Category: blaze media

Do you count? Does your life count?

A priest once told me that I don’t count. But later, he asked me if I coded. Because, he said, I spoke English like a coder. I bet you can count. I bet you do count. This is a safe bet, because you were made in the image of God. But also, you are a man. Or a woman. So, therefore, you cannot count the same as God. But you can count as God counted through man.

Are you ready? Do you trust yourself enough to count to 10? Let’s try it. Maybe say a prayer first, though — just to be safe.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

I wonder whether you did that right the first time. I didn’t. It took me the better part of four decades to learn this secret. Although it is widely known to any 4-year-old. You could try again. For yourself. With your fingers.

Did you do it?

It’s up to you, anon. But if you were to have done it, you could do it again at any time. Perhaps it could become a prayerful meditation. Do you know who else had ten fingers? Moses. David. Jesus. Constantine. Elizabeth I. Shakespeare. Do you, then, know them all like the back of your hand as you count?

It is simply not possible to care in a human fashion at scale.

You cannot know anything like the back of your hand when you are typing … or when you are reading on a computer screen. Try typing and reading what you type at the same time. I guarantee that you cannot closely examine the back of your hands as you type and read at the same time. Your mind is too limited. You can focus on one thing at a time.

This is the most profound digital communication I can provide to you right now, anon.

Do you get the pun? Digital. My hands typed this. You probably have two thumbs, too. This makes you human. But also, a monkey could do it. Some liar once said that monkeys with keyboards could eventually produce Shakespeare. Not even very high-IQ monkeys, banging out code to train large language models on everything that has ever been digitized, could produce anything with an ounce of the artistic worth of William Shakespeare.

Do you remember the Mayan Apocalypse? Did anything happen? (Of course it did. It was the end of the world as we know it. The end of the world actually comes every night when the sun goes down. When is the last time you saw a sunset?) The Mayans counted, too. But not just on their hands, under base 10. They also counted their toes and therefore had a base 20 calendar: 20-hour days, 20-day months, 20 of them. They were very superstitious about the end of the world, probably. At least, the Aztecs were. They would sacrifice children en masse to make sure the sun came up again the next morning.

But then the Aztecs’ prophecy was fulfilled, and Cortez annihilated them.

This was right and just. I mean, what would you have done if you were Cortez? Cortez, probably, counted on his hands, too. Just like you. He, too, wore shoes. With closed toes. Can you count to 10 on your toes? One toe at a time? Probably not. But the Mayans probably could.

RELATED: The mental health crisis is worse than you think — but the solution is obvious

Photo by Alain Jocard/Getty Images

They were grateful to Cortez for helping them exterminate the Aztecs. But then … they had to deal with the Mexicans. Poncho Villa. Not a nice hombre. And now the cartels. Not nice hombres, either. They treat men and women like they don’t count. Like they are only numbers. Little figures entered into Excel tables.

Do you work for a cartel? Probably. Most everyone is employed by a corporation.

Corporations are not people. They do not count on their hands, because they do not have hands. Sometimes they are owned by families. If so, they can be good. Very good, even, to their employees, who also have families.

Can you count the number of lives that depend on your life? You are asked to every year, by the tax man, who shall surely cometh every year until you are dead. And then he will tax you, too.

How many lives depend on yours? How many lives have you taken through your carelessness? Taken for granted? You must, necessarily, take for granted almost every human life you ever see. It is simply not possible to care in a human fashion at scale.

It has been said that humans cannot manage more than 150 relationships at once. That’s too big a number to count, really. If you are human. Which you are.

So try to count to 10 again. The 10 most important lives to you. Count on your fingers. Love each finger as though it were a loved one. If there are 10 you can love truly, you shall not suffer the fate of the Sodomites. Hopefully.

​Tech, Culture 

A comedian lands at Heathrow and finds himself met by officers as though he posed a terrorist threat. His offense? A social media joke about trans people. He’s released on bail on the condition he doesn’t post on X.

Another man prays silently outside the “safe zone” of an abortion clinic and is hauled off, given a two-year conditional discharge, and fined £9,000 (just over $12,000).

We hope Britain pulls up from its nosedive, but let’s not delude ourselves. America faces the same temptations.

A third man waves the Union Jack at a pro-Palestinian march in England — only to be arrested. Reuters quickly ran interference: not for the flag, they said, but for a “racially aggravated public order offence” and “homophobic abuse.” As if that makes it better.

And we’re still not mentioning the Islamic child-rape scandal that grows worse with every new revelation. The United States watches Britain collapse into a kind of Reformation-era persecution, this time in the name of Islam, paganism, and sexual license. Americans shake their heads, maybe reassure themselves: We fought a revolution to escape this. Charles II jailed Christians. Charles III praises Islam. And we have the First Amendment. Case closed.

Not so fast. We may be on the same road. Once you begin policing speech to protect feelings, the end point looks very much like the UK. And we have plenty of warning signs.

The university test case

Universities may be the clearest early indicator. Professors tell us every profession must “look like” society — except their own. If a field is 97% male, they call it systemic bias. But in the academy itself, where atheists and leftists dominate, they see no problem.

The numbers don’t lie. At Arizona State University, a December 2024 survey found just 19 Republicans among 544 faculty members. At the University of Arizona, only eight Republicans out of 369. Entire departments lacked a single Republican. A 2023 Harvard Crimson study found only 2.5% of Harvard faculty identify as conservative. If any other profession looked this skewed, professors would scream about bias. In their case, they call it “normal.”

And the consequences? They’ll defend freedom of speech for burning an American flag. Burn a trans flag, and suddenly you’ve committed a hate crime. That is one step removed from Graham Linehan’s arrest in the UK for an X post.

Censorship in practice

Students already know what this means. A 2022 FIRE survey found they self-censor in class. They parrot leftist slogans on gender and race, not because they believe them, but because they want the grade. We are teaching them to lie to advance. No one is being asked to confess Christ; they are being asked to confess Ibram Kendi and John Money.

I’ve seen it firsthand. At ASU’s Honors College, faculty blocked Charlie Kirk, Dennis Prager, and Robert Kiyosaki from speaking, smearing them as “white supremacists.” That label alone was enough to push the event off campus. These professors weren’t interested in argument. They wanted silence.

RELATED: Why the English flag now terrifies the regime

Blaze Media illustration

Truth vs. lies

How do they justify it? With “hate crimes.” Not crimes that incite violence, but crimes of opinion. Disagree with LGBTQ ideology? That’s hate. Straight to jail. Professors sleep well at night because we’ve accepted their framework: society divided into oppressors and oppressed. Bad outcomes aren’t the result of choices, but of systemic injustice. Victims must be coddled, even at the expense of truth.

Once you accept that, feelings erase the First Amendment.

