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Every Fourth of July, I think about the country where I was born — a nation built on faith, courage, and the belief that every person is created in the image of God.

Independence Day is about fireworks, parades, and time with family. But it is also a reminder of the miracle of America and the values that have shaped this nation for 250 years.

From Jerusalem to every corner of the United States, may this Independence Day be a celebration of gratitude, unity, and hope.

As an American-Israeli, this holiday carries special meaning for me.

I grew up in the United States, where freedom is woven into daily life. Today, I raise my children in Israel, a country whose very existence is a miracle of biblical proportions. Each year on July 4, I am reminded how blessed I am to belong to two nations rooted in faith, resilience, and hope.

America and Israel are different in many ways, but their foundations are strikingly similar.

Both nations were built by people who believed in something greater than themselves. They trusted God, longed for freedom, and sacrificed for a better future.

America’s founders risked everything to establish a nation where liberty could flourish. Israel’s founders rebuilt a homeland after 2,000 years of exile, guided by ancient promises and unshakable faith.

Both nations understand that freedom is never guaranteed. It must be protected, nurtured, and passed to the next generation.

And both nations know that a country’s greatest strength lies not in its power, but in its values.

On Independence Day, I often think about the men and women who have served in the U.S. military — those who fought in World War II to defeat evil, those who stood against tyranny in the decades that followed, and those who continue to defend freedom around the world.

As a Jewish woman, I will never forget that American soldiers helped liberate the concentration camps. They brought hope to a world drowning in darkness. They saved lives — not only the lives of Jews in Europe, but the lives of my own family members.

Both my grandfather and my father-in-law survived the Holocaust, thanks in no small part to the sacrifice of American service members. Their courage is part of the reason the Jewish people are alive today.

As an Israeli, I see that same spirit of courage in the young men and women who serve in the Israel Defense Forces.

America and Israel both understand the cost of freedom. Both nations honor those who protect it. And both nations know that not every hero comes home.

Living as both an American and an Israeli has taught me that miracles are not only ancient. They are happening right now.

RELATED: America turns 250 with a broken heart

Erik McGregor/LightRocket/Getty Images

America is a miracle: a nation founded on biblical values, where people of every background can pursue their God-given purpose.

Israel is a miracle: a nation reborn from ashes, thriving against all odds, and standing as a beacon of hope in a troubled region.

To belong to both is a privilege I thank God for every day.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, this Independence Day feels especially meaningful. It is a moment to reflect on the values that built this nation — faith, freedom, courage, unity — and to rededicate ourselves to living them.

These are the same values that sustain Israel. The same values that bind Christians and Jews together. The same values that light the way forward in uncertain times.

This Fourth of July, my prayer is simple:

May God bless America with peace and protection. May He strengthen the families who build this nation every day. May He guide its leaders with wisdom and humility. And may He remind all of us that freedom is both a gift and a responsibility.

From Jerusalem to every corner of the United States, may this Independence Day be a celebration of gratitude, unity, and hope.

Happy Fourth, America.

​America, America 250, Christians, Faith, Gratitude, Independence day, Israel, Jews, Liberty, Opinion & analysis, Prayer, Unity 

Everyone knows the song.

It’s a warm summer night, the top of the seventh inning has just concluded, and the organ begins to ring throughout the stadium. It’s time to whip out the singing voice for one of America’s most iconic tunes — “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

At a time when baseball fandom was overwhelmingly male-dominated, the character of Katie stands out as an unusual creation for the era.

Yet few baseball fans, let alone Americans at large, know the true history behind the 118-year-old symbol of our country’s pastime.

To get to the beginning, we must travel back to the time of President Theodore Roosevelt. The year is 1908: The Ford Model T makes its debut in the automobile market; New York City drops the very first New Year’s Eve ball in Times Square; and the Grand Canyon is declared a national monument.

The story goes that Jack Norworth was riding a New York subway train when he was inspired by a sign he saw that read, “Baseball Today — Polo Grounds.” Norworth quickly developed the lyrics to the song, with Albert Von Tilzer composing the music.

The irony? According to reports, neither of these men had ever been to a baseball game. Norworth did not attend a game until 32 years later in 1940.

Norworth and his then-wife Nora Bayes would go on to debut the tune during a vaudeville act at the Amphion Theater in Brooklyn. The song was quickly recorded by multiple different groups, with both the Edward Meeker and the Haydn Quartet versions finding mass success.

Although only the chorus is sung at baseball games today, the original song contains multiple verses that tell the story of Katie Casey (later changed to Nelly Kelly by Norworth) — a “baseball mad” fanatic who would rather have her boyfriend take her to the ballgame than to the theater.

At a time when women did not even have the right to vote, let alone the fact that baseball fandom was overwhelmingly male-dominated, the character of Katie stands out as an unusual creation for the era.

The earliest documented instance of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” being played at a baseball game was during a Los Angeles high school game in 1934. The song made its Major League debut later that year during Game 4 of the 1934 World Series.

Stadium bands began regularly performing the tune during games in the mid-20th century. However, the way baseball fans engage with the song today — singing it during the seventh-inning stretch — was popularized by Chicago White Sox announcer Harry Caray in the 1970s. Caray later brought the tradition to the Chicago Cubs when he became their announcer in 1982.

In 2001, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was ranked #8 on the “Songs of the Century” list, and later in 2010, Edward Meeker’s recording was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

So next time you find yourself indulging in America’s pastime, remember to buy some “peanuts and Cracker Jack” so that you can “root, root, root for the home team” — but never forget: “For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, at the old ball game.”

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​Baseball, History, Song, Politics 

A simple Memorial Day request turned into a powerful reminder of the American spirit after Sharrell Anne Shaw sent a message to anyone visiting Arlington National Cemetery.

“This is probably a long shot, but if anybody happens to be in DC this weekend and plans on visiting Arlington, I would love to see a fresh photo of my husband’s grave in Section 60,” Shaw wrote in a post on X.

“There’s just something about knowing people still stop by, still say his name, still remember,” she added.

And the response was far more than she dreamed of.

“So people started asking, ‘What was he like? Tell me about him.’ And then I think just miracles happened,” Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck comments, before speaking to Shaw.

“I thought reaching out to people who would be in the area was a good idea. I thought maybe, might get one or two people to stop by and just say hello and snap a quick picture for me. And the unbelievable happened from there,” she tells Glenn.

“People from all over the world have responded to that post with prayers, pictures, pictures of their loved ones as well as pictures of Alan’s final resting place in Section 60,” she says. “It has been absolutely heartwarming to see.”

