Category: blaze media

Numerous politicians reported receiving letters with a suspicious substance on Friday, including Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating numerous letters that were sent to state election officials and congressional offices, according to a spokesperson for the USPIS.

‘Political violence has no place in our democracy, and we hope those who perpetrated this crime are brought to justice.’

“Like has happened across the country, my Minnesota office was sent a letter containing a suspicious substance, and we were promptly notified by the Capitol Police and postal inspectors,” Klobuchar wrote in a statement on social media. “Thanks to the postal workers and investigators who identified and intercepted it, no one in our office was in immediate danger.”

A similar letter was sent to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer but was intercepted by law enforcement officials.

Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said his Sioux Falls office also received the suspicious letter.

“Our Sioux Falls office will be closed for the remainder of the day as SFPD continues to investigate and will reopen for normal hours on Monday morning,” he wrote. “This situation is deeply concerning and follows a trend of intimidating tactics that impact our team members. This has no place in our nation. America is better than this.”

He posted an image showing that the return address read “DSA,” which could stand for the Democratic Socialists of America.

Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten of Michigan said her letter also read “DSA” and contained an “unidentified white power.”

“Today I learned that my office was the intended recipient of a suspicious letter containing an unidentified substance in what appears to be a deliberate attempt to cause harm to me and my staff,” wrote Rep. Analilia Mejia, a Democrat from New Jersey.

Others who reported receiving the threatening letters include Democratic Rep. Sarah Elfreth of Maryland, Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison of Minnesota, Democratic Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, and Florida Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost and Darren Soto.

“Political violence has no place in our democracy, and we hope those who perpetrated this crime are brought to justice,” Soto said on social media.

RELATED: Hundreds of threatening letters containing white powder sent to GOP lawmakers in states that passed laws unfavorable to LGBT activists

“We are committed to protecting our nation’s election officials from threatening and dangerous mail. Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable,” said USPIS deputy chief inspector Brendan Donahue.

“Our partners, including the FBI and we at the Postal Inspection Service, will bring all of our resources to bear on these investigations,” he added.

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​Democratic socialists of america, Political violence, Chuck schumer, Democrats, Politics 

A Fox News Digital reporter got a sharp rebuke from the husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) when asked about her whereabouts.

The reporter challenged Tim Mynett to comment on rumors that Omar fled the country after her home was raided Monday for an investigation into alleged immigration fraud.

‘My wife came here when she was 12 years old as a child war refugee. … No concerns.’

Mynett was seen walking the couple’s dog Teddy on Wednesday, but he refused to answer the reporter’s question.

“There are rumors that the congresswoman left the country. Is that true?” the reporter asked.

“You guys are annoying the hell out of all the neighbors around here, man,” Mynett replied.

“I just wanted to get your response to everything that’s been going on, that’s all, and what the president’s saying about the net worth and the investigation,” the reporter said. “Just giving you a chance to respond.”

Video of the interaction was posted to social media.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social the accusations related to financial disclosure discrepancies that Omar had filed. On Tuesday, District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told Fox News that her office was investigating the financial allegations of malfeasance.

Omar has not made any public appearances since the targeted raid by Homeland Security Investigations on Monday, prompting some to speculate that she fled the country.

Mynett previously defended Omar from allegations that she married her brother in order to obtain immigration status.

“My wife came here when she was 12 years old as a child war refugee,” he told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “No concerns.”

RELATED: MS Now reporter tries to cover for Ilhan Omar — and accidentally makes the case for mass deportation

Omar responded to the raid via her social media account, where she accused the president of abusing his office to attack his political opponents.

“I’m ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,” she wrote Monday.

“For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns,” she added. “This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced.”

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​Homeland security investigations, Immigration, Ilhan omar, Politics 

An Illinois man allegedly pretended to threaten to shoot a group of Muslim women and allegedly made derogatory remarks before getting arrested by police.

One of the women said she was trying to enter the park at Lake Opeka in Des Plaines when a man confronted her and insulted her, a police report said.

The police report said he told the women to leave the US and demanded one woman remove her face covering.

He tried to get between her and the park, but she walked around him and joined the group, Des Plaines police said.

The man approached the group at the playground and reached for his waistband to make it appear as if he had a weapon, police claimed. He allegedly pointed at them as though he had a gun and threatened to shoot the women.

“[He] told the women that they looked like Muslim ‘monkeys’ and ‘ninjas’ and that they needed to leave the country,” the police report stated.

The police report noted that the women were wearing hijabs and long sleeves at the time. The police report said he told the women to leave the U.S. and demanded one woman remove her face covering.

Police later identified the man as 44-year-old Matthew R. Kindle, and he was arrested after they witnessed him yelling at another person.

He allegedly made comments referring to “white power” and allegedly made more derogatory comments about the women while he was detained. According to the report, Kindle identified himself as a white Christian and claimed to be half German and half Italian.

Kindle also claimed to police that “a group of women approached him and made a derogatory comment towards him,” the police report said.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved a slew of charges against Kindle that included three felony counts of disorderly conduct/hate crime and three felony counts of aggravated assault/hate crime.

He was also charged with misdemeanor counts that included aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting a peace officer.

Kindle had previously been charged for domestic battery in 2019 after allegedly beating and kicking a woman.

RELATED: VIDEO: White woman accuses ‘brown’ man of sex trafficking his 6-year-old daughter — gets arrested for hate crime, police say

simpson33/Getty Images

The Council on American-Islamic Relations applauded the hate crime charges.

“No one should ever have to fear for their safety, let alone face threats of gun violence and white supremacist bigotry, while simply walking or spending time in a public community park,” reads the statement from CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab.

“Law enforcement have a duty to take action against hate with a swift response and pursue appropriate felony hate crime charges in this alarming case,” he added. “Bigotry-fueled harassment targeting women based on their faith and appearance is a direct threat to the safety and fabric of our communities. We stand in full solidarity with the victims and will continue monitoring this case to ensure that justice is fully served.”

State Rep. Justin Cochran, a Democrat, called the incident “sickening” and addressed the alleged victims, according to Journal & Topics.

“I will say this to my neighbors directly: You belong here,” he said. “That is your park, this is your city, your district as much as it is anyone’s.”

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​Hate crime, Illinois, White power, Muslim, Council on american islamic relations, Politics 

In a recent appearance on Keke Palmer’s podcast, Kamala Harris explained away her chilling laugh as an endearing family trait, before leaving the door wide open to yet another presidential campaign.

“I’m aware of the, whatever the memes are about, you know, my laugh. Well, look, I was raised in a family that included very powerful women who laughed from their bellies,” Kamala said.

