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Why Biden’s targeting of Christians was EVEN WORSE than you thought
A newly released Department of Justice task force report is confirming concerns that religious Americans — particularly Christians — were unfairly targeted by their own government. And Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has seen it herself.
“We’ve been compiling this stuff for a while now, and I experienced this type of anti-Christian and really anti-religious bias as a lawyer in private practice over the last several years,” Dhillon tells Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck on “The Glenn Beck Program.”
“I’ll just give you one example. Our government, not just the DOJ but, you know, various aspects of the government, viewed people seeking religious accommodations to not have to get the COVID vaccination if they were government employees as not legitimate,” she explains.
“They basically internally labeled all of those accommodation requests illegitimate,” she adds.
The Supreme Court Bostock ruling, Dhillon explains, “basically made it illegitimate for any person employed by the government to have a Christian viewpoint on gay marriage and issues like that, which are very much spiritual and religious in nature.”
“And so, there was just a complete lack of respect for the Christian,” she adds.
Dhillon explains that according to a FACE Act weaponization report, “disparaging remarks were made by DOJ prosecutors in [her] department” regarding “a magistrate judge being a Catholic, keeping people of faith off of juries, and going after and seeking sentences that were more than double for Christian protesters outside abortion clinics than for really domestic terrorists going after pro-life centers in Florida.”
“So these disparities were marked, they were open, they were written down in emails. And thank goodness that we have a president today who is not just dedicated to changing that but to also documenting what happened so that people should feel ashamed to do this to other people of faith in our country because our country is founded on faith,” she continues.
“And specifically,” she adds, “on the Christian faith.”
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The glenn beck program, Abortion clinics, Antichristian bias, Assistant attorney general, Biden, Bostock ruling, Catholic, Christian protesters, Christian viewpoint, Christians, Covid vaccination, Department of justice, Domestic terrorists, Face act, Faith, Gay marriage, Harmeet dhillon, President, Prolife centers, Religious accommodations, Religious americans, Spiritual issues, Supreme court, Task force report, Weaponization report
Democratic DA under DOJ investigation for giving illegal aliens special treatment
The Justice Department is holding the feet of a weak-on-crime Democratic prosecutor to the fire over an apparently discriminatory policy that requires special treatment for criminal noncitizens when making charging and plea decisions.
Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, elected to office in 2019 with the help of backing from a pair of George Soros-funded organizations, has developed a reputation for failing to bring illegally present suspects to justice, in at least one instance with deadly consequences.
‘That’s a perversion of justice.’
For instance, Descano’s office dropped a felony charge last year against Wilmer Osmany Ramos Giron, an illegal alien from Guatemala who was accused of abducting and strangling the mother of his child.
Owing to a sweetheart plea deal agreed to by Descano’s office, Ramos Giron — who was previously deported on multiple occasions and arrested repeatedly on gun-related charges — served only two months at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
The light-touch from Descano’s office has also set the stage for tragedy.
Abdul Jalloh is an illegal alien from Sierra Leone who, according to the Department of Homeland Security, has been arrested over 30 times on charges of rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pick-pocketing.
After Descano’s office dropped numerous cases against Jalloh — including two involving malicious wounding charges and another involving an assault and battery charge — the convicted felon allegedly stabbed to death an American citizen, 41-year-old Stephanie Minter of Fredericksburg, on Feb. 23.
RELATED: The homicidal empathy of the left’s immigration policies
Abdul Jalloh (l), Wilmer Osmany Ramos Giron (R). Fairfax County Police Department and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, respectively
The Victims Rights Reform Council said in a complaint filed last month on behalf of the victim’s mother, Cheryl Minter, that police repeatedly warned Fairfax County prosecutors about Jalloh’s behavior prior to the stabbing, noting that he demonstrated a “blatant disregard for human life” and was a “danger to the community,” WJLA-TV reported.
A Fairfax County police major reportedly wrote to one of Descano’s underlings, Fairfax County Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Jenna Sands:
I wanted to bring Mr. Jalloh’s release to your attention, because Mr. Jalloh is one of the repeat (and violent) offenders we discussed when we met. I wanted to get your background on why he is out so soon and ask if his prior suspended sentence (of I believe 5 years) was pursued by your office? Unfortunately, based on MTV Station’s numerous dealings with him, it is not a question of if, but rather when he will maliciously wound (or worse) again. My role of keeping the public safe, prompts me to follow up on his status.
Jalloh was convicted of a malicious stabbing in 2023. Although sentenced to seven years in prison, he had five years suspended.
In a letter on Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon notified Descano that she has authorized a full investigation to determine whether his office has “engaged in unlawful discrimination in violation of Title VI and the Safe Streets Act and whether [his office] is engaged in a pattern or practice of law enforcement misconduct that deprives persons of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.”
Dhillon said the investigation centers on a policy requiring special treatment for illegal aliens that was authorized by Descano and adopted by his office in December 2020.
The controversial policy, titled “Guidelines for Plea Bargaining, Charging Decisions, and Sentencing,” requires that assistant attorneys consider:
“Immigration consequences where possible and where doing so accords with justice”; “The collateral immigration consequences of the specific crime(s) the defendant is charged with”; and”The detrimental impact that deportation/removal has on the families and communities those removed or deported leave behind.”
This policy was hardly a secret.
Descano vowed on a recently scrubbed page of his website not only to provide a “safe place for everyone, regardless of their immigration status,” but to “take immigration consequences into account when making charging and plea decisions.” He added, “If two people commit the same crime, but only one’s punishment includes deportation, that’s a perversion of justice and not a reflection of the values of Fairfax County.”
While some Virginians — like Cheryl Minter — might prefer to see Descano prioritize throwing murderers, rapists, and other criminals in prison, the Democratic attorney noted that “avoiding the unnecessary destruction of [migrant] families and communities will be a top priority.”
Descano — who believes “tough-on-crime policies are short-sighted” — confirmed his receipt of Dhillon’s notice on Wednesday and stated, “My policies are fair, legal, and reflect the values of my community.”
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Descano, Immigration status, Migrant families, Steve descano, Virginia prosecutor, Trump justice department, Illegal immigration, Illegal alien, Murder, Rape, Rapist, Murderer, Virginia, Democrat, Radical, Soft on crime, Soros, Prosecutor, Prosecution, Criminal noncitizen, Noncitizen, Foreigner, Politics
Susan Collins reveals health condition ahead of likely matchup against Democrat enmeshed in Nazi scandal
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a 73-year-old Republican who has been in office for three decades and is presently running for re-election, revealed in an interview this week with News Center Maine that she suffers from a nervous system disorder.
Collins — shown in two recent polls to be trailing radical Democrat candidate Graham Platner by at least 27 percentage points — indicated, however, that the disorder has not interfered with her job.
‘I have had it for the entire time that I have served.’
“What I have is an extremely common condition that is called a benign essential tremor,” Collins explained.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, an essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders. It causes uncontrollable shaking or trembling in various parts of the body. While usually affecting the hands and arms, it can also affect a person’s head, voice, and legs.
Studies have reportedly shown the disorder to be accompanied by a mild degeneration of the cerebellum.
“It tends to slowly get worse over time,” Rees Cosgrove, chief of the division of functional neurosurgery at Mass General Brigham in Boston, told News Center Maine. “It’s not associated with other neurologic impairments. So it’s not associated with cognitive decline or memory decline. It’s not associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s not Parkinson’s disease.”
