ousting the congressional hopeful.

But in eliminating Malinowski’s candidacy, AIPAC inadvertently boosted Mejia, whose criticisms of the Jewish state go much further.

RELATED: Did AIPAC accidentally elect the next Squad member?

Adam Gray/Bloomberg/Getty Images

AIPAC likely calculated that its ad campaign would boost Democratic Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, a staunchly pro-Israel candidate in the overcrowded primary. Instead, the group elevated Mejia, who echoed the criticisms of Congress’ most progressive members and accused the state of Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

“Congress must end the blank check for Trump and Netanyahu,” Mejia said in a post on X on April 10. “The United States must include Lebanon in a real ceasefire and stop giving Israel a blank check to escalate. From Cuba to Venezuela to Lebanon, we must end wars of choice. This war must end now.”

This miscalculation was unprecedented for the lobbying group. AIPAC has enjoyed a string of successful primaries, booting candidates who did not sufficiently support Israel or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This includes several former “Squad” members like Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush, who both lost their primaries to AIPAC-funded candidates.

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

​Donald trump, Bibi netanyahu, Benjamin netanyahu, Aipac, Pro-israel, Anti-israel, Analilia mejia, Mikie sherrill, Tom malinowski, Tanesha way, Zionism, Zionist, House democrats, Progressives, Jamaal bowman, Cori bush, Iran war, The squad, Squad members, Politics 

Frederick Douglass claimed the Declaration of Independence for black Americans in 1852. Martin Luther King, Jr. did it again in 1963. Now, Reverend Al Sharpton wants to give it back.

At the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention this month, Sharpton proclaimed that America’s 250th anniversary “is not our celebration.” He called it “crazy” for black Americans to wear a birthday hat at someone else’s party. He is wrong, and the history he is invoking actually proves it.

The Declaration of Independence is not a monument to what America was. It is a promise about what America must become.

On July 3, 1776, slavery was ubiquitous and unquestioned. Slaveholding was as old as civilization itself. No government on earth was organized around the belief that all men were created equal. Theocracies, monarchies, and feudal regimes were the sum and substance of the world’s political order.

On July 4, 1776, that changed forever.

The Declaration did not resolve the contradiction of slavery. But it detonated it. From that moment forward, every American who held another in bondage was standing in direct defiance of the nation’s stated founding principle. That tension could not hold. And it didn’t.

What Sharpton omits is telling. Among the 28 grievances in the Declaration, the very first targeted the slave trade. Virginia, yes, slaveholding Virginia, had attempted to severely limit the slave trade through taxation. The king vetoed it. Jefferson called that out by name. Jefferson also drafted the provisions of the Northwest Ordinance that permanently banned slavery across more than five future states, and he signed the federal law that finally ended the slave trade. History is more complicated than the caricatures some prefer.

Even the Founders, too weak to live up to their own ideals, knew what they were doing was wrong. Jefferson wrote that he shuddered at the thought of a just God bringing retribution on the nation. Washington emancipated his slaves upon his death. The founding generation set a fuse. The Civil War was the explosion. Over 600,000 men died to settle the discussion around slavery. That would not have been possible without Independence Day.

Sharpton is not wrong to name the hypocrisy of the founders. But he is completely wrong about what July Fourth means. The suffragettes rewrote the Declaration to include themselves. Frederick Douglass wielded it as a sword against slavery. King stood on it at the Lincoln Memorial. The civil rights movement, the women’s movement, and nearly every subsequent push for equality in American history have returned to that founding document as their source and authority.

The Declaration of Independence is not a monument to what America was. It is a promise about what America must become. For those whose ancestors were enslaved and oppressed, it is not someone else’s birthday. It is the origin of their liberation.

The 250th anniversary is almost upon us. All Americans, especially those whose families fought hardest and waited longest to claim its promise, should mark it well.

​Al sharpton, Americas 250th anniversary, Black americans, Declaration of independence, Frederick douglass, Slavery, Opinion & analysis 

Five people were wounded, including three students, in a shooting near the University of Iowa early Sunday morning — and Iowa City Police have released photos showing persons of interest.

Police said they responded at 1:46 a.m. to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street — and that arriving officers heard gunfire.

Police said no arrests have been made, but there is no known ongoing threat associated with the incident; the department is continuing to investigate.

Police said in a separate post that the scene of the shooting was in downtown Iowa City.

