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To lose weight, ditch the ‘unisex’ approach

Discussing America’s obesity epidemic feels as fresh as a gas-station sushi roll. We’ve had the headlines, the task forces, the Michelle Obama gardens, the lurid rise and fall of Jared-from-Subway. Every few years, medicine rediscovers the problem like a dog finding the same buried bone and acting stunned.

But researchers in Europe recently dug up something new. They studied hundreds of patients and found that obesity doesn’t affect men and women the same way. It may be the same condition, but it runs on a different operating system and has a different damage report.

In short, men carry the problem where a tape measure finds it. Women carry it where only a lab result does.

Gut feeling

Men tend to pack fat deep in the abdomen. I’m talking about visceral fat, the kind that wraps around your organs like a tenant who stopped paying rent and refuses to leave. That fat is clinically nasty. It hammers the liver and wrecks metabolic function; it lays the groundwork for cardiovascular disease and has been convincingly linked to several cancers.

Women, by contrast, carry less of that abdominal load but show higher cholesterol and elevated inflammatory markers. Essentially, immune signals run hotter than they should and the biochemical alarm system never fully shuts off. The damage is systemic rather than structural. It’s less visible, but no less serious.

In short, men carry the problem where a tape measure finds it. Women carry it where only a lab result does.

If that sounds abstract, just picture your last family reunion. Or, if you want a more vivid case study, picture mine.

Family size

Obesity runs deep on both sides of my family. I mean that genetically, medically, and architecturally. Planning any gathering requires a kind of pre-event logistics that most people reserve for moving furniture or evacuating a small country. I have relatives who have single-handedly retired the booth as a viable seating option.

Virtually every family has the same cast, even if the staging varies. There’s the uncle who describes himself as “big-boned” with the confidence of someone who has never once questioned that assessment. He has a belt buckle working well beyond its original job description and a firm belief that his blood pressure is “probably fine.” There’s the aunt who demolished two bowls of pasta, declared herself “stuffed,” and is now on her third glass of wine, eyeing that slice of cake with the focused intensity of someone who has already decided.

His and hers

Conversations about self-respect and restraint matter. So does the fact that American health culture has failed both sexes spectacularly. We have had decades of treating obesity as a single, uniform problem with a single, uniform fix: Eat less. Move more. Have you considered a run? A juice cleanse? Intermittent fasting? Have you tried being less stressed? Have you tried drinking more water? Have you tried just trying harder?

The endless questions and secondhand advice land with the precision of a motivational poster and the clinical usefulness of a fortune cookie, while ignoring what estrogen and testosterone are actually doing to fat distribution and inflammation.

The European researchers make the obvious point that treatment should probably reflect this — targeted clinical approaches rather than the one-size-fits-all pamphlet model that has served us so poorly for so long. Men may need earlier metabolic intervention. Women may need more attention paid to the signals that get waved off as stress, hormones, or simply the price of admission for being female.

RELATED: Sick and tired of the lies? Here are 14 food brands you can trust.

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Heavy going

Today, roughly 43% of American adults are obese. By the end of the decade, that number is expected to climb to nearly half, including close to one in four who will have severe obesity.

The children are worth mentioning. Around one-third of American kids between 6 and 17 are living with obesity or excess weight. Fat children tend to become even fatter adults, and the research on that pipeline is neither new nor ambiguous. These statistics arrive with enormous economic weight. Hundreds of billions in health care costs, lost productivity, and a medical system already struggling to keep pace with demand. This is a genuine crisis, and it deserves a serious response.

The study’s real contribution isn’t discovering that obesity exists, but insisting that obesity has never been one thing. It has always been at least two — running parallel, wearing the same label, causing different problems on different timelines in different bodies.

That distinction matters in the clinic. It matters in the conversation. And it matters every time someone who once lost eight pounds on a juice cleanse corners people at a cookout with personalized nutrition guidance that nobody requested and biology can’t honor. Good intentions and bad information have always made a combustible combination. In this case, they have been making policy for decades.

​Cardiovascular disease, Fat, Lifestyle, Men and women, Metabolic function, Obesity, Visceral fat, Weight loss, Make america healthy again 

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Illegal alien with a badge impersonates Border Patrol agent to disrupt mission — even calls in ‘reinforcements’

An illegal immigrant was able to fool U.S. Border Patrol into thinking he was one of them before they nabbed him for impersonating a federal officer.

Fifty-two-year-old Jaime Ernesto Alvarez-Gonzalez is a Mexican national who overstayed his tourist visa decades ago, but he dressed up to appear like a federal agent and drove a truck that was taken to be the real deal.

He ‘shouted obscenities and demanded agents leave …’ before other cars arrived to chase and harass agents.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said that on January 8, Alvarez-Gonzalez followed a Border Patrol agent in San Diego, which led to disruption of the mission.

The legitimate BP agent falsely believed the truck behind him was being driven by other federal officers, but Alvarez-Gonzalez was actually driving it.

After Alvarez-Gonzalez was confronted by legitimate officers, he “shouted obscenities and demanded agents leave the community of Linda Vista” before other cars arrived to chase and harass agents, the attorney’s office press release said.

Alvarez-Gonzalez admitted on video what he had done and claimed to have called in his “reinforcements.”

Prosecutors said he had an FBI badge and had outfitted his black F-150 truck with a fake antenna, handcuffs dangling from the rearview mirror, and a Border Patrol sticker in the windshield. The license plate frame also could have tipped off the real officers because it read, “Ferderal Truck.”

A week after the incident, he was arrested over his illegal immigration status and pleaded guilty on Tuesday to numerous charges related to the incident.

He was found to be illegally in possession of two pistols and an AR-style rifle.

Alvarez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to three charges of illegally possessing firearms and one count of impersonating a federal agent. He faces a fine of up to $500,000 as well as 18 years in prison.

RELATED: Church worker pretended to be ICE agent to extort $500 from massage therapist, police say

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Anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters have been organizing to interrupt federal immigration operations, but in two cases in Minnesota, the ultimate outcomes were lethal.

Alex Pretti and Renee Good were shot and killed by agents in separate incidents when they tried to interfere with immigration operations. The incidents led to an agreement between local officials and the Trump administration to end the federal surge in the state.

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Trump’s DOJ takes a side in high-stakes SCOTUS trucking dispute — and it may not be the one you expect

A battle over America’s roads is unfolding in the Supreme Court, where demands for accountability clash with efforts to deregulate the industry, as the national spotlight remains on accidents caused by non-domiciled, non-English-speaking truck drivers.

The court’s ruling could have major implications for the more than 150,000 Americans injured and the over 5,000 killed in large truck accidents each year, by potentially stripping or safeguarding the legal recourse available to victims and their families.

‘Remove any legal accountability for brokers, and you remove the incentive for them to care.’

SCOTUS heard oral arguments on March 4 in the case of Shawn Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, which involves a December 2017 collision between two semi-trucks: one operated by the plaintiff, Shawn Montgomery, and the other by an individual employed by Caribe Transport II, a small motor carrier hired by broker C.H. Robinson Worldwide.

The complaint explains that Montgomery was parked on the shoulder of Interstate Highway 70 in Cumberland County, Illinois, when another truck rear-ended his vehicle at high speed, resulting in severe and permanent injuries, including the amputation of Montgomery’s leg.

Montgomery’s lawsuit was filed against the driver, the carrier, and C.H. Robinson. He accused C.H. Robinson of “negligent hiring,” citing Illinois common law. His case reached the Supreme Court after a lower court moved to dismiss it, arguing that the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act bars state-level negligence suits against brokers — third-party providers that connect shippers with carriers without owning trucks or hauling freight themselves — for their carrier selections.