Even Tulsi Gabbard stopped by the grave, writing in a post on X, “It was an honor to visit your husband’s grave today on your behalf, and to pay my resorts. It was wonderful to see the beautiful flowers representing many others who did the same. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and to the loved ones they left behind. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”

Going into the weekend, Sharrell Anne didn’t anticipate what would happen, but she did want to “remind everybody that it was okay to have their barbecues and their celebrations and their fireworks,” as long as they “remember why we’re able to do that.”

“Remember that these freedoms we’re enjoying come at a very high cost. So celebrate, but be grateful,” she added.

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Modern people tend to see knowledge as something humanity achieves collectively and then keeps forever. Once a scientific advance or moral truth is discovered, we assume it becomes part of the species’ permanent inheritance.

That is false.

Tradition is not a museum display. It is not a costume we wear on patriotic holidays. It is a discipline.

Truth may be eternal, but our knowledge of it is not. Knowledge can be lost when a civilization stops practicing it. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we must understand that remembering our traditions and values is not enough. To keep them alive, we must embody them in what we do.

Ancient Rome is remembered as one of the most powerful civilizations in history and also one of the most technologically advanced. The Romans developed special concrete and engineering techniques that allowed them to build extraordinary structures and civic infrastructure.

When Rome fell, those techniques still existed in one sense. They had been discovered. But they were lost to time because the people who possessed the knowledge could no longer practice it or pass it on. The scientific truth remained objectively real, but without the civilization that had maintained it, the knowledge faded as if it had never existed.

People lived in the ruins of ancient wonders, taking shelter in buildings they could not build or maintain. Without the continuity of tradition, science had no practical meaning.

Moral truth faces the same danger.

The Old Testament shows a repeated cycle of Israel receiving divine revelation and then forgetting what had been handed down by God Himself. Again and again, the nation falls away from the commandments of the Lord until a prophet pulls an old scroll from its rack and reminds the people of what they once knew.

The Israelites cry out and rend their garments in repentance. They practice the truth for a time. Then, the practice fades, and knowledge fades with it.

RELATED: A real nation knows who is in and who is out

Blaze Media Illustration

Despite receiving direct divine revelation, Israel — and humanity itself — could not maintain the practice of God’s truth. That is why the Lord sent his Son as a perfect example and living sacrifice, an eternal embodiment for all nations to see what the righteous life looks like in practice.

This weekend, America will celebrate its 250th anniversary. But saying that we honor our traditions and culture is not enough.

Most Americans have spent little to no time reading what the founders actually wrote. Their understanding of our national traditions comes from a heavily curated version of history they learned in school. There will be plenty of talk about celebrating the country’s past. What we need is a revival focused on living that tradition in the present.

Sentimentality is nice. It will not save the country.

Today, most Americans, including many conservatives, say the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment means Muslims cannot be prevented from moving here and building entire cities dedicated to their way of life. The average American believes Hindus have a First Amendment right to immigrate and build giant statues of their demonic gods in Texas.

This is absurd.

States often required public officials to be professing Protestant Christians well into the 1840s, decades after the Bill of Rights was adopted. Even Catholics were often considered too foreign to hold office. None of this was viewed at the time as a violation of religious liberty. The idea that religious liberty was intended to allow Muslims or Hindus to control the public square is a lie.

The entire “tradition” of religious liberty many people think they are honoring is false.

The Supreme Court recently provided another example by ruling that the 14th Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens. The 14th Amendment was one of three amendments added to the Constitution after the Civil War to address the legal framework for freed slaves.

Its purpose was to clarify that people born into slavery became citizens once they were free. That intent was made clear by the people who authored the amendment. It did not create citizenship for American Indians, for example, or other groups added later through law and policy.

The idea that birthright citizenship for illegal aliens is some grand American tradition is entirely false. Yet a conservative Supreme Court just enshrined it in the Constitution.

This is what happens when a people inherit words without preserving the practices and assumptions that gave those words meaning. They recite “religious liberty” and forget the civilization it was meant to protect. They invoke “equal citizenship” and forget the specific injustice the 14th Amendment was written to remedy. They honor the shell while abandoning the substance.

A nation does not preserve itself by remembering slogans once a year. It preserves itself by forming children, families, churches, neighborhoods, and leaders who know what those slogans demand when they collide with power, fear, comfort, and fashion. Otherwise, July Fourth becomes pageantry without inheritance.

RELATED: The birthright ruling leaves Trump one clear move

Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg/Getty Images

A tradition no longer practiced becomes decoration. A truth no longer defended becomes trivia. A people who forget how to live their inheritance eventually become squatters in their own ruins. That is us.

Tradition is not a museum display. It is not a costume we wear on patriotic holidays. It is a discipline. It is a set of habits, loyalties, judgments, and practices that must be taught, defended, and lived.

As we gather with family and friends this weekend, we should enjoy the patriotic festivities. Fireworks, barbecue, and loud renditions of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” are all fantastic, and we should embrace them fully.

But we should also commit to learning the true history and traditions of our nation and living them in our daily lives.

Read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with your children. Read the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers. Read George Washington’s Farewell Address and the letters of the founders.

Most important, live these traditions by becoming the virtuous people those men believed the country could not survive without.

The 250th anniversary must be more than a nostalgic celebration. It must become a renewal of our covenant as Americans.

​Tradition, Rome, America 250, Old testament, 14th amendment, Christians, Supreme court, Birthright citizenship, Illegal immigrants, Constitution, Declaration of independence, Opinion & analysis 

Liberal MS Now commentator Donny Deutsch lambasted the socialist takeover of the Democratic Party in comments on the progressive cable news network.

The panel was discussing whether Democrats would be able to find their footing while the president is facing criticism over the Iran war and high inflation, when Deutsch went on a tirade about the party’s focus.

‘Right now every Republican strategist is salivating on what these people have said in the past, and they’re going to wallpaper with it.’

“Well, Democrats have gone off the rails. … What matters to people is affordability. And Democrats right now are focused on two things. They’re focused on anti-Semitism and socialism,” Deutsch said.

“Not all Democrats,” host Stephanie Ruhle objected.

“Not all, but that’s where the energy of the party is, when you look at the two candidates that got elected in the last week,” he responded. “One of them talks about that there was not — that firebombing in Colorado was not anti-Semitic. I mean, would not acknowledge that, when it was a firebombing of people holding a vigil for hostages by Hamas.”

He was referring to Melat Kiros, who won the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District, and then cited Darializa Avila Chevalier, the winner of the primary in New York’s 13th Congressional District.

“Another candidate in New York, who has been well documented, was at an October 8 rally, a pro-Hamas, pro-Palestinian rally,” Deutsch continued.

“This is ridiculous, and they’re both running on anti-American, socialistic, ‘Let’s blow up — let’s abolish ICE, let’s abolish prisons, let’s abolish everything, let’s abolish the police.’ It’s insane,” he added.

