Category: blaze media

A student who had been suspended for posting materials at a California high school to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement after anti-ICE protests has reportedly gotten some welcome news.

Parents at Torrey Pines High School received a letter in February notifying them of the suspension of the student, a junior, for violating the school’s rule against “conduct that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment.”

‘The law is clear: Public schools must allow students to peacefully express their political opinions.’

The message on the flyers simply read, “I Love ICE from Real Americans,” according to the letter. A screenshot of the letter was posted to social media and quickly went viral in defense of the student, who was not publicly identified.

The media attention led the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression to take up the student’s cause. On Wednesday, the organization said the district had expunged the suspension.

“We’re pleased the school has erased the suspension and will be watching closely to ensure the school respects its students’ First Amendment rights,” FIRE supervising senior attorney Conor Fitzpatrick said in a statement given to Blaze News. “The law is clear: Public schools must allow students to peacefully express their political opinions.”

FIRE also claimed that some of the students in an anti-ICE walkout at the school on February 6 had used aggressive and obscene messages against federal officers.

“If You’re an I.C.E. Agent Ya Mom’s a Hoe!!,” “F**k ICE,” and “ICE is KKK spelled differently” were some of the alleged examples cited by FIRE.

The school said that the walkouts were not sanctioned and that any student who left campus could be marked truant.

In an email statement to Blaze News, the San Dieguito Union High School District denied disciplining any student for their political viewpoint but did not confirm or deny the expungement.

“In general, student discipline matters are confidential under state and federal law, and the District cannot discuss details regarding any individual student or disciplinary action,” the district said.

RELATED: Praise rolls in for high school suspending hundreds of students over anti-ICE walkout: ‘Adults are taking charge’

Soon after the pro-ICE student’s suspension made national headlines, the principal of the school resigned from his position, leading many to suspect that he left to avoid further criticism.

The district said in an email statement to Blaze News that his retirement was unrelated to the controversy.

“School administrators can’t pick and choose which opinions students are allowed to express,” Fitzpatrick added. “Voicing an opinion which makes others upset is not ‘harassment’ or ‘intimidation,’ it is American democracy in action.”

Editor’s note: This article has been edited after publication to include a statement from the school district.

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​Torrey pines high school, Pro-ice poster, Student suspended for ice support, Suspension expunged, Politics 

While Democrats have mainly tried to blame Republicans for the damaging effects of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has admitted her own party’s culpability.

Omar was speaking at a town hall event on Tuesday when she said that Americans were under heightened terror alert, and the shutdown was placing them under needless threat.

‘Ilhan Omar admits Democrats are holding DHS hostage as terrorists want to kill Americans.’

“As many of you know, Democrats said we are not going to pass the appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security unless they agreed to 10 reforms, simple things like unmasking [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents when they were patrolling our communities,” Omar explained.

The partial shutdown is in its 47th day after the federal funding lapsed on Feb. 14.

“So far, the Republicans and the president have refused to say ‘yes’ to any of those reforms,” Omar continued. “Which means the department doesn’t have the resources to be able to pay for not just ICE and [Customs and Border Protection], but they don’t have the resources to pay for [Transportation Security Administration] agents. They don’t have the resources to fund the Coast Guard, to fund our cybersecurity employees.”

She added, “In a time when our terror alarm is higher than usual.”

Video of Omar’s comments were posted to social media by RNC Research with the caption: “Ilhan Omar admits Democrats are holding DHS hostage as terrorists want to kill Americans.”

The DHS shutdown has led to massive lines at some airports after a TSA workforce shortage resulted from paychecks being delayed.

While Omar is trying to warn Americans that the DHS shutdown puts them under greater threat of terror attack, she also previously said that there were conversations underway to dismantle DHS.

RELATED: Ilhan Omar rants that Trump wants to sleep with his daughter and calls his supporters ‘stupid’

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel has said that terror threats against the U.S. have more than doubled from 299 incidents in 2020 to 640 incidents in 2025.

Omar is facing a challenge for the Democratic primary against her re-election campaign after keeping the seat since first elected in 2018. Julie Le is a former DHS attorney who was removed after complaining to a judge that she was overworked and said the system “sucks” and her job also “sucks.”

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BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales didn’t previously have high hopes for liberals like Don Lemon, Nancy Pelosi, or Leslie Jones — but recent comments the three have made have set her expectations even lower.

“The other thing that the internet is really good for are videos of liberal losers,” Gonzales says before playing a clip of Lemon “hinting at a potential run for president.”

“I think I could be president of the United States,” Lemon said. “I could definitely run this country better than Donald Trump.”

“As an independent, though, there would be a hard time for me to run for anything because, you know, the way the system is set up, I’d have to choose a side. And so, you know, I probably would have to become a Democrat,” Lemon concluded.

Gonzales is amused.

“He would have to become a Democrat. That is hilarious. … This criminal, whose only accomplishment is terrorizing churchgoers, thinks for one second that he could be president,” she says.

And Pelosi’s comments weren’t much better.

“We always have concerns, but with this president and these Republicans who have no commitment to the rule of law and doing things the appropriate way, we’re ready. We have to be on guard as to what they may try to do to the technology,” Pelosi said in an interview on MS NOW.

“They may try to creep into the technology and create a false count,” she added.

“Oh, interesting, because back in my day, if you even mentioned that voting machines could be hacked, you would be sued into oblivion. So, it’s a very interesting turn of events to hear Nancy Pelosi admit that that was possible,” Gonzales comments, before turning her attention to former SNL cast member Leslie Jones.

“She, in all her brilliance, decided that marriage is slavery,” she says, playing a clip of Jones on Ziwe’s podcast.

“I think marriage is legalized slavery,” Jones stated.

“If he’s expecting you to be a trad wife, he might as well pull out a whip and a chain,” she continued.

Jones went on to advise the young audience not to get married.

“Obviously, trad wives, the trade-off is that their husbands are out working, and they get to stay home. It’s actually a total blessing. Women love that if they are in a position where they are able to do that,” Gonzales comments.

“But I’m not even convinced that Leslie Jones is a woman after hearing her speak. So, maybe that’s why she doesn’t quite get it,” she adds.

​Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Don lemon, Nancy pelosi, Leslie jones, Marriage is slavery, Liberals, Conservatives 

A friendly podcast interview turned into a harrowing ordeal when comedian Leslie Jones faced every celebrity’s nightmare: having to justify her progressive beliefs.

In a recent appearance on writer and comedian Ziwe’s YouTube show “You’d Be an Iconic Guest,” the “Saturday Night Live” alum was her usual confident self, offering her takes on race, marriage, and culture.

Confident, that is, until the host began challenging Jones’ logic.

‘If he expecting you to be a trad wife, might as well pull out a whip and a chain.’