“And powerful, I mean, they were powerful in their space. They were powerful in their family and their community, not necessarily titles and money. But you understand my point,” she continued, as Palmer nodded.

“And they would sit around the kitchen table with their coffee, laughing loud laughs, and that’s how I laugh. And the people that I respected laugh the same way,” she cackled.

Kamala continued, “And everybody else, you know what they can do,” before pivoting to discuss her “joy.”

“Those who try to take your joy are trying to make you weak. And that’s where my fight comes in. I know what you’re trying to do,” she added.

“What do we try to do?” BlazeTV host Pat Gray asks, genuinely confused.

Jeff Fisher notes that following Kamala’s mini-monologue on her laugh, Palmer responded to her that she was “so brave.”

“She grabbed a Kleenex and everything,” he adds.

But laughter isn’t all the pair discussed. In a follow-up clip, Palmer asked Kamala if she’ll be running for president in 2028.

Kamala laughed maniacally before answering, “I haven’t decided.”

Gray doesn’t believe her, commenting, “What a liar.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind she’s going to run,” he adds.

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​Kamala harris, Keke palmer, Pat gray, 2028, Blazetv show 

President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters at the White House that the armed individual who took down the deadly Oregon elementary school shooter the previous day “was a great hero,” CNN reported.

“Well, I’ll tell you what. There was a great hero, and it could have been — as bad as it was, we had a great hero that went in and did the business,” Trump said. “He took care of business.”

‘He is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel, and community for the outpouring of love and support.’

Trump added: “And thank God we had him; otherwise it would have been much worse. It’s a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it.”

Oregon Live said a parent of a student or students at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend pursued the 16-year-old shooter inside the school Thursday afternoon after seeing him blast through locked doors with a long gun — and the parent “engaged” and killed the suspect just before police entered the school.

State and local officials credited the parent’s actions with preventing further loss of life, the outlet said.

One source told Fox News that the bystander “definitely prevented more deaths.” Federal law enforcement sources added to Fox News that the bystander has a concealed carry permit.

“Looks like the shooter has been neutralized — possibly shot by a father at the school,” emergency dispatchers said in Broadcastify audio, the New York Post reported.

RELATED: Teenager fatally shoots 3 children, teacher at Oregon elementary school before parent shoots gunman dead, police say

CBS News said the family of the man who took down the shooter issued a statement Friday identifying him as Kaylub Giamanco, a Bend resident with two daughters who attend Silver Rail Elementary School.

“He is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel, and community for the outpouring of love and support,” the family said, according to CBS News.

Police said three children — ages 5, 8, and 11 — were fatally shot at the school along with a teacher, Oregon Live reported, adding that a 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were critically injured and taken to St. Charles Medical Center for treatment.

The teenage gunman has been identified as John Griffin Jr. III, according to CBS News, citing two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

The attacker used a shotgun his mother purchased, CBS News added, citing law enforcement sources.

A motive for the attack has not been provided, the news network reported, adding that the suspect was from Bend, but police have not said if he had a connection to the school.

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​Donald trump, Parent, 2nd amendment, Oregon, Fatal shootings, Good guy with a gun, Crime 

The corporate media are lining up once more to harangue the fans of Chick-fil-A, implying that they are homophobic for eating chicken sandwiches.

The occasion for this latest effort is the first broadcast interview with the company’s CEO, in which he talks about how his Christian faith guides the mission of the chicken sandwich company.

‘They’re welcome to come eat with us. We’d love to give them a great-tasting sandwich and give them great hospitality.’

“It is our anchor, in the sense of what our corporate purpose states: that we’re in business to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that’s entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A,” Andrew Cathy said.

The interview with Craig Melvin of “Today” was very cordial, but it has inspired headlines claiming newly outraged critics of the company.

Melvin asked Cathy to respond to LGBTQ-identifying people who have boycotted the Christian company’s chicken sandwiches over gender, sexuality, and marriage issues.

“Well, for anybody that hasn’t tried us, we’d love for you to come try and have our great-tasting food and the hospitality that we’re known for,” Cathy responded. “I think that everybody that will be willing to walk in the door, they’ll see that they’re welcome to come eat with us. We’d love to give them a great-tasting sandwich and give them great hospitality.”

Melvin pressed him about conservative statements made by the previous CEO, Cathy’s father, in support of conservative Christian causes.

“We’re focused on serving everybody that comes in and eat with us,” Cathy responded.

Critics in the comment section of an Instagram clip of the interview included Katie Couric, Valerie Bertinelli, and Chelsea Handler.

“Chick-fil-A CEO faces backlash after LGBTQ interview question,” read the headline at WAGA-TV.

“Chick-fil-A CEO slammed over evasive answer about LGBTQ rights during Today interview,” was the headline at Entertainment Weekly. That report included comments from two participants in a drag queen television show.

“Chick-fil-A boss grilled over LGBTQ rights as CEO dodges question about chain’s controversial past — sparking a furious debate among customers,” was the headline at the U.S. Daily Mail.

“Today show host leaves Chick-fil-A CEO spinning over company’s LGBTQ+ stance,” claimed the headline at the Independent.

“Don’t eat at Chick-fil-A. And don’t sleep with anyone who does,” was the headline of an opinion piece at Out magazine.

RELATED: Chick-fil-A gets support from surprising ally against religious discrimination from Buffalo

A Blaze News request for comment from Chick-fil-A was not returned in time for publication.

Melvin and his “Today” show co-hosts did not appear to join the boycott, as they hungrily munched on the sandwiches at the end of the segment.

Despite criticism from Valerie Bertinelli and two drag queens, the company manages to earn about $24 billion sales across the board last year, according to Melvin’s report.

The Chick-fil-A CEO also proudly reported that the company provided more than 200 million meals for the hungry through charity efforts in the past six years.

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​Boycott, Chickfila, Christianity, Drag queens, Faith, Lgbtq, Politics 

Jason “Mayhem” Miller has seen the highs and lows that fame can bring, and now the former MTV star and UFC fighter has some advice for young men: Put down the phone and toughen up.

Miller, 45, compiled a 23-10 record with one no contest over a colorful MMA career that included two stints in the UFC and fights against future champions Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping.

‘Pick yourself up.’

Washing out the weakness

He was also one of MMA’s great showmen, cultivating a villainous persona and making elaborate cage entrances that owed as much to professional wrestling as mixed martial arts.

“Mayhem” eventually crossed over to MTV as host of “Bully Beatdown,” which ran for three seasons.

Then things fell apart.

In Miller’s words: “I crashed out spectacularly. I was the first crashout in internet history.”

After years of arrests, incarceration, addiction, and erratic behavior, Miller says he eventually managed to pick himself back up. Now he thinks young men need to learn how to do the same.

