Category: blaze media

Americans reportedly send six billion text messages per day, with 81% of U.S. users relying on the built-in messages app on their phones instead of alternatives like Telegram and WhatsApp. If you’re still sending SMS messages, though, you could be leaving yourself open to unwanted threats and security risks. Here’s how and why you should enable RCS messaging on your phone right now.

A brief history of RCS

RCS, short for Rich Communication Services, is the new gold standard text messaging platform that has officially replaced SMS and MMS. It was created all the way back in 2008 by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association, a unified organization consisting of popular cell service providers, including AT&T and T-Mobile, among many others.

RCS didn’t receive broad appeal, however, until Google purchased a company called Jibe Mobile in 2015, which specialized in RCS technology. Google went on to integrate RCS directly into the Google Messages app on Android by 2020, making it the premiere messaging service on Samsung Galaxy phones, Google Pixel devices, and more.

After years of pressure from Google, Apple finally adopted RCS into iPhone in 2023, replacing SMS as the fallback option while maintaining iMessage as its proprietary messaging service.

RCS is meant to unify the text messaging experience across iPhone and Android.

It’s important to note that SMS and MMS are still supported on most devices today, but they’re not nearly as secure, capable, or reliable.

Benefits of RCS

RCS is meant to unify the text messaging experience across iPhone and Android. While iPhone users who text other iPhones will still default to iMessage, Android users who text other Android devices or iPhones will send messages through RCS. These new RCS-style messages come with several benefits that will be very familiar to iMessage users on iPhone while making texts better for Android users overall.

Encryption: For starters, RCS messages between Android phones are end-to-end encrypted, keeping your conversations safe and private from anyone who might want to take a peek, including your carrier or the government. Apple’s version of RCS is currently unencrypted, but a future software update is expected to enable end-to-end encryption later this year.Read receipts: It’s nice to know when someone actually saw the text you sent, right? RCS supports read receipts that indicate when a text message has been delivered and when it was read, along with a nifty date stamp.Group messaging: Group message threads have long been a point of contention for iPhone and Android users. With RCS, users can now name the group, see who’s typing with typing indicators, and even leave emoji reactions for all to see.Media files: Finally, RCS supports high resolution images and videos, making it easier to share photos and other content in their original quality instead of relying on the grainy, compressed MMS images of the past.

An RCS warning

While RCS is safer, more private, and simply better than SMS, the service’s ability to send hi-res imagery makes it easier for scammers to send spam messages to a broader group of people. In fact, the emergence of RCS is partly responsible for the growing degree of spam texts in the U.S.

That shouldn’t deter you from switching to it, though. The benefits of RCS far outweigh its deterrents. It’s also the future of text messaging standards, meaning it will be supported and receive security updates for the long haul, far beyond SMS and MMS.

If you receive too many spam text messages while using RCS, check out our anti-spam text guide. This will banish scammers from your messages app for good.

How to enable RCS on iPhone and Android

It’s fairly easy to enable RCS on both iPhones and Android devices. Before you go looking for these settings, though, note that RCS activation is contingent on your carrier allowing RCS onto its network. Some carriers have been slower than others to enable the service, so if it’s not available on your device yet, it will be in the future. Most carriers are on board, though, so you probably won’t have any trouble.

RELATED: Amazon’s Ring is running a spy ring from your home. Here’s how to turn it off.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

To enable RCS on iPhone, open the Settings app. Scroll to the bottom and tap “Apps.” Then scroll to the middle of the page and tap into “Messages.” Near the lower half of the screen in the “Text Messaging” section, you’ll find “RCS Messaging.” Tap on that, toggle RCS Messaging on, and you’re done!

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

To enable RCS on Android, you’ll first need the official Google Messages app. At the time this article was published, Google Messages is the only messaging app on Android that fully supports RCS’ full list of features, including end-to-end encryption. Inside Google Messages, tap on your profile picture in the top right corner. Then tap on “Messages settings.” “RCS chats” is right at the top. Dive into that menu, toggle RCS chats on, and you’re ready to go. On this page, you can also customize your RCS experience, by either enabling or disabling some of the features mentioned above.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

Enable RCS now

Text messaging technology has come a long way since the days of flip phones, T9 keypads, and other ancient artifacts of the early 2000s. If you’re not using RCS already, you’re basically inviting your carrier to read your texts, your phone is more vulnerable to cellular network attacks, and your phone number could even be stolen and swapped into another device by a criminal. You can prevent all of this and enjoy a better texting experience by enabling RCS today. There’s really no reason not to.

​Tech, Rcs, Text, Phones 

The pivotal question of what will follow the crack-up of the liberal international order dominated the highest levels of European politics at the recent 2026 Munich Security Conference.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave his own forceful answer, following Vice President JD Vance’s provocative speech last year. Rubio delivered an equally spirited address that issued an ultimatum: Rationalizing collapse and weakness is no longer the policy of the United States — and it should no longer be Europe’s policy either. America has no “interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline,” he said.

Alliances should be made, renewed, or even disbanded depending on whether they help secure America’s interests in the present.

Instead, Rubio urged a reformation of the “global institutions of the old order” to defend and strengthen the key pillars of Western civilization.

The problem in Rubio’s mind was that the 20th-century web of international alliances, designed to counter the Soviets in the wake of two devastating world wars, took on a life of its own. Its keepers began putting the preservation of their supranational relations “above the vital interests of our people and our nations.”

Institutions such as the United Nations have utterly failed to protect national interests, and they simply have no answers to the most pressing problems in international affairs today. Instead, they actively encourage deindustrialization, mass migration, and shortsighted climate policies, causing a loss of confidence in the very sources that have supplied the West’s vitality for centuries.

To counter this, Rubio proposed that the U.S. partner with Europe to lead a “reinvigorated alliance … that boldly races into the future.” It will focus on “advancing our mutual interests and new frontiers, unshackling our ingenuity, our creativity, and the dynamic spirit to build a new Western century.” If the West wants to safeguard and promote its historic ways of life, then an international realignment is inescapably necessary.

The themes Rubio articulated were also the subject of this year’s “Budapest Global Dialogue,” an annual conference put on by the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation. This year’s gathering focused on what HIIA President Gladden Pappin presented as the choices currently before the world: endless conflict that’s likely to spin out of control or the emergence of a foundation for long-term security, peace, and prosperity.

Keynote speakers and panelists agreed that continuing to prop up a decaying international order was not a viable option. Though necessary for its time, it is clearly inadequate in a world that looks far different from the one that featured creeping death in the form of the USSR. As Rubio recently told a gaggle of reporters before his address in Munich, “The old world is gone.” He noted that nations must re-examine their roles in our “new era in geopolitics.”

RELATED: What’s Greenland to us?

Photo by Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP via Getty Images

The urgency of this project has been amplified by the European Union’s various machinations against popular government. Its censorship machine is attempting to export the EU’s liberty-denying laws to America and other Western nations. Unsurprisingly, the problem of censorship, which has been a chief focus of Vice President Vance, took up much of the conversation of the opening-night panel.

Headlined by Sarah B. Rogers, the U.S. undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, and Balázs Orbán, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s political director, panelists discussed the countless issues stemming from the EU’s Digital Services Act. It uses “trusted flaggers” like HateAid — an organization funded by the German government — to censor online speech, including that of Americans.

Pappin and other participants also noted the myriad problems stemming from unchecked globalization. Nations happily traded away the most basic elements of sovereignty for a mess of pottage in the form of lower prices on select goods. This was justified using free-market language, in which attaining the highest GDP possible seemingly became the summum bonum of political life. Former Trump administration official Andrew Peek termed this problem “economics without politics.”