Ball and chain

After Jones said she finds “powerful men” like President Barack Obama attractive, Ziwe suggested that this proclivity might be interpreted as “submissive.”

“Could you be a trad wife, is what I’m asking,” the host added.

“Absolutely f**king not,” Jones replied.

When pressed to clarify, Jones expanded her contempt to marriage in general.

“Because that’s not who the f**k I am. And my daddy didn’t raise me like that,” Jones asserted. “To be anybody’s wife. My dad used to literally say that to me, ‘I didn’t raise you to be somebody’s wife.'”

“That’s so brave,” Ziwe replied, in a tone that suggested the opposite.

Undaunted — or unaware — Jones brought her rant to a bold conclusion: “I think marriage is legalized slavery.”

RELATED: Leslie Jones wants every ICE employee to go to prison: ‘Y’all know y’all did wrong stuff!’

Guys and gays

Ziwe, demonstrating an impressive restraint, calmly encouraged her guest to pursue her bizarre line of thought.

“Say more. Because if I’m thinking about slavery and I’m thinking about marriage, there are two different images that come into my head.”

“Absolutely not,” Jones came back. “I don’t know how you don’t. A man is, especially if he expecting you to be a trad wife, might as well pull out a whip and a chain.”

“I don’t believe in … marriage. … And I don’t think it’s beneficial for a woman at all,” Jones went on.

As Jones’ irritation mounted, Ziwe ramped up the trolling, asking her guest which cause she cared less about: gay rights or men’s rights.

“Male rights,” Jones replied. “Because f**k them, they already got rights.”

RELATED: Woke, foul-mouthed comic Leslie Jones promises to put her ‘foot right up your … a**es’ if any of you dare protest drag queens

Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images

Again, Ziwe pressed Jones to explain.

When Jones said something about men needing to “evolve,” Ziwe countered by bringing up a recent incident in which the NBA reprimanded Jones for disrupting a game while sitting courtside.

“So it’s interesting as you talk about how men should do better and get better. You’re barking at a, you know, young 24-year-old doing their job … what’s the logic there?” the host asked.

Jones confirmed the incident, offering no justification other than her age: “I’m 58 … I should be able to do whatever I want.”

Therapy session

As the interview went on, Jones became increasingly exasperated, likening it to an interrogation, asking for her publicist, and at one point musing, “My career about to be over ’cause I think I’m going to attack this person.”

The interview culminated with Ziwe — demonstrating an impressive command of progressive-ese — calling out Jones for not watching her show before her appearance.

“You’ve never engaged with my work at all as a black woman? … Wow. And so you’re talking about breaking the glass ceiling and how men should do better. And you have a black woman sitting across from you, and you can’t even think to engage with her work[?]”

While Jones gamely stayed for the entire interview, despite her evident discomfort, she did admit it was not an enjoyable experience. “I’m gonna need therapy after this.”

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​Align, Comedy, Leslie jones, Stand-up comedy, Progressive, Ziwe, Podcast, Politics, Marriage, Entertainment 

California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is trying to deflect blame after a report of massive fraud draining taxpayer money in the Golden State.

The report is based on interviews with officials and experts as well as analysis of audits, data from local governments, criminal indictments, and other public records and found that tens of billions of dollars are likely being stolen right under the watch of Democrat political leaders.

‘Fraud here is colossal, rampant, ongoing, and well-documented.’

Newsom fired back but also tried to escape responsibility for the fraud.

“Money laundering is fraud. Information laundering, where unsourced slop gets laundered through multiple right wing ‘news’ outlets is fraud on the public,” wrote Newsom’s press office on social media.

“The NY Comic Book cites ‘facts’ completely unsourced, thinly sourced, or simply made up by by [sic] right wing activists posing as ‘journalists,’ with a straight face, knowing that other outlets and social media will misleadingly repeat and amplify,” his office added.

BlazeTV host Christopher Rufo, one of the authors of the report, responded to the governor on Fox Business.

“Gavin Newsom is definitely becoming associated with the word ‘fraud,’ but it’s not for fighting it. It’s for enabling it,” said Rufo.

“Even under the most conservative estimates, experts from Harvard, from the Department of Health and Human Services, from LexisNexis’ fraud division have told us that the fraud in California is unprecedented, it represents the largest financial crime in American history, and scammers have been stealing billions of dollars for years,” he added.

RELATED: Entire board of directors at California charter school resigns after allegations of massive fraud

“Some estimates say as high as $50 or $60 billion dollars a year from the state of California, from federal taxpayers, who actually send money to the state,” Rufo concluded.

“This reputation is catching up with the governor. He’s going to try to run away from it, but the facts are not on his side.”

The report found that the sum of fraud just under Newsom’s watch may already have cost taxpayers the staggering sum of $180 billion.

“Fraud here is colossal, rampant, ongoing, and well-documented,” wrote the California Post editorial board.

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​Newsom on calif fraud, Billions of dollars of fraud, Massive california fraud, Christopher rufo vs newsom, Politics 

Graham Platner, a middle-aged oyster farmer and Marine veteran, is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate in Maine, hoping to beat Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in the June 9 primary and to ultimately unseat the Republican incumbent, Sen. Susan Collins, in the general election.

Platner — who says he’s “running against the billionaire class that owns [Susan Collins] and all of Washington” — has not only survived but thrived in the face of numerous scandals of his own making.

Now it appears that critics have found yet another damning social media post from the candidate.

‘The left will love him more.’

An apparent screenshot of a 2012 Reddit post now making the rounds on X shows the following commentary from user P-Hustle, Platner’s old handle:

I’ve spent 8 years in the infantry, Marine Corps and Army, and I’ve been about as crudely atheist as one can be the entire time (zombie jesus jokes and Mary sucking at covering up being a skank, as examples). Promotion came like normal, and most of my fellow grunts had a similarly cynical attitude towards religion. Sure, there have been a few bible thumpers I’ve run into, but it was certainly never systemic.

The comment appears to be in response to the case of Jeremy Hall, an atheist who accused the military of becoming a Christian organization.

Blaze News reached out to Platner’s campaign for confirmation and comment but did not receive a response by deadline.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee said in response to Platner’s alleged mockery of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, “Just when you think Graham Platner can’t get any worse.”

The Maine Republican Party said in response to the post attributed to Platner, “This SHOULD be disqualifying but Maine’s leftist base has given Platner a pass on literally everything.”

RELATED: Senate Republicans tried to cave on Trump’s agenda

Sofia Aldinio/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Last year, numerous other inflammatory Reddit posts came to light, including posts in which Platner apparently identified as a communist, branded rural white Americans as racists, suggested service members worried about being raped should buy “Kevlar underwear,” and smeared all police officers as “bastards.”

