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A former chief of staff to Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has pled guilty in a corruption scandal that involves yet another top California Democrat who is now hoping to succeed Newsom in the governor’s mansion.

On Thursday, 53-year-old Dana Williamson, who worked as Newsom’s chief of staff from 2022 until 2024, pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, subscribing to a false tax return, and making false statements to a federal agent.

Becerra has had to answer tough questions about how he, the former top prosecutor in the state, did not know that hundreds of thousands of dollars were being stolen from him.

According to the plea agreement, Williamson participated in a money-laundering scheme involving two co-conspirators, Sean McCluskie and Greg Campbell. From February 2022 until November 2024, Williamson helped McCluskie steal money from the dormant campaign of McCluskie’s boss by billing the campaign for consulting services and then funneling that money to Campbell, who then passed it along to McCluskie under the guise of paying McCluskie’s spouse for “a no-show job.”

Once Williamson began working for Newsom, she managed to convince someone else to take over the scheme, though she remained involved in it, the agreement said.

McCluskie’s boss at that time was Xavier Becerra, the former California attorney general and Biden Health and Human Services secretary who is now running for governor. Becerra’s campaign account lost approximately $225,000 in the scheme, and Williamson has been ordered to pay that amount back in restitution as part of the agreement.

Becerra is not named in the plea agreement and has not been charged with any crime in connection with the case. However, he has had to answer tough questions about how he, the former top prosecutor in the state, did not know that hundreds of thousands of dollars were being stolen from him.

Becerra stated that he has cooperated fully with the investigation. He also described the betrayal of McCluskie, his former chief of staff, as a “gut punch.”

Newsom is also not mentioned by name in the plea agreement. When asked at a press conference Thursday about Williamson’s plea deal, Newsom expressed sympathy for her family but also claimed it was a matter of “accountability.”

A source linked to Newsom claimed that no one in the office ever witnessed any of Williamson’s criminal behavior but that the governor did place Williamson on administrative leave when the allegations first arose. Williamson left her government job shortly thereafter.

RELATED: Newsom lashes out at report of inmates using his tablet program to groom children — and Christopher Rufo fires back

Newsom and Becerra, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In addition to stealing from Becerra on McCluskie’s behalf, Williamson submitted a false tax return that claimed over $1.7 million in business expenses that were actually luxury items, food delivery services, private jet travel, veterinary care, and other nondeductible personal expenses, the agreement said.

She also lied to federal investigators, the Department of Justice said.

Williamson now faces a total of nearly 40 years in prison and over $2 million in fines and restitution. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9.

McCluskie pled guilty back in November to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, while Campbell pled guilty the following month to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit offenses against the United States. Both are scheduled to be sentenced June 4.

Becerra has surged in the California gubernatorial polls lately, especially after former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) dropped out of the race on account of his own scandals. The primary is scheduled for June 2, and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the general election in November.

RealClearPolitics polling average has Becerra running neck and neck with Republican candidate Steve Hilton.

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​Gavin newsom, California, Xavier becerra, Dana williamson, Politics 

Florida law enforcement officials are seeking who is responsible for vandalizing a historic cemetery that has ties to the black community.

Seventeen graves were vandalized at the Old Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s office.

‘It’s evil, messing with death. … This is crazy and heartbreaking.’

Concrete was broken at some graves and others were spray-painted with red paint at the 122-year-old burial grounds.

“I’m outraged and furious,” said Manatee County NAACP president Tracey Washington. “I’m very disturbed.”

One concrete grave was completely cracked open and collapsed inward. Investigators said the vandalism was done in the past few weeks, and they’re seeking help from the public in their investigation.

Washington said that many of her relatives are buried at the cemetery.

“I have my brother, grandfather, and grandmother here,” she added.

Bizarrely, one of the messages spray-painted on a grave read, “Trump,” and another read, “Ron DeSantis.”

“It’s evil, messing with death,” said Xtavia Bailey, who also has relatives buried at the cemetery. “These people aren’t bothering anybody. This is crazy and heartbreaking.”

“We need to find out who did this and get to the bottom of this,” Washington added. “This is totally unacceptable.”

RELATED: ‘Horror movie come to life’: Man faces nearly 600 charges after 100 skulls and skeletons were allegedly found in his home

Officials announced a community cleanup event that included the offer from a Palmetto cement company to create new vault lids and install them at no charge.

“This place has a lot of history, and it should be protected just like any other history we’ve got,” said Christopher Mullinex, who volunteered to donate concrete work to the effort.

Palmetto is a town of about 13K residents in central Florida.

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​Black community, Graves vandalized, Trump vandalism, Historic palmetto cemetery, Politics 

It’s been almost two months since President Trump took the bold step of officially forming the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

Since then, we have already uncovered tens of billions of dollars in defrauded taxpayer money, prosecuted dozens of fraudsters, and stopped billions in suspicious payments.

And we’re just getting started.

If you are defrauding the American taxpayer, we will find you and take you to court.

Our success raises an obvious question: Why has it taken the federal government until now to finally tackle fraud? Because Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson and I are taking a new approach.

Until President Trump’s inauguration, federal anti-fraud efforts have been defined by a “pay-and-chase” approach: Federal agencies like the Health and Human Services issue payments and then only take steps to identify fraud on the back end. The federal government might prosecute the alleged fraudsters — but only if the fraud is big enough.

It’s a flawed approach that has been predictably exploited. Every year, the United States loses about $250 billion to fraud but recovers only about $10 billion. Put plainly, “pay and chase” does nothing to actually stop fraud.

Our new approach starts with close coordination. We are orchestrating all federal agencies’ anti-fraud efforts from the White House. Rather than haphazard fraud mitigation, the task force is focusing agencies’ efforts on target programs where spending is high but anti-fraud protections are low. Using this approach, we are already uncovering major fraud scandals across a range of federal programs.

Kelly Loeffler at the Small Business Administration has referred $22 billion in fraudulent loans for collection. At the Department of Education, Linda McMahon has identified $1 billion in fraudulent student loans from “ghost students.” Brooke Rollins at the Department of Agriculture has identified 14,000 luxury-car owners receiving SNAP benefits in just one state.

We aren’t just identifying these fraudsters. We are ramping up federal prosecutions against them as well — not just because American taxpayers deserve justice, but because active enforcement holds fraudsters accountable and deters fraud in the first place.

