Category: blaze media

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) has accused a Democratic colleague of trying to solicit money from convicted sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.

On the House floor on Tuesday, Comer slammed Democratic fundraisers for inviting Epstein to an event, including to potentially privately meet with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D). This invite was a part of a 2013 campaign effort, just a handful of years after Epstein pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution involving a minor under 18.

‘Of course, I have no recollection of the email.’

“Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign solicited money from Jeffrey Epstein,” Comer declared.

Comer was referring to an email sent by a political consulting firm to Epstein in May 2013, just a few months into Jeffries’ first term in Congress. The email stated that the firm was “working with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries” and invited Epstein to a “fundraising dinner with President Obama.”

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins questioned Jeffries about the allegations that his campaign invited Epstein to an event.

“Of course, I have no recollection of the email. I’ve never had a conversation with him. Never met him, know nothing about him, other than the extreme things that he’s been convicted of doing,” Jeffries told Collins. “And that’s why I’m just strongly supportive of the efforts backing the survivors to make sure that everything can come out, whatever is in those Department of Justice files.”

RELATED: ‘Swamp protects itself’: Republicans shield Epstein-texting Democrat — allegedly to save Cory Mills’ hide

Hakeem Jeffries. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Jeffries stated that he never received a donation from Epstein.

Earlier during the floor proceedings, Comer accused Democratic lawmakers of trying to leverage the Epstein scandal to attack President Donald Trump.

RELATED: With Trump’s blessing, House approves resolution to release the Epstein files: ‘We have nothing to hide’

James Comer. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

“When the Oversight Committee interviewed former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Alex Acosta, Democrats whipped themselves into a frenzy trying to manufacture a ‘gotcha’ moment. But they failed,” Comer stated, adding that Acosta’s testimony confirmed there was no connection to Trump in the Epstein case.

“Next, Democrats resorted to selective leaks and doctored documents to mislead the American people,” he continued. “In their latest selective leak, Democrats released just three, three of the 23,000 pages of documents from the Epstein estate. And they made redactions to two of those emails that changed both the context and meaning of the three pages they released.”

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​News, Hakeem jeffries, James comer, Jeffrey epstein, Epstein, Democratic party, Epstein files, Politics 

Despite internal fractures in their own party, Democrats have rallied on one issue: resisting President Donald Trump and his agenda. On Tuesday, a Democrat senator posted a distressing exhortation titled “Don’t give up the ship.”

The six Democrats in the video, whose shared experience represents intelligence agencies, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, delivered a forceful message addressed directly to “members of the military and the intelligence community.”

‘You can refuse illegal orders.’

“Americans trust their military. But that trust is at risk. This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.”

RELATED: ‘The counteroffensive begins’: Report exposes Soros’ Open Society funding of alleged pro-terror leftist groups

Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

“Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.”

Repeating the statement for effect, they continued, “You can refuse illegal orders.”

“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution. … But whether you’re serving in the CIA, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, your vigilance is critical. And know that we have your back,” they said.

They did not identify any allegedly illegal orders issued by President Donald Trump or members of his administration.

The video ended with the final demand: “Don’t give up the ship.”

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) delivered the message.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser, called out the video on X, saying, “Ten years after the Deep State Russia Hoax, top Democrats openly appeal to CIA and military officials to engage in rebellion against their Commander-in-Chief.”

“Do not underestimate how dangerously radicalized the Democrat party has become,” Miller added.

Slotkin’s post of the video garnered 6.7 million views on X by Wednesday.

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​Politics, Cia, Army, Navy, Air force, Military, Trump, Trump administration, Democrats, Elissa slotkin, Mark kelly, Chris deluzio, Maggie goodlander, Chrissy houlahan, Jason crow 

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina is leading the charge to censure her GOP colleague Rep. Cory Mills of Florida.

Mace will force a vote to censure Mills Wednesday night after she alleged the Florida congressman dodged a similar censure effort Tuesday night by cutting a deal with Democrats.

‘The swamp protects itself.’

A handful of Republicans broke from their party and prevented Democratic Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands from being censured after the House Oversight Committee revealed documents that she had colluded with Jeffrey Epstein by texting with him during a 2019 congressional hearing.

Since the censure vote failed, Mace and some of her GOP colleagues have alleged that Plaskett’s protection was secured in exchange for the suppression of Mills’ own censure.

RELATED: ‘Swamp protects itself’: Republicans shield Epstein-texting Democrat — allegedly to save Cory Mills’ hide

— (@)

“Another backroom deal so Cory Mills can’t get censored [sic] for Stolen Valor,” Mace said in a post on X. “I have the General who ‘recommended’ him for the Bronze Star on record saying he never wrote it, never read it and never personally signed it. This. Is. Washington.”

“The Plaskett censure failed because house leadership exchanged that censure failure for the withdrawal of a vote to censure and refer Cory Mills to house ethics for investigation,” Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said in a post on X. “The swamp protects itself.”

Mace is looking to censure Mills over a string of scandals, including “alleged stolen valor, arms deals he’s under investigation for and alleged abuses toward women.” Blaze News first reported on some of these allegations.

RELATED: Why did Cory Mills come to Ilhan Omar’s rescue?

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

This is not the first time Mills has been accused of cutting backroom deals with Democrats.

In September, Mills was the deciding vote that prevented the House from censuring Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) over a series of insensitive comments she made following Charlie Kirk’s vicious assassination. Mills claimed that while he abhorred Omar’s views, she had a First Amendment right to express them.

At the same time, reports suggested that Mills protected Omar to squelch his own censure in the House.

Mills’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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​Cory mills, Nancy mace, Stacey plaskett, Backroom deal, House democrats, House republicans, Censure, Stolen valor, Anna paulina luna, Jeffrey epstein, Epstein files, Charlie kirk, Ilhan omar, Politics 

Democrats swept the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races this year, but Republicans still hold a powerful advantage heading into 2026 — if they act on it. A neglected issue offers the clearest path to victory: Alzheimer’s.

New polling from President Trump’s pollster, Tony Fabrizio, shows Republican candidates can flip a three-point deficit into a 19-point lead in battleground districts by making Alzheimer’s prevention a core campaign priority. Voters across the political spectrum want leadership on this issue, and they want it now.

The GOP could deliver real hope to millions of Americans living under the shadow of this devastating disease.

This month’s special election in Texas underscored the opening. Nearly 70% of voters backed the creation of a $3 billion state dementia institute aimed at fighting Alzheimer’s and related diseases.

More than 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s today. Without major intervention, that number could approach 13 million by 2050. According to Fabrizio’s polling, roughly 40% of swing voters have a friend or family member touched by the disease. They watch loved ones lose memory, judgment, and recognition. They want answers.

The Trump administration began delivering those answers by advancing prevention strategies, promoting healthier lifestyles, and approving a slate of new treatments. But Biden-era bureaucracy still blocks patients from accessing key interventions. To win the war on Alzheimer’s — and win the midterms — Republicans must focus on prevention, early detection, and clearing bureaucratic roadblocks that keep families from getting care.

Prevention first

Lifestyle interventions already show strong promise in delaying cognitive decline. A recent clinical trial linked physical activity and nutritional improvements with measurable cognitive gains in older adults. A study released this week found that patients in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s who walked 3,000 to 5,000 steps each day delayed decline by roughly three years. Those who reached 5,000 to 7,000 steps delayed it by an average of seven.

Nutrition matters as well. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet continues to show potential for reducing Alzheimer’s risk and improving long-term brain health.

Early detection matters

In May, the Food and Drug Administration approved the nation’s first blood test capable of detecting Alzheimer’s with more than 90% accuracy. Families can now identify the disease years before symptoms appear. Americans want that chance: Nearly four in five say they would want to know early if they carried the disease.

President Trump can take a decisive step by ordering Medicare to cover diagnostic testing for roughly 70 million Americans. That move would align regulation with scientific innovation and expand access to tools families desperately need. Voters support it overwhelmingly. Roughly 80% believe early detection and prevention would save taxpayers billions, and nearly 90% support requiring Medicare coverage for diagnostic blood tests.