“Oh, it’s you,” Miller said before an interview with Blaze News.

With a shower running in the background, he put his camera down and announced, “I’ll be a couple minutes.”

He wasn’t out partying. Miller was at Fight Science in Los Angeles, where he coaches.

The truth is, “Mayhem” still messes around quite a bit, even during interviews. But when he puts on his coaching hat, he starts dispensing advice that, in his words, “could fill your ears and your podcast servers for an infinite amount of time.”

Determined to dump enough knowledge into young men’s ears to “wash out the weakness,” Miller said he’s been stunned by how sensitive the country has become.

“Everyone is so soft in America now. I’m shocked at it. I’m really shocked at it,” he said. “Our culture celebrates” falling into “this dark path because it’s easy to fall into.”

Young men can’t simply rely on the status quo to provide them with a satisfying life, Miller argued. They have to make something happen for themselves.

RELATED: Sydney Sweeney wants you to prove yourself in a whole new way

Dumping the ‘rectangular girlfriend’

Schools force-fed kids a diet of “whatever” and then kicked them into the job market, Miller said.

“Oh, you’re going to college? Oh, if not, here’s an Uber Eats job, right? Like, here’s your damn miserable existence for a while, and you’re going to be swiping right all day till your thumb is arthritic.”

But Miller insists that misery isn’t destiny.

“Nobody’s going to talk back to you until you start hustling. Pick yourself up,” he told young men.

Go to the gym, Miller emphasized. Get some endorphins into your body. That’s the least a young man with “no drive or motivation” can do.

Much of Miller’s advice comes back to phone addiction and the device he variously calls the “magic square in your pocket” and the “rectangular girlfriend.”

“It’s not your girlfriend. Those girls that you’re looking at are not your girlfriend. They’re not even real. They’re two-dimensional,” Miller warned.

“Put that square back in your pocket. Use it for making money. And then talk to women face-to-face. Ten of them are going to tell you, ‘Get lost.’ The next one is going to tell you she loves you. So get after it, kids.”

RELATED: Kid Rock appears to cave to critics of Eminem collaboration — then hits ’em with the punch line

Ethan Miller/Getty Image

Battle-ready

Miller also tells young Americans that some of the problems that feel overwhelming can be confronted only through deliberate effort.

“OK, ‘I’m mad.’ Is that real? Or can you count to 10 and take a breath?” he offered as an example. “‘Oh, I’m sad.’ Are you sad, or have you not worked through this trauma yet? You know, it takes effort to grow as a person.”

Spending too much time with a computer doesn’t help, Miller argued. And for all the advice he can dispense, he thinks one lost art matters more than most.

“You talk, and everybody shares their opinion. That’s a lost art in America. You know, that’s why the kids are lonely and [masturbating] and watching whatever all day. You know what I’m saying?”

Miller’s rise, collapse, and recovery are the subject of a recent Vice episode of “Dark Side of the Cage,” which has drawn hundreds of thousands of views since its September release.

These days, Miller describes himself as “leading men into battle” — on the mat and with enough advice, he says, to “fill the multiverse.”

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​Ufc, Jason miller, Internet culture, Phone addiction, Entertainment 

James Talarico wants Texas voters to see him as reasonable — but at a CNN town hall, the Texas Senate candidate faced questions about his past remarks on God and abortion that couldn’t be farther from reasonable.

“He could not help exposing himself for the radical leftist lunatic that he always has been,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales comments on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”

“I was actually surprised that they let some of these people take the stage and challenge James Talarico to the extent that they did. One of those was when he got fact-checked by a Catholic Texan after James Talarico claimed that the Bible is actually … silent on abortion,” she continues, playing a clip of Talarico from the town hall.

“The Bible is silent on the issue of abortion. It means you and I both have to look at different Scriptures to try to come to a conclusion,” he said to his debate opponent.

“The Bible is not silent on abortion. There is the Ten Commandments: ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ And as Catholics, we take great insult, I guess, sometimes when it’s described that way,” the opponent, a Catholic woman, replied.

“His face, he looks like, ‘Oh, s**t,’” Gonzales laughs.

But that wasn’t the first time Talarico was caught out.

His previous comments regarding God being “nonbinary” resurfaced, and Talarico attempted to brush it off as unserious.

“When I said that, I was being provocative. And I want to admit that and come clean about that,” he said.

But Gonzales doesn’t believe him.

“The first two lines of the Bible, the first two lines in Genesis, use two different Hebrew words to describe God. One is the masculine Hebrew noun for divinity. The second is the feminine Hebrew noun for spirit,” Talarico once claimed.

“God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is nonbinary,” he added.

“That didn’t seem like he was just trying to be provocative,” Gonzales comments. “That sounded like a very heartfelt statement from James Talarico.”

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​Cnn town hall, God, James talarico, Abortion, Nonbinary, Blazetv show 

A sports bar that called itself a hub of the queer community in Philadelphia is closing its doors after just over a year.

The bar was meant to serve as a counter to businesses that prioritize male sports on its TV screens over women’s, a common origin story for these types of bars.

‘More than ever this city needs more women/queer/BIPOC-owned businesses.’

In September 2025, owner Chivonn Anderson opened Marsha’s, named after Marsha P. Johnson, a man the New York Times described as a “transgender pioneer and activist.”

Anderson told the Philadelphia Inquirer at the time that she opened her bar because she couldn’t find a place in Philadelphia that would put on the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

However, despite its desire to be an inclusive location, the bar faced claims from former employees that they were mistreated, with one saying the bar was disparaging toward female employees.

As reported by the Advocate, that employee had claimed a manager said that women and nonbinary employees were “overly emotional” and should be replaced with men because the venue needs “more testosterone.”

Anderson denied the claims, but vowed to speak with independent human resources and DEI consultants to hold her bar “accountable.”

RELATED: ‘Equality’ in pay and ‘everything’ bar for women’s sports opens in Seattle

Watch Me! Sports Bar, Long Beach, California, 2024. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

The bar invited patrons for its “final weekend” in an Instagram post this week, saying that it was closing its doors for good.

“We have loved serving this community, and still believe that more than ever this city needs more women/queer/BIPOC-owned businesses. We sincerely hope that someone is able to step up and fill this void,” Marsha’s wrote.

Anderson provided bizarre statements to the Inquirer when the bar launched, saying she wanted to open a place for those who want to “go out and have fun and feel safe and be seen.”

Followed by, “It’s kind of like you’re going to your favorite aunt’s house to indulge in the things you know you’re not supposed to when you’re at home,” Anderson continued. “A little bit of drinking, a little bit of good food, and being around people who want to have just as much fun as you do.”

