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Whatever hopes Kevin Cichowski had of launching a political career are now likely over after he was arrested in connection with an attack on two elderly individuals in Florida last week.

On Friday morning, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a 911 call from a residence in Palm Coast about what the office described as “a domestic disturbance with a weapon.” According to the 911 caller, the allegedly armed suspect “had battered two elderly victims in the home — hitting one with a cane and throwing a cellphone at the other.”

‘This is insane.’

The 911 caller, who was one of the two victims, claimed the suspect “had threatened to kill them multiple times and stated he would kill law enforcement if they were called,” the sheriff’s office said.

What’s worse, the two victims were holed up in a bedroom of the residence, unable to escape because one of the victims was “bedridden,” the sheriff’s office added. Deputies at the scene managed to help the victims evacuate the residence safely.

The suspect was identified as 46-year-old Kevin Cichowski.

Bodycam footage, obtained and shared by the New York Post, reveals Cichowski rambling about his mother and father during his arrest. The outlet noted that though the sheriff’s office did not verify any relation between the parties involved, the two victims are believed to be Cichowski’s parents.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Cichowski says as a deputy escorts him out of the residence in handcuffs, video shows.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” he adds. “This is insane.”

RELATED: ‘Die from masturbation’: Days before murdering his parents, Utah ‘trans’ man made eerie complaints about ‘lunatic’ housemate

– YouTube

Cichowski has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of battery on a person over 65, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with a witness, and two counts of robbery by sudden snatching.

During his trip to jail, Cichowski expressed suicidal ideation, the sheriff’s office said, prompting detention under the Florida Baker Act, which involves detaining those experiencing a mental health episode and who may pose a threat to personal or public safety.

Jail records indicate he remains in custody as of Monday evening. Cichowski was also arrested in 2024 for domestic battery, domestic battery by strangulation, and false imprisonment.

The Facebook post from the sheriff’s office noted Cichowski’s attempted forays into Floridian politics: “Cichowski is running for election for Governor of Florida. Cichowski previously ran for Palm Coast mayor in 2021.”

Cichowski did indeed file for the Florida gubernatorial race as a Democrat on March 24, according to Florida State Department records.

Even before his arrest, however, his prospects were rather dim. The Democratic field is already crowded with former Rep. David Jolly and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings dominating the race. One poll released following Cichowski’s entry has him registering nominal support.

Cichowski’s campaign and the Florida Democratic Party did not respond to requests for comment from Blaze News.

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Recently, a simple note from Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins wishing staff a meaningful Easter and reminding them that it was a day to celebrate the “foundations of our faith” has caused those in the secular-state industrial complex to rhetorically crucify the secretary.

The right of a U.S. secretary of agriculture — or any public official — to send a pro-Easter message to staff is not only constitutionally permissible, it is deeply consistent with the text, history, and tradition of the First Amendment.

There’s a difference between hearing something and being made to say it yourself.

The First Amendment safeguards the free exercise of religious practice in public while ensuring that there will be no state-mandated religion. Critics often interpret the Establishment Clause as requiring a strict secular silence from public officials, but that interpretation is historically incomplete.

The Constitution does not demand a religion-free public square; rather, it prevents coercion or official establishment of a national church.

This kind of message is not new. It echoes in older scenes: a president bowing his head at the end of a proclamation, members of Congress listening to a morning prayer before debate begins, a phrase stamped quietly onto a coin that passes through countless hands.

Indeed, the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that government may acknowledge religion as part of the nation’s heritage. From legislative prayers upheld in Marsh v. Chambers to holiday displays permitted in Lynch v. Donnelly, the court affirmed that ceremonial and traditional expressions of faith are compatible with constitutional principles.

A secretary of agriculture sending a goodwill Easter message fits squarely within this tradition.

Religious references have been woven into American governance since the founding. Presidents from George Washington onward have issued proclamations referring to God and religious observances.

Congress employs chaplains. The national motto, “In God We Trust,” appears on currency. These practices demonstrate that the framers did not intend to purge religious expression from public office, but to prevent its abuse.

Easter, specifically, has long been recognized both culturally and institutionally in the United States. Federal employees often receive time off for Easter-related observances, and presidents frequently release Easter messages reflecting on themes of renewal and hope.

A pro-Easter message that is inclusive in tone — perhaps acknowledging the holiday’s themes or extending goodwill to those who celebrate — does not coerce belief or participation. Employees remain free to disregard the message, just as they are free to observe or not observe the holiday.

RELATED: The trial lawyers come for online free speech

Skodonnell/Getty Images

There’s a difference between hearing something and being made to say it yourself. The First Amendment lives in that space. It protects the employee who quietly appreciates the message and the one who deletes it without a second thought.

Suppressing such expressions, on the other hand, risks creating a different constitutional problem: hostility toward religion. The Supreme Court has cautioned against interpretations of the Establishment Clause that demonstrate animus toward faith.

Neutrality does not mean erasure; it means equal treatment. Allowing a pro-Easter message does not privilege Christianity so long as the government does not exclude or penalize other beliefs.

In a religiously pluralistic society, the goal should not be to eliminate religious references from public life, but to ensure that they are expressed in a way that respects freedom for all.

The secretary of agriculture sending an Easter message — grounded in tradition, delivered without coercion, and consistent with historical practice — falls well within those constitutional boundaries.

​Brooke rollins, Radical left, Supreme court, First amendment, Free speech, Religious liberty, Easter, Easter message, Christianity, Opinion & analysis 

We are living in a highly re-mystified world. Today, more people believe in the supernatural than don’t. Major surveys consistently show that belief in God, spirits, souls, life after death, or related concepts far outnumbers strict naturalism or atheism across the globe.

And our entertainment landscape is reflecting that shift. In his new docuseries “Investigating the Supernatural: Angels and Demons,” investigative journalist Billy Hallowell explores the reality of angels, demons, spiritual warfare, and the unseen realm through evidence, testimonies, and biblical perspectives.

Now he joins Glenn Beck to discuss why — in light of the evidence presented in his docuseries — believing in the supernatural is not only understandable, but very reasonable

Even though he’s a “Christian” who “[believes] in the Bible,” Hallowell admits that he can be quite skeptical about supernatural testimonies because “we can make claims all day,” but producing this series has virtually crushed that skepticism.

“I was shocked by the staggering amount of evidence that is there,” he tells Glenn.

The evidence is so convincing and so abundant, in fact, that it’s actually becoming an effective evangelical tool — especially when it comes to younger generations, Hallowell says.

