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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is getting renewed scrutiny after Democrats tried to use the program as a cudgel to beat down Republicans during the government shutdown.

Some Republicans are calling for new restrictions on SNAP to decrease program spending and cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse.

‘I hate to be the one to say McSCUSE ME, but something needs to be done because taxpayers are not lovin’ it.’

According to Republican U.S. Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa, $524 million was spent “almost exclusively on fast food, in nine states” over two years. The figure comes from spending through the Restaurant Meals Program option that allows select SNAP beneficiaries to use their funds on participating restaurants, including fast food shops.

“The ‘N’ in SNAP stands for nutrition — not nuggets with a side of fries,” Ernst said in a statement accompanying the press release. “I wish I was McRibbing you, but $250 million per year at the drive-through is no joke and a serious waste of tax dollars. I hate to be the one to say McSCUSE ME, but something needs to be done because taxpayers are not lovin’ it.”

The RMP option varies by state but is intended to help those who have problems preparing their own meals, including people with disabilities, the elderly, and homeless people.

While fast food eats up millions in benefits, according to a previous report on SNAP spending, about 23% of the funds are redeemed on sugary drinks like soda and other snacks.

In 2024, the federal government spent about $100 billion on SNAP, which means that about $23 billion was spent on sugary drinks and snacks. That includes about 10% on soda, which would represent about $10 billion worth of taxpayer funds.

Ernst’s McSCUSE ME Act would revise the RMP standards and impose additional restrictions to lessen spending on fast food restaurants.

RELATED: Woman goes viral after admitting to being on SNAP benefits for 3 decades

The Restaurant Meals Program was implemented in 1977.

Despite the effort to make SNAP more efficient, it is a drop in the bucket of total federal spending. Even if the entire program was ended and all food aid was canceled, it would only represent a 1.5% decrease in the budget.

About 41.7 million people in the U.S. receive SNAP benefits, which is about 1 in every 8 people in the country.

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An elderly New York City man has been sentenced to prison after he fatally shot a career criminal who allegedly lunged at him in 2023 — and for a reason many will find infuriating.

Charles Foehner, 67, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of criminal weapons possession in a deal to end his case more than two years after he fatally shot would-be thief Cody Gonzalez, who charged at him near his Kew Gardens home in Queens, the New York Post reported.

‘If we respected people’s constitutional right and provided practical means for citizens to exercise that right, Mr. Foehner would not be in the position he is in today.’

More specifically, Foehner will spend four years in prison after admitting to carrying an unlicensed revolver, the paper said, adding that Foehner’s attorney blasted the city’s “draconian” gun laws.

The Post said the Queens District Attorney’s Office decided not to prosecute Foehner — a retired doorman — for Gonzalez’s killing after he told police that he defended himself from a mugger who lunged at him late at night holding what looked like a knife, except it was a pen.

More from the paper:

But prosecutors slapped Foehner with a slew of weapons raps for the unlicensed handgun and for an arsenal of illicit handguns, revolvers and rifles inside his home in the quiet neighborhood.

Foehner took the plea deal to avoid a trial, where he faced 25 years in prison on gun charges that are not hard to prove, said his attorney Thomas Kenniff after Thursday’s hearing in Queens Supreme Court.

Kenniff called Foehner a “hero” who was put in an “impossible position” by what he called “draconian” Big Apple gun laws that make it difficult for “law-abiding citizens” to obtain permits to carry firearms.

“If this was a state and a city that had its affairs in order, Mr. Foehner would be getting a plaque, not a prison sentence,” Kenniff told reporters on the courthouse steps, the Post said.

Foehner’s attorney added that lawmakers in New York City and the state capital have “repeatedly frustrated the rights of law-abiding Americans, New Yorkers, that possess firearms,” the paper reported.

The Post said attorney Kenniff is known for successfully defending Marine veteran Daniel Penny from charges of fatally choking a homeless man who threatened New York City subway passengers in May 2023.

“If we respected people’s constitutional right and provided practical means for citizens to exercise that right, Mr. Foehner would not be in the position he is in today,” Kenniff also said, according to the paper.

RELATED: 7-Eleven hands down unthinkable punishment to clerk after she shoots knife-wielding thug who attacked, strangled her

Following his arrest on the heels of the 2 a.m. fatal shooting in a driveway near his home at 82nd Avenue and Queens Boulevard, Foehner told police he had been carrying the gun in question to protect himself from crime in New York City, the Post noted.

More from the paper:

Security footage showed the alleged robber Gonzalez — who had at least 15 arrests dating back to 2004 and a record of mental illness — continuing to charge at Foehner even after the senior pulled his gun.

Foehner took the deal Thursday with the understanding that he’d be sentenced to four years in prison at his sentencing date Jan. 14, his lawyer said.

Until then, he’ll remain “at liberty” and will be able to celebrate Christmas with his wife, Judge Toni Cimino ruled — over objections from the Queens DA’s Office, which had pushed for him to spend the holidays at Rikers Island.

“While we very much respect DA Melinda Katz and the fine prosecutors she assigned to this case, we were disappointed that the DA’s Office sought to have Charlie remanded before sentencing,” Kenniff noted Thursday, according to the Post. “We are grateful that Judge Toni Cimino agreed to let Charlie rejoice with his wife in the light of this Christmas season before he begins his sentence.”

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Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas very confidently claimed on the House floor that Republicans, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, had taken money from Jeffrey Epstein. However, that Jeffrey Epstein was not the Jeffrey Epstein.

Crockett boomed into the microphone that Mitt Romney, the NRCC, Lee Zeldin, George Bush, WinRed, John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Rick Lazio took money from a man named Jeffrey Epstein.

And in a segment on CNN, Crockett tried to spin her mistake when Kaitlan Collins asked about her defense of Democrat House Delegate Stacey Plaskett, who had been exposed for texting Jeffrey Epstein.

“You mentioned Lee Zeldin there. He’s now a cabinet secretary. He responded and said it was actually Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, who’s a doctor that doesn’t have any relation to the convicted sex trafficker. Unfortunate for that doctor, but that is who donated to a prior campaign of his,” Collins said.

“Do you want to correct the record?” Collins asked.

“I never said that it was that Jeffrey Epstein,” Crockett responded. “Just so that people understand, when you make a donation, your picture is not there, and because they decided to spring this on us in real time, I wanted the Republicans to think about what could potentially happen because I knew that they didn’t even try to go through the FEC.”