RELATED: The strange masculinization of American women

The Sports Bra, Portland, Oregon, 2024. Amanda Loman/Getty Images

Marsha’s inception story was similar to that of Seattle women’s sports bar Rough & Tumble. For that venue, owner Jen Barnes said in 2022 that she couldn’t find a bar that would turn on a women’s soccer game because it was on at the same time as a Seattle Seahawks NFL game.

Rough & Tumble has since reportedly opened a second location in Seattle, while other women’s sports bars have found success in other cities, like Portland, where the Sports Bra has been open for a couple of years. The Sports Bra now has plans to open another in bar in Boston.

Long Beach, California, has the Watch Me! Sports Bar, which has enjoyed two years of business, as well.

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​Women’s sports, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, Portland, Transgenderism, Activist, Sports 

Millions of Americans have spent their working lives paying into Social Security, counting on the government to deliver the retirement benefits they were promised — and that promise isn’t being kept.

BlazeTV host Nick Freitas argues that it’s because Social Security operates less like a traditional retirement account than a system that uses today’s workers’ contributions to pay today’s retirees, leaving future generations to shoulder an increasingly difficult burden.

“There’s been a lot of … Boomers that have said, ‘Well, of course, we, you know, younger people should pay more taxes in order to make sure Social Security is solvent,’” Freitas says.

“Social Security,” Freitas says, “essentially operates like a Ponzi scheme.”

“Now, when I say this, people get mad at me. But I want you to understand why these are the things which are actually going to throw us into a massive fiscal and monetary crisis, because when people paid in, it is perfectly reasonable for somebody that was forced to pay into Social Security their entire life to want to be able to pull from Social Security because they were promised it,” he explains.

“The problem is you were promised a bad program,” he says, “because in a typical retirement program, the money goes into a productive industry. It accrues interest while things are being built and being produced that are actually making the economy better.”

“They act like it’s just another retirement program, but in reality, all the money you put into Social Security was already spent,” he continues.

“It wasn’t sitting somewhere accruing interest. It wasn’t funding productive projects that actually yielded profit. It wasn’t doing any of that. It wasn’t doing any of the things a private retirement fund would do for you. It was just paying the people that were already collecting Social Security,” he adds.

This is why he equates it to a “Ponzi scheme.”

“Because now the critical part is we don’t have enough people working. When Social Security was first put into existence, there was something like 45 workers for every one person drawing Social Security,” he explains, noting that “it’s about to be three to one.”

And in addition, Freitas points out that “the left brings in a bunch of people that don’t pay taxes or actually go on to other welfare benefits.”

“Now they’re a net drain on the economy,” he adds.

“Making the Argument with Nick Freitas” is available on BlazeTV+, YouTube, and major podcast platforms.

Start watching Nick Freitas NOW at blazetv.com and use the promo code NICK for $20 off your BlazeTV+ subscription.

​Nick freitas, Ponzi scheme, Social security, Taxes, Blazetv show 

Earlier this year, a nasty exploit plagued iPhone in what was called the “biggest iPhone threat in 19 years.” Unfortunately, several months later, that exploit is still causing trouble, and it is joined by another vulnerability, all aimed to steal money from some of the financial apps on your phone.

The two exploits are called Coruna and DarkSword, respectively. We covered both of them here on Blaze News, so you may have heard these names before. Both of them were problematic earlier this year, but a new report reveals that they are still plaguing users.

The easiest way to thwart bad actors is to keep your phone updated with the latest bug fixes and security patches.

Macworld describes the exploits as two sides of the same coin: “DarkSword/Coruna is a dual-edged hacking toolkit. DarkSword attacks WebKit and JavaScriptCore to access iOS’s SpringBoard that [manages] app launch and the Home screen. Coruna is the payload used to steal crypto wallet information.”

Together, the exploits are aimed directly at crypto wallets stored on users’ iPhones. Censys, the cybersecurity company that discovered the ongoing issue, got ahold of some of the data that an undisclosed hacker stole via these exploits. Among the recovered data from real victims, Censys found “11 victim recovery phrases, 179 device loot directories, and a 75-account control-plane roster.”

That is proof enough that these exploits are still dangerous to vulnerable users.

In addition to the collected data, Censys found evidence that another hacking group — this time based in China — is actively using the exploits to attack victims, though the report doesn’t say who or where.

So far, Censys found that bad actors using the exploits are targeting only 18 different crypto wallets, but several of them are popular in the United States. These include Coinbase, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Exodus, Bitpie, imToken, Phantom, Uniswap, and OKEx.

RELATED: Your iPhone has state-of-the-art security features. Law enforcement has a new way to disable them.

Hleb Usovich/Getty Images

The good news is that there are ways to protect your device and, by association, your crypto wallets.

Apple patched DarkSword earlier this year, but the fix only works if you have the correct software downloaded and installed on your device. To check, open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap “General,” followed by “Software update.” If the number that appears is iOS 26.3 or higher, you’re safe. If your device is running a lower version of iOS 26, or if you’re still on iOS 18 from the previous year, your crypto wallet could be in danger. Update your phone to the latest version available now.

As for Coruna, this exploit mostly affected older devices from iPhone 5s to iPhone 11. If you still have one of these devices, make sure you have updated it to any of these iOS versions or better, depending on the model of your phone:

iOS 26.3.1 iOS 18.7.5 iOS 16.7.14iOS 15.8.6 iOS 12.5.8

Both exploits have also been fully addressed on the newest version of iOS 27 that launched this fall. Along with optimal protection from bad actors, iOS 27 comes with a number of interesting features, including the new Siri, better parental controls, and a more accessible Visual Intelligence.

Although these exploits are still rearing their ugly heads, the easiest way to thwart bad actors is to keep your phone updated with the latest bug fixes and security patches. This way, even if there is a problem, Apple can address it on your device as quickly as possible and keep your data safe.

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​Iphone, Security, Bugs, Virus, Malware, Crypto, Tech 

Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has come to the rescue of Abdul El-Sayed.

The firebrand leftist has dumped $1 million into helping El-Sayed’s effort to keep a Michigan U.S. Senate seat blue against Republican Mike Rogers. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) did not seek re-election in 2026.

‘I look forward to working with Abdul … to build a politics that is free from the corrupting influence of corporate money.’

It’s the latest sign that Democrats are worried that the race is too close in the final weeks of the campaign.

“I’m not waking up on November 4 wishing I did more to combat the smears aimed at Abdul,” AOC said in a statement to the New York Times. “I’m leaving everything I can on the field.”

The Times indicated it was an unusually large donation from a member of the House to support a U.S. Senate candidate.

Winning in Michigan is key to Democrats’ hopes to retake control of the Senate from Republicans.

It may also be another example of Ocasio-Cortez trying to raise her national profile in anticipation of a possible presidential run in 2028.