In the United States in particular, key supply chains were mostly shipped out of the country, the folly of which was fully exposed during the COVID debacle. The U.S. essentially followed a systematic deindustrialization plan as we helped build up other countries, especially China.

China’s rise didn’t happen solely due to its sheer geographic size or population. It occurred because the Clinton administration and Western leaders decided the best way to fend it off was by inviting the Chinese into the heart of the world’s economic system. This was a catastrophic choice that helped hasten the collapse of the old order.

Now, China is by far the world leader in many positive economic indicators. The country is also looking to become the world’s first electrostate, adding another gigawatt of capacity to its grid every year.

Meanwhile, the United States is facing mounting problems with our electric grid, which will be further exacerbated by the construction of data centers and older plants going offline. No nuclear power plants were built in the U.S. between 1996 and 2016. Additionally, as noted in a Department of Energy report last year, utopian green energy mandates have helped bring the U.S. closer to the brink of a full-blown energy crisis.

RELATED: America won’t beat China without Alaska

Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images

Though the conference featured discussions on other pivotal topics — especially the promise and peril of artificial general intelligence — there wasn’t a dedicated panel on immigration. But that didn’t stop speakers from addressing the topic. Alexandre del Valle, a professor at France’s IPAG, called mass Islamic immigration to Europe a long-term bomb. And in a keynote address that served as a campaign speech of sorts, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó celebrated the fact that illegal migration to Hungary is nonexistent.

Szijjártó also devoted time to underscoring the stakes of the upcoming Hungarian parliamentary elections. The April 12 contest will feature a rather personal battle between current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Péter Magyar, who resigned from Fidesz in 2024 and then joined TISZA, the Respect and Freedom Party. The campaign billboards and posters I saw plastered around Budapest, which were nearly all pro-Orbán, showed Magyar gladly acquiescing to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s insistence to send Hungarian armaments to Ukraine.

Fidesz is asking voters if they want to keep Orbán’s government in power or elect those who would sacrifice the country’s blood and treasure in war. President Trump clearly wants the former. During Rubio’s trip to Budapest after his Munich speech, he said that the American president is “deeply committed” to Orbán’s victory in April.

As the Trump administration sees it, the path forward is clear: maintaining alliances when political goals and traditions are shared, as is the case between Hungary and the United States. And as Rubio was careful to point out in Munich, when alliances become strained, renewal through strategic thinking that connects means and ends is essential. One such example is Elbridge Colby’s recent discussion of the creation of NATO 3.0, in which U.S. allies bear more of the financial burden.

What won’t work, however, is elevating prudential considerations to the level of principle, as world leaders and bureaucrats have done far too often in recent decades. They have frozen in amber the specific circumstances of the second half of the 20th century, thinking that those paradigms must forever dictate how nations should act. But as Dhruva Jaishankar, the executive director of the Observer Research Foundation America, pointed out, the ballroom in which the 2026 Budapest Global Dialogue was held was built in 1896. Five international orders have come and gone in that time.

Contrary to the Anne Applebaums of our foreign policy elite class, who have helped drive the West into a ditch, the Nazis aren’t marching just over the horizon, and Vladimir Putin isn’t the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler. Alliances should be made, renewed, or even disbanded depending on whether they help secure America’s interests in the present. As Daniel J. Mahoney is fond of saying, it isn’t always Munich 1938. Serious leaders acknowledge current realities and marry their rhetoric to actions that will lead to peace, prosperity, and the good of the West — and the good of America above all.

Editor’s note: A version of this article appeared originally at the American Mind.

​Marco rubio, Munich security conference, New world order, Old order, Ussr, China, Usa, Foreign policy, Eu, Nato, Russia, Opinion & analysis, Donald trump 

The United States and its allies are facing a defining moment in history — one Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck believes most people don’t yet fully recognize.

However, one man who does recognize this moment is Marco Rubio, who laid out Glenn’s feelings precisely in a recent speech at the Munich Security Conference.

“What Rubio was talking about this weekend was this system has failed, and Donald Trump is going a completely different direction, and we will lead the way … but you have to restore common sense,” Glenn explains.

“You cannot keep doing the same thing over and over again. This system doesn’t work, and we all know it. Just we’re the first ones to admit it,” he adds.

And in order to make a change going forward, Glenn believes we need to look at the real history of Western civilization instead of the “woke” version.

“I like history. I know what history means. And when it comes to Western civilization, how could you make the case that it’s worth letting go? You could only make a case if you’ve been carefully taught that Western civilization means nothing except bad things,” he says. “And you’re misinformed on that.”

This is why Glenn says that “we’re already in World War III.”

“We’re fighting World War III. You just don’t know it yet. Islam is on the move. And what is their target? Western civilization. … And they occupy those countries, which they’ve been trying to do for a thousand-plus years. They occupy those countries. They now have nuclear weapons. And if they occupy those countries, you no longer have what built us,” Glenn explains.

“May I suggest that we understand that times have changed, and we want our country to survive, and we want the Western civilization to survive. … We see the world is changing and has changed, and we adapt so we don’t lose who we are. We do it in a different way. We do it in a better way,” he continues.

And that better way, Glenn says, is to “hold our values and what made us a country in the first place.”

“Let’s remember those things. Let’s restore those things, and then let’s adapt those to today’s issues and problems. I think that’s what Rubio was saying. And he was challenging Europe, and at the same time, he was reminding America: This is what Donald Trump is challenging America to do as well,” he explains.

“We’re going to do it. Join us,” he adds.

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​Sharing, Upload, Video, Video phone, Free, Camera phone, Youtube.com, The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Marco rubio speech, President trump, Western civilization, Save the west, Real history, History, Conservative 

A high school in Virginia suspended over 300 students for walking out of class for an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest, and many on social media have applauded the action.

On February 13, students at Woodbridge High School marched off of campus in solidarity with others across the nation who ostensibly disagree with ICE operations ordered by the Trump administration.

‘Good. They’re there to learn, not protest ICE doing their jobs.’

A letter from principal Heather Abney to parents of students said that the district did not endorse the walkout and that students who left campus without permission would be punished according to their regular code of behavior. A total of 303 students were suspended for three days.

Some of the students reportedly went to a nearby shopping center after leaving campus, others went home, and some returned to the campus later. Administrators said that some of the students who returned to the school caused a disturbance as well.

WDVM-TV reported the 303 students suspended from the school on Thursday comprised about 11% of the student population. Officials warned that more protests would meet with the same punishments.

Many on social media praised the school for imposing consequences on the students’ unruly actions.

“That is the best news I’ve heard all day!!!! Finally a school district that knows and enforces the rules,” read one response.

“Schools need to enforce rules consistently. Leaving class without permission disrupts learning and comes with consequences, even if the cause feels important to the students,” said another user on X.

“Good. They’re there to learn, not protest ICE doing their jobs,” said another detractor.

“Finally the adults are taking charge,” read another response. “Protest on your own time.”

RELATED: Video shows brawl after HS walkout protester allegedly hit pro-ICE man — man was charged with child abuse

Others questioned whether cutting the students from school was an effective punishment for cutting school.

The Prince William County Police Department provided some traffic control for the protest and supervised the students for safety.

The Trump administration has deported about 675,000 illegal aliens in the first year of the president’s second term, and another 2.2 million are estimated to have self-deported.

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​Anti-ice high school walkout, Suspensions at woodbridge high school, Student protesters punished, Anti-ice protests, Politics 

Nearly half of Americans now refuse to identify as either Democrat or Republican. According to a recent Gallup poll, independents make up a record 45% of the electorate, yet our political system continues to operate as though this plurality doesn’t exist — until now.

