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The University of Notre Dame in Indiana announced last month that pro-abortion radical Susan Ostermann had been appointed to lead the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.

The administrative elevation of an activist whose secular ministry is fundamentally at odds with the moral teachings of the Catholic Church and the school’s corresponding pro-life position proved intolerable to Notre Dame’s members and supporters — including the cleric invested with the power to prohibit the institution from identifying as Catholic.

‘A win for consistency, clarity, and common sense.’

The sustained protest by scholars, supporters, alumni, and clergy — including 15 bishops and two archbishops — appears to have paid off.

Keough School of Global Affairs Dean Mary Gallagher, the administrator who reportedly first made the appointment, announced in a letter on Thursday to students and faculty that Ostermann “has decided not to move forward as director.”

“I am grateful for her willingness to serve and for the thoughtfulness with which she approached this decision,” wrote Gallagher.

Gallagher suggested further that the activist — who has dehumanized the unborn, downplayed the dangers of abortion, equated childbirth without the option of abortion as “violence,” worked with an organization that seeks to enshrine pro-abortion policies around the world, and vilified the pro-life movement — is a “respected scholar” whose “research and teaching reflect the intellectual rigor and interdisciplinary excellence at the heart of both the Lieu Institute and the Keough School of Global Affairs.”

RELATED: Norma McCorvey: Reluctant Jane Roe who answered to higher judge

Photo by ROBERT CHIARITO/AFP via Getty Images

Ostermann said in a statement included in Gallagher’s letter that “the focus on my appointment risks overshadowing the vital work the Institute performs, which it should be allowed to pursue without undue distraction,” reported the Irish Rover.

She noted further that “it has become clear that there is work to do at Notre Dame to build a community where a variety of voices can flourish.”

The announcement comes two weeks after Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend condemned Ostermann’s appointment, underscored that her views and activism were disqualifying, and told the university to “rectify this situation.”

Following the news that Ostermann had thrown in the towel, Bishop Rhoades expressed gratitude “to all the members of the Notre Dame community and beyond who, out of love for Notre Dame, expressed their opposition to the appointment.”

‘The Bishop did not urge us to sit silently and watch our Lady’s University fall before our eyes.’

“The reason I opposed the appointment is because the appointment of persons to leadership positions at a Catholic university is an act of institutional witness, a mission-governance issue,” wrote Rhoades.

“Clearly Notre Dame is reaffirming its fidelity to a core truth of Catholic social teaching that is central to the Church’s commitment to integral human development.”

Mary FioRito, senior fellow at the Catholic Association, said in a statement obtained by Blaze News, “Professor Susan Ostermann’s decision not to accept the position of director at the University of Notre Dame’s Liu Center is a win for consistency, clarity, and common sense.”

“As an explicitly Catholic university, Notre Dame owes its students and faculty ‘truth in advertising,'” continued FioRito. “Ostermann’s public advocacy of legal abortion would have overshadowed the good work of the Liu Center and significantly hampered its ability to form students.”

Catholic and conservative student groups — including Notre Dame Right to Life, Knights of Columbus Council 1477, and the Militia of Immaculata — were planning to hold a prayerful protest Friday evening where they would urge Rev. Robert Dowd, the president of the university, to rescind the appointment and “exercise his authority to enforce Notre Dame’s Catholic mission.”

Sophomore Luke Woodyard, co-organizer of the planned demonstration, stated, “The Bishop did not urge us to sit silently and watch our Lady’s University fall before our eyes; he gave us a clear call to action.”

Notre Dame Right to Life President Anna Kelley told the Observer on Thursday that in light of Ostermann’s decision, students will still assemble on Friday but for “a prayerful procession in gratitude of the recent decision” and in thanks “for the true Catholic identity of Notre Dame.”

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​Catholic, Church, Bishop, University, University of notre dame, Notre dame, Indiana, South bend, Catholic church, Abortion, Pro-life, Eugenics, Susan ostermann, Ostermann, Politics 

Anna Kepner — a “bubbly, funny, outgoing” 18-year-old Florida high school cheerleader — was found dead in her cabin on a cruise ship in November. Now, court documents reportedly indicate that her 16-year-old stepbrother has been charged with homicide in connection with her death — and Anna’s family wants justice.

CBS News reported that attorneys for Thomas Hudson, the biological father of the 16-year-old stepbrother, wrote in a Feb. 20 emergency filing: “According to social media from the Kepner family, on February 3, 2026, the Petitioner/Father’s son, TH, was charged by the United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida for the [redacted] and homicide of Anna Kepner.”

‘I know Anna fought. I know she fought for her life, so it’s rough. It’s rough.’

The filing is part of a custody dispute between Hudson and Shauntel Kepner, the parents of the 16-year-old stepbrother, CBS News said. Hudson petitioned for custody of his 9-year-old daughter, whom he shares with Shauntel, his ex-wife; Hudson’s daughter primarily resides with Shauntel and Christopher Kepner — the biological father of Anna, the victim.

“There has been a significant and unanticipated change in circumstances that requires the immediate transfer of sole time sharing and parental responsibility,” the petition said, according to Gray News.

The reported homicide case against the 16-year-old male and custody battle for the 9-year-old girl are happening simultaneously.

Here is how the family members are connected:

Anna Kepner — 18-year-old high school cheerleader found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship in November. TH — Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother, reportedly charged with homicide in federal court in connection with her death. He is listed as “TH” in court documents because, as a minor, he has not been publicly named. Christopher Kepner — Anna’s biological father. He is married to Shauntel Hudson. He also is TH’s stepfather. Shauntel Kepner — Biological mother of TH. She shares a 9-year-old daughter with her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson. She is now married to Christopher Kepner. Thomas Hudson — TH’s biological father. He is seeking emergency custody of his 9-year-old daughter, whom he shares with Shauntel.

On Tuesday, WESH-TV said it obtained a court document noting that the Kepner family wants Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother “buried.”

“Immediately after the cruise, the respondent/mother and Chris Kepner expelled [the minor] from their household, and neither has seen [the minor] since then,” the court document stated.

The court document added, “Social media from the Kepner family has indicated that they want the ‘nails in the coffin’ of [the minor], and that both the Kepner family and the respondent ‘want him buried.'”

CBS News reported that there is an ongoing case against Anna’s stepbrother “currently under seal” and that Miami federal Judge Beth Bloom is presiding over it.

The 16-year-old stepbrother appeared at a Feb. 6 hearing in Miami federal court, according to CBS News.

Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida nor the FBI have responded to Blaze News‘ requests for comment.

RELATED: College football player raped girl on family cruise, feds say — and allegedly asked her appalling 2-word question afterward

As Blaze News previously reported, Anna Kepner went on a trip aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship, which departed Nov. 2 from Miami for a six-day Caribbean vacation.

According to ABC News, Anna went on the cruise with her grandparents, father, stepmother, siblings, and step-siblings.

Anna’s grandmother, Barbara Kepner, told ABC News, “The two younger girls stayed with the parents, and then the three teenagers, they decided amongst themselves they wanted to stay in the room together.”

The grandmother noted, “But we had a larger room, and we made it very clear that at any time if they weren’t getting along, they didn’t want to be together, we had an extra bed in our room that they could come to.”

On Nov. 7, Anna was found dead, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests.

NBC News previously reported that the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined Anna’s time of death was 11:17 a.m. Nov. 7.

The Carnival Horizon cruise ship, which has a maximum capacity of nearly 4,000 passengers, returned to Port Miami on Nov. 8.

A source informed ABC News in November that Anna’s death may have been caused by asphyxiation from a bar hold — a chokehold maneuver in which the arm is pressed across the neck. The source noted that there were two bruises on the side of Anna’s neck.

WTVJ-TV reported that a court document filed in early December stated, “The 18-year-old daughter was found asphyxiated under the bed in the room which she shared with TH. The actions of the unsupervised TH are currently under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

Krystal Wright, Anna’s aunt, told WOFL-TV in November, “I know Anna fought. I know she fought for her life, so it’s rough. It’s rough.”

Christopher Kepner cryptically told People magazine in November that he wanted his stepson to face consequences but did not appear to directly blame him for Anna’s death.