Police said they have identified five victims in the shooting: One is in critical condition, and the other four victims are in stable condition.

NBC News said video circulating on social media appears to show a confrontation before the shooting that seemed to involve a large group of people. The news network added that several people could be seen punching and kicking others while bystanders urged them to stop.

NBC News added that it’s unclear when the gunfire commenced, but additional video on social media shows a large crowd fleeing.

RELATED: Male, 31, fatally shoots 8 children execution style; 7 were his own kids: Report

Police said no arrests have been made, but there is no known ongoing threat associated with the incident; the department is continuing to investigate.

Police also posted photos on its Facebook page showing persons of interest associated with the shooting as part of the department’s ongoing investigation.

RELATED: Masked men open fire after storming into Chick-fil-A; 1 dead, 6 injured; manhunt under way

Persons of interest. Image source: Iowa City Police, composite

Police said those with information about the individuals in the photos are asked to contact Detective Cade Burma at cburma@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5275.

Police added that the persons of interest have been numbered to assist in the sharing of information.

In addition, those with video also can contact Detective Burma, police said, adding that tips can also be submitted anonymously through Iowa City Crime Stoppers, which is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information about this incident that leads to an arrest.

Crime Stoppers tips can be submitted via the P3 Tips app online at iccrimestoppers.org or by phone at 319-358-TIPS (8477), police said, adding that all tips and calls are held in strict confidence and anonymity is guaranteed. Individuals providing information are not required to reveal their identity to collect a reward, police also said, noting that a CASE #2026003915 also was provided.

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

​Iowa city, Iowa city police, Persons of interest, Shooting, Students wounded, University of iowa, Mass shooting, Crime 

Failed vice presidential candidate Tim Walz tried and failed to take a swipe at Vice President JD Vance during his announcement of a new political super PAC on Monday.

The Minnesota governor said the Small Town PAC is intended to boost the campaigns of Democrats in rural areas of the country.

‘If Democrats want to win in more places, we’ve got to start showing up in more places.’

“Republicans like JD Vance like to portray their small-town neighbors as petty, resentful, and small-minded. I disagree. I think the problem facing small towns are Republicans like JD Vance,” said Walz to Politico.

Vance was propelled into politics after the success of his memoir titled “Hillbilly Elegy,” which documented his travails among poor, white communities in Kentucky and Ohio. He memorably paid homage to his mother and “mamaw” during his speech at the Republican National Convention in 2024.

Walz had given up his hopes of re-election as governor after being accused of helping cover up the massive fraud committed by some members of the Somali community in Minnesota. He has denied the allegations.

“We’re going to show up in small towns, organize in places too many people have given up on, and build power with the folks who call these places home,” said Walz on social media Monday. “If Democrats want to win in more places, we’ve got to start showing up in more places.”

He told Politico that he was going use the super PAC to seek “some teachers, some nurses, some laborers, vets, and young people in small towns across the country who can represent their communities better than Silicon Valley can.”

RELATED: Tim Walz says Democrats need to be ‘meaner’ and ‘bully the s**t out of’ Trump

Walz was ridiculed by many in January after he warned that Minnesota was “at war” with the federal government after President Donald Trump ordered a surge of federal troops to enforce immigration law.

“I’ve issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard,” Walz added. “We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary. I remind you, a warning order is a heads-up for folks.”

That federal operation was ended after two anti-ICE protesters were killed during incidents with federal troops, and local leaders reached an agreement with the Trump administration to pull out the troops.

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

​Tim walz vs jd vance, Small town super pac, Walz super pac, Democrats in rural regions, Politics 

This week, Yale gave a glimpse of the left’s plan for celebrating America 250: by sulking through it.

The Yale Political Union invited left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker to campus for a talk titled “End the American Empire.” That tells you almost everything you need to know about elite culture in 2026. One of America’s most storied universities now hands the microphone to a professional internet loudmouth so he can trash the country that made his whole career possible.

In one booking, Yale managed to capture the reigning pathology of the elite leftist, grievance-peddling, globalist scolds: embarrassment about America and indulgence of countries with body counts in the tens of millions.

America does not promise equality of outcome; it delivers equality of opportunity, whether your ancestors came on the Mayflower or landed at Ellis Island with just the clothes on their backs.

