Category: blaze media

Yesterday, a Paris court convicted 10 citizens of “cyberbullying” French first lady Brigitte Macron over rumors regarding her gender.

After French President Emmanuel Macron’s election in 2017, rumors started swirling among fringe circles that his wife, Brigitte, was actually a biological male. But it wasn’t until 2021, right before Macron’s re-election, that it exploded on an international scale after Natacha Rey, an independent journalist, claimed she had copious evidence proving the first lady was a biological male secretly living as transgender.

Since its initial explosion in 2021, the rumor has only continued to gain massive traction internationally, fueling podcasts, docuseries, and social media content.

The Macrons have been quick to strike back. In July 2025, they filed a high-profile defamation lawsuit in the U.S. against conservative podcaster Candace Owens for her viral series “Becoming Brigitte,” which promoted the claim that Brigitte was born a male. The case is ongoing.

However, the Macrons’ lawsuit in France concluded yesterday with convictions and sentences for 10 defendants.

All 10 were accused of posting or reposting malicious, degrading comments online falsely claiming Brigitte Macron is transgender. While most defended their actions as satire or free speech, the court ruled they acted with intent to harm.

When BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere heard the story, his first reaction was that he’s glad he lives in America.

“At times, we get upset with America, OK? You know, lines are long. … Maybe you get the wrong order. Maybe they don’t put the extra cheese sauce at Taco Bell that you ordered. … But we do have a First Amendment at least that would protect us against that sort of nonsense, where the first lady of a country can sue you because you called her names,” he laughs.

To hear more about the case, watch the video below.

Want more from Stu?

To enjoy more of Stu’s lethal wit, wisdom, and mockery, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Stu does america, Stu burguiere, Blazetv, Blaze media, Emmanuel macron, France, Paris, Brigitte macron, Brigitte macron man, Brigitte macron transgender 

A Maine city council has voted to launch an investigation into a newly sworn-in member amid criminal charges and allegations that he provided a false home address.

On Monday, the Lewiston City Council swore in Iman Osman, 36, and, on the same day, voted to initiate an investigation into him.

‘Stepping down would be the right thing to do.’

Osman, a Somali refugee, was slapped with gun-theft charges in early December after he was accused of receiving, retaining, or disposing of a firearm or explosive device, knowing or believing it had been stolen from an individual’s estate. He was also accused of committing theft by obtaining or exercising unauthorized control of a firearm or explosive device that belonged to a second individual’s estate. The charges relate to two separate incidents that occurred between November 2023 and October 2024.

The Maine Wire reported that Osman also falsely listed a condemned mixed-use building owned by his brother as his residence to secure a mayoral appointment to the Lewiston School Committee and later run for Lewiston City Council’s Ward 5. The property has reportedly been condemned since October 2024 because of a chemical “used as a deterrent for humans in the recent drug raid,” among other issues, according to WMTW.

Critics have argued that Osman does not reside in the ward he was elected to represent and is therefore ineligible to serve.

Mayor Carl Sheline previously nominated Osman to the Lewiston School Committee to fill a vacancy. The city council unanimously appointed him on December 17, 2024, and he completed his term in mid-December 2025.

RELATED: Tim Walz’s nightmare continues as HHS shuts off $185M to Minnesota amid allegedly ‘fake’ Somali day care centers

Image source: Lewiston City Council YouTube screenshot

Since Osman’s criminal indictments have come to light, Sheline has called on Osman to resign from public office.

“While he is entitled to the presumption of innocence, the judicial process will be lengthy and this matter has become an unwelcome distraction from the essential business of governing. Stepping down would be the right thing to do,” Sheline stated.

After winning the city council election in November, Osman was sworn in to the new position during a Monday council meeting, but was immediately met with a vote to open an independent investigation into his residency. Council members voted 6-1 to open the probe, with Osman casting the only dissenting vote.

RELATED: Senate bill would give nearly $6 billion to refugee programs despite record-low intake numbers

Council President David Chittim. Image source: Lewiston City Council YouTube screenshot

Jon Fetherston, a Maine Wire reporter, stated that it is “obvious” Osman is lying about his residency. He expressed concern that the address listed by the council member was linked to a federal drug bust, and he noted that Osman has a court appearance scheduled for Wednesday regarding the gun-theft charges.

“On the very first night of him being sworn in as a city councilor, Mr. Osman took the oath of office and swore to defend the Constitution, yet he then voted on the matter of whether the council should investigate his own residency instead of recusing himself, casting a ‘no’ vote,” Fetherston told Blaze News. “In my almost 40 years of elected office and/or reporting, I have never seen a bigger blow to democracy and disrespect of the election process than what has occurred with Iman Osman and how ‘leadership’ in Lewiston has handled this situation.”

Kiernan Majerus-Collins, Osman’s attorney, stated that his client denies guilt concerning the criminal charges against him, WMTW reported.

“It’s disappointing that the city has decided to continue to drag this out, continue to expend time and money, continue to create unnecessary controversy and impede his ability to do the job that he was elected to do,” Majerus-Collins said.

Councilor President David Chittim explained that the council will determine whether to hold a hearing concerning Osman’s position on the council after it receives the investigative report, which he expects will be completed this month.

“I would like to put this whole issue behind the city of Lewiston, behind the city council,” he said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, Maine, Lewiston city council, Lewiston maine, Lewiston school committee, Carl sheline, Iman osman, Politics 

A wave of online outrage has led Hilton Hotels to cut off an independently owned hotel location in Minnesota that was refusing to allow federal immigration agents to book rooms.

The Department of Homeland Security called out the famous hotel chain in a social media post on Monday, claiming that federal agents were denied service at the Hampton Inn by Hilton in the Minneapolis suburb of Lakeville.

‘A recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values. As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems.’

“[Hilton Hotels] has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement,” the agency said in a statement. “When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations. This is UNACCEPTABLE.”

Hilton was immediately lambasted by many who threatened to cancel their reservations over the alleged incident.

Very soon afterward, an investigation from the company led to an initial apology from the offending hotel.

“Everpeak Hospitality has moved swiftly to address this matter as it was inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all,” the statement reads. “We are in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated.”

The controversy dragged on into Tuesday, however, when evidence on social media showed that the hotel location continued refusing service to ICE.

Hilton responded with a definitive action against the Lakeville hotel.

“The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this,” reads a statement on social media.

RELATED: Anti-ICE activists hold Home Depot operations hostage with disruptive ice-scraper stunt

“A recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values. As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems,” the company said. “Hilton is — and has always been — a welcoming place for all. We are also engaging with all of our franchisees to reinforce the standards we hold them to across our system to help ensure this does not happen again.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem previously said the agency was sending an influx of agents to investigate fraud schemes in Minneapolis. Critics of the action have said the administration’s rhetoric has led to hate speech against people in the Somali community who had nothing to do with the scams.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Hilton cuts chain, Hilton hotel ice controversy, Hotel vs ice, Minneapolis ice surge, Politics 

The United States has long been an outlier among first-world nations in terms of how many vaccines it pushes on its children, recommending that kids receive more than twice as many doses as generally given their European counterparts.

