Footage shows male senior swiftly strike ball in attempt to make goal, inadvertently hitting female player directly in mouth. A female high school lacrosse player [more…]
Category: blaze media
Liz Wheeler floats a Trump plan to force election reform in California
Conservatives need to stop treating California’s election system as untouchable — and BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler knows how, saying, “We don’t have to accept the rigged system, the rigged election system in California, just because it’s California.”
“The federal government has multiple things that can be done to ensure the integrity of California elections,” she adds.
“If we do not do something to secure the integrity of our elections, then we aren’t the constitutional republic that we have been,” she says, noting that despite this fear, she’s “not blackpilled.”
“The radical left has defeated us in many ways, but they have not totally defeated us. And we, the right, have finally recognized, we’ve finally acknowledged the reality of this political enemy that we face. And that is the fundamental thing necessary in order to construct our defense to defeat them,” she explains.
While Wheeler notes that the leftist majority isn’t going to change in California, there’s still hope for change.
“There are mechanisms that can be used by the federal government to entice, incentivize, or essentially coerce states into doing certain things if that state is also receiving federal money,” she continues.
Wheeler points to drinking age laws as an example.
“The federal government, the United States Congress, the House and the Senate, and then the president, the executive branch, also have authority under the General Welfare Clause,” she explains.
“The Reagan administration did not exceed their authority because they ruled that this specific provision, this 21-year-old drinking age, was related to highway safety,” she continues, noting that this law was pushed through “negative reinforcement.”
“There’s also a precedent of positive reinforcement regarding car seats, children’s car seats and booster seats. And you can think that car seat laws are too restrictive or not. That’s kind of the morality of the thing is not even the point that I’m making,” she says.
“There’s precedent on the books of the federal government being able to influence state laws simply by offering positive or negative reinforcement when it comes to the funding that states so readily accept and depend on from the federal government,” she continues.
“So what I would propose to you today,” she adds, “is why doesn’t President Trump do this?”
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Conservatives, Liz wheeler, California, Donald trump, Election laws, Gavin newsom, Spencer pratt, Nithya raman, Karen bass, The liz wheeler show
‘Blue wave’ expected for midterms looks more like a tiny ripple, says CNN’s Harry Enten
While Democrats are hoping for a “blue wave” to hit Election Day and hand over control of Congress, CNN’s political analyst is tossing cold water on those expectations.
Harry Enten showed how the polling ahead of the election shows Democrats are not performing as well as they were in previous midterm elections against a Republican president.
‘It is no guarantee; it is far from a guarantee at this point if you believe these pollsters.’
Democrats are up by five percentage points in generic congressional polling from NBC News, but at the same point of the 2006 midterms, Democrats were ahead by 11 points in polling, and in 2018, they were ahead 10 points.
“And now the Democratic lead is on a single hand,” Enten said.
“Democrats are ahead, but don’t count your chickens just quite yet.”
He showed other signs that the blue wave is receding from the shoreline.
“So this is not just one poll in which we are seeing this. There is this group of pollsters that are out there that are just not showing the wave you might expect given where the president’s approval rating is,” he explained.
In three separate polls shared by Enten, Democrats failed to increase support from January and February as compared to the results from the same polling four months later. The NBC poll showed them losing 1% of support, Marquette Law School showed them losing 3%, and the Ipsos poll had them even.
Enten went on to point out that redistricting in Republican-controlled states has further eroded Democrats’ edge.
“We really think that Democrats need between three- and four-point advantage in the national polls. You average those polls together … it’s right on the border there. It’s right on the border. It is no guarantee; it is far from a guarantee at this point if you believe these pollsters.”
RELATED: ‘Historic’ loss for John Cornyn shows that the Bush era of the GOP is ‘DEAD,’ Enten says
Democrats have about a 78% chance to win the House of Representatives, according to prediction markets shared by Enten, but Republicans have a 57% chance of maintaining control of the Senate.
On Monday, Enten posted video of the segment to his social media account, where it garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
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Blue wave, Harry enten, Midterm elections, Prediction markets, Politics
Liberals are trying to CANCEL funnyman Nate Bargatze for what he did on Sunday
Many on the left are furious with popular comedian Nate Bargatze for what he did on Sunday.
Like thousands of others, Bargatze attended the UFC event at the White House, where he snapped a photo with Robert Kennedy Jr., the head of the Health and Human Services Department, and Kennedy’s wife, Cheryl Hines, at the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
‘I used to think that MAGANate pretended to be an idiot for his act. Apparently he’s not pretending.’
The event angered many on the left who accused President Donald Trump of not respecting the sanctity of the White House, as well as the National Mall. The event, which coincided with Trump’s birthday, included several UFC fights, a military flyover, and a bald eagle.
A spokesperson for Bargatze released a statement about his attendance at the event.
“Nate is family-friendly entertainment first,” the representative said in an email to HuffPost. “He is not political, nor is anything he produces. He is also a huge UFC fan and has been since before it became political.”
Many on the left were outraged and expressed their fury on social media.
“MAGANate Bargatze. I used to enjoy Chick-fil-A, and then I learned that the owners are bigots and I haven’t eaten there in 25 years,” responded failed Democrat congressional candidate Moe Davis. “I used to enjoy @natebargatze, but then I learned that he thinks fascism is funny. I miss Chick-fil-A every now and then.”
He added, “I used to think that MAGANate pretended to be an idiot for his act. Apparently he’s not pretending.”
“I could never figure out how to properly pronounce Bargatze’s last name. He mentioned not being sure himself. Today, I know. It rhymes with Nazi,” replied another X user.
“I loved that guy, and I generally don’t do boycotts, but I’m done with him. It’s 2026. If you don’t know who the Nazis are yet, I don’t need to hear any more from you,” responded political columnist Seth Abramson.
“Of course Nate Bargatze likes Trump. He’s rich white trash,” said another user.
Others were somewhat less civil.
“F**k NATE BARGATZE!!!! Godd**ned MAGA motherf**ker,” replied one critic.
RELATED: Robert De Niro rambles about hating America during bizarre counterprogram to WH UFC
Trump has announced that he will be leading a massive Trump rally after the 250th celebration concert for the Fourth of July after several singers dropped out of performing.
Bargatze is currently the highest-grossing comedian in the world, has already branched out into starring in his first feature movie, and is developing a multimillion-dollar family theme park that will be named “NateLand.”
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Nate bargatze, Liberal outrage, Online outrage, Politics, White house, Ufc
Sisters accused in stabbing of Detroit restaurant worker — over wrong food order
Two sisters are accused in connection with the stabbing of a Detroit restaurant worker over a wrong food order — and one of the sisters reportedly was nine months pregnant at time of the incident.
Brianna and Kierianna Long were charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, and assault with a dangerous weapon after the incident on the city’s east side, WDIV-TV reported.
‘I’m going to kill you.’
Police told WDIV the stabbing occurred in the 17100 block of East Warren Avenue just after 6 p.m. May 30. WDIV did not name the restaurant; Metro Detroit News said it was a chicken restaurant.
Brianna Long is 29, and Kierianna Long is 26, Metro Detroit News said, citing court records, adding that the restaurant worker is 23.
Prosecutors allege that after the sisters received a wrong food order from the worker, they argued with the worker, went behind the counter, and began assaulting the worker, WDIV said.
Brianna Long and Kierianna Long allegedly chased the worker and threw items at the worker inside the restaurant, the station said. Metro Detroit News said the items included pots and pans.
WDIV said the worker threw things back at the sisters, and prosecutors indicated the sisters picked up a knife thrown at them and used the knife to stab the worker in the stomach.
More from the station:
Prosecutors also said hot grease was attempted to be thrown at the worker, and one of the sisters allegedly told the worker, “I’m going to kill you,” during the alleged assault.
The worker was taken to a local hospital and had to undergo surgery, officials said.
The sisters allegedly drove away from the scene but were later taken into custody, WDIV said.
Image source: Detroit Police Department
Brianna Long was nine months pregnant at the time of the alleged stabbing, the station said, adding that she gave birth four days before her arraignment.