Within days of Platner apologizing for his past posts and blaming them on a state of “disillusionment” following his return from Afghanistan, the Democratic candidate was outed for having an apparent “totenkopf” tattoo on his chest — a skull image popularized by Adolf Hitler’s Schutzstaffel elite guard and adopted as the symbol of the SS-Totenkopfverbande, the branch that guarded the concentration camps.

Although Platner appears to have had the tattoo covered up, members of his campaign still jumped ship. Leftist lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich (N.M.) continued, however, to support Platner’s campaign.

Nazi tattoo and rape jokes notwithstanding, he even picked up a few endorsements. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), for instance, endorsed Platner late last month, noting in a video statement, “Graham Platner has the grit to go against the grain and to fight for what is right.”

“Nazi tattoo; blaming rape victims; voters are dumb and racist; fake oyster biz financed by an Epstein associate; says black people don’t tip; former mercenary; etc etc etc,” wrote the Maine GOP. “Now this. But the left will love him more.”

Justin Davis, director of public affairs for the National Rifle Association, tweeted, “Maine by the numbers: 22% of voting Mainers are Catholic. Roughly 50% are Republican[.] Roughly 50% are Democrats[.] 100% of them will not take kindly to @grahamformaine calling the blessed Mother Mary a ‘skank.'”

Prior to the resurfacing of his alleged anti-Christian remarks, polling indicated that Platner was poised to clean up in the Democratic primary.

An Emerson College poll conducted last week found that Platner led Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) by 27 percentage points, 55% to 28%. A recent poll conducted by Impact Research put the left-leaning populist even further ahead, leading Mills 66% to 28%.

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​Graham platner, Platner, Maine, Communist, Communism, Populism, Populist, Nazi, Christianity, Christ, Christians, Mary, Virgin mary, Politics 

President Donald Trump has officially fired Pam Bondi from her post as attorney general, and another administration official is expected to replace her.

Several reports indicated that Bondi’s firing was imminent after months of prolonged scrutiny, particularly over her mishandling of the Epstein files, which quickly became an Achilles’ heel for the administration. An administration official told Blaze News that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is Trump’s top pick to replace Bondi after the two met and discussed the role on Tuesday.

‘We love Pam.’

Bondi is expected to become the second Cabinet official to leave the administration, following the departure of former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump announced in a Truth Social post. “Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900.”

RELATED: ‘Catching you red-handed!’ Massie gets sassy with Bondi over Epstein redactions

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

“We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future, and our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General,” Trump added. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Tensions over the attorney general’s performance reached a fever pitch after Bondi apparently failed to adequately comply with the law, which Trump himself signed, requiring the release of all Epstein files, prompting calls for her removal.

RELATED: Trump makes big appearance in Epstein files — just not the way Democrats may have hoped

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Critics noted that the release of these files was repeatedly delayed and that the files had been at times improperly redacted to protect potential co-conspirators while revealing the identity of alleged victims. In a heated House Oversight hearing back in February, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) ripped into Bondi over the Epstein files rollout, saying it was “literally the worst thing you could do to the survivors.”

During this hearing, Bondi also attempted to argue that the Epstein files were just another Democrat ploy to distract from Trump’s accomplishments, infamously noting that the Dow Jones had surpassed 50,000 points.

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​Donald trump, Thomas massie, Pam bondi, Kristi noem, Attorney general, Department of justice, Doj, Trump cabinet, Epstein files, Lee zeldin, Politics, Todd blanche 

New England Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel says there is “a fine line” between personal expression and not being inclusive enough.

The coach and former Patriots player spoke to media in a formal setting on Tuesday and fielded questions about one of the team’s star running backs.

‘We’re trying to educate them.’

Particularly, Vrabel was asked about TreVeyon Henderson, who responded to the falling-out a Chicago Bulls player had with his team this week. The Bulls released player Jaden Ivey after he expressed disagreement with gay pride celebrations in the NBA while stating his support for Christianity.

In response to the story, Henderson, who describes himself as a “follower of Jesus Christ,” posted a series of Bible verses on his X account and only one time provided his own commentary.

“What path will you choose?” Henderson wrote, alongside images of Bible verses.

Vrabel was asked by a reporter how he differentiates between conduct that is detrimental to a team — the Bulls’ official reason for releasing Ivey — and a player’s right to personal expression.

“I think there is a fine line. I’m gonna tell you, I love TreVeyon,” Vrabel quickly replied. “I love the person. He cares deeply about our team. He cares deeply about his faith. He cares deeply about his family, his wife, the people in our building, and so I want [the players] to be able to express what they believe in their heart and in their mind.”

That was Vrabel’s setup before pivoting toward progressive ideology.

“But I also want to make sure that they’re educated, and we want to be inclusive,” he said firmly.

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

Henderson’s posts hardly amounted to anything other than a copy and paste of Scripture. However, Coach Vrabel implied the posts could make others feel uncomfortable or possibly harm the team.

He also suggested that everyone with the Patriots “wants to provide an environment for people to, one, feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs. And then also we represent the team, and we represent the organization.”

Vrabel continued, saying that while his players cannot have their phones taken away from them, they certainly need to be educated, a term he repeatedly used.

“We just want to educate them to — never going to tell them how to feel. Certainly want to make sure that they understand that their actions represent something more than just themselves.”

He concluded, “So I do think there’s a fine line. We’re always talking about those kinds of things. We’re trying to educate them.”

RELATED: Chicago Bulls drop Christian player just hours after he criticized Pride Month: ‘I know Jesus is the way’

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Henderson was his team’s top running back last season, garnering 911 yards on 180 carries in his rookie season. Carries were split with now-sixth-year player Rhamondre Stephenson, who had 603 yards on 130 carries.

Despite Henderson leading the team, he is listed as New England’s second-string for the upcoming season by ESPN, likely because Stevenson had double the number of carries in the NFL playoffs.

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One-half of the sibling pair charged in connection with an IED discovered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa allegedly consulted an AI bot to help the other sibling flee the country.

Alen is believed to still be in China.

After Alen Zheng, 20, allegedly planted the bomb at the base visitor center last month, his sister Ann Mary Zheng, 27, allegedly used ChatGPT to help Alen escape to China. Federal prosecutors claim that she asked the bot:

how to obtain a Chinese visa,how they might transfer ownership of some of Alen’s belongings to her, andto find schools in China that Alen might be able to attend.

Ann Mary is accused of helping Alen cover his tracks and then evade capture. She has been charged with evidence tampering and assisting after the fact and faces up to 30 years if convicted. She appeared in court on Tuesday regarding possible pretrial release, though the judge has not yet issued a ruling.