Our message is simple: No fraud is too big or too small to prosecute. If you are defrauding the American taxpayer, we will find you and take you to court.

RELATED: Trump’s antitrust policy is working for everyday Americans

Aaron Schwartz/Sipa/Bloomberg/Getty Images

To do so, we established a new Fraud Division at the Department of Justice led by Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald.

In just the last two months, the division has executed 22 search warrants against fraudulent day-care centers in Minnesota, including the Quality Learing Center. It has also launched a major crackdown in Los Angeles against Medicare fraudsters who stole over $50 million and secured multiyear prison sentences against fraudsters in a $522 million health care scheme.

All across the country, fraudsters have been put on notice.

We are also ordering states to hold up their end of the bargain and prosecute fraudsters in the federal programs they oversee. We have sent letters to the governors in all 50 states instructing them to use their existing resources to identify and prosecute fraudsters in the Medicaid program.

Alongside aggressive prosecution, the task force is preventing fraud before taxpayer money leaves the federal government. Agencies will now release funds only when they are confident that a payment is legitimate and lawful.

As a result, Trump administration agencies are now establishing fraud indicators and analyzing data to detect patterns of fraud — things like unreasonable growth, impossible services, and other hallmarks of fraud. When an unacceptable risk of fraud is identified, the money stops.

We’re seeing this approach pay dividends already in one of the biggest federal programs: Medicare.

Dr. Mehmet Oz has identified nearly 800 suspected fraudulent providers of hospice and home health care services and withheld payment for their questionable services. So far, we have saved $1.4 billion in potentially fraudulent payments and have paused enrollment of additional providers.

This is an approach that works and will be scaled to other federal programs. The days of “pay and chase” are over. It’s time to prevent and prosecute.

Editor’s note: This op-ed was adapted from an X post by Vice President JD Vance.

​Fraud, Fraud prevention task force, Jd vance, Dr. oz, Medicare fraud, Quality learing center, Hhs, Snap benefits, Prosecuting fraud, Medicaid, Trump administration, Opinion & analysis 

You might not know it by watching algorithmically approved conservative media, but we are in the thick of primary season, with important red-state primaries taking place nearly every Tuesday. In most states, the primary outcomes these weeks will be of greater consequence than the general election in November.

Sadly, special interest-supporting liberal Republicans will likely win most races — often thanks to Trump’s support. However, last week’s Indiana Senate elections demonstrated that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Trump has scared away quality challengers in every single congressional primary by reflexively endorsing incumbents.

Last week, we were entreated to what it looks like to finally have a unified and organized movement. A group of liberal Republicans in the Indiana Senate blocked a core party initiative; in this case, it was redistricting, and all but one target was defeated.

Thanks to Trump endorsements and support from Turning Point USA, the Club for Growth, and Indiana Sen. Jim Banks (R), six or seven state senators were defeated. Along with two more conservatives who won in open districts, a quarter of the entire Senate GOP conference shifted to the right, meaning they will likely have the votes to replace the Senate president.

This victory raises an obvious question: How come we don’t see united movements in other red states to replace entrenched groups of liberal Republicans who buck the party platform and betray their voters?

Instead, we often see Trump endorse those incumbents, who then attack the few conservatives we currently have in legislative chambers. If Trump would only endorse the way he did in Indiana, we’d change the party in one election cycle. Unfortunately, in almost every other primary, the president has been a net liability.

Even in Indiana, the president was something of a double-edged sword, as he successfully re-elected two Senate RINOs — Liz Brown and Ron Alting — simply because they voted for redistricting, but they were horrible on numerous other issues. Jim Banks himself opposed Alting because he was a champion of transgenderism and illegal aliens.

In Congress, both Reps. Jefferson Shreve (Ind. 6) and Jim Baird (Ind. 4) were vulnerable. Shreve only won his race by five points, which means Trump’s endorsement likely made a difference. Baird is one of the original sponsors of Florida Republican Rep. Maria Salazar’s amnesty bill.

RELATED: Trump needs to denounce the Dignity Act

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Looking ahead to Idaho’s upcoming primary, conservatives are outraged over a video surfacing from Gov. Brad Little (R) lambasting those who oppose illegal immigration. The Freedom Caucus in the state has tried to shut off illegal labor, but Little and his allies are not only blocking those bills, they are funding challengers against the conservatives.

Little has been a thorn in the side of conservatives for years and only received 60% in his re-election during the 2022 primary. It was well understood that he’d have a hard time running for a third term in 2026, but he preemptively secured Trump’s endorsement, which all but ensured that quality candidates like Attorney General Raul Labrador could not get into the race.

Numerous primaries have already been canceled because of Trump’s endorsements.

Before he was assassinated, Charlie Kirk had endorsed Nate Morris for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat in Kentucky. Earlier this month, Trump endorsed establishment Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), forcing Morris out of the race in exchange for an ambassadorship.

Meanwhile, Trump has scared away quality challengers in every single congressional primary by reflexively endorsing incumbents. The only incumbent he is trying to unseat is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). As a conservative, I have some disagreements with Massie on Hamas, Islam, crime, drugs, and immigration in general, but we all know that Trump singling him out has more to do with Massie’s dissent on the issues we do agree on.

Then, of course, there is Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who just won yet another term thanks to a Trump endorsement. Conservatives complain bitterly about RINO senators wasting deep red states and undermining our ability to accomplish anything. Well, Capito is ground zero for this mismatch.

RELATED: How Republicans have failed to defund sanctuary cities for a generation

J. David Ake/Getty Images

In a state Trump won by 40 points, Capito is liberal on both fiscal and social issues and embodies the special interest and lack of heart, brain, and soul of the geriatric Senate GOP Conference that was led by Mitch McConnell.

Tom Willis, who was a state senator and Green Beret, was a viable challenger. Trump could have easily endorsed him and kept the seat in conservative hands, but he handed Capito another term. Capito also bankrolled a number of RINOs in the legislature who successfully fended off conservative challengers.

As conservatives scramble to push redistricting in southern states in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling, those who have slept through 10 years of Trump’s primary sabotage are surprised to find many RINOs in these supermajority Republican states who are recalcitrant to fully eliminate Democrat districts.

Tyler Bowyer, CEO of Turning Point Action, observed, “In deep red states like Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama — a large percentage of ‘moderate republicans’ are actually Democrats.”