During the arraignment, Brianna Long’s defense attorney claimed the worker told the sisters that she didn’t “give a f**k” about the wrong food order and threw things at Brianna and her sister first, WDIV reported.
Brianna Long also pleaded with the judge during the arraignment, saying she was innocent and that she had a four-day-old baby at home, the station added.
The judge expressed concern that a food order error led to an alleged violent assault, WDIV reported, adding that the judge as a result set the sisters’ bonds high.
Prosecutors said Kierianna Long is accused of stabbing the employee, while Brianna Long is accused of taking part in the assault and helping drive away from the scene, Metro Detroit News reported.
Brianna Long was given a $25,000 cash bond, the station said, adding that Kierianna Long was given a $100,000 cash bond.
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Physical attack, Detroit police, Sisters arrested, Wrong food order, Restaurant, Pregnant, Stabbing, Crime
New York women flock to convents — for the cheap rent: ‘Nuns are awesome’
Amid sky-high prices for just a single room in New York City, living among nuns is becoming increasingly popular.
Average rent prices in the city have already jumped by almost $150 in 2026, sitting at just under $3,700 per month for June.
‘It was the cheapest place I found in Manhattan.’
Rent could get as high as $4,000 by the end of August, trends on Zillow show, a long way from where studio apartments or even two-bedrooms were in 2021: $2,000 and $2,600, respectively.
Get thee to a nunnery
In the face of these prices, New Yorkers are reportedly filling up residences run by nuns, who offer cheaper prices but require tenants to adhere to a stricter set of rules — a polar opposite of New York City free-for-alls Americans saw during the NBA Finals, for example.
The Wall Street Journal reported on five different nunneries in New York that offer housing at a third of the price, or less, of the average NYC apartment. St. Agnes Residence on the Upper West Side starts at about $950; Centro Maria in the Bronx charges about $800; and St. Mary’s Residence on E 72nd St. is around $1,200 per month.
One former renter at Sacred Heart Residence in Chelsea, named Katie, paid $1,650 for her spot.
“Nuns are awesome,” Katie told the outlet. “They be chilling.”
Hannah remarked that the Menno House, a 10-person residence in Gramercy Park, had its smallest room listed for $580/month.
“It was the cheapest place I found in Manhattan,” she said.
Cheap rent is not all the nuns are offering, either.
RELATED: ‘One nation under God’: Christians to march through DC as part of 2,000-mile Eucharistic procession
– YouTube
Daily habits
At Centro Maria, five nuns live with 21 residents in a four-story building. The benefits of this show up in the form of a daily morning breakfast for the residents cooked by the nuns, including pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, and more.
The nuns not only clean the building, they host parties for residents to intermingle and even have karaoke in the dining room.
There are rules, of course, offering some stability to residents in the crazy city. Some had a reported curfew of 11 p.m. or midnight, while women’s residences bar male visitors from bedrooms, as well as alcohol.
“I love living with the girls. They keep me young,” said a Sister Rita. But as loving as the nuns can be, they are also strict, and they’re not hiding it.
RELATED: Washington Nationals under fire after anti-Christian public relations disaster EXPOSED (UPDATE)
Eric Thayer-Pool/Getty Images
Sister smackdown
One convent has a display board in the lobby that lists who is home and who is out; the nuns say they lie awake until everyone is home.
“I don’t go to bed if I don’t know where someone is,” Sister Maria says. If a girl is late for her curfew — which she has likely informed her nuns of ahead of time, possibly out of fear — Sister Maria lies down and waits. The nun said she typically thinks, “I’m gonna kill her tomorrow,” and then gets up when the door opens.
Sister Maria also conducts surprise room inspections twice per month.
“You don’t know the date, but I’ll be there,” she reportedly said with a smile.
As for Sister Rita, who loves her girls, she said that she vets any boyfriends who are brought to the building and tells the girls to their faces if she doesn’t like them.
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Religion, Nuns, New york city, Rent, News, Lifestyle
HOT STOCK: SpaceX IPO is making even its welders rich
A welder named Juan Hernandez joined SpaceX in 2015 at $28 an hour. He took stock instead of a fatter paycheck. The day the company was listed, those shares were worth about $880,000.
He has company. More than 4,000 current and former SpaceX employees became millionaires when the company began trading on the Nasdaq at $135 a share. The valuation hit $1.77 trillion, the seventh-largest public company and ahead of Tesla. It was the biggest IPO ever recorded. About 400 of those workers now hold stakes above $100 million, and some of them ladle soup in the cafeteria.
The teenager weighing a coding boot camp against welding school should study the leaderboard in Brownsville.
Learn to weld
That last part flips the usual script. Rank-and-file employees have struck gold in stock debuts before, but most often they were the ones writing code or creating marketing decks
This time it’s very different.
SpaceX handed equity down to welders, machinists, and line workers at Starbase, many of whom took below-market pay for shares. The bet looked reckless a decade ago, back when SpaceX still lost rockets on the launchpad. Today, the only thing still exploding is their net worth.
The setting makes it stranger. Brownsville sits near the bottom of every income chart in Texas, and SpaceX put more than 3,000 jobs there. Home prices in Cameron County have more than doubled since the rockets arrived, climbing from around $131,000 in 2014 to over $281,000.
Critics call that unaffordable, but the complaint misses who is doing the buying. The new money was earned in the county, by people who lived there before SpaceX showed up. When a poor town’s home values double on the back of local paychecks, the residents hold the deeds. Rising prices turn dangerous when wages sit still. Brownsville got richer faster than it got expensive.
Deskbound
Now for the mandatory dread about machines coming for our jobs and, in the more ominous forecasts, our throats. But now automation is a white-collar problem. AI can draft a deal sheet or pass the bar exam. What it can’t do is snake a wire past a joist or seal a fuel tank that holds at cryogenic temperatures without splitting. The jobs vanishing first are the ones done sitting down. Paralegals should sweat. Plumbers can light up a cigarette and relax.
In April, a humanoid robot built by the phone maker Honor finished a Beijing half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, quicker than any human has run the distance. A year before that, at the first such race, one machine toppled at the start and another walked into a barrier, and every robot needed a human handler jogging beside it like a parent at a toddler’s first steps. Ask one of those to fish a cable through a finished wall and find the live wire before something ignites. Fine motor control and sound judgment still belong to people. The robots can run, but keep them away from your breaker box.
So the trades have an opening, and it widens if manufacturing returns. A factory needs hands long before it needs a wellness coordinator. The teenager weighing a coding boot camp against welding school should study the leaderboard in Brownsville.
RELATED: The first trillionaire: SpaceX goes public — and it’s not just Elon Musk who’s striking it rich
Marvin Joseph/Washington Post/Getty Images
Elon earned it
Then there is Musk. The IPO makes him a trillionaire, the richest man alive. Bernie Sanders, the millionaire who wrote a best-seller about the immorality of millionaires, calls the number obscene. Paul Krugman blames a “rigged system.”
None of this started with the IPO. Attacking Musk has been a fixture on the left for years, somewhere between a hobby and a second income. The trillion-dollar number raised the stakes. The objections write themselves and skip the question worth asking first. How did he get there?
Plenty of fortunes start with a dead grandparent and end in an offshore account. But this one came from hardware that lands itself and flies again. Musk bet on factories and launchpads while easy money chased apps. He keeps hours that would bury most executives. He sleeps on factory floors when a launch date slips, a habit his critics conveniently ignore.
And he paid everyday Americans in stock when cash would have cost him less, allowing them to win as well.
Before wheeling out the guillotine and inviting Mark Cuban to drop the blade, separate the fortunes built on extraction from the ones built on output. Musk is a visionary, a builder of truly great things. He made the rocket cheaper and the cook richer. Capitalism has never looked so hard to hate.
