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A Major League Baseball umpire chased down and fought a teenager who allegedly stole his phone on a Philadelphia street earlier this month, KYW-TV reported, citing police sources.

Multiple law enforcement sources identified the umpire as Brock Ballou, who has been an MLB umpire since 2022, the station said.

‘They ended up on the ground, at which time the victim struck his head, causing injury. The male continued his assault, violently punching him.’

Police released surveillance video of the suspect, KYW noted. Police said the suspect is a teenage male with brown complexion wearing a light blue sweatshirt and black pants.

Police said the suspect approached Ballou from behind in the 1600 block of Walnut Street in the downtown section of the city around 7 p.m. April 9, stole Ballou’s phone while the umpire was looking at directions, and then ran off, the station reported.

“The suspect approached the male and snatched his cell phone out of his hands,” Capt. Jason Smith told KYW. “The victim went chasing after the male, at which time they got involved in a physical altercation at 16th and Walnut.”

Investigators told the station that when Ballou tried to take his phone back, the suspect punched him several times in the head. KYW said surveillance video it reviewed shows the suspect repeatedly punching Ballou.

“They ended up on the ground, at which time the victim struck his head, causing injury,” Smith added to the station. “The male continued his assault, violently punching him.”

The suspect then ran away without the phone, which was returned to Ballou later by someone on the street, police told KYW.

RELATED: Coach for 10-year-old baseball players shoves umpire, knocks him to the ground; injured ump says he’s pressing charges

Ballou’s injuries were not serious, police added to the station.

Ballou was in Philadelphia to work the Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks series last weekend, KYW said, adding that Ballou umpired at first base the night after the incident and was behind home plate two days later.

KYW said MLB declined to comment.

In addition, police told the station the same suspect about a half-hour previously had entered a 7-Eleven just a few blocks away in the 1200 block of Chestnut Street and allegedly stole several items. Police told KYW that an employee confronted the suspect, after which the suspect punched the employee multiple times before the suspect fled the store.

Police are asking those with information about the crimes to contact the department’s central detective division at 215-686-3093/3094, the station said.

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​Physical attack, Theft, Fighting back, Philadelphia, Police, Major league baseball, Umpire, Head injury, Brock ballou, Suspect at large, Crime 

In case you missed it, April 14 was “World Quantum Day” — a day promoting global awareness of quantum science and technology’s role in society.

Glenn Beck acknowledges that to most people, quantum computing is “a bunch of geek stuff.” But he warns that ignoring the technological breakthroughs happening right now in quantum computing is a grave mistake.

“I know you’re worried about your mortgage and the gas price and everything else,” he says, “but quantum is about to touch everything — everything — in your life.”

In simple terms, quantum computing involves harnessing tiny quantum particles called qubits that can explore millions of possible answers to profoundly difficult problems at the exact same time. What would take humans years, maybe lifetimes, to solve would take a quantum computer just hours.

Right now, quantum computing on the verge of a major breakthrough. In some ways, that’s great news for us, says Glenn.

It “means faster, cheaper drug discovery instead of the 10-year, billion-dollar guessing game that we play now,” he says, speculating that because of quantum computing, “we are on the edge of solving some of the worst diseases ever.”

It will also have its economic benefits.

“It’s going to affect your wallet, because better optimization is going to mean cheaper shipping, smarter traffic lights, lower energy bills,” says Glenn.

But that doesn’t mean quantum computers are all sunshine and rainbows. There’s a dark side to such power.

Glenn warns that right now, “governments and companies are racing to roll out post-quantum codes.”

“Bad actors are scooping up all of this encrypted data because they know a quantum machine will open it later, and once that happens, we’re in real trouble,” he says.

Once quantum computers become powerful enough, nothing will be safe — no secrets, no private bank accounts, no protected personal information.

“Right now, [quantum computing] looks like ivory-tower stuff, but it’s not,” says Glenn.

Despite quantum computing feeling like nerdy “’Star Trek’ stuff,” the truth, he says, is that it is about to totally upend reality.

Glenn warns: “Because of the super tiny rules of the universe, we are about to rewrite the big rules of everyday life, and the people who understand that … won’t just watch the future. You’ll help write it and protect the future.”

“That’s why this matters to you.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

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​The glenn beck program, Blaze media, Blazetv, Encrypted data, Glenn beck, Optimization, Postquantum codes, Quantum computing, Quantum day, Quantum science, Quantum technology, Qubits, Tech revolution, Technological breakthroughs 

This week, I watched a segment on “The View” that felt less like a conversation and more like a fever dream. The topic, of course, was Donald Trump, prompted this time by an image circulating online that depicted him in a Christ-like form. The reaction was predictable — outrage, mockery, moral posturing, stacked in real time. But around the table, they argued about the identity of Jesus until Whoopi Goldberg mercifully moved the conversation to another topic. Trump brushed off the criticism, but the explanation felt thin. When a man plays loose with small things, it raises questions about the larger ones.

But that was not the strangest part.

Around the same time, tensions surfaced between Trump and the Vatican over Iran. Statements were issued. Concerns were raised. The familiar choreography of international moral authority began again. Yet for all the urgency, the moral clarity felt selective. For decades, the regime in Iran has wreaked havoc, killed, and brutalized even its own people in full view of the world. Yet many religious leaders have not spoken with the same force or urgency about those evils.

Because in the span of a few days, Jesus was invoked as an image to be shared, a symbol to be argued over, a moral reference point in international conflict, and a talking point in media commentary.

The church leaders making the talk-show circuit aren’t wrong to call this an unjust war. They’re just facing west when they should have been looking east, 47 years ago. Their tardiness doesn’t get a pass.

Then, as if the moment needed one more voice, Tucker Carlson entered the conversation and remarked that many Americans do not realize that Muslims love Jesus.

“The View,” Trump, the Vatican, Tucker. It sounds less like a serious public conversation than a strange collision of modern media and politics. And yet, for a brief moment, all of it circled the same question, whether anyone meant for it to or not.

Jesus.

Scripture makes clear that there is no more important question. And for a moment, the culture stumbled into it almost by accident.

Because in the span of a few days, Jesus was invoked as an image to be shared, a symbol to be argued over, a moral reference point in international conflict, and a talking point in media commentary. Everyone seemed eager to bring His name into the discussion. Almost no one seemed eager to define who He is. And that matters.

When someone says Muslims love Jesus, it sounds, on the surface, like a bridge-building statement. In one sense, it points to something real. In Islam, Jesus is honored as a prophet and born of a virgin. He is respected, even revered. But He is not confessed as the Son of God, nor as the crucified and risen Savior who takes away the sins of the world.

That is not a minor difference. It is the difference between a prophet and the Christ.

So when the conversation settles for saying that “we all love Jesus,” it often passes over the very question that gives such a statement meaning. The real issue is not whether Jesus is admired, referenced, or respected. The real issue is who He is.

And Jesus did not leave the matter of love undefined.

In the Gospel of John, He says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (14:15). Not admire. Not reference. Not invoke. Keep.

That means love, as Christ defines it, is not measured by sentiment but by obedience.

That is where the conversation becomes serious.

People say, “Just give me Jesus,” as though that settles the matter. But the moment you ask, “Which Jesus?” or “Who is Jesus?” the conversation changes. It must. Because a Jesus who can be reshaped to fit the needs of the moment is no longer someone to be followed. He becomes something to be used.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asked His disciples a question that still cuts through all the noise: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (16:13). They answered with names that sounded respectful and reasonable: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the prophets. Close enough to sound reverent, far enough to miss the truth. Then Jesus made the question personal: “But who do you say that I am?” (16:15).

Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

That was not sentiment. It was a confession.

And Jesus did not correct him. He affirmed him.

We live in a time when Jesus is frequently mentioned and rarely defined. He appears in political imagery, on social media, and in public argument. His name is used freely. His identity, far less so.

A Jesus who can be remade according to our preferences is no Jesus at all. He becomes a reflection of ourselves rather than the Savior of the world, a tool for our purposes rather than the Lord to whom we must bow.

And that applies to politicians, commentators, and religious leaders. It applies to all of us.

Jesus did not ask, “What do you admire about Me?” He did not ask, “How would you like to interpret Me?” He asked, “Who do you say that I am?”

And He did not leave love open to our private interpretation.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

Which brings us back, strangely enough, to that panel discussion.

A table full of people arguing about Jesus. A politician posting images that invoke Him. Commentators speaking about Him. Religious leaders referencing Him.

Everyone talking.

Very few obeying.

And that may be the clearest answer of all.

​Savior, Scripture, Son of god, The view, Opinion & analysis 

Centralized smartphone app storefronts, like Apple’s App Store for iPhone and the Google Play Store for Android, make apps feel like they all come from the same safe place online, but the developers behind these apps are spread out all over the world. This month, the FBI brought attention to international developers, warning that installing apps built by foreign nations could pose a major threat to user privacy and security. Are they right? Let’s find out.

Do you use these popular Chinese apps?

On the final day of March, the FBI issued a warning “to highlight data security risks associated with foreign-developed mobile applications (apps) frequently used in the United States.”

Privacy labels reveal the secret parameters embedded in your favorite apps.

The FBI was especially critical of apps developed in the heart of China. Although it didn’t go out of its way to list some of the most dubious offenders, you may have heard of these popular candidates:

TikTok, before its USDS joint venture, was made and owned wholly by ByteDance in Beijing.Temu and Shein, two popular online discount stores, are Chinese-owned with the former belonging to PDD Holdings Inc. in Shanghai and the latter founded by Chris Xu, who moved his company’s headquarters from China to Singapore earlier this decade, though there are talks that Xu may relocate back to the mainland for an IPO.CapCut, a popular mobile video editing app, is also developed by ByteDance, especially to help users create more engaging TikTok videos.RedNote (aka Xiaohongshu), a TikTok alternative that briefly garnered public attention in the USA after TikTok’s USDS joint venture launch, is also based in Shanghai.Tencent, a technology giant out of Shenzhen, owns the popular texting app WeChat. The company also invests in many U.S.-based game companies, including Epic Games (makers of Fortnite), Larian Studios (the group behind Baldur’s Gate 3), and FromSoftware (the developers of Elden Ring).

Needless to say, Chinese companies — and by extension, the Chinese government — have their hands in many apps and games that U.S.-based users enjoy daily.

New warning, same old threat

The FBI’s warning noted that downloading and installing apps from Chinese companies could potentially leave users open to China’s mass data collection practices, which would inevitably put users’ security and privacy at risk for monitoring and abuse.

RELATED: Is downloading Trump’s new White House app a security risk?

Douglas Rissing/Getty Images

Unfortunately, while the FBI’s warning is new, foreign-made apps have long had the ability to gather user data at scale. This is partially the reason both Apple and Google implemented mandatory “Privacy Nutrition Labels” on all third-party apps in their digital stores.

How to check apps’ ‘Privacy Nutrition Labels’

The best way to protect yourself from apps with malicious data-gathering practices is to understand the kinds of data your apps can access and how the information is processed. You can find these details on the “Privacy Nutrition Label” included on any given app page.

Much like the nutritional label on a box of food displays hidden ingredients, privacy labels reveal the secret parameters embedded in your favorite apps.

Let’s look at TikTok on iOS and Android. If you click on one of those links on your mobile device and scroll down, you’ll find the “App Privacy” area on iPhone and the “Data safety” section on Android. Both of these clearly detail which bits of data the app collects and links directly to your identity.

Zach Laidlaw/TikTok/Apple App Store

As you can see, TikTok gathers a lot of personal information, including your location, contacts, search history, browsing history, device IDs, usage habits, and more. It’s a treasure trove of personal data all used to create digital user profiles and strengthen TikTok’s algorithm. This information is better protected now that all of it is stored on Oracle servers in the USA — thanks to the USDS joint venture — but before that, the CCP-influenced ByteDance saved and analyzed all of it on its servers in China.

Zach Laidlaw/TikTok/Google Play Store

Protect yourself from intrusive apps

China’s intrusive data-collection practices are the exact reason President Trump spearheaded the deal that moved TikTok’s U.S.-based user data to U.S. soil. Without it, China would continue to collect, analyze, and monetize U.S. users for reasons that benefit the Chinese government.

The unfortunate truth, however, is that TikTok is only one of many Chinese apps that can gather personal information on U.S. customers, and they do it usually without users’ knowledge. There are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe though:

Be sure to check and verify the apps you install on your smartphone before you download them. Don’t just install anything to your device. Do some research and confirm that every app — and its developer — is legitimate and safe by reading the app’s terms of service and privacy policy, as well as checking out app reviews.Limit permissions so the app can only access the features on your phone that it needs to operate. Refrain from enabling location, microphone, camera, or photos access, and never provide other sensitive information, unless you know you can trust the app.Always download the latest software updates for your phone and the app itself. Updates regularly patch security vulnerabilities to keep your device safe.

At the end of the day, the best way to secure your data and your device is to use your best judgment. Only download the apps you absolutely need. For everything else, you’re much safer accessing online services through your web browser.

​Tech, China, Privacy, Security, Apps 

Less than 100 days into his administration, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been forced to slam the brakes on his signature campaign pledge. Instead of the citywide no-cost transit he promised, New Yorkers are being offered a scaled-back pilot covering three bus lines per borough. That is, if the state legislature can pass a budget, which is already a week past its deadline.

Here’s the part that really stings: Mamdani sabotaged his own policy. He and state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D) successfully launched a Queens free-bus pilot in 2023. It worked. But when Mamdani picked a fight with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D) over a housing dispute, Heastie yanked the expansion from the budget.

What does a socialist mayor do when his promises collapse? He makes bigger ones.

Mamdani killed his own program, then ran for mayor promising to bring it back citywide. He campaigned on cleaning up a mess he made.

Now he’s calling a three-line pilot “a first step.” Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber has been critical of the plan. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who has committed an additional $1.5 billion to bail out the city, is making it clear that buses rank below housing and auto insurance on her list.

The reception in the state legislature has been, generously speaking, chilly.

So what does a socialist mayor do when his promises collapse? He makes bigger ones.

This week, Mamdani announced that La Marqueta in East Harlem will become New York City’s first government-owned grocery store. The plan outlines one in each borough, where prices are “fair” and New Yorkers can “actually afford to shop.”

The man who couldn’t deliver free buses now wants to compete with Costco. He even challenged the private sector directly: “I look forward to the competition.”

What he doesn’t seem to understand is that the competition has already won. Decades ago. And the proof is everywhere.

It will cost $30 million just to open the East Harlem location, with a $70 million budget for all expected stores. That’s $70 million in taxpayer money going into a business where even the best-run private grocery stores average margins under 2%.

Every major retailer in America has spent decades perfecting supply chains and slashing spoilage, and yet they’re still barely breaking even. Mamdani, fresh off failing to stop charging $2.90 for a bus ride, thinks he can do better.