The ongoing case has caught the attention of those in the trucking industry who are concerned that a SCOTUS ruling in favor of C.H. Robinson would set a precedent that prevents crash victims and their families from seeking legal recourse against brokers.

While President Donald Trump’s administration has been receptive to concerns about reforming the nation’s broken trucking industry, the U.S. position in the Montgomery v. Caribe case indicates a potential shift.

RELATED: DOT’s Duffy earns high praise from American truckers for turning industry concerns into real policy wins

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Trump’s Department of Justice submitted an amicus brief supporting C.H. Robinson, arguing that the FAAAA preempts any state law related to the “price, route, or service” of a broker. This, the DOJ claimed, includes how brokers select carriers. Although the rule carves out a safety exception allowing states to enforce such laws, the U.S. government contended that the exception does not apply to this case.

The U.S. argues that brokers are already required to select an authorized motor carrier, which means that the carrier has met the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s “rigorous safety standards.” Allowing such lawsuits against freight brokers would “require brokers to second-guess federal registration decisions and independently evaluate the safety history of the carriers they select.”

“A judgment for petitioner on that claim would thus necessarily impugn Caribe’s overall operations, thereby undermining FMCSA’s determination that Caribe satisfies federal registration requirements, including rigorous safety requirements,” the U.S. amicus brief reads.

American Truckers United, an advocacy group, warned that if SCOTUS agreed with the U.S. government’s argument and ruled in favor of the respondent, it could allow freight brokers to have “blanket immunity” when selecting unsafe and high-risk carriers, leading to a “race to the bottom.”

ATU filed its own amicus brief, urging SCOTUS to side with Montgomery.

“If brokers are immunized from tort liability, they will have an unrestrained incentive to hire the cheapest motor carriers available for every load, regardless of poor safety records, regulatory non-compliance, defective equipment, and other red flags. Low-cost, low-quality carriers will completely displace safe carriers in the market,” ATU wrote.

ATU noted that many carriers maintain only the minimum required liability insurance, which covers just a small portion of the cost for crash victims and their families. The group also pointed out the FMCSA’s lack of resources to keep up with the “chameleon carrier” crisis, explaining that when carriers lose their operating authority due to noncompliance, they “dissolve, reincarnate themselves under new identities, and reenter the market.”

A separate amicus brief filed by the Institute for Safer Trucking on behalf of Montgomery wrote, “The reality of the compliance-review scheme is bleak. FMCSA is apparently unable to conduct compliance reviews of carriers within a reasonable time. More than ninety-four percent of all active interstate freight carriers remain ‘unrated’ as of 2023.”

The FMCSA has previously admitted its limitations. In a 2023 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FMCSA stated that it “has resources to issue safety ratings to only a small percentage of motor carriers each year,” adding that the agency’s rating “does not necessarily reflect the current safety posture of a motor carrier.”

FMCSA officials said that “they do not have the resources to vet all for-hire carriers that apply for new operating authority,” according to a 2012 Government Accountability Office report.

The Truck Safety Coalition, a network of victim and survivor volunteers, also filed an amicus brief supporting Montgomery that referred to freight brokers as “gatekeepers in determining who hauls freight on the roadways and who doesn’t.” The TSC stated that the industry has exploded in recent decades, from just 70 brokers in 1975 to over 28,000 today.

Rena Leizerman, from the Law Firm for Truck Safety and co-counsel for Montgomery, told Blaze News in a statement, “Broker negligence lawsuits aren’t filed in every crash. They get filed when there’s evidence that a broker hired someone with a known, serious safety history and chose to look the other way.”

“C.H. Robinson argued to the court that it should be completely off the hook for negligence. No exceptions. Not even if it knowingly hires a carrier with no insurance. Not even if the carrier isn’t legally registered to operate. Not even if it already knows the carrier has a dangerous record. Zero accountability, no matter what,” Leizerman’s statement continued.

“Brokers make money on the gap between what shippers pay them and what they pay the carrier. The wider the gap, the more profit. So they push carrier rates down, and carriers survive by cutting costs — driver screening, safety training, equipment upkeep, insurance — until the day everything goes wrong.

“Remove any legal accountability for brokers, and you remove the incentive for them to care. Safe carriers, the ones who invest in doing things right, end up getting underbid by carriers who skip basic safety. It’s a race to the bottom, and it’s the rest of us sharing the road who pay the price,” she added.

Dorothy Capers, chief legal officer at C.H. Robinson, also provided a statement to Blaze News.

“A single, uniform federal framework is essential to keeping interstate commerce safe, efficient, and consistent with Congress’ design,” Capers said. “Allowing a patchwork of state tort laws to regulate broker services would undermine that system, increase uncertainty, and disrupt the flow of goods Americans rely on every day.”

RELATED: ‘Use my daughter as an example’: Trump DHS cheers as bill to stop illegal alien truck drivers crosses major hurdle

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Real-world impact

The stakes of the pending Montgomery case are already playing out in the nation’s courtrooms.

On May 24, 2024, a semi-truck driver allegedly blew through a stop sign on U.S. 84 in Texas, killing 28-year-old Tiana Moore and her mother, Tanya Maria King. Moore’s family sued the driver, the carrier, and the freight broker that had hired the carrier.

When the case was about to go to trial, the broker, citing the ongoing Montgomery case before the Supreme Court, requested and received a stay, leaving the family in limbo.

Moore’s father, David Moore, spoke to Blaze News about the tragic accident. He expressed his goal of raising awareness to inspire policy changes and help the American public understand how regulations affecting the trucking industry impact lives nationwide.

“The impact that it’s really had on our lives, and even this ongoing process, it’s been, obviously, the most difficult thing that I’ve ever had to deal with — and not just me, but my family,” David Moore said.

Ultimately, the Moore case was closed a short time later when the parties reached a confidential settlement. While in this instance the family was able to reach an agreement outside the courtroom, the Supreme Court’s decision in the Montgomery case will determine whether crash victims and their families retain or lose a major avenue for accountability in the future.

SCOTUS is expected to give a decision in the Montgomery case by June.

The Department of Transportation deferred comment to the Department of Justice, which stated it had no further remarks beyond its amicus brief.

Legal counsel for Caribe Transport II did not respond to requests for comment.

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​News, Department of transportation, Dot, American trucking industry, American trucking, Trucking industry, Trucking, Shawn montgomery v caribe transport ii, Montgomery v caribe, Ch robinson, C.h. robinson, Scotus, Supreme court, Federal aviation administration authorization act, Faaaa, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Federal motor carrier safety administration, Fmcsa, American truckers united, Atu, Department of justice, Doj, Institute for safer trucking, Tiana moore, Tanya maria king, Leader transport, Scotlynn, Louie cook, Politics 

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Once-favored Democrat suspends Senate campaign, opening door for extremist Graham Platner

The Senate race in Maine just got a surprise shakeup as election season draws near.

Incumbent Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills announced on Thursday that she will be dropping out of the Senate race.

‘I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources.’

Mills announced that she will be suspending her campaign while touting her achievements, which she said have ultimately been frustrated “by a Republican administration that is blind to science, deaf to the cries of those in need of medical care, and ignorant of the needs of regular families.”

In her statement, she continued: “While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else — the fight — to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources. That is why today I have made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the United States Senate.”

RELATED: 2 more staffers ditch Graham Platner’s troubled Senate campaign amid Nazi, communism scandals

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Janet Mills is currently 78 years old. Had she been elected, she would have been one of the oldest freshman senators in history.

Despite being a favorite at the beginning of the race, Mills fell behind in the polls and in fundraising compared to her Democratic primary opponent, far-left progressive candidate Graham Platner. The Maine primary election is scheduled for June 9.

Mills stepping away from the race likely sets up Platner to face Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in the general election.