In case you missed it, Piker’s major takeaway at Yale was: “The fall of the USSR was one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century.” Sadly, Piker isn’t alone, and the intent of these hall monitors of American guilt couldn’t be clearer: Stop with the fireworks, the parades, and the idolizing of Jefferson and Franklin. Put on your black, mourn communism, and pine for a return to Stalin.

Before we turn off Twitch and tune out Yale, we must understand their rhetorical trick: The ideal of communism, they say, is just and righteous. That makes its downfall in the USSR (and everywhere else it’s ever been tried) tragic.

The reality is bleaker. Communism’s supposed ideal is unattainable. People differ in ability, ambition, discipline, and desire. Any system that insists on equal results must override individuality, and that only happens at the tip of a spear. Today’s champions treat the millions killed under communism as an inconvenient footnote, along with the predictable enrichment of a ruling elite and the familiar rise of tyranny.

That’s no ideal to which to strive. And its failure should be openly and widely celebrated — as it has been by its own repressed peoples as much as by those of us who are free and watching from afar.

That is the rhetorical trick. When leftists discuss communism, they speak in the language of ideals. When they discuss America, they speak only in the language of failures.

The ignorance is difficult to miss. America does not promise equality of outcome; it delivers equality of opportunity, whether your ancestors came on the Mayflower or landed at Ellis Island with just the clothes on their backs. Opportunity, even, for people getting paid to play video games on livestreams.

Of course, America has experienced its failures. The Declaration of Independence said all men are created equal, but the Constitution constricted that promise. America’s bloodiest days weren’t akin to Stalin’s great purge of political enemies; it was a civil war to see the promise of freedom all the way through. As communist regimes have been crushed under economic and cultural failure, America is on a never-ending, constant march closer to its stated ideals. Not perfectly. Not easily. But undeniably.

So where did this American pessimism come from? There have always been socialists at the fringes — figures like Mr. Piker are just the most visible version of an old idea. The real danger is the left’s rank and file, who have, over the last 50 years, made vilifying America a key cultural issue.

There must be something in the water during anniversary years. As the 1976 bicentennial arrived with genuine patriotic fervor, it exited with a people divided by two sharply different visions. While tens of millions of Americans celebrated with fireworks and flag-waving, Jimmy Carter rode to the White House on a platform of regret. He and his followers decided that America could lead only by apologizing and expressing doubt about the moral legitimacy of our system.

With Carter’s election win, the American left transformed. Instead of reading this as a desire for calm after years of turmoil, the American left increasingly interpreted it as a rejection of patriotism itself.

Yale’s decision to engage Hasan Piker is the legacy of that 50-year shift. Yale has surrendered its right to proudly boast of 25 graduates who served in the Continental Congress and five who signed the Declaration of Independence. And Twitch? It’s contributed less to society than the cheap plastic fork in your takeout order. As in 1776, patriots will prevail. So let the Yalies sneer and Twitchers scold. The rest of us will wave the flag, light the fireworks, and celebrate the country that gave those folks the freedom to complain in the first place.

​America, Communism, Elite culture, Hasan piker, Twitch, Yale, Opinion & analysis 

A veteran Washington, D.C., police officer was allegedly caught sending horrendous messages to a person he believed to be a 15-year-old male.

Lt. Matthew Mahl was placed on administrative leave at the D.C. Metro Police Department after being arrested on Tuesday in Harford County, Maryland, on charges of sexual solicitation of a minor and two counts of child porn solicitation.

‘It really is a horrific tragedy when we think about the impact that this could have on young people.’

Mahl, 47, had been the head of the Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit of MPD before he was elected to head the union, officially called the Labor Committee of the Fraternal Order of Police, in 2016.

He is accused of seeking to have sex with a person he believed to be a male teenager after meeting them on the Reddit online platform in a thread titled, “r/GayYoungOldDating.”

Mahl acknowledged that he believed the person’s age to be 15 on multiple occasions in the online conversations, charging documents claimed.

Mahl sent sexually explicit photos and messages to the person in an exchange that lasted about a month, according to prosecutors. He also allegedly acknowledged that he was an officer and could face serious consequences if caught.

“I have it all to lose,” he allegedly wrote.

He was arrested after police say he traveled to Harford County in hopes of meeting the teenager, who was actually an undercover officer.

MPD said they were not aware of the initial investigation into Mahl.

“The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department,” read a statement from the department. “MPD’s Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes.”