The real-world track record is telling. Baldwin, Florida, opened a city-run grocery in 2019, struggled to break even, and shut down in 2024. Erie, Kansas, ran its only grocery store at a loss for years before handing it to a private operator. Those towns had zero private competition, and they still couldn’t make it work.

In New York City, the sequence is even more dangerous. The government store moves in, undercuts private competitors with taxpayer subsidies, and drives out the corner bodegas and family grocers who actually pay rent and taxes.

RELATED: The liberal guide to committing national suicide

Blaze Media Illustration

Then, as history guarantees, the government store collapses too. The Soviet Union, Venezuela, and Cuba all tried it. Every time: empty shelves, shortages, black markets. You don’t end up with affordable groceries. You end up with a food desert and no private stores left to fill the gap.

The reason is simple: Politicians are not personally responsible for the losses their policies create, so they have no incentive to operate efficiently. The losses get folded into next year’s budget and repackaged as progress.

Three out of four young voters put this man in office. Voters who had lived in New York City less than five years backed him 85% to 14%. They voted for the TikTok version of governance: big promises, great optics, someone else’s problem. Free buses sounded great in a Trevor Noah interview.

City-owned grocery stores sound great at a rally in East Harlem. Governing eight million people with real money and real consequences? That’s where the fantasy ends.

New York City doesn’t have a bus problem or a grocery problem. It has a mayor with a socialism problem. And unlike his buses, the bill is running right on schedule.

​Bus lines, Campaign promises, City run grocery stores, Citywide transit, East harlem, Food desert, Free buses, New york mayor, Socialist mayor, Taxpayer money, Zohran mamdani, Opinion & analysis 

CNN’s chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, was ridiculed after she posted an unhinged response to criticism from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth compared some of the mainstream media to the Pharisees of the Bible during a media briefing Thursday morning.

‘You have *never* been in the United States military, and you should be absolutely drummed out of journalism for attempting to equivocate (sic) yourself to an [actual] member of the military.’

Amanpour fired back in a lengthy rant on social media, where she appeared to claim that she had a similar rank as Hegseth when he left the military.

“Using the Pentagon podium to lash out at journalists in extreme biblical terms is unprecedented, misguided, and frankly wrong on the substance,” she wrote.

“Ever since Sunday School Catholic classes, I have been well aware of the Scribes and the Pharisees. They were the bad guys against Jesus, the good guy … in current U.S. good v evil war parlance. Bearing witness to the truth is what we journalists are commanded to do, without fear nor favor,” she added.

Hegseth pointed out that the Pharisees had ignored the miracles that Jesus Christ was performing and instead waited to catch him breaking the laws of the Old Testament. He compared that to the media ignoring the president’s accomplishments to criticize him.

“I am also well aware of the Ten Commandments, and therefore urge any government radical anywhere, to follow the 9th … against bearing false witness,” Amanpour continued.

“And finally an observation: the current Secretary of War, f/k/a Defence, left the military with the rank of Major,” she added. “I recall my dogtag in the first Gulf war had the rank of major … the very same rank. Just sayin’!” she concluded.

She was immediately mocked online for the bizarre statement.

“Read the last paragraph, folks. If @CNN had any editorial standards, Christiane Amanpour would be fired for her bizarre attack on @SecWar‘s military service,” one response reads. “Why is a journalist mocking the rank of major, which @PeteHegseth earned while risking his life in Iraq & Afghanistan?”

RELATED: Hegseth goes viral for ‘Pulp Fiction’ prayer at the Pentagon

“A Major, really? Perhaps, a major pain in the ass, but definitely not Major,” another user said.

“You have *never* been in the United States military, and you should be absolutely drummed out of journalism for attempting to equivocate (sic) yourself to an [actual] member of the military. Quite literally the definition of stolen valor,” another detractor said.

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​Christiane amanpour, Hegseth attacks the media, Amanpour vs hegseth, Media pharisees, Politics 

A dog attack near a homeless camp led to the death of the dog owner, a dead dog, and the search for a suspect, according to Florida police.

Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the shooting near a homeless camp in Leesburg on Friday at about 7:20 a.m. and found a man with gunshot wounds.

The dog owner stepped in between the dog and Pasco and was struck by the gunfire instead.

The man was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

Police said they were searching for an armed person of interest identified as 43-year-old Matthew Lee Pasco, a homeless man believed to have shot the dog owner.

The dogs were attacking a woman outside the homeless camp when Pasco intervened and fired at a dog, according to police. The dog owner stepped in between the dog and Pasco and was struck by the gunfire instead.

The woman, who was bitten numerous times, was also transported to a hospital.

Two dogs were shot, and one was killed.

Police said Pasco fled the scene on foot, and they are searching the area to locate him. They said the homeless man has a distinctive scar on the right side of his face.

The investigation into the shooting led to a lockdown at Carver Middle School.

One person named Leilei told reporters that the shooting came about after her friend’s girlfriend kicked one of Leilei’s dogs. She said her boyfriend intervened and was shot.

RELATED: Homeless man found tied up in vacant home was brutally beaten with signs of torture, police say

Animal services took control of more than one dog, police said.

Police asked for help locating Pasco but warned the public not to approach him and instead contact them.

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​Homeless florida killing, Matthew lee pasco, Dog biting leads to shooting, Shooting death dog attack, Crime 

When it comes to the impending AI takeover, two main camps of belief get the most attention: those who welcome technological singularity, believing it will deliver humanity into a utopia of universal basic income, freedom, and prosperity, and those who deeply oppose it, fearing it will render humanity useless and usher in the apocalypse.

But is there a middle ground — a reasonable center that embraces the good AI offers but opposes the dystopia it threatens?

BlazeTV hosts Christopher Rufo and Jonathan Keeperman believe there is.

On a recent episode of “Rufo & Lomez,” the duo spoke with Samuel Hammond, an artificial intelligence researcher at the Foundation for American Innovation, about the “sweet middle ground” of artificial intelligence.

Hammond acknowledges the dual nature of artificial intelligence. “It’s the thing that’s going to build us all-new efficient defended software, but also in the meantime enable hackers to hack that software; it’s a thing that will discover new drugs but also create new viruses. And to be able to hold both those realities in your mind is incredibly taxing.”

In the same way that the Industrial Revolution created both wealth and the administrative and welfare states, so the AI takeover will have both benefits and drawbacks, he says.

Keeperman inquires about the regulatory measures being taken by AI developers to mitigate the potential damage.

Hammond admits that regulation is difficult because of the sheer scope of AI. Like electricity, “it’s this massive umbrella term,” he says.

“The areas where people have legitimate concerns are easier to gerrymander, right? It’s things like designing novel bioweapons or very powerful, autonomous malware that could hack into your program and go rogue. These things are difficult to keep in a box,” he explains.

On the upside, however, “getting to advanced AI first will have major national security implications.”

“The fact that we have a friendly U.S.-based company that built a system like Mythos first that could, in principle, hack into all these different critical pieces of infrastructure is an incredible fortune for us, right?” says Hammond, noting that this allows the U.S. to “patch up and harden [its] systems” before other countries reach the same capabilities.

On the other hand, the U.S. government currently has little control over the companies that are leading AI development.

As of now, these companies “are being benevolent with their use of this and certainly have the intentions to try to be sort of trustworthy and good stewards of this technology, but as a matter of state governance, do we actually have any greater control over this technology than, let’s say, China?” Keeperman asks.

