Category: blaze media

For the better part of two decades, confused children across the Anglosphere deceived into believing that they might be in the wrong bodies have been widely subjected to medications that adversely affect bone density, cognitive performance, emotional stability, and/or future fertility. This horrific experiment, briefly provided a patina of legitimacy by so-called experts and politicians, has not only been ruinous but is based on junk science.

To the chagrin of the profitable and predatory child sex-rejection industry, the Trump administration, like the British government, has taken action nationwide against the “chemical and surgical mutilation of children.” However, some blue states appear keen to continue waging war on America’s youth.

‘1 in every 630 boys in Oregon received cross-sex hormones.’

A new study in the Oxford University Press journal Research Connections provides some idea of the scale of this campaign and just how many victims it has already created in Oregon — a state whose health plan will cover virtually any sex-rejection drug or procedure, no matter how cosmetic, if deemed “medically necessary” by a doctor.

Researchers from Comagine Health, a nonprofit health care consulting firm, used the multi-payer claims database operated by their organization to identify so-called “transgender and gender-diverse” adolescents in the Beaver State, ages 8-17. The data researchers relied on was from 2016 to 2023.

After identifying 8,480 gender-confused adolescents among the 868,740 insured adolescents in the system, the researchers “assessed receipt of puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormone therapies using procedural codes.”

RELATED: ‘Kill your local Republican’: Trans former volunteer for trans Democrat appears to call for ‘trans jihad’

Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images

They found in Oregon that:

the median age of first gender-dysphoria diagnosis was 14;1.51% of all covered female patients and 0.46% of all covered male patients ages 8-17 in the seven-year period received gender dysphoria diagnoses;75.8% of the patients with gender dysphoria diagnoses were female;the median time span from diagnosis to medical interference was 294 days;the median age for initial sex-rejection medical interventions was 15;23.35% of victims received medical “gender-affirming care”;19.72% of victims received cross-sex hormones;8.21% used puberty blockers, drugs that have long been used to chemically castrate sex offenders; andthe use of puberty blockers and hormone replacement procedures skyrocketed during the timeframe, especially between 2020 and 2023.

The researchers claimed that “despite growing attention, medical [gender-affirming care] is accessed by only a small proportion of adolescents in the United States.”

Leor Sapir, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, noted in a recent article for the Wall Street Journal that this supposedly “small proportion” is actually tragically high.

Citing the study, Sapir highlighted that “at age 17, roughly 1 in every 240 girls and 1 in every 630 boys in Oregon received cross-sex hormones for ‘gender dysphoria’ between 2016 and 2023. These figures are triple and double the national average for girls and boys, respectively.”

Sapir noted further that cross-sex hormone use among 14- and 15-year-olds in Oregon — the only American state to formally adopt the so-called standards of care issued by the scandal-plagued World Professional Association for Transgender Health — was four to five times the national rate.

In November, the Department of Health and Human Services published an exhaustive peer-reviewed report that stressed that “the harms from sex-rejecting procedures — including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical operations — are significant, long term, and too often ignored or inadequately tracked.”

The previous year, just months prior to National Health Service England banning puberty blockers at so-called gender-identity clinics, the United Kingdom’s landmark Cass Review revealed that:

the “systematic review showed no clear evidence that social transition in childhood has any positive or negative mental health outcomes, and relatively weak evidence for any effect in adolescence”;puberty blockers “exert their intended effect in suppressing puberty,” but compromise bone density and have no apparent impact on “gender dysphoria or body satisfaction”;there is a dearth of consistent evidence about the “effect of puberty suppression on psychological or psychosocial well-being, cognitive development, cardio-metabolic risk or fertility”;there is a lack of high-quality research assessing the outcomes of hormone interventions in adolescents confused about their sex; andthe so-called science regarding “gender-affirming care” is “an area of remarkably weak evidence” built on “shaky foundations.”

Despite the mountain of evidence showing that so-called “gender-affirming care” is not only destructive but ineffective in terms of achieving the promoters’ own aims, the Democrats running Oregon show no signs of abandoning their war on young bodies.

For instance, Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, a self-identified lesbian, ratified new legislation in May aimed at shielding providers of sex-rejection drugs and mutilations from civil lawsuits, professional discipline, and loss of malpractice insurance, as well as at ensuring uninterrupted coverage for Oregon Health Plan patients utilizing Planned Parenthood for “essential health services.”

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

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​Oregon, Tina kotek, Transgender, Politics 

President Trump nominated acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last month to lead the Justice Department permanently. After more than a year as deputy attorney general, Blanche has shown that he is not merely capable of doing the job. He is the man the department needs now.

I had the privilege of serving alongside Blanche. He is smart, principled, and fearless. His record proves it.

Blanche left a lucrative private practice to serve the country. He does not need this job. The country needs him in it.

The Trump administration’s approach to law enforcement and immigration has already delivered historic results. Violent crime has reached record lows, cartel activity has declined, and property crime has fallen dramatically.

Blanche has also led the effort to reverse the Justice Department’s politicization under President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. Their tenure included imprisoning grandmothers who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, arresting pro-life protesters, spying on eight Republican senators, surveilling Catholics who attended the traditional Latin Mass, and deploying the National Security Division against concerned parents at school board meetings.

That two-tiered justice system helped drive Americans to the polls for Trump. Ending the abuses is not enough. The department must also repair the damage by dismissing corrupt prosecutors, enforcing the law equally against powerful left-wing actors, and restoring people wronged by the government. Blanche has shown the courage to do exactly that.

Some Senate Republicans objected to the Justice Department’s now-abandoned plan to compensate victims of Biden-era abuses. Yet as the late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) noted, the United States has a long tradition of compensating victims of government injustice.

Justice requires more than ending misconduct. Government must also make victims whole when it can. That is what giving them their due means.

National Review summarized its objection this way: “No matter whose name is on the DOJ letterhead, the president is running the Justice Department.”

That criticism ignores Justice Antonin Scalia’s dissent in Morrison v. Olson, which he described as one of his favorites. Scalia argued that the Constitution vests all executive power in the president — “this does not mean some of the executive power, but all of the executive power” — and trusts voters to choose a president who will exercise it for the common good. A Justice Department fully independent of the president would answer neither to the nation’s elected chief executive nor to the voters who chose him.

RELATED: Trump fires US attorney minutes after activist judges installed him, leaving Patty Murray in tatters

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

National Review also argues that Blanche cannot stand up to Trump because he once served as Trump’s personal lawyer. The opposite is more plausible. Who is better positioned to deliver hard news: someone who put his career on the line to defend the president, or someone the president barely knows?

Presidents have often chosen attorneys general with whom they shared close professional ties. Ronald Reagan selected his personal attorney, William French Smith, and later Ed Meese, his former California chief of staff and legal affairs secretary. George W. Bush chose Alberto Gonzales, who had served as his general counsel in Texas.

National Review’s deeper objection seems to have less to do with Blanche and everything to do with Trump. But refusing to confront weaponized government allows wrongdoers to escape accountability and invites the next administration to repeat the abuse.

The left has no hesitation about using power to advance its goals. Some conservatives still treat passivity as principle even after voters put them in office to govern. Trump’s rise was a rejection of that bloodless approach to politics.

Blanche built an impressive prosecutorial record in one of the nation’s most prestigious U.S. attorney’s offices. He left a lucrative private practice to serve the country. He does not need this job. The country needs him in it.

