Category: blaze media

All six Cincinnati mob attack suspects were indicted Friday and hit with additional charges, WLWT-TV reported.

The station said all six suspects were indicted on eight charges each: three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault, and two counts of aggravated riot.

‘We are extremely concerned that video footage appears to have been used to bring potential participants in the brawl to face consequences and not the individual who appears to have been the verbal and physical initiator of the incident.’

WLWT said each suspect faces up to 29.5 years in prison if convicted on all eight charges.

“What I saw on video is not the Cincinnati I know and love,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said when announcing the indictments, the station reported. “These charges hold those involved in the attack accountable.”

WLWT said the following five suspects have appeared in court: 39-year-old Jermaine Matthews, 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon, 34-year-old Montianez Merriweather, 25-year-old Aisha Devaughn, and 37-year-old Dominique Kittle.

Patrick Rosemond, 38, was arrested Monday in Georgia and was set for extradition back to Cincinnati.

Rosemond is the male “accused of hitting the victim named Holly,” WLWT said in a previous story. Holly is the woman who was punched in the face by a male during the mob beatdown — and appeared to be knocked out as a result.

Cellphone video of the mob attack (1:34 mark) shows Holly, who’s wearing a blue dress, apparently trying to intervene on behalf of a beaten-up man, but instead, another female punches her in the back of the head — and seconds later, a male punches her in the face, knocking her flat on her back on the street.

Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio last week shared grisly images of Holly’s face that appeared to have been taken soon after the attack and showed her with a horrific black eye and massive bruising.

“This is Holly,” Moreno wrote on X. “She wanted to have a nice evening out with friends. Instead, she got this.”

Vivek Ramaswamy — who’s running for Ohio governor — shared a disturbing close-up image of Holly’s face after she hit the ground; her eyes are wide open, and her body is motionless. Video shows a few people soon trying to help her up.

Holly later recorded a tearful video in which she thanked those who’ve supported her.

She also spoke at a Wednesday news conference:

You can view cellphone videos of the mob attack here, here, here, here, and here.

Police on Friday also released bodycam video showing the aftermath of the mob attack.

The NAACP released a statement Friday morning saying the organization is “disheartened by the violence,” WLWT reported.

“It appears that a lot of bad decisions were made by various people, and as such, we ask that a thorough investigation by local law enforcement officials be permitted to be fully conducted to allow all persons involved to be given their day in court,” the NAACP added, according to the station. “However, we are extremely concerned that video footage appears to have been used to bring potential participants in the brawl to face consequences and not the individual who appears to have been the verbal and physical initiator of the incident.”

The NAACP’s statement also notes that “the community needs to have an answer regarding the lack of charges.”

Blaze News on Friday reached out to police and asked if they anticipate any more charges, particularly in regard to the individual the NAACP presumably referenced — a male seen on video issuing a face slap prior to the mob attack. Indeed, Mayor Aftab Pureval last Friday said that male is being “actively investigated.”

But police had no specifics, telling Blaze News only that it’s “still an open and active investigation.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Indictments, Cincinnati, Mob attack, Arrests, Felonious assault charges, Aggravated riot charges, Prosecutor, Crime 

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) announced new administrative changes in an attempt to force Democrats who have fled the state to return.

Texas Democrats have left the state they serve in favor of Illinois in order to avoid having to pass a redistricting plan they claim will unfairly result in more Republican districts.

Since breaking quorum — which refers to the minimum number of members required to conduct state business — the state of Texas has directed the Texas Rangers to locate the missing Democrats. The state has also worked with the FBI, while at the same time issuing arrest warrants. The Democratic representatives still have not returned.

On Friday, Speaker Burrows announced new rules that will likely put a damper on his colleagues’ trips to the Midwest.

‘They won’t be arresting anyone.’

Along with Comptroller Kelly Hancock, Burrows said he has enacted a policy that will prohibit any House member who is breaking quorum from having his or her paycheck or per diem deposited electronically.

“The Constitution forbids us from withholding pay. It does not dictate how we issue the pay,” the speaker said from his podium. “Those checks must now be picked up in person on Capitol grounds, effective immediately.”

Burrows then announced that the missing members will also be forfeiting a portion of their living and travel expenses.

RELATED: Democrats ‘defend democracy’ by ditching it

“Starting today, to safeguard taxpayer dollars and account for forthcoming liabilities … 30% of each quorum-breaking member’s monthly operating budget will be reserved and made unavailable for expenditure,” Burrows announced.

It remains to be seen if the threat of going unpaid will work on the group of Democrats who so far have been comfortable with abandoning their constituents and becoming fugitives in their own state.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said in a press conference this week that the FBI has only been authorized to locate Democrats, not arrest them, and therefore he welcomes them to come and see “the beauty of Lake Michigan.”

“They won’t be arresting anyone because there is no U.S. federal law that prohibits those Texas House Democrats from being here in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker explained.

However, Burrows said on Friday he is working on that aspect of the issue, as well.

RELATED: FBI to locate ‘derelict’ Democrats who fled Texas, GOP senator says

Burrows announced that he was collaborating with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the hopes of making the arrest warrants for Democrats “enforceable beyond Texas state lines.”

Additionally, the Texas speaker said he has contacted the sergeant at arms of the Illinois House of Representatives to request assistance in returning the absent members.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, Texas, Democrats, Republicans, Quorum, Politics 

In a recent article published by the Daily Mail, the headline “Trump starts firing purge of top FBI agents opposed to his administration as they decry ‘retribution’” attempts to victimize the FBI agents recently fired — but it fails to mention that at least two of those agents were more than just “opposed” to his administration.

Steven Jensen and Walter Giardina worked for the former administration — and in Giardina’s case, he was willing to do almost anything to stop Trump from getting into office.

Brian Driscoll was a former FBI acting director appointed in January 2025, replaced by Kash Patel. Jensen was acting director of the FBI’s Washington field office and was heavily involved in the January 6 investigation.

“Gone. No, thank you. We don’t need that anymore. No, we’re not into political persecution,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says.

Giardina was a special agent who investigated Trump adviser Peter Navarro and also played a significant role in Crossfire Hurricane. He was also a part of special counsel Mueller’s investigation, as well as the Dan Scavino, Roger Stone, and Hillary Clinton cases.

And a June press release from the office of Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) included even more damning information.

The press release revealed that Giardina “was an initial recipient of the Steele dossier and falsely said that the report was corroborated as true” and that he had “stated openly his animosity toward President Trump and made known his personal motivation to investigate Trump.”

Giardina also “electronically wiped the laptop he was assigned while working for special counsel Mueller outside of established protocol for record preservation, raising the possibility that he destroyed government records” and “instructed agents to use false Emolument predication on President Trump to ‘dig around.’”

That’s not all. He was also a case agent assigned to the Crimson River case, later changed to Red Maasari. The case was leaked to the Washington Post “roughly 90 days before the presidential election, in an attempt to falsely discredit President Trump.”

“That means they knew it was not true, and they wanted to discredit him anyway,” Gonzales says, disturbed.

“I am hopeful that that is going to trickle down. It just can’t stop here,” she adds.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Video phone, Camera phone, Upload, Free, Sharing, Video, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales unfiltered, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Trump, Trump administration, Walter giardina, Brian driscoll, Steven jensen, Fbi agents fired, Kash patel, Fbi agents 

An appeals court panel handed President Donald Trump a victory in the court battle over deportations of illegal aliens who were sent to a prison for terrorists in El Salvador.

The administration was locked in a court battle with U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who had issued an order for the administration to stop the flights to the prison. When the flights continued, Boasberg said there was probable cause to find Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for ignoring his order.

‘Dangling this sword of Damocles to compel the Executive to exercise its foreign affairs powers exceeds the court’s authority and is an abuse of discretion.’

On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with Trump in a split decision. Two of the three panel judges ruled in his favor. Both of the judges were appointed by Trump.