“This supernatural evidence is the thing that could bring [young people] over the line into faith because they’ve been so lied to for so long, so forced into this weird secular worldview that when you see something crazy that has evidence, it brings you into the faith,” he explains.

But sometimes, it doesn’t even take hard evidence for people to cross the line into belief in the supernatural. Glenn argues that many people are becoming believers simply because of the objective darkness they’re witnessing.

“We’re watching good and evil — angels and demons — duke it out all around us right now. And we’re just feeling the aftereffects,” he says.

Hallowell says Glenn’s words reflect Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

“I actually don’t think … that we can really understand fully what is happening in the world around us and in our individual lives if we don’t understand that battle,” he says.

Hallowell’s docuseries is “a quest” to do just that — understand the world around us by examining it through a spiritual lens. And that includes aliens.

To hear how Hallowell’s documentary explores extraterrestrial life from a spiritual perspective, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

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

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Billy hallowell, Angels and demons, Spiritual warfare, Christianity, Aliens, Ufos, Blazetv, Blaze media 

An Atlanta neighborhood is shocked by the brutal killing of a woman simply walking her dog Monday morning, and a witness said she saw the suspect do something even more horrible.

The DeKalb County Police Department said officers responded to a residence on Battle Forrest Drive at about 6:50 a.m. and found the victim with gunshot and stab wounds.

‘I heard 6 to 7 shots, so I ran out the door, and when I ran out the door, I saw the lady across the street with a man standing over her.’

A witness named Tiffany Williams told WXIA-TV that she made eye contact with the suspect after hearing the gunshots outside her home.

“I was getting up, getting my grandbaby ready for school, and I heard six to seven shots, so I ran out the door, and when I ran out the door, I saw the lady across the street with a man standing over her,” Williams said.

“I heard the shooting, but I’m not thinking because as a mother and I’m seeing her lying there, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to help her,'” she added.

Williams said the suspect was pulling the victim’s pants down when they made eye contact.

“I saw he was wearing all black, and then he ran up the street,” she added.

Neighbors said the area is very quiet and that most of the residents are elderly people.

Later at a media briefing that evening, the Brookhaven and DeKalb County police departments said a 26-year-old suspect named Olaolukitan Adon Abel was arrested after a traffic stop in Troup County.

Police said he was a suspect in a deadly shooting at a Checkers restaurant on Wesley Chapel Road and was tied to the lethal shooting of a homeless person at a Kroger grocery store in Brookhaven.

RELATED: Convicted murderer and rapist killed by cop during parole warrant arrest allegedly refused to drop gun

The victim near Kroger was sleeping at about 2 a.m. when someone shot him multiple times.

The woman shot near Checkers had been shot at about 12:50 a.m. and died at a hospital.

Police said the DeKalb County Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death of the woman shot while walking her dog.

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​Atlanta woman shot and stabbed, Brutal killing, Woman walking dog, Shooting spree atlanta, Crime 

On the biggest diplomatic night of his second term, Donald Trump mentioned Nigeria.

In a Truth Social post seen by millions — at the precise moment the entire world was watching his Iran ceasefire announcement — he linked a disputed Iranian statement to “a Fake News site (from Nigeria).”

It was only one sentence, but that is how Trump softens the ground.

Two hundred US troops have been at Bauchi Airfield since February. MQ-9 Reaper drones were deployed in March.

Most Americans can’t find Nigeria on a map, but it is the sixth largest nation on earth, on track to be the third by 2050 — a quarter of Africa’s entire population. Nigeria is also a top-five oil producer in OPEC and has more than a trillion dollars in untapped minerals.

Whoever shapes Nigeria shapes Africa’s future — and increasingly, the world’s. The radical Islamists understand this. They’ve been actively working in the country for 30 years.

More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria every year than in the rest of the world combined — more than 125,000 since 2009.

I’ve made 16 trips to the country since 2010, several under State Department Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisories. I documented what I found in my book “Epicenter: Nigeria, Radical Islam, and the War for Global Order.”

Don’t believe the spin: This isn’t a tribal conflict or a climate dispute. It is coordinated, religiously motivated extermination — killers shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they slaughter Christians by the thousands — while elements within the Nigerian government enable the terror.

In congressional testimony in 2025, U.S. Gen. Michael Langley, AFRICOM commander, declared that the region is now “the epicenter of terrorism on the globe” — and that terror networks are actively pushing toward Nigeria’s coastline, building the capacity to strike the American homeland.

The stated agenda of the terrorists, after bringing all of Nigeria under Sharia submission, is to use it as a launchpad for global jihad.

It’s already happening. On March 12, an ISIS operative radicalized in Nigeria walked into an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia, killed Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, and shouted “Allahu Akbar.” Nigeria’s jihad already has an American address.

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

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

Every Nigeria observer has watched in frustration as the Iran war consumed Washington for six weeks. Because Trump had been moving — and the clock was running.

On October 31 of last year, the Trump administration designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern — the most serious religious freedom label the U.S. government issues. Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.V.) was tasked to investigate.

Congress introduced HR 7457 with sanctions language targeting complicit Nigerian officials by name. Christmas night: The USS Paul Ignatius struck jihadist camps in Sokoto State with Tomahawk missiles — the first U.S. strike on Nigerian soil.

The Nigerian government provided the coordinates — in the far north, nowhere near where the genocide is actually happening. Make of that what you will. Then Iran took Trump’s attention. And the killing in Nigeria accelerated.

From November through Palm Sunday, the body count was relentless — more than 400 kidnapped in November, miners slaughtered near Jos in December after specific advance warnings were publicly dismissed.

A New Year’s Eve massacre. Forty-two men tied up and killed at a market in January. More than 160 dead in Kwara State in February. More than 100 dead at Ngoshe in March — Nigerian soldiers retreated without firing a shot.

Then Palm Sunday: 53 Christians murdered across three attacks. Easter Sunday: 17 more killed before dawn in Benue State.

In response, Rep. Moore quoted his boss: “President Trump has been very clear that if the Nigerian government will not address this genocide, we will address it for them.”

The same week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced the U.S. is actively tracking Nigerian officials suspected of sponsoring terrorism.

Meanwhile Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s government has spent more than $10 million on Washington lobbyists — including Trump’s own former State Department adviser, now a registered foreign agent for Nigeria — to manage the narrative.

Tinubu seems to have concluded Washington is manageable and decided to wait out Trump’s term. He may have badly miscalculated.