Hammond admits that we’re on precarious terrain.

“I think of us as sort of on this knife edge between a Chinese-style panopticon or some kind of anarchy where things kind of fall apart,” he says, advocating for a “third way.”

“We need a strong state to enforce property and contract and our rights, but that state can’t be completely divorced from rule of law,” he says. At the same time, however, “democracies have committed genocide,” whereas “private corporations just want to maximize shareholder value.”

In the end, Hammond urges us to reject both utopian dreams and apocalyptic fears in favor of a pragmatic middle course: building institutions strong enough to govern AI’s immense power, yet constrained enough to prevent it from becoming a tool of tyranny or disorder.

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​Ai, Ai boom, Ai developers, Ai takeover, Artificial intelligence, Blaze media, Blazetv, China, Chris rufo, Foundation for american innovation, Jonathan keeperman, Lomez, Mythos system, National security, Rufo & lomez, Samuel hammond, Singularity, Technological singularity, Universal basic income 

On a recent episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl,” we had a conversation that was a little different — but just as telling about car culture today.

It started with something unexpected: Lego. Not just as a toy, but as a way to connect automotive history to a new generation.

For an industry that often focuses on what’s next — EVs, software, autonomy — it’s easy to overlook how important the past still is.

Our guest, Ford heritage brand manager and archivist Ted Ryan, shared the story behind a new Lego model of the Ford Model T — and what went into getting it right. And the level of detail may surprise you.

To a T

This wasn’t just a half-baked licensing exercise. According to Ryan, the designer behind the set spent months researching the Model T, even reaching out directly to Ford’s archives to verify historical details.

Where was the fuel tank located? How many lights did the car have? What year-specific features mattered?

Those details were checked, corrected, and refined — sometimes multiple times — before the final design was approved.

The whole process took a year of back-and-forth, with emails and revisions to make sure the finished product reflected the real car, not just a simplified version of it.

That’s a level of effort you don’t usually associate with something that ends up on a toy shelf.

Wheeling and dealing

There’s a bigger idea behind it.

As Ryan explained, Lego has shifted in recent years to focus on things that matter culturally — music, film, architecture, and increasingly, cars.

That last one makes a lot of sense.

From Formula 1 to classic American vehicles, automobiles are a huge part of global culture. They’re also a way to tell stories — about innovation, design, and how people lived at a particular moment in time.

And what better example than the iconic Model T.

This is the vehicle that put America on wheels, transforming transportation and making mobility accessible to millions. Bringing that story into a Lego set makes that history visible — and tangible — for people who might never read about it otherwise.

RELATED: The EPA just proved it can lower gas prices overnight — so why wait for a crisis?

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Pieces of history

What stood out in the conversation is how much these sets are now aimed at adults as well as kids.

Lego calls them “AFOLs” — adult fans of Lego — and it’s a growing category. They want builds that are more complex, more detailed, and more likely to be display pieces than playthings.

In this case, the Model T set also includes historical context, helping explain why the car mattered — not just what it looked like.

It’s all part of a broader trend. Car culture isn’t just happening at racetracks or car shows anymore. It’s happening in living rooms, offices, and hobby spaces — through collectibles, models, and even digital experiences.

A classic you can keep

For an industry that often focuses on what’s next — EVs, software, autonomy — it’s easy to overlook how important the past still is.

Projects like this show there’s still real demand for that connection.

Not everyone is going to restore a classic car or attend a concours event. But a lot of people will build a model, display it, and learn something along the way.

For younger enthusiasts, this may be their first introduction to a crucial moment in history; for longtime car fans, it’s a potent reminder of what cars mean to them.

Either way, it goes to show that car culture — despite the carping of the environmental doomsayers — isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

​Auto industry, Automotive history, Culture, Ford, Ford model t, Lego, Lifestyle, Ted ryan, Align cars 

A 34-year-old man is facing nearly 500 charges after police found a trove of human remains he allegedly stole from graves in Pennsylvania.

Investigators caught Jonathan Gerlach of Ephrata coming out of the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery and Arboretum in Yeadon with a burlap bag and a crowbar.

‘To be able to sell body parts on the internet just appalls me, and I just think it should be stopped.’

In his car they discovered “numerous bones and skulls in plain view in the back seat.”

Gerlach allegedly admitted to stealing remains from more than 30 grave sites. Investigators were shocked when they searched his home and storage unit.

“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home,” said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse at a press conference. “It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to figure out if it is in fact one of their loved ones.”

They found that Gerlach was a part of a Facebook group where people allegedly sold and purchased human remains.

On Friday, some of the burglary charges were dropped against Gerlach, but he faced additional charges from other counties.

Judy Prichard McCleary said her great-grandfather’s mausoleum from 1915 at Mount Moriah Cemetery was broken into, and many remains were stolen.

“It just made me sick to my stomach to think anyone would want to do that,” she added. “To be able to sell body parts on the internet just appalls me, and I just think it should be stopped.”

Law enforcement sources told KYW-TV that Gerlach had been caught with the remains of two children in the burlap bag. The sources indicate that a plea deal is being sought.

RELATED: 4 people arrested over numerous incidents of human remains found scattered across New York, bail reform lets them walk free

McCleary went on to say that sentencing for grave robbing should be stiffened to deter potential criminals.

“I think laws need to change,” she said. “And we can’t sweep it under the rug because it will just happen again in five years or six years or after I’m gone, and people will wonder, ‘Why didn’t you do anything?'”

Gerlach was given a bail of $1 million and is being held at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

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After years of controversy over the name and logo of the Washington, D.C., professional football team, its newest version was revealed on Wednesday to even more controversy.

The team adapted its Washington Commanders logo to include a spear running through it, apparently in reference to the previous Redskins logo and name.

‘It is time to stop repeating this cycle and listen to Native Peoples who have been clear, consistent, and unwavering on this issue: We are not your mascot.’

“Spear and W interweave at their centers, a powerful joining of past and present,” reads a post from the team on social media. “A design that captures the forward-focused spirit of the Commander, a leader of warriors.”

The Association on American Indian Affairs released a statement to USA Today opposing the logo.

“The Washington Commanders’ decision to update their logo is disappointing and inappropriate to say the least,” the statement reads. “It is time to stop repeating this cycle and listen to Native Peoples who have been clear, consistent, and unwavering on this issue: We are not your mascot.”

The National Congress of American Indians also opposed the new logo.

“The new alternate logo, released by the franchise this week, purports to join the past and present,” the group said in a statement. “NCAI maintains that any prideful nod to a harmful past, even one that may appear harmless on its face, can carry an insidious message and is therefore harmful.”

Others have previously called for the return of the Redskins name and logo.

Thomas White Calf told the New York Times that the former name and logo were patterned after his late uncle, Two Guns White Calf. He said restoring the old logo would honor his family and the Native American community.

“Cancel-culture racists decided at some point they wanted to get rid of Indian images in the public domain. The Redskins and Two Guns were their No. 1 target,” he said in Aug. 2025.

RELATED: Family of tribal chief who inspired Redskins logo calls for team to bring his ‘proud’ image back

The USA Today report included a statement of support for the new spear logo from the Native American Guardians Association.

“It’s encouraging to have a small piece of Native imagery represented again, honoring the deep connection between Native heritage and America’s sports traditions,” said the group’s president, Becky Clayton-Anderson.

Indigenous scholar Marcus Briggs-Cloud, on the other hand, said that “the image harkens back to European contrived imaginaries of the noble savage that reduce Indigenous Peoples to identities rooted in violence.”