“I do not stand behind what my stepson has done,” Christopher stated.

He declared, “I want him to face the consequences. … I will be fighting to make sure that does happen.” But Christopher also indicated, “I cannot say that he is responsible, but I can’t decline.”

However, Christopher pointed out, “He was the only one … in the room, and the FBI has an ongoing investigation in which they will have to provide the evidence to say that he did do it or did not do this.”

Anna was set to graduate from high school this year and had aspirations of joining the U.S. Navy after graduation and later becoming a K-9 police officer, according to her obituary.

Anna’s obituary describes her as a Christian whose “faith blossomed as beautifully as her smile.”

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​Murder, Anna kepner, Anna kepner case, Anna kepner murder, Cruise ships, Cruise deaths, Homicide, Crime, Stepbrother, Charged 

The aftermath of the viral Tucker Carlson-Mike Huckabee interview has, for me, included the privilege of private conversations with both men, as well as an on-air discussion with Huckabee on my show.

I want to give both men every benefit of the doubt, because I have genuine affection for each of them and respect the lifetime of contributions both have made to the cause. But whether their nearly two-and-a-half-hour clash clarified anything or merely deepened the confusion likely depends on the eye of the beholder.

God initiates covenants. We break them. Then we depend on God’s mercy to bail us out.

Still, let me offer a spiritual clarification as Christians think through the issues now in front of us. My fear is that in arguing over modern Israel, we will become so determined to win secondary battles that we lose sight of the primary truths that govern all of us.

The stakes are not small. If believers drift too far off course, the consequences are damning in the most literal sense.

So we should begin here: You cannot determine whether the current state of Israel is a reconstitution of covenant Israel merely by examining the nation’s behavior. If you have read the Old Testament and tried to compile a list of Israel’s greatest hits in covenant faithfulness, you will not end up with anything resembling a list of bangers like most of Led Zeppelin’s catalog.

From the beginning, the pattern ran the other way. Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the first words God ever wrote by hand and came down to find the chosen people in the middle of a pagan orgy. After that came the familiar cycle: disobedience, judgment, repentance, deliverance, and then disobedience again — with slavery and captivity poured in for good measure.

Carlson and Huckabee can argue Israel’s borders all they want, but it should surprise no one that the nation never fully possessed the borders outlined in Genesis 15. As with so many things, human beings are terrible at obedience. We always have been.

That is the lesson. God initiates covenants. We break them. Then we depend on God’s mercy to bail us out.

The Jews did not attain a level of holiness that compelled God to bring forth the Messiah. Quite the opposite. Israel had hit bottom, spiritually and temporally. So God initiated yet again, through Christ Jesus, reminding humanity once more that we are utterly lost without Him.

That remains true whether you believe the modern state of Israel is a prophetic extension of Old Testament Israel or not. We must not lose that point, and its implications are not remote, theoretical, or merely historical.

Many Americans, after all, love to read our own national story in providential terms. Fine. Then how are we doing with the whole “endowed by their Creator” business in the Declaration of Independence?

RELATED: Trump’s Iran gamble: Peace Prize or Persian Gulf firestorm

Photo by Tajh Payne/US Navy via Getty Images

Do we know what a gender is? No.

Do we know what a border is? No.

Do we know what a baby is? No.

Do we know what a marriage is? No.

Do we know what a family is? No.

Do we know what a law is? No.

Do we even know our own heritage, customs, and traditions? No.

Sure, people will stand and sing “God Bless America” at the next sporting event, maybe even with tears in their eyes. Then many of them will settle back into their seats and applaud while the world burns around them, so long as someone keeps scratching their bellies.

That is idolatry.

For by grace you have been saved through the free gift of faith — and not by your own doing, lest anyone should boast.

So once again, it is revival or bust. That is why I keep saying it and why I keep praying it. There is no other road to the only promised land that finally matters.

​Usa, Israel, Tucker carlson, Mike huckabee, Jews, Christians, Old testament, Opinion & analysis 

Some cruise lines decided to bypass stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, this week due to ongoing violence in the country following the death of cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.

Oseguera, a 59-year-old drug lord who led the Jalisco New Generation cartel, was killed by the Mexican army during a security operation over the weekend in the town of Tapalpa. Six other cartel associates were also killed in the raid.

‘We’ve made the decision to shift itineraries on a handful of sailings to bypass Puerto Vallarta for the next few weeks.’

Oseguera’s death sparked violence in the streets from his apparent supporters, who set fires to vehicles and blocked roads in western Mexico.

The U.S. briefly issued a shelter-in-place order for tourists in certain parts of Mexico, including Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Ciudad Guzmán, Tijuana, Chiapas, and Michoacán. That order was lifted on Tuesday.

Carnival Corporation told Blaze News that it had altered itineraries to skip stops in Puerto Vallarta.

“Our team has been monitoring things in Mexico throughout the week, and cruise tourism has continued to operate normally across most of the country. That said, we’ve made the decision to shift itineraries on a handful of sailings to bypass Puerto Vallarta for the next few weeks,” Carnival Corporation said. “Our cruise lines are directly notifying affected guests and travel advisors.”

RELATED: ‘Nobody wants to go fishing anymore!’ Trump vows to defeat ‘murderous’ drug cartels as chaos sweeps Mexico

Photo by Yilmaz Yucel/Anadolu via Getty Images

A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line also stated that the company had bypassed a scheduled stop in Puerto Vallarta.

“The safety and well-being of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are always a top priority. Due to ongoing security operations and the recent U.S. travel warning issued for select areas in Mexico, Norwegian Bliss’ scheduled call to Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 25, 2026, has been canceled. We are closely monitoring the ongoing situation and any additional itinerary updates for ships scheduled to call to Mexico in the near future will be communicated directly with impacted guests,” the spokesperson told Blaze News.

RELATED: ‘Start driving north’: US tourists stranded in Mexico after slaying of top cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ sparks chaos

Photo by Ulises Ruiz / AFP via Getty Images

Royal Caribbean told Blaze News on Wednesday that “the safety and security of our guests and crew are always our top priority” but that there had not been any changes to the cruise line’s visits.

“Should there be, we will contact impacted guests and travel agents directly,” the company said.

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​Cruise, Cruise line, Carnival cruise, Royal caribbean, Norwegian cruise line, Puerto vallarta, Mexico, Cartels, El mencho, Nemesio oseguera cervantes, Drug trafficking, Drug lord, Politics 

Many parents assume the battles over “woke” education are largely settled — that whatever excesses defined the last few years have been corrected and that schools have moved on.

Recently uncovered internal curriculum guidance from Maryland’s largest school district suggests otherwise.

Eighth-grade students were shown graphic, politically charged material about Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a geography lesson.

The documents reveal that Montgomery County Public Schools encourage teachers to center lessons on white supremacy, racial and gender identity, and the need for students to engage in “resistance to and liberation from” existing social structures. These guidelines were discussed at a recent PTA meeting and outline what the district calls the “Characteristics of Anti-Bias/Antiracist Curriculum.”

Teachers are instructed to emphasize themes of injustice, racism, oppression, implicit bias, and inequity across subject areas — an approach that reframes education not simply as the transmission of knowledge, but as a moral project aimed at reshaping how students understand society and their place within it.

Left alone, this might have remained a quiet local issue — noticed by a handful of parents, discussed briefly, and eventually absorbed into the bureaucratic background noise of a large school system. Instead, the documents became public.

That’s because of Defending Education, a national grassroots nonprofit that helps parents and communities understand what is being taught in schools — and advises them on coordinating a local response when academic instruction drifts into political or ideological advocacy.

Founded in 2021 by free speech advocate Nicole Neily, Defending Education operates according to a model of indirect activism, emphasizing transparency, documentation, and resources over directives. Parents, Defending Education argues, know their schools better than any national group ever could. What they often lack is access to internal materials, legal context, and a sense of whether what they’re seeing is isolated — or part of a broader pattern.

As the organization puts it in its Empower resources:

Knowledge is power. If you walk into a meeting confident that you know what you’re talking about, you’ll be more effective.