RELATED: Why Democrats are willing to overlook Graham Platner’s Nazi-tattoo scandal
Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Cosgrove emphasized that an essential tremor is not a mental condition.
“I have had it for the entire time that I have served in the United States Senate,” said Collins. “It has absolutely no impact on my ability to do my job or on how I feel each day.”
The Republican said that she has never missed a Senate floor vote and is confident in her ability to serve for another six years, adding, “If you talk to anybody in Washington, they will tell you that I am the hardest-working person that they have ever worked with.”
Platner, who was the likely Democrat candidate to face Collins in the Senate race even before Gov. Janet Mills (D) threw in the towel last month, apparently has health issues of his own.
Platner — who previously identified as a communist, branded rural white Americans as racists, suggested that service members worried about being raped should buy “Kevlar underwear,” smeared all police officers as “bastards,” mocked Jesus and the Virgin Mary, and adorned himself with an apparent “totenkopf” tattoo reminiscent of the skull image popularized by Adolf Hitler’s Schutzstaffel elite guard — said in an interview last year that he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has “a couple herniated discs.”
The Democrat, a Marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, recently told News Center Maine that he receives nearly $5,000 a month from Veterans Affairs, having apparently been given a 100% disability rating. He has cashed those disability checks in recent years while working as an oyster farmer and the harbormaster for the town of Sullivan.
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Susan collins, Graham platner, Platner, Illness, Sickness, Maine, Republican, Gop, Gerontocracy, Geriatric, Elderly, Shakes, Governor, Senator, Nazi, Politics
‘Yes, I will devote myself’: Korean monks initiate Chinese robot that could actually spy on them
A 51-inch robot was welcomed into a brotherhood of South Korean monks on Wednesday.
The ceremony was equal parts bizarre and promotional, as the robot was draped in traditional robes and beads before being asked to pledge its allegiance to the order.
‘Robot monk, please reply with palms together.’
The new robotic monk was named Gabi during an initiation period for the Joye Order of Korean Buddhism, a group that is allegedly more than 1,200 years old, has governed more than 1,700 temples, and boasts nearly 10 million adherents.
Around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the monks showed the robot off to the public in the courtyard of Daeungjeon Hall at Jogyesa Temple. As reported by the Korean Herald, the robot was dressed in the traditional robe called the kasaya and joined the monks in prayer for Buddha’s birthday.
“Robot monk, please reply with palms together, ‘Yes, I will devote myself,'” a voice is heard telling the machine.
“Yes, I will devote myself,” it seemingly replied.
RELATED: The FCC just banned foreign-made routers — here’s which ones might be stealing your data
– YouTube
The ceremony is known as the “sugye,” a formal initiation that requires one to pledge his devotion to Buddha, his teachings, and the monastic community.
Along with the first-of-its-kind ceremony was the “yeonbi,” a ritual practice in which new monks are typically burned with incense on their arms. Instead of burning the robot — which is expensive, around $13,500 — the monks chose instead to place a lotus lantern festival sticker on its arm and prayer beads around its neck.
The five precepts of Buddhism were also modified for the occasion. Typically they include not killing, not stealing, not misusing sex, being honest, and not using intoxicants.
These were amended to include protecting life; refraining from damaging other monks, robots, or property; respecting and obeying humans; and conserving energy by not overcharging. The only rule to remain the same was for the robot to avoid being deceptive.
RELATED: Video: Why is a Chinese robot chasing wild boars in Poland?
Chris Jung/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Unfortunately for the Korean monks, they have welcomed a Chinese robot that is likely capable of spying on them. The Unitree G1 robot, currently the most advanced humanoid bot available to the public, is also capable of a remote takeover.
As Return previously reported, Congress has warned of a “direct national security threat” through Chinese robots.
Research has also showed that Unitree previously pre-installed backdoor access into its G01 robot dogs, which allowed them to surveil their customers across the globe.
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Buddhas birthday, Chinese robot, Jogyesa temple, Monks, Return, South korea, Unitree g1, Yeonbi ritual, Tech
Democrat lesbian Judge Speedlin-Gonzalez gets lifetime ban after criminal indictment
Rosie Speedlin-Gonzalez was elected in 2018 as a Democrat to serve as a judge on Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 in San Antonio.
The county’s first openly homosexual judge wasted no time evidencing her activistic intent and radicalism, erecting, for instance, a Pride flag behind her bench and alongside the U.S. and Texas flags during formal court proceedings in 2019, then later keeping the imperial non-straight colors hoisted at the entrance to her chambers.
‘Judge Speedlin-Gonzalez shall be forever disqualified from judicial service in the State of Texas.’
After multiple accusations of judicial misconduct and run-ins with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Speedlin-Gonzalez’s time as a judge in the Lone Star State has finally come to an end.
The leftist ex-judge — who the San Antonio Express-News reported in a 2023 puff piece “concedes to being a rebel” and who was admonished in 2020 for congratulating attorneys on winning in her court — was criminally indicted in January in connection with a December 2024 incident in which she allegedly ordered a bailiff to handcuff a female defense attorney and toss her in the jury box.
Speedlin-Gonzalez, the 2021 recipient of the Texas Diversity Council’s LGBTQ+ Individual Leadership Award, was charged with one count of unlawful restraint by a judicial officer — a second-degree felony — and one count of official oppression, a class A misdemeanor.
On the basis of the indictment, the SCJC suspended Speedlin-Gonzalez without pay on Feb. 5.
The leftist — who ran for re-election to the Bexar County Court but was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in the March Democratic primary election — agreed late last month to accept a lifetime ban from the judicial service in order to settle the outstanding misconduct complaints against her and to avoid further disciplinary action.
RELATED: Judge APOLOGIZES to suspected would-be Trump assassin — and compares him to Jan. 6 defendants
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images
Speedlin-Gonzalez signed a formal agreement on April 17 stating both that she has “officially and formally resigned her judicial duties” and that “Judge Speedlin-Gonzalez shall be forever disqualified from judicial service in the State of Texas, including: (a) sitting or serving as a judge, (b) standing for election or appointment to a judicial office, and/or (c) performing or exercising any judicial duties or functions of a judicial officer, including the performance of wedding ceremonies.”
In the preamble, the document notes that Speedlin-Gonzalez was not only slapped in recent years with a complaint over the December 2024 incident but with other complaints, including for having allegedly: “exhibited unprofessional demeanor toward a criminal defendant” and failing to “timely proceed on a motion to modify bond conditions and two writs of habeas corpus”; and abusing her judicial authority “by issuing a ‘no contact’ order via email prohibiting staff of Bexar County’s Reflejo Court and County Court at Law No. 13 from communicating with former specialty court team members and employees of the court.”
The agreement notes, however, that the ex-judge, by her execution of this agreement, doesn’t admit guilt, fault, or liability regarding various misconduct claims leveled against her.
Following the agreement’s filing, special prosecutor Brian Cromeens of DeWitt County filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges against Speedlin-Gonzalez, reported KSAT-TV.
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Bexar county, San antonio, Leftism, Misconduuct, Criminal indictment, Speedlin gonzalez, Rosie speedlin gonzalez, Texas, Lone star state, Resignation, Removal, Ouster, Winning, Leftist, Lgbt, Lesbian, Homosexual, Radical, Politics
Long-serving mayor of idyllic Michigan island has just been re-elected — for the 50th time
Margaret Doud is celebrating a golden anniversary of sorts.
On Tuesday, Doud was re-elected as the mayor of Mackinac Island, the premier tourist spot of Michigan, a state known for tourism. Located in Lake Huron between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island is barely four square miles and is well known for breathtaking views, stately Victorian structures, and tasty fudge.