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Fights erupt, deputies hurt after more than 1,000 teens descend upon Florida amusement park in planned ‘takeover’

Fights erupted and sheriff’s deputies were hurt after more than 1,000 teenagers over the weekend descended upon a Florida amusement park in a planned “takeover.”

The location of the takeover was ICON Park in Orlando, and it occurred Saturday evening, WOFL-TV reported. As is often the case with such teenage takeovers of public places, word spread online about the ICON Park takeover.

‘Massive amount of teenagers just flooding the streets.’

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office told the station that numerous fights broke out among the teens and deputies had to step in and break them up.

Nine teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 were arrested on charges ranging from trespassing and resisting to battery on a law enforcement officer, WOFL said.

Two deputies were hurt, taken to the hospital, and released, the station said, adding that the sheriff’s office said the deputies are expected to be OK.

The sheriff’s office said that it was “aware” that some sort of event had been planned for Saturday evening at ICON Park and that several deputies were assigned there in anticipation of it, WOFL reported in a separate story.

RELATED: ‘We was bored!’ Hundreds of teens rampage Bronx mall, tangle with cops in planned Presidents’ Day ‘takeover’

Witness Virgil Goodson told the station he saw a “massive amount of teenagers just flooding the streets. The sheriff’s office chasing some down, seemed chaotic in some areas; other areas, teens just walking around aimlessly.”

Goodson told WOFL he noticed at one point hundreds of teens running away from the park, and he said he “didn’t know if it was an active shooter.” Others were unnerved, he told the station, and took cover and ran inside businesses.

Another consequence stemming from the teen takeover is a new ICON Park chaperone policy requiring adult supervision for minors, the station said.

Park attendees 17 and younger must have a parent or guardian who is at least 21 years old with them to enter and stay at ICON Park, WOFL said. One chaperone can accompany up to six kids into the park and must stay with them during the entire visit, the station said.

What’s more, ICON Park warned parents and guardians that they may be held legally liable for what minors do while under their supervision, WOFL said.

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‘Nobody’s rights are safe’: DOJ counsel gives Allie Beth Stuckey EXCLUSIVE view of Biden regime’s anti-Christian campaign

Christians were told in the first century that the world that hated and persecuted their Savior would similarly hate and persecute them. This divine counsel certainly holds up two millennia later.

‘The Biden administration was willing to tolerate Christians up to a point.’

According to the watchdog group Open Doors, over 315 million Christians today face very high or extreme persecution, with thousands murdered yearly over their faith. While the top 10 worst countries for Christians are all in Africa, Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, Christians are also routinely subjected to violent attacks, discrimination, and state suppression in purportedly civilized Western nations.

In America, for instance, hostility toward Christians, their faith, and their institutions came to a head during the Biden administration, which not only turned a blind eye to a rash of anti-Christian attacks but adopted policies that formalized the underlying animus.

Seeking to “end the anti-Christian weaponization of government and unlawful conduct targeting Christians” and rectify the wrongs committed by his predecessor’s government, President Donald Trump established the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias last year.

Camille Varone, senior counsel at the Justice Department, gave Allie Beth Stuckey, host of BlazeTV’s “Relatable,” an exclusive look this week at the culmination of the task force’s efforts to date: a damning report detailing both the anti-Christian bias propagated by the federal government during the Biden administration and what the Trump administration has done and is doing to protect Americans’ religious liberties.

“The Biden administration used transgenderism as an excuse, as a justification, for discriminating against Christian doctors, medical facilities, against churches, against Catholic schools, specifically,” Stuckey said in summary. “And then, of course, there was the targeting of the pro-lifers. Even within the DOJ, there was an attitude of anti-Christian discrimination and the feeling that Christians really didn’t count as a protected class, and that manifested itself in very real, illegal prejudice against Christians.”

RELATED: The anti-Christian myth of First Amendment ‘neutrality’

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“What we found is that across the board, the Biden administration was willing to tolerate Christians up to a point, and that was when they held their views privately or in the four walls of their churches,” Varone told Stuckey.

“When Christians were trying to live out their faith — to see where the Bible, where religious tradition should inform how they actually, you know, went to school, went to work — that’s where they ran into policy issues.”

Varone — drawing from the findings of the 200-page written report, which is accompanied by over 300 pages of receipts plus thousands of footnotes — highlighted in her conversation with Stuckey numerous anti-Christian governmental abuses and policies advanced under President Joe Biden, who professes to be Catholic, including how Biden’s

DOJ pursued aggressive prosecutions against nonviolent, pro-life Christian demonstrators under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act while taking a markedly less enthusiastic approach to holding leftists, such as members of Jane’s Revenge, responsible for attacks against pregnancy resource centers;Internal Revenue Service apparently targeted churches and Christian organizations whose religious values aligned with conservative political views but did not similarly hound churches where progressive views and Democratic causes were championed; administration, working off a liberal reading of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, sought to mandate the adoption of its views on sexual preferences and gender ideology; andadministration ran roughshod over “sincere religious objections” to the COVID-19 vaccines.

The report also details how Biden’s

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission implemented a rule requiring employers — including Christian organizations — to accommodate workers’ efforts to abort their unborn children; FBI investigated, surveilled, and stigmatized law-abiding traditional Catholics, in part due to bogus claims from the scandal-plagued Southern Poverty Law Center; andDepartment of Health and Human Services attempted to bar Christian providers and would-be parents who hold biblical and scientifically grounded views about sex and marriage from the foster-care system.

The task force reached the conclusion that “in its zealous pursuit of its preferred policies and constituents, the Biden administration engaged in anti-Christian bias, seeking to limit Christians’ ability to act in concert with their sincerely held beliefs in their homes, in the workplace, and in the public square. At times, it went still further, leading Christians to reportedly choose between their beliefs and compliance with federal law.”

Stuckey asserted that “this should really disturb everyone” regardless of whether they’re a Christian.

Varone agreed, reiterating, “What we found here really should disturb everyone who holds religious beliefs because if the government can do that against a majority group, nobody’s rights are safe under that kind of system.”

“No American should live in fear that the federal government will punish them for their faith,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, chair of the task force, said in a statement.

“As our report lays out, the Biden administration’s actions devastated the lives of many Christian Americans,” continued Blanche. “That devastation ended with President Trump. The Department of Justice will continue to expose bad actors who targeted Christians and work tirelessly to restore religious liberty for all Americans of faith.”

Stuckey expressed gratitude that people are being “aware that things like this are happening,” in part because it “encourages us to know our constitutional rights, and that can only be a win.”

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Firsthand account: Katie Pavlich describes chaotic moments after WHCD shooting

When NewsNation anchor Katie Pavlich sat down at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, she was not expecting to end up on the ground as yet another would-be assassin attempted to take the president out.

And looking back on the events of that night, Pavlich tells Glenn Beck on “The Glenn Beck Program” that she’s feeling “anger and frustration that this continues to happen.”

“Being in the room and watching Karoline Leavitt, who’s nine months pregnant, have to be taken out of the room because there’s someone outside trying to assassinate her boss and the people she works with and … it’s just infuriating that this continues to be something that is acceptable,” she explains.

Pavlich also notes that the security surrounding the dinner was not nearly strong enough.

“I thought going into the night that security was going to be tough, that it would take me an hour to get into the hotel. It was not tough at all,” she tells Glenn. “I walked by those same protesters … with their Palestinian flags, and they were screaming that they hoped our dresses were ruined, that our night was ruined, that we were fascists.”

While security was lacking, Pavlich did notice that the president was evacuated “very quickly” and the situation seemed to be under control moments after it began.

“When I heard the shots, to me, it sounded like a controlled situation, because it ended quickly. There was not a real exchange of gunfire. It was not something that continued. There were five shots, when you listened to the audio, and it was over,” Pavlich explains.