That principle underlies most of Defending Education’s work: Collect primary documents, explain what they mean in plain language, and allow families to decide for themselves how — and whether — to act.

Why the Montgomery County case matters

According to Defending Education, the Montgomery County guidance reflects a broader trend: Controversial frameworks are often introduced not as standalone courses, but as values meant to permeate instruction across subjects, grade levels, and disciplines.

In a press release, Paul Runko, senior director of strategic initiatives at Defending Education, said the language in the MCPS materials should concern parents who were told such frameworks were not entering K-12 classrooms:

This internal guidance from Montgomery County Public Schools looks and sounds a lot like Critical Race Theory, despite repeated assurances to parents nationwide that CRT is not in K-12 schools.

Lessons framed around “resistance to and liberation from white supremacy” — and that ask students to “challenge the current social order” — risk dividing students and indoctrinating them into far-left ideology rather than upholding the American ideal that individuals are judged by their character and achievements, not the color of their skin.

Not an isolated case

The Montgomery County documents are not an anomaly. They are one of many examples Defending Education has uncovered across the country in recent months, spanning classroom instruction, curriculum design, and civil rights enforcement.

Recent cases include:

Minnesota (Hermantown Middle School):
Eighth-grade students were shown graphic, politically charged material about Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a geography lesson, including claims of people being “dragged, beaten, tased, and shot.” The lesson asked students to consider whether ICE had “gone too far” and tied immigration enforcement to President Trump’s campaign promises. School officials defended the material as aligned with state standards. Portland, Oregon:
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into Portland Public Schools following a Title VI complaint filed by Defending Education. The complaint alleges millions in taxpayer dollars were diverted to race-exclusive programs associated with the district’s Center for Black Student Excellence, potentially violating federal civil rights law.

RELATED: ‘Whites … need not apply’: Trump DOJ sues Minneapolis Public Schools for alleged racial discrimination

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Across these cases, Defending Education functions less as a protest group and more as an institutional clearinghouse. Its work includes:

Collecting internal documents and guidance through parent tips and public-records requests; Publishing primary materials so parents can judge content for themselves; Explaining education law, civil rights rules, and parental rights in accessible language; and Providing tools for local engagement with school boards and administrators.

In practice, Defending Education operates as a kind of relay between local parents and a national platform. It gathers tips from families, obtains internal materials through public-records requests, and publishes primary documents so parents can see exactly what schools are saying and doing — often in their own words.

The organization then provides legal and policy context around those materials, helping families understand whether what they’re seeing is routine, questionable, or potentially unlawful.

How to get involved

Parents can explore Defending Education’s Empower resources to understand basic education law, parental rights, and common curriculum frameworks; follow the organization’s reporting to see whether local concerns mirror national trends; or submit tips and documents when something doesn’t seem to align with what schools have publicly promised.

Some parents go further — connecting with others in their district, attending school board meetings more prepared than before, or using Defending Education’s materials to frame questions in ways administrators are more likely to answer. Others simply want reassurance that they’re not imagining patterns that feel hard to name. In either case, the organization’s premise is the same: You know your school best — but you shouldn’t have to navigate it blind.

​Defending education, Public school, Crt, Critical race theory, Wokeness, Education, Provisions 

With the Texas primaries fast approaching, candidates are scrambling to pitch a last-minute winning message to voters.

Primary elections are set to take place March 3, leaving Republicans and Democrats with just days to edge out their competition. Here is everything you need to know about the three major primaries that have taken center stage.

1. Ken Paxton vs. John Cornyn vs. Wesley Hunt

Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images, Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

The three-way primary giving Republicans a headache has been the GOP Senate race with Sen. John Cornyn, the establishment-backed incumbent, fending off Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Cornyn and Paxton had already been facing off in the bitter primary before Hunt decided to throw his hat in the race.

Hunt’s ambitions are not expected to go far, but his candidacy is forcing the GOP to pour more resources into a race that ought to be a slam dunk.

RELATED: ‘Loser mentality!’ Sparks fly as Texas Republicans spar to succeed Ken Paxton in debate moderated by Allie Beth Stuckey

In a two-way race between Cornyn and Paxton, the attorney general has maintained a narrow 2.3 point average lead. Three-way polls show Hunt pulling a significant portion of the vote from both candidates, with one survey showing 36% support for Paxton, 34% for Cornyn, and 26% for Hunt.

If none of the candidates are able to secure at least 50% of the vote, the Republicans will be forced into a runoff, draining more valuable resources Republicans could otherwise spend in tougher races. Notably, President Donald Trump has refrained from endorsing any of the candidates.

2. Jasmine Crockett vs. James Talarico

Photo by Alberto Silva Fernandez/Getty Images, Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn

While Republicans duke it out in the Senate primary, their Democratic counterparts are also trying to find their footing.

Tensions reached a boiling point after Stephen Colbert’s show decided not to air on TV an interview with state Rep. James Talarico, pointing the finger at the Trump administration and the FCC’s “equal time” regulations. Rep. Jasmine Crockett sought to set the record straight, claiming her challenger’s interview was actually canned due to a decision from Colbert or the network, saying they didn’t want to have her on the show.

RELATED: ‘Maybe I should endorse Jasmine Crockett’: Lauren Boebert jokes with, praises James Talarico amid heated Texas primary

Crockett has become a rising star for the progressive faction of the party, while Talarico has branded himself a blue-dog Democrat with a Christian upbringing.

Although Talarico’s attempts to moderate would likely give him an advantage in the general, Crockett has maintained an average of a three-point advantage against her primary opponent. It’s also worth noting that polls predict that no matter the nominee, both Crockett and Talarico would have the best shot of securing the Senate seat going up against Paxton.

3. Tony Gonzales vs. Brandon Herrera

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, by Scott Stephen Ball for The Washington Post via Getty Images

The House primary that has recently become the center of controversy has been in Texas’ 23rd congressional district between incumbent Rep. Tony Gonzales (R) and gun YouTuber Brandon Herrera.

Herrera came within striking distance of unseating Gonzales in 2024, but Gonzales narrowly managed to maintain his House seat. Gonzales’ odds at re-election are now looking slimmer than ever after a massive scandal broke, derailing his campaign and bringing calls of resignation from his Republican colleagues.

RELATED: ‘Desperate rage’: Republican accuses lawyer of ‘blackmail’ amid affair rumors linked to staffer’s suicide

The nightmare began when Gonzales’ former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles tragically took her own life by setting herself on fire in the backyard of her Uvalde home back in September. A month after her horrific passing, reports began to surface alleging that Gonzales had had an affair with Santos-Aviles.

These allegations resurfaced after new text messages were turned over to the media that appear to confirm the affair. The most recent set of alleged text messages seem to show Gonzales pressuring Santos-Aviles to send explicit photos as well as asking about her favorite sexual position.

This sparked a massive rebellion within the GOP with mounting pressure for Gonzales to resign. Notably, Trump has not yet rescinded his endorsement of the Texas Republican.

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​Donald trump, Texas, Texas primary, Tony gonzales, Brandon herrera, Regina santos-aviles, Jasmine crockett, James talarico, Stephen colbert, Fcc, Texas senate primary, Texas senate race, Wesley hunt, John cornyn, Ken paxton, House republicans, House democrats, Senate republicans, Senate demcorats, Politics 

A family of foreigners visiting California were kicked out of the famed La Jolla Cove in San Diego after they were caught allegedly harassing the sea lions.

Visitors and tourists to the cove are warned to avoid the sea lions, but unruly behavior has led some activists to call on the state to shut down access to human beings in order to protect the animals.

‘Why shouldn’t I give you a citation for kicking an animal?’

On Sunday, San Diego photographer Jim Grant said he witnessed one such incident and recorded a San Diego City park ranger kicking out a group of people from the Cove.

“He was giving a really, really stern warning to a couple of kids about throwing things,” said Grant to KNSD-TV. “Finally he told the mother, ‘Woman in the brown jacket, come to the top of the stairs.'”

The video shows the mother interacting in broken English with the ranger.

“Where are you guys from?” the ranger asks.

“China,” the mother says.

“China? In China, do you guys throw dirt at the animals too?” he asks.