We need a spine. Sexual sins are real and destructive. Abortion ends a life. A comedian may say this through jokes; a philosopher may say it through essays. Either way, it’s the truth. The mob can gnash its teeth, plug its ears, strip away free speech, and jail comedians, but reality doesn’t change.

We hope Britain pulls up from its nosedive, but let’s not delude ourselves. America faces the same temptations. We must pray for the end of abortion, speak plainly about the damage sexual ideology inflicts on children, and reject the false frame of “oppressors and oppressed.” The real categories are truth and lies. Choose wisely, while you still can.

​Opinion & analysis, Censorship, Free speech, First amendment, Freedom of speech, Hate speech, Hate crimes, Truth, Lies, Great britain, Prayer, Abortion, Buffer zones, Safety, Universities, Social media, Police, Diversity, Union jack, Charles iii, Islam, Graham linehan, Fire, Harvard, Arizona state university 

An 18-year-old man who was detained at the site of a lethal triple shooting at an apartment complex had killed two of the victims, according to California police.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said they were called to the Lance Apartments along El Camino Avenue in Carmichael on Sunday at about 7 a.m. over a report of bullet holes and possibly dead people.

Police did not release the identities of the three men killed and later said they were gang-related and knew each other.

When they arrived, they found three men dead from gunshot wounds at the apartment and detained one man, identified as 18-year-old Jaylen Davis. All of the men were in their twenties, and they were all found with guns next to them.

Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper criticized a low-income housing complex for delaying its investigation by not providing security video when requested. After obtaining a subpoena, police identified a witness that aided in the investigation.

Police determined that two of the men were robbing the third man at the apartment and shot him during a struggle. That man died.

Davis, who also lived at the apartment complex, then retrieved his gun and killed the two robbers. The witness interviewed by police confirmed the details relayed by Davis.

The sheriff’s office said the four men in the incident had prior felony convictions and were restricted from possessing guns.

RELATED: California couple ran over man until he was pinned under truck wheel, then pepper-sprayed him

Police said the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office would not seek homicide charges against Davis.

However, Davis is going to face charges related to the gun possession and also because he was on parole and had an ankle monitor at the time of the incident. He is not eligible for bail.

Police did not release the identities of the three men killed and later said they were gang-related and knew each other.

Sgt. Amar Gandhi told KTXL-TV that Davis would not likely face a strict punishment for the low-level offenses.

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​Sacramento apt killings, Three men shot and killed, Jaylen davis kills two men, Armed robbers killed, Crime 

Power always seeks to expand. It never halts for principles or words on paper, but only for rival powers strong enough to resist it. Those rivals must have deep roots, independent resilience, and the ability to demand loyalty. They must project sovereignty in ways the state cannot easily replicate, establishing spheres of influence that can resist government overreach without ever firing a shot.

Historically, strong communities provided this check. Their religions and folkways became the rhythms of life, passed down through generations. These beliefs drew authority from transcendent sources no earthly power could reproduce. Families built churches, schools, libraries, civic organizations, unions, and fraternities to preserve culture, transmit values, and care for members.

Communities with shared traditions can limit state commands. But diversity dissolves those limits.

Such communities formed spheres of sovereignty. They made competing demands on their members and provided services the state could not: spiritual grounding, mutual aid, a sense of identity. Membership required specific behaviors to remain in good standing, norms the state could not easily reshape. Because traditions were deeply ingrained, the state had to respect them or risk serious resistance.

Over time, these communities often accumulated wealth. Virtue and stability generated surplus capital, which supported robust institutions and provided safety nets. Their members no longer relied on government in times of need. They relied on each other. These were the kulaks — the middle class — people whose independence created natural barriers to state expansion. Not atomized “self-reliance,” but communal reliance: stability rooted in culture and habit. That is precisely why governments sought to break them.

High and low vs. the middle

The political theorist Bertrand de Jouvenel, in “On Power,” described the classic formula: high and low versus the middle. The ruling class always wants more power, but the middle class resists. The poor, being dependent and disorganized, cannot mount opposition. Only the middle class, with property, institutions, and traditions, can stand in the way. To expand power, rulers must dissolve these spheres of sovereignty.

Their method is alliance with the dependent lower classes. Sometimes this means the domestic underclass. But that group still shares culture and traditions with the middle, making it less reliable as a tool. Importing a foreign underclass works better. Immigrants lack roots in the land or its traditions. They can be counted on to side with rulers against the entrenched middle.

Mass immigration delivers cheap labor to the wealthy while creating a new political client base. The upper class benefits from gardeners and nannies. Politicians gain millions of new voters to whom they can promise state benefits.

Dependence as a weapon

Immigrant groups rarely possess cohesive culture or resilient institutions. They lack roots, leisure, or unity to resist. They depend on the ruling class for entry, employment, rights, and welfare. Many don’t speak the language. They need the state to survive — and they reward the state with loyalty. This isn’t passive dependence. To succeed, they actively require the state to expand.

To serve this new underclass, rulers pillage the middle. Kulaks are blamed for inequality. They are guilted, taxed, or coerced into surrendering what they built. That wealth is transferred to immigrants, cementing the state’s power over both. The middle grows poorer, loses property, closes institutions, and becomes more unstable. Families that once resisted government control now depend on it.

RELATED: ‘Paperwork Americans’ are not your countrymen

Blaze Media illustration

Mass immigration also erodes culture, another obstacle to power. Communities with shared traditions can limit state commands. But diversity dissolves those limits. Forced to mingle with newcomers, the shared identity frays. Cultural separation becomes taboo. Institutions that once passed on values and provided aid collapse. Charities are drained. Public spaces decay. And those who maintained them see no reason to sacrifice for strangers.

The state ensures that escape is impossible. First taboo, then law, forbids communities to separate and reform. Those who try are smeared as bigots, then prosecuted. The middle is barred from reconstituting its way of life. Virtue fades. The spheres of sovereignty are gone. Everyone becomes a rootless dependent, giving the state a blank check to expand its power.

Why immigration became policy

This is why mass immigration became a priority across Western liberal democracies. It doesn’t just dismantle barriers to state power; it builds a machine to demand more of it. Rulers gain cheap labor, grateful voters, and excuses to raid the middle. The cost is cultural dissolution, but to elites that is a feature, not a bug.

If we want an elite that serves its people rather than undermines them, we must choke off this supply of outside populations. Stop importing clients. Stop dissolving communities. Restore the middle class and the spheres of sovereignty that protect liberty. Only then can the leviathan be caged.

​Opinion & analysis, Immigration, Assimilation, Customs, Folkways, Power, Bertrand de jouvenel, Community, State, Ruling class, Middle class, Underclass, Culture, Virtue, Force, Sovereignty, Dependence, Control 

Sara Gonzales, BlazeTV host of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” has long been a vocal Trump supporter, but there’s one criticism she’s always harbored: He’s “been very unwilling to question Operation Warp Speed.”

