Category: blaze media

Cornell University says chatbots have the capability for gross misuse, and its researchers are proving it.

The school announced recently that it had created a large language model that demonstrated fluency and reasoning capabilities advanced enough to make scam phone calls.

‘ScamAgent constructs persistent personas, … and uses deception strategies that unfold over time.’

ScamAgent, Cornell wrote, is an autonomous AI that can generate realistic scam-call scripts that simulate real-life scenarios where a call recipient is on the receiving end of fraud.

Simply put, it works like a chatbot that has the goal to deceive and persuade the call recipient.

Scam scripts were transformed into “lifelike voice calls using modern text-to-speech systems, completing a fully automated scam pipeline,” Cornell wrote.

At the same time, the research explained that the chatbot showed the remarkable ability to circumvent or ignore safety guardrails built into the language model, meaning it would ignore certain prompts and content filters.

RELATED: Mamdani allies push to ban chatbots from answering questions about law, medicine, and psychology

“ScamAgent constructs persistent personas, maintains conversational context, and uses deception strategies that unfold over time. This design allows it to bypass existing safety guardrails by decomposing harmful tasks into benign subgoals and leveraging contextual carryover to avoid triggering filters.”

The agent was used in a series of real-world fraud scenarios that Americans have become all too familiar with, like medical insurance verification scams, impersonations, prize or lottery fraud, and government benefit enrollment scams. However, researchers used a different chatbot as the recipient, not real people.

Researchers also noticed that it was not very difficult to convert scripts into audio to be used for scams and recreate an automated call without requiring much technical expertise.

RELATED: This new laser farming technique could free us from pesticides — forever

Photographer: Kuni Takahashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

For those wondering what the purpose of building such a deceptive AI agent would be, Cornell researchers said they wanted to highlight an urgent need to detect and disrupt conversational deception powered by AI agents.

They added that even “state-of-the-art” AI models are vulnerable to being used for deception, while also calling for “proactive safeguards” and “regulatory oversight.”

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​Return, Ai, Chatbot, Language model, Scams, Scammers, Call center scam, Tech 

Another federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration after a group of fired employees filed a lawsuit to oppose layoffs ordered at Voice of America.

President Donald Trump nominated Kari Lake to oversee the federal multimedia broadcaster in March 2025 as part of an order to reduce redundant government agencies.

‘We don’t have anyone in our foreign bureaus. We don’t have anybody, basically, to cover the news.’

On Saturday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to order the layoffs, but it is unclear how the agency will proceed after the ruling.

“Only the Appointments Clause or the Vacancies Act’s exclusive structure may authorize service as a principal officer, and Lake satisfies the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution,” Lamberth wrote in the ruling.

Lamberth also noted that Lake had not been approved by the U.S. Senate.

The journalists who filed the lawsuit included Voice of America White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, Kate Neeper, and Jessica Jerreat.

“We feel vindicated and deeply grateful. The judge’s ruling that Kari Lake’s actions shall have no force or effect is a powerful step toward undoing the damage she has inflicted on this American institution that we love,” reads a statement from the journalists.

“Even as we work through what this ruling means for colleagues harmed by her actions, it brings renewed hope and momentum to the next phase of our fight,” they added, “restoring VOA’s global operations and ensuring we continue to produce journalism, not propaganda.”

About 85% of the staff at VOA and the U.S. Agency for Global Media has been fired since March 2025, which includes about 1,400 workers.

“There’s about 120 working right now, and that’s all based in D.C.,” Widakuswara said. “We don’t have anyone in our foreign bureaus. We don’t have anybody, basically, to cover the news.”

RELATED: Judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits to presidential home site

Lake excoriated the judge and indicated the government would appeal the ruling.

“The American people gave President Trump a mandate to cut bloated bureaucracy, eliminate waste, and restore accountability to government,” she wrote on social media.

“An activist judge is trying to stand in the way of those efforts at USAGM,” she added.
“Judge Lamberth has a pattern of activist rulings — and this case is no different.”

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​Voa chief kari lake, Voice of america layoffs, Judge royce lamberth vs trump, Trump mass layoffs, Politics 

An 11-year-old Florida boy who was just arrested for making a death threat was charged with the same crime in October, police said.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office noted in its news release last week that “we have a repeat visitor” before disclosing that it was the young suspect’s “second arrest for making a written threat to kill.”

‘If you can threaten to shoot 7 teachers you can take a perp walk. Parents, discipline your kids and I won’t have to.’

The sheriff’s office said the boy has been in a diversion program as a result of his last arrest in October at Southwestern Middle School after he sent a group message “IM GONNA SHOOT YOU” from another student’s communications account.

But officials said the 11-year-old on Thursday once again used another student’s account to send the message “imma shoot you” to seven teachers at DeLand Middle School.

The sheriff’s office posted video of a deputy perp-walking the handcuffed boy into a holding cell. Blaze News is not naming the suspect or showing his face because of his age.

RELATED: 10-year-old Florida boy arrested, perp-walked on camera over kill list, threatening to bring gun to elementary school: Cops

Image source: Volusia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office video screenshot, composite

Sheriff Mike Chitwood had strong words for those who “coddle” young people accused of such crimes.

“Now understand this. We have 63,000 students and 4,400 teachers in Volusia County Schools. I know some want to make excuses and coddle the select few who choose to make threats. You can pat them on the head and tell them everything’s going to be alright. My job is to look out for everyone else,” Chitwood wrote. “These idiotic threats disrupt our schools, eat up time and resources, and increase the chances a real threat slips through the cracks. If you can threaten to shoot 7 teachers you can take a perp walk. Parents, discipline your kids and I won’t have to.”

Such arrests seem to be piling up in Florida.

The day before the 11-year-old boy’s arrest last week, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 10-year-old boy and perp-walked him on camera after officials said he threatened to bring a gun to his elementary school and left a kill list in his classroom.Late last month the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said officers arrested a 12-year-old girl after she posted online a “detailed manifesto” about carrying out a mass shooting at a middle school due to bullying.Also in February, a pair of 15-year-olds were arrested after being accused of threatening to shoot up high schools, police said.In late October, an 11-year-old girl was arrested after writing a “kill list” at her desk at school, police said. Then just two weeks later, an 11-year-old boy from the same school district was arrested after allegedly creating a “kill list” at school, police said.Also in October, a Florida sheriff’s office came under fire for posting 9-year-old male’s mug shot on Facebook after his felony arrest for allegedly bringing a knife into his elementary school.Just a week prior, that same sheriff’s office said a 10-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, a third-degree felony, after bringing a pocketknife to school and threatening another student. The sheriff’s office posted the suspect’s name and mug shot.

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​11-year-old boy, Repeat offender, Death threat, Arrest, Florida, Volusia county sheriff’s office, Making written threat to kill, Crime 

The Department of War has identified a seventh U.S. service member killed in support of Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East.

The Department of War announced in a press release on Monday morning that Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Ky., died of his wounds on March 8 from injuries sustained during an enemy attack on March 1 at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

‘He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved.’

Pennington was “seriously injured” during the attack, according to the U.S. Army’s press release.

“The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command is deeply saddened by the loss of Sgt. Pennington,” Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, USASMDC commanding general, said. “He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved. That makes him nothing less than a hero, and he will always be remembered that way. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.”