Todd Blanche has met the moment and exceeded conservative expectations. The case against him reflects the old conservative preference for “yelling stop” rather than exercising legitimate power. Senate Republicans should reject that reflex and confirm him as attorney general.

​Donald trump, Joe biden, Justice department, Opinion & analysis, Todd blanche, Merrick garland, Weaponized government, Antonin scalia, Morrison v olson, Constitution, Confirmation, National review 

British politician and pro-life advocate Ann Widdecombe was assassinated in her home in Devon, England, earlier this month.

Joshua Kerry, the apparent leftist accused of slaying the 78-year-old Reform U.K. immigration spokeswoman, was formally charged with murder on Monday.

‘I have it on good authority that the murder suspect was a hard-left activist.’

“We have decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder following a police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe in Haytor, Dartmoor,” Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said in a statement. “Police enquiries into the defendant’s motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection.”

Ferguson noted further that prosecutors had “worked closely with the police to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court.”

The evidence presented in court on Tuesday — where Kerry was in attendance and told not to enter a plea — provided some horrific insights into the assassination.

Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that the savage attack was captured by a camera inside the kitchen where Widdecombe’s lifeless body was discovered by her gardener the next day, reported Reuters.

RELATED: What is anarcho-tyranny? Modern Britain gives a disturbing glimpse of our future

Hugh Hastings/Getty Images

Kerry is allegedly seen in the video entering Widdecombe’s home wearing black gloves and armed with a hammer while the Reform U.K. politician was eating lunch. He then allegedly asked her, “Don’t suppose you have bank cards and ID?”

According to Malik, the suspect proceeded to strike Widdecombe atop the head 21 times. After caving in the Christian politician’s skull, the assassin pushed his victim out of her chair and onto the floor, stole her wallet, then fled the scene, Malik alleged.

Kerry was arrested on July 10 on suspicion of murder in what was initially figured for a burglary gone wrong. He was cut loose the next day only to be rearrested hours later at his home in Rotherham, this time by Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police on suspicion of murder and the “commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism.”

Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, subsequently acknowledged that the investigation had turned up “new information and evidence” pointing to the murder having been a “targeted attack.”

A source told the Sun (U.K.) that in their search of Kerry’s house, they found clippings of news articles about Reform U.K., its leader Nigel Farage, and the party’s immigration policies.

“It would appear he had a profound dislike of the party, its leader, and its policies,” said the source.

In addition to seizing Kerry’s electronic devices, police also seized a red Vauxhall Corsa linked to him. The court heard on Tuesday that the man who arrived at Widdecombe’s property on July 8 drove up in a red Vauxhall Corsa.

Kerry was reportedly caught on CCTV leaving his Rotherham residence, approximately 270 miles away from Widdecombe’s house, early on the day of the murder in the red car.

Nigel Farage noted in an article for the Sun on Saturday, “Surprise, surprise, he wasn’t some local opportunistic thief.”

“I have it on good authority that the murder suspect was a hard-left activist,” wrote Farage. “He attended various marches and hated anyone with an opposing view. He had expressed his hatred of me on more than one occasion. He was an intolerant individual obsessed with Soviet communism. He may also have been known to the authorities.”

Reform U.K. spokesman Zia Yusuf joined Farage on Tuesday in blasting the British media for its apparent disinterest in Kerry’s background and politics.

“Our beloved Ann was hit on the head 21 times with a hammer by her alleged killer. Why do we still know so little about him? Why do we still know so little about his politics?” wrote Yusuf. “We all know why.”

“The details of Ann Widdecombe’s murder revealed in court are horrific. Why will no one report on Joshua Kerry’s political views?” tweeted Farage.

Kerry’s alleged crimes were deemed “too serious” for the Westminster Magistrate’s Court, where he appeared Tuesday morning, so the matter has been sent to the Old Bailey, where he is due to appear later in the day.

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​Ann widdecombe, United kingdom, Reform uk, Nigel farage, Politics 

The House Freedom Caucus has successfully forced a border security bill forward after accusing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) of breaking his promise to bring border legislation to the floor by July 4.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) has advanced his Permanent Trump Secure Border Act to the House Judiciary Committee for markup. It is the first time this Congress that House Republicans are considering legislation codifying President Donald Trump’s executive border actions.

‘It’s time for Republicans to deliver the America First change we promised.’

“Securing a markup for my Permanent Trump Secure Border Act is a critical first step toward permanently enshrining President Trump’s successful border policies into law,” Roy told Blaze News. “If Congress fails to act, nothing will prevent a future radical administration from undoing these policies and returning our nation to the border chaos of the past.”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has scheduled the bill’s markup for 10:00 a.m. ET Tuesday. Markup is the congressional committee process where lawmakers debate and offer amendments to legislation.

“I commend Chairman Jordan for advancing this important legislation and helping move it one step closer to becoming law, and I hope we will soon also move two more priorities, including ending both sanctuary cities and falsely defined birthright citizenship,” Roy said.

The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship 6-3 in Trump v. Barbara on June 30.

The PTSBA limits release for illegal aliens into the U.S. interior pending final removal orders. It also allows the secretary of Homeland Security to “return to a foreign territory contiguous to the United States any alien arriving on land from that territory,” pending further proceedings.

RELATED: The bipartisan farm bill that also grows amnesty

President Donald Trump inspects the border wall prototypes during his first term. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

“Congress must do everything in its power to protect our nation for future generations, including codifying President Trump’s border security policies. Failure to do so simply greenlights a future Democrat administration to reopen the floodgates for another invasion of illegal aliens — putting American lives and livelihoods at risk,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) said about the bill. “It’s time for Republicans to deliver the America First change we promised, starting with permanently securing our borders in law and ending the revolving door of illegal immigration.”

The bill text restricts the large-scale release authority used by previous administrations by sharply limiting the Homeland Security secretary’s discretion regarding parole. The legislation states that parole may be granted only “on a case-by-case basis, and not according to eligibility criteria describing an entire class of potential parole recipients, for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”

It also generally bars paroled aliens from accepting employment while in the United States.

“Thanks to President Trump, our nation’s borders are secure, but our work is far from finished. Congressional Republicans must continue to pass commonsense legislation that reverses the damage created by Democrats and makes the administration’s actions permanent,” Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) told Blaze News. “This comprehensive immigration bill is the next step to keeping dangerous criminals out of our country and Americans safe for generations to come.”

Criminals are prohibited from claiming asylum according to the bill. This includes any alien convicted of a felony, driving under the influence, stalking, child abuse, domestic assault, or gang activity.

If the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act passes markup, its next stop is Speaker Johnson and the House Rules Committee.

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​House freedom caucus, Mike johnson, Donald trump, Chip roy, Jim jordan, Politics 

Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico has been the target of ongoing conservative vitriol. His progressive stance on all major issues despite being a professing Christian inspired some, including GOP opponent Ken Paxton, to not so lovingly dub him “Talafreako.”

The abortion- and transgender-supporting progressive then tried to monetize the insult by selling T-shirts featuring the saying “I’m a *Talafreako*” for $36 a pop.

“I’m like, ‘Who would want something like that?’ And then my answer got handed directly to me,” says BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales.

She plays a recent clip of Talarico on “Morning Joe” with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

“By the way, Talafreako as a nickname, I’m all in,” Scarborough laughed.

Talarico followed the compliment by letting the two hosts know that T-shirts were available for purchase on his website.

“We’ll get you one,” Brzezinski prattled, gesturing to her husband.

Sara can’t help but laugh at Scarborough’s hypocrisy — claiming to be “unbiased” when he clearly loves chumming it up with some of the nation’s most hardcore progressives.

