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While many in the media praised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his response to life-threatening weather conditions this winter, the socialist has changed his mind on one policy with allegedly lethal consequences.

Mamdani had criticized sweeps of homeless encampments intended to keep people from dangerous winter conditions, in favor of allowing them to stay outside.

Critics of Mamdani’s homeless policy predicted it would lead to people dying.

“If you are not connecting homeless New Yorkers to the housing that they so desperately need, then you cannot deem anything you’re doing to be a success,” he said in January.

On Wednesday, Mamdani confirmed he had reversed the policy and would reinstate the sweeps. The Department of Homeless Services will take the lead on conducting them.

The city has intermittently declared a Code Blue situation since January 23, which means weather conditions are so dangerous that officials should take every reasonable effort to protect homeless people from the elements. Mamdani admitted that his socialist plan should not have applied during the Code Blue conditions.

“We knew that that is a policy that we would only deliver on once the prolonged Code Blue came to an end, because, as we know, in a Code Blue, the focus should be on getting homeless New Yorkers inside, not on the question of how we respond to structures,” Mamdani said.

At least 19 New York City residents died outdoors during the historic cold snap, though it is unclear whether any of these deaths can be directly linked to the mayor’s homeless policies.

That lack of clarity is partly due to the Mamdani administration seizing the means of communication related to the cold deaths from the NYPD.

Critics of Mamdani’s homeless policy predicted it would lead to people dying.

“The radical left communists would rather the homeless freeze to death on the streets, live in tents without showers food or medicine than make sure they have PROPER housing and mental health treatment which many of them desperately need,” Republican NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov said in January.

Others have since linked the deaths to policy failures.

“These deaths are not inevitable,” City Council Speaker Julie Menin said. “They are the result of gaps in outreach, shelter capacity, mental health services, and follow-up.”

RELATED: Homeless man with violent criminal past allegedly kidnapped student after injecting him with unknown substance

Despite the deaths, Mamdani faced criticism from the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless for reinstating the sweeps.

“These sweeps failed on multiple fronts: They were inhumane, stripping unhoused New Yorkers of their few belongings and eroding trust in city services, and they were ineffective, doing little more than pushing people out of sight,” reads a statement from the organizations.

The groups also accused Mamdani of “another broken promise.”

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​Mamdani homeless deaths, Mamdani reverses course, Socialist policies lead to death, Homeless deaths, Politics 

A newly released text message appears to substantiate rumors that Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) had an affair with a staffer who later fatally self-immolated.

Regina Santos-Aviles reportedly sent a message to her co-worker in April 2025 saying she had an affair with Gonzales, who himself is married and has children.

‘You blame me? Are you kidding me?’

“I had [an] affair with our boss and I’m fine,” the now-deceased 35-year-old aide said in a text exchange obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.

Mere months after this confession, Santos-Aviles set herself on fire in the back yard of her home, passing away from her injuries the following day on September 14, 2025.

RELATED: Crockett hits back, says Colbert is full of it: ‘They just didn’t want to air it’

Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Gonzales has repeatedly dodged questions about the nature of his relationship with Santos-Aviles, telling the New York Post in a statement Wednesday that he was “not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans.”

“Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place,” Gonzales said in the statement. “Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, health care, and rural water like never before.”

Gonzales was nearly successfully primaried in 2024 by Brandon Herrera, a popular gun YouTuber with over four million subscribers, who called the scandal “completely unacceptable.”

“This is completely unacceptable behavior for anyone, let along a sitting member of Congress,” Herrera said in a post on X Wednesday. “Tony must step down.”

Gonzales noted in his statement to the Post: “It’s shameful that Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started.”

RELATED: ‘Loser mentality!’ Sparks fly as Texas Republicans spar to succeed Ken Paxton in debate moderated by Allie Beth Stuckey

Photo by Scott Stephen Ball for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Herrera responded to Gonzales’ pointed accusations.

“You blame me? Are you kidding me? Tony Gonzales is an irredeemable coward, who dodges accountability and lies to the people,” Herrera said. “This started with my problems with your votes in Congress, but now I understand you are a horrifically wicked man who must be removed.”

Herrera is once again running to unseat Gonzales, who secured an endorsement from President Donald Trump in December ahead of the March 3 primary.

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​Texas, Brandon herrera, Tony gonzales, Regina santos-aviles, House republicans, Texas republicans, Donald trump, Republican primary, 2026 primary, Congress, Politics 

The Vatican’s top diplomat says Pope Leo XIV will not be accepting President Donald Trump’s invitation to the Board of Peace intended to broker peace in Gaza.

The initiative already includes leaders from 26 countries, including Argentina, Hungary, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Others have expressed interest in joining.

‘Of course the administration wants all those who were invited to join the Board of Peace to join.’

The president extended an invitation to the pope last month, according to a statement from the Vatican’s top diplomatic official, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

He said at the time that they were considering the invitation, but on Tuesday Parolin said the pope would not participate in the board.

“One concern is that at the international level it should above all be the [United Nations] that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted,” Parolin said.

Parolin previously expressed that the Vatican would not be able to contribute financially, as is required of other states participating in the initiative.

“We are not even in a position to do that,” he said. “However, evidently we find ourselves in a different situation with respect to other countries, so it will be a different consideration, but I think the request will not be to participate financially.”

The White House called the decision “deeply unfortunate” in a media briefing Wednesday.

“I don’t think that peace should be partisan or political or controversial. And of course the administration wants all those who were invited to join the Board of Peace to join,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

“This is a legitimate organization where there are tens of member countries from around the world,” she added.

The board includes the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump heads the initiative.

The Board of Peace was established as part of a 20-point proposal developed by the White House that included demilitarizing and rebuilding Gaza. The plan was announced in a media briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Sept. 2025.

RELATED: New York Times writer mocked and ridiculed for regurgitating bizarre NPR claim against Israel in Gaza war

“This is the closest we’ve ever come to real peace,” Trump said. “Not fake peace. Not political fools’ peace.”

“This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way,” Netanyahu said at the time. “But it will be done. We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done.”

“If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi, you will have our full backing to do what you have to do,” the president responded.

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​Pope leo vs trump, Trump board of peace in gaza, Pope refuses board of peace, Pope leo and gaza, Politics 

A federal grand jury indicted several Louisville, Kentucky, residents on February 4 for their alleged involvement in illegally selling driver’s licenses to immigrants.

Melissa Moorman, a former clerk at Louisville’s Nia Center Licensing Branch, stated that she alerted her supervisor and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in October 2024 that several of her co-workers were involved in a fraudulent scheme.

‘As alleged in the indictment, this fraudulent scheme involved kickbacks and bribes leading to numerous legally present, non-US citizens obtaining unlawfully issued drivers licenses.’

Moorman told WDRB in August that her colleagues sold licenses to illegal immigrants who could not otherwise legally obtain them, charging them $200 per license. She claimed they were unlawfully selling these licenses four or five times per day for at least two years at multiple driver’s licensing branches across the state.

“The employees were being paid under the table,” Moorman previously told WDRB. “I immediately let my supervisor know.”