“Dangling this sword of Damocles to compel the Executive to exercise its foreign affairs powers exceeds the court’s authority and is an abuse of discretion,” Judge Neomi Rao wrote. “What a court lacks the power to do directly, it cannot accomplish indirectly.”

An attorney for the ACLU suggested that they are considering filing an appeal.

“We strongly disagree with the ruling and are considering all options going forward,” Lee Gelernt said. “The opinion brushes aside the considerable evidence that has emerged that DOJ’s lawyers understood the order at the time and simply ignored it.”

Boasberg had ruled that the Trump administration had not provided the illegal aliens with the proper due process when he invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to send them to El Salvador. The administration designated the vicious gang Tren de Aragua a terror threat and used that designation to immediately deport suspected gang members.

When the issue was taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court, all nine justices found that illegal aliens had some due process rights to be given proper notice and to argue their case against the government labeling them gang members.

A smaller majority vacated the ruling from Boasberg to block the deportations and allowed the administration to continue with its plans.

RELATED: Pam Bondi slaps Judge Boasberg with misconduct allegations

The full 11-member appeals court could take up the case. The full court has seven Democratic appointees and four Republican appointees.

In July, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a complaint against Boasberg over private comments he made suggesting that if the Trump administration ignored judicial rulings, it would result in a constitutional crisis. Bondi alleged that the comments undermined the integrity of the judiciary.

Boasberg could be impeached from the bench if the complaint is found to have merit.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Trump vs boasberg, Trump court vs boasberg, Judge neomi rao, Trump wins in court, Politics 

Filmmaker James Cameron warned that coupling artificial intelligence with certain technologies could have a devastating affect on humanity.

Cameron, fresh off of filming “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” gave an interview regarding an upcoming project about the use of the atomic bomb in World War II.

Touching on the idea of disarming countries of their nuclear weapons, Cameron was asked how AI could spell the end of the world if it was combined with powerful weaponry.

‘Maybe we’ll be smart and keep a human in the loop.’

In reference to his “Terminator” films in which AI launches nukes all over the world, Cameron said, “I do think there’s still a danger of a ‘Terminator’-style apocalypse where you put AI together with weapons systems, even up to the level of nuclear weapon systems, nuclear defense counterstrike, all that stuff.”

Cameron theorized that with theater of war operations becoming so “rapid,” decisions could be left up to “superintelligence,” or a form of AI, that would end up using weapons systems with massive consequences.

“Maybe we’ll be smart and keep a human in the loop,” the director told Rolling Stone.

Cameron listed nuclear weapons and superintelligence in a trio of “existential threats” he thinks are facing human development. What he labeled as the third threat is likely to be more controversial than the first two.

RELATED: Tech elites warn ‘reality itself’ may not survive the AI revolution

“Climate and our overall degradation of the natural world, nuclear weapons, and superintelligence. They’re all sort of manifesting and peaking at the same time,” Cameron claimed. “Maybe the superintelligence is the answer. I don’t know. I’m not predicting that, but it might be.”

Cameron then imagined that AI might agree with him in terms of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and electromagnetic pulses, because they mess with data networks. He then compared AI dealing with humanity to keeping an 80-year-old alive by taking away his car keys, and he brainstormed whether or not AI could force humanity to go back to its natural state.

“I could imagine an AI saying, guess what’s the best technology on the planet? DNA, and nature does it better than I could do it for 1,000 years from now, and so we’re going to focus on getting nature back where it used to be. I could imagine, AI could write that story compellingly.”

Cameron made similar remarks in 2023, when he downplayed the threat of AI unless there were specific circumstances at play.

RELATED: ‘The Terminator’ creator warns: AI reality is scarier than sci-fi

In an interview on CTV News, Cameron said humans would remain superior to AI until it could process thoughts using as little electricity as the human brain does, as opposed to an “acre of processors pulling 10 to 20 megawatts.”

The filmmaker even seemed to take the assertion that AI is a threat to humanity as personal insult.

“When [AI systems] have that kind of mobility and flexibility and ability to project our sensory and cognitive apparatus anywhere we want to go any time we want to go, then talk to me about who’s superior.”

The 70-year-old told Rolling Stone that much of his imagery for his films, good or bad, comes from his dreams. This included compelling scenarios that turned into drawings and paintings, which were later used for the “Avatar” movies, as well as “horrific dreams” that became the “Terminator” series.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Return, Terminator, James cameron, Robots, Ai, Artificial intelligence, Tech 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced this week action against the groups allegedly responsible for assisting Texas state House Democrats who fled the state to avoid a redistricting vote.

On Thursday, Paxton’s office issued a press release declaring that it had opened another investigation, this time into a George Soros-funded political action committee that allegedly funded the Democrats’ abrupt exit.

‘The Governor fully supports using all necessary tools to discover potential legal violations connected to their refusal to appear for a quorum, conduct business, and cast votes.’

Texas Majority PAC, founded in December 2022 by campaign staffers of former Rep. Beto O-Rourke (D-Texas), was accused of “attempting to subvert the will of Texas voters” by “play[ing] a coordinating role in assisting with illegal fundraising and potentially the bribery of Texas House members.”

Paxton’s office described TMP as an “extremist group” with “a large, radical donor base.”

“If Texas lawmakers are bowing to the Soros Slush Fund rather than the will of the voters, Texans deserve to know. Getting financial payouts under the table to abandon your legislative duties is bribery,” Paxton said. “Texas Majority PAC’s actions seem to indicate that it may be using its Soros-funded resources to break the law and fund the illegal abandonment of public office. If that’s the case as determined by this investigation, there will be a heavy price to pay.”

Earlier this week, Paxton opened an investigation into O’Rourke’s Powered by People, accusing the organization of similar alleged “unlawful activity” regarding the House Democrats.

RELATED: Texas AG lays out 3 options for cowardly Democrats who fled redistricting vote

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas). SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

According to Paxton’s office, Powered by People potentially operated “an illegal financial influence scheme to bribe runaway Democrats who fled Texas to break quorum.”

The office’s press release on the matter claimed that the group may have “violated bribery laws,” as well as laws “governing campaign or officeholder contributions and expenditures, coercion of a public servant, and abuse of office.”

Paxton issued a request to examine both TMP and Powered by People, which requires the groups to provide his office with documents related to the investigations.

O’Rourke responded to Paxton’s probe into Powered by People in a post on social media, stating, “The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats.”

He added, “Let’s stop these thugs before they steal our country.”

Paxton was acquitted of all 16 articles of impeachment in 2023.

RELATED: Greg Abbott threatens to ARREST rogue Texas Democrats

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has also taken a firm stance against the Democratic House members, advocating for the potential arrest of absentee representatives and asking the state’s supreme court to remove those who have abandoned their offices.

The governor’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, told Blaze News, “Governor Abbott directed the Texas Rangers to investigate delinquent Texas House Democrats on potential violations of Texas law, including bribery. The Governor fully supports using all necessary tools to discover potential legal violations connected to their refusal to appear for a quorum, conduct business, and cast votes.”

Neither TMP nor Powered by People responded to a request for comment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, Ken paxton, Texas, Greg abbott, Abbott, Texas house democrats, Democrats, Texas majority pac, Beto o’rourke, George soros, Powered by people, Politics 

Vice President JD Vance put Britain on blast in February over its suppression of speech and routine attacks on religious liberties. Citing a British Army veteran’s conviction and fining last year for silent prayer as an example, Vance stressed that free speech in the U.K. “is in retreat.”

Just in case leftist Prime Minister Keir Starmer missed his critique the first time around, Vance blasted Britain’s “infringements on free speech” weeks later while seated next to the British leader during a meeting at the White House.

When asked what was the ‘single most important issue facing the UK,’ a plurality answered ‘reducing immigration.’

