Category: blaze media

Last month, American rapper Afroman (real name Joseph Edgar Foreman) won a defamation lawsuit against Ohio sheriff’s deputies who raided his home in 2022. Acting on a tip about drugs and kidnapping, the deputies kicked down his door with guns drawn, ransacked the house, and seized some cash — all captured on his home security cameras.

No drugs or evidence was found, and no charges were filed. Afroman then turned the raid footage into viral parody videos, including the hit “Lemon Pound Cake,” which prompted the deputies to sue him for defamation. On March 18, an Ohio jury ruled in his favor on the grounds of free speech.

Now he joins Matt Kibbe, BlazeTV host of “Kibbe on Liberty” to discuss the raid, the lawsuit, and what the victory means for free speech in America.

Afroman, who’s currently on tour, says that the incident with the Ohio deputies has turned out to be “a blessing in disguise,” as people have been showing their support like never before.

“We got way more people than I usually have, and man, you can feel it. I’’s something new in the air. Man, I’m back like Tina Turner after ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It,’” he laughed.

But before the victory, life was feeling dark, he admits.

“You start questioning your manhood when people come to where your family live and they kick the place in. … It’s outrageous for people to come to your house and tear it up — especially when they got all their information wrong,” he tells Kibbe.

Even after the cops found nothing in Afroman’s home, the arrogance and ill will they carried into the raid lingered throughout the lawsuit, he recounted. “They were unapologetic and sarcastic and kind of delighting in the fact that they did vandalize my property.”

The trial, he says, was “set up in the police officers’ favor.”

“They dismissed my claims before I even went to court, so I was just in court to discuss how much money I was going to pay, you know, the vandals and thieves,” he recounts, adding that the warrant used to access his home had many “flaws,” but the court refused to address it.

However, Afroman nonetheless won the case. The jury ruled that his videos, which he says he made to help “pay for the damages” caused by the deputies, were protected under his free speech rights.

“Ultimately, in a nutshell, the police officers lost the case, and freedom of speech prevails in America,” he says triumphantly.

But freedom of speech wasn’t the end of Afroman’s victory. The lawsuit ended up drawing unprecedented attention to his album and music videos.

“[Those cops] did more for my social media in three days than I could do for myself in 15 years,” he says, noting that he gained “800,000 followers” in a matter of days because of the lawsuit.

But the biggest victory remains the protection of the First Amendment.

“Some countries, you can’t say nothing. You got to shut up. You can’t speak out against the government. … But one of the beautiful things about America is, you know, you can speak,” he says.

“So, thank God I have it, and it’s the one thing that brought me justice.”

To hear the full interview, watch the video above.

Want more from Matt Kibbe?

To enjoy more of Matt’s liberty-defending stance as he gets in the face of the fake news establishment, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Kibbe on liberty, Matt kibbe, Afroman, Blazetv, Blaze media, Free speech, First amendment, Lemon pound cake 

Public distrust of AI platforms has reached an all-time high, especially when it comes to users’ private data. Not only are people leery of the AI platforms themselves, but they’re also concerned over how the government can access and use this information. Until recently, AI development felt like the Wild West, with little regulation to get in the way of supposed innovation. That’s all about to change, however, with a brand-new federal bill based on the big national framework Trump rolled out in advance.

The study

In late March, cybersecurity software company Malwarebytes conducted a survey among its newsletter readers, asking them to share their thoughts on AI and user privacy. After collecting 1,200 responses, the results were clear: A staggering 90% of readers simply don’t trust AI with their data.

There are a lot of good things in the bill, but it falls short in other key areas.

One of the main distrust drivers stems from fears of “personal data being used inappropriately” by both corporations and the government. Recent large data breaches that put user credentials directly on the dark web, along with commercial surveillance campaigns, have further contributed to the problem.

To combat the distrust, users have turned to privacy tools, such as VPNs, ad blockers, and identity theft protection services. However, these only go so far when AI platforms can circumvent the usual digital defense mechanisms to learn more about your online presence than it was ever meant to know.

The only firm solution to assuage public distrust is to give the AI companies some legal guardrails to ensure that they don’t overstep the rights and security of the people, with the majority of respondents agreeing that they “support national laws regulating how companies can collect, store, share, or use our personal data.”

The bill

A new federal bill proposed by Senator Marsha Blackburn aims to bridge the gap between AI’s fast-paced development and shielding the public from emerging dangers brought on by these rapidly evolving platforms. Dubbed the Trump America AI Act, the bill will codify President Trump’s previously touted National AI Legislative Framework by focusing on two major goals: protection and empowerment of the following:

1. Protections for children

AI developers are required to “prevent and mitigate foreseeable harm to users” with an emphasis on protecting the data, mental health, and safety of minors. AI developers can also be held legally accountable for any damage done by a failure to comply.

Pro: AI providers would be immediately responsible for their chatbots encouraging and even coaching young and vulnerable people on how to take their own lives.Con: AI developers will need a way to verify the age of their users, potentially leading to the mass collection of user IDs, resulting in a digital database. Also, while the bill protects minors’ user data, adults are exempt, failing to solve the concerns expressed in Malwarebytes’ survey.

2. Protections for communities

U.S. companies across all industries, as well as federal agencies, must send quarterly reports to the Department of Labor that detail AI-related impacts on the workforce, including job layoffs and displacements. Data centers are also barred from siphoning energy resources from communities and driving up prices.

Pro: As AI-driven layoffs have already begun, this is a good first step to highlight how AI realistically affects the unemployment rate.Con: Although companies must report AI-related job losses, the bill doesn’t prevent the displacement of employees outright. Companies can still fire employees en masse in a way that would cripple the workforce, impact the economy, and drive the U.S. toward forced universal basic income.

RELATED: Elon Musk’s Terafab is coming, and you’re not ready

onurdongel/Getty Images

3. Protections for intellectual property

AI companies are prohibited from feeding their LLMs with copyrighted materials, including books, movies, music, and more. Under the bill, AI is excluded from fair use under the Copyright Act.

Pro: Content creators no longer have to worry about their creative catalogs being stolen, uploaded, copied, and remixed into new bodies of work when prompted by users on any given platform. They retain full ownership of their content without threat of subjugation.Con: A lack of copyrighted information could lead to gaps in AI platforms’ knowledge graphs, potentially slowing or even stifling development.

4. Protections for conservatives

AI companies are banned from injecting woke ideologies into their large language models, and AI chatbots are no longer allowed to express biases against conservative ideas and values, all of which will be verified through third-party audits.

Pro: Despite efforts to attract support on the right, many Big Tech giants are still dominated by left-wing elites. These safeguards will ensure that their personal and factional beliefs don’t poison the datasets behind their platforms, instead aiming to support truth and facts.Con: The bill isn’t specific enough in defining the woke ideas, political biases, and discrimination it aims to prevent. Unless the bill intends to leave a loophole for the left to exploit, these exact parameters need to be spelled out, lest they be left open to interpretation.