Moorman stated that two co-workers began using her computer login to issue licenses illegally after her supervisor instructed her to share her login information, as not all employees had their own.

Moorman claimed that fraudulent Social Security cards and birth certificates were being used to issue driver’s licenses and permits to illegal immigrants who never took any driving tests. She further claimed that her co-workers’ scheme skipped Homeland Security background checks.

Shortly after reporting the alleged fraud scheme, Moorman claimed, she was fired.

KYTC claimed in a court filing that Moorman was terminated “for legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons not causally related to the alleged whistleblowing activity.”

RELATED: Trucker accused of killing 4 Amish men — and DHS claims he’s an ‘illegal alien’

Photo by George Frey/Getty Images

A February 10 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky unveiled criminal charges against five Louisville residents for alleged fraud and money-laundering offenses.

Donnita Wilson, 32; Aariel Matthews, 27; Lazaro Alejandro Castello Rojas, 37; Robert Danger Correa, 41; and one other individual who has not yet been arrested were charged with mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, unlawful production of identification documents, money-laundering conspiracy, and other offenses.

Wilson and Matthews previously worked at the Nia Center office, according to the indictment. Rojas and Correa did not work at any licensing agency but are accused of recruiting and escorting noncitizens to driver’s license appointments at the Nia Center.

Rojas and Correa “gained the trust” of the noncitizen applicants “because they professed to know the process or even implied an association with the DMV, spoke the same language, and often had the same or similar countries of origin,” the indictment read, adding that most of the applicants “were unfamiliar with processes and procedures for obtaining driver’s licenses in Kentucky, and many had difficulty communicating in English.”

Federal prosecutors argued that the defendants solicited illegal fees of $200-$1,500 from individuals applying for driver’s licenses, promising expedited services, including avoiding lines and bypassing testing requirements.

The applicants were allegedly led to believe the process was legal, according to prosecutors.

The indictment insisted that the driver’s license applicants were legally present, non-U.S. citizens.

“This indictment represents the culmination of an investigation into a scheme by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet employees and others to illegally circumvent Kentucky’s process for issuing driver’s licenses, thereby issuing invalid licenses to lawfully present, non-U.S. citizens who had not first demonstrated their qualifications to drive on our roads,” U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated.

“Proper vetting of individuals seeking a driver’s license is a prerequisite to ensuring the safety of Kentucky’s roadways and ensuring the legitimacy of state-issued identification. As alleged in the indictment, this fraudulent scheme involved kickbacks and bribes leading to numerous legally present, non-U.S. citizens obtaining unlawfully issued drivers licenses.”

RELATED: ‘Good luck walking to work, a**holes’: Trump-hater Swalwell wants to revoke driver’s licenses for ICE agents

Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Blaze News reached out to Kentucky Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear’s office to request clarity concerning whether any of the licenses were issued to illegal immigrants or used to register to vote. The governor’s office referred Blaze News to its press release, which stated that the “indictment does not involve issuing licenses to people illegally present in the country.”

“During a routine review of credentials applications, KYTC officials identified a number of irregularities and revoked 1,985 credentials. KYTC immediately contacted law enforcement, which began an active criminal investigation,” the press release read.

An attorney for Rojas declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the case.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and attorneys for Moorman, Wilson, Matthews, and Correa did not respond to a request for comment.

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​News, Kentucky, Louisville, Melissa moorman, Kentucky transportation cabinet, Driver’s license, Driver’s licenses, Illegal aliens, Illegal immigrants, Immigrants, Immigration crisis, Immigration, Illegal immigration crisis, Andy beshear, Dmv, Fraud, Kyle bumgarner, Politics 

The curling cheating scandal that has rocked the 2026 Winter Olympics has the Canadian team accusing Sweden of illegal filming.

Canada’s Team Brad Jacobs defeated Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin 8-6 on Friday, but the win included a viral moment that had the internet ablaze with cheating allegations.

‘I know we’re not the only team that they’ve done that to.’

Canadian Marc Kennedy had an intense altercation with Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson, who accused him of double-touching his stone after releasing it at the official line, called the hog line.

Photos and videos circulated online showing Kennedy’s pointer finger appearing to commit the foul, but the intent and his finger’s ability to influence the approximately 42-pound object has been up for debate.

Now, Kennedy has told reporters that he believes Sweden was setting his team up.

“They have come up with a plan here at the Olympics, as far as I know, to catch teams in the act at the hog line,” Kennedy told reporters, per the National Post. “This was planned, right from the word go yesterday. From the words that were being said by their coaches and the way they were running to the officials, it was kind of evident that something was going on, and they were trying to catch us in an act.”

RELATED: Skier Hunter Hess changes tune after saying he has ‘mixed emotions’ about representing USA: ‘I love my country’

Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen claimed Sweden took video that violated filming rules in Olympic venues, citing that only Olympic Broadcasting Services is allowed to take footage. He said the allegedly incriminating footage was “outside of OBS rules.”

OBS said it did not produce the footage, but that anyone who is properly accredited with broadcast rights can film inside the venue.

Canadian Coach Paul Webster said the “game was afoot” and accused a “Swedish fan or Swedish official” of possibly filming from the stands.

“So they’ve got people up there videoing, and that whole thing was premeditated and planned,” Webster added.

“They were there, ready at the hog line, video recording.”

Sweden’s Eden reportedly replied to the allegations and said “absolutely not.”

“We’ve been saying this for maybe seven, eight years or something,” Eden went on. “The media crew decided to place the camera on the hog line to see what was happening, to explain it to the people watching. It was Swedish media. The people covering the game that did that, we were told, at least. I have no idea, but that’s what we were told afterwards.”

RELATED: Team USA women’s hockey hands Canada its worst loss in Olympics history

On Sunday, Canada’s women’s team was hit with a double-touching violation in their match against Switzerland, prompting even more rumors.

“Apparently everyone knew that Canada was cheating,” sports podcaster Dan Katz said on Monday, citing insider reports. “Sweden had their own broadcast cameras basically set up on the hog line to catch them in the act. Then they called them out on it.”

Canada’s Kennedy added fuel to the fire, saying, “I know we’re not the only team that they’ve done that to,” in terms of filming. “So I think this was — I don’t know what the word is for that — but like a premeditated plan to try to catch us.”

Coach Webster also claimed Sweden “actually had videos for the Italian team as well.”

Great Britain has since been accused of the double-touching violation.

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​Fearless, Curling, Olympics, Italy, Canada, Sweden, Winter olympcis, 2026 olympics, Cheating, Sports 

A Utah mother murdered her 11-year-old daughter in a Las Vegas hotel room, then committed suicide during a cheerleading competition trip, according to authorities.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that officers were dispatched for a welfare check of a mother and daughter at 10:43 a.m. Sunday at the Rio Hotel & Casino.

‘There are no words for the loss we all feel. Our hearts are completely shattered for the family and friends of Addi.’

Police officers knocked on the hotel room door several times but did not get a response; they left the hotel because “there was no belief that either was in danger” based on the details at the time.