AOC joined El-Sayed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Thursday. She also previously campaigned for El-Sayed in the Senate primary and when he ran for governor. Both El-Sayed and Ocasio-Cortez are considered to be in the extreme socialist fringe of the Democratic Party.

She raised $4.7 million in the third quarter, according to her financial filings, and has $17.4 million in cash going into October.

“Once he’s in Washington, I look forward to working with Abdul to guarantee health care as a human right for all Americans and to build a politics that is free from the corrupting influence of corporate money,” she said, according to USA Today.

RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez gets hammered online over embarrassing mistake during CNN town hall

El-Sayed’s victory over Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary was seen as a victory for the far-left fringe against the establishment of the party. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York had backed Stevens, who lost by a narrow margin.

In recent polling for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, Ocasio-Cortez was tied with Pete Buttigieg in third place with 9%.

El-Sayed has a slim lead over Rogers, according to Blaze News’ Poll Watch.

Michigan Senate polls 2026: El-Sayed vs. Rogers

Michigan Senate polls 2026: El-Sayed vs. Rogerspollwatch.theblaze.com

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​Abdul el-sayed, Alexandria ocasio-cortez, Democratic socialist, Us senate, Politics 

On Friday, just days after Katie Zacharia’s debut as White House press secretary, a White House senior official informed Fox News’ Peter Doocy that she is “transitioning out” of the role.

The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, subsequently reported that Zacharia had been fired.

‘Welcome to the world of Trump.’

The White House did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

On the eve of her ouster, Zacharia had a particularly rough interview with Sean Hannity in which the Fox News host grilled her about failing the bar exam. President Donald Trump had referred to Zacharia as “an attorney” in his post announcing her appointment.

Zacharia explained that she graduated from law school the same week she got married and that she and her family soon afterward migrated to communist China. Before moving to China, she sat for the bar exam since she was already pre-registered and she wanted to avoid having “withdrawal status.”

Hannity also pressed her about her “widely panned” 14-minute debut, in which she answered only three questions.

Trump told reporters on Friday that Zacharia, whom he regards as a “nice person,” was being treated “pretty nastily” and that he told her, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want. She said, ‘This is a lot tougher.’ I said, ‘Welcome to the world of Trump.'”

“Katie is off to a start that — the news has been so nasty to her. I’ve never seen anything like it, actually,” said Trump.

Although the president indicated that he would ultimately leave the decision up to Zacharia, he recalled telling her, “Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider. You think about it, but I would reconsider.”

RELATED: Katie Zacharia takes podium for the first time as press secretary — and Trump reacts

Jim WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

Zacharia, who was named to the role last Friday, was the seventh woman in a row to head the White House press secretary office.

It’s presently unclear who will take over for Zacharia following her five-day tenure.

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​Donald trump, Karoline leavitt, Katie zacharia, Press secretary, White house, Politics 

Kid Rock says critics on both sides of the political divide don’t want him working with Eminem.

The outspoken Trump supporter recently announced a collaboration with his longtime friend and fellow Detroit musician, who can’t stand the president. But after receiving backlash over the pairing, Kid Rock announced that Eminem would no longer appear on the track.

‘It will probably not make you very happy to hear …’

Hate mile

There was a catch, however.

Kid Rock (Robert Ritchie) and Eminem (Marshall Mathers) go back decades, long before politics put them on opposite sides of the Trump divide.

Eminem hammered Trump in a 2017 freestyle, the first of several public attacks over the years that followed.

Eminem was originally set to appear on “7 Sins,” a track from Kid Rock’s upcoming album, “Halfway 2 Jesus.” But on Wednesday, Kid Rock announced a change.

“There’s been some people on the internet and whatnot, like there always is, that don’t seem to be too thrilled about my old friend of almost 40 years, Eminem, doing a song with me on my new album,” Kid Rock said in a video.

“You folks will probably be happy to hear that he’s no longer on ‘7 Sins.'”

But Rock quickly added some bad news for all those politics-obsessed busybodies: Rapper Lil Wayne will replace Eminem on “7 Sins,” while Eminem will appear on another song, “Heal My Faith,” on the same album.

“It will probably not make you very happy to hear that Eminem is still on the album. He’s just on another song now,” Kid Rock said, pointing to his updated track listing.

Kid Rock had recently said that despite their political differences, he still respects Eminem, as well as artists like Taylor Swift, for standing up for what they believe in.

RELATED: GUITAR HERO: Metallica front man puts music before political ‘bulls**t’

Potty-mouthed pals

“We said years ago, we said, ‘Man, let’s not let politics divide us.’ And we never did. And so when I asked him to be part of this … he totally got it,” Kid Rock told Fox News in an interview.

“Two little foul-mouthed white rappers from Detroit maybe could set a good example for the rest of this country,” he added.

Ritchie called Eminem a “class act” and said political differences are part of what makes the United States a great country. He added, however, that he doesn’t believe artists should turn their concerts into political events.

Metallica singer James Hetfield recently expressed a similar sentiment, telling fans in Las Vegas that his band wanted to bring people together to forget about the outside world, rather than make them pay to hear a political discussion at a rock concert.

RELATED: Trends come and go, but Randy Travis is ‘Forever’

Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

Nature is healing

Ritchie and Mathers reportedly met in Detroit’s rap scene in the early 1990s. Despite some initial friction, the two grew to respect each other.

Kid Rock’s 1998 breakout album, “Devil Without a Cause,” eventually sold more than 14 million copies and featured a then-little-known Eminem on the song “F*** Off.” The two have not collaborated on a released track since.

In his 2018 song “The Ringer,” Eminem admitted he had been “watchin’ my fan base shrink to thirds” following his attacks on Trump.

In his original 2017 freestyle, Eminem drew a line “in the sand,” effectively telling fans they had to choose between him and Trump. But in “The Ringer,” he appeared to have second thoughts, asking, “Was it even worth it?”

Eminem has continued to criticize Trump, although his political commentary has become less central to his music.

Kid Rock, meanwhile, has increasingly embraced both his Christian faith and conservative politics, the latter reflected in songs like “We the People.”

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​Kid rock, Donald trump, Marshall mathers, Eminem, Entertainment 

A 16-year-old male fatally shot three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, Thursday afternoon before a parent shot the gunman dead, OregonLive reported, citing police.

Police said the fatally shot children were ages 5, 8, and 11, the outlet reported, adding that a 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were critically injured and taken to St. Charles Medical Center for treatment.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) praised school staff, parents, and first responders, along with the community member ‘who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life,’ Fox News reported.

Oregon Live added that a parent of a student or students at the school pursued the teen inside the school after seeing him blast through locked doors with a long gun, and the parent “engaged” and killed the suspect just before police entered the school.