The NFL draft begins on Thursday, while the next season is scheduled to begin on Sept. 9.

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A Florida doctor has been indicted in connection with the death of a 70-year-old man after authorities said the surgeon removed the wrong organ during surgery and caused “catastrophic blood loss” that killed the patient.

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted this week by a grand jury on a charge of second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of William Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, according to police.

‘This heartbreaking loss has devastated the family of William Bryan, and we are seeking justice for this senseless tragedy.’

The Pensacola News Journal reported that Bryan and his wife, Beverly, were visiting their rental property in Okaloosa County, Florida, when he suddenly began experiencing pain on the left side of his body, according to the family’s law firm.

The couple went to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach, Florida.

William was admitted to the hospital for further testing after doctors found a potential issue with his spleen, the law firm said.

The Florida Department of Health said the patient wanted to utilize medication management for his spleen issue instead of undergoing surgery.

However, Shaknovsky allegedly “continued to pressure” the patient to undergo surgery to remove his spleen, despite the man “repeatedly” saying that he didn’t want the surgery.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the alleged victim was scheduled to undergo a laparoscopic splenectomy on Aug. 21, 2024, which is a spleen removal surgery.

The health department said that operating room staff members were concerned about the procedure “being done so late in the day since they only had a skeletal crew” and that “splenectomies were complicated procedures that could quickly deteriorate and were not regularly performed” at the facility.

The Florida Department of Health also noted that Shaknovsky “arrived at the hospital approximately an hour late” for the surgery scheduled for 4 p.m.

Investigators said Shaknovsky removed the patient’s liver instead of his spleen.

The health department’s report stated, “Immediately after performing the dissection, Patient W.B. began to severely hemorrhage and went into cardiac arrest. Operating room staff members observed a significant amount of blood pouring out, immediately disrupting visibility in the field.”

The health department noted, “Spleens and livers are anatomically distinct, have different consistencies, and are different colors. Additionally, the spleen is located on the left side of the abdomen, while the liver is on the right side.”

The report said, “The staff looked at the readily identifiable liver on the table and were shocked when Dr. Shaknovsky told them that it was a spleen. One staff member felt sick to their stomach.”

Bryan was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said, “Dr. Shaknovsky removed the victim’s liver instead of his spleen, resulting in catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table.”

Dr. Shaknovsky told the staff that the patient died from a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm, according to the report.

The Florida Department of Health said a pathologist confirmed the organ tissue removed was an intact liver.

The report revealed that the “medical examiner observed that patient W.B.’s spleen and its attachments were untouched and in the normal position, his liver was missing, and his inferior cava had been severed.”

The health department pointed out, “The vena cava is the largest vein in the body and brings deoxygenated blood from the body back to the heart for new oxygen. The inferior vena cava connects the liver to the heart.”

“Additionally, the medical examiner noted that there was no evidence of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm,” the report proclaimed.

The report claimed that Shaknovsky dissected Bryan’s inferior vena cava, “resulting in the bleeding event that precipitated his death.”

“Dr. Shaknovsky claims that due to his shock and the chaos of the situation, he was unable to properly identify the organ he removed and assumed it must be the spleen,” according to the health department.

The sheriff’s office stated, “The grand jury found probable cause to charge that the actions taken in the operating room constituted criminal conduct under Florida law.”

Shaknovsky was arrested in Miramar Beach and transported to the Walton County Jail.

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said, “Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor.”

Adkinson added, “The grand jury has spoken, and our responsibility is to ensure the charges are carried out through the proper legal process.”

The deceased man’s widow, Beverly Bryan, told NBC News, “When I tell people what happened, it still sounds too awful to be true that that could happen.”

Pensacola-based law firm Zarzaur Law P.A. filed a lawsuit against Shaknovsky and Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in January 2025.

RELATED: Fake Florida nurse who treated nearly 4,500 patients gets sweetheart deal; judge reportedly asserts she ‘excelled at her job’

A spokesperson for Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast told NBC News, “Dr. Shaknovsky was never a Sacred Heart Emerald Coast employee and has not practiced at any of our facilities since August 2024.”

The spokesperson continued, “We remain focused on upholding the standards our patients and community expect of us.”

Authorities claim that two other patients of Shaknovsky experienced surgery mishaps, including one man who died after surgery.

In May 2023, a 58-year-old man went to the Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital to get an adrenalectomy, which is the surgical removal of one or both adrenal glands.

The emergency suspension order stated, “During the surgery, Dr. Shaknovsky removed a portion of Patient G.D.’s pancreas instead of the adrenal gland.”

Following the surgery, the removed tissue was sent for pathological analysis, according to the Florida Department of Health.

A pathologist examined the purported adrenal gland specimen, which was actually tissue from the patient’s pancreas, the order revealed.

“In response to the allegations, Dr. Shaknovsky claimed that the adrenal gland had ‘migrated’ to a different part of the body,” the order said.

The State of Florida Department of Health said the patient “suffered from long-term, permanent harm as a result of Dr. Shaknovsky’s error.”

Florida Department of Health records show that Shaknovsky in August 2024 settled a malpractice claim for $400,000 in connection with the May 2023 case.

Another one of Shaknovsky’s patients died following a procedure, according to authorities.

NBC News reported that the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners said Shaknovsky removed part of a patient’s intestine during a procedure in July 2023, which caused a gastrointestinal perforation during which a hole develops in the intestine.

The patient was transported to the ICU shortly after the surgery and died, according to NBC News.

In September 2024, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo ordered the emergency suspension of Shaknovsky’s medical license.

The Florida Department of Health currently lists the status of Shaknovsky’s medical license as “retired,” and the license expired on March 31, 2026.

Public records show his license in New York was temporarily suspended in May 2025.

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners filed a court order to temporarily suspend Shaknovsky’s medical license shortly after Bryan’s death.

Citing records, the Washington Post reported that Shaknovsky voluntarily surrendered his medical license in Alabama after the board attempted to revoke his license.

The New York Times reported that Shaknovsky is scheduled for an arraignment in Walton County Circuit Court on May 19.

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In between the Cookie Monster explaining his favorite exercise and Elmo pretending to be a DJ with frisbees, “Sesame Street” took time to promote Arabic culture.

The formerly beloved children’s program put out a video celebrating “Arab-American Heritage Month” letting everyone know the word of the day is “habibi.”

‘Happy Arab-American Heritage Month, habibi.’

The word, a common term of affection often translated as “my dear,” was not only featured in the caption for the show’s social media push, but was featured in a video where Elmo learns Arabic along with viewers.

Sesame souk

New York comedian Ramy Youssef joined Elmo for the sketch; Youssef has Egyptian parents.

“Salam alaykum, everyone,” the comedian began, prompting questions from the muppet.

“Mr. Ramy, what does salam alaykum mean?”

Youssef explained that “salam means peace” and that the greeting is generally a “way to say hello.”

“Oh, cool,” Elmo replied, before repeating the greeting to the children. “Oh, salam alaykum everybody. … Happy Arab-American Heritage Month.”

Elmo and Youssef then dove into the “Sesame Street” word of the day to teach viewers another Arabic word.

RELATED: ‘Sesame Street’ targets children for Pride Month … again: ‘This should not be promoted to kids’

– YouTube

Muppet madrasa

In a video with 1.2 million views on TikTok, Youssef said, “‘I’m so proud of my Arab heritage, and I’m so happy to share this month with my fellow Arabs and Elmo. So, thanks, habibi.”