‘When the time is right, I will step on.’
Notably, the quaint island about a four-hour drive from the Motor City followed by a 20-minute ferry ride is car-free, leaving its 8.2 miles of road open for horse, bicycle, and foot traffic only.
Over a million visitors from all over the globe travel to Mackinac Island each year, but only about 600 residents live there year-round. Doud is one of them.
In 1975, she took over the family business, the Windermere Hotel. That same year, she was also elected mayor.
And since the city charter requires the mayor to be elected annually, Doud has run for — and won — re-election every year since. She won the race Tuesday unopposed.
David Jurcak, president of the iconic Grand Hotel, was among the islanders who congratulated Doud on her 50th re-election as mayor.
“She continues to shape the future of Mackinac Island through her enduring leadership, steady presence, and deep commitment to our residents and businesses,” Jurcak said, according to MLive. “Grand Hotel thanks Mayor Doud for the unwavering support of island businesses and for all she does to keep Mackinac Island thriving.”
RELATED: 7 most underrated summer travel ideas in the US
Now entering her 52nd year in office, Doud keeps busy leading the city council and running the hotel. She participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 1, marking the official beginning of the Mackinac Island tourist season.
According to the Windermere website, one of Doud’s proudest achievements in office is maintaining the horse-and-buggy culture often associated with the Victorian Era.
“I’ve preached over the years I’ve been mayor that we cannot lose the ambiance of Mackinac,” she said. “The horse culture is certainly part of that uniqueness.”
RELATED: Ode to a 1984 Buick Skylark — and to all the other cars of my life
Photo of horse and buggy and Victorian building on Mackinac Island by Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
While 51 years makes Doud the longest-serving current mayor in America, she still has a ways to go to become the longest-serving mayor in American history. Hilmar Moore served as the mayor of Richmond, Texas, for an astonishing 63 years, from 1949 until his death in 2012.
Still, Doud, who turns 83 later this month, previously indicated retirement may still be a ways off: “Oh, you know what Kenny Rogers says, ‘I know when to hold them, and I know when to fold them.’
“When the time is right, I will step on, but I still have some projects I’d like to see completed.”
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Mackinac island, Michigan, Mayor, Margaret doud, Politics
‘Muslims only’ at a Texas water park? Sara Gonzales warns Islamic ‘segregation’ is happening in plain sight.
When BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales stumbled upon a flyer for a Muslim-run event at a water park in Texas, she quickly exposed it — only for organizers to change the flyer to reflect a more inclusive atmosphere.
However, Gonzales isn’t letting it go, pointing out that “screenshots are forever.”
“If you want to see how bad the Islamic invasion of Texas is getting, I’ve got to tell you, I didn’t have this on my bingo card. Now they’re taking over our water parks,” she says, pulling up the original flyer for the event.
Not only does the event boast a “private prayer area” and “modest dress code,” but it advertises that it is “closed to the public,” as it’s “Muslims only.”
“Guess segregation is alive and well in Texas. And the water park is, of course, it’s owned by the city of Grand Prairie, Texas. Taxpayers are paying for it,” Gonzales explains, pointing out that this is not the first time taxpayers have paid for this event.
“This is not the first, not the second, but the third annual ‘Muslim-only’ Epic water park,” she says, before reading testimonials from the first and second events.
“My daughter described it as ‘the best of her life.’ As a family, [sic] that values modesty finding a recreational activity that aligns with our principles can be challenging, however your event provided a safe respectful environment, where we could enjoy ourselves without compromise and the availability of a clean quiet prayer room allowed us to stay longer and enjoy,” one woman wrote.
“I loved the modesty and the Anasheed,” another event-goer posted.
“MashaAllah the event was very organized. Being with friends made it enjoyable and fun, Islamic-friendly, not crowded, and good food,” another testimonial read.
The organizers’ website even gave examples of what to wear to the event, with a page full of photos of burkinis — which is swimwear for Muslim women that covers them from head to toe like a burka.
“It seems like a bad idea to have a head covering when you’re going into water,” she says. “That doesn’t seem safe.”
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‘Crawl’: Killer gators make for gruesome guests in overlooked creature feature
There’s nothing wrong with watching “The Silence of the Lambs” again, especially to honor the film’s 35th anniversary. With or without fava beans.
The same holds for other genre classics like “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Shining,” “The Exorcist” and “Halloween” (1978).
The unrelenting creature brought to life with lo-fi special effects makes this a fine example of ‘less is more storytelling.
What about horror films that slipped by our pop-culture radar, settling into streaming obscurity? The following five films got little attention on release. They may have underperformed at the box office or simply debuted on a streamer sans fanfare.
Each is well worth a look — maybe even while uncorking a nice Chianti.
‘Crawl’ (2019)
If you see just one killer alligator movie this year, make it “Crawl,” which Quentin Tarantino dubbed his favorite film of 2019.
Kaya Scodelario stars as a young woman checking in on her Dad (Barry Pepper) during a brutal Florida hurricane. She can’t find him at first, and his home has started to flood. Badly. That brings more than just the threat of black mold insurance claims. Some killer gators have decided to investigate the house, and Scodelario’s character would make a tasty snack.
Yes, it sounds “Sharknado”-adjacent, but the movie’s hokey premise is offset by first-rate direction from horror vet Alexandre Aja (“High Tension,” “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006)). The father-daughter dynamic is handled with care, giving gravitas to the story without diminishing the chill factor.
‘Hush’ (2016)
This Netflix original boasts a can’t-miss gimmick. What if the protagonist in a home invasion movie were deaf and couldn’t hear the intruder breaking into her home? Every step and crash fell on deaf ears. Literally.
Horror maestro Mike Flanagan (“Doctor Sleep,” “The Fall of the House of Usher”) takes it from there, maximizing that plot device for a pulse-pounding affair that skimps on horror’s usual eye-roll moments. Credit star/co-writer Kate Siegel for crafting a credible heroine, one who never falls victim to girlbossery.
Instead, the film finds new ways to explore the central hook while allowing Siegel’s character to flash her survival instincts.
Yes, it has some slasher film DNA, but the thrilling setup makes it far more than a blood-and-guts-a-thon.
RELATED: Killer bear flick ‘Backcountry’ puts big-budget thrillers to shame
IFC Midnight
‘Splinter’ (2008)
Shea Whigham is one of Hollywood’s busiest character actors. Think “Joker,” “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and many more projects.
This micro-indie takes advantage of his screen presence, casting him as a crook on the lam with his reluctant gal pal. The duo abduct a couple while fleeing Johnny Law before the four run into an unexpected obstacle: a bizarre, stick-like creature that traps them in a convenience store.
The setting couldn’t be starker, forcing us to focus on the squabbling foursome. That, plus the unrelenting creature brought to life with lo-fi special effects, makes this a fine example of “less is more” storytelling.
The rest is up to Whigham, who proves his crooked character may have a redemptive arc lurking within.
‘Haunt’ (2019)
“From the writers of ‘A Quiet Place’” wasn’t the marketing draw the film’s studio imagined. Still, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ directorial effort delivers a straightforward horror film done just right.
The plot screams Genre Film 101, with a gaggle of attractive young people in search of Halloween high jinks. They stumble upon a haunted house attraction with terrible marketing but a decidedly creepy vibe.
Little do they realize the source of said vibes.