Two hundred U.S. troops have been at Bauchi Airfield since February. MQ-9 Reaper drones were deployed in March. The USS Paul Ignatius is still in the Gulf of Guinea.

For two months, American eyes have been over northern Nigeria. We know where the terrorists are. Sen. Cruz says we know who funds them, and an Iran ceasefire could free up a president who doesn’t like to lose.

I’ve been saying for years that Nigeria is the epicenter of anti-American global forces — radical Islamists, Chinese mineral extraction, and deep-state protection rackets that have run cover for the killing from Washington for decades.

Trump’s recent mention of Nigeria tells me he already knows it too.

​Nigeria, Trump, Iran war, Nigerian christians, Radical islam, Jihadists, Terrorist attack, Uss paul ignatius, Bola tinubu, Opinion & analysis 

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California says he will resign from Congress after the Ethics Committee said he would be under investigation for numerous sexual harassment accusations.

Swalwell had already abandoned his hopes to become the governor of California, but on Monday he posted a statement saying he was also going to resign from office.

‘Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong.’

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make,” he posted on social media.

“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties,” he added.

“Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress,” Swalwell wrote.

He was referring to efforts to expel him along with Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who allegedly had an affair with a staffer who later killed herself; Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) over alleged fraud; and Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) for numerous allegations.

RELATED: Brian Stelter is getting CRUSHED on social media for praising journalism about Swalwell sex allegations

“I will work with my staff in the coming days to ensure they are able, in my absence, to serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district,” Swalwell concluded.

This is a developing story.

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​Swalwell for governor, Swalwell resigns from congress, Swalwell sexual harassment, Swalwell sexual assault, Politics 

President Donald Trump said he will refile his “powerful case” against the Wall Street Journal over a report related to Jeffrey Epstein after a judge tossed out the first filing Monday.

The report claimed that the president sent a “bawdy” greeting card to Epstein in 2003 for his 50th birthday and published an image of what it said was the handwritten message in July 2024.

‘Our powerful case against The Wall Street Journal, and other defendants, was asked to be re-filed by the Judge.’

Trump has vehemently denied that he wrote the greeting and sued the Journal for $10 billion over the story.

Federal Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed the lawsuit because the president had “not plausibly alleged that the Defendants published the Article with actual malice.” However, he allowed for Trump to refile the case and gave a deadline for the end of the month.

Gayles noted that the Journal had contacted Trump, officials from the Justice Dept., and the FBI for comment prior to publishing and had included a statement from the president.

The president said he would refile in a statement on Truth Social.

“Our powerful case against The Wall Street Journal, and other defendants, was asked to be re-filed by the Judge,” he wrote. “It is not a termination, it is a suggested re-filing, and we will be, as per the Order, re-filing an updated lawsuit on or before April 27th.”

A spokesperson for the Journal’s publisher, Dow Jones & Co., said in a statement that the publisher was “pleased” with the decision to dismiss.

“We stand behind the reliability, rigor, and accuracy of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting,” the spokesperson said.

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

A spokesperson for the president’s legal team also released a statement.

“President Trump will follow Judge Gayles’ ruling and guidance to refile this powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other Defendants,” the spokesman said.

“The President will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in Fake News to mislead the American people,” the spokesman added.

If Trump indeed sent the card, it would have been before Epstein was officially investigated on charges of sexual assault against minors in 2006 and his 2008 conviction.

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A woman’s serious accusations against federal and local law enforcement officials have allegedly turned out to be a hoax, and a sheriff is suing her for defamation over the claims.

Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi said in March that she and some co-workers had been held for over 30 hours despite being U.S. citizens and got nationwide coverage from sympathetic news outlets.

‘They have not been supported by any — any — verified evidence at all.’

Twenty-eight-year-old Naqvi claimed she arrived at O’Hare airport in Chicago from Turkey on a work trip and was transported to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview and also taken to the Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin.

Her story was amplified by Democratic Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who is a friend of the family and a critic of the president’s immigration policies.

“I don’t think they want to own up to the fact that once again they have illegally detained American citizens without due process,” said Morrison days after the alleged detention.

Her story seemed to begin falling apart after the multinational software company she claimed to work for reportedly said she was not an employee and that none of its workers had been detained at O’Hare.

Weeks after the accusations, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt filed a defamation lawsuit against Naqvi as well as Morrison and explained the evidence that contradicted her claims.

“They have not been supported by any — any — verified evidence at all,” Schmidt said at a media briefing on Friday. “At no point was Sundas Naqvi in the custody of the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.”

He released video and text messages that he claimed undermined her account and showed that she was able to leave the O’Hare airport less than 90 minutes after landing. He also cited statements made by her boyfriend to the sheriff’s office.

“I don’t have any charges here in Dodge County to bring against her. My only recourse is to make sure that the public knows that she can’t do this,” Schmidt added.

The lawsuit also includes 10 “John Doe” people accused of publication or republication of the false claims against the sheriff. Their names will be added to the suit once they are identified.

The Chicago Sun Times has also documented numerous prior alleged incidents of false accusations made by Naqvi, including a conviction related to lying about sexual assault and a stabbing.

RELATED: GOP ex-aide found with wounds and ‘Trump whore’ written on her — feds say it’s a hoax

Schmidt is seeking $1 million in the lawsuit.

Morrison, meanwhile, has changed his previously strident tone about the case.

“It is my understanding that a lawsuit has been filed. I have not seen it. And if a suit has in fact been filed, I cannot comment on pending litigation,” he said in a statement.

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​Sundas sunny naqvi ice detention, Us citizen detained by ice, Hoax naqvi claims, Dodge county vs naqvi, Politics 

President Donald Trump deleted a post that angered many Christians and explained his rationale to reporters on Monday.

The image seemingly showed the president depicted as Jesus Christ healing a sick man with angels behind him. Trump admitted that he personally posted it but said the image had been misunderstood.

‘It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better.’

Trump addressed the issue after receiving a DoorDash driver who had brought a McDonald’s order to the White House.

“It was me. I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one,” said the president.

The post was deleted Monday after getting criticism online.

“I just heard about it, and I said, ‘How did they come up with that?'” he added. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

The White House posted video of his response to the Rapid Response account on the X platform.

RELATED: Vatican finally responds to Trump’s invitation for Pope Leo to join Board of Peace

The biblical brouhaha came at a time when the president is also taking aim at the pope over his statements against the war in Iran.

Sharon Simmons of Arkansas was identified as the first DoorDash driver to deliver to the White House, and she said in an interview afterward that she had saved $3,000 to $4,000 in taxes because of the president’s policies. She also said her husband is undergoing cancer treatment.