Bernie sanders, Brownsville, Elon musk, Equity, Factory, Jobs, Mark cuban, Spacex, Welder, Juan hernandez, Blue collar, Trades, Hooray for capitalism
‘Insanity’: Jason Whitlock blasts doctor who wrote an article condemning Austin Metcalf’s dad as the villain
As reactions to Karmelo Anthony’s murder conviction continue to flood social media, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock says the most shocking behavior isn’t happening in the form of riots — it’s happening on the internet.
“There has been a different form of rioting that I did not predict or see coming. … People are rioting and looting their brains online. People are saying crazy things in defense of Karmelo Anthony,” Whitlock says.
“They’re saying really ridiculous things defending Karmelo Anthony because they’re defending this demonic culture that black people have adopted — black people have been baited into. And now, in order to defend our racial idolatry, we have to defend some of the dumbest, most repulsive behavior on the planet,” he says, before pulling up an article one woman wrote that represents this “repulsive behavior.”
The article, by Dr. Stacey Patton, is called “Dear Jeff Metcalf: Your Son Is Dead Because You Failed to Teach Him That Black Boys Have Boundaries.”
Whitlock calls the article “insanity.”
“A lot of these things that we’re seeing are black women making the most ridiculous arguments in the history of the planet justifying the murder,” he says, before showing another example.
“Here’s two black women sitting around talking about the lies that black people should tell to get on those juries so that we can free Karmelo Anthony,” he says.
“If they say, ‘Can you be fair?’ Don’t say, ‘No, I’m not going to put a black man in jail.’ Don’t say that, OK? ‘Cause if that’s what you gonna say, you could have stayed home. You have to go and be like, ‘No, I will hear the evidence. I can be fair.’ Don’t say, ‘I hate white people and I don’t care what he did.’ Don’t do that,” one woman said on the “Gin and Juice Podcast.”
“That’s what people were doing in this case, OK? And then everybody’s like in an uproar because there’s no black people on the jury when damn near half of the black people who could have been on the jury canceled themselves out, you know?” she continued.
“‘Hey, go be dishonest. Go help a kid that murdered someone get away with murder,’” Whitlock mocks, explaining that women like this are a “force for nihilism and wickedness and deception.”
“They’re doing this out in front of everybody. This isn’t a private conversation. They’re unrepentant about their wickedness. And that’s the culture that they’ve created. And that’s why their kids, boys and girls, are unrepentant about their wickedness,” he adds.
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Jason whitlock, Karmelo anthony, Austin metcalf, Gin and juice, Jason whitlock harmony
‘Devastating’ skydiving outing leaves 12 dead
A dozen people have been pronounced dead after a skydiving plane crashed shortly after taking off on Sunday.
The plane, a Pacific Aerospace P750, ascended from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri, before stalling just moments later and crashing in an adjacent field near Interstate Business 49 around 11:30 a.m. Central Time. All 11 passengers and the sole pilot on board were pronounced dead.
‘Key to this investigation is going to be looking at the mechanical condition of the airplane itself, the engine.’
It is not currently known what caused the crash. Dennis Jacobs, airport manager of the Bates County Emergency Management Agency, suspects that power issues are to blame for the plane’s troubles.
“It had just taken off and made a left turn. In my opinion, I think it was losing power, and he was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose first and caught fire,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs denies that weather played any role in the crash, describing the day as “beautiful” up until the tragedy.
Bailey Reed, who witnessed the crash, told CBS News that the plane was “completely perpendicular with the wings to the sky, to the ground, going fast. And then they just hit the ground.”
Reed added, “They didn’t have time to jump.”
The aircraft was reportedly only 100 feet in the air when it began to show signs of failure. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that they were “not providing air traffic control services” at the time of the crash.
Family members of the victims were present and witnessed the tragedy unfold before their eyes, according to Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson.
“Our hearts go out to them. There’s nothing we really can say to make it better. We just pray for them and their loved ones and their friends and their family and hope that they can recover to some sense of normalcy,” Anderson said during a press conference.
Skydive Kansas City, the company that organized the jump, released a statement in the aftermath of the crash: “This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community. Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost.”
The company added, “At this time, the focus of the management and ownership team is to assist investigators and to support the staff and the broader skydiving community. The entire team is in shock, and the community is close-knit.”
Officials from the NTSB and FAA are on the scene in Butler to begin their investigation into the incident.
“Key to this investigation is going to be looking at the mechanical condition of the airplane itself, the engine,” Robert Sumwalt, the former chair of the NTSB, said.
Butler is a small town of just over 4,000 residents located about 65 miles south of Kansas City.
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Federal aviation administration, Politics, Missouri, Skydiving
Exclusive: ICE arrests illegal aliens convicted of child sex crime, forcible sexual assault, and drug trafficking
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested several illegal aliens this week who were previously convicted of sex and drug crimes, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.
The DHS said the operation is part of its ongoing campaign to remove “criminal illegal alien pedophiles, sexual deviants, drug dealers, and other violent criminals” from American communities.
‘We will never stop removing heinous criminals from our nation and making America safe again.’
“It’s common sense: Americans don’t want criminals in their communities,” DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated.
ICE agents arrested Ever De Leon-Gurrola, an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously convicted of indecency with a child by exposure and aggravated kidnapping in Hidalgo County, Texas.
Ever De Leon-Gurrola. Image source: Department of Homeland Security
Zahia Eimadeldin Musa Ali, an illegal immigrant from Sudan, now sits in ICE custody after convictions for sexual penetration with force, five counts of battery of a spouse, possession of unlawful paraphernalia, flash incarceration, and obstructing a police officer in Sacramento, California.
RELATED: SCOTUS to review Obama judges’ decision about criminal noncitizens’ alleged rights
Zahia Eimadeldin Musa Ali. Image source: Department of Homeland Security
ICE detained Juan Fernando Guarniz-Manrique, an illegal alien from Peru with prior convictions for third-degree sexual assault and second-degree assault with intent to injure by drug or substance in New Britain, Connecticut.
Juan Fernando Guarniz-Manrique. Image source: Department of Homeland Security
Fernando Morales, an illegal alien from Mexico, was apprehended by ICE agents. He was previously convicted of felony manufacturing, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance in Kansas City, Kansas.
Fernando Morales. Image source: Department of Homeland Security
Joining the list of detainees is Sergio Herrera-Guzman, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was convicted of making terroristic threats to commit imminent death in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Sergio Herrera-Guzman. Image source: Department of Homeland Security
“Under President Trump and [DHS Secretary Markwayne] Mullin, we will never stop removing heinous criminals from our nation and making America safe again,” Bis said.
The DHS encourages Americans to visit wow.dhs.gov to view additional criminal illegal aliens the agency says it has removed from communities nationwide.
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Child sex crimes, Criminal illegal alien, Department of homeland security, Drug trafficking, Illegal aliens, Immigration, Pedophiles, Politics
Inside the UK’s under-16 social media ban: AI girlfriends, Bluesky, and a few open questions
Alongside the fact that the British government is now apparently in the business of regulating AI girlfriends, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer just announced a sweeping ban on social media for anyone under 16 in the U.K.
Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X are the platforms named so far in the U.K. government’s official announcement. Modeled on Australia’s ban, the list may not be final.
‘Is this simply overt political censorship?’
Restrictions will also be enforced on gaming sites, including blocks on livestreaming and stranger communication with children under 16.
Starmer previously said he was personally opposed to a “blanket ban,” but according to GB News, a government consultation closed in May with nearly 120,000 responses and over 90% of parents backing a ban.
The U.K. government also preloaded the announcement with a spending pledge.
A £132.5 million “Every Child Can” program was unveiled to fund “enriching activities” in sports, art, and nature — framed as alternatives to doomscrolling.
RELATED: New York schools banned smartphones a year ago — and it seems to be a smart idea
Isabel Infantes/POOL/AFP/Getty Images
But nobody can say for sure whether Bluesky, the left-leaning alternative to X, is even covered by the ban. GB News says it “looks set to escape a ban” entirely, but according to LBC, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told a radio host on Monday, “In Australia, Bluesky is included in the ban, and we plan to use their model.”
