Category: blaze media

Costco is suing the Trump administration.

Yes, Costco. The warehouse temple of middle-class stability where Americans stock their freezers, fill their carts, and feel briefly insulated from the chaos of the broader economy. Costco thrives when the American consumer thrives.

Remember, when faced with a choice between standing with the American worker or protecting the globalist status quo, Costco sided with the status quo.

So why file suit against the administration? The company’s board donated heavily to Democrats in the 2023-2024 cycle, and now its leadership wants its tariff money back. The lawsuit doubles as a political favor and a financial windfall.

In short, Costco refuses to accept the new populist moment.

Fighting the populist tax revolt

Trump’s tariff program funds his most audacious promise: eliminating income taxes for working Americans and issuing a $2,000 tariff “dividend” as early as next year. This would mark the largest direct transfer of economic power to workers in modern history.

Costco wants to stop it.

The company that markets itself as the moral alternative to Walmart now positions itself as the moral critic of tariff-driven tax abolition. For decades, Americans have trusted Costco as the “good” warehouse store — high quality, honest pricing, reliable value. But the rotisserie chicken glow fades fast when the company sues to block a working-class tax cut.

Costco insists its lawsuit is about fairness. Please. It’s all about politics.

Stuck in a pre-Trump mentality

Trump upended the left’s narrative by putting workers — not donors, not multinationals — at the center of national policy. The tariff-funded tax revolution threatens decades of Democratic posturing about “helping the little guy.”

So Costco’s leadership had to intervene.

The company claims it fears a pending Supreme Court ruling that overturns tariffs without refunding the money companies paid. In reality, Costco wants a heads-I-win, tails-I-win scenario.

If tariffs stay, Costco raises prices to recoup costs. If tariffs fall, Costco demands a refund. What it will not do is refund customers who paid higher prices.

Costco argues that tariffs fall under Congress’ taxing authority. A federal circuit court agreed, ruling that tariffs are a core congressional power. That argument never troubled Democrats when they rebranded an Obamacare tax as “not a tax” to shove it through the courts.

When Democrats extract revenue for their political projects, the courts call it progress. When tariffs return money to American workers, Costco calls it unconstitutional.

The truth about taxes

Income tax is the burden of wage earners, not the wealthy. Costco knows it. Democrats know it. Everyone knows it.

The wealthy use capital gains, trusts, foundations, and investment shelters. Eliminating income taxes barely touches them. It liberates the working class — precisely the group Democrats once claimed to defend while quietly shifting their coalition toward illegal aliens and the ever-expanding alphabet of sexual identities.

Trump exposed the contradiction: Democrats talk about workers. Trump delivers for them.

RELATED: Is a tariff a tax?

Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Costco chose poorly

Costco’s lawsuit will not collapse its business model. Americans will still buy their bulk salsa, tires, kayaks, paper towels, and of course, the hot-dog combo that has famously resisted inflation for decades.

But they will remember this moment.

When faced with a choice between standing with the American worker or protecting the globalist status quo, Costco sided with the status quo. A company famous for its generous return policy may soon see a return movement of its own as consumers decide they want their tariff-inflated dollars back.

The company’s lawsuit reveals something not so flattering about the “good” big-box store: Liberal elites love talking about helping workers — as long as it never requires losing money for workers.

The Trump tax-and-tariff revolution threatens that arrangement. And Costco’s leadership made its position clear. I’ll still eat their hot dogs after making a few returns and taking a few extra free samples.

​Opinion & analysis, Costco, Democrats, Lawsuit, Donald trump, Tariffs, Trade, Tax rebate, Refunds, International trade, Economy, Prices, Inflation, Hot dogs, America first, Workers, Income taxes, Elites, Wealthy 

For all of human history, the four-stage debt cycle has remained the same: Discipline leads to economic prosperity; prosperity creates complacency; complacency tees up excessive spending; excessive spending turns into debt, which reaches a breaking point, necessitating discipline and restarting the cycle.

This has been true for every great empire the world has ever seen.

While the rise and fall of nations is nothing new, what is happening right now in global economics, says Glenn Beck, is indeed new — and it should terrify everyone.

“For the very first time in world history … the entire globe is riding the same wheel at the same time,” he warns.

“Right now, America, Europe, China, Japan, and every other major power … have all hit stage four at the same time.”

“The bond markets are shaking. The currencies are all volatile. Politicians are praying that no one notices the numbers. … Stage four is not coming. We are now living inside the opening act,” Glenn warns.

And yet a recent report from the National Retail Federation’s annual holiday forecast estimates that U.S. holiday retail sales will surpass $1 trillion for the first time ever.

Glenn, who says he is floored by the prices of food and goods and often wonders how the average person can afford to live right now, fears that the American people are making the same mistake as these governments on the brink of financial collapse.

“We’re spending, spending, spending, and I don’t understand it. … We’re just spending because we think we can get out of it,” he laments.

But our government and its constituents would be wise to remember what happens when stage four of the debt cycle is complete.

“It’s called the reset,” says Glenn, and it culminates in either crushing inflation, outright default and political chaos, or war.

For this to happen in any one country is terrible, but imagine the unmitigated catastrophe that would unfold if several global superpowers collapsed simultaneously.

“Rome collapsed by itself. France collapsed alone. Weimar collapsed by itself. Britain declined while America rose. It was always one country coming down and another country coming up,” says Glenn, but “this time all countries on both sides — the free world and the not-so-free world — there’s no one rising.”

“So what does that mean?” he asks.

While the history books can’t inform us, as this widespread teetering is unprecedented, we can only assume it means that rampant inflation, political upheaval, and war won’t be regional but “global” and “systemic.”

The silver lining is that collapse also “[creates] the conditions for renewal.” But until then, we are faced with a choice: Will we continue to spend ourselves into oblivion, or will we exercise the discipline it takes to create prosperity?

“The next chapter is not written. What happens to us is not written,” says Glenn, “and whether we rise or fall from what’s coming depends not on Washington, not on Wall Street, but on us in our homes and our families and our churches and our communities.”

To hear more of Glenn’s commentary, watch the video above.

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​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Financial collapse, Economic crisis, Christmas, Holiday sales, Global collapse, Global superpowers, Debt cycle, Debt, National debt, Debt crisis, Blazetv, Blaze media 

A Kansas mayor who is not a U.S. citizen, despite residing in the state for most of his life, has been accused of illegally voting “multiple times” — and documents obtained by Blaze News seem to support those allegations.