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​Trump as jesus, Trump controversial image, Trump doordash, Trump blames fake news, Politics 

Pop songstress Sabrina Carpenter dared to express discontent with a different culture, and now she’s apologizing for it.

In fact, the young singer had no idea what she was making fun of at the time, but she has been properly re-educated since the incident.

‘I don’t like it.’

Swiss miss

It was Friday night at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, when Carpenter heard what she thought was “yodeling” from a member of the crowd.

“I think I heard someone yodel,” Carpenter said while seated at a piano. “Is that what you’re doing?” she asked.

“It’s Arab! It’s an Arab call!” an audience member can be heard yelling back.

“I don’t like it,” Carpenter firmly replied.

The 26-year-old offered an awkward smile as the audience member provided further explanation.

“It’s my culture!” they offered.

“That’s your culture, is yodeling?” the puzzled singer asked back.

Still the fan tried to culturally enrich the Quakertown, Pennsylvania, singer.

“It’s Arab, it’s a call. It’s a call of celebration,” they went on, according to 7News Australia.

Seemingly ready to end the exchange, Carpenter jumped in, “Is this Burning Man? What’s going on? This is weird.”

RELATED: Sabrina Carpenter condemns White House’s ‘evil and disgusting’ use of her song — it responds with ridicule

Trilling tales

Fortunately, the internet stepped in to educate Carpenter, noting that the ululation she heard is called a zaghrouta.

A helpful community note on X described the screams as a “pre-Islamic cultural expression of joy used by Arabs across religions, including Christians, at celebrations.”

It added, “It is not an Islamic practice, so Sabrina Carpenter’s reaction to the sound does not indicate islamophobia.”

OK, but what about … Arabaphobia? A few cultural commissars tried to make the charge stick, but for the most part, fans were happy to chalk it all up to a misunderstanding.

Carpenter offered a playful apology on her X page, saying that she would welcome any further cultural cries, or yodels, in the future:

“My apologies i didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly,” she wrote. “My reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended. could have handled it better! now i know what a Zaghrouta is! I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”

RELATED: Satan struts at Paris Fashion Week — here are the 3 most demonic designers

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/The Recording Academy

ICE-capades

Carpenter has not shied away from controversial interactions, especially of the political nature.

In December, she demanded the White House cease using her music in a video that showed people getting arrested, presumably illegal immigrants.

“This video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” Carpenter replied,

The singer also offered voter registration during her 2024 tour, registering more than 35,000 voters and officially engaging with more than 260,000, according to Variety.

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​Align, Singer, Coachella, Arabic, Islam, Culture, Entertainment 

“The View” is back in the headlines for spewing more ignorant nonsense.

During a discussion reacting to conservative activist Isabel Brown’s comments at CPAC, where she encouraged young women to have more children, Sunny Hostin said it was “reckless” to encourage people to have kids during the current economic climate.

“I think it’s just really reckless to be suggesting that people should have children when you now know in this country there’s this affordability crisis,” Hostin began.

BlazeTV host Pat Gray says just this statement alone is “outrageous.”

“It’s reckless to suggest people have children? Are you kidding me?” he asks in shock. “We’re already below replacement level right now … so do you want America to just disappear eventually?”

But Hostin wasn’t done.

“For a two-person household, a married household, you need over $400,000 for child care — over $400,000. Most people don’t make over $400,000,” she continued, accusing Brown of “advocating for people to be born into poverty, people not being able to feed those children, people not being able to educate those children, and people not being able to house those children at the same time when this government is cutting all of the services that would allow people to have families.”

Co-host Ana Navarro then asked a clarifying question: “$400,000 over the lifetime of the child?”

“No, it’s a year! It’s an annual income exceeding $400,000 to afford child care,” Hostin doubled down.

Pat can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of Hostin’s claim. “It’s not $400,000 a year to have a baby!” he howls.

“They are so butt stupid. It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed for them, and I can’t stand them.”

Pat is shocked that “The View” wasn’t forced to address Hostin’s fallacious numbers. “Is that something that the lawyer or somebody could fact-check somewhere along the lines so they come back and correct that garbage?” he asks.

But thus far, no such correction has been made.

Pat wonders how the audience of “The View” is stomaching Hostin’s lie about childrearing — “How many of their viewers have children and understand the fact that it’s not $400,000 a year to clothe them, feed them, house them?” he asks.

“They have to,” says Jeffy, arguing that “anyone with any kind of brain, even a numbskull … knows that it doesn’t take $400,000 a year for a child.”

To hear more of the conversation, watch the episode above.

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​Pat gray, Pat gray unleashed, Sunny hostin, The view, Blazetv, Blaze media 

Democrats and Republicans alike are eyeing the home stretch before the 2026 primaries, but the latest forecast suggests the GOP is facing a major disadvantage.

Republicans have enjoyed a supermajority following the 2024 election after Americans elected President Donald Trump back to the White House and the GOP took back the Senate and maintained its narrow House majority. The electoral forecast is now indicating that the pendulum will swing back in favor of Democrats, with four key races shifting away from Republicans.

None of the Democrat-held seats seem to be leaning Republican.

The Cook Political Report was initially tracking Senate races for Georgia, which is held by incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff, and North Carolina, which is held by retiring Republican Thom Tillis, as toss-ups that could go either way. The same report also had the Ohio Senate race leaning Republican and the Nebraska Senate race as a solid Republican rating.

As of Monday, all of these races have shifted in favor of Democrats.

RELATED: Democrats’ latest victory in deep-red Mar-a-Lago district offers bleak midterm forecast

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

None of the Democrat-held seats seem to be leaning Republican. Michigan’s Senate seat, which is held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters, is rated as a toss-up. Maine’s Senate seat, held by Republican Susan Collins, is also notably rated a toss-up.

Republicans currently hold 53 seats and can afford to lose a maximum of just two Senate seats in order to maintain their majority, though Vice President JD Vance could always break any tie votes.

​Senate republicans, Senate democrats, John thune, Chuck schumer, 2026 midterms, Georgia, Ohio, North carolina, Nebraska, Maine, Thom tillis, Jon ossoff, Jon husted, Susan collins, Gary peters, Pete ricketts, Politics 

A longtime communications director for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is leaving Capitol Hill for the tech world.

Interestingly, the move comes six months after the CEO of the company he’s joining apologized for suggesting President Trump should send troops into California.