As for Talarico, the desperate T-shirts are evidence he’s in “damage-control” mode, she argues.

“All the crazy s**t that he has said, those words, you’re going to be shocked to hear, are coming back to bite him, and you can’t just excuse yourself by saying, ‘Oh, I, everyone knows some of the comments I’ve made in the past are a little bit cringey,’” says Sara.

But unfortunately for Talarico, the cringe continues to follow him.

Sara plays another recent clip of the Texas Democrat arguing against a border wall in Texas.

“We can make sure that our government is not spending billions of our tax dollars on a useless border wall through Big Bend, one of the most sacred parts of the state of Texas,” he declared.

“Just let them in. Come on. They’re just newcomers. They’re just here in search of a better life. Let’s just let them in,” Sara mocks. “Oh, wait, we tried that, and it was a disaster.”

To hear more, watch the episode above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​James talarico, Mika brzezinski, Joe scarborough, Ken paxton, Texas, Sara gonzales unfiltered 

Yard signs for democratic socialist Francesca Hong have appeared across rural Wisconsin in recent months. Hong, a single mother and small-business restaurateur, has paired an appealing biography with a platform well to the left of the state’s political center. She has called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and establishing universal health care. Now she leads the Democrat field for governor.

Hong’s rise has also thrown Wisconsin Democrats into a panic. Party leaders must either accommodate a socialist insurgency or risk alienating the working-class voters they need in November. The result is a fractured coalition that could puncture Democrat hopes for a national blue wave.

Wisconsin’s primary may reveal the limit of the coming blue wave: Democrats cannot sweep the country while their own coalition is pulling itself apart.

Republicans avoided that problem. By late January, they had consolidated around Rep. Tom Tiffany, a former dam tender from Northwestern Wisconsin, and began pooling their resources for the general election. Democrats instead produced a seven-candidate field that included two lieutenant governors, the Milwaukee County executive, a businessman, a lawyer, a CEO, and a chef backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company, briefly joined the race after his bar promised free beer on the day President Trump died. His campaign lasted only weeks before election officials disqualified him for failing to collect enough valid signatures.

The Democrat primary soon became a full-blown soap opera. For months, party insiders treated Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez as the preferred candidate of major donors. Rodriguez, who has worked in health care, built her campaign around her biography as a nurse, wife, mother, and experienced public official.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes also entered the race. He left Gov. Tony Evers’ administration in 2022 to challenge Republican Sen. Ron Johnson. Barnes spent $56 million, lost the election, and earned the lasting resentment of major Democrat donors.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley began building momentum until his administration allowed the county employees’ health insurance contract to lapse. Thousands of workers temporarily lost coverage, and the debacle triggered firings, resignations, and questions about Crowley’s competence.

Crowley dropped out and endorsed Rodriguez. Then Rodriguez’s campaign disclosed nearly $600,000 in campaign-finance reporting errors and suspended its bid. Crowley promptly re-entered the race with Evers’ endorsement. Wisconsin Democrats had managed to replace one damaged establishment candidate with another.

While the establishment candidates stumbled, Hong surged. She has led surveys of likely primary voters and attracted the largest number of individual contributors in the race: 14,000 donors making more than 22,000 contributions. Her average donation is just under $50, evidence of genuine grassroots enthusiasm rather than dependence on a handful of wealthy patrons.

Hong signs and campaign literature now appear from Wisconsin’s rural towns to its deepest-blue cities. During a livestream with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, she expressed support for abolishing prisons, defunding police, and eliminating the U.S. Senate. These are not marginal disagreements over tax rates or spending priorities. Hong represents a direct challenge to the party’s remaining moderates.

RELATED: The revolution will not be televised — it will be livestreamed in 4K

Jason Alpert-Wisnia/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

Wisconsin may seem like unlikely terrain for a far-left socialist breakthrough. Milwaukee elected three prominent socialist mayors between 1910 and 1960, but the state has spent the past six decades as a fiercely contested political battleground. A movement built around New York City-style democratic socialism should struggle in a state decided by working-class voters outside Madison and Milwaukee.

Yet neighboring states offer warnings. Minnesota has Omar Fateh, and Michigan has Denzel McCampbell. The Midwest may be less resistant to the socialist left than party leaders and Republican strategists assume.

Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary exposes a widening fracture between traditional Democrats and radical socialists. Since Trump returned to office in 2025, the media has promoted a supposed conservative civil war, feeding podcast feuds and trying to cast Marco Rubio and JD Vance as rivals. Those largely manufactured disputes look minor beside the Democratic Party’s genuine struggle for control.

Many major donors hesitate to fund DSA candidates whose platforms repel independents. At the same time, young activists have built increasingly powerful grassroots organizations around socialist candidates. DSA membership is rising rapidly while Democratic Party membership remains comparatively flat. The party’s money and its energy are moving in opposite directions.

RELATED: ‘Need a cop? Thank socialism’ is dumb — but dangerously effective

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

That conflict could destroy Democrat hopes for a blue wave before November arrives. Party leaders want likeable, moderate-sounding candidates who can win swing voters. Their activist base wants candidates who would abolish immigration enforcement, defund police, eliminate prisons, and dismantle constitutional institutions. Wisconsin Democrats cannot satisfy both constituencies indefinitely.

The problem extends beyond Wisconsin. The collapse of candidates such as Graham Platner in Maine points to a broader struggle over the Democratic Party’s identity and direction.

Democrat leaders may believe voter anger at Trump will carry them through the midterms. But anger alone cannot hold together a coalition fighting over whether reform or revolution should define the party.

Wisconsin’s primary may reveal the limit of the coming blue wave: Democrats cannot sweep the country while their own coalition is pulling itself apart.

​2026 midterms, Blue wave, Civil war, Democratic socialists of america, Democrats, Francesca hong, Graham platner, Hasan piker, Immigration and customs enforcement, Opinion & analysis, Universal health care, Working class voters 

The Powerball lottery is officially expanding into new territory this week.

For the first time in history, a winner of the gigantic Powerball pot could be from outside the United States.

‘More excitement and even greater impact.’

Odds and sods

Powerball announced earlier this month that it will welcome non-U.S. lottery contributions to its jackpot — something it has never done before — and has joined forces with a lottery organization in the United Kingdom.

Tickets for Wednesday’s draw are being sold both in the U.S. and the U.K., meaning the Powerball jackpot could have a winner from across the pond.

As it stands, overall odds for winning a prize are one in 24.9, while odds at winning the jackpot are a whopping one in 292.2 million.

Widening its consumer base will not alter the game’s $2 ticket price, the Multi-State Lottery Association said, nor will the jackpot odds decrease. The MUSL is partnering with Allwyn U.K., the national lottery operators in its jurisdiction.

RELATED: $167 million Powerball winner arrested for 4th time since winning lottery after allegedly stealing cash during burglary

ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

‘Dream bigger’

The addition of the U.K. customer base will not change the time of Powerball drawings either, which will still take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. from the Powerball draw studio in Florida.

The gaming commissions praised their new partnership as a “thrilling milestone” that means the sum of the jackpots will grow bigger and faster.

This brings “more excitement and even greater impact for the communities we serve,” said Rebecca Paul, CEO of the Tennessee Lottery and former president of the World Lottery Association.

Allwyn CEO Andria Vidler said her organization was excited to give U.K. players “the chance to dream bigger, while supporting thousands of Good Cause projects across the U.K. every week.”

Some of the listed projects from the U.K. lottery have included reopening a cinema and providing animals for trips to senior living homes.