RELATED: China caught ‘trying to disrupt our justice system’: DOJ accuses 10 Chinese spies and communist agents of ‘malign schemes’

WD Stuart/Getty Images

A 911 call to report the bomb came in on March 11, but investigators found nothing in their initial search of the base. An IED was later discovered on March 16. The device never detonated, but officials have described it as “viable” and “potentially very deadly.”

​Chatgpt, Macdill air force base, Ann mary zheng, Alen zheng, Tampa, China, Ied, Politics 

President Donald Trump has announced plans to issue paychecks to Department of Homeland Security employees amid the ongoing partial shutdown, which has left Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay for weeks and jammed up airport security lines nationwide.

TSA agents’ last full paycheck was on Feb. 14. Nearly 500 workers have quit since the shutdown started, and the callout rate reached 11.83% as of March 26, CNN reported.

‘Defund-the-police Democrats have kept @DHSgov closed in an attempt to slow down ICE’s efforts to remove murderers, rapists.’

Trump previously directed the DHS to work with the Office of Management and Budget “to use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations to provide TSA employees with the compensation and benefits that would have accrued to them if not for the Democrat-led DHS shutdown, consistent with applicable law.”

As a result of Trump’s directive, on March 30, many TSA workers received at least part of their overdue pay after missing two full paychecks.

On Thursday, Trump announced additional steps to ensure all DHS employees receive their wages.

“Republicans are UNIFIED, and moving forward on a plan that will reload funding for our FANTASTIC Border Patrol and Immigration Enforcement Officers,” Trump wrote in a post on social media.

RELATED: Senate approves DHS funding — but there’s a catch

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

Trump criticized Democrats for being “fully and 100% committed to the Radical Left Policy of Open Borders and Zero Immigration Enforcement” that has allowed unvetted “Murderers and Criminals of all types” into the United States. He added that he hopes their actions will “cost them dearly in the Midterms!”

The president stated that he would take executive action to address the ongoing issue.

“I will soon sign an order to pay ALL of the incredible employees at the Department of Homeland Security,” Trump wrote. “Their families have suffered far too long at the hands of the Extreme Liberal ‘Leaders,’ Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and Hakeem ‘High Tax’ Jeffries.”

Trump declared that “help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants who have continued to work hard, and do their part to protect and defend our Country.”

RELATED: Delta revokes major travel perk for Congress amid ongoing DHS shutdown

Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg/Getty Images

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin thanked the president for his latest announcement.

“For over a month, the defund-the-police Democrats have kept @DHSgov closed in an attempt to slow down ICE’s efforts to remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from our country and open our borders. Time and time again the Democrats have prioritized violent illegal aliens over American citizens,” Mullin wrote.

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​News, Markwayne mullin, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Border patrol, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Transportation security administration, Tsa, Chuck schumer, Hakeem jeffries, Dhs shutdown, Politics 

Social media was taken by storm this week when reporting by the Daily Mail revealed that Kristi Noem’s husband, Bryon Noem, was allegedly chatting up women from the “bimbofication” fetish scene.

However, not only was he allegedly praising the heavily augmented appearances of the women he spoke to — but he was allegedly sending them photos of himself wearing leggings, a flesh-colored, skintight suit, and what appear to be balloons mimicking large breasts under his top.

“I heard a really, really interesting story about this. So he [allegedly] liked to message online porn performers and send them money. Allegedly, he sent them up to $25,000. And the obvious place you go with this is, ‘Hey, his behavior could have left Kristi Noem vulnerable to blackmail,’” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales comments.

And according to an article from the New York Post, Noem herself responded that she was “blindsided.”

However, Gonzales isn’t buying it.

“Are you really blindsided by something like that? Like, you really have no idea that your husband likes to cross-dress and he’s sending up to $25,000 to online porn stars?” Gonzales asks.

“In our marriage,” Gonzales tells her husband, Stephen, “that just literally would not be possible to be blindsided by.”

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Kristi noem, Bimbofication, Kristi noem husband, Bryon noem 

The Maven Smart System is briefly explained in the “one-pager,” a Palantir-produced document that frames the system as an “AI-enabled platform” for something called Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control. The prose is the sterile, aspirational language of the Pentagon, emphasizing a “live, synchronized view of the battlespace,” the language of “decision advantage,” a phrase that suggests we can outthink our adversaries by processing data more accurately.

MSS is no longer an AI prototype. It has become a durable layer in the military’s information architecture, a Program of Record transitioned to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in 2023.

In the first 24 hours alone, the system processed a thousand targets.

The money is real and the timelines are long: a $480 million Army contract in 2024, followed by a $795 million modification in 2025, both reaching toward 2029. There is also a $99.8 million vehicle designed to expand access across the services. MSS is a story of how an automation effort for drone video became the epistemic infrastructure for modern American war.

Birth of a twin

The precondition for MSS was a crisis of human attention. In 2017, Deputy Secretary Robert O. Work issued a memo establishing the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team, nicknamed Project Maven. The problem was simple and overwhelming: They had too much data and not enough eyes. Enormous volumes of full-motion video from unmanned systems were piling up, outstripping the capacity of human analysts to “process, exploit, and disseminate” them. The initial goal was simple: data labeling and algorithms to detect, classify, and alert.

By the time the project evolved into the Maven Smart System, it had become an apparatus that observes, organizes, and normalizes the battlespace. At its heart is the “Maven Ontology,” described as an operational “digital twin.” In this world, the messy heterogeneity of war (the images, the reports, the movement) is translated into a queryable database of objects, properties, and links. The analyst no longer interprets raw feeds; he operates on already-structured objects. The battlespace becomes a manipulable database.

The interface itself (Gaia for mapping, Maverick and Target Nexus for identification) is designed for scaling. It includes LLM-powered workflows and an Agent Studio in which users can build interactive assistants to query the ontology in natural language. One can ask for “detections of X” across thousands of objects and receive an answer in seconds. These interfaces are sometimes described as video game-like, which captures the ease of navigation while minimizing the gravity of the destruction it represents.

RELATED: Trump acted first — and the ‘experts’ are furious because it worked

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

By early 2026, the user base had doubled to 20,000 active participants, a scaling that found its ultimate expression in Operation Epic Fury. In the first 24 hours alone, the system processed a thousand targets, with many thousands more to follow. This is the kill chain compressed from hours to minutes, an acceleration that effectively removes the friction of deliberation. War is no longer an event to be survived, but a dataset to be optimized, a feedback loop in which the destruction of the target serves primarily to improve the next detection.

How fast is too fast?

The logic of the platform is “fight-tonight” readiness and “rapid sensor-to-shooter engagements.” The Marine Corps speaks of a “fully digital workflow” for target management, pressuring the military toward a tempo in which speed is the organizing value. Yet the demands of war require discrimination and proportionality, context-sensitive reasoning that cannot be scaled by a Model Catalog.