‘My earlier comment came from an abundance of caution.’

Alex Nguyen, Schumer’s communications director for the past seven years, is headed for civilian life after nearly two decades working in the nation’s capital.

According to Capitol Hill outlet Punchbowl News, Nguyen will become director of corporate communications for Salesforce, a customer service and automation-software company. Ally Biasotti, a previous national press secretary for Schumer, will take over Nguyen’s old role.

In October 2025, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff apologized for saying he would welcome the deployment of National Guard troops to San Francisco — where the company is headquartered — stating, “We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it.”

According to CNBC, Benioff faced blowback, and his remarks even sparked a resignation from board member Ron Conway, who reportedly told Benioff in an email that their “values were no longer aligned.”

RELATED: ‘Allows ICE to kick tens of billions’ off voter rolls? Schumer’s SAVE Act claims keep getting worse.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

This prompted Benioff to walk back his comments in a post to his X page, stating that he no longer believed “the National Guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco.”

“My earlier comment came from an abundance of caution,” Benioff wrote, adding that he sincerely apologized for “the concern” his remarks caused.

In a subsequent post, Benioff shared a graph purporting to show that San Francisco Police numbers had plummeted since 2019, while noting that Salesforce had pledged $1 million in sign-on bonuses to SFPD recruits.

RELATED: CNN analyst delivers Democrats devastating news about base support

Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images

Nguyen’s transition to the Salesforce C-suite comes amid a data breach and rumors of increased layoffs at the company.

Salesforce has confirmed that thousands of customer records were breached, allegedly through a connected third-party app. The app provides a live-chat function that connects to Salesforce to convert customer leads.

At the same time, Salesforce has disputed rumors that the breach also revealed the company was planning to cut approximately 4,000 customer support roles.

According to Storyboard 18, Salesforce said the reported figure does not refer to new layoffs but rather a planned redeployment that was initiated in September 2025.

Schumer’s team did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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​News, Chuck schumer, New york, San francisco, Tech company, Big tech, Salesforce, Capitol hill, Democrats, Politics 

CNN’s chief media analyst is applauding the mainstream media for exposing sexual misconduct allegations against the top Democratic candidate for California governor, including an alleged rape, and now faces the wrath of online critics.

California Rep. Eric Swalwell had a tenuous lead above the other Democrats, but he has suspended his campaign in the wake of allegations of sexual assault from a former staffer and accusations from others about sexual misconduct. He has denied the claims.

‘Rumors were abound for years on the hill. … You just shills for political parties.’

On Monday, Brian Stelter of CNN said the report was a victory for journalism while ignoring that many had looked the other way for a decade about rumors of the allegations.

Stelter said it was a “testament to the power of investigative reporting” and credited CNN and the Chronicle for ending Swalwell’s gubernatorial hopes.

He was immediately assailed by critics pointing out the problems with his characterization of the reporting.

“Is there an Emmy/Oscar/Tony we can create for @brianstelter for this bit of comedic genius? Testament to investigative reporting??? @TheDemocrats knew. You knew,” replied Roxanne Hoge, the chair of the Los Angeles County Republican Party.

“10 years late. Imagine how many people might have been saved from Swalwell had the media done its job at the start, rather than covering for a fellow Democrat,” responded former California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.

“And all it took was seven terms in Congress and about a half-dozen victims for investigative journalists to break the news of behavior apparently everyone knew about,” said columnist Becket Adams.

“Investigative reporting? People have been sitting on this knowledge for years and it only came out because they needed him to drop out of the governor‘s race so he didn’t split the vote,” said another critic.

“Rumors were abound for years on the hill. If you truly were investigative reporters you would have looked into this years ago. You just shills for political parties,” read another online response.

On Friday, several staffers left the campaign, and Swalwell lost the endorsements of former supporters.

RELATED: Eric Swalwell lawsuit against Trump administration meets embarrassing end

Swalwell said he was suspending his campaign in order to fight the allegations, but because of California election law, his name will stay on the ballot. That may give Republicans an opening if support for Swalwell splits among the other Democrats in the race.

The top two vote-getters in the June 2 primary, regardless of party, will face off in the general election in November.

“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” said Swalwell in a statement Sunday.

Others are calling for Swalwell to resign from his office in the U.S. Congress.

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​Brian stelter vs social media, Eric swalwell sexual assault, Swalwell coverup, California governor’s race, Politics 

While it can be dangerous for pro-life Americans to stand up for what they believe in and pray for an end to abortion, one battle has finally drawn to a close — with a happy ending.

In a blog post late last week, 40 Days for Life announced that the Department of Justice has settled with pro-life volunteer Mark Houck after a years-long legal battle following a case involving a dispute outside an abortion clinic.

‘All Americans who believe in the rule of law and in the nonpartisan administration of justice should celebrate Mark Houck’s victorious settlement.’

In a video statement announcing the legal win, 40 Days for Life CEO and President Shawn Carney touted the case as a “huge legal victory for free speech.”

Carney added that the change in administration aided efforts immensely, saying, “We got so much persecution from the DOJ under Biden, and President Trump has corrected that.”

RELATED: Pro-life activist arrested by FBI raid for abortion clinic assault

Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images

Houck reached a settlement with the DOJ resulting in a payout of over $1 million, according to 40 Days for Life.

C.J. Doyle, the executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, said in a statement to Blaze News: “All Americans who believe in the rule of law and in the nonpartisan administration of justice should celebrate Mark Houck’s victorious settlement with the Department of Justice. Houck was the victim of ideologically driven prosecutorial overreach by a corrupt, politicized Biden DOJ which had a history of selective prosecutions of FACE Act cases.”

“This unwarranted prosecution was preceded by a gratuitous, grossly excessive display of force by FBI agents in arresting Houck in front of his family. The attorneys from 40 Days for Life, who represented Houck, are to be commended for their successful defense of the First Amendment guarantees of free speech and the free exercise of religion,” Doyle added.

Houck’s case started in 2021, when he and his son were confronted by an angry abortion escort outside an abortion clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Houck reportedly pushed the escort away in order to protect his son.

The abortion escort fell to the ground but did not sustain any serious injuries.

Subsequently, Houck’s home was raided by armed state and federal agents, after which he was reportedly chained to a table for six hours and threatened with 11 years in federal prison related to violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. He was ultimately charged with intimidating and shoving the clinic escort in violation of the FACE Act.

Houck was quickly acquitted by a jury in January 2023, and because he did not take a deal with the DOJ, he was able to sue for damages after the dramatic arrest in front of his wife and children.