“So, my team, what they did is they Googled. And that is specifically why I said, ‘a Jeffrey Epstein.’ Unlike Republicans, I at least don’t go out and just tell lies, because it was not the same one,” she continued.

“But when Lee Zeldin had something to say, all he had to say was it was a different Jeffrey Epstein. He admitted that he did receive donations from a Jeffrey Epstein. So at least I wasn’t trying to mislead people,” she added.

Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck is not buying it.

“You clearly were smearing,” Glenn laughs.

“She’s trying to say, ‘Well, I didn’t lie,’” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere chimes in. “Like that’s your defense in theory, right?”

Burguiere also points out that Crockett was proud of adding an “a” in front of “Jeffrey Epstein,” but she shouldn’t be.

“She knew she was lying. She knew there was a good chance this wasn’t Jeffrey Epstein,” he says.

“She’s insane,” Glenn adds.

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A Democratic mayoral candidate in Rhode Island declared that his disturbing criminal history does not disqualify him from running for office.

Providence voters will decide on their next mayor in 2026. Incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley and state Rep. David Morales, both Democrats, are the current leading candidates in the race.

A third Democratic candidate, 54-year-old Michael English, has announced his candidacy. However, a Tuesday report from the Providence Journal raised some concerning details about English’s past.

‘If I haven’t showed how to go from nothing to something again, then no one will.’

English’s campaign website describes him as a “blue-collar Democrat” who believes “leadership, honesty, [and] integrity is the best policy.” The mayoral candidate states that he is “committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our city.”

In an open letter to the citizens of Providence, English admits to having a criminal record.

“I will not deny that in 1996, while running for House District 4, I made immature decisions that led to my arrest and a period of incarceration coupled with I dropped out of Hope High School in 1990 and, simply put, I failed to live up to my potential,” English wrote.

RELATED: Eric Swalwell launches anti-Trump gubernatorial campaign amid criminal referral to DOJ

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

He stated that after completing his sentence, he has dedicated himself to self-improvement.

“I earned my GED, received my paralegal certificate, and continued this disciplined path, ultimately earning a [sic] two Bachelor’s, two Master’s, and a Doctor [sic] degree,” English continued.

English was convicted of child molestation against a 13-year-old girl in 1998, the Providence Journal stated. He reportedly served 15 months in prison, despite the attorney general’s office recommending a 40-year sentence, with seven years to serve. The court required English to register as a sex offender, but only for 10 years.

He served another 19 months a decade later, after the victim accused him of violating a no-contact order by driving to her home and suggesting they go out for coffee.

English told the Providence Journal that he was living across the street from the victim at the time.

RELATED: Senate Democrats insist the shutdown was ‘definitely’ worth it despite fully surrendering to Republicans

Rhode Island state Representative David Morales. Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

He argued that people who believe his criminal history should disqualify him from running for mayor are “wrong, legally.”

“They also should calculate what did I do from then,” he told the news outlet. “If I haven’t showed how to go from nothing to something again, then no one will.”

English stated that neither of the other candidates running for mayor is “good for our city.”

“What we’ve got right now is a socialist and then Mayor Smiley,” he told the Providence Journal. “I know I’m the non-favorite in theory, but right now if I play my cards right, I think I could win.”

“If I’m the bad guy here, God help you all,” English added.

While English’s conviction was not expunged or judicially sealed, the file has been marked “confidential” under a decades-old court policy that purports to protect child victims. The Providence Journal noted that the outdated policy has shielded potentially important details about this case and others from the public.

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Platinum-selling artist Pras has been sentenced to prison following charges related to illegal foreign lobbying and conspiracy.

Prakazrel Samuel Michel, member of the huge 1990s group the Fugees, has been trapped in legal turmoil for years surrounding apparent attempts to influence presidential elections and administrations.

‘There’s a possibility that I’m going in while I’m fighting.’

The Fugees’ 1996 album “The Score” went seven-times platinum in the United States, and even though the record hit No. 1 in seven countries, it was the group’s last original release.

Michel was charged in 2019 and began his trial four years later in 2023. The three-week trial that included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio was focused on multiple money-laundering schemes related to Malaysian financier Jho Low, a Billboard report revealed.

First, Michel was accused of secretly funneling $2 million from Low to Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. The donations were allegedly made through straw donors. In 2023, Michel said he received $20 million from Low, but it was only to help him get a photo with Obama. These figures were part of a $120 million total Michel received from Low, WCBV reported.

Secondly, Michel was accused of funneling money from Low to a lobbying campaign that had the goal of convincing President Trump’s administration to drop an investigation into Low in 2019.

RELATED: Why the post-Pelosi Democratic Party seems directionless

Pras Michel arrives at U.S. District Court on March 31, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Michel was recently ordered to forfeit over $64 million after he was found guilty for his attempts to influence the Trump administration.

‘Next chapter’

A representative named Erica Dumas told Variety, “Throughout his career Pras has broken barriers. This is not the end of his story. He appreciates the outpouring of support as he approaches the next chapter.”

Pras had previously told the outlet that he planned to appeal the outcome of the case, saying he was “going to fight” and “going to appeal.”

“But there’s a possibility that I’m going in while I’m fighting,” he said. “It’s just the reality.”

RELATED: Grammy-Winning Singer Headed to Prison for Failing to Pay $1 Million Owed in Taxes

Wyclef Jean (L), Pras Michel (C), and Lauryn Hill (R) attend the 24th Annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, January 1997. Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

Tumultuous trio

The other Fugees members went on to have careers worthy of feature film.

In 2010, Wyclef Jean attempted to run for president of Haiti after a hurricane ravaged the island. He was eventually dropped from the ballot, presumably because he did not meet the country’s residency requirements. It was also revealed in the process that Jean had been claiming he was three years younger than he actually was, admitting he was 40 years old, not 37.

In 2013, Lauryn Hill spent three months in prison for failing to pay around $1 million in taxes. At the time, she compared her experience in the music industry to slavery.

“I am a child of former slaves who had a system imposed on them,” she claimed. “I had an economic system imposed on me.”

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President Donald Trump and New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani cracked jokes during a surprisingly cordial meeting in the Oval Office on Friday.

