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I was driving through Boise last winter when I heard about a new Idaho law that made the drug ivermectin a legal, over-the-counter drug.

Previously, it was prescription-only. But most doctors refused to prescribe it.

Like many people, I had taken illegal substances as a youth. Horse paste wasn’t technically illegal. But it sure felt like it was, holding it in my hand.

Soon, in Idaho, you could buy ivermectin off the shelf at Walgreens, just like you bought aspirin or dental floss.

Iver-who?

Ivermectin, in case you forgot, was thought to help cure or at least lessen the effects of COVID-19.

It was weird hearing about COVID again. It seems like nobody thinks about it anymore. We never hear about new studies or recent findings about the virus.

Have we mastered all the ins and outs of COVID? It doesn’t seem like we have. People report having “long COVID.” Is that a real thing? Nobody knows.

One thing you would think they would have figured out: Does ivermectin help against COVID?

People are still getting the virus, I assume. Do doctors ever prescribe ivermectin? And then report on the results?

If a drug is so controversial that states are writing laws about it, shouldn’t someone know if it works?

This could be a Big Pharma issue. The big drug companies don’t want people taking a cheap drug someone else invented over an expensive drug that they invented (and will make money on).

That would be the cynical view, I guess.

Meanwhile, medical people still want you to get vaccinated against COVID. Is that still the experimental vaccine from before, or do they have a new one yet that isn’t experimental?

And how is that experiment going, by the way? I guess it’s going well since you never hear about it. People don’t seem to be dying. Or even getting seriously sick. So that’s good.

Idaho fought the law (and Idaho won)

I was curious about this Idaho law, so I looked into it. I came across a funny quote from one of the state legislators. He said the biggest surprise during the writing of the ivermectin bill was that so many of the other legislators were already taking it.

He didn’t go into detail, but I assumed they were buying it in “horse paste” form. At that time, that was the only way you could get it.

I remember when I first heard about ivermectin. The rumor was that the Japanese had discovered/invented a new wonder drug. And it might cure COVID!

If you looked it up, you learned that the developers of ivermectin — one British guy and one Japanese guy — won the NOBEL PRIZE IN MEDICINE in 2015. These two were thinking of ivermectin primarily as an anti-parasitic.

But people on the internet were claiming ivermectin could possibly do more. It might help with cancer. It could lessen arthritis. And most important: It might prevent people from getting COVID.

Many scientists had proclaimed ivermectin the most important and versatile medical discovery since penicillin. Others said: “If you’re not a horse, don’t take it.”

Hay is for horses

As the COVID pandemic dragged on, demand for ivermectin increased. People wanted to try it. They didn’t care what the establishment scientists said.

Ivermectin pills for humans did exist. But you had to order them from shady-sounding companies in third-world countries. And who knew if the pills were even real?

So people took their chances with the horse paste. And then they wrote about it online. It didn’t sound so bad. They said it tasted like apples, which is how they got the horses to swallow it.

For me, it was the possibility of the pills that made me consider taking ivermectin. I had become sick when the lockdowns first ended. I’d been in bed for a week. Judging from the unusual symptoms, I assumed it was COVID .

Even after I got better, I felt lingering effects that never quite went away.

I thought: If ivermectin really were a “wonder drug,” maybe it would help with these lingering symptoms. And maybe it would prevent other maladies in the future.

RELATED: Heroic COVID docs punished as Abbott, Texas lawmakers stay silent

Jennifer Kosig via iStock/Getty Images

Yea or neigh?

So I called a Walgreens in Boise and asked if they had ivermectin pills on the shelves yet. The person on the phone, a young man, immediately began making jokes and mocking the governor and the new ivermectin bill. He called Governor Little, “Governor Spittle.”

When I persisted, he said that they didn’t have it yet. And he didn’t know when they would. He thought it would probably be a long time. If ever.

So I went online to see if ivermectin were listed at any other Idaho pharmacy websites. It wasn’t.

Eventually, I found a package of 12 tablets on an obscure website overseas. But it was no longer available and was very expensive.

It seemed clear that it would be a very long time before the pill version was available to the public.

But by now, I’d become excited about ivermectin. I’d been watching videos about it.

So then, just for fun, I looked up the horse paste on Amazon. It was much cheaper than the pills. And on YouTube, there was a doctor who had figured out the human doses and how much to take.

I laughed at myself. WAS I ACTUALLY CONTEMPLATING ORDERING IVERMECTIN HORSE PASTE OFF AMAZON?

And then I ordered it.

Golden goo

A week later, it arrived. I opened the box, and there was the same long, plastic syringe and plunger arrangement I’d seen on YouTube.

Like many people, I had taken illegal substances as a youth. Horse paste wasn’t technically illegal. But it sure felt like it was, holding it in my hand.

I went in the bathroom and washed and dried my hands. In the bright bathroom light, I opened the top of the ivermectin tube. I then carefully, slowly pushed on the plunger end of it.

A small blob of golden goo came out of the top. I carefully scooped the “pea-sized” human dose onto my index finger. To avoid tasting it, I put my finger in the far back of my mouth and smeared it on the back of my tongue. But that was unnecessary. It didn’t taste bad. It tasted like apples.

According to the British doctor, you were supposed to take this small amount on one day, then wait a day, and then take another small amount on the third day. After one month, you do that again. And then, presumably, you keep doing that … forever?

I did it for two months, keeping track in my day planner. Then I got busy, and I forgot about it, and a couple months later, while digging around in my bathroom pantry, I found the plastic syringe.

Should I continue with the horse paste regimen? I wondered to myself. I took a dose. But then I forgot to take the second dose two days later. And it’s continued like that. Sporadic. Whenever I remember. Which is probably fine.

Back in the saddle

Since then, I have noticed that some of my odd COVID symptoms have significantly lessened. Is it the ivermectin? I don’t know. Probably not.

My dad was a doctor. He was old-school and thought your body did most of the healing. Not the drugs. Not the doctors. So maybe that’s what happened. My body was healing itself.

Anyway, I don’t regret doing it. The whole process was kind of fun. And now, whenever I see a horse, I give him a knowing nod, as if to say, I too have enjoyed that sweet apple horse paste.

​Ivermectin, Lifestyle, Big pharma, Covid, Horse paste, Maha, Make american healthy again, Idaho, Blake’s progress 

A North Carolina homeowner told WRAL-TV he was in his bathroom getting ready for bed around midnight Wednesday when he heard someone kick in the door of his home in southeast Raleigh.

The homeowner told the station that when he got to the living room, the intruder was standing there.

‘If somebody breaks in your home, you have to protect yourself.’

“I had my gun, and I was telling him to get down! Get down! Or get out! Then he just ran to me,” the homeowner, who didn’t want to be identified, told WRAL.

With that, the homeowner fired shots, the station said.

When Raleigh police arrived at the scene on Rose Lane, they found 26-year-old Christian Beasley with a gunshot wound, WRAL reported.

Police told the station that Beasley was taken to a trauma center and was stable — and that after he’s released from the trauma center, he’ll be processed on charges of first-degree burglary and damage to property.