“And the Republicans are going to tar them with this. This is the problem. Even though they are a small sector of the party, right now every Republican strategist is salivating on what these people have said in the past, and they’re going to wallpaper with it,” Deutsch said.

RELATED: ‘They’re animals’: Trump UNLOADS on ‘godless Communists’ taking over Democratic Party

“Democrats are going down a bad path. They’re electing these democratic socialists,” he concluded. “It’s a disaster. No matter what you think of it, wherever your politics are, it’s bad strategy.”

Video of Deutsch’s comments were posted to social media, where they were widely circulated.

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​Democratic socialists, Donny deutsch, Ms now, Republicans, Socialism, Socialist takeover, Politics 

Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico not only has a long history of strange comments about trans children and a nonbinary God — he’s now campaigning with Bobby Pulido, who BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales warns is a “pedo protector.”

“Bobby Pulido is not just close with James Talarico. Bobby Pulido is besties with the entire Texas Democrat team, I guess, because Bobby Pulido kicked off the entire Texas Democrat convention last week as per his own tweets,” Gonzales says, explaining that Pulido is a famous musician.

“In his band, he employs an accordion player by the name of Frankie Caballero. Now, Frankie’s not a good guy. Frankie is in fact a total creep, because you see, Frankie is on the sex offender registry for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old in 2014,” she says, warning that this is the most egregious offense on his lengthy rap sheet.

“Be that as it may, the offense wasn’t enough for Pulido to stop touring with him, because both before and after Caballero went to prison for this, for four years, he was touring with the band. He was part of the band,” she explains.

And while the band was touring, they headlined an Axios school benefit. So Pulido headlined a school benefit with a registered sex offender.

“Children were welcome and present at the event, which was held at the Flores Stadium several miles from the middle school grounds according to the promotional materials. So he’s like, ‘Hey, you just busted out of prison for doing unspeakable things to an 8-year-old child. Want to go to a middle school event with me?’” Gonzales says.

“I mean, it takes just the lowest of the low person to do something like that,” she continues.

It was until after 2021 that Pulido stopped touring with Caballero, which Gonzales points out was after he pled guilty to assaulting his daughter and “impeding her normal breathing.”

While Pulido claimed he didn’t know about Caballero’s prior convictions, Ramon Rodriquez, a south Texas bass player, told the New York Post that he “performed with Caballero as recently as 2020 and that the child sex conviction became ‘a known fact in music circles’ in the immediate years after.”

“Seems kind of weird that James Talarico and the rest of the Democrats are hanging their hat on this guy who’s associating with an actual convicted pedophile,” Gonzales says, adding, “That’s what blows my mind.”

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​Bobby pulido, Come and take it, Frankie caballero, James talarico, New york post, Sara gonzales, Sex offender registry, Texas, Trans children, Sara gonzales unfiltered 

A Pennsylvania state lawmaker said most people “loved” his American flag jacket at the state House, but the security guards told him to take it off or leave.

State Rep. Eric Davanzo, a Republican, walked onto the House floor on Tuesday like any other day, except he was wearing his “patriotic” coat and tie.

‘Instead of coming out here and doing the people’s work, no. What are we focused on? We’re focused on bulls**t issues like this jacket, right?’

Davanzo said in a video his office provided to Blaze News that everyone seemed to love the jacket before he was told House Speaker Joanna McClinton, a Democrat, objected to it.

“Everybody loved it,” he said. “They come up, people gave me hugs, shaking my hands.”

He was told that McClinton said the jacket and tie were not something he would wear every day.

“I’m like, listen, I would wear this back home, and I’m going to wear it again,” he objected.

“This wasn’t a costume. This is something that I truly believe in. I’m a patriot,” he continued.

The security guards told him he could either take it off or leave the floor. He decided to leave the floor.

“America’s 250th, Fourth of July, is four days away,” Davanzo said. “It’s a holiday weekend coming up. Why not wear it?”

A spokesperson for McClinton suggested the jacket was inappropriate for the occasion.

“The House Democrats came to Harrisburg this week to do the serious work of passing a responsible budget to benefit all Pennsylvanians,” the spokesperson’s statement reads. “Some House Republicans showed up in costumes while the Senate Republicans took an early holiday vacation.”

Davanzo excoriated McClinton for focusing on his clothing.

“We have an affordability crisis. People can’t afford stuff. Instead of coming out here and doing the people’s work, no. What are we focused on? We’re focused on bulls**t issues like this jacket, right?” he said.

RELATED: Here are the states that REFUSE to participate in Trump’s Great American State Fair

“No reason whatsoever. Do the job for the people!” he added.

“We love America,” Davanzo said. “So I’m happy to put this on. I’m proud to wear this.”

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​250th us anniversary, Democrat, Fourth of july, Patriotism, Pennsylvania, Politics 

In what seems like a never-ending trend of communists winning their primaries this election cycle, Colorado democratic socialist Melat Kiros is likely headed to Congress.

And Kiros’ recent comments about the tragic events of September 11 have Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck alarmed.

Kiros was asked in an interview with Colorado’s Next 9News about comments she had made regarding the Hamas terror attack on October 7 while appearing on Twitch streamer Hasan Piker’s show.

Kiros doubled down that it was “an inevitable consequence of apartheid, of occupation, decades of occupation.”

The reporter followed up that answer with a question about the most deadly attack on American soil.

“Do you believe that the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America were the inevitable consequence of American foreign policy?” the reporter asked.

“Inevitable in the sense that we destabilized a lot of the Middle East. That forced people to believe that another act of violence was the only response. And again, just like I said before, our responsibility is to getting rid of those conditions that lead to violence,” Kiros replied.

“It’s the typical, you know, blame the rape victim that you get attacked from whatever we did,” Jason Buttrill tells Glenn.

“I don’t agree with blaming the victim or anything when it comes to anything like this,” he adds.

“Name the country that hasn’t made these kinds of mistakes,” Glenn agrees.

“We do nothing to deserve that kind of stuff … the American people are those people that we think of as red, white, and blue and just want to do the right thing and help each other and help other countries,” he says.

“That’s what’s really in our heart. But that’s not what our government’s been doing,” he adds.

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​Colorado, Congress, Democratic socialist, Glenn beck, Hamas, Hasan piker, Melat kiros, Terrorism, September 11, October 7, The glenn beck program 

The Department of Homeland Security is criticizing Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota after signing off on a pardon of an illegal alien who committed horrific sex crimes against a child.

Laotian immigrant Tou Lue Vang pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl numerous times, but “Governor Walz’s pardon” prevents Vang from being deported, according to the DHS.

The DHS said Vang was scheduled to be deported a week after Walz pardoned him, preventing his removal.