Houck was an early volunteer with 40 Days for Life, which has helped save the lives of over 26,000 babies and helped close over 180 abortion clinics since 2007, according to the organization’s website.

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​Politics, 40 days for life, Mark houck, Doj, President biden, President trump, Face act, Abortion, Pro-life, Department of justice 

Last August, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed in an apparently random attack while riding the light rail in Charlotte, North Carolina. Last week, however, her alleged killer, Decarlos Brown Jr., was found “incapable to proceed” to trial on the state murder charge due to mental health issues.

The decision has sparked national outrage. Social media is ablaze with furious comments like “no justice for Iryna”; Republican lawmakers are warning the decision will cause more erosion of trust in the system; even some mainstream coverage is framing it as another failure of soft-on-crime policies.

BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey was certainly appalled by the decision.

“How in the world did we get here?” she asks in disbelief.

On a recent episode of “Relatable,” Daily Wire host Matt Walsh joined Allie to answer that very question.

– YouTube

Walsh begins by arguing that “the concept of being incompetent to stand trial makes no sense” and that it “shouldn’t be a category.”

“Because the way that I look at it … either you knew exactly what you were doing and you did it anyway, and that makes you evil beyond measure, or it’s true that you really don’t understand that you’re not allowed to do that, in which case, that’s all the more reason, as far as I’m concerned, why you are not fit for human society,” he explains.

Decarlos Brown Jr.’s case, as well as many other cases, is the result of the psychiatric industry “[medicalizing] the human condition,” Walsh argues.

“And now because academics, psychiatrists, and communists … have taken over criminal justice and have for decades — at least since the mid-20th century — all human evil is now just categorized as a medical problem,” he tells Allie.

The result of this inversion of objective morality is that criminals are turned into the victims.

“The justice system looks at the most evil people as victims of some sort of condition, which means that all we can do is offer them treatment. What we can’t do is actually punish them. And that’s just totally absurd and wrong,” says Walsh.

Unless it’s a “white male” who commits the crime, Allie points out.

“We see that kind of story much less often,” she says.

But “if you’re part of a victim group, you get advocacy from the public, from the media, from some kind of mob pressure, from these groups like the Innocence Project or the ACLU, and you are much more likely to be seen as absolved of your crimes or mentally unstable or something like that.”

She continues, “It’s not just that progressive ideology has medicalized the existence of evil in human nature; they’ve just done it for certain groups of people, which is even worse in my estimation.”

“Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that’s a major factor as well,” Walsh agrees.

“If you’re anything but a white male, then you can claim victim status … and then you add in the supposed mental health challenges … then you get even greater victim status.”

Regardless of the skin color of the perpetrator, Walsh entirely rejects mental illness as an excuse for criminal behavior: “What was your mental state at the time? I don’t care! … I don’t care what you were feeling; I don’t care what you were thinking. I care what you did. That’s all that matters. And if you did something this heinous … by my estimation, you’ve lost the right to exist.”

To hear more of the conversation, watch the episode above.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Relatable, Relatable with allie beth stuckey, Allie beth stuckey, Blazetv, Blaze media, Daily wire, Matt walsh, Iryna zarutska, Decarlos brown jr, Soft on crime 

When Donald Trump accepted the GOP’s nomination for president in 2024, he stated that “the Republican platform promises to launch the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.” It was music to the ears of tens of millions of Americans who lived through the Biden border invasion.

Finally, a political leader had the gumption to say, “Enough is enough,” and proclaim that it is time for millions of illegal aliens to go home.

Unfortunately, the second Trump administration has not lived up to the promises made in that July 2024 speech in Milwaukee. It has instead prioritized removing the worst criminal illegal aliens, prioritizing quality over quantity. But this is a misguided attempt to assuage the concerns of a radical — but sizeable — number of Americans who do not believe in borders or in sovereignty.

Carrying out a true mass deportation operation requires immense resources to screen millions of cases, locate and apprehend individuals, detain them, and transport aliens out of the country.

The American public has witnessed widespread obstruction of immigration enforcement, record violence targeting ICE agents, and significant resistance by state and local governments in Democrat strongholds. Democratic Party elected officials and their left-wing base are very clear that the tolerable number of deportations is zero.

But what about the tens of millions of Americans who do support President Trump’s promised deportation agenda?

The administration’s prioritization of the “worst first” has unintentionally created a de facto enforcement amnesty for aliens unlawfully present in the United States who have not committed a subsequent crime. DHS data indicates that in 2025, ICE deported fewer than 350,000 illegal aliens. This is not the mass deportation agenda the American people voted for.

President Trump deserves credit for securing the southwest border and all but stopping the flow of illegal aliens into the United States. But much more needs to be done on interior enforcement to effectuate an actual mass deportation agenda.

Enter the Mass Deportation Coalition. This coalition was organized in February 2026 in response to political, operational, legal, and physical attacks on deportation operations. Our purpose is to support President Trump’s signature campaign promise to carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.

The Mass Deportation Coalition is composed of immigration law and policy experts, former senior and rank-and-file law enforcement officials, advocates, and supporters of immigration enforcement. We are growing and regularly adding new members to the coalition.

Last week, the coalition published its Playbook, a comprehensive menu of policy, operational, and logistical options that would allow the Trump administration to carry out a minimum of 1 million deportations in 2026. The coalition has five key principles.

1) Moving from the phase I “worst of the worst” interior enforcement prioritization to phase II mass deportations, with a focus on populations that are easier to remove, such as deportable aliens with final orders of removal and visa overstays.

2) Significantly ramping up worksite enforcement.

3) Utilizing a whole-of-government approach (including tax and banking tools) to leverage existing authorities in multiple federal agencies to increase the number of removals and self-deportations.

4) Providing the American public with complete data transparency on immigration numbers.

5) Coming to a shared understanding of what counts as a deportation.

The playbook makes policy and operational suggestions based on the assumption that Congress will not change U.S. immigration laws. For decades, Congress has been unable — or unwilling — to pass meaningful legislation to address the immigration crisis in America, and it would be dishonest to assume it could do so in today’s political climate.

RELATED: Does the DHS meme strategy actually work?

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The coalition’s playbook is drawn from combined decades of experience in federal law enforcement, military logistics, government contracting, and large-scale transportation operations.

Carrying out a true mass deportation operation requires immense resources to screen millions of cases, locate and apprehend individuals, detain them, and transport aliens out of the country within the time frame this campaign demands.