Despite such constructive criticism from the Trump administration, the censorship regime in London has worsened in recent months thanks in part to the enactment of the so-called “Online Safety Act.”

The OSA, which came into force in July, not only requires Britons to prove with ID verification and credit-card checks that they are who they claim to be, but has already resulted in the suppression of speech and in the suppression of legal content, including footage of a protest and a video of a conservative member of Parliament’s speech about the sexual crimes committed by grooming gangs.

The Spectator’s John Power recently noted that the OSA serves to control “the channels through which dissent, especially the kind that makes the government deeply uncomfortable, is organized. It is as much a crisis-management tool for a flailing political class as it is a piece of digital regulation.”

While fast losing their freedoms, Britons are still able to express their frustrations at the ballot box and to pollsters.

RELATED: Exclusive: India train bagpiper banned from TikTok speaks out: ‘Can we be proud of our past?’

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll released on Tuesday revealed that 71% of Britons think their country is headed in the wrong direction. With the exception of respondents ages 25-34 who majoritively think the U.K. is on the right track, a supermajority in every other age cohort took the opposite view.

When asked what was the “single most important issue facing the U.K.,” a plurality answered “reducing immigration.”

Just as most of the British aren’t keen on the direction their country is heading, they’re not pleased with the man at the helm.

Sixty percent of respondents said they held an unfavorable view of Keir Starmer; only 23% signaled approval.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, had a favorability rating of 26%, beating Starmer by three percentage points and British Secretary of State David Lammy by 12 points. According to the latest Economist polling data, Trump’s approval rating in the U.S. is 41%.

RELATED: Idris Elba’s whitewashing of UK knife crime badly misses point

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

In addition to revealing that Starmer is less popular in his own country than the American president, the poll revealed that Trump ally Nigel Farage’s Reform U.K. party is a relative favorite among would-be voters.

Whereas only 20% of respondents said they would vote for Starmer’s Labour Party, a plurality of 31% said they would vote Reform, the favorability rating for which was 39%. When asked to choose in a matchup between Farage and Starmer, the former enjoys a 2% lead.

It appears that Starmer’s unpopularity is not the result of his support for the OSA, which Vance criticized and Farage has promised to repeal. The poll found that 64% of respondents supported the new censorship law. Only 20% of respondents signaled disagreement.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Donald trump, Keir starmer, United kingdom, Britain, Poll, England, Uk, Trump, Popularity, Favorability, Politics 

President Donald Trump has signed a new directive to the Pentagon to have the U.S. military be more involved in the fight against drug cartels in Latin America, according to a report from the New York Times.

This new directive could allow the U.S. military to use force against groups that have been designated as foreign terrorists organizations. While many of those groups are based in Mexico, a few others in Latin America and Haiti also have the designation. The Times noted that the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, was added to the list two weeks ago.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has already told Trump she does not want to have US military personnel on Mexican soil.

The Times reported that the directive “provides an official basis for the possibility of direct military operations at sea and on foreign soil against cartels” and that “U.S. military officials have started drawing up options for how the military could go after the groups.”

In response to a request for comment about the validity of the Times’ report, the White House provided Blaze News with the same statement it provided to the Times.

“President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations,” said White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly.

Trump hinted to Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck in April about using the U.S. military to fight drug cartels.

“That would be breaking news, wouldn’t it?” Trump said, smiling.

— (@)

RELATED: Ecuador is open to accepting Venezuelans living in US illegally: Sec. Noem

Kristi Noem Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images

If the report is true, there are a few legal hurdles the Trump administration would need to clear, as drug cartels have been tackled with a law enforcement-based approach by the United States. While American law enforcement works with partners in Latin America to go after the expansive criminal groups, some of those countries have increasingly relied on their militaries to arrest and combat the organizations. Latin American police agencies are notoriously corrupt due to low pay and poor training.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has already told Trump she does not want to have U.S. military personnel on Mexican soil. While U.S. troops have been deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border to provide more manpower to U.S. Border Patrol, they are not staged in an offensive capacity.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Politics 

The Trump administration is celebrating saving $7 billion for taxpayers by ending solar subsidies, but Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont is incensed that a program he backed is ending.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin announced the closing down of the Solar for All program that had funneled federal funding to pay for residential solar projects. The program was passed during former President Joe Biden’s term.

‘Trump wants to illegally kill this program to protect the obscene profits of his friends in the oil and gas industry. That is outrageous.’

“The bottom line is this: EPA no longer has the statutory authority to administer the program or the appropriated funds to keep this boondoggle alive,” Zeldin said in a statement on social media Thursday. “Today, the Trump EPA is announcing that we are ending Solar for All for good, saving US taxpayers ANOTHER $7 BILLION!”

Sanders had introduced the program in 2023 and said it was part of the effort to combat the “existential” threat of global climate change.

“I introduced the Solar for All program to slash electric bills for working families by up to 80% — putting money back in the pockets of ordinary Americans, not fossil fuel billionaires,” wrote Sanders in a statement on his website.

“Now, Donald Trump wants to illegally kill this program to protect the obscene profits of his friends in the oil and gas industry. That is outrageous,” he added.

“Solar for All means lower utility bills, many thousands of good-paying jobs, and real action to address the existential threat of climate change,” Sanders continued. “At a time when working families are getting crushed by skyrocketing energy costs and the planet is literally burning, sabotaging this program isn’t just wrong — it’s absolutely insane.”

RELATED: Los Angeles officials mercilessly ridiculed after celebrating ‘La Sombrita’ bus shades for race and gender equity

The program had spent only $53 million of the $7 billion allocated, according to a research firm. Critics of the decision claimed that the EPA had overstepped its authority.

“These grants are delivering billions of dollars of investment to red and blue states alike,” said Solar Energy Industries Association Vice President Stephanie Bosh. “This administration is continuing to dig itself into a hole.”

“Trump is — yet again — putting his fossil fuel megadonors first,” said Democrat Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who is on the Senate Environment Committee.

Sanders promised to fight to protect the program.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Bernie sanders solar, Trump vs bernie sanders, Lee zeldin, Zeldin ends solar subsidies, Politics 

Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins of Massachusetts is accused of extorting a cannabis company to have privileged access to investment opportunities, according to federal prosecutors.

Tompkins, 67, was arrested in Florida on two counts of extortion. He faces 20 years in prison if found guilty, in addition to a possible $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

‘What the sheriff saw as an easy way to make a quick buck on the sly is clear-cut corruption under federal law.’

Tompkins allegedly used his position to pressure the unnamed marijuana company to allow him to purchase stock in the company before it went public. Initially, his $50,000 investment grew to be valued at $138,000, but afterward it tumbled, and he then demanded the company refund his money.

The indictment included screenshots of five checks made out to Tompkins to refund the money, but they were falsely labeled as “loan repayments” in order to obscure the extortion scheme.

“What the sheriff saw as an easy way to make a quick buck on the sly is clear-cut corruption under federal law,” said Ted E. Docks of the Boston FBI.

The sheriff made headlines in October when he ended an agreement to house detainees for Immigration and Customs Enforcement after two decades. He said at the time that ending the contract would allow the department to offer more services for women.

“Our gender-specific programming, which is among the best in the country, allows us to address these issues, which include domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and substance use disorders, to name a few,” Tompkins said.

He also joined a kneeling protest in 2020 to show solidarity with activists protesting about the death of George Floyd.

RELATED: FBI reassigns agents involved in kneeling PR stunt for George Floyd protests

Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Tompkins’ arrest is leading some to question how the extortion scheme could have continued under the nose of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, a Democrat.

Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance executive director Paul Diego Craney issued a statement excoriating Campbell in the wake of the arrest.

“Sheriff Tompkins allegedly used his public office to shake down a cannabis company for personal gain, and the only reason we know about it is because federal law enforcement stepped in. Where was Attorney General Andrea Campbell? How does a sitting sheriff commit years of misconduct right under her nose?” reads the statement from Craney.