Vang was convicted in 2005 of one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and was pardoned more than two decades later under the Walz administration. The Minnesota Board of Pardons is composed of the governor, attorney general, and chief justice, according to KSTP.

“I made a mistake, but this is a minor thing,” the pedophile reportedly told police. He also told them that “it’s a cultural thing to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12,” according to the DHS.

He allegedly offered the victim $10 to stay quiet about the horrific assaults.

Vang was sentenced to 144 months in prison, but he reportedly avoided serving any time by pleading guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He agreed to 30 years of probation, which he was allowed to complete in 2019. He was pardoned seven years later.

The DHS said Vang was scheduled to be deported a week after Walz pardoned him, which prevented his removal.

“Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting,” said acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.

“These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting. Tou Lue Vang lost his legal status following his conviction for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. Following the conviction, he was placed in removal proceedings and issued a final order of removal by a judge. This pardon will take away this child rapist’s qualifying convictions that made him removable from the United States.”

RELATED: Tim Walz tries to dunk on Trump and gets pantsed on social media

Far-left radical Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement, according to KSTP: “The Minnesota Board of Pardons made a unanimous decision to grant Tou Vang this pardon after an exhaustive process, which included a statement of support for the pardon from the victim, a recommendation to grant the pardon from the Clemency Review Commission, and a large number of community support letters.”

The AG’s statement added: “DHS is lying through their teeth about this pardon. It does not protect Vang from deportation.”

A Blaze News request for comment to Walz’ office was not answered, but his office released a statement to WCCO-TV justifying the pardon based on a statement from the victim.

“What happened to me was wrong, but I have had many years to think about this. I have made my peace with it. I forgive him,” the victim wrote. “I want his family to stay together here. His children need their father. He and his wife have built a life. I believe that he has learned and grown since the abuse and that the family has suffered enough.”

However, the New York Times, citing an official from the Ramsey County attorney’s office, reported that the lenient plea deal was offered because the victim had been pressured by her family not to cooperate with prosecutors.

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​Department of homeland security, Illegal alien, Tim walz, Child rapist, Deportation, Politics, Minnesota 

Beloved celebrity couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are once again dominating the gossip headlines, but this time is a little different.

The rumor mills are claiming that the couple might not only be getting married this Fourth of July weekend, but blocking off surrounding roads to New York City’s Madison Square Garden for the ceremony and celebration.

But BlazeTV host Pat Gray isn’t buying it.

“They’re not getting married at Madison Square Garden,” Gray says.

“It might be the reception, right? It might be just a party,” executive producer Keith Malinak chimes in.

“If they get married at Madison Square Garden, I will eat my underwear because that is not going to happen. It’s not happening. They’re not going to do it,” Gray continues.

“The last thing she wants to do is get married in a dump like MSG,” he adds.

While Jeff Fisher agrees that “the Garden is a dump,” he points out that he still “loves the Garden” as it’s “New York.”

“It’s great for basketball,” Gray comments. “It’s not appropriate for weddings.”

“So Pat Gray is on the record,” Malinak confirms. “He will eat his underwear if Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift get married in Madison Square Garden.”

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​Basketball, Jeff fisher, Keith malinak, Madison square garden, Pat gray, Taylor swift, Travis kelce, Weddings, New york, July 4, Pat gray unleashed 

The previously agreed upon officer increase for the New York Police Department has been scrapped by Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) in the city’s final budget proposal amid pressure from his socialist base.

The $125.8 billion budget was originally slated to include $70 million to fund the addition of 580 NYPD officers, as outlined in Mamdani’s executive budget proposal released in May.

‘We are calling on Mayor Mamdani to reverse this proposed expansion of the NYPD.’

Mamdani has pivoted in the weeks since.

“I’ve been talking to all agency heads about ways to find savings, and [Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch] and I were able to identify ways to keep the NYPD head count at the originally authorized 35,000 while also meeting all of our crime-fighting needs and implementing the new programs that were announced earlier this year,” Mamdani said during a press conference Tuesday.

The night before the final budget vote, City Council Speaker Julie Menin (D) said she received a call from the mayor informing her of his agreement with Tisch to cut the officer increase from the budget.

“I disagree with that decision. … I do believe we need those officers,” Menin said, citing concerns over increasing rape, felony assault, and subway crime numbers.

“We are going to fight for it now,” she added.

Menin did note that the NYPD budget increased by $300 million for the fiscal year.

The NYC Democratic Socialists of America, of which Mamdani is a member and with whom he holds close political ties, has been avidly calling on the mayor to follow through on his campaign promise to keep the NYPD head count flat.

“We are calling on Mayor Mamdani to reverse this proposed expansion of the NYPD and invest the money in community safety programs instead,” NYC-DSA said on June 12.

The proposed head count increase “runs counter to the values of the socialist and working-class movement that elected him,” the group continued, adding, “When police serve as default first responders, New Yorkers are placed in harm’s way.”

RELATED: Mamdani vows to protect migrants in apparent DEFIANCE of Supreme Court ruling on TPS

NYPD graduates salute family and friends at their Recruit Graduation Ceremony at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 2026. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the NYPD said, “It is no secret that the city is facing serious financial challenges, and the mayor has asked every agency head to find efficiencies. … For now, the department is able to police effectively with the budgeted head count we have, driving crime down month after month. That head count and our hiring plan gives us the flexibility we need to maintain that balance over the next fiscal year.”

NYPD funding had been at the forefront throughout last year’s mayoral election as Mamdani’s controversial X posts regarding police funding resurfaced, including one where he called the force “wicked” and “corrupt” and advocated for its defunding and dismantling.

In another post, he said, “We don’t need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety. … What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD.”

Council member Tiffany Cabán, a democratic socialist and chair of the council’s Progressive Caucus, backed the mayor’s decision.

“I am proud to have worked closely with the mayor and public safety advocates to ensure there was no increase to the NYPD’s headcount in this budget. Every dollar we spend on policing and incarceration means money we can’t spend on housing, mental health care, substance use treatment, and economic stability.”

The Fiscal Year 2027 budget was officially adopted by the City Council on Tuesday and signed into law the following day by Mamdani, making it the largest budget in city history.

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​Police funding, Politics, Zohran mamdani, Dsa, New york city 

The federal government is known for many things, but efficiency isn’t one of them. But now, thanks to the tireless efforts of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the DOGE, at least one process has been made easy: federal employee retirement.

In pursuit of “higher quality, faster resolution times, and enhanced efficiency,” the OPM took on the herculean challenge in September of migrating its retirement application processing operations from a mine in Pennsylvania “to a fully electronic world.”

‘By hand, on paper, in a system that feels like a time capsule from the 1970s.’