RELATED: Gun-wielding male kicks down door of home, opens fire at homeowner. But his target is armed too.

The homeowners told WRAL that they had no choice but to defend themselves and their home.

“If somebody breaks in your home, you have to protect yourself,” the homeowner’s wife added to the station. “And that’s what he did. He had to protect us. We did not know what he was going to do.”

Police told WRAL the homeowner will not face charges at this time but that the incident is under investigation. The station added that forensics investigators gathered evidence at the front door and inside the house.

WRAL said its Breaking News Tracker captured video of people coming out of the house, adding that they got in the back of police cruisers but did not appear to be under arrest.

Commenters on WRAL’s Facebook post about the shooting seemed completely on the homeowner’s side:

“Lookie there … the burglar found the consequences of his actions,” one commenter said.”The homeowner deserves a medal!” another user declared. “Every home should be protected like this!””I’d done the same thing,” another commenter wrote. “Let someone try and break into my house.””It’s about time these criminals got it,” another user stated.”Sorry to hear he was taken to a trauma center, should have been taken to a morgue,” another commenter said.”America’s fighting back!!!” another user exclaimed.

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​2nd amend., Burglary charge, Crime thwarted, Gun rights, Guns, Home invasion, Kick down door, North carolina, Raleigh, Self-defense, Shooting, Fighting back, Crime 

More than 50 years ago, I witnessed firsthand how Mao Zedong’s socialist experiment dismantled market competition, suppressed innovation, and plunged China into economic ruin. As a survivor of that experiment, I watched in horror last week as Zohran Mamdani won over 50% of the vote in New York City, promising a socialist illusion of city-owned grocery stores, free public transit, universal rent control, and a defunded police department.

Such proposals might sound compassionate, but they threaten to repeat the class warfare and state control that devastated China from the 1950s to the late 1970s, only this time they are taking place in the financial capital of the world.

The unpleasant truth is that America may have won the Cold War, but we are losing the ideological war at home.

Consider Mamdani’s push for “good cause eviction” laws and expanded rent control. He claims these measures protect tenants from exploitation, but they discourage property ownership and investment — just as Mao’s housing policies did.

In communist China, the state assigned apartments to urban families, but most people lived in poverty. My family of five was crammed into a 200-square-foot unit with no running water or a toilet. Today, rent control has already reduced housing supply by 20% in parts of New York City, driving up costs for everyone else. What Mamdani offers isn’t progress — it’s stagnation disguised as equity.

Mamdani’s support for “Medicare for All” and fare-free buses also ignores fiscal realities. Mao’s “barefoot doctors” promised class equity but delivered substandard care, contributing to millions of preventable deaths. America’s health care system leads the world in breakthroughs because of merit-driven research and competition, not government mandates. Meanwhile, New York City’s transit authority estimates free transit would cost taxpayers $1 billion annually without improving service. When socialism promises “free” services, it often delivers shortages, rationing, and inefficiency.

The proposal for city-owned grocery stores is another red flag. Under Mao, government-run stores led to chronic food shortages. Rice, cooking oil, and meat were rationed. Each urban citizen received only two pounds of meat per month. Even with ration coupons, I had to wake at 3 or 4 a.m. and wait in line for hours to buy a few ounces. Mamdani’s plan threatening private grocery competition risks repeating this nightmare.

Then there’s his support for defunding the police and replacing them with vague “community safety” alternatives. In 2020, he co-sponsored bills to slash NYPD funding by $1 billion, claiming it would combat systemic racism. This mirrors Mao’s Red Guards, who dismantled law enforcement and replaced it with ideological enforcers — leading to chaos, violence, and mass suffering.

Since 2020, crime in New York has risen by 15%, according to NYPD data. Weakening law enforcement doesn’t protect vulnerable communities — it leaves them exposed. As a father of a New Yorker, Mamdani’s reckless approach to policing is not just a political concern; it’s a personal one.

Mamdani also seeks to eliminate gifted and talented programs in public schools, calling them “inequitable.” But these programs offer high-achieving students — often from diverse backgrounds — a path to excellence.

RELATED: The right needs bigger ideas than tax cuts

Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

During the Cultural Revolution, China crushed its intellectual class and smothered innovation. New York is making a similar mistake. Gifted programs lifted math proficiency by 25%, according to a 2022 Department of Education report, yet Mamdani wants them eliminated in the name of “equity.” As an Asian-American parent who raised a child in STEM, I’ve seen how excellence takes root: You cultivate talent; you don’t level it.

Mamdani’s agenda mirrors the same destructive ideology I fled from. Socialism thrives on utopian promises pitched to voters who have never lived through the consequences. I have. And I recognize the warning signs.

Yet according to CNN exit polls, 70% of voters ages 18-44 supported Mamdani, compared to just 40% of older voters. Even more alarming: 57% of New Yorkers with college degrees voted for him, versus only 42% without. This reflects the growing influence of pro-socialist indoctrination in American universities.

The unpleasant truth is that America may have won the Cold War, but we are losing the ideological war at home. To prevent a socialist takeover, we must fight back by reforming higher education and teaching our children the truth about socialism in K-12 classrooms.

​Opinion & analysis, New york city, Zohran mamdani, Socialism, Leftism, Ideology, Mao zedong, Cultural revolution, China, Communism, Rent control, Rent freeze, Housing shortages, Cost of living, Food shortages, Free buses, Defund the police, Public safety, Equity, Nypd, Public schools, Gifted and talented, Cnn, Exit polls 

The No. 1 country song in America right now was not written in Nashville or Texas or even L.A. It came from code. “Walk My Walk,” the AI-generated single by the AI artist Breaking Rust, hit the top spot on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart, and if you listen to it without knowing that fact, you would swear a real singer lived the pain he is describing.

Except there is no “he.” There is no lived experience. There is no soul behind the voice dominating the country music charts.

If a machine can imitate the soul, then what is the soul?

I will admit it: I enjoy some AI music. Some of it is very good. And that leaves us with a question that is no longer science fiction. If a machine can fake being human this well, what does it mean to be human?

A new world of artificial experience

This is not just about one song. We are walking straight into a technological moment that will reshape everyday life.

Elon Musk said recently that we may not even have phones in five years. Instead, we will carry a small device that listens, anticipates, and creates — a personal AI agent that knows what we want to hear before we ask. It will make the music, the news, the podcasts, the stories. We already live in digital bubbles. Soon, those bubbles might become our own private worlds.

If an algorithm can write a hit country song about hardship and perseverance without a shred of actual experience, then the deeper question becomes unavoidable: If a machine can imitate the soul, then what is the soul?

What machines can never do

A machine can produce, and soon it may produce better than we can. It can calculate faster than any human mind. It can rearrange the notes and words of a thousand human songs into something that sounds real enough to fool millions.

But it cannot care. It cannot love. It cannot choose right and wrong. It cannot forgive because it cannot be hurt. It cannot stand between a child and danger. It cannot walk through sorrow.

A machine can imitate the sound of suffering. It cannot suffer.