The danger is the category error: treating the output of the machine as if it were a judgment. Humans have a tendency to “automation bias,” to over-trust the platform, especially under the crushing pressure of time. When the system pre-structures perception and prioritization, responsibility is dispersed through chains of mediation and eroded before human approval is even requested.

The platform is spreading through sale and licensing agreements like enterprise software. NATO has adopted “MSS NATO” for Allied Command Operations, with training already integrating the system into exercises and simulations. In the U.S. Army, the fielding is rapid, with training described as an “accelerated learning effort.” Software now changes faster than doctrine, habits, or the slower virtues of judgment.

The Pentagon has “Responsible AI Guidelines” and strategy documents that emphasize the ability to disengage or deactivate systems with unintended behavior. These frameworks exist in constant tension with the platform’s own gravity within the process, which pulls toward more data, more detections, and faster workflows.

We are left with a question of agency. In the MSS architecture, control is lost or found in how the targets are modeled, how the alerts are tuned, and how the ontology is constructed. The system is built to make war more legible and therefore more actionable. Legibility, however, is not the same as understanding. One wonders if “decision advantage” can truly co-exist with the capacity to consider, to scrutinize, or to refuse a path that a platform has already made so efficient.

​Tech, Pentagon, Palantir, Iran, Epic fury, Battlespace, War 

A male suspected of fatally shooting two men just hours and miles apart Sunday in Attala County, Mississippi, allegedly attempted to break into a home — but the armed homeowner was ready for him.

Authorities told WLBT-TV the first shooting occurred around 1 p.m. when deputies and EMS were dispatched to County Road 1107 after a man had been shot in the road.

‘There is no way to explain that.’

Tim Lawrence, 67, was pronounced dead at the scene, the station said.

Chris Hughes, 41, was identified as a suspect, and authorities were told that Hughes had been picked up and was a passenger in a gray GM truck, WLBT reported.

Deputies at 3:20 p.m. were dispatched to yet another shooting on Country Road 1141, the station said.

A gray GM truck matching the description of the vehicle Hughes was believed to be in was found wrecked, and the driver — 46-year-old Jeffery Mallet Jr. — had been shot, WLBT reported. Mallet later was pronounced dead, the station said.

Authorities said Mallet and Hughes were cousins, WAPT-TV reported.

The two shooting scenes were approximately four miles apart, WLBT noted, adding that as a manhunt was underway, a perimeter was secured, checkpoints were set up throughout the area, and multiple drones and a state highway patrol helicopter were deployed.

RELATED: Armed male enters Florida home, won’t leave — then threatens homeowner while advancing toward him. But victim also is armed.

A search warrant was executed on Hughes’ home, but the residence was found empty, WLBT said.

Soon after, gunshots were heard, and law enforcement went toward them to find Hughes tried to break into a homeowner’s back door, WLBT reported.

But WLBT said the homeowner fired a weapon, striking Hughes.

EMS was dispatched, and Hughes was taken to a hospital where he later was pronounced dead, WLBT noted.

“There is no way to explain that,” Attala County Sheriff Curtis Pope told WAPT. “No matter how long you’re in this business, every situation is different.”

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​Crime thwarted, 2nd amend., Guns, Gun rights, Fatal shooting, Attempted home invasion, Mississippi, Murder suspect, Crime 

President Donald Trump characterized Operation Epic Fury as a successful military operation that is “nearing completion” in his address to the nation on Wednesday evening.

Although he struck a celebratory tone — lauding, for instance, American armed forces’ “swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield” — Trump suggested that the increasingly unpopular conflict will continue for at least two or three more weeks, during which time the U.S. will purportedly “bring [Iran] back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”

‘Hollywood delusions have so poisoned your minds.’

While well-received by some in America — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), for instance, said that it was “the best speech I could’ve hoped for” — remnants of the Iranian regime were less receptive to Trump’s remarks.

Tasnim News Agency, a state media outfit associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that Amir Hatami, the commander in chief of the Iranian Regular Armed Forces, advised his subordinates to “monitor enemy movements and actions with maximum vigilance, analyzing them moment by moment, and to implement countermeasures against enemy assaults at the appropriate time.”

Hatami reportedly noted further that in the event of a ground invasion into Iran, “not a single individual should survive.”

RELATED: Trump says Iran asked for a ceasefire — but the US has one major condition

Explosion in Tehran. Contributor/Getty Images

In addition to vowing counterattacks, Hatami framed Trump’s speech as confirmation that the U.S. and Israel intend to “erase Iran’s name and existence.”

Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, shared a statement on X stressing that Iranians “give everything — everything we’ve got — for the land we love.”

“We are not warmongers,” continued Ghalibaf. “But when the time comes to defend our homeland, every last one of us becomes a soldier.”

The speaker claimed that roughly seven million Iranians have committed to picking up arms in defense of their country. He then concluded with the challenge, “Bring it on.”

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters — the outfit that coordinates Iran’s joint military operations — said in a video statement on Thursday that American and Israeli intelligence about Iranian military might “is incomplete” and that their alleged faulty assumptions “will only deepen the quagmire in which you have trapped yourselves.”

Zolfaghari suggested further that “this war will continue until your humiliation, disgrace, permanent regret, definite defeat, and surrender.”

Seyed Majid Moosavi, an Iranian military commander presently running the IRGC Aerospace Force, said in response to War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s echo of Trump’s “Stone Age” threat, “It is you who are taking your soldiers to their graves, not Iran, whom you seek to drag back to the Stone Age. Hollywood delusions have so poisoned your minds that, with your paltry 250-year history, you threaten a civilization over 6,000 years old.”

While Iranian regimists responded especially poorly to Trump’s speech, oil prices and the markets also reacted in an unfavorable manner.

Brent crude oil was trading at under $100 per barrel on Wednesday prior to the president’s remarks. It shot up afterward in intraday trading to over $108 per barrel and remained over $107 on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average reportedly dropped by 1.3% on Thursday; the S&P 500 dropped 1.2%; and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.7%.

As promised, the U.S. continued its aerial attack on Iran in the wake of Trump’s speech, allegedly wounding former Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi — an adviser to the government whom the New York Times reported was apparently helping to facilitate peace talks between Vice President JD Vance and Iranian authorities.

Iran, in turn, launched numerous missiles at Israel and neighboring Arab states on Thursday.

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​War, Iran, Conflict, Foreign entanglement, Interventionism, Tehran, Military, Stone ages, Donald trump, Trump, Politics 

For decades, the abortion debate has revolved around a single question: When does life begin? Scientists are asked to answer it. Legislators argue over it. Courts try to define it. Activists debate heartbeats, brain waves, viability, and development.

But while this question is important, it is not the most important question. The real question is what gives human life value.

The abortion debate will never be settled by science, politics, or emotional arguments. It is ultimately about where human value comes from.