Elmo, who is neither Muslim nor a native Arabic speaker, again asked for the meaning of the word.

“Oh, it’s an Arabic word for a special friend,” the comedian replied.

“Really? Uh, well, happy Arab-American Heritage Month, habibi. We love you,” Elmo concluded.

The video might be more jarring if this type of content wasn’t part and parcel of “Sesame Street” in recent years.

The show has been heavily invested in promoting progressive politics to children, even extending that to dipping its furry toes into gender politics.

RELATED: ‘Elmo says ALL JEWS SHOULD DIE’: Elmo X account goes rabid, calls for genocide after alleged hack

BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images

Street smarts

In 2022, “Sesame Street” promoted gay and lesbian parents to children through a song, and in May 2020 it showcased Jonathan Van Ness, a man who claims to be nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.

Other odd presentations have included Hispanic Heritage Month and “Sesame Street: The ABCs of COVID Vaccines.”

Youssef is reportedly a practicing Muslim and is married to a woman from Saudi Arabia.

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BlazeTV host and investigative journalist Sara Gonzales has been rolling out viral video after viral video exposing alleged widespread H-1B visa abuses in Texas.

Her investigations into alleged “sham” companies, empty offices/mailboxes listed as worksites, and “H-1B only” job ads have led to quick government responses.

In January, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered an immediate halt on all new H-1B visa petitions by Texas state agencies and public universities (through May 2027), citing abuse that displaces American workers. Shortly after, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched probes into at least three North Texas companies suspected of running fake operations to sponsor H-1B workers.

In April, the Department of Justice fined Compunnel Software Group Inc. $313,420 for posting job ads that specified “H-1B visa only” after Sara exposed one of these discriminatory recruiter ads.

And now, Sara says, “JD Vance is involved.”

Last month, the White House launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, with Vice President JD Vance serving as chair.

This initiative, Sara says, “is going to include H-1Bs.”

She then plays a clip from Vance’s April 14 Turning Point USA speech in Georgia, where he stated that there is “a lot of fraud in the H-1B system,” accused Big Tech of taking advantage of the program, and called on Congress to codify the Trump administration’s reforms that have already cut new H-1B approvals by 90%.

While Sara is “extremely grateful for everything that the Trump administration has done with trying to curb what is very obviously an invasion,” the progress that’s happened is just a “first step,” she says.

From high registration numbers and unchecked renewals to the $100,000 fee loopholes and continued mass sponsorships by Big Tech, Sara says “there is more work to be done.”

“If there is a scam, if there is a fraud to be had within the system, the folks in Hyderabad are going to sniff it right out, and they’re going to get on top of it. So, Congress needs to act on this,” she urges. “We need a new plan because this is still broken and not working.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Blaze media, Blazetv, Compunnel software group, Eliminate fraud, Greg abbott, H-1b fraud, H-1b scam, H-1b visas, Jd vance, Ken paxton, Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sponsor h1b, Texas governor 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. corrected the record during his testimony before Congress on Friday morning after Democrat lawmakers spread false information about the Trump administration’s health care policies.

‘It is the Democratic policy to benefit billionaires.’

Kennedy appeared before the House Education and Workforce Committee to answer questions about the HHS’ priorities.

Following his opening statement, Chairman Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) posed the first question to Kennedy, asking whether he was “responsible for the measles outbreak.”

Kennedy acknowledged that he had been accused of that but said the accusation was “not science-based.”

“The measles outbreak began in January 2025, before I took office. … The measles outbreak is not an American phenomenon; it is global,” he replied.

He explained that in 2025, the U.S. had approximately 2,200 measles cases, while Mexico had more than three times that amount, despite having one-third of the U.S. population. Canada reportedly had twice as many cases, even though its population is just one-eighth of that of the U.S. In Europe, the number of cases was nearly 10 times that in the U.S., despite having twice the U.S. population, Kennedy said.

RELATED: ‘Truly a fool’s errand’: Top CDC adviser, RFK Jr. ally resigns from vaccine panel

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Heather Diehl/Getty Images

“Two little girls died tragically in the Mennonite community in Texas. Mennonites have not vaccinated since 1796. So, this has nothing to do with me,” Kennedy stated.

He mentioned attending the funeral of one child and spending the day with the family of the other.

“Both of them told me that when they took their children to the hospital, they were treated as pariahs. They were shamed. They were not given proper treatment. Both families believed their daughters, and their own doctors believe, their daughters could have been saved if the hospital gave them proper treatment,” Kennedy continued.

“There’s a lot of people in this country who, for religious reasons or other reasons, are not gonna vaccinate. And I believe that we need to treat them with compassion and understanding and empathy and get them the treatments they would get anywhere else in the world except for this country,” he added.

Kennedy was later questioned by Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), who pressed the secretary about “kicking 15 million Americans off of their affordable health care.”

“Have you met with everyday Americans who have lost their health insurance just this last year?” Casar asked.

“I meet with everyday Americans every day,” Kennedy replied. He also noted that he spoke with the advocacy community “on virtually everything that we regulate” and “more tribes and tribal leaders than any HHS secretary in history.”

Casar then asked whether Kennedy had met with Americans who would be impacted this year by “cuts to Medicaid.”

“There are no cuts to Medicaid. … We are increasing Medicaid spending by 47% over the next 10 years. … How is that a cut? That is only a cut in Washington, D.C.,” Kennedy responded.

RELATED: ‘Rogue’ Biden judge blocks critical pieces of RFK Jr.’s vaccine reform

Greg Casar. Heather Diehl/Getty Images

Casar ignored Kennedy’s comments and pushed forward with his line of questioning.

“Have you met with any of the 1.4 million people who have lost their health insurance just this last year from dropping off of Obamacare?” he asked.

“They’re almost all illegal immigrants. … We found 1.5 million illegal immigrants illegally collecting Medicaid,” Kennedy remarked.

Casar attempted to corner Kennedy into admitting he had dedicated time to meet with billionaires but not with everyday Americans. However, Kennedy repeatedly denied this and turned it back around on Casar by slamming Democrats for Obamacare.

“It is the Democratic policy to benefit billionaires,” Kennedy said. “The insurance companies’ stocks raised by 1,000% after Obamacare was passed. The money was not going to Americans; it was going to them.”

“It was you who did it,” Kennedy declared.

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​Health, News, Rfk jr, Rfk jr., Robert f kennedy, Robert f kennedy jr, Robert f. kennedy jr., Trump administration, Obamacare, Health and human services, Hhs, Greg casar, Texas, House education and workforce committee, Education and workforce committee, Tim walberg, Measles, Vaccines, Vaccination, Health care, Healthcare, Politics 

A woman who wore an inflatable phallic costume to protest against the Trump administration beat all charges at a Fairhope court in Alabama.

Police body-camera footage captured the moment that an officer pushed a 62-year-old grandmother to the ground at a No Kings protest after she refused to take off the costume on Oct. 20, 2025.

‘We have some growing and relearning to do about the rights the citizens of this town have.’

The officer told Renea Gamble that the costume was offensive at the time, but her defense attorney argued in court Wednesday that the arrest violated her constitutional right to free speech.

He also pointed out that the officer did not at the time accuse her of causing a traffic hazard, which is what she was charged with.

“He just found her to be offensive,” David Gespass said to reporters outside of the courthouse. “I mean again, that’s all he talked about when he was testifying was … not when he was testifying, when he was confronting her was, ‘I’m not going to put up with this in my town.’ He said nothing about her causing any problems with traffic.”