“Why shouldn’t I give you a citation for kicking an animal?” the ranger asks later on.

He decided not to give the family a citation but did follow through with kicking them out of the Cove.

Grant said he’s never seen anyone kicked out of the Cove in decades of shooting photos there.

The woman got off easy. Harassing sea lions is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and carries a punishment of up to $30,000 per violation and up to one year in prison.

RELATED: Man decapitated sea lion on Christmas and rode away on e-bike with its head, California officials say

“The Cove is not your personal petting zoo, and it’s not the wild, wild west. There are federal regulations that are put there for a reason,” Grant added.

In July 2024, video captured at the Cove showed sea lions charging at beachgoers and causing a panic. Experts said that they were not actually chasing people but were likely just looking for a suitable place to mate.

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​La jolla cove sea lions, Marine mammal protection act, Chinese people harass animals, Chinese kicked out of la jolla, Crime 

When it comes to artificial intelligence, the Trump administration has made its position clear: America will not choke innovation with red tape.

That instinct is understandable and, in many ways, correct. AI is moving fast, and heavy-handed regulation could do real damage. If the United States cripples its own companies, China will gladly take the advantage. And no one on the right wants blue-state politicians using AI rules to smuggle “woke” ideology into the next generation of powerful models.

The goal should be straightforward: Build an American AI future in which freedom is embedded from the start, and constitutional guardrails shape the systems that will increasingly shape us.

As White House AI adviser David Sacks recently put it, “We don’t like seeing blue states trying to insert their woke ideology in AI models, and we really want to try and stop that.”

Fair enough.

But what happens when resistance to bad regulation hardens into resistance to any regulation at all?

That question is now surfacing in Utah, where the White House is reportedly opposing a Republican-sponsored AI transparency bill. The fight may sound parochial, but it raises a much larger question: Do conservatives have the discipline to protect constitutional liberty in the AI age?

Utah isn’t California

The Utah proposal is not a European-style crackdown. It would not impose speech codes, mandate ideological compliance, or try to centrally plan the AI economy.

At its core, the bill focuses on transparency and accountability. It would require frontier AI companies to disclose serious risks, plan for safety in advance, report major problems, and protect whistleblowers who raise alarms.

That’s far from radical.

If the administration’s AI strategy is to stop progressive states from embedding political orthodoxy into algorithms, Utah’s bill does not belong in that category. The measure is about making sure the companies building extraordinarily powerful systems acknowledge the risks up front and take responsibility when things go wrong.

Treating that effort as if it were blue-state social engineering confuses two very different problems. There is a real difference between using AI regulation to enforce ideology and asking powerful firms to level with the public about systems that could reshape society.

The myth of an ‘unregulated’ AI market

Another uncomfortable truth lurks beneath this debate: AI is not operating in anything like a free-market vacuum.

The European Union has already enacted its sweeping AI Act. That regulatory regime will not stop at Europe’s borders. American companies that operate globally will feel its force, and American users will feel the downstream effects.

If the United States adopts a posture of total federal non-engagement, it will not preserve a neutral market. It will hand the regulatory initiative to Brussels.

That would be a serious mistake. Europe does not regulate with American constitutional principles in mind. It regulates through a bureaucratic worldview that prizes centralized control over freedom. If Washington refuses to establish clear guardrails rooted in our own constitutional tradition, foreign regulators and multinational firms will fill the void.

Power without constitutional guardrails

AI is quickly becoming part of the infrastructure of modern life. These systems increasingly shape how information flows, how public opinion forms, and how daily choices get nudged.

That is power.

We have already watched major corporations use private power to shape public life. Social-media companies moderated, suppressed, and curated speech in ways that tilted public debate. Large firms adopted ESG frameworks that embedded political priorities into lending, hiring, and investment. In both cases, powerful institutions pushed ideological outcomes without a vote being cast or a law being passed.

Nothing suggests AI will escape those pressures.

RELATED: If AI isn’t built for freedom, it will be programmed for control

gorodenkoff / Getty Images

The companies building frontier systems carry their own assumptions, incentives, and cultural biases. If those assumptions get baked into foundational models — and those models then get integrated into education, finance, media, hiring, and governance — ideological influence will move from the margins to the infrastructure of society.

Yes, clumsy central planning would hurt innovation and weaken America’s position against China. But the answer cannot be blind faith that market incentives alone will protect liberty. That asks a great deal of institutions that have already shown a willingness to steer political and cultural outcomes in their preferred direction.

The real challenge is making sure extraordinary technological power develops inside a framework that respects constitutional rights, individual liberty, and personal autonomy.

A pro-liberty AI framework

The Trump administration is right to resist ideological manipulation in AI models and to oppose sweeping regimes that would handicap American innovation while China races ahead.

But someone will shape the boundaries of this technology. The only real question is whether those boundaries reflect American constitutional principles or the preferences of foreign regulators and corporate boards.

Red states such as Utah should be treated as allies in that effort, not obstacles. They can serve as proving ground for approaches that protect transparency, due process, free expression, and individual autonomy without strangling innovation.

Artificial intelligence will shape the next century more than any single statute. Total non-engagement may sound pro-growth, but in practice it leaves the foundational rules of the AI era to someone else.

The goal should be straightforward: Build an American AI future in which freedom is embedded from the start, and constitutional guardrails shape the systems that will increasingly shape us.

​Ai, China, Usa, Liberty, Ai regulations, Artificial intelligence, Opinion & analysis, Donald trump, Utah, Legislation, Woke ai, Leftism, Red states, Blue states, Brussels, European union, Free speech, Censorship, David sacks, Free market, Transparency 

Jared Hudson is a former Navy Seal, a devoted Christian, a current Republican candidate running for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, and the founder of Covenant Rescue Group, a nonprofit dedicated to combatting human trafficking and child exploitation through law enforcement training; operations to rescue victims and arrest perpetrators; and advocacy.

On a recent episode of “Strange Encounters,” Hudson joined Rick Burgess to dive into today’s darkest headlines — Epstein, child exploitation, cultural depravity, and political corruption — and ultimately connect them to the bigger reality of spiritual warfare.

During their conversation, however, Hudson told Rick something that genuinely shocked the BlazeTV host: After years of infiltrating the child exploitation industry, there’s an even darker underworld operating in the United States.

Since Covenant Rescue Group kicked off in 2019, Hudson and his team have seen things most of us can’t even begin to imagine.

“I mean, we’ve seen guys having sex with 18-month old babies — their own children,” he says.

And yet, Hudson says his work in D.C. politics has shockingly exposed him to even deeper levels of depravity.

“I feel [depravity] more now in the politics side that I’ve gotten involved in running for U.S. Senate than I do in the child exploitation side,” he told Rick, who was taken aback by this declaration.

“You just said that you have sensed demonic activity [in politics] more … than you’ve even seen in Covenant Rescue with human trafficking and child exploitation. So, why would that be?” he asks.

Hudson explains that dealing with child exploitation, while undeniably monstrous, is in some ways easier because it’s still “taboo” and widely opposed.

“Look at the outcry from both sides of the aisle on this Epstein stuff, right?” he says.

Even though there are fringe groups that want to destigmatize pedophilia by pushing it “into a sexual orientation,” by and large, “we are, as a society, not past protecting children,” he explains.

Hudson compares that to the D.C. swamp, which runs on “partiality.”

“Everybody within politics, even if they disagree with exploitation or whatever, they show partiality,” Hudson says.

And where partiality thrives, so does depravity, he explains, citing James 3:16-17: “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

“Career politicians, even if they claim to be Christians, they sell access … and they’re partial to donors,” Hudson says, arguing that these politicians disregard those who “can’t write [them] a max donation check,” “support a super PAC,” or “put [them] on a platform that’s going to reach a 100,000 people.”

“They’re partial to their club as opposed to the people they’re elected to represent. And you have a bureaucracy that’s in place, and you have these elitists that are in place that think that they can buy … your position, buy you, buy access to you … and own [you],” he explains.

This kind of systemic corruption isn’t occasional or confined to certain groups — it’s baked into the structures and normalized at every level.

“It’s across the board for everything — congressmen, even the president,” Hudson says.