In a decision that has some medical establishmentarians fuming, the Trump administration has greatly reduced the number of vaccines recommended for American children, leaving the decision on the remainder up to families and their doctors.

‘We are aligning the US childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus.’

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. noted that “after an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”

The agency has reduced its list of vaccination recommendations for all children to jabs for the following 11 diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal conjugate, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, human papillomavirus, and chickenpox.

Here is the new childhood immunization schedule for all children:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The agency now recommends on an individual basis: RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal B, meningococcal ACWY, and dengue vaccines for “high-risk groups” and rotavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines.

RELATED: Left melts down after learning babies aren’t at risk of hedonistic needle parties and don’t need hep B shot

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The CDC’s child and adolescent immunization schedule previously recommended all American children receive one or more vaccine doses for the following diseases:

Respiratory syncytial virus; Influenza;Hepatitis A;Hepatitis B; Rotavirus; Measles;Mumps;Rubella;Diphtheria; Tetanus; Pertussis (whooping cough);Polio; Haemophilius influenzae type B; Pneumococcal disease;Human papillomavirus;Varicella (chickenpox); andMeningococcal disease.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Robert f. kennedy jr., Kennedy, Maha, Hhs, Cdc, Centers for disease control and prevention, Vaccination, Vaccine, Jab, Politics 

Yet another “ding–dong ditch” prank has gone wrong — this time over the weekend in North Carolina.

The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were conducting a traffic stop on Taylorsville Highway when they heard multiple gunshots coming from a nearby neighborhood around 11:20 p.m. Saturday.

‘So what are these kids going to be charged with??’

Within two minutes, deputies were in the area of Absher Farm Loop to locate the origin of the gunfire, officials said.

While responding, Iredell County Emergency Communications received a 911 call reporting a person with a gunshot wound on Castle Pines Drive, located within the same neighborhood, officials said.

Arriving deputies located an unoccupied vehicle stopped in the road with its passenger doors open, broken glass on the ground, and apparent bullet holes in the vehicle, officials said.

Deputies found a group of juveniles in a nearby field, one of whom was on the ground with a gunshot wound to the leg, officials said.

Iredell County EMS responded to the scene and took the wounded juvenile to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital for emergency medical treatment, officials said.

Deputies learned the juveniles were traveling through the neighborhood when an unknown person fired a gun at their vehicle, officials said, adding that one round entered the vehicle and struck the victim in the leg.

During the investigation, an individual approached deputies and identified himself as the shooter, officials said.

RELATED: Male, 30, shoots 14 rounds at teens playing ‘ding-dong-ditch’ prank — and wounds 1, police say

Image source: Iredell County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Office

Craig Steven Mason told investigators loud noises coming from a neighboring residence awakened him, after which he retrieved a handgun, went outside to investigate, saw a vehicle driving through the neighborhood with no headlights on, and fired multiple rounds toward the vehicle as it passed. Officials said the vehicle was struck four times, with one round striking the juvenile passenger.

Detectives also determined the juveniles were in the neighborhood engaging in a prank commonly referred to as “ding-dong ditch,” involving ringing doorbells and knocking on doors before running away, officials said.

Detectives determined the juvenile victims had not approached Mason’s residence, only nearby homes, officials added.

Detectives obtained arrest warrants for Mason on the following charges, officials said: felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, four counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, and felony discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle causing serious bodily injury.

Mason was arrested Monday and issued no bond, officials said, adding that bond will be determined upon his appearance before a District Court Judge.

The wounded juvenile remained hospitalized as of Monday and was receiving medical treatment, officials said, adding that as the investigation continues, additional charges may be forthcoming.

Legal experts told the Charlotte Observer that ding-dong ditch participants also can face charges ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.

The Facebook post from the sheriff’s office has attracted hundreds of comments, and many are critical of the homeowner:

“A gun comes with responsibility,” one commenter stated. “Can’t have one without the other.””Maybe the kids were in the wrong, but at least they weren’t doing drugs or drinking. Just having some fun,” another user wrote. “Apparently this gentleman did not bother to study gun regulations and rules. Unfortunately for him he is in serious trouble. If you plan to own a firearm please understand the rules and regulations pertaining to self defense. These guys could have been leaving a friends house and just had not cut their lights on and had nothing to do with knocking on the door. Be smart and safe out there.””I hate ding-dong-ditch, but that man had no business firing at the car like that,” another commenter declared. “Totally irresponsible.””Yeah, this was not an act of defense,” another user said. “This was an act from annoyance.”

Others directed their criticisms elsewhere:

“Parents, explain to your kids that the days of jerking people around with their pranks are over,” another commenter said. “People are armed and might not be clear on what the rules of engagement are. Take the time to explain the dangers when you might not know who’s going to respond and how they might respond. Simple fix.””I guess they ding donged and found the F out,” another user wrote.”I think the teenagers got exactly what they deserved,” another commenter stated. “Maybe next time they’ll think before doing something stupid.””So what are these kids going to be charged with??” another user asked.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Shooting, North carolina, Iredell county sheriff’s office, Arrest, Ding dong ditch, Juveniles, Felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, Felony assault with a deadly weapon, Felony discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle causing serious bodily injury, No bond, Jail, Crime 

Actor Mickey Rourke says asking for handouts is not his style.

Earlier this week, a GoFundMe page was created by sources close to Rourke who claimed he needed help paying back rent on his Los Angeles home in order to avoid eviction.

”I’d rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger.’

The fundraiser page was organized by Liya-Joelle Jones for the benefit of Kimberly Hines, the page says. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jones is Hines’ assistant, and Hines has been Rourke’s manager for nearly a decade.

Under the gun

“Fame does not protect against hardship, and talent does not guarantee stability. What remains is a person who deserves dignity, housing, and the chance to regain his footing,” the fundraiser wrote.

Stating that Rourke’s “full permission” was given, the page said he needed $60,000 to avoid losing his home. Now, with donations at over $100,000, the campaign has been paused after Rourke posted a video to his Instagram page denouncing the fund.

“I wouldn’t ask for no f**king charity. I’d rather stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger,” Rourke began, with his dog on his lap.

RELATED: ‘Frankenstein’ director’s AI warning: It’s here to ‘debase’ our humanity

“I don’t understand it,” the actor continued. “I wouldn’t know what a GoFund foundation is in a million years. My life is very simple. I don’t go to outside sources like that. And yeah, it is embarrassing,” he added.

Rourke explained that he would never approve a charitable cause for his benefit, and urged fans and supporters to stop giving money and seek refunds.