Both major political parties are facing widespread public dissatisfaction, with 58% of Americans viewing the Republican Party unfavorably and 61% expressing unfavorable views of the Democratic Party. As confidence in the parties erodes, 2026 is shaping up to be the year that we see a handful of independents elected to Congress, disrupting the balance of power in Washington.

Independents need only three to five seats to fundamentally transform American politics.

For politically homeless voters, this moment calls for supporting credible independent candidates where they can actually win, especially in congressional districts where neither party is delivering for its constituents.

While the Gallup poll shows the increase in independent self-identification metrics, which have been sitting at around 40% since 2011, there is a convergence of two major trends that make this moment in politics ripe for independents.

The first major trend is the rise of Millennials and Gen Z as a central voting bloc. 2026 will be an election in which younger Americans make up a sizeable portion of the electorate, with projections currently holding that Millennials and Gen Z will account for over half of voters by 2028.

Millennials are now well into their 30s, many serving in executive and senior leadership roles in politics and business, including prominent voices such as Vice President JD Vance and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D). Together, Millennials and Gen Z are becoming one of the most influential forces in the electorate.

Unlike their predecessors, these two generations are far more likely to identify as independent. Many have never belonged to a political party in the first place. Younger independents are focused on issues like affordability, which both parties are failing to address. They gravitate toward candidates from either party who appear to be invested in their issues.

The second trend is the broader integration of AI systems into everyday life — including politics. AI is the great leveler, much like the printing press fundamentally altered information systems and power structures centuries ago. It will be a game-changer in a similar way, and it’s a major reason why an independent movement in 2026 can make more progress than past efforts.

RELATED: Republicans and Democrats are in revolt — for very different reasons

Douglas Rissing/Getty Images

The two-party system, like the taxi industry before Uber disrupted it, represents an entrenched but flawed model that has resisted reform. AI provides the tools to completely bypass the old system, rather than slowly reforming it from the inside. Technology now democratizes campaign infrastructure, voter outreach, and message distribution pathways for alternatives that were previously impossible without massive institutional backing.

Americans are hungry for more options at the ballot box. We can customize what we watch, what we drive, even which type of peanut butter sits on our shelves. Yet when it comes to politics, those options narrow dramatically. As the two major parties continue to struggle to meet the moment, voters’ appetite for credible alternatives is only growing stronger.

In the private sector, we would call it a clear product-market fit. If there were two brands that people clearly rejected, competition would naturally emerge in the market. The same logic applies to politics. Recent polling from the Independent Center Voice discovered that 76% of voters would likely vote for “strong, well-funded independent candidate.”

For far too long, the conversation among independents has fixated on electing a third-party candidate to the White House. They’ll find more luck channeling their dissatisfaction, frustration, and growing disillusionment toward Congress, where institutional change is more enduring. It’s in congressional races — not presidential ones — that the independent movement will be felt first.

Independents need only three to five seats to fundamentally transform American politics. With growing concentrations of independent and “no party preference” voters across key districts, the foundation for change is already in place.

The real question is no longer whether the independent movement will arrive, but whether the political system is prepared to respond.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

​Third party candidate, Gop, Democrats, Republicans, Gen z, 2026 midterms, Trump, Opinion & analysis, Independents, Elections, Disruption, Politics 

The latest Epstein file dump, which included an additional 3 million documents along with roughly 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, prompted widespread public shock and outrage over its revelations of Epstein’s apparent connections to prominent figures worldwide as well as grotesque but unverified accusations of child sacrifice and satanic rituals.

While the file release has not resulted in any new criminal charges or prosecutions, Christians, says BlazeTV host Rick Burgess, can walk away with one certainty: We’re getting closer to the end times.

“What we’re seeing right now in our society is foreshadowing of the end times,” the “Strange Encounters” host warns.

Rick says the reign of the antichrist will be preceded by a movement toward “globalization.”

“If you’re not watching these globalists right now, you better keep an eye on them. … I believe the Epstein files show us Satan working his plan,” says Rick.

The convicted sex offender, who he believes was “demon-possessed,” built a dark empire composed of “great influencers” — “celebrities,” “royals,” “politicians,” and “the super intellectual” — who “come from everywhere,” he says.

Citing Daniel 7, Rick reminds us that the “antichrist will be an outstanding orator, an intellectual genius, a military leader without parallel in human history, a shrewd, calculating, manipulating politician, and the ultimate religious charlatan.”

“If you look at the clientele in the Epstein files, it’s all there. It’s all there,” he declares.

“Do you really think these men with all this influence … need Epstein to go help them get dates? Are you kidding me? You think they have a problem getting dates with the wealth, the intellect, the celebrity, the power that they all have?” Rick asks.

“No — they’re going after something that is crude; they’re going after something that is depraved; they’re going after underage girls for their jollies. That’s wicked. That’s evil.”

The level of depravity in Epstein’s child sex trafficking ring, he says, goes far beyond the typical temptation and sin we see in “a bachelor party that got out of hand” or even seeking out “adult women prostitutes.”

These are people who “want to sexually abuse a child,” he says, noting that this kind of wickedness has long been “an underlying part of paganism.”

“If you go to paganism, you find sexual lewdness. You find young boy and young girl prostitutes … and you find, ultimately, the sacrifice of the innocent child because there’s nothing more wicked than that. And all of that we’re seeing as these Epstein files come out,” says Rick.

This combination of unmitigated evil and powerful elites from all over the world is a sure sign that end times are drawing nearer, he says.

“When you look at Epstein’s files and you look at what’s going on with all these influential people, they represent the characteristics of the spirit of antichrist — not the person, because he’s not been revealed yet, but the spirit of antichrist, putting together what antichrist is going to need.”

To hear more, watch the full episode above.

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​Strange encounters, Rick burgess, Strange encounters with rick burgess, Blazetv, Blaze media, Epstein, Jeffery epstein, Spiritual warfare, Christianity, Epstein files, End times, Antichrist 

Michigan police said one person has been arrested in connection with the gruesome discovery of the remains of three elderly men in the basement of a Detroit home.

Police were called to the home on Edsel St. Wednesday at about 1 p.m. on a report of a missing person, when they were approached by a man who said he had been attacked at a nearby home.

‘They were left in a basement area covered in old, dirty clothing, and one person was covered in a carpet.’

When they went inside the home on Edsel, they found the three bodies in the basement.

“When units finally got inside, the minute you opened the door, you can see the blood, it’s just a horrific scene,” said First Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald.

“Not to go into too much detail on it, but we believe at this point they all met the fate of blunt-force trauma. There were some stab wounds on a couple of them,” he added. “They were left in a basement area covered in old, dirty clothing, and one person was covered in a carpet.”

The family of one of the victims identified him as Norman Hamlin, a 66-year-old military veteran. The other two victims were identified as 65-year-old Mark Barnett and 72-year-old William Barrett.

Neighbors near the home said it was a known drug house.

“There’s some speculation, that I don’t like to get into too much, that possibly some drugs were used in the location,” Fitzgerald said, noting that nothing was found in that regard.

The suspect was described as a 27-year-old black man and was detained on Thursday. He had a connection to the victims, according to police, as well as a criminal history that included carjacking, armed robbery, felony firearm, and fleeing from police.

“It was a brutal scene inside, just awful,” Fitzgerald said.

RELATED: Video shows wild car chase after rescue of 11-year-old from alleged kidnapper and torturer

One of the neighbors said Hamlin was a good man but had fallen into drug use.

