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In 2003 Palo Alto, California, Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, and cohorts founded a software company called Palantir. Now, these 20-odd years later, with stock prices reaching escape velocity and government and commercial contracts secured from Huntsville to Huntington, Palantir seems to have arrived in the pole position of the AI race.

With adamantine ties to the Trump administration and deep history with U.S. intelligence and military entities to boot, Palantir has emerged as a decisive force in the design and management of our immediate technological, domestic, and geopolitical futures.

Curious, then, that so many, including New York Times reporters, seem to believe that Palantir is merely another souped-up data hoarding and selling company like Google or Adobe.

The next-level efficiency, one imagines, will have radical implications for our rather inefficient lives.

It’s somewhat understandable, but the scales and scopes in play are unprecedented. To get a grasp on the scope of Palantir’s project, consider that every two days now humanity churns out the same amount of information that was accrued over the previous 5,000 years of civilization.

As then-Gartner senior vice president Peter Sondergaard put it more than a decade ago, “Information is the oil of the 21st century, and analytics is the combustion engine.”

Palantir spent the last 20 years building that analytics combustion engine. It arrives as a suite of AI products tailored to various markets and end users. The promise, as the era of Palantir proceeds and as AI-centered business and governance takes hold, is that decisions will be made with a near-complete grasp on the totality of real-time global information.

RELATED: Trump’s new allies: Tech billionaires are jumping on the MAGA train

The Washington Post/Getty Images

The tech stack

Famously seeded with CIA In-Q-Tel cash, Palantir started by addressing intelligence agency needs. In 2008, the Gotham software product, described as a tool for intelligence agencies to analyze complex datasets, went live. Gotham is said to integrate and analyze disparate datasets in real time to enable pattern recognition and threat detection. Joining the CIA, FBI, and presumably most other intelligence agencies in deploying Gotham are the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Defense.

Next up in the suite is Foundry, which is, again, an AI-based software solution but geared toward industry. It purportedly serves to centralize previously siloed data sources to effect maximum efficiency. Health care, finance, and manufacturing all took note and were quick to integrate Foundry. PG&E, Southern California, and Edison are all satisfied clients. So is the Wendy’s burger empire.

The next in line of these products, which we’ll see are integrated and reciprocal in their application to client needs, is Apollo, which is, according the Palantir website, “used to upgrade, monitor, and manage every instance of Palantir’s product in the cloud and at some of the world’s most regulated and controlled environments.” Among others, Morgan Stanley, Merck, Wejo, and Cisco are reportedly all using Apollo.

If none of this was impressive enough, if the near-total penetration into both business and government (U.S., at least) at foundational levels isn’t evident yet, consider the crown jewel of the Palantir catalog, which integrates all the others: Ontology.

“Ontology is an operational layer for the organization,” Palantir explains. “The Ontology sits on top of the digital assets integrated into the Palantir platform (datasets and models) and connects them to their real-world counterparts, ranging from physical assets like plants, equipment, and products to concepts like customer orders or financial transactions.”

Every aspect native to a company or organization — every minute of employee time, any expense, item of inventory, and conceptual guideline — is identified, located, and cross-linked wherever and however appropriate to maximize efficiency.

The next-level efficiency, one imagines, will have radical implications for our rather inefficient lives. Consider the DMV, the wait list, the tax prep: Anything that can be processed (assuming enough energy inputs for the computation) can be — ahead of schedule.

The C-suite

No backgrounder is complete without some consideration of a company’s founders. The intentions, implied or overt, from Peter Thiel and Alex Karp in particular are, in some ways, as ponderable as the company’s ultra-grade software products and market dominance.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp stated in his triumphal 2024 letter to shareholders: “Our results are not and will never be the ultimate measure of the value, broadly defined, of our business. We have grander and more idiosyncratic aims.” Karp goes on to quote both Augustine and Houellebecq as he addresses the company’s commitment first to America.