Anger management

Since the video was posted late Monday, Hines has spoken out about the campaign despite both her and Jones reportedly posting the page “with Mickey’s permission.”

In a phone call with the Hollywood Reporter, Hines said that in 48 hours, her management team had paid for Rourke to move into a hotel, have his clothing packed, and put his belongings in a storage unit.

“All of this is being paid for by his management team, which is me,” Hines said. “We said, ‘Mickey, there’s some people that want to help you out.’ He’s like, ‘OK, great.’ I don’t think he understood, and now it’s taken on this media frenzy, and he flipped out,” she went on.

RELATED: Actor Mickey Rourke promises to punch President Trump with ‘left hook from hell’ once he leaves office

Photo by Panayotis Tzamaros/NurPhoto via Getty Images

After confirming the fundraiser was legitimate, Hines further explained that the locks were being changed on Rourke’s home as she spoke, and she was setting him up with an apartment in Koreatown.

Return to sender

Hines blamed the state of Rourke’s home on the property owner, who allegedly raised the rent from $5,200 to $7,000 in mid-2024. The house was allegedly littered with black mold, had no running water, and was heavily damaged.

Hines added that Rourke told her he had been receiving calls from all over the world asking to give him money, and she told him to let them help. However, before stating that Rourke “has to say” that he did not know who started the fund, she was happy to return the money to donors if he would not accept it.

“This money has been to help Mickey. If Mickey doesn’t want the money, the money will go back. It’s putting me in a very bad position where now I’m financing his move and the hotel and the movers and his storage. Mickey was cool with getting help the other day. And now Mickey’s like, ‘I’m not taking charity.'”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Align, Hollywood, Charity, Gofundme, Actor, Fundraiser, Rent, Entertainment 

President Donald Trump is once again taking aim at Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “corrupt” leadership.

Trump announced that his administration would be launching an investigation into California fraud, which he estimates is worse than the fraud in Minnesota. This investigation in California comes after weeks of reporting that highlighted the billions of dollars in potentially fraudulent funding for Somali businesses and day cares in Minnesota, which Trump’s administration has also fought against.

‘He’s got a good line of crap.’

“California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible???” Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday. “The Fraud Investigation of California has begun. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

This is not the only line of attack Trump has launched against the Democratic governor.

RELATED: ‘Let others worry’: Scandal-plagued Tim Walz announces he will not seek third term

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Trump later mocked Newsom and his fellow Democrats during an address to congressional Republicans, calling their cognitive abilities into question.

“Do you think Walz could pass a cognitive test?” Trump asked, referring to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). “Do you think Kamala could? I don’t think Gavin could. He’s got a good line of crap, but other than that, he couldn’t pass.”

“He didn’t want to have water coming down from the Pacific Northwest,” Trump said of Newsom’s leadership during the devastating Palisades fires.

“They cut it off, and then they have 25,000 houses burn down. They don’t know why.”

RELATED: Trump mocks Tim Walz for dropping re-election campaign after fraud allegations — then accuses other Democrats

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Newsom blamed Trump’s immigration policy for the slow rebuilding of the Palisades after thousands of homes burned down in January 2025. Although this happened under Newsom’s leadership, the governor argues that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have prevented development projects from progressing.

“Donald Trump’s reckless, inhumane immigration raids have destroyed communities and have had massive negative impacts on efforts to rebuild from the LA fires,” Newsom said in an X post on Monday. “His actions have been disastrous across the board.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Donald trump, Gavin newsom, Kamala harris, Tim walz, Democrats, Minnesota, Minnesota fraud, Somali fraud, California, California fraud, Palisades fire, Cognitive test, Congress, Politics 

Paid Microsoft subscribers can now be considered artificial intelligence users.

The massive change comes as Microsoft has officially changed its flagship Microsoft 365 suite to be integrated with AI.

‘Genius move. Rebrand Office, instantly “acquire” 400M AI users.’

Microsoft announced the official shift in a support post, revealing it is now integrating its Copilot AI app into programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as PDF services.

“The Microsoft 365 Copilot app is your everyday productivity app for work and life that helps you find and edit files, scan documents, and create content on the go,” the company wrote.

With an estimated 430 million paid user licenses for Microsoft 365 worldwide as of mid-2025, the company can now say it has by far the most AI subscribers, with OpenAI reaching just 5 million last August. At the same time, Grok itself estimates it has about 1.4 million paid users.

RELATED: 2025 is so over and so is virtual reality

Microsoft has been talking about the integration for at least a year, stating in January 2025 that Copilot was the “top reason” subscribers chose to pay for Microsoft 365.

Along with taking the creation of slideshows and to-do lists off a user’s plate, the Copilot app was boasted as being involved in nearly every daily task. This included using Copilot to “analyze your budget,” “create a recipe,” or read a user’s emails for them and provide a summary.

At the same time, Microsoft said that it does not use “prompts, responses, or file content (such as Word documents or Excel spreadsheets)” from users to train its AI models.

RELATED: ‘Validated … paranoid delusions about his own mother’: Murder victim’s heirs file lawsuit against OpenAI

Photo by Ying Tang/NurPhoto via Getty Images

User reactions were mixed when responding to the change in a viral X post by Ask Perplexity. The account has over 385,000 followers, and the post was seen more than 2 million times.

“400 million users just became ‘AI users’ overnight,” the account wrote.

“They laughed at me when I said I was gonna use bootleg Windows 8 forever,” one woman replied, seemingly looking to avoid the AI integration.

A self-proclaimed IT professional said, “It seems like every day I see more and more negative changes for Microsoft.”

However, many others applauded the move. For example, Katya Fuentes, who lists herself as working for an AI company, said Microsoft’s shift was “all upside.”

“Genius move. Rebrand Office, instantly ‘acquire’ 400M AI users,” she claimed.

At least one response offered an alternative to Microsoft’s mandatory AI infusion. LibreOffice, a document and spreadsheet competitor, added: “If anyone wants, you know, an actual office suite, we’re here.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Return, Ai, Artificial intelligence, Copilot, Microsoft, Chatgpt, Grok, Tech 

Last Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens lost 24-26 against the Pittsburgh Steelers after rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired. The loss has fans angry and analysts confused. In the play prior, head coach John Harbaugh ordered quarterback Lamar Jackson to kneel (causing a loss of yards) instead of running the ball with Ravens superstar running back Derrick Henry to shorten the field goal attempt for the inexperienced kicker.

This head-scratcher combined with other examples brings Jason Whitlock, BlazeTV’s resident sports critic, to one conclusion: “John Harbaugh hates Derrick Henry.”

On this episode of “Fearless,” Whitlock and contributors Steve Kim and Jay Skapinac unpack why they believe Harbaugh’s repeated decisions to sideline Henry in critical moments reveal a deeper coaching flaw.