Mamdani arrived at the White House Friday afternoon for his highly anticipated meeting with Trump, leaving many to speculate if their interactions would be friendly or fiery. After the meeting, both politicians maintained that the meeting went well with a common focus on affordability, with Trump even slipping in a few jokes to lighten the mood.

‘I met with a man who’s a very rational person.’

Mamdani was confronted by a reporter about his previous characterizations of Trump as a “despot.”

“I’ve been called much worse than a despot,” Trump quipped. “So it’s not that insulting. I think he’ll change his mind after we get to working together.”

RELATED: Trump warns Mamdani ahead of high-stakes Oval Office meeting: ‘He has to be careful’

Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images

Trump also interrupted Mamdani with a lighthearted comment on another occasion when Mamdani was pressed about calling the president a “fascist.”

“That’s OK, you can just say yes,” Trump said, patting Mamdani on the shoulder. “That’s easier than explaining. I don’t mind.”

Mamdani promptly agreed with Trump and refrained from elaborating on his past comments.

RELATED: Zohran Mamdani becomes first openly socialist mayor of New York City

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Alongside the many moments where the two joked about contentious remarks they’ve made about each other, both Trump and Mamdani agreed on key issues like affordability and cost of living. Trump acknowledged that their solutions to these issues would likely be different, but he cordially praised Mamdani as a “rational person” who sincerely wants New York City to succeed.

“I met with a man who’s a very rational person,” Trump said. “I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again.”

“I’ll be cheering for him.”

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​Donald trump, Zohran mamdani, Socialist, Fascist, Affordability, Oval office, Cost of living, White house, Trump administration, New york city, Politics 

George Soros has long been an advocate of open borders (against sovereignty), and BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler has always wondered why. But it wasn’t until she stumbled on old interviews of Soros, where he admitted that he did not believe in God, where she understood.

“Open borders is just a tool. It’s the means,” Wheeler tells students while speaking at Hillsdale College, before asking, “But what is the end?”

“Well, once you do dilute the culture, once you do destroy the institutions and the norms, then suddenly the country begins to change,” she explains, using Dearborn, Michigan, as an example.

“The Muslim mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, Abdullah Hammoud, he has mosques with loudspeakers attached to the top, and they play Muslim prayer hours publicly in the city, changing the culture of that area,” Wheeler says, noting that the reason he’s able to do this is because “our culture has been diluted.”

“It’s been under assault. The underlying hatred of those on the left who claim to just hate capitalism, they claim to maybe hate our definition of liberty. That’s not the underlying cause of it. It’s the hatred of our creator, hatred of the true founder, or the founder of the truth on which our nation is based,” she continues.

“And when you recognize that, the plot to overthrow America that is happening as I speak to you tonight becomes chillingly clear,” she adds.

Wheeler explains that this “plot to overthrow America” is made up of four pillars.

“The first pillar is diluting a culture through an attack on borders, through an attack on sovereignty. Opening the borders, letting hordes of people with no intention of assimilation coming into our country and changing the fabric, changing our norms and our traditions and our institutions,” she explains.

“The second pillar is electing radical politicians who hate our nation and for what we stand. The third pillar is changing the voting electorate,” she continues, pointing out that the voting electorate is changed through indoctrination.

“If you walk through the doors of a traditional four-year university in this country, you are very likely, if you walked in politically apathetic, to walk out a hardened Marxist revolutionary because that is the purpose of most universities in this country,” she adds.

The other way to change the voting electorate is through importing voters who “do not love the country to which they have been allowed to live.”

“And then the fourth pillar,” she says, “is fomenting violence in the streets of America in order to condition people for a violent revolution.”

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Leftists have infamously fought for men infiltrating women’s spaces — including locker rooms and bathrooms — despite it making women feel unsafe.

And until now, most left-wing talking heads have maintained the talking point that transgender women, or biological men, deserve to share women’s spaces. And which woman broke the trans-positive trend on the topic is shocking, to say the least.

“There would be women walking around with their boobies dangling, swinging in the breeze. And it’s not even, like, perky boobies, just boobies drooping to their knees. They kicking their boobies down the street and then want to walk up and have a conversation with you,” ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid began on her show, “Reid This Reid That.”

“And I’m like, don’t walk up to me with no clothes on and talk to me. I don’t want to talk to you. I would be disturbed. I’m telling you, I would be alarmed. I’m alarmed enough when I see a woman with her dangling boobies,” she continued.

“If I saw a penis in the ladies’ locker room, I would freak out too,” she said.

“This is nothing against trans anybody. What it’s saying is, if I turn around and I see a pee-pee, a penis, in front of me, inside of the room, I would probably go to management and say, ‘Wait a minute,’” she added.

Reid pointed out that it would be concerning from a “safety standpoint” and a “privacy standpoint.”

“This is what we’ve said a million times,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray says, astonished. “Why are the women’s sensibilities completely discounted here? It doesn’t make any sense for people who purport to care about women. It’s unreal.”

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A pair of Virginia brothers are facing charges related to an alleged plot to attack U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as retaliation for their enforcement of the law.

Mark Bennett, 59, and his younger brother John Bennett, a 54-year-old assistant principal at Virginia Beach’s Kempsville High School, were arrested on Wednesday at Norfolk International Airport and each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit malicious wounding.

‘Our ICE law enforcement is now facing an 8,000% increase in death threats against them.’

While having lunch at a pho restaurant in Virginia Beach on Nov. 15, an off-duty Norfolk police officer allegedly overheard the brothers discussing “how ICE agents are kidnapping individuals and that they needed to do something about it,” said the criminal complaint obtained by WTKR-TV.

Mark Bennett allegedly indicated during the conversation that he was planning to link up with like-minded people in Las Vegas and return with “enforcement ideas and plans.” He also allegedly indicated that he recently purchased a so-called assault rifle because “it utilizes the explosive rounds that are needed to penetrate the vests.”

The complaint claims that John Bennett said that he wanted to “go hunting” and signaled interest in flying to Vegas with his older brother.

While detectives confirmed that Mark Bennett was scheduled to make the flight on the day of his arrest, it’s unclear whether his brother similarly had a ticket to fly.