Reem Ibrahim of the Reason Foundation suggested the ban could be a form of “political censorship”: “The UK is banning under-16s from social media, under the guise of ‘protecting kids’, but it will not include Bluesky. Is this simply overt political censorship?”
The U.K. government’s definition is broad enough to cover almost any app “whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material” and therefore could include sites like Reddit, Pinterest, and Tumblr.
And buried in the same announcement is a ban on under-18s using “romantic companion chatbots,” with all AI chatbots required to dial back “intimate functionalities” for minors.
Washington isn’t thrilled either. In its formal response, the U.S. Embassy in London said it preferred “narrowly targeted requirements” over “broad social media bans,” adding that “most content should remain accessible by default, including political speech.”
Making any of this stick will likely require platforms to confirm who is underage, though the government has not said how that will work yet.
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Age verification, Bluesky, Digital id, Livestreaming, Minors, Parents, Social media, Us embassy, Washington, Politics
Bill Gates ‘voluntarily’ explains his Epstein ties to Congress
Bill Gates knew Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender. He met with him anyway — for years. On Wednesday, he had to explain that to Congress.
The 70-year-old Microsoft co-founder appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for a closed-door, transcribed interview. The session lasted nearly six hours.
‘I guess if you’re a big deal, you can do more than the rest of us.’
On his way in, Gates told reporters he was “glad to be here voluntarily.” He retained Jake Greenberg, who until December was the Oversight Committee’s chief investigations counsel. Mid-session, Greenberg reportedly said Gates would not answer questions about his affairs unless directly tied to Epstein.
The paper trail complicates the “voluntary” part.
In February, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) formally asked Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) to subpoena Gates and compel him to testify under oath.
Comer sent Gates a formal written request in March stating the committee believed he had “information that will assist in its investigation.” Before the session on Wednesday, Comer told reporters, “No one’s accusing Bill Gates of any wrongdoing.”
RELATED: Nancy Mace crashes and burns in South Carolina governor primary
Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg/Getty Images
In his prepared opening statement, Gates expressed regret but denied having extensive knowledge about Epstein’s criminal behavior.
“I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed,” he admitted. “I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have.”
He also denied ever visiting Epstein’s island, ranch, or Florida home.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor and served jail time as a registered sex offender. Gates claimed he began meeting with Epstein in 2011 over a pitch to unlock billions in global health donations.
By December 2014, Gates said he had cut off contact, concluding Epstein “would never deliver on his promises.”
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said she directly asked Gates why he continued to associate with a registered sex offender. Gates told her that “getting billions of dollars for global health was worth it,” she said.
After Gates allegedly cut ties in 2014, a departing employee engaged Epstein to negotiate the “separation” — Epstein, Gates claimed, used that channel to learn of his infidelities and pressure him to re-engage.
RELATED: Thomas Massie’s viral Epstein poll reveals stunning top belief: He lives
Kent NISHIMURA/AFP/Getty Images
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) called the questioning “intense” but said Gates was “well coached” and that he didn’t expect much new information to surface.
Burchett also broke with GOP leadership over the closed-door format: “I’m big about transparency. … Let it be wide open.” He added, “I guess if you’re a big deal, you can do more than the rest of us.”
Gates closed his opening statement to Congress with a conditional apology: “If the time I spent with Epstein lent him any credibility, I am deeply sorry.”
He left without answering a single question from reporters.
Democrats have repeatedly called for Trump to testify — a push Republicans have so far blocked. But the White House may not be able to stay out of it much longer.
Per Stansbury, Republicans have agreed to call acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — Trump’s former lawyer — to testify about White House Epstein strategy sessions.
Comer also announced plans for a transcribed interview with Alan Dershowitz, who negotiated Epstein’s 2008 plea deal.
A full transcript is expected in the coming days.
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SPLC director allegedly used donor cash to fund secret romance with neo-Nazi informant: Indictment
Heidi Beirich was a director at the Southern Poverty Law Center. A man identified as “F-9” was allegedly a neo-Nazi informant. And according to a damning new report building off the Justice Department’s latest indictment against the SPLC, the two allegedly fell in love under the most unlikely circumstances.
Indictments
In April, the Justice Department announced that a grand jury in Alabama returned an indictment charging the SPLC — a liberal outfit whose bread and butter is smearing law-abiding conservatives as “extremists” — with 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.
‘I knew it was that fat, ugly hog.’
The organization is accused of secretly dumping several million dollars in donated funds to individuals linked to various extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and National Socialist Party of America — groups the SPLC was supposedly fighting against.
The DOJ expanded its case against the SPLC this month, filing a superseding indictment on June 2 that alleged, among other things, that the “SPLC secretly funneled approximately $4.1 million dollars in tax-exempt donor funds to a series of fictitious accounts” — such as for the fake Tech Writers group — that in turn paid so-called field sources “who were either leading or affiliated with multiple violent extremist organizations.”
The field sources allegedly used SPLC donor money for various activities, including:
Attending and hosting extremist group rallies across the country; Growing existing chapters of extremist groups;Creating new chapters of extremist groups;Making donations to extremist group leaders;Purchasing materials for cross burnings as well as for Ku Klux Klan robes and hoods;Creating racist paraphernalia that extremist groups sold at rallies; andPublishing extremist literature for recruitment purposes.
RELATED: Klansman allegedly on SPLC payroll was ‘true believer’ white supremacist, not reformed infiltrator
Heidi Beirich. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
SPLC CEO Bryan Fair, whose smear- and fear-mongering racket has denied the allegations of wrongdoing, claimed that the field sources were “paid confidential informants” tasked with gathering “credible intelligence on extremely violent groups.” He said the SPLC no longer works with such informants.
F-9 finds love
The superseding indictment alleges that in one case, at the SPLC’s direction, a field source referred to only as “F-9” “infiltrated” a neo-Nazi group called the National Alliance.
While reportedly funded over a 20-year period, F-9 allegedly received over $1.2 million in SPLC donors’ money just between 2010 and 2023. While receiving SPLC donor funds, F-9 allegedly fundraised for the National Alliance and helped it “carry out its extremist activities.”
Although a proven asset to the neo-Nazi group, F-9 apparently gave the SPLC some return on their investment.
According to the allegations, in 2014, he broke into the National Alliance’s headquarters in West Virginia; stole 25 boxes of documents; transported those documents across state lines; and, with the knowledge of an SPLC employee and the help of SPLC funding, copied those documents before breaking back into the National Alliance headquarters to return the originals.
The New York Post identified the SPLC employee involved in this alleged plot as the former director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project, Heidi Beirich.
Beirich, an anti-Trump liberal who now serves as the chief strategy officer at the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.
The SPLC employee identified as Beirich allegedly used around $6,000 in donor money to pay a different field source — a man the Post identified as Randolph Dilloway, an accountant whom the neo-Nazi group hired to conduct a forensic audit — to falsely take the fall for the burglary.
The indictment alleged further that the stolen documents served as the basis for an SPLC “Hatewatch” story, which was used to solicit more donations.
Beirich penned the lengthy March 2015 “Hatewatch” article titled “Chaos at the Compound,” where she discussed drama and mismanagement behind the scenes at the National Alliance, making extensive use of internal documents that she claimed Dilloway had copied and provided to the SPLC.
RELATED: SPLC indictment BOMBSHELL: Charlottesville violence allegedly was a leftist-funded ‘false flag’
MIKE THEILER/AFP/Getty Images
Beirich allegedly leaned on her field source for more than information.
Not only was the SPLC employee identified by the Post as Beirich overseeing payments of donor money to F-9, but she was also allegedly in a romantic relationship with him, according to the superseding indictment.
“During this relationship, Employee-2 and F-9 shared a house and two bank accounts,” the indictment said. “Between 2015 and 2021, approximately $140,000.00 in donors’ money flowed from the SPLC operating account, through the Tech Writers account, and was ultimately deposited into the joint bank accounts held by F-9 and Employee-2. This amounted to approximately 66% of all money ever deposited into their joint bank accounts.”