“You settle for a 44-yard field goal in the wind in Pittsburgh? … Are you kidding me?” Whitlock asks in shock. “You just watched [Steelers’ veteran kicker Chris Boswell] miss an extra point, and you got a timeout and the best running back in football, Derrick Henry, and you don’t give him a carry to see if you can take three, four, five, maybe 10 yards off that field goal?”

He argues that this is a “fireable offense” for Harbaugh because it’s not the first time he’s neglected to use the most powerful player on his roster.

Two weeks ago during the Ravens’ game against the New England Patriots, Harbaugh kept Henry on the bench during the final two drives, despite his early fourth-quarter touchdown, 128 rushing yards, and overall dominance in the game.

“It goes further than that,” says Kim.

Henry “should have had actually 10 more carries” in the game against the Steelers, he argues.

“Lamar Jackson — look, he seems to be banged up. He’s not the athlete he was. He’s probably on a slight descent in terms of being able to evade and run away from people. … Derrick Henry from the very first drive of that game seemed to be ripping off large chunks of yardage,” he continues.

“He’s the type of back that as the games go on, he body punches you, and he takes away your will and your willingness to get in his way, and I thought the whole game they should have been riding him. Jason, I think the issue goes far beyond getting another carry or two in the last minute.”

Skapinac agrees that Henry is being underutilized by Harbaugh. Even though the Super Bowl-winning coach has a stellar resume, his “message has staled.”

“He’s worn his welcome. It’s time to move on,” he says.

To hear more of the conversation, watch the video above.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Fearless, Jason whitlock, Whitlock, Fearless with jason whitlock, Blazetv, Blaze media, John harbaugh, Baltimore ravens, Nfl, Derrick henry, Lamar jackson 

Boys and girls are different.

It’s one of the most self-evident truths there is. Entire libraries of jokes, novels, films, and essays exist because of it, all orbiting the same basic observation: Boys and girls — and later, men and women — are not interchangeable.

The things I have learned about how the female mind works could have been very helpful when I was dating but are now no use to me. That’s funny. God is a poet.

Of course, society doesn’t really like to talk about this basic fact of life these days. I’m far from the first person to point this out, so I’ll spare you another screed calling for a return to common sense. If you’re reading this, I suspect we’re on the same page anyway.

Gender reveal

As a normal, thinking person with functional brain, I have always known boys and girls are different. I had a sister growing up, dated girls when I was younger, met my wife and somehow convinced her to marry me and even have children with me. So I understood that there was something about women I just couldn’t quite get, some different way of thinking and feeling that I couldn’t really understand.

But it’s funny: I didn’t realize just how immovably different boys and girls are — and how beautiful this difference is — until I became a father to both.

Looking back, I realize I carried an unconscious assumption that the differences between men and women were learned somewhere along the way — socially instilled rather than baked in at the deepest level imaginable.

This wasn’t because I was a liberal before having kids; I’ve been a conservative for essentially my entire adult life. It was because I was raised in the aftermath of an idea that insisted men and women are basically the same. We are all modern now, and even those of us who resist that worldview absorb its signals over time. They work their way quietly into how we see the world, and the only way to fully dislodge them is an encounter with reality.

Snips and snails

Our son is such a boy.

I don’t know how else to put it. My wife and I say it to one another all the time. He checks all the boxes. He was obsessed with construction equipment when he was really little, then dinosaurs and dragons, and then tools. He loves building things, and he loves destroying things. He loves swords and shields and Nerf guns too. And frantically wrestling with me when he should be falling asleep soundly.

He’s more focused on things than people; he is blunt and too smart for his own good; he loves to argue and litigate. He hates “Let It Go” from “Frozen,” and when my daughter asks my wife to play it, he covers his ears and walks away. He doesn’t want to describe an emotional part in a story to us and pretended not to cry when Mufasa died in “The Lion King.” He is such a boy.

Sugar and spice

Our daughter is such a girl.

She is emotional. So emotional. She cries during movies, and she isn’t embarrassed about it. If she had her way, she would change her clothes ten times over the course of any given Tuesday. She loves carrying a little purse around. She wants to get her ears pierced like Mom. She loves our new baby and always wants to hold her. She pretends her stuffed dog is her baby and that she is a mom too.

She is so sweet, just so sweet. So much sweeter than our son. He is a callous grump compared to her. She wants to help us; she tries to help him; she says after sharing some of her dessert with him that she wants him to be happy. She is so pretty, so sweet, and so emotional. She is such a girl.

RELATED: Schools made boys the villain. The internet gave them a hero.

Javier Zayaz via iStock/Getty Images

Default settings

Nobody taught them these things. Yeah, we run a traditional household, but they started acting the way they act long before we ever told them anything, and it’s so obvious that the way they are is such a part of their very essence that we know for a fact nothing we ever did made them the way they are deep down. They just are that way. They are boys and girls.

I’ve learned so many things from them. I’ve learned that guys really are just naturally blunt. It isn’t just a lack of manners; it’s our default setting. The things I’ve learned about how the female mind works could have been very helpful when I was dating but are now no use to me. That’s funny. God is a poet.

I’ve also learned, in a deeper sense, that we cannot be all things. Boys are boys, and that means all the good things and all the bad. Girls are girls, and that means all the good things and all the bad.

That can’t be changed. It’s the nature of the world. It’s how it’s supposed to be. Women and their ways can be frustrating to men, and men and their ways can be frustrating to women. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them, as the old saying goes. But seeing how pure and true it all is, how deeply embedded in their spirits these predilections are, I have begun to just sit back and marvel at the incredible balance God struck when he made man and woman.

Indeed, boys and girls are different.

​Men’s style, Lifestyle, Men and women, Family life, Gender ideology, The root of the matter 

At the time President Donald Trump took office last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was recommending that all American children get vaccines for 18 diseases, loading kids up with more than twice as many doses as their European counterparts were receiving.

As the result of an overhaul of the schedule announced on Monday, the agency is now recommending universal childhood vaccinations for only 11 diseases.

‘America will no longer require 72 “jabs” for our beautiful, healthy children.’

Trump issued a presidential memorandum last month directing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Jim O’Neill, the acting CDC director, to “review best practices from peer, developed countries for core childhood vaccination recommendations — vaccines recommended for all children — and the scientific evidence that informs those best practices.”

In the event that they found that foreign practices were superior to current domestic recommendations, Trump tasked Kennedy and O’Neill with updating the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule accordingly.

O’Neill discussed childhood vaccine recommendations and policy with health officials from various first-world nations as well as with vaccine safety experts at the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

RELATED: How Big Pharma left its mark on woke CDC vax advisory panel — and what RFK Jr. did about it

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

He also reviewed a comprehensive scientific assessment that not only compared American vaccine recommendations with dozens of other first-world nations but “analyzed vaccine uptake and public trust, evaluated clinical and epidemiological evidence and knowledge gaps, examined vaccine mandates, and identified next steps.”