RELATED: Ivy League techies invent AI scam callers — but don’t worry, it’s only for ‘research’

Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images

Charity at home

At the same time, however, Paul added that the expansion into the United Kingdom does not change where the money goes for American players, and “every Powerball ticket sold in the U.S. will continue to support programs and services right here at home.”

Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and now the United Kingdom. This includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

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​Lottery, Powerball, United kingdom, Lifestyle 

It has apparently never been easier to order an abortion online.

The American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs released findings from its undercover investigation in which Dr. Christina Francis posed as a 13-year-old pregnant girl with health complications and successfully ordered abortion pills online earlier this year.

‘It was like an Amazon shopping experience. You just pick which pill pack you want, put it in your cart, and check out.’

Investigation footage in a video dated Wednesday shows the drugs arriving by mail in pro-life Indiana without doctor or pharmacist contact information. The return address traced back to a nondescript California building.

“As a medical professional, if I see a 13-year-old in my office who’s pregnant, the first thing I have to suspect is that she has been abused, because that’s very common in young girls who show up pregnant,” AAPLOG CEO Dr. Francis told Blaze News. “We’re mandatory reporters of sexual abuse involving minors. But on this website, they didn’t even bat an eyelash at the fact that I was supposedly 13 years old.”

According to video evidence, Francis ordered the pills via Aid Access, an Austrian nonprofit organization shipping abortion pills to all 50 states. The OB-GYN found the seller via Plan C, another nonprofit that directs women and girls to online abortion pill providers.

Plan C envisions “a near future in which the ability to end an early pregnancy is directly in the hands of anyone who seeks it,” and aims to achieve this “by normalizing the self-directed option of abortion pills by mail.”

RELATED: The pro-life movement won Roe — so why is it losing the war?

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Nearly 27% of U.S. abortions in 2025 were obtained from telehealth services, according to Plan C.

“This should not be called telehealth, because that’s not what’s occurring,” Francis told Blaze News. “It is truly medical malpractice that this is happening, and girls and women in vulnerable situations should not be receiving substandard care simply because they’re thinking about having an abortion.”

In the video, Francis input outlandish information on the Aid Access online form to test the organization’s screening process. In addition to listing her age as 13, the OB-GYN also claimed to be “on blood thinners, with an intrauterine device in place, and a history of three prior cesarean sections and ectopic pregnancy,” the AAPLOG investigative report said. These are standard contraindications, or circumstances where a medication may harm the patient, that doctors screen for when considering prescribing mifepristone and its companion drug misoprostol.

“If I’m really a 13-year-old girl with these health conditions sitting with a physician, the physician would say, ‘I’m not giving you these drugs. It’s too dangerous,’” Francis told Blaze News. “They had a back button built into the system so if you gave an answer that seemed like it was going to be a problem, it showed you very clearly to just go back and change your answer and keep proceeding.”

“My answers were so ridiculous that anybody — even a nonmedical person — would say, ‘How could a 13-year-old have three previous C-sections?’ But it obviously wasn’t reviewed by anybody,” Francis said. “It was like an Amazon shopping experience. You just pick which pill pack you want, put it in your cart, and check out.”

Plan C, Aid Access, and the Food and Drug Administration did not respond to requests for comment from Blaze News.

A fully automated prescription process remains illegal under federal law.

“As soon as I hit submit, literally a minute and a half later, I had an email in my inbox with a payment link confirming my mailing address,” Francis claimed. “So obviously, no human being could have been reviewing it. It was an automatically generated email.”

Aid Access founder Dr. Rebecca Gomperts also supports advance provision, prescribing abortion pills to non-pregnant patients for later use.

“You don’t have to wait until somebody’s pregnant. That way, the laws don’t apply any more,” she told Politico in 2023. Although Aid Access ships abortion pills across the U.S., Gomperts is a Dutch national based in Amsterdam.

Advance provision is easily abused by criminals and violent partners, according to AAPLOG.

“Men who want to serially abuse women can stockpile this. Human traffickers can stockpile this so they can keep their victims from being pregnant, because pregnant women don’t tend to produce money for them,” Francis told Blaze News. “We know that many trafficking victims report multiple forced abortions during the time they were trafficked. And now we’ve just taken that opportunity away from her to potentially be saved out of that situation by interacting with a medical professional.”

An in-person consultation was initially required to prescribe the abortion pill mifepristone. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, legal challenges succeeded in having the in-person consultation requirement temporarily waived.

Former President Joe Biden’s FDA permanently removed the requirement in 2023. The Trump administration has yet to overturn this rule.

“The easiest thing the Trump administration could do today is undo what the Biden administration did and go back to how it was under the first Trump administration, where the in-person dispensing requirement was still in place,” Francis said. “They could reinstate that immediately. The DOJ could decide to enforce the Comstock Act, which says it’s illegal to ship abortion-inducing drugs across state lines.”

“President Trump is the most pro-life president in history, and his track record speaks for itself,” the DOJ told Blaze News. “The Department of Justice represents FDA in these matters, and FDA is continuing to review the safety data for mifepristone.”

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​Donald trump, Joe biden, Mifepristone, Abortion, Politics 

Anarchism and tyranny have been around since time immemorial, but it wasn’t until the early 1990s that the term “anarcho-tyranny,” denoting a synthesis of these two opposites, entered the popular lexicon, courtesy of the late ultraconservative Sam Francis.

Francis, among the many men vilified by the Southern Poverty Law Center, observed in the United States and elsewhere:

both anarchy (the failure of the state to enforce the laws) and, at the same time, tyranny — the enforcement of laws by the state for oppressive purposes; the criminalization of the law-abiding and innocent through exorbitant taxation, bureaucratic regulation, the invasion of privacy, and the engineering of social institutions, such as the family and local schools; the imposition of thought control through “sensitivity training” and multiculturalist curricula, “hate crime” laws, gun-control laws that punish or disarm otherwise law-abiding citizens but have no impact on violent criminals who get guns illegally, and a vast labyrinth of other measures.

‘Choose your words carefully, or you’ll end up in jail.’

The Biden administration’s approach to the crisis at the southern border in recent years and various blue states’ approaches to crime now certainly illustrate the concept Francis discussed at length.

There is, however, no better example today of an anarcho-tyrannical state than the United Kingdom. It is a nation that has seen, in recent months and years:

a dying white teen handcuffed and arrested at the feet of the Sikh who fatally stabbed him in an unprovoked attack, then falsely accused him of racism — even though the murderer himself was never handcuffed;a 20-year-old white man attacked and arrested by police immediately after an apparently unprovoked assault by multiple black aggressors;a Jewish Londoner threatened with arrest for attempting to cross a road down which pro-Hamas protesters were marching in support of Palestine;a Briton arrested for criticizing Palestinian flags flying in his neighborhood;multiple Christians charged, and in at least one case convicted, for praying silently in the neighborhood of an abortion clinic;judges ignoring the law requiring a minimum prison sentence for repeat offenders caught with knives in four out of every 10 cases;a forceful crackdown on protesters who took to the streets of Northern Ireland after a Sudanese asylum-seeker suspect attempted to carve off a Briton’s head;Northern Irish authorities apparently treat Black Lives Matter protesters with kid gloves, going so far as to refund the minor fines handed out to a handful of agitators, but cracked down on an Irish Lives Matter protest, where they made numerous arrests;police detain a man who attempted to move climate alarmists out of the road, where they were apparently illegally blocking traffic;the systematic rape of thousands of white girls go largely ignored by the relevant authorities over fears that properly policing the Muslim Pakistani community might be read as racist;law enforcement repeatedly treating anti-jihadist activist Tommy Robinson as a potential terrorist;authorities permit a Pakistani child rapist to remain in the U.K. because he feared repercussions back home;authorities refuse to deport a Ugandan mobster who clubbed a man to death in the back of an ambulance because his third-world homeland supposedly lacked sufficient mental health facilities;the prompt conviction and imprisonment of a man who posted stickers that read, “It’s OK to be white,” “Natives losing jobs; migrants pouring in,” and “Labour loves Muslim rape gangs”; andfemale police officers jogging around in plain clothes in hopes of eliciting catcalls and catching catcallers.