OPM Director Scott Kupor revealed on Wednesday that the challenge was successfully met — meaning greater efficiency and fewer workers having to toil underground at the Iron Mountain mine.

Quick background

For decades, federal retirement paperwork — roughly 10,000 applications per month — has been processed 230 feet underground in a former limestone mine roughly an hour north of Pittsburgh.

Kupor shed a light late last year on the cavernous Boyers, Pennsylvania, facility, noting that “it’s a place where 600 dedicated federal employees process thousands of retirement claims every month — by hand, on paper, in a system that feels like a time capsule from the 1970s.”

Kupor noted further that the mine “houses about 26,000 file cabinets filled with manilla envelopes, cardboard boxes, and about 400 million pieces of paper, a true testament to the scale and complexity of federal retirement processing.”

While impressive, Kupor said that the mine “is a microcosm of a bigger, more endemic challenge within the federal government: outdated systems and processes that have not kept up with modern technology and that lag in terms of operational efficiency.”

The process, until recently, entailed:

prospective retirees filling out their retirement paperwork on paper;the routing of the paper applications by mail to the HR departments of the retirees’ respective agencies;the routing, again, of the paper applications to the respective payroll providers; andthe shipment of pallets loaded with the completed applications to the Boyers facility.

RELATED: Trump signs ‘quantum’ executive order: Here’s what it means

Stephanie Strasburg/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Under the leadership of U.S. Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia — the Airbnb co-founder who joined the Department of Government Efficiency last year — the OPM attempted to tackle what Kupor characterized as a “50-year problem of epic proportions.”

Deliverance

The OPM announced the “Last Day of Paper” on Wednesday and the official end of paper retirement processing for over 95% of federal retirement applications.

Moving forward, virtually all retirement applications will be submitted and processed electronically through the OPM’s Online Retirement Application. ORA has already processed in excess of 155,000 retirement applications over the past year.

“Today we’re closing the book on one of the federal government’s oldest paper processes,” Kupor said in a statement.

“For decades, retirement applications were literally mailed around the country before reaching OPM. That’s over,” continued the OPM director. “By moving retirement online, we’re delivering faster decisions, better service, and greater transparency for federal employees while modernizing an essential government function.”

Elon Musk, long a champion of greater efficiencies in the U.S. government, told Fox News Digital, “Now people can retire as soon as they want, instead of waiting six months for paper to be carried into a mine.”

Kupor thanked Musk “for his vision on this project,” Gebbia “for his technical leadership,” and the OPM members who made it happen, quipping, “So long, Michael J Scott,” in reference to the fictional paper salesman in “The Office.”

The OPM is still in the process of digitizing hundreds of millions of historical retirement records.

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The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for many Haitian migrants has triggered serious outrage from the left — and BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales can’t help but notice the glaring issues in leftist logic.

“Now, seems like it would be kind of common sense. It’s in the name. It’s the T in TPS. Temporary. Temporary. There is an actual definition of the word ‘temporary.’ It means ‘not forever,’” Gonzales says, pointing out that they were supposed to have this status for months, but instead they have had it for nearly two decades.

“Democrats, Haitians, anyone who has the liberal brain rot — they’re losing their entitled little minds about it,” she adds.

Founder and CEO of the Immigrant Family Services Institute Dr. Geralde Gabeau yelled to crowd cheers, “This is the time for all of us to raise our voices and to say this country is also our country, is also the country of our immigrant because we are the one who built it.”

“I’m going to go ahead and I’m going to ask you for your receipts, ma’am,” Gonzales comments.

“’Haitians built this country’ is the argument that they made,” she adds.

However, celebrities have historically made their home sound like a place no one should want to leave, as Susan Sarandon, Conan O’Brien, and even Bill Maher all have donned shirts that read “Haiti is great already.”

“They were pretending like it was just this wonderful, beautiful country; it’s not a third-world s**t-hole,” Gonzales comments. “And now all of a sudden, they’re back to like, ‘No, no, you can’t send them back. No, don’t do that. It’s too big of a s**t-hole.’”

And CNN’s Jake Tapper is among those pleading.

“I heard Stephen Miller, who’s driving a lot of this, say that Haiti is safe for Haitians, and I just looked at the State Department’s website, and they have a level four ‘do not travel’ advisory for Haiti just from a few months ago,” Tapper said on CNN.

“Crimes include robbery, carjacking, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom. That doesn’t sound safe to me,” Tapper added.

“’Do not travel’ is not for Haitians. That’s ‘do not travel’ for the United States. That advisory is to American citizens traveling to Haiti, not Haitians going back home,” Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told Tapper.

“I understand that, but based on everything I’ve read, including the U.N. and Human Rights Watch, it doesn’t sound safe for Haitians. More than 8,100 killings documented last year. Those weren’t Americans. Haiti is among the top five countries with the highest rates of rape and sexual abuse, with more than 1,200 cases of sexual violence last year,” Tapper replied.

“So Haitians are making Haiti unsafe, and somehow we are expected to import them. These are criminals,” Gonzales comments.

“Why would it be our duty to import anyone from any unsafe country in the world?” she asks. “The obvious conclusion is you are only going to make our country less safe.”

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, Haiti, Jake tapper, Conan o’brien, Bill maher, Susan sarandon, Steven miller, Donald trump, Sara gonzales unfiltered 

There are films you watch, films you forget, and films that perfectly capture the moment. Uwe Boll’s “Citizen Vigilante” belongs firmly in the last category.

It’s provocative, violent, and unafraid to push the audience past their comfort zone. I watched it for free on Rumble and thoroughly enjoyed every chaotic minute — as did Elon Musk, who has been one of the film’s most vocal cheerleaders. It’s exactly the kind of cinematic hand grenade a hyper-sanitized culture desperately needs.

Watching a criminal actually face consequences on screen acts as a primal pressure valve, venting a lifetime of stored-up civic frustration.

Boll has spent his career making films that divide audiences. Never one to chase Hollywood approval or fashionable opinion, the German has built his reputation on confronting subjects most directors would rather avoid. His films are designed to provoke rather than comfort, confronting audiences with uncomfortable questions about crime, power, justice, and human nature. With “Citizen Vigilante,” he has delivered what may be his most explosive film yet.

Banned in Germany

Unsurprisingly, the film has already been effectively banned in Boll’s homeland. Regulators refused to give it a rating, terrified by how squarely it hits the nail on the head regarding the taboo subject of immigrant crime.