“As the day progressed, security personnel got additional requests to check on the mother and daughter,” according to the press release.

Police said “security personnel” from the hotel entered the room at approximately 2:27 p.m., and they “located the two females unresponsive.”

The news release said the mother and daughter were “both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.”

Both were pronounced dead at the crime scene when police arrived, according to the statement.

Police stated, “Based on the preliminary evidence at the scene, detectives were able to determine the mother shot her daughter before shooting herself.”

Police Lt. Robert Price revealed there was a note left in the room but did not specify what the note said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Price added, “This is a sad and tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family.”

According to KSNV-TV, the Clark County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identities of the deceased as 34-year-old Tawnia McGeehan and 11-year-old Addilyn Smith — also known as Addi.

A spokesperson for the Rio Hotel & Casino told KTNV-TV, “We are aware of the incident that occurred at the resort.”

RELATED: What was to be fun Florida trip ends in ‘cold-blooded’ triple murder: Elderly tourists dead, suspect earlier beat murder rap

The New York Post, citing court documents from McGeehan’s divorce, reported that the girl’s parents “went through an ugly custody dispute” in 2015.

Court docs added that McGeehan and her ex-husband, Brad Smith, spent nine years fighting for custody of Addi after their divorce.

The couple were “ordered to park their cars five spaces apart during custody handovers at Addi’s school, and she was made to walk between the parents’ vehicles by herself,” the Post reported.

When Addi didn’t go to school, both parents went to the Herriman Police Department in Utah to exchange the child, according to court documents.

The Review-Journal in a separate story citing Provo District Court records reported that Addi’s parents had “disputed about a number of things, including custody, child support, and where the girl would attend school.”

The situation escalated in 2020 when a judge granted Smith sole custody of Addi after revelations that McGeehan had “committed domestic abuse in the presence of the minor child” and was “subjecting the child to behavior on the spectrum of parental alienation,” court records said.

According to the Review-Journal, “A year later, the court required that McGeehan’s visits be supervised by friends and relatives.”

The paper noted, “Much of the case file is sealed from public view, making it unclear which parent had physical custody of Addi at the time of her death.”

Addi was a cheerleader for Utah Xtreme Cheer, which was “heartbroken” over the “devastating news.”

Utah Xtreme Cheer released a statement:

With the heaviest hearts, we share the devastating news that our sweet athlete Addi has passed away. We are completely heartbroken. No words do the situation justice. She was so beyond loved, and she will always be a part of the UXC family. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers and continue to send them love as they navigate this unimaginable loss. We ask that you respect their privacy during this time. Addi, we love you tremendously.

The cheerleading group also noted that all classes and open gyms “will be cancelled for the remainder of the week” as they attempt to “navigate through this difficult time.”

The Black Diamond Gym said on social media:

There are no words for the loss we all feel. Our hearts are completely shattered for the family and friends of Addi. The cheer world will never be the same, the hole in our hearts will never be filled, we are absolutely devastated by this loss. Addi was a longtime athlete of Fusion and current athlete of UXC, I can’t imagine what they are going through. We love you so much and are so sorry for your loss.

The Salem Police Department in Utah said in a press release that Addi was the niece of one of its sergeants.

“While the details of this loss are difficult to process, we are coming together as a department to support Sergeant Smith and his family during this unimaginable time,” the statement read.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched by Addi’s uncle to help pay for funeral expenses.

“My brother Brad is facing an unimaginable loss after his daughter Addi was tragically taken from our family,” the crowdfunding page said.

“This heartbreaking event has left the family in deep shock and grief, struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of Addi in such a way,” the GoFundMe campaign stated.

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​Las vegas, Las vegas crime, Tawnia mcgeehan, Addi smith, Addilyn smith, Murder, Murder suicide, Suicide, Crime, Cheerleading trip, Mother and daughter 

Jeremy Carl, Trump-appointee and author of “The Unprotected Class,” faced a grilling at the United States Senate when Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) tore into his beliefs on “white identity.”

“You’re now retreating to ethnic identity. You don’t speak about ethnic identity. You speak about white identity. So tell me the values that stitch together white identity and that make it different than black identity,” Murphy asked.

“I would say that the white church is very different than the black church in terms of its tone and style on average. Foodways could often be different. Music could be different, if you look at the Super Bowl halftime show, which was not in English this year,” Carl explained.

Murphy responded, “So our ability to access white churches or white food or white music is being erased?”

“I am concerned with the majority common American culture that we had for some time, that through particularly mass immigration, I think has become much more balkanized, and I think that weakens us,” Carl said.

BlazeTV host Jonathan “Lomez” Keeperman is of the mind that Carl is right.

“On second viewing, I mean, I watched this live, and by the way, in the context of this hour-long Senate hearing, he was just getting grilled from all directions … he was being accused of anti-feminism, he was being accused by [Sen.] John Curtis of Utah [R] for not being, like, sufficiently loyal to Israel. And then there was this white thing,” Lomez tells BlazeTV co-host Christopher Rufo on “Rufo & Lomez.”

“And I think what we saw there was him a little bit stumbling through the answer, but it’s actually the right answer. I mean, he gives the right answer, the specific details,” Lomez continues.

Lomez points out that there are different parts of American culture, and different races have their own piece.

“I’m not saying this, by the way, just to please a liberal listener. It’s all true, OK? This is all deeply embedded in our culture and the common culture as well, but it is predominantly what we might call ‘white,’” he explains.

“When you turn on Netflix or something, or like Hulu, or just turn on the TV, there’s BET. There’s Black Entertainment Channel, and there’s black stories to enjoy with your family on Hulu, and then there’s Asian stories, and you know, you get the whole diaspora of all these different groups,” he continues.

“There’s no white channel, there’s no white story section … because … that is the baseline culture that these other things are kind of orbiting around and existing within. And what Jeremy is suggesting here is that we are losing that common culture. We are losing that common white culture,” he adds.

Want more from Rufo & Lomez?

To enjoy more of the news through the anthropological lens of Christopher Rufo and Lomez, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Camera phone, Sharing, Video, Free, Video phone, Upload, Youtube.com, Rufo & lomez, Chris rufo, Jonathan keeperman, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, White culture, White identity, Jeremy carl, Whiteness, Black culture, Native american culture, American culture 

My Ash Wednesday message for 2026 comes with an assist from the recently deceased Jesse Jackson.

In 1977 — just four years after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling — he wrote:

Even if one does take life by aborting the baby, as a minister of Jesus Christ I must also inform and/or remind you that there is a doctrine of forgiveness. The God I serve is a forgiving God. The men who killed President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. can be forgiven. Everyone can come to the mercy seat and find forgiveness and acceptance. But — and this may be the essence of my argument — suppose one is so hard-hearted and so indifferent to life that he assumes there is nothing for which to be forgiven. What happens to the mind of a person, and the moral fabric of a nation, that accepts the aborting of the life of a baby without a pang of conscience? What kind of a person, and what kind of a society, will we have 20 years hence if life can be taken so casually? It is that question — the question of our attitude, our value system, and our mindset with regard to the nature and worth of life itself — that is the central question confronting mankind. Failure to answer that question affirmatively may leave us with a hell right here on earth.