5. Protections for innovation

One of President Trump’s biggest AI goals is to secure America’s place as the global leader in AI technology. As such, this bill encourages partnerships between the government, businesses, and education to accelerate research and development with limited barriers to the infrastructure needed for rapid growth.

Pro: This piece of the bill ultimately centralizes the resources underpinning the United States’ AI development, including computing power, datasets, and advanced infrastructure. By combining the knowledge and experience of multiple groups across various expertise with the best technology available, our AI program will theoretically evolve even faster than it already has over the last several years.Con: Centralized AI development that happens too quickly could potentially lead to developmental mistakes with big consequences, such as launching untested models that underperform, building agents that aren’t fully capable of completing the jobs they’re designed to do, and even causing economic instability should an AI bot or agent run rogue within critical infrastructure, such as businesses, medical facilities, and even military applications.

History in the making

This is a unique time in history. Society has never witnessed a more disruptive technology than generative artificial intelligence, and it takes a lot of watching, waiting, debating, and legislating to get the regulations right for a piece of tech that will touch nearly every facet of modern life.

The Trump America AI Act is merely a launch pad — a starting point — that will guide America’s future of AI research, development, and execution for decades to come. There are a lot of good things in the bill, but it falls short in other key areas:

It doesn’t protect adult users’ privacy, especially in terms of user data and surveillance.It doesn’t protect human workers from mass layoffs and unemployment.It indirectly encourages a digital ID database for age verification with no clear guidelines on how IDs should be gathered, stored, or deleted.

That said, AI regulation has to start somewhere, and the Trump America AI Act is still in its infancy. There will be opportunities to amend the bill as it moves through the legislative process. For now, this version offers a solid foundation for governing the AI tech of tomorrow.

​Tech 

Some people flippantly dismiss psychics and mediums, believing their powers to be fake or that they have scientific explanations.

But Rick Burgess, BlazeTV host of the spiritual warfare podcast “Strange Encounters,” argues otherwise. Not only are these kinds of supernatural powers real, they’re “extremely dangerous.”

While he acknowledges the “charlatans” who just scam people for profit, Rick argues that a lot of psychics and mediums are indeed tapping into genuine power — just not the good kind.

“There are people who do have power,” but “this power is not of God,” he says.

“Tarot cards, crystal balls, palm readings … leaves from tea … this stuff is dangerous. This is witchcraft.”

To engage with any of these occult items or practices has one of two results, Rick warns: You’re either going to be “scammed,” or you’re going to have “very dangerous strange encounters” with demons.

To illustrate the latter, Rick reads from Acts 16, which documents Paul and Silas’ encounter with a slave girl who had a “spirit of divination” that gave her real (and lucrative) fortune-telling powers.

When the girl sees Paul and Silas, she immediately cries out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” She continues doing this until Paul becomes “greatly annoyed” and finally forces the demon into submission, stating, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!”

The girl’s owners were furious because when the demon departed, so did her powers and thus their income.

Rick uses this passage as proof that the powers of divination are not only real, they are sourced exclusively from the demonic.

When “somebody claims they have some kind of power, your best case scenario is that they’re just a scam artist,” he says. “That’s the best case because then you just wasted your time and you wasted your money. The worst case is they actually have power.”

“If they do, it is not of God, and you shouldn’t have anything to do with it,” he warns.

To hear more, watch the 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, Blazetv, Blaze media, Mediums, Psychics, Divination, Spiritual warfare, Acts 16, Rick burgess, Strange encounters with rick burgess 

For all the infighting over the current and future direction of the Trump coalition, one thing stands above all else as the biggest threat.

It’s not the podcasters and corporate media talking heads arguing over foreign policy. It’s not tax rates or farm policies. It’s not even the social issues that have been flash points on the right in recent decades. It is the issue of immigration, specifically deportation.

It’s shaping up to be a classic standoff between monied special interests and the liberal Republicans they sponsor versus everyday Americans.

Representatives Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) have started what hopefully will be a short but politically violent war by once again raising the specter of mass amnesty for illegal aliens via their Spanish-language-titled Dignidad Act.

There is nothing new under the sun, so much like every other failed Republican-led amnesty push, their chief sales pitch has been that the Dignidad Act is not amnesty, despite the plain language offering amnesty to more than ten million illegal aliens, by conservative estimates.

Salazar’s sales pitch, which you can see in full, occurred at the deep state’s consensus manufacturing plant, the Brookings Institute.

Rep. Salazar employed a rhetorical device of speaking to imaginary illegal alien friends and asking them if they would accept a new legal status of dignity that would allow them to remain in the United States and enjoy a litany of legal benefits.

To no one’s surprise, they would welcome this opportunity. Salazar also employed the classic trope of challenging the audience regarding who else would clean the toilets or pick the jalapenos, hopefully separate tasks.

While the bill enjoys 20 other Republican co-sponsors, Rep. Mike Lawler leads the pack in hawking this awful amnesty bill. In a heated interview with Laura Ingraham, Lawler attempted to make the case that the amnesty bill is not amnesty, because the status quo is.

While it is true that lack of enforcement of the current laws amounts to de facto amnesty, the solution is to actually enforce the law at scale with the money Congress gave President Trump to carry out his promise of mass deportation.

Lawler stepped on the logical rake with Ingraham when he tried to pump up his enforcement credentials by focusing on criminals and on the ludicrous suggestion that the Department of Homeland Security is able to vet the entirety of the illegal population for amnesty.

On the first point, he said that “if you have committed a crime, you should be removed from the country, period.” What that means in practical terms is that by his argument, only some 500,000 to 800,000, by estimates of the Trump administration, would be in that definitional category.

What he ignores is that illegal presence in the United States is itself a crime, along with the variety of other identity and immigration-related crimes that illegal aliens routinely commit.

As a legal matter, there is no such thing as his small category of “criminal illegal,” and even taking him at his intended policy point of focusing on successfully charged criminals, he is arguing that amnesty should be given to this category so long as an additional crime has not been committed.

This is what I like to call the “one-murder” policy, where liberals argue that illegal immigrants should be allowed to violate our immigration laws until the point at which they create an angel family by killing someone. That is a suicidal immigration policy.

RELATED: My friend survived the Global War on Terror. Leftist immigration policies got him killed.

Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

Lawler then goes on to argue that his amnesty wouldn’t apply to those who entered during the Biden administration. Ingraham challenges him on how the DHS would prove that, at a scale of over ten million, in addition to proving that illegal aliens have maintained continued presence in the United States during their period of being illegally present in the United States.

To put it mildly, he had no answer when pressed by Ingraham multiple times on how the DHS would go about that.

She pressed for a single consideration or qualification that an immigration official would use to determine continual presence. After a non-response, Lawler settled on “you have to be able to meet the qualifications.” Ingraham asked again, “What is the qualification?” Lawler said, “They are going to make the determination as they always have, based on the current structure and guidelines.”

If your head is spinning because of this, it’s okay because it didn’t make any sense. I’ll make it simple: Some Republicans, particularly those who see the big dollar signs of special interest donors who can fund a tight race, are willing to sell an unpopular policy through a left-coded emotional argument.