“He got involved in the wrong way and actually seemed to have set up a safe environment for people to come over and use,” said Joel Bond to WDIV-TV. “Of course, as we know, that’s dangerous. You don’t know who’s coming into your house.”

The man who approached the police told them he had been hit in the head twice with a hammer, but that appeared to be unrelated to the three deaths.

Hamlin was a Marine veteran who had served in the Persian Gulf War and was the owner of the home.

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​Detroit triple murder, Elderly men bludgeoned to death, Brutal crime scene, Detroit murders, Crime 

We live in a world where self-absorption reigns supreme. Accordingly, the concept of self-denial is incomprehensible to most and anathema to others. Yet this is what Lent means. It is the most countercultural idea in America — and indeed in the entire Western world. That’s because we’ve lost our moorings, which are grounded in Christianity.

The dominant culture celebrates self-indulgence, not self-denial. Drug users are only one example.

Like any virtue, self-denial atrophies if it is not practiced. And the results of atrophy are inauspicious for everyone.

The streets of New York abound with smoke — the sweet smell of marijuana is everywhere. This is also true in many urban areas, as the pace of legalization quickens. Some, like the editorial board of the New York Times, which supported legalization, are now shocked to learn that a record number of Americans are hooked on drugs, jamming hospitals and driving recklessly. Habitual users are psychotic, functioning like zombies. Their nonstop vomiting should be a wake-up call, but it isn’t. This is the cost of “liberation.”

The dominant culture also celebrates gambling, yielding similar results.

Not only can we bet on games, we can bet on each play. Bookies have been replaced by phones, and allegiance to the home team is waning, as the only thing that matters is winning. Some ballparks, like the home of the Washington Commanders, even have betting stations for fans too bored to simply watch the game. A growing number of young men are addicted to gambling, finding themselves deeper in debt. This is the cost of “liberation.”

Many young women choose sex to satisfy their craving for self-indulgence. If they wind up pregnant, they find their “solution” at a Planned Parenthood clinic. Young, promiscuous men are just as irresponsible, looking to medical technology to rid themselves of their self-induced diseases. This is the cost of their “liberation.”

Self-denial is admittedly not easy, and it is more difficult in societies that glamorize self-indulgence. But it is a virtue that actually does liberate.

One way to show people that we love them is by making sacrifices that redound to their benefit. Making sacrifices requires a degree of self-denial — giving up something to aid someone else. Mother Teresa could not have comforted those in her employ without great sacrifice, and it was her capacity for self-denial that allowed her to prevail.

Like any virtue, self-denial atrophies if it is not practiced. And the results of atrophy are inauspicious for everyone. A society that views self-denial as oppressive is nurturing narcissism, not selflessness. Yet that is what we are doing, led, as always, by the ruling class.

Self-indulgence is not only self-destructive; it is ultimately antisocial. We are all affected by those who allow their appetites and passions to conquer them, and that is why it is incumbent on those who occupy positions of moral authority — clergy, parents, and teachers — to welcome Lent, regardless of their religious convictions.

This essay originally appeared at Catholicleague.org.

​Catholic, Lent, Lifestyle, Culture, Christianity, Catholic league, Faith 

Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, have left California and moved to Central Park West in Manhattan as politicians argue whether a billionaire tax will hurt the Golden State.

The legendary director became a resident of the Empire State as of Jan. 1, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

‘The billionaire class cannot have it all. This nation belongs to all of us.’

Spielberg’s relocation is sparking more fears about a tax proposal that has already driven out other billionaires, including Peter Thiel and others.

“Steven’s move to the East Coast is both long planned and driven purely by his and Kate Capshaw’s desire to be closer to their New York-based children and grandchildren,” said spokeswoman Terry Press to the Times.

The one-time tax has not yet qualified for the ballot, but if it passes, it would go into effect in 2027. It would apply to residents worth $1 billion or more.

The debate over the union-backed tax has led even some Democrats to back off from the proposal. Opponents say it will drive billionaires out of the state and potentially cripple tax revenues.

Although Spielberg denied that the billionaire tax has anything to do with his exit, he left the state just in time to avoid the tax, which would apply to those who were residents of California on Jan. 1, 2026.

Spielberg is estimated to be worth about $7.1 billion, which means he’d have to pay the state of California about $355 million if the tax passed.

His move was first reported by the New York Times.

Among those pushing the bill is independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who visited Los Angeles to advocate for it.

“Enough is enough,” said Sanders. “The billionaire class cannot have it all. This nation belongs to all of us.”

RELATED: LA Times gets obliterated online for scolding people wanting to leave high-tax California

Spielberg’s spokeswoman also refused to indicate whether he had any opinion on the possible tax.

Spielberg is known for numerous popular movies including “Schindler’s List,” “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Catch Me if You Can,” and the “Indiana Jones” franchise.

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​Steven spielberg leaves california, Billionaire tax in california, Tax on billionaires, Wealthy abandon california, Politics 

Newly released police bodycam video from a 2024 alleged hazing incident at a University of Iowa fraternity house has been going viral.

A short clip of the incident posted on X was nearing 52 million views Friday evening, while a YouTube video clocking in at over an hour has eclipsed 250,000 views as the weekend commences.

‘We finally found a pledge class that isn’t the worst ever.’

The video shows dozens of shirtless pledges from the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity — some of them covered in ketchup and blindfolded — in a dark basement as police and firefighters converge on the bizarre scene after a fire alarm was activated, KCRG-TV reported.

RELATED: Oregon U. official reportedly says ‘go f*** yourself if you voted for Donald Trump.’ He’s also a hazing prevention speaker.

“This is the police department! This stops here! Who’s in charge?” one officer asks in the video, after which a voice is heard saying, “They’re upstairs.”

Another official asks the group as a flashlight shines on them, “Does anyone want to be forthcoming about what’s going on?”

But they’re mum on the matter.

“Looks like we have quite a bit of hazing,” one official is heard saying in the bodycam video.

One male wearing a white Iowa hoodie — and apparently drinking a beer and vaping — is seen in the raw clip apparently making life difficult for police at the scene.

RELATED: Unhinged student who flipped Turning Point USA table gets arrested and faces 5 charges

Image source: University of Iowa Police bodycam video screenshot, redacted

“You got f**kin’ nothin’,” he tells officers at one point. In another segment he tells a cop, “You guys can f**kin’ leave, how ’bout that?” and “there’s no hazing.”

Officers found 56 pledges in two dark rooms during the incident, KCRG said.

“They’re just messin’ with them,” one male, another apparent non-pledge, tells an officer after being asked what had been going on.

While no one appeared to reveal specifically who was in charge, the station did say the pledges “responded in unison” that no one was there against their will.

KCRG said prosecutors charged one arrestee with interference with official acts, but the charge was later dropped.

The University of Iowa suspended Alpha Delta Phi until the summer of 2029, the station said, adding that three fraternities presently are under suspension.

The “Circling Back” podcast, however, expressed quite a different perspective on the bodycam video, as one podcast participant noted, “We finally found a pledge class that isn’t the worst ever.”

The podcast crew also remarked that the frat pledges seemed decidedly less interested in obeying “actual law enforcement” than their frat leaders: “These guys need to be celebrated.”

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​University of iowa, Campus police, Campus safety, Fraternity, Hazing, Viral video, Arrest, Alpha delta phi, Suspended, Crime 

A former official of the Biden and Obama administrations threatened corporations and others who cooperate with the Trump administration during a podcast interview.

Rice made the comments while a guest on the “Stay Tuned with Preet” podcast with former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara.