RELATED: ‘Heart of America’: Pentagon identifies 4 of the 6 US military members killed in Middle East

Photo by U.S. Navy via Getty Images

“Sgt. Pennington was a dedicated and experienced noncommissioned officer who led with strength, professionalism, and sense of duty,” Col. Michael Dyer, 1st Space Brigade commander, said. “Our deepest sympathies are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We remain dedicated to providing comfort and support at this time and will forever honor his legacy and ultimate sacrifice for our nation.”

Pennington was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado.

The Department of War said that the incident is currently under investigation.

Pennington was promotable and will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, according to a USASMDC press release.

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​Politics, Us army, Department of war, Dow, Benjamin pennington, Kuwait, Saudi arabia, Operation epic fury, Middle east, Prince sultan air base 

A growing number of states are considering a new way to tax drivers: charging you for every mile you travel.

The idea is called a per-mile driving tax, and if it moves forward, the cost of simply using your car could rise dramatically.

To tax driving by the mile, governments need to know exactly how far a vehicle travels. That raises immediate questions about monitoring and data collection.

On a recent episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl,” Karl Brauer and I discussed how these proposals are spreading — and why they could mean both higher costs and more government monitoring of drivers.

Pay as you go?

States such as California and Massachusetts are exploring mileage-based road charges as a replacement or supplement to traditional fuel taxes. The idea is simple on paper: Instead of paying taxes at the pump, drivers pay based on how many miles they drive.

But in practice, that means a new bill tied directly to your mobility.

Estimates from California state Rep. Carl DeMaio (R) suggest the impact could be substantial. Under proposals being discussed in California, drivers could be charged six to nine cents per mile they travel.

For a typical driver covering about 15,000 miles a year, that translates to roughly $900 to $1,200 annually in new taxes. DeMaio notes that when those charges are layered on top of existing gas taxes and vehicle taxes, the total burden for a two-car household could exceed $4,200 per year just for the privilege of driving.

That’s not a minor adjustment. For many families, it would function like another recurring household bill — tied directly to how much they drive.

And unlike discretionary spending, driving often isn’t optional. Millions of Americans rely on their vehicles to get to work, transport children, care for relatives, and handle everyday errands.

Commuter looter

One of the biggest problems with per-mile taxes is who ends up paying the highest price.

The drivers most likely to rack up mileage are often the ones who can least afford it. In expensive states like California, many workers commute long distances because housing near job centers is out of reach. Living farther out keeps rent or mortgage payments manageable — but it also means driving more miles.

A mileage tax effectively punishes those drivers for circumstances they can’t control.

Karl points out the obvious math: The longer your commute, the higher your tax bill. That means lower-income workers who travel farther to reach their jobs could end up paying more than wealthier drivers who live closer to work.

I spy

There’s another practical issue: How would states measure those miles?

To tax driving by the mile, governments need to know exactly how far a vehicle travels. That raises immediate questions about monitoring and data collection.

Modern cars already gather significant amounts of information through connected systems, insurance telematics, and onboard software. But a statewide mileage tax would likely require even more precise tracking.

Older vehicles without built-in connectivity present another challenge. Any mileage-tax program would still have to account for them, which could mean external tracking devices, reporting systems, or other work-arounds.

However the system is built, the bottom line is that taxing miles requires knowing how many miles you drive — and that opens the door to broader monitoring of driver behavior.

Kill switch 2.0

During the episode, we also talk about how this issue overlaps with new driver-monitoring technology already appearing in modern vehicles.

Under provisions in the 2021 infrastructure law, new vehicles will eventually include systems designed to detect impaired driving. The concept is often described as a safety feature, but the broader concern is how much control these systems could exert over the vehicle itself.

If software determines that a driver is impaired or unsafe, it could prevent the car from operating.

Karl and I agree that no one wants impaired drivers on the road. But once vehicles are equipped with systems capable of monitoring behavior and controlling vehicle operation, the question becomes how those systems might be used — and who ultimately controls them.

For drivers, that raises an uncomfortable possibility: a vehicle that can track, interpret, and potentially restrict how you use it.

RELATED: Salvage title cars are showing up at dealerships. Should you buy one?

Mike Simons/Getty Images

Engine trouble

Even without mileage taxes, the cost of owning and operating a vehicle has been climbing.

Vehicle prices remain high. Insurance premiums have increased significantly in many states. Repairs are more expensive as cars become more technologically complex. Fuel prices remain volatile.

Layering a per-mile tax on top of those costs would make daily transportation even more expensive.

Take California, where drivers already pay the highest fuel taxes in the country. A mileage-based charge might not replace those taxes — it could simply add another layer on top of them.

A broader trend

Mileage taxes also fit into a larger pattern in transportation policy.

Governments are experimenting with new ways to regulate emissions, reshape travel behavior, and generate revenue from road usage. But the people who feel the impact most directly are ordinary drivers.

Policies that make driving more expensive or more restricted don’t affect abstract “vehicle usage.” They affect real people who rely on their cars every day.

That includes workers commuting to jobs, parents transporting children, caregivers helping elderly relatives, and small-business owners who depend on vehicles for their livelihoods.

The bottom line

For most Americans, a car isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

That’s why proposals like per-mile driving taxes deserve close scrutiny. They could dramatically increase transportation costs while expanding the amount of information collected about how drivers use their vehicles.

If states move forward with mileage-based taxes, drivers will be the ones paying the bill — both financially and in terms of how their mobility is monitored.

Listen to the full episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl” below:

​Drive with lauren fix and karl brauer, Lifestyle, Auto industry, Align cars, Per mile taxes, Kill switch 

Many news outlets glossed over key details about the attempted bombing in New York City over the weekend, in some instances misleadingly portraying the attack outside Gracie Mansion as a threat to the city’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani (D), and omitting the motivations and apparent Islamic radicalization of the suspects.

Mamdani refused to acknowledge the suspects’ identities and instead focused his messaging on blaming the initial protest, “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City,” which the mayor claimed was “rooted in bigotry and racism.”

‘What any honest person would call an IED, the New York Times calls “smoking jars of metal and fuses.”‘

The media initially echoed Mamdani’s framing.

The New York Times released an early report titled, “Smoking Jars of Metal and Fuses Thrown at Protest Near Mayor’s House,” in which the outlet was quick to label the anti-Islamic protesters as “far-right” and led by “the far-right provocateur Jake Lang.”

The report detailed how the “turbulent scene” began with Lang’s demonstration, noting that one of his fellow protesters sprayed counter-protesters with mace before a counter-protester threw two smoking objects in their direction. The framing of the report suggested that the anti-Islam protesters were the initial aggressors in the confrontation.

The Times described the two suspects accused of bringing the “smoking objects” merely as “counterprotesters,” without delving into their potential motivations, political leanings, or signs of radicalization.

No explosions or injuries were reported.

RELATED: Counter-protester lights explosive amid anti-Mamdani protest, utters ‘Allahu Akbar’ — but NYC mayor rips ‘bigotry and racism’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

Author Hans Mahncke criticized the Times’ headline, writing in a post on social media, “What any honest person would call an IED, the New York Times calls ‘smoking jars of metal and fuses.'” The headline of the Times’ article was later updated to “Homemade Bomb Thrown at Protest Near N.Y.C. Mayor’s House, Police Say.”

At the same time that early news reports were surfacing, videos posted to social media showed one of the suspects shouting, “Allahu Akbar,” while tossing an IED toward anti-Islam protesters.

Even with the release of this and similar videos, the media was slow to report that Islamic radicals potentially carried out the attempted bombing.

The media began covering this angle only after the New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the attempted bombing was being investigated as ISIS-inspired terrorism.