“Everything’s for sale,” Rick echoes.

To hear more, watch the full episode above.

Want more from Rick Burgess?

To enjoy more bold talk and big laughs, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Strange encounters, Strange encounters with rick burgess, Blazetv, Blaze media, Rick burgess, Jared hudson, Dc corruption, Spiritual warfare 

Affordability has become a problem for nearly every American. Inflation and the rising cost of living keep chewing through paychecks, and the old markers of the American dream — home ownership, small-business ownership, a secure retirement — feel farther out of reach than they have in years.

Some people respond by demanding more government involvement in daily life. President Trump has taken the opposite view: The government should step back.

Success will not come only from repealing rules. It will come when regulators stop seeing entrepreneurs as problems to manage and start seeing them as partners in growth.

Within days of returning to office, Trump signed two major executive orders aimed at saving money for business owners and taxpayers alike: Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation and the much-discussed DOGE initiative. Their core principle was simple: For every new federal regulation, agencies should eliminate 10 old ones.

One year later, the results are real.

I have spent that year on the front lines of the fight against unnecessary regulation as a regional advocate in the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. Congress established the office in 1976, but it has taken on renewed life under the current administration.

My team and I have spent the past year meeting with small-business owners — many still trying to recover from the economic damage of the COVID lockdown era — to identify ways the federal government can serve as a partner instead of a roadblock.

Nationwide, our team has met with more than 12,000 businesses.

The full report is available publicly, but the top-line results from the past year are straightforward:

We flagged more than 300 regulatory issues for federal regulators.We helped influence changes to 23 federal regulations affecting millions of businesses.We saved small businesses nearly $110 billion in unnecessary regulatory costs.

That last number is significant, but it also shows the scale of the broader problem. Federal regulation costs the U.S. economy more than $3 trillion a year by some estimates — roughly 12% of GDP. Much of that burden falls hardest on smaller firms that cannot absorb legal and compliance costs the way large corporations can. Meanwhile, the Code of Federal Regulations has swollen from a few thousand pages decades ago to more than 180,000 pages today.

For small businesses, that kind of regulatory sprawl is not an abstraction. It is a threat.

Big companies can keep in-house counsel, compliance officers, and HR departments on payroll. A family business, a contractor, or a startup working out of a garage cannot. Excessive regulation tilts the playing field toward the largest players and against the very people most likely to create new jobs and local wealth.

For too long, federal rulemaking has treated small-business owners as an afterthought. We once heard that giant firms were “too big to fail.” Today, many small businesses face a different reality: they are becoming too small to succeed.

RELATED: Republicans and Democrats are in revolt — for very different reasons

Douglas Rissing/Getty Images

One of the most effective tools we have built to push back is the SBA’s Red Tape Hotline — 1-800-827-5722 — which allows small-business owners to speak directly with federal staff about regulatory burdens and offer suggestions for reform. Through that hotline, we have heard from thousands of people we could not have reached in person.

Our broader goal is to improve the regulatory climate for every business owner in the country. But even saving a mom-and-pop shop a few billable hours with an attorney can make a real difference.

In one especially memorable case, SBA staff helped a toy company in Mississippi clear a shipment through Customs and Border Protection in time for December — literally saving Christmas for that business.

The philosophy behind this work is the same one that guided me as mayor of Riverton, Utah, where I recently completed two terms. Riverton has grown because we kept taxes, fees, and regulations low enough for businesses to thrive. Companies came, jobs followed, and the city’s sales-tax revenue doubled during my time in office. Watching that same pro-growth approach work at the national level has been deeply rewarding.

Still, this is only a first down, not a touchdown.

Success will not come only from repealing rules. It will come when regulators stop seeing entrepreneurs as problems to manage and start seeing them as partners in growth. If we can make that shift, we can do more than trim costs. We can make the American dream attainable again.

​Government regulations, Red tape, Small businesses, Entrepreneurs, American dream, Affordability, Regulatory costs, Small business administration, Opinion & analysis 

A brawl broke out late last week after a police chief dressed in street clothes tried to arrest a high school girl who allegedly was causing trouble amid a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and now some residents in the southeastern Pennsylvania borough of Quakertown want the chief to resign.

The Bucks County Courier Times said a probable cause affidavit provides the first official police account of what led to the arrest of five Quakertown High School students.

‘Everybody was confused because nobody knew it was a policeman. He was in regular clothes. We were just like, “Why is the man attacking us?”‘

At least 35 students participated in the Friday walkout to protest ICE, the Courier Times said, citing the affidavit.

Quakertown police had been monitoring the protest “from a safe distance” and assisting with road closures after students left the high school campus and headed into the downtown business district, the paper said.

More from the Courier Times:

Early in the protest Friday police allege they noticed a large group of protesters move into the road in the 100 block of East Broad Street, and a girl kicked a white pickup truck on the passenger side several times and hit the side mirror with her hand, the affidavit said.

Protesters also threw “ice balls” at vehicles, stood on public benches, and police approached the group and requested they protest respectfully, and keep the sidewalk clear, the affidavit said.

In a statement issued Friday, Quakertown police alleged student protesters threw snowballs at vehicles, kicked cars, and “damaged property such as tearing a side mirror from a car.”

The police statement also said that additional officers were called to the scene when confrontations with students escalated “and some individuals assaulted officers.”

However, the paper said witnesses and protesters alleged that motorists followed the students and revved their engines, blew exhaust fumes at them, and yelled taunts at the students.

The Courier Times, citing the affidavit, said students who continued walking toward Front Street were yelling obscenities “at the officers and in general.”

RELATED: Praise rolls in for high school suspending hundreds of students over anti-ICE walkout: ‘Adults are taking charge’

Police said a 15-year-old female protester was seen “numerous times” walking in the road, including in front of moving vehicles and blocking traffic, and she was warned to stay on the sidewalk, the paper reported.

An officer allegedly ordered the girl to come across the street to be detained, and when she started to walk away from him, the officer grabbed her arm, the Courier Times said, citing the affidavit.

With that, other teen protesters confronted the officer and pulled the girl away, which allowed her to slip into the crowd, the paper said, citing the affidavit.

The officer radioed for assistance, the affidavit said, after which Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree, 72, and a sergeant arrived at the scene. The officer pointed to the girl he was trying to detain, and McElree allegedly attempted to arrest her — but a boy was pulling her away, the affidavit added.

More from the Courier Times:

After McElree grabbed the boy, he pulled away and struck the chief in the head with his cell phone multiple times, the affidavit said.

The boy was eventually taken to the ground and placed in custody after he intervened again attempting to keep McElree away from the 15-year-old girl, according to the document.

Multiple teens encircled McElree and began to punch and hit him including the 15-year-old girl that police were originally attempting to detain, the affidavit said.

The paper, citing the affidavit, added that a sergeant saw another teen boy dressed in black come up behind McElree and hit him three times on the right side of his face and rib area. With that, the sergeant grabbed the teen, took him down, and placed him in handcuffs, the Courier Times said.

RELATED: Juvenile hit by car at student anti-ICE protest in Florida

Another police officer saw a girl hit McElree in the head with her backpack while the chief was on the ground grappling with a female protester, the paper said, citing the affidavit.

What’s more, a detective who responded to the scene allegedly saw a girl punch McElree in the head, after which the detective caught the girl and placed her on the sidewalk, where she allegedly kicked him several times while being handcuffed, the Courier Times said.

The girl whom police originally wanted to detain was taken into custody, the paper said, adding that her attorney, Ettore “Ed” Angelo, on Tuesday denied his client had any physical contact with McElree.

In all, five students were arrested and taken to juvenile detention.

Three of them were released Tuesday, the Courier Times said, adding that the status of the remaining two is unknown, and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office has released no information as of Tuesday. The DA’s office on Thursday did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ question regarding how many students have been released.

Authorities have not released their names, ages, and charges since they’re juveniles, but the paper said it confirmed that at least two of the students face felony aggravated assault charges.