“So, to me, that indicated that Secret Service or some other law enforcement agency that was there had handled the situation and it was not in the room,” she continues, pointing out that there was also some “sporadic” Wi-Fi access.

“When the president is in the room, they usually shut all of that stuff down so nobody can activate a bomb using cell service,” Glenn chimes in.

“There’s so many questions here about the security,” Pavlich agrees.

“I just think it’s a miracle that he was an amateur,” she adds.

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Republicans speak out against ‘kill switch’ mandate for all new cars: ‘The technology is unworkable’

Republicans are raising alarms about new vehicle safety requirements that could introduce intrusive monitoring technology — including systems capable of disabling a car against a driver’s will.

The mandate stems from a provision in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, made law under President Biden, which requires automakers to install advanced impaired-driving prevention technology in new vehicles by 2027.

‘The car dashboard becomes your judge, your jury, and your executioner.’

Critics argue that the implications go far beyond safety.

Judge, jury, and executioner

“The car dashboard becomes your judge, your jury, and your executioner,” said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has been one of the most vocal opponents of the measure.

Section 24220 of the law — titled “Advanced Impaired Driving Technology” — directs regulators to require systems designed to prevent drunk-driving fatalities. As Blaze News has previously reported, the technology under consideration includes both passive and active monitoring tools, many powered by artificial intelligence.

These may include infrared cameras that track a driver’s eye movements and pupil dilation, as well as “cockpit-embedded sensors” capable of analyzing a driver’s breath to estimate blood alcohol levels. Other proposed methods include touch-based sensors that use tissue spectroscopy to detect alcohol through the skin of a finger or palm.

“I voted against this,” said Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), criticizing the measure. “Unfortunately, too many Republicans sided with Democrats and it passed.”

RELATED: Creepy new laws will mean your car monitors you 24/7 — eyes, skin, even breath

I voted against this. Unfortunately, too many Republicans sided with Democrats and it passed. https://t.co/phZLQJAZ0d
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) April 27, 2026

Designated driver

Massie has warned that the technology could extend beyond detecting impairment to evaluating driving behavior more broadly.

“The car itself will monitor your driving. And if the car thinks that you’re not doing a good job driving, it will disable itself,” he said in remarks to Congress.

“How do you appeal your sentence once your car … has judged you to be incapable of driving? … Do you press a button on the dashboard? Do you start talking to an AI?”

He also questioned how authorities would respond to false positives, asking whether law enforcement would be dispatched to assist drivers whose vehicles are mistakenly disabled.

“The technology is unworkable,” Massie said.

RELATED: FIRST LOOK New York International Auto Show: Cool cars, but drivers still face sticker shock

– YouTube

Kill bill

He later introduced legislation to block federal funding for the provision, including any requirements that could enable so-called “kill switch” capabilities in vehicles.

The bill failed in the House, with 57 Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. Four Democrats — Luis Correa (Calif.), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Valerie Hoyle (Ore.), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) — voted in favor.

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Former cheerleading coach who sexually assaulted 10 girls has been hit with stunning sentence

A former cheerleading coach has been sentenced to nearly 200 years in prison after being convicted for sexual abuse of 10 girls, the youngest of which was 9 years old.

Erick Joseph Kristianson sexually assaulted the girls in Orange County, California, beginning as far back as 1998, according to prosecutors.

‘Because of the rejection and stonewalling, I spiraled. … I wanted to die. I hated myself.’

Kristianson was convicted of 23 felony counts of child sexual assault and faced 105 years in prison, according to a previous statement from Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, as previously reported by Blaze News.

After considering the facts of the case, Kristianson was sentenced to 174 years and 4 months in prison by Orange County Superior Court Judge Kevin Haskins.

Kristianson’s accusers began to speak out about their abuse after he was arrested for similar charges against four children between 11 and 13 years old in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 2022. The victims were all members of a competitive cheer club he coached.

Some of the victims were targeted while they were on cheerleading squads at Trabuco Hills High School as well as the Magic All-Stars in California.

One victim testified about the emotional toll from the sexual abuse by Kristianson when she was 14 years old.

“One minute I was the happiest I’ve ever been in love, and the next moment, I was discarded,” the victim said.

“Because of the rejection and stonewalling, I spiraled. … I wanted to die. I hated myself,” she added.

Another victim called him a “monster” and a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” At least two of the victims fell into drug and alcohol abuse as a result of the sexual assault they suffered.

Kristianson’s family members asked for lenience based on the ages of the crimes as well as his reported good behavior in Indiana, where he resided since his arrest.

His mother claimed, “He is a caring, loving person,” and said he shouldn’t be judged on actions from “twenty-some years ago.”

RELATED: 4 teachers and 1 cop in small Alabama town arrested over child pornography, police say

Deputy District Attorney Juliet Oliver argued against them, saying, “Despite the amount of time passed, the trauma these victims have experienced is real.”

Kristianson was originally from Antioch, Tennessee.

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​Coach sexual assault, Cheerleader coach abuse, Orange county child sex abuse, Erick joseph kristianson, Crime 

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The homicidal empathy of the left’s immigration policies

Fairfax, Virginia, has had four homicides so far in 2026. Three out of the four were committed by illegal immigrants.

One, the case of Abdul Jalloh, underlines everything wrong with the approach the left has taken to illegal immigration. Jalloh, who hails from Sierra Leone, illegally entered the United States in 2012 and proceeded to commit dozens of crimes, including assault, rape, and theft.

Eventually, he was caught by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and locked up for roughly two years while awaiting deportation. But in 2020, a judge ruled he could not be deported to his home country. He was free to go, as ICE could not find someone willing to take him.

It is a recognition that Aztec-style sacrifice of the innocent is not necessary to make the rain fall that has empowered nationalists across the West.

Six years later, he killed Stephanie Minter, a mom waiting at a bus stop.

In the aftermath, Minter’s family and Republicans turned their attention to Fairfax County’s District Attorney Steve Descano for having refused to work with ICE and for his extraordinarily light sentences for illegal immigrants, with many highlighting his statement, “If two people commit the same crime, but only one’s punishment includes deportation, that’s a perversion of justice.”

Descano has been called to testify in front of Congress in mid-May to explain his policies. During his hearing, a particular term may be mentioned: suicidal empathy.

Suicidal empathy is a term, popularized by Dr. Gad Saad, commonly used by the Western right as a catch-all for the liberal idea that the importation of potentially dangerous immigrants is a good thing because not doing so would be cruel.

If you do not support mass immigration, legal or otherwise, the thinking goes, you don’t have a heart.

Politicians have been espousing this sentiment for a long time. In 2014, Jeb Bush famously called illegal immigration “an act of love.”

This way of thinking has also dominated Western establishments for some time, even though concerns were obvious. Right from the start of the migration crisis in 2015, new arrivals were causing trouble. Assaults, rapes, and murders that would never have occurred started happening with frightening regularity. Now 11 years later, migrant rape stories have become a part of life there.

And yet, establishments resist any sort of mass deportation because the countries from which they come are “unsafe,” and it would be inhumane to send them there.

Conservatives do themselves and their societies a disservice by portraying this supposed empathy as “suicidal.” It’s not: It’s homicidal. “Suicidal empathy” invokes self-sacrifice. The people are so empathetic that they are willing to risk their lives — the chance that invading migrants may hurt or kill them — or destroy their society.

But this is not really true, as your average pro-migrant liberal is likely not risking his or her life. While migrants rape and kill at startlingly high rates — as just one example, in 2023, foreigners committed 100% of “serious sexual crimes” in Frankfurt, Germany — the odds of any liberal voter being the person who is targeted is relatively low.