The CDC indicated that the assessment “found that the U.S. is a global outlier among developed nations in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine childhood vaccination schedule and the total number of recommended doses but does not have higher vaccination rates than such countries.”

O’Neill ultimately approved a corresponding decision memo from the agency heads of the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare, recommending immunization for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilius influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and chickenpox for all children.

While the core schedule now recommends only these 11 — just one more than is recommended in Denmark — the CDC recommends on an individual basis: RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal B, meningococcal ACWAY, and dengue vaccines for “high-risk groups” and hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines.

The overhaul has evidently vexed elements of the medical establishment who oversaw the precipitous decline in trust in U.S. public health.

‘This decision protects children.’

“Today’s announcement that HHS is drastically altering the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule without a transparent process or clear scientific justification represents the latest reckless step in Secretary Kennedy’s assault on the national vaccine infrastructure that has saved millions of lives. His actions put families and communities at risk and will make America sicker,” Ronald Nahass, the president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said in a statement.

Ofer Levy, director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, likewise questioned the transparency of the process, suggesting “not all of this was really hashed out in a discussion that was available for the public to listen to and participate in.”

O’Neill noted that these changes are part of a broader effort to regain the trust of the American people.

“One of the consequences was parents declining recommended vaccines for their children,” stated O’Neill. “Parents who think that more than 80 doses per child is too many may now consider giving their children the 10 vaccines in the international consensus of 20 nations, plus the varicella vaccine.”

Kennedy thanked O’Neill for his “leadership and bravery” and noted that “this decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”

“This Schedule is rooted in the Gold Standard of Science, and widely agreed upon by Scientists and Experts all over the World,” Trump stated on Truth Social.

“Effective today, America will no longer require 72 ‘jabs’ for our beautiful, healthy children,” continued the president. “We are moving to a far more reasonable Schedule, where all children will only be recommended to receive Vaccinations for 11 of the most serious and dangerous diseases.”

Trump and federal health officials emphasized both that parents can continue to give their children the vaccinations dropped from the schedule and that insurance will continue to cover them.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Department of health and human services, Hhs, Vaccination, Vaccine, Vax, Robert f. kennedy, Donald trump, Health, Virus, Hepatitis, O’neill, Rfk, Maha, Politics 

The small Caribbean island nation of Dominica has come to an agreement with the United States as the nation works to resolve some broader restrictions President Trump placed on it late last year.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced Monday that Dominica will begin accepting foreigners seeking asylum in the United States, the Associated Press reported.

‘The prime minister still has not told the Dominican public what exactly he has agreed to.’

However, many details about the deal are still unknown, including the number of asylum seekers and whether Dominica has the capacity to absorb them, according to Thomson Fontaine, the leader of the country’s main opposition party, the United Workers Party.

“The prime minister still has not told the Dominican public what exactly he has agreed to, in terms of the numbers of persons that are going to come to Dominica, where will they be housed, how will they be taken care of,” Fontaine told the AP.

RELATED: Trump amplifies call for pausing ‘all legal immigration of any kind’

Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images

Dominica has a population of merely 72,000 people.

Skerrit did not provide details about the deal when asked by Fox News, but he did confirm that he has been in ongoing discussions with U.S. officials after the broader visa limitations were announced on December 16.

President Trump announced entry restrictions on several countries last month, including partial restrictions on Dominica. These visa restrictions went into effect on January 1.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Politics, Dominica, Caribbean island, Visa restrictions, United states, Thomson fontaine, United workers party, Asylum seekers, Visa, Travel restrictions, Trump administration, Roosevelt skerrit 

Two illegal alien truck drivers who obtained commercial driver’s licenses from California are accused of smuggling $7 million worth of cocaine across the Midwest.

‘Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk.’

Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sunday lodged detainers against 25-year-old Gurpreet Singh and 30-year-old Jasveer Singh after local authorities arrested the two Indian nationals in Putnam County, Indiana.

The men were driving a semitruck along I-70 when an Indiana State Police trooper pulled them over for a routine traffic stop on Saturday, according to local reports.

The trooper’s K-9 unit gave a positive alert, prompting the officer to conduct a more thorough search of the truck. The trooper allegedly discovered 309 pounds of cocaine hidden in the truck’s sleeper berth.

The men were reportedly traveling from Joplin, Missouri, to Richmond, Indiana.

They were charged with a Level 2 felony of dealing narcotics.

RELATED: Illegal alien truck driver walks out of jail after allegedly killing American — and sanctuary policies appear to be to blame

Gurpreet Singh. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security reported that the men were allegedly smuggling enough drugs to kill over 113,000 Americans.

Gurpreet Singh illegally entered the U.S. in March 2023 and was released into the country by the Biden administration. The DHS reported that he admitted to law enforcement that he was illegally in the U.S.

Jasveer Singh illegally entered the country in March 2017. He was arrested in San Bernardino, California, in December for allegedly receiving stolen property. ICE placed a detainer against him, but California did not honor it, and he was released from local custody.

RELATED: Border Patrol nabs 49 illegal aliens with commercial driver’s licenses

Jasveer Singh. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

The DHS blamed California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom’s policies for allowing the illegal aliens to obtain CDLs amid growing concerns about the surge of unqualified foreign nationals in the American trucking industry. Newsom’s office has repeatedly rebutted these criticisms by claiming that California’s CDLs for foreign nationals are issued in compliance with federal guidelines, based on work authorization documents provided by the U.S. government.

“Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial driver’s licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. “Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians even refused to honor an arrest detainer on one of these criminal illegal aliens in December. Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk. ICE law enforcement lodged arrest detainers to ensure these drug traffickers are not allowed back into American communities.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, American trucking industry, Trucking industry, California, Gavin newsom, Commercial driver’s licenses, Commercial drivers license, Commercial driver’s license, Cdls, Cdl, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Indiana, Missouri, Indiana state police, Politics 

A class-action lawsuit filed last month is challenging McDonald’s over a cult-favorite menu item, the McRib.

The lawsuit, filed on December 23 in U.S. District Court in Chicago, alleges that McDonald’s engaged in false advertising when promoting the limited-time menu item.

‘We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.’

The four plaintiffs in the complaint are Peter Le of Baldwin Park, California; Charles Lynch of Poughkeepsie, New York; Darien Baker of Chicago, Illinois; and Darrick Wilson of Washington, D.C.

RELATED: McDonald’s team admits workload on hated AI Christmas ad ‘far exceeded’ live-action shoots

Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images

The complaint claims that the McRib “does not contain any meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat — indeed, none at all.” The plaintiffs claim that the fast-food chain uses lower-quality cuts of meat instead of rib meat, including, “inter alia, pork shoulder, heart, tripe or scalded stomach.”