On Wednesday, Mahl was ordered to remain in jail without bail.

Prosecutors referred to him as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” during the bail hearing.

RELATED: Video shows teens cut up Pride flags at bar during Pride Month — hate crime charges followed

Turnaround rape crisis CEO Amanda Rodriguez called the allegations “awful” in a statement to CBS News.

“These are individuals that the kids should be able to put their trust in. So it’s not just a tragedy, it really is a horrific tragedy when we think about the impact that this could have on young people trusting those that they really often need … for their own safety.”

She added, “We need to hold folks in law enforcement and, again, in these other higher areas of authority to a level to ensure that that trust is always able to be there.”

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

​Gay head of police union, Solicitation of a minor, Washington dc police officer, Child porn solicitation, Political, Matthew mahl, Politics 

The New York International Auto Show still draws a crowd — but like all auto shows these days, it’s not what it used to be.

That’s something Karl Brauer and I talked about on a recent episode of “The Drive.” Automakers don’t rely on shows the way they once did. Big reveals happen online now. A lot of media events are private. The industry has moved on, even if the show is still here.

For consumers, though, it still works. You can walk the floor, sit in everything, and compare cars side by side without a salesperson pressuring you.

Award-winners get the headlines. Concept cars pull people in. But if you’re seriously shopping for a vehicle — or even thinking about it over the next year — what matters is what you can actually buy, what it costs, and how it fits into your life.

Here are five vehicles from this year’s show that stood out for real-world buyers.

1. Volkswagen Atlas

Volkswagen didn’t try to reinvent the Atlas. When you’ve nailed the basics like this, that’s probably the right call.

It’s still one of the few SUVs where the third row actually works for real passengers, not just kids. Pricing starts around $40,000, and the updated interior is simpler and easier to use.

It’s not pushing the boundaries of car design. But it is beautifully practical — and that’s exactly why it sells.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

2. Kia EV3

There’s been a lot of talk about “affordable EVs.” Very few have actually shown up.

The EV3 could be different.

Kia is targeting a starting price under $30,000, with roughly 300 miles of range and access to Tesla’s charging network. If it delivers, the EV3 becomes one of the first electric vehicles that makes sense for mainstream buyers.

That’s still a big “if.” But it’s one to watch.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

3. Hyundai Boulder Concept

Hyundai caught people off guard with the Hyundai Boulder Concept, a Bronco- and Wrangler-style off-roader — and it’s expected to be gas-powered.

That’s not random.

While parts of the industry are still pushing all-electric lineups, Hyundai is clearly leaving room for what buyers actually want: options. Gas, hybrid, or electric.

If the Boulder makes it to production without being watered down, it could shake up a segment that hasn’t seen much real competition.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

4. Genesis GV70

Genesis keeps showing up at these events, but the bigger story is what’s happening outside the show.

The GV70 is its best-selling model — and it makes sense. It’s competitively priced, well-equipped, and doesn’t overcomplicate things.

At the same time, Genesis is rolling out its new Magma performance line. That’s more about brand building, but it shows confidence — and momentum.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

5. Kia Seltos

Quality doesn’t always announce itself with huge fanfare. Case in point: the refreshed Kia Seltos.

It’s smaller, more affordable, and now styled more like a mini Telluride. For a lot of buyers, that’s the sweet spot — usable, reasonably priced, and easy to live with.

It’s not going to win many awards — but it’ll handle the everyday stuff that actually matters.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

​Affordable evs, Electric vehicles, Genesis gv70, Hyundai boulder concept, Kia ev3, Magma performance line, Volkswagen atlas, Align cars 

A 31-year-old male fatally shot eight children execution style in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday morning — and seven of the victims were the shooter’s own children, authorities told the New York Times.

The gunman, Shamar Elkins — who was fatally shot following a police chase — had mental health problems and recently had expressed suicidal thoughts, the Times said, citing family members’ statements in interviews.

‘My babies — my babies are gone.’

The children ranged in age from 1 to 14, officials told the paper, and seven of the eight were Elkins’ own children. A Shreveport Police Department spokesman said he shot them execution style, the Times reported.

Elkins also shot two other people, including his wife, who was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, the paper said, citing officials and relatives.

Following the shootings, authorities said Elkins took a car by force, and police pursued him, the Times said. Officers opened fire, and Elkins died, Cpl. Chris Bordelon of the Shreveport Police Department said in a news conference, according to the paper. It’s unclear if officers killed Elkins, or if he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Times said.