The difference is the soul. The divine spark. The thing God breathed into man that no code will ever have. Only humans can take pain and let it grow into compassion. Only humans can take fear and turn it into courage. Only humans can rebuild their lives after losing everything. Only humans hear the whisper inside, the divine voice that says, “Live for something greater.”

We are building artificial minds. We are not building artificial life.

Questions that define us

And as these artificial minds grow sharper, as their tools become more convincing, the right response is not panic. It is to ask the oldest and most important questions.

Who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of freedom? What is worth defending? What is worth sacrificing for?

That answer is not found in a lab or a server rack. It is found in that mysterious place inside each of us where reason meets faith, where suffering becomes wisdom, where God reminds us we are more than flesh and more than thought. We are not accidents. We are not circuits. We are not replaceable.

RELATED: AI can fake a face — but not a soul

Seong Joon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The miracle machines can never copy

Being human is not about what we can produce. Machines will outproduce us. That is not the question. Being human is about what we can choose. We can choose to love even when it costs us something. We can choose to sacrifice when it is not easy. We can choose to tell the truth when the world rewards lies. We can choose to stand when everyone else bows. We can create because something inside us will not rest until we do.

An AI content generator can borrow our melodies, echo our stories, and dress itself up like a human soul, but it cannot carry grief across a lifetime. It cannot forgive an enemy. It cannot experience wonder. It cannot look at a broken world and say, “I am going to build again.”

The age of machines is rising. And if we do not know who we are, we will shrink. But if we use this moment to remember what makes us human, it will help us to become better, because the one thing no algorithm will ever recreate is the miracle that we exist at all — the miracle of the human soul.

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​Ai, Country music, Human, Mind, God, Opinion & analysis, Artificial intelligence, Billboard, Walk my walk, Breaking rust, Soul, Elon musk 

A tech entrepreneur is hoping casual AI users and businesses alike are looking for a new pal.

In this case, “PAL” is a floating term that can mean either a complimentary video companion or a replacement for a human customer service worker.

‘I love the print on your shirt; you’re looking sharp today.’

Tech company Tavus calls PALs “the first AI built to feel like real humans.”

Overall, Tavus’ messaging is seemingly directed toward both those seeking an artificial friend and those looking to streamline their workforce.

As a friend, the avatar will allegedly “reach out first” and contact the user by text or video call. It can allegedly anticipate “what matters” and step in “when you need them the most.”

In an X post, founder Hassaan Raza spoke about PALs being emotionally intelligent and capable of “understanding and perceiving.”

The AI bots are meant to “see, hear, reason,” and “look like us,” he wrote, further cementing the use of the technology as companion-worthy

“PALs can see us, understand our tone, emotion, and intent, and communicate in ways that feel more human,” Raza added.

In a promotional video for the product, the company showcased basic interactions between a user and the AI buddy.

RELATED: Mother admits she prefers AI over her DAUGHTER

A woman is shown greeting the “digital twin” of Raza, as he appears as a lifelike AI PAL on her laptop.

Raza’s AI responds, “Hey, Jessica. … I’m powered by the world’s fastest conversational AI. I can speak to you and see and hear you.”

Excited by the notion, Jessica responds, “Wait, you can see me? That’s so cool.”

The woman then immediately seeks superficial validation from the artificial person.

“What do you think of my new shirt?” she asks.

The AI lives up to the trope that chatbots are largely agreeable no matter the subject matter and says, “I love the print on your shirt; you’re looking sharp today.”

After the pleasantries are over, Raza’s AI goes into promo mode and boasts about its ability to use “rolling vision, voice detection, and interruptibility” to seem more lifelike for the user.

The video soon shifts to messaging about corporate integration meant to replace low-wage employees.

Describing the “digital twins” or AI agents, Raza explains that the AI program is an opportunity to monetize celebrity likeness or replace sales agents or customer support personnel. He claims the avatars could also be used in corporate training modules.

RELATED: Can these new fake pets save humanity? Take a wild guess

In his X post, Raza also attempted to flex his acting chops by creating a 200-second film about a man/PAL named Charlie who is trapped in a computer in the 1980s.

Raza revives the computer after it spent 40 years on the shelf, finding Charlie still trapped inside. In an attempt at comedy, Charlie asks Raza if flying cars or jetpacks exist yet. Raza responds, “We have Salesforce.”

The founder goes on to explain that PALs will “evolve” with the user, remembering preferences and needs. While these features are presented as groundbreaking, the PAL essentially amounts to being an AI face attached to an ongoing chatbot conversation.

AI users know that modern chatbots like Grok or ChatGPT are fully capable of remembering previous discussions and building upon what they have already learned. What’s seemingly new here is the AI being granted app permissions to contact the user and further infiltrate personal space.

Whether that annoys the user or is exactly what the person needs or wants is up for interpretation.

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​Return, Ai, Artificial intelligence, Salesforce, Ai companion, Chatbot, Language model, Tech 

In the past three years since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, pro-life organizations have been searching for a new national priority. They appear to have found one in the form of permanently defunding Planned Parenthood.

This objective, of course, is far from an original idea. Any conservative voter will know all too well that Republicans have been promising it for decades.

We should end the abortion holocaust without exception or compromise.

This year saw the first time national Republicans actually did defund Planned Parenthood. But it was only for one year — a lackluster achievement given that Republicans control both Congress and the White House.

A coalition of pro-life groups such as Live Action, Students for Life, and National Right to Life has now set “a permanent taxpayer defund of all organizations that commit abortion” as their new national priority.

The intention, according to Live Action, is to make sure Planned Parenthood is “permanently defunded” by July 4 of next year.

Certainly, stopping the flow of taxpayer dollars to organizations like Planned Parenthood is a worthy action, and we hope it is successful. But setting that as a central priority of the anti-abortion agenda is underwhelming at best, and doing so will end up distracting from what should be the ultimate goal — passing laws to abolish abortion.

Defunding is not enough

We live in the midst of a holocaust. Beyond the more than 65 million pre-born babies murdered under Roe, abortion numbers have continued to increase over the past three years since it was overturned, now surpassing 1 million pre-born babies per year.

This trend even extends to red states with restrictions claiming to ban abortion.

The removal of taxpayer dollars from the abortion holocaust is not wrong. But it is far from an action that will move us toward a decisive end to the bloodshed. Moreover, setting the mere defunding of baby murder as a central priority diminishes the gravity of this atrocity.

The main problem with abortion is not that we are forced to help pay for it. The main problem is that people are murdering babies.

We should not merely defund specific facilitators of the abortion holocaust. We should end the abortion holocaust without exception or compromise. The best way to defund Planned Parenthood is to criminalize abortion as murder.

For every year we let something else overshadow that objective, we allow another million babies made in the image of God to be murdered.

False victory

As we have seen before, many leading pro-life groups have shown a pattern of overstating their wins. Some will undoubtedly do that if Planned Parenthood is defunded. Such inflated rhetoric misleads anti-abortion Christians and conservatives to think substantial victories have been won, decreasing their zeal to remain engaged and win the actual battle.

When leaders at Planned Parenthood Michigan closed four locations earlier this year, Students for Life insisted that “the death industry is collapsing under its own weight” and proclaimed that “fewer Planned Parenthoods” means there are now “fewer babies killed.”