Obviously, I can’t know where Jackson’s heart finally landed when his Maker came for him. But if you’re shocked that he ever wrote something like that — given his later career as a Democrat presidential candidate — take it as a cautionary tale about cutting deals with the spiritual forces of this world.

Unlike Jackson — who, by all appearances, grew less bold as he chased worldly gain — we must become bolder, no matter the cost.

Jackson went from writing one of the strongest arguments you’ll ever read against casual abortion to serving, in effect, as a son of Moloch. That turn required choices: the old temptation to “be like God,” to treat gifts and platforms as personal property, to barter them for worldly influence. And after making that bargain, he ended up with an affair, a child out of wedlock, and a political career that finished in disgrace.

We love to play God. We love to fancy ourselves “the people we’ve been waiting for,” as Barack Obama once put it. And in the process, many start to believe — through misplaced worship and inflated self-regard — that no God exists at all.

Believe me, I know. I’ve stood on the edge of that same abyss. I’ve asked myself the stupid question: Is the stove really too hot to touch?

Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. But hell is hotter.

By God’s grace, I remembered — in my own season of spiritual dying — that I am a sinner who needs mercy before I became too proud to believe God and His truth didn’t exist. So the things of heaven are on my horizon as I prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Israel and await the birth of my second grandchild.

RELATED: ‘Force of nature’: President Trump responds to the death of Jesse Jackson

Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

I chose Easter in the end. But all of us, at some point, play Good Friday roulette with our salvation because we know God is merciful and mercy triumphs over judgment. True — but mercy does not cancel judgment.

Christians have argued for 2,000 years about whether a person can lose salvation. Fine. But the goal of the faithful should include this: Stop living like we exist to keep that argument going. Do you even narrow road, bro?

Finish your race, my friends. The consequences of not doing so are eternal.

So unlike Jackson — who, by all appearances, grew less bold as he chased worldly gain — we must become bolder, no matter the cost. That leap of faith is the toll for walking the narrow road. That is discipleship.

Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no. Thus saith the Lord.

​Opinion & analysis, Jesse jackson, Salvation, Christianity, Religion, Faith, Presidential election, Presidential candidates, The world, God, Eternal judgment, Abortion, Roe v. wade 

The head of the Federal Communications Commission said at a media conference that “The View” is under investigation for possible violations of the equal time rule.

The FCC changed the equal time rule last month to include talk shows like “The View,” which forces them to provide the same coverage to all candidates in a campaign if they spotlight one.

‘The idea is that if you’re a partisan political actor under the case law, then you’re likely not going to qualify under the bona fide news exception.’

The women of “The View” had James Talarico on their show, a Texas state representative who is vying for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate against Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). They also had Crockett on the show.

“The FCC has an enforcement action underway on that, and we’re taking a look at it,” Carr said Wednesday. He did not elaborate on how “The View” may have violated the rule.

The admission comes as the FCC is facing criticism from Stephen Colbert after he was told by CBS not to air an interview with Talarico to avoid violating the rule.

Carr went on to explain the change in the rule.

“People can come forward with their own showings and a petition for declarative ruling, but this is something that will be explored as part of the FCC case law,” he added. “The idea is that if you’re a partisan political actor under the case law, then you’re likely not going to qualify under the bona fide news exception.”

Colbert had accused Carr of not applying the rule to right-wing talk radio, and Carr addressed that criticism as well.

“We haven’t seen the same issues on the radio side,” he said. “We’ll take a look at anything that arises at the end of the day.”

RELATED: Stephen Colbert melts down after CBS pulls Dem interview just months before his show ends

Carr went on to criticize the media for running with censorship claims made by Colbert that were contradicted by CBS.

“There was no censorship here at all,” he told reporters.

“I think you guys should feel a bit ashamed for having been lied to and then just run with those lies,” Carr said. “I think it was an embarrassing episode for the media.”

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​The view vs trump, Fcc vs the view, The view under investigation, Equal time rule, Politics 

“Boy Meets World” and “Mrs. Doubtfire” actor Matthew Lawrence has some knowledge to drop: Hollywood’s superficial obsession with “inclusion” and “compassion” masks one of the most ruthless businesses in the world — especially if you’re a child star.

As Lawrence’s brother Joey might say, “Whoa!”

Matthew made the comments in a recent conversation with older brother Joey and younger brother Andrew on the thespian trio’s “Brotherly Love Podcast.”

‘They just literally toss them to the wolves, taking no responsibility.’

Fame shame

Lawrence noted that the pressure of sudden fame and wealth is harder for child actors, for whom success comes “before you actually know who you are.” How to navigate that is something the industry “quietly stopped teaching” its youngest employees, Lawrence claimed.

Lawrence, who landed his first recurring television role at age 4, said the industry had a certain “responsibility” to child actors. His brothers, both of whom entered showbiz before they were 6, seemed to agree.

RELATED: ‘Silence of the Lambs’ star sorry for vilifying transgenderism: ‘It’s f**king wrong’

– YouTube

Tossed aside

Speaking of the highly publicized drug problems of troubled celebs like former Nickelodeon child star Tylor Chase, Lawrence put some of the onus on an industry that discards them once they’re no longer useful.

“I feel like they haven’t failed. I feel like the business has failed them,” he said, while observing the disconnect between such callousness and the image the business likes to project:

Hollywood always talks about how they’re the most compassionate, inclusive, amazing community, and they eat their own. Literally eat their own. They put these kids in movies. They build them up and talk about how incredible they are and throw money their way, [only] to pull the rug from them as soon as something doesn’t work or as soon as they have outgrown that moment, and they just literally toss them to the wolves, taking no responsibility.

RELATED: James Van Der Beek’s message about finding God resurfaces after death: ‘I am worthy of God’s love’

Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Guilted cage

As for Hollywood activism, Lawrence suggested it’s mostly motivated by guilt.

“They do have this inherent thing where they feel bad that they are sitting on top of a mountain of cash and fame.”

This doesn’t always translate into a good grasp of the issues, Lawrence noted.

“They always seem to pick and choose, like, the ‘in’ topic, when all this crap is going wrong with the world that they just look right over.”

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​Align, Hollywood, Elites, Child actor, California, Brothers, Entertainment 

A female tennis player says she is retiring from the sport because of its “hostile” culture that has resulted in death threats, insults, and poor self-esteem.

Destanee Aiava announced she is leaving the sport at the end of the season, after having peaked at No. 147 in the world in 2017, when she was just 17 years old.

‘… a culture that’s racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit the mould.’

The Australian departed with a scathing post on her Instagram page, criticizing her soon-to-be former sport for taking away her family, her health, and her self-worth.

“2026 will be my final year on tour playing professional tennis,” the 25-year-old wrote.

After asking if everything she sacrificed for the sport “was actually worth the cost,” the tennis player listed all the reasons she has kept playing over the years despite of her distress, concluding, “In other words tennis was my toxic boyfriend.”

“It also took things from me,” she continued. “My relationship with my body. My health. My family. My self worth. Would I do it all again? I really don’t know.”