RELATED: America can’t call itself great if it forgets its caregivers

PeopleImages via iStock/Getty Images

Patients need access

Two FDA-approved breakthrough therapies slow Alzheimer’s progression by removing toxic proteins from the brain. The Biden administration undermined the FDA’s scientific judgment by imposing extra paperwork and restrictions that make the treatments harder to prescribe. Smaller medical practices often lack the staff to navigate the added burdens. Family caregivers, often juggling work and children, fare no better. Paperwork doesn’t protect patients. It blocks them from life-changing care.

Republicans should demand that Medicare remove these barriers. Voters already agree. Fabrizio’s polling shows 92% support updating Medicare rules to make FDA-approved treatments easier to access.

Alzheimer’s stands as a national crisis demanding moral clarity, compassion, and decisive policy leadership. Republicans can offer that leadership. If they do, the 2026 midterms could deliver more than a red wave. They could deliver real hope to millions of Americans living under the shadow of this devastating disease.

​Opinion & analysis, Republicans, Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia, Medicare, Elderly 

Governor Greg Abbott (R) ratified legislation in June requiring all public-school classrooms in Texas to display the Ten Commandments.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick noted that “by placing the Ten Commandments in our classrooms, we are ensuring students receive the same foundational moral compass that guided our state and country’s forefathers.”

The prospect that children in the Lone Star State would be publicly reminded from Sept. 1 onward to honor their parents and not to lie, murder, steal, commit adultery, or worship false gods proved intolerable to a number of liberals and anti-religion activists who promptly filed legal challenges.

‘These rogue ISD officials and board members blatantly disregarded the will of Texas voters.’

Obliging one set of plaintiffs who alleged in a Sept. 22 lawsuit that the display of the historically significant moral code violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday that requires certain public school districts to remove displays of the Ten Commandments and further prohibits them from posting new displays.

Judge Orlando Garcia, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, claimed that the display of the Ten Commandments on the wall of a public-school classroom as set forth in Senate Bill 10 violates the Establishment Clause.

The Clinton judge noted further that while the plaintiffs in the case were a motley crew of parents — some are atheists, agnostic, Christians, Jews, Baha’i, and Hindu — “they share one thing in common: Plaintiffs do not wish their children to be pressured to observe, venerate, or adopt the religious doctrine contained in the Ten Commandments.”

RELATED: Ten Commandments out, Pride banners in

Blaze Media illustration

Garcia added that it was “impractical, if not impossible to prevent Plaintiffs from being subjected to unwelcome religious displays without enjoining Defendants from enforcing S.B. 10 across their districts.”

The ruling applies to 14 school districts across the state.

The ACLU, which has defended classroom displays of LGBT symbols signifying liberals’ rejection of sexual morality, celebrated the ruling.

“A federal court has recognized that the Constitution bars public schools from forcing religious scripture on students,” said Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion. “This decision is a victory for religious liberty and a reminder that government officials shouldn’t pay favorites with faith.”

Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, similarly celebrated the prohibition of the Ten Commandments in the classroom, stating, “Families throughout Texas and across the country get to decide how and when their children engage with religion — not politicians or public-school officials.”

While Laser insinuated that Texans did not sanction the introduction of the Ten Commandments into public-school classrooms, voters across the state elected those lawmakers who passed S.B. 10 this year in decisive votes in the Texas legislature. Moreover, Texans — 4,437,099 to be exact — also gave Abbott a clear mandate in 2022 to ratify such legislation.

“We’re extremely happy to have secured this victory for the plaintiff families we represent,” said Sam Grover, senior counsel at the Freedom from Religion Foundation. “The law is quite clear that pushing religion on students in public school is unconstitutional.”

Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has vowed to enforce the law, is appealing the decision, reported KLTV-TV.

On Tuesday, Paxton also announced that he was suing a pair of school districts for refusing to comply with S.B. 10.

“These rogue ISD officials and board members blatantly disregarded the will of Texas voters who expect the legal and moral heritage of our state to be displayed in accordance with the law,” said Paxton. “This lawsuit makes clear that no district may ignore Texas law without consequence.”

A panel of judges on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals claimed that a similar law passed by Louisiana Republicans was “plainly unconstitutional.” A hearing on the case by the full appeals court is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026. The New York Times indicated that the court will also hear a challenge to Texas’ S.B. 10 in that hearing.

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​Ten commandments, 10 commandments, Aclu, Texas, Lonestar state, Ken paxton, Greg abbott, Lone star state, Religion, Morality, Moral heritage, Code, Politics 

I never used to get sick.

Every once in a while, sure. But it wasn’t really a regular phenomenon. It also didn’t really matter that much when I did. Yeah, I had work to get done and grocery shopping to do. But when I was a young single guy without any kids, getting sick just didn’t really impact my easy life that much.

I’ve also tried avoiding the illness at all costs. Washing my hands constantly. Staying away from the kids a little. Hugging them gently rather than wrestling like a madman.

Couch bound

Before that, when I was a kid, I loved getting “sick.” Those scare quotes are key. I didn’t actually love getting sick so much as I loved staying home from school because I was sick. That was fun. One day home from school was cool. Two days home was crazy. Going to sleep after the first day home sick, it was glorious knowing that unless a miracle occurred in the middle of the night, there would be yet another day of sitting at home on the couch watching TV.

I remember one year I got mono, and I was home for more than a week. I swear it may have been two weeks. I remember secretly wondering how long I could go with it. “What if I didn’t go back for a month?” A kid can only dream of something so beautiful.

Mono was a serious illness, I guess, but I don’t ever remember really being sad about it. Getting out of school was worth far more than the pain of a sore throat or a feverish head.

Germ magnet

Now I get sick a lot. Well, maybe not a lot, but a lot more than I used to in my 20s, and I certainly don’t like it like I did in my early teens. Now I know without a shadow of a doubt that as soon as I start seeing frost on the grass in the morning, I am going to get sick. And then a month or two after that, I am going to get sick again. And maybe even again after that if I’m really unlucky.

It’s not because I have developed a debilitating disease that results in an unnaturally sickly disposition. It’s because I’m a dad, and my kids are young, and young kids touch stuff in the stores and then stick their hands in their mouths, and then three days later one gets sick, then 24 hours after that another one gets it, and then my wife, and then finally me. Whatever it is runs through the house like a steamroller, and we all get squashed.

RELATED: Sweat equity: The surprising health benefits of a hot bath

Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Amor fati

I’ve tried a variety of different tactics over the years. I’ve tried giving up right from the start. Knowing that I’ll get it eventually, I accept my fate and just sort of live life with the sick kids. It feels pretty good psychologically. I’m not worried or stressed out about how I can avoid the illness. I don’t end up over-monitoring my body, trying to discern if I am getting sick or not. I just sort of march toward the cold in a blissful state.

I’ve also tried avoiding the illness at all costs. Washing my hands constantly. Staying away from the kids a little. Hugging them gently rather than wrestling like a madman. Backing my face away as they cough without covering their mouths, then telling them in a frustrated tone, “You need to cover your mouth.” Trying my hardest to prevent the unpreventable. It’s not a great feeling, and I always end up getting sick anyway. But at least I tried. That’s something, right?

Getting sick is just a part of having kids. I know that now. It can be mitigated by hounding them about washing their hands with hot soapy water and not touching their mouths in stores, but it can’t be eliminated entirely. It’s an inescapable fact of family life. If someone gets sick, everyone gets sick.

Family fever

It’s an allegory, of course. When you have a family, you can’t get away. You can’t separate or isolate. You are no longer just yourself. You are everyone at the same time.

We have our separate bedrooms and separate closets, but we share the same space. We have our own plates and silverware, but we share the same dish. We have our own inner thoughts and our own personalities, but we share the same name, the same blood, and the same familial predispositions that are part nature and part nurture, the ones that can’t really be untangled or even really figured out.