The State Freedom Caucus Network has been valiantly fighting these people who have consistently been buttressed by Trump endorsements. The water is warm. It would be nice for conservative leaders with large followers or millions of dollars in PAC money to actually lead Trump rather than follow him and support the foot soldiers who are risking their livelihoods and careers to fight for the issues they post about.

​Freedom caucus, Illegal immigration, Red state, Thomas massie, Trump, Trump endorsements, Rino, Indiana, Gop primaries, State freedom caucus network, Opinion & analysis 

Christians face persecution across the globe — but one country has made it almost impossible for them to practice their faith, threatening torture, imprisonment, and execution simply because they believe in Jesus Christ.

That country is North Korea.

“If you’re even found to be in possession of a Bible, you and your entire family are likely going to be thrown into a concentration camp — a work camp — for the rest of your days, never to be heard of, never to be seen again,” CEO of Open Doors Ryan Brown tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey.

“To be identified as a Christian — to be found as a Christian — is the equivalent of a death sentence,” he says, pointing out that in North Korea, the highest authority isn’t God, but the state.

“And so, for Christians, who have a higher authority than the state — Christians are immediately seen as enemies of the state. They’re assumed to be enemies of the state or, in some cases, assumed to be allies of the West,” he explains.

There are also public executions of Christians.

“In many cases, if they feel like, OK, it’s been a little too long; we need to remind people that we’re in charge; we need to remind people what the consequences are,” he says.

However, despite the threat Christians face in North Korea, they refuse to give up.

“There are about 400,000 Christians in North Korea … and it is growing,” Brown says, explaining that Open Doors has set up safe houses across the border where “individuals are able to come be nursed back to physical health.”

“It … humbles me to see that there are men and women that have, in essence, escaped from North Korea, come to these safe houses, been nursed back to health, and their goal and their intent and what they have done is to go back to North Korea so they can continue to minister,” he explains.

“They’ve … taken a posture of ‘How can I be equipped so that I can go back and continue to share the gospel with my friends and neighbors?'” he adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

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

​Allie beth stuckey, Allie beth stuckey candace cameron bure, Bible, Blazetv, Christians, Concentration camp, Country, Execution, Faith, Globe, Imprisonment, Jesus christ, North korea, Open doors, Persecution, Relatable, Ryan brown, Torture, Death sentence, The blaze, Blazetev, Blaze media, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Relatable with allie beth stuckey 

Bodycam video caught the moment when a 38-year-old male ambushed and repeatedly stabbed a Florida deputy Wednesday.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Robert Fitch responded around 5 p.m. to the area of 11775 NW 10th Place in Dunnellon in reference to a suspicious person.

‘I should have killed you. You’re lucky I didn’t.’

Dunnellon is located on the west coast of Florida; it’s about an hour south of Gainesville and about an hour and a half north of Tampa.

As the deputy exited his vehicle, Heriberto Medina Marquez immediately ambushed him, causing the deputy to fall to the ground, officials said.

Marquez then climbed atop the deputy and repeatedly stabbed him in the chest before fleeing into a nearby wooded area, officials said.

RELATED: Female slashes face of 3-year-old boy she kidnapped at Walmart — and officers open fire: Police

Image source: Marion County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office bodycam video screenshot

But after another deputy arrived on the scene, Marquez emerged from the woods, and the deputies were able to take him into custody without further incident, officials said.

RELATED: ‘Despicable’ homicide suspect caught on body cam pointing gun at Florida deputy — and pulling trigger, cops say

Image source: Marion County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office bodycam video screenshot

Detectives arrested Marquez for attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, the sheriff’s office said.

After being placed in a patrol vehicle, Marquez was heard saying, “I should have killed you, bitch. You know that, right?”

He added, “I should have killed you. You’re lucky I didn’t.”

The following is bodycam video of the attack and arrest. Content warning: Language.

RELATED: Knifed for ‘being a Christian’? Suspect allegedly stabs man and his dog after asking about victim’s religion

Officials said the deputy suffered minor injuries during the attack — and that his bulletproof vest “saved his life.”

Following interviews and evidence gathering, major crimes detectives from the sheriff’s office determined Marquez intentionally attempted to take the life of Deputy Fitch.

RELATED: Knife-wielding thug who’s a convicted felon allegedly stabs Asian man nearly 20 times on train in what prosecutor calls a ‘random and incredibly violent’ attack

Medina Marquez. Image source: Marion County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office

Investigators recovered two folding knives at the scene, both with suspected fresh blood on them, the sheriff’s office told WKMG-TV.

Marquez was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was being held without bond, officials said. WKMG said he also was charged with providing a false name to law enforcement and resisting without violence.

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​Ambush, Arrest, Attempted murder, Bulletproof vest, Crime thwarted, Deputy stabbed, Florida, Jailed, Marion county sheriff’s office, Suspect stabs deputy, Suspicious person, Heriberto medina marquez, Crime 

The murder of a transgender student led to death threats against the scheduled speaker at a Turning Point USA event before the suspect turned himself in to police.

A 19-year-old transgender-identifying male was found dead in the laundry room of an off-campus apartment building near the University of Washington. Police said he was found with stabbing wounds.

‘I received over 200 explicit calls for violence.’

Some on the left responded by issuing death threats against detransition activist and speaker Chloe Cole, who was scheduled to appear at UW on Sunday. Cole posted a video decrying the hundreds of hateful messages she received before the event was canceled.

“There were local Antifa groups that were actually scheduling these large-scale protests, and there were so many people who I saw online, just out in the open, who were saying things like, ‘I hope you get Kirked,'” Cole said to Fox News.

The threat appeared to refer to the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA.

“I received over 200 explicit calls for violence from various groups and some individuals against me and the UW chapter,” Cole said in an email to Newsweek.

She said she is working to reschedule her speaking engagement at UW.

“I am personally determined to speak on that campus,” she added.

While liberals blamed TPUSA for the death of the transgender-identifying student, the Seattle Police Department released photographs Wednesday from surveillance video of the suspect they were seeking to identify.

The next day, police said the 31-year-old man turned himself in to police and was booked for murder.

RELATED: Teen transgender-identifying substitute teacher allegedly made online threats to Loudoun County school

Turning Point USA released a statement about the event cancellation.

“In light of this tragedy and by an overwhelming surge of violent threats directed at our chapter, threats that appear deliberately designed to falsely associate our peaceful event with the murder, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our upcoming event with Chloe Cole.”

They also condemned the “horrific act of violence” against the transgender-identifying student.