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

Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

For example, rape in England and Wales was once consistently low. But right when mass migration happened, it skyrocketed, rising over 300%. In 2024, non-German suspects committed nearly 40% of all rapes, over 4,430 — roughly 12 women a day. But because there are millions of English and German women, the odds of any single person being attacked is small.

However, it is going to happen to someone. Those who oppose mass deportations understand this on some level. But they dismiss its importance, as they believe it is the only way for society to function.

Conservatives often misunderstand where this thinking comes from, chalking it up to a secret plot by a combination of George Soros, his son, and other Antifa funders. To be clear, these networks exist. But they are not why your average liberal is OK with mass rape and murder having arrived on their shores.

To understand why, one must look to history. Specifically, the Aztecs.

The Aztecs sacrificed tens of thousands of people, often cutting the hearts out of still-living individuals. This was done to please the gods and to ensure everything continued as necessary. Children, burned alive, were first tortured so that they would cry, as their tears were believed to satiate the needs of the rain god.

Today’s liberal internationalism — the driving force behind allowing mass migration — is based on the same principles. Mass migration allows for UberEATS and Door Dash. It lets you hire cheap labor. The women of “The View” asking conservatives who will clean their toilets are not representatives of the extreme left-wing: They are in lock-step with the ideology that has ruled the West for the past 30 years.

RELATED: The liberal guide to committing national suicide

Blaze Media Illustration

In the minds of liberal internationalists, the UberEATS driver and the lawn mower have a better life because of their minimum wage (or lower) jobs. The Vietnamese child in the shoe factory is making 10 cents a day — five cents more than if he were working another job!

So it is with those who are sacrificed to migration. Yes, those few who are raped or killed are unfortunates, but they at least get to live in a melting pot after they’ve been sexually assaulted. As Piers Morgan recently argued, he gets to live in a society with tikka masala. (Morgan, of course, has paid security guards and is under no threat.)

It is a recognition that Aztec-style sacrifice of the innocent is not necessary to make the rain fall that has empowered nationalists across the West. Even when they have lost, in places like Poland or Hungary, their successors have mostly kept strict anti-migrant policies intact.

Abdul Jalloh should never have been in the United States, and deportation should have been easy. If Sierra Leone did not want him back, it should not have mattered.

The United States of America is the most powerful nation in the world. If Washington wants to return criminals to their home countries, it has the power to do so.

This homicidal empathy has real victims, and their numbers increase by the day. The right must not let its left-wing opposites get away with viewing themselves as suicidal. They are not risking their own lives. They are arguing for the homicide of others.

​Congress, Conservatives, Fairfax county, Illegal immigrants, Mass deportation, Mass immigration, Piers morgan, Rape, National suicide, Suicidal empathy, Homicidal empathy, Opinion & analysis 

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ANOTHER elected Democrat leaves party in North Carolina

They’re starting to fall like dominoes in North Carolina.

A second North Carolina state representative from Mecklenburg County, Rep. Nasif Majeed, has officially left the Democratic Party. Last week, news broke that state Rep. Carla Cunningham had changed her voter registration to “unaffiliated.”

‘I have witnessed and experienced actions within the political landscape that I believe could be perceived as misleading or inconsistent with the spirit of fair elections.’

On Monday, Majeed confirmed that he has followed suit.

“After deep reflection and conversations with constituents across District 99, I have made the decision to disaffiliate from the Democratic Party and serve as an Independent,” he said in a press release, according to WBTV.

“This decision is rooted in my responsibility to represent people — not party agendas — and to remain grounded in integrity, fairness, and truth,” he added.

“I have witnessed and experienced actions within the political landscape that I believe could be perceived as misleading or inconsistent with the spirit of fair elections. I cannot, in good conscience, remain aligned where those concerns are not adequately addressed.”

Like Cunningham, Majeed is viewed as a more conservative Democrat, voting to override vetoes from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. Cunningham voted to override a veto of the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act, while Majeed voted to override the veto of a bill condemned by LGBTQ+ activists because it formally recognizes only two genders.

Both of those veto-overrides were successful, and the bills are now law in North Carolina.

RELATED: Elected Democrat leaves party after standing up for Americans over illegal aliens

Also like Cunningham, Majeed lost his re-election bid last month when he was trounced in the Democratic primary for the District 99 seat. Challenger Valeria Levy garnered 69% of the vote to Majeed’s paltry 26%.

Majeed has represented District 99 since 2019. Cunningham has represented District 106 since 2013. Both will serve out their terms but will be unable to run as an independent candidate for their respective districts in November.

North Carolina House Democratic Leader Robert Reives suggested he harbors no hard feelings over the defections.

“During their years in public office Representatives Majeed and Cunningham have voted on bills according to their values and I expect they will continue to do so,” Reives said in a statement released Monday, according to NC Newsline. “I value their friendship and look forward to continuing to serve with them.”

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​Democrats, Democratic party, North carolina, Nasif majeed, Carla cunningham, Politics 

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Trump’s enemies keep reaching for the gun

Donald Trump has survived another assassination attempt from a deranged progressive. Thankfully, Cole Allen was never able to get a clear shot at the president, but the fact that another radical leftist managed to smuggle a long gun into the event site should alarm everyone. Despite multiple attempts on Trump’s life and the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, progressives have only intensified their rhetoric, including open calls for violence. Democrats are not interested in turning down the temperature or abandoning political violence; they are only disappointed that the “lone wolves” they inspired have been unsuccessful. Progressives see political violence as their birthright and will not stop deploying it unless they are stopped with immediate and severe consequences.

While Democrats will deliver tired platitudes about political violence having no place in our country, the truth is that violence has been central to their strategy for a long time. From the race riots of the 1960s to the terror bombings of the 1970s to modern-day assassinations, leftists have regularly wielded violence. It is comforting to pretend that our political system is one in which peaceful negotiation and intellectual debate drive every outcome, but that simply is not the case. Whether it’s the intimidation of Supreme Court justices or the shooting of members of Congress, Democrats understand the power of violence and do not hesitate to use it.

The Trump administration has not undertaken any serious action after multiple attempts on the president’s life or the successful murder of Charlie Kirk.

Violence is the ultimate political argument, the most powerful tool one can deploy in furthering one’s cause. This is why our founding fathers referred to the revolution as an “Appeal to Heaven,” the final attempt to secure their rights as Englishmen when all else had failed. Violence is powerful but destabilizing; no one wants to live in a constant state of war, where every political and personal disagreement is resolved by force. That is why the first duty of the state is to secure a monopoly on sanctioned violence, taking that powerful but dangerous weapon off the table.

Some political systems believe the civil magistrate has been granted stewardship over violence by God; others see it as a social contract in which we collectively give up our right to violence in exchange for the protection of the state. However you frame it, a monopoly on violence is critical to maintaining order. A country that allows other entities inside its jurisdiction to use violence, like gangs or cartels, is generally considered a failed state because the citizens cannot rely on the government to maintain order. The population will feel compelled to go outside the sanctioned system to meet their security needs, and whoever reliably delivers on those needs tends to become the new government.

This might all sound obvious, but in the modern world, it must be repeated because we have lost touch with this basic truth. America and much of the Western world have been safe and stable for so long that we have forgotten the historical norm. Free debate and inquiry leading to a democratic consensus that is then peacefully enacted by a civilian government is fantastic, but it is far from the standard throughout history. Amazingly, we have been able to enjoy this extended period of stability, but it can also blind us to reality when the nature of our situation changes.

The cliché is that violence is never the answer; the truth is that violence is the ultimate answer, and we forget that at our own peril. That is why the state must take violence off the table by maintaining its monopoly on violence. Once violence is introduced into the equation, it quickly spreads across all domains because it outcompetes all other political strategies. In an orderly society, political violence must carry the ultimate taboo, not because it does not work, but because it works all too well.