Last month, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R) held a press conference to announce that Coldwater Mayor Jose “Joe” Ceballos, 54, had been charged with three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury, all felonies.

He could face more than five years behind bars if convicted. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, added that a conviction would also prompt “removal proceedings” for Ceballos.

Ceballos appears to have cast a ballot at least once every year or every other year, beginning on August 1, 2000.

“In Kansas, it is against the law to vote if you are not a U.S. citizen. We allege that Mr. Ceballos did it multiple times,” Kobach said.

Voter registration applications and voting history records sent to Blaze News in response to a public records request seem to confirm Kobach’s allegations.

The two voter registration applications for Ceballos, one dated April 1999 and the other December 2012, indicate he established Kansas residency all the way back in 1986.

Both documents asked the applicant to confirm U.S citizenship. “I Swear or Affirm that I am a citizen of the United States,” the 1999 application states.

On the 2012 application, the “yes” box next to the question “are you a citizen of the United States of America?” is marked. The signature section then reiterates: “I swear or affirm that I am a citizen of the United States and a Kansas resident.”

Ceballos appears to have signed the 1999 application as “Joe” Ceballos and the 2012 application as Jose. He did not register for a party on either application.

RELATED: Noncitizen Kansas mayor accused of illegally voting ‘multiple times’ after winning re-election

Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News

Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News

The criminal complaint filed November 5 stated that Ceballos is “not a citizen of the United States,” and DHS noted that he received a green card in 1990 but remains a citizen of Mexico.

He was convicted of battery in 1995, according to DHS.

Moreover, Ceballos’ voting history revealed that he participated in dozens of primary and general elections since 2000, the earliest records the Comanche County clerk claimed to have.

According to the records, Ceballos cast a ballot at least once every year or every other year, beginning on August 1, 2000. The records indicate Ceballos voted in November 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.

It is unclear why a Republican Party affiliation was recorded for votes cast in the November 2004 and 2024 general elections.

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

Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News

Allegations that Ceballos had voted first made headlines after he won re-election as Coldwater mayor on November 4, and City Attorney Skip Herd claimed that Ceballos had applied for U.S. citizenship just this year.

“He applied for citizenship in February of this year and, through that, raised the issue of whether he was a legal citizen,” Herd said.

Ceballos admitted to the Wichita Eagle that he did come to America as a child — the outlet described him as being “undocumented” at the time — and that he has since voted in every local, state, and federal election since 1991. However, he explained that he simply misunderstood the law, believing that the “permanent resident” designation on his green card meant that he was a citizen.

“I haven’t seen Mexico since I was four,” he said. “I don’t speak Spanish anymore. If I get deported, it would wreck my life.”

His attorney, Jess Hoeme, indicated that since Ceballos did not intend to vote illegally, “he’ll beat this” case with the jury.

Records from the Comanche County clerk’s office revealed that Ceballos’ voter registration was canceled on October 17, 2025. Those records further showed that he had been registered to vote in federal elections since at least February 2003, that he was at some point registered as a Republican, and that he filed a change of address in 2013.

Ceballos told the Eagle that he “probably” voted for Kobach to be state AG and for Donald Trump to be president every time they ran, even though in general, the twice-elected mayor is rather indifferent to politics.

“If politics comes up in Coldwater, I generally just get up and walk out,” Ceballos said.

RELATED: Trump plans major shake-up of how Americans vote ahead of 2026 midterm elections

Screenshot of documents sent to Blaze News

Ceballos, who received nearly 83% of the vote from fellow Coldwater residents just a few weeks ago, enjoys continued support from his community.

“As a mayor, he’s done a wonderful job,” said Britt Lenertz, president of the Coldwater City Council. “As a city councilmember, he’s done a wonderful job. He’s always put our community first in everything he does.”

In an official statement, Lenertz acknowledged that the allegations were “concerning” but called for patience as the legal process unfolds: “We will allow the proper legal process to take its course before making any further comments. It’s important that we respect both due process and the integrity of our local government.”

Longtime friend Ryan Swayze described Ceballos as good-hearted and well-intentioned but also a bit naive. Swayze and his dad as well as Ceballos’ old special-education teacher all partially blame themselves for not explaining to Ceballos during his formative years the differences between permanent residents and U.S. citizens.

Ceballos did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment, but he did hint to the Wichita Eagle that the charges have greatly affected his well-being.

“I’m scared,” he told the outlet. “I’m not sleeping.”

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​Kansas, Ceballos, Mayor, Coldwater, Kris kobach, Voter fraud, Noncitizens voting, Politics 

Homeowners’ associations exploded across America beginning in the 1960s. No one describes HOAs as “popular,” and the horror stories of petty rules and bureaucratic neighbors are legion. Yet more Americans fight for the privilege of buying into them every year. The reason is simple: The HOA is the last legal mechanism Americans have to artificially recreate something the country once produced organically — a high-trust society.

People want neighborhoods where streets feel safe, houses stay maintained, and neighbors behave predictably. We call these places “high trust” because people do not expect those around them to violate basic standards. Doors remain unlocked, kids play outside, and property values rise. Americans once assumed this was the natural condition of ordinary life. It never was.

Everyone complains about HOAs, but they remain the only defense against the chaos modern culture produces.

High-trust societies are not accidental. They emerge only under specific cultural conditions. Trust forms when people can understand and predict the behavior of those around them. That requires a shared standard — how to act, how to maintain property, how to handle conflict. When those standards come from a common way of life, enforcement becomes minimal. People feel free not because they reject limits, but because the limits match their instincts and expectations.

Every social order requires maintenance, but the amount varies. When most residents share the same assumptions, small gestures keep the peace. A disapproving look from Mrs. Smith over an unkempt lawn prompts action. A loud party until 1 a.m. results in lost invitations until the offender corrects the behavior. Police rarely if ever enter the picture. The community polices itself through mutual judgment.

Several preconditions make this coordination possible. Residents must share standards so violations appear obvious. They must feel comfortable addressing those violations without fear of disproportionate or hostile reactions. And they must value the esteem of their neighbors enough to respond to correction. When those conditions collapse, norms collapse with them. As New York learned during the era of broken windows, one act of disorder invites the next.

American culture and government spent the last 60 years destroying those preconditions.

Academics and media stigmatized culturally cohesive neighborhoods, and government policies made them nearly impossible to maintain. Accusations of racism, sexism, or homophobia discourage the subtle social pressure that once corrected behavior. The informal network of mothers supervising neighborhood kids vanished as more women entered the corporate workforce. And as Robert Putnam documented, social trust deteriorates as diversity increases. Residents retreat into isolation, not engagement.