If human life has no intrinsic value, then it does not really matter when life begins. And if human life does have intrinsic value, then the moment a human life exists, it must be protected. The entire issue hinges not on biology, but on value.

Biology shows life, not value

Modern science has made one fact undeniable: from the moment of conception, a new human organism exists. This is basic embryology. A distinct human life begins at fertilization with its own DNA, its own development, and its own biological trajectory.

Science is very good at describing life. It can measure heartbeats, detect brain activity, and observe development in remarkable detail. But science has a limitation: It can describe life, but it cannot assign value to it.

A microscope cannot tell us that murder is wrong. DNA cannot tell us that humans have rights. A heartbeat cannot tell us that a life is sacred.

Science describes what is. It cannot tell us what ought to be. Value, morality, and justice must come from somewhere else.

The image of God

The Bible answers the value question in the very first chapter. Genesis 1:27 says that God created man in His own image. This is one of the most important statements in all of Scripture, because it explains why human life has value at all.

Human beings are not valuable because they are intelligent, strong, independent, or useful. Human beings are valuable because they are made in the image of God.

This is not poetry. It is ontology — a statement about what man is. The image of God is the foundation of human dignity, human rights, and justice itself. Remove the image of God, and there is no objective reason why humans should be treated differently from animals. Rights become preferences, and justice becomes power.

The image of God is what makes human life sacred.

RELATED: We must resist a culture that redefines death as dignity

Mininyx Doodle/Getty Images

Value comes from what something is

One of the great errors of modern thinking is the idea that human value comes from ability or development. Our culture often assigns value based on intelligence, awareness, or productivity. But abilities exist on a spectrum. Some humans are more intelligent than others. Some are stronger than others. Some are more developed than others.

If value comes from ability, then human rights belong only to the strong, the intelligent, and the capable. But justice requires something far more stable than ability. Justice requires that human value be tied to what a human is, not what a human can do.

And what is man? Man is the creature made in the image of God.

The image of God does not grow over time. It is not earned by development. It is not granted by government. It does not appear at birth or increase with intelligence. It is inherent to what man is from the moment he exists.

If a human exists, the image of God exists

Once we understand that human value comes from the image of God, the abortion debate becomes much clearer. The question is no longer about heartbeats or brain waves or viability. It becomes much simpler: When does a human begin to exist?

And the answer to that question is at conception. All things begin at their beginning.

We do not say a tree begins halfway through its growth or that a river begins miles downstream. Things are defined by their beginning, not by later stages of development.

From the moment a human exists, the image of God exists, human value exists, and justice demands protection for that human life.

The issue is not development, location, or independence. The only issue is what the child is: a human being made in the image and likeness of God.

RELATED: James Talarico found a verse — and twisted the meaning

Danielle Villasana/Getty Images

The debate is about value

This is why the abortion debate will never be settled by science, politics, or emotional arguments. It is ultimately about where human value comes from.

If value comes from society, then society can decide who has value and who does not. If value comes from ability, then the strong will always rule over the weak. If value comes from preference, then power decides everything.

But if value comes from God, then every human life — born or unborn, strong or weak, wanted or unwanted — has equal worth because every human bears the image of the Creator.

Once we understand that human value comes from the image of God, the conclusion becomes unavoidable. To destroy that life is not merely to end a biological process — it is to destroy a human being who reflects the Creator Himself.

The doctrine of the imago Dei does not allow for partial justice, developmental value, or conditional protection. The image of God demands that every human life be treated with equal justice from the moment that life begins.

Because human value does not come from development, ability, or location. Human value comes from God.

​Pro life, Abortion, Roe v wade, Dobbs v. jackson, Image of god, Imago dei, Human life, Conception, Human rights, Opinion & analysis 

The New Democratic Party of Canada recently held a leadership convention in Winnipeg, which took a series of chaotic turns as delegates clashed over pronouns, privilege rules, accessibility issues, and speaking rights.

“That’s the far left. They’ve never had someone attain the level of, say, prime minister. They’ve been around since the ’60s. So they’ve been out there, and they’re just an entertaining lot when they gather to get official business done at the National Democrat Party,” Malinak explains.

And clips from the convention do not disappoint.

The clips reveal the use of “equity cards,” which were handed out to delegates based on identity categories like gender, race, sexuality, and indigenous status. Delegates who had said “equity cards” were allowed to jump the line to ensure equal representation in debates.

As the clips reveal, however, the delegates did not debate on issues like cost of living or crime — but rather why they deserved to be holding one of the equity cards.

“I’m sorry, just real quick point of personal privilege,” one transgender delegate said. “I understand there’s very little time for delegates to speak, but … it’s hard as a racialized and transgender delegate to sometimes use this card and speak to somebody in front of me in line and ask, ‘Hey, this pertains to multiple intersecting parts of my lived experience. I’d like to speak.’”

“I was rejected when I talked, and it’s frustrating when these are my rights being directly under attack right now in Alberta and that a cisgender woman had spoken over me, and I understand her rights are important too, this pertains to her too, but I don’t know,” the transgender “woman” continued.

“I hope that in the future, the federal NDP will also have a broader interpretation of the equity cards for speakers,” he added.

“These people,” Gray comments, “if they were left to their own devices, they’d be dead because they have so many rules and so many things that offend them and so much stuff that you can’t do around them or say to them.”

“That is mental illness on display,” Malinak adds.

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​Pat gray unleashed, Pat gray, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, New democratic party of canada, Pronouns, Equity cards, Trans activism, Lgbtqia, Equity and inclusion, Keith malinak 

Democrats have spoken out of both sides of their mouths on the matter of redistricting.

Proposed changes to congressional maps that would boost Democrats’ chances in elections are, on the one hand, purportedly a means to “help level the playing field,” a way to “restore fairness,” and — in the words of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger — a “response to what we’re seeing in other states that have taken extreme measures to undermine democratic norms.”

‘Gerrymandering is when politicians manipulate the maps in order to predetermine the outcome.’

When faced with proposed changes to congressional maps that threaten their power, Democrats have alternatively likened redistricting efforts to the Holocaust, called them “a threat to democracy,” and characterized them as “authoritarian.”

This hypocrisy has proven to be an issue for proponents of Virginia’s proposed constitutional amendment, which is on the ballot in the April 21 special election.

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee — a supporter of voting “yes” in the gerrymandering referendum that would all but ensure that 10 out of the state’s 11 congressional seats go to Democrats — complained on Thursday about opponents of the proposed amendment turning to former President Barack Obama for support.

“A MAGA-aligned dark money group is trying to fool Virginia voters with a dishonest mailer that features an unauthorized photo of President Barack Obama and lies about his position on the Virginia referendum,” the NDRC said.