The centerpiece for accomplishing this goal is an aggressive worksite enforcement campaign. President Trump frequently cites the successful interior enforcement operations of the Eisenhower administration as a model for his mass deportation agenda.

That administration aggressively targeted worksites that employed illegal aliens, ultimately removing a sizeable percentage of illegal aliens then living in the United States.

Conservative estimates suggest there are between 10.8 and 11.1 million illegal aliens currently working in the United States. For decades, ICE worksite arrests of illegal aliens have been in the hundreds or low thousands of individuals annually.

Historically, worksite operations have produced arrests that were not followed by timely deportation, undermining both deterrence and public confidence.

Ramping up worksite enforcement would accomplish multiple goals simultaneously. First, it would curtail the main incentive of illegal immigration by foreclosing economic opportunity for illegal aliens.

Second, robust worksite enforcement accompanied by an aggressive employer sanctions program would send a message to employers who employ illegal labor that there are significant consequences for violating the law.

Finally, since it is well known which industries employ illegal labor, worksite enforcement is an operationally low-risk use of resources, likely leading to a high number of interior removals.

Other playbook recommendations include significantly expanding immigration detention, reforming and streamlining asylum cases, de-banking illegal aliens, modernizing and standardizing data collection, and aggressively prosecuting lawbreaking and fighting back against left-wing lawfare.

RELATED: The Dignidad Act is a complete betrayal of Republican voters

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Mass deportations and major elements of the playbook are immensely popular with the American people. Members of the coalition commissioned a poll of likely voters and found widespread support (66%) for deporting migrants who enter the country illegally. The poll also found overwhelming support for the idea that the United States has an obligation to enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress.

A similar number of Americans support aggressive immigration operational tools, including enhanced worksite enforcement, penalizing employers who hire illegal labor, the widespread use of E-Verify, and regular audits of businesses that knowingly employ illegal labor.

As we approach our country’s 250th birthday, the central question for American citizens is whether they want to preserve America for Americans, with fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law.

Decades of mass illegal migration have upended labor markets, caused cultural and civil fragmentation, overwhelmed local schools and hospitals, and brought crime and disorder to American communities.

President Trump promised mass deportations to the American people. The Mass Deportation Coalition Playbook provides the road map for the his administration to fulfill its core campaign promise.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published at the American Mind.

​Trump, Mass deportation coalition, Mass deportations, Ice, Dhs, Border patrol, Illegal immigrants, Democrats, Everify, Visa enforcement, Opinion & analysis 

I was at my local library recently when I saw something odd on the bulletin board. It looked like a poster for a Drag Queen Story Hour.

They can’t be doing that again? I thought to myself.

Much of drag comedy focuses on the fact that as hard as they try, most men can’t actually pull off impersonating a woman.

In case you don’t remember, Drag Queen Story Hour was one of the most bizarrely inappropriate events ever to appear at your local library.

When these “story hours” first began to proliferate in the late 2010s, the idea of drag queens reading books to very small children set off one of the fiercest battles of the culture wars.

Because it was so transgressive, outrageous, and effective as a way of infuriating the general populace, the proponents of DQSH doubled down on it. They kept pushing it. They founded an NGO. They rammed it down our throats.

Blake Nelson

Queen’s gambit

The way DQSH worked: Libraries would hire a professional drag queen to read books to children ages 3 to 11. It was presented to the public as a “fun twist” on the idea of a kindly grandmother or librarian reading to the kids.

The drag queens they hired were adult men from the local area, men who were otherwise employed performing “drag shows” at nightclubs, bars, and private events.

These men dressed up like women — more specifically, super-sexualized women (prostitutes). Then they went on stage and told raunchy stories and sexually explicit jokes. Sometimes they sang songs and did pratfalls, all of which were of a sexual nature.

The understanding was that a drag show would feature explicit sexual content. Which is why they were performed in 21-and-over establishments.

That is, until Drag Queen Story Hour came along. And someone decided that drag queens belonged in libraries, reading to children.

Live, love, laugh

Part of the appeal of drag queens is the humorous sight of a chubby, stubbly, middle-aged man wearing lipstick, mascara, and gigantic false eyelashes. Much of drag comedy focuses on the fact that as hard as they try, most men can’t actually pull off impersonating a woman. And the results of their clumsy failures are often very funny.

Drag shows — or something like them — have appeared in many cultures throughout history. The humor of men pretending to be women is universal. Everyone finds those situations funny.

Everyone, that is, except for 4-year-olds, who might not understand this style of humor just yet. And don’t need to.

The fact is that it would be hard to predict how a small child would react to a professional drag queen in person.

Oh, sure, a child who has been coached and prepped by a progressive parent might enjoy it. But your average child? Especially those under the age of 6? They might be traumatized.

And then doubly so when the adults they usually trust (parents, teachers, librarians) tell them not to be afraid, that it is wrong to feel uncomfortable, that if they have any negative feelings whatsoever about “Miss Wiggles” — who is 6’2″, wearing ghoulish makeup, and pretending to be a woman — they are committing a grave moral sin.

Some small children are frightened by the sight of their own parents dressed up in Halloween costumes. Think of what an encounter with “Sashay D. Lite” might do to them.

RELATED: My search for America’s last decent public libraries

Joe McNally/Getty Images

Properly checked and vetted

Some conservatives raised the issue that some of these performers might be predators of some kind.

This was met with attacks and smears that conservatives were homophobic, transphobic bigots, hatemongers, etc. Besides, all the drag queens would, of course, be thoroughly screened and vetted.

And yet at a Houston library in 2019, one of the drag queens reading stories to children was found to be a registered child sex offender.

So except for that guy. Everyone else had been properly checked and vetted.

Culture war, wins and losses

Looking back at the original battle over Drag Queen Story Hour … who actually won?

In my mind, the general public did. Obviously a large majority of people believed DQSH was a bad idea. And the libraries stopped doing it.

But here I was, in my local library, staring at a poster with a Pride flag. And a drag queen. With the words Story Hour on it.

Looking closer, I saw they had changed the name. Now it was called Family Pride Story Hour. It would be specifically for LGBTQ families. A drag queen would be reading the stories. And then there would be a dance.

The suggested age for children attending? “Birth to six years old.”

No rest for the wicked

Ahhh. Those sneaky leftists. They couldn’t let this go. Subjecting infant children to the most grotesque adults they could find was too good a strategy to abandon.

What better way to divide and conquer? To confound and demoralize? They want us to fight over the drag queens again!