RELATED: Video shows brawl after high school walkout protester allegedly hit pro-ICE man — and the man is charged with child abuse

The Courier Times, citing the affidavit, said McElree was treated at a hospital for nonspecific injuries. The paper added that his face was covered in blood as he left the scene; however, in a cellphone video posted to social media he’s heard telling an officer that he was “fine.”

Since the melee, McElree has been facing increasing backlash, including calls for him to resign. One of the issues is that the chief was not in uniform and allegedly did not identify himself as a police officer, the Courier Times said.

Ashley Orellana, a Quakertown High School senior and friend of one of the arrested students, told WPVI-TV that “everybody was confused because nobody knew it was a policeman. He was in regular clothes. We were just like, ‘Why is the man attacking us?'”

Orellana attended a hearing Tuesday to support one of the defendants, the station said, adding that Robert McMillion, who witnessed his younger sister’s arrest, also was in attendance.

“The chief, the unmarked man, he just started attacking us first, and something should be happening to him instead of the kids,” McMillion told WPVI.

At a borough council meeting Monday night, parents and community members called for McElree to resign or be fired, the station said.

RELATED: Girl says she fought ‘old,’ ‘racist’ man with MAGA hat at ICE protest — and excuses fellow teen brawlers

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania alleged that McElree violated his commitment to “serve and protect” his community amid the incident, WHYY-TV reported.

“By all accounts, including abundant video evidence, there were no issues at the demonstration until Quakertown police arrived and incited violence,” Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, told the station in a statement.

Walczak added to WHYY that “the police should have been there to facilitate the demonstration, ensuring that the students could safely exercise their rights to assemble and speak out freely as guaranteed by our Constitution. They failed. In abandoning his job and his mission on Friday afternoon, Chief McElree effectively was acting as a counter-protester, albeit one with the ability to arrest people. Quakertown deserves better.”

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​Ice, Ice protest, Pennsylvania, Quakertown, High school students, Police chief, Fight, Arrests, Property damage, Quakertown high school, Kicking cars, Blocking traffic, Harassment, Bucks county district attorney, Crime, Aggravated assault charges, Immigration and customs enforcement, Scott mcelree, Politics 

A Columbia University student and online influencer was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday but was released by the end of the day through the machinations of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The mayor posted on his social media account that he had secured the release of Elmina “Ellie” Aghayeva after speaking to President Donald Trump via phone call.

‘He has just informed me that she will be released imminently.’

“Just got off the phone with President Trump,” the mayor wrote. “In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He has just informed me that she will be released imminently.”

Aghayeva is originally from Azerbaijan and has grown a large following on Instagram by documenting her life as a student.

The student’s attorney claimed that the ICE agents were able to detain her after pretending to be looking for a missing person in order to gain access to the Columbia campus. The Department of Homeland Security disputes the allegation.

Earlier in the day, Mamdani had met with the president at the White House to pitch a proposal to ease the housing crisis.

“Hi guys. I am so grateful for everyone of you. I just got out a little while ago. I am safe and okay,” Aghayeva wrote on Instagram after her release.

“I am so sorry, but I am in complete shock over what happened and my phone is blowing up with calls from reporters,” she added. “I need a bit of time to process everything. I will come back soon but please don’t worry.”

RELATED: Viral video shows alleged arson attack on rumored ICE facility in Kansas City — mayor expresses his outrage against ICE

A Blaze News request for comment from the White House was not immediately answered.

A DHS spokesperson said her student visa had been terminated in 2016 after she failed to attend classes.

Aghayeva lists her preferred pronouns as she/her on Instagram. She is majoring in neuroscience and political science.

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​Mamdani and trump, Ellie aghayeva detained, Ice detainments, Columbia university student detained, Politics 

President Trump’s State of the Union address has been championed by conservatives everywhere, but BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey took issue with one part of his address: his promotion of IVF.

During the address, Trump lauded his new pharmaceutical website, Trump RX, by introducing Catherine Rayner, “the very first customer ever” to get a discount on IVF drugs.

“For five years, she and her husband have struggled with infertility, and they turned to IVF. One drug has been costing Catherine $4,000 to purchase. But a few weeks ago, she logged onto the Trump RX website and got that same drug that cost $4,000, got it for under $500,” Trump said proudly.

“Catherine, we are all praying for you, and you’re going to be a great mom,” he added.

“I think that Trump’s heart is in the right place here. He probably has not grappled with the ethics of IVF. The vast majority of people, Christians and non-Christians, have not grappled with the ethics of IVF. And so he’s thinking, more babies the better,” Stuckey comments.

While Stuckey admits that infertility is a real struggle, she doesn’t believe that IVF is an ethical solution.

“The problem with in vitro fertilization is that it’s not good for the woman’s body, and it almost always creates embryos that are eugenically tested in a lab and then discarded, or they’re indefinitely frozen. We have over a million embryos on ice right now that have been abandoned that might be adopted one day by strangers and that’s a more redemptive option,” she explains.

But that won’t save all the embryos that will just be thrown in the trash — especially those that might be flagged for potential abnormalities.

“And as you guys know, it’s possible when you go through IVF to choose the gender that you want to give birth to, it’s possible to get them tested for abnormalities like Down syndrome, discard the ones that are not graded highly enough,” Stuckey says.

“The only way to be able to procreate without any ethical quandaries whatsoever is within the context of marriage between one man and one woman through sex. Adoption is a beautifully redemptive option. But surrogacy, egg-selling, sperm-selling, IVF, which basically asks the child to sacrifice its own well-being, its own health, in some cases its own life on behalf of adult desires. That is disordered,” she continues.

“And so, that was the one part of the speech that I can think of that I really did not agree with,” she says.

“And in fact, if Congress is trying to pass a law that would have us fund IVF, I will be calling my representatives, my senators, and I will be encouraging you to do the same because I don’t want to fund more slaughter of babies.”

“More embryos, unborn lives are killed through the IVF industry than through the abortion industry every year. That really matters,” she adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Ivf, Sotu, Trump, Relatable with allie beth stuckey 

A Manhattanite’s comment about a homeless woman reportedly urinating on a public train led to a massive debate about whether public urination is a charming example of city life and culture.

The person, identified only as Daniela, said her husband had been “traumatized” by the public urination, to which many responded by accusing them of being bigoted and fascist.

The two of them were immediately ridiculed for not appreciating the deep cultural value of public urination.

“My husband was on a crowded train yesterday when a homeless woman got on, pulled down her pants, and peed all over the train in front of everyone,” Daniela wrote.

“He hasn’t stopped talking about it for the past 24+ hrs. It is the single most traumatizing thing that’s happened to him in nyc,” she added.

The two of them were immediately ridiculed for not appreciating the deep cultural value of public urination by the homeless.

“You live one of the most coddled lives in the history of the human race and all you do with your world-historic luck and comfort is snivel and whine and waste oxygen,” responded a user identifying as an Antifa member.

Another responded, “Wow your husband must lead an extremely boring life.”

“If seeing someone experiencing mental distress is the most traumatizing thing that’s ever happened to him, has your husband considered to stop being a weak little bitch?” another critic replied.

Others, however, saw it as an example of lawlessness that erodes residents’ quality of life.

“This is a great example of [something] that doesn’t show up in crime statistics but INFINITELY degrades quality of live and gives a sense of lawlessness to the city,” one response reads.

Another debate thread led to the conclusion that the man’s trauma showed why the nuclear family must be destroyed.

“I’ve been on the subway with homeless people that peed, screamed, all sorts of stuff. it was mildly uncomfortable but truly didn’t impact my day in any way. maybe your husband needs to toughen up,” replied a user identifying as Antifa, anti-Zionist, and democratic socialist.

“Agree that this probably isn’t the single most traumatizing thing someone could see in a city but it’s still not normal or OK and the left shouldn’t act like it is. we all deserve to live in functioning cities where public displays of anti social behavior are not tolerated,” one user responded.

“Having a baby really changed my mind about this stuff (unwell people experiencing episodes on public transit). I went from ‘whatever, look the other way’ when I was just a sturdy adult man on my own, to being like ‘f**k f**k this guy is gonna kill my baby strapped to my chest,'” another user replied.