The HOA attempts to reconstruct a high-trust environment under conditions that no longer support it. Ownership, maintenance, and conduct move from cultural consensus to legal contract. Residents with widely different expectations sign binding agreements dictating noise levels, lawn care, parking, paint colors, and countless other micro-regulations. A formal board replaces Mrs. Smith’s frown. Fines replace gentle rebukes. Gates and walls replace the watchful eye of neighborhood moms.

What once came from community now comes from bureaucracy.

With home prices surging, families dedicate larger portions of their wealth to their houses. Few want to gamble on declining property values because their neighborhood slips into disorder. Everyone complains about HOAs, but they remain the only defense against the chaos modern culture produces. People enter hostile, artificial arrangements where neighbors behave like informants rather than partners — because the alternative threatens their largest investment.

RELATED: Do you want Caesar? Because this is how you get Caesar

Blaze Media Illustration

This analysis is not about suburban frustration. The HOA reveals a far broader truth: Modern America replaced a high-trust society with a trustless system enforced by administrative power.

As cultural diversity rises, the ability of a population to form democratic consensus declines. Without shared standards, people cannot coordinate behavior through social pressure. To replicate the order once produced organically by culture, society must formalize more and more interactions under the judgment of third parties — courts, bureaucracies, and regulatory bodies. The state becomes the referee for disputes communities once handled themselves.

Litigiousness rises, contracts proliferate, and coercion replaces custom. The virtue of the people declines as they lose the skills required to maintain trust with their neighbors. Instead of resolving conflict directly, they appeal to ever-expanding authorities. No one learns how to build trust; they only learn how to report violations.

The HOA problem is not really about homeowners or housing costs. It is a window into how America reorganized itself. A nation once shaped by shared norms and informal enforcement now relies on legalistic frameworks to manage daily life. Americans sense the artificiality, but they see no alternative. They know something fundamental has changed. They know the culture that sustained high-trust communities no longer exists.

The HOA simply makes the loss unavoidable.

​Opinion & analysis, Civilization, Cities, Homeowners association, Homeownership, Private property, Property rights, Surveillance, Nosy neighbors, High-trust society, Trust, Social capital, Robert putnam, Bowling alone, Neighborhood, Dispute, Fines, Contract 

The Girlguiding organization of the U.K. announced reluctantly that it would no longer allow transgender-identifying boys from joining the organization, and many on the left are imploding.

The association is a part of the global Scout Movement that includes the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in the U.S.

‘This is yet another horrible act of violence against the most vulnerable trans people for which the government is ultimately responsible.’

In its statement posted on Tuesday, the group said that the decision was made after a Supreme Court decision related to sex and gender.

“From today, 2 December, it is with a heavy heart that we are announcing trans girls and young women will no longer be able to join Girlguiding,” the group said. “This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community.”

The organization serves about 300,000 girls in groups named Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, and Rangers.

“Girlguiding believes strongly in inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalized groups,” they added. “Over the next few months, we will explore opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us.”

Many on the left were outraged over the announcement.

“This is f**king horrific. The statement makes it clear that they don’t actually want to do this, but feel they have no choice given the current climate and the fact a legal challenge would take more resources than they have. Transphobia: harming children since forever,” said one account on the X platform.

“Enjoy living on the side of the far right, Nazis, and the worst misogynists in society … I’m sure history will look kindly on that,” he added in a second post.

“This just made me burst into tears. It’s pure cruelty,” replied another user, who identified as queer.

Tammy Hymas, the policy lead for the TransActual group, decried the decision.

“It’s awful that an organization, which would happily be inclusive and has been for many years, is being forced to exclude young trans girls by adults with bigotries and institutional power,” Hymas said. “There is no problem being solved here, only harm being done.”

RELATED: Girl Guides says it will stop calling members ‘brownies’ because ‘racialized’ girls are ‘harmed’

Hymas went on to call it an act of violence.

“This is yet another horrible act of violence against the most vulnerable trans people for which the government is ultimately responsible,” she added. “Another trauma that will leave a generation of young LGBTQ+ people scarred for life.”

“F**k @Girlguiding. I’m absolutely f**king fuming and absolute ashamed to be part of an organization which can make such exclusive and divisive decisions,” another user replied on social media.

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​Trans-identifying boys, Girlguiding organization, Transphobia meltdown, Liberals meltdown on x, Politics 

A northwest Washington state sheriff’s deputy spotted a black sports car taking over the intersection of 112th Street South and Pacific Avenue South doing donuts around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said. The intersection appears to be in Parkland, which is about 20 minutes south of Tacoma.

However, as the deputy approached the intersection, the vehicle took off, officials said.

Deputies knocked on the door of a residence, and a male answered and claimed his friend had dropped off the Corvette earlier and did not know anything about it, officials said.

The deputy attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle failed to stop, and the deputy was unable to catch up to it, officials said.

The deputy used his radio to share the vehicle’s direction of travel, and a sergeant picked up the pursuit — but lost sight of the car, officials said.

However, the sergeant later learned a black Corvette was listed as stolen and numerous other jurisdictions had similar encounters with the vehicle but were unable to catch it, officials said.

RELATED: Blaze News original: A dozen times vehicular street takeovers and ‘sideshows’ resulted in violence, injuries — even death

About an hour later, another deputy spotted a black Corvette in the area where police lost sight of it, officials said, adding that the Corvette matched the description of the vehicle that eluded deputies earlier.

Deputies soon learned the Corvette was stolen — and was the same vehicle they had been chasing, officials said.

Deputies knocked on the door of a residence, and a male answered and claimed his friend had dropped off the Corvette earlier and did not know anything about it, officials said.

But a bit more investigation revealed that the male being questioned had a social media account containing videos of him driving the stolen Corvette and doing donuts and other reckless driving crimes, officials said.

RELATED: Sheriff gives punks bad news about 88 cars towed and impounded after major street-takeover bust: ‘No need to keep calling’

Image source: Pierce County (Wa.) Sheriff’s Office bodycam video screenshot

Deputies arrested the 21-year-old suspect for eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, officials said, adding that the male also had warrants in another jurisdiction for reckless driving and unlawful exhibition of speed.

“It’s probably not a good idea to record yourself in a stolen vehicle doing donuts — and then post it to your social media,” Dep. Carly Cappetto wisely warned on the sheriff’s office clip.