There’s little about “Haunt” that reinvents the horror movie template. It’s the efficient scares, imaginative twists, and capable cast that seal the deal. The film became Shudder’s most-watched movie premiere of 2019.
‘Rogue’ (2007)
If you see just one killer crocodile film this year, make it this smart Aussie thriller. Director Greg McLean (“Wolf Creek”) leverages his homeland’s stunning vistas and a better-than-expected cast for a slick terrorfest. Radha Mitchell (“Man on Fire”) stars as a tour guide steering vacationers through the country’s Northern Territory. The trouble starts when her jerk of an ex (“Avatar’s” Sam Worthington) interrupts the riverboat tour.
That’s nothing compared to what comes next. A massive croc terrorizes the boat, feasting on vacationers in the process. The serene setting lulls us into a false sense of security, but the creature feature scares prove as nasty as needed. Co-stars Michael Vartan (“Alias”) and a pre-fame Mia Wasikowska (“Alice in Wonderland”) provide the character beats, allowing us to invest in the dwindling band of survivors.
Don’t get too attached to them, though.
Entertainment, Movies, Culture, Streaming, Reviews, Crawl, Rogue, Splinter, Haunt, Hush, Recommendation
Florida man accused of posting repeated threats on social media to assassinate Trump, Rubio, and Bondi
A Florida man is accused of posting repeated social media threats to assassinate President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida.
Nathaniel Sanders II, 32, of Miami Beach — who appeared in federal court Monday — used X and Instagram from at least January through April 2026 to make numerous posts threatening the lives of Trump, Rubio, and Bondi, officials claimed, citing court records.
‘When I get my hands on him, I’m gonna hurt him.’
Sanders is charged with threatening the president of the United States and transmitting threats in interstate commerce, officials said, adding that he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
A criminal complaint from the Secret Service details a number of instances Sanders allegedly made threats on Instagram, the Palm Beach Daily News said.
Sanders allegedly said in an April 10 post directed at Rubio that “like a lot of people be forgetting they bleed just like everybody else. Like when I get my hands on him, I’m gonna hurt him. Simple as that,” the paper reported.
Sanders also allegedly posted that he would “bomb” the White House and added that “I mean it,” the Daily News reported.
RELATED: FAA contractor charged for allegedly threatening to ‘kill you — Donald John Trump’
The Secret Service claimed another post aimed at Trump suggests that the president should “come find me” so Sanders “can stomp you in the ground,” the paper said.
The complaint indicated that in another April post Sanders called Trump an “orange pedophile a** pervert” and allegedly added, “I’m going to kill you,” the Daily News said.
More from the paper:
The threats were posted between Jan. 28 and April 22, according to the complaint. Law enforcement officials attempted to interview Sanders in February after the initial posts surfaced, but he is described as calling them “pedophiles” and refused to talk.
The complaint says that Sanders posted numerous videos on his Instagram accounts in which he is depicted as “complaining and speaking angrily about his hatred” for Trump and other administration officials.
Sanders also appeared to address first lady Melania Trump in a video, the Daily News said: “I don’t know what to do, Melania, like, all I got is a gun. It’s the only thing I can use now is a gun.”
The paper, citing the complaint, said there’s no indication Sanders took steps to carry out an attack.
A bond hearing is set for Thursday, the Daily News said, adding that his arraignment is scheduled for May 18.
“Threats against public officials are not political speech,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said. “They are serious federal crimes that endanger public safety and the rule of law. The complaint alleges that this defendant repeatedly threatened to assassinate the president of the United States and other senior officials. Those allegations will now be tested in court. Our office will continue working with the U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement partners to investigate threats, protect public officials, and ensure that those who violate federal law are held accountable. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Special Agent in Charge Michael Townsend of the U.S. Secret Service, Miami Field Office, added that “making threats against the president of the United States is a federal crime, and we treat it with the seriousness it deserves every time. It does not matter where the threat is made or what platform is used, our agents will identify you, investigate you, and work alongside our federal and local partners to bring charges when appropriate. We remain relentless in our mission to protect the president and to act swiftly against anyone who puts others at risk.”
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Assassinate, Crime, Donald trump, Florida, Marco rubio, Miami beach, Miami beach man, Nathaniel sanders ii, Pam bondi, Threats, Us secret service, Politics
Utah Valley University is working VERY hard to hide the truth about Charlie Kirk’s assassination
Utah Valley University has given excuse after excuse in response to public records requests for the UVU Police Department in the months since Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated on the UVU campus on September 10, allegedly by Tyler Robinson.
‘I got you covered.’
Like other concerned Americans, Blaze News wanted to better understand the security measures that were put in place in the lead-up to the TPUSA college tour event that fateful day. Our concerns were heightened after Kirk’s former head of security, Brian Harpole, suggested to podcast host Shawn Ryan in November that UVU police, including Chief Jeff Long, had failed to implement certain security measures before Kirk’s murder and then went dark after it.
– YouTube
Harpole claimed that the UVU amphitheater setting was too exposed and that UVUPD neglected to reach out to other local law enforcement agencies to ensure that they had enough officers on the ground and resources like drones to secure the area, especially considering the anticipated size of the crowd.
According to an alleged text exchange between Harpole and Chief Long — an image of which can be seen at the 56:19 mark of the podcast episode — Harpole had also identified specific concerns about “roof access” two days prior to the deadly shooting, but Long had assured him, “I got you covered.”
After the shooting, Harpole claimed that he and his team reached out to Long, but “he’s never called us back.”
So long ago and so much effort: UVU can’t be bothered
Harpole also suggested that individuals and/or the media submit public records requests under the federal Freedom of Information Act for all the messages Long sent and received on state-issued devices. Blaze News took that advice — but has been stonewalled at every turn.
On November 24, Blaze News first submitted a FOIA request — called GRAMA in Utah, for the Government Records Access and Management Act — for all of Long’s messages on any messaging or social media platform between September 3 and September 11, 2025. That request was denied on December 4 because a “person’s name; mailing address; email address; and daytime telephone number” from Blaze News was allegedly not included.
Of note, Blaze News has a GRAMA account for UVU with that information stored, though when it was stored cannot be verified.
‘The time frame “September 3, 2025, to September 11, 2025” passed a considerable time ago.’
Blaze News then resubmitted the request on two occasions. The first was received on January 14. On February 5, UVU claimed it needed “additional time to fulfill” the request because of the “extraordinary circumstance” but that the request would be fulfilled within 10 business days.
On February 19, UVU said it needed an additional 10 business days.
On March 5, UVU said it needed yet another 10 business days.
Finally, on March 17, Blaze News received 14 heavily redacted Microsoft Teams messages, most of which were not useful. None of the speakers are identified by name, so it is unknown whether any of these statements can be attributed to Chief Long.
The most insightful exchange came at 9:15 a.m. on September 10, the day of the shooting.
A person identified as 63G-2-305(11) says: “Let the fun begin! The turning point group is wondering if they can have access to drive under the hall of flags to drop off their equipment? There is a gate there that needs to be unlocked.”
Part of the response from person 63G-2-305(12) is redacted, but 63G-2-305(12) continues, “The two GOP guys whi [sic] visited yesterday really stirred the pot!”
63G-2-305(11) then says with unwitting foreboding: “Really?! Oh no! It was weird the way they came on campus. Let’s hope nothing crazy happens.” The person believed to be responder 63G-2-305(12) replies: “It’s all good!”
Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News
Even though UVU had granted itself three extensions for this request, in its response, UVU refused to provide Blaze News with any text messages from Long’s phone between September 3 and September 11 on the grounds that too much time had passed since the shooting and that finding the messages would involve too much work:
For the University to conduct a search for text messages, the employee would have to open and review each text message thread on their phone to see if that thread includes the date range you specified. Then the employee would have to determine if it was a personal text or public record. If the text was a public record, the employee would have to screenshot the entire thread for the period and compile those screenshots to a form that can be shared. In addition, seeing as the time frame “September 3, 2025, to September 11, 2025” passed a considerable time ago, this search process would be a time-consuming interference from the employee’s day-to-day operations and responsibilities to maintain the safety of the University.
UVU gave the same reason for denying the request for Long’s texts Blaze News submitted on April 1. When Blaze News reminded UVU that all of Long’s messages are presumed public unless a specific GRAMA exemption applies and that inconvenience and the personal nature of some messages were not exemptions under the statute, two weeks later, Blaze News received 19 screenshots — of almost no investigatory value.
Eight of the screenshots were of text alerts about the shooting that were presumably sent campus-wide.
One was a message from a reporter from a local Utah outlet requesting an interview with Chief Long.
Three screenshots contain expressions of concern about people, presumably Long or other members of UVUPD, who had to endure the stress of the event, both in the planning stages immediately before it and in the aftermath of the shooting.
Three others relate to a single conversation about U.S. Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and John Curtis (R-Utah) possibly attending the event.
Just two screenshots reveal interesting information. In one conversation that took place only a half-hour before Kirk was fatally shot, someone, presumably Long, estimated that the crowd had swelled to 3,000.
“Woah! That is pretty good! Is it okay?” the interlocutor replied.
“Do you think there are more in support or against,” the interlocutor added, but to no reply.
Then 15 minutes after the shooting, someone asked what they should tell the “people calling.” “She said shes even gotten the new York times [sic],” the person added.
“Don’t give any statements,” was the reply, presumably from Long.
The text messages Harpole claimed to have exchanged with Long were not included in any of the documents UVU sent to Blaze News. Efforts to reach Harpole for comment were unsuccessful.
RELATED: Elderly man who falsely confessed to shooting Charlie Kirk sentenced to prison
Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News
In its response to Blaze News, UVU justified not disclosing other messages on Long’s phone because doing so:
“could reasonably be expected to jeopardize the life or safety of an individual”;”would jeopardize the security of public property, buildings, or systems”; and”would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”
Even the suspected murderer gets a say?
Blaze News is apparently not the only outlet frustrated by UVU’s limited compliance with public records requests about Kirk’s murder.
In an article titled “Utah Valley University continues to deny request for documents in Charlie Kirk shooting” dated February 17, KSTU reported not only the denials from UVU but that suspect Tyler Robinson and his attorneys had even weighed in on its GRAMA request. The outlet said it received “a letter from Tyler Robinson and his attorneys in support of the university’s decision to deny the release of the security plan.”
KSTU appeared unfazed by the denials for public records from UVU, claiming that they are “typical of the public records process.” However, the outlet noted that this letter from the suspect and his legal team was “unusual.”
Back in April, the Daily Caller News Foundation similarly reported that in response to its public records request, UVU had “heavily redacted files and withheld others entirely.”
UVUPD did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News about this lack of transparency.
‘These things … unfortunately they happen’
Long joined the UVUPD as deputy chief in 2022 and was named chief in December 2024. Government disclosure documents show that Long earned more than $125,000 in wages and benefits from taxpayers in 2024 alone.
And the most popular conservative activist in America was shot and killed on his watch.
Just hours after the shooting, Long and other officials appeared at a press conference, where Long professed to be “devastated” and described the deadly shooting as “a police chief’s nightmare.”
“We train for these things, and you think you have things covered, and um, you know, these things, um, you know, unfortunately they happen,” he continued. “You try to get, you try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately today we didn’t. And because of that we had this tragic incident.”
Long has not made any public comments about the shooting since.
Harpole indicated to Shawn Ryan that Long bears considerable responsibility for the ongoing questions and speculation about UVU security that day.
“Why he won’t stand up like a man and admit this, I don’t know,” Harpole said of Long, “but he’s watching a bunch of men lose their careers.
“And he’s okay with it.”
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Charlie kirk, Utah valley university, Public records, Brian harpole, Tpusa, Shawn ryan, Utah, Jeff long, Politics
ICE’s new smart glasses promise surveillance superpowers. Will they be used against citizens next?
Big Tech is betting big on XR glasses — that’s “extended reality” — as the hot new thing that will captivate users around the world. Meta was among the first to introduce smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban, and now Apple, Google, and Samsung are expected to unveil their competing products soon. Although smart glasses have yet to gain the same mass public appeal as the smartphone, ICE thinks XR is exactly the tool it needs to speed up illegal alien identification and deportation.
DHS prepares to put smart glasses on ICE
ICE agents are reportedly tapping into the newest cutting-edge technology to aid in the fight against illegal immigration. Predictably, the deportation agency’s biggest critics are up in arms. According to independent left-wing journalist Ken Klippenstein, DHS is planning to outfit ICE agents with extended-reality smart glasses by September 2027. Instead of choosing an option off the shelf from a Big Tech brand that’s already in the space, DHS has notified Congress that it wants to develop its own solution, complete with features designed to help agents in the field.
This same technology could be used and abused to surveil the American public at large.
The aptly named “ICE Glasses” will include cameras that can record video, analyze data in real time, and display useful information to the wearer through an eye lens. The glasses will search for key biometric information that can identify a suspected illegal alien or criminal, including facial features and their walking pattern. These details are then sent to a federal database that contains known information on illegal aliens and criminals, cross-referenced for matches, and then a final determination is relayed back to the agent to either make an arrest or let the person go free.
The goal of ICE Glasses is to provide real-time awareness to agents by helping them identify illegal entities and deport them faster than ever. Unfortunately, as civil libertarians have warned broadly for decades, there are some potential consequences to using this kind of tech in public. Let’s zoom out and take a broader look.
3 reasons ICE Glasses are a good thing
First, let’s dive into the benefits of outfitting ICE agents with smart glasses.
Deportation fast lane: Agents can expedite deportations by identifying illegal aliens in seconds. The big benefit here is that agents don’t have to take the time to check federal databases themselves; it all happens automatically.Agent safety: ICE Glasses will keep agents safer by marking known dangerous illegal aliens and criminals in the heads-up display, letting agents know when they need to be more cautious or vigilant when approaching a suspect.Safer streets: If this initial test goes well, the technology found in ICE Glasses could be beneficial to local law enforcement. Police officers could wear similar glasses to identify wanted criminals and other dangerous entities roaming their streets, leading to a safer America.
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images
3 reasons ICE Glasses are bad for the American public
Now that the good stuff is out of the way, let’s get into several reasons why the ICE Glasses could be a problem for the American people.
Citizen surveillance: First and foremost, there’s a high likelihood that ICE Glasses will scan the faces of illegal immigrants and American citizens. After all, the only way to confirm a suspect’s status is to run their information. In this way, ICE Glasses could become a mass surveillance tool that captures and processes the biometric data of every American citizen that passes by an agent.User errors: There will likely be some mistakes. If a person is marked down incorrectly in the federal criminal database, ICE Glasses may erroneously flag a suspect, possibly leading to false arrests.Abuse of power: With great power comes great repsonsibility … and the potential for abuse. ICE Glasses would give agents immense power to record, document, and analyze vast swathes of data. Yes, illegal immigrants are the target, but these smart glasses can technically “see” and monitor anything the agent sees. While we may trust the current administration to do the right thing with this technology, leftists will return to power in the future, and a left-wing government will have the ability to target its own idea of a national threat, such as white males, traditional homemakers, and Christians.