“‘Having a baby made me fascist’ is a real phenomenon. That’s why we must abolish the nuclear family,” a bizarre response reads. “Homeless ppl have children too, homeless ppl are sometimes children. And instead of thinking of them as human, you’re falling into racist and classist anxieties.”

RELATED: City councilman gets into physical altercation with gay bar manager after urinating on door in downtown Los Angeles

Others made almost no sense at all.

“Right, the only way a person squatting down & pissing on the floor of a subway train would catch your attention would be if you’re staring at people,” reads one response to the original post. “Are you deliberately trying to be an asshole? Should a woman also ‘stop staring’ if a guy on the subway waves his d**k at her?”

The original tweet garnered more than 5.8 million views.

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​Homeless woman urinating on train, Mega-viral debate on x, Daniela post on homeless urination, Nyc train public urination, Politics 

A Christian teacher said he sought a religious exemption when he was ordered to read an LGBTQ book to his first graders, and he was threatened with termination instead.

Eric Rivera told WZTV-TV that the book conflicted with his religious beliefs because it depicted a girl being raised by two fathers.

‘I believe that that is not what God designed a marriage to be and a family to be.’

Rivera said that initially the KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary School where he taught offered to allow him a co-teacher to read the book to the children and then called him into the principal’s office.

That’s where he was allegedly given a “final warning” to teach the book or lose his job.

“I refused to read a book that had two fathers on the cover and one daughter,” he explained. “I believe that that is not what God designed a marriage to be and a family to be.”

The book is titled, “Stella Brings the Family,” by Miriam B. Schiffer.

He claims that he had no prior disciplinary history before the LGBTQ incident. He was reassigned to teach technology before he was moved yet again to teach kindergarten.

“I still have the fear in me that I could lose my job for anything that I do based on my religious beliefs,” Rivera added.

The teacher is now represented by the First Liberty Institute, who sent a demand letter to the school asking for an accommodation based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. It was sent Feb. 17 and gave the school 10 days to respond.

The institute also expressed concerns that parents may not have been properly informed about the LGBTQ lesson, but WZTV said that accusation was not yet independently verified.

The teacher wants to return to teaching first grade but refuses to teach the lesson.

“I just want the whole curriculum to be shown to the parents in a way where they can actually understand,” Rivera said.

RELATED: Florida Christians win $70K over anonymous complaint against tiny cross displayed in their yard

The charter school falls under the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Charter School Commission, which released a statement to WZTV.

“All public charter schools must follow the same Tennessee academic standards as traditional public schools, and while they do have flexibility selecting curriculum and materials, they must still be aligned with those same state standards,” the commission said in its statement.

“All schools are required to comply with the prohibited concepts law and must provide a form on their website for reporting violations,” it added. “The Commission provides a form for submitting complaints related to the prohibited concepts law as well as any other violations of charter school law on our website. Teachers and staff at charter schools are employees of the school or charter operator and as such all personnel matters are handled by the school.”

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​Christian teacher lgbtq book, School fires christian, Anti-christian discrimination, Eric rivera teacher, Politics 

The House Oversight Committee’s first closed-door hearing with the Clintons concerning their ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein encountered a brief snag moments into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deposition.

Members of the committee traveled to Chappaqua, New York, this week to depose Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, after months of back-and-forth negotiations and a vote finding the two in contempt of Congress.

‘Hillary is trying to get out of answering questions about Epstein because of a picture. Does this sound desperate to you?’

Hillary Clinton was scheduled to testify under oath on Thursday and Bill Clinton on Friday.

After initially defying congressional subpoenas and then pressing the committee to hold public hearings, Hillary Clinton’s team abruptly halted Thursday’s closed-door deposition when a photograph of her from the session was leaked on social media.

The picture of Clinton was shared by political commentator Benny Johnson, who stated that it was provided to him by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).

“This is the first time Hillary has had to answer real questions about Epstein. Clinton does not look happy,” Johnson wrote.

RELATED: Bill and Hillary Clinton to testify under oath about Jeffrey Epstein this week

Photo by Melina Mara – Pool/Getty Images

A short time later, Nick Merrill, a Clinton adviser, exited the deposition hearing to address the media. He explained that the session had been temporarily paused after a photograph was posted to social media, which he described as being “against chamber rules that were read at the top of the meeting.”

Johnson responded to Merrill’s announcement by highlighting the inconsistency: Clinton had advocated for a public hearing, yet her team was displeased with the release of a photograph.

“The deposition is being filmed and will be released in full. Hillary wanted it to be done LIVE on TV. Rep. Boebert gave me permission to post a photo she took before the hearing started with credit,” Johnson wrote in a post on X. “Hillary is trying to get out of answering questions about Epstein because of a picture. Does this sound desperate to you?”

Boebert replied to Johnson’s comments, defending him for posting the photo of Clinton.

“Benny did nothing wrong,” she wrote, adding that the deposition had proceeded after the temporary pause.

Ahead of Thursday’s deposition, Clinton posted her opening statement on social media. She insisted that she has no information regarding Epstein’s criminal activities or those of co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

“As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices,” Clinton wrote.

RELATED: Former Clinton official to quit Harvard University position amid backlash for Epstein ties

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

She accused House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) of refusing to hold any public hearings regarding Epstein.

“You have held zero public hearings, refused to allow the media to attend them, including today, despite espousing the need for transparency on dozens of occasions,” she stated.

Comer has not ruled out holding public hearings, but has insisted that initial depositions will be behind closed doors.

Maxwell previously stated that she had gone to the Clintons’ Chappaqua home “a few times.” Maxwell also attended the wedding of the Clintons’ daughter in 2010.

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​News, Jeffrey epstein, Epstein, Hillary clinton, Clinton, James comer, House oversight committee, New york, Deposition, Lauren boebert, Benny johnson, Politics 

The grandson of the man who created Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups said Tuesday that the Hershey Company has not contacted him following his public criticism of the brand. He also accused company leadership of arrogance toward the Reese family.

On Feb. 14, Brad Reese, the grandson of H.B. Reese, who created Reese’s in 1928, wrote an open letter expressing concern about alleged ingredient changes associated with the Reese’s brand.

“How does The Hershey Company continue to position REESE’S as its flagship brand, a symbol of trust, quality and leadership, while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built REESE’S trust in the first place?” Reese wrote.

During an appearance on “The Glenn Beck Program,” host Glenn Beck referred to the dispute as the “chocolate wars” before pressing Reese on whether the company had responded to his concerns about changes with Reese’s.

‘I mean, talk about a conflict of interest.’

“Nothing. Zero,” Reese said.

“They are so arrogant and condescending to anybody, especially in the Reese family, I find, unless they want something from you,” Reese said.

Hershey said in a statement: “As we’ve grown and expanded the Reese’s product line, we make product recipe adjustments that allow us to make new shapes, sizes, and innovations that Reese’s fans have come to love and ask for, while always protecting the essence of what makes Reese’s unique and special: the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.”

Reese told Beck that tensions with company leadership date back years. He said he “kind of burned … bridges” after helping stop the proposed sale of Hershey in 2002.

“You have to understand, the Reese family has been creating the wealth there,” Reese said, arguing that the family has long played a role in building the company’s value.

RELATED: ‘This is crazy’: Glenn Beck questions Obama alien claim and Trump’s response

Photo by Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

He also discussed what he described as internal conflicts involving the Hershey Trust and past corporate leadership. Reese referenced a cousin who previously served as general counsel for Hershey and later became president of the Hershey Trust Company, which controls the Hershey Company. According to Reese, his cousin worked to “clean up” issues within the trust and the company.

Reese then turned to what he described as a missed “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” when Hershey pursued a $19 billion acquisition of Cadbury Schweppes. He said the deal was “locked up” before it ultimately fell through and Kraft acquired Cadbury instead.

Reese alleged there were conflicts of interest involving former executives and advisers tied to competing bids during that process.

“I mean, talk about a conflict of interest,” Reese said.

He also questioned whether corporate decisions driven by profitability are sustainable “long-term.”

“Wall Street loves when you increase your margins at whatever cost to the public,” Reese said. “It’s long-term, is what I’m getting at. Is this going to not work out long-term?”