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​Arrest, Crime solved, Donuts, Eluding, Obstruction of a law enforcement officer, Possession of a stolen vehicle, Reckless driving, Social media post, Stolen car, Street takeover, Unlawful exhibition of speed, Warrants, Washington state, Watch, Crime, Pierce county sheriff’s department 

The left is attempting to paint Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a war criminal — and it’s backfiring miserably.

Hegseth is being accused of ordering a second strike on 11 Tren de Aragua terrorists who were running a drug-trafficking boat, while the left is attempting to spin it into an evil, unthinkable act.

“Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all,” a Washington Post headline reads. The subhead follows, “As two men clung to a stricken, burning ship targeted by SEAL Team 6, the Joint Special Operations commander followed the defense secretary’s order to leave no survivors.”

“Am I supposed to feel bad for the drug runners? Am I supposed to feel bad for the narco-terrorists? I don’t feel bad for the narco-terrorists. Who I feel bad for are all of the families in this country who had to bury their loved ones due to the importation of these drugs from these narco-terrorists,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales comments.

“So, I don’t know, Washington Post, I don’t really feel bad for these two men clinging to a stricken burning ship targeted by SEAL Team 6,” she continues.

Now, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is claiming that what Hegseth allegedly did crossed a line that he should “never step over.”

“If what has been reported is accurate, I’ve got serious concerns about anybody in that chain of command stepping over a line that they should never step over,” Kelly said in a segment on CNN.

“This was the same guy who was just, like, last week telling the military to basically commit treason, telling the military to be insubordinate when it comes to the commander in chief and when it comes to orders that they are being given. So, it’s really, really rich,” Gonzales says.

But Kelly isn’t the only one who went after Hegseth, with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) telling ABC, “It’s very possible there was a war crime committed.”

“Of course, for it to be a war crime, you have to accept the Trump administration’s whole construct here, which is, we’re in armed conflict at war with this particular, with the drug gangs. Of course, they’ve never presented the public with the information they’ve got here. But it could be worse than that,” Van Hollen said.

“If that theory is wrong, then it’s plain murder. But even if you accept their legal theory, that it is a war crime. And so, I do believe that the secretary of defense should be held accountable for giving those kinds of orders,” he added.

“You’re going to be shocked to hear,” Gonzales comments, “that it turns out, all of this was total bulls**t because Pete Hegseth, according to the White House, was not even in charge when the second strike was ordered.”

“Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated,” she adds.

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​Camera phone, Free, Upload, Video phone, Video, Sharing, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Washington post, Pete hegseth, War crime, War criminal, Tren de aragua, September 2, President trump, The white house, Mark kelly, Chris van hollen 

The famous CEO and founder of MyPillow has filed to run for governor in Minnesota in what would be a challenge to current Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.

Mike Lindell told CBS News that he wasn’t “100% sure” that he was running yet and would make a more definite announcement in the next week.

‘We are doing our due diligence, and so far things are looking very good!’

Walz, who unsuccessfully ran for vice president in 2024, has already announced his intention to run for re-election for a third term.

Lindell has been outspoken in his support for President Donald Trump and has used his wealth and fame to promote the president’s policies. He had hinted at a possible run for governor and said he would campaign as a Republican.

“We are doing our due diligence, and so far things are looking very good!” he said earlier this year.

“I will certainly be adding securing our elections to my platform! We polled Minnesota, and ‘secure our elections’ was the #3 concern!” he continued.

Aside from his successful pillow company, Lindell is known for pushing the theory that electronic election machines rigged the 2020 election for then-candidate Joe Biden. He was later sued by Dominion Voting Systems for $1.3 billion in damages from the accusations, as well as by Smartmatic.

Lindell had been defiant when Dominion first made its legal threat.

“I want Dominion to put up their lawsuit because we have 100% evidence that China and other countries used their machines to steal the election,” he said at the time.

Lindell was ordered to pay $2.3 million to a former Dominion executive for damages stemming from accusations of election-fixing from the pillow entrepreneur.

The self-made multimillionaire has admitted to previously being addicted to crack before building his successful business.

He has also admitted to losing much of his wealth through spending to spread his theories about the election and also in court costs to defend himself against legal challenges.

RELATED: Mike Lindell says the FBI confiscated his cell phone at drive-thru of a Hardee’s

“I’m in ruins,” Lindell said in April during a legal hearing via Zoom where he was ordered to pay more than $53K to Smartmatic.

“I borrowed everything I can. Nobody will lend me any money anymore,” Lindell added. “I can’t turn back time … but I will tell you, I don’t have any money.”

Walz, meanwhile, has fallen in polling and is supported by the same percentage of voters as those who oppose him. The Democrat has also faced intense criticism for allegedly helping cover up massive fraud by Minnesotans, including many in the Somali community.

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​Mike lindell, Lindell for governor, Politics, Lindell vs walz, Tim walz 

The Democrat-controlled Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to ban the use of masks by federal officials, and the Justice Dept. responded immediately with a fiery statement.

All of the Democrats on the board voted 4-0 in favor of the ordinance on Tuesday, with the lone Republican member abstaining. A second vote on Dec. 9 is needed to pass it. If that happens, law enforcement officers will be required to wear visible identification and agency affiliation.

‘We will not expose our brave men and women to personal attacks by allowing agitators to dox them and their families through facial recognition tools.’

Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, responded immediately to the vote.

“Let me be very clear: the county has no jurisdiction over federal agents, and we will not comply with any state or local laws restricting federal law enforcement,” he posted in a statement on social media.

“Our agents are under unprecedented assault in Los Angeles, largely due to reckless narratives and rhetoric advanced by the media and local politicians,” he added. “We will not expose our brave men and women to personal attacks by allowing agitators to dox them and their families through facial recognition tools.”

In a statement about the vote, Supervisor Janice Hahn accused ICE of behaving like an “authoritarian secret police” force.

“This is how authoritarian secret police behaves — not legitimate law enforcement in a democracy,” Hahn said.

“ICE agents are violating our residents’ rights every day they are on our streets. These agents hide their faces. They refuse to wear badges,” she continued. “They pull people into unmarked vans at gunpoint and wonder why people resist arrest. We are declaring in no uncertain terms that in L.A. County, police do not hide their faces. That is our expectation, and this ordinance will now make it our law.”

RELATED: DHS slams Newsom over illegal alien accused in death of 11-year-old boy on Thanksgiving

If approved in the second vote, the mask ban will go into effect 30 days after that vote.

Hahn added that the board expects the Trump administration to challenge the ban in court, and it is prepared to take on the court battle.

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​Ice mask ban, La county board of supervisors, Illegal immigration, Ice vs california, Politics 

An exchange between Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and an attorney from a Democratic attorney general’s office has gone viral on social media.