ICE Glasses are as useful as they are problematic. On one hand, it’s good to have intelligent resources that expedite the identification and deportation of illegal aliens and criminals. So far, the Trump administration has fallen behind past administrations on deportation totals, and these glasses could help.
On the other hand, you can see how this same technology could be used and abused to surveil the American public at large. While it’s true ICE Glasses will empower agents to arrest more domestic threats, they do so at the expense of American citizens’ privacy.
Is it worth it?
Tech, Ice, Immigration and customs enforcement, Smart glasses, Ice glasses, Extended reality
Sara Gonzales exposes ‘MUSLIMS ONLY’ event at city-owned site — and Gov. Greg Abbott is taking action
A report from BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales exposing a Muslims-only event at a water park in Texas has led to a threat from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
The event was to celebrate a religious event called Eid and was scheduled for June 1 in Grand Prairie. Gonzales posted an ad from the event clearly marking it as excluding non-Muslims.
‘That’s religious discrimination. It’s unconstitutional.’
The event included halal food and a private prayer area, despite the Epic Waters indoor park being city-owned.
On Wednesday, the governor issued a threat to pull the city’s public safety grants unless the park shut down the event.
“A city-owned water park in Grand Prairie openly advertised a ‘MUSLIMS ONLY’ event — closed to the general public. That’s religious discrimination,” Abbott said in a statement on social media.
“It’s unconstitutional. I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim only no-go zones in Texas,” he added. “The City must cancel the event and commit to never allowing something like it again by May 11th, or lose $530,000 in state grants.”
He pointed out that one of the red flags involved the planners asking women to wear “burkinis” rather than bikinis.
“Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans,” Abbott added.
RELATED: Sara Gonzales confronts owner of alleged H-1B visa & autism center scam — whistleblower tells all
The Dallas Morning News reported that the event’s organizer, Aminah Knight, said she did not intend to exclude anyone when the event was labeled “Muslims only.” She said the flyer has been changed to include everyone.
“As Muslims, we have a modest dress code. Going to a water park can be a challenge,” Knight said, noting that this was the third year of the event. “This is a way to have fun and make sure our children and community feel seen.”
A spokesperson for the city did not respond to a request for comment from the Morning News.
The event was expected to draw about 600 attendees.
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Muslim only water park, Islamic domination, Sara gonzales investigations, Abbott vs grand prairie, Politics
Allie Beth Stuckey issues stern warning to Christian right: Mocking Erika Kirk is a ‘soul sickness’ and a risky gamble with your soul
In the several months since Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s death, his widow, Erika Kirk, has faced consistent and intense online harassment, mockery of her public grief, egregious accusations, and threats from both sides of the political aisle.
Allie Beth Stuckey, BlazeTV host of “Relatable,” has been deeply disturbed by all the vitriol unleashed against Erika — especially when it comes from the “Christian” right.
No matter what Erika does, says Allie — smile, cry, stay home, or go out into public — there awaits a host of people ready to mock and accuse her.
The latest example of this occurred following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which was cut short due to a would-be assassin rushing a security checkpoint and firing multiple shots in an attempt to kill President Trump and other administration officials. A video of Erika crying and expressing a desire to go home after the incident went viral on social media, with many accusing her of faking tears and performing.
Many of those accusers, Allie points out, identify as conservative Christians.
“You are just playing this very dangerous game with your soul; you’re gambling here,” says warns. “Like this is such a dangerous thing for you to have to bring before the Lord one day — that you found it to be an entertaining sport to mock someone’s widow.”
It’s OK to “criticize a public figure” and express hesitation about “the official law enforcement story,” Allie concedes, as long as you do these things “without relentlessly and mercilessly mocking.” Those unable to refrain from mockery and hatred are suffering from “a soul sickness,” she argues.
“If you do feel good about [mocking Erika] and you’re like, ‘Well, I don’t really feel any conviction. I think that this is fine,’ that’s not an indication that what you’re doing is OK,” she declares. “That’s an indication that you are callous; that you worship the god of self; you worship the god of money; you worship the god of entertainment; you worship the god of sensationalism — not the God of scripture.”
“If you keep feeling good about and finding joy in the mockery of a widow, that is an indication of the absence of the Holy Spirit in your life. It just is,” she continues, “and that’s not Allie Stuckey’s judgment, OK? That is the nature of the Holy Spirit because he is the convictor.”
Many of the most horrific injustices in the history of the world, she reminds, happened because callousness to the suffering of others became normalized.
“It takes one person being willing to go out there and consistently dehumanize and consistently deride, and then it takes a few people being entertained by it, and then more people being entertained by it, and then it becomes less of a person that you’re talking about, and it just becomes this abstract thing,” says Allie. “These people talking about Erika, I don’t even think they see her as a person.”
“When someone’s humanity in your mind goes away, you can justify anything,” she warns.
And when we become numb to widows’ suffering specifically — that’s even more dangerous territory, at least spiritually, Allie argues.
Citing Isaiah 1:17, Psalm 68:5, and Exodus 22:22-24, she says, “It seems like [widows are] something that’s super important to God.”
For the people who may not be mocking or deriding Erika but are constantly criticizing her role as TPUSA’s CEO, claiming she should be at home with her kids instead, Allie has a blunt message: “I promise you that Erika loves her kids more than you do. … I promise you that she thinks about their well-being and thinks about what is best for them more than you do.”
If anyone is concerned about Erika or her children, the best thing they can do is to pray, she says.
When it comes to Erika Kirk or any public figure, Allie stresses that she’s “not even asking for us to all agree” because “we can all have opinions.”
“I’m asking for some humanity here, right?” she says, “And I’ve just been super disappointed in some people who used to be in my audience who have just become so merciless when it comes to this woman.”
“This is like a huge indication of just very dark spiritual sickness, and it grieves me. I’m really praying about it.”
To hear more, watch the video above.
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.
Relatable with allie beth stuckey, Relatable, Allie beth stuckey, Erika kirk, Turning point usa, Tpusa, Tpusa ceo, Widows, Blazetv, Blaze media
A prolonged operation in the Strait of Hormuz does more harm than good
With Brent crude futures surging past $115 a barrel, President Trump’s rejection of Iran’s latest Strait of Hormuz proposal is a test of whether Washington elites understand what ordinary Americans actually want: energy stability, not another forever war in the Gulf.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, through Pakistani mediators in the ongoing Islamabad process, recently floated a phased 14-point plan: reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade, with nuclear talks deferred to a later stage.
Trump dismissed the offer as not acceptable, yet the real story is not Tehran’s maneuvering, but the widening gap between Beltway hawks who see confrontation as inevitable and voters who see confrontation as unaffordable.
Younger voters, already skeptical of ‘forever wars,’ view the Iran standoff as another distraction from domestic priorities.
As the administration officially activates Project Freedom — a mission utilizing U.S. naval assets to guide trapped commercial vessels — Washington is attempting a middle-path maneuver.
This operation is a band-aid on a bullet wound. Reports of U.S. helicopters destroying Iranian small boats and retaliatory missile fire toward UAE ports underscore the volatility. The public is not clamoring for a demonstration of strength; people are clamoring for relief at the pump.