The indictment further alleged that the employee identified as Beirich “then used donors’ money to pay the couple’s personal living expenses.”
Property records reviewed by the New York Post revealed that during the period covered by the indictment, Beirich owned a vacation home in Ellijay, Georgia, in addition to her Montgomery, Alabama, residence.
After over 20 years with the SPLC, Beirich left the organization in December 2019 — around which time she was reportedly earning $190,000 in salary and benefits.
The SPLC and National Alliance did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
William White Williams, National Alliance’s 78-year-old chairman, told the Post, “I knew it was that fat, ugly hog Heidi Beirich.”
In addition to confirming that the details of the indictment comport with what happened to his organization and expressing uncertainty about the identity of F-9, Williams said, “I think some of those cluckers wanted to get out of the movement, and they went to the SPLC for help. But instead of helping them, [the SPLC] said, ‘Why don’t you stay in and get paid?'”
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Glenn Beck presses JD Vance on Iran deal: ‘No support for proxies, end of the missile program, AND no nukes?’
The United States and Iran announced a preliminary framework agreement intended to end the recent war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and lift the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. The agreement reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire period for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. A formal signing ceremony is scheduled for June 19 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Critics and analysts across the political spectrum, however, have expressed skepticism because many key provisions remain undisclosed. Israeli officials and other observers have raised concerns that unresolved issues — including Iran’s regional proxy networks and the specifics of future nuclear restrictions — have been left for later negotiations.
To get clarity on these matters, Glenn Beck spoke with none other than Vice President JD Vance.
Glenn begins with several frank questions: “How do you negotiate with an apocalyptic, end-times-twelver regime, and what makes you confident that we can, as the president has said on the outset, get no support for proxies, end of the missile program, and no nukes? Do we have those, and how do you lock them in with — to be honest — crazy people that think they’re living in the end times?”
“One of the most important lessons that [Trump] has given me in international negotiation or anything is you don’t trust anybody,” says Vance.
“I don’t trust the words; I don’t trust the commitments, though they have committed to stop funding terrorism and to stop building or buying a nuclear weapon. Those commitments are there, but I trust people’s actions,” he adds.
This philosophy, he claims, underpins the entire peace deal.
“The way that we set up that deal, given the president’s directives, is if they perform the things that they say they’re going to perform, then they get a lot of relief, and if they don’t perform any of those things, then they get nothing,” says Vance, claiming that regardless of how Iran reacts, the United States is still in “a great position.”
“We got the Strait of Hormuz open; oil is now down below $80 today. We have their military still destroyed, their defense industrial base still destroyed, their nuclear program still destroyed,” he declares.
If Iran “[behaves] like a normal country,” the United States will treat it “like a normal country,” he adds, and if it doesn’t, Iran will suffer while the U.S. remains strong.
“The United States still has all the cards, and there’s no skin off our back for entering into this negotiation,” says Vance.
Glenn reiterates his initial question: “And no support for proxies, end of the missile program, and no nukes for sure?”
“Correct, Glenn, and if they don’t do that, they don’t get any of the benefits of the bargain,” Vance confirms.
But as a Christian, Glenn can’t help but wonder about the fate of the Iranian people.
“It is hard to watch a regime slaughter its own people who are — just to use an American term — ‘yearning to breathe free.’ We hoped that we would be able to have, you know, a free people in Iran by the end of this. It doesn’t look like that is part of the plan at all. Can that be done without … regime change?” he asks.
“We’ve given the Iranian people an opportunity here. [Iran’s] military is substantially weaker. I mean it’s effectively gone. … If the Iranian people want to rise up and make, you know, their own country or make their own political future, then obviously the president of the United States would be happy to deal with whatever new government they produce, but we’re not going to force that on anybody,” Vance explains.
“We will empower people on the ground who yearn to breathe free, but we’re not going to force them to … elect their own government. What we’re going to do is pursue our best interests,” he continues.
The U.S., Vance says, entered this war with Iran with clear goals: to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to allow it a “conventional military” that could not “threaten its allies in the region.”
“And that’s what we got,” he states.
To hear more, watch the full interview above.
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The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Jd vance, Iran peace deal, Donald trump, Iran
MLB sends subtle threat to SF Giants pitchers over Pride Night biblical protest: ‘We have warned the players’
Three San Francisco Giants pitchers have received a league warning about their failure to comply with the team’s Pride Night celebration, Major League Baseball stated.
Specifically, Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker are being threatened with league discipline.
‘That’s just kind of something I believe in.’
On Friday, starting pitcher Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wore the rainbow Pride caps on Pride Night but wrote a Bible verse on them. The Pride Night hats featured a rainbow version of the Giants’ logo that included colors that represent transgenderism.
In a statement to the Athletic, the league said, “The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations.”
Roupp was asked about his silent protest after the game and said, “It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that He makes to us that, you know, His faithfulness and His mercy.”
“That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want,” Roupp added, per Sports Illustrated.
RELATED: Washington Nationals under fire after anti-Christian public relations disaster EXPOSED (UPDATE)
Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images
Roupp, Brubaker, and Walker referenced Genesis 9:12-16 on their caps, which says the following:
And God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”
Additionally, Giants reliever Sam Hentges appeared in the game on Friday night and decided not to wear the Pride hat, instead opting for the Giants’ black and orange logo.
Pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers Blake Treinen protested in a similar manner last week when he refused to wear a Pride-themed hat when he pitched in the ninth inning.
RELATED: LA Dodgers pitcher refuses to comply with Pride Night, enraging progressive fans
Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images
The Bible verse method of protest was also used by Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw in 2025, when he wrote, “Gen 9:12-16,” on his hat as well.
Blaze News has also reported on the Washington Nationals’ public relations disaster surrounding pitcher Trevor Williams and his alleged blacklisting from team promotions due to his Catholic faith.
Williams spoke out against Pride celebrations in 2023, when he was also a member of the Dodgers.
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Fearless, Mlb, Baseball, San francisco giants, News, Sports, Pride
Is Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ priming us for real disclosure? Glenn Beck drops his chilling take after opening night
Steven Spielberg’s highly anticipated alien movie “Disclosure Day” hit theaters last Friday. In the weeks leading up to its premiere, a circulating theory — fueled by the government’s ongoing UFO file declassifications — suggested Spielberg collaborated with the government to prepare the public for real alien disclosure.
Glenn Beck saw it on opening night, and he says it’s definitely “worth seeing.”
But could it actually be predictive programming?
On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn shares his raw thoughts on what “Disclosure Day” really means.
Glenn isn’t ready to dismiss the theory that “Disclosure Day” is predictive programming — entertainment designed to plant ideas so that future real-world events feel familiar and less shocking.
“The Department of War and the CIA have had an official entertainment liaison office for decades,” he says.
“They are brought in to help shape stories, and it’s not a shadowy conspiracy … [Hollywood is] given jets and bases and technical advisers for their movies, and in exchange, they shape the stories for the government, and this is documented policy.”
However, there’s another framework worth considering: George Gerbner’s cultivation theory.
Gerbner’s theory argues that long-term, heavy exposure to media gradually “cultivates” or shapes people’s perceptions of reality, making them believe the world is more like what they see on screen than it actually is.
Glenn points out that heavy media consumption is one of the modern era’s defining characteristics, as people are “scrolling and staring and consuming media” essentially “eight hours every day.”
“[Gerbner’s] research shows that heavy viewers develop mean world syndrome where everything is a danger. They overestimate the danger, crime, threats. They become more fearful, more dependent, and more open to strong-man measures,” he explains.
What if “Disclosure Day” isn’t preparing us for real aliens but rather attempting to scare people into submitting to future government mandates?
The most critical question, Glenn insists, is: “Who profits from the fear?”
“We’ve been seeing a steady drum beat of disclosure that is happening. I don’t know what’s real and what’s not,” Glenn confesses.
But he does know one thing: “A government who has been denying [aliens] for decades suddenly decides to open the door?”
“Why? And who profits from fear?” he asks.