RELATED: Ramming attacks on ICE spike, endangering agents as Democrats continue to spew hateful rhetoric

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

“These allegations of violence against law enforcement, the very ones who protect and serve our communities, are incredibly alarming,” Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said in a statement. “We are grateful this information was brought to our attention. VBPD was able to work with various law enforcement agencies to assess the credibility of the information, leading to today’s arrests, ensuring the safety of both our law enforcement community and the public at large.”

Neither ICE nor Kempsville High School responded to Blaze News’ requests for comment by deadline.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools told WTKR that Bennett has been with the district since 2009 and is currently on leave.

During the brothers’ bond hearing on Thursday, the Bennetts’ attorneys claimed that the conversation overheard at the restaurant amounted to hearsay, that they were just joking around, and that neither brother posed a threat to the community, reported WVEC-TV.

The attorneys suggested further that the purpose of Mark Bennett’s trip to Las Vegas was to attend a Formula 1 race with his two sons.

The Bennetts were granted $25,000 bond but are confined to their homes and barred from contacting each other or possessing firearms.

ICE agents have faced an alarming number of threats and attacks in recent months. In some case, such as the sniper shooting in September at a Dallas facility, the attacks have proven deadly.

The Department of Homeland Security revealed this week that since Jan. 20, there have been 71 vehicular attacks against Customs and Border Protection agents and 28 vehicular attacks against ICE, amounting to 58% and 1,300% increases, respectively, of such attacks over the same period last year.

“Our ICE law enforcement is now facing an 8,000% increase in death threats against them while they risk their lives every single day to remove the worst of the worst,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said late last month.

“From bounties placed on their heads for their murders, threats to their families, stalking, and doxxing online, our officers are experiencing an unprecedented level of violence and threats against them and their families,” continued McLaughlin. “Make no mistake, sanctuary politicians are contributing to the surge in violent threats and assaults of our officers through their repeated vilification and demonization tactics, including gross comparisons to the Nazi Gestapo.”

The agency noted that concerned citizens can report doxxing and harassment against ICE officers by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or by completing ICE’s online tip form.

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An attack on a Texas federal facility has led to five people admitting to offering support for terrorism as members of an Antifa cell.

It is the first time that criminal suspects admitted to being involved in an Antifa cell, contradicting claims from many on the left that Antifa does not exist as an organization.

‘Antifa is a militant enterprise that advocates insurrection and violence to affect the policy and conduct of the US government by intimidation and coercion.’

Seth Sikes, Joy Abigail Gibson, Lynette Read Sharp, Nathan Baumann, and John Phillip Thomas each agreed that they had planned “to provide resources and personnel” before the July 4th attack intentionally knowing that “they would be used to carry out acts of terrorism.”

The agreement allows them to limit their possible prison time to 15 years rather than face decades of imprisonment.

An officer was shot in the neck in the attack at the Prairieland Detention Facility after confronting a suspicious individual who appeared to be carrying a firearm. “Multiple suspects” fired upon the officer, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

The officer was treated at a hospital and released.

The expansive investigation into the incident led to charges being filed against a total of 18 people. Gibson, Baumann, and Sikes were present the night of the attack, while Sharp and Thomas helped the accused shooter evade authorities.

Baumann agreed to stipulated facts about the plot in his plea deal.

“Baumann found that others who participated in the acts against Prairieland adhered to an Antifa, revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology that is anti-law enforcement, anti-immigration enforcement, and calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law,” the deal read. “Antifa is a militant enterprise that advocates insurrection and violence to affect the policy and conduct of the U.S. government by intimidation and coercion.”

The five who agreed to a plea deal are also facing state charges from Johnson County prosecutors. The rest of the 18 suspects are facing numerous local and federal charges.

“The charges the Grand Jury has leveled against these defendants, including material support for terrorists, address the vicious attack perpetrated by an anti-ICE, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, anarchist group,” said acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson in the press release.

RELATED: Anti-ICE messaging on bullets at shooting scene of ICE facility in Dallas

An attorney for another suspect named Elizabeth Soto said she pleaded not guilty and would contest the accusations in court.

Some of the defendants and their attorneys said that they intended to protest the immigration policies of the Trump administration but did not intend for shots to be fired.

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It seems some male basketball players are tired of having their skill levels compared to WNBA players.

After a former NBA player said the 2025 WNBA champions could beat an NBA team, a group of ballers decided to set the record straight with brutal honesty about how a matchup between the two sets of pros would play out.

‘I wish this would stop being a conversation.’

NBA players Michael Porter Jr., Lonzo Ball, and former pro LiAngelo Ball brought up the comparison of NBA players versus WNBA players on a recent episode of the “Ball in the Family Podcast.”

In just the second episode of the show’s existence, Porter decided he would contribute to its newsworthiness by asking the panel if they had heard that WNBA star Paige Bueckers claimed she could beat an NBA player head-to-head.

“Did you see when she said that she would beat Josh Hart one-on-one?” Porter asked.

“No chance,” the panel unanimously agreed, stating there was too big of a skill gap between Hart, who has averaged more than 10 points per game in his career, and a female pro.

The group then discussed what the age-appropriate matchup between a male and female basketball player would be, prompting the panel to drop brutal truths.

“Probably eighth grade,” Porter theorized, revealing he had actual experience playing against female college players as a teen.

“My sisters went to University of Missouri, and I was still a young dude, and they had me playing on the scout team, and they had a few WNBA players on their team, like Sophie Cunningham and a couple others. I think I was in seventh or eighth grade,” Porter continued.

He noted that he did indeed crush his female competitors at that time.

“It’s just a difference. I wish this would stop being a conversation because it should be common sense. But like, it’s just not,” he said.

Any viewers who thought the other panel members would jump to the defense of female players at this point were sorely mistaken. Particularly Lonzo Ball pulled no punches.

RELATED: Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter banned from NBA for life after disclosing info to bettor for $1.1 million bet

“I mean this as respectfully as possible, but ninth-grade Lonzo Ball in the WNBA is going crazy,” he said, speaking in third person.

Ball then brought out the measuring stick:

“In ninth grade, I was over six feet and dunking. I’m coming through the lane. No girl in the WNBA is doing that. I’m going backdoor, ‘Throw it up!’ I’m looking like Jordan out there,” he said.

Ball is no slouch in the NBA, and his 11-points per-game career average gives him the basis to make these claims.