This doesn’t sound quite like the digital panopticon or the one-dimensionally malevolent elite mindset we were threatened with for the last 20 years. Despite their outsized roles and reputations, Thiel companies tend toward the relatively modest goals of reducing overall harm or risk. Reflecting the influence of Rene Girard’s theory that people rapidly spiral into hard-to-control and ultimately catastrophic one-upsmanship, the approach reflects a considerably more sophisticated point of view than Karl Rove’s infamously dismissive claim to be “history’s actors.”

“Initially, the rise of the digital security state was a neoconservative project,” Blaze Media editor at large James Poulos remarked on the dynamic. “But instead of overturning this Bush-era regime, the embedded Obama-Biden elite completed the neocon system. That’s how we got the Cheneys endorsing Kamala.”

In a series of explanatory posts on X made via the company’s Privacy and Ethics account and reposted on its webpage, Palantir elaborated: “We were the first company to establish a dedicated Privacy & Civil Liberties Engineering Team over a decade ago, and we have a longstanding Council of Advisors on Privacy & Civil Liberties comprised of leading experts and advocates. These functions sit at the heart of the company and help us to embody Palantir’s values both through providing rights-protective technologies and fostering a culture of responsibility around their development and use.”

It’s a far cry from early 2000s rhetoric and corporate policy, and so the issue becomes one of evaluation. Under pressure from the immensity of the data, the ongoing domestic and geopolitical instability manifesting in myriad forms, and particularly the bizarre love-hate interlocking economic mechanisms between the U.S. and China, many Americans are hungry to find a scapegoat.

Do we find ourselves, as Americans at least, with the advantage in this tense geopolitical moment? Or are we uncharacteristically behind in the contest for survival? An honest assessment of our shared responsibility for our national situation might lead away from scapegoating, toward a sense that we made our bed a while ago on technology and security and now we must lie in it.

​Palantir, Big tech, Alex karp, Peter thiel, Tech, Cia, Analytics, Department of defense, Ai, Return 

Although I would do so reluctantly — while holding a barf bag in one hand — if forced to vote in the next New York City mayoral election, I’d cast my ballot for Zohran Mamdani.

Yes, that Zohran Mamdani.

It isn’t just the Democratic Party destroying these cities — it’s the people who keep voting for them. Let them live with the consequences.

A dire warning about this unappetizing candidate, a “Muslim lefty from the other side of Queens,” just appeared in the New York Post, which reports that Mamdani consorts with pro-Hamas rioters, adores Black Lives Matter, and recently said Bill de Blasio was “the best mayor of his lifetime.”

In a sane political environment, such a figure would be consigned to the loony bin. But in the present urban climate, voters find themselves grasping for the least ghastly option — if they bother voting at all.

And Mamdani, God help me, appears marginally less disgusting than Andrew Cuomo, who is now the front-runner.

Cuomo, who presided over the slow death of New York as governor, seems poised to take the helm of a city already in decay. In any race to the bottom, he’d win in a landslide. This is a man who groped and manhandled female staffers while parading his feminist credentials; who packed nursing homes with COVID patients, causing the deaths of thousands; who then lied about it repeatedly and shamelessly. He worked tirelessly to eliminate cash bail, unleashing a wave of criminality across the state.

And yet, somehow, Mamdani is supposed to be worse?

That former Mayor Mike Bloomberg — now a prolific funder of leftist candidates — is backing Cuomo only sharpens the stench of this whole affair. The staleness of the New York political class, its complete moral exhaustion, has never been more evident.

Still, I’ll give you another reason I prefer Mamdani: Sometimes collapse is a better catalyst than stagnation.

Cuomo would likely run the city into the ground — but slowly. He’d reward the usual Democratic parasites with patronage, keep street crime just under the boiling point, and exercise marginally more restraint when it comes to unwanted touching. He’d reassure the woke plutocrats and Wall Street donors that he won’t rock the boat too much. He knows the game and plays it well.

But the rot would fester.

RELATED: New 12-foot-tall statue of woman in Times Square meant to represent ‘cultural diversity’

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

New York would remain unsafe. Schools and other public institutions would stay in the grip of culturally radicalized unions. The courts would remain ideological tools of the left. Nothing would improve. The decline would just ooze along — business as usual.

Mamdani, by contrast, might deliver a spectacular crash.