“This is a law enforcement official allegedly abusing a re-entry jobs program to line his own pockets. It’s disgraceful and even more disgraceful that the state’s top law enforcement officer didn’t catch it,” he added.

RELATED: 20 Democrat AGs sue Trump’s Education Department over ‘massive’ staff cuts

“While Andrea Campbell has been busy taking junket trips to Paris and suing the federal government over any and all actions they take, a sheriff was allegedly cashing in right in her own backyard. Her priorities are completely out of step with the basic job of holding public officials accountable,” Craney continued. “Why does it always take federal prosecutors to clean up corruption in Massachusetts? Andrea Campbell owes the public an explanation.”

Campbell similarly opposed ICE and the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts in comments made in November.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Sheriff kneels for floyd, Anti-ice sheriff, Sheriff indicted extortion, Sheriff steven tompkins, Politics 

Former UFC fighter Ben Askren’s toughest fight wasn’t inside a UFC cage — it was in a hospital bed, clinging to life after double lung failure from severe pneumonia. However, Askren turned to faith after waking up from a medically induced coma.

Askren, 41, is a former professional mixed martial artist, professional boxer, and Olympic wrestler.

‘I woke up, and I just decided I was a Christian.’

In June, Askren was hospitalized in critical condition with a severe case of pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator. Askren underwent a successful double lung transplant. However, his condition was in dire shape because he lost 50 pounds over the span of 45 days.

After he woke up from a medically induced coma, Askren had a significant revelation about his faith.

Askren gave a stirring interview with FloWrestling last week, when he revealed that he became a Christian right after coming out of the coma.

Askren explained that he attended church with his wife, but he never felt the call to faith.

“I went with my wife to church for 15 years because that was part of the deal. I said, ‘Well, I’m not Christian, but I’ll support you.’ And it was really weird when I woke up, I’m like ‘I gotta do it.’ You know? So that was kind of weird,” Askren said.

“I woke up, and I just decided I was a Christian. So that’s crazy,” he declared.

The ex-UFC fighter revealed that he thought he was dead and was on the “other side” before his divine intervention.

“There was multiple times where they thought I was dead. Like I was dead, that’s the other side,” Askren said in the video.

Askren previously stated that he lost his memory and “died four times.”

“I don’t remember anything from May 28 to July 2, no recollection, no idea,” Askren said in an Instagram video filmed from his hospital bed on July 9. “No idea what happened. I just read through my wife’s journal, it’s like a movie, it’s ridiculous. I only died four times. The ticker stopped for about 20 seconds.”

RELATED: ‘Praise the Lord!’ Kidnapped American pastor rescued in South Africa as 3 suspects gunned down in ‘high-intensity shoot-out’

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Triller

The former Olympic wrestler thanked everyone who helped him in his time of need.

“[I have] so much gratitude for everyone who’s helped out,” he continued. “So many people have donated money, watched our kids, donated food, a lot of friends come and hang out with me — just so much gratitude for being around me.”

Askren thanked his wife in a social media post, “My wife has been generally amazing during the entirety of our marriage, but the last 2.5 months she has been out of this world taking care of our kids and me.”

UFC boss Dana White financially supported Askren.

YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul donated $500,000 for Askren’s double lung transplant, which reportedly was not covered by insurance and cost $2 million. Askren fought Paul in a crossover boxing match in April 2021, when Paul won via TKO in one minute and 59 seconds in the first round.

Askren said in July, “I’m more motivated than ever to get back and do what I can to help out the best I can to help out. I love you guys, I appreciate you guys. It’s been tough, not only on me, but my whole family and my close community.”

Askren had difficulty walking after his transplant but is slowly making progress with his rehab.

In 2019, Askren announced that he was retiring from MMA with a 19-2-1 record.

Askren captured back-to-back NCAA Division I national titles while wrestling for the University of Missouri and went on to represent Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Christian, Christianity, Religion, Sports, Ufc, Mma, Ben askren, Dana white, Jake paul, Faith 

In the years before prosecutors say he assassinated a top Minnesota state representative and her husband, Vance Luther Boelter was working to build a sprawling business empire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Before the world would come to know him as the alleged madman who chased former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and gunned her down in her own home, Boelter had his mind focused on farming, fishing, and other businesses in Africa.

‘Develop a partnership with mutual gain.’

Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, Minn., is charged with six federal felonies for the killing of Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and her husband, Mark; the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and his wife, Yvette; and the attempted murder of the Hoffmans’ daughter, Hope. Boelter faces a possible death sentence for the alleged stalking and murder of the Hortmans.

During a brief hearing in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis Thursday, Boelter pleaded not guilty to all six charges lodged against him in a grand jury indictment handed up July 15. United States Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster approved the Department of Justice’s motion to designate the case as “complex,” allowing more time than is usually granted under the Speedy Trial Act.

Boelter will be back in federal court in Minneapolis Nov. 12 for a status conference. A trial date has not been set, but trial will likely take place after February 2026.

Boelter also faces second-degree murder and attempted murder charges in Hennepin County District Court, but those state charges will wait for disposition of the federal criminal case.

Hours after Boelter allegedly dressed as a police officer and visited the homes of four Democrat lawmakers intent on murder, the FBI said, he sent a text message to his children that read, “Dad went to war last night.”

RELATED: How did a religious, small-town Minnesota boy morph into an alleged political assassin?

Lubumbashi is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a major industrial center.Red Lion Group

What war he did not say, but by then Boelter had possibly separated himself permanently from helping the Central African nation grow more of its own food while growing its economy.

In a text exchange from the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, Minn., where he is being held pending trial, Boelter told Blaze News on Aug. 7 that the need is great in the DRC especially for agriculture-based businesses. Only about 10% of the country’s arable land is used for farming, he says, leaving huge untapped potential.

“I found the DRC to be a massive country,” Boelter said. “It is the 11th largest in the world geographically. It has more farmland than Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa combined, but they only farm 10% of it.”

An outline for Boelter’s Red Lion Group obtained by Blaze News demonstrates extensive knowledge of the Congo River Basin and a goal of improving life in a nation of 115 million souls scarred by war and violence since it obtained independence from Belgium in 1960.

Boelter said the documents viewed by Blaze News might have been early plans for Red Lion Group drafted several years ago. He said the company most recently is “focused on mainly agricultural projects and also ministry.”

Boelter and his wife, Jenny, established a tax-exempt charity, Revoformation Ministries Inc., in 2007 to help them spread the Christian faith at home and abroad. Some of the Revoformation projects, such as a planned book and purchase of commercial buildings for possible church locations, never got far off the ground, as Blaze News reported.

Starting in 2018, Vance Boelter turned his relationship with the Minnesota-based Global Impact Center’s chairman into the launching point for a business venture called Red Lion Group. Boelter eventually joined in several trips to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that imports most of its food and badly needs more domestic farm-to-fork programs.

His interest was piqued on Nov. 30, 2018, when the DRC ambassador to the United States, François Nkuna Balumuene, visited Worthington, Minn., to discuss ideas for the two countries to work together.

RELATED: Exclusive: Accused assassin Vance Boelter allegedly used retired Wisconsin police squad car during deadly rampage

A night view of Kinshasa, the capital and largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Red Lion Group

“We want to give a chance to everybody, even to our partners outside the country, to get land and to start businesses,” Balumuene told a gathering of business officials at the Worthington Event Center.

‘Red Lion Security will be the go-to security company for any protection services needed.’

Boelter suggested at the meeting that some 20 Minnesota businesses team up to train Congolese workers in various occupations, providing years of experience they could use to later launch prosperous businesses in the DRC.

Ambassador Balumuene approved of the concept. “I think it’s a very, very wonderful idea for the exchange experience,” he said, according to a page-one story in the Globe newspaper.