“Until now,” she exclaims.

On Monday, September 1, President Trump posted the following message on Truth Social:

“This is huge, you guys,” Sara says.

She recalls how President Trump doubled down on the success of Operation Warp Speed during his 2024 presidential campaign. For him to finally address the concerns of the millions of Americans who were unfairly “vilified” and “censored” for questioning the COVID vaccine during the pandemic is a “huge step forward,” she says.

Given Anthony Fauci’s highly suspicious pre-emptive pardon, deadly vaccine side effects like myocarditis and pericarditis, Pfizer and Moderna’s multibillion-dollar profits, and the fact that alternative treatments were buried, President Trump’s demand that vaccine companies “justify the success of their various COVID drugs” is beyond necessary.

Even though no one should oppose President Trump’s call for the truth — be it good or bad — the left is predictably up in arms. They want everyone to bury their skepticism and questions and continue pretending the vaccine was good and necessary.

Sara points to a recent New York Times hit piece titled “We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health,” in which former CDC directors criticize Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership at HHS, accusing him of undermining public health.

But look at the people who were shaping public health before the Trump administration took over, and it’s clear we’re in far better hands now.

Sara displays a handful of embarrassing images of one such person: Dr. Demetre Daskalakis — the former director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases — who resigned on August 28 due to irreconcilable differences with RFK Jr. In the photos, Daskalakis, a gay infectious disease physician known for his work on HIV/AIDS and the monkeypox virus, dons promiscuous leather outfits and jewels.

“This is the guy who was in charge of keeping you safe,” Sara scoffs, playing a clip of Dr. Daskalakis urging the public to “support people’s joy as opposed to calling them risky” in relation to the monkeypox virus.

Sara finds it ironic that “when it comes to dudes fornicating with each other, it’s just a good time,” but “when it comes to someone who doesn’t want to take an experimental jab … they’re not allowed to participate in society.”

“So these are the people that they want you to trust. … These are the same people, mind you, who brought you … a 42% obesity rate, a 60% chronic disease rate,” she condemns.

These are the same people who told us to “trust the science” but are now telling us to not critically examine whether or not the science actually worked — even though systematic review is a cornerstone of science.

“No f**king wonder we’re all sick,” Sara says.

To hear more of her commentary, watch the episode above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred take to 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, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Blazetv, Blaze media, Fauci, Vaccine, Covid vaccine, Covid lies, Covid 19, Donald trump, Covid-19 tyranny 

The infamous “missing minute” from the prison security video on the night of Jeffrey Epstein’s death has been filled by video released in the most recent Epstein files document dump.

The House Oversight Committee released more than 33K pages of documents from the files on Tuesday after meeting with a group of victims of the deceased billionaire financier.

The two clips released on Tuesday fill in the previously missing minute.

The “missing minute” from Aug. 10, 2019, has been cited by many as evidence of a cover-up in the case. Many have suspected that Epstein did not kill himself, as was claimed in the official report, but was killed by wealthy and famous people who were involved in his sex trafficking ring.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously said the missing minute had been caused by a normal technical lapse in the footage.

“What we learned from Bureau of Prisons was every night the video is reset, and every night should have the same minute missing,” she explained.

But according to Fox News Digital, there is no missing minute, and the two clips released on Tuesday fill in the previously missing minute.

Digital forensics experts said the two clips previously had been spliced together through the use of Adobe Premiere Pro. The time stamp on the clips had also indicated the short absence and fueled conspiracy theories.

However, there is no motion on the newly discovered minute.

RELATED: Trump denies report of letter and drawing sent to Jeffrey Epstein on 50th birthday, threatens to sue WSJ

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana praised the group of six victims for coming forward and indicated that new information had come from their two-and-a-half-hour meeting.

“Some of the ladies have shared these stories publicly before, but at least two of the women had never told their stories before, one for the very first time in the room, and so there were tears in the room,” he told reporters afterward.

“There was outrage. It was both — I would describe it as heartbreaking and infuriating,” Johnson continued. “That justice has been delayed so long.”

The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News in time for publishing.

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​Epstein missing minute, Missing minute epstein tapes, Epstein files doc drop, Jeffrey epstein death, Politics 

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made a major announcement concerning mandatory vaccinations during a press conference on Wednesday, which was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.

‘They do not have the right. Do not give it to them.’

Ladapo began his speech by praising Governor Ron DeSantis (R) for resisting government overreach during the COVID era.

He then revealed a significant win for medical freedom, stating that the Florida Department of Health and DeSantis would work in partnership to end “all” vaccine mandates in Florida law.

The crowd reacted to Ladapo’s announcement by standing up and bursting into applause.

“Every last one of them,” Ladapo clarified. “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery.”

“Who am I as a government, or anyone else — or who am I as a man standing here now, to tell you what you should put in your body?” he continued.

“Your body is a gift from God. What you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and your God. I don’t have that right. Government does not have that right. They want you to believe they have that right. And unfortunately, they’ve been successful.”

RELATED: Where’s the outrage?! This whistleblower’s vaccine injury lawsuit demands national attention

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Ladapo noted that nearly every state has vaccine mandates.

“They do not have the right. Do not give it to them. Take it away from them,” he declared. “And we’re going to be starting that here in Florida.”

He emphasized the importance of allowing Americans to make informed decisions about vaccines.

Ladapo explained that the Florida Department of Health has the power to initiate the process by eliminating rules established under the previous administration that required certain vaccines.

“It’ll be wonderful for Florida to be the first state to do it,” he said.

RELATED: Study: COVID-19 vaccination is ‘strongly associated with a serious adverse safety signal of myocarditis’

Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Also during the Wednesday press conference, DeSantis unveiled the establishment of the Florida Make America Healthy Again commission, which will be chaired by first lady Casey DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins (R).

DeSantis referred to Florida as the “national model for medical freedom.”

“The Florida MAHA commission will prioritize reforms that empower Floridians, reduce regulatory burdens, and hold actors accountable for their conduct, while fostering incentives for healthy living and innovation,” he stated during the press conference.

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​News, Florida, Vaccines, Vaccinations, Vax, Ron desantis, Joseph ladapo, Covid era, Covid, Vaccine mandates, Florida department of health, Health, Casey desantis, Florida make america healthy again commission, Make american healthy again, Maha, Politics 

A Texas man with a large cache of weapons is accused of shooting and killing an 11-year-old boy who allegedly was playing the “ding-dong ditch” doorbell prank, according to authorities.

The Houston Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a “fatal shooting of a juvenile male” around 10:55 p.m. Saturday.

Police reported that gunshots are heard on the video, followed by audio of the boy gasping.

The shooting victim was rushed to an area hospital, but doctors on Sunday pronounced the child dead.