State and local officials credited the parent’s actions with preventing further loss of life, the outlet said.

One source told Fox News that the bystander “definitely prevented more deaths.” Federal law enforcement sources added to Fox News that the bystander has a concealed carry permit.

“Looks like the shooter has been neutralized — possibly shot by a father at the school,” emergency dispatchers said in Broadcastify audio, the New York Post reported.

Officers arrived within three minutes of the first emergency call, Fox News said, adding that moments later, an officer reported that a “community member” had shot the suspect.

“Our officers entered the building and confirmed the suspect was dead,” Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said during an evening news conference, according to Fox News. “They cleared the school to ensure there were no additional threats and then rendered emergency aid to the victims.”

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) praised school staff, parents, and first responders, along with the community member “who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life,” Fox News reported.

“Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” Kotek added, according to the cable news network.

RELATED: ‘Heroic’ bystander who fired at gunman suspected in deadly shooting at Idaho In-N-Out shares how he prepared for the danger

Krantz said investigators did not yet know how far the shooter had gone inside the school or if he knew anyone at the school, Fox News said, adding that police were also looking into whether the teen previously attended Silver Rail Elementary.

More from Fox News:

The first emergency call came at 12:59 p.m. from a person in a vehicle who reported being shot at multiple times by someone carrying a long gun, Krantz said. Dispatchers then received dozens of calls reporting that a shooter had entered the school.

Dispatch sent an alert summoning all law enforcement at 1 p.m. Responding officers directed the school to lock down at 1:01 p.m., and the first officers arrived at 1:02 p.m.

Officers found five people dead at the scene, including the shooter. All victims’ families had been notified, Krantz said.

Bend police, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond police, Oregon State Police, and federal law enforcement partners evacuated the building room by room.

Students and staff were transported on school buses to Journey Church to reunite with families and guardians, the cable news network said, adding that the process was still under way at the evening briefing.

Silver Rail Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the Bend-La Pine school district, Fox News said, adding that the school enrolled 459 students during the 2024-2025 school year.

All Bend-La Pine schools, activities, and athletic events were canceled Friday, the cable news network said.

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said crisis counselors would be available at the Central Library for students, families, employees, and anyone in the community needing support, Fox News reported, adding that authorities said they planned to hold another news conference Friday afternoon.

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​Fatal shootings, Oregon, Elementary school, 2nd amendment, Good guy with a gun, Teen gunman, Crime 

“The View” crew blew a gasket over Shane Gillis’ “Saturday Night Live” monologue mocking scantily clad gym gals. At the same time, they dabbled in actual misogyny.

Even by “View” standards, it was peak hypocrisy.

Biden, the actor said weeks before the president melted down during his final debate, was ‘sharp as a tack.’

The hosts trashed Katie Zacharia, who by most accounts had a rough debut as the new press secretary. She’s a Republican, so she’s fair game to “The View.” And that’s fine. We expect the show’s partisanship to trump any “girl power” collegiality.

It’s baked into the nutty cake.

Except the hosts suggested that Zacharia slept her way into the position. Co-host Alyssa Farrah Griffin asked how she “got through the door” to become the new press secretary.

“I’ll tell ya how she got through the door,” Sara Haines said, sparking laughs from the oh-so-feminist crowd and co-hosts.

Titter-titter. Chuckle-chuckle. What’s more empowering than women insisting other women got work through sexual favors sans proof? Let’s hope Gillis doesn’t riff on Kamala Harris’ early days in politics. He might get canceled yet again …

Conspiracy bleary

The truth is out there, but you’ll need a Hulu subscription to find it.

Director Ryan Coogler’s “X-Files” reboot landed on the streamer this week. The project stars Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel, taking over for Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. The actors play entirely new characters in the series, but it looks like Mulder and Scully will make appearances along the way.

Imagine the new conspiracies the show can tackle! The government spreads massive lies about a China-born infection … a foreign country teams with a political rebel to win an election … a U.S. president’s cognitive decline is hidden for four straight years.

Or the show could bring in the son of the Smoking Man. We’ll see …

Did he stutter?

Well, that was awkward.

Michael Douglas has done it all in his 82 years, at least from a Hollywood perspective. Oscars. Acclaim. Nepo baby-ism. What a life.

What hasn’t he done? Sit with someone willing to debunk his boilerplate Democrat views. He got that chance, finally, when Joe Rogan read him, and his audience, the riot act on progressives gone wild.

An open border? No honest primaries for year after year? And, most specifically, they covered up for a president who clearly had some form of dementia.

You know the thing.

Rogan was on a roll, but the most awkward element of their exchange dealt with Biden’s obvious decline. Why? It wasn’t long ago when Douglas was part of the Biden cover-up.

Biden, the actor said weeks before the president melted down during his final debate, was “sharp as a tack.” Douglas even cited Biden’s “stutter” excuse that mysteriously appeared over the past few years after decades in D.C.

Douglas appears to be legitimately “sharp as a tack,” thank goodness. Let’s hope he took away some lessons from the exchange …

RELATED: Shattered by socialism: ‘Escaping Venezuela’ offers a warning for Mamdani’s America

Yamil Lage/Getty Images

Laugh track

Chuck Lorre blames a Hollywood writers’ strike for the end of democracy.

Sort of.

He framed it that way in his new book, a memoir called “Sitcom.” After all, Lorre has made more than a few modern classics, from “The Big Bang Theory” to “Two and a Half Men.”

Credit where credit is due.

The far-Left Deadline.com pressed Lorre on that hyperbolic phrasing, tied to the 2007-2008 WGA strike that helped spark a crush of new reality showcases.

Like “The Apprentice,” starring Donald Trump, he insinuated. Except Lorre might be bad at math, since “The Apprentice” debuted in 2004.

The strike, he said, “brought about these enormously profitable, cheap-to-produce reality shows … and that ultimately led to a show like ‘The Apprentice,’ which probably would never have seen the light of day had it not been for that.”

Who knew a reality show could end the greatest nation on earth?

Either way, Lorre could ask Young Sheldon for help on his math skills …

Air ball

What the world doesn’t need is another John Oliver. One is one too many, culturally speaking. But former NBA star Blake Griffin sees the far-left HBO host as a model, of sorts, for his new sports-themed late-night show.

“The Stepback with Blake Griffin” soon bows on Amazon and YouTube, with Griffin hailing Oliver as his role model.

The funniest part? Someone thinking late-night TV is the future and itching for a seat at the table.

​Biden, John oliver, Katie zacharia, Michael douglas, Press secretary, Sara haines, Saturday night live, Shane gillis, Joe rogan, The view, Entertainment, Hollywood, Movies, Tv, Culture, Toto recall 

A man entrusted with prosecuting bad guys in New Jersey is accused of being a bad guy himself.