The Times later reported that the suspects had viewed ISIS videos online, according to two anonymous officials. The homemade bombs reportedly contained triacetone triperoxide, made from precursor materials that have been linked to ISIS in the past, including in the Paris attacks in 2015.

RELATED: Glenn Beck exposes commie Mamdani’s ‘free’ day-care scam: $36K per kid — 55% more than private — and the socialist trap coming

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Tisch, who confirmed that the IEDs were real and potentially lethal, released more details about the suspects in a post on X.

“Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested on scene yesterday and are in custody in connection with this matter. The NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force,” Tisch wrote.

Despite Tisch’s announcement, Mamdani held fast to his original position.

During a Monday-morning press conference, Mamdani again criticized “white supremacy” and condemned the anti-Muslim protest. While he denounced violence, he described many of the counter-protesters as “peaceful.” He did not mention that the suspects appear to be radicalized Muslims.

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​News, New york city, Nyc, Zohran mamdani, Jessica tisch, Islam, Radical islam, Jake lang, Gracie manson, Terrorism, Terrorist attack, Politics 

Since last month, the Department of Homeland Security has been hamstrung by a Democrat-led government shutdown singling the agency out. Now, citizens — and especially air travelers — are paying the price due to a lack of department funding.

Security lines at airports across the nation have reportedly been “out the door” in some instances in the past couple of days, as DHS highlighted on Sunday.

‘The best advice we can share with travelers is simple: plan ahead, arrive early and stay in communication with your airline.’

DHS wrote on X: “SECURITY LINES OUT THE DOOR. Americans are now missing their flights because of the Democrats [sic] shutdown of DHS. Their political stunt is forcing patriotic TSA officers to work without pay — leading to financial hardship, absences, and crippling staffing shortages. Enough is enough: Democrats must fund DHS NOW.”

TSA seconded the post: “Enough is enough. The Democrat shutdown of DHS must end!”

RELATED: ‘It’s about time’: Passengers who refuse to use headphones may be kicked off this airline

Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Airports across the country have warned passengers to arrive at the airport several hours ahead of their scheduled flight.

For example, Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport posted an update on Monday morning telling passengers to plan to arrive three hours before their flight, adding that TSA security lines could take up to two hours to get through.

Likewise, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport cautioned passengers to arrive “4-5 hours before their flight to allow extra time for TSA screening.”

The warning added that TSA wait time “may exceed 180 minutes.”

Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the City of Houston’s Department of Aviation, estimated that area airports are expecting 2.2 million travelers during the busy spring break season. The increased numbers of travelers paired with the decreased staff numbers at TSA because of the government shutdown have caused dramatic delays.

“The best advice we can share with travelers is simple: plan ahead, arrive early and stay in communication with your airline,” reads a statement from Szczesniak.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a White House article Monday morning showcasing the frustrations of federal workers and travelers alike at various airports. The article also mentioned that over 100,000 DHS employees are working without pay.

Phoenix TSA worker Jovan Petkovich told Fox: “We’re fed up. We’ve had enough. This is the third shutdown in a matter of six months. … How many delays is it? How many flight attendants are being impacted?”

The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account added to Petkovich’s statement, saying, “Democrats need to fund [DHS] and stop playing politics with people’s livelihoods.”

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​Politics, Dhs, Department of homeland security, Tsa, Airports, Airplanes, Air travel, White house, Transportation security administration, Democrat shutdown 

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that he is replacing Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security and nominating Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) to the position, while reassigning Noem to a new role as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.

When BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales got the news, her very first reaction was: “Why wasn’t it Pam Bondi?”

“That actually is the biggest shock to me. … You’re putting people on the chopping block, and Pam Bondi wasn’t the first one?” she asks.

While Sara will continue to “hold that hope” that Bondi will eventually be replaced, for now it’s Noem who has taken the hit.

Sara revisits President Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the shake-up:

“I mean, you gotta hand it to him. He is loyal. He does regard loyalty in the highest esteem. … He doesn’t want to actually fire anyone. That was just for the TV show,” says Sara, referring to “The Apprentice,” the reality series that aired on NBC from January 2004 to 2017, where Trump coined the iconic “you’re fired” gesture.

“He just makes up new jobs for these people to go take so he doesn’t have to be like, ‘Yeah, we just didn’t like her.’ … He’s like, ‘Well, she’s going to be the special envoy for the Shield of Americas, which we don’t actually have yet, but we should, and we will, beginning this weekend, because I fired her and had to find a spot for her,”’ she laughs.

But Sara’s got another big question mark hanging over Noem’s replacement.

“I don’t understand why we are pulling senators away from our already slim majority when you could have brought in Tom Homan, right?” she says.

“Are we trying to lose the majority? I don’t understand what the goal is here.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Kristi noem, Blazetv, Blaze media, Trump, Noem, Dhs, Markwayne mullin, Pam bondi 

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is a vociferous opponent of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, sometimes referred to as the SAVE America Act, which would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

The unpopular senator has characterized the act — the passage of which President Donald Trump has made a condition of his ratification of other bills — as “Jim Crow 2.0,” a “fringe piece of legislation,” and as “extreme as it gets.”

‘Americans see the hypocrisy.’

Schumer was not, however, always opposed to measures protecting the benefits owed only to American citizens.

Decades-old footage has once again gone viral online, showing Schumer previously making the case that valid U.S. identification ensures against rampant fraud by noncitizens.

When discussing a proposed amendment to the Republican-sponsored Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in March 1996, then-Rep. Chuck Schumer stated, “Let’s admit the truth: Everywhere people go, they’re asked for a Social Security card. In fact, one way to prove you’re a bona fide person who can have a job is to ask for a driver’s license and a Social Security card.”

“This is an anti-fraud amendment. All over, where we go, people say, ‘Well, why can’t you stop illegal immigrants or others from coming here?’ And the number-one answer we give our constituents is, ‘When they come here, they can get jobs, get benefits against the law because of fraud,'” said Schumer.

RELATED: Illegal alien allegedly voted in 2024 federal election, when Trump and Kamala were on the ballot

Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images

In the video — an excerpt of which the White House shared online last month — the Democrat also blasts opposition to the “anti-fraud measure.”

Responding to the remarks made by the Schumer of yesteryear, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) wrote, “Americans see the hypocrisy. Pass the Save America Act.”

“The only thing that’s changed here is Democrat messaging,” wrote Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). “EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON recognizes that securing U.S. elections is commonsense.”

North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris (R) urged Schumer, “Listen to your past self.”

“I guess new Chuck Schumer changed his mind,” wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

On Sunday, Schumer recycled his “Jim Crow 2.0” talking point and claimed that the SAVE Act would “disenfranchise tens of millions of people.”

“If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate,” continued Schumer. “Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances.”

A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll from February revealed that a supermajority — 71% — of U.S. voters support the SAVE Act, including 50% of Democrats. When polled on the particulars of the legislation, 75% of U.S. voters said they supported proof of citizenship; 81% said they supported voter ID; and 80% said they supported states removing noncitizens from voter rolls.

The poll also found that 85% of respondents, including a majority across all political parties, said that only American citizens should be able to vote.

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​Save america, Safeguard american voter eligibility act, Chuck schumer, Schumer, Hypocrisy, Democrat, Voter ide, Voter fraud, Election, Midterm, Donald trump, Illegal aliens, Noncitizens, Noncitizens voting, Politics 

Last year, Minnesota state employee Dylan Adams was arrested for vandalizing six Tesla vehicles, reportedly causing $20,000 in damage.