To hear more, watch the video above.
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FBI thwarts alleged attack against UFC Freedom 250
A plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event on Sunday was thwarted by the FBI and supporting law enforcement agencies, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
“On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region — and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the [Department of Justice in a multi-state operation], multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Patel wrote in an X post Tuesday.
‘We got to tell everybody to tone it down.’
Officials claimed the plot included employing drones with explosive capabilities to target surrounding buildings, prompting event attendees to flee toward a team of snipers, according to Fox News. Between the crowds on the South Lawn and the Ellipse, approximately 90,000 gathered in the area to watch the event.
The attackers then allegedly planned to rush the White House gate.
Fox News also reported that a suspect allegedly revealed the targets to be “billionaires,” “capitalist elites,” and politicians with funding from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Signal chats obtained by the FBI allegedly featured “pre-operational activity” discussed among a network of 23 people. Five people are in custody, Fox News reported.
In a statement on X, Secret Service Director Sean Curran said, “The U.S. Secret Service worked closely with the FBI throughout this investigation. In the days leading up to this weekend, our special agents, mission support personnel, and technical security teams worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.”
Curran added, “Equally important to our protective mission is ensuring accountability through the justice system.”
RELATED: ‘I prayed so much for this’ — Justin Gaethje’s UFC victory speech perfectly captures American spirit
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
When Trump was asked about the alleged attack at the G7 summit in France, he responded, “I haven’t heard of it,” adding, “The attack that I watched was the fighters.”
On “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning, Vice President JD Vance said, “This is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence.
“We got to tell everybody to tone it down.”
“Everybody has a role to cut this stuff out, but I think a lot of my Democratic colleagues in Washington have got to look themselves in the mirror and say, why is so much of this political violence coming from our side of the spectrum?” Vance also said.
The UFC Freedom 250 event featured 14 fighters from a range of countries on the White House South Lawn on June 14, the same day as Flag Day and Trump’s 80th birthday.
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The backlash against AI reveals it’s a terrible scapegoat
One day, not long ago — no one can recall exactly when — AI dropped from the sky, a deus ex machina springing fully formed from the head of, well, maybe its own head.
Or so it seems.
The context around the technology matters even more than the content.
In reality, AI’s origin story runs much deeper. So does the backlash against it. Both look stranger than they are because our shared memory of the recent past keeps shrinking.
AI has been a long time coming. In the mid-20th century, when human imagination still outran human and machine memory, artists produced vivid narratives about supercomputers and superintelligence. Scientists and engineers did the same, especially after World War II. Go back and read atomic-age Vannevar Bush, who mentored the namesake of Anthropic’s Claude, and the surprise is not that AI arrived. The surprise is that it took so long.
So why has AI produced such powerful future shock?
Not long ago, Americans rushed to embrace new technology. Yes, we were naïve about social media. We underestimated how people and governments would peep into our personal cyberspace. But when social media exposed our own questionable collective character, the reaction was not fury. Troubled? Yes. Shocked? No.
Even now, despite evidence that smartphones have entrenched bad habits and unhealthy temptations, we broadly regard the phone-and-app ecosystem as manageable. The trade-offs seem worth the bother if we clean up our act and make responsible choices.
AI is different. For millions participating in the backlash, AI differs from smartphones and social media not merely in power and scope, but in perceived injustice. Smartphones may rot our brains slowly. According to the backlash, even moderate AI use will swiftly destroy society.
The history we long to forget
Left-wing critics describe this destruction in terms of justice and the human nature Marx called our “species being.” Right-wing critics reach for the language of spiritual illness and stolen souls. The claim remains roughly the same: AI uniquely threatens our humanity, so the conversation about how to respond need not account for anything else.
Introduce any complicating factor outside AI and its creators, and critics may accuse you of distraction, dissembling, excuse-making, or apologizing for a permanent underclass — perhaps even human extinction.
I understand why so many people are so freaked out and so unwilling to pull focus away from AI. But the biggest reason lies outside AI and the AI debate.
Look at the arc Americans traveled with smartphones and social media. These transformative technologies became ubiquitous around the time of the 2008 financial crisis. Thanks to “innovative” monetary policy and frantic institutional improvisation, the world avoided penury, and technological development kept moving along its established trajectory.
Many Americans surely spent more time online as economic slack and stagnation spread after the crisis. Yet that shock was nothing like the blow that came during the COVID lockdowns.
Over those two decades, America’s fundamentals became dangerously unsound. Governance embraced can-kicking, corruption, patronage, fraud, and self-dealing legerdemain that cooked the country as much as it cooked the books. But the populist backlash — as veterans of Occupy Wall Street, the Ron Paul “rEVOLution,” or the Bernie Bro movement will remember — remained contained and controlled.
RELATED: There’s a surprising fix for our AI oversight anarchy
sonmez karakurt/iStock/Getty Images
At least until Trump came along.
Even during Trump’s first term, few Americans felt like sitting ducks in the shadow of cataclysm. Times were tough, the middle class felt squeezed, and the dollar didn’t go as far. But those pressures had become baseline dynamics — the same problem set Ross Perot once explained with his chicken-foot pointer in populist third-party infomercials.
The lockdown era obliterated that holding pattern. It also wiped out many people’s ability to process the new normal. The socioeconomic malaise accelerated into territory so unsustainable that people simply stopped trying to understand it.
They blocked it out like an event too awful to remain in our memory.
Runaway inflation. Church closures. Rising living costs. Soaring entry costs for upward mobility. Devalued savings. Exhausted savings. The mathematical impossibility of building a middle-class life across family, education, and wealth formation within the given number of workweeks in a year.
That was the comprehensive catastrophe.
And it unfolded before robust AI asserted itself on the social scene.
Rebirth and return
That means we cannot understand the AI backlash unless we recognize that the context around the technology matters even more than the content.
For many millions across the political spectrum, the American dream was already destroyed before they could form real judgments about AI. In a national atmosphere of spiritual sickness, financial insolvency, economic weakness, and social disintegration, AI appeared as the final blow — especially as AI leaders themselves forecast the end of paychecks, jobs, careers, and perhaps humanity itself.
Deep down, many Americans feel that the habits, institutions, and confidence that might have allowed them to participate fruitfully in the AI era were stripped away years ago. AI seems big, alien, and wrong. Worse, it seems forced on them at a moment of unprecedented weakness, after any hope of recovery has already vanished.
Because they now feel they can fight the “clankers” and their makers in a way they cannot fight their own downward mobility and immiseration, AI has become the perfect scapegoat.
And that is the danger.
Killing AI will not regrow our spiritual and social roots. In fact, our structural situation has deteriorated so badly that leaning harder on the machines than we otherwise would may now be necessary.
We need a financial reboot. We need to dismantle the governance system that sucked us dry. We need to shift from overextended sole superpower to sustainable civilization-state fast enough to avoid the geopolitical spike pit between those two conditions.
Without those urgent needs, we would have more time and room to maneuver on AI. But we do need those things, and we do not have much choice or time — at least not if we want to hold the country together long enough to give Americans back the freedom to regrow their spiritual and social shoots.
The real way. The slow way. The human way.
Treating AI as the ultimate scapegoat for all our ills will distort and delay that process. Treating AI as the ultimate savior will derail and damage us in the opposite direction.
Nor will the fantasy of curing our national trauma by using AI to solve all human problems restore American life as a challenge worth living. Our new technology can be much more, and much less, than a replacement plan for people reduced to polyp status.
That is the opening for a constructive approach to AI that most of us can ultimately live with.
Ai, Artificial intelligence, Civilization, Human nature, Humanity, Opinion & analysis, Social media, Soul, Technology
Digital ID for Canadians? Carney’s new internet censorship bill could be a back door
If Prime Minister Mark Carney has is way, logging on to social media in Canada may one day require more than a password.
Critics say the Liberal Party’s latest legislation is a backdoor attempt to normalize digital ID while creating a powerful new bureaucracy to police online speech.
Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to $10 million and an additional penalty of 3% of global revenue.