The story plays out like “Taken” on steroids. Armie Hammer stars as a relentless citizen vigilante — a protagonist for the right, an antagonist for the left — who decides that if the system won’t protect people from brutal gangs, he will. He hunts down violent criminals, tackles rapists, and cleans house with zero remorse. For the uninitiated, there is a delicious irony in Hammer playing a ruthless meat-grinder of a hero, considering his Hollywood career was spectacularly derailed during #MeToo by the preposterous, headline-grabbing accusation that he was a literal, real-life cannibal.

But the sensational headlines surrounding its star shouldn’t distract from what the film actually achieves. “Citizen Vigilante” taps into something many Americans and Europeans have been feeling for years: a growing belief that public safety has been abandoned while the institutions meant to preserve it are busy updating their LinkedIn profiles.

Modest expectation

The average viewers aren’t foaming-at-the-mouth psychopaths looking for bloodshed. They’re just exhausted taxpayers who enjoy seeing a little efficient, off-the-books urban renewal. They simply want the radical, avant-garde luxury of a competent government, functioning courts, and streets where a casual evening stroll doesn’t require Kevlar.

Today, that modest expectation feels like pure wishful thinking.

Across much of Europe and parts of America, headlines dominate with depressing regularity: violent crime, repeat offenders, and overwhelmed police departments. Social media ensures that every shocking incident reaches millions before breakfast. Whether official crime statistics rise or fall matters less than the overwhelming public perception that governments have completely lost the plot. That perception is powerful, and ignoring it won’t make it disappear.

When citizens watch career criminals coast through the justice system on a judicial subscription plan — while prosecutors decline charges and politicians offer nothing but thoughts, prayers, and early release — frustration ceases to be passive. Eventually, cynicism becomes the prevailing sentiment, and people begin to ask a rather important question: What happens when the people responsible for enforcing justice appear completely incapable of delivering it?

That question sits right at the heart of “Citizen Vigilante.”

RELATED: Banned ‘anti-migrant’ movie ‘Citizen Vigilante’ shoots to No. 1 after Elon Musk intervention

L-R: ALLISON ROBBERT/AFP/Getty Images; Foc Kan/WireImage/Getty Images

Broken social contract

Hammer’s character, Sanders, is no comic-book superhero in spandex. He’s simply a man looking at a broken social contract, watching violent thugs thrive while victims suffer, and decides to roll up his sleeves and fix the sewage himself. You don’t have to endorse his butcher-shop methods to appreciate the exact brand of exhaustion driving them.

The enduring appeal of vigilante cinema, from Clint Eastwood classics to “Death Wish,” has never reflected a secret public desire for lawlessness. Rather, it exposes a deep craving for consequences, a desperate desire to see the cosmic ledger balanced when the authorities refuse to do it themselves. When official justice goes missing, fictional justice becomes deeply satisfying. Watching a criminal actually face consequences on screen acts as a primal pressure valve, venting a lifetime of stored-up civic frustration.

The film understands this dynamic remarkably well, but it also highlights a dark humor running beneath the entire premise. Governments spend fortunes producing nauseating public relations campaigns celebrating “community resilience” while struggling to deliver the rather unfashionable service of keeping parasitic scum off the streets.

Citizens are treated to endless speeches about values while wondering if they’ll get stabbed on the subway ride home. Somewhere along the way, basic competence checked into a witness protection program.

No wonder the film has captured the cultural imagination. Viewers want to see what a world with accountability, no matter how brutal, actually looks like. Many in their 20s and 30s have never known a society where real consequences actually exist. I am one of those people.

“Citizen Vigilante” operates best not as a love letter to anarchy, but as an autopsy of our institutions. After all, the rogue actor only becomes a romantic figure when legitimate authority is revealed to be purely ornamental.

​Lifestyle, Movies, Citizen vigilante, Armie hammer, Uwe boll, Germany, Death wish, Immigratiom, Review 

Has Sabo gone mainstream?

Not exactly. But considering that the last time he came to Colorado it was to stand before a judge, an invitation to hang his work in downtown Denver counts as a career boost.

“It is nothing short of a miracle that a person like myself can show art in such a liberal city where so many people can see them.”

On Friday, July 3, the public art provocateur will unveil his completed “American Tarot” series at the VFW Gallery in downtown Denver as part of the city’s First Friday Art Walk.

In the cards

The series includes four tarot-card-style pieces depicting some of the darkest and most divisive episodes in modern American history:

“The Towers” — September 11; “The Fool” — January 6; “Death” — COVID-19; and “The Hanged Man” — Jeffrey Epstein.

As Sabo tells Blaze Media, “Each card represents an event in our country’s past that greatly affected the American story, the country’s psyche, the soul of America.”

The newest addition, “The Hanged Man,” depicts the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein suspended from the tarot card’s traditional gallows.

For Sabo, the Epstein story is about far more than one depraved man.

“I believe the story of Jeffrey Epstein goes deep into how so many — from the entertainment industry to science, politics, finance, power — became influenced or compromised.”

Unsavoryagents.com

Hidden influence

In Sabo’s view, the affair helped fuel a growing distrust of elite institutions and raised uncomfortable questions about how influence is exercised among the world’s most powerful people.

Through the decades, Sabo says, he assumed celebrities and artists simply leaned left politically. Now he wonders whether some cultural figures may have been manipulated into advocating these views in ways the public still doesn’t fully understand.

“And then we saw how the music industry was influenced by the Diddy sex parties,” he said. “How many in the music industry were also swayed to speak in a way that helped support the leftist narrative?”

The questions only became more urgent during COVID, he argues, when public trust in institutions suffered another profound blow.

RELATED: Sabo’s story: Guerrilla street artist opens up in career-spanning ‘Unsavory Agents’

Unsavoryagents.com

Back for more

The former Marine has spent more than two decades producing some of America’s most powerful political street art, skewering everyone from Hollywood celebrities to corporate media and progressive politicians.

That makes the location of Friday’s exhibition all the more remarkable.

Sabo’s relationship with Colorado’s liberal-leaning authorities has been strained, to put it mildly. In October 2024, he appeared in a Denver courtroom after being charged for posting anti-illegal immigration artwork around Aurora, the Denver-adjacent city that had become a national symbol of the migrant crisis amid reports of violent Venezuelan gangs taking over apartment complexes.

The signs — which criticized unchecked illegal immigration and highlighted the plight of legal immigrants and struggling working-class communities — earned Sabo a fine and community service. Representing himself in court, the artist argued that his work was protected political speech and noted the irony that, while authorities struggled to contain far more serious crimes, they managed to find the time to prosecute a man for hanging posters.

Sabo admits he’s still getting used to the life of a respectable artist: “In street art I hit and run; no one to have a conversation with. In a gallery I feel out of my element.” But he’s grateful for the opportunity.

“It is nothing short of a miracle that a person like myself can show art in such a liberal city where so many people can see them,” Sabo says now.