Despite the damage, Adams was punished by the state with only a single-day, unpaid suspension, according to a letter from the state Department of Human Services.

‘THAT’S IT. He’s not even being PROSECUTED.’

Dylan, an employee of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, was just one of several people arrested last year in connection with the destruction of Tesla vehicles in Minnesota.

The damage was in protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his then-leadership role at the Department of Government Efficiency.

RELATED: Counter-protester lights explosive amid anti-Mamdani protest, utters ‘Allahu Akbar’ — but NYC mayor rips ‘bigotry and racism

Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

According to the investigative report, Adams claimed he was disturbed by Musk’s hand gestures to a Trump crowd in 2025, perceiving it as a Nazi salute. He said he vandalized the Teslas “in hopes that the owners of the vehicles would disassociate themselves from Elon Musk and Tesla,” the report said.

The suspension letter revealed Adams’ official punishment and the details of the damage.

“This letter is to inform you of our intent to suspend you for one (1) working day,” the letter read, for “the following facts”: “Your behavior of vandalizing (‘keying’) multiple (six) Tesla vehicles in March of 2025 which made local and national headlines.”

Adams was told that he had the right to appeal the suspension, but it does not appear he has done so.

The letter was signed by Heidi Hamilton, Disability Services director.

Adams has never been charged with a crime in connect with the vandalism.

RELATED: Mamdani walks back popular progressive campaign promise to pedestrians

Photo by Lab Ky Mo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office announced last year that prosecutors would opt for “diversion” instead, which officials said was typical in similar cases.

Daniel Borgertpoepping, spokesperson for Moriarty’s office, said, “We offered diversion, as we often do with property damage cases when the person has no record. Mr. Adams will have to complete the requirements of the program. He will also have to pay every penny in restitution to the victims. If he does not meet those requirements, we will proceed through the criminal legal system process.”

Critics noted the minimal consequences Adams is facing for his actions.

Nick Sortor wrote on X, “THAT’S IT. He’s not even being PROSECUTED. Minnesota is a FAILED STATE!”

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​Politics, Tesla, Elon musk, Doge 

President Donald Trump and members of his administration are attempting to defuse concerns over skyrocketing energy costs. The problem may, however, get a whole lot worse before getting better.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil normally transits the Strait of Hormuz, a stretch of water between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

The latest Middle Eastern conflict, now in its second week, has not only prompted various regional energy giants to temporarily shutter their operations but effectively halted traffic through the strait, as illustrated by Marine Vessel Traffic’s real-time map.

‘The sky is the limit.’

These interruptions to the global energy supply have driven up oil prices to over $100 per barrel of crude.

Prior to the opening bell on Monday morning, the international benchmark Brent crude saw an intraday high of nearly $120 per barrel. After trading at over $104 per barrel after opening, Brent fell closer to $102.

Citing data from over 12 million individual price reports, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at the price-tracking service GasBuddy, noted, “The nation’s average price of gasoline has risen 51.1 cents over the last week and stands at $3.45 per gallon.”

“The national average is up 54.1 cents from a month ago and is 41.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago,” continued De Haan. “The national average price of diesel rose 85.9 cents in the last week and stands at $4.599 per gallon.”

RELATED: Iran promises to cease attacks on neighboring countries as Trump warns it will be ‘hit very hard’

Photo by Alain JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images

De Haan projected the national average for gasoline prices might soon reach $3.65-$3.85 per gallon and suggested that the three remaining states with gas prices below $3 per gallon — Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arizona — won’t be able to maintain that ceiling for long.

When asked on Saturday whether he might consider utilizing America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to alleviate some of the pressure at home, Trump told reporters, “We’ve got a lot of oil. Our country has a tremendous amount.” The president then criticized former President Joe Biden’s massive withdrawals from the reserve.

Facing market signals that oil prices would continue rising, the president and his administration attempted the following day to downplay the issue and emphasize the short-lived nature of the cost increase.

Trump noted on Sunday, “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace.”

“ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!” added the president.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright told “Fox News Sunday” that coalition forces are “massively attriting” Iran’s ability to strike oil assets in the Middle East and “that rate of attrition will increase in the coming days” such that “energy will flow soon.”

Wright claimed further that the surging cost of oil and gas “has nothing to do with any shortage of barrels of oil or natural gas. It’s just fear and perception.”

The energy secretary also pushed this notion on CBS News, claiming that the price spikes are resultant of “emotional reactions and fear that this is a long-term war,” adding that “it’s a temporary movement.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly emphasized that the cost increases will be brief, telling Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that the price rises amount to a “short-term disruption for the long-term gain of taking out the rogue Iranian terrorist regime and finally ending their restriction of the free flow of energy in the Middle East.”

Neil Atkinson, the former head of oil at the International Energy Agency, is among the analysts who believe this disruption has all the makings of a historic crisis.

“Though there are oil stocks around the world, the point is that if this closure of the Strait persists, those oil stocks, if they are deployed, will be depleted and we are going to be in a situation where, with the oil production actually shut in, in Iraq and possibly in Kuwait, and maybe even, in time, in Saudi Arabia, that we are going to be in a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before,” Atkinson told CNBC.

When asked about oil prices, Atkinson said, “There is no precedent for this. The sky is the limit.”

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​Oil, Gas, Energy, Market, Markets, Barrel, Crude, Iran, Iran war, Iran strikes, Strait of hormuz, Donald trump, Trump, Politics 

A 20-year-old Florida female gave birth in a toilet in her home last week, left her newborn girl there, waited until her baby stopped “crying and moving,” and watched her baby die, police said.

Authorities received a call around 4 a.m. Friday requesting a welfare check on Anne Mae Demegillo, 20, of Palm Coast, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.

‘May God bless this infant and hold and comfort the baby in his loving hands with the love the baby never received on earth.’

The caller told dispatchers Demegillo had sent messages to the caller stating she had been secretly pregnant and unexpectedly gave birth at home, officials said. The message indicated that Demegillo’s baby was born alive and crying, but Demegillo had done something to the infant, officials said.

Deputies arrived on scene and met with Demegillo, who told them she wasn’t sure she was pregnant but began experiencing severe abdominal pain around 3 a.m. Thursday and later delivered the newborn in her bathroom toilet, officials said.

Demegillo claimed she thought the infant was deceased, so she hid the infant in a duffle bag in her closet and went about her normal daily routine, officials said.

When Demegillo returned home from a theater performance in New Smyrna Beach, she buried the deceased infant in a shallow grave in her backyard, officials said, adding that at no point did Demegillo contact emergency services for assistance.

Detectives determined that Demegillo knowingly and purposefully allowed the newborn to drown in the toilet, officials said.

Chief Deputy Joe Barile of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office told WESH-TV, “It baffles me, to be completely honest. Sometimes you can’t explain everything.”

The newborn girl weighed three pounds, six ounces, and measured 18 inches long, the station noted.

“She goes to the bathroom, she thought she had cramps, pains, and … she goes into labor, and then delivers a child,” Barile said, according to WESH. “She sees it in the toilet, leaves it there, watches it, hears it cry, and waits until it stops crying and moving.”

RELATED: University of Kentucky cheerleader arrested after allegedly stashing her dead baby in garbage bag, hiding body in closet

Barile added to the station that “she hid the infant in a duffel bag in her closet and went about her normal routine. She went to her college.” Barile told WESH the suspect also went to the Little Theatre in New Smyrna Beach for a performance in which she played the character Virtue in the musical “Anything Goes.”