I would put Mike Lawler in that category. As for Maria Salazar, she is a true believer.

You don’t go on stage at Brookings, put a foreign-language name on a piece of legislation, and deploy emotional arguments centered around the well-being of illegal aliens unless you’re a true believer and, to an extent, acting as an ethnic lobbyist trying to advance the interests of a foreign group in the United States.

The good news is that the majority of the country still believes that people who are in the country illegally should be deported. Those numbers skyrocket for Trump voters and are a key plank of the playbook for the newly formed Mass Deportation Coalition, of which I am a part

The backlash on the Dignidad Act, Salazar, and Lawler has been swift and severe. It’s shaping up to be a classic standoff between monied special interests and the liberal Republicans they sponsor versus everyday Americans.

RELATED: This Supreme Court case could decide the future of American citizenship

Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images

Social media has been lit up with fury and ratios, and most elected Republicans have denounced the futile amnesty effort as a complete rejection of why Republicans are in power right now.

Rising star Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) perhaps put it best when he said that the bill was “mass amnesty” and “a terrible betrayal of our voters” and that he “wanted dignity for Americans — the people whose interests we represent.”

There remains one area of creeping concern: The White House hasn’t exactly made the administration’s position clear, aside from Vice President Vance, who has been continually vocal about opposing amnesty in any form.

Lawler and Salazar retain endorsements from President Trump, and recent confusion about the commitment to the mass deportation agenda can give rise to reasonable suspicion that this amnesty talk is allowed, if not tacitly approved.

Now is the time for continued clarity from those who decide Republican elections: Republican voters. They have made their voices heard with this recent flash point of mass amnesty. The path ahead means not just playing defense against amnesty demands but raising the bar for what is required on the mass deportation front.

These votes will need to see large increases in the deportation numbers, to at least 1 million in 2026, which would be an increase over last year of about three times. The numbers will ultimately tell the story above the politics.

Getting commas in the deportation numbers will maintain the coalition, and it may turn out that it is far more important for keeping power in Washington than it is to keep Lawler and Salazar inside the coalition, even as they seek to tear it apart.

​Dignity act, Dignidad act, Immigration, Illegal immigration, Trump, Ice, Dhs, Maria salazar, Republicans, Mike lawler, Opinion & analysis 

California’s deadly 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires in and around Los Angeles together torched over 37,000 acres, destroyed over 16,000 structures, damaged nearly 2,000 additional structures, and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents.

State and local leaders have since pledged to help property owners rebuild. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), for instance, said, “We’re committed to seeing this through and ensuring this community comes back stronger than before.”

‘Significant barriers remain.’

City and county officials even made noise about cutting red tape and costs to expedite the process. Unfortunately, it appears that the purportedly expedited process isn’t as swift as advertised.

For instance, of the 242 rebuild applications received from property owners affected by the Palisades fire northeast of Malibu, only 80 building permits had been issued as of April 9, according to the permitting progress dashboard for Los Angeles County. Construction is under way on 39 homes, and only one rebuild has reportedly been completed.

Of the 3,125 rebuild applications submitted by individuals affected by the Eaton fire in and around the Altadena area, 2,142 permits have been issued. Construction on rebuilds is under way on 1,138 homes, and 31 have been completed.

The dashboard suggested that the average time spent in county review was 32 business days.

Thousands of people in Los Angeles County haven’t even bothered to apply to rebuild what they lost.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said last week that while the county has received over 3,000 rebuild applications, that represents roughly only half of the total number of impacted households, reported the Pasadena Star-News.

RELATED: Ashes of Imagination

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

“The fact that only half of wildfire survivors have submitted applications makes clear that significant barriers remain, especially financial ones,” said Barger.

The Star-News noted that uncertainty over the future of litigation, high rebuild costs, and “underinsurance” are among the factors that have slowed recovery.

Barger credited the Trump administration, however, with helping out.

“I’ve appreciated the opportunity to meet with U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler over the course of these past few months to have solutions-oriented conversations focused on recovery,” said Barger. “Both administrators remain engaged and attentive to our local Eaton Fire recovery work. I remain thankful that President Trump has an interest in supporting wildfire recovery efforts, and I welcome opportunities to work collaboratively with his administration to deliver meaningful relief for our residents.”

While some Californians haven’t bothered applying to rebuild, many of those who have in nearby municipalities — like those in L.A. County — remain stuck waiting.

Mayor Karen Bass — the Democrat who slashed her city’s fire department budget months ahead of the fires in January 2025, then, breaking a pledge not to “travel internationally,” absconded to Africa, where she attended a cocktail party as her city burned — has issued multiple executive orders aimed at expediting the rebuilding process.

L.A. has received 4,276 rebuilding permit applications and issued 2,504 permits to date. Presently, 1,261 applications are in review.

The City of Pasadena has received 94 rebuild permit applications but issued 44 to date. Thirty are presently under review.

The City of Malibu’s rebuild dashboard says that 192 planning applications for single-family residence rebuilds have been approved and 57 are under review; 42 building permits have been issued and approved for construction; and zero certificates of occupancy have been issued.

Blaze News reached out for comment to the offices of Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, Malibu Mayor Bruce Silverstein, and L.A. Mayor Bass but did not receive responses.

H/T Washington Examiner’s Sarah Bedford.

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​Pallisade fire, Palisades fire, Los angeles, Fires, Rebuild, Restoration, California, Democrat, Karen bass, La county, Eaton fire, Politics 

It may sound hard to believe, but except for a very limited group of personnel, the military has treated its bases as gun-free zones. Until very recently, only designated security forces — such as military police — could carry firearms while on duty.

Commanders punished any other soldier caught carrying a weapon severely, with penalties ranging from rank reduction and forfeiture of pay to court-martial, dishonorable discharge, criminal conviction, and even imprisonment.

Penalties for carrying firearms do not deter attackers. Someone planning to murder fellow soldiers will not stop because of gun laws.

Consider the attacks at Holloman Air Force Base (2026), Fort Stewart (2025), Naval Air Station Pensacola (2019), the Chattanooga recruiting station (2015), both Fort Hood shootings (2014 and 2009), and Navy Yard (2013). Across these attacks, 24 people were murdered and 38 wounded. In each case, unarmed personnel — including JAG officers, Marines, and soldiers — had to hide while the attacker continued firing.

That changed with a statement from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Before today, it was virtually impossible — most people probably don’t know this — it was virtually impossible for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations. I mean, effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones unless you’re training or unless you are a military policeman.

When the military deployed U.S. troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, it required them to carry their weapons at all times — even on base. Those soldiers needed to defend themselves against real threats, and there are no known cases of them turning those weapons on each other.

So why make it easier for attackers to target troops at home? Why force soldiers — like those at Fort Stewart — to confront armed attackers with their bare hands?