Boelter spent most of his career in the food industry, working for companies that included Gerber Food Products, Johnsonville Sausage, Del Monte Foods, Greencore, and Schwan’s Company.

Boelter told Blaze News that after the Worthington meeting, he was invited by the ambassador to travel to the DRC to “see if I had some ideas how to help their food supply situation. They have 100 million people and import 70% of their food or more.”

Two Worthington residents who spoke at the meeting soon became an integral part of Red Lion Group. The Rev. Mcnay Nkashama and his wife, Nathalie, both native to the DRC, touted the benefits of a partnership between Minnesota and the DRC.

“Anyone who would have the opportunity to to travel to Congo and teach people something, they’d love that,” Nathalie Nkashama said. “The youth … they’ll go and then they’ll come back and bring more people with them.”

RELATED: Religious leaders distance themselves from onetime Christian preacher accused of Minnesota assassinations

The Rev. Mcnay Nkashama of the Minnesota-based Global Impact Center introduces Vance Boelter during Sunday services at Centre Evangelique Francophone La Borne Matadi church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.La Borne Matadi TV

Mcnay Nkashama said the mutual benefits of a partnership could overcome the stigma that Africa “is a place not to do business.”

Ambassador Balumuene agreed. “If you want to invest in Congo … you shouldn’t feel like government is in the way,” he said. “Develop a partnership with mutual gain.”

Just such a partnership sprang up between Boelter and Nkashama. The Global Impact Center sponsored regular mission trips to the DRC. The men became close friends over the next few years as they built a plan to help the Central African nation better feed itself and develop its economy.

After Boelter’s June 15 arrest on the assassination charges, the Global Impact Center sought to distance itself from Boelter, who it said was just an occasional volunteer.

“We collaborate with church organizations and individual volunteers. It is within this context that Mr. Vance Boelter has, on occasion, appeared in some of our meetings and ministry platforms, as seen in various media,” the center wrote in an “Urgent Message” on its home page. “However, we want to clearly state that Mr. Boelter is neither a member of Global Impact Center’s leadership team nor affiliated with any of our local or international church partners.”

That carefully worded statement didn’t disclose the fact that Boelter and Nkashama had been business partners in Red Lion Group. Boelter held a 49% ownership share, and Nkashama had a controlling 51% share, according to documents written by Boelter and obtained by Blaze News.

Boelter made numerous trips to the DRC and often mixed Christian evangelism with gaining new business contacts for Red Lion Group.

Boelter, who said he was ordained a minister in 1993, gave at least three televised sermons at the Centre Evangélique Francophone La Borne Matadi church.

The French-speaking Lutheran church is located in Matadi, the capital of the Kongo Central province and the nation’s primary seaport.

RELATED: Accused assassin Vance Boelter blames Gov. Tim Walz for murderous rampage: Report

Prototype apparel and branding for the proposed Red Lion Security Service that Vance Boelter wanted to establish in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Red Lion Group

For some of the sermons, Rev. Nkashama introduced Boelter and served as his translator for the large crowds that packed the church.

In 2021, Boelter and his wife decided that he would quit his job with 7-Eleven Inc. so he could focus on Red Lion Group, according to a biographical video he posted on social media. Boelter made a trip to Kongo Central province in September 2021.

“The company I was working for at the time wasn’t interested in doing anything in Africa,” Boelter said in the video. “So I talked with my wife and we decided I just put in my two-week notice and we just go off on our own to try to do these [projects] to help out in Africa.”

After quitting his career-track job, Boelter said he worked jobs in the funeral industry to “pay the bills” as he tried to build Red Lion Group. Jobs included doing body pickups for two Minneapolis-area funeral homes and removing eyeballs from the deceased as a technician for the University of Minnesota eye bank. He also took mortuary science classes at Des Moines Area Community College.

The Red Lion Group business plan reviewed by Blaze News is sweeping and far-reaching. Boelter hoped to attract both investors and companies that could plug into any of the more than 40 business units he originally hoped to establish.

Boelter posted an update from the DRC on his LinkedIn page in February 2023. Boelter’s account was taken offline after his June arrest.

“Red Lion Group had a great meeting with the new governor of Kongo Central to talk about our private business projects,” Boelter wrote. “They are all moving forward in that province. … Everything on schedule and within budget.”

“Red Lion Group is here to make sure everything your company is doing in the DRC is being done right the first time,” Boelter wrote in an introduction for the company website. “… Red Lion Group is an investment in your company’s success. We want to help fast tract [sic] your goods and services into the DRC for maximum profit for your company.”

The goal, Boelter wrote, is to “have people see Red Lion Group as a cutting edge place to invest in financially as a way to be part of what we are doing and the spaces we are growing in all over the DRC. We want them to see multiple businesses they can be investing in.”

“Red Lion Group is the covering organization and that is owned by Mcnay and his wife, and myself and my wife,” Boelter wrote in one document. In another document obtained by Blaze News, Boelter wrote that Red Lion Group “is a collection of corporations that function as a single economic entity through a common source of control. Mcnay to have 51% ownership and Vance to have 49% ownership of Red Lion Group.”

RELATED: Phone associated with accused assassin’s home traveled to Dubai, Nepal, India, and Turkey, report says

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has landmass about a quarter the size of the continental United States.CIA World Factbook

According to the plan, Red Lion Group would be involved in infrastructure businesses such as oil production, road construction, residential and commercial construction, rubber products, custom fabrication, electro-mechanical assembly, concrete production, lumber and supplies, and glass manufacturing.

In food production, Red Lion would operate agricultural and farming services, food brokers, farm equipment and supplies, fishing, fast food, grain milling, coffee production, convenience food at fuel stations, pet stores and supplies, water purification, and food safety and inspection.

The rest of the business units are varied: martial arts, waste management, business consulting, the arts, film production, resorts and tourism, automotive sales and service, arms manufacturing, investment services, medical supplies, human resources staffing, clothing manufacturing and sales, call centers, boat and motor sales, import/export, and transportation services.

A core business meant to protect all of the others is Red Lion Security Services.

The goal is “to offer well trained security to meet the needs of customers who want to make sure they are protected as well as their workers, equipment, and property,” Boelter wrote. “Red Lion Security will be the go-to security company for any protection services needed.”

Boelter and wife Jenny twice sought to operate a security company over the past 20 years, business records show. The most recent, Praetorian Guard Security Services, was founded in 2018 but never took on clients. However, the company purchased extensive equipment and police vehicles, including one that the FBI said Boelter used in a deadly predawn shooting spree on June 14, 2025.

Blaze News left numerous messages for Rev. Nkashama to obtain comment for this article but did not receive a reply.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Vance boelter, Red lion, Assassination, Melissa hortman, Minnesota, John hoffman, Politics 

A July raid at an underground night club in Los Angeles, California, led to multiple arrests and the dismantling of a drug and financial scheme, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection executed a search warrant on July 19 at an El Monte nightclub as part of a drug trafficking investigation.

‘Unfortunately, sanctuary politicians in California give cover to criminals to run an underground club filled with drugs and illegal financial schemes.’

Federal agents interrogated and searched 66 individuals, confiscating narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

DHS reported that it also seized thousands of gift cards that had been re-encoded and are suspected to be part of an illegal financial scheme.

ICE arrested eight illegal aliens, including six from China, one from Malaysia, and one from Mexico.

Among those apprehended, Qingmei Wang was charged with felony possession of illegal drugs with intent to distribute.

RELATED: Democrat state senator remains committed to alerting illegal aliens of ICE raids in her state

Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Zedong Zhang faces charges of trafficking or manufacturing controlled substances.

Bo Liu faces charges of possession of an illegal drug substance.

Shao Meng was charged with obtaining money by false pretenses.

Isaias Ramirez-Rosas was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia, vandalism, and trespassing.

RELATED: Sanctuary cities on DOJ’s list set to reap the whirlwind

Image source: Department of Homeland Security

All of those arrested are currently awaiting removal proceedings.