The case involves a pro-life pregnancy center objecting to a subpoena from the New Jersey state attorney general’s office to provide a list of its donors. Thomas cornered a representative for the AG’s office in oral arguments about the justification for the legal targeting of the faith-based group.

Even Justice Elena Kagan, a liberal justice on the court, appeared to be sympathetic to the pro-life center’s plight.

Thomas zeroed in on the point that there had been no complaints from donors about the center, while Sundeep Iyer, the chief counsel to the New Jersey attorney general’s office, was defending the investigation into whether donors had been deceived.

“Did you have complaints that formed the basis of your concern about the fundraising activities here?” Thomas asked.

“We certainly had complaints about crisis pregnancy centers,” Iyer responded.

“No, about this crisis pregnancy center,” Thomas interrupted.

“So, I think we’ve been clear from the outset that we haven’t had complaints about this specific —” Iver replied.

“So you had no basis to think that they were deceiving any of their contributors?” Thomas interrupted again.

“I don’t think that’s correct, Your Honor,” Iyer stammered.

“I think we had carefully canvassed all of the public information that is provided on the website of First Choice in making a determination that we wanted to initiate an investigation,” he continued.

“But you had no factual basis,” Thomas asserted.

“I don’t think that’s true, Your Honor. I think, for example, you could take a look at a comparison between the donation page of First Choice that we have carved out, from the very beginning —” Iyer said.

“But you had no complaints?” Thomas asked.

“We had no complaints, but the state governments [and] federal government initiate investigations all the time in the absence of complaints, where they have a reason to suspect that there could be potential issues of legal compliance,” Iyer responded.

“Well, that just seems to be a burdensome way to find out whether someone has a confusing website,” Thomas asserted.

Iyer went on to argue that the existence of complaints would be material to the merits of the case, but not to whether the state officials had standing for the subpoena.

Audio of the exchange was posted to social media, where it went viral.

The Supreme Court is considering whether the state court must enforce the subpoena against First Choice Women’s Resource Centers before the faith-based pregnancy center can challenge it in federal court.

RELATED: Leftist war on pro-life pregnancy centers faces Supreme Court reckoning

The center argues that the subpoena violates its First Amendment right to free speech as well as the right to free association.

Even Justice Elena Kagan, a liberal justice on the court, appeared to be sympathetic to the pro-life center’s plight.

“An ordinary person, one of the funders of this organization or any similar organization, presented with this subpoena and then told, ‘But don’t worry, it has to be stamped by a court,’ is not going to take that as very reassuring,” she said during the case.

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The horseshoe theory may have been on full display after the supreme leader of Iran made a surprisingly feminist statement on social media.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei often ponders philosophical and political topics on his X page, most recently critiquing the role of women in Western society. In a string of posts on Wednesday, Khamenei insisted that Islam treats women better than other Western faiths and societies, and even resurrected a 2010s feminist talking point that has long been debunked.

‘Women’s wages are lower than men’s for the same work.’

“Islam’s view of women is the opposite of the Western capitalist view,” Khamenei said in a post on X. “In Islam, she possesses her independence, her capacity to act & to progress, her identity; in the West, her dignity is not respected, and she is treated as an object in the service of material interests.”

There is certainly room to criticize women’s role in Western societies, especially in the post-modern era. However, Khamenei conveniently omits the practical application of Sharia law in countries like Iran that tolerate child marriages and require women to hide behind hijabs.

RELATED: Trump to ‘permanently pause’ migration from third-world backwaters in wake of National Guard member’s grisly murder

Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images

In an even more surprising take, Iran’s supreme leader insisted that the gender wage gap was an oppressive reality that Western women have to endure, despite it being both disproven and outlawed altogether.

“Today, in many Western countries, women’s wages are lower than men’s for the same work,” Khamenei said in a post on X. “Today, that’s how it is. It’s a blatant injustice.”

RELATED: How Sharia law violates everything the founding fathers built

Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

While criticizing the West, the ayatollah omitted the real, dramatic gender disparities in Iran’s workforce.

In Iran, less than 14% of women participate in the workforce, compared to 67% of men. Additionally, a husband can prevent a wife from working at all if he believes it to be “with the family interests or the dignity of himself or his wife.”

Iran’s law also forbids women from being employed in “dangerous, arduous, or harmful work,” with massive underrepresentation in higher professions like parliament. Women are barred from positions like supreme leader, and they cannot be appointed to judicial roles.

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BlazeTV host Christopher Rufo and his co-author have broken a story on the rampant fraud within Minnesota’s social services system — and now even the New York Times is reporting on what has gone down on the governor’s watch.

“This is fascinating,” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere says. “Why would they be doing this? … Why would Tim Walz be the target of an actual investigation by the New York Times?”

In the New York Times article, titled, “How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch,” the outlet writes, “Over the last five years, law enforcement officials say, fraud took root in the pockets of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora as scores of individuals made small fortunes by setting up companies that billed state agencies for millions of dollars’ worth of social services that were never provided.”

“These are the types of things that we always tell you are going to happen when they set these programs up. They always do happen, and no one cares,” Burguiere says.

“Federal prosecutors say that 59 people have been convicted in those schemes so far, and that more than $1 billion in taxpayers’ money has been stolen in three plots they are investigating. That is more than Minnesota spends annually to run its Department of Corrections,” the article reports.

Burguiere isn’t surprised in the slightest.

“It’s weird — when you just give away a bunch of free money, a lot of people who want free money show up. That happens all the time. It’s what we say about the border. It’s what we say about all sorts of different communities that are able to access this cash,” he says.

And according to the Minnesota Staff Fraud Reporting Commentary, Walz was aware of the fraud well before he began taking action to stop it.

“Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud but no, we got the opposite response. Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports,” the account wrote in a post on X.

And according to the White House, the Trump administration is now “terminating Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, indefinitely halting migration from third-world countries, re-examining green cards for every alien from every country of concern, pausing all asylum decisions, and more.”

“I’m sure there are many wonderful examples that escaped a civil war and have done great things,” Burguiere comments regarding Somali citizens. “That being said, a lot of these people are not examples of that situation, and we need to do something about that, not ignore it because we feel bad to call people names because we’re worried they might think we’re racists.”

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The Department of Homeland Security is blasting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) after an illegal alien was charged in the death of an 11-year-old boy on Thanksgiving.

Hector Balderas-Aheelor ran over Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz when the boy left his Escondido home to retrieve a soccer ball on Thanksgiving eve, according to police. The boy died the next day, on Thanksgiving morning.