RELATED: Planned Parenthood’s ugly truth finally has consequences

Olivier Douliery/Getty Images

But just a few months after that proclamation of victory, Planned Parenthood Michigan announced that it would expand virtual appointments to “seven days a week, including weekends, morning, and evening appointments.” The organization also reported “growing demand” for the virtual appointments, leading it to “expand the program even further.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has also called the defunding of Planned Parenthood this year the “biggest national pro-life victory” since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The organization has repeatedly highlighted the closure of individual abortion clinics as evidence that “the lives of moms and babies are being protected.”

In its public statements about the move, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America insisted that Planned Parenthood closures are evidence that “life is winning.” The organization failed to include the context that abortion rates across the nation are still on the rise.

In other words, the closure of physical abortion clinics does not necessarily mean fewer babies murdered. But pro-life groups celebrating as if that were the case are sorrowfully leading anti-abortion people to think otherwise.

Exaggerated impact

Planned Parenthood facilitates about one-third of all abortions in America. But even if it lost access to taxpayer dollars, the same number of abortions in our nation would almost certainly continue.

If the federal government were to cut off all funds to Planned Parenthood, the organization would find money elsewhere — from blue-state legislatures, from private billionaire donors, and most of all from the men and women who themselves fund Planned Parenthood by paying to murder their own pre-born babies.

Also, taxpayer money does not cause the abortion holocaust in our nation, but it subsidizes an already existing marketplace that will continue even if Planned Parenthood disappears tomorrow.

In other words, as long as there is abortion demand, there will be some form of abortion supply. We must address both the supply and demand for abortions, or else the murder of pre-born babies will continue.

The real priority

By prioritizing a weak objective of defunding Planned Parenthood, pro-life groups might achieve exactly that goal, but they will not get more than that goal any time soon. In order even to substantially decrease abortion in America, let alone actually abolish abortion, a much more ambitious goal must be set.

That is why every anti-abortion leader and organization should support legislation enacting equal protection of the laws for pre-born babies, which would not only break the power of abortion providers, but truly abolish abortion itself.

Christian conservatives rightly affirm that pre-born babies are made in the image of God and should be protected from the moment of fertilization. By calling for equal protection bills at the state and federal levels, anti-abortion groups would be setting the expectation that the exact same laws protecting born people from murder should protect pre-born people as well.

The focus should remain on establishing equal protection. This is the only policy that would criminalize abortion as murder for all parties involved, obey God, and dramatically reduce the number of murders of pre-born babies in America.

If such an expectation is set, then state and federal lawmakers may still defund Planned Parenthood — probably even faster than they otherwise would have. But setting a lower expectation than equal protection, such as defunding Planned Parenthood, decreases the likelihood of strong anti-abortion policies advancing.

The pro-life organizations searching for a new priority after the overturn of Roe should not set their sights too low, and they most certainly should not exaggerate their victories.

If they truly desire to protect pre-born babies and move America toward the abolition of abortion, merely defunding Planned Parenthood will not suffice. They must remember that we are in a holocaust that has continued for far too long — and act with the appropriate urgency and priority.

​Christianity, Image of god, Planned parenthood, Abortion funding, Abortion 

A Wisconsin teenager was convicted of “sadistic and evil” acts related to serial rapes committed in Milwaukee.

Seventeen-year-old Tremonte Kirk was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday by Judge David Borowski at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

‘This is as aggravated, depraved and sadistic and evil as it gets.’

In December, Kirk saw a random woman from a busy street and followed her into the elevator of her apartment. He raped her and then stomped on a surgical incision on her leg.

The woman, Charlotte Nozar, testified in court against her attacker.

“Your honor, the serial rapist you have sitting in front of you today is an existential threat to the women of Milwaukee,” she said.

“Nothing, nothing can give me my life as I knew it and my leg back,” she added.

Judge Borowski berated Kirk for his actions and pointed out that his criminal behavior extended back to when Kirk was only 12 years old.

“This is as aggravated, depraved and sadistic and evil as it gets. You engaged in monstrous conduct, conduct that would lead the average person to believe you are an absolute monster. Your parents raised a monster,” said the judge. “Your record, Mr. Kirk, is horrible. If you were 40 years old, it’d be a horrible record.”

DNA evidence presented during court linked Kirk to another potential assault last year of a woman who was sleeping in her car at the time. She was able to escape the attack.

“I had to run for my life, and my survival depended on instinct,” said the woman. “Trauma is not measured by how quickly a victim could get over it.”

RELATED: Elderly woman beaten to death with a rock — police said they found her daughter ‘covered in blood’

Astoundingly, Kirk had been wearing an ankle monitor during both instances.

“You had a GPS monitoring device on your ankle when you were doing this! Did you honestly think you weren’t … did you think you were going to get away with it?” asked the judge.

Kirk apologized in his statement, but Nozar said she could not accept the apology and did not forgive him.

“On the good days when the thoughts are minimal and fleeting, I’m all about the healing,” Nozar said. “On the bad days, when the stinging memory plays over on a continuing loop, I’m pissed off as hell that I even have to.”

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​Absolute monster, Tremonte kirk, Serial rapist teenager, Milwaukee crime, Crime 

While standing next to a drag queen, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) decided to start making fun of women’s looks — specifically “MAGA” women’s looks.

“A lot of the MAGA women receive gender-affirming care, such as lip fillers, breast augmentation, etc. Why do you think they’re so against gender-affirming care for trans people?” a reporter asked Crockett as she stood next to her male friend in a dress.

Crockett laughed, before answering, “I have this thing, where like, you know a MAGA woman when you see one. They all have a look right?”

“When that was brought up on the House floor, because there was a discussion about this on the House, they were like, ‘How dare you say we use —’ and it’s like no that’s exactly what y’all do. Y’all just didn’t realize that’s what it is,” she added.

“Jasmine Crockett is out mocking MAGA women,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray says on “Pat Gray Unleashed.”

“That is not a good look for her,” BlazeTV contributor Jeff Fisher chimes in.

“We’re mocking people’s looks while standing next to a tall dude in a dress wearing a wig,” executive producer Keith Malinak chimes in, adding, “Got it.”

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​Blaze, Blaze podcasts, Blazetv, Commentary, Glenn beck, News, Pat and stu, Pat gray, Pat gray glenn beck, Pat gray podcast, Pat gray radio, Pat gray show, Pat gray unleashed, Pat gray unleashed youtube, Pat gray videos, Pat gray youtube, Pat grey, Pat grey unleashed, Pat heads, Pat unleashed, Shorts, Social commentary, Stu does america, Talk radio, Video, Youtube.com 

At a recent competition law symposium in Washington, the Trump administration’s antitrust chief, Gail Slater, made a welcome promise to keep markets open to new competitors and innovation.

That pledge comes at a critical moment. Too many politicians in both parties still believe government’s job is to engineer economic outcomes rather than let consumers decide. That mindset misunderstands what makes markets dynamic — and often locks in the very problems regulators claim they want to fix.