Authorities identified the shooting victim as 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who reportedly was playing a “ding-dong ditch” prank. Participants in the prank ring a home’s doorbell or knock on the door and run away before the occupant answers.

Investigators said the shooting victim and his 10-year-old cousin were at a family gathering nearby before they walked a block away to play the “ding-dong ditch” prank.

“Officers were told that Guzman was ringing doorbells of homes in the area and running away,” the Houston Police Department stated. “A witness stated Guzman was running from a house, after ringing the doorbell, just prior to suffering a gunshot wound.”

Houston Police Department Homicide Detective Sgt. Michael Cass told CBS News that the suspect was “waiting in the shadows in his own side yard behind a fence” after the victim and his cousin began playing the prank — doing so three times in a span of 15 minutes.

But by the third ding-dong ditch attempt, police said “the cousins ran as fast as they could, but the homeowner was waiting behind the fence in his yard,” according to the news network.

Police said the incident was recorded on Guzman’s cell phone.

Police reported that gunshots are heard on the video, followed by audio of the boy gasping.

‘What harm could they have done? Playing with a doorbell?’

The Houston Police Department named the shooting suspect as 42-year-old Gonzalo Leon Jr.

On Monday, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office charged Leon with murder.

On Tuesday, officers with the Houston Police Department’s SWAT unit and a Criminal Apprehension Team located Leon and his packed car at a hotel in La Porte, Texas.

Leon was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail, according to online records.

RELATED: California man convicted of murdering 3 teenagers after ‘ding-dong ditch’ prank that included ‘mooning’

Sgt. Cass noted that the children were “not threatening in any way” and that the shooting did not seem to involve self-defense because it “wasn’t close to the house.”

Cass told KHOU-TV, “In my opinion, it does not look like any type of self-defense.”

Legal analyst Carmen Roe added to KHOU, “From what we know, it is difficult to imagine a homeowner reasonably believing children playing a centuries-old prank posed a legitimate threat.”

While executing a search warrant at Leon’s house, investigators found a handgun and 20 other firearms, plus tactical and smoke grenades, police said.

“Looked like he may have been a collector of firearms,” Cass said.

Leon is an Army veteran who was deployed and spent time in the reserves, police told CBS News, which added that his defense attorney at his Wednesday court appearance said Leon was disabled in combat and honorably discharged.

Neighbors were shocked after a child’s prank resulted in tragedy.

“What harm could they have done? Playing with a doorbell? That’s the part that really kind of hurts the heart,” one neighbor told KHOU. “For someone to shoot him in the back, they knew they were a kid. What’s the purpose of it?”

Another resident added, “Kids are just being kids. I feel like we’ve all played ‘ding-dong ditch.'”

One neighbor claimed to have seen a group of children pranking homes in the neighborhood on the day of the shooting.

“I warned them that they shouldn’t be doing what they were doing, that it was dangerous, and they had two minutes to go and leave the property or I would contact the police,” the neighbor stated. “They knew that they were doing something wrong.”

One resident claimed that “an innocent life” was taken, but it could have been avoided if parents taught their children “what’s right and what’s wrong, and it’s wrong to knock on somebody’s door playing a prank.”

A number of recent “ding-dong ditch” pranks resulted in unfortunate outcomes.

As Blaze News reported in May, a Virginia homeowner was charged with murder after a high school senior was fatally shot as he allegedly played the “ding-dong ditch” game. In January, four juveniles reportedly did the doorbell prank at a home in Missouri, after which the homeowner chased them with a sawed-off shotgun but didn’t fire it.In July 2024, a Maine man fired 14 rounds at teens who had played the “ding-doing ditch” prank.Blaze News reported in August 2023 that a Delaware state trooper was suspended for allegedly beating a 15-year-old boy after the teen played the “ding-dong ditch” game at the officer’s home.

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Billionaire entrepreneur Joe Gebbia said that the failure of Democrats to secure the border led to his abandoning the party and voting for President Donald Trump.

The 44-year-old, who co-founded Airbnb, made the comments while speaking to Katie Miller on her podcast. He said that he spoke to his friends on the Democratic side about border issues and was not satisfied with their explanations.

‘This is not right. … This is a real problem, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be enforcing the laws of our country.’

“In mid-2021, the activity at the border caught my attention, and I remember thinking, ‘What’s going on with this topic? It seems as if there’s no border,'” said Gebbia. “And as it got worse that year, I felt as if I needed to understand this problem more, so I reached out to my friends from the Democratic side of the House, at all levels, from the highest level all the way down.”

He added: “I got some answers, but felt unfulfilled.”

Gebbia went on to say that the president’s son-in-law and former adviser Jared Kushner sealed the deal with him after explaining the issue more fully.

“I get on the phone with Jared and say, ‘Hey, can you help me? Fill in the gaps for me? Like, what am I missing here? Is this normal? Like, it seems there’s no enforcement of our own border. Like, don’t nations need borders to be a nation?’ And so he put me on this curriculum of just talking to experts in the field, and I remember just being like, ‘Holy cow, this is crazy!’ Like, this is not right,” Gebbia continued.

“This is a real problem, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be enforcing the laws of our country and our border,” he added. “And so, I think, as I started to pull on that thread, I sort of began to look at other topics and eventually came to the point where I don’t think I can support a political party that wants to have an open border, that lets in criminals and dangerous people into our country. That’s not something I can get behind.”

Video of Gebbia’s comments went viral on social media with more than nine million views.

RELATED: Anti-Trump critics call for boycott against Airbnb after co-founder reportedly joins DOGE

Gebbia went on social media to clarify that he had stepped away from any operating role at the company in 2022.

“My views are my own and are in no way reflective of the company,” he added.

That did not prevent people on the left from attacking him.

“Gross. Airbnb’s co-founder Joe Gebbia spreading anti-immigrant hate on the podcast of a fascist who delights in separating families and disappearing people,” responded queer New York City Council member Tiffany Caban.

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​Airbnb cofounder joe gebbia, Gebbie left democrats, Biden border crisis, Gebbia on border crisis, Politics 

California’s mask commissars are once again clamoring for Americans to cover their faces.

During the pandemic, Democrat leaders and health officials in the Golden State proved eager to condition Americans’ ability to leave the house and to perform basic errands on wearing a mask.

“Bring your mask with you whenever you leave your home,” said former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “That will help us get more freedoms.”

On June 18, 2020 — just over a month after L.A. reopened its beaches — the California Department of Public Health announced that Californians were required to wear face coverings in public spaces; when obtaining services from the health care sector; when waiting for or riding on public transportation; when engaged in work with other members of the public; and “while outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of six feet from persons who are not members of the same household.”

“Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered,” said Gavin Newsom — the Democrat governor who months later issued a statewide order expanding the mask requirement to most indoor and outdoor settings.

Newsom issued his order despite evidence that masks, like the COVID-19 vaccines, weren’t as effective as some proponents liked to pretend.