Sabo’s work is available for viewing or purchase on his website.

And if you’re not a Sabo fan yet, check out our coverage of his previous missions here.

​Culture, Entertainment, Sabo, Sabo strikes!, Street art, American tarot, Jeffrey epstein 

Florida is taking action against nearly 100 organizations that will likely soon have a new “terrorist” designation under Florida law.

On Wednesday, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that some significant legislation, which provides a stronger framework for declaring groups terrorist organizations, took effect on the first day of the month.

‘We are not going to fund terrorism in our great state.’

During his announcement, DeSantis said that officials “are not going to waste any time” before beginning the “initial tranche” of domestic terrorist designations in Florida, suggesting more to come in the future as well.

“Based on the recommendations of Florida’s domestic security professionals and the authority, the newly established authority in law, my office and the [C]abinet are poised to officially designate the first slew of terrorist organizations under the new law,” DeSantis said in the announcement.

RELATED: Florida AG calls for impeachment after judge acquits mother who killed baby and blamed COVID

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Among those organizations designated, DeSantis named familiar Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, but also mentioned the addition of Antifa to the list. He also named a couple of groups affiliated with drug cartels, like Cartel de Sinaloa and Tren de Aragua.

Notably, DeSantis added that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran would also be added to the list among “more than 90 Foreign Terrorist Organizations.”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass, who also serves as the state’s chief domestic security officer, explained that the new law gives more tools to prevent taxpayer dollars from reaching those organizations that have been designated as terrorist groups, Florida’s Voice reported.

“We are not going to fund terrorism in our great state,” Glass told Florida’s Voice. “We’re just not going to do it.”

Glass added that the new framework will allow greater transparency for the public to see where taxpayer dollars are being distributed: “It’s actually even a public service campaign to ensure that you know where you’re receiving dollars or you’re giving dollars.”

These actions, however, have been under legal threat for months, dating back to before the legislation was signed. DeSantis acknowledged to Florida’s Voice that “we’ll definitely get sued,” though he believes the outcome “will be beneficial.”

The new law, which went into effect on Wednesday, builds upon an executive order from DeSantis on December 8, which laid the groundwork for legislation to be drafted and signed by the governor in early April.

The December executive order singled out CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood. As a result, CAIR sued the administration over the executive order, arguing that its rights had been violated.

On March 4, United States District Judge Mark Walker granted the motion for a preliminary injunction, freezing the use of the executive order. The DeSantis administration appealed the injunction two days later in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The law, signed almost exactly a month later, will likely be used as a new legal support in the ongoing legal fight over the executive order.

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​Antifa, Cair, Drug cartels, Governor desantis, Islamic, Terrorist, Tren de aragua, Politics 

One of the two teen suspects named in connection with the murder of a Penn State University senior in South Philadelphia less than a month ago was arrested by U.S. Marshals over 1,700 miles away from the crime scene — in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore announced Wednesday night that 16-year-old Azzubair Outen-Fleming was arrested, WPVI-TV reported.

‘Surrender now.’

Police are still searching for a second suspect, 16-year-old Kaiseem Smith, the station said.

Authorities said the suspects stole 22-year-old Billy Schmidt’s cell phone in the 1900 block of Durfor Street on June 6, WPVI reported, adding that as Schmidt chased after the suspects, one of them turned and shot Schmidt in the chest.

Schmidt was pronounced dead a short time later, the station said, adding that family members said Schmidt had been returning home from a nearby bar where he was watching an NBA Finals game with friends.

Both Outen-Fleming and Smith are facing murder charges, WPVI said.

Officials describe Smith as standing 4′ 10” and weighing roughly 110 pounds, WPVI reported, adding that Smith is a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, but is known to frequent the 27th and Reed area of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said investigators believe Smith was the gunman, the station said.

Image source: U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia

“Surrender now,” Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said, according to WPVI. “If you choose to remain fugitives, the Marshals Service will relentlessly pursue every lead, every associate, and every tip until you are located and taken into custody.”

WPVI noted that U.S. Marshals have arrested Outen-Fleming’s stepfather — 35-year-old Dante Abdul Malik — who faces charges, including hindering apprehension and tampering with evidence in connection with the case.

Schmidt had been studying digital journalism and media and was planning to graduate in December, WTXF-TV reported.

“I hope they find them. I want [them] in jail. That’s what I want. They don’t deserve to get to walk away from what they did,” Matthew Segal of South Philadelphia told WPVI in a previous story.

Police released video of the wanted suspects earlier this month, WPVI said.

The Philadelphia Police Department was offering a $20,000 reward for an arrest and conviction in the case, the station said, adding that the U.S. Marshals Service said Wednesday it was offering up to $10,000 in reward money: $5,000 for Smith’s arrest of Smith, and another $5,000 for Outen-Fleming’s arrest.

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​Billy schmidt, Philadelphia, Us marshals, Colorado, Suspect caught, Murder, Fatal shooting, Arrest, Crime 

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language puts “room temperature” somewhere between 68°F and 72°F. Under socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New Yorkers are expected to adjust to a warmer norm.

New York is facing a heatwave with temperatures expected to hover around 100°F on Thursday and Friday. This heat wave, which the National Weather System indicates will impact multiple states and could bring temperatures as high as 115 degrees, threatens the stability of the power grid — which in New York was deprived of 1,040 megawatts of additional nuclear generating capacity in April 2021 when the Indian Point nuclear plant was shut down.

‘Just say no.’

“The power grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” Mamdani told New Yorkers on Wednesday. “Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can.”

The leftist mayor noted further that the city has adopted the “78 degrees rule” in its buildings and will dim or turn off lights during peak electricity demand as well as power down “non-essential equipment.”

“A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved,” said Mamdani. “Let’s ease demand — and get through the heat — together.”

Critics blasted Mamdani’s 78-degree rule as yet another foretaste of the socialistic nightmare he and his ilk have in store for America.

RELATED: Democrat who wants to ‘seize the means of production’ won’t deny she’s a commie

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

“This is what socialism looks like, folks,” said Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. “The right answer isn’t restrictions or mandates. It’s drilling, fracking, coal, & nuclear. That’s how we’ll roll in Ohio.”

Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R) tweeted, “SoCIAlisM WoRKS thO,” adding three woozy-face emojis.

“Turns out socialism actually isn’t free,” wrote Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R).

“This is a retarded post, Malaise. Defeatist. Bad form. Delete,” wrote Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet. “Enjoy capitalism while you have it.”

The Libertarian Party Mises Caucus quipped, “‘The warmth of collectivism,’ folks.”

Vickie Paladino, a Republican member of the New York City Council, had a different message than Mamdani’s for her fellow New Yorkers.