Republicans and Democrats alike have embraced ‘industrial policy’ when it serves their political interests. They call it leadership, but it’s just another form of central planning.

Cronyism takes many forms: subsidies for favored industries, tax breaks for politically connected firms, or lawsuits targeting companies for being too successful.

Take the Biden Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Visa. The administration said it “feared” Visa’s market share, even though the payments space is crowded with competitors — Mastercard, PayPal, Square, Apple Pay, and a swarm of fintech startups. Instead of protecting consumers, the Justice Department tried to punish one company for competing well and dictate the terms of an already vibrant market.

That’s not protecting competition — it’s manipulating it. When government intervenes this way, it distorts incentives, weakens confidence, and replaces consumer choice with bureaucratic preference.

Consumers always lose

When regulators overreach, consumers pay the price. Every dollar a company spends fending off groundless lawsuits is a dollar not spent on innovation. Every subsidy handed to a politically favored firm skews the playing field against smaller rivals. And every new dictate slows the experimentation that keeps markets alive.

Officials who justify these intrusions claim they’re “protecting competition.” But true competition doesn’t need Washington’s help. It needs Washington to step aside. Entrepreneurs, not regulators, create rivals. Consumers, not bureaucrats, decide who wins. The invisible hand disciplines firms far more effectively than any government lawyer.

Free markets need fewer meddlers

Government’s legitimate role is narrow: preventing fraud, enforcing contracts, and protecting property. That’s a far cry from deciding which companies are “too profitable,” which mergers are “too large,” or which industries deserve “strategic” subsidies. When officials cross that line, they stop refereeing and start playing the game themselves — badly.

This temptation spans parties. Republicans and Democrats alike have embraced “industrial policy” when it serves their political interests. They call it leadership, but it’s just another form of central planning that shackles consumers and businesses alike.

RELATED: Smash the health care cartel, free the market

File photo/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

The cure is restraint

The best way forward is simple. Washington should stop punishing success and stop handing out favors to friends. It should let consumers and entrepreneurs, not bureaucrats and lobbyists, determine winners and losers.

America’s prosperity was built on open competition and voluntary exchange — not government micromanagement. Crony capitalism is just socialism by another name, and it breeds the same stagnation and corruption.

President Trump’s team understands that prosperity comes from freedom, not favoritism. If policymakers truly care about fairness, they should start by doing the hardest thing in politics: stepping aside.

​Democrats, Obamacare, Opinion & analysis, Free markets, Antitrust, Donald trump, Visa, Credit cards, Competition, Healthcare, Gail slater, Justice department 

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a rare statement admonishing the immigration policies of President Donald Trump.

The conference voted nearly unanimously to pass the statement at the Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland, on Wednesday. There were 216 votes in favor of the statement, only five against, with three abstentions.

‘We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good.’

“As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement,” read the special statement.

“We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status,” the bishops added.

The statement went on to call for reform of immigration policies that would preserve national security while also respecting the human dignity of immigrants.

“We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools,” they continued. “We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones.”

The statement also expressed opposition to “indiscriminate mass deportation” and called for the end of “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence” against immigrants as well as law enforcement.

RELATED: Bishop in largest California county frees Catholics from obligation to attend Mass over fear of deportations

“We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good,” the bishops added. “Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks.”

The last time the USCCB issued a similar statement was in 2013 against political policies related to contraceptives.

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) is not a moderate or a centrist; rather, as BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler describes him, he’s a “radical leftist.”

But squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) doesn’t care, as his opponent for mayor, Omar Fateh, is a Somali-American — and she was furious when he lost the race, giving an angry speech in her native tongue — likely in the hopes that it wouldn’t be translated into English.

“When a Somali person becomes an enemy, they become a serious one,” she yelled in Somali. “There are people like that living right here in our city. We all see them. Some of us try to dismiss it, saying, ‘Oh, that person just talks too much, it doesn’t mean anything,’ or, ‘Leave them alone, that’s my relative.’”

“You’ve seen them. We need to get rid of these people. We will never gain power and move forward as Somalis as long as these people live among us and we don’t kick them out. The same people [Somalis] we try to defend, they’re the ones who spread lies about us. And when that happens, there’s no way to defend ourselves. I can’t keep saying all day, ‘I didn’t say that,’ because I’ve got work to do,” she continued.

“We’re busy doing our jobs, defending you [Somalis], protecting this country. I can’t waste every day fighting against accusations … that’s your responsibility, and your job is to not welcome those people who work to block and undermine Somalis,” she added.

“The point that’s critical to understand right now is Ilhan Omar is a member of the Democrat Socialists of America. She’s obviously a member of the squad. She’s a crony of Bernie Sanders and AOC and those people who dislike America and want to transform us into a socialist nation,” Wheeler says.

“Ilhan Omar primarily presents herself as being a DSA candidate. This sort of radical sect of the Democrat Party, but that’s not really who she is. Because Jacob Frey, the incumbent mayor of Minneapolis, actually meets all of those qualifications,” she continues.

“If Ilhan Omar wants someone who abides by transgender ideology … who abides by stupid radical leftist unconstitutional policies like gun control, that’s what Jacob Frey does. Jacob Frey is such a pandering leftist that he actually spoke Somali in his victory speech after he defeated Omar Fateh,” she adds.

Wheeler points out that it is because it is not all about politics to someone like Ilhan Omar.

“It’s about Islam. Socialism and Marxism and communism are a means to an end. They are a tool to achieve a secondary outcome. But to Ilhan Omar, the ultimate outcome is Islam,” Wheeler says, pointing out that in the video of her speech after Fateh’s loss, she is speaking like “she’s living in a caliphate.”

And Omar Fateh is, of course, not innocent either.

“Omar Fateh has ties to radical imams. He’s been defended by the Council on American Islamic Relations, who was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case, the largest terror financing prosecution in U.S. history,” Wheeler explains.

“And Ilhan Omar endorsed him and campaigned for him and defended him despite his shady background,” she adds.

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California Rep. Eric Swalwell is the latest of several Democrats to come under fire from the Trump administration, this time for alleged mortgage fraud.

Swalwell was referred to President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice for allegations of mortgage and tax fraud related to his residence in Washington, D.C.

The California Democrat is just one of four political adversaries the Trump administration has investigated. Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California, Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook, and New York Attorney General Letitia James are also facing allegations of mortgage fraud.

‘I will not end my lawsuit against him.’

Because of the Trump administration’s string of legal cases against Democrats, Swalwell argues his referral was motivated purely by political purposes.

“As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me,” Swalwell said in a statement Thursday.

RELATED: When I brought the truth to Congress, Democrats lost their minds

Photo by Tom Brenner/Getty Images

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte alleged that there were several million dollars’ worth of loans and refinancing based on Swalwell’s declaration of his D.C. home as his primary residence.

Pulte also alleged that Swalwell may have made inaccurate or misleading statements in certain loan documents, prompting an investigation into potential mortgage fraud, state and local tax fraud, insurance fraud, and any other related crimes.

“Like James Comey and John Bolton, Adam Schiff and Lisa Cook, Letitia James and the dozens more to come — I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world,” Swalwell said.