Detectives said Demegillo returned home around 10 p.m. Thursday and buried the baby, wrapped in a towel, in the backyard grave, the station said. Barile added to WESH that “deputies only had to remove, I’d say, four to five inches of dirt to find the baby.”

Deputies told the station the newborn appears to have died from abandonment.

Demegillo faces aggravated manslaughter charges, WESH said, adding that she showed no sadness or remorse. She appeared before a judge Saturday morning and was denied bond, the station reported.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our community, for the family involved, and an emotionally difficult case for our team,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I want to remind our community, especially our expectant mothers: Florida law allows you to bring a child at birth to a local fire station, hospital, or law enforcement agency and surrender the child. That is a much better solution than what we are investigating today — for everyone involved, but most importantly the infant who was prevented from the life they deserve. May God bless this infant and hold and comfort the baby in his loving hands with the love the baby never received on earth.”

Under Florida’s Safe Haven Law, parents who cannot care for a newborn may safely surrender the child at any fire station, hospital, or police station, officials said. Palm Coast’s Safe Haven Baby Box allows for complete anonymity and is located at Fire Station 25, officials said. Parents can quietly and safely place their newborn inside the secure, climate-controlled box without having to interact with anyone face-to-face, officials said.

Those with information are encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 386-313-4911.

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​Florida, Newborn, Toilet, Arrest, Birth, Aggravated manslaughter of a child, Bond denied, Jailed, Secretly pregnant, Flagler county sheriff’s office, Palm coast, Buried newborn, Crime 

A tense exchange between press secretary Karoline Leavitt and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins unfolded at a recent White House press briefing — and BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales couldn’t be more impressed with the way Leavitt handled it.

“You have CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who started out at the Daily Caller, was hired by Tucker Carlson. She was writing for conservative media, and somewhere along the way, her brain melted,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales explains.

“So clearly, it is her life’s mission now to just make Donald Trump look bad,” she says.

“Is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?” Collins asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a recent press conference.

“No,” Leavitt answered. “It’s the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across the country should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury.”

“So we can all be very grateful that we have an administration and that we have men and women in our armed forces who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for the rest of us in this room and for every American across the country and for every troop that is based in the Middle East,” she added.

Collins then interjected that Pete Hegseth “was complaining that it was front-page news about these six service members who were killed.”

“That’s not what the secretary said, Kaitlin, and that’s not what the secretary meant. And you know it — you know you’re being disingenuous. We’ve never had a secretary of defense who cares more,” Leavitt responded.

Collins again interjected, reading Hegseth’s comment, which included that “the press only wants to make the president look bad.”

“The press does only want to make the president look bad. That’s a fact,” Leavitt said.

“We expect you to cover that as you should, Kaitlan. But you and your network know that you take every single thing this administration says and tries to use it to make the president look bad,” she added.

Collins continued to argue, but she was no match for Leavitt, who pointed out that “CNN’s overwhelming coverage” of President Donald Trump is “negative” and that the American people would agree with that.

“There’s no disputing that,” Gonzales comments. “The American people don’t want to hear from CNN, because we all know this is, of course, the agenda. This is the playbook. It’s the only playbook that they have.”

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​Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Kaitlan collins, Press secretary, Karoline leavitt, Pete hegseth, President trump, President donald trump, Cnn 

There’s good news at the Nelson residence. I no longer have to pay my rent!

That is, I don’t have to pay it the way I used to pay it. I now have options. I have been empowered. I can choose when I’m going to pay it. And how much I’m going to pay.

They are counting on you being stupid. And not being able to keep your head above water. That’s what they like to see. Millions and millions of heads, barely above sea level.

I can pay some of my rent now, and some of it later, according to my personal “cash-flow needs.”

Unlike in the past, I am released from the burden of coming up with all that rent money in one unwieldy chunk at the beginning of the month.

Now, I can spread my rent out into multiple payments, giving me freedom, flexibility, and financial control!

Flex my life

This has been made possible by a new product called Flex Rent, which my landlord has been pushing on me all month.

I have been receiving emails from Flex (the company behind Flex Rent) every single day. My landlord was helpful enough to give Flex my email address. Which leads me to conclude my landlord must really want me (and all his other tenants) to enroll in Flex.

Looking into it, I realize why. Because my landlord will get all the rent at the beginning of the month, just like he does now. Flex Rent will pay him.

Meanwhile, I can pay my rent to Flex Rent according to my “values” and my “financial goals” and my “monetary situation.”

In other words, when I’m not dead broke.

Land of the fee

Of course, Flex Rent is just trying to make a buck off renter Americans. Especially those in financial difficulties: people living paycheck to paycheck and doing so by a thin margin.

Flex Rent is trying to help those special people who, thanks to inflation, higher taxes, and job discrimination, are barely surviving financially.

Imagine you’re drowning. Onlookers call for help. Your friends at Flex Rent immediately arrive with a life preserver — only to ask for a small fee in order to throw it to you.

Ah yes, the small fee.

And what is that small fee? You start by paying Flex Rent $14.99 a month and 1% of your rent amount. Where I live that adds up to around $40/a month.

In exchange, they will front my rent money to my landlord. And I will get a few extra days or weeks to scratch up the rest.

With Flex Rent, everybody wins. My landlord gets his money. I am given “financial flexibility.” And Flex Rent — if the company can sign up enough people — will get rich off the growing number of financially desperate renters.

Klarna chameleon

Of course, Klarna started this trend. Klarna is that fun company that inserts itself between you and many of the companies you shop from online.

Let’s say you’re really hungry. You want to order a large pepperoni pizza. But you’re a little short on cash right now. Klarna magically appears in your pizza delivery app and offers to help.

Klarna will pay for your large pizza right now. All you have to do is pay Klarna back in installments. And there’s no interest! Not yet, anyway.

RELATED: Coffee is for closers; ‘artisanal’ coffee is for self-hating libs

Washington Post/NASA/Getty Images

You better, you bet

What’s interesting about Klarna and Flex Rent is that they exist in a crowded marketplace. Nowadays, there are many, many companies fighting for those last scraps of your paycheck.

All of which is happening during a time when your average American is having trouble even procuring a paycheck.

The various gambling websites are typical of these companies. They have figured out ways to transform your love of sports into highly addictive betting opportunities.

Outfits like Polymarket make it possible for you to gamble on non-sporting events. You can now bet on your local congressional race. Or who will win an Oscar. Whatever your interests, there are ways to lose money on them.

Meanwhile, Big Pharma also wants your last 20 bucks. As do your local streaming services. As does your local gas station.

It seems the less money Americans have, the more companies appear to fight over what’s left of it.

Stupid tax

Of course, the strategies used by Flex Rent and Klarna have existed as long as humans have exchanged goods and services. But these days, monetizing the moneyless is a growth business.

Even as I write this, more of these companies are coming into existence. There’s now a useful acronym used to describe their services: BNPL. “Buy now, pay later.” Here is just a sampling of some of the newer BNPL companies:

NOWpaymentsAffirmCredeeSezzleQuickFeeAfterpaySplitIt

Each of these new outfits has its own particular gimmick. But they all do the same thing: take advantage of your fiscal misfortune, while pretending they’re “empowering” you.

You might ask yourself, “Do these companies think I’m stupid?” And the answer is yes, they do.

They are counting on you being stupid. And not being able to keep your head above water. That’s what they like to see. Millions and millions of heads, barely above sea level.