“Actually, live your life normally, use your AC in whatever manner keeps you comfortable, and if the grid collapses make them explain why we don’t have power generation capacity sufficient to our needs as a city, and make them fix it by building more capacity,” wrote Paladino.

“Do not acquiesce or normalize any of this,” continued the Republican. “Nothing socialists say can be taken in good faith. They want to take away AC permanently (as they have in Europe) and they will do it first by getting you used to the idea that your AC must be turned down for ‘the greater good,’ then by making it more expensive to purchase and operate through higher energy costs (also already happening), and finally by regulating it out of existence. Just say no.”

Residents looking to beat the heat who are presently without air conditioning can consult New York’s “Cool It!” map for directions to the various spray showers, outdoor pools, leafy areas, and drinking fountains available throughout the city.

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​Zohran mamdani, New york city, Heat wave, New york, Socialism, Politics 

America’s young men and women packed the National Mall in the nation’s capital and created scenes that likely haven’t been witnessed in decades.

The United States faced Bosnia-Herzegovina at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Wednesday, with fans across the country taking in the monumental game.

‘It’s so crazy over here!’

Team USA has now matched their performance for their last three World Cups by winning 2-0 and advancing to the round of 16, but by being one of the host nations, fans are noticing a huge change in support from young Americans.

There exists no better example than the FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone, an experience put on by the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 initiative at the National Mall, right in the heart of Washington, D.C.

Thousands packed the mall to watch the game in what seemed like a college football stadium atmosphere, with fans losing their minds when Team USA scored their first goal in the 45th minute to go up 1-0.

DC News Now’s reporter Tyger Munn was in the eye of the storm when the goal happened, and attendees went ballistic.

“You can’t even see me right now it’s so crazy over here!” he yelled into the microphone.

After leading a chant with the crowd, the reporter passionately described the feeling:

“Just look at all this energy, the patriotism, it’s beautiful to see here at National Mall, guys.”

RELATED: Democrats hoping to blame Trump for World Cup failures forced to change strategy after great success

When Team USA scored their second goal in the 82nd minute, video captured what seemed like an even more massive crowd erupting late into the evening.

As beer cans flew, beach balls bounced, and fans were on each other’s shoulders, the scenes were wild as the youngsters packed the area for an organized, rambunctious, and clean but safe event.

Team USA has made it to the round of 16, where the team made it in the 2010, 2014, and the 2022 World Cups.

The team’s best performance in the modern era came in the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea, when Team USA finished eighth and made it to the quarterfinals.

Technically, the team’s best performance came in 1930 in Uruguay, however, with a third-place finish.

Team USA did not qualify between 1954 and 1986 and also did not qualify in 2018.

RELATED: ‘Just follow the money’: NFL doctor reveals why so many players are getting injured

Finn Gomez/Getty Images

Team USA goals were scored by Folarin Balogun from Brooklyn, New York, and Malik Tillman, who was born in Germany but has played for both American and German national squads since 2016; his father is American, and his mother is German.

The United States will play Belgium on Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Belgians have struggled to live up to past expectations this tournament, barely scraping by Senegal on Wednesday with a 3-2 win in extra time.

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​Fearless, News, National mall, Team usa, World cup, Washington dc, Sports 

President Donald Trump made his maiden voyage on the new Air Force One just days before the slew of Fourth of July weekend festivities celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday.

The new Air Force One is a Boeing 747-8 luxury plane that was gifted to the United States by the Qatari government last year.

‘Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our country.’

The new Air Force One is named the VC-25B Bridge aircraft by the U.S. Air Force. The new aircraft is the bridge to the “aging” VC-25A fleet until the upcoming and long-term Boeing VC-25B enters service. The first VC-25A aircraft went into service in 1990 during the administration of President George H.W. Bush.

“The delivery of the Bridge aircraft fulfills an imperative to relieve pressure on the aging VC-25A fleet as heavy maintenance cycles extend, safeguarding the continuity of presidential airlift operations until the long-term Boeing VC-25B enters service,” the U.S. Air Force said last month.

The Air Force noted that the new aircraft will “provide critical, secure continuity for the commander in chief.”

“The aircraft is safe, secure, and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission,” the Air Force stated. “Those requirements were carefully crafted to prioritize mission over aesthetics, leaving much of the previous head of state interior layout minimally changed.”

“No risk was taken in security, safety, or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years,” the Air Force said.

According to ABC News, “The Air Force has said that it did little to change the cabin layout of the plane and that it spent less than $400 million on security upgrades.”

Citing industry executives, the New York Times reported in May 2025 that the Qatari-gifted luxury jet had an estimated worth of approximately $200 million.

U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink proclaimed:

The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority. From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission. This effort proves that the U.S. Air Force can move fast without sacrificing quality, security, or reliability.

On Wednesday, Trump took the new Air Force One to see the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.

“To be honest with you, I’m excited about the first flight. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it,” Trump told reporters before boarding the new airplane, according to USA Today.

The Associated Press reported that Trump said of revealing the new Air Force One plane, “You can do two things: You can low-key it, or you can show it.”

RELATED: America turns 250 with a broken heart

In May, the U.S. Air Force said that the VC-25B Bridge aircraft had “officially completed modification and flight testing.”

Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that some critics have “expressed concern over the last year that accepting a plane used by Qatar could present a security risk, such as by allowing listening devices or other bugs to be planted on the aircraft.”

The U.S. Air Force addressed the concerns by stating that “elite specialists from multiple government agencies developed advanced protocols to detect and, if necessary, neutralize potential technical hazards on previously owned aircraft.”

“Their rigorous approach on the Bridge aircraft has literally ‘written the book,’ and set the benchmark for integrating used airframes into the secure military inventory,” the U.S. Air Force said.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach declared, “We are proud to deliver the VC-25B Bridge aircraft to the president.”

“Many thought it could not be done, but the United States Air Force was able to execute and provide a secure, reliable airborne command post on an accelerated timeline,” Wilsbach added.

The official website for the White House says: “Capable of refueling midair, Air Force One has unlimited range and can carry the president wherever he needs to travel. The onboard electronics are hardened to protect against an electromagnetic pulse, and Air Force One is equipped with advanced secure communications equipment, allowing the aircraft to function as a mobile command center in the event of an attack on the United States.”

In May, CBS News reported that Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Air Force accepted the Boeing 747-8 “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.”

President Trump told reporters in May, “If we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they’re building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture.”

Trump added, “Now I could be a stupid person and say, ‘Oh no, we don’t want a free plane.'”

The stopgap jumbo jet will be donated to Trump’s future presidential library just before he leaves office.

Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform in May 2025: “The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years.”

Trump said, “Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our country.”

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​Air force one, News, Fourth of july, America 250, Politics, Donald trump