The January 6 protest was far from the violent insurrection the media portrayed it as; those entering the Capitol did not have guns, but the Biden administration did not play games. The regime did not stop at arresting those who entered the building; they arrested people outside, they arrested people who had discussions with those who went in, they arrested people who were hundreds of miles away but could tangentially be connected. One can disagree with those arrests, but the message was clear — we have the monopoly on violence, and if you even imply that you will take some form of kinetic action, you will be crushed.

The Trump administration has not undertaken any serious action after multiple attempts on the president’s life or the successful murder of Charlie Kirk. In fact, the murder of Kirk might have been the most successful political assassination in American history. It threw the right into disarray, derailing the MAGA agenda and causing conservatives to collapse into a civil war. The fact that the latest assassination attempt came just days after the administration finally took its first serious action against a progressive organization like the Southern Poverty Law Center cannot go unnoticed.

Many conservatives seem to have already internalized regular assassination attempts as part of day-to-day American politics in the same way they have accepted frequent race riots deployed by the left. Lazy speeches about double standards and hypocrisy are delivered to shame the left into better behavior, but this is delusional. Democrats have had a monopoly on political violence for decades, and they are fully aware of what an enormous advantage that is. There is zero chance of progressives yielding such a powerful tool simply because someone delivered a lecture on the importance of democratic norms. The left will stop being violent when it pays a January 6-style price for it and not one minute before.

In all fairness to the Trump administration, this is a problem it inherited, not one it created. The left has had the exclusive right to domestic political violence for at least 70 years, and except for Richard Nixon, no Republican president has taken that issue seriously. Progressives now see exclusive access to violence as their natural birthright, and many conservatives seem to agree. But while Trump did not create this state of affairs, he also cannot allow it to remain in place. Something must change, and it must change drastically, because leftists are now ramping up the frequency and severity of the violent outbursts they feel entitled to.

Political violence is a fire that will expand and consume everything if it is allowed to. After progressive assassins failed to kill Trump multiple times, they pivoted to targets with less security like Charlie Kirk. How many more failed attempts at killing the president will it take before a leftist terrorist decides that crowds of Trump supporters would be an easier target? The 250th anniversary of America is rapidly approaching, where thousands of patriotic Trump supporters will be gathering across the country. If you think this has escaped the notice of domestic terror networks like Antifa, you are sadly mistaken. The Trump administration needs to drop a mighty hammer on the left to let them know that violence is off the table. Failure to take action will ensure that things become much, much worse.

​Assassination attempt, Charlie kirk, Donald trump, Radical leftist, Revolution, Opinion & analysis 

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Come along with Sara Gonzales as she busts ANOTHER alleged H-1B visa scam in Texas

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales is back again with yet another case of suspected H-1B fraud in the state of Texas.

This investigation took Sara to the city of Allen to a day care called “Allen Infant Care Center” and its neighboring autism behavioral therapy clinic, “DFW ABA Center” — both of which are owned by Golden Qi Holdings LLC.

When Sara visited these two locations, she witnessed the same thing she’s been seeing in these investigations: nothing — no people, no operations, no anything but empty facilities.

And yet according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, collectively these two businesses have sponsored at least 37 H-1B workers and filed more than 50 labor condition applications since their openings.

“The thing that is so curious about this one, when you go digging in the data and the LCAs, is that you wouldn’t think that a day-care center would need market research analysts or supply chain analysts,” says Sara, “and yet this company actually told the United States government that they needed foreign workers to fill those jobs.”

On this episode of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” Sara brings her audience along as she busts what appears to be another potential H-1B scam in Texas.

During her investigation, Sara happened to run into a whistleblower, who gave her the insider scoop on the alleged sham companies.

The whistleblower claims a man named Yao is behind a pay-to-play visa scheme, allegedly selling visas to foreigners.

“I know that he has sponsored people with visas, and then he gets them to work for him for next to nothing,” the whistleblower said, noting that these recipients are from “families of means” and are able to pay $20,000 for their visas.

“Someone’s paying their rent, paying their car payments and all of that stuff, because when they’re working here, they’re not earning enough to make rent. So the arrangement is made in China. … Once they get here, he either puts them to work for cheap, or they set about trying to find work where someone will genuinely sponsor them,” the whistleblower continued, adding that most of these people are young, highly educated women here on student visas.

The whistleblower also told Sara that Mr. Yao’s father is “high up in the [Chinese] government.”

“What turned me was seeing how much — I’m talking hundreds of thousands of dollars — for PPP loans. … Then there was another handout from Texas Workforce Commission for child care centers,” the whistleblower continues.

But despite these substantial government assistance programs, Mr. Yao, argues the whistleblower, has used “none of it” on anything related to the day care or autism center.

Sara then did what she always does: confront the alleged culprit.

In the next part of the video, she speaks with Mr. Yao, who is driving a metallic BMW sports car, and asks him to explain his visa sponsorships and share his public access files.

After an unsuccessful back-and-forth, Mr. Yao failed to answer any questions and promised his attorney would call.

Afterward, Sara did some more digging and found even more suspicious information.

“They had PPP loans in both the first and second round of the loans given and forgiven upwards of $100,000. They had a 2022 bankruptcy filing. On top of that, a lot of their employees are listed elsewhere, including Los Angeles, California,” she says. “I’m not sure what someone living in L.A. could actually do for a day-care center, but I’d like to find out.”

“Interestingly enough, there was one LCA that was filed that, I guess, would fit the vibe of this place for a kindergarten teacher, but then the obvious question becomes: Why would you need to import a foreign kindergarten teacher? You can’t find any here?” she asks.

Sara vows to send all of the information she has gathered on Mr. Yao and his businesses to her contacts at the USCIS and the Department of Labor.

“We’re going to get you,” she warned Mr. Yao as he drove away.

To see the footage of Sara’s reporting, watch the video above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Allen infant care center, Bankruptcy filing, Blaze media, Blazetv, Blazetv host, Chinese government, Department of labor, Dfw aba center, Golden qi holdings, H1b fraud, Ppp loans, Public access files, Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Texas, Texas workforce commission, Uscis, Whistleblower, Yuan yao 

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CNN unearths embarrassing deleted tweets from Michigan Democrat running for Senate — it could tank her campaign

A Democratic politician vying for one of the U.S. Senate seats for Michigan is facing intense criticism after her deleted tweets disparaging Middle America and pining for California were unearthed.

Mallory McMorrow responded positively to another social media user who called Americans outside California “morons” and also posted evidence that she fudged the truth about her residency.

‘These are normal tweets by a normal person.’

McMorrow deleted thousands of posts on the X platform, according to a CNN report.

“I had a dream that the US amicably broke off into The Ring (coasts+Can+Mex+parts Mich/Tex) and Middle America,” she wrote after President Donald Trump won the 2016 election.

“Oh and The Ring nominated Obama as Prime Minister and everyone was given $1000 and 6 months to pick a side,” she added.

The campaign brushed off the concern that McMorrow claimed to have permanently moved to Michigan in 2014 while her posts indicated that she continued to vote in California.

“These are normal tweets by a normal person,” said Hannah Lindow, the communications director for McMorrow.

In another post from 2017, McMorrow responded to a user who ridiculed the “morons” outside California, which would include the voters in Michigan.

“California should have its own diplomats” to “make sure we don’t get nuked because of morons from the other side of the country,” the post from another user read.

“There are days like these that make me miss California even more,” Morrow responded.

RELATED: Meet the Millennial influencer running to be Michigan’s next US senator

McMorrow is currently a member of the Michigan state Senate. She gained national attention when a speech she gave in the Michigan Senate went viral in April 2022.

She is one of three Democrats competing for the seat left vacant by Gary Peters, and the damaging posts from her past will likely help one of her opponents seize the nomination.