“I mean this so respectfully. Middle school [and] down,” he added.

Earlier in the podcast, Porter outed his pro team for having reprimanded him in the past for talking about the differences between male and female players.

He explained that even within the Brooklyn Nets organization, “We’ve had conversations. They would appreciate if I stayed clear of certain topics, you know what I mean? That’s why the WNBA thing, that’s just a topic that kind of — it’s so sensitive nowadays. So I try to be aware of that.”

According to OutKick, Porter had previously strongly implied that if the WNBA All-Star team or the women’s Team USA basketball squad played the best male high school basketball players in the country, the boys would easily beat the women.

“It’s one of them things, bro. You can’t dance around it. In high school, when I was in high school … if we played the WNBA All-Star team, that, no disrespect, bro. No disrespect. I’m not even gonna say it,” Porter reportedly said.

RELATED: ‘They’re all hot garbage’: Whitlock goes NUCLEAR on the WNBA

Las Vegas Aces holds up the championship trophy after winning Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 10, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

In early October, 12-year NBA veteran (now retired) Pat Beverley said in an X post that the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces could give an NBA team a run for their money on the court.

“Idk if it’s the [wine] but i really believe this Aces team could beat a NBA team,” Beverley wrote.

The recent podcast panel reacted strongly to that claim with multiple guests simply responding, “That’s crazy.”

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​Culture, Humor, Quick draw, Tucker carslon, Ben shapiro, Leftists, Politics, Culture war 

Despite numerous setbacks, President Donald Trump remains committed to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine — a war that has resulted in over a million casualties and turned much of Eastern Ukraine into drone-netted wasteland.

To this end, his administration has drafted a 28-point peace plan that would give both warring parties something they want: for Russia, concessions to much of the land it presently occupies in Eastern Ukraine; and for Ukraine, a NATO-style security guarantee from the United States.

‘We’re back to square one.’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially expressed a willingness to work with the administration on the plan, which was presented to him in writing on Thursday by U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, but he has since joined others in casting doubt on its workability.

The plan

Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted on Wednesday evening, “Ending a complex and deadly war such as the one in Ukraine requires an extensive exchange of serious and realistic ideas. And achieving a durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions.”

“That is why we are and will continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides of this conflict,” Rubio added.

RELATED: Zelenskyy’s hold on power uncertain as criminal charges reach his inner circle

Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The following day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged that Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff “have been working on a plan quietly for about the last month.”

“They have been engaging with both sides, Russia and Ukraine equally, to understand what these countries would commit to in order to see a lasting and durable peace,” Leavitt continued. “That’s how you get to a peace negotiation.”

The plan’s 28 points as of Thursday are as follows, according to Axios and Agence France-Presse:

Ukraine’s sovereignty will be affirmed.A comprehensive non-aggression agreement between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe will be established, thereby settling all ambiguities of the last 30 years.The expectations that Russia will not invade neighboring countries and that NATO will not continue its expansion will be codified.A U.S.-mediated dialogue will be scheduled between Russia and NATO in order “to resolve all security issues and create conditions for de-escalation in order to ensure global security and increase opportunities for cooperation and future economic development.”Ukraine will receive an explicit security guarantee — apparently from the United States.Ukraine’s military will be limited to 600,000 personnel.Ukraine will codify in its constitution a prohibition on its joining NATO, and NATO will agree to statutorily forbid Ukraine’s admission in the future.NATO will agree not to station troops in Ukraine.European fighter jets will be stationed in neighboring Poland.The U.S. will receive compensation for its guarantee; invalidate the guarantee if Ukraine invades Russia or fires a missile at Moscow or St. Petersburg without cause; and revoke recognition of the new territory and respond both militarily as well as with global sanctions if Russia invades.Ukraine will be eligible for membership to the European Union and enjoy special access to the European market in the meantime.The U.S. and other parties will help rebuild Ukraine.Russia will be reintegrated in the the global economy.Frozen Russian assets will be poured into American-led efforts to rebuild Ukraine — a venture from which the U.S. will receive 50% of profits.A U.S.-Russian working group on security issues will be established to ensure compliance with all provisions of the agreement.Russia will codify a policy of non-aggression toward Europe and Ukraine.The U.S. and Russia will “agree to extend the validity of treaties on the non-proliferation and control of nuclear weapons, including the START I Treaty.”Ukraine will agree not to acquire or develop nuclear bombs.The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be launched under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency and distribute electricity equally between Russia and Ukraine.In addition to both nations implementing educational anti-discrimination programs and guaranteeing the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education, Ukraine will deal with its Nazi infestation and adopt EU rules on religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities.The U.S. will recognize Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk as de facto Russian; Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will be divided along the current line of contact; Russia will cede other territories under its control outside the five regions; and Ukrainian forces with abandon the part of Donetsk Oblast currently under their control, which will become a neutral demilitarized buffer zone.Once the territorial arrangements are settled, neither Russia nor Ukraine will attempt to change them by force.Russia will not prevent Ukraine from using the Dnieper River for commercial activities, and agreement will be made on the free transport of grain across the Black Sea.A humanitarian committee will be established to deal with prisoner exchanges as well as the return of remains, hostages, and civilian detainees. A family reunification program will also be implemented.Ukraine will hold elections in 100 days.All parties involved in the conflict will receive full amnesty for their actions during the war and agree not to consider any complaints in the future.The agreement will be legally binding, and sanctions will be imposed for violations.The ceasefire will take effect immediately after both sides retreat to agreed points and begin implementing the terms of the agreement.

Flies in the ointment

European diplomats and other establishmentarians immediately began clutching pearls over the plan, apparently convinced that there is yet a better way to resolve or win what is effectively an 11-year-old war.

“We’re back to square one,” one senior European official told the Financial Times.

Another European diplomat working on a response to Trump’s plan said, “It basically means capitulation [to Moscow].”

“For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board,” said European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “We haven’t heard of any concessions on the Russian side.”

RELATED: Orbán emphasizes to Trump that Hungary survives today as Christian ‘island of difference in a liberal ocean’

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, “Peace cannot be a capitulation.”

‘Our red lines are clear and unwavering.’

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, for instance, suggested that the plan was a “surrender agreement,” adding that “Ukrainian courage and patriotism should not be betrayed by Americans growing tired of stopping evil.”