In December 2024, when the McRib was available, the complaint shows that the McRib was one of the most expensive individual items on the menu, even exceeding the price of a Big Mac on average.

As a result, had they “known that the McRib did not contain any actual pork rib meat, [the plaintiffs] would not have purchased the McRib or would only have purchased it for a lower price.”

In a statement obtained by CBS News, McDonald’s USA said, “This lawsuit distorts the facts, and many of the claims are inaccurate. Food quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do — that’s why we’re committed to using real, quality ingredients across our entire menu. Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.”

CBS also reported that McDonald’s denied the specific claim that the McRib contains pork hearts, tripe, or scalded stomach and that the company said the McRib has a base of 100% seasoned boneless pork.

The complaint emphasizes that the marketing for the McRib was “materially misleading” for consumers, potentially affecting their purchasing decisions.

The McRib was first introduced in Kansas City in 1981.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Politics, Mcdonalds, Mcrib, Chicago, New york, California, Washington dc, Consumers, Fast food 

Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California has tragically passed away at just 65 years old, according to multiple statements from GOP lawmakers issued Tuesday morning.

LaMalfa was a fourth-generation rice farmer representing California’s 1st congressional district, an agricultural area in Northern California. LaMalfa dedicated over two decades of his life to public service, first as a state legislator and later serving in Congress from 2013 to 2026.

‘Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.’

At the time of this writing, no cause of death has been made public.

In the wake of the sudden tragedy, many of LaMalfa’s colleagues expressed shock and extended their condolences to his family on social media.

RELATED: ‘Reckless and seditious’: Hegseth issues brutal demotion of Democrat senator over ‘illegal orders’ video

Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

“Jacquie and I are devastated about the sudden loss of our friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.) said in a post on X. “Doug was a loving father and husband, and staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America. Our prayers are with Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children.”

Republican Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who also chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, reflected on his friendship with LaMalfa, recounting personal memories with the late congressman.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my colleague and close friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa,” Hudson said in a statement. “Doug was a principled conservative and a tireless advocate for the people of Northern California. He was never afraid to fight for rural communities, farmers, and working families. Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.”

RELATED: ‘It’s a death sentence’: Former Republican senator reveals tragic cancer diagnosis

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

“I cherished our time serving together on the Agriculture Committee and discussing NASCAR — he was a real gear head and motorsports fan. I will deeply miss my ‘amigo.’ Renee and I are praying for his beloved wife, Jill, as well as Kyle, Allison, Sophia, Natalie, and all his loved ones, friends and staff during this incredibly difficult time.”

The House majority now sits at 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Doug lamalfa, Tom emmer, House republicans, California republican, California, Prop 50, Richard hudson, Nrcc, House majority, Politics 

On January 3, the United States conducted a military operation dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela. Airstrikes on military targets in and around Caracas enabled forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been widely accused of stealing the 2024 election from opponent Edmundo González Urrutia. Maduro now faces federal charges related to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.

Glenn Beck’s head writer and researcher, Jason Buttrill, a former Defense Department intelligence analyst, is still reeling in excitement from this “watershed” operation, which shockingly took less than three hours from start to finish.

While most commentators are stuck on the obvious, framing the strike as retribution for Maduro’s narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and alleged election theft; his regime’s role in mass migration to the U.S.; and Venezuela’s alliances with Russia and China — or as a big oil heist — this lightning operation hides layers of genius the establishment will never admit.

On this episode of “The Liz Wheeler Show,” Liz and Jason break down three explosive implications of Operation Absolute Resolve.

1. No more excuses for forever wars

Liz, a self-described “anti-neocon,” says this military operation proved that forever wars — prolonged occupations that keep our troops overseas and our tax dollars invested in foreign affairs — are a choice, not a must.

“You should be thanking Trump for this military operation in Venezuela, because all other facts of the reasons why Trump went in Venezuela aside, we are never going to experience forever wars in our country again because the American people … can see so clearly now that they are a deliberate political choice. They are unnecessary,” she argues.

President Trump already razed Iran’s nuclear capabilities in just 12 days with Operation Midnight Hammer back in June 2025. Venezuela is now the second example proving that war can be rapid and still effective.

“There’s going to be no excuse ever again for forever wars,” Liz says.

2. U.S. fires cyber warning shot at enemies

Liz then recalls Trump’s comment in the press conference following the Caracas strike. He said, “It was dark. The lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have. It was dark, and it was deadly.”

He was hinting at how U.S. forces engineered a massive blackout across much of Caracas and surrounding areas to facilitate the surprise capture of Maduro.

While many countries have been developing cyber attack strategies for years, their programs have largely been kept under wraps. The fact that the U.S. deliberately revealed its cyber capabilities was intended to intimidate other nations, Jason speculates.

“I think it was a threat to the rest of the world that yes, we have this capability. We can completely shut your country down before we go over there. Air defense doesn’t really matter because we’ll just shut it down and then fly in anyway,” he tells Liz.

Jason assumes that it was specifically a threat against China, whose technologies power Venezuela’s air defense system, and Russia, which supplied the country with the missiles designed to target American warplanes.

“Now it looks like all those systems — foreign, bought by our enemies — were all purchased off of Temu. That’s what it looks like. That’s what we did to them,” he laughs.

“There’s Chinese military experts operating their air defense systems, Russian experts for the upkeep on their air defense missiles, and then you have the Cuban intelligence apparatus, which is all over the country, that is supposed to be informing everybody about what’s going on, and we just sailed right through it.”

3. Oil denial: Starving China’s war machine

While many outlets are framing Operation Absolute Resolve as a means of gaining access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, Jason says that’s the shallowest reading of the operation.

“Yes, it is about oil, but not in the fact that we want to take the oil. We don’t want our adversaries getting their hands on [it],” he says.

By cutting off China’s access to Venezuelan (and potentially Iranian) oil while Russian supplies remain heavily sanctioned, the U.S. has severely restricted China’s fuel options, making a major military operation — especially invading Taiwan — far more difficult and risky due to potential energy shortages for its armed forces, Jason explains.

“3D chess is what you’re describing,” says Liz.

To hear more of the conversation, watch the episode above.

Want more from Liz Wheeler?

To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The liz wheeler show, Liz wheeler, Jason buttrill, Venezuela, Venezeula strike, Maduro, Nicolas maduro, Electrion fraud, Venezeula oil, Blazetv, Blaze media, President trump 

Philadelphia police said a suspected package thief engaged in a shootout with a homeowner and then soon fired at officers Sunday, WPVI-TV reported.

Police heard gunshots coming from the 400 block of East Rockland Street in the city’s Feltonville section around 5:30 p.m., the station said.

‘So everyone missed. Someone needs more training.’

Police rushed to the scene and found a man firing a gun, WPVI said, adding that the man then fired toward officers.

A nearby homeowner told police he saw the suspect stealing packages and confronted the suspect, the station said.