This is but the latest step in a years-long campaign to expand government oversight of the internet that began under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and appears to be accelerating under Carney.
Harm’s way
Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, would prohibit anyone under the age of 16 from using social media platforms. To enforce that restriction, users would have to verify their age online, prompting concerns that Canadians could ultimately be required to use digital ID or comparable age-verification systems simply to access social media.
The bill also establishes broad categories of prohibited “harmful content.” Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to $10 million and an additional penalty of 3% of global revenue. Those companies may in turn seek to shift liability onto individual livestreamers and content creators, creating what this reporter has previously described as “trickle-down censorship.”
It remains unclear whether Bill C-34 is intended to replace the Trudeau government’s proposed Online Harms Act or simply add another layer to Canada’s growing regime of internet regulation.
Hate reach
Meanwhile, Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, awaits final approval before becoming law — a step widely expected to proceed without difficulty. The legislation expands Canada’s hate speech laws and removes the long-standing defense for good-faith religious expression in certain criminal hate speech cases, raising alarms among civil liberties advocates and religious freedom groups.
The earlier Online Harms Act (Bill C-63) never became law after Parliament dissolved before it could be passed. Even so, it remains one of the most alarming assaults on free expression ever proposed in Canada.
Among its most controversial provisions, the bill would have allowed courts to impose preventive peace bonds — including curfews, travel restrictions, electronic monitoring, and even house arrest — on people who had not been convicted or even accused of a hate crime, but who authorities feared might commit one in the future. In other words, Canadians could have had their liberty restricted not for something they had done, but for something the government believed they might do.
Pre-crime division
The legislation also would have revived Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, exposing citizens to steep civil penalties for certain forms of online expression, and expanded hate-related penalties elsewhere in Canadian law. It is little wonder that critics denounced the proposal as a form of “thought crime” or “pre-crime” legislation — a dramatic departure from the traditional principle that people should be punished for their actions, not for what governments fear they may think, say, or do.
Bill C-34 identifies seven categories of prohibited “harmful content”:
Intimate content communicated without consent.Content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor.Content that induces a child to harm himself.Content used to bully a child.Content that foments hatred.Content that incites violence.Terrorism or violent extremism content.
Notably, the legislation does not define “hatred,” even as it devotes extensive language to defining “terrorism” and “violent extremism” as politically, religiously, or ideologically motivated acts intended to intimidate the public or undermine institutions or social stability.
The bill would also establish a digital safety commissioner, a position critics say could function as a de facto national internet censor with sweeping authority to assess and enforce rules governing online content.
RELATED: Canada-US coalition emerges against Mark Carney’s surveillance bill
JCCF board member John Robson. David Krayden
‘Blank check’
Among the organizations condemning the legislation is the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
“Greater transparency and accountability from tech companies is long overdue. But that must come through clear, targeted rules, not sweeping obligations and an open-ended government authority over any regulated service,” said Howard Sapers, the association’s executive director. “A blank check for federal power is the wrong answer to a real problem.”
“Bill C-34 introduces obligations which are so alarmingly broad that providers of regulated services will be tempted to over-comply at the expense of users’ freedom of expression and privacy rights,” Sapers added.
Another Carney government proposal, Bill C-22, would require technology companies to disclose user communications when requested by federal authorities or Canadian law enforcement agencies, potentially overriding their own privacy commitments.
Two Republican members of Congress have also raised concerns about the legislation. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-Fla.) have written to Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree warning that Bill C-22 could threaten privacy rights in both Canada and the United States.
Social media, Mark carney, Censorship, Free speech, Justin trudeau, Hate crime, Digital id, Canada, Civil liberties, Jim jordan, Brian mast, Lifestyle, Culture, Letter from canada
Alleged border-hopping black widow who drugged, robbed, and killed older men she met on dating apps faces extradition: FBI
A Nevada woman jailed in Mexico is expected to be extradited to the United States to face additional charges for allegedly using dating apps to prey on older men. Federal authorities say the woman drugged, robbed, and killed her victims in twisted romance schemes.
The FBI’s Las Vegas Division issued a bulletin in February 2025 about 44-year-old Aurora Phelps, who also went by the names of Aurora Alvarez, Aurora Flores, and Aurora Velasco.
‘Drop the case, or I will kill you.’
The FBI said Phelps “met individuals online or exploited those known to her in order to steal their personal information” between approximately 2019 and 2022.
“Mrs. Phelps then used this information to fraudulently access their bank, Social Security, or retirement accounts,” the statement read.
“It is believed Mrs. Phelps would sometimes drug her victims without their knowledge to obtain this information,” the FBI added. “Mrs. Phelps primarily targeted elderly men; however, she was known to target all age groups as well as women.”
KTLA-TV reported that Phelps — a dual U.S.-Mexico citizen — targeted at least 11 individuals on both sides of the border.
One of Phelps’ alleged victims reportedly was Robert Erbach, a 67-year-old American retiree who lived in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the pair connected on the Tinder dating app — Phelps under the username “Sissy” — and met at a casino that Erbach frequented in Guadalajara, according to his friends.
Friends said Erbach invited Phelps to the Hard Rock Hotel in Guadalajara to see a friend’s rock band perform in December 2021.
The Times said that “it was the last time Erbach was seen alive.”
U.S. and Mexican court records revealed that Phelps drove Erbach’s white BMW SUV to Las Vegas, where she used his personal documents to open a Wells Fargo account under his name.
Surveillance video the FBI obtained captured Phelps using a Wells Fargo ATM to make cash withdrawals with Erbach’s debit card. Phelps drained $50,500 from two of his bank accounts, according to the FBI.
In January 2022, Erbach’s son received a text message from his father’s phone written in broken English, the Times reported.
According to the FBI, one of messages said Erbach was moving to Quito, Ecuador, and ordered the son to tell family and police to halt any searches for him.
Prosecutors said there were attempts to redirect Erbach’s pension payments, but they were unsuccessful because a verified signature was required.
Two days after Erbach’s rendezvous with Phelps at the casino, the unidentified body of a man with no identification reportedly was found along a road near Guadalajara. Authorities said the man died from asphyxiation.
It was later revealed that the deceased man was Erbach, according to Newsweek.
In addition, the Times reported that Phelps met a 69-year-old divorced expat from the United States who had a “thriving practice” in Guadalajara. She allegedly met the chiropractor on Tinder in May 2022 and called herself “Sisy.”
According to court testimony, Phelps and the chiropractor went to a restaurant where he ordered a chocolate milkshake. The pair went to a hotel after the restaurant, according to the Times.
At the hotel, they allegedly had drinks, and the chiropractor passed out.
Phelps testified that the chiropractor had gotten drunk, but police later concluded he had consumed 1,000 milligrams of Valium “most likely added to his drink or the unattended milkshake,” the Times reported.
When the chiropractor regained consciousness, he reportedly asked Phelps to take him back to his home.
According to the Times, a surveillance camera at the house showed the chiropractor barely able to walk outside, and he “fell by the front door, cracked his head on the concrete and began bleeding.”
The chiropractor’s live-in maid reportedly drew a bath to try to help him wake up.
The Times reported that the maid became suspicious after Phelps told her she was the landlord and that the maid “should consider herself fired.”
‘She truly believes her lies.’
The maid allegedly called Carmen Garduño — a clinic employee who had worked with the chiropractor for 13 years. Court testimony said Garduño grew suspicious when the maid said the chiropractor appeared drunk, as Garduño said she had never seen him drink alcohol.
Garduño rushed to the house where she found the “pale” chiropractor unconscious in the bathtub, breathing heavily and wearing his doctor’s scrubs backward, according to the Times.
“He was practically absorbing his lips into his mouth,” Garduño said in court.
Garduño said she began performing CPR on the chiropractor, and then he vomited, and his breathing steadied, but he remained unresponsive.
When police arrived at the home, Phelps told officers she was the chiropractor’s fiancée, court records show.
The Times reported that the chiropractor “would remain unconscious for nearly a week.”