We make our kids into the kids they are in ways we can see and in ways we intend, through the prayers we say and the manners we demand. But we make them into who they are in other ways too. Some we don’t see, and some are unintentional: the phrase a kid says that sounds just like mom or the curse word a kid says that makes you realize you really do need to stop swearing.

We make them, and they make us. I’m different now from what I was before, and it’s partly because they made me that way. When you have a family, you are not only taking on the responsibilities of raising kids but also accepting that you aren’t alone anymore. That nothing in life will be tidy (literally or figuratively) like it was before. You are trapped together, you turn yourself over to no longer being yourself and only yourself.

For better or for worse. In sickness and in health.

​Men’s style, Family, Lifestyle, Fatherhood, Sickness, Health, The root of the matter 

Jeffrey Epstein is back in the news, and this time it’s because the Democrats are yet again trying to pin Epstein’s evil on President Trump.

Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck believes it’s all part of a “plan.”

“The way this thing has been played out, Democrats are completely against bringing anything out about Epstein. They don’t want to do anything about it,” Glenn explains, noting that it was largely ignored by the Democrats under former President Biden.

“And you know, what’s funny is it is just so full of stuff about Donald Trump. Then why wouldn’t they release just that? Why wouldn’t have the Democrats released anything in the Epstein files?” Glenn asks.

“They don’t have anything.”

As for the Democrats, Glenn explains that there’s nothing to release about them because the Epstein files were already in their hands.

“The most powerful people with powerful connections to government, they knew their names were, you know, there on little guest books at the island or whatever. You don’t think they called in some favors and said, ‘Hey, I need that — can you remove that?’” he says.

“You don’t think that there were people that were like, ‘Hey, you know what? We’ll remove that. We need $100 million from you to help out on this campaign.’ I mean, whatever it is, those names are gone too. They’re gone,” he continues.

“How do I know this? Because the government is completely dishonest,” he adds.

And what the Democrats have pulled on Trump appears to be grasping at straws, releasing an email from Epstein that read, “The only dog that hasn’t barked is Trump.”

“I think Epstein is referring to the fact that he believed that Donald Trump talked to Michael Ryder, who was the Palm Beach police chief in 2004 and began the first investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. So in other words, he was the whistleblower,” Glenn says.

“If you think things are going to be released that are going to get Trump, why would you release that where after two days of it being out, the guy who was part of that email who hates Donald Trump is like, ‘Yeah, that’s not what it means. It means he was the whistleblower,’” he continues.

In the same email, the Democrats made sure to redact Virginia Giuffre’s name — but it wasn’t to protect her.

“She has said that he was nothing but respectful and never was with any of the girls at all, in not only her book, but also in testimony under oath,” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere tells Glenn.

“I mean, this does not hurt Donald Trump,” Glenn adds. “It helps Donald Trump.”

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Video, Free, Sharing, Camera phone, Upload, Video phone, Youtube.com, The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Stu burguiere, President trump, Donald trump, Jeffrey epstein, Epstein files, Epstein email, Democrats, Biden, President biden 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) calls for an investigation into “certain entities” that may be defying state and federal laws to push Islamic codes, according to a statement first obtained by “The Glenn Beck Program.”

Abbott issued a proclamation on Tuesday that designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. As a result of this declaration, individuals who promote or aid their criminal activities could face heightened penalties, and the groups’ affiliates are banned from acquiring land in Texas.

CAIR condemned Abbott’s action, calling it “defamatory and lawless,” in a statement emailed to Blaze News.

‘The Constitution’s religious protections provide no authority for religious courts to skirt state and federal laws simply by donning robes and pronouncing positions inconsistent with western civilization.’

On Wednesday, Abbott continued his efforts to prevent Sharia law from taking hold in Texas.

“It has come to my attention that certain entities in Texas — including in Collin and Dallas Counties — may be masquerading as legal ‘courts’ staffed with ‘judges’ issuing orders that purportedly carry the authority to bind individuals to Islamic codes, thereby pre-empting state and federal laws,” Abbott said in a statement provided to Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck.

“The Constitution’s religious protections provide no authority for religious courts to skirt state and federal laws simply by donning robes and pronouncing positions inconsistent with western civilization,” the statement continued. “I urge you, therefore, to investigate efforts by entities purporting to illegally enforce Sharia law in Texas. Legal disputes in Texas must be decided based on American law rooted in the fundamental principles of American due process, not according to Sharia law dispensed in modern day star chambers.”

RELATED: No Sharia law in Texas: Abbott draws a hard line against radical Islam

Photo by Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Beck noted that Abbott’s investigation request would require cooperation between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Attorney General’s Office.

“The letter is going to be sent out later today. But this is an exclusive report from the governor. I applaud Governor Abbott for actually doing this,” Beck said.

RELATED: Islamic EPIC City’s stealth rebrand is scarier than you think

KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images

Abbott sent the letter to North Texas District Attorneys and Sheriffs, the Attorney General of Texas, and the Texas DPS.

“At the outset, the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom provides wide berth for religious institutions to order their own affairs under the ‘church autonomy’ doctrine,” the letter read. “It is different entirely, however, for religious groups to set up courts purporting to replace actual courts of law to evade neutral and generally applicable laws.”

— (@)

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​News, Texas, Greg abbott, Abbott, Glenn beck, The glenn beck program, Sharia law, The muslim brotherhood, Council on american-islamic relations, Council on american islamic relations, Islam, Cair, Politics 

It was one of those perfect Donald Trump social media posts — the kind that seems to straddle the line between truth and fiction, to bend and warp reality and make you ask, “Did he really just hit send on that?”

“Many in the fake news media have claimed that we will begin denying visas to overweight people,” it began, before clarifying:

They have even come up with a term for these people, “High Calorie Humans.” This is TOTALLY FALSE. We will not ban all fat people from entering our Great Country, only those whose poor health will overburden our health care system. Visa applicants who are only slightly overweight have nothing to worry about. The bigger ones will need to trim down to get approved. We will EXPAND this rule to cover Expats in the near future.

The cherry on top was a closing swipe at one of Trump’s favorite celebrity targets, currently in self-imposed exile in the Republic of Ireland: “Rosie, you will never return to This Great Country.”

The US isn’t the first country in the world to limit entry to fat people. Other weight-watchers include Canada, Australia, and ultra-liberal New Zealand.

The phrase “High Calorie Humans” achieved instant “covfefe” status, as fans and haters alike reacted to the latest Trump provocation.

Fat shame

Except it was fake — a meme created in response to the very real news that the State Department has added obesity to the list of conditions that could bar foreigners from living in or visiting the U.S.

You know you’re in the country’s head when your constituents do your trolling for you. And you know you’ve hit a nerve when you dare suggest Americans could lose a few pounds — a form of truth-telling otherwise known as “fat-shaming.”

But the U.S. is a country in which a Centers for Disease Control survey carried out between 2021 and 2023 found that a staggering 40.3% of adults were obese, with 9.4% having “severe” obesity.

That’s using the standard metric of BMI, which uses height and weight to estimate body fat. But researchers have proposed including other anthropometric measurements in addition to BMI — such as waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and waist-to-hip ratio — for a more accurate assessment of obesity. Using this metric, the proportion of obese Americans could skyrocket to as much as 68.6%.

Heavy burden

No matter how you measure obesity, its direct medical costs are estimated to be some $170 billion a year, a figure that rises to more than $1.4 trillion when you consider the added effects.

And that’s the burden Trump’s new directive hopes to ease. With millions of overweight Americans already straining the country’s health care system — and hitting taxpayers where it hurts — the last thing the country needs is to take on more patients from other countries.

America already rejects visa applications for those with conditions (like diabetes) that could make them a “public charge” — that is, someone likely to become dependent on government assistance.

The new directive builds on previous “public charge” rules, but it’s the first time obesity has been named specifically.