With that, the pair engaged in a shootout, WPVI said. There was no indication who fired first.

RELATED: Atlanta police make arrest in connection with homeowner who cops say shot 2 teenage porch pirates

The suspect ran away, but police recovered a gun from the scene, the station said.

No injuries were reported, WPVI said, and no arrests were made.

The incident remains under investigation, the station said.

“They’ll do anything but get a job,” one commenter remarked.

Other observers were just as disgusted:

“So everyone missed. Someone needs more training,” another commenter quipped.”Thank God no one was hurt,” another user said. “And hopefully the other person that was protecting the packages [won’t] be charged.””Damn, he lost the gun — probably worth more than the packages,” another commenter added.”But, but, but [Democrat Pennsylvania Gov.] Josh Shapiro said crime is down!!” another user observed.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Philadelphia, Shootout, Homeowner, Suspected package thief, Police, Suspect shoots at cops, Suspect at large, 2nd amend., Crime 

There’s a certain sadness to modern America that no statistic can capture. But this one comes close: with over 1.1 million American accounts on OnlyFans as of last year, and 84% of accounts globally belonging to women, the U.S. is on pace for a million of its young women to perform on the site in 2026, if it’s not there already. A staggering sign, not of empowerment, but of a culture quietly eating its young.

For many of these women, the attraction is simple. Quick money. Fast validation. Digital applause that feels like affection. The promise is painted in neon: You can make more in a month than your parents made in a year. The platform markets itself like a modern miracle, offering flexible hours, creative control, and unlimited earnings.

And once in a while, someone does strike digital gold. Someone earns six figures. A few earn seven. One teen made a million in an afternoon.

Many of these creators are earning less than minimum wage.

But that’s the carnival barker’s pitch, getting the (relatively) innocent in the door. Most women make almost nothing. They join believing they’re one selfie away from superstardom. They discover they’re one of millions in a digital bazaar where the rich get richer and the rest get tired, discouraged, and drained.

The price is far higher than the subscription fee. More than just photos, OnlyFans sells dreams. Visions of one’s future peace, future privacy, future opportunity, and, most damning of all, future dignity. One day. Maybe one day soon.

But the women who join for short-term relief end up trading away long-term hope.

The spiritual corrosion is slow but sure. What begins as a side hustle becomes a shadow that follows them everywhere. The digital trail never fades. It clings to job applications (those that OF girls still bother to submit). It lingers in background checks. It echoes in dating conversations. It stains marriage prospects in communities where character still matters.

A decade from now, many of these women will want real things — a husband, children, meaningful work — and they will discover that the internet never forgets what the heart desperately wishes it could erase.

The great irony is that many of these creators are earning less than minimum wage once time is counted. Yet the cultural machine sells them the fantasy of being “entrepreneurs,” when they’re really just the inventory. It’s empowerment dressed like exploitation and exploitation pretending to be liberation.

OnlyFans is arguably worse than prostitution. Not because of what it shows, but because of what it destroys.

RELATED: ‘Jesus loves all of you’: Charlie Kirk’s powerful message to OnlyFans creators

BENJAMIN HANSON/Middle East Images/AFP | Getty Images

Traditional prostitution, for all its evils, stays out of sight. OnlyFans turns intimacy into endless reruns — downloadable, screenshot-able, shareable, permanent. A mistake made once in real life becomes a scar. A mistake made online becomes a monument.

Add to that the spiritual damage — the slow destruction of the inner life, the steady erosion of self-worth, the growing sense that once you’ve sold pieces of yourself, you never fully reclaim them. And if anyone doubts evil still works in the world, remember the devil’s oldest trick was convincing people he didn’t exist. OnlyFans is proof that he does.

Most heartbreaking of all is that these young women aren’t evil. Some, of course, are reckless hedonists. But many are simply victims of a society that promised them everything and delivered nothing: rising rent, worthless degrees, sinking salaries, and a culture that treats young women as disposable entertainment.

Of course they’re looking for a way out. Of course they’re tempted by something that pays now, because everything else pays later, if it pays at all. Quick cash begets a slow crisis. The glow of instant income fades into the grim awareness that no one wants to build something lasting with a woman whose past is present on a server farm in California, waiting to be rediscovered by anyone with a wi-fi connection.

And this is where the tragedy deepens. Because the very thing that lured them in — visibility — becomes the prison they can’t escape. At 19, visibility feels thrilling. It feels catastrophic at 29, when HR departments are Googling you, in-laws are searching your name, and your own children, God help them, might one day stumble onto the digital debris of your 20s. The internet is merciless that way. It preserves everything, except innocence.

Meanwhile, the platform keeps expanding its reach, scooping up more and more young women who would never dream of standing on a street corner but will film themselves for strangers online. The stigma feels less severe when it’s filtered. Digital danger, at your fingertips, feels paradoxically distant. But the consequences are exactly the same and sometimes worse.

The truth every influencer-economy evangelist avoids is simple: The body isn’t a business model, and desire isn’t a pension plan. An entire generation of young women are being urged to monetize the very thing they’ll one day wish they had guarded. OnlyFans sells them the illusion of independence while turning them into sexual serfs — dependent on strangers’ attention, uncaring algorithms, and a market that gets bored faster than it pays.

This ends the same way every false liberation ends. A decade from now, when these women want stability, the past they broadcast will come roaring back. And the same culture that shouted, “You go, girl,” will look away, pretend it never egged them on, and then mercilessly judge them for believing the lie.

​Culture, Tech 

The 26-year-old man who allegedly attacked the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance early Monday morning appears to be yet another radical transvestite.

Just hours after the vice president concluded his visit to the city and departed for the national capital, a suspect armed with a hammer was spotted by U.S. Secret Service agents running along the front fence, then breaching the perimeter of Vance’s Ohio house.

‘As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in.’

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cincinnati indicated in a release that the suspect, William DeFoor, was ordered to stop and drop the hammer after he allegedly attempted to break the window of a USSS vehicle blocking the driveway entrance. DeFoor allegedly refused to comply and proceeded to smash the front windows of Vance’s house — windows apparently equipped with “enhanced security assets.”

After reportedly inflicting over $28,000 in damage, the suspect attempted to flee the scene on foot but was swiftly captured by USSS agents and Cincinnati police officers.

William DeFoor was initially charged with criminal trespass, criminal damaging or endangering, obstructing official business, and felony vandalism. He has since been slapped with several federal charges: damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers.

Vance noted in a statement on Monday: “As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows.”

The vice president appears to have been right on the money.

RELATED: ‘Something historic’: CNN analyst GOBSMACKED by how Vance polls against Nikki Haley, others

Photo by Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images

On social media, DeFoor — whom law enforcement identified as a male — appears to go by the name Julia.