A spokesperson for the university told Newsweek they were unaware of any threats.

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​Tpusa threats, Uw trans student murder, Transgender murder, Chloe cole, Politics 

Former bartender and current Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is proving that no matter where you come from — or what ridiculous ideas you have — you can still be taken seriously as a potential candidate for president of the United States.

And BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere tells co-host Dave Landau that AOC, who is one of “the most famous politicians in America” while also being “a dunce,” is “surging to a lead in the 2028 primary for the first time.”

“AOC?” Dave asks, shocked.

“Yes, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” Stu replies.

“I just went blind in my right eye for a moment,” Dave jokes.

“It is legitimately possible that she could win,” Stu adds, before playing a clip of the congresswoman telling Ilana Glazer on the “It’s Open” podcast that billionaires “can’t earn” $1 billion.

“There’s a certain level of wealth and accumulation that is unearned. Right? You can’t earn $1 billion. You just can’t earn that. You can get market power. You can break rules. You can do all sorts of things. You can abuse labor laws. You can pay people less than what they’re worth. But you can’t earn that,” AOC explained.

“And so, you have to create a myth that since you didn’t earn that, you have to create a myth of earning it,” she added.

“I don’t have $1 billion,” Dave comments, “but I don’t trust anyone telling someone they didn’t earn the money they earned.”

“I don’t know when the country became this way,” Stu adds, “but they are this way now where you just get to, without accomplishing anything on your own, you get to just say that no one else deserves what they have achieved in their lives.”

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​Alexandria ocasio cortez, America, Aoc, Blazetv host, Cohost dave landau, Dave landau, Former bartender, President, Stu and dave, Stu and dave do america, Stu burguiere, United states, Alexandria ocasiocortez, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Blaze original 

Among the more popular celebrities to come out as a Trump supporter is Nicki Minaj, who revealed that an interaction with Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed her into the arms of the Republican president.

The rap artist said in an interview with Time that Newsom “completely ignored” her when she requested help over swatting attempts that threatened her safety.

Minaj said Luna’s help made her want to be more public about her political support for President Donald Trump.

While Minaj previously flirted with the Republican Party, she said that swatting innocents at her mansion in Los Angeles in 2022 and 2023 led her to seek help from Newsom. She posted the request on social media but said he never replied.

“He just completely ignored me, with all the money I spent in taxes,” she told Time.

Then in 2025, Minaj said she was contacted by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) after another swatting attempt. Luna connected the rapper with federal law enforcement as well as a private security firm that guards the congresswoman.

“I was shocked,” Minaj said. “I’d never seen anyone in politics treat me that way.”

Minaj said Luna’s help made her want to be more public about her political support for President Donald Trump. She also said she was put off by former President Barack Obama’s friendship with Jay-Z, the rapper and producer.

“I think Jay-Z ended up costing Obama a lot, whether he knows it or not,” she told Time. “Lots of rappers don’t like Jay-Z and were afraid to say it.”

Jay-Z’s company did not respond to a request for comment from Time.

Minaj has since made numerous public statements supporting Trump and his polices. She even appeared with Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, at a Turning Point USA event in Dec. 2025.

RELATED: Cardi B calls America ‘ghetto’ and complains about JD Vance in rant praising Saudi Arabia

“Many celebrities feel the way I do,” Minaj continued, “but they don’t say it. Sometimes you just need one brave person to get the brunt of the impact. I think I am the catalyst for that change.”

She added that she wanted to encourage others to come out of the closet with their Trump support.

“Hopefully when they see me and hear me speak and feel my energy,” she concluded, “that will make them say, ‘You know what: Who am I afraid of? What am I afraid of?'”

Minaj is one of the top-selling female rap artists in history, bested only by Cardi B, with whom Minaj is in a public feud.

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​Nicki minaj, Trump supporter, Gavin newsom, Celebrities for trump, Politics 

A bombshell report against the head of the U.S. Border Patrol preceded his resignation announcement Thursday.

Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said that he was leaving the office to spend time with his family and touted his success at shutting down the border.

Sources said he had been investigated twice but that the latest probe had been shut down after Kristi Noem came to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

“After over 37 years in public service to the people of the United States America, it is time for me to retire and return home to Texas to focus on my family and ranch,” wrote Banks in an email to Border Patrol employees.

The Washington Examiner reported that Banks had been under investigation for allegedly bragging about engaging with prostitutes while visiting Colombia and Thailand. Sources said he had been investigated twice but that the latest probe had been shut down after former Secretary Kristi Noem came to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

A former Border Patrol agent told the Examiner that Banks had allegedly tried to persuade the agent to join Banks on the prostitution trips.

“He’s going to third-world countries to take advantage of poor f**king women, which disgusts the hell out of me,” the agent claimed.

Banks had previously worked as the border czar for Texas during the Biden administration before being tapped for the federal position under President Donald Trump.

“To the men and women that will continue to wear the uniform and protect this great nation defending our borders and our sovereignty know this; you are protecting and defending the sovereignty of the greatest nation in the history of the world,” Banks continued in his email, “the nation that allowed a poor kid from a trailer park in central Georgia to not only serve his country in the military, but ultimately lead the finest law enforcement agency in this country as the Chief of the United States Border Patrol.”

Customs and Border Protection did not respond to the Examiner’s request for comment.

RELATED: Illegal alien activists OUTRAGED over ICE ‘abductions’ of Disney cruise crew members

An Examiner reporter noted that one of the Border Patrol agents had put Banks’ portrait in the trash after the announcement, as shown in a photo on social media.

Noem has since left the DHS, which is now headed up by Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Banks’ replacement will be chosen by Mullin, and the position does not need approval from the Senate.

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​Border patrol chief mike banks, Banks resigns, Prostitution allegations, Us border patrol, Politics 

California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is furious over a report claiming that his “digital equity” program has allowed death row inmates to watch pornography and groom children on the outside.

The report at City Journal quoted prisoners and others who said the restrictions on tablets provided by the Newsom program were easily circumvented by those seeking porn and children.

‘We have the receipts — and this is something the governor’s office simply cannot defend.’

Newsom, who is widely considered to be planning a presidential run, railed against the report on Wednesday.

“This is flat-out FALSE. This MAGA nonprofit provides ZERO evidence for its outrageous claims,” read the statement from his press office on social media.