The directive applies primarily to immigrant visas — visas that will lead to long-term or even permanent settlement in the U.S. — and not non-immigrant visas (such as H-1B visas) or short-term tourist visas. Fat foreigners will still be able to visit the U.S. and work there. They just won’t be able to settle, unless they lose weight.

RELATED: ‘That’s evil!’ Jillian Michaels shocks Glenn Beck with latest Big Food betrayal

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Weight-watchers

The U.S. isn’t the first country in the world to limit entry to fat people. Other weight-watchers include Canada, Australia, and ultra-liberal New Zealand.

In one well-publicized case from 2009, the Kiwis denied residency to a British nurse who tipped the scales at 134 kg and had a BMI of over 50. A BMI of 25 is considered healthy. Officials estimated that her lifetime costs to the taxpayer could exceed NZ $800,000 or about US $500,000 at the time.

Canada and Australia have similar rules in place, but they receive much less attention.

Otherwise, though, there aren’t many “anti-fat” laws in effect worldwide. There’s Japan’s “Metabo” law, which came into effect in 2008. It is often described, misleadingly, as some kind of “ban” on fat people per se, but it’s not.

Instead, the law imposes an obligation on companies to ensure that workers between ages 40 and 74 receive an annual waistline measurement and help losing weight if they need it. Companies that don’t comply can be fined, but overweight workers themselves are not subject to any form of official punishment. In any case, Japan still has a remarkably low obesity rate, of around 4%.

Open borders for hotties?

I and other posters in my little corner of X have long called for restrictions of various kinds on overweight people, including proposals to prevent fat people from entering the country, in the name of beauty and the general welfare.

One of these proposals was even given the name “open borders for hotties”: If you’re fit and attractive (ideally female), you’re welcome, but if not — no thanks!

Critics will moan that Trump’s new rules for “HIGH-CALORIE HUMANS” are unfair and discriminatory, but frankly I can’t think of a policy that’s more in line with the fundamental MAGA principles. Immigration should benefit the nation, not sap its strength and resources. If a massively overweight person comes to the U.S. and the taxpayer has to fork out hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover his medical bills, what’s America First about that?

Instead of that fat person, a slim person with discipline and self-control could be brought into the country — or better yet, no immigrant at all. The money would be better spent elsewhere, and there are too many people in the country as it is.

The “HIGH-CALORIE HUMANS” rules are a clear sign, for all their apparent absurdity, that President Trump still understands what MAGA is and what it should stand for. Let’s see that understanding applied to immigration policy across the board and most of all to the H-1B visa system, which has been used for decades to disenfranchise and dispossess native workers. High calories, low wages — same difference.

​Maha, Donald trump, Maga, Lifestyle, Obesity, Immigration, Public charge, Make america healthy again 

A male entered a 7-Eleven in Oklahoma City just before midnight Thursday and tried to buy burritos, beef sticks, and ice cream with a counterfeit $100 bill, according to a KOKH-TV news video.

But the female clerk wasn’t buying the con.

‘You have the right to defend yourself.’

What’s more, the clerk said she was calling police, KWTV-DT reported — and she refused the male’s demand that she give him back the counterfeit bill, Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department added to the station.

Then the thug reportedly got violent.

“He came around the counter, got behind the counter where she was, and grabbed her by the throat and began choking her violently,” Knight added to KWTV.

The clerk — 25-year-old Stephanie Dilyard — told KOKH-TV that “he threatened me, said he was gonna slice my head off, and then that’s when I tried to call the police. I realized he started throwing things at me, came behind the counter. I tried to run off, but he grabbed his hands around my neck, and pushed me out of the counter space.”

Knight added to KWTV that “at some point during this altercation, she pulled out a pistol and shot him.” Police said the suspect — who also was carrying a knife — was shot in the stomach and that the entire attack was caught on video, the station noted.

The suspect — identified as 59-year-old Kenneth Thompson — fled the store and called 911, KOKH reported.

“Reporting he had been shot,” Knight told KWTV. “Although he was not forthcoming with what happened when officers first met with him.”

Thompson was arrested at the hospital and charged with assault and battery, threatening acts of violence, attempting to pass a fake bill, and a felony warrant for violating parole, KOKH said.

KWTV noted that he’ll be transferred to the Oklahoma County Detention Center once he’s released from the hospital.

As for Dilyard, police told KWTV that she suffered minor injuries and was not arrested; police confirmed to KOKH, in fact, that she’s protected under Oklahoma’s self-defense law.

Yet after all that, 7-Eleven fired Dilyard on Monday for using her gun, KOKH said.

RELATED: Family of armed robber outraged that store clerk shot and killed their brother in self-defense: ‘Yes, he’s robbing them — oh well!’

“They said that they were going to separate from employment because of a violation of policy,” she added to the station, noting that she had been working alone from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. for more than two years.

KOKH said attempts to reach 7-Eleven for a statement on Dilyard’s firing and any changes to employee policy were unsuccessful. KWTV said a 7-Eleven clerk stated to the station that employees are not allowed to carry firearms at work. KWTV added that 7-Eleven hasn’t responded to its question about whether security will be provided following this attack.

Dilyard told KOKH that she’ll always choose to preserve her life over preserving her job.

“This was a situation where I felt like I was put in a corner between choosing between my job and my life, and I’m always going to choose my life because there’s people that depend on me,” she told the station. “Just, I’m going home, you know. That’s my goal. I need to be here for my kids.”

Dilyard added to KOKH that she hopes her ordeal will be a wake-up call to prevent other clerks, especially women, from being harmed: “If I’d known that, you know, there’s a potential where somebody could be for real in taking my life away that I will do whatever it takes … I hope that … women see that, and you know, they’ll do the same thing. You have the right to defend yourself.”

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​Crime, 2nd amend., Guns, Gun rights, 7-eleven, Self-defense, Physical attack, Oklahoma city, Arrest, Fired, Shooting 

Amid the several race-based redistricting fights across the country ahead of the midterms, including states like Texas and California, one Southern state joined the ranks Monday in a move that has left nobody satisfied.

A federal judge ordered a small redistricting effort after finding back in August that the current Alabama state Senate district map violated the Voting Rights Act.

The new plan does enough to remedy the disparities while not upsetting other districts.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, a first-term Trump appointee, ordered that a new map that rearranged District 25 and District 26, two Montgomery-area districts, be implemented in time for the 2026 midterms.

Democrat state Senator Kirk Hatcher currently represents Senate District 26, and Republican state Senator Will Barfoot represents Senate District 25.

RELATED: North Carolina Republicans will ‘follow Trump’s call’ to redistrict the state

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R).Photo by Stew Milne/Getty Images

The primary issue with the old district map was that it was found to “pack” black voters into one district, weakening their voting power in other districts.

Manasco wrote that the new plan “unpacks District 26 by moving some Black voters from District 26 into the adjacent District 25.”

The decision has been met with a widespread lack of enthusiasm in the Republican trifecta state, with many uncertain that a satisfactory outcome could be achieved.

Manasco wrote that the new plan does enough to remedy the disparities while not upsetting other districts.

Court-appointed special master Richard Allen warned in a court filing that the plan only “weakly remedies” the Voting Rights Act violation.

“As the law currently stands, states like Alabama are put to the virtually impossible task of protecting some voters based on race without discriminating against any other voters based on race. I remain hopeful that we will somehow find the ‘magic map’ that will both satisfy the federal court and also be fair to all Alabamians,” Republican Governor Kay Ivey wrote in September, according to the AP.

Based on this reasoning, Ivey declined to call a special session for the legislature to redraw the district maps in September.

The new map does not upset the partisan distribution of power in the state, where Republicans hold a majority, 27 to 8.

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​Politics, Alabama, Montgomery, Kay ivey, Governor kay ivey, U.s. district judge anna manasco, Trump, Kirk hatcher, Will barfoot, Redistricting, Redistricting fight, Voting rights act 

Political solutions feel increasingly out of reach in the United States. Congress cannot pass a budget and has offloaded most of its legislative duties to lobbyists and the permanent bureaucracy. The judiciary spends more time blocking lawful presidential action than interpreting law. Executive agencies drag their feet under activist judges and rebellious career staff. Inflation continues to punish households, the health care system teeters, and American workers watch themselves replaced by imported labor.