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the DHS Tricia McLaughlin stated, “In July, ICE and CBP agents worked together with the FBI and DEA to dismantle criminal drug operations in Los Angeles, California, which resulted in the arrest of multiple illegal aliens.”

“Unfortunately, sanctuary politicians in California give cover to criminals to run an underground club filled with drugs and illegal financial schemes. Under President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem, DHS law enforcement is protecting Americans and keeping our communities safe,” McLaughlin said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Kristi noem, Donald trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Trump, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Immigration crisis, Immigration, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Customs and border protection, Cbp, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Financial scheme, California, Los angeles, El monte, Sanctuary policies, Sanctuary laws, Politics 

Tonight, the Cleveland Browns will face the Carolina Panthers for their preseason opener at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. To the surprise of many, rookie draft pick Shedeur Sanders will start as quarterback, making his NFL debut.

Some critics suspect that he’s being intentionally teed up for failure. One of them is Stephen A. Smith.

“I think he’s being set up to fail,” Smith said on a recent episode of ESPN’s “First Take.”

“There’s been 11 practices, if I remember correctly. [Sanders] has been playing against the third unit, he’s fourth on the depth chart, and then suddenly you throw him into the starting lineup, and he hasn’t had any reps with the first team at all?” he asked skeptically.

“It’s like you want him to fail. I’m not accusing the coaches of doing this; I’m not accusing the [general manager] of doing this. But that owner — Mr. Haslam — that’s a different animal right there.”

Jason Whitlock accuses Smith and other black broadcasters of turning Shedeur Sanders into a victim when he’s the furthest thing from it.

For starters, Whitlock notes, the claim that Sanders is being intentionally set up to fail falls flat when you consider that the Browns’ top two quarterbacks — Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel — are currently dealing with hamstring injuries. That leaves the team with 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco, who should be reserved for emergency situations; Tyler Huntley, who just signed with the Browns days ago; or the only option that makes sense — Shedeur Sanders.

Given the circumstances, Sanders is a competitor with an opportunity to shine, not a victim of a rigged system, Whitlock says.

Smith and others “constantly want to turn black men into victims rather than warriors, rather than competitors, rather than opportunity seekers. Everything is about, ‘We’re being set up for failure,’” he condemns.

There’s zero chance, he argues, that Sanders, as the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, is being intentionally victimized.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Shedeur Sanders tonight,” Whitlock says.

The victim narrative, he speculates, is coming straight from Deion, who’s paved the way for Shedeur’s entire career.

Smith and others are “falling under the spell of Deion Sanders, who wants to make excuses for his boy. … This is all about lowering the bar for Shedeur,” Whitlock says.

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

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Fearless, Fearless with jason whitlock, Jason whitlock, Blazetv, Blaze media, Shedeur sanders, Cleveland browns, Deion sanders, Victimhood 

A WNBA coach told media members they should be writing about female oppression regarding recent events in the league.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve spoke to reporters during a team practice on Thursday and brought up the string of hilarious yet strange events happening at WNBA events. Not one, but four separate WNBA games have seen attendees throw phallic sex toys onto the court, causing confusion and halting play.

‘It’s not funny, and it should not be the butt of jokes on any radio shows or in print or in any comments.’

The events have become so widely discussed that gambling sites have been setting odds for future games. For example, Polymarket has seen almost $200,000 worth of bets on the topic at the time of this writing. Reeve, however, doesn’t see any humor in the toy-related stoppages. Instead, she scolded media members for participating in what has been “going on for centuries.”

Reeve brought up the “distraction” with reporters and referred to it as a “disruption” before giving them a supposed history lesson.

“Um, obviously you guys know what the object is. And I just want to comment on this has been going on for centuries: the sexualization of women,” Reeve claimed. “This is the latest version of that.”

After letting reporters know that the disruptions are “not funny,” Reeve lectured reporters on how the events should be reported and commented on.

RELATED: Watch: WNBA fan ejected over the most insane stoppage you’ll ever see

“It’s not funny, and it should not be the butt of jokes on any radio shows or in print or in any comments. The sexualization of women is what’s used to hold women down, and this is no different,” Reeve continued.

Reeve insisted that the events are the “latest” “form” of sexualization and that is how the media “should write about it.”

“These people that are doing this should be held accountable, and we’re not the butt of the joke. They’re the problem. And we need to take action,” the coach demanded.

The WNBA, which is notoriously subsidized by the NBA, has seen an array of odd stoppages lately, even aside from the onslaught of sex toys being launched onto courts.

RELATED: Trump supporter booted from soccer game over ‘MAGA’ hat — but exposes glaring hypocrisy before leaving

At the end of July, a Washington Mystics vs. Phoenix Mercury game was halted after one player yanked the wig off an opponent, causing the wig-less player to run off the court covering her head.

The affair did not stop there, however, as referees soon launched an impromptu investigation to find out which person in the crowd had said something mean to the player who lost her hair. This stopped play for even longer, as the referees worked with arena security.

The fan was later identified and ejected.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Wnba, Basketball, Feminism, Woke, Women’s sports, Fearless, Sports 

President Donald Trump vowed ahead of the 2024 election, “I will protect persecuted Christians, I will work to stop the violence and ethnic cleansing, and we will restore PEACE between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

The president’s promise of peace seemed an unlikely goal. After all, others before him had tried and failed to bring an end to the bitter conflict between the two nations over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in the Caucasus Mountains that was alternatively known until recently as the Republic of Artsakh.

A former Obama Pentagon official … suggested in a December op-ed that Trump ‘will have earned the right to a Nobel Peace Prize’ if he ends the conflict between these two nations.

That region became autonomous in 1923 while Armenia, the world’s oldest Christian country, and Azerbaijan, whose population is 97.3% Muslim, were both still members of the former Soviet Union.

Despite two bloody wars fought over the territory — the first in 1988 and the second in 2020 — Nagorno-Karabakh remained home to over 100,000 Armenian Christians, ever defiant of Azerbaijan’s territorial claims.

However, in September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a blitzkrieg on Nagorno-Karabakh with the help of Israeli and Turkish weaponry, killing hundreds of people, destroying churches, and forcing the Christian population to flee, in many cases on foot.

Trump noted on Thursday — months after a White House special envoy’s visit to the Azerbaijani capital, which boosted binational talk of a draft peace agreement — that he would host President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia for “a Historic Peace Summit.”

RELATED: Why President Trump should keep his promise to Armenia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (left); President Donald Trump (center); Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (right). Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN,ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

“These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP,'” the president wrote on Truth Social. “My Administration has been engaged with both sides for quite some time. Tomorrow, President Aliyev AND Prime Minister Pashinyan will join me at the White House for an official Peace Signing Ceremony.”

Evelyn Farkas, a former Obama Pentagon official who now serves as executive director of the McCain Institute, suggested in a December op-ed that Trump “will have earned the right to a Nobel Peace Prize” if he ends the conflict between these two nations.

‘The two neighbors have been in conflict for decades — over 35 years — with countless lives lost and generations scarred.’

Farkas suggested further that Trump was well-positioned to close the deal, writing, “Trump can leverage his prior business relationships and credibility in Baku and Aliyev’s desire to curry his favor to get U.S. economic investments and access and to restart U.S. military assistance.”

In addition to overseeing the signing of a peace accord, Trump — who has also brokered peaceful resolutions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cambodia and Thailand, and India and Pakistan — indicated on Thursday that he would sign bilateral agreements with both countries “to pursue economic opportunities together, so we can fully unlock the potential of the South Caucasus Region.”

On a call with reporters on Friday, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stated, “The two neighbors have been in conflict for decades — over 35 years — with countless lives lost and generations scarred. While many have tried, including Joe Biden, only President Trump, the peacemaker in chief, was able to successfully bring Armenia and Azerbaijan together to agree to a historic peace.”