On the other side, city attorney Marcus McDowell argued that no one had the “constitutional right to wear a seven-foot penis costume on the side of the road.”

Fairhope Municipal Judge Haymes Snedeker found the penis lady not guilty on three charges and dropped the charge related to causing a traffic hazard.

He also found that the officer had probable cause to arrest Gamble but that there was not enough evidence to prove her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Gamble celebrated the ruling outside the courthouse.

“We have some growing and relearning to do about the rights the citizens of this town have,” Gamble said. “They happen to be on par with the rest of the nation and as Alabamians, we dare to defend our rights, and this fight is not over!”

RELATED: VIDEO: Female No Kings protester wearing phallic costume tossed to the ground by cop

Gespass said that Gamble’s civil rights had been violated and suggested that they may file a lawsuit over the incident.

Some of the locals said they were disappointed in the verdict, while others said the embarrassing story had put a national spotlight on the city.

Before she was arrested at the protest, in keeping with the theme of her costume, Gamble held a sign with a message opposing dictators, but with an extra letter added to make the message explicit.

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A series of lawsuits seeking potentially billions of dollars from oil companies for environmental damage to Louisiana’s coastal areas got a substantial setback from the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court said 8-0 that one lawsuit would be moved out of the state’s courthouses and instead considered in federal court, considered a more favorable judicial venue for the oil companies.

‘A jury in one of the most conservative, pro-oil and gas communities in the country found that Chevron was liable for billions of gallons of toxic waste dumped into the Louisiana marsh.’

The ruling included only eight of the nine justices because Justice Samuel Alito recused himself over his stock holdings in ConocoPhillips.

The companies argued that the case belongs in federal court based on their predecessors’ production of aviation fuel supply at the behest of the federal government during World War II. All of the justices agreed with that argument.

“Chevron’s case fits comfortably within the ordinary meaning of a suit ‘relating to’ the performance of federal duties,” Clarence Thomas wrote in the court opinion.

The ruling overturned a 2024 decision from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana.

The ruling will likely be consequential for other cases of parishes suing oil companies for environmental damages.

Republican Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a plaintiff in the case, ⁠said she was confident they would win against the oil companies, despite the setback.

“A jury in one of the most conservative, pro-oil and gas communities in the country found that Chevron was liable for billions of gallons of toxic waste dumped into the Louisiana marsh,” Murrill said in a statement. “It doesn’t matter whether this case is in state court or federal court — I am confident the outcome will be the same.”

Murrill referred to a jury ruling ordering Chevron USA Inc. to pay $740 million to the Plaquemines Parish.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has backed the lawsuits despite being a supporter of the oil industry in general.

“Simply changing where the case will be heard, as has happened, will not deter our efforts to have Big Oil held accountable for the damages they caused and the enormous restoration they owe the people of Louisiana,” said John Carmouche, an attorney representing local state leaders.

RELATED: A red-state lawfare shakedown heads to the Supreme Court

In January, Oversight Project president and Blaze Media contributor Mike Howell argued that the Louisiana lawsuits were contrary to President Donald Trump’s energy independence policies.

“President Trump’s agenda prioritizes American energy dominance. His actions abroad reinforce that priority. Yet Republicans in Louisiana are not merely opposing that objective — they are using the very lawfare tactics they claim to despise to undermine it,” Howell wrote.

“Lawfare does not become acceptable because Republicans use it,” he concluded. “And environmental shakedowns do not become conservative simply because they originate in a red state. If the right intends to oppose lawfare, it needs to oppose it everywhere — especially when its own allies are the ones doing the shaking down.”

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BlazeTV’s Allie Beth Stuckey sat down with New York Times columnist David French in a rare, candid debate about the concept of “toxic empathy,” which Stuckey wrote about in her book “Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion.”

‘You are using the title of my book, and you called me the foremost architect of this concept of toxic empathy.’

Stuckey confronted French’s mischaracterization of her views on empathy in his NYT op-eds, in which he argued that some Christians who align with President Donald Trump have waged a war on empathy.

“My issue is, really, we don’t have enough empathy, that empathy needs to be more holistic,” French said.

“In my view, one of our big problems is not enough empathy and, particularly amongst very partisan people, very selective empathy, so that ‘only my ally’s experience really matters,'” he continued.

French called it a “cultural phenomenon,” particularly among parts of “MAGA Christianity,” to dismiss empathy for human suffering as “toxic.” He claimed instead that it is “incomplete” or “selective” empathy.

Stuckey contended that “selective empathy” that leads to “immoral decisions is a form of toxic empathy.” She continued to press French on his articles.

“I tell both sides of the story. … I’m actually doing what you say needs to be done, which is expanding compassion, but I don’t end there. Because I think you would agree, we don’t get anywhere if both sides are just saying, ‘Well, my story’s sadder. No, my story’s sadder,'” Stuckey stated.

She argued that ending there “actually paralyzes you from making a good moral decision.” She instead called for Christians to be thoughtful and consider both sides of the story, giving the example of illegal immigrants and victims like Laken Riley, a 22-year-old college student who was murdered by a foreign national who was in the U.S. illegally.

“We have to ask discerning questions: What is biblically true? What’s morally true? What’s politically true, logically true, historically true?” she added.

RELATED: David French catches flak for claiming Talarico, a pro-abortion Democrat, ‘acts like a Christian’

David French. William B. Plowman/NBC

During the exchange, Stuckey noted areas of apparent agreement, stating, “It doesn’t really sound like you disagree with me here, but it did sound like you did in the articles.”

“In 2025, you said, for example, ‘If people respond to the foreign aid shutdown and the stop-work orders by talking about how children might suffer and die, then they’re exhibiting toxic empathy,'” Stuckey said. “That’s not what I say toxic empathy is.”

“Well, it’s absolutely what I see a lot in the public discussion,” French responded.

“You are using the title of my book, and you called me the foremost architect of this concept of toxic empathy. But I don’t say that toxic empathy is someone caring about children dying, and that’s how you describe it in the article,” Stuckey remarked.

“I’m not putting this all on you,” French said. “One of the sad things that has occurred is this global, larger attack and talk about empathy has led to an immediate response when you talk about human suffering. I will see many Christians say, ‘That’s toxic empathy.'”

RELATED: Pro-life support plummets among churchgoers despite faith resurgence

Allie Beth Stuckey, David French. Image source: BlazeTV

During the interview, the two also discussed gender, abortion, French’s defense of voting for Vice President Kamala Harris (D) in the 2024 presidential election, and his support for Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) in the upcoming Texas Senate election against either incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).

As part of his argument for voting for Harris over President Donald Trump, French cited the abortion rates under Trump’s administration compared to those under former President Barack Obama.

French, who considers himself pro-life, told Stuckey, “The largest drop in abortions actually occurred during the eight years of the Obama administration.” While he admitted that the rise in abortion rates under Trump is the result of multiple factors, he argued that the Republican president perpetuates a problematic culture of “libertinism” that “is incompatible with a pro-life ethic.”

“Complex social phenomena typically don’t have singular causes. … We’ve been dealing with some culture changes that I think are really negative. … America is a lot more libertine, and Donald Trump is a very libertine man. He does what he wants,” French said.

Megan Basham, a journalist for the Daily Wire, reacted to Stuckey’s interview with French, criticizing the columnist for his abortion-rate argument.