In moments like these, people look for someone who can simply make the system function again. That is how you get a Caesar.

Caesar does not appear because the existing powers pushed too far, but because they refused to act decisively when action was needed.

Though “dictator” carries a purely negative meaning today, the term originally described a legitimate emergency office in the Roman Republic. Rome elected two consuls who shared executive authority, but when a true crisis struck — invasion, rebellion, famine — Roman law allowed the temporary selection of a dictator who ruled alone for six months. The point was efficiency during existential danger.

Rome famously revered figures like Cincinnatus, elected dictator twice, who relinquished power immediately when the crisis ended. His restraint, not his authority, made him a civic hero. Tradition demanded this behavior; violating it meant disgrace and, often enough, assassination. George Washington consciously modeled his own two-term limit on this Roman example.

The end of the Roman Republic is often associated with Julius Caesar being named dictator for life. The underlying crisis, however, predated him. Rome’s elites consolidated land, squeezed citizens out of ownership, imported a large slave class that drove down wages, and ignored the growing unrest. The Senate refused to act and violence broke out. Does any of this sound familiar?

Caesar marched on Rome, won a civil war, and took power. He reformed the calendar, overhauled the justice system, cut welfare, and enacted land reforms. He was popular with the public but enraged the ruling class by destroying their privileges. His assassination ended his rule, but not the transformation he initiated. The republic was finished.

Spengler’s forecast

In “The Decline of the West,” Oswald Spengler argued that civilizations follow a life-cycle: birth, growth, decline, and death. In the late stage, societies fall under the control of bureaucratic oligarchies powered by money. Rules remain on paper, but decisions always serve wealthy interests. Economic mobility collapses. The public is effectively locked out.

These eras are marked by deep cultural divides. A decadent, urban elite begins to live in ways utterly foreign to the people they rule. Wealth concentrates in cities. Cosmopolitan values take hold. Citizens no longer recognize their own country.

When legislative bodies fail, bureaucracies grow unchallengeable, and moneyed elites block ordinary people from their own society, Spengler argued that a Caesar figure reliably emerges — a leader who sweeps aside gridlock and imposes order. Not necessarily a tyrant in the cartoonish sense, but a figure who commands enough power to break the stalemate.

The danger is obvious: Once such a leader accumulates that power, nothing guarantees he gives it back. Caesar may save the nation, transform it, or accelerate its decline. What is certain is that once he arrives, the political order changes rapidly.

RELATED: Evil unchecked always spreads — and Democrats are proof

Blaze Media Illustration

America’s crossroads

It is hard not to look at today’s United States and see a similar pattern emerging. Donald Trump is not Caesar, but he has been forced to govern through executive orders because Congress refuses to act and the bureaucracy works to undermine him. Activists hold No Kings rallies while Steve Bannon urges Trump to return in 2028. Passionate positions create momentum, and what begins as rhetoric can become a real possibility.

Once an idea becomes a constant point of reference — even in opposition — it gains a form of inevitability. That is the nature of political hyperstition.

If Americans want to avoid a real Caesar, the only solution is to fix the problems that make one appealing. Caesar does not appear because the existing powers pushed too far, but because they refused to act decisively when action was needed.

The borders must close. Replacement labor through expanded visa programs must end. Inflation must be crushed. Foreign adventurism must stop. Policy must shift away from elite wealth extraction and toward enabling young Americans to buy homes and start families. The cultural divide must narrow, and shared values must be restored.

None of this is easy. All of it is essential. If these challenges remain unanswered, no one should be surprised when Caesar finally arrives.

​Opinion & analysis, Julius caesar, Caesarism, Red caesar, Dictator, Decadence, Republic, Decay, America, Corruption, Equality, Equality vs. equity, Oligarchy, Tyranny, Wealth, Poverty, Oswald spengler, Decline of the west 

The United States Army and Navy are going all out for the 126th Army-Navy Game.

Over the past decade, the teams have worn special uniforms for the NCAA football rivalry series, but for this year’s historic occasion, both teams have stepped their game up.

‘We will carry the Army’s Warrior Ethos with us onto the gridiron.’

Last week, the Army unveiled their jerseys for the Dec. 13th game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The focus of the design surrounds “250 Years of Service & Sacrifice.”

Specifically, the Army fell back on its ethos: “I will always place the mission first, I will never accept defeat, I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.”

Furthermore, the team put added emphasis on the U.S. Constitution and the Revolutionary War with “1775” written on the back of their helmets.

“Washington transformed the Continental Army into a disciplined fighting force. Washington and his soldiers boldly regained the initiative by crossing the Delaware River on Christmas in 1776 and seized Trenton and Princeton,” the Army wrote in a press release.

Washington’s men were “drilled and disciplined Soldiers able to hold their own against the British, and even to defeat them to secure American independence.”

RELATED: Stories Behind the Stars: On a mission to honor every American who died in WWII

Image via United States Army

The uniform uses Constitution-style text on the name plate to honor America’s founding documents and to showcase “the importance of having an Army that swears loyalty to a set of ideas rather than a monarch.”

It also features the Great Chain, honoring the strategic value of West Point during the American Revolution, as well as purple streaking through the jersey numbers and the helmet, symbolizing the sacrifices made by soldiers and Gold Star families.

The Army cemented its commitment to the defense of liberty in the design, reinforcing its motto, “This we’ll defend,” while promising victory.

“We will carry the Army’s Warrior Ethos with us onto the gridiron in Baltimore as we defeat our rivals and seize the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy,” the team said.

— (@)

Navy football also revealed its own iconic uniforms, choosing to focus on the historic copper and the Navy’s longest-serving ship.

The USS Constitution gets special recognition from the Navy this year and was heavily used for the uniform’s design and inspiration. This includes ship knots around the jersey’s sleeves, the American flag, and the nautical Navy and heritage red colors, symbolizing its battle-worn hull.

The USS Constitution is the only remaining frigate from the original six frigates fleet and the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat, according to the Navy.

The ship is nicknamed “Old Ironsides” because cannonballs appeared to bounce off its hull during the War of 1812. It remains undefeated in battle and has never lowed its flag.

RELATED: How a Navy SEAL preached the gospel to millions

Image via United States Navy

As for the copper, the Navy showcases the vital role the metal has played in preserving the original U.S. frigates. Not only does the copper protect the wooden hulls, but it was the material used for the 1797 and 1798 one-cent pieces placed beneath each mast of the USS Constitution for good luck.

The entire helmet is coated in oxidized copper for the 2025 game, along with a detailed sketch of the historic ship. A wooden plank runs down the center of the helmet too, bound by six ropes to honor the original six frigates.

The ropes on the helmet have 126 knots, a reference to the 126th Army-Navy game.

— (@)

Online, the Army’s reveal of its uniforms garnered much praise, even from its rivals.

“I’m a Navy veteran but I love the jersey numbers,” one X user wrote.

“I hate army but these are clean,” another said.

Over on the Navy’s X page, comments were cordial with fans saying designers “knocked it out of the park” and provided “incredible storytelling in this design.”

According to the game’s official website, the 2024 Army-Navy Game drew an average of 9.4 million viewers on CBS, eclipsing the record of 8.45 million set in 1992.

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​Fearless, Army, Navy, United states, Revolutionary war, America, England, 1775, 1776, Sports 

When BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales points out the Islamification of the U.S., she gets accused of working for Israel.

“I talk about it and people are like, ‘Oh, how’s that $7,000 you got from the Jews to talk about this?’ Like it doesn’t take a rocket scientist,” she says, before pointing out some very easy-to-understand facts — starting with Dearborn, Michigan.

According to the 2023 census, Dearborn’s population is 55% Muslim.