Then Aiava got even more direct and a lot more vulgar:

“I want to say a ginormous f**k you to everyone in the tennis community who’s ever made me feel less than.”

RELATED: Liberal reporter frustrates American tennis stars by asking the same tired question

“F**k you to every single gambler who’s sent me hate or death threats. F**k you to the people who sit behind screens on social media, commenting on my body, my career or whatever the f**k they want to nitpick,” Aiava went on.

The tennis player, who is of Samoan descent, launched into criticisms of her sport, seemingly giving it every negative label she could.

“And f**k you to a sport that hides behind so-called class and gentlemanly values. Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that’s racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit the mould. “

Aiava broadened her explanation in an interview with Australia’s “ABC News Breakfast” and host Catherine Murphy.

RELATED: ‘I don’t think that’s relevant’: American tennis star shuts down reporters fishing for anti-Trump answers

“I experienced a lot of racism from parents, people I was playing; just comments at the back of the court and even to this day, I’m still getting racist comments [in] DMs and everything. So yeah, it just, it was never-ending,” Aiava told the host. She added that when she was a young girl who was simply “doing her best,” she faced “constant comments that are racist” as well.

Aiava expanded on her body issues as it relates to tennis, which she said were based on the people around her and “seeing other girls in this sport.”

She noted that she has always had issues with food, and being “not really surrounded by many women” like herself, her bad relationship with food only got worse.

The tennis player concluded by agreeing with the host when asked if governing bodies in tennis need to “fight harder for female players.”

Aiava blamed the governing bodies for prioritizing making money from major tournaments over the needs of tennis players.

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WikiLeaks published tens of thousands of leaked emails from the personal account of John Podesta, former President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, in late 2016.

The decentralized army of sleuths that subsequently combed over the leaked emails found not only damning insights into Hillary Clinton and her doomed presidential campaign but odd messages about pizza, hot dogs, ice cream, and other foods.

‘842 occurrences of the word pizza, which seems like a lot.’

The recurring references to food in non-culinary contexts prompted some to theorize that they were code words related to pedophilia and human trafficking — a theory that the mainstream media and so-called fact-checkers emphasized was “dangerous,” “fake news,” and, in essence, a “moral panic.”

New York Magazine, one of the publications that strenuously criticized the so-called Pizzagate theory nine years ago, suggested in the wake of the new Jeffrey Epstein documents’ release that “pizza” might be a code word, after all.

Dan Brooks, writing for New York Magazine, noted that the latest trove of Epstein files published by the Department of Justice “contains 842 occurrences of the word pizza, which seems like a lot. By comparison, the word hamburger appears only 190 times, while the phrase ‘sex with children’ appears 20 times.”

Brooks admitted that “some of the pizza-related material seems pretty weird.”

RELATED: Gov. Pritzker’s cousin steps down at Hyatt over Epstein relationship

Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Not only did Epstein appear to have automated alerts reminding him to deliver a certain individual pizza, but he was asked on more than one occasion if individuals could have a “quick pizza” together in his absence.

One email said, “I wanted to let you know that the crew really enjoyed the pizza today. Thank you for letting us do that.”

Another message from a redacted sender stated, “This is better than a Chinese cookie! Let’s go for pizza and grape soda again. No one else can understand.”

Additional emails carry subject lines such as “The Pizza Monster!” and include more peculiar uses of the word.

“You mean radiating a soft glow with the look of bliss and excitement. Yeah, that’s the pizza…” one message reads.

“These recent Epstein materials do make the financier seem strangely interested in pizza and unusually committed to having it delivered to other people,” added Brooks.

There are also recurring references to “pizza and grape soda” in the child sex offender’s texts and emails.

Despite the strangeness of the exchanges, a photograph in a text conversation between Epstein and his urologist appears to indicate that on at least one occasion, they were actually discussing pizza and grape soda.

While there has been plenty of speculation in recent weeks about the pizza references, particularly because they appear in both the Epstein and Podesta files, the term “cream cheese,” which appears 196 times throughout the Epstein messages, has also raised eyebrows.

In one exchange, a participant wrote, “Lol, I don’t know if cream cheese and baby are on the same level,” alongside discussions of scheduling activities that some observers say raise further concern. The phrase also appears in other unsettling contexts, including “cream cheese baby.”

The use of cheese and pizza imagery in reference to pedophilia and child abuse is not limited to so-called Pizzagate conspiracy theorists.

In 2020, the Telegraph, a U.K.-based newspaper, reported that a parents’ group working to curb the dissemination of child sex abuse material online allegedly found that cheese and pizza emojis were being used as stand-ins for “CP,” meaning “child porn.”

The founder of the group, a London woman identified only as India, indicated that in some cases, individuals using the emojis shared images of children scraped from parents’ social media accounts.

“There are pictures of little boys aged 5 or 6 on the beach in their swimming trunks and chances are that picture was taken by their parents on their holiday,” said India. “Somehow that picture has gotten into their hands.”

Brooks, prickled by recent declarations by Redditors and others that at least one core Pizzagate claim might have been accurate all along, stated, “If Epstein and his friends did use pizza as a code word for sex, that wouldn’t mean that the original Pizzagate conspiracy theory was correct — even if it was also the case that pizza was a sexual code word in the Podesta emails.”

After spending the bulk of his article entertaining the possibility that “a syndicate of pedophiliac celebrities, financiers, and their urologists,” equipped with code words, committed “unimaginable acts of cruelty,” Brooks spends his final paragraphs attacking those who made similar claims nearly a decade ago.

The NY Mag contributor suggested that such “conspiracists” — not the allegedly vampiric cosmopolitan elites who might refer to their preferred victim types with fast-food references — are “one of the most terrifying forces in 21st-century America.”

Having turned his ire away from the dead pedophile and his associates to those Americans searching for justice and accountability, Brooks concluded his article by smearing American democracy as a “well-documented conspiracy of morons.”

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Vaccine manufacturers such as Pfizer made record profits pushing experimental drugs during the pandemic that were nowhere near as “safe and effective” as marketed.

Although their vaccines allegedly left some Americans badly injured and allegedly killed others, Big Pharma giants were largely protected from civil lawsuits as the result of special liability protections that were repeatedly extended by the Biden administration.

‘When it comes to vaccines, and in many cases the COVID vaccine, the rules are rigged.’

Republican Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) introduced legislation last week that would amend the Public Health Service Act to strip the liability shield from vaccine manufacturers.

“If a drug hurts someone, you can sue the company in court,” said Paul, a licensed doctor of medicine. “You can hold them responsible through the normal legal process. But when it comes to vaccines, and in many cases the COVID vaccine, the rules are rigged: You’re funneled into a federal no-fault program that limits damages, restricts your options, and — in many cases — leaves people without real justice. That’s cronyism.”

Presently, persons seeking compensation for injuries sustained as the result of a covered vaccine must file a petition with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which is touted as a “no-fault alternative to the traditional legal system for resolving vaccine injury petitions.”