“The ‘No’ campaign and its allied MAGA-funded dark money groups are so terrified of the voters that they are resorting to desperate, deceptive tactics like this one to spread misinformation and lies,” said John Bisognano, president of the NDRC. “There is no confusion. President Obama endorses voting YES to stop Trump and his MAGA allies from rigging our elections and to protect the rights and voting power of the American people ahead of the midterms.”

One of the mailers features an image of Obama along with the quote, “For too long, gerrymandering has contributed to stalled progress and warped our representative government,” reported the Virginia Mercury.

While characterized by the NDRC and the NAACP Virginia State Conference as so-called misinformation, the Obama quote is indeed genuine — and its context is damning.

RELATED: Red-state inaction is the soft underbelly of border politics

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Obama wrote in a July 8, 2020, post on X, “For too long, gerrymandering has contributed to stalled progress and warped our representative government. Redistricting begins next year — let’s all do our part to protect and restore our democracy.”

Obama then urged Americans to join him “in the fight for fair maps” — specifically to support a possible constitutional amendment that would curb gerrymandering.

In the video accompanying the former president’s 2020 post, Obama states, “Gerrymandering is a sneaky way for politicians to consolidate as much power as they can.”

Another activist featured in the video adds, “Gerrymandering is when politicians manipulate the maps in order to predetermine the outcome so that it benefits one side over the other.”

‘Barack Obama, Abigail Spanberger, and others have already spoken against this kind of gerrymandering.’

Eric Holder, former President Obama’s scandal-plagued attorney general, notes in the video that “you see the greatest amount of voter suppression when you see the greatest amount of gerrymandering.”

Desperate to secure a majority in the U.S. House in the midterm elections, Obama and Democrats have jettisoned their supposedly principled stance from yesteryear and are now speaking out of the other side of their mouths.

Obama, specifically, is supporting the “yes” campaign.

In addition to featuring in a video championing Democrat gerrymandering, he stated last month, “Several Republican-controlled states have redrawn their congressional maps to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterm elections. Now Virginia has a chance to help level the playing field.”

The mailer that highlighted Obama’s hypocrisy and urged voters to “Protect Minority Representation” was sent to Virginia voters last week by the Justice for Democracy PAC, reported the Virginia Independent News.

A similar graphic was reportedly texted to Virginia voters by the Democracy and Justice PAC — which, like Justice for Democracy, is chaired by former Virginia Del. A.C. Cordoza (R) — along with the following message, “President Barack Obama says ‘For too long gerrymandering has contributed to our stalled progress and warped our representative government.’ That’s why it’s important next month to vote NO against Virginia’s redistricting effort.”

As proponents of the gerrymandering initiative melted down over the sight of Obama in the opposition mailers, Cordoza said in a statement to CNN, “No one can refute the accuracy of the quotes we’re presenting. Barack Obama, Abigail Spanberger, and others have already spoken against this kind of gerrymandering — I’m simply reminding voters where they stood.”

A Tazewell County judge ruled on Jan. 27 that the proposed constitutional amendment was unlawful. The Virginia Supreme Court then ruled last month that Virginians can still vote for it in the statewide April referendum, though the commonwealth high court may yet uphold the lower court’s injunction.

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​Gerrymander, Gerrymandering, Redistricting, Redistrict, Spanberger, Barack obama, Obama, Democrat, Democratic, Hypocrisy, Congress, Midterm, Elections, Politics 

Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez (D) recently said the quiet part out loud: If Democrats regain power, they intend to “melt ICE” and “dismantle the Department of Homeland Security.”

Not reform. Not recalibrate. Dismantle.

At this point, no one should be surprised, but everyone should be paying attention.

The window for aligned federal action is limited, and states must be prepared to carry that work forward regardless of what happens in Washington.

Over the past several years, we have seen what a serious approach to border security can look like. Under President Donald Trump, the federal government has taken long overdue steps to restore enforcement at the border, disrupt cartel operations that extend into American communities, and reassert the basic principle that immigration law should be enforced.

But the job is nowhere near finished.

Cartel networks are still heavily embedded in trafficking routes, financial systems, and communities across the country. Interior enforcement remains inconsistent. Local and state cooperation is uneven at best. And despite real progress, the broader homeland defense framework is still fragile — dependent on political will, which can shift overnight.

That fragility is exactly what Ramirez’s comments expose. We are not debating hypotheticals; we are being explicitly told what will happen when the balance of power shifts.

The same agencies tasked with protecting the homeland would be targeted for dismantlement, the enforcement tools that have begun to regain ground would be stripped away, and the limited progress made in confronting transnational criminal networks would be reversed.

This threat is not just rhetoric from some far-left politician. Polling trends are already pointing toward a potential shift in power in the 2026 midterms. That means the window for aligned federal action is limited, and states must be prepared to carry that work forward regardless of what happens in Washington.

RELATED: My message to President Trump: Don’t mess with Texas politics

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Key legislation like the SAVE America Act remains stalled, and DHS is still not fully funded to meet the scale of the challenge, caught in the middle of ongoing congressional budget standoffs. Structural reforms that would lock in enforcement gains for the long-term have yet to materialize. In other words, even with unified control, the system is struggling to deliver the level of security the country requires.

So what happens when that control goes away? We don’t have to guess — we’ve been told.

Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D) has said that under Democratic control, officials carrying out deportations could face mass prosecutions, while taxpayers would be expected to fund reparations for the “trauma” inflicted on foreign nationals.

The largest deportation effort in American history would be halted. Federal enforcement would be curtailed. The focus of immigration policy would shift away from American communities and toward accommodating foreign nationals.

And once that signal is sent from Washington, it will cascade downward — into statehouses, city councils, and law enforcement agencies across America.

This fight cannot be viewed as strictly federal. As I’ve written before, it starts at home. It depends on governors willing to lead, legislatures willing to fund enforcement, and local law enforcement willing to uphold the law consistently and without apology.

Sheriffs, police chiefs, and county officials are not peripheral actors in this system; they are fundamental to whether it succeeds or fails.

That responsibility is especially urgent in red states. And right now, Texas has an opportunity to lead.

RELATED: Senate Republicans tried to cave on Trump’s agenda

Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Texas Legislature has already laid the groundwork with its 2026 Interim Charges, taking on everything from hostile foreign networks operating inside our state to strengthening and equipping the new Texas Division of Homeland Security. But our interim work only matters if it turns into action.

As we head into the 90th Legislature, and while there is still alignment in the White House, Texas has an opportunity to go further — building a real, state-led homeland defense framework that doesn’t depend on shifting priorities in Washington. That means passing laws with teeth, funding enforcement, closing loopholes, and making it clear that in Texas, the rule of law is not optional.