A Facebook profile that appears to belong to the suspect claims that DeFoor, identified as Julia, is a student at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College who previously studied at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and attended the Summit Country Day School, a private high school where he made the list of candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program in 2018.

DeFoor’s account appears to have liked the Cincinnati-based leftist group Coalition for Community Safety as well as the trans advocacy group Heartland Trans Wellness.

FBI sources told Fox News that the suspect demanded to be called “Julia” at the time of his arrest.

Court documents indicate that DeFoor pleaded guilty in April 2025 to two counts of vandalism after he inflicted over $2,000 in damage upon an Ohio interior design company, reported WXIX-TV. DeFoor was sentenced to two years of treatment at a mental health facility and ordered to pay $5,550 in restitution.

In 2023, DeFoor was reportedly charged with trespassing at UC Health psychiatric emergency services but ultimately was found mentally incompetent to stand trial.

DeFoor’s father, identified by the New York Post as William DeFoor, appears to be an affluent pediatric urologist who works as a professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine. Among his top research interests is pediatric genitourinary reconstruction. His bio on the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital website states that he is an elder in his church, is married to a general pediatrician, and has three teenage children.

Blaze News has reached out to the professor for comment.

Dr. DeFoor is a longtime Democrat donor who sank thousands of dollars into Kamala Harris’ first and second failed presidential campaigns and thousands of dollars into former President Joe Biden’s presidential campaigns.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Jd vance, Vance, William defoor, Julia defoor, Politics, Leftism, Trans, Transgender, Radicalism, Leftist, Attack, Assassination, Secret service 

There was a moment — maybe early 2000s? — when people began talking about a new frontier in American life.

I remember there was a “Nightline” episode about it and articles in magazines.

In Portland, where I live, the last 24-hour diner-style chain, Shari’s, closed all its restaurants earlier this year. Too dangerous to stay open that late.

They described a new territory that was open for exploration. A place where most people were still reluctant to go. But this new space held new opportunities and prospects for growth.

This new frontier was called “late-night America.” It wasn’t a geographical location. It was a time period. It occurred from approximately 11:00 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Crosstown traffic

The idea was as the world became more crowded, with more cars on the road, more people packing into office buildings every morning, a natural evolution was occurring.

People were opting to change their schedules to avoid the crowds. They were staying up later, working later, and beginning to inhabit late-night America.

These early adopters preferred a less hectic world, so they adjusted their lives toward the “off hours.”

Think of Midtown Manhattan at lunch time. The Seattle Fish Market at 9:30 am. Or your own city during afternoon rush-hour traffic.

Now think of all those places at 4 a.m. Pretty different, aren’t they? Not so crazy. Not so overwhelming.

The worst thing you might encounter at 4 a.m. is a garbage truck or an impatient jogging enthusiast with an early work schedule.

As more people began to see the obvious advantages of conducting their business and personal lives at a later hour, other businesses sprang up to serve them.

Instead of just one 24-hour restaurant in your town, now there were a dozen. Many gas stations went 24 hours as did convenience stores. Big cities added more night buses. Supermarkets began staying open until 11, then midnight, and then 1 a.m.

With more people inhabiting it, the late-night world became a more active place. It was fun working the late shift. It was easier to drive to work. The vibe was more relaxed. People weren’t in such a hurry.

San Francisco noir

I was always a night owl. My first job out of college I worked at a courier company in San Francisco. We did most of our business during normal hours, 9 to 5. But I quickly maneuvered myself into the swing shift position, coming in at 2:30 p.m. and staying until 11.

After 5, I was alone in the office. I routed the overnight shipping and spent the late hours on the phone with my cohorts at our company’s other branches in other cities.

The late-night crew got to know each other. We were the oddballs of our respective offices. We tended to be more eccentric, more interesting than the daytime employees.

When I was occasionally called in by my boss to work a normal 9-to-5 shift, I found the routine deeply disturbing.

Imagine waking up at 8 in the morning! Riding a packed, slow-moving bus downtown. Waiting in line for 10 minutes for a morning coffee. Standing in another line for a soggy sandwich at lunch.

All of this with robotic office workers crowded around me. Dan from sales. Sheila from billing. Their business outfits. Their terrible hairstyles. It was unbearable!

But to be on the late shift, alone in the office, with the radio on, my feet on the desk. That was heaven. And then leaving the building at 11, the downtown streets deserted, late-night San Francisco all to myself.

Truck stop scribbling

Later when I became a professional writer, I loved working in late-night cafes. Or 24-hour diners. Or truck stops, if there were one nearby.

I went there to work, but I liked having people around, a nice waitress, some foot traffic, someone to share a bit of conversation with.

Or on a bad weather night, there were the state troopers or the snowplow guys coming in from the cold at 2 a.m. for a hot coffee and a piece of pie — wasn’t that fun to be part of?

Thanks to late-night America, there were always such places available. It was a great time for a person like me. I always had somewhere to go. Some coffee to drink. And mostly good people to be around.

Closing time

By now, you probably know where this story is going. We are presently at the other end of the pendulum swing. Now NOTHING stays open late. Good luck finding a coffee shop that’s open after 4!

In Portland, where I live, the last 24-hour diner-style chain, Shari’s, closed all its restaurants earlier this year. Too dangerous to stay open that late. And nobody wants to work those hours.

The early-closing phenomenon had already begun before COVID, and then COVID finished the job.

Plus in many cities, there is now the constant presence of homeless and mentally ill people to contend with.

In response, business owners have decided it’s best to minimize their hours of operation. They lock their doors and lower their metal gates as soon as the sun goes down.

Last of the lounge lizards

Bars are still open, of course. But even that world is shrinking. Young people don’t go out as much these days. They have other ways to socialize, and they have multiple forms of entertainment right there in their homes.

Meeting people for romantic purposes was once the primary reason for being out late at night. But this seems to be on the wane as well.

Men are less eager to approach women in public places. And contemporary women, with careers and important jobs, don’t want to be out late at night. Swiping on dating apps during lunch hour is a much more efficient way to meet a potential partner.

Are there still jobs on the night shift? Sure there are. Trucking, loading, and delivering are still much easier during off-hours. But most of the other late-night jobs are … well … security guard, security patrol, security supervisor.

In other words, protecting people and property from the dangers of the night.

Goodnight, moon

So yeah, that last frontier? It’s closed.

For such a social space to function safely, you need a high-trust, high-functioning society. People need to feel safe. They need to trust each other.

Society is too fractured at the moment for that to happen. There is too much crime, too much drug abuse, too many zombies to venture into the dark.

But think of the romance lost! Think of the late-night walks you can’t go on. The moonlit skies you’ll never see. The late-night drives in a cozy car with the radio on.

These are not insignificant things for a culture to lose. The night should be ours. The night should belong to us.

​Lifestyle, Portland, Late night, Night owls, Nightlife, Night, Noir, Diners, Culture, Blake’s progress