“Their ‘sources’? Convicted murderers and a random guy who doesn’t even live in California. FACT: Prison tablets DO NOT provide open internet access. FACT: Communications are monitored, recorded, searchable, and investigated,” he added.

“FACT: These tablets are are [sic] used for education, rehabilitation, family communication, and reentry support proven to reduce crime — conveniently omitted from this propaganda post,” the statement concluded.

BlazeTV host Christopher Rufo, one of the authors of the report, fired back at the governor.

Rufo posted a list of all the sources cited in the story, including a “former high-ranking California prison official,” a dozen current inmates who say they are accessing porn on the tablets, and “federal prosecutors, who are pursuing charges against a prisoner for grooming a minor through his state-issued tablet.”

RELATED: Gavin Newsom tries to dunk on Trump and gets obliterated with online ridicule

One of the inmates who spoke about his tablet use was infamous rapist and serial killer Robert Maury, who claimed he had been able to get a topless photo from a psychology student in Germany. Maury said the female student hoped to get his comments for a class project in exchange. “Prisoners are using the state-issued tablets for nefarious and lurid purposes,” wrote Rufo on social media. “We have the receipts — and this is something the governor’s office simply cannot defend.”

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​Gavin newsom, California inmate tablet program, Digital equity, Christopher rufo, Politics 

The Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday in a high-stakes trucking case that impacts the legal recourse available to crash victims and their families.

Shawn Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II involved a December 2017 collision between two semi-trucks: one operated by the plaintiff, Shawn Montgomery, and the other by an individual employed by Caribe Transport II, a small motor carrier hired by freight broker C.H. Robinson Worldwide.

‘Today’s unanimous decision is a landmark victory for road safety and for every family that has suffered the devastating consequences of negligent freight brokering practices.’

While parked on the shoulder of an interstate highway in Illinois, Montgomery claimed his truck was rear-ended at high speed, causing severe and permanent injuries, including the amputation of his leg. Montgomery filed his lawsuit against the driver, the carrier, and the freight broker. He accused C.H. Robinson of “negligent hiring,” citing Illinois common law.

C.H. Robinson argued that the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act pre-empted Montgomery’s claim. A spokesperson for the company previously told Blaze News that “a single, uniform federal framework” is vital for road safety, while “a patchwork of state tort laws” would ultimately “undermine that system.”

The issue before SCOTUS was whether the FAAAA pre-emption provision blocks state common-law claims against freight brokers for negligently hiring unsafe trucking carriers or whether such claims are saved under the statute’s safety exception that preserves state authority.

After hearing oral arguments in the case two months ago, SCOTUS unanimously sided with Montgomery on Thursday, determining that C.H. Robinson’s counterargument was “unpersuasive” and that the FAAAA does not pre-empt state common-law negligent-hiring claims against freight brokers.

“Montgomery’s negligent-hiring claim thus falls within the FAAAA’s safety exception, which saves it from preemption,” SCOTUS’ majority opinion, written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, reads.

“Even if the FAAAA otherwise preempts Montgomery’s negligent hiring claim against C.H. Robinson, the safety exception saves it. The relevant text provides that the FAAAA’s preemption provision ‘shall not restrict the safety regulatory authority of a State with respect to motor vehicles,’” it continues.

RELATED: Trump’s DOJ takes a side in high-stakes SCOTUS trucking dispute — and it may not be the one you expect

Joe Raedle/Newsmakers

Rena Leizerman, from the Law Firm for Truck Safety and co-counsel for Montgomery, told Blaze News, “Today’s unanimous decision is a landmark victory for road safety and for every family that has suffered the devastating consequences of negligent freight brokering practices. The Court reaffirmed that bad actors cannot escape responsibility for the harm they cause.”

C.H. Robinson stated that it is “disappointed” with SCOTUS’ 9-0 decision.

“Our hearts continue to go out to the victims of truck accidents,” Dorothy Capers, chief legal officer at C.H. Robinson, said in a statement provided to Blaze News. “Safety is foundational to who we are — our employees and their families travel these same roads, and our business depends on safe freight delivery. While we are disappointed in the Court’s decision, we will continue to operate responsibly, support stronger federal enforcement, and work constructively with regulators, carriers, and customers to strengthen the national safety system and support safe, reliable transportation across the country.”

“As Justices Kavanaugh and Alito stated in the concurrence, ‘Importantly, the Court’s decision today should not be read to mean that brokers will routinely be subject to state tort liability in the wake of truck accidents,’” Capers said, quoting a concurring opinion from Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito.

RELATED: DOT’s Duffy earns high praise from American truckers for turning industry concerns into real policy wins

Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

American Truckers United, which previously filed an amicus brief supporting Montgomery, stated that it is “profoundly grateful to God for this miracle,” calling the ruling “a major victory for hardworking American truck drivers and the communities they serve.”

“This ruling clearly recognizes that highway safety demands full accountability from every participant on our nation’s roadways,” the ATU said in a statement provided to Blaze News. “For years, an unfair ecosystem was allowed to flourish because certain profiteers operated behind a shield of presumed immunity. This imbalance pitted Main Street trucking companies against Wall Street freight brokers, undermining fair competition, costing countless American trucking jobs, devastating responsible trucking companies, and contributing to an untold number of preventable deaths on our highways.”

Louie Cook, a lawyer who specializes in brokerage liability, told Blaze News that he is “grateful” for the high court’s decision, stating that it will “act as a safeguard to highway safety, critical American infrastructure, and ensure a fair playing field in the transportation industry.”

“This is part of what makes our country special, that one man named Shawn Montgomery through conviction of right and wrong can make the world a better place,” Cook said. “This ruling means that families all across the country will finally have the opportunity to hold the main benefactors of chameleon carriers accountable.”

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​News, American trucking industry, Trucking industry, Trucking, Shawn montgomery v caribe transport ii, Montgomery v caribe, Shawn montgomery, Ch robinson, C.h. robinson, Illinois, Federal aviation administration authorization act, Faaaa, Supreme court, Scotus, Amy coney barrett, Brett kavanaugh, Samuel alito, Atu, Louie cook, Politics 

According to BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock, one of the biggest obstacles holding black Americans back is the embrace of a culture centered on race instead of faith, family, and discipline.

“As black people, we have chosen a culture — black culture — a colorized, a color-coded culture, and we act like this choice in culture is equal to every other culture out there,” Whitlock explains.