Brian Richard Fitzgerald, a 51-year-old deputy attorney general in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, has been arrested and charged with three felonies in connection with alleged child sexual abuse material.

At least one ‘image mentioned in the probable cause was a prepubescent female. That image was actual CSAM, not AI-generated.’

According to a press release from the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, a search warrant was executed at Fitzgerald’s home in Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, on Thursday after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received a tip about a user on the messaging app Discord who had allegedly sent an “illicit image” on July 10.

An investigation into that tip “linked the account and associated internet protocol addresses” to Fitzgerald’s residence. Once there, law enforcement discovered “prompts and scripts” that helped create pornographic images of children using artificial intelligence, the press release claimed.

Investigators also determined that Fitzgerald had allegedly engaged in Discord chats under the username “thegentlemanpervert_2160_07833.” In these chats, he “admitted to making multiple illicit images using artificial intelligence and sharing them with other users,” the press release claimed.

The accusations against Fitzgerald do not involve just images generated by AI. The press release claims that Fitzgerald also received and sent via social media explicit images of “real children.”

Manuel Gamiz Jr., director of communications for the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, confirmed to Blaze News that at least one “image mentioned in the probable cause was a prepubescent female. That image was actual CSAM, not AI-generated.”

RELATED: Sex-positive no more: Why this sexologist changed her mind on porn

simpson33/Getty Images

Citing the probable cause affidavit, Gamiz told Blaze News that the alleged AI-generated CSAM depicted “pubescent females (approx. mid to late teens.)”

Fitzgerald has been charged with three felonies: possession of child sexual abuse material, dissemination of photos or film of child sexual abuse materials, and criminal use of a communication facility. The offense date listed on the court docket is July 10.

Magisterial District Judge Corryn Kronnagel set bail at $2 million with 10% surety. Fitzgerald is scheduled to appear in court again on October 27.

No attorney for Fitzgerald was named on the court documents.

A spokesperson from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said in a statement to Blaze News: “Our office is aware of the charges that have been filed against an employee of the Division of Law. We are cooperating with our partners in the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and are taking appropriate action with respect to his employment.”

Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan stated: “No one is above the law, least of all someone entrusted with upholding it. Our office will pursue these cases aggressively and hold offenders fully accountable, regardless of their profession or title.”

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​New jersey, Child sexual abuse, Pennsylvania, Crime, Politics 

Although unable to void the Second Amendment, Democrats in Washington state appear keen to make it costly and difficult for residents to exercise this unalienable right.

As the result of legislation introduced last year by a Seattle-based Democrat, passed by the state legislature in party-line votes, then ratified by Democrat Gov. Bob Ferguson, Americans in the Evergreen State will soon have to pay for the supposed privilege of shopping for a firearm.

‘If you have to ask for permission, it’s not a right.’

House Bill 1163, which Ferguson characterized as a “common sense” reform, created a permit-to-purchase system for firearms in Washington. Starting May 1, 2027, prospective buyers must first obtain a five-year permit through the Washington State Patrol.

In order to secure a permit, applicants must submit personal information including their name, email, phone number, address, driver’s license or state ID number, race, and sex to a state firearms background check program, along with a complete set of fingerprints and a recent certificate of completion of a certified firearms safety program or proof of exemption.

Not only must Washington residents jump through these hoops — they must pay to do so.

RELATED: Democrats don’t just want to take your firearms. They want your kids’ BB guns too.

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

According to the Washington State Patrol’s “Permit to Purchase Portal,” the cost of a new permit — which includes the fingerprint processing fee — is $126. The cost of renewal is $90, and to replace an expired permit is $126.

Costs associated with the firearm training mandated by the permit process are not factored into this total.

It could take up to 30 days for eligible applicants to receive their permit. Individuals who are denied a permit to purchase a weapon will not have these fees refunded.

While the WSP estimated that the program could cost over $20 million in the 2027-2029 budget cycle, a state fiscal analysis suggested that the corresponding fees might offset the cost of implementation during the same period, reported the Washington State Standard.

After Gov. Ferguson gave this shakedown the greenlight, the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action stated that the permit-to-purchase program “establishes an illegal government registry of firearm owners and their personal information.” However, the group added that the program “will do nothing to address Washington’s crime problem, but it will make firearm ownership nearly unobtainable, both practically and financially.”

Republican state Sen. Phil Fortunato previously emphasized that “this is not just bad policy; it’s unconstitutional.”

“The government cannot convert a fundamental right into a privilege that must be bought, licensed, and approved by bureaucrats,” continued Fortunato. “If you have to ask for permission, it’s not a right.”

Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond, among the many enduring critics of this program, told the Center Square last month, “I think this is insane.”

“It’s another level of control,” added the sheriff, who figures the program may ultimately face a legal challenge.

William Kirk, president of Washington Gun Law, suggested to “The Ari Hoffman Show” last month that legal action hasn’t been taken because Washington residents must first be impacted by the law. Once it takes effect, he anticipates that legal action will be taken by “some private entity Second Amendment organizations, your Second Amendment Foundations, Gun Owners of America, things like that.”

Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank stated after Ferguson signed H.B. 1163 into law that the program was unconstitutional and his office “will not enforce it.”

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​Second amendment, Washington, Democrats, National rifle association, Guns, Constitution, Bob ferguson, Politics 

The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly taking its first hard look at online sports betting. According to the Washington Sun, political appointees and career staff are reviewing sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings, most likely over deceptive advertising. DraftKings says it hasn’t received a civil investigative demand (the FTC’s version of a subpoena), and FanDuel says it hasn’t heard a word from the agency.

Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket reportedly aren’t part of the review. Yet three out of four Americans consider them gambling, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The ‘event contract’ pitch

Prediction markets insist they aren’t gambling. You’re not placing a bet, they say. You’re trading an “event contract”: buy a contract on whether something will happen, and if you’re right, it pays out a dollar. Buyers and sellers set the price. The platform takes a fee instead of betting against you, which the companies say makes them a different animal from a sportsbook.

Maybe so. But a platform that lives on fees still needs people to keep trading.

Reuters/Ipsos surveyed 4,506 adults from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5. In the results, 75% called prediction-market wagering gambling, even though only 7% had ever used one to bet money. Every category drew more opposition than support:

Prediction markets on…

Oppose

Support

U.S. military actions

65%

8%

Government policy announcements or decisions

63%

9%

Election results

60%

13%

Professional sports

43%

29%

Unsure and skipped responses aren’t shown.