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​Mallor mcmorrow tweets, Deleted tweets, Democrats mocks middle america, Us senate seat for michigan, Politics 

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Texas AG Paxton sues Chinese ‘birth tourism’ center for allegedly orchestrating abuse of birthright citizenship

A pregnancy center is accused of facilitating the birth of children to Chinese nationals in order to take advantage of current birthright citizenship laws, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Paxton said the De’Ai Postpartum Care Center was violating Texas law by “unlawfully facilitating the invasion of Chinese nationals into Texas for the sole purpose of birthing children.”

‘Birthright citizenship is a scam that threatens national security, and I will do everything in my power to stop unlawful “birth tourism” schemes like this one.’

The proprietors of the center bragged on Chinese social media platforms and websites that they had overseen the births of “1,000+ American-born babies,” according to Paxton.

The investigation found that the center was operating in at least four locations that hosted mulitple families at each site and faciliated up to 20 births per day. The sites were identified in Sugar Land, Houston, Richmond, and Rosenberg.

The company also allegedly coached its Chinese clients on how to evade immigration laws when seeking visas and citizenship for the children and their families.

“America is for Americans, not foreigners trying to cheat the system to claim citizenship,” reads a statement from Paxton.

“The Center’s scheme not only facilitated an invasion of Texas, but it also involved shielding and facilitating violations of immigration law,” he added. “Birthright citizenship is a scam that threatens national security, and I will do everything in my power to stop unlawful ‘birth tourism’ schemes like this one.”

Paxton accused the business operators of “deceptive trade practices, tampering with governmental records, unlawful harboring and concealment, and other violations of Texas law.”

The issue of birthright citizenship is currently being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court after the Trump administration ordered government offices to no longer recognize the citizenship rights of children born to foreigners on U.S. soil.

Critics have accused the administration of being motivated by racism and xenophobia, but opponents of birthright citizenship argue that years of precedence is based on a faulty understanding of the 13th Amendment.

“There is a tourism industry surrounding this whole birthright citizenship. Women come here before they give birth so that they can just give birth here, and then their babies become United States citizens,” said Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” on BlazeTV. “That’s nuts, and to [Trump’s] point, nobody else does this.”

RELATED: US Catholic bishops call on SCOTUS to shut down Trump birthright citizenship order and protect ‘human dignity’

Paxton is locked in a tight race with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn for the Republican nomination for one of the U.S. Senate seats from Texas.

President Donald Trump has threatened to choose between the two candidates in order to quell the competition and lessen the chances of the seat falling into Democratic control and tipping the balance of the Senate.

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​Texas ag ken paxton, Chinese birth tourism, Birthright citizenship, Houston birth center, Politics 

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Father, mother, daughter federally indicted for alleged assault on TPUSA reporter Savanah Hernandez

The Department of Justice revealed a federal indictment against three individuals accused of assaulting Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez during an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota.

Video footage of the April 11 incident appeared to show Paige Ostroushko, a Minnesota resident, blowing a whistle just inches from Hernandez’s ear before pushing her to the ground.

‘This incident isn’t just about me, but about every single journalist who has been attacked while doing their job.’

After Hernandez returned to her feet, Deyanna Ostroushko, Paige’s mother, confronted the reporter, claiming that Hernandez had instigated the physical altercation.

“Did you f**king hit my daughter?” Deyanna yelled in Hernandez’s face, video showed.

Hernandez pushed Deyanna away and seemed to walk off to distance herself from the mob of anti-ICE protesters, according to the video.

“Stop touching me!” Hernandez shouted.

RELATED: TPUSA Frontlines reporter brutally attacked by Antifa mob tells Sara Gonzales the full story mainstream media won’t touch

Savanah Hernandez. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Chris Ostroushko, Paige’s father, stepped into the chaos, approaching Hernandez and pushing her, causing her to fall onto the pavement, video showed.

Paige then appeared to go after Hernandez again, and the two got into a brief scuffle.

On Wednesday, a four-count federal indictment was unsealed by the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, charging each member of the Ostroushko family. The indictment did not name the victim.

Chris and Paige Ostroushko “did by force or by threat of force willfully injure, intimidate, and interfere with, and attempt to injure, intimidate, and interfere with the rights of another,” the indictment read.

All three family members were accused of aiding and abetting the assault of the victim.

Hernandez sought medical treatment following the altercation and was told that she suffered a concussion and multiple sprains.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the FBI and DOJ for their swift response to the attack I experienced,” Hernandez told Blaze News. “This incident isn’t just about me, but about every single journalist who has been attacked while doing their job. Today’s indictment sets an extremely important precedent for every American and is a strong message to the radical left wing that they are not allowed to violently attack people with impunity any more.”

“Today, Christopher, Deyanna, and Paige Ostrouchko [sic] were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly assaulting journalist and Turning Point USA contributor Savannah [sic] Hernandez, while she was lawfully reporting on anti-ICE protests outside a federal building in St. Paul,” stated acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist,” Blanche continued. “That is NOT ‘peaceful protest.’ These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence.”

RELATED: ‘The threats are real’: Glenn Beck issues urgent call for courage as violence against conservatives escalates

Savanah Hernandez. James Devaney/GC Images

In a recent interview with One America News Network, Chris Ostroushko, a 6′, 51-year-old man who weighs 240 lbs., according to online court records, seemed shocked by the backlash he and his family have received.

“It’s a little overwhelming and makes me second-guess even living in this country, to be honest with you, with all that’s going on,” Ostroushko told the news outlet.

He has described Hernandez as the aggressor and claimed that he was protecting his wife and daughter.

The Ostroushko family claimed that after the video went viral, they were doxxed and lost their jobs.

Paige Ostroushko started a GoFundMe requesting $12,000, claiming that she witnessed a “deeply triggering” verbal exchange with “an individual present” who was interviewing attendees about ICE. This “led to emotional distress and a confrontation between the individual and me,” she said, claiming self-defense. She also stated that she suffered “head, neck and knee injuries.” As of Wednesday afternoon, she had raised $900.

An additional GoFundMe page was started to support the family, requesting $8,000. It has so far raised $310.

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​News, Department of justice, Justice department, Savanah hernandez, Turning point usa, Tpusa, Minnesota, Ostroushko family, Chris ostroushko, Deyanna ostroushko, Paige ostroushko, Ice, Immigration and customs enforcement, Politics 

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Woman admits paying for monkey torture videos for ‘deranged’ sex fetish groups

An Illinois woman has admitted to paying for disgusting animal torture in order to distribute videos to members of “deranged” online chat groups, according to a press release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Amanda Leigh Fourez pleaded guilty in federal court on April 15 to charges related to distributing “animal crush videos” and receiving thousands of dollars in exchange.

‘What kind of sick person would pay someone to make a video of sexualized animal torture?’

Fourez was a member of several online groups dedicated to “making, distributing, and discussing violent and sexual videos.”

The videos involved mutilating the genitals of adult and baby monkeys, as well as their being burned alive and other “atrocities.” She reportedly acknowledged making at least 11 payments for others to create the videos and then distributing the videos on at least 10 occasions.

“Fourez admitted to her role in making these horrific videos and posting them online,” reads a statement from ICE Director Todd Lyons.

“What kind of sick person would pay someone to make a video of sexualized animal torture?” he continued. “ICE will continue investigating these sadistic online groups and do everything in our power to stop them.”

ICE noted that another member of the depraved online groups pleaded guilty in February. Joseph Garrett Buckland of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, admitted to creating and distributing the videos of mutilating monkeys.

RELATED: ‘Depraved’ serial child molester barricaded himself in bathroom with 1-year-old and tried to commit suicide

Buckland is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 29 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the charge of conspiracy to create and/or distribute animal crush videos.