Douglas Murray, a gay neoconservative who complained last year that the West was “drunk on peace,” wrote in his New York Post column, “Perhaps this is just an opening gambit, but it must be clear to any observer that these are not terms that any Ukrainian government could agree to.”

The Institute for the Study of War said that “the stipulations of the reported 28-point Russia-U.S. peace plan amount to Ukraine’s full capitulation to Russia’s original war demands.”

Zelenskyy, whose presidential term officially ended 18 months ago, initially broke from the naysayers, tweeting on Thursday, “Our teams — of Ukraine and the United States — will work on the provisions of the plan to end the war. We are ready for constructive, honest and swift work.”

However, in a 10-minute address on Friday to his beleaguered nation, Zelenskyy framed the choice of accepting the peace plan in dire terms.

“Now the pressure on Ukraine is one of the most difficult. Now Ukraine may find itself facing a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,” Zelenskyy said. “Either [Trump’s] 28 points or an extremely difficult winter, the most difficult and further risks — life without freedom, without dignity, without justice.”

The previous day, Zelenskyy stated, “It is important that the outcome be a dignified peace.”

Kristina Gayovishin, Ukraine’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N., effectively told the globalist body’s security council that concessions to Moscow and military reductions were off the table.

“While Ukraine stands ready to engage in meaningful negotiations to end this war, our red lines are clear and unwavering,” Gayovishin said. “There will never be any recognition, formal or otherwise, of Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation as Russian. Our land is not for sale.”

“We will not accept any limits on our right to self-defense or on the size and capabilities of our armed force,” the Ukrainian diplomat continued. “Nor will we tolerate any infringement on our sovereignty, including our sovereign right to choose the alliances we want to join.”

Gayovishin added, “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. And nothing about Europe without Europe.”

American officials have emphasized that the 28-point peace plan is a working document and therefore prone to change.

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A former Olympic snowboarder is on the FBI Most Wanted List for allegedly spearheading a multicultural trafficking organization.

Ryan James Wedding is a 44-year-old former snowboarder from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, who competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He took part in the men’s Parallel Giant Slalom for Canada, finishing 24th.

However, that would seemingly be the last time Wedding dealt with literal snow before becoming an accused cocaine trafficker.

‘Ryan Wedding controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world.’

According to Sporting News, Wedding’s first drug charges came six years after his Olympics appearance, when he was arrested in San Diego for cocaine trafficking and later convicted for conspiracy to possess and distribute.

Now, the FBI has placed Wedding on its top 10 most-wanted list and, working with the Department of Justice and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, has charged him with overseeing the operations of a criminal enterprise, engaging in witness intimidation, and profiting off of laundered drug money.

Wedding is believed to be in Mexico, where he is currently being sheltered by cartel associates.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Ryan Wedding controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world and works closely with the Sinaloa Cartel.”

She added, “We will not rest until his name is taken off the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List, and his narco-trafficking organization lies dismantled.”

Details of Wedding’s witness intimidation came from the DOJ, which said he ordered a hit on a witness in a federal narcotics case.

RELATED: Police walked right past DNC pipe bomb to first look under a bush where bomber sat 17 hours earlier

Wedding allegedly placed a bounty on the head of a witness for a 2024 indictment and enlisted others to locate and kill him. The witness was shot to death in a restaurant in Medellin, Colombia.

Not only is Wedding said to have ordered the assassinations of others as well, but perhaps shockingly, it was allegedly Wedding’s lawyer who advised him to put out the hit on the 2024 witness.

Deepak Balwant Paradkar, a 62-year-old barrister residing in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, allegedly advised Wedding to murder the victim in order to avoid extradition to the United States from Mexico. Paradkar also improperly provided Wedding with court documents and access to members of his enterprise who had been arrested.

Wedding is charged with a multitude of crimes stemming from the 2024 indictment, including continuing criminal enterprise, assorted drug trafficking charges, and directing the murder of two members of a family from Caledon, Ontario, Canada, in November 2023.

Those killings were reportedly in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment in California. A third family member was also shot but survived the injuries.

RELATED: LeBron James’ closest allies now in the spotlight for shocking NBA gambling probe

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“Ryan Wedding and his associates allegedly imported tons of cocaine each year from Colombia through Mexico and onto the streets of U.S. communities,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “His criminal activities and violent actions will not be tolerated, and this is a clear signal that the FBI will use our resources and expertise to find Ryan Wedding and bring him and his associates to justice.”

The diverse cast of characters involved in the case included Edwin Basora-Hernandez, a reggaeton musician from the Dominican Republic, who provided the contact information for the aforementioned witness, which helped assassins locate him.

Gursewak Singh Bal, co-founder of the Dirty News website, allegedly took money in exchange for not posting about Wedding, and instead posting a photograph of the aforementioned witness.

A $15 million reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest or prosecution was issued by the U.S. government, with another $2 million in reward money offered for similar information on each of the assassins.

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A postal worker was arrested for allegedly helping a man briefly escape detention from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Long Island.

Tamara Mayorga-Wong, 57, was charged with obstructing a federal proceeding over the incident from Nov. 5 in front of a 7-Eleven convenience store next to a post office in Westhampton.

Mayorga-Wong scolded a bilingual deportation officer by asking in English as well as Spanish, ‘Why are you doing this to your people?’

Homeland Security Investigations said the man had been placed in the back of a police vehicle when Mayorga-Wong ran up and opened the door to let him escape. She was wearing her USPS uniform at the time.

HSI said she told them, “You can’t do this!”

The detention officers were able to nab the detained man again, and they went to put Mayorga-Wong into custody as well. She was trying to get into her personal vehicle and responded to the officers by kicking at them and flailing her arms.

The complaint says that Mayorga-Wong scolded a bilingual deportation officer by asking in English as well as Spanish, “Why are you doing this to your people?”

WABC-TV captured video of the woman leaving federal court in Central Islip on Thursday.

RELATED: Outrage ensues when 13-year-old is arrested by ICE — then DHS releases devastating accusations

She also allegedly asked the officers if they were from Mexico and if they had children.

“What are you going to tell your children about what you do?” she reportedly asked them.

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President Trump is right to turn his gaze toward the meatpacking industry. It’s one of the dirtiest businesses in America — not just in hygiene, but in habit. I grew up around beef cattle, familiar with the blood and bone that keep this machine alive.