‘We do give thanks that he is up above with our heavenly father.’

Officials said Balderas-Aheelor did not stop and sped away from the scene. He was later apprehended and arrested for the alleged hit-and-run.

The 44-year-old Mexican national had been deported three times in 2004 and a fourth time in 2010, according to a DHS press release.

In a post from the agency on social media Wednesday, the agency accused Newsom of refusing to honor the immigration detainer on the man.

“Governor Newsom is REFUSING to honor the ICE detainer for an illegal alien who killed an 11-year-old boy,” read the statement in part.

“When will Governor Newsom stop releasing criminals into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk?”

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin added that the state’s “sanctuary laws threaten to put this killer back onto California’s streets.”

Newsom’s office responded with a brief statement.

“The federal government admits a failure to apprehend the suspect when he unlawfully entered the U.S., but California law does not prevent them from acting now,” said a spokesperson.

RELATED: Illegal immigrant community shocked by ICE nabbing popular figure for deportation

Balderas-Aheelor was charged with felony hit-and-run causing death or injury.

“Sanctuary policies, like those backed by Gov. Newsom, put Californians in danger every day,” replied Rep. Ken Calvert of California on social media. “We must make the safety of California families our top priority.”

Irene Gonzalez, a friend of the child’s family, spoke to KNSD-TV.

“We’re not celebrating Thanksgiving like we should be,” she said.

“We do give thanks that Aiden is no longer in pain. … We do give thanks that he is now up above with our heavenly father.”

Escondido is a suburb of San Diego.

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The Trump administration is continuing its deportation operations in more cities. Now the Department of Homeland Security is launching another operation in a Southern sanctuary city.

The DHS confirmed in a Wednesday press release that it is surging resources for increased deportations in New Orleans, Louisiana.

‘It is asinine that these monsters were released back onto New Orleans streets to COMMIT MORE CRIMES and create more victims.’

The project, dubbed Operation Catahoula Crunch, is targeting criminal illegal aliens who have been allowed to “roam free thanks to sanctuary policies that force local authorities to ignore U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest detainers,” according to the DHS.

“It is asinine that these monsters were released back onto New Orleans streets to COMMIT MORE CRIMES and create more victims. Catahoula Crunch targets include violent criminals who were released after arrest for home invasion, armed robbery, grand theft auto, and rape. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are restoring law and order for the American people,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

RELATED: ‘So dumb it hurts my soul’: DHS brutally fact-checks viral ‘new data’ from Cato Institute

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

The press release included mugshots of some of the “worst of the worst” criminals targeted in the operation. The listed criminals are from Honduras, Vietnam, Jordan, Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the commencement of the operation Wednesday morning: “The men and women of DHS law enforcement have landed in The Big Easy. Operation Catahoula Crunch will remove the worst of the worst from New Orleans, Louisiana, after the city’s sanctuary politicians have ignored the rule of law.”

“LAW AND ORDER WILL PREVAIL,” she added.

Border Patrol commander of operations Gregory Bovino, who has been at the head of many of the widely publicized deportation operations across the country, signaled that the new operation was off to a good start: “We are here arresting criminals who should not be here. The state, local and federal law enforcement partners in Louisiana are excellent partners!!”

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The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to ensure that their shredded cheese products are not contaminated with metal fragments.

According to an FDA enforcement report, Ohio-based Great Lakes Cheese Co. — which touts itself as “an award-winning, premier manufacturer and packager of natural and processed bulk, shredded, and sliced cheeses” — initiated a recall on Oct. 3.

‘Wrap it securely before putting it in the trash.’

On Dec. 1, the FDA classified the recall as Class II, which describes “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

There are three classes of recall. A Class II designation is the second-most serious. The most serious, Class I, concerns situations when there is a reasonable probability that the use or exposure to a problematic product will cause adverse health consequences or death.

While Great Lake Cheese Co. made the potentially contaminated shredded cheeses, they were sold by various brands including Always Save, Borden, Brookshire’s, Econo, Food Club, Happy Farms, Laura Lynn, Publix, Simply Go, Stater Bros. Markets, and Sunnyside Farms.

The bulk of the recalled cheeses were low-moisture part-skim shredded mozzarella — 235,789 cases — but a number of Italian-style and pizza-style shredded cheese blends, such as Simply Go Italian Style Six Cheese Blend, have also been recalled.

The cheeses are customarily sold at big stores such as Aldi, Target, and Walmart.

RELATED: MAHA movement WINS: PepsiCo releases NEW Cheetos and Doritos alternatives amid RFK Jr.’s health crusade

Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The recalled cheese was distributed to Puerto Rico and the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Great Lakes Cheese Co. did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

The FDA notes on its website that consumers who suspect that they have a recalled food in their possession can generally return the items to the store where they were purchased for a full refund. The agency urges consumers not to give the potentially contaminated product to others such as a food bank or a pet and noted that if chucking the recalled product, consumers should “wrap it securely before putting it in the trash.”

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As deportation operations continue to clean up sanctuary cities across the country, the Department of Homeland Security is focusing on another hub of problematic immigration: the Minneapolis-St. Paul region of Minnesota.

The Washington Examiner reported that Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s border czar, hinted at an immigration enforcement surge there as soon as this week.

‘Focus is on those Twin Cities more because of the criminal activities there that’ve been uncovered by DOJ and DHS.’

In a Fox News appearance on Tuesday, Homan suggested that plans were already in the works to increase resources in the Twin Cities in particular.

“I can tell you, the focus is there. It’s coming, but I don’t want to give a lot. I can’t tell you how many people are on the ground now, and how many people are going to be on the ground. I’ll leave that to the secretary of homeland security, but focus is on those Twin Cities more because of the criminal activities there that’ve been uncovered by DOJ and DHS,” Homan said in the interview.

RELATED: It’s not ‘racist’ to notice Somali fraud

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Citing an anonymous source familiar with the operations, the New York Times reported that the operation will target Somalis with final deportation orders in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.

Roughly 100 ICE agents have been called in for the operation, according to NYT.

This surge in law enforcement comes as the federal government expands its investigations into massive COVID-era fraud schemes. Over 75 indictments have already been issued, and Governor Tim Walz has been accused of obstruction in the case.

“Today, I have ordered an investigation into the network of Somali organizations and executives implicated in these schemes,” Small Business Administration administrator Kelly Loeffler said on Tuesday in an X post. “Despite Governor Walz’s best efforts to obstruct, SBA continues to work to expose abuse and hold perpetrators accountable, full stop.”