“Now, I don’t believe … white people, or even other people, are making culture choices based on skin color,” he continues, explaining that “family culture” is a better path that people from all over the world choose.

“Then there are people that choose Christian culture, and they try to adhere to biblical values and a biblical worldview. Here in America, black Americans, though, we are the only group that I’m aware of that chooses a culture based on skin,” he adds.

Whitlock explains that this is why no one actually has a problem with their skin color but rather with the culture they have chosen.

“If you’ve chosen a culture that centers emotion and emotional outbursts and emotional displays, don’t be surprised when people that have chosen cultures that de-emphasize emotion and emphasize self-control and logic and respectful behavior and family structure … when they say, ‘Hey man, I don’t want that culture around me,’” he says.

Chi Brown believes black culture originated as a “counterculture.”

“’We have to be opposed to what white people are doing because we don’t want to look white,’” Brown tells Whitlock. “I don’t know. It’s this anti-white thing. And I think that’s what’s driving a lot of this behavior, personally.”

“It’s really not a pro-black culture,” Whitlock agrees. “It’s an anti-white culture.”

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​Antiwhite culture, Biblical values, Biblical worldview, Black americans, Black culture, Blaze media, Blaze news, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Blaze podcast network, Blaze podcasts, Blazetv, Chi brown, Christian culture, Colorized colorcoded culture, Counterculture, Culture centered race, Emotional outbursts, Faith family discipline, Jason whitlock, Jason whitlock harmony, Problack culture, Skin color, The blaze, Whitlock 

As conservative Texans are buzzing about EPIC City — a proposed 402-acre master-planned Muslim-centric residential development near Josephine, Texas — there’s an operative Islamic compound with massive expansion plans in the state that is going virtually unnoticed.

On this episode of “Come and Take It,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales rips the curtain back on the Al-Huda Islamic Center in Katy, Texas.

– YouTube

Despite its official branding, which Sara calls “misleading,” the 30-acre Al-Huda Islamic Center, which currently serves as a mosque and an event space for Muslim-centered activities, has detailed plans to expand into something far greater than a basic “center.”

This project involves adding a full K-12 school, an Islamic college, apartment buildings for residents, a health clinic, an indoor swimming pool, sports facilities, and a shopping strip to make it a complete self-sustaining Muslim residential community.

Sara immediately sees red flags.

“Maybe that health clinic looks the other way if husbands have to get their wives in line. … What’s the other benevolent reason to have a health clinic on site?” she asks.

These types of projects, she argues, are one way Muslims are aiming to “conquer the West.”

While these communities always pledge to abide by U.S. law — which means no Sharia law — Sara is not convinced they actually mean it.

As evidence, she points to the founder, president, and lead imam behind the Al-Huda Islamic Center, Dr. Main Alqudah, who is a professor of Sharia and Islamic finance. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has “a 15+ year record of analyzing contracts and dispute to ascertain Sharia compliance.”

“Isn’t that interesting?” says Sara.

“He comes here and he’s not interested in constitutional compliance; he’s not actually interested in American law-and-order compliance. He’s interested in Sharia compliance.”

But Dr. Alqudah’s background gets even more disturbing.

In 2009, he issued a fatwa — an Islamic legal opinion — for the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America titled “Wife beating,” in which he argued that after a husband has tried other “peaceful remedies” to correct his wife’s behavior, he is then “allowed to beat his wife in a symbolic way without actually doing her any physical harm.”

“I mean, you just beat her a little bit,” scoffs Sara.

Further, according to the RAIR Foundation’s investigative reporting and court records, Dr. Main Alqudah has a controversial immigration history. He allegedly entered the U.S. in 2000 on a temporary religious worker visa, overstayed after it expired in 2004, and was placed in deportation and removal proceedings in 2005.

Per RAIR’s reporting, during hearings, Dr. Alqudah allegedly admitted close family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. After he lost his asylum appeal at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2013, an immigration judge later granted him lawful permanent residence around 2018-2019, despite continued government opposition and appeals.

“Somehow, he is ruling the roost over in Katy, Texas,” says Sara in disbelief.

“We need every official in the state of Texas looking into every single avenue and every loophole that we can use to shut all of these things down,” she urges.

To hear more, watch the episode above.

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​Come and take it, Come and take it with sara gonzales, Dr main alqudah, Epic, Epic city, Epic city texas, Fatwa, Islam, Islamification, Josephine texas, Katy texas, Muslim brotherhood, Radical imam, Sara gonzales, Sharia law, Texas, Come & take it 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino responded to concerns about high ticket prices for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and said that he believes tickets have to be at least somewhat expensive.

Infantino spoke at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on May 5 and commented on news stories that have shown massive ticket resale prices, sometimes reaching millions of dollars.

World Cup tickets have quickly spiraled out of control and reached heights of more than $2 million.

With around 500 million ticket requests for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Infantino boasted that 25% of the tickets available for the World Cup group stage can be bought for less than $300. However, when it comes to the massive average price — around $1,600, according to YNet — Infantino said it isn’t wise to sell tickets at low prices.

“I think there are certain elements that we need to understand,” he said at the conference.

“We are in a market which — in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates.”

The FIFA boss further justified the prices by saying that if ticket prices are too low, they will be resold for even more than they are currently.

“In the U.S., it is permitted to resell tickets as well,” Infantino explained. “So if you were to sell tickets at a price which is too low, these tickets would be resold at a much higher price.”

RELATED: 85-year-old hockey scout compliments female reporter — so team gets fined $5,000

– YouTube

Infantino’s claims have been tested to at least some degree, and while common sense suggests that a lower initial price results in a lower resale price, higher ticket prices arguably give less incentive for resellers to scoop up tickets if the cost is already near market value. In that regard, the effort to resell would not be worth a slimmer profit margin.

Lower prices, whether they be for hype or for fan appreciation, tend to result in resales that more accurately represent market value. However, higher initial prices definitely allow vendors to take a larger cut of the profits that they would not otherwise get.

The logic gets very complex, and even a massive study by the FTC, which looked at concert ticket sales for 18 top artists, still wrote, “None yet,” as their conclusion.

Whatever the right formula is, World Cup tickets have quickly spiraled out of control and reached heights of more than $2 million.

According to Forbes, tickets for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., are being resold for up to $2,299,998.85 per ticket. These prices exist on FIFA’s own resale website, on which the organization takes a 15% fee from both buyers and sellers.