RELATED: Let us never forget how COVID lockdown lunacy, tyranny, and hypocrisy harmed all of us

Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

For instance, the Centers for Disease Control’s peer-reviewed journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases, published a study in May 2020 that found “no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks.”

The researchers stated, “There is limited evidence for [disposal medical masks’] effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person for source control or when worn by uninfected persons to reduce exposure. Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.”

‘I recommend that everybody in West Sacramento wear a mask when they are around others in indoor public spaces.’

Although Newsom’s mask mandate was partially dropped in March 2022, mask requirements nevertheless remained in effect for certain settings. Even a comprehensive Cochrane analysis of scientific studies concerning the efficacy of masks in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, led by Oxford epidemiologist Tom Jefferson and published in January 2023, concluded:

Wearing masks in the community probably makes little or no difference to the outcome of influenza‐like illness/COVID‐19-like illness compared to not wearing masks. … Wearing masks in the community probably makes little or no difference to the outcome of laboratory‐confirmed influenza/SARS‐CoV‐2 compared to not wearing masks.

Aimee Sisson, the health officer in Yolo County, said in a statement on Friday, “California is experiencing a summer COVID wave.”

The CDC’s COVID-19 Hospitalization Surveillance Network indicated that in the week ending Aug. 23, the national hospitalization rate was 1.4 per 100,000 for those ages 0-4; 0.2 for those ages 5-17; 0.4 for those ages 18-49; 0.9 for those ages 50-64; and 5.1 for those 65 and older.

While the overall level of hospitalizations for the endemic virus is reportedly “low,” the Los Angeles Times indicated the number is increasing across the Golden State.

According to an estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 31 states, including California.

RELATED: The numbers hold terrible news for the Democrats’ future

Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

“Based on current wastewater levels of the virus that causes COVID-19, I recommend that everybody in West Sacramento wear a mask when they are around others in indoor public spaces,” said Sisson. “I also recommend that people in the rest of Yolo County wear masks when they are around others indoors if they are 65 or older, have a weakened immune system, have an underlying medical condition that puts them at a greater risk of severe COVID-19, or spend time around people who fall into these categories.”

The San Francisco Department of Public Health has similarly recommended “wearing a well-fitted mask when you are in crowded, indoor spaces, including when traveling.”

The California Department of Public Health noted in a social media post on Saturday, “Protect yourself and your loved ones by considering masking in indoor public places like airports and planes. Wear a high-quality mask like an N95, KN95 or KF94 to stay protected.”

The CDPH told Blaze News in a statement, “CDPH continues to recommend masks in certain situations and is not considering changing these recommendations at this time.”

“Local health departments may make recommendations on masking based on virus activity in their region,” the agency added in its statement. “Overall wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 are currently increasing, and it is not yet clear when wastewater activity will peak this summer.”

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The Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement has expanded its detention space to yet another state, after already opening facilities in Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, and Texas.

ICE has officially opened the “Louisiana Lockup” within the Louisiana State Penitentiary. This facility was created through a partnership with the notorious prison to utilize an unused section, expanding ICE’s capacity by 416 beds. The DHS plans to house the “worst of the worst” illegal immigrants at this facility.

‘If you are in this country illegally, you could find yourself in the Louisiana Lockup.’

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan, and Governor Jeff Landry (R) plan to host a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the new facility.

“To the worst of the worst: Welcome to the LOUISIANA LOCKUP,” Landry wrote in a post on X ahead of the press conference.

“Criminal illegal aliens beware: Louisiana Lockup is where your time in America ends,” Landry said. “Louisiana Lockup will give ICE the space it needs to lock up some of the worst criminal illegal aliens — murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and gang members — so they can no longer threaten our families and communities. This facility fulfills President Trump’s Make America Safe Again promise. I want to thank President Trump, Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Deputy ICE Director Madison Sheahan for their leadership and partnership. Together, we’re making Louisiana and America safer.”

RELATED: Lone Star Lockup: Trump admin unveils largest ICE detention facility yet

Photo by Giles Clarke/Getty Images

“If you are in this country illegally, you could find yourself in the Louisiana Lockup,” the DHS wrote on social media. “Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App.”

The department told Fox News that 51 immigrants have already been moved to the detention center.

RELATED: From Alligator Alcatraz to the Speedway Slammer: Noem’s DHS increases ICE detention space

President Donald Trump and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

“Today, we’re announcing a new partnership with the state of Louisiana to expand detention space,” Noem stated. “Thank you to Governor Landry for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in CECOT, Cornhusker Clink, Speedway Slammer, or Louisiana Lockup. Avoid arrest and self-deport now using the CBP Home App.”

CECOT — Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo — is a maximum-security prison in El Salvador where the Trump administration transferred suspected gang members.

Blaze News reached out to the DHS for comment.

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​News, Louisiana, Louisiana state penitentiary, Jeff landry, Kristi noem, Pam bondi, Madison sheahan, Louisiana lockup, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Immigration crisis, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Immigration, Politics 

Last month, a high-ranking Israeli government official was arrested and charged with a felony during a sex crime sting operation by Nevada police. Nearly a month after he posted bail, flew back to Israel as scheduled, and failed to appear for his felony arraignment on August 27, Tom Artiom Alexandrovich was scheduled to appear in court via a Zoom link Wednesday.

Alexandrovich, who was confirmed to be a senior official of the Israel Cyber Directorate, was arrested and charged with using computer technology to engage in a sexual act with a minor, a felony.

The court acknowledged that supervising and enforcing these conditions would be difficult given the ‘distance’ between the court and Alexandrovich’s current whereabouts.

Having flown to Israel shortly after posting $10,000 bail on August 7, Alexandrovich was not available to appear before the court in person on August 27, nor did he appear via Zoom. As was clarified on the court docket and during the hearing Wednesday, his bail was posted prior to the probable cause review.

Blaze News can confirm that Alexandrovich appeared at the arraignment hearing set for September 3.

RELATED: Israeli government official arrested in child sex-crime sting, flees to Israel

Photo by RONDA CHURCHILL/AFP via Getty Images

Noting the seriousness of the charge, Henderson Justice of the Peace Barbara F. Schifalacqua ordered Alexandrovich to avoid contact with minors and prohibited the use of social media or applications for dating or meetups.

The court acknowledged potential difficulties in supervising and enforcing these conditions given the “distance” between the court and Alexandrovich’s current whereabouts.

During the hearing, the defense stated that Alexandrovich submitted to and “passed” a polygraph test when asked if he had ever had sexual contact with any person under the age of 19. The defense also noted that Alexandrovich has been compliant with the court in the almost 30 days that have elapsed since the arrest.

An opposition hearing was set for September 24. The reply will be heard on October 1, and the argument, at which Alexandrovich will appear via Zoom once more, was scheduled for October 6. The date of the preliminary hearing will be scheduled during the argument hearing.