Polling backs this up. The March 2026 Pew survey shows that foreign policy hawkishness is declining, with only 28% of Americans labeling China an “enemy” and similar fatigue evident in attitudes toward Middle Eastern entanglements.
Trump’s rejection of Iran’s deal, though well intentioned, misreads the electorate. Americans are not demanding another Gulf showdown that could shatter the current truce. They are demanding a pragmatic path to lower energy costs and a reprieve from endless deployments.
Iran’s offer was piecemeal, but it reflected a truth Washington ignores: Maritime choke points like the Strait of Hormuz are arteries of global commerce. Blocking them — or relying on risky naval escorts — is a gamble with the global economy.
Traders and shippers see the blockade as a distortion that ripples through supply chains. The attempt to isolate Iran has produced logistical chaos that even Project Freedom will struggle to untangle.
Americans feel this chaos in their wallets. Every increase translates to higher gasoline prices, higher shipping costs, and inflationary pressure. Younger voters, already skeptical of “forever wars,” view the Iran standoff as another distraction from domestic priorities.
The youth vote is not demanding ideological purity; it is demanding pragmatic management of global risks. By rejecting Iran’s offer outright, Trump risks alienating the very demographic that could give him cover for a diplomatic breakthrough.
RELATED: Trump administration establishes ‘red, white, and blue dome’ to allow safe passage through Strait of Hormuz
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The Islamabad process — where U.S. and Iranian delegations are quietly exploring trilateral peace — reflects a regional appetite for pragmatic de-escalation. The same mood exists in the American electorate. Voters are tired of containment strategies that yield no domestic dividend.
The coming few weeks will be decisive. If the blockade continues, price spikes will drag inflation into the midterm season. If Trump pivots toward a phased maritime deal, he could claim a win that stabilizes the markets.
Washington elites may sneer at piecemeal diplomacy, but such diplomacy is often how to achieve real stability. The electorate understands this better than the pundits.
The American people are no longer the obstacle to pragmatic engagement; they are the engine of it. Rejecting Iran’s offer may satisfy Beltway hawks, but it risks alienating voters.
The smarter path is managed friction — accepting partial deals that stabilize markets while deferring ideological battles. The world does not need another forever war in the Gulf. It needs a recognition that energy stability is the foundation of strategic strength.
Us navy, Iran, Trump, Operation epic fury, Operation project freedom, Strait of hormuz, Blockade, Forever war, Middle east, Opinion & analysis
Illegal alien activists OUTRAGED over ICE ‘abductions’ of Disney cruise crew members
Illegal alien activist groups are demanding answers over “abductions” of crew members in front of passengers on a Disney cruise by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Benjamin Prado from Union del Barrio spoke at a press conference at the pier in San Diego along with other migrant groups to express their outrage that ICE was doing its job.
‘It was really unsettling. … Does the family even know that he’s not getting back on the ship today?’
“This is not an isolated incident,” Prado said. “In fact, it has become a growing pattern, not only here in San Diego but throughout this country.”
He went on to claim that the detainees were being denied their due process rights and access to legal representation.
“It is our responsibility as a society, as working people, to really denounce these actions by Customs and Border Protection, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the prolonged detention of migrant workers, whether it be here in our own community as well as those that work on ships,” Prado added.
Prado and the other groups demanded that Disney do more to protect its workers.
One of the passengers on the Disney cruise said her family was traumatized by seeing the crew members being detained by ICE.
“It was really unsettling,” Dharmi Mehta said at the briefing.
Mehta said they had gotten to know a head waiter during the five-day cruise, and they saw him and others being detained after they arrived in San Diego. She was distressed by the fact that they did not have any personal belongings with them.
“So that was just my big concern — like, how is he gonna reach out to his family? Does the family even know that he’s not getting back on the ship today?” Mehta added.
The migrant groups said four others were also detained by ICE from Holland America’s Zaandam cruise ship at the same pier. Around 10 were detained from the Disney cruise.
Protesters behind Mehta held signs demanding due process for Filipino workers.
RELATED: ‘GayDays’ at Disney World on ice after sponsors pull out
A spokesperson for the Port of San Diego released a statement to KNSD-TV.
“The Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department did not have any involvement in the reported enforcement actions on April 23 or April 25 at the B Street Cruise Terminal,” the statement reads. “We did not receive any calls for service related to these incidents. In accordance with California law, including SB 54, Harbor Police does not participate in immigration enforcement activities.”
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Immigration and customs enforcement, Disney cruise, Illegal alien activists, Illegal alien advocate groups, Politics
MASSIVE federal operation under way to CRUSH cartel’s ‘notorious open-air drug market’ in Los Angeles
A massive operation targeting the “notorious open-air drug market” in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles began Wednesday, according to a Justice Dept. statement.
Details of “Operation Free MacArthur Park” were posted on social media by Bill Essayli, the first assistant United States attorney for the Central District of California.
At least 19 kilograms of fentanyl and 17 arrests were initially reported in the operation targeting the ‘notorious open-air drug market.’
“We are going after street dealers and suppliers of massive amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine,” he wrote. “Over the last 24 hours, federal and local law enforcement have started arresting 25 defendants charged in a federal criminal complaint with possessing and distributing dangerous narcotics, including fentanyl and methamphetamine.”
At least 19 kilograms of fentanyl and 17 arrests were initially reported in the operation targeting the “notorious open-air drug market” as described by Essayli.
He said the top drug trafficker, a resident of Calabasas, was already in federal custody and faced life in prison if convicted. Other defendants also faced decades in prison.
Essayli also posted video from the operation showing the many officers involved.
More than 300 agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Justice, and the Los Angeles Police Dept. were included, according to a Fox News report.
“The LAPD is currently assisting our federal partners in a joint narcotics enforcement operation in the MacArthur Park Area. This operation is focused solely on drug‑related criminal activity,” reads a statement from the LAPD on social media.
“There is no connection to immigration enforcement,” it added.
A video from the California Post showed many of the suspects being arrested or detained.
“We are attacking the open-air drug market that’s been allowed to proliferate under California policies for too long. You go down there, and there’s people actively selling fentanyl, methamphetamine. There’s people using in the open,” Essalyi said in an interview on the scene.
“To the drug dealers poisoning the streets of Los Angeles: your safe haven is gone,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote.
The DEA indicated that one of the goals of the operation was “cleaning up the community” before the World Cup and Olympics.
RELATED: ‘Disgusting criminal’ illegal alien tortured dogs at animal training center in Las Vegas, DHS says
Ironically, Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass angrily denounced federal agents during another similar operation at MacArthur Park in July 2025.
“This is footage from today in MacArthur Park. Minutes before, there were more than 20 kids playing — then, the MILITARY comes through,” she wrote on social media at the time. “The SECOND I heard about this, I went to the park to speak to the person in charge to tell them it needed to end NOW. Absolutely outrageous.”
Federal officials denied that she had been able to shut down the operation.
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Cartel macarthur park drugs, Massive drug bust los angeles, Operation free macarthur park, Federal operation los angeles, Politics
Tech billionaire Palmer Luckey calls out homeschool haters’ hypocrisy
Activists who demand strict oversight for homeschooling rarely apply the same standards to public schools, entrepreneur and defense contractor Palmer Luckey argued this week.
Luckey pushed back against growing calls for tighter regulation of homeschooling, responding to critics who say parents should face more evaluations and state monitoring.
‘Ask them what the consequences should be for homeschooling parents who fail to educate children.’
Home invasion
His comments came after writer Jill Filipovic argued that homeschooling families should accept more scrutiny if they believe homeschooling delivers better educational outcomes.