My advice is: Don’t do it. Don’t give them what they want. Talk to your librarians ahead of time. Talk to your library’s supervisor.

But be aware: If Family Pride Story Hour is coming to my town, it might well be coming to yours.

​Lifestyle, Culture, Books, Libraries, Social services, Drag queens, Drag queen story hour, Family pride story hour, Lgbtq, Blake’s progress 

NASA’s Victor Glover showed once again why he represents some of the best of what the United States has to offer.

After Glover and the Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, the pilot almost broke down in tears while delivering his first remarks since returning to dry land.

‘It’s too big to just be in one body.’

The crew members were in Houston, Texas, following their successful lunar orbit when Glover was asked by Commander Reid Wiseman to give a few words. Glover, who has been revered for providing on-the-spot wisdom before and during the mission, was at first at a loss for words.

“I have not processed what we just did, and I’m afraid to start even trying,” Glover began.

Fighting back tears, he powered through.

“When this started on April 3, I wanted to thank God in public, and I want to thank God again,” he said, as he became visibly emotional. “Because even bigger than my challenge trying to describe what we went through, the gratitude of seeing what we saw, doing what we did, and being with who I was with — it’s too big to just be in one body.”

The audience at NASA’s Johnson Space Center erupted in applause as the pilot then thanked his wife and four daughters, whom he referred to as “those five beautiful cocoa-skinned ladies.”

RELATED: NASA astronaut gives very American response to DEI questioning

“I love you … all of you,” Glover continued. He then turned his attention to NASA staff and leadership.

While the leadership has changed since 2023, he remarked, “the qualities haven’t. And we are fortunate to be in this agency at this time together.”

Wiseman wasn’t short on wisdom, either. The crew leader fought back tears of his own when he had the microphone, mostly talking about the worry and anxiety the astronauts’ families had ahead of mission launch.

“This was not easy being 200,000+ miles away from home. Like, before you launch, it feels like it’s the greatest dream on Earth. And when you’re out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends.”

Wiseman concluded by noting how special it is to be human and how grateful he feels to be on planet Earth.

RELATED: NASA’s Victor Glover shares gospel as he circles dark side of the moon: ‘Love God with all that you are’

Danielle Villasana/Getty Images

Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) took the podium soon after to thank the Artemis II crew on behalf of America. The congressman stated that the United States, as well as the world, “desperately needed this.”

Cloud said the mission reminded him of Psalm 8, affirming that “even as we look to the night sky and as we look at creation, and behold the stars and the moon, we begin to think about what is mankind from God’s perspective.”

The Artemis II crew reached a point 252,756 miles from Earth and set a new human record for the maximum distance away from the planet.

Artemis III is set for mid-2027, while Artemis IV is targeted for early 2028 and is expected to land humans on the moon.

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​Return, Faith, Christianity, Space, God, Artemis ii, Nasa, The moon, Tech 

A New York Police Department drug-bust went sideways in August 2023, leaving a suspect dead and then-Sgt. Erik Duran’s life in shambles.

Bruce Blakeman, a Republican gubernatorial candidate hoping to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in the November election, has vowed, however, to liberate Duran and give him a blank slate.

How it started

Undercover narcotics officers conducted a drug bust in the University Heights section of the Bronx after 5 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2023, with the aim of capturing local drug traffickers.

‘One of the darkest days in the history of the law-enforcement profession.’

After 30-year-old Eric Duprey allegedly sold cocaine to one of the officers, plainclothes and undercover officers rushed in to make the arrest. Duprey proved, however, too slippery for a quick capture. He jumped onto a motorcycle, which the New York Times reported had been transported within reach by an unidentified individual, then sped off.

Duprey was caught on camera speeding down a sidewalk, then careening toward a group of about 10 people, including Duran, seated around a table.

Duran — an undercover member of the NYPD Narcotics Borough Bronx Tactical Response Unit who was reportedly slapped with a substantiated complaint of abuse of authority the previous year — grabbed a red Igloo cooler from the table and chucked it at the motorcycle.

A witness told the Daily News that Duprey “was on the bike, moving north when the cops started chasing him. … Then he took a U-turn and was riding on the sidewalk. … The cop then took my cooler, which was filled with soda cans, water bottles, and hit him.”

RELATED: ‘100% MAGA’ county executive joins governor’s race in New York

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The cooler struck Duprey in the head, making him lose control and ultimately go flying. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

Duran was suspended the following day and in January 2024 was charged by the office of radical New York Attorney General Letitia James with manslaughter, assault, and criminally negligent homicide.

“I didn’t have time to think,” Duran — who pleaded not guilty — testified during his trial earlier this year. “I thought he was going to kill my guys, he was going so fast.”

“He was going to crash right into them,” added Duran.

Duran’s lawyers argued both that Duprey “wasn’t trying to get away” but rather “ambushing” police and that Duprey died because of a “series of bad choices,” reported CBS News.

Bronx Supreme Court Justice Guy Mitchell — who was originally appointed in 2015 by former Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) and previously let off a black teen who beat a homeless man to death with what turned out to be only nine months in prison — refused to accept Duran’s justification and convicted him in February of second-degree manslaughter. The criminally negligent homicide charge was waived.

The Times reported that shortly after the verdict was delivered, Duran was fired from the NYPD.

How it’s going

Ahead of his sentencing last week, Duran, a father of three, told Mitchell, “Your honor, I am asking for a chance to be there with my kids. I am asking for a chance, just one,” reported the New York Post.

Mitchell acknowledged that the ex-cop was remorseful but decided to make an example of him as a “general deterrent” to other officers, sentencing him to three to nine years in state prison.

Vincent Vallelong, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, wrote in an op-ed following Duran’s sentencing, “I can say without equivocation that the sentencing of Sgt. Erik Duran will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the law-enforcement profession.”

“Moving forward, the SBA will support Sgt. Duran and his heartbroken family throughout his appeal until this miscarriage of justice is rectified,” wrote Vallelong. “Sgt. Duran, who served the NYPD with dedication and helped save lives throughout his career, deserves nothing less.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — a Trump-endorsed GOP candidate running for New York governor — has vowed that if elected in November, he will immediately pardon Duran.

The promised action is “consistent with [Blakeman’s] commitment to back law enforcement and make every neighborhood in New York safer,” the candidate’s campaign told the Post.

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​Crime, Bruce blakeman, Blasio, New york, Thug, Death, Cooler, Erik duran, Duprey, Bronx, New york city, Hochul, Guy mitchell, Police, Nypd, Cop, Politics