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​Politics, Zoom, Israeli official, Tom alexandrovich, Las vegas, Henderson county, Barbara schifilacqua, Court hearing, Israel, Israel cyber directorate 

Iconic filmmaker David Mamet got into an enlightening discussion about Democrat policies destroying the American family, and liberal podcaster Bill Maher did not disagree.

Mamet was being interviewed by Maher on his “Club Random” podcast when Maher tried to challenge him on the notion that liberals want to destroy the family.

‘Liberals actually think they’re doing good. I know a lot of times it’s really just about making them feel good. … But they’re not actually trying to destroy.’

“I know you think liberals want to destroy the family,” Maher said to Mamet.

“No. I don’t think they want to destroy the family. I think they have destroyed the family,” Mamet responded. “But they haven’t destroyed my family.”

“But they didn’t really do it on purpose,” Maher replied.

“Wait a second. What you’re saying is ‘I didn’t know it was loaded,’ right?” Mamet joked.

“Yes!” Maher laughed.

“That’s what Lee Harvey Oswald could have said!” said Mamet, referring to JFK’s assassin.

“Okay. But liberals actually think they’re doing good,” Maher responded. “I know a lot of times it’s really just about making them feel good, which is what’s so obnoxious when they do that. But they’re not actually trying to destroy …”

“Yes, and we understand as dramatists is that nobody ever did something for a bad reason,” Mamet interjected.

RELATED: How the black family was broken — and how we can restore it

The video was first published in June but resurfaced as a clip on social media this week and garnered hundreds of thousands of views.

Elsewhere in the interview, Mamet said that President Donald Trump called him after his past appearance on Maher’s show and scolded him for not defending the president’s claims of a stolen election. He said Trump spoke to him for 20 minutes to persuade him about his argument.

Mamet is best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Glengarry Glen Ross,” as well as the films “The Untouchables” and “Wag the Dog.”

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​David mamet vs bill maher, Destroying the family, Libs destroy family, Trump and david mamet, Politics 

A group who say they were victims of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein held a press conference at the Capitol on Wednesday, demanding transparency.

The self-proclaimed survivors voiced support for the Democrat-led Epstein Files Transparency Act, which calls on the attorney general to “release all documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein.”

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who sponsored the bill, appeared with survivors in D.C. alongside Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), as the victims made a shocking revelation.

‘It will be done by survivors and for survivors; no one else involved.’

Lisa Phillips, who has spoken extensively about surviving abuse at the hands of Epstein, took the podium at the Capitol to make a series of statements.

“Transparency is justice. Release the files,” Phillips stated in one clip from the event.

Phillips has been vocal about her claims recently, saying she was sex-trafficked by Epstein when she was a young model in the early 2000s. However, it was at the press conference that she dropped a bomb.

“Several of us Epstein survivors have been discussing creating our own list of names,” Phillips revealed. “We know the names. Many of us were abused by them. Now, together as survivors, we will confidentially compile the names we all know were regularly in the Epstein world, and it will be done by survivors and for survivors; no one else is involved.”

RELATED: White House slams Massie’s Epstein bill as a ‘very hostile act’ — some Republicans sign on anyway

As one of 23 co-sponsors, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has filed a petition to force a vote on Khanna’s bill in Congress. He would need 218 House members to sign the petition to force the vote, which would likely include all 212 Democrats.

According to BBC, four Republicans have already signed, including Massie himself, Greene, Nancy Mace (S.C.), and Lauren Boebert (Colo.).

In a comment to NBC News this week, the White House slammed Massie’s push for the bill to get a vote, calling it “a very hostile act to the administration.”

Massie has responded, stating that President Trump “may be covering for some rich and powerful people,” according to The Hill.

RELATED: Epstein victims have identified other ‘persons of interest,’ House Oversight Committee chair says

Lisa Phillips speaks during a rally in support of the victims of disgraced financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

In comments alongside the Epstein victims, Greene called the fight for transparency “the most important” battle currently in Congress.

“Fighting for innocent people,” Greene added, stating that the women she stood with have never received justice.

Greene continued, noting she become aware that Epstein rubbed shoulders with elites in the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

“Jeffrey Epstein, somehow, was able to walk among the most rich, powerful people, not only in America, but foreign countries,” Greene claimed.

She stressed that the scandal is something that should “never happen in America” and that the issue is not something that should drive a political wedge between Republicans and Democrats.

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​Politics, Dc, Capitol hill, Republicans, Democrats, Epstein, Epstein files, Marjorie taylor greene, Ro khanna, Jeffrey epstein, Trump, News 

Amid his stunning success at reducing crime in Washington, D.C, President Donald Trump has floated the idea of sending federal law enforcement agents to yet another deep-blue city with a violent crime problem — instead of to Chicago.

On Wednesday, Trump indicated that he may first send federal agents down south to New Orleans on account of his strong relationship with Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.

‘With a crime rate of 65 per 1,000 residents, New Orleans has one of the highest crime rates in America.’

“We’re making a determination now, do we go to Chicago, or do we go to a place like New Orleans, where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that’s become quite tough, quite bad?” Trump said from the Oval Office.

“So we’re going to be going to, maybe, Louisiana, and you have New Orleans, which has a crime problem. We’ll straighten that out in about two weeks. It will take us two weeks — easier than D.C.”

RELATED: Mayor Johnson remains defiant on Trump’s pending National Guard deployment amid violent weekend

– YouTube

Outlets initially balked at Trump’s description of New Orleans as “quite tough” and “quite bad,” citing statistics that suggest crime fell slightly in 2024 and significantly since 2022. However, other crime indices show that New Orleans does indeed have “a crime problem,” as Trump said.

Neighborhood Scout said that “with a crime rate of 65 per 1,000 residents, New Orleans has one of the highest crime rates in America.” The database rated New Orleans a 1 out of 100 where 100 is the safest possible. In a 2023 version of its top 100 most dangerous cities in America, Neighborhood Scout listed New Orleans at 33.

It also happens to be one of the most Democratic. According to World Population Review, New Orleans is among the top 20 most liberal cities in America, coming in at number 17.

Blaze News reached out to the offices of Gov. Landry and NOLA Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D) to see whether they would cooperate with any type of federal law enforcement help, but neither office responded.

Even with the ongoing violence in cities like New Orleans and strong resistance from Illinois Democrats like Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Trump still seems determined to assist the crime-beleaguered residents of Chicago.

“We can straighten out Chicago. All they have to do is ask us to go into Chicago,” he said.

“We don’t have the support of some of these politicians. But I’ll tell you who is supporting us, the people of Chicago, and I sort of want them to let it be known they have incompetent people.”