Every week comes with more evidence of anarcho-tyranny in the isles.

Neil O’Brien, a Conservative member of the U.K. Parliament, noted just last week that Essex Police have been logging two “Non-Crime Hate Incidents” every day over the past three years but have solved only 6% of burglaries and 3% of rapes.

RELATED: International pro-life leader assassinated at home

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

“Our politics are upside down,” said O’Brien. “We pamper those who do the wrong thing, while we punish those who try to do the right thing. It’s anarcho-tyranny. Don’t like it? Well, choose your words carefully, or you’ll end up in jail.”

Samuel Francis wrote that it is a big mistake for conservatives to think of anarcho-tyranny — a term that bothers some liberals — as a “deformation of the traditional system of government” or a sign of decadence. It is, instead, a choice.

Francis noted, for example, that “the state today is perfectly capable of enforcing laws against illegal immigration and catching and deporting the illegals who are already here.”

“It is also entirely capable of catching and imprisoning or executing the killers, rapists, and robbers who continue to haunt our streets and neighborhoods, just as it is entirely capable of catching speeders and red-light runners,” added Francis.

Francis said in conclusion, “Only if the serfs are willing and able to assume the tasks and duties of governing themselves rather than merely to endure whatever their masters hand down to them will the twin anarchy and tyranny that the current system imposes begin to crumble. ‘Who would be free,’ wrote Lord Byron, ‘himself must strike the blow.'”

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​United kingdom, Anarcho tyranny, Henry nowak, Vickrum digwa, Politics 

Bluetooth seems harmless enough. It connects your phone to your car stereo to play music or pairs your fitness tracker with your phone to relay data. But did you know Bluetooth hides a hidden danger that could expose your location? Even worse, private companies and law enforcement can use this exploit to monitor your activity without giving notice or obtaining a warrant.

Your phone tattles on you in public (even if you don’t know it)

By its own admission, a marketing technology company called Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions revealed that it can use Bluetooth and WiFi to “identify people of interest by the signals emitted from their electronic devices they travel with” through a service called SignalTrace.

Its immense power can easily be abused to follow practically anyone.

All electronic devices emit signals that exchange data and information. Cellular data connects to local cellphone towers in the area. WiFi connects to the nearest router in a building. Bluetooth talks to other devices within the vicinity, just in case it needs to send or receive a message, a photo, or a song.

These technologies are especially precise these days. For instance, Bluetooth 6.0, the latest version of this protocol, features proximity-level location tracking that can pinpoint the position of a target device down to 10cm. At the same time, WiFi 7 includes indoor device positioning that can help identify the placement of a device inside buildings. Together, they offer powerful location-tracking capabilities that reveal where a device exists in real time.

From a marketing perspective, this kind of technology is used in combination with Bluetooth Low Energy beacons for proximity marketing campaigns. BLE beacons are tiny devices that can be placed on store shelves beside certain products. When you walk beside the product, the beacon notices your phone and sends a notification or discount code for that item directly to your device via Bluetooth. It’s a clever marketing tool, and while it’s a bit creepy, it’s virtually harmless.

However, groups like Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions can also gather this data and hand it over to law enforcement to create digital profiles of people of interest. Targets can include anyone from suspected criminals to the average citizen who’s simply trying to mind his or her own business.

Which devices are trackable with SignalTrace?

If you’re wondering which electronic devices are most likely to reveal your location, the sad truth is that it’s most of them.

RELATED: The latest iPhone security threat has a nasty fix

Moor Studio/Getty Images

Virtually any gadget with a WiFi and/or Bluetooth connection can be tracked. Here’s just a quick list of the types of devices that may reveal your public whereabouts:

Smartphones (including iPhones and Android devices)Smartwatches (Apple Watch, Pixel Watch, Galaxy Watch, etc.)Fitness trackers (Fitbit, Garmin, Whoop, etc.)Smart rings (Oura Ring, Galaxy Ring, etc.)Wireless earbuds/headphones (AirPods, Galaxy Buds, etc.)Smart wallets (some models include location tracking technology to help users find a lost wallet)Tracking tags (AirTag, Galaxy SmartTag, Tile, etc.)Other devices (laptops, tablets, e-readers, etc.)

Is SignalTrace legal?

The question on everyone’s minds is whether or not this type of tracking is legal. The answer, unfortunately, is yes.

Private companies and law enforcement are able to skirt legal hurdles and warrants due to the fact that Bluetooth and WiFi signals coming off of electronic devices are all publicly visible. SignalTrace is merely capturing this information and drawing correlations between the data. For instance, it can see when a device is in motion, where it’s located, if a group of devices regularly travel together (like in a convoy), and it can even monitor devices inside buildings and other locations. All of this data is openly available and fair game for collection.

For what it’s worth, Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions claims to respect users’ privacy rights by not decrypting any information it receives from targeted devices, not that that will matter all that much if law enforcement simply wants to pin your location to the scene of a crime.

How to protect yourself from signal spies

With SignalTrace in place, effectively every gadget you own can be a tracking device. Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions only intends to work with law enforcement to target and track criminals, but its immense power can easily be abused to follow practically anyone.

The only way to thwart tracking attempts through WiFi and Bluetooth is to nullify your devices’ electronic signals. This means you would need to put your devices into Airplane mode with all connection features turned off, lock them in a Faraday cage that manually blocks electronic fields, or simply leave your devices at home when out in public.

Otherwise, you can assume that your phone, watch, ring, or any other gadget on your body is broadcasting your location to anyone who wants to see it at all times.

​Bluetooth, Security, Data, Privacy, Tech 

Until late 2025, the Republican Party appeared likely to carry the MAGA coalition more or less intact into the 2028 presidential election. No successor can reproduce Trump’s personality or political style. But the coalition he assembled — working-class voters, growing numbers of Latinos and other former Democrats, and disaffected liberals such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard — seemed durable.

JD Vance also appeared ready to clear the field. Marco Rubio, the only other plausible heir with national support, said just a few months ago that he would back Vance in 2028 if the vice president ran. The nomination looked less like a contest than a succession plan.

Much of the base may share Vance’s instincts, but the right is far from unanimous. His victory in an open contest cannot be assumed.

When I wrote my book, “JD Vance and the Future of the Republican Party,” the first sustained examination of Vance’s political thought and his place in the post-Trump GOP, that outcome seemed nearly certain. Vance would declare around the 2026 midterms. Rubio would endorse him. A few marginal candidates might enter, but none would reach double digits.

That scenario remains possible. It is no longer inevitable.

Two related developments have changed the equation: the fight over the U.S.-Israel relationship on the right and the war in Iran.