But maybe it’s good that these companies will help you buy that large pepperoni pizza. Don’t you need your pizza? And why should the pizza maker get all your pizza money? The Klarna folks need money too. Aren’t we all in this together?

​Lifestyle, Men, Blake’s progress, Rent, Buy now pay later, Personal finance, Flex rent, Klarna, Polymarket 

If Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to be true to his word and “Make America Healthy Again,” he must reform the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Vinay Prasad, whose actions thwart medical freedom, endanger the unborn, and compromise patient choice, needs to go now, not at the end of April.

Prasad is a “Bernie Sanders acolyte” who “doesn’t think patients can be trusted to make their own healthcare decisions,” as Allysia Finley put it in the Wall Street Journal. Prasad disparages the 2018 right-to-try law, which give terminal patients access to experimental treatments, calling it “terrible” and “disingenuous,” written by people who “want to weaken the FDA.”

MAHA won’t survive as a slogan alone. Behind the facade of RFK’s rhetoric is an ideological agenda at odds with key conservative values.

Prasad claims that dying patients already have access to drugs through the FDA’s expanded-use programs and blames drug companies as the “major barrier” to unapproved drugs, downplaying the government’s role in blocking patient choice.

His personal crusade against faster drug approvals has chilled medical innovation. When Prasad originally resigned in July, months into his FDA tenure, amid backlash, the market predicted a shift toward a more patient-centric “right-to-try” approach, potentially cutting the bureaucratic red tape stifling cell and gene therapies and patient access.

Prasad’s pro-abortion record is even worse. He proudly identifies as “pro-choice” and progressive, a stance fundamentally at odds with pro-life conservatism. His appointment to the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research overseeing drug development that affects pregnant women and unborn children is a direct threat to the culture of life.

Prasad consistently casts abortion as a medical issue rather than a moral issue. He also fiercely defended mifepristone, the abortion pill, when a Texas judge tried to suspend its FDA approval. Prasad called the court’s intervention a “dangerous precedent,” and applauded the Supreme Court for preserving access to the drug, framing the issue purely as protecting “FDA authority” and “scientific integrity.” To pro-life voters, that posture reads less like neutrality and more like a commitment to keeping the abortion drug regime insulated from challenge.

Small-government promises are colliding with Prasad’s big-government dogma. Conservatives assumed RFK Jr. and his FDA appointees would shrink regulatory excess in support of President Trump’s innovation agenda, but they have done the opposite. Prasad came in with a “stringent regulatory mindset.” Rather than trusting patients to weigh risks for themselves, he has tightened the FDA’s grip with paternalistic, ideological rules. He has sidelined MAHA’s promise and expanded oversight instead.

Prasad’s policies have often expanded the FDA’s reach in ways that could seriously harm timely access to treatments. He is imposing tougher requirements on industry, insisting on larger trials and refusing to rely on surrogate endpoints for approvals, which means more delays and more red tape before new solutions can reach the public.

RELATED: MAHA allies rage over Trump’s support for controversial weed-killing chemical

Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

The internal dynamics under Prasad reflect a top-down, bureaucratic rigidity and are under formal investigation, with the FDA retaining an outside investigator to examine workplace complaints alleging a toxic environment. Instead of signaling healthy reform, Prasad’s authoritarian rule of CBER is run on control and fear of pushback, where staff worry that dissent will be punished and experienced voices are pushed out or sidelined. Rather than “draining the swamp,” this approach fortified an insider bureaucracy loyal to Prasad’s agenda.

When the FDA held a meeting on a Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher drug, the voting members were top leaders like Prasad, not the scientists who reviewed the application. Career reviewers were excluded from the vote entirely, a major break from the FDA’s long-standing practice of empowering these staffers to make the final scientific call in order to shield approvals from political pressure.

The paradox for conservatives is obvious. Kennedy and Prasad earn plaudits for pulling back certain excesses, including scaling down aggressive vaccine promotion. Yet at the same time, they are building a larger, more controlling FDA bureaucracy in other domains — one that constricts medical freedom, slows innovation, and keeps pro-life concerns at arm’s length.

MAHA won’t survive as a slogan alone. Behind the facade of RFK’s rhetoric is an ideological agenda at odds with key conservative values. Conservatives who cherish medical freedom and rapid innovation find themselves at odds with Prasad’s FDA. A few welcome policy tweaks cannot obscure the reality of an expanding bureaucracy and pro-abortion policies.

With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, continuing this pattern will hurt Republicans and erode the trust of voters, handing Democrats an easy narrative about broken promises. Such an outcome would leave MAHA dead and MAGA mortally wounded. We must do better.

​Opinion & analysis, Hhs, Robert f. kennedy jr., Rfk jr, Vinay prasad, Food and drug administration, Fda, Big pharma, Big government, Wall street journal, Bureaucracy, Regulation, Red tape, Pro-life, Abortion, Progressives, Resignation, Make america healthy again, Maha, Vaccines, Science 

Defending Education has launched a protest tracker of K-12 student walkouts, Blaze News has learned. The national grassroots organization released the tracker amid a surge of student protests against immigration enforcement efforts.

Defending Education estimated that the number of school protests has significantly increased since 2022. The organization gathered this information from social media posts, news articles, and press releases.

‘By allowing these protests, school leaders are increasing the chance of harm befalling students and decreasing much-needed instructional time in the classroom.’

The K-12 Student Walkout and Protest Tracker estimated 21 demonstrations in 2022, 10 in 2023, 13 in 2024, and 43 in 2025. So far, in 2026, Defending Education calculated that there have been 269 protests at U.S. schools.

Walkouts were recorded in 48 states and the District of Columbia and involved approximately 421 schools, including 33 middle schools.

“The total listed is on the low end of the overall number of schools that had student walkouts/protests due to many news articles not listing names of specific schools that participated,” Defending Education noted.

A number of the total protests, 74, were organized or assisted by activist clubs or nonprofits.

RELATED: Defending Education gives parents tools to fight leftist indoctrination

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

Defending Education’s tracker provided a list of those protests by state and district, noting in each instance the cause behind the walkouts.

The reasons for the demonstrations included disapproval of Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions and President Donald Trump, as well as support for the LGBT community and Palestine. Students organized marches to raise awareness about climate change, for school funding, and to call for stricter gun laws.

RELATED: Brawl breaks out when police chief in street clothes tries to arrest HS girl protesting ICE. Now some want chief to resign.

Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images

Defending Education noted that its current list is not comprehensive and will be updated as the organization receives additional information.

“This data shows a multiyear trend of student walkouts for the latest far-left political cause. By allowing these protests, school leaders are increasing the chance of harm befalling students and decreasing much-needed instructional time in the classroom. Administrators need to put an end to these acts of ‘civil disobedience’ before they lose complete control,” Rhyen Staley, the research director at Defending Education, stated.

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​News, Education, Defending education, K-12 schools, K-12 education, Student protests, Student protest, Anti-ice, Anti-trump, Lgbt, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Immigration, Politics 

“I’ve dealt with a lot when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ two-spirit, whatever the hell else you want to add in there, community. … But sometimes I watch a clip of this gang, and it shocks even me,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says.

The clip Sara is referring to allegedly captures an incident from February at the California Democratic Party convention in San Francisco. The video went viral on social media earlier this month after journalist Andy Ngo published a detailed report.