‘This is not going to be an instance of, you know, forgive and forget. The damage that these people are doing is too severe to the American people and to our national interest.’

“It’s not gonna end well for them. For those that decided that it was, you know, that they would act in their perceived, very narrow self-interest, which I would underscore is very short-term self-interest, and take a knee to [President Donald] Trump, I think they’re now starting to realize, ‘Wait a minute, you know, this is not popular, Trump is not popular,'” Rice claimed.

“If these corporations think that the Democrats, when they come back in power, are going to, you know, play by the old rules, and, you know, say, ‘Oh, never mind. We’ll forgive you for all the people you fired, all the policies and principles you’ve violated, all, you know, the laws you’ve skirted.’ I think they’ve got another thing coming,” she added.

Rice said Democrats would have an “accountability agenda” if they make substantive gains in the midterm elections and curtail President Donald Trump’s power.

“You know, companies already are starting to hear they better preserve their documents,” Rice added. “They better be ready for subpoenas. If they’ve done something wrong, they’ll be held accountable, and if they haven’t broken the law, good for them.”

She pointed to some polling showing that Americans were souring on the president’s record on immigration and economics.

“This is not going to be an instance of, you know, forgive and forget. The damage that these people are doing is too severe to the American people and to our national interest,” she said.

RELATED: Majority of Americans approve of Trump’s response to anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Rice also praised the protest against the president’s immigration enforcement operations.

“The people of Minnesota, above all, have shown us how bravely … it is possible to come together and to have an impact, and to do so through peaceful, nonviolent, mass protest,” she added. “So I think that is a very important sign, and I think it will have knock-on effects in many other parts of the country.”

However, recent polling shows a majority of Americans approved of the president’s response to protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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​Susan rice threat, Midterm threat from democrats, Threats to corporations, Preet bharara, Politics 

Back in the fall of 2025, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles and honors by King Charles III, due to ongoing controversy and persistent ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

This week, on his 66th birthday, the ex-Duke of York was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his Epstein ties but released just hours later.

When Glenn Beck heard the news of the disgraced former prince’s arrest, he was incredulous.

“Notice: Nobody is going to jail for actually having sex with children. … [Mountbatten-Windsor] was arrested for ‘wrongdoing,”’ he says mockingly. “Well, I think having sex with underage kids is wrongdoing.”

Glenn cites a recent Reuters poll that found that 69% of Americans strongly agree with the statement: “The files show that powerful people are rarely held accountable.” 17% somewhat agreed with the statement, and only 11% disagreed.

“This is universal,” says Glenn, “and yet all that we’re seeing is people playing politics with it.”

On February 16, a panel of independent U.N. human rights experts declared that the content within the Epstein files may constitute “crimes against humanity.”

“That’s the U.N. — crimes against humanity! But who was having sex with kids?” Glenn exclaims.

Every time more information about Epstein comes out, we’re left with “more questions,” never actual answers, he laments.

“They release stuff and you’re like, wait a minute. Well, that just opens up more. It’s not clarity. It’s fog. And it’s happening everywhere — both sides of the Atlantic,” he says, citing the U.K.’s long-running grooming-gangs scandal, where Parliament voted down a Conservative push for a national inquiry in January 2025, despite the massive scale of child exploitation.

Glenn mocks the politicians claiming that “we care so much about our children.”

“I don’t think you care about our children. I’m beginning to think you’re not really human,” he says.

But it’s not just politicians who are to blame; part of the problem, he says, is us.

“The outrage that we all have on any topic lasts about 72 hours, and then we move on. Have you noticed that one?” Glenn asks.

“I don’t know what that says about us. Does it say that we’re overwhelmed? That there’s just a new thing to be outraged on every 72 hours? That we’re exhausted? … Does it say that we’re fragmented into so many tribes that we’re only pursuing accountability when it hurts the other team?”

Glenn fears the answer may be far darker.

Perhaps “we’ve become totally accustomed to scandal,” he says, or worse — “Nothing’s real any more. Child rape is not real any more. Even our outrage isn’t real any more.”

He argues that social media is the only reason we’re even still talking about Epstein. Without X, Facebook, and other platforms artificially prolonging and amplifying the scandal, Glenn fears the public would have long forgotten the convicted sex offender and his countless victims.

“There was a time in Great Britain … in the entire West, if there was a whiff of corruption at high levels: national reckoning,” he says.

But today, we just “wait it out,” and scandal after scandal just quietly “goes away.”

To hear Glenn’s full monologue, watch the video above.

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

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Blazetv, Blaze media, Beck, Prince andrew, Andrew mountbatten-windsor, Royal family, Epstein, Epstein files, Prince andrew epstein 

Mere hours after the Supreme Court handed down its decision on Trump’s tariffs under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, President Trump responded with a lengthy Truth Social post. Though the court ruled against him, Trump was not nearly as angry with the decision as might be expected.

On Friday afternoon, President Trump posted an unexpectedly optimistic message in the wake of SCOTUS’ decision. Trump’s layered response, which echoed very closely his live reaction in a press conference, spilled into two separate posts.

‘Today I will sign an Order to impose a 10% GLOBAL TARIFF, under Section 122, over and above our normal TARIFFS already being charged.’

Trump began by praising the “Strength, Wisdom, and Love of our Country” exhibited by dissenting Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh before attacking those in the majority:

“The Democrats on the Court are thrilled, but they will automatically vote ‘NO’ against ANYTHING that makes America Strong and Healthy Again. They, also, are a Disgrace to our Nation. Others think they’re being ‘politically correct,’ which has happened before, far too often, with certain Members of this Court when, in fact, they’re just FOOLS and ‘LAPDOGS’ for the RINOS and Radical Left Democrats and, not that this should have anything to do with it, very unpatriotic, and disloyal to the Constitution.”

RELATED: Trump finally gets his answer on legality of tariffs in new SCOTUS decision

Trump then suggested that the court “has been swayed by foreign interests” who are “dancing in the streets” as a result of the ruling.

However, Trump then said that the decision was largely a positive development because it clarified the president’s authority under the IEEPA only, while leaving open several other avenues for imposing tariffs: “All of those TARIFFS remain, but other alternatives will now be used to replace the ones that the Court incorrectly rejected.”

He drew from Justice Kavanaugh’s dissenting opinion to illustrate the “different direction” that he will pursue, “which is even stronger than our original choice.” As Trump noted, Kavanaugh wrote,

Although I firmly disagree with the Court’s holding today, the decision might not substantially constrain a President’s ability to order tariffs going forward. That is because numerous other federal statutes authorize the President to impose tariffs and might justify most (if not all) of the tariffs issued in this case. … Those statutes include, for example, the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (Section 232); the Trade Act of 1974 (Sections 122, 201, and 301); and the Tariff Act of 1930 (Section 338).

Trump omitted Kavanaugh’s mention of “a few procedural steps” that may be required with these other avenues for tariffs that the IEEPA does not require.

Nearing the end of his post, Trump argued that the Supreme Court had unintentionally made the president’s “ability to both regulate TRADE, and impost TARIFFS, more powerful and crystal clear, rather than less.”

As a result, Trump issued several orders at the end of his post, indicating his intention to continue the tariffs, including a “10% GLOBAL TARIFF,” under the existing statutory authorities cited earlier in the post:

“Therefore, effective immediately, all National Security TARIFFS, Section 232 and existing Section 301 TARIFFS, remain in place, and in full force and effect. Today I will sign an Order to impose a 10% GLOBAL TARIFF, under Section 122, over and above our normal TARIFFS already being charged, and we are also initiating several Section 301 and other Investigations to protect our Country from unfair Trading practices,” Trump wrote.