It wasn’t always this way. In 1992, the George H.W. Bush administration started reshaping the military. That shift led to tighter restrictions on firearms. In 1993, President Clinton rewrote and implemented those restrictions, effectively banning soldiers from carrying personal firearms on base.

If civilians can be trusted to carry firearms, military personnel certainly can. As Hegseth noted, “Uniformed service members are trained at the highest and unwavering standards.”

Penalties for carrying firearms do not deter attackers. Someone planning to murder fellow soldiers will not stop because of gun laws. Most mass attackers expect to die during the assault, so the threat of additional punishment carries no weight. Even if they survive, they already face multiple life sentences or the death penalty.

But those same rules weigh heavily on law-abiding soldiers. A soldier who carries a firearm for self-defense risks becoming a felon and destroying his or her future. These policies disarm the innocent while signaling to a determined attacker that no one else will be armed.

Military police guard base entrances, but like civilian police, they cannot be everywhere. Military bases function like cities, and MPs face the same limitations as police responding to mass shootings off base.

Uniformed officers are easy to identify, and that gives attackers a real tactical advantage. Attackers can wait for an officer to leave the area or move on to another target — either choice reduces the chance that an officer will be present to stop the attack. And if the attacker strikes anyway, whom do you think they target first?

RELATED: My friend survived the Global War on Terror. Leftist immigration policies got him killed.

Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

Research shows that civilians with concealed handgun permits are more likely to stop active shooting attacks. By contrast, although police stop fewer attacks, attackers kill them at much higher rates.

After the second Fort Hood terrorist attack, General Mark Milley — then commander of Thirds Corps at that base — testified to Congress: “We have adequate law enforcement on those bases to respond. … Those police responded within eight minutes and that guy was dead.”

But those eight minutes proved far too long for the three soldiers who were murdered and the 12 others who were wounded.

Time after time, murderers exploit regulations that guarantee they will face no armed resistance. Diaries and manifestos of mass public shooters show a chilling trend: They deliberately choose gun-free zones, knowing their victims can’t fight back.

It’s no coincidence that 93% of mass public shootings happen in places where guns are banned.

Ironically, soldiers with a concealed handgun permit can carry a concealed handgun whenever they are off base so that they can protect themselves and others. But on the base, they and their fellow soldiers had been defenseless. Fortunately, that has now changed.

Allowing trained service members to carry on base restores a basic ability to defend themselves and others when seconds matter most. Policies that disarm the very people we trust in combat do not enhance safety — they leave our troops unnecessarily vulnerable where they should be most secure.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

​Pete hegseth, American soldiers, 2a, Military bases, Right to carry, Self defense, Mass shooting, Holloman air force base, Fort hood attack, Opinion & analysis 

An 18-year-old Indiana teenager was found with hundreds of illegal photos and videos on his devices, and prosecutors say he targeted children across the country.

The investigation into the child sex abuse allegations began after the Hamilton County Internet Crime Against Children Task Force was tipped off about Carson Springer of Fishers allegedly recording himself having sex with another juvenile.

Police found hundreds of videos and photos in Springer’s possession and identified victims as far away as Texas and Kansas.

Springer was 17 years old at the time the investigation began. Investigators obtained a search warrant and discovered more evidence of child abuse on Springer’s Snapchat account.

When they searched Springer’s phone, investigators found evidence that he was requesting child sex abuse material through the Telegram app.

Prosecutors say that Springer was creating child sex abuse material by recording himself having intercourse with other juveniles.

Police found hundreds of videos and photos in Springer’s possession and identified victims as far away as Texas and Kansas. Prosecutors said for three victims, Springer created AI-generated nude images.

While the crimes were allegedly committed when Springer was a juvenile, prosecutors released details of the case because he has been charged as an adult.

The suspect allegedly said he preferred children between 13 and 15 years old, but his devices also reportedly contained material with prepubescent children.

He was arrested on Jan. 16 on charges of possession of child pornography and child exploitation, according to Fishers police.

Emily Perry with Susie’s Place Child Advocacy Centers told WTHR-TV that parents need to closely monitor their children’s use of social media.

“More and more young people are becoming perpetrators of crimes against other children using online tools,” Perry said. “We really need to also be teaching parents about how to have those conversations with their youth about how to use those applications responsibly so that they’re not perpetrating those crimes on their peers.”

RELATED: ‘Got to find a 5th or 6th grader’: Son of Catholic school teacher arrested for alleged child porn had images of students

Fishers Police Lt. Doug Baker said what steps parents should take if they find child sex abuse material on their children’s devices.

“Don’t be afraid to report it,” he said. “Don’t delete stuff off the child’s phone. Block the suspect, block the other person who’s making the problem with your child, that’s fine, but keep everything on the device.”

Springer will face a jury trial in September.

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​Indiana teen child sex abuse, Online predators, Child sex abuse material, Social media sex predators, Crime 

Brittni De La Mora spent seven years in the adult film industry before walking away for good in December 2012. A profound encounter with Jesus on an airplane — while flying to film what would become her final scene — gave her the strength and conviction to leave permanently and fully embrace her Christian faith.

Today, she and her husband, Pastor Richard De La Mora, co-lead Love Always Ministries and direct Jesus Loves Porn Stars, two outreach-focused ministries dedicated to helping people break free from pornography addiction and reaching those still working in the adult entertainment industry with the gospel.

On a recent episode of “Relatable,” Allie Beth Stuckey invited Brittni to share her amazing story — including the first time she realized that the porn industry was so much darker than just producing adult films.

Brittni was just 18 years old when she became an adult film star. Her success was immediate — but not necessarily because of talent. It was her age that made her so marketable.

“When I first started off in the industry, the reason why I was getting booked so much is because I was 18 years old, and I looked like a little girl,” she says.

“They would put me in pigtails and costume jewelry and schoolgirl outfits and have me say, ‘Oh, I’m barely 18.”’

It wasn’t long before “a light flickered” on in Brittni’s mind.

“I was like, ‘Do you guys realize this is encouraging pedophilia?”’ she recounts, noting that she immediately went to her agent and demanded that she not be booked for these kinds of shoots anymore.

Now that Brittni is on the other side of the industry and helping others escape, she sees the full sinister picture.

“Now that I’m out, I see that pornography really is a drug,” she says. “It releases so much dopamine in your brain, and eventually what you watch on porn does not fill you anymore, and so now you have to go re-enact those things in real life.”

But there comes a day when even re-enactment fails to satisfy. The addiction then begins to demand novelty.

“It starts off by hiring escorts, and then that’s not enough. And then people are doing things to children,” says Brittni.

“I truly blame pornography for [pedophilia] because what they’re watching, they’re feeding their soul — and then they start craving that because eventually it’s just not enough anymore.”

Brittni recounts watching a documentary of a man who was caught with “6,000 images of child pornography.”

“He started off watching the ‘morally acceptable’ scenes — the husband and wife — and then started watching the young teenage 18- year-old with the old man. And eventually that wasn’t enough,” she says.

To hear Brittni’s full story — from her tumultuous childhood and her entrance into the adult film industry to her Christian conversion and eventual exit from pornography — watch the episode above.