RELATED: Eric Swalwell finally answers Chinese spy allegations: ‘I would hope that would be enough’

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

“Of course, I will not end my lawsuit against him,” Swalwell added. “And I will not stop speaking out against the president and speaking up for Californians.”

“As Mark Twain said, ‘Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.’ Mr. President, do better. Be better.”

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​Eric swalwell, Letitia james, Lisa cook, Adam schiff, John bolton, Donald trump, Mortgage fraud, Pam bondi, Trump administration, Doj, Department of justice, Bill pulte, Government weaponization, Law fare, Politics 

Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba was the target of an alleged act of political intimidation according to a statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Bondi revealed few details about the incident from Wednesday evening in a post on social media.

‘Any violence or threats of violence against any federal officer will not be tolerated. Period.’

“Last night, an individual attempted to confront one of our U.S. Attorneys — my dear friend @USAttyHabba — destroyed property in her office, and then fled the scene. Thankfully, Alina is ok,” wrote Bondi Thursday.

“Any violence or threats of violence against any federal officer will not be tolerated. Period,” she added. “This is unfortunately becoming a trend as radicals continue to attack law enforcement agents around the country.”

Habba posted a brief but defiant statement about the incident.

“I will not be intimidated by radical lunatics for doing my job,” she wrote.

Bondi vowed to find the alleged culprit and bring them to justice.

“Our federal prosecutors, agents, and law-enforcement partners put their lives on the line every day to protect the American people,” Bondi added, “and this Department will use every legal tool available to ensure their safety and hold violent offenders fully accountable.”

RELATED: Federal judge rules Alina Habba is not lawfully acting as US attorney for NJ

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel reiterated the promise to lead the hunt against those threatening public servants.

He added, “Zero tolerance for these acts of violence.”

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A former teacher’s aide at a Wisconsin Christian school has been accused of having sex with a boy she reportedly began getting “flirty” with when he was just 12 years old.

Stephanie Jensen, 41, was arrested Nov. 4.

‘Victim 1 mentioned Stephanie Jensen was not only sending him nude pictures, but that she was sending his buddies nude content as well.’

According to the Wisconsin Circuit Court, Jensen was hit with 13 charges, including four counts of exposing genitals, pubic area, or intimate parts to a child; four counts of child enticement by exposing genitals, pubic area, or intimate parts; three counts of sexual intercourse with a child 16 or older by an actor 19 or older; second-degree sexual assault of a child; and possession of child pornography.

The New York Post, citing allegations laid out in the criminal complaint, reported that Jensen had worked as a second-grade classroom aide at the Faith Lutheran School in Fond du Lac.

The Faith Lutheran School has a primary goal to “teach students in grades 3K-8 about the love of Jesus in a safe Christian environment.”

As outlined in the criminal complaint, WBAY-TV reported that when the boy was in eighth grade, the pair would “regularly bump into each other on campus before she started the illegal relationship.”

Citing the criminal complaint, the Post reported that the boy told investigators Jensen started becoming “flirty” with him when he was only 12 years old.

The boy told investigators that he first had sex with the former teacher’s aide in September 2024 — shortly before his 16th birthday, according to charging documents.

The student — identified as “Victim 1” in the criminal complaint — told investigators he remembered the pair first had sex when he was 15 years old because it happened shortly before he obtained his driver’s license, according to charging records.

The student told investigators that he had sex with Jensen four times until he was 17 years old, according to court documents.

WLUK-TV said charging documents it reviewed indicate Jensen sent nude photos to the boy and also to his friends: “Victim 1 said word traveled throughout his friend group that she was willing to share so people he knew would add her to see what she would share with them.”

The criminal complaint said Jensen allegedly admitted to detectives that she sent sexual content but denied having sex with the boy in question.

According to the New York Post, a detective informed Jensen that she was being placed under arrest, but she allegedly replied, “I am not under arrest,” and she reportedly refused to stand up from the couch.

The criminal complaint stated that the detective had to pull Jensen from the couch by her arm and that officers struggled to handcuff the suspect until police ordered her to stop.

RELATED: Middle school teacher accused of raping her former student who’s now in high school, sending nude video of herself to teen

Following her arrest, Faith Lutheran School fired Jensen, according to school officials.

Faith Lutheran School Principal Benjamin Rank told WLUK:

Faith Lutheran School has terminated the employment of Stephanie Jensen upon formal charges being filed in court on Monday. The faculty, staff, and administration at Faith are committed to the safety and care of our students, staff, families, and community. We pray for all who are affected by these events as we continue to put our faith and trust in the Lord.

A judge initially ordered Jensen to have no contact with the victim, his family, or other minors and not to use social media, drugs, or alcohol.

In an update from WBAY, a judge allowed Jensen to have contact with her own children but not with other minors.

Jensen’s cash bond was set at $200,000, and she is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 17.

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A New Mexico police chief who went viral for calling out a local court for constantly releasing a dangerous man has announced that federal officials have stepped in.

Chief Jeremy Story posted a video documenting the numerous arrests of Neal Garcia. According to Story, Garcia has been arrested 108 times, 15 of which were for felonies, but the court has repeatedly released him after finding him incompetent to stand trial.

The video went viral as an example of the broken justice system.

‘To every law enforcement agency and prosecutor across New Mexico, the US Attorney’s Office is open for business.’

On Thursday the police chief released a video announcing the collaboration between the Las Cruces Police Dept., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, and the Albuquerque Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“The day we released that video, the U.S. attorney contacted me and committed to working together to try and hold this dangerous criminal accountable,” he said.

“I want to note that the local district attorney’s office tried everything under New Mexico law to keep Mr. Garcia off the streets and from continuing to victimize Las Cruces. They tried [assisted outpatient treatment], a dangerousness hearing, and even petitioned for civil commitment,” Story added. “But all those efforts were unsuccessful in New Mexico District Court.”

Ryan Ellison, U.S. attorney for the District of New Mexico, said that Garcia was in federal custody.

“Today, Neal Garcia is in federal custody facing Hobbs Act robbery charges involving threats of violence and interference with commerce,” he said.

“To every law enforcement agency and prosecutor across New Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is open for business,” he added. “If you have violent, repeat offenders who continue to victimize your communities, contact our office or the FBI.

RELATED: Police chief’s viral video demands action against man accused of dozens of crimes — and Trump admin responds

“We are actively working to identify and federally charge the most violent criminals across this state. When state options have been exhausted and federal law applies, we will prosecute,” Ellison continued.

Special Agent Justin Garris spoke last and applauded the collaboration between local and federal law enforcement to “hold criminals accountable and protect the innocent more effectively.”

Ellison noted that those convicted in federal court serve at least 85% of their sentences in a federal facility. Garcia faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

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​Las cruces police department, Police chief jeremy story, Neil garcia crimes, Criminals released incompetent, Politics 

A new campaign spending report filed with the Federal Election Commission revealed that far-left Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas has spent tens of thousands of dollars living the high life in 2025.

Crockett has emerged as one of the louder foul-mouths on the left to criticize the policies of President Donald Trump and gained prominence on social media for her outbursts.