Because when the political winds shift, and they always do, the difference between a secure nation and a vulnerable one will come down to what was built beforehand. The left’s intentions are no longer implied, they are explicit. The time for debate about what might happen is over. The only question now is whether we have the will to act before those promises become policy.

​Border states, Texas, Trump, Dhs, Ice, Democrats, Immigration, Illegal immigrants, Border security, Red states, Opinion & analysis 

WhatsApp is the most widely used messaging platform in the world, boasting three billion active monthly users as of 2025. With widespread adoption, Meta’s communication juggernaut delivers 100 billion messages per day brimming with terabytes of data that, up until recently, were believed to be safely encrypted to keep prying eyes at bay. Allegedly, that’s not the case: A new lawsuit claims WhatsApp’s encryption technology is merely a façade that hides Meta’s broad backdoor access.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Meta “categorically” denies the claims. But while the most recent turn in the drama involved a judge tossing out a suit from WhatsApp’s former cybersecurity chief alleging the company fired him for blowing the whistle, the larger global class-action suit against Meta rolls on.

Why people love WhatsApp

WhatsApp is hugely popular for several reasons.

A full trial and an investigation will need to be conducted before the truth comes to light.

First, it’s not tied to any specific phone platform or service. Unlike Apple’s proprietary iMessage, or perhaps Blackberry Message of the past, WhatsApp works on most devices, including Apple products, Android phones, desktop computers, and more. It’s ubiquitous, making it an easy choice for users who just want to connect with their family and friends, wherever they are and whatever device they use.

Second, WhatsApp features end-to-end encryption built on Signal Protocol — the same encryption technology found in the Signal app. That means your messages, photos, videos, and other files sent through the app are private so that only you and the person you’re talking to can view them. Don’t take my word for it though. Here’s what Meta says:

When you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to. No one can see inside that message. Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even us. End-to-end encryption helps make communication via WhatsApp private — sort of like a face-to-face conversation.

With end-to-end encryption, you can be sure that your messages are safe and sound from prying eyes who wish to monetize your information or worse, right? At least, that’s what it’s supposed to mean.

The lawsuit

The new lawsuit alleges that WhatsApp isn’t as encrypted as everyone believed. Filed at the U.S. District Court by a band of whistleblowers from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa, the suit claims that WhatsApp’s encryption technology can be easily thwarted by the right people within Meta’s own hallowed halls — including content moderators working through Accenture, which has been added as a defendant in the case.

Before we jump too far down the rabbit hole, the suit admits that WhatsApp doesn’t make the source code behind its encryption implementation available to the public or third-party auditors. Therefore it’s impossible to prove (or even disprove) that its encryption system is set up correctly, with no backdoor access or vulnerabilities. The public simply has to trust Meta to be honest here.

RELATED: Meta drops stunning news about its $77 BILLION VR world

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images (L), Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Getty Images (BG)

So how do the whistleblowers allegedly know that users’ encrypted messages are easily accessible? They claim that a Meta engineer can simply file a request within their internal system to view a user’s ID and chat history for work purposes. Worse, they claim some celebrities, politicians, and even Meta employees are closely “tracked” by staff for “investigation.” Lastly, the suit claims that Meta tried to prevent this information from reaching the public by isolating workers into specialized groups and forcing them to sign NDAs that threatened legal action should they speak out.

If true, this would mean that practically anyone’s WhatsApp data is viewable by a limited but notable group of people within Meta and, perhaps, some moderators working through Accenture. This data could also theoretically be copied and shared with other groups outside of the company, including advertisers, bad actors, or the government. Note that there is no proof so far that Meta shared users’ information outside of the company, but its sheer accessibility would throw a spotlight on Meta’s promise that no one — including Meta itself — can see your messages.

Naturally, Meta disputes the charges laid out in the lawsuit: “Any claim that people’s WhatsApp messages are not encrypted is categorically false and absurd,” the company says. “WhatsApp has been end-to-end encrypted using the Signal protocol for a decade. This lawsuit is a frivolous work of fiction and we will pursue sanctions against plaintiffs’ counsel.”

Should you abandon WhatsApp?

Just like individual people, in the court of law, companies are innocent until proven guilty. A full trial and an investigation into Meta’s encryption practices will need to be conducted before the truth comes to light. Erring on the side of caution, however, open source apps that are subject to public scrutiny and security audits are the only ones that can be tested and proven to do what they promise to do. Whether or not you wish to move away from WhatsApp is a personal choice.

That said, both public-facing apps from Signal and Telegram are open source, and they’re built with security protocols that are publicly verifiable. Signal comes with end-to-end encryption enabled from the start. Telegram requires the user to enable end-to-end encryption by starting a Secret Chat. That makes either of these options stronger on private messages and data.

​Meta, Whatsapp, Privacy, Tech 

A mother and father of a 15-month-old child who died have been arrested after an investigation determined the child died from ingesting methamphetamine.

Pennsylvania state police responded to a call on Feb. 12, 2025, at the Mt. Pleasant Township residence of 34-year-old Michael Thomas Blaesser and 31-year-old Ashley Amber Makarsky.

Another child at the home, who was 3 years old, tested positive for fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

Police found the unresponsive boy and transported him to the Independence Health Frick Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The living conditions at the residence were described as “beyond deplorable” by officers.

“There was no food in the house that we saw that was edible,” Trooper Steve Limani said. “The temperatures were below freezing within the home. The only heat source for the house was a kerosene heater that emitted fumes that you could strongly smell … along with fecal matter and garbage.”

There was no running water or electricity, the roof had holes in it, and the temperature inside was 28 degrees. A mattress appeared to have mold growing on it.

Limani says the boy was likely exposed to methamphetamine through drinking the mother’s toxic breast milk.

An investigation discovered that the parents had a history of drug abuse and had been involved in two other cases where children where exposed to drug-laced breast milk, according to Limani.

The three alleged incidents provided enough evidence for the parents to be charged with third-degree murder. They may also be charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.

Another child at the home, who was 3 years old, tested positive for fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, according to police.

RELATED: Arizona mother charged with child abuse after her 2-year-old daughter tests positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine

“There is a pattern set forth about where a person should know and understand the consequences of taking illicit substances and then using your body to … sustain life for your child — you’re feeding it drugs and potentially going to kill your child,” Limani said. “And that’s what took place.”

The pair were each given a $1 million bond. An attorney for Makarsky said the mother is “gutted” by the accusations and said it was the first time she’d gotten into trouble as far as the attorney knew.

A TribLIVE report said that court papers did not reference breast milk as the reason the child died.

“Those were the results of their horrific neglect and absolute disregard for trying to take care of a [child] that relied solely on these two individuals,” Limani added.

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​15 month old boy dies, Toxic drugs in breast milk, Blaesser makarsky charged murder, Mt pleasant township baby murder, Crime