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.

​Relatable with allie beth stuckey, Relatable, Allie beth stuckey, Blazetv, Pornography industry, Pornography addiction, Brittni de la mora, Adult film industry, Blaze media, Pedophilia 

The 2026 New York International Auto Show — which runs through this weekend — made one thing clear: There is a widening gap between what the auto industry is celebrating and what consumers are actually looking to buy.

Affordability has emerged as the dominant factor shaping purchasing decisions — far more than design awards, performance credentials, or cutting-edge features.

Some automakers are exploring ways to bring down costs without stripping vehicles down to bare-bones models.

What buyers really want

The show also serves as the stage for the World Car of the Year awards, where I serve as a juror.

This year, a survey of more than 100 jurors reinforced what we’re already seeing in the market: Consumers are prioritizing affordability above all else, along with flexibility in powertrain options — gasoline, hybrid, and electric.

That may not sound surprising. But it highlights a disconnect.

Many of the vehicles being recognized at the highest levels of the industry don’t necessarily align with what buyers are actively seeking in dealerships.

Award winners vs. market reality

This year’s top honors went to the BMW iX3, selected from 58 global contenders. It is expected to be built in South Carolina and made available to U.S. customers. The iX3 also took the electric category, featuring a redesigned cockpit with an integrated head-up display.

Other winners included the Mazda 6e for design, the Lucid Gravity for luxury, and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N for performance. The urban category went to the Nio Firefly, a model not expected to be sold in the United States.

These vehicles represent innovation and engineering progress. But they also highlight the gap between industry recognition and everyday affordability.

Show and sell

Beyond the awards, NYIAS marked a return to traditional vehicle unveilings after several years of automakers favoring private events.

Brands used the show to showcase new concepts and production models aimed at capturing attention across multiple segments.

Hyundai revealed a rugged, Bronco-inspired concept that reflects a broader multi-powertrain strategy. Genesis introduced updated luxury trims and performance-oriented concepts. Volkswagen unveiled a redesigned 2027 Atlas, expected to be built in Chattanooga.

Other reveals included a higher-performance Z model from Nissan, a redesigned Seltos and entry-level EV from Kia, and a new dual-motor electric model from Subaru. Ford Motor Company also highlighted a special-edition Expedition marking the model’s 30th anniversary.

Across the show floor, automakers leaned heavily into design differentiation — illuminated logos, special editions, and expanded trim levels — all aimed at standing out in a crowded market.

The price isn’t right

The biggest issue hanging over the show wasn’t design or technology — it was price.

Average transaction prices for new vehicles are now above $50,000. That reality is reshaping how consumers shop and what they’re willing to consider.

Automakers are starting to respond. Some are exploring ways to bring down costs without stripping vehicles down to bare-bones models, focusing instead on value — delivering features that matter while cutting excess.

‘No’ to tech overload

Another noticeable trend is a growing pushback against excessive in-vehicle technology.

While advanced features remain available, some buyers are moving toward simpler interiors and relying more on smartphone integration rather than built-in systems.

Subscription-based features are also facing increased scrutiny. Consumers are becoming more aware of long-term ownership costs — and less willing to pay ongoing fees for features they feel should be included upfront.

RELATED: How government and Big Tech can wreck your new car’s resale value

Denver Post/Getty Images

EVs take a back seat

Electrification remains a major focus, but the tone is shifting.

Automakers are no longer presenting EVs as the only path forward. Instead, they’re balancing electric investments with hybrids and traditional gasoline options to better match real-world demand.

That flexibility is increasingly important to buyers who want options — not mandates.

Robo-stopped

Autonomous vehicle technology continues to develop, but widespread adoption remains limited.

While robotaxi services are expanding in select urban areas, challenges around safety, liability, and real-world performance continue to slow broader rollout.

For most consumers, fully autonomous driving is still a future concept — not a current buying factor.

For dealers and automakers alike, the message from this year’s show is clear: consumers are focused on affordability, flexibility, and simplicity.

Innovation still matters — but only when it aligns with what buyers can realistically afford and actually want to use.

Right now, the industry is still catching up to that reality.

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The suspect in the fatal shooting of a California sheriff’s detective Thursday was himself killed amid a standoff — and a local sheriff unapologetically spelled out what went down for reporters and the public.

“We intentionally ran him over. … You shoot at cops, we’re going to run you over,” Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said Thursday, KSEE-TV reported. “He got run over; he got what he deserved.”

‘This situation went from a civil order of removal to where our officer was shot and killed. This is senseless.’

“The suspect was lying prone on the ground, in camouflage clothing, continuing to pose a threat,” Boudreaux said later during a news conference, according to Fox News. “The situation was resolved, and the suspect is now dead.”

Boudreaux said in a Thursday evening news conference that a BearCat armored vehicle operated by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office ran over the suspect — 59-year-old David Morales — following an hours-long standoff, KSEE said.

“He was not shot,” Boudreaux said of Morales, Fox News noted. “One of the BearCats ran over him and killed him.”

The incident began when an eviction notice served at a home in Porterville escalated into a shooting, KSEE said. Porterville is about an hour north of Bakersfield.

RELATED: Father whose son was killed in police shooting is accused of murdering recently retired sheriff’s deputy the very next day

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said the incident began when sheriff’s office officials arrived at a home in the 1700 block of West Brian Avenue around 10:20 a.m. to serve an eviction notice, the station said.

With that, an individual inside the residence began shooting at the officers who served the notice, KSEE noted.

Sheriff Boudreaux told the station that Porterville Police knew about Morales and that he had been renting the property.

However, KSEE noted that Morales had stopped paying rent, which prompted the eviction notice visit.

“This is not normal. This is not what reasonable people do,” Boudreaux said, according to the station.

“This situation went from a civil order of removal to where our officer was shot and killed. This is senseless,” Boudreaux said, according to Fox News.

A witness to the shooting showed the station a 10-second video during which 12 gunshots were heard and at least four officers were taking cover behind a parked car, KSEE noted.

Boudreaux said the detective who was fatally shot in the standoff was a father with a pregnant wife, the station said, adding that the detective was shot in the head.

The detective was pronounced dead at 11:57 a.m. at Sierra View Medical Center in Porterville, KSEE said.

Sheriff Boudreaux identified the fatally shot detective as 35-year-old Randy Hoppert, a six-year veteran of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.

Hoppert was a Navy corpsman who served from 2010 to 2015 and joined the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in January 2020, Boudreaux said, according to Fox News.

“Sheriff Boudreaux, and all of us at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, are shocked and deeply saddened by today’s tragic events,” the sheriff’s office said. “We ask that you keep our deputy’s grieving family in your prayers.”

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The Swalwell for Governor campaign is quickly collapsing after a former staffer went public to accuse the Democrat of sexual harassment and assault.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) had jumped to the top spot in polling among Democrats to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), but now his campaign is facing calls for him to step down.

‘The allegations are incredibly disturbing and unacceptable against Rep. Swalwell. We are immediately suspending our support.’