The first does not implicate Vance directly, but it has fractured the political world he must lead. Far-right podcasters and pundits have fixated on Israel and Jews for years. The dispute moved from the fringes toward the center when Tucker Carlson interviewed Nick Fuentes on his podcast in October 2025, one month after Charlie Kirk — one of the right’s most effective coalition builders and gatekeepers — was assassinated. Influential voices soon moved beyond debating the wisdom and limits of the U.S.-Israel alliance to entertaining conspiratorial claims that Jews themselves threatened America.

The conservative movement has never been intellectually uniform. Libertarians, social conservatives, anti-communist liberals, nationalists, and other factions have long competed under the Republican tent. But the past nine months have produced something more corrosive. Positions on Israel, American Jews, and even individual media personalities have become loyalty tests. Conservatives increasingly sort themselves into camps and excommunicate dissenters.

Every presidential nominee must unite competing factions. Vance faces an unusual version of that task because he entered politics through the world of conservative intellectuals, think tanks, and media. He has friends and allies across rival camps. Preserving those relationships without appearing captive to any of them may become one of his hardest political tests.

RELATED: JD Vance reveals opinion on Epstein files, explains ‘demon’ alien theory, slams ‘full of s**t’ Gavin Newsom with Joe Rogan

Nathan Howard/POOL/AFP/Getty Images

The war in Iran has made that test harder. Trump’s coalition has always included incompatible foreign-policy factions: George W. Bush-era interventionists, advocates of a restrained and more hemispheric strategy, and hard-line isolationists. The alliance held as long as the administration avoided wars that lacked a clear connection to the American interest.

Iran forced the disagreement into the open. Will the Republican Party continue military campaigns in the Middle East, or will it reserve force for direct threats to the United States? Republicans answer that question very differently, and the war has split the party. Any 2028 nominee will have to navigate the divide.

Vance is no isolationist, but his instincts favor restraint. He is also more willing than many senior Republicans to question the scope of U.S. commitments to Israel. Those positions may appeal to much of the base while alarming interventionists, pro-Israel conservatives, and establishment donors.

Can Vance maintain relationships with controversial figures such as Carlson, reconsider American commitments in the Middle East, and still hold the Republican coalition together? A competitive 2028 primary would force those questions into the open. Much of the base may share Vance’s instincts, but the right is far from unanimous. His victory in an open contest cannot be assumed.

Rubio remains the likeliest challenger. He has said he will not oppose Vance if the vice president runs, but supporters continue to promote the popular secretary of state as a candidate. Rubio’s greater acceptability to establishment Republicans and his more interventionist foreign policy would turn the primary into a direct contest over the party’s future. He could expose every fault line Vance must bridge.

One factor may matter more than all the others: Trump’s endorsement.

RELATED: The GOP’s 2028 ticket math is already brutal

Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Images

After the Iran war, Vance is less likely to coast through a genuinely open primary, especially if Rubio changes his mind. But Republicans may never receive an open primary. Trump still commands the party he reshaped, relishes the role of kingmaker, and will want to choose his successor.

An unequivocal Trump endorsement of Vance could end the contest before it begins. Other candidates could run, but they would struggle against a Trump-Vance succession. If Trump chooses Vance, the vice president may become the 2028 nominee by anointing rather than competition.

Trump has spoken more than once about the race to succeed him. Once he speaks definitively, the question may no longer be whether Vance can win the Republican primary. It may be whether the party is willing to hold one.

If Trump names Vance, he will likely become the future of the Republican Party. Trump will decide whether the party gets a primary or an anointing.

​Donald trump, Jd vance, Joe rogan, Marco rubio, Middle east, Nick fuentes, Presidential election, Republican party, Tucker carlson, Opinion & analysis 

A 19-year-old Texas man was sentenced to decades in prison for his part in a horrific “nihilist” online child sex extortion cult, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

The online networks labeled as “nihilistic violent extremist” groups by the Justice Department seek to push society toward collapse and chaos by corrupting and exploiting vulnerable groups online, including young children.

‘These groups ultimately seek nothing less than the destruction of our society.’

Alexis Aldair Chavez targeted victims under the online names Zack and Zack8884 as part of the 8884 network, which is related to the better-known 764 online cult.

In 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator tried to make a minor female kill herself by overdosing on pills. They intended to record the suicide and then use the media to increase their status within the 8884 group.

Later, Chavez and the minor victim compelled another female to “strip naked on camera, cut herself, and engage in sexual acts.”

Another victim was extorted into cutting the word “Zack” into herself.

Around Dec. 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator coerced a female victim to torture and kill a cat on a video call and also to cut her own tongue.

Another victim was made to light her arm on fire on a recorded video chat in the 8884 channel and let it burn through the skin into her flesh.

Another female victim was made to drink her own urine and attempt to overdose on pills.

In Jan. 2024, Chavez coerced a minor female to commit “sexually obscene activities and other egregious acts.”

He was arrested in Oct. 2024 and pleaded guilty in Dec. 2025 to one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of racketeering.

In July, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison, restitution of $10,000, and lifetime supervised release.

The Justice Dept. says it will continue to pursue the NVE groups and stop them from coercing victims into acts of “self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.”

RELATED: ‘Pure evil’: Feds charge alleged leader of ‘unthinkably depraved,’ violent group involved in child sextortion

“Chavez’s crimes reveal the ruthless exploitation and manipulation at the core of NVE groups,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in the press release.

“These organizations target children as part of their broader mission to spread terror,” he added. “These groups ultimately seek nothing less than the destruction of our society. NSD will use every resource at its disposal to identify and prosecute 764-linked criminality and to protect the most innocent among us from these predators.”

Experts warn parents to monitor their children’s online activity and limit or completely restrict their access to online apps and websites.

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​Department of justice, Sexual exploitation, Suicide, Crime, Nihilistic violent extremist 

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan’s testimony at a July Senate hearing raised troubling questions about accountability in judicial education.

Kagan acknowledged that she wrote the foreword to the Federal Judicial Center’s “Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence” without reading its climate-change chapter — a chapter later removed after critics identified serious bias concerns. She also admitted that she still had not read it.

Kagan’s admission offers a cautionary example. Rank does not excuse a failure of diligence.

Her foreword presents the manual as an objective resource for judges handling cases involving complex scientific evidence, from epidemiology to emerging technologies. Yet Kagan placed her authority behind a volume whose most contentious material she had not taken the time to examine.

That failure weakens the manual’s credibility and raises a broader question: How carefully are judges scrutinizing the scientific authorities placed before them?

The fourth edition of the influential manual, used by thousands of federal judges, drew immediate objections. The Federal Judicial Center withdrew the climate chapter in February after state attorneys general cited imbalances and potential conflicts of interest.

The problems did not end there.

A separate chapter on the nature of science remains in the manual despite presenting a distorted account of scientific inquiry. Kagan’s foreword also remains, still attesting to the volume’s reliability and impartiality.

Earlier editions offered a clearer standard. Physicist David Goodstein emphasized empirical testing, falsifiable predictions, reliable data, and other central principles of scientific reasoning.

The new chapter moves in a different direction. It elevates social considerations and consensus among experts while giving less attention to the rigorous testing that separates science from assertion.

Scientific collaboration matters. Consensus can also provide useful evidence. But “widespread agreement” cannot substitute for disciplined scrutiny, especially in court.

The Supreme Court’s Daubert standard requires judges to assess whether expert testimony rests on testable methods, peer review, known error rates, and general acceptance — all tethered to observable reality.

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman stated the principle plainly: “If it disagrees with experiment, it is wrong.”

History offers repeated warnings about confusing consensus with truth.