“They of course blast the call of prayer over giant loudspeakers five times a day as early as 5:00 a.m.,” Gonzales says, playing a clip from a TikTok account called “magamama5,” in which a woman records video as the call to prayer goes off.

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud even spoke out against assimilation in a recent podcast appearance, saying, “I actually disavow the use of the term the melting pot. I actually don’t like it. Why? Because in a melting pot, when you’re talking about like a soup, everything looks the same, right?”

“The lettuce is lettuce, the tomato is tomato, the cucumber is cucumber, and they all complement each other,” he added.

“They all complement each other except when the cucumber wants to murder the tomato for not being Muslim,” Gonzales mocks.

But Dearborn is far from the only place being taken over.

As of 2020, New York housed 343 mosques, California 304, Texas 224, Florida 157, and New Jersey 141.

“I mean, you talk about Texas. … Texas is being completely inundated. Forty-eight mosques have opened in the state in the last two years,” Gonzales explains, noting that Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has given around $13 million of grant money to mosques.

And in another clip from New York City, a Muslim speaking at a rally yelled, “This is the correct religion. This is the religion that all of humanity needs to be a part of: Islam. And we will not stop until it enters every home.”

“Guys, when someone tells you who they really are, believe them,” Gonzales says.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Video phone, Free, Sharing, Camera phone, Upload, Video, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Dearborn michigan, Muslim population, Mosques, Islamic takeover, Abdullah hammoud, Assimilation, Epic city, Texas, New york city, Sharia law, Islamic state 

A handful of Republican lawmakers joined forces with their colleagues across the aisle on Tuesday to shield Democratic House Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands from consequence over her involvement with infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Critics have suggested that Republicans spared Plaskett as part of a “back end deal” to save Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), yet another humiliation.

‘The Plaskett censure failed because house leadership exchanged that censure failure for the withdrawal of a vote to censure and refer Cory Mills.’

Among the over 20,000 pages of damning Epstein emails released by the House Oversight Committee last week were numerous text messages between the dead sex offender and Plaskett.

While the documents show Jeffrey Epstein was evidently on speaking terms with numerous Democrats after his 2008 felony conviction for procuring a child for prostitution, his text messages with Plaskett proved particularly controversial as they appeared to show that he influenced the delegate’s behavior while she was conducting official business in Congress.

Epstein and Plaskett were exchanging messages during disgraced former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s testimony to the House Oversight Committee in February 2019. At one point, Epstein — who was evidently watching the hearing remotely — alerted Plaskett to Cohen’s mention of former Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff and suggested she was the “keeper of the secrets.”

“RONA??” responded Plaskett. “Quick I’m up next is that an acronym.”

“Thats [sic] his assistant,” said the sex offender.

RELATED: Epstein emails SHAME Obama/Clinton ally: Larry Summers quits public life amid calls for Harvard to cut ties

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC). Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Plaskett’s office characterized the exchange as a politician simply fielding inputs from the public in hopes of getting “at the truth.” South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman (R) and others alternatively recognized Plaskett’s apparent efforts to coordinate her line of questioning with Epstein as a form of inappropriate collusion with a convicted sex offender.

Norman introduced a House resolution on Tuesday not only to censure and condemn Plaskett but to remove the Democrat from the House Intelligence Committee “for conduct that reflects discreditably on the House of Representatives for colluding with convicted felony sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing.”

Censures have become fairly routine in recent years, and it’s hardly unprecedented to remove a lawmaker from a committee.

For instance, in 2021, 11 nominal Republicans joined with House Democrats to strip Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) of her committee assignments over comments found to be too incendiary. The same year, Democrats joined then-Republican Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming in approving a resolution to censure Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R) and strip him of his committee assignments over a provocative social media post.

Republicans showed a united front in 2023 when they voted Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) off the Foreign Affairs Committee over her criticism of Israel and perceived lack of objectivity.

In addition to noting that Plaskett’s relationship with Epstein stands at odds with her carefully constructed public image as a “defender of justice and accountability,” Norman’s resolution states that:

Plaskett’s willingness to receive instructions on official congressional proceedings from Epstein, a convicted felony sex offender with deeply concerning international associations, is especially alarming and inappropriate given her own past service in the U.S. Department of Justice and her current role on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and raises serious questions about Delegate Plaskett’s judgment, integrity, and fitness to serve.

Plaskett said in her defense on the House floor, “I know how to question individuals. I know how to seek information. I have sought information from confidential informants, from murderers, from other individuals because I want the truth.”

The House voted 214-209 against censuring Plaskett on Tuesday night.

‘The American people DO know what happened here!’

Joining the 211 Democrats who voted against Norman’s resolution were three Republicans: Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Lance Gooden of Texas, and Dave Joyce of Ohio.

Another three Republican congressmen voted “present”: Andrew Garbarino of New York, Daniel Meuser of Pennsylvania, and Jay Obernolte of California.

“The House failed to pass my censure of Dem. Stacey Plaskett, a sitting member of Congress who took direction from Epstein in the middle of a 2019 Oversight Committee hearing,” Norman said in an X post after the vote. “This is the problem in Washington!! The establishment protects ITSELF, and the American people get pushed ASIDE.”

Norman added, “What happened to accountability?”

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert (R) similarly expressed revulsion over the failure by some of her peers to hold Plaskett accountable, writing, “Members of the House Intelligence Committee are supposed to be held to the highest standards of integrity, independence, and protection of our nation’s classified information — not communicating with known sexual predators during a committee hearing.”

“It’s disgusting our conference couldn’t come together to remove Jeffrey Epstein’s puppet off of the Intelligence Committee,” continued Boebert. “I’m calling on the Department of Justice to investigate into Delegate Plaskett’s relationship with Jeffery [sic] Epstein.”

Some Republicans have suggested that elements of their party spoiled the vote as part of a deal with Democrats.

RELATED: Rep. Cory Mills’ legal woes may not be over now that restraining order is granted

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) noted on the House floor, “I was wondering if the speaker of the House of Representatives can explain why leadership on both sides, both Democrat and Republican, are cutting back-end deals to cover up public corruption in the House of Representatives for both Democrat and Republican members of Congress.”

Luna clarified her meaning on X, writing, “The Plaskett censure failed because house leadership exchanged that censure failure for the withdrawal of a vote to censure and refer Cory Mills to house ethics for investigation. The swamp protects itself.”

Boebert responded, “The American people DO know what happened here!”

In retaliation for the effort to censure Plaskett, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) revived her resolution to censure Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) and remove him from the Armed Service Committee on Tuesday. Axios indicated that the revival of the censure resolution made it a “privileged motion” enabling Clarke to bypass the Republican leadership and force a vote.

A spokesperson for Mills did not respond to Axios’ request for comment.

With Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and possibly other Republicans also willing to vote for the measure, it’s unclear whether the vote would have gone in Mills’ favor — but Democrats spared him from finding out, moving to withdraw the censure vote after Republicans helped kill the Plaskett censure effort.

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​Stacey plaskett, Rinos, Swamp, Jeffrey epstein, Cover up, Cory mills, Dc, Congress, Johnson, Norman, Ralph normal, Censure, House oversight, Politics 

Intense feuds over theological differences between traditional Christians (Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox) and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints date back to 1830, immediately after Latter-day Saints founder Joseph Smith launched his church.

After nearly 200 years of strife, that fierce debate transformed into an unprecedented, inspiring moment of interfaith healing on Sunday night at Utah Valley University — a predominantly Latter-day Saints campus and the largest university in the state — where prominent evangelical Protestant Pastor Greg Laurie hosted a revival event called “Hope for America.”

‘We’re going to go to that place of darkness, and we’re going to turn on the radiant light of Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel that Charlie believed.’

Organizers created the event to rebuild spirits at the site of Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September. Students and faculty felt distraught after the trauma of Kirk’s murder, which happened in broad daylight, shortly after students returned to campus from summer break.

Kirk — a prominent conservative activist, confidant of President Trump, and founder of Turning Point USA — was brutally gunned down, allegedly by a deranged gunman from southern Utah, while Kirk spoke outdoors near the UVU student services building.