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​New orleans, Nola, Louisiana, Jeff landry, Cantrell, Latoya cantrell, Politics 

President Donald Trump revealed a military strike against drug-runners in a ship from Venezuela in an offhand comment from the White House, but it led to a curious response from his critics.

The president offered few details on the operation to reporters Tuesday but said that he had been briefed on the strike by Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

‘He’s basically the actual devil you can stop playing it safe now.’

Trump later released a video of the strike on a post on Truth Social and said that 11 people had died. He said they were members of the infamous Tren de Aragua criminal gang.

“Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!” Trump said.

The U.S. sent three more warships to the seas near Venezuela in order to combat drug cartel activity that occurred in the prior weeks. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called the actions of the U.S. an “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.”

On social media, anti-Trump voices pounced to attack the administration and seemingly defend the murderous drug cartels.

“Drug trafficking is a crime, not an act of war. Traffickers must be arrested, not summarily executed, which U.S. forces just illegally did,” human rights activist Kenneth Roth responded.

“It’s truly insane to me that Trump sent 7 warships and 4,500 troops to Venezuela and just illegally attacked one of their boats and I have barely heard the media and democrats even mention it. What would he have to do to actually get you to fight??? He’s basically the actual devil you can stop playing it safe now,” left-wing YouTuber Kyle Kulinski replied.

“As with Trump’s bombing of Iran, his show of force and possible military assault on Venezuela — a country that poses no threat to the US — is taking place with no congressional input or approval, and next to no public debate. It is pure gangsterism,” activist Max Blumenthal responded.

“We’re not at war with Venezuela. And drug trafficking is not a capital crime nor one that merits extrajudicial execution. If the Trump administration had evidence that they were trafficking drugs, the next step was arresting and prosecuting them. Not calling in the military,” progressive activist Andrew Wortman said.

RELATED: Trump puts $50 million BOUNTY on the president of Venezuela

At least one major left-wing influencer claimed that Trump was motivated by the desire to distract from a group of Jeffrey Epstein victims who were meeting with members of Congress Wednesday.

“Trump just murdered 11 people on a boat off of Venezuela to distract from the Epstein victims speaking out tomorrow,” Brian Krassenstein said. “My guess is an even larger escalation around the time that the victims start speaking in the morning.”

There was no larger escalation after the victims spoke in the morning.

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​Trump vs tren de aragua, Libs defend drug cartels, Liberals online, Liberals pounce, Politics 

Disgraced Olympic boxer Imane Khelif has submitted an appeal to an arbitration court about being banned from women’s boxing.

Khelif won gold in the women’s 66kg competition at the Paris Olympics in 2024 despite complaints that he is, in fact, a man. Following a dominating performance at the games in which he did not lose a single round, three different reports surfaced that claimed Khelif is a man. A fourth report revealed a medical document that showed the Algerian has XY chromosomes, seemingly putting the story to rest.

‘She doesn’t box anymore. After what happened at the Olympics.’

Even Khelif’s former coach said the boxer had left his gym and the sport and had not been seen training in months following the leak of the medical report.

Now, the Court of Arbitration for Sport says Khelif is requesting to compete again.

Khelif has filed an appeal against World Boxing regarding a decision that prohibits him from competing in upcoming events without a preliminary genetic test, the CAS said in press release.

In June, Khelif was set to defend a women’s title at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands, which is run by World Boxing. But Khelif did not compete in the event when the WBO announced it would begin implementing mandatory sex testing.

Khelif was seeking to overturn that decision, which stated that he is “not allowed to participate … in any World Boxing event until she had undergone genetic sex testing.”

At the same time, the appeals organization noted that Khelif made another brazen request.

RELATED: Transgender boxer disappears as mandatory gender testing introduced worldwide

Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Khelif’s submission also reportedly requested that the CAS declare him “eligible to participate in the 2025 World Boxing Championships from 4 to 14 September,” without having to submit to a genetic test.

Khelif hoped that the submission of the appeal would result in an injunction on the ban, which would allow him to compete against women in the interim before an official decision on the appeal was made. However, CAS shot that down.

“CAS dismissed a request to suspend the execution of the decision by World Boxing until the case is heard,” the organization wrote.

Khelif’s side and the CAS will move forward with an exchange of written submissions and subsequently schedule a formal hearing.

RELATED: Trump wins: US Olympic Committee bans men from women’s sports

Photo by Pierre Suu/WireImage

Khelif had been thought to be retiring from boxing after his former manager, Nasser Yesfah, claimed “she has stopped everything.”

“She hasn’t even started again. She doesn’t box anymore. After what happened at the Olympics.”

He added, “In any case, she will be subjected to the same type of test if she becomes a professional.”

As reported by 3 Wire Sports, Khelif’s alleged medical condition is formally described as 5-alpha reductase type-2 deficiency. He reportedly has XY chromosomes, internal testes, and a “micropenis.”

U.S. government website Medline Plus explains that those with such a condition are genetically male but can be mistaken to have female genitalia at birth.

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President Donald Trump returned to the office on Jan. 20 and made immediately clear that he expected federal bureaucrats to follow suit.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office indicated in a recent study that as of June 2024, over 200,000 federal employees — 9% of the federal workforce — worked remotely. Gallup survey data indicates that in the fourth quarter of last year, 61% of federal employees were working in a flexible hybrid work model.

‘That’s what we’ve been looking to do for many, many decades, frankly.’

Trump noted in a day-one memo to the heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch that “as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis.”

“We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work, and therefore our government will get smaller and more efficient,” the president later told reporters. “And that’s what we’ve been looking to do for many, many decades, frankly.”

Despite naysaying by academics, bureaucrats, and the liberal media, Trump’s effort to get workers back has yielded serious results besides the voluntary exit of tens of thousands of bureaucrats.

RELATED: Buc-ee’s gets rich by doing everything Wall Street hates

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

According to a new Gallup survey of 542 federal employees in “remote-capable” jobs, 46% of federal employees are now working in the office — up from 17% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and double the national average.

The percentage of federal employees engaged in hybrid work arrangements is now 28%, down 33 points since Q4 2024. Twenty-six percent of federal employees are reportedly engaged in fully remote capacities, said the survey published on Tuesday.

“In Washington, the hybrid era is over,” said Gallup’s Ryan Pendell.

Blaze News has reached out to the Office of Personnel Management for comment.

The survey further indicated that unlike the federal government sector, across the board, on-site work has not rebounded among full-time, remote-capable American employees. In 2019, over 60% of workers were in the office full-time. Now, 21% of employees are working on-site full-time. Fifty-one percent are engaged in hybrid work.

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I was on the ferry to Isle Royale National Park, sitting on a long, wooden bench, watching everyone else.

There were singles, couples, groups, and families. Watching a few kids slink along beside their parents, moms and dads making sure they had everything in the right place and everyone was coming along at the proper pace, I remembered the camping trips I used to take with my mom and dad.