She is weighing whether to run for US Senate as a way of dealing ‘karma’ for the redistricting passed by Republicans.

The filing documents more than $25K in luxury services that included high-end hotels and ritzy limousine rides while Crockett was visiting locations outside of her district, the 30th district in Texas.

The expenses were made in the period since January at locations that included Martha’s Vineyard, Chicago, New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco, as well as Los Angeles.

Among the hotel expenses were the following:

$4,175.01 at the Ritz-Carlton $2,304.79 at the Luxury Collection$5,326.52 to the West Hollywood Edition in Los Angeles$1,173.92 to the Times Square Edition in New York CityOver $2,000 to the Cosmopolitan and Aria resort in Las Vegas $2,703.14 to the Edgartown Inn in Martha’s Vineyard $3,160.93 at the Coco, also in Martha’s Vineyard

The congresswoman also reported paying $50K for security services.

Crockett has indicated that she is weighing whether to run for U.S. Senate as a way of dealing “karma” for the redistricting passed by Republicans.

“Because if you want to take my seat of 766,000 away, I feel like there has to be some karma in that to where I take your seat that is for 30 million away,” she said in October. “So we are, you know, the primary is the primary. That’s cool, but you got to win the general. So we are doing some testing here shortly to see if I can expand the electorate.”

RELATED: Progressive radio show host posts photo of herself kissing Jasmine Crockett’s sneakers

A Blaze News request for comment from Crockett’s office was not immediately returned.

She also made headlines recently when progressive radio show host Stephanie Miller posted photographs of herself kissing Crockett’s sneakers. Many thought the joke exemplified how the media favors the left.

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Just one day after their shutdown fiasco, Democrats have released new Epstein emails in an attempt to incriminate President Trump — but their plan has backfired miserably.

“They magically discovered and released some new emails from Jeffrey Epstein. And you’ll never believe: They finally got him. They got him. House Democrats release Epstein emails that mention Donald Trump,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales jokes.

One email, Gonzales says, “looks pretty bad” and reveals Epstein saying the “dog that hasn’t barked is Trump,” before saying that a redacted victim “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with the now-president though he had “never once been mentioned.”

The victim’s name turned out to be Virginia Giuffre, who has “gone on record multiple times and said that President Trump did nothing wrong.”

“There is so much sworn testimony that she has provided about it. … She is on the record saying Trump couldn’t have been friendlier and that he never had sex with her or any of those underage girls,” Gonzales explains.

“The Democrats didn’t redact it because they care about protecting victims. They redacted it because they didn’t want you to be able to go, ‘I think there’s more to that. I don’t know that I buy that,’” she continues.

In another email thread between Epstein and journalist Michael Wolff discussing CNN preparing to ask Trump about his relationship with Epstein, Epstein asks Wolff what his answer would be for Trump if he could “craft an answer for him.”

“I think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt,” Wolff replied.

“Of course, it is possible that, when asked, he’ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime,” he added.

Gonzales, again, is not fazed by the left’s new “evidence.”

“Right off the bat, you know, Michael Wolff is not only very aware of what Jeffrey Epstein is doing because he mentions the island … and yet, instead of calling the police, dialing up the FBI, giving some sort of law enforcement or federal official or, I don’t know, literally anyone who could help these young girls who are being trafficked, this guy, instead of doing any of that, he’s just like, ‘I’m going to give PR advice to Jeffrey Epstein,’” Gonzales says.

Not only that, but Wolff’s career as a journalist has been spent writing negative books on Donald Trump.

“A Trump-hater that stands to profit off of a scandal for President Trump. Got it. Not a guy I’m willing to trust,” Gonzales says.

The last email cherry-picked by the Democrats is an email from Epstein to Michael Wolff, where he writes a redacted victim’s name and the word Mar-a-Lago and says, “Trump said he asked me to resign. Never a member ever. Of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”

“So that doesn’t track with Donald Trump participating in anything, as he asked him to stop. We already know that Donald Trump said, ‘You cannot be a member of Mar-a-Lago any more. You cannot set foot on my property any more.’ We already know that to be true,” Gonzales comments.

Gonzales also notes that not too long ago, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) revealed that Trump was an FBI informant ordered to help take Epstein down.

“It would make a whole lot of sense,” she says.

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The Department of Homeland Security handed out bonuses to Transportation Security Administration agents who went above and beyond during the Democrat shutdown.

The 43-day shutdown forced essential government workers to continue working despite not receiving a paycheck.

‘We will be continuing to not only recognize employees across the country, but we will be looking at every single TSA official who helped serve during this government shutdown, and do what we can to recognize that.’

On Thursday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced during a press conference at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport that the federal government would provide a $10,000 bonus to TSA agents who showed “exemplary service.”

“Today we are announcing that we are going to be handing out bonus checks of $10,000 to TSOs, to agents who work for TSA who served with exemplary service,” Noem stated. “What that means is that we are going to not only continue their paychecks like they should have received all along, but also they’re going to get a bonus check for stepping up, taking on extra shifts, for showing up each and every day, for serving the American people.”

During the press conference, Noem handed out envelopes containing bonus checks to roughly two dozen TSA agents.

RELATED: Trump officially ends ‘pathetic’ Democrats’ record-breaking shutdown

Photographer: Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“Every single one of these individuals served with exemplary service, which means they were an example of, not only taking seriously the security concerns and measures that TSA has to every single day and the Department of Homeland Security, but also they went above and beyond,” Noem said.

The DHS secretary stated that the department will continue to recognize government employees nationwide who stepped up during the shutdown.

RELATED: FAA cancels hundreds of flights, sparking holiday travel concerns amid ongoing Democrat shutdown

Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

“We will be continuing to not only recognize employees across the country, but we will be looking at every single TSA official who helped serve during this government shutdown, and do what we can to recognize that and help them financially with a bonus check to get them and their family back on their feet,” Noem stated.

She also noted that the TSA will implement new security screening lanes for families with small children, as well as for veterans and active-duty military.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Monday, alleging that $1.34 million in taxpayer funds had been allocated “to radical leftist organizations that will use the money to oppose the lawful deportations of illegal aliens.”

The 17-page complaint claimed that county funds had been used to pay for legal representation for illegal aliens facing deportation proceedings.

‘So far, the county has spent over $8M with the ability to spend an additional $1.3M after the latest contract renewal.’

It stated that the Harris County Commissioners Court in mid-October approved allocating the funds to private nonprofits “for the stated purpose of providing ‘direct legal representation to immigrants in detention or facing the threat of deportation.'”

“We must stop the left-wing radicals who are robbing Texans to prevent illegals from being deported by the Trump administration,” Paxton said. “Beyond just being blatantly unconstitutional, this is evil and wicked. Millions upon millions of illegals invaded America during the last administration, and they must be sent back to where they came from.”

In late October, the commissioners court allegedly approved an additional $100,000 to create an “immigrant resource hotline” that connects foreign nationals with legal service providers.

Paxton’s complaint accused Harris County of “misusing public funds to subsidize private deportation defenses that advance no public purpose.”