For many Americans, the first time they had heard of UVU was for this infamous, gut-wrenching reason.

“We’re going to go to that place of darkness, and we’re going to turn on the radiant light of Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel that Charlie believed,” Laurie said in a press statement announcing the exciting gathering, organized with just six weeks’ prep time for an event that typically takes six months.

RELATED: Why the Bible is suddenly flying off shelves across America

Chet Strange/Getty Images

Laurie, 72, is the founder of Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and of Harvest Crusades. A prolific evangelist who fills up stadiums around the world in massive Billy Graham-style revival events, Laurie is a best-selling author and movie producer. His 2023 film “Jesus Revolution” tells the story of his conversion away from the drug-infused culture of 1970s California.

Laurie planned to come to Utah in 2027, but Kirk’s assassination sped up the timeline to offer a timely balm to the community. He was also co-hosted by pastors from more than 100 local Protestant churches who helped promote the gathering. Tickets were free, all quickly snapped up by attendees for the 8,500-seat UCCU Center, the basketball arena on campus. Laurie said there were an additional 67 overflow sites in the area to watch. The revival featured music from renowned Protestant Christian artists Chris Thomlin and Phil Wickham.

UVU president Astrid Tuminez said 70% of UVU’s students identify as Latter-day Saints, according to Courtney Tanner at the Salt Lake Tribune. Utah Valley has the highest concentration of practicing Latter-day Saints in the world.

I grew up in the Latter-day Saints tradition, and my ancestors worked with Smith and other early pioneer leaders like Brigham Young. As a child, I attended an elementary school down the road from UVU. Back then, it was the much smaller Utah Valley Community College.

As I share in my memoir, “Motorhome Prophecies,” released last year, at that school we had only one non-LDS student in my class (a Catholic). I felt suspicious of her and afraid to attend her birthday slumber party.

But such is the suspicion of many who grow up in the majority of any dominant culture against the minority.

I stopped practicing the Latter-day Saints faith after my Brigham Young University graduation in 2005 at age 22. I later formally resigned from the Latter-day Saints organization in 2010 and got baptized as a Protestant, eight years ago this Dec. 3.

‘You meant it for evil; God meant it for good.’

So I am thrilled to see these bridges being built in real time. This type of unity ripened years prior under the leadership of the late Latter-day Saints leader Russell Nelson, who passed away in late September.

Laurie asked me to help him workshop his remarks prior to delivery. I was honored to provide whatever insight I could in hopes of serving Laurie’s profound desire to share the message of Christ’s redemption for all mankind.

“Why did Charlie Kirk die in such a tragic way, only a short distance from where we are right now?” Laurie wrote in his remarks. “I do not know the answer to that question, but I know Charlie is in heaven. But this event tonight would not be happening if not for that horrific event.”

Indeed, life’s most wrenching crucibles can propel us to our greatest moments of growth and freedom. In his remarks, Laurie also quoted from the book of Genesis: “But Joseph said to them, ‘ … you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.'”

“This your moment. Don’t wait for a tragedy. Don’t scroll past this one more time. Come to the Father, tonight!” Laurie said.

It’s miraculous to see how evangelicals and Latter-day Saints — groups with such a long history of heated disagreements — came together to unite in service of healing in God’s name.

My prayer is that Hope for America is just the first in a long series of interfaith reconciliation gatherings among Latter-day Saints, Protestants, and Catholics that will cultivate shared bonds among people of faith — all children of our heavenly Father.

​Greg laurie, Charlie kirk, Mormon, Christianity, Christian revival, Utah valley university, Faith 

There’s a term for artificially generated content that permeates online spaces — creators call it AI slop, and when generative AI first emerged back in late 2022, that was true. AI photos and videos used to be painfully, obviously fake. The lighting was off, the physics were unrealistic, people had too many fingers or limbs or odd body proportions, and textures appeared fuzzy or glossy, even in places where it didn’t make sense. They just didn’t look real.

Many of you probably remember the nightmare fuel that was the early video of Will Smith eating spaghetti. It’s terrifying.

This isn’t the case any more. In just two short years, AI videos have become convincingly realistic to the point that deepfakes — content that perfectly mimics real people, places, and events — are now running rampant. For just one quick example of how far AI videos have come, check out Will Smith eating spaghetti, then and now.

None of it is real unless it is verifiable, and that is becoming increasingly hard to do.

Even the Trump administration recently rallied around AI-generated content, using it as a political tool to poke fun at the left and its policies. The latest entry portrayed AI Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero while standing beside a miffed Chuck Schumer who is speaking a little more honestly than usual, a telltale sign that the video is fake.

While some AI-generated videos on the internet are simple memes posted in good fun, there is a darker side to AI content that makes the internet an increasingly unreliable place for truth, facts, and reality.

How to tell if an online video is fake

AI videos in 2025 are more convincing than ever. Not only do most AI video platforms pass the spaghetti-eating Turing test, but they have also solved many of the issues that used to run rampant (too many fingers, weird physics, etc.). The good news is that there are still a few ways to tell an AI video from a real one.

At least for now.

First, most videos created with OpenAI Sora, Grok Imagine, and Gemini Veo have clear watermarks stamped directly on the content. I emphasize “most,” because last month, violent Sora-generated videos cropped up online that didn’t have a watermark, suggesting that either the marks were manually removed or there’s a bug in Sora’s platform.

Your second-best defense against AI-generated content is your gut. We’re still early enough in the AI video race that many of them still look “off.” They have a strange filter-like sheen to them that’s reminiscent of watching content in a dream. Natural facial expressions and voice inflections continue to be a problem. AI videos also still have trouble with tedious or more complex physics (especially fluid motions) and special effects (explosions, crashing waves, etc.).

RELATED: Here’s how to get the most annoying new update off of your iPhone

Photo by: Nano Calvo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

At the same time, other videos, like this clip of Neil deGrasse Tyson, are shockingly realistic. Even the finer details are nearly perfect, from the background in Tyson’s office to his mannerisms and speech patterns — all of it feels authentic.

Now watch the video again. Look closely at what happens after Tyson reveals the truth. It’s clear that the first half of the video is fake, but it’s harder to tell if the second half is actually real. A notable red flag is the way the video floats on top of his phone as he pulls it away from the camera. That could just be a simple editing trick, or it could be a sign that the entire thing is a deepfake. The problem is that there’s no way to know for sure.

Why deepfakes are so dangerous

Deepfakes pose a real problem to society, and no one is ready for the aftermath. According to Statista, U.S. adults spend more than 60% of their daily screen time watching video content. If the content they consume isn’t real, this can greatly impact their perception of real-world events, warp their expectations around life, love, and happiness, facilitate political deception, chip away at mental health, and more.

Truth only exists if the content we see is real. False fabrications can easily twist facts, spread lies, and sow doubt, all of which will destabilize social media, discredit the internet at large, and upend society overall.

Deepfakes, however, are real, at least in the sense that they exist. Even worse, they are becoming more prevalent, and they are outright dangerous. They are a threat because they are extremely convincing and almost impossible to discern from reality. Not only can a deepfake be used to show a prominent figure (politicians, celebrities, etc.) doing or saying bad things that didn’t actually happen, but deepfakes can also be used as an excuse to cover up something a person actually did on film. The damage goes both ways, obfuscating the truth, ruining reputations, and cultivating chaos.

Soon, videos like the Neil deGrasse Tyson clip will become the norm, and the consequences will be utterly dire. You’ll see presidents declare war on other countries without uttering a real word. Foreign nations will drop bombs on their opponents without firing a shot, and terrorists will commit atrocities on innocent people that don’t exist. All of it is coming, and even though none of it will be real, we won’t be able to tell the difference between truth and lies. The internet — possibly even the world — will descend into turmoil.