If he’s as doctrinaire and deranged as his critics suggest, his administration could bring about real catastrophe with impressive speed. That kind of shock might finally push productive citizens to flee en masse and accelerate the corporate exodus already under way. Sometimes it takes a maniac to wake the slumbering.

This wouldn’t be the first time a disastrous mayor paved the way for genuine reform. In 1994, New Yorkers elected Rudy Giuliani after enduring the catastrophic tenure of David Dinkins. Giuliani cracked down on crime, brought investment back, and helped restore a semblance of order. But it took years of misrule to make that turnaround politically possible.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking: That kind of change isn’t possible any more. Cities like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia are too far gone. Their voting blocs are locked into leftist fantasy. The idea of another Giuliani, a Richard Daley Sr., or even a Frank Rizzo showing up today seems laughable.

Maybe so. But if that’s true, then the voters are getting exactly what they asked for. It isn’t just the Democratic Party destroying these cities — it’s the people who keep voting for them.

Let them live with the consequences.

Given the state of our urban politics, the choice now is between ideological lunatics and cynical reprobates. Mamdani may fast-forward the train wreck. Cuomo might slow it down. But either way, the crash is coming.

At least with Mamdani, we might finally reach bottom — and from there, maybe, begin again.

​Opinion & analysis, Andrew cuomo, Sexual harassment, Covid-19 tyranny, Nursing home deaths, Mask mandates, Lockdowns, New york city, Mayor, Eric adams, Bill di blasio, Zohran mamdani, Mike bloomberg, Rudy giuliani, David dinkins, Crime, Homelessness crisis, Business, Economy, Broken windows, Investment, Law and order, Richard daley, Frank rizzo, Corruption, Islam, Democratic party 

Many assume conservative principles belong to the past. They don’t. The debate over cryptocurrency regulation — including the House GOP’s Clarity Act — offers a chance to apply those principles to a 21st-century frontier.

Cryptocurrency and decentralized finance reflect core American values: free speech, free markets, and innovation from the ground up. Across the country, developers are building protocols that move money in microseconds, create new investment tools, and expand access to capital like never before.

With a Republican-led Congress considering landmark cryptocurrency legislation, we have a historic opportunity to apply time-tested conservative values to the cutting edge of financial innovation.

Blockchain technology provides a means to secure property rights in the digital era. The most transformative products likely haven’t even launched yet.

The potential benefits are massive. In 2024 alone, decentralized finance grew to more than $114 billion. Even more capital — billions of dollars — stands ready to enter the space through pension funds and institutional investors.

But that money won’t move without guardrails.

Institutional investors need transparency. That means audit requirements they can trust, legally accountable custodians, clear reporting on asset health, and safeguards against manipulation.

They also need legal certainty. Defined rules give investors confidence. Without them, they’ll stay away — or invest elsewhere.

That’s where Washington plays a role.

The Trump administration shifted U.S. regulatory policy toward digital assets, elevating crypto to a national priority through executive order. Now, with a Republican-led Congress weighing landmark crypto legislation, conservatives have a real opportunity.

This moment demands more than slogans. It calls for applying time-tested conservative principles — rule of law, market discipline, and individual liberty — to the future of finance.

Don’t be afraid

Some treat cryptocurrency as a threat. Fair enough — the collapse of FTX still casts a long shadow over the current debate in Congress.

Sam Bankman-Fried, a Democratic megadonor, didn’t just run a failed company. He ran a cautionary tale — a playbook for what lawmakers must never allow again.

The FTX scandal highlights two enduring conservative truths:

Human nature is flawed. Left unchecked, individuals will act out of greed and self-interest. Conservatives have never pretended otherwise — and that’s why we build systems of accountability.The rule of law matters. Pre-established standards prevent chaos. Waiting for disaster or making policy on the fly only magnifies the damage.

FTX didn’t collapse because of cryptocurrency. It failed because no one held Bankman-Fried accountable. He amassed influence through backroom politics and ran a tangled network of private firms without meaningful oversight. The result: billions vaporized and public trust shattered.

Thoughtful legislation can prevent the next meltdown — not by stifling innovation, but by setting clear, enforceable rules rooted in transparency, responsibility, and the rule of law.