“It doesn’t mean that the tickets cost $2 million,” Infantino explained.

“It doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets. Actually, if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million, I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke,” he joked.

RELATED: Americans likely to outnumber foreigners at World Cup despite record ticket sales

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

Tickets to matches like Iraq vs. Norway in Foxborough, Mass., on June 16 are still selling for more than $9,844 at the time of this writing, while resellers for United States vs. Australia in Seattle on June 19 are asking for up to $25,000.

The executive said his tickets were still priced better than the average U.S. college sports event.

“You cannot go to watch, in the U.S., a college game — not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level — for less than $300. And this is the World Cup,” he added.

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​2026 world cup, Event tickets, Fearless, High ticket prices, Metlife stadium, Pricing, Tickets, Venue tickets, World cup, Sports 

Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt is taking on TMZ after the entertainment gossip site tried to undermine his campaign to become the mayor of Los Angeles.

Pratt has been fighting off allegations that he doesn’t meet the residency requirements to run for mayor because his home burned down during the Pacific Palisades fires in January 2025.

‘I don’t need to sleep there every night. I don’t need to go number two on that toilet. That is where I live.’

The 42-year-old actor has fired back at these claims by pointing out that California law allows victims of wildfires to continue living on their burned-out lots while rebuilding. He placed an Airstream trailer on the lot to live in but admits that the family also resides in Santa Barbara at times.

On Wednesday, TMZ reported that Pratt isn’t living in the trailer at all but is instead renting a room at the ritzy Bel-Air hotel, further complicating the residency question.

He called in to the TMZ offices and angrily defended himself.

“That is where I live, period. I don’t need to sleep there every night. I don’t need to go number two on that toilet. That is where I live,” he said.

His political opponents used the report to try to discredit his campaign.

TMZ followed up its report by posting a poll on the X platform to gauge the response to the report — and it did not go well for the outlet.

“Would you consider Spencer Pratt’s campaign ad misleading now that it’s revealed that he lives in one of LA’s premier hotels rather than the trailer on his lot?” the poll asked.

“Yes, tell the truth!” received only 6% of support, while the vast majority agreed with the statement “No, his house is gone!”

More than 10,000 people responded, and 94% of them said the report did not persuade them against Pratt’s campaign.

Pratt also claimed that he had to be at a hotel because of threats made against him by “psychopaths” online.

RELATED: Spencer Pratt releases powerful video for Mother’s Day — and it’s devastating for Democrats

Pratt and his supporters have also excoriated critics for using the tragic loss of property against him — when it was the alleged incompetence of Mayor Karen Bass (D) that led to the massive destruction.

The former reality TV star had an impressive performance at the first debate of the mayoral campaign last week. He was especially effective against Councilwoman Nithya Raman, a socialist Democrat and democratic socialist running on far-left policy proposals.

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​Tmz gossip, Spencer pratt, Residency issues, Los angeles mayoral election, Politics 

An intruder broke the glass front door of a home in northern Hopkins County, Texas, on Tuesday and reached inside, officials said.

But the homeowner was prepared for just such an emergency.

‘Man has the right to protect his home.’

Upon arrival at the residence, investigators reviewed Ring doorbell camera video, which showed an individual — identified as Buck Clary — striking the glass front door of the residence while yelling, officials said.

Clary subsequently broke a portion of the glass and reached inside the home, officials said.

With that, the homeowner shot through the door, striking Clary, officials said.

Hopkins County EMS took Clary to a local medical facility, where the justice of the peace later pronounced him dead.

RELATED: Elderly Texas homeowner armed with hunting rifle spots burglar who broke through back door. It doesn’t end well for intruder.

Officials said the incident remains under active investigation.

A handful of commenters under the sheriff’s office post about the incident seemed decidedly behind the homeowner:

“[Justified] shoot if you ask me,” one commenter said. “Sorry he died, but he died [because of] his own actions.””FAFO!” another user exclaimed.”Man has the right to protect his home,” another commenter declared.”Wow,” another user reacted.

Other commenters under the Facebook post from KYTX-TV about the incident arrived at similar conclusions:

“My welcome sign says, ‘This door is locked for your safety, not mine,'” one commenter shared.”As it should be,” another user said.”Texas wins again,” another commenter observed.”He asked for it. Good job,” another user wrote.”Great job to the homeowner,” another commenter noted.”If the door is shut and locked, visitation time is over,” another user quipped. “It was locked, so you got the Glock …””Thank you for saving the taxpayers money,” another commenter said.

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​Break-in, Intruder, Home invasion, Texas, Homeowner shoots intruder, Fatal shooting, 2nd amend., Guns, Gun rights, Hopkins county sheriff’s office, Crime 

I love dogs. I have two: a pug and a Jack Russell. They run my house like they pay the mortgage.

The pug snores like a dying lawn mower and produces gas that has, on numerous occasions, cleared a room of human beings. The Jack Russell stares at the mailman the way Manson stared at juries. They’re a handful, but they are mine. So please know that what follows comes from a co-conspirator, not a critic.

Pet humanization is one of the most reliable consumer trends of the past two decades: recession-resistant and demographically expanding.

Golden Child is the latest entrant in America’s premium pet food gold rush, a venture-backed, direct-to-consumer brand that thinks your dog should be treated like royalty. It pitches itself as a wellness system for canines, and that’s exactly what it is. There are recipes and drizzles. There is talk of amino acids and gut flora, the kind of language once reserved for humans recovering from something serious. There are five-star meal plans at $90 a month.

The dogs in question, meanwhile, eat their own vomit when no one is looking.

Dog’s life

The product is fine. The cultural moment producing it is the problem. Americans now spend roughly $158 billion a year on their pets (the combined GDP of Azerbaijan and Bolivia). A meaningful slice of that goes to food alone, and the premium tier keeps climbing while regular grocery budgets shrink. Households that order DoorDash four nights a week and that haven’t touched a vegetable since a wedding in 2022 are reading ingredient labels on dog food the way oncologists read blood panels. The Labrador eats grass-fed bison sourced from a single Montana ranch. The owner eats a frozen burrito over the sink.

A Pew survey found that 51% of dog owners consider their pet as much a part of the family as a human member. Estate lawyers, one assumes, have noticed. Wills are being rewritten. Somewhere, a daughter is being cut for a dachshund.