“Today I learned shocking information about Eric Swalwell containing the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable,” Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) said in a statement Friday calling on Swalwell to abandon his campaign.

“My involvement in any campaign begins and ends with trust. I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately,” he added.

The former staffer said that Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice when she was too drunk to consent, according to an account in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The woman also claimed that Swalwell sent an image of his penis to her via Snapchat.

Swalwell has denied the allegations.

“For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women,” he said in a statement. “I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”

A Swalwell attorney sent a cease and desist letter to one accuser.

Some top staffers left the campaign after the allegations dropped, and the California Teachers Association suspended its endorsement for Swalwell.

“The allegations are incredibly disturbing and unacceptable against Rep. Swalwell. We are immediately suspending our support,” CTA President David Goldberg said.

RELATED: Swalwell lashes out at Trump after FBI reportedly looks to release files on his alleged Chinese spy scandal

Republican Fox News contributor Steve Hilton leads in polling for the gubernatorial election after surpassing Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco.

The Swalwell campaign canceled a town hall event planned in Palm Desert, citing an illness.

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The Trump administration released renderings of a planned arch for the 250th anniversary celebration of the Declaration of Independence.

The 166-foot-tall arch would be constructed at the Memorial Circle in Washington, D.C., according to images filed by the Interior Department to the Commission of Fine Arts on Friday.

‘President Trump will continue to honor our veterans and give the greatest Nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves.’

“The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said to Politico.

“It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250-year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today. President Trump will continue to honor our veterans and give the greatest Nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves.”

Many on social media responded positively to the renderings posted by the White House Rapid Response team.

“I want my taxes to pay for stuff like this instead of immigrants,” said Blaze Media digital strategist and commentator Logan Hall.

“The Independence Arch in Washington, DC, would become the largest traditional triumphal arch ever constructed in the world, surpassing all existing ones. Just name it the TrumpVictory Arch,” another user said.

RELATED: Trump announces ‘Patriot Games’ high school athletic competition for 250th anniversary of founding

In October, the president said Memorial Circle was perfect for a new memorial.

“For years and years it sat, and every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge going right to the Lincoln Memorial, beautiful right?” the president said. “They literally say, ‘Something’s supposed to be there!”

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A Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives says he’s filed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump for a post threatening Iran.

Rep. John Larson of Connecticut cited a social media post that threatened to end the civilization in Iran if it did not agree to his demands after weeks of U.S.-Israeli strikes.

‘They have an obligation to put patriotism over politics.’

“Donald Trump has blown past every requirement to be removed from office. And it’s getting worse. His illegal war in Iran is not only driving up prices for American families — it has cost American lives,” Larson said in the statement Tuesday.

“His profane and sacrilegious Easter Sunday and subsequent threats, including ‘a whole civilization will die’ and ‘open the Strait … or you’ll be living in hell’ not only foreshadow war crimes, but put our security at risk,” Larson added.

Larson said he filed for impeachment but that Trump’s Cabinet should seek the speedier remedy of removing the president from the Oval Office through the 25th Amendment.

“Members of the Cabinet and those closest to the President can act immediately,” Larson added. “They have an obligation to put patriotism over politics and invoke the 25th Amendment. Donald Trump is unable or unwilling to faithfully execute the responsibilities of the office and he is putting the nation’s security and economy in jeopardy.”

Many others have called for the president to be removed via the 25th Amendment, though that effort may have been tempered by the announcement of a ceasefire an hour before the deadline Trump set for Iran.

Among those calling for the president to be removed are former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.).

Trump was already impeached twice in his first term.

RELATED: Praise, prayers, and impeachment: Reactions pour in following US attack on Iran

Others, like Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, defended the president’s threat.

“We’re talking about taking decisive action against Iran’s energy and civilian infrastructure. That is what the president is talking about,” Lawler told CNN. “He’s not talking about obliterating innocent people.”

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Beloved actor Michael J. Fox was clearly confused to find out he was allegedly dead, according to CNN, a day after he was on stage at a television festival.

Fox, 64, known for “Back to the Future” and “Teen Wolf,” took to social media on Thursday to tell followers to relax, because people think he has died every single year.

‘I thought the world was ending, but apparently it’s just me.’

Fox had just appeared at PaleyFest on Wednesday, making a surprise cameo on stage in Los Angeles. His own surprise, however, would come the next day when CNN began circulating a web article and video package claiming that he had passed away.

“Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox,” CNN wrote in an apparent screenshot of the piece, accompanied by a three-and-a-half minute tribute video.

‘Doing great’

This prompted TMZ to reach out to Fox’s team, who replied to confirm that he was in fact alive.

“Michael is doing great. He was at PaleyFest yesterday. He was on stage and was giving interviews,” they reiterated.

The real truth-telling was left to Fox though; he took to his Threads page (Meta’s version of X) to ponder his options.

“How do you react when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death?” he asked, before taking a shot at the network formerly known as MSNBC.

RELATED: CNN analyst delivers Democrats devastating news about base support

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

“Do you … A) switch to MNSBC, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, (B) Pour [scalding] hot water on your lap, if it hurts [you’re] fine, (C) Call your wife, hopefully she’s concerned but reassuring, (D) Relax, they do this once every year, [or] (E) Ask yourself wtf?”

All of the above

Fox apparently did not get the 2025 memo that MSNBC changed its name to MSNOW, which the Guardian described as a somewhat forced acronym that stands for “My Source for News, Opinion and the World.”

The original name identified a now-defunct partnership between Microsoft and NBC, which launched in 1996 as a combination of the Microsoft Network and NBC. MSN was also the colloquial name of a popular online messenger service released in 1999.

Fox concluded his remarks by saying, “I thought the world was ending, but apparently it’s just me and I’m ok. Love, Mike.”

RELATED: CNN’s ‘death spiral’: ‘Cringe’ selfie strategy deployed as network scrambles to stay relevant

Dead reckoning

CNN later issued a statement through a spokesperson that said, “The package was published in error,” NBC News reported. “We have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family.”

Fox’s appearance in L.A. was to promote his TV show “Shrinking,” which just finished filming its third season.

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The Trump administration is looking to tap a seemingly untouched resource: video game-playing adults.

A federal agency put out a call on Friday using a video that literally starts like an Xbox game.

‘It’s not a game. It’s a career.’

After a series of short video-game clips, text on the screen asks, “Are you up for the challenge?”

“You’ve been training for this,” it continues, building suspense, before a gamer sitting in front of his computer screens is transported into his new career: ensuring that passenger planes take off and land safely and without incident.

“Become an air traffic controller,” the ad says, with a club remix of the 2009 Yeah Yeah Yeahs hit “Heads Will Roll” playing in the background.

“It’s not a game,” the upbeat recruitment spot declares. “It’s a career.”

The 70-second video told prospective applicants that not only would they keep “millions of people safe” every day, but they would “make a lot of money” doing so.