A remedy with room to improve

The bill now before Congress offers a rare chance to get crypto regulation right.

It tackles the custodial vulnerabilities exposed by the FTX collapse and establishes a framework that allows digital asset projects to integrate into the broader financial system. Just as important, it does so under a unified set of rules.

The bill follows conservative logic. It exempts infrastructure providers — such as blockchain validators and payment processors — from regulatory burdens that don’t apply. These actors don’t make governance decisions, and the law should reflect that.

It also classifies participants based on their actions, rather than the extent of their political influence.

But the bill still needs one critical fix.

Lawmakers need to include decentralized autonomous organizations as eligible cryptocurrency issuers. These DAOs, the opposite of central banks, operate through user-led governance. Crypto users vote on the rules of the system they help create.

DAOs have become common in decentralized finance. Yet the current bill overlooks them. That omission could block the very groups driving innovation from entering the regulated space.

RELATED: Trump’s Bitcoin masterstroke puts America ahead in digital assets

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

If a project follows the rules, discloses information, and acts responsibly, it should qualify, regardless of how it governs itself. Whether the issuer is a DAO, a startup, or a traditional bank, one standard should apply.

That’s the conservative way: equal rules, fair enforcement, and space for innovation to thrive.

What if we get it wrong?

Leaving the bill unamended carries real risks:

Overreaching compliance rules could smother the best of American innovation — now and in the future.Narrow legal definitions might force decentralized finance into the hands of a few massive exchanges, recreating the same “too big to fail” system that burned taxpayers in 2008.Ongoing regulatory ambiguity could drive developers and infrastructure providers offshore, into the arms of authoritarian regimes eager to benefit from America’s hesitation.

The biggest danger? Watching capital and talent flee to countries that welcome decentralized commerce while the United States — its origin point — falls behind.

Decentralized finance leaders aren’t calling for lawlessness. They want smart policy.

Joe Sticco, co-founder of Cryptex and a White House Crypto Summit participant, put it this way: “In DeFi, it’s not about evading rules — it’s about building better ones.”

Sticco believes today’s innovators want a seat at the table. “We believe open financial systems can coexist with responsible oversight,” he told me. “We have to show up, we have to explain the tech, and we have to help shape the rules.”

Congress still has time to get this right. But the window is closing.

The path forward

Republicans now hold both chambers of Congress. That means the window to act is wide open.

This isn’t about growing government. It’s about setting the rules so innovation can thrive, fraud gets stopped, and people are held accountable. Here’s what that looks like:

Clear rules that apply fairly to both traditional companies and decentralized projects;Basic protections like audits, secure custody of funds, and anti-fraud measures;Freedom for developers to build new tools without unfair roadblocks;And clear standards for when crypto projects are considered stable enough to ease up on oversight.

With these fixes, the Clarity Act can do what no other crypto bill has: protect investors, promote innovation, and keep America in the lead.

We can build the future of finance right here — on American terms, with American values. But we have to act now.

​Opinion & analysis, Bitcoin, White house, Cryptocurrency, Crypto, Congress, Regulation, Innovation, Rule of law, National interest, Sam bankman-fried, Democrats, Decentralized finance, Finance, Banks, Clarity act, Investments, Conservative, Principles, Markets 

Will Smith has made a shocking and mostly well-received return to hip-hop — but the music video for his song “Pretty Girls” has been mocked relentlessly — and BlazeTV contributor Shemeka Michelle isn’t planning to spare Smith’s feelings, either.

In the video, which features different women of all colors and sizes, Smith raps, “Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, lemon / Alright, f**k it, I like women / There it is, truth about me.”

“I’m ’bout to do some investing / I spend it on you and your bestie / You and your twin on a jet-ski / I’ll change your life if you let me,” is another verse.

“To see this 56-year-old man dancing around saying he likes pretty girls,” Michelle tells BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock, “the video starts out with him on a therapist couch kind of admitting that he has this problem and this obsession, and I just don’t buy it.”

“So for me, I don’t like the song simply because it doesn’t seem authentic. If he had said, ‘I like pretty people,’ then I would feel like he was being a little bit more authentic, but just to act