None of us had cell phones, much less smartphones. When we were on the trip, we were on the trip and nowhere else. We were all there — wherever we were — together.

We were tent campers. We weren’t as hardcore as the people who do the deep backcountry stuff. You know, the trips where they hike in seven miles and set up their tent in the middle of the dense wilderness. But we were rustic enough for my parents to look down at RVs and any kind of electricity.

Scamps like us

Since then, they have moderated their stance. In their old age, they have acquired a small Scamp trailer — the smallest one you can buy, they assure us — and are constantly apologizing for its very existence, maintaining that they “put in their time.” We tell them that it’s OK, they are almost 70 years old after all. They can stop roughing it.

One summer when I was in middle school, we took a trip out to Maine. We camped the whole way from West Michigan to Acadia National Park. I was watching some old family videos the other day and saw some clips from that trip. We were packing up in the rain in New Hampshire. That’s rough. That video brought back all sorts of other memories from that trip. I remember my brother and I were so into skateboarding and almost killed ourselves every other day.

Dog days

When I was in 9th grade, we took a trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We went over to the Apostle Islands off the coast of Wisconsin, too. We brought our dog along. Once, way up north, she jumped out of the car and right into a ditch. We thought her leg was hurt.

My parents were annoyed at the prospect of wasting a day (and money) trying to find a vet way up there. Then, all of a sudden, she miraculously started walking fine again. For the rest of her life (she lived to the ripe old age of 19), we always joked about how she was “faking it” on the U.P. trip.

I was getting really into music around that time and brought my trumpet because I swore I couldn’t take any days off. I would practice with a whisper mute around the campsite and sometimes in the car without a mute. If my parents were ever annoyed, they didn’t show it. They were always supportive, even when we didn’t have any room to spare in the blue Dodge Caravan and I was incessantly running the same passages over and over in the back seat.

In-tents experiences

After my sophomore year of college, we took a big trip, the biggest we ever took. We camped all the way out to California and back. We went to Yosemite, Zion, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain National Park, and a bunch of other places along the way. I saw a video from that trip the other day, too. We were on the beach south of San Francisco. My dad was filming. My mom and sister were talking with one another near the water, and my brother and I were goofing off down the beach, acting like a couple of idiots.

My parents took us camping because it was cheap. They loved it, of course, they did it before we were born, but I know that a big reason for camping our way across the country in a tent was the affordability.

We almost never stopped for fast food. If we did, it was a crazy treat. Instead, we made sandwiches using soggy cold cuts drawn from the bottom of the blue-and-white cooler in the trunk. It was always half ice, half water in there. We would sit outside a rest stop with our sandwiches, a big bag of half-crushed Lay’s potato chips, and plastic cups filled with water from the drinking fountain near the bathrooms inside.

Some trips, my brother and I shared a small tent while my mom, dad, and sister slept in a bigger one on the other side of the campsite. Other trips, we all shared one big tent together, all five of us. I remember laying there at night, joking with each other, the cold dampness of the sleeping bag on my arms, my mom and dad on one side of the tent, us kids on the other.

IRL or bust

None of us had cell phones, much less smartphones. When we were on the trip, we were on the trip and nowhere else. We were all there — wherever we were — together. Crammed in the car, asleep in the tent, packing up the site in the rain, hotter than hell in Zion National Park in July, sitting around the fire in the morning, freezing after emerging from our sleeping bags in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Some of my most potent childhood memories are from those camping trips. They weren’t fancy or luxurious, we never went to Disney World or any big resorts, and I know I, in my foolish youth, sometimes wondered why my parents were so old-fashioned taking us camping in tents. But they really were special. I know it now, though I didn’t realize it for a long time.

It’s only as a dad that I now understand how much work those trips were and how much they mattered. Taking us three wild kids camping across the country in a tent, seeing all those incredible places. Spending all those days and nights together, just our family, camping. Our parents must have really loved us.

​Camping, Men’s style, Lifestyle, Tents, Family, Fatherhood, National parks, Acadia national park, Michigan, Upper peninsula, The root of the matter 

A Team USA Olympic legend went against the advice of “experts” and sold his coveted gold medals at auction.

In a revealing Facebook post, the former athlete said he used the money to move abroad, selling a house in California, too. Apparently in financial strain, the Olympic hero explained that after the sales, he picked up his life and moved to Central America.

‘I told the truth; I needed the money.’

A Wheaties box cover athlete and four-time gold medal winner, 65-year-old diver Greg Louganis said his career was mismanaged and he needed the money that auctioning off some of his medals would get him.

“I have auctioned three of my medals, which sold, I believe, because I went against what the ‘experts’ told me last time when I tried the first time,” Louganis wrote in a surprising Facebook post.

Louganis sold two of his four gold medals, along with a silver medal, the New York Post reported. The high-diver won gold in the three-meter springboard and 10-meter platform dives at both the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

His silver came in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, for the 10-meter platform dive.

Louganis’ medals took in a reported $437,000 combined, the Post reported.

“I told the truth; I needed the money. While many people may have built businesses and sold them for a profit, I had my medals, which I am grateful for,” Louganis continued.

In the same post, the retired Olympian said goodbye to his home, while selling/giving away his belongings before moving abroad.

RELATED: Trump wins: US Olympic Committee bans men from women’s sports

Greg Louganis competes in the Men’s 10-meter platform competition at McDonald’s Olympic Swim Stadium at the 1984 Summer Olympics, August 11, 1984. Photo by Rob Brown /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

“I decided to donate, sell what can be sold, give gifts, and give where things might be needed or appreciated,” Louganis explained, revealing that he had a lot to consider regarding shipping and import fees when moving.

Now calling Panama home, the former diver was forced to confront the idea that he would be lacking in possessions when he moved, but he kept friends in mind who had lost their homes in some of California’s wildfires, such as the Pacific Palisades fire in 2025 and the Woolsey Fire in 2018.

While Louganis’ remarks left questions unanswered, including why Panama was the destination of choice, he chalked up his future to needing a spiritual journey to redefine himself.

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Greg Louganis attends the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Strange Darling’ at DGA Theater Complex on August 19, 2024, in Los Angeles. Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

“Now I get to discover who is Greg Louganis? Without the distraction and noise from outside. At least this is my goal, and hey, I may not find that,” he wrote.

The Olympian added, “I think I may find it at times, in moments, my goal is to live it! Discover, allow, and nurture that human spirit through the experiences of life. To be joyful in the moments, embrace the grief, the anger, and the laughter, and embrace it all, feel it all in this experience we call our lives.”

In addition to his Olympic medals, Louganis won 11 more gold medals between the World Championships and Pan American Games from 1979 to 1986.

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​Fearless, Olympics, Seoul, Korea, 1980s, Los angeles, Summer games, High diving, Diving, Palisades, California, Olympian, Panama, Sports