RELATED: Not tired of winning: Trump’s 200 victories in 200 days

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A senior administration official noted on the call that a top Armenian official expressed disbelief after walking out of the negotiating room yesterday.

“He said, ‘I can’t believe tomorrow is going to happen — not for my sake, but my grandkids will be the first kids to grow up in this area who won’t have to fight their grandfather’s war.'”

Armenia has apparently agreed to permit a 27-mile corridor through its territory — the so-called Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity — linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave on the Turkish border, thereby enabling persons and goods to transit between Turkey and Azerbaijan without having to pass through neighboring Iran or Russia.

‘Tomorrow is the handshake in writing the check.’

Armenia also agreed to grant the U.S. exclusive special development rights for 99 years along this route, which is known as the Zangezur Corridor.

To sweeten the deal for Azerbaijan, the U.S. will lift restrictions on defense cooperation with the Islamic country by waiving a section of a 1992 law that prohibits assistance and other benefits to Baku “until the President reports to the Congress that such government is taking steps to cease all blockades and uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“By locking in this path to peace, we are unlocking the great potential of the South Caucasus region in trade, transit, and energy flows,” Kelly said.

Another official on the call indicated that this joint declaration is the first-ever bilateral declaration signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The official noted, “Tomorrow is the handshake in writing the check, and we still have to ink the contract and cash the check.”

While a “historic peace” between Azerbaijan and Armenia is imminent, not all are pleased with the terms of the deal.

Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, blasted the deal, suggesting that Trump was retroactively sanctioning genocide.

“The same Donald Trump who failed to stop Azerbaijan’s 2020 attack on Nagorno Karabakh is now rewarding this very aggression — further compromising Armenia’s security and sovereignty and, in the process, abetting Azerbaijan’s normalization and formalization of its ethnic cleansing, its genocide, of more than 150,000 indigenous Armenian Christians,” Hamparian said.

The ANCA complained further that there appears to be no provisions in the deal for the return of forcibly displaced Armenians to Artsakh or a “meaningful rollback” of the Azerbaijani military presence inside Armenian territory.

“Real peace cannot be built on the forced displacement of a people, the abandonment of hostages, or the rollback of sovereignty,” Hamparian continued. “You can’t declare peace while ignoring the ethnic cleansing of 150,000 Armenians and the illegal imprisonment of their democratically elected leaders. That’s not peace — it’s impunity, an invitation to renewed aggression.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​White house, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Armenian, Christians, Foreign policy, Peace, Donald trump, Trump, Politics 

A sitting member of Congress declaring on foreign soil, in a foreign language, that she has primary allegiance to a foreign country sounds like the plot of a Russian spy thriller. Instead, Americans got a political telenovela when Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told an audience in Mexico, in Spanish, “I’m a proud Guatemalan before I’m an American.”

The only real surprise is that Ramirez said it out loud — on camera — and without qualification. Given the decline in standards among today’s lawmakers, especially on the Democrat side of the aisle, the sentiment isn’t shocking. The candor is.

Americans deserve to see whether Congress will enforce its own standards. Every member should go on record.

Ramirez’s statement has drawn condemnation from commentators, political leaders, and media outlets. Condemnation isn’t enough. She should be expelled from the House of Representatives. The Oversight Project has even done the work for members. On Thursday, we released the draft text of an expulsion resolution.

Realistically, that won’t happen. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote to expel a member, and Democrats will protect one of their own, even when that member flagrantly violates her oath of office.

Still, the vote should happen. Americans deserve to see whether Congress will enforce its own standards. Every member should go on record. Let the chips on “foreign interference” fall where they may.

The founders foresaw this

Congress has expelled 21 members in U.S. history — 17 for supporting the Confederacy, three for bribery or fraud, and one senator for siding with the British in West Florida. Almost no precedent exists for expelling a sitting member for declaring loyalty to a foreign country. That’s what makes Ramirez’s admission so remarkable.

The Constitution is built on the premise that lawmakers must have allegiance to the United States — exclusively. The founders addressed the danger of foreign influence in the oath of office, in treason’s definition, and in George Washington’s Farewell Address warning against “entangling alliances” and urging that the “name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity,” must take precedence over all other allegiances.

Expelling Ramirez would reaffirm that basic principle. Her district in Chicago is nearly 30% foreign-born and 42% Latino, according to recent, questionable census data. Many in her district no doubt share her divided loyalties, but that does not excuse it in an elected representative to Congress. Democracy may have put her in office, but the Constitution provides a remedy when loyalty to another nation trumps loyalty to the United States.

RELATED: ‘Paperwork Americans’ are not your countrymen

Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Our draft resolution makes the case succinctly: Ramirez violated the oath she took upon entering office — to support and defend the Constitution and bear “true faith and allegiance to the same.” On May 14, she posted: “I swore an oath to protect the Constitution.” She remembers the oath well enough when it suits her politics.

If Congress cannot enforce that oath in the face of such a blatant breach, then the oath is meaningless.

No dual allegiances

Over the past few decades, Democrats have turned constitutional principles into political bargaining chips. Quiet subversion has given way to open defiance — nowhere more evident than in the immigration debate. Increasingly, they argue not over policy details, but over whether the United States should have immigration laws at all.

Republicans, for their part, have largely failed to confront this trend. Too often they negotiate away sovereignty in exchange for hollow compromises. That must end.

The line is simple: The United States cannot have a member of Congress whose primary allegiance is to Guatemala — or any other nation. Congress should act accordingly. Ramirez should be expelled.

​Opinion & analysis, Immigration, Illegal immigration, Anchor babies, Birthright citizenship, Delia ramirez, Dual loyalty, Guatemala, Guatemala first, America first, Allegiance, Founders, Constitution, Citizenship, George washington, Congress, Expel, Oath of office 

Some of the easiest ways for Democrats to pander to their audience are to entertain the idea of Trump’s impeachment or to tear up while discussing illegal aliens — which is why two senators couldn’t help themselves when recent opportunities to do just those two things arose.

“Why are there no calls for impeachment? This is unacceptable. I will not live in an authoritative country, and neither will any of these people. You can do more. I like you, and I will vote for you if you are brave and you do what we need. We need him impeached. We need him removed,” a woman said passionately to Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) at a town hall.

“There is no doubt that this president’s conduct has already exceeded any prior standard for impeachment by the United States House of Representatives. I agree with you. But as I said at the beginning, I also have no choice but to be candid with you about the situation,” Ossoff responded.

Ossoff went on to claim that to impeach, Democrats must “have a majority in the United States House of Representatives.”

“He just laid it out right there,” executive producer and co-host of “Pat Gray Unleashed” Keith Malinak says. “You give Democrats power, we will impeach President Trump regardless of what the issue is.”

Joining Ossoff in his delusion is Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who staged a theatrical display of fake tears while protesting America’s stance on deportations.

“Trump has gone too far. Even for his own supporters. When a father of three U.S. Marines is violently beaten and detained. When U.S. citizens are arrested for no other offense than the color of their skin,” Padilla said, close to tears.

“When a farm worker falls to their death during an ICE raid, we know it’s gone too far. Americans deserve a better path forward,” he continued, before introducing his new amnesty plan that would allow illegal immigrants amnesty after living in the U.S. for seven years.

“We’re going to reward you for living in the shadows successfully for seven years,” Malinak comments.

Gray takes Padilla’s plan a step further, joking, “If you’ve been breaking our laws for 20 years, we’re going to give you a new house.”

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Video, Camera phone, Upload, Video phone, Sharing, Free, Youtube.com, Pat gray unleashed, Pat gray, Keith malinak, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcast, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, President trump, President donald trump, The trump administration, Alex padilla, Impeachment, Trump impeachment, Jon ossoff, Illegal immigration, Amnesty 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent announcement has most of the MAHA movement feeling energized about the future of vaccines, including BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales — though she remains a little skeptical.