What was once a farmer’s trade has become a monopoly’s empire. Four corporations now control nearly 85% of U.S. beef processing. They set the prices, squeeze the ranchers, and pass the pain to consumers — all while preaching “market efficiency,” that modern hymn for exploitation.

When the men who raise the cattle can’t afford to eat steak and the companies that kill them post record earnings, something stinks — and it isn’t the beef.

The transformation wasn’t sudden. It crept in, one merger at a time, one farm foreclosure after another. The local slaughterhouse — once a fixture of every rural county — vanished, replaced by sprawling steel citadels where flesh and spirit move down the same assembly line. The small family business that once sponsored Little League or donated to the parish fundraiser is gone, its name buried beneath a global brand logo. What remains is meat without meaning: shrink-wrapped, standardized, and severed from life.

Bled dry

The result is as dire as it is deliberate. Independent ranchers are being bled dry. Farmers sell out not because they want to, but because the alternative is bankruptcy. When four conglomerates dictate what you earn, what you buy, and what you eat, the free market ceases to be free — it becomes feudal. The serfs still wear denim and drive pickups, but they serve the same masters: corporate overlords with billion-dollar appetites and offshore addresses.

Consumers don’t fare much better. They pay more for lesser cuts, duped into believing the illusion of abundance. The supermarket shelves are full of choice, but the choice has already been made. The labels may differ, but the profits lead to the same boardrooms. When the men who raise the cattle can’t afford to eat steak and the companies that kill them post record earnings, something stinks — and it isn’t the beef.

RELATED: ‘Farmer’ George Clooney wouldn’t last a minute with my family’s sheep

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Andia/Getty Images

Corporate cleavers

The story is no different across the Atlantic. In Europe, the meat trade has been quietly butchered by the same corporate cleavers. Small abattoirs — the lifeblood of rural France, Ireland, and Spain — have disappeared beneath the weight of regulation and consolidation. What used to be an honest trade of handshakes and hanging carcasses is now ruled by faceless conglomerates answering to Brussels and shareholders in Frankfurt. The European Union speaks loftily of “sustainability,” but its policies have done more to sustain monopolies than livelihoods.

Ask a French farmer about EU policy, and you’ll get a shrug somewhere between despair and disgust. In Ireland, cattle farmers — men like my father, who once fed nations through famine and war — now feed debt. In Germany, abattoir workers live in company dorms, shipped in from Eastern Europe to keep costs down. The romance of the pastoral has been replaced by the cold arithmetic of the spreadsheet.

From beef to bugs

Meanwhile, consumers are told to eat less meat “for the planet.” How convenient for the corporations that now sell the alternatives — lab-grown patties and insect protein, neatly packaged in recyclable guilt. They’ve found a way to profit from both sides of the moral ledger: first by monopolizing real meat, then by marketing its replacement. It’s a master class in hypocrisy and a catastrophe for the working class.

Trump’s decision to investigate the industry won’t fix a century of collusion overnight, but it is a long-overdue reckoning. For decades, Democrats and Republicans alike treated Big Meat as too big to question. The lobbyists wrote the laws, the lawyers buried the lawsuits, and the bureaucrats looked away. The result is a landscape where cattle ranchers depend on corporations that despise them and consumers rely on supply chains that could snap at any moment.

Food, the most basic human need, has become another instrument of control. When you own the meat, you own the man. Farmers used to raise herds; now they herd invoices and inspectors.

It’s tempting to believe that this system is simply broken. It isn’t. It works exactly as designed — to enrich the few and exhaust the many. The old rural ideal of self-reliance has been slaughtered on the altar of efficiency. What we are left with is a parody of plenty: full shelves, empty towns, and even emptier pockets..

Trump’s probe may not slay the beast, but at least someone is willing to pull back the curtain and show the nation what’s really being carved up. For decades, the Big Four packers have sliced the market to ribbons, fixing prices while farmers starved and consumers paid the bill. Now, for the first time in generations, there’s a man in power with the will to carve them up instead. Call it poetic justice: The butchers may finally find themselves on the block.

​Lifestyle, Meatpacking industry, Donald trump, Big business, Monopolizing meat, Fake meat, Insect burger, Beefs 

Infamous YouTube prankster Jack Doherty faces serious jail time after a run-in with police in Miami Beach last weekend.

The charges — which include possession of a controlled substance, possession of 20 grams or less of marijuana, and resisting an officer without violence — could get the baby-faced boor up to seven years in prison.

‘After we duel, sir.’

After going viral with his “flipping” videos as a teen, Doherty has amassed a huge following — and a reputation for obnoxious public behavior — over the last decade.

Doherty was filming content for his over 15 million YouTube subscribers while parked in the middle of the street in Miami when local police asked him to move. That’s when the trouble began.

In a video uploaded to TikTok, Doherty is heard responding to the request by telling police, “I challenge y’all to a duel,” as he plays a gambling app on his phone. Repeated requests by the police were met with the same response. “After we duel, sir.”

Fed-up cops placed Doherty under arrest, before conducting a search that led to a string of charges.

RELATED: ‘The Naked Gun’ creator David Zucker bashes ‘frightened’ Hollywood elites

YouTuber Jack Doherty Arrested While Filming Content On Miami Street

“Chill, chill, chill,” Doherty said as an officer placed his hands in cuffs.

In bodycam footage from Miami Beach Police, an officer searched Doherty’s pockets and found a pill before placing him in the back seat of a patrol car.

While it isn’t clear what the pill was, “Inside Edition” reported that Doherty was later charged with possession of cannabis, a misdemeanor, as well as possession of a controlled substance, a felony. Another misdemeanor, resisting an officer without violence, was also charged.

The Populist Times reported, however, that Doherty was charged with possession of amphetamines and cited another video where police were visibly upset with the young male.

“You think you’re funny?” a uniformed officer asked Doherty. “If you’re gonna be funny, get out of the f**king street. I don’t know who the f**k you think you are, bro,” the officer added.

RELATED: Fat chance! Obese immigrants make America sicker.

Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images

Doherty was reportedly booked into a Miami-Dade County facility just before 9 a.m., alleging that he was released after about 10 hours.