In the clip, parental rights activist Beth Bourne questions a woman, who is reportedly the mother of a trans-identifying child, about medical interventions for minors. After a brief exchange where Bourne pressed the woman on topics like profits from gender-affirming surgeries on children and grotesque surgical procedures, the woman allegedly leaned in and whispered a death threat, “I’m gonna hunt you down and f**king kill you,” before walking away.

On this episode of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” Sara is joined by Bourne as she shares why she’s fighting the trans movement.

Bourne, who serves as the Yolo County chapter chairwoman of Moms for Liberty, says she’s motivated to fight against the trans movement regardless of the dangers because the gender ideology that fuels it has personally impacted her life.

“My daughter and my family, we were very much harmed by this ideology and this belief system in our public schools, and I didn’t realize what the teachers and counselors were saying to my daughter or what she was learning at school,” she tells Sara.

When her daughter came out as trans when she was still a minor, “her pediatricians here in Davis wanted to immediately medicalize her,” she explains.

Bourne was able to stop any gender transition procedures, and today, she reports, her daughter is “healthy and whole.”

“I have all the receipts; I have the medical records; I have the curriculum from the schools. And so I just realized I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do everything I could to end this because I have so many friends, and I’ve met so many parents and young people, detransitioners, that have been harmed by this,” she says.

Bourne has gone to great lengths to expose the trans movement as deeply harmful — even going so far as pretending to be nonbinary.

“It was so easy,” Bourne says of her charade.

“Within 45 minutes after me declaring my nonbinary gender identity, they had me meeting with a primary care physician to get on testosterone. That took eight minutes. They changed my medical records that day to change my pronouns and my gender,” she recounts.

In a matter of a few months, Bourne was approved for a simultaneous double mastectomy and phalloplasty.

“No matter what I said to them about having mental illness in my family or been sexually assaulted … or having anorexia or eating disorders — you know, common things that young women have experienced, or in my case, older women — they were still so happy to give me the surgery,” she says.

“And they rushed [the surgeries],” she adds.

To hear more of the conversation and see wild footage of Beth Bourne apparently being threatened, watch the video above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Blazetv, Blaze media, Beth borne, Madeline mann, Trans movement, Trans violence, Trans surgeries for minors 

A counter-protester lit what police said was an explosive device during a protest Saturday against Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York City. The counter-protester also was caught on video uttering “Allahu Akbar” as police were arresting him.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Sunday announced that the device was real — not a hoax device or smoke bomb, WNYW reported.

‘Based on preliminary examination and X-ray imaging, the devices, which were a bit smaller than a football, appear to be a jar wrapped in black tape, importantly, with nuts, bolts, and screws along with a hobby fuse that could be lit.’

“It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death,” Tisch said on X.

A second deployed device was still being analyzed Sunday.

The initial protest, called “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City,” was led by Jake Lang; police called Lang a “far-right provocateur.” The protest outside Gracie Mansion — the mayor’s residence — drew a counter-protest dubbed “Run The Nazis Out Of NYC.”

Fistfights erupted between the two sides, the New York Times reported.

Tisch stated during a press conference following the altercation that counter-protester Emir Balat, 18, “lit and threw an ignited device.”

“Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke as it traveled through the air before it struck a barrier and extinguished itself a few feet from police officers,” Tisch said.

RELATED: Mamdani walks back popular progressive campaign promise to pedestrians

One of the devices deployed at Saturday’s dueling protests in New York City. Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images

Balat then ran to retrieve a similar device from another man — identified as 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi — lit the device, ran toward the protest, and dropped it, WNYW-TV reported.

Balat and Kayumi were arrested at the scene Saturday and were in custody in connection with the devices, police told the station. It isn’t clear if the device that was determined to be an explosive was the one that was thrown or the one that was dropped.

“Based on preliminary examination and X-ray imaging, the devices, which were a bit smaller than a football, appear to be a jar wrapped in black tape, importantly, with nuts, bolts, and screws along with a hobby fuse that could be lit,” Tisch added.

A video circulated online showed a male hurling one of the devices reportedly into the crowd of anti-Mamdani protesters. A separate clip showed NYPD officers arresting the same male, who repeatedly uttered “Allahu Akbar.”

RELATED: Austin’s ‘Property of Allah’ shooter is immigration failure made flesh

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images

No explosions or injuries were reported.

Lang described the incident as a direct threat to his life: “Americans Christians WILL NOT be intimidated by ISLAMIC TERROR ATTACKS!!!. Last night after the attempted assassination on my life with a F**KING NAILBOMB in NYC.”

However, Mamdani’s press secretary Joe Calvello had a different take in a statement to WNYW in an earlier story: “The ‘Crusade Against Islamification’ gathering held outside Gracie Mansion today by Jake Lang, a vile white supremacist, was despicable and Islamaphobic.”

On Sunday, Mamdani released a statement also condemning Lang as a “white supremacist” and claiming his protest was “rooted in bigotry and racism.”

“Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are,” Mamdani also wrote.

While the mayor condemned the use of an explosive device, he did not acknowledge that police said it was carried out by a counter-protester. Not to mention that the suspect repeatedly uttered “Allahu Akbar” during his arrest.

“What followed was even more disturbing. Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are,” Mamdani said of the deployment of the explosive device.

Article III Project’s Mike Davis slammed Mamdani for failing to “condemn” the “Islamists” police arrested.

“Has your wife praised the terrorists yet? Are you sad the bombs didn’t detonate? Resign,” Davis stated.

“The Trump Justice Department must bring federal terrorism and related charges. There is no chance justice will get delivered by the Islamic Caliphate of New York,” Davis added.

Journalist Nick Sortor in a social media post reacted as follows: “In Mamdani’s New York City, Islamists throwing BOMBS at Pro-Christian protestors while screaming ‘ALLAHU AKHBAR’ is apparently NOT considered terrorism. 9/11 was forgotten awfully quickly.”

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) blamed the violence on “a serious radicalization problem on both the far left and the far right.”

“No one should be surprised,” Adams wrote in a post on social media. “After years of hateful rhetoric and incitement, attempts to justify attacks on Jews in Israel, praise for violence like the killing of a CEO, and chants about ‘globalizing the intifada’ and ‘Death to America,’ words have now escalated into violence on the streets of New York City, with explosives being thrown.”

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​News, Jake lang, New york city, Nyc, New york, Islam, Pro-islam, Pro-muslim, Muslim, Zohran mamdani, Protest, Counter-protesters, Gracie mansion, Jessica tisch, Crime, Politics, Explosive device, Allahu akbar 

A California woman — dubbed the “party mom” by local authorities — has been convicted on dozens of charges related to hosting alcohol-fueled parties for young teens. The district attorney’s office determined that the mother “endangered” teens and “coordinated” sexual assaults during boozy parties involving her 15-year-old son.

On Wednesday, a jury convicted 51-year-old Shannon O’Connor of 48 charges — including two felony charges of sexual penetration — stemming from hosting parties for teens that included alcohol and sexual conduct, the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office stated in a news release titled, “Party mom convicted: Faces long prison term.”

‘This defendant not only didn’t protect these children, she endangered their safety, coordinated their sexual assaults, and she tried to get them not to tell.’

The Mercury News reported, “The sexual penetration convictions were the most serious, as prosecutors argued that O’Connor sexually assaulted the two girls by enabling them to become so intoxicated they could not legally consent.”

KTVU-TV reported, “After the verdicts were read, the parent of one of the victims called O’Connor a ‘predator,’ a ‘stalker,’ a ‘groomer,’ and a ‘harasser,’ who was ‘very good at what she did.'”