In his now-infamous Thanksgiving Truth Social post, President Donald Trump highlighted the plethora of problems the state of Minnesota is facing in connection with the Somali community.

“Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota. Somalian gangs are roving the streets looking for ‘prey’ as our wonderful people stay locked in their apartments and houses hoping against hope that they will be left alone,” he said.

Trump singled out Walz and Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar:

The seriously retarded Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both, while the worst ‘Congressman/woman’ in our Country, Ilhan Omar, always wrapped in her swaddling hijab, and who probably came into the U.S.A. illegally in that you are not allowed to marry your brother, does nothing but hatefully complain about our Country, its Constitution, and how “badly” she is treated.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin stated, “What makes someone a target of ICE is not their race or ethnicity, but the fact that they are in the country illegally.”

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Just days ago, Jack Posobiec predicted future government leaks to damage President Trump were incoming — and not 24 hours after his prediction, it was proven right.

“When the first impeachment of President Trump happened in 2019, it was regarding leaks from a phone call, believe it or not, with Ukraine and the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” Posobiec told BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler on “The Liz Wheeler Show.”

“So in that case, you had Alexander Binman, who was an Army officer. You had the CIA officer Eric Ciaramella that was detailed to President Trump’s White House and the National Security Council. I’ve said that I think what they’re trying to do is gin this up again. They’re trying to get someone … to start leaking classified information, national security information,” he continued, adding, “Like, oh, I don’t know, the current peace negotiations between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia.”

The plan, Posobiec told Wheeler, would be to get “another impeachment of President Trump.”

“And if the Democrats are able to be victorious in taking back the House, many people think that’s a possibility for 2026, then this will be something that they have on the shelf ready to go day one,” he explained.

“I think that there’s a plot afoot, I absolutely think that it’s a color revolution designed to overthrow the sitting commander in chief, the president of the United States,” he added.

Wheeler is astounded by how quickly Posobiec was proven correct.

“Less than 24 hours after that aired … Jack’s prediction came true. We were greeted this morning with a leak, a leak of a classified phone call, or I would assume it was classified, a transcript of a phone call between Vladimir Putin’s senior foreign policy adviser and Steve Witkoff, who is President Trump’s special envoy,” Wheeler explains.

“This phone call between Witkoff and Putin’s senior foreign policy adviser is being presented in exactly the same way as that phone call between President Trump and Zelenskyy was presented all those years ago,” she continues.

Now the left is “framing this as some kind of great scandal.”

“They’re saying President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has advised the Russian government, has given advice to Vladimir Putin, on how to coerce Trump into agreeing to a certain peace plan,” Wheeler explains, pointing out that “there was nothing remotely scandalous about anything that was said in that call.”

“The scandal, of course, is that this call was leaked to Bloomberg and that this was released publicly. That is a bad faith move by a bad actor, and we should figure out who leaked that to Bloomberg because it will be detrimental to actually creating a peace deal,” she says.

“President Trump is not only a good negotiator, he’s a good negotiator because he negotiates at a very high level, but he uses very basic negotiation techniques and tactics. One of the most effective negotiation tactics, when you have something that you want the other party to agree to, is to make the other party think that your idea is their idea,” she continues.

“That is what you’re seeing play out with Steve Witkoff,” she adds.

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A New Jersey police officer has lost her law enforcement career in the state following a home invasion, physical attack, and threats to burn down a former lover’s residence.

Rebecca Sayegh, 32 — formerly with the Toms River Police Department — pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal mischief, and simple assault on Nov. 17.

‘I’m going to f**king burn your house down next, you piece of s**t.’

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced in a statement that his office wants Sayegh to serve 180 days in jail when she’s sentenced on Jan. 26. As part of her probation, prosecutors also want her to have no contact with the victims and to pay restitution.

Sayegh — who had been suspended without pay since her April arrest — was required to forfeit her position with the police department effective Nov. 17; she’s also barred from any future employment with the state of New Jersey, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Sayegh’s guilty plea stems from a violent home invasion of her ex-boyfriend’s home in Berkeley Township.

As Blaze News previously reported, Sayegh used her baton to smash through the front door of her ex-boyfriend’s home around 11:20 p.m. on April 25.

But the violent incident didn’t stop there.

Sayegh — who was off-duty at the time — engaged in a verbal confrontation with her former lover and his new girlfriend that quickly escalated into a physical attack, according to court documents NJ.com obtained.

Citing Assistant Prosecutor Isabella Young, NJ.com reported that the girlfriend suffered swelling to the eye when Sayegh poked her with her fingernail.

The couple was able to restrain Sayegh before she “broke free” and smashed items in the house and knocked photos off a wall, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Billhimer said Sayegh damaged the hood of a vehicle belonging to one of the victims that was parked in the home’s driveway.

The New York Post reported, “As Sayegh continued on her chaotic rampage, the new girlfriend retreated into the backyard, where she called 911.”

The prosecutor’s office stated: “Sayegh was taken into custody at the scene — after having resisted efforts to peacefully place her under arrest.”

Citing police bodycam video, the Daily Mail reported that Sayegh appeared to tell her ex-boyfriend: “I’m going to f**king burn your house down next, you piece of s**t.”

Sayegh caused $2,000 in damage to the house and another $500 to a vehicle, Young said.

RELATED: California police union executive director ran international fentanyl operation, used office to distribute drugs: Feds

Just months before the violent home invasion, Sayegh sued the Toms River Police Department, alleging sexual harassment, being passed over for promotions due to her gender, and a “boys club” culture.

Sayegh’s lawsuit alleges that she “has been victimized by a campaign of disparaging, degrading, harassing, and discriminatory conduct by defendants and the de facto ‘boys club’ culture cultivated and maintained in the department,” the Asbury Park Press reported.

The October 2024 suit also claims that fellow officers “spread false and defamatory rumors throughout the department that [the] plaintiff was sleeping with various male co-workers, commented on [the] plaintiff’s appearance, and insinuated that [the] plaintiff could not complete the responsibilities of her position simply because she is a woman.”

The defendants’ attorneys have described the lawsuit as “frivolous and without legal basis” and “baseless and/or meritless.”

Sayegh — who joined the department in 2017 — claimed that her former captain, Shaun O’Keefe, “shamelessly” pursued a sexual relationship with her.

Sayegh’s lawsuit alleges that O’Keefe followed her into the women’s restroom, took out his penis, and told her to perform oral sex on him during a Toms River Police Foundation event at the Bey Lea Golf Course in June 2022.