RELATED: Floppy discs and copper strips: Newark failures hint at looming threat of another FAA disaster

Per the ad, gamers making the jump to an air traffic controller career could look forward to an “average salary” of “$155,000 per year after 3 years.”

Air traffic controller was just one of the roles at the Department of Transportation and FAA that was revealed to be sorely out of touch when President Trump took office for his second term in 2025.

Last year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported that a near hour-long grounding of planes could be linked to “incredibly old technology” that utilized floppy discs and copper wires.

Earlier in 2025, documents about FAA hiring practices showed that the federal agency had been specifically looking to hire people with disabilities, which included “hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism.”

This appears to be a stark contrast to the Transportation Department under Duffy, who once called the department’s systems “not effective to control the traffic that we have in the airspace today.”

RELATED: Investigator of LaGuardia plane crash suggests ‘multiple failures’ caused the collision; survivors respond

Luke Hales/Getty Images

Last September, Duffy met his goal to recruit at least 2,000 new air traffic controllers by bringing in 2,026. This was coupled with a stated goal of hiring at least 8,900 new air traffic controllers through 2028.

“To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt,” Duffy said about the ad targeting gamers. “This campaign’s innovative communication style and focus on gaming taps into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller,” he told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

According to a 2025 audit from the Office of Inspector General, the FAA employs about 13,000 traffic controllers in over 300 facilities across the U.S. Nearly 10,600 of those are “certified professional controllers.”

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Failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris signaled she is eyeing another run for the White House.

Harris revealed that she “might” run for president in 2028 despite losing all seven swing states and the popular vote in 2024. After spending months on a book tour in the South, Harris hinted during the Democrats’ National Action Network convention on Friday that her presidential ambitions are alive and well.

‘I’m thinking about it in the context of then, you know …’

“Listen, I might,” Harris told Rev. Al Sharpton when asked about running again.

“I might. I’m thinking about it. I’m thinking about it.”

RELATED: After 11-year ‘political persecution’ begun by Kamala Harris, pro-life activist David Daleiden is VICTORIOUS

Adam Gray/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Harris cited her four years as vice president to former President Joe Biden, signaling that she is uniquely qualified compared to other potential Democrat candidates.

“I am thinking about it, but let me also say this,” Harris said. “I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States. I spent countless hours in my West Wing office, footsteps away from the Oval Office. I spent countless hours in the Oval Office and the Situation Room.”

“I know what the job is, and I know what it requires,” Harris added.

While soft-launching a potential presidential bid, it wasn’t long before Harris went on into one of her signature word-salad tangents.

“I am thinking about it in the context of then, you know, is who, and where, and how can the best job be done for the American people,” Harris stammered. “That’s how I’m thinking about it.”

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A Democrat interloper hoping, in his own words, to help get Democrats “a foot in the door” in a deep-red Ohio district was certified in February to run as a Republican candidate in the coming primary election for the Buckeye State’s 15th Congressional District.

Samuel Ronan — a former candidate for the chair of the Democratic National Committee — was, however, disqualified by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) following protest by a GOP voter.

Ronan’s fight to stay on the ballot went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which delivered the subversive some bad news on Thursday.

Infiltrator

Permitted under Ohio law to contest the candidacy of a party candidate, GOP voter Mark Schare did so on Feb. 20, claiming that Ronan had misrepresented his affiliation with the GOP.

‘Just one problem: he is a Democrat.’

According to court documents, Schare referred to Ronan’s prior remarks about tricking Republicans into voting for Democrats as well as a January 2026 Facebook post in which Ronan wrote,

I believe i [sic] very clearly mentioned in that very same DNC Chair race that Democrats, if they wanted to govern and regain the trust of Americans, would have to primary Republicans in deep red districts, as Republicans, just to get a foot in the door. So, if I am doing anything, it’s following the argument I made on that stage.

Ronan later admitted his strategy to the Ohio Board of Elections but suggested that he was not presently “fighting on behalf of the traitorous Democrats” who voted to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He also argued that he should be able to present his leftist ideology as a Republican and let the voters decide “what is or what is not Republican.”

RELATED: Democrat fraudster begs to keep $800,000 state pension funded by taxpayers

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R). Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty Images

The Ohio Board of Elections put his disqualification to a vote and ended up tied along party lines. The decision was consequently kicked to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who broke the deadlock in favor of disqualification, revealing on March 19 that he was removing Ronan from the Ohio primary ballot.

LaRose emphasized in his decision that the “issue here is not ‘ideological purity,'” but “the integrity of the electoral process.”

Rejected

The Democrat interloper — who noted last month that he opposes sealing the border and stopping the “migrant invasion” — challenged his disqualification, suing LaRose and members of the Franklin County Board of Elections, and alleging that his First Amendment rights were violated.

Ronan managed to obtain a temporary restraining order; however, U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Morrison, an appointee of President Donald Trump, had it vacated and denied Ronan a preliminary injunction earlier this month.

“It cannot be the case that a State must allow a candidate on a partisan ballot even if he lied about his party affiliation simply because the First Amendment is implicated,” wrote Morrison. “To do so ‘would subject virtually every electoral regulation to strict scrutiny, hamper the ability of States to run efficient and equitable elections, and compel federal courts to rewrite state electoral codes.'”

After a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit — made aware of Ronan’s recent social post in which he stated, “Leftists need to infiltrate [R]epublican spaces and primary them” — similarly refused to put the ex-candidate back on the ballot.

Alongside his campaign manager, Ana Cordero, Ronan appealed at last to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ronan’s legal counsel claimed in the emergency application, “Ronan did not act in bad faith. He was honest. He made plain that though he was once a Democrat he is now seeking to transport across the aisle ideas that were not embraced by the Democratic Party. Ronan’s campaign is a good faith attempt to win over Republican voters by advocating his values — values he believes Democrats have forsaken. That is not a ‘strategic candidacy’ or some kind of trick. It is not unlawful.”

Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office said in a response to the application, “Samuel Ronan wanted to run for office in Ohio’s Republican primary as a Republican. Just one problem: he is a Democrat.”

The office noted further that “Ronan’s request is upside down.”

“Political parties possess a First Amendment associational right to exclude those who do not share their values,” said Yost’s office. “So it would be quite surprising if the First Amendment forbids States from protecting that right when the Amendment ‘barely — and only provisionally — permits’ States to compel association.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh referred Ronan’s application to the full court, which denied Ronan’s request on Thursday, reported the Courthouse News Service.

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After what could have been a devastating school shooting like that at Columbine High School in 1999, one Oklahoma town is praising a hero rather than mourning this week.

On Tuesday afternoon at Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma, an armed suspect entered the school with the intent to kill.

‘Principal Moore acted bravely to protect students’ lives.’

However, the shooting was quickly thwarted when Principal Kirk Moore sprang into action.

The suspect entered the school near the principal’s office. The suspect reportedly drove his truck with two pistols to the school, entered the building, ordered everyone to get on the ground, and attempted to fire one of the guns.