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said it’s “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” according to the paper.

RELATED: Masked men open fire after storming into Chick-fil-A; 1 dead, 6 injured; manhunt under way

While police haven’t offered a possible motive, the Times said relatives in interviews noted that Elkins recently struggled with mental health and was stressed about his relationship with his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh.

More from the paper:

Earlier this month, on Easter Sunday, he called his mother, Mahelia Elkins, and his stepfather, Marcus Jackson. Ms. Elkins and Mr. Jackson said in interviews that their son sounded despondent. They said they could hear his children playing in the background during the call.

Mr. Elkins told them through tears that he wanted to take his own life. He told Mr. Jackson that his wife wanted a divorce, and that he was drowning in “dark thoughts.”

“I told him, ‘You can beat stuff, man. I don’t care what you’re going through, you can beat it,’” Mr. Jackson said. “Then I remember him telling me: ‘Some people don’t come back from their demons.’”

Elkins’ mother told the Times she didn’t know precisely what problems her son was having with his wife. The paper said records indicate they were married in 2024. Elkins’ mother added to the Times that her son worked for UPS and had served in the Army.

The Army told the paper in a Sunday statement that Elkins served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a signal support system specialist and a fire support specialist. The Times added that Elkins had no deployment and left the Army as a private.

Elkins’ mother also told the paper she wasn’t extremely close with her son; she had given birth to him when she was a teenager and struggling with a crack cocaine addiction. The Times added that she had a family friend — Betty Walker — raise Elkins, and he and his mother reconnected more than a decade ago.

Walker spoke to authorities Sunday, the paper said. While she didn’t witness the shootings, Walker said in an interview that Elkins shot his wife several times, including in the head and in the stomach, the Times reported.

Walker told the paper she last saw Elkins last weekend when his family came over for dinner, and nothing appeared off with him at the time: “I was getting up this morning to make myself some coffee, and I got the call. My babies — my babies are gone.”

The Times, citing records, reported that Elkins had at least two prior convictions, including driving while intoxicated in 2016 and illegal use of weapons in 2019.

The paper said a police description of the March 2019 incident notes that Elkins pulled a 9-millimeter handgun from his waistband and shot at a vehicle five times after the driver of the car pulled a silver handgun on him. One of the bullets Elkins shot was found near a school where children were playing outside, the Times said.

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

​Mass shooting, Fatal shooting, Shreveport, Louisiana, Children fatally shot, Father kills his kids, Shamar elkins, Crime 

A photograph began circulating on social media over the weekend that has many people both angry and confused while others question whether it is a real photo.

And the answers that later emerged did nothing to quell the outrage.

‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’

The photo, posted by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi on Saturday, depicts a uniformed Israel Defense Forces soldier smashing the head of a statue of Jesus Christ with a hammer.

The journalist noted that the photo was taken during operations in Southern Lebanon, which have persisted despite the United States’ attempts to reach a ceasefire agreement with Iran.

RELATED: OUTRAGE: Israel scrambles after police block church leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass

Anwar AMRO/AFP/Getty Images

Tirawi made a follow-up post suggesting that the statue was in Debel, one of several predominantly Christian border villages in Southern Lebanon.

The post brought attention to a Facebook post associated with the town with a photo of the intact statue of Jesus. The caption of the post is Luke 23:34, which reads, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

The IDF confirmed that the photo of “an IDF soldier harming a Christian symbol” was indeed of “an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon.”

It confirmed the authenticity of the photo, adding that the incident is viewed with “great severity” and that “appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings.”

The post added that the IDF is “operating to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and has no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the rest of the “Jewish state,” intimated that he was “stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon.”

Netanyahu promised that the offender would face “appropriately harsh disciplinary action” and concluded:

While Christians are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims, the Christian population in Israel thrives unlike elsewhere in the Middle East. Israel is the only country in the region that the Christian population and standard of living is growing. Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all. We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world.

Critics, however, were not so convinced.

Glenn Greenwald mocked anyone who would defend this horrific action: “Christian Zionists: This Israeli soldier was absolutely justified in smashing the head of the Jesus Christ statue because Hezbollah and Hamas were hiding inside. We owe him our gratitude.”

“Horrific,” Matt Gaetz said.