“At HHS, we have a division called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA,” he began. “BARDA drives some of our most advanced scientific research. It funds developments of vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and other tools to fight emerging diseases and national health threats.”

“Over the past few weeks, BARDA reviewed 22 mRNA vaccine development investments and began canceling them,” he continued.

The reasons behind these cancellations were that most of the shots were for flu or COVID, but the pandemic demonstrated that “mRNA vaccines don’t perform well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract.”

“Here’s the problem: mRNA only codes for a small part of the viral proteins, usually a single antigen. One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective. This dynamic drives a phenomen[on] called antigenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine,” he explained.

“After reviewing the science and consulting top experts at NIH and FDA, HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits for these respiratory viruses. That’s why after extensive review, BARDA has begun the process of terminating these 22 contracts totaling just under $500 million,” he concluded, noting that the agency will still be prioritizing the development of safer vaccine strategies.

Gonzales isn’t fully satisfied with RFK’s announcement.

“I’m glad that we’re not now investing $500 million worth of taxpayer money to mRNA technology that doesn’t work. But it is annoying to hear him like, ‘Okay, let me be clear before people call me an antivaxxer: We definitely support safe and effective vaccines,’” Gonzales says.

“Which ones are those?” she mocks.

However, despite her slight disappointment, she doesn’t believe that getting rid of vaccines immediately is the answer.

“You don’t want to do something that’s going to turn more people off than maybe intrigue them or spark some sort of a curiosity,” Gonzales says. “And I understand that you have to do this with intention. You have to do this the right way. You can’t just come in and upend the entire system.”

“So I’m actually happy with the way that he has addressed it so far,” she adds.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Sharing, Video phone, Video, Upload, Free, Camera phone, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blaze news, Blazetv, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Trump administration, Mrna vaccines, Vaccines, Anti vax, Anti vaxxer, Robert f kennedy jr, Rfk jr 

Some residents and local politicians in New Hampshire have sounded the alarm about national security concerns after a Chinese company purchased a large property near a small town’s water system.

Earlier this year, Nongfu Spring, one of China’s largest bottled water and soft beverages companies, quietly purchased a 337,391-square-foot industrial building on 23 acres in Nashua.

‘One does not become the richest man in that brutally repressive, expansionist country without close ties to … the CCP.’

Nongfu Spring, owned by China’s richest man, Zhong Shanshan, paid $67 million, four times the assessed value of the property, after it sat vacant for over a decade.

The company’s limited market in the U.S., the inflated sales price, and the building’s proximity to the Pennichuck water system, Nashua Airport, defense centers, and the Federal Aviation Administration control center only further raised suspicions about the purchase.

Professor Kerry K. Gershaneck, a visiting scholar at National Chengchi University and author of “Political Warfare: Strategies for Combating China’s Plan to ‘Win Without Fighting,'” told Blaze News, “For too long, CCP-affiliated entities have been purchasing strategically significant properties across the U.S., yet communist China does not allow American entities the same rights. Why would any ethical Granite State official tolerate this lack of reciprocity?”

Water access

Besides concerns prompted by the property’s close proximity to potentially sensitive infrastructure, some residents are further concerned about Nongfu Spring’s intent to acquire access to the nearby water system, which is owned by the city, to operate the facility.

Pennichuck Water Works insists that it has the capacity to meet the company’s needs.

Pennichuck CEO John Boisvert told the Keene Sentinel that supplying Nongfu Spring with water “falls within our existing withdrawal permits.”

“We’re permitted for over 30 million gallons a day. If you look at average day demands, we’re somewhere around 11 or 12 million gallons. In the summertime, we can go up to 20. We’ve got a lot of excess capacity in that withdrawal,” Boisvert said.

RELATED: China’s back door into our military? US recruiters use CCP-controlled messaging app to target Chinese nationals

CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

While some critics are concerned about the potential strain the facility will place on the local water supply, others are worried that Nongfu Spring has plans to outright purchase the town’s water plant.

Governor Kelly Ayotte (R) told NH Journal that she plans to monitor the deal to ensure that does not happen.

“It’s critical that we safeguard New Hampshire from foreign adversaries like China. We need to ensure we aren’t allowing any national security threat to take root in our state,” she told the news outlet.

Proponents of Nongfu Spring’s purchase argue that a water deal with Pennichuck could drive down costs for residents.

C. George Bower, the chairman of Pennichuck’s board of directors, told NH Journal, “We have fixed costs and variable costs, and a contract like this brings in an ongoing revenue stream that could help us control rates.”

“There is zero plan to sell the company; there is zero plan to sell any land. We have no land to sell,” Bower said.

About the company

In 1983, before starting Nongfu Spring, Zhong worked as a journalist for the Zhejiang Daily, the official paper of the Communist Party. Zhong, who also has a controlling stake in the pharmaceutical company Wantai Biological, became China’s richest man in 2020, surpassing Tencent’s Pony Ma and Alibaba’s Jack Ma.

‘Only after the story became public and residents started asking questions did they suddenly withdraw that request.’

Gershaneck told Blaze News, “Rational Granite State officials and citizens know that one does not become the richest man in that brutally repressive, expansionist country without close ties to — and proven obedience to — the CCP.”

“Totalitarian communist China’s strict national security laws require those of Chinese descent globally to support its spy organizations, wage political warfare designed to destroy our country and our friends and allies, and even assist in military operations on its behalf,” he added.

Gershaneck noted that the inflated sales price “raises legitimate questions as to other motivations behind this purchase beyond simply gaining access to fresh water to make fruit juice.”

Despite Zhong’s suspected connections to the Chinese Communist Party, Nongfu Spring faced boycotts last year driven by Chinese nationals. They accused the company of using Japanese-inspired designs on its bottles. Chinese nationals also expressed concerns that the Chinese company would be passed down to Zhong’s son, an American citizen who graduated from the University of California, Irvine, and is currently listed as a non-executive director at his father’s company.

The rampant online campaign reportedly dropped the company’s market capitalization by $3 billion and Zhong’s personal wealth by $2 billion.

It is uncertain whether the backlash affected Nongfu Spring’s decision to purchase property in New Hampshire, and the company’s intentions for the property are still unclear.

RELATED: University of Michigan now under fire after Chinese scholars allegedly smuggle bio-weapon

Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Community reaction

New Hampshire state Senator Kevin Avard (R) has been a vocal critic of the recent sale.

Avard told Blaze News that “within weeks” of purchasing the property, Nongfu Spring “filed a request to pump up to 2 million gallons of water a day from Nashua’s public water supply.”

“Only after the story became public and residents started asking questions did they suddenly withdraw that request,” he stated. “We fought hard years ago to keep Pennichuck’s water in public hands — we shouldn’t have to fight again to keep it out of foreign ones.”

He added, “I think it’s fair to ask: When billion-dollar companies with ties to a hostile foreign regime overpay for vacant property in New Hampshire, are they buying influence, buying silence, or both?”

The Chinese company’s New Hampshire property purchase is not an isolated situation. Avard noted that “another CCP business” bought a former college campus near Nashua Airport.

Lily Tang Williams, a Republican congressional candidate in New Hampshire and a survivor of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, similarly expressed concerns about Chinese businesses purchasing property in her back yard.

“Daniel Webster College located on a 54-acre campus next to Nashua Airport was sold to a Chinese businessman in 2018. The campus is largely inactive with some buildings rented out. This, just like China’s richest man’s water company real estate deal[,] were not reviewed by [the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States],” Tang Williams stated.

The Treasury Department and Nongfu Spring did not respond to a request for comment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, New hampshire, China, Chinese communist party, Ccp, Nongfu spring, Zhong shanshan, Kelly ayotte, Kerry k. gershaneck, People’s republic of china, Prc, Kevin avard, Lily tang williams, Nashua new hampshire, Politics