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​Politics, Trump, President trump, Canada, Mexico, China, Scotus, Supreme court, Tariffs, Section 301, Ieepa, Kavanaugh, Trade deficit, Clarence thomas, Samuel alito 

So-called “ghost students” are reportedly fueling a growing financial aid fraud crisis in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and across the country.

These ghost students allegedly steal identities to enroll online and apply for taxpayer-funded financial aid.

‘These fraudsters are very well organized and well financed.’

KSTP reported in October that the Minnesota State system, which consists of 33 colleges and universities, had flagged over 7,700 “fraudulent” or “potentially fraudulent” financial aid applications in the 2024-2025 academic year. In nearly 95% of those cases, the ghost students had applied to two-year community colleges. The fraud was identified before any money was distributed.

KSTP discovered two cases in which funds were distributed to fraudsters who had enrolled in a community college. The cases came to light after a man in Hutchinson, Kansas, reported that someone had used his name and Social Security number to collect $13,000. Another individual stated that his information was used to take out two student loans worth over $6,700.

A Minnesota State spokesperson told KSTP in October that at least three schools had paid between $9,500 and $63,500 back to the federal government after discovering ghost students.

Craig Munson, the chief information security officer for the Minnesota State system, addressed the ongoing fraud issues during a Thursday Minnesota House hearing.

“These fraudsters are very well organized and well financed,” Munson said. “Stealing money that was intended for real students in need of financial aid.”

RELATED: The insane little story that failed to warn America about the depth of Somali fraud

Photo by JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images

When questioned about how much the fraud scheme has cost the Minnesota State system, Munson did not provide a dollar amount but noted that he believes “we are making very good progress” in addressing the issue.

Munson explained that the school system is still seeing a similar number of fraud cases, but that ghost students are now targeting more four-year colleges and universities.

RELATED: Tim Walz’s nightmare continues as HHS shuts off $185M to Minnesota amid allegedly ‘fake’ Somali day care centers

Photo by: Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

“It used to be more of the two-year [colleges], we’re starting to see they’re looking at all colleges and universities,” he said. “It could be a couple of reasons — that they’ve learned the system to its extent, and they want to extend their stay in the system and transfer to a four-year possibly. We’re also seeing some positive reports that many of our two-year colleges are seeing a little bit of a reduction in these fraud attempts.”

During Thursday’s hearing, Munson presented a fraud report detailing the growing threat and recommendations to address it, including implementing an automated identity-proofing system that would cost $1 million to $1.5 million per year.

A spokesperson for the Minnesota State system told Blaze News that enrollment fraud is a problem for colleges and universities across the nation.

“The Minnesota State IT Services team has implemented a variety of safeguards to protect against this threat,” the spokesperson stated. “Nationally, there has been a significant rise in this activity and we have been working to install additional safeguards and provide guidance to our 33 colleges and universities for the last two years. Our schools, in partnership with faculty, have been actively managing this problem, identifying ghost students early in each semester and removing them from our systems to ensure only real students can get the classes they need and financial aid is distributed to the students who need it to achieve their academic goals.”

“In addition, this last fall a more formal Enrollment Fraud Working Group that includes experts in IT, Academic and Student Affairs, and Audit from the Minnesota State system office, as well as faculty, staff, and student representatives from throughout the system was formed. The goal of the group is to identify additional safeguards the colleges and universities of Minnesota State can put in place to keep ghost students out,” the spokesperson added.

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​News, Minnesota, Minnesota state colleges and universities system, Minnesota state system, Ghost students, Financial aid, Fraud, Financial aid fraud, Craig munson, Politics 

Idaho police are trying to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole an ambulance and rammed it into a building housing a Department of Homeland Security office before failing to light it all on fire.

The incident began at St. Luke’s Hospital, where the suspect stole an ambulance, then crashed it into the lobby of the building on Wednesday at about 11 p.m. in Meridian, according to Meridian police. Meridian is a suburb of Boise.

‘If the suspect had not been interrupted, there is no doubt this building would have been burned, putting the lives of first responders and others at risk.’

After he crashed the ambulance, the suspect retrieved cans with some sort of accelerant that were hidden in bushes and doused the vehicle with the substance, according to police.

“It appears the suspect was unable to ignite the accelerant before being scared off by responding agencies,” said Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea in a statement.

Police said the suspect was wearing a medical mask as well as a black shirt and tan pants.

Basterrechea noted that there had been chatter online criticizing the presence of DHS at the building and called the incident a “serious criminal act.”

He also addressed “absolutely false” comments on social media denying that property damage is violence.

“This was absolutely an act of violence, and if the suspect had not been interrupted, there is no doubt this building would have been burned, putting the lives of first responders and others at risk,” he added.

Because the suspect had apparently planted the accelerant before stealing the ambulance and had driven about a quarter of a mile to the building with the DHS office, police believe the attack was intentional.

Canyon County Paramedics issued a statement about the incident.

RELATED: Video shows brawl after walkout student hits pro-ICE man — who is charged with child abuse

“No Canyon County Paramedics personnel were inside the ambulance at the time of the incident,” read the statement. “There are currently no confirmed injuries to members of the public or first responders connected to this event.”

Basterrechea said his department was leading the investigation, but they were cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as DHS and other agencies.

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​Stolen ambulance incident, Meridian idaho, Ram ambulance into dhs, Dousing ambulance with accelerant, Politics 

A bizarre Instagrammable selfie opportunity on the Brooklyn Bridge involves disgusting trash, including tampons and condoms, being tied to a fence.

Other garbage items affixed to the fence include panties, dirty tissues, Band-Aids, and hairbands, according to the New York Post. Some of the residents are opposed to the accumulation of disgusting trash that has gotten worse in recent weeks.

‘Welcome to the “Big Cesspool” that used to be an Apple.’

“I walk over the bridge almost every day. And one day I was just like, ‘I’ve had enough!’” said Ellen Baum of Brooklyn Heights, who has been documenting her cleanup efforts on social media.

“It’s just f**king disgusting,” said Baum, who disagrees “completely” with people calling the condom wall a piece of art.

“The interactions and conversations that take place on the bridge are the art. The bridge itself is the art,” she added. “We don’t need to put literal trash on it.”

The Department of Transportation could not tell the Post how many people were cited for littering on the bridge and also refused to say how often it’s cleaned up by the city.

“The iconic Brooklyn Bridge has been called ‘America’s Eiffel Tower,’ and cluttering it with debris detracts from the enjoyment of everyone who uses the bridge and burdens the hardworking crews who maintain this historic landmark,” said a DOT spokesperson to the Post.

A Blaze News request for comment from the mayor’s office was not immediately answered.

The online reaction to the trash-bridge was not very supportive.

“When I was a kid it was locks on bridges and fences and sneakers on powerlines. WTF happened to the good times,” responded one user on the X platform.

“It’s tragic to see a world-class landmark treated like a literal dumpster,” said another detractor.

“NYC is disgusting. Used to have family in Queens, then he moved to NJ, then left entirely this past year. I’ve been there a half dozen times or so, no desire to ever go back. It’s the dirtiest city I’ve ever seen, and everything is a hassle and overpriced,” read another reply.

“The amount of DNA that’s there … you can probably solve a few cold cases,” joked another user.

RELATED: Mamdani reverses controversial policy after 19 NYC residents die outdoors

“Welcome to the ‘Big Cesspool’ that used to be an Apple,” said one user.