Once the chiropractor recovered, he reportedly filed a report against Phelps with the Jalisco state police. The chiropractor claimed Phelps stole approximately $25,000 in cash, electronics, and jewelry, including his wedding ring.
A Jalisco state judge issued an arrest warrant for Phelps for aggravated theft.
The Times reported that the chiropractor then received a call — and the voice on the other end of the line was one he did not recognize. The paper said a man speaking in a thick Mexican accent told him, “Drop the case, or I will kill you.”
The chiropractor reportedly ceased pressing his case.
An FBI investigation connected the death of Erbach to the alleged drugging of the chiropractor, the Times reported. FBI agents informed the chiropractor that the threatening call was made by Phelps using a voice-altering app.
The chiropractor agreed to cooperate with authorities and file a separate civil lawsuit against Phelps, according to the Times.
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The FBI said a month later, Phelps met Miguel Carrillo — a dual Mexican-U.S. citizen — in Chapala, near Guadalajara.
The Times reported Carillo days later was found dead in an abandoned lot, and his car was found outside a bank — and his bank account was drained.
In November 2022, Phelps reportedly used the Plenty of Fish dating app to meet John Wiens — a 78-year-old divorced and retired mechanical engineer living in Las Vegas.
Wiens’ son allegedly was unable to connect with his father.
“Stranger still, his Facebook profile now featured a picture of Wiens photoshopped into a city in Brazil,” the Times said.
The son told Mexican investigators he received a text message from his father’s phone that said he had moved to Brazil, which was odd since Wiens did not speak Portuguese.
A neighbor purportedly noticed the front door open at Wiens’ home, but he was nowhere to be found.
The Times said Wiens’ dog was left alone with no food or water, plus there were “feces everywhere.”
The son reportedly traveled from California to his father’s house, obtained his dad’s laptop, and was able to access his dad’s email account.
“The inbox was crammed with orders from Christian Dior, Gucci, and other designer brands for women’s apparel,” the Times said. “The purchases were sent to Phelps’ Las Vegas home under the name of her daughter or to ‘Abraham Flores,’ the name of her brother.”
Authorities said they discovered Wiens’ minivan at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
FBI agents obtained surveillance video showing Phelps and Wiens boarding a plane bound for San Diego on Nov. 4, 2022 — just one day after their first date.
The pair reportedly then traveled to Mexico City and checked into a hotel.
The Times said Wiens the next day was found dead in a hotel room bathtub, and an autopsy found he died of a heart attack.
Of 11 possible victims identified so far, three of them were found dead shortly after their encounters with Phelps, according to Spencer Evans, who at that time was a special agent for the FBI Las Vegas Division.
One of the victims spent five days in a coma after Phelps drugged him, Evans said. The Times reported that Phelps allegedly liquidated $3.3 million of the man’s Apple stock and tried to transfer the proceeds to a bank account she controlled.
Mexican authorities arrested Phelps at a Guadalajara bank on Feb. 27, 2023, the Times noted.
The Department of Justice released a statement in February 2025 saying Phelps “has been charged in a 21-count superseding indictment for allegedly luring older men she met through online dating services and stealing their monies for her personal benefit.”
Phelps was charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of kidnapping, three counts of identity theft, three counts of mail fraud, six counts of bank fraud, and seven counts of wire fraud.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that a Mexican judge last week sentenced Phelps to 37 years, six months in prison on charges related to the disappearance and death of Erbach.
Sandy Breault, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Las Vegas field office, told Newsweek that Phelps “will be extradited to the U.S.— but no date has been set yet.”
Evans also stated that “once she incapacitated her victims, Phelps stole their cars, accessed their bank and brokerage accounts to withdraw cash, used their credit cards to make a variety of purchases, including luxury retail goods and gold, and even attempted to access their Social Security and retirement accounts.”
Christopher Delzotto, FBI special agent in charge in Las Vegas, said that “the white-collar criminal, especially when it comes to Aurora Phelps, is no different than a violent criminal. They are psychopaths. She truly believes her lies. She visualizes all of this stuff. She believes it. It has become her reality.”
Those with information about Phelps’ alleged romance scams are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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Aurora phelps, Elderly men, Extradition, Fbi, Mexico, Murder, Scam, Tinder, United states, Arrest, Crime
LGBT activist who defiled Yosemite’s El Capitan with ‘trans’ flag just got some BAD NEWS
A probationary wildlife biologist for Yosemite National Park lost her job last year after perverting an American landmark in protest of the Trump administration’s reality-affirming policies regarding gender.
Furious over her visitation by consequence for covering the side of El Capitan on May 20, 2025, with a giant trans-activist flag, Shannon Joslin painted herself as a victim and took legal action.
‘You have failed to demonstrate acceptable conduct.’
Joslin, a “nonbinary”-identifying woman, first complained to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, asking it to halt her termination.
When the OSC denied her request, Joslin asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to force the National Park Service to reinstate her; to bar the Trump administration from enforcing park regulations against her for “speech supportive of trans rights”; and to award her damages.
Her case was transferred to a federal court in California, where U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston, a Biden appointee, delivered the LGBT activist some bad news on Friday.
While adopting a sympathetic tone and referring to Joslin using her preferred “they/them” pronouns, Thurston dismissed the LGBT activist’s employment-related claims and requests for relief, explaining that her hands were effectively tied.
“The Court lacks jurisdiction to review Joslin’s termination or to offer any related relief, including a reinstatement,” wrote the Biden judge.
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Heather Diehl/Getty Images
“The government claims for its part that Joslin was fired for reasons that had ‘nothing to do’ with ‘speech,'” wrote Thurston. “But the government has another more fundamental and more persuasive point: Under the laws that Congress has passed, and under the legal precedent that a federal trial court must follow, this court does not have authority to decide whether Joslin was fired for unconstitutional or illegal reasons, nor to block a hypothetical criminal case against them.”
Joslin hatched the idea to rig a flag on El Capitan as a “statement in support of trans people,” then worked with other radicals to “stake out the technical logistics of fixing a sizable flag to the rock face,” according to her original complaint.
She told Climbing.com, “Calling congressmen and writing representatives feels like yelling into the void. We have this f**king microphone that is El Cap.”
Wyn Wiley, a drag queen who goes by “Pattie Gonia,” partook in the protest and said in a May 22, 2025, propaganda video featuring clips of Joslin securing the flag, “The Trump administration and transphobes would love to have you believe that being trans is unnatural.”
“Call it a protest; call it a celebration,” continued Wiley. “We are bringing elevation to liberation.”
Months after transforming the rock formation into a “microphone” for gender ideologues, Joslin received notice indicating that she was out of a job effective Aug. 12, 2025.
The letter provided a reminder that the purpose of the two-year trial period — which started for Joslin on Sept. 10, 2023 — is to “determine whether newly appointed Federal employees are suitable for successful service in the areas of conduct and performance.”
“During your trial period, you have failed to demonstrate acceptable conduct,” continued the letter. “Specifically, on or about May 20, 2025, you participated in a small group demonstration in an area outside the designated protest and demonstration area without permit as required by 36 CFR 2.51 and thus circumvented rules applicable to all park visitors.”
Following the dismissal of Joslin’s complaint, the Department of the Interior and the NPS have reissued the statement they provided to Blaze News February: “We take the protection of the park’s resources and the experience of our visitors very seriously and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources and experiences.”
“Yosemite National Park was designated by Congress to highlight the beautiful natural and cultural features of the area,” continued the statement. “No matter the cause, demonstrating without a permit outside of designated First Amendment areas detracts from the visitor experience and the protection of the park. To safeguard the protection of visitors, visitor experiences, and park resources, many demonstrations require a permit.”
Unable to draw a salary working as an NPS employee in the park, Joslin is attempting to exploit her termination with an agitprop film about the “complicated relationship between wildlife, food systems, and LGBTQ+ rights.”
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Activist, Biden, California, Court, National park service, Trans, Yosemite, El capitan, Transgender, Flag, Drag queen, Pervert, Politics