“If homeschooling is actually super high quality, then homeschooling families should not object to being evaluated, tested, and checked-in-on to make sure their kids are actually learning,” Filipovic wrote in a post viewed more than one million times.
Luckey responded that homeschool students often succeed precisely because they are not forced into what he described as the “slow-progress-across-all-subjects method public schools impose on every student, no matter how they learn.”
He added that standardized oversight would likely undermine the flexibility that makes homeschooling effective in the first place
“The evaluation/testing you are talking about would almost certainly prohibit that sort of tailored education,” Luckey wrote, “especially since they would be designed and administered by a system that wants to eliminate homeschooling in almost all cases.”
Several studies appear to support at least part of Luckey’s argument.
RELATED: Right-wing investor to challenge traditional banking with national crypto bank
Study haul
A 2022 study analyzing results from the Classic Learning Test — a college entrance exam launched in 2015 — found homeschool students outperformed peers from other school systems by margins ranging from three to 12.1 points, including in verbal and writing categories.
A 2025 study by Cardus found that 45% of short-term homeschoolers earned at least a bachelor’s degree, roughly comparable to the 46% rate among non-homeschooled students. The same study also found homeschoolers were more likely to be married, have children, volunteer in their communities, and report higher levels of optimism.
Meanwhile, a 2026 overview of peer-reviewed research found that 62% of studies conducted over a 30-year period concluded homeschool students outperformed their traditionally schooled peers.
RELATED: Anti-Trump Indian investor wants you to use this hat that reads your thoughts
Rubber rooms
Luckey also rejected the argument that public schools better prepare children for real-world socialization.
“We are putting the vast majority of our children into madhouses that no longer have anything to do with how society works or what they will experience in said society,” he wrote.
Despite the growing body of research and the rapid rise in homeschooling, major media outlets continue to advocate for tighter oversight. The Washington Post reported in 2024 that between 1.9 million and 2.7 million American children were being homeschooled — roughly a 50% increase over six years.
In England, homeschooling numbers rose from fewer than 81,000 students in 2022 to roughly 92,000 in 2023. The Guardian attributed much of the increase to COVID-era lockdowns while simultaneously calling for greater regulation and oversight, arguing public schools provide stronger safeguards for children.
Luckey, however, said critics often apply a double standard — demanding accountability from parents while excusing systemic failures in public education.
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Align, Education, Education department, Educational outcomes, Parents rights, Public schools, Bachelors degree, Homeschooling, Lifestyle
Katie Porter’s new ad jokes about one of her worst moments — and she’s getting CRUSHED online for it
Former California Democratic Rep. Katie Porter’s newest political ad is getting savaged on social media for trying to make a joke about one of her worst moments.
Porter is one of the Democratic candidates in the California gubernatorial race, but her campaign has been dogged by allegations that she has an abusive temper toward her staff and her family members.
‘Whoever shot and produced that video should be fired.’
In Oct. 2025, a damaging video leaked that showed Porter screaming an expletive at a staff member for straying into her video shot.
“Get out of my f**king shot!” she yells. “You also were in my shot before that. Stay out of my shot.”
On Tuesday, Porter’s campaign published a video ad showing the candidate addressing voters while actors in the background hold whiteboards with several campaign slogans. At the end, she turns around and yells at them.
“Now, could you guys please get out of my shot?” she says with a smile.
The bizarre callback has bewildered critics online who questioned why she would refer to one of her worst moments.
“I’m at a loss for words. This is so bad,” replied Democratic political strategist Keith Edwards.
“Does she think verbally abusing staff members is a joke now?” responded the Libs of TikTok account.
“Most people that run for governor — even in CA — are substantially less unhinged,” said another commentator.
“Lol whoever shot and produced that video should be fired,” said another detractor.
“It won’t work. Her ‘advisors’ probably thought it would help deflect from her true self being exposed. It just highlights her narcissism harder,” responded another X user.
While Porter has decent name recognition as a former congresswoman, she has underperformed in the gubernatorial race. In one recent poll, she was tied for fourth place behind the two Republicans in the race and Democratic front-runner Tom Steyer.
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UCLA’s medical school racially discriminated against white, Asian applicants: DOJ
A year-long Department of Justice investigation has found that the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, discriminated against applicants based on race.
A Wednesday press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California announced that the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division discovered evidence that the school’s leadership “intentionally selected applicants based on their race.”
‘Federal law and the Supreme Court precedent are clear: Race discrimination has no place in our nation’s institutions of higher learning.’
The DOJ cited UCLA’s “dubious contention that patients receive the best care when treated by a doctor of the same race, rather than by the most qualified.”
The investigation claimed that, on average, black and Hispanic applicants whom the medical school admitted had lower academic qualifications than their white and Asian counterparts.
The department concluded that the medical school violated civil rights laws by intentionally discriminating on the basis of race. The DOJ highlighted that medical schools receive significant federal financial assistance.
“UCLA’s admissions process has been focused on racial demographics at the expense of merit and excellence — allowing racial politics to distract the school from the vital work of training great doctors,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division stated. “Racism in admissions is both illegal and anti-American, and this Department will not allow it to continue.”
Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said, “Federal law and the Supreme Court precedent are clear: Race discrimination has no place in our nation’s institutions of higher learning.”
“The pattern of illegal and odious conduct by UCLA’s medical school is abhorrent to our Constitution and our nation’s founding principles,” Essayli added.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
A UCLA medical school spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that its admissions process is “based on merit” and “grounded in a rigorous, comprehensive review of each applicant.” The spokesperson rejected claims that it broke the law.
“We are confident in our practices and our mission to maintain access to a high-quality education to all qualified students,” the spokesperson told the Times. “We are carefully reviewing the Department of Justice’s report. The David Geffen School of Medicine is committed to providing equal opportunity to all applicants and fully complying with federal and state laws.”
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Glenn Beck: Spirit Airlines is gone — and Democrats helped kill it
While progressives claim the Spirit Airlines collapse was good for consumers, Glenn Beck and Carol Roth argue the exact opposite happened: Regulators strangled a struggling company’s lifeline and handed even more market power to the major airlines.
“Spirit Airlines is out, and Elizabeth Warren, when she announced this with Joe Biden — that they weren’t going to merge with JetBlue — she said that’s a ‘win’ for the Republic and win for Biden.”
“It’s not a win for anybody who had, you know, tickets on a cheap airline to go someplace — to go see Grandma, or go back to school, or whatever it was. That’s not a win for you today. All these people have lost their jobs. The airline is closed, and the only ones that will win are the bigger airlines,” Glenn tells financial expert Carol Roth.
“They are always wrong and never in doubt,” Roth agrees.
“And this is a very dangerous combination, because, you know, you can have this moral preening, but it doesn’t replace economic reality. And they are so decoupled from the economic reality, either because they don’t understand or because they don’t care,” she says.
And Roth knows this from experience.
“I’m a recovering investment banker. We see this all the time. You have a company that needs a lifeline, and another company steps in and it’s letting the market sort it out,” she explains.
“What they did is they took a struggling company and they said, ‘No, you cannot have that lifeline. Look, we did a good thing,’ and like you said, now we have less choice. Now we have people who are out of a job. Now we have, you know, less of an opportunity for this to work its way out in the markets and in the system,” she continues.
“They’re not helping. And they’re making it harder for Americans to thrive, to be successful, and in some cases just to afford the cost of living,” she says. “And unfortunately, that’s where we’re at today.”
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