“After my parents moved us to a home near the Jersey shore when I was 7, I would spend summers with my aunt who lived in Brooklyn Heights. We would walk her dog down to the Brooklyn bridge and I was awed by the beautiful bridge and its history. So sad!” recalled one commentator.

“What the f**k is wrong with you people?” replied one man simply.

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​New york city trash fence, Garbage fence on brooklyn bridge, Trash under mamdani, Disgusting trash fence, Politics 

“In the Name of … Unlimited Immigration?”

U2, the band that rocketed to fame with songs like the Martin Luther King Jr. tribute “Pride (In the Name of Love),” just put out a surprise EP “Days of Ash.” The stealth release includes a tribute to the late anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement activist Renee Good. The Irish rockers probably saw Bruce Springsteen getting all that fawning press for his anti-ICE tirades and wanted in on the action.

Goldberg once asked Epstein if she could hitch a ride on his plane. Or she claims someone did so on her behalf.

Still, the legendary band’s choice of martyrs is a mite suspect at this late date. “American Obituary” is the song’s tortured title, and it’s a sad reminder of how the foursome famously toured the U.S. in the Reagan era, a trek captured in the 1988 concert film “U2: Rattle and Hum.”

That documentary and accompanying album saw the Irish rockers luxuriating in American culture. Now, lead singer, Bono, is calling out MAGA and ignoring all the actions that led to Good’s tragic death.

The bright side? The band isn’t force-feeding us their music this time …

Taylor’s version

If you mock the left, they will come.

And by “they,” we mean viewers. Paramount Plus’ “Landman” series, starring the mighty Billy Bob Thornton, wrapped its second season with its highest ratings yet.

The show generated 1.62 billion minutes of viewing time during the week of Jan. 19-25, second only to Netflix’s “Stranger Things” for an original streaming series.

This season of “Landman” featured several swipes at the left, including a conversation mocking ABC’s “The View” and an extended assault on pronouns. The latter featured ditzy Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) sparring with her college’s woke administrator and, later, her nonbinary roommate.

Most shows wouldn’t dare broach these subjects, let alone in a farcical fashion, but showrunner Taylor Sheridan isn’t your average TV scribe. The heartland-friendly creator isn’t afraid to ruffle progressive feathers, and he does so while uncorking some elegantly written stories.

That may explain why the industry doesn’t shower him with Emmys, but he’s too busy juggling a half dozen (or more) shows to care …

RELATED: ‘I wasn’t his girlfriend’: Whoopi Goldberg breaks silence on her presence in the Epstein files

Photo (left): Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival; Photo (right): Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

Best Pixel

Imagine there’s no virtue signaling at awards shows. It’s easy if you try.

Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey shared some thoughts on AI during a Variety/CNN town hall interview with fellow star Timothee Chalamet.

McConaughey earned his trophy for 2013’s “Dallas Buyers Club,” and he fears future red carpets may be crowded with computer-generated competition.

“Will we be, in five years, having ‘the best AI film’? ‘The best AI actor?’” he said. “Maybe. I think that might be the thing; it becomes another category. It’s going to be in front of us in ways that we don’t even see. It’s going to get so good we’re not going to know the difference.”

Another plus? AI actors can’t walk down red carpets wearing those insufferable “ICE Out” pins …

Carpet cringe

By George, I think he’s got it.

Comic actor Jamie Kennedy of “Scream” fame added a dollop of common sense to Hollywood’s anti-ICE histrionics. Kennedy shared his views on celebrity activism tied to the illegal immigration enforcers, and he refused to read the preapproved talking points.

Instead, he pointed out the hypocrisy of stars safely sashaying down the red carpet while demonizing law enforcement on the “Trying Not to Die” podcast.

People are protesting ICE, and I understand the situation — but when you have actors from the red carpet of an award show, on there saying all of this stuff about “we’re under a fascist regime, we’re [under] authoritarianism …” bro … you’re literally guarded by the most top [security] — it’s insanity, you can’t say you’re under authoritarian rule when you’re literally being authoritarian.

Somewhere, Ricky Gervais is grinning ear to ear …

Whoopi’s whoopsie

“The View” is getting a crash course in Epstein files nuance.

The extreme-left show has pummeled President Donald Trump for being mentioned in the infamous files. But as everyone knows, a “mention” doesn’t mean much if there’s no “there-there.”

And to date, there isn’t, just a revelation that Trump cheered on police for investigating the ghoulish financier.

That hasn’t stopped the left or “The View” from connecting disparate dots. Until now. Turns out some “View” hosts, including Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg, are in those files too.

Goldberg once asked Epstein if she could hitch a ride on his plane. Or she claims someone did so on her behalf.

Awkward!

Now, fellow listee Behar is lecturing viewers that she’s totally innocent, and everyone named in the files isn’t a monster. The other embarrassing part? Behar attended Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples:

“I was at Trump’s wedding to Marla. Maybe Epstein was there too. Who knows? So that means I’m not guilty obviously, but these other ones, how are you going to decide who is really guilty and who is not? It’s very tricky!”

Tricky, you say? We say karma on steroids.

​Entertainment, Hollywood, Ice, Culture, Renee good, Jeffrey epstein, Bono, U2, The view, Joy behar, Whoopi goldberg, Donald trump, Toto recall 

Growing infighting among prominent Democrats signals deeper instability within the party — and BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere has the receipts to back it up.

“It seems like there is a little bit of trouble in paradise these days over on the Democratic side. You’ve seen some of these divides before,” Stu says, reading a Fox News headline: “John Fetterman slams anti-Israel ‘rot’ in Democratic Party, rejects AOC’s claims of Gaza ‘genocide.’”

Another recent headline from The Hill reads, “House Democrat: Mamdani’s proposed wealth taxes ‘not going to work.’”

“That is [Rep. Jared] Moskowitz. He’s fighting with Mamdani because Mamdani wants a wealth tax and Moskowitz says that’s not going to work. By the way, one reason it’s not going to work as a federal situation is because it’s completely unconstitutional,” Stu comments.

“Now, of course, Mamdani does not care whatsoever about those sorts of things,” he adds.

Even Bernie Sanders and Gavin Newsom have now become “adversaries” over the push to tax California billionaires.

“Of course, you know, Bernie Sanders, number one, is a socialist. Number two, doesn’t have to worry about actually funding the state and, you know, building new magical railroads across it. So he doesn’t care about whether all the billionaires leave or not. He’s going to get their money either way, right?” Stu explains.

“There’s a big divide inside that party. Now, that’s not to say, I will point out, that there’s none of this going on on the right. It is existing on the right as well. But on the left it’s really interesting,” he says, pointing out that when one party holds more power, the other party tends to put aside internal differences and unite.

“You saw some of that, I think, during 2024, where people looked at the Biden situation and were like, ‘Gosh, we don’t want any more of this.’ They united around Trump even though there was a lot of people who liked him and a lot of people who didn’t like him on the Republican side,” Stu says.

But the Democrats are not showing the same strength, and a new AP-NORC poll only solidifies Stu’s point.

The poll reflects that “many Democrats are still down on their party after 2024.”

“You see, there was some uniting going on — a little bit, maybe, you could argue — in the early days of the Trump administration, where approval of the Democratic Party among Democrats rose north of 83%. Now it’s dropped to 70%. Interesting. Not a massive drop-off, but significant,” Stu says.

And positive views of the Democratic Party are down among Democrats, from 92% at the turn of the century to 80% today.

“We’ve never seen one as low as it is now, though,” Stu comments.

“That’s not good. That’s bad,” he adds.

Want more from Stu?