RELATED: Teens definitely pick wrong homeowner to ‘ding-dong ditch’; cops say he came out of house with gun, opened fire after prank

DAVID PASHAEE/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

However, the gun did not fire at first.

Moore was then able to subdue the shooter, doubtlessly saving a number of lives in the process. He was shot in the leg as he restrained the shooter, though the injury is reportedly minor and Moore is expected to make a recovery.

“Hug your children extra close tonight. After the events of today, I am so appreciative for the brave actions of our high school Principal Kirk Moore and his staff. He undoubtedly saved lives today through his actions,” Pauls Valley Councilman Kahn Nirschl told News 9.

“Principal Moore acted bravely to protect students’ lives. Sarah and I are praying for his quick recovery. I’m thankful for the swift response from law enforcement and school staff, and I’m grateful no students were harmed,” Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) said in a statement.

KOCO News reported that the suspect, identified as former Pauls Valley student Victor Hawkins, told investigators that he planned to kill students, faculty, and then himself. He also allegedly told investigators that he had “every intention of re-enacting what happened at Columbine.”

Classes at the high school were canceled on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

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A massive fire at a Southern California warehouse was allegedly sparked by a man who compared himself to Luigi Mangione, the man accused of executing a health care CEO.

The conflagration on Tuesday completely destroyed a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse and caused over half a billion dollars in damages, according to a statement from Bill Essayli, the first assistant United States attorney for the Central District of California.

‘We will not tolerate political activists who resort to violence to advance their ideology.’

Video later surfaced showing the alleged arsonist lighting fires inside the warehouse while mocking the company for not paying its employees enough to live on.

“If you’re not going to pay us enough to f**king live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this s**t,” the man records himself saying as he lights packages of toilet paper on fire.

The concept of a “living wage” is one extolled by left-wing activists including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

On Friday, Essayli said there was other evidence pointing to a political motivation for the alleged arsonist, who was identified as 29-year-old Chamel Abdulkarim of Highland.

“Abdulkarim filmed himself setting merchandise on fire inside the warehouse and made statements criticizing capitalism and large corporations,” Essayli wrote. “He also compared himself to accused murderer Luigi Mangione.”

Mangione allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of Manhattan in Dec. 2024. The shooting was caught on surveillance video and became a cause célèbre for far-left critics of capitalism.

Essayli said Abdulkarim was charged with “arson of a building used in interstate and foreign commerce and used in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce.” If convicted, Abdulkarim faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

He included the video that Abdulkarim allegedly recorded of himself lighting the fires.

There were no injuries from the fire.

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

One worker at the warehouse said he did not suspect Abdulkarim at all and believed the robots were to blame for the fire.

“There was no suspicion that it was him; actually he was missing. So everyone was trying to find him,” Alex Montero of San Bernardino said to KABC-TV. “Everyone was blaming the robots at first. We were almost 100% sure it was the robots until the action in the video, of course.”

“We will not tolerate political activists who resort to violence to advance their ideology,” Essayli added.

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The recent announcement of a two-week ceasefire with Iran has been met with a striking rhetorical divergence within the American executive.

President Trump has been quick to frame the pause as a moment of total capitulation. Yet thousands of miles away in Budapest, Vice President JD Vance has offered a far more somber assessment.

In the world of power politics, the most effective strategy is often the one that keeps the adversary off balance.

Describing the agreement as a “fragile truce,” Vance warned that the deal is being misrepresented by hard-liners in Tehran who are “lying about even the fragile truce that we’ve already struck.” This is not merely a case of a disorganized administration; it is the emergence of JD Vance as the necessary realist anchor in a high-stakes diplomatic gamble.

For years, the critique of American foreign policy has been its lack of internal coherence. But the Trump-Vance dynamic represents a different model. It is a form of strategic skepticism that allows the administration to pursue diplomacy without appearing naive.

In this arrangement, Vance has taken on the role of the “adult in the Situation Room,” providing a counterweight to the president’s natural inclination for the grand, celebratory deal.

The necessity of Vance’s skepticism becomes clear when one examines the Iranian response to the ceasefire. While the president speaks of a “workable basis” for peace, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been careful to frame the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz not as a surrender, but as a regulated passage under continued Iranian coordination.

Araghchi’s insistence that “the era of Western dictation is over” suggests that Tehran views this two-week window as a tactical regrouping. By publicly doubting the “good faith” of the adversary, Vance provides the administration with the political space to explore a deal while maintaining the credible threat of escalation.

RELATED: I saw the sky light up over Dubai. The real shock came next.

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This reflects a profound evolution in Vance’s own political identity. No longer just the populist firebrand, he is now operating as a sophisticated practitioner of realpolitik.

He understands that in the Middle East, a pause in hostilities is often just a prelude to a more complex form of conflict. When Vance remarks that the President is “not one to mess around,” he is not just praising his superior; he is signaling to the IRGC that the vice president’s office is keeping a meticulous tally of every violation, no matter how small.

The VP’s role also serves a vital domestic function. Within the coalition that brought this administration to power, there is a deep-seated wariness of international agreements that appear to favor adversaries.

By acting as the voice of caution, Vance ensures that the administration’s base remains invested in the process. He represents the wing of the movement that measures success not in the number of summits held, but in the tangible dismantling of enemy capabilities.

Furthermore, this messaging dichotomy allows the United States to navigate the complex mediation role being played by Pakistan. As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir attempt to broker a long-term settlement in Islamabad, the dual-track messaging from Washington provides them with leverage.

They can present Trump as the willing peacemaker while pointing to Vance as the embodiment of an impatient American security apparatus that is ready to strike if the talks stall. It is a division of labor that clarifies the stakes of failure for all parties involved.

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The question is whether this strategy can be sustained. Diplomacy requires a degree of shared understanding of the rules. If the vice president is perceived as being fundamentally at odds with the President, Tehran may attempt to drive a wedge between them.

Yet, in the hyper-volatile environment of 2026, the traditional rules of diplomacy seem increasingly inadequate. The old model of a unified, singular voice has often led to a form of groupthink that fails to account for the duplicity of actors like the Iranian regime.

As we move toward the Islamabad talks, the value of Vance’s skepticism will be tested. If a more durable agreement is reached, it will be because the Iranians understood that they were not just negotiating with a president eager for a legacy, but with a vice president who was looking for an excuse to walk away.

In the world of power politics, the most effective strategy is often the one that keeps the adversary off-balance.

By playing the skeptic, JD Vance is not undermining peace; he is ensuring that any peace achieved is built on something more substantial than hope. The “fragile” nature of the truce, as Vance describes it, is actually its greatest strength.

It forces a level of honesty and verification that decades of polite, unified diplomacy never could. For the American interest, having a vice president who refuses to see the world through rose-colored glasses is not a liability. It is a strategic necessity. The center of the diplomatic world may have shifted to Islamabad, but the reality check remains firmly anchored in the vice president’s office.

​Jd vance, Donald trump, Iran war, Operation opic fury, Peace talks, Us iran talks, Diplomacy, Pakistan, Opinion & analysis