Don’t believe everything you see online

Okay, so the internet has never been a bastion of truth. Since the dawn of dial-up, different forms of deception have crept throughout, bending facts or outright distorting the truth wholesale. This time, it’s a little different. Generative AI doesn’t just twist narratives to align with an agenda. It outright creates them, mimicking real life so convincingly that we’re compelled to believe what we see.

From here on out, it’s safe to assume that nothing on the internet is real — not politicians spewing nonsense, not war propaganda from some far-flung country, not even the adorable animal videos on your Facebook feed (sorry, Grandma!). None of it is real unless it is verifiable, and that is becoming increasingly hard to do in the age of generative AI. The open internet we knew is dead. The only thing you can trust today is what you see in person with your own eyes and the stories published by trusted sources online. Take everything else with a heaping handful of salt.

This is why reputable news outlets will be even more important in the AI future. If anyone can be trusted to publish real, authentic, truthful content, it should be our media. As for who in the press is telling the truth, Glenn Beck’s “liar, liar” test is a good place to start.

​Tech 

A horrific incident on the el train in Chicago on Monday has led to a woman in critical condition with severe burns.

Police say that a 45-year-old male had a “verbal altercation” with the 27-year-old woman before the alleged attack, but a source who spoke to CWB Chicago contradicted the account.

The arson incident would be his 23rd arrest. Some of those arrests include other incidents of arson.

The source said the attack was unprovoked and completely random.

A person of interest was apprehended by police, but he has not been charged yet.

The source told CWB Chicago that the woman was paying attention to her cell phone on a Blue Line train at about 9:26 p.m. when the man doused her with a liquid from a bottle. She tried to run away, but he was able to catch up to her and light her on fire, according to the source. The man was also lit on fire during the altercation.

The woman was transported to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

CWB Chicago reported that the suspect had previously been charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, but a judge denied a request to keep him in custody and ordered 24/7 electronic monitoring instead.

Three weeks later, another judge modified the terms to allow him to leave his home outside daytime hours, which includes the time of the alleged assault.

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The report also said that the suspect had been arrested 22 times since 2016 by the Chicago Police Department alone. The arson incident would be his 23rd arrest. Some of those arrests include other incidents of arson.

A source told CWB Chicago that no one on the train stepped in to help the woman after she was lit on fire. A witness also described the man as black.

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​Woman lit on fire, Chicago train, Unprovoked attack, Public transit attack, Crime 

The chaos, harassment, and violence that unfolded at a recent TPUSA event at UC Berkeley were so bad that the Department of Justice and FBI are now investigating.

“Antifa is an existential threat to our nation,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X following the event. “The violent riots at UC Berkeley last night are under full investigation by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force. We will continue to spare no expense unmasking all who commit and orchestrate acts of political violence.”

Alongside comedian Rob Schneider, author Frank Turek hosted the Turning Point event that packed the university’s Zellerbach Hall — and he’s telling BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey what really happened.

“Antifa was there, obviously. They were hurling insults and slurs at the people trying to get in. They set off fireworks, which sounded like gunfire, so people were scrambling,” Turek explains.

“The university police did not keep the walkway free to allow people to get in. So people were spat on, people were harassed, and they were not only harassed getting in, Allie, they were harassed getting out,” he continues.

“Most of these people were probably George Soros-funded, you know, liberal agitators,” he adds.

And these protesters were vile, shouting disturbed things like “f**k your dead homie” to mock the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

“Isn’t it ironic, Allie, that these people who say they’re fighting for inclusion, tolerance, and diversity will not include you and will not tolerate you for holding a diverse view?” Turek asks. “And they claim that we are the fascists.”

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.

​Video phone, Free, Sharing, Camera phone, Upload, Video, Youtube.com, Relatable with allie beth stuckey, Relatable, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Dr frank turek, Antifa, Pam bondi, Ag pam bondi, Turning point usa, Uc berkeley, Antifa riots, Charlie kirk 

Liberals in the United States keep pretending to “resist” a democratically elected president they smear as an “authoritarian.” Meanwhile, real resistance fighters push back against a real authoritarian regime — in Iran.

For well-to-do white liberals, “resistance” amounts to a bumper sticker, a hashtag, a chant, and a safe protest march. No American faces arrest for opposing President Trump or his policies. Police never cracked down on thousands of No Kings demonstrators. The government never shut down the internet. No American risks execution for demanding new leadership.

Partisan voices push the false claim that Americans must choose between sending troops or doing nothing. Anyone who actually listens to Iranian dissidents knows better.

Iranian dissidents face all of that and more. Their resistance carries the cost of blood, freedom, and life.

Last weekend, I saw real resistance up close. More than 1,000 Iranian dissidents gathered in Washington, D.C., for the Free Iran Convention to plan for a future free from the mullahs’ rule. Panels featuring scholars, women, young activists, and even voices from inside Iran painted a picture of a regime on the brink.

As the regime clings to power, it leans harder on censorship, torture, and public executions to keep Iranians living in fear.

This crackdown unfolds against an economy collapsing under its own weight. More than 80% of Iranians live below the poverty line. Inflation punishes the entire country. Unemployment keeps climbing.

The harsher the repression, the more Iranians recognize the only path forward is regime change.

In 2018, 2019, and 2022, Iranians took to the streets in nationwide uprisings. Thousands died. Tens of thousands went to jail. As 2025 unfolds, the question no longer asks if another uprising comes — only when.

The West now faces its own question: Will we be ready to support the Iranian people when that moment arrives?

Here at home, partisan voices push the false claim that Americans must choose between sending troops or doing nothing. Anyone who actually listens to Iranian dissidents knows better.

A third option exists — the one championed by Maryam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a coalition that rejects both the shah’s dictatorship and the mullahs’ theocracy.

Rajavi, elected by the NCRI as president for the transitional period after the ayatollah’s ouster, puts it plainly:

Neither appeasement nor war, but regime change at the hands of the Iranian people and their organized, legitimate, and just resistance. We do not seek money or weapons. We only ask that this resistance be recognized.

This resistance already lives and breathes inside Iran. The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran stands as the largest and best-organized opposition movement in the country. Resistance units operate in all 31 provinces. They have carried out thousands of attacks on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij — the regime’s main instruments of suppression.

These units organize protests, strikes, and anti-regime campaigns. Their intelligence network exposed Tehran’s clandestine nuclear program and uncovered terrorist plots funded by the regime.

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Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The cost has been staggering. Since 1981, the regime has killed more than 100,000 PMOI/MEK members. Countless others have been imprisoned, tortured, or targeted in state-funded smear campaigns.

The idea of negotiating with the Iranian regime belongs to the realm of fantasy. No meaningful difference separates so-called hard-liners from so-called moderates. Both factions produce economic ruin at home and terrorism abroad. Young Iranians see the truth plainly.

During the Free Iran convention, Seena Saiedian — an Iranian American and law student at the University of Virginia — captured the desperation:

The landscape for the youth in Iran is bleak: hyperinflation, high unemployment, censorship, repression. Iranian youth see no hope for moderating or reforming the current regime. By every metric, life gets worse. The root cause of every challenge Iran’s youth face is the current regime.

The Iranian dictatorship will collapse. History guarantees that. The only question: Will the United States shorten the Iranian people’s suffering or extend the mullahs’ reign of terror?

If we want a secular, democratic Iran — one capable of fostering peace in the region — we must say clearly that no negotiation can salvage the current regime. No deal will reform it. No diplomatic fantasy can tame it.

We must tell the Iranian people and the brave resistance units operating inside the country that the United States stands ready to recognize their efforts and their right to chart a future for a free Iran.

The United States doesn’t need to send money, weapons, or troops. The regime is already on the brink of collapse. The Iranian people are already mobilizing. They need moral clarity from the West — not silence, appeasement, or more excuses.

Supporting freedom against tyranny is the American way. It always has been. And standing with the people of Iran honors the moral foundations that built this nation.

​Iran, Iran freedom fighters, Free iran, Washington dc, No kings, Opinion & analysis, Resistance, Mullahs, Ayatollah ali khamenei, Terrorism, Nuclear weapons, Tyranny