Markets on world events have already drawn insider trading charges. The CFTC has accused a U.S. Army soldier of buying more than 436,000 “yes” shares on whether Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro would be out by Jan. 31, 2026, and pocketing more than $400,000.

Opposition to election markets crossed party lines: 61% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats were against them.

Earlier polling found the same thing. A February survey by Siena Research Institute and St. Bonaventure University, released in April, found that 65% of Americans want prediction markets held to the same state rules as sportsbooks when users can profit on sports outcomes. Among men 18 to 49, it was 73%.

Kalshi objects

Kalshi told Fortune, “It’s not hard to bias a poll, and this poll is biased.” The company objected to what it called leading questions about betting on war and noted it doesn’t offer war markets.

The poll described prediction markets as a way to wager money on real-world events, then asked separately about elections, military actions, government policy, and sports. Kalshi can quarrel with that framing. But the questions said “U.S. military actions,” not “war.”

The sportsbooks sell event contracts, too

FanDuel and DraftKings have launched prediction markets of their own: FanDuel Predicts and DraftKings Predictions.

In states where FanDuel runs a licensed sportsbook, Predicts sticks to things like stock indexes and economic data. In states where it can’t run a sportsbook, it sells sports contracts. That includes California and Texas, and FanDuel’s own state guide lists Predicts in both. DraftKings has done the same.

Sports is where the money’s going. Pew Research Center found combined monthly trading on Kalshi and Polymarket more than doubled between May and July, from $26 billion to $53 billion, with sports driving most of the jump. Pew counts each contract at its $1 payout, not what traders paid for it.

These contracts run through federally regulated exchanges, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued at least five states, including New York and Illinois, arguing that it alone gets to regulate them. Courts are still sorting out whether federal rules beat state gambling laws. None of that explains why the FTC would leave prediction markets out of its review.

Prediction markets have had their own advertising trouble. In June, the Wall Street Journal reported that Polymarket paid people to post videos of fake bets and fake wins on near-copies of its website. They were reportedly told to keep quiet about being paid.

Monica Vaca, who spent more than two decades as a consumer protection attorney at the FTC, told the Sun that allegations like these sit squarely within the agency’s core work and would justify investigating every platform involved.

Keeping customers betting

The New York Times reported last month that DraftKings used AI to find gamblers likely to bet more, and lose more, once they got free bets and bonuses. The Times drew on internal documents and interviews with more than 40 former employees. DraftKings disputes it, saying offers follow how actively customers use the platform, not their losses.

A gambler suing FanDuel says he lost $1.5 million with the company, then got a personalized Thanksgiving video from Bryce Harper through the FanDuel host who handled perks for big spenders. Harper later said he never knew FanDuel would use the video that way and never consented.

The industry says the broader harm is overstated. Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, pointed the Sun to a Progressive Policy Institute study that found credit scores in states with legal sports betting have moved in line with the rest of the country.

Gambling at the White House

The Trump administration has largely welcomed the industry. At this summer’s UFC event on the South Lawn, Stake, an online casino and sportsbook, was a sponsor. Polymarket branding sat right alongside it while users traded millions of dollars on the fights.

Not every conservative is on board. Jon Schweppe, a former senior policy adviser at the FTC now with the American Principles Project, has compared sportsbooks to Big Tobacco, Big Tech, and Big Pharma. One of the Sun’s sources described a generational split among Republicans: Older officials wave it off, while younger appointees see an industry tearing up families.

The FTC’s review is still preliminary, and its scope could change. If the agency is worried about deceptive gambling ads, it ought to follow the ads, whatever the company calls the bet.

​Tech, Gambling 

Joe Rogan — the influential podcaster who prompted many a conniption on the left by endorsing President Donald Trump on the eve of the 2024 election — has explained to a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat precisely why he kicked the Democratic Party to the curb.

Just weeks after slamming Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) for bending the knee “to the Democratic establishment,” Rogan suggested to actor Michael Douglas on Wednesday that America’s political duopoly breeds a tribalism that causes some people to “ignore all the craziness that our side is doing because it’s our side.”

‘I didn’t like any of that stuff.’

Rogan stated that the craziness on the left, particularly on the issue of illegal immigration, became too much for him to ignore.

“First of all, the open border was insane,” said Rogan. “It was insane to just not only leave the border open but give people instructions on how to get in, and also transport them to cities, and then put them up in hotels.”

“It was really clear that a game was being played,” continued Rogan.

Rogan speculated that Democrats may have engineered the border crisis for cheap labor, to import new voting blocs, and/or to increase population numbers ahead of the next census in order to strategically secure additional congressional seats.

RELATED: Joe Rogan pounces on uproar over Shane Gillis joke about women dressing like ‘whores’ at gyms

“Yeah, yeah,” responded Douglas — an outspoken Democrat who poured cash into former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection bid, donated to Hillary Clinton’s second doomed presidential campaign, supported Michael Bloomberg’s unsuccessful presidential bid in 2020, and threw a campaign fundraiser for former President Joe Biden in 2024.

“If you want me to be a Democrat while you’re just letting people fly in from the open border, I’m like ‘Hey! Fix that!’ It seems crazy to have 10 million people of unknown origin enter into your country over a period of [four years],” added Rogan.

With Douglas unable or unwilling to raise any counterpoint, Rogan proceeded to condemn the Democratic Party’s apparent aversion to holding competitive presidential primaries.

“This whole thing is supposed to work a very specific way,” said the podcaster. “And if it’s like, ‘We have to win, so we’re just going to push that aside, and here’s your candidate!’ What the f**k are you doing? That’s not how it’s supposed to be done, and if you want me to vote for that — I’m not going to vote for that. That seems crazy. That seems dangerous.”

Rogan appears to have been referring to the anointing of Kamala Harris as the Democrat nominee in 2024 without having an open primary.

The podcaster further faulted Democrats for gaslighting the nation about Biden’s cognitive decline, their “f**king defund the police stuff,” their apparent willingness to free criminals, and their authoritarianism during COVID.

“I didn’t like the whole COVID vaccine mandatory thing that they were pushing for those four years,” said Rogan. “I didn’t like the coercion. I didn’t like keeping people from flying. I didn’t like any of that stuff. It was all crazy. And to me, that’s what that group stood for.”

Douglas finally spoke up, noting that these reasons account for why Rogan rejected the Democrats in 2024. He then asked where Rogan stands now.

While the podcaster did not denounce Trump or the GOP as he previously had Sanders and the Democratic Party, he lamented Trump’s decision to engage Iran militarily, suggesting it was incongruent with the president’s anti-war message on the campaign trail.

pollwatch.theblaze.com

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​Joe rogan, Democratic party, Bernie sanders, Michael douglas, Donald trump, Kamala harris, Elections, Border crisis, Politics