RELATED: AG Paxton sues Texas school district for refusing to display Ten Commandments in classrooms

Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

“Harris County receives no return consideration or public benefit from these expenditures, and it exercises little or no control over how the recipient organizations select clients or perform legal work,” it added.

The lawsuit names the following defendants: Harris County, the commissioners court, County Judge Lina Hidalgo (D), County Administrator Jesse Dickerman, Harris County Housing & Community Development Executive Director Thao Costis, and Commissioners Rodney Ellis (D), Adrian Garcia (D), Tom Ramsey (R), and Lesley Briones (D).

The complaint claimed that Garcia previously made remarks that “illustrate that Harris County’s decision to fund deportation-defense services is driven by opposition to federal immigration enforcement rather than by any legitimate public purpose.”

The lawsuit referred to Garcia’s comments during a September 9 Special Commissioners Court, when he stated, “Would the court be able to make some request short of a demand that our county law enforcement not cooperate with ICE?”

Paxton requested temporary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent Harris County from providing taxpayer funds to the nonprofits, noting that the funds could not be recovered once disbursed, even if later determined to be unconstitutional.

RELATED: Thousands of possible illegal aliens found on Texas voter rolls, officials say

County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League

“I have opposed this initiative over the last five years,” Commissioner Ramsey told Blaze News. “So far, the county has spent over $8M with the ability to spend an additional $1.3M after the latest contract renewal. We should be spending these funds on infrastructure, the county jail, or other county statutory responsibilities.”

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee (D) called Paxton’s lawsuit “a cheap political stunt” in a statement provided to Blaze News.

“Harris County has funded this program for years because it’s the right thing to do. We’re helping people who live in our communities and who contribute every day to our local economy. That’s what good government looks like,” Menefee said. “At a time when the president has unleashed ICE agents to terrorize immigrant neighborhoods, deport U.S. citizens, and trample the law, it’s shameful that Republican state officials are joining in instead of standing up for Texans.”

“Let’s be clear: This program is perfectly legal, and it ensures that people in our communities have access to due process, something every American should support. Despite the narratives pushed by … [the] worst elements of the Republican Party, we know that immigrants in our communities obey the law, work hard, and strengthen our state,” Menefee continued. “My office will fight back and defend Harris County’s right to lead with fairness, compassion, and common sense, no matter how many times Republican state officials try to erase that.”

When reached for comment, Ellis’ office referred Blaze News to a statement published on Facebook.

Ellis called the lawsuit “cruel and frivolous.”

“Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own community,” Ellis wrote. “The attorney general’s reckless lawsuit flagrantly attacks civil rights and the very notion of community safety.”

“At a time when Donald Trump’s ICE raids are fueling anxiety and ripping apart families, we should be investing in trust, not fear,” the statement continued. “Instead of mounting yet another wasteful, unconstitutional taxpayer-funded campaign stunt, the attorney general should be supporting actions taken by Harris County to promote true public safety.”

Ellis vowed to continue fighting for his constituents’ “rights, health, safety, and dignity … regardless of immigration status.”

The Harris County Commissioners Court, Hidalgo, Garcia, Briones, Dickerman, and Costis did not respond to Blaze News’ comment request.

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Bishop Joseph Strickland, the cleric removed from his office in Tyler, Texas, in 2023 by the late Pope Francis, urged his colleagues gathered on Wednesday for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ plenary assembly to address the matter of a woke priest’s apparent willingness to run afoul of the church’s custom and to turn a hallowed Catholic ceremony into a non-straight spectacle.

Gio Benitez, a homosexual ABC News correspondent who is “married” to a man, apparently decided after Pope Francis’ passing last year to make his way back to the Catholic Church. Benitez, who was allegedly baptized in secret at the age of 15, was confirmed at St. Paul the Apostle’s Church in New York City on Nov. 8.

‘Here we are talking about doctrine.’

“My Confirmation Mass was a very small gathering of family and friends who have quietly been with me on this journey,” Benitez wrote on Instagram. “I found the Ark of the Covenant in my heart, stored there by the one who created me… exactly as I am.”

The ABC News correspondent also received holy communion from the church’s woke pastor, Rev. Eric Andrews, at the highly publicized mass where LGBT activist Fr. James Martin was a concelebrant and where Benitez’s “husband” served as his sponsor.

Blaze News reached out to Rev. Andrews for comment, but did not receive a response.

While the Catholic Church holds that homosexual acts are “acts of grave depravity,” “intrinsically disordered,” “contrary to the natural law,” and “can under no circumstances” be approved, the Catechism states that homosexual persons must nevertheless “be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.”

RELATED: New head of US Catholic Bishops said he would deny communion to pro-abortion politicians

Bishop Joseph Strickland. Photo by Craig F. Walker/Boston Globe via Getty Images

The church has also made clear that Catholics with same-sex attraction who are chaste can “participate fully in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Catholic faith community.”

However, those who regularly engage in sexual activity or are partners in a committed homosexual relationship that includes regular sexual relations are not to receive holy communion or serve in public ministries.

“Receiving the sacrament is the ultimate expression of our Catholic faith, an intensely personal matter between communicant and priest,” wrote the late and posthumously exonerated Cardinal George Pell. “It’s not a question of refusing homosexuals or someone who is homosexually oriented. The rule is basically the same for everyone.”

“If a person is actually engaged in — by public admission, at any given time — a practice contrary to Church teaching in a serious matter, then that person is not entitled to receive Holy Communion,” continued Pell. “This would apply, for example, to a married person openly living in adultery. Similarly, persons who openly declare themselves active homosexuals take a position which makes it impossible for them to receive Holy Communion.”

During a USCCB discussion of doctrine on Wednesday, Bishop Strickland raised the matter of Benitez’s highly publicized reception of holy communion while flanked by his “husband.”

“I don’t know how many of us have seen on the social media priests and others gathered, celebrating the confirmation of a man living with a man openly,” said Strickland. “It just needs to be addressed. Father James Martin once again involved. Great pictures of all of them smiling.”

Bishop Strickland and Martin have traded barbs over the years, largely around Martin’s subversive LGBT activism and apparent efforts to liberalize the Catholic Church’s stance on such matters.

Martin — who shared an article titled “Gio Benitez, Openly Gay ABC Anchor, Joins the Catholic Church” on social media this week with the caption “Happy to be a part of your journey!” — has made no secret of his activism. For instance, he took issue with the Supreme Court’s June 2025 decision to let parents opt their children out of lessons featuring LGBT propaganda and insinuated that homosexual persons aren’t really bound by church teaching.

“Here we are talking about doctrine,” continued Strickland. “I just thought I need to raise that issue. I know it’s not part of any agenda, but this body gathered, we need to address it.”

The panel, focused on updated ethical and religious directives for Catholic health care services, did not take up Strickland’s concern.

The Catholic Herald noted that Strickland’s tenure as bishop of Tyler was “marked by a reputation for directness, a strong emphasis on Eucharistic devotion, and a willingness to challenge trends in the wider Church that he believed risked undermining the clarity of Catholic teaching.”

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