RELATED: Out of order: Courts shouldn’t rule based on ‘trust us’ science

Nadzeya Haroshka

Dominant scientific views have often yielded to better evidence. In darker cases, governments have enforced consensus through political power. Under Joseph Stalin, Soviet biologist Trofim Lysenko rejected genetic science in favor of politically favored theories of inheritance. The state elevated his ideas into doctrine, silenced dissenting scientists, and inflicted lasting damage on Soviet agriculture.

The lesson is not that expert agreement has no value. It is that agreement must remain answerable to evidence.

That principle matters especially in courtrooms, where scientific claims can determine enormous legal and economic consequences.

The revised chapter also raises questions about authorship. Several contributors have ties to climate-policy negotiations, including work involving international financial mechanisms. Those backgrounds do not automatically disqualify them. But in an era of sprawling climate litigation, involving more than 1,000 active cases and potential liabilities reaching into the trillions of dollars, such ties create at least the appearance of imbalance.

Prominent scientists, including widely published physicists, have urged Chief Justice John Roberts and the Federal Judicial Center to revisit the chapter. They argue that the manual should restore clear explanations of hypothesis testing and empirical verification rather than rely on sociological descriptions of how scientific communities operate.

Courts increasingly adjudicate scientific disputes with consequences affecting millions, and sometimes billions, of people. The reference materials judges rely on must therefore withstand the strictest tests of objectivity.

Kagan’s admission offers a cautionary example. Rank does not excuse a failure of diligence. Judicial integrity depends on personal responsibility, especially when a justice lends her name and authority to a supposedly impartial guide.

RELATED: Justice Amy Coney Barrett describes SWATTING attack against her family

Eric Lee/Getty Images

The Federal Judicial Center can still repair the damage. It should restore the manual’s emphasis on empirical verification, seek broader input from experts without policy entanglements, and reaffirm the manual’s limited role as a procedural guide rather than an arbiter of scientific truth.

Judges should also treat such manuals as starting points, not substitutes for primary research, adversarial testing, and careful examination of the evidence before them.

Kagan endorsed a manual without reviewing one of its most disputed sections. That lapse compromised the diligence her foreword implicitly promised.

The Federal Judicial Center should now restore the manual’s credibility by recommitting it to empirical evidence, falsifiability, and genuine viewpoint diversity. The integrity of judicial decision-making demands nothing less.

​Supreme court, Elena kagan, Trust the science, Scientific method, Richard goodstein, Joseph stalin, John roberts, Opinion & analysis 

Following the sudden passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) has officially appointed Graham’s younger sister, Darline Graham, to finish out the remainder of his term in Washington.

The decision is backed by an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

“I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social.

However, BlazeTV host Pat Gray isn’t sure that a U.S. Senate seat is something to be passed down as a “tribute.”

“I don’t want a fabulous tribute to Lindsey Graham. It should be somebody who would make a great senator. If she’s the one, that’s fine,” he says. “But is she the one?”

“Conservative, smart, capable. That’s what you want. … It wasn’t Lindsey’s seat to own and then hand off to a family member,” he adds.

“Well, it kind of was,” Jeff Fisher argues.

“That’s the way those Senate seats have been. That’s why John Cornyn was so shocked that he got booted,” Fisher continues.

“That’s the way we treat it, but it’s not that way. It’s not that way. And we need to stop treating it as such,” Gray says.

And in a speech, Gov. McMaster announced the appointment of Darline to Graham’s seat.

“Today under the law, it’s my duty to and honor to name someone to serve in the place of this irresistible man — this irreplaceable man,” the governor said, correcting himself.

“Lindsey took care of his little sister in years long departed. It’s my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham, to finish his work for him now,” he added.

“So, I guess she’s got a duty to serve,” Gray comments, adding, “but he never said anything about her being the best candidate for that position.”

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Donald trump, John cornyn, Lindsey graham, Pat gray, South carolina, Us senate, Pat gray unleashed 

Energy drinks ‘should be avoided.’

Coffee talk

Its official statement claimed that recent randomized trials linked caffeine intake to lowered risk of several cardiovascular conditions, including heart failure. Caffeine is noted as being good for blood pressure, heart rhythm, lowering cholesterol, and preventing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

This, of course, means not adding sugars, flavors, or cream in these instances.

More precisely, the heart association said that caffeine consumption is associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation but a higher risk of premature ventricular contractions, another type of irregular heartbeat.

RELATED: Why your coffee addiction is a superpower

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Bean supremacy

The benefits do not extend to extreme caffeine intake seen in other drinks, the organization warned. This includes levels of caffeine in energy drinks or energy shots.

“Energy drink shots may contain 40-69 mg of caffeine per fluid ounce, 3-4 times more caffeine than regular caffeinated coffee,” the association wrote.

“Up to 5 cups of caffeinated coffee per day without added sugars or fillers, is safe and does not increase cardiovascular risk,” said Dr. Gregory M. Marcus, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.

However, Marcus echoed that the high doses of caffeine found in energy drinks may have harmful effects and “should be avoided.”

RELATED: The General Store

Harun Ãzalp/Anadolu/Getty Images

Pick-me-up

As Blaze News previously reported, coffee intake is linked to other health benefits as well.

A study tracking over 400,000 people found that two to three cups of coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of mental health disorders. This included lower rates of anxiety and depression.

However, that study claimed the benefits plateau around the fifth cup and then begin to reverse when going beyond.

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​Coffee, American heart association​, Energy drinks, Lifestyle 

The owner of an Italian restaurant refused to serve National Guard members because he said they were making his city less safe.

Miles Tamboli says he has gotten harassment and threats after telling four uniformed members of the Memphis Safe Task Force to leave his restaurant, Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza.

‘None of that makes us safer. It makes us less safe, and it does the most damage to the people who were already struggling.’

The backlash against Tamboli’s got a significant boost when the popular Libs of TikTok account posted about the owner’s political statement and called on followers to make their voices heard.

“Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza REFUSED to serve four members of the Tennessee National Guard. This is the owner, Miles Tamboli. Would be a shame if everyone in the area knew they kicked out US servicemembers!” Libs of TikTok wrote Wednesday.

That post garnered more than 2.9 million views on its own.

WMC-TV reported that state and federal law allows a business to refuse service to people based on their occupations.

“On Saturday night we declined to serve four uniformed members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, and I stand behind that decision completely,” Tamboli wrote in a statement to WMC. “I love this country and I love this city, and that is exactly why I made this call. I want Memphis to be safe.”

He went on to claim that crime had fallen in the city before the task force had arrived.

“Families in this city are now afraid to drive to work, afraid to take their kids to school, afraid to be seen,” he continued. “Our own schools reported that fear drove children to stop showing up to class. And this month a 20-year-old Memphian named Tyrin Johnson was shot and killed by National Guard troops during a foot chase, with no body camera footage and no answers for his family. None of that makes us safer. It makes us less safe, and it does the most damage to the people who were already struggling.”

RELATED: San Francisco restaurant refuses to serve uniformed police officers out of commitment to ‘social and racial justice’

He also claimed that “dozens” of other businesses pledged to oppose the National Guard operation.

One of those businesses, named Da Sammich Spot on Park Avenue, made national headlines when it refused to serve the troops in January.

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​Libs of tiktok, National guard, Tennessee, Boycott, Politics 

Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is getting obliterated for appearing to claim that the U.S. Senate was founded on racist Jim Crow laws.

The congresswoman was asked about the radical platform from the Democratic Socialists of America calling for the dissolution of the U.S. Senate as it was formulated by the founders. She did not back the policy but instead criticized the Senate.