Fourez is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 27 and faces five years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. She is a U.S. citizen and 33 years old.

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​Animal crush videos, Amanda leigh fourez, Monkey mutilation video groups, Depraved online animal crush group, Politics 

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‘She sees herself as a man’: Jason Whitlock explains Megan Thee Stallion’s explosive cheating scandal

Just months after taking their relationship public, rapper Megan Thee Stallion has officially ended her romance with Dallas Mavericks player Klay Thompson — and she isn’t being shy about her reasoning.

“I’ve made the decision to end my relationship with Klay,” Megan said in a statement. “Trust, fidelity, and respect are nonnegotiable for me in a relationship, and when those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward. I’m taking this time to prioritize myself and move ahead with peace and clarity.”

While many fans have sided with Megan, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock believes there’s more to why their relationship didn’t work out.

“Don’t date a woman who calls herself a stallion, an uncastrated male horse. Megan the horse, that’s not what you want, gentlemen. She’s telling on herself,” Whitlock says, explaining that Thompson “made the mistake here.”

“One of these two people did not falsely advertise. She sees herself as a man,” he explains.

“Klay Thompson, you’re a man. You don’t want to date a woman who sees herself as a man,” he adds.

While Shemeka Michelle agrees with Whitlock, she also points out the fact that it is “ridiculous” that their relationship is such a big story in itself.

“I just think it’s so ridiculous,” she tells Whitlock. “I’ve seen multiple posts about women getting their own man back because they’re standing up for Megan Thee Stallion, and … it shows exactly where we are, or at least where the culture is.”

However, Delano Squires believes there’s an even bigger issue at play here.

“This particular split continues a decades-long cycle of sowing discord between black men and black women. And part of the reason that concerns me is because you can’t build strong families. You can’t build a culture of marriage and strong families in any community where the default is discord between men and women,” Squires tells Whitlock.

“So that to me is the bigger thing, and I think both of these individuals represent two archetypes of what is wrong in the relationship marketplace,” he adds.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

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​Woke city council rips out anti-crime signs because they’re ‘racist’​

Neighborhood watch programs have long encouraged citizens to take pride in the welfare of their communities and to adopt a proactive approach to crime prevention. While maximizing citizen vigilance and cooperation with lawful authorities has been associated with reductions in crime, some liberals figure such efforts and the corresponding signage to be unnecessarily exclusionary.

After revolting last year against the decades-old program of communal self-defense and surveillance, woke city councilors in Ann Arbor, Michigan, have since blown taxpayer dollars on the removal of all remaining evidence of the city’s Neighborhood Crime Watch program.

‘Neighborhood watch signs are expressions of exclusion.’

According to the resolution passed by the city council on Dec. 15 directing the removal of over 600 Neighborhood Crime Watch signs in Ann Arbor, “Neighborhood Watch programs emerged in the 1970s during a period of national anxiety about crime and social change” and were “often rooted in assumptions about who did and did not ‘belong’ in a neighborhood, reinforcing race-based hyper-vigilance and suspicion particularly toward black, brown, and other marginalized residents and visitors.”

The resolution claimed that this dynamic in Ann Arbor, a city whose population today is 66.5% non-Hispanic white, “encouraged informal surveillance practices that disproportionately targeted people of color and contributed to patterns of exclusion under the guise of public safety.”

RELATED: Thugs ages 11 to 14 gang up on, mercilessly beat up victim on sidewalk — and adults are done: ‘I’m very fearful for my life’

Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor (D). Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

The signs that were posted throughout the city not only denoted a supposedly defunct program but anti-crime messages that “do not reflect Ann Arbor’s current public safety values or its commitment to nondiscriminatory enforcement, community trust, and safe spaces for all residents and visitors.”

Councilwoman Cynthia Harrison said when the resolution passed, “Signs don’t just sit there, they speak. For many people, especially black and brown residents and visitors, those signs have never felt neutral. They signal that unfamiliarity itself is suspicious, that their presence must be justified, that belonging is conditional,” reported the Michigan Daily.

Harrison joined Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor (D) and Councilwoman Jen Eyer on April 21 for the ceremonial tear-down of the final Neighborhood Crime Watch sign.

As their virtue-signaling campaign — which cost the city at least $18,000 from its general fund balance — came to a close, the leftist trio recycled the revisionist gobbledygook from their resolution.

“Neighborhood watch signs are expressions of exclusion,” said Taylor, reported MLive.com

Eyer stated, “It really hearkens back to a time when public safety was more about surveillance and exclusion of people from communities and trying to look out for anyone who looked different.”

After reiterating that the crime-prevention signs do “not align with our values,” Harrison stressed that “this is a great day.”

The Michigan Daily reported in March 1981 that “rather than quivering behind bolted doors, some Ann Arbor residents favoring stepped-up police protection are taking matters into their own hands.”

The Neighborhood Watch program, formally adopted the previous year in the wake of 30-year-old Rebecca Huff’s savage murder, “banded together neighbors in one-block sections of the city who look and listen for signs of criminal activity.”

“It’s more or less socializing and really getting to know your neighbors,” an Ann Arbor police detective said at the time. “People watch each other’s property, apartment-sit, and know each other’s cars. If a strange car is seen in the area, the residents can obtain the license plate number and call us on a special communication hookup.”

While Neighborhood Watch is officially no more in Ann Arbor, vigilant residents don’t need signs or permission to look after their communities and can always share insights and tips with one another on apps like Citizen and Nextdoor.

According to Neighborhood Scout, the likelihood of becoming a victim of a property crime and a violent crime in the Democrat-run city is 1 in 47 and 1 in 296, respectively.

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​Ann arbor, Crime, Crime prevention, Crime watch, Criminality, Dei, Democrats, Inclusion, Inclusivity, Leftist, Liberal, Michigan, Neighborhood crime watch, Neighborhood watch, Neighborhood watch programs, Police protection, Public safety, Retardation, Safe spaces, Surveillance, Taxpayer dollars, Politics 

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Outrage erupts over new passport celebrating America’s 250th — and guess whose image is on it

The White House revealed a plan to include a new image on an updated passport design meant to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding, and many on the left are outraged.

The limited edition passport now bearing the image of President Donald Trump will not be issued for all renewals, but only for people who seek the special issue at the Washington Passport Agency, according to the State Department.

‘No one can step up to stop this crazy s**t?’

“These passports will feature customized artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure documents in the world,” said Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the State Department.

The Trump passports will be available shortly before the Fourth of July, and between 25,000 and 30,000 will be published.

Critics lodged their outrage on social media, with many falsely assuming that they would be forced to use the new passport design.

“It’s going to take the government so long to get his f**king face off of everything,” Democratic activist Adam Parkhomenko responded.

“You have got to be kidding me,” attorney Mike Levin said.

“No sitting president has ever done this. Coins, park passes, battleships, and now your passport. The man cannot find a surface he will not slap his name or face on. This is not patriotism. It is vanity,” Levin added.

“Do we all have to look like Trump or will these passport include our photos, too?!?” former Obama adviser David Axelrod joked.

“I’ve never been so relieved to have already renewed my passport,” said Mary Trump, the president’s niece.

“Why are the checks and balances in the US government not working? No one can step up to stop this crazy s**t?” another detractor said.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office mocked the announcement with a fake image of California licenses including the governor’s face.

RELATED: Trump administration mocks outrage of ‘unhinged leftists’ as construction of ballroom begins at White House

Others however, loved the idea.

“I am not due for a passport, but I am getting one of these beauties. It’s a piece of history,” one X user said.

“I love this!” Laura Loomer said.

A Polymarket trading exchange put the chances of Trump’s image being published on a passport at 73% after the announcement.

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​Trump passport design, 250th us anniversary, Trump image on passport, Liberal outrage, Politics