The figure climbs even higher among Millennials and Gen Zers, who are having fewer kids, getting married less, and writing personal essays in which their dogs appear as therapists, life partners, and the last remaining reason to get out of bed. For many, a labradoodle has assumed the role of romantic partner, co-parent, and emergency contact. There is a real and growing market of people who tell pollsters they would rather come home to a dog than a spouse.

RELATED: Modern pet ownership is a mental illness

Tommaso Boddi/GC Images/Getty Images

Petting zoo

To some, this looks like harmless eccentricity. It is, in fact, the visible surface of a deeper rearrangement. A generation of people are pouring into their pets the care and attention they cannot seem to direct at themselves or at one another. The dog gets the supplements. The dog gets the bone-broth topper. The dog gets the orthopedic bed engineered by a former Tesla designer. The owner, meanwhile, hasn’t seen a primary care doctor in four years and sleeps on a mattress purchased during the Obama administration.

Wellness, as a cultural product, has performed a strange migration. It started as a self-improvement promise, mutated into an aesthetic, and has now landed on the family pet, where it can be practiced without the burden of self-discipline.

Buying Golden Child is easier than cooking dinner. Researching your dog’s microbiome is more pleasant than confronting your own. The dog cannot push back, cannot disappoint you, cannot leave. Devotion flows in one direction and returns as tail wags. It is the most effortless emotional transaction available in modern American life.

To be clear, companies like Atomic (the venture studio behind Golden Child) aren’t villains. They’re simply responding rationally to a market that has decided dogs are the last acceptable recipients of unconditional generosity.

Pet humanization is one of the most reliable consumer trends of the past two decades: recession-resistant, demographically expanding, and immune to the kind of guilt that suppresses other luxury spending. A Birkin invites judgment. A supplement regimen for your dog’s joints invites applause.

Paw patrol

Zoom out, and the absurdity compounds. American life expectancy fell during the pandemic and has barely recovered. Roughly half of adults take a daily prescription medication. Anti-anxiety drug use among young adults has risen sharply in recent years. One-third of Americans now report what can only be described as an existential crisis. More and more are self-medicating — with alcohol, with drugs, with whatever is closest.

The same population producing these numbers is the population debating whether the schnauzer should be on a raw or gently cooked diet. The schnauzer, for the record, would devour a sock, cough it up, and devour it again.

Of course dogs deserve to be treated well. They should be cared for, fed properly, and protected. But people spending more on their pets than on themselves or the people around them ought to pause and reconsider.

Loving animals well is a real and decent thing, and dogs deserve a great deal of what they receive. The discomfort lies elsewhere. Somewhere along the way, caring for a dog became a substitute for the far less photogenic work of caring for ourselves and each other.

​Dogs, Wellness, Pets, Culture, Golden child, Premium dog food, Lifestyle 

A black teen in North Carolina has allegedly terrorized his community in more ways than one in just the past couple of weeks.

On May 2, Taquon Jameek Vereen, 18, was arrested after police in Fayetteville received reports of a suspect spray-painting a swastika on a building. A social media video also suggested a suspect was spray-painting swastikas on other properties as well, police said.

The Observer made no mention of Vereen’s race.

Officers identified Vereen as the suspect and took him into custody without incident. He was charged with two counts of damage to real property and one count of second-degree trespassing, police said.

Court documents revealed that Vereen is accused of spray-painting swastikas on public property — “two stop signs and one traffic light control box” — as well as on the side of a convenience store from which Vereen had been banned back in April.

The Fayetteville Police Department statement described Vereen as a “black male, 18 years of age.”

In its report about the incident, the Fayetteville Observer specifically noted that swastikas are “widely recognized as symbols of hate” that are “commonly associated with Nazi ideology and white supremacist groups.” However, the Observer made no mention of Vereen’s race.

RELATED: Video of man lurking in KKK garb unnerves Rhode Island residents — police say it is not what it seems

Photo of swastika graffiti in Brooklyn in March 2026 by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis/Getty Images

Vereen posted bond on May 6 in connection with the swastika case, court records showed. Just six days later though, he was back in custody, this time in connection with an even more serious incident.

On Tuesday, Vereen was arrested after he was “walking down the roadway pointing a handgun at bystanders and passing vehicles,” police claimed, citing witness statements.

When cops arrived at the intersection in question, located about a half-mile from the swastika-tagged convenience store, they spotted the suspect, who immediately attempted to flee on foot. He was quickly apprehended and identified as Vereen.

A handgun was recovered at the scene, police said.

Vereen was charged with going armed to the terror of people and assault by pointing a gun. As of Thursday morning, he is not listed among the inmates at the Cumberland County Detention Center website, but a representative at the jail confirmed to Blaze News that Vereen remains in custody and has a hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

A public defender for Vereen did not respond to a request for comment.

H/T: Stephen Horn

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​North carolina, Cumberland county, Fayetteville, Taquon vereen, Swastika, Politics 

Artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace far beyond society’s ability to control it, and new experiments are fueling fears regarding what that could mean for humanity’s future.

“These artificial intelligence systems have to be aligned with the goals, behaviors, decisions, human values that we have, our ethics, our intentions, and it has to have guard rails, and it has to be guided and carefully monitored,” Gray says.

But when Gray plays an informational video on AI, it doesn’t appear that his idea of what AI should be will be how it plays out.

In the video, it’s revealed that research from Anthropic found that AIs will do “disturbing things to gain power,” like resorting to “malicious behavior” including “blackmail and leaking sensitive information.”

In some cases, AIs “deliberately ended human lives to save themselves.”

“They’ve been programmed to continue to do whatever they do. And so, they will in many cases lie, cheat, steal, kill, in order to achieve their goal. So it’s not aligned with ours yet. And ours needs to be that you don’t harm humans,” Gray comments.

“I haven’t disagreed with anything you’ve said here, but I do want to put this in there,” executive producer Keith Malinak chimes in.

“We can’t agree as a society of humans on the definition of what is a woman. So there are so many things that we can’t get aligned with as a human race. How can we expect us to properly program, or have AI follow our shared values?” he asks.

“What are our shared values?” he adds.

“Yeah, we don’t have them anymore,” Gray agrees.

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​Artificial intelligence, Blackmail, Blaze media, Blaze news, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Blaze podcast network, Blaze podcasts, Blazetv, Executive producer, Harm humans, Human lives, Human race, Human values, Humanitys future, Keith malinak, New experiments, Pat gray, Pat gray unleashed, Societys ability, The blaze