O’Keefe retired from the police department in 2021.

In April 2025, Superior Court Judge Robert E. Brenner dismissed the claims against O’Keefe without prejudice, ruling that the lawsuit was filed after the two-year statute of limitations had expired, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Sayegh’s lawsuit against the police department is still pending, according to the Daily Mail.

Sayegh previously had been commended and received an award for her “bravery” after rescuing a woman and her pets from a Toms River house fire in January 2021.

“Officer Sayegh went to the front door and made entry, locating Ms. Nicolo and her pets. Officer Sayegh was able to escort Ms. Nicolo and her pets across the street to safety. Officer Sayegh is commended for her swift action, bravery, and lifesaving actions,” the department stated.

The Toms River Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ requests for comment.

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United States Attorney General Pam Bondi was asked by a group of conservatives to defend intellectual property and copyright laws against artificial intelligence.

A letter was directed to Bondi, as well as the the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Michael Kratsios, from a group of self-described conservative and America First advocates including former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, journalist Jack Posobiec, and members of nationalist and populist organizations like the Bull Moose Project and Citizens for Renewing America.

‘It is absurd to suggest that licensing copyrighted content is a financial hindrance to a $20 trillion industry.’

The letter primarily focused on the economic impact of unfettered use of IP by imaginative and generative AI programs, which are consistently churning out parody videos to mass audiences.

“Core copyright industries account for over $2 trillion in U.S. GDP, 11.6 million workers, and an average annual wage of over $140,000 per year — far above the average American wage,” the letter argued. That argument also extended to revenue generated overseas, where copyright holders sell over an alleged $270 billion worth of content.

This is in conjunction with massive losses already coming through IP theft and copyright infringement, an estimated total of up to $600 billion annually, according to the FBI.

“Granting U.S. AI companies a blanket license to steal would bless our adversaries to do the same — and undermine decades of work to combat China’s economic warfare,” the letter claimed.

RELATED: ‘Transhumanist goals’: Sen. Josh Hawley reveals shocking statistic about LLM data scraping

Letters to the administration debating the economic impact of AI are increasing. The Chamber of Progress wrote to Kratsios in October, stating that in more than 50 pending federal cases, many are accused of direct and indirect copyright infringement based on the “automated large-scale acquisition of unlicensed training data from the internet.”

The letter cited the president on “winning the AI race,” quoting remarks from July in which he said, “When a person reads a book or an article, you’ve gained great knowledge. That does not mean that you’re violating copyright laws.”

The conservative letter aggressively countered the idea that AI boosts valuable knowledge without abusing intellectual property, however, claiming that large corporations such as NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Google, and more are well equipped to follow proper copyright rules.

“It is absurd to suggest that licensing copyrighted content is a financial hindrance to a $20 trillion industry spending hundreds of billions of dollars per year,” the letter read. “AI companies enjoy virtually unlimited access to financing. In a free market, businesses pay for the inputs they need.”

The conservative group further noted examples of IP theft across the web, including unlicensed productions of “SpongeBob Squarepants” and Pokemon. These include materials showcasing the beloved SpongeBob as a Nazi or Pokemon’s Pikachu committing crimes.

IP will also soon be under threat from erotic content, the letter added, citing ChatGPT’s recent announcement that it would start to “treat adult users like adults.”

RELATED: Silicon Valley’s new gold rush is built on stolen work

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The letter argued further that degrading American IP rights would enable China to run amok under “the same dubious ‘fair use’ theories” used by the Chinese to steal content and use proprietary U.S. AI models and algorithms.

AI developers, the writers insisted, should focus on applications with broad-based benefits, such as leveraging data like satellite imagery and weather reports, instead of “churning out AI slop meant to addict young users and sell their attention to advertisers.”

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The New Jersey attorney general’s office confirmed to Blaze News that it has launched an investigation into the NJ Sharing Network, an organ procurement organization, after nearly a dozen whistleblowers accused the group of numerous offenses, including allegedly covering up an attempted organ recovery from a patient who showed signs of life.

The NJ Sharing Network, a tax-exempt organization, was also accused of fraudulently billing Medicare, skipping hundreds of patients on the wait list, harvesting organs without appropriate consent, operating a fraudulent taxpayer-funded research program, and creating a culture of fear and retaliation.

‘The only way patients will be protected is when law enforcement gets involved and prosecutes criminal activity.’

The House Committee on Ways and Means held an Oversight Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday with some whistleblowers who have reported concerning patterns among the nation’s OPOs.

“I think a lot of the problem is that we are not providing the family with updates on actual neurological function and just those kinds of problems where we’re using medications to chemically sedate and paralyze patients,” Nyckoletta Martin, a former OPO employee, told lawmakers on Tuesday. “We’re never really giving patients a chance.”

Jennifer Erickson, a senior fellow for organ donation policy with the Federation of American Scientists, described the “chilling” accusations against the NJ Sharing Network as “not only extreme abuse of public trust, but also potential violations of law.”

“A patient who’d been declared deceased reanimated, and according to information obtained by this committee, the CEO told staff on site they should proceed with recovery,” she continued. “Several whistleblowers alleged documentation regarding the case was deleted or otherwise manipulated.”

Erickson urged the committee to continue its investigation into the NJ Sharing Network and contended that the organization should be decertified.

RELATED: Organ group wanted to harvest from patient showing signs of life — then tried to cover it up, whistleblowers claim

Leon Neal/AFP via Getty Images

On November 19, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) sent a letter to the NJ Sharing Network, demanding documents and over 30 transcribed interviews with staff to investigate whistleblowers’ claims further.

The committee copied the New Jersey attorney general on that letter.

When reached for comment, the AG’s office confirmed to Blaze News that it was looking into the allegations.

“Our office is aware of the allegations of potential misconduct involving New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network discussed in correspondence from the U.S. House of Representatives,” a spokesperson stated. “We are investigating these allegations and are committed to ensuring that the organ donation system functions appropriately and for the purpose for which it was intended. We ask anyone with information to contact the Division of Criminal Justice at 609-376-2330.”

RELATED: ‘Donor may still be alive’: How organ donation groups allegedly exploit grieving families to cash in on billions

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Greg Segal, the founder and CEO of Organize, reacted to the AG’s office announcement.

“After 15 years of organ donation advocacy, I have come to believe that the only way patients will be protected is when law enforcement gets involved and prosecutes criminal activity,” Segal told Blaze News. “I am deeply grateful for the New Jersey attorney general. It is time to take out the trash.”

The NJ Sharing Network did not respond to a request for comment.

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