Ana Kasparian attacked the IDF and its post, saying that she didn’t believe a word the IDF said: “This is just another example of Israel’s hatred and disregard for other cultures and faiths. No one trusts your phony investigations, especially when IDF soldiers get away with rape and murder every single day.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene joined the fray, quipping, “’Our greatest ally’ that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year.”

Israel has justified its incursions into Lebanon on the basis of rooting out Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy in the country.

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

​Ana kasparian, Benjamin netanyahu, Glenn greenwald, Idf, Israel, Israel defense forces, Jesus christ, Lebanon, Marjorie taylor greene, Matt gaetz, Politics, Prime minister, Hezbollah, Christian, Christ, Christian population, South lebanon 

After 14 months in office, FBI Director Kash Patel has announced that the bureau will be making arrests related to the 2020 presidential election.

President Donald Trump has long said the 2020 election was rigged, tasking Patel with finding any perpetrators of this alleged election fraud. Over a year after Patel took office, the FBI director said arrests would be “coming soon.”

‘We’ve got all the information we need.’

“I lived through it, and the media came at me then too,” Patel told Fox News Sunday. “That just shows you when you’re over the target, you keep pummeling the target, because the media is going to try to pummel you.”

“We are not going to take this and have not taken this laying down,” Patel added. “We did already indict former Director [Jim] Comey, and that’s going through the judicial process.”

RELATED: Trump does shocking about-face on spying power weaponized against him and other Americans, now calls it ‘VITAL’

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Comey was indicted in September 2025 for allegedly making false statements to Congress and for obstructing a congressional proceeding, citing Comey’s testimony during a 2020 hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Department of Justice zeroed in on Comey’s claim that he had not authorized anyone at the FBI to leak stories to the media about Russiagate, which prosecutors claimed was false. Comey pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a federal judge dismissed the case in November 2025.

“I am never going to let this go,” Patel said. “Because they have not only personally attacked the presidency of the United States and President Trump, but they’ve tried to thwart our elections and rig the entire system.”

“That is not something I’m going to allow on my watch.”

Although the case against Comey fell through, Patel signaled that there were more arrests coming, claiming the FBI had more than enough information to move forward.

“We’ve got all the information we need,” Patel said about incoming arrests. “We’re working with our prosecutors and the Department of Justice under [acting] Attorney General Todd Blanche, and we are going to be making arrests. And it’s coming, and I promise you, it’s coming soon.”

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

​Donald trump, Kash patel, Russiagate, Russia collusion hoax, 2020 election, Election fraud, Fisa, James comey, Fbi, Government weaponization, Todd blanche, Politics 

A high-stakes partisan battle is unfolding in Virginia that could reshape control of the U.S. House in the 2026 midterm elections. The state’s Democrat leaders were called out by the Washington Post for attempting to ram through a new congressional map “in the most brazenly dishonest way imaginable.”

In 2020, Virginians voted to amend their state constitution to establish a 16-member bipartisan redistricting commission responsible for drawing congressional and state legislative district boundaries.

‘Who opposes “fairness” in elections? It depends on how it’s defined.’

The state’s current congressional map was chosen by the Virginia Supreme Court after the Virginia Redistricting Commission reached a deadlock. This map resulted in Democrats securing six U.S. House seats while Republicans obtained five.

In January, the state’s Democrat lawmakers proposed a controversial constitutional amendment that would allow them to redraw the state’s congressional map in the middle of the 10-year redistricting cycle. They argued that the amendment was essential to combat Republican gerrymandering in other states that could shift control of Congress.

Virginians will vote on the proposed amendment in Tuesday’s special election. Under current law, the congressional districts will not be redrawn until 2031.

The Democrat-controlled General Assembly has already approved a map that could give Democrats a 10-1 advantage over Republicans, potentially giving them four additional U.S. House seats. If the proposed amendment passes on April 21, it would allow Democrats to move forward with implementing this new map and adopt new congressional districts for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections only. Authority reverts to the bipartisan commission for 2031 onward.

RELATED: Democrat tough talk fails in Maryland, where congressional redistricting plan dies on the vine

Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images

An op-ed from the Washington Post’s editorial board accused Democrat politicians of presenting the amendment “in the most brazenly dishonest way imaginable,” citing the ballot language. Voters will be asked whether the Constitution of Virginia should “be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections.”