Doherty said in a subsequent video that he “waited in a cell for five hours” before getting fingerprints and mug shots. “Then I chilled in there for another five-plus hours, maybe more,” he explained.

He was later released on $500 bond, according to “Inside Edition,” with an arraignment set for January.

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As more candidates throw their hats in the ring ahead of the 2026 midterms, yet another Democrat has joined the fray to succeed one of the most infamous governors in America.

Anti-Trump Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell announced on Thursday that he will be running for governor of California in 2026.

‘I love California. It’s the greatest country in the world.’

Swalwell, who spearheaded Trump’s second impeachment, made the announcement on a segment of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” a show for which President Trump has repeatedly expressed his distaste.

Earlier this month, Trump’s director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, sent a criminal referral for Swalwell to the Department of Justice, alleging that Swalwell may have committed mortgage fraud. Swalwell responded by claiming to be a victim of politically motivated prosecution.

“I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world,” he said.

“I will not stop speaking out against the president and speaking up for Californians.”

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

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

Swalwell says California needs a “fighter and protector” on his X profile page.

“I’m ready to bring this fight home. So I came here tonight, Jimmy, to tell you and your audience that I’m running to be the next governor of California,” Swalwell announced to Kimmel.

During his remarks, Swalwell also referred to California as a “country.” “I love California,” he said. “It’s the greatest country in the world.”

Even Kimmel appeared confused, repeating, “Country?!” followed by a laugh.

Kimmel joked that Swalwell will have to “figure out the beard,” suggesting a full prospector look: “You’re either going to have to go more beard or less beard, because you’re in a beard nether region right now that we can’t have.”

Swalwell’s campaign video starts by saying the governor of California will have two jobs: “One, keep the worst president in our history out of our homes, out of our streets, and out of our lives.”

The second is to “bring us a new California,” a variation of one of his campaign slogans.

Swalwell joins an already crowded gubernatorial race. Other Democrats include Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and state Superintendent Tony Thurmond.

Blaze News reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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President Donald Trump has offered a preview of his highly anticipated meeting with New York City’s newly elected socialist mayor.

Trump’s meeting with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) in the Oval Office Friday afternoon is proving to be one of the most highly anticipated sit-downs of his second term. Trump described Mamdani, a staunch progressive and outspoken critic of the president, as “a little bit different” but remained optimistic about the meeting.

‘I give him a lot of credit.’

“He’s got a different philosophy,” Trump told Brian Kilmeade Friday. “He’s a little bit different.”

One of the focal points of Mamdani’s campaign was affordability, an issue that has also been a pillar of Trump’s administration. Although their respective solutions to address affordability are at odds, Trump maintained that the two New Yorkers are ultimately “looking for the same thing.”

RELATED: Is Trump meddling with Mamdani’s candidacy?

Photo by BG048/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

“I give him a lot of credit for the run. He did a successful run, and we all know that runs are not easy,” Trump said. “But I think we’ll get along fine. Look, we’re looking for the same thing. We want to make New York strong.”

Since his decisive victory in early November, Mamdani has continued to rail against Trump and his administration. During his victory speech, Mamdani infamously told Trump to “turn the volume up.” In response, Trump issued Mamdani a warning but commended his campaign nonetheless.

RELATED: Zohran Mamdani becomes first openly socialist mayor of New York City

Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

“Well, I was hitting him a little hard too, in all fairness,” Trump said. “It’s hard to be totally friendly to the opponent, you know. … He had some interesting opponents. But he ran a good race. I don’t know exactly what he means by ‘turn the volume up’ because ‘turn the volume up,’ he has to be careful when he says that to me.”

“I think it’s going to be quite civil. You’ll find out.”

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​Zohran mamdani, Donald trump, Trump administration, White house, New york city, New york city mayoral race, Curtis sliwa, Andrew cuomo, Nyc mayor, Eric adams, Affordability, Brian kilmeade, Politics 

The Women’s Hockey Association of Minnesota appears to be for women in name only.

The league, which touts itself as the largest women’s hockey league in the world, follows USA Hockey guidelines, which allow for the participation of men.

‘Pretending it’s OK for men to play in a women’s league insults women’s sports.’

USA Hockey allows athletes to “participate on a team that is consistent with their gender identity” in order to allegedly “help maintain a fair and safe environment.”

The policy, issued in 2021, adds that “gender identity” refers to one’s “internal psychological identification as a male or female, both, neither, or anywhere along the gender spectrum.”

Adhering to these guidelines, the WHAM has allowed at least seven different males to play among its teams, including four on a single squad.

According to Reduxx, a team in the league’s A-division called the Robins had four active male players in 2024. Kayley (Kody) Misialek, Rhea (Brady) Turner, Diana (Chris) Sulmone, and Paige (Dylan) Rainer were all listed on the team’s official roster. The team finished in second place in their division last season.

RELATED: Fathers step up to defend girls’ sports after liberal state defies President Trump — and biology

Reduxx further reported on the playing history of each of the four players, alleging that last year marked Turner’s first season competing as a female; at six feet tall, he has also played on a transgender hockey team.

Misialek has reportedly been playing women’s hockey since 2022, as has Sulmone.

Rainer allegedly played for a boys’ high school team before transitioning to co-ed teams. He also reportedly switched to the women’s league for the 2024-2025 season.

In cooperation with HeCheated.Org, the report named three more men playing in the women’s hockey league under girls’ names. This included one male who was alleged to run a venue that is labeled a “dyke and queer” bar.

RELATED: Olympics committee expected to reverse course on men in women’s sports

Two women have spoken out against WHAM’s inclusion of male players. Kelley Grotting said in February that playing against the men “feels unsafe” and is “not fun.”

“I am not a transphobe. To each his or her own, but pretending it’s OK for men to play in a women’s league insults women’s sports and creates safety issues,” she added, per Alpha News.

In October, a former college women’s hockey player said she was leaving hockey forever because men are allowed in the league in which she has played for 20 years.

“I am left to believe they do not care about my safety or the sanctity of the sport,” she explained. “I can no longer participate in a league that does not care about me.”

In response to criticisms about the league, a petition was filed in support of men in women’s athletics, started by a sports bar that exclusively shows women’s sports on its screens.

The petition said that the “safe and inclusive nature” of the league was being challenged, and therefore the community must “rally behind each individual’s right to sport, regardless of gender identity.”

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