‘The level of historical ignorance here is genuinely impressive.’

“We’ve all got our complaints. I don’t support the filibuster,” Ocasio-Cortez said outside of Congress. “I don’t support the elements of this institution that we know … were founded on, you know, Jim Crow.”

The Jim Crow laws were established after the end of Reconstruction in order to perpetuate the oppression of former slaves, but that was more than a hundred years after the founding of the Senate.

Ocasio-Cortez was excoriated by many pointing out the Senate could not chronologically have been founded in racist laws implemented in the late 19th century.

“This is what happens when you don’t teach basic U.S. history,” Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas replied.

“To the far left, ‘Jim Crow’ means ‘anything I don’t like.’ Even if it’s the U.S. Senate, which was created by the Constitution. And long predated Jim Crow,” Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah responded.

“She’s off by an entire century and a completely different era of American history,” entrepreneur Tony Seruga responded. “What makes this particularly revealing isn’t just the factual error — it’s the pattern. She operates from a mental model where every American institution must be retroactively explained through the lens of racial oppression, so she just confidently asserts it as fact without even a cursory fact-check.”

“The level of historical ignorance here is genuinely impressive,” replied Raven Harrison, a Republican congressional candidate from Florida.

Video of the comments from Ocasio-Cortez was posted to social media and widely circulated.

RELATED: VIDEO: Ocasio-Cortez tells New Yorkers to take on the South — then makes humiliating mistake

Others defended Ocasio-Cortez by explaining that she was referring to the filibuster and not the Senate when criticizing features from the Jim Crow era, though the term “filibustering” first appeared in congressional debates as early as 1853, decades before Jim Crow began.

The DSA was once considered a fringe group, but it has gained prominence after a string of victories for their candidates against establishment Democrats in numerous primary elections. Some Democrats are pushing back against the extremist policies of the DSA.

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​Democratic socialists of america, Alexandria ocasio cortez, Us senate, Jim crow, Politics 

Less than a week after joining the Senate to fill her brother’s seat, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham has decided she will run for a full term.

“I’ve made a decision,” Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) told Fox’s Sean Hannity in an interview posted to X on Monday. “I’m in.”

‘I feel like I can do it.’

Graham said she reached the decision after spending time in prayer and consulting with her family.

“I have been praying a lot, talking to my family. But with the love of my family, with the support of his staff, I know I’m a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey. He cared about the people of this state. I’ve worked for almost 30 years for the people of this state. I feel like I can do it,” she expressed.

President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Graham on Friday, urging her to enter the race.

“I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026,” Trump wrote.

“Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina,” he added.

RELATED: Glenn Beck warns: Lindsey Graham’s death exposes something very dark in America

Graham was sworn into the Senate Tuesday, a day after she was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term, which concludes in January.

Trump also weighed in on that decision, posting on Truth Social, “I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”

Lindsey Graham died on July 11 at age 71 of an aortic dissection, according to a preliminary finding from the medical examiner, after what the late senator’s office initially described as a “brief and sudden illness.”

The filing deadline for the special election is July 28, with several Republican candidates having already declared their candidacies, including Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, as well as businessman Mark Lynch.

The Republican nominee will go on to face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election.

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​South carolina, Darline graham, Lindsey graham, Henry mcmaster, Politics 

A new House bill will grant amnesty to illegal aliens — if they’ve picked enough fruit.

H.R. 9535, the “Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act,” was introduced at the end of last month by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. It has roughly 50 bipartisan co-sponsors and does two things under one name.

‘The sad fact is that American citizens just don’t want to do this type of work.’

On paper, the bill rewrites existing qualifications for the H-2A program, the legal channel for foreign farm workers. These changes include opening the program to year-round operations and streamlining the application process within the bureaucracy.

The proposal also drops the “seasonal” requirement, replacing it with an apparently indefinite number of contracts under 350 days. Thompson calls the 350-day cap a worker perk, a built-in “two-week vacation.”

But buried in the same bill is a waiver that seems to effectively grant amnesty to immigrants illegally present in the U.S. as of May 31, 2026, who can show they worked farm labor 5.75 hours a day, 180 days a year, for two years.

In a mid-July AgriTalk interview, Thompson said, “This is not a pathway to citizenship. This is really a solution to address a tremendous problem in terms of illegal workers that are here in our country.” His fix: They “stay in agriculture” and “after three years,” go home and reapply for H-2A status.

RELATED: Tim Walz’s no good, really bad day after Trump deports illegal alien child rapist

Matt McClain/Bloomberg/Getty Images

“The sad fact is that American citizens just don’t want to do this type of work. It pays well, but it’s hard work,” Thompson said.

His evidence: In 2025, producers advertised roughly 400,000 positions and drew 182 domestic applicants, drawing from an American Farm Bureau Federation analysis of H-2A data from the Department of Labor.

Proof of eligibility is an employer-written letter, on request. No pay stubs, tax records, or independent verification are specified in the bill. The record also can’t be used to prosecute the employer for the underlying unauthorized hiring, and the employer is shielded from liability for producing it unless it’s later proven fraudulent, with no audit process specified.

The same self-attestation model powered the 1986 “Special Agricultural Worker” amnesty, which required just 90 days of farm work. An estimated 400,000 workers were eligible; it drew nearly 1.3 million applications, with 750,000 of the 1.1 million eventually legalized workers likely never having done the qualifying work.

New York Times reporter Roberto Suro called it “one of the most extensive immigration frauds ever perpetrated against the United States Government” in a 1989 investigation.

Once someone qualifies under the proposed H-2A reforms, employers would be required to provide Department of Labor-inspected housing with wage deductions capped by a HUD-linked formula. The only built-in oversight would review housing, but not fraud.

The bill now sits in the House Judiciary Committee, where Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will decide its fate.

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Surveillance video captures the moment a man apparently sparked a large fire in front of a federal building in New York City on Monday.

The man attempted to flee on foot but was captured and arrested, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The department described him as a protester opposed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Photographs from the location also showed a cart with a sign reading, ‘ICE OFF OUR STREETS.’

A federal employee and a civilian were injured during the fracas, but the injuries were described as minor.

“This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza in New York. The individual is in custody,” wrote FBI Director Kash Patel on social media Monday. “FBI [Joint Terrorism Task Force] is investigating the incident.”

The man set off fireworks, spilled what appeared to be gasoline in front of the building, and lit it on fire, according to the DHS.

“An FPS Protective Security Officer swiftly tackled and detained the agitator, sustaining minor injuries during the incident,” said the DHS statement. “Officers quickly recovered the individual’s bag, which contained what appeared to be two pellet guns and a manifesto. EMS, FBI, and the NYPD are on the scene.”

Two law enforcement sources told Fox News that the suspect was identified as Andrew Arrabaca and that he possessed “anti-ICE stuff” during the attack.

Video of the smoke billowing up from the federal building and the police response was widely circulated on social media.

Getty photographs from the location also showed a cart with a sign reading, “ICE OFF OUR STREETS.”

RELATED: Democratic mayor installs ‘anti-ICE’ signs all over L.A. — Trump admin issues MOCKING response

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) released a statement condemning the attack.

“What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing,” he said on social media. “I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody. My team is in touch with the NYPD, and we will support the federal investigation. Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also issued a statement.

“Acts of terror and violence have no place in our city and will never be tolerated. The individual responsible for this must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Jeffries said in part.

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​Department of homeland security, Immigration and customs enforcement, New york city, Zohran mamdani, Politics