“Who opposes ‘fairness’ in elections? It depends on how it’s defined,” the Post wrote. “In Richmond, apparently ‘fairness’ means maximizing partisan advantage for Democrats and drawing incumbents out of their seats.”

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

Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) issued a statement in March in support of the proposed amendment.

“It is temporary, directly responsive to what other states decide to do, and — most importantly — it preserves Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting process for the future,” Spanberger said. “I supported the formation of Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission in 2020, and that support has not changed. What has changed is what we’re seeing in states across the country — and a president who says he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats before this year’s midterm elections.”

Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) called the proposed map “the result of a process that’s unconstitutional and illegal.”

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

​Democrats, News, Redistricting, Republicans, Virginia, Us house, Virginia supreme court, Virginia redistricting commission, Abigail spanberger, Glenn yougkin, Politics 

The future is here, and it seemingly includes CEOs using chatbots to create plans to avoid having to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars.

That was a judge’s conclusion after a smaller American studio sued a giant, publicly traded South Korean conglomerate that allegedly prevented it from putting out its product.

‘Lock down Steam/console publishing rights and access rights.’

Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han handles nearly $2 billion of revenue across a multitude of companies, which includes PubG Studios, a massively popular online shooter game.

Since 2021, Krafton has controlled Unknown Worlds, an American studio responsible for the game Subnautica, which sold over five million copies in two years.

With so much success from the first game, Krafton agreed to a $250 million earnout if Subnautica 2 was able to meet specific sales targets. Krafton’s CEO was not keen on letting that happen and subsequently plotted “Project X,” a plan to prevent the payout.

After internal reports projected Subnautica 2 was likely to hit its targets, things got hairy. According to court documents, when Krafton’s Head of Corporate Development Maria Park warned CEO Kim that removing Unknown Worlds’ leadership via “dismissal with cause” opened them up to “lawsuit and reputational risk,” he turned to ChatGPT for help.

The chatbot told Kim that the earnout would be “difficult to cancel” but suggested forming an internal task force to either negotiate a “deal” or execute a “takeover” of the company; Kim obliged and allegedly continued to follow ChatGPT’s suggestions.

RELATED: Anthropic says its own new model is too dangerous for the public — but not these Big Tech companies

Not only did Kim allegedly share his strategies from ChatGPT with colleagues, but the strategies included a “pressure and leverage package” against Unknown Worlds.

Among its recommendations, ChatGPT suggested Krafton undermine any David versus Goliath narratives, while urging Kim to prepare for scenarios like buyouts and replacements.

Most jarringly, it also suggested locking down Unknown Worlds’ ability to post its new game for sale on Steam, the largest gaming distributor for PC games.

“Lock down Steam/console publishing rights and access rights over code/build pipeline through both legal and technical aspects,” ChatGPT said, the lawsuit revealed. “For the earn-out freeze, keep room for negotiations through provision stating ‘immediate removal if specific development results are achieved.'”

Kim did as the chatbot recommended and locked down the publishing, and Subnautica 2 could not be released. When Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill asked for control to be returned, Kim allegedly ignored him and told a Krafton studio rep to relay to Gill that he had “no intention of transferring stuff back to you guys (like the Steam app).”

RELATED: Does this stealthy startup hold the key to keeping data centers out of your neighborhood?

Ina FASSBENDER/AFP/Getty Images

While Gamesradar reported that Krafton leadership admitted to using ChatGPT for “faster answers,” the company told Kotaku that some characterizations made about them have been false.

In response to claims from Unknown Worlds that Krafton said its chat logs no longer exist, the company said the claim was “simply a distraction from their own efforts to destroy evidence.”

In the end, a Delaware judge ruled that Kim relied on ChatGPT to craft a strategy aimed at avoiding the $250 million payment.

“Fearing he had agreed to a ‘pushover’ contract, KRAFTON’s CEO consulted an artificial intelligence chatbot to contrive a corporate ‘takeover’ strategy,” Vice Chancellor Lori Will said in her ruling, per Economic Times.

The court maintained that Krafton was expected to exercise independent judgment and not outsource its decisions to AI systems.

PC Gamer has since reported that Unknown Worlds will be given an extension to reach its earnout goals to mid-September, with the possibility of extending to March 2027.

The game is set for early release in May 2026.

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

​Return, Online shooter game, Gaming, Ai, Artificial intelligence, Chatbot, Chatgpt, Pubg, Tech