Those specifically injured by one of the experimental COVID-19 vaccines — which were in many jurisdictions required to remain employed, eat in public, stay in school, or visit loved ones — must file a petition with the related Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program.

RELATED: Finally: Vaccine guidelines that make sense for parents

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Parents, legal guardians, and legal representatives of those individuals who were killed by the vaccines — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration admitted in December that “at least 10 children have died after and because of receiving COVID-19 vaccination” — can file on behalf of the decedents.

The catch is that suffering an injury or dying around the time of the receipt of a COVID jab “is not sufficient, by itself, to prove that an injury is the direct result of a covered countermeasure.”

Since there is a high bar for proving causation, few Americans’ petitions are successful.

‘Pharma giants are hiding behind legal protections to avoid being sued.’

CICP data shows that as of Feb. 1, a total of 14,102 COVID-19 claims have been filed, 10,944 alleging injuries or death from COVID-19 vaccines and 3,158 alleging injuries or death from other COVID-19 countermeasures.

Of the total, 6,556 were rejected outright. Of the 6,649 for which decisions were made, only 93 claims were found eligible for compensation — and of the 93, only 44 petitioners have actually received compensation.

Sen. Paul’s End the Vaccine Carveout Act, which was co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and serves as a companion bill to the legislation of the same name introduced in the House in July by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), would reform the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program by allowing vaccine-injured individuals or the legal representatives of those killed by vaccines to pursue direct civil action in state or federal court without having to first try their chances at the no-fault federal system.

Presently, vaccine-injured Americans are generally required to file a petition through VICP before seeking judicial relief. The Republican bill would eliminate that barrier to possible justice.

The bill would also exclude COVID-19 vaccines from the definition of “covered countermeasures,” thereby ending the immunity shield that has for years protected vaccine manufacturers, distributors, and administration from vaccine injury claims.

Lee stated, “Pharma giants are hiding behind legal protections to avoid being sued by Americans experiencing serious vaccine side effects.”

“Many of these patients were forced to get vaccinated or lose their jobs during the pandemic and are now dealing with permanent and very serious complications,” Lee continued. “Our bill will end these unconstitutional vaccine carveouts so that all Americans can receive the justice they deserve and hold Big Pharma accountable.”

Weeks after the 2024 presidential election, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra extended the liability shield for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers through Dec. 31, 2029.

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I recently ran a rather grueling race in Cape Town, a city ranked the world’s most stressful place to visit. By the end of my stay, I understood why.

Race morning brought cold Atlantic air. Table Mountain stood like a fortress. The scene was impossibly beautiful. Then the warnings began.

Julius Malema, the deranged leader of the openly Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters, has led crowds in chanting ‘Kill the Boer,’ the Afrikaans term for farmer.

“Stay where the crowds are after you finish,” an organizer told us.

A gray-haired runner, tying his never-before-worn Asics, gave me a knowing look, the kind that said “enjoy yourself, but stay alert.” The gun fired. We surged forward. And Cape Town revealed itself in fragments.

The route hugged the ocean. Waves crashed against huge rocks. Sunlight rippled across the bay. Spectators shouted encouragement from spotless sidewalks. Cyclists zipped by in neon helmets. In Sea Point and Camps Bay, Cape Town looks effortlessly affluent: palm trees, clean promenades, and cafés filled with people sipping espressos. You could be forgiven for thinking the warnings were overstated. They weren’t. If anything, they were understated.

Razor wire on the Riviera

South Africa’s “Mother City” lives with staggering levels of violent crime. Armed robberies are frequent. Carjackings happen in broad daylight, averaging more than four an hour. Drivers slow at traffic lights but leave space ahead, ready to bolt. Doors lock automatically. Security companies advertise response times the way pizzerias advertise delivery. Sexual assault remains widespread, not just among women but also among children. In the Western Cape alone, nearly 2,000 sexual offenses against minors were recorded in a single quarter last year. The numbers are sobering; the anxiety is constant.

Security is everywhere. High walls ring homes like fortresses. Electric fencing hums overhead. Razor wire catches the light. The message needs no translation.

RELATED: ‘Mass slaughter’: Trump moves to help Nigerian Christians under attack

NurPhoto/Getty Images

Gang warfare

A few hours before I arrived in the so-called cultural capital, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment of soldiers to help fight criminal gangs, a clear sign that police can no longer contain the violence.

And violence is everywhere. Between April and September last year, an average of 63 people were murdered each day. In parts of the Western Cape, especially around Cape Town, gang warfare has become part of daily life. Children are caught in crossfire. Streets fall under the influence of savage syndicates. The gangs, armed with high-powered weapons and machetes, have grown bolder. Why wouldn’t they? Ramaphosa himself noted that soldiers aren’t trained for community policing. Their deployment now underscores the depth of the crisis.

In Gauteng province, illegal miners known as zama zamas run riot. Armed and operating in abandoned shafts, they have built criminal networks around illicit gold extraction. Residents describe intimidation, forced displacement, and operations typical of paramilitary units, not opportunistic gangs.

Existential threat

Ramaphosa has called violent crime “the most immediate threat to our democracy.” He’s right. It is. When criminal groups control territory, extract revenue, and outgun police, the problem is no longer confined to law enforcement. In truth, it becomes a contest over authority itself — an existential struggle South Africa knows all too well, a divided nation once again on edge.

These divisions didn’t appear overnight. Apartheid enforced separation with clinical precision. Its architects portrayed the system not as hatred but as “separate development,” claiming that divided populations couldn’t share power without conflict.

Whites were a small minority, and universal suffrage meant irreversible political defeat. Afrikaners carried the memory of previous conflicts, including the concentration camps in which thousands of their women and children died. They watched postcolonial upheaval unfold elsewhere in Africa and reasoned that without firm control, the country would descend into all-out anarchy.

Set aside outrage and judgment for a moment, and the logic reads as cautious, defensive realism. They believed strict separation would prevent barbarity, preserve a functioning economy, and protect a vulnerable minority from domination. In their minds, it was a matter of survival, not ideology. It’s easy to dismiss the apartheid movement as pure racism, a low-IQ explanation that fits neatly on a placard. But it overlooks the deeper dread that shaped it.

Farmers under siege

History didn’t end with apartheid’s fall. The country remains marked by mistrust, hatred, and absolute terror. Last year, President Trump suggested that white farmers were facing vicious reprisals. Violence against farmers is real and terrifying for those who live beyond the reach of towns and patrols. Farm attacks — home invasions, assaults, and killings — occur with regularity. Many farmers live far from towns or patrols, isolated and vulnerable when attackers strike.

Julius Malema, the deranged leader of the openly Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters, has led crowds in chanting “Kill the Boer,” the Afrikaans term for farmer. Thousands raise their hands like guns as they echo the refrain. Supporters describe it as a chant from the struggle era. Others, a little more grounded in reality, hear something far more dangerous. They hear language that calls for genocide. After all, what is being proposed is the elimination of people defined by a particular skin color. When I asked a white taxi driver whether such fears were exaggerated, he answered without hesitation: “No.”