RELATED: Glenn Beck reveals 5 reasons the US hockey victory over Canada was the moment America needed right now

Photo by Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Reese framed his concerns as rooted in protecting what he views as his grandfather’s original legacy and questioned whether current corporate decisions serve the long-term interests of the brand.

Hershey did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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In a nearly three-hour interview released on February 20, Tucker Carlson pressed U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on several topics, including biblical claims to land “from the Nile to the Euphrates,” Gaza civilian casualties, U.S. aid to Israel, and Christian Zionism, resulting in heated exchanges. The interview highlighted a divide within conservative America over U.S. foreign policy priorities, particularly the balance between “America First” principles and strong support for Israel.

On a recent episode of the “Steve Deace Show,” host Steve Deace spoke with Huckabee about his recent interview with Carlson.

“Overall, how did you feel it went?” Deace inquires.

“Our interaction in the interview was just fine. I didn’t understand a lot of the things that he was going with in terms of the questions, and it was very frustrating because normally when he has someone on his show, he gives them about 65% of the time and he takes about 35%. … But with both Ted Cruz and me, he interrupted constantly; he went off on tangents,” says Huckabee.

Deace then turned to the section of the interview that drew the most attention. Carlson referred to a Bible verse in Genesis 15 promising Abraham’s descendants land “from the Euphrates to the Nile,” an area encompassing much of the modern Middle East, and asked Huckabee whether this verse implies Israel has a divine right to that entire territory today.

In response, Deace said that Huckabee said that it would “be fine” but immediately added that Israel has no such endeavor.

“[Tucker’s] side of the argument absolutely seized on this. … Some of these nations, I think, have even released statements in response,” says Deace, offering Huckabee a chance to “clarify” and “react.”

“He was badgering me, trying to get me to say that Israel was going to try to do a conquest from the Euphrates to the Nile … and finally I said, tongue in cheek, ‘Yeah, they can have the whole thing,”’ says Huckabee. “Now then immediately what I said was ‘Tucker, Israel is only wanting to keep the land of Canaan, the land that they have.”’

He went on to emphasize that Israel has no plans to expand beyond its current borders into Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or even Gaza.

“Tucker clipped from that one statement, and then he marketed that all over the Arab world, where he apparently has some very strong contacts. Well, they got all spun up and did a blanket condemnation of what I had said,” Huckabee explains.

“If you missed the last part of my answer, of course it kind of looks like that I said, ‘Yeah, just let ’em have the whole part’ — flippantly acting as if, ‘Yeah, that’s fine with me.’ If you took it in its context, listened to the whole answer, you come away with a completely different view.”

To hear more of Deace and Huckabee’s conversation, check out the full interview above.

Want more from Steve Deace?

To enjoy more of Steve’s take on national politics, Christian worldview, and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Steve deace, Deace, Mike huckabee, Tucker carlson, Blazetv, Blaze media, Tucker huckabee, Steve deace show 

Johnny Knoxville is not a regular human being, and his latest interview has cemented that fact.

The “Jackass” series and movie star sat down with Rolling Stone, marking 25 years since his famous cover shoot with the outlet.

‘The whole world was closing in, and … I have a lot of sympathy for myself then.’

As a fifth “Jackass” movie is in the making, the new “Fear Factor: House of Fear” host discussed his greatest stunts, production hurdles, and even brain injury fallout. However, what is grabbing attention online is Knoxville’s brief emotional breakdown during the interview.

No bull

After discussing what it feels like to have an eyeball come out of its socket — with Knoxville describing his vision at the time as “fuzzy” TV lines — host Alex Morris asks the stuntman if there was one stunt he thought he would never get to do again.

At 54 years old and 16 concussions deep, the Tennessee native got choked up before answering.

“I don’t want to get emotional. I can’t. God damn. I hate when this happens,” Knoxville begins, fighting back tears.

“No, this is good. I was gonna ask when the last time you cried was,” the reporter says, trying to comfort her guest.

Then Knoxville reveals the source of his pain:

“I can’t mess around with bulls anymore.”

Confused, Morris follows up, “And that — you’re, and that makes you emotional?”

“Yeah. It’s terrible,” he replies, before getting deeper into the emotional reality of a stuntman.

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‘Steer’ing his thoughts

The host asks Knoxville why that makes him cry; was it the thought of his art form being limited by injury or the memory of catastrophic brain damage?

“No, I just want to play with them,” the actor reveals. “And I’m trying not to — trying not to indulge in those thoughts.”

Although the bull-induced injury was not the source of his emotional pain, Knoxville takes time to go into detail about the five- to six-month period during which he suffered from “catastrophic thinking” and “ruminating” thoughts.

“The whole world was closing in, and … I have a lot of sympathy for myself then, because your brain’s feeding you such terrible information. And people outside were telling me like, ‘Your brain’s playing tricks on you.’ I’m like, no, no, it’s happening. [But] nothing’s happening.”

The same brain that comes up with stunts like being shot with riot control munitions and balancing a teeter-totter around a charging bull apparently turned its back on Knoxville. He describes his recovery time as his “creative brain turned against me” while his mind “just fell off a cliff.”

RELATED: ‘He meant that s**t’: Actors rage after man with Tourette’s yells N-word during award show

Photo by FOX via Getty Images

Please, Clapp

Other parts of the discussion briefly touched on former Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) attacking the “Jackass” brand in 2001, as well as Knoxville’s upbringing in a Southern Baptist Church in the 1970s.

Real name Philip John Clapp, born 1971 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the action star said that the fire-and-brimstone talk was too much for him to handle at a young age.

“You know, you’re 7, 8, just having to go and sit there and be quiet and listening about burning in hell. And I’m like, ‘Wow.'”

“It was a lot,” he adds. “I think that’s why, maybe one of the reasons I hate being told what to do so much.”

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An adviser at the U.S. State Department posted photographs from a visit from right-wing U.K. activist Tommy Robinson on Wednesday and outraged many politicians across the pond.

Joe Rittenhouse, a senior adviser at the Consular Affairs bureau of the State Department, posted the images and called Robinson a “free speech warrior.”

‘We need to engage this administration on the difference between that and incitement to violence and racial hatred.’

British politicians immediately lambasted the visit as an affront to U.S-U.K. relations. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has a history of criminal convictions related to his activism against mass immigration and Islam.

“The World and the West is a better place when we fight for freedom of speech and no one has been on the front lines more than Tommy,” Rittenhouse added. “Good to see you my friend!”

Robinson posted a video of himself interviewing Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida and made the rounds to speak to many media outlets on the right.

Meanwhile, back in Britain, the politicians fumed.

“Yaxley-Lennon is being touted around Washington as a ‘free speech warrior.’ We need to engage this administration on the difference between that and incitement to violence and racial hatred,” said Labour MP Emily Thornberry, chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. “There should be no place in any democracy for the latter.”

Labour MP Alex Ballinger said in a statement to Politico he was “disappointed” that the State Department had hosted a “convicted criminal” and “far-right agitator.”

“Having worked alongside U.S. diplomats for many years, I suspect many of them will be embarrassed about it too,” he said.

Labour MP Phil Brickell called the meeting a “complete outrage” and accused Robinson of peddling “racist tropes” in the past.

“The guy holds no elected role,” Brickell added and questioned what basis the U.S. government had to recognize him.

A spokesperson for the State Department told Politico that Robinson visited “in an unofficial capacity on a tour.”

“The government needs to send a clear signal to the U.S. president that this is unacceptable,” said former Foreign Office Minister Catherine West, who went on to call the meeting “incredibly alarming.”

She added, “For the U.K.’s key ally to do so is frankly disgraceful.”

On the other hand, a spokesperson for the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer downplayed the visit.

The spokesperson said Robinson was “not a representative of the U.K.” and added that the meeting was “a matter for the U.S. administration” and “not for me to speak to.”

RELATED: Tommy Robinson has the last laugh after politically motivated terrorism arrest

Robinson went on to mock the negative coverage of his visit by some in the media.

“I posted a photo at the US State Department earlier, the legacy media have been falling over each other to condemn my visit, devastated that their decades of slandering is now transparent,” he wrote. “Their power is gone.”

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