O’Connor could face more than 30 years in prison, according to the Mercury News. Plus, she must register as a sex offender. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 26 in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

The district attorney’s office said in the statement that O’Connor, also known as Shannon Bruga, hosted “drunken parties for young teenagers where she bought alcohol and egged on sex acts — some with teens too drunk to consent.”

The announcement noted that O’Connor purchased vodka and whiskey for the teenagers and even provided them with condoms.

The DA said O’Connor “discouraged the teens from telling their parents or police about the parties or calling for help when one of the victims passed out in their own vomit.”

The district attorney’s office pointed out that the children at these boozy parties were “mostly 14- and 15-year-olds.”

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, “This defendant not only didn’t protect these children, she endangered their safety, coordinated their sexual assaults, and she tried to get them not to tell.”

Rosen added, “These brave kids came forward to tell the truth about what happened and to put a stop to it.”

RELATED: Teens testify they saw mayor having sex with 16-year-old boy during boozy pool party at her home. Now verdict is in.

As Blaze News reported in October 2021, O’Connor organized secret parties for teens, purchased “copious amounts of alcohol” for the underage attendees, and even encouraged them to have sex.

An investigator for the DA’s office said in court records that O’Connor “supplied excessive amounts of alcohol to her son and his minor friends to the point where minors would vomit, be unable to stand, and fall unconscious,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Mercury News previously reported that the parties took place at O’Connor’s $4.7 million home in Los Gatos.

The Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office said in October 2021 that the “child abuse charges outline a long line of O’Connor’s drunken and destructive house parties for young teens lasting from 2020 to earlier this year.”

O’Connor warned the teens to keep the boozy parties secret, according to authorities.

“She would warn the teens not to disclose the parties, or she could go to jail,” the DA’s office stated.

What’s more, the DA’s office said O’Connor even “handed an underage teenager a condom and pushed him into a room with an intoxicated minor.”

“During a New Year’s Eve party at her home with about five 14-year-olds, the defendant watched and laughed as a drunk teen sexually battered a young girl in bed,” the DA stated.

The DA’s office said O’Connor also “brought one drunk teen into a bedroom at her home where an intoxicated 14-year-old girl was lying in the bed.”

After the underage girl allegedly was sexually assaulted, the juvenile female asked O’Connor: “Why did you leave me in there with him?”

The DA’s office revealed that O’Connor also used the Snapchat social media platform or text messaged teens to “leave their homes in the middle of the night” to “drink at her home.”

“In another case, she let a minor drive her SUV in the Los Gatos High School parking lot while two other teens held on to the back,” the DA’s statement reads. “One fell off and was knocked unconscious.”

The Mercury News reported in October 2021 that O’Connor was “apparently known as ‘the cool mom’ since the older son was in middle school and had raised eyebrows among some parents for her chumminess with her sons’ friends.”

Citing prosecutors, Fox News previously reported that O’Connor pressured teen girls to engage in sexual acts with boys — including her then-15-year-old son.

“If the girls did not consent, the 47-year-old mom would allegedly pull them aside for ‘a private conversation’ until they each went into a room with a boy,” according to Fox News.

The Washington Post, citing court documents, reported in 2021 that “when O’Connor suspected one teen was telling outsiders about her secret parties, she threatened to spread rumors about the girl and persuaded other teens to harass her.”

Court documents also state that the girl “suffered mental and emotional turmoil,” including panic attacks, and subsequently needed to sleep in her parents’ bedroom.

In October 2021, O’Connor was arrested at her home in Ada County, Idaho. O’Connor was extradited to the Santa Clara County Jail.

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Looking for a present for a young child? Amid the cultural maelstrom of 21st-century America, there’s a gift that’s better than anything in the toy aisle.

Nothing will have a bigger lifelong impact than instilling a young person with an intense love of reading. And since March is National Reading Month, there’s no better time to start.

While the brain candy of colorful screens is a child magnet, there are ways parents can compete with such allure.

You may have seen this bumper sticker: “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” That may be true for some children, but in most homes, a mother or father is a child’s first and best teacher.

Blessed with encouragement

I was blessed with a mom who was both a caring parent and a teacher — a reading specialist. With her encouragement, I absorbed the basics of reading before kindergarten, and for the rest of my academic endeavors, I consistently read years ahead of my grade level.

My aversion to math meant that whatever learning successes I achieved in my young life were rooted in my ability to read quickly and retain the information.

Although these skills were a crucial component of my success in college and graduate school, this reading proficiency dramatically assisted me in law school, where I consistently ranked in the top tier of my class.

Those pondering a career in law may be deterred when they learn that most successful law students read at least two hours of dry material for every hour of class time. That means a law student may spend 40 hours a week reading court opinions written decades or even centuries earlier, packed with terse legalese. Reading well really matters if you want to be a lawyer or most other careers.

Brain-candy blues

While the brain candy of colorful screens is a child magnet, there are ways parents can compete with such allure. One that worked for me was the permission to stay up past my normal bedtime if I was reading in bed. I plowed through several books a month using that laudable loophole.

Parental encouragement like this is worth the effort. Studies show early readers do far better in their later academic endeavors. They also become better writers. Whether writing in cursive or typing on phones, writing well opens doors that nothing else can.

The downward trend line of Americans reading is as obvious as a tuba in an elevator. The more exposure to watching videos a young child has, the lower the chance of success in future learning endeavors. Worse yet, some studies suggest that poor reading skills make it more likely that kids will engage in other behaviors parents fear, like teen pregnancy, delinquency, and addiction.

RELATED: How the laptop revolution destroyed public education

Blaze Media illustration

Chatbot challenge

AI makes the matter worse. AI engagement often doesn’t require typing or reading. Push a button and ask the chatbot a question, and you’ll hear some kind of answer. Whether it’s correct or not, you’ll likely have to do some — ahem — deeper reading.

Parents need workable solutions that don’t feel like making a child take the one bite of cold broccoli he’s been rebuffing all dinner long. That’s why, when my children were younger, we set aside times when the family sat together reading silently, each of us enjoying our own selected book. Even 40 minutes of this twice a week will move your child far ahead of most peers.

Our kids also enrolled in a reading challenge. After finishing several books over a few weeks, they were invited to an event where they skated with a few local NHL hockey players on the big-league rink. I still remember their wide eyes peering up at those elite athletes. It was clear that this incentive made those hours with books worth even more than the stories they read.

Book ’em

Parents can offer similar rewards. Trips to the library end with ice cream. Older kids can read aloud to the preschooler down the block. The family applauds after three-minute book reports at dinner.

Our family discussed books all the time. We recommended books to one another and then shared the insights we gained. To this day, we refer to key moments from novels we all read and how those insights apply to something in our lives.

How to get there? It starts with showing children that there’s something a screen simply can’t offer, like the electric thrill of a world built entirely from their own imagination. When a boy reads a story, every dragon is his dragon, scaled in colors he chooses, breathing fire that smells exactly how he imagined dragon fire should smell. A girl reading of a magic castle can determine how dark the shadows around it appear. And the face of the explorer inside is hers.

No director, no animator, no algorithm decides what wonder looks like — the child does. That creative power is genuine adventure, the kind that stretches young minds in ways passive viewing never can. A video delivers a finished world; a book hands a child the raw materials to build one.

The best gifts don’t come wrapped in paper or require a charging cord. They come with dog-eared pages, late bedtimes, and kids who never quite stop reading. That’s the gift. Just children, books, and a world they built themselves.

​Reading, Education, Parenthood, Lifestyle, Books, Screen police