At the crossroads … again

South Africa is a beautiful country, arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth. Yet it can feel deeply intimidating, largely because it is. A tension hangs in the air, present even in the quietest moments. In many communities, it’s considered reckless not to keep multiple loaded firearms at home, ready to be used at any moment, day or night. Safety is discussed in near wartime terms. Even a simple trip to the store can feel like a roll of the dice, especially for white families.

Does South Africa have the capacity to weather the mounting unrest? I hope so, but I wouldn’t bet on it. A nation intimately familiar with bloodshed once again stands at a crossroads.

​South africa, Lifestyle, Tourism, Africa, Violence, Crime, Apartheid, Letter from south africa 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is fighting to get the gay Pride flag recognized at the same level as the U.S. flag in the eyes of the federal government — which would give it similar protections as the American flag, military flags, and POW/MIA flags.

“The Trump administration’s removal of the Pride rainbow flag from the Stonewall National Monument is a deeply outrageous action that must be reversed. It’s an effing disgrace,” Schumer began.

“When the Trump administration ripped the Pride flag down, it was a direct attack on this community. An attempt to chip away at hard-won civil rights. So today we’re fighting back and taking action,” he continued.

“I am introducing legislation to designate the Pride flag as a congressionally authorized flag in America. And that means it can be flown here and everywhere else. And no one, no one, no one can take it down,” he added.

“Wow, tackling the big issues of the day,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales comments on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” annoyed. “Thank you, Chuck Schumer, for doing the heavy lifting to help out average Americans.”

“You’re not doing anything to get rid of all of the illegal criminals that are in our country. In fact, you’re fighting it at every turn. You’re not doing anything to address inflation. It was the Republicans that did that. You’re not doing anything to protect children from harm,” she continues.

“You are not doing anything to make Americans’ lives better. But thank God you’re fighting over a flag. … It’s actually despicable how disgusting these people are,” she adds, pointing out that Democrats weren’t this defensive and loving of gay people all that long ago.

“Schumer himself was against gay marriage back in the day. He even voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which of course defined marriage as one man and one woman. They were all in agreement on that,” she adds.

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Celebrities should not be claiming they live under fascism while attending a film festival with a private security detail, actor Jamie Kennedy stated this week.

Kennedy, a staple in Hollywood who has starred in the “Scream” franchise and made appearances in hit shows like “Entourage,” called out Hollywood celebrities over their constant description of the United States as an authoritarian state.

‘Let’s adhere to the laws of what we have, right? Get rid of criminals.’

Kennedy hopped on to Tuesday’s episode of the “Trying Not To Die” podcast hosted by Jack Osbourne, son of late rockstar Ozzy Osbourne.

A self-proclaimed “tired” Kennedy said he has become fed up with Hollywood elites preaching against Immigration and Customs Enforcement from exotic locations.

“People are protesting ICE. OK. And I understand the situation is, it’s a crazy situation. But when you have actors from the red carpet of an award show at the Beverly Hilton — I’m talking about all of them — and they’re on there saying all of this stuff about, ‘We’re under a fascist regime. We’re in authoritarianism,’ bro!” Kennedy exclaimed in disbelief. “It’s insanity.”

Kennedy pointed to celebrities at film festivals who are heckling from behind the safety of armed guards.

“You can’t say you’re under authoritarian rule when you’re literally being authoritarian. You can’t say from the f**king back of, like, 20 MMA Secret Service agents that are protecting you.”

Osbourne jumped in, adding that if the celebrities were actually living under “an authoritarian government,” they “wouldn’t be able to say” their piece.

RELATED: Two ‘I’ agencies, one Democratic double standard

The 55-year-old Kennedy begged celebrities to “get on the front lines” and away from the Sundance Film Festival if they care so much about current events. He was likely referencing Hollywood elites making extreme statements about ICE in January, which included actor Edward Norton comparing the agency to the “gestapo.”

The Sundance attendees even broke from their festivities for a 10-minute protest at one point.

“You’re protesting the people that are trying to, in theory, they’re basically just trying to get rid of the criminals. Is it a perfect system? No! But I’m not there. But basically, let’s adhere to the laws of what we have, right? Get rid of criminals.”

Kennedy wondered how certain celebrities could justify calling the police when they are in danger since they are consistently denigrating law enforcement.

“What I’m just saying is, like, people haven’t got a taste of the whole world to understand how good we have it in this country,” Kennedy added. He then asked celebrities to “shut the f**k up!”

Immigration and documentation

Citing a recent poll, Osbourne said that over 60% of Americans are in favor of how ICE is operating, in spite of what “the news is throwing” at them. “It’s definitely more than that,” Osbourne said, revealing the polling was from a left-wing source.

After showcasing extensive knowledge in law enforcement and firearms, Osbourne came out against illegal immigration, saying “absolutely” to the idea that a swath of criminals were let in during the Biden administration, when millions of immigrants poured across the border illegally.

Osbourne, originally from London, said he did not think it was fair for illegal immigrants to skip the process he and others have gone through. This included a lengthy visa process, 10 years with a green card, and a citizenship test, he explained.

RELATED: ‘Cosby Show’ actress on disgraced former boss: ‘Separate the creator from the creation’

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for EJAF

Hollywood homeless

The two men spent significant time discussing the conditions of Los Angeles and Hollywood, particularly as it pertains to taxation and homelessness.

“There’s not just bodies in the street, bro. It looks like they’re dead,” Kennedy explained, adding that he has seen people using heroin in broad daylight.

“We have to use common sense because the psychos have taken over,” he said.

Osbourne shared his own stories, saying that his children go to a school that is mere feet from a homeless encampment under a bridge that he has complained about numerous times. The podcaster was baffled at the conditions near the school due to the sheer amount he pays in taxes.

“No one’s going to change,” he said of California’s elites. “And it comes down to the fires. Didn’t the fires teach you that?”

Osbourne then offered the following conclusion about woke celebrities: “Half these people at the f**king awards, all their houses burned to the ground because of f**king stupid people in charge,” yet they are still playing along.

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Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas is taking aim at late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert for pulling an interview with her opponent.

Colbert lashed out at President Donald Trump after CBS pulled an interview with James Talarico, another Democratic candidate running for Senate against Crockett, citing new FCC guidelines. While Colbert pointed the finger at the government, Crockett was quick to push back on the narrative, insisting that the federal government had nothing to do with the decision to pull Talarico’s interview.

‘This was because of a fear that the FCC may say something to them.’

“We did receive information suggesting that the federal government did not shut down the segment, number one,” Crockett said.

“That is my understanding that the federal government did not shut this down, and we will do an official statement once we get another official statement that we anticipate is going to be coming from Paramount,” Crockett added. “So we will read what they say, and then we’ll go from there.”

RELATED: Stephen Colbert melts down after CBS pulls interview with Democrat just months before his show ends

Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images

Crockett’s assessment was counter to CBS’ official statement, which claimed that Colbert’s show was “provided legal guidance” by the FCC.

“The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled,” the statement read. “THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.”

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr reiterated these guidelines in late January, reminding networks of their “obligation” to provide candidates equal airtime.