“Oh my gosh, that is such a ridiculous response. French had said something similar about Obama. He said that the abortion rate went down under Obama because Obama gave people hope. Absolutely idiotic. The truth was, red states enacted more restrictions under Obama and that what was what was bringing the abortion rate down. And French is too smart not to know that,” Basham wrote. “So what does that make him?”

Kylee Griswold, the managing editor for the Federalist, added, “Additionally, abortion #s under Trump 2 can’t be divorced from the Biden-Harris administration removing the in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone — which is how most abortions are performed. An egregious move that puts women at SERIOUS risk and also causes abortion in red states to SKYROCKET.”

In a separate post, Mollie Hemingway, the editor in chief of the Federalist, wrote, “David French struggles and faceplants with his attempt to justify to @conservmillen why he endorsed Kamala Harris, given her lengthy track record of persecuting prolife Christians and journalists.”

Not the Bee commended Stuckey for the debate.

“I love your way of confronting men like French. I’d say in this case, it would have made sense to bring up the fact that if you follow his logic, speaking to somebody about the Gospel could be equated to telling them an unkind truth. They are sinners. They are incapable of saving themselves, and they need Jesus. That’s not ‘kind.’ But it’s necessary. If you avoid unkind truths, you will never share the Gospel,” Not the Bee wrote.

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The horror of the surrogacy trend reared its head again this week.

An Instagram video posted by gay musician Shane McAnally has triggered the ire of many conservatives and viewers alike.

‘The most horrifying video I’ve ever seen in my life.’

Posted earlier this week, the video shows a man, presumably either McAnally or his “husband,” Michael Baum, holding their adopted third child, Texson, whom they recently brought into the family after taking him from his mother after she gave birth.

“Who do you want, Dada or Pop?” the man asks the baby repeatedly over the course of the video.

The baby can be heard making noises that sound remarkably like “mama” and “mom” throughout the video.

RELATED: Surrogacy ‘trafficking’? Unmarried Chinese couple in the US accused of massive baby scam — 21 kids placed in foster care

Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images

The man holding the baby feigns shock when the infant cries out for his mother, saying, “No way, Jose,” to the baby.

The baby, who according to People was born in late October 2025 and immediately turned over to the homosexual couple, begins to cry at this point in the video, visibly upset.

The man in the video and the man holding the camera both begin to laugh at the baby while he cries harder and harder for his “mama.”

“There is no mama. I’m so sorry. You have Dada and Pop,” the man in the video says.

“No mama,” he repeats as the baby cries.

The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles described this video as “the most horrifying video I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Instagram users seemed to have experienced the same revulsion Knowles did.

“This is why it’s important to remember that it’s a child’s right to have parents- and not a[n] adult’s right to have children,” one user said.

Another said, “That’s not funny. Someone please save this baby :(.”

“People go to therapy for the trauma that’s caused when they grow up with an absent mother. Why are adults trying to get children to meet their needs when it was always supposed to be the other way around?” a third commenter added to the post.

McAnally has repeatedly mocked his child as the “homophobic baby” in other posts on his page.

For example, a video posted in December shows a 6-week-old Texson smiling as the man holding the camera tells him about his brother, sister, and two puppies. He then says, “And two dads.” Texson stops smiling and appears to furrow his brow at this moment.

According to People, McAnally and Baum were “married’ in 2012. They have another son and a daughter, named Dash and Dylan, respectively.

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​Conservatives, Foster care, Michael baum, Michael knowles, Politics, Shane mcanally, Texson, Two dads, Homophobic baby, Surrogacy, Homosexuals, Gay dads, Child abuse 

Tune in to any late-night talk show these days, and it’s nothing but wall-to-wall clapter — the seal-like applause emitted by audiences in response to any variation of the phrase “orange man bad.”

As Robert Plant once queried, “Does anybody remember laughter?”

Those of us old enough to have watched Carson, Letterman, or O’Brien do.

Well, Jimmy Kimmel has news for you: He’s not here to entertain you. In fact, he’s offended you even expect it.

The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host unloaded on entitled TV viewers while chatting with former first lady Michelle Obama on the failing podcast she co-hosts.

And it was as cringe-inducing as you’d expect. Turns out, Kimmel takes it personally when critics say he should be funny.

“To say that, ‘Well, your job is this,’ it makes me — I bristle at that because, first of all, don’t tell me what my job is. I don’t tell you what your job is. My job is whatever I decide my job is, whatever my employer allows me to do. That’s what my job is.”

His job, apparently, is to speed up the decline of late-night TV, and in his defense, he’s doing a heckuva job …

French toast

First, the French found Jerry Lewis irresistible. Now, the country’s movie buffs have fallen for one of 2025’s biggest box office busts.

“Ella McCay” arrived with plenty of hype last year, from its starry cast (Jamie Lee Curtis, Albert Brooks, Woody Harrelson) to a legendary writer/director (James L. Brooks) behind the camera. The film, focusing on a flustered young woman (Emma Mackey) thrust into the political scene, earned withering reviews. The box office tally? A shockingly low $4 million domestically.

Yet the French are coming to the film’s rescue. Disney+’s French edition debuted the film after its theatrical release got benched due to that chilly U.S. reception. The French goodwill, boosted by fawning media support, built up to the point where the studio agreed to a limited theatrical release in the country.

Maybe AI can insert a digital Jerry Lewis into the Paris-set sequel …

Role reversal

Nick Offerman may be our generation’s Laurence Olivier.

The comic actor’s turn as Ron Swanson on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” remains the libertarian gold standard. His character loathed the government, hoping to shrink it to the size of Jiminy Cricket’s belt buckle.

In real life, Offerman is a raging progressive, and he can’t stop savaging both President Donald Trump and the right in general.

This week, he popped up on the far-left “Daily Show” to trash Trump’s plans for a glorious 250th birthday party for ole Uncle Sam. That includes a permanent arch to honor the historic moment.

“Can’t he play with his model replicas in the basement like a normal demented grandpa. … Can we stop with these self-aggrandizing celebrations, like you’re some Roman emperor? What’s next, gladiator fights?”

Ron Swanson might blanch at the arch as an unnecessary expenditure, but he’d forever love Trump for his DOGE-style shrinkage …

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‘Focker’ fatigue

Haven’t we suffered enough?

Some movie franchises stumble after a glorious run. Think “John Wick,” those “Fast & Furious” romps, and even the “Mission: Impossible” saga. It happens, and it’s the rare series that maintains its level of excellence.

We all agreed the 2000 comedy “Meet the Parents” was a hoot, giving stars Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller all the juicy lines they craved. But the sequel, “Meet the Fockers” was a star-studded stiff. And the less said about “Little Fockers,” the better.

But since no franchise is allowed to rest in peace, a fourth “Fockers” is coming this fall.

“Focker-in-Law” adds “Wicked” alum Ariana Grande to the saga. This time, she’s about to marry Greg and Pam’s son (Skyler Gisondo), causing tension in the Focker-verse. The trailer is hard to watch, with so many callouts from the first film and Stiller looking embarrassed to be back in the franchise.

Unlike Offerman, he’s not that good an actor.

The worst part may be De Niro, who, back in 2000, was still regarded as one of our finest actors. Now, his chronic anti-Trump rants have poisoned his box office appeal and alienated plenty of potential moviegoers.

Maybe the sequel will find his character strapped to a lie-detector machine, forced to answer if he actually believes his crazed, anti-Trump predictions.

Now that we’d pay to watch.

​Culture, Entertainment, Late night tv, Jimmy kimmel, Nick offerman, Robert de niro, Ben stiller, Movies, Toto recall