To enjoy more of Stu’s lethal wit, wisdom, and mockery, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Sharing, Upload, Video, Video phone, Free, Camera phone, Youtube.com, Stu does america, Stu burguiere, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Bernie sanders, Gavin newsom, Mamdani, Zohran mamdani, Democrat party, Aoc, Israel 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the firing of a trans-identifying “wolf” elementary school teacher who sparked several complaints from Fort Bragg families.

Military families began expressing concern about the trans-identifying wolf teacher, who worked as a substitute teacher and teacher’s aide at the Mildred B. Poole Elementary School, for reportedly using several names like “Roxxanne Wildheart,” “Kiera Blackheart,” “Lilith Deathhowl,” “Captain Roxxie,” “Artemis Deathhowl,” and “savagebeastqueen,” according to CBN News.

‘The “Wolf” was fired.’

The parents also cited the teacher’s troubling interactions with their children, allegedly sharing with them “sexually inappropriate” details about his identity and dating preferences.

Families began speaking out in early 2025, criticizing administrators for not having taken action against the teacher’s “disturbing behavior,” which reportedly included wearing feminine clothing, a dog collar, an animal tail, and fetish tags.

RELATED: ‘No more dudes in dresses’: Hegseth gives multitudes of trans-identifying service members the boot

Photo by LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

He also allegedly divulged his sexual fetishes in front of children by telling his students that he turns into a “wolf” at night, howling like a wolf, and insisting he be addressed by his “wolf character names” and with inaccurate female pronouns.

Parents claimed their children felt “scared and anxious” about the teacher’s behavior, with one child telling her mother, “Mommy, I’m scared he’s going to come eat me.”

Another child reportedly told her mother, “Mommy, Ms. Roxxie says he was born in a male’s body, but he’s actually a woman, but he likes boys!”

RELATED: Activist judges overruled: Trump judges greenlight Hegseth’s ban on military ‘dudes in dresses’

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Hegseth took matters into his own hands, protecting the students from further perverted behavior.

“The ‘Wolf’ was fired 2 weeks ago,” Hegseth posted to X Thursday in response to CBN.

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In a world where millions claim to be Christians while living lives indistinguishable from anyone else, it’s critical to understand the importance of authentic faith. It’s a bit more than “all you have to do is believe” (explained here), which is an unsupportable position according to scripture and Jesus’ own words.

But a companion misunderstanding is that you should never question your own faith. Some even say it’s a sin to do so.

As you examine your thoughts and attitudes and actions in the clear light of scriptural teaching, the Spirit will show you things to work on — guaranteed.

But again — that’s not what the Bible says.

The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, told them to test themselves to see if they were in the faith — “examine yourselves!” he exclaimed (2 Corinthians 13:5). It’s never wrong to thoughtfully examine our own hearts to ensure we’re on the right track.

So having established that it’s not wrong — and in fact, it’s desirable to examine ourselves — let’s answer the million-dollar question: How do we know we are saved?

1. Understand what happens at salvation

Obviously, you won’t know if you’re saved if you don’t know what being saved means. It means that God has freely given you:

Eyes to see the truth of the gospel. You sincerely believe that Jesus lived, died, and rose again to pay for your sins.A heart to repent. You recognize your sin separates you from a holy God, and you want to pivot to a life in relationship with your creator. You want to align with His plans for your life, not your own.

In that moment when those things happen, God does a miracle:

He brings a dead person to life.He wipes your slate clean (even the sins you’ll still commit) because they were all nailed to the cross, so you are now justified — you are officially “righteous” because you are cleansed.You are saved from eternal separation from God (hell).God Himself, the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell in you, and the process of your sanctification (becoming more like Christ) begins. (It will take your whole life!) The Holy Spirit also seals you in Him, which means you will never lose this salvation.You are promised that one day you will be glorified, which means when you die, you will be free of all worldly cares and sins and will be in the very presence of Jesus.

So in light of the mind-boggling gifts you, the new believer, have just been granted — how else do you know you’re saved?

2. Learn to recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says:

In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit indwells us at the moment of salvation. It is not something that comes later, as some mistakenly teach. His presence in us is indeed proof of our salvation:

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (Romans 8:9)

And later in that same chapter:

For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. … The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:14, 16)

So — the Holy Spirit in us helps us know that we belong to God. How, exactly?

Well, are you different than you were before you believed? Or more accurately, do you desire to be different, to love and serve the God who saved you? (Because it’s always about the heart’s desire, not some perfect behavior.)

If you want to change your life to align with God, that prompting is coming from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s assurance works in tandem with something else though.

3. Use scripture as a mirror

Are you reading and studying the Bible? Again — more precisely — do you have the desire to do so, even if you struggle to find a place for that in your busy schedule? Because the Holy Spirit will convict you of your need to be in the Word. If you’re feeling that prodding, that is itself an assurance of salvation. The Holy Spirit is in you, working.

And when you obey that prompting, He will illuminate the Bible for you to help you begin to become more like Jesus. As you examine your thoughts and attitudes and actions in the clear light of scriptural teaching, the Spirit will show you things to work on — guaranteed.

If you are wanting to be in the Word and wanting to obey the Spirit’s leading to change as you learn — that is a powerful assurance of your salvation.

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4. Seek out other believers

Are you in relationships with other believers? Are you going to or at least looking for a church? This life can’t be lived sitting on the sofa watching screen church — it requires real human interaction due to (among other things) the commandment Jesus gave us to love one another, which is impossible from your comfy couch.

Again, it comes down to obedience. The Spirit will prompt you to seek out other believers, because God designed us to be in those relationships, serving and loving each other, and being served and loved.

If you’re obeying Him in this, that is also a powerful assurance that you are saved, because stepping into an entirely new group of people we’ve never met before —which is how most of us start finding a church — does not come particularly easy to anyone.

5. Check your life for ‘fruit of the Spirit’

The Bible brims with teaching about fruit — we’re supposed to produce good fruit as followers of Jesus. More on this here, but for now, let’s look at what the Bible explicitly calls out as the “fruit of the Spirit” living in us (Galatians 5:22-23):

LoveJoyPeacePatienceKindnessGoodnessFaithfulnessGentlenessSelf-control

John MacArthur calls this “attitude fruit” — the attitudes we should begin to exhibit once we are saved. So that’s the fruit of the Spirit — attitudes the Spirit helps us develop.

But in that same chapter of Galatians, Paul also lists some opposites. “Deeds of the flesh” he calls them, which include:

Sexual immoralityImpuritySensualityIdolatrySorceryEnmitiesStrifeJealousyOutbursts of angerSelfish ambitionFactionsEnvying dissensionsDrunkennessCarousing“and things like these”

So are you more characterized by deeds of the flesh or the Spirit?

Or again let’s ask the right question — which do you desire to be more characteristic in your life? If it’s the good stuff, that is a desire implanted by the Holy Spirit within you — again, an assurance of salvation. And He will help you transform that desire more and more into reality, which will strengthen your assurance as well.

6. See how others have tackled this question

Q: What are some of the signs of genuine saving faith?
A: From the excellent website gotquestions.org

Q: What kind of things do and do not prove the genuineness of saving faith?
A: From Grace to You, John MacArthur’s website

7. Take heart from the words of Jesus

As I’ve written before, the question isn’t “will you believe in Jesus?” The question is “will you follow Jesus?”

If you repented and believed (described above), and now your desire is to follow Him and become more like Him — that desire is from the Holy Spirit within you, and you are assuredly saved. As Jesus said:

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish — ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. (John 10:27-30)

A version of this essay previously appeared on She Speaks Truth.

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