“For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night & daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs — even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes,” Carr said in a post on X. “Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities.”

RELATED: Trump says Colbert is to blame for his show’s cancellation — but adds Kimmel and Fallon are next

Bob Daemmrich/The Texas Tribune/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As CBS’ statement said, Colbert opted to post the interview on social media rather than broadcasting it live on the program in order to work around the FCC’s new guidance requiring shows to provide competing candidates equal time on air. Although Crockett has been on Colbert’s show multiple times, she noted that she “did not get a request” to appear on his show.

“It is our understanding that Colbert, either Mr. Colbert or CBS, decided that they just didn’t want to air it,” Crockett said of the Talarico interview. “And this was because of a fear that the FCC may say something to them and that there may have been advice to just have me on and then they could clear the issue.”

“It was my understanding that someone somewhere decided we just don’t want to do that and instead, we’re going to just do it this way.”

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A trio of armed robbers ran headlong into bad luck last week when their plot to steal a victim’s watch during what was supposed to be an in-person sale was thwarted after the victim’s gun-toting uncle saw the crime unfolding and opened fire, police in Texas said.

Mark Herman, Precinct 4 Constable of Harris County, described what went down during a news conference; his remarks begin just before the 14-minute mark.

‘Why would you go meet someone you don’t know to try to sell something in a parking lot?’

Herman said the victim was attempting to sell his watch and agreed to meet the buyer around 8 p.m. Thursday outside a Costco in the 26940 block of Northwest Freeway. The location is in Cypress, which is about 30 minutes northwest of Houston.

But the buyer had no intention of paying for the watch. Instead, he brought two other people with him, and they ended up pulling guns on the victim in an attempt to rob him, Herman said.

While they ended up taking the watch, Herman said the victim’s uncle walked out of the Costco, saw the robbery happening, and opened fire.

In fact, Herman said the uncle ended up shooting two of the three suspects before they all fled the scene.

Two of the suspects — ages 17 and 18 — were hospitalized, Herman said, adding that one of them had surgery, and both are expected to survive. Herman said aggravated robbery charges will be filed against both of them.

The third suspect — age 16 — also was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery and turned over to juvenile authorities.

Police said multiple firearms as well as the stolen property were recovered during the investigation.

RELATED: Concealed carrier delivers swift justice when Chicago thugs allegedly approach him — and one pulls gun, demands his property

KRIV-TV’s video report indicated that it’s not known if the uncle came with his nephew for the transaction or if he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

In the end, Herman cautioned against such in-person transactions — even when they’re in public places, noting “how much more public can you get” than outside a Costco.

“Why would you go meet someone you don’t know to try to sell something in a parking lot?” Herman noted during the news conference. “Why even put yourself in that position?”

He added that there have been cases in which strangers come to houses for transactions — and “now they know where you live.”

“Don’t do it,” Herman warned, adding that “for a few hundred dollars you’re risking your life” and that “it’s all common sense.”

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​Crime thwarted, Texas, Uncle, Defending others, Defending family, Arrests, Watch sale gone wrong, Costco, Harris county constable precinct 4, Cypress, Crime 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is laying out two stark options to close the city’s fiscal year 2027 budget gap: raise taxes on high earners and corporations or increase property taxes.

During his preliminary budget presentation, Mamdani framed the first option as “the most sustainable and the fairest path,” calling for “ending the drain on our city and raising taxes on the richest New Yorkers and the most profitable corporations.”

‘There is no third option of failing to balance the budget’

But he warned that this path depends on cooperation from Albany and Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“If we do not go down the first path,” Mamdani said, “the city will be forced down a second, more harmful path. … We would have to raise property taxes.”

The mayor acknowledged that New York City’s property tax system is “broken,” but emphasized that it is currently the only tax that the city has the authority to raise on its own.

RELATED: ‘F**king mess’: Zohran Mamdani fails first major test as filth piles up on city streets

Photo by Stephani Spindel/VIEWpress via Getty Images

“What I am showcasing to New Yorkers is that there is one tax the city can raise,” he said. “It is a broken property tax system. We do not want to do so. … We want to work with Albany to ensure that we resolve this fiscal crisis by addressing the structural roots of it.”

Mamdani described a property tax increase as a “last resort,” stressing that the city is legally required to balance its budget — a mandate that dates back to the fiscal crisis of the 1970s, when New York City was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy.

RELATED: Zohran Mamdani’s Soviet dream for New York City

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“There is no third option of failing to balance the budget,” he said.

“This is something that we do not want to do,” Mamdani said, “and this is something that we are going to utilize every single option to ensure does not come to pass.”

If Albany does not approve higher taxes on wealthy residents and corporations, Mamdani said the city could be forced to raise property taxes by a staggering 9.5%.

Hochul is opposed to raising property taxes.

“I’m not supportive of a property tax increase,” she said at a press conference in Manhattan this week. “I don’t know that that’s necessary, but let’s find out what is really necessary to close that gap.”

The message is clear: If the state doesn’t act, homeowners and commercial property owners could pay the price.

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​Politics, Mamdani, Nyc, New york, New york city, Tax plan 

The world’s richest man shared a candid moment in his religious journey this week on social media, much to the surprise and excitement of many Christian commentators.

On Tuesday afternoon, Elon Musk made a surprise admission under a post about “evangelizing” the multibillionaire.

‘I agree with the teachings of Jesus.’

“Someone needs to evangelize Elon Musk,” the original post said. “Who will lead him to Christ?”

Musk’s reply generated more than twice the engagement as the first post, climbing close to four million views by Wednesday morning.

RELATED: Large mural in memory of Iryna Zarutska painted in downtown Las Vegas — and paid for by Elon Musk

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“I agree with the teachings of Jesus,” Musk commented.

This prompted responses from many Christian politicians and political commentators, many of whom encouraged him to take the next step in his journey.

BlazeTV’s “Fearless” host, Jason Whitlock, wrote: “Thanks for saying this. It’s a start.”

Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire wrote, “Always a good thing to do! But if one of Jesus’ teachings — and a teaching he repeats — is that he is God, what does that imply for our own lives and actions?”

One prominent account backed up Knowles’ point, adding, “This is the leap of faith that most people agreeing with Jesus’s teaching won’t take. It’s a metaphysical commitment.”

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) offered his encouragement to Musk: “He lives. He loves. He redeems.”

“We are all sons and daughters of the King,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) added.

“Agreement is a short step away from belief, and then faith will follow,” Frontier magazine contributor and poet Joseph Massey said.

The original poster, the Art of Purpose, left a comment under Musk’s reply that summed up many of the responses well: “Brother you are so close. I’m rooting for you.”

While Musk’s most recent comment made waves on social media, this is not the first time Musk has suggested that he at least accepts the teachings of Christ.

Musk told Jordan Peterson in a July 2024 interview that he was a “cultural Christian” and that “the teachings of Jesus are good and wise,” according to UnHerd.

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​Politics, Elon musk, Christianity, Christ, Musk, Jason whitlock, Fearless, Michael knowles, Mike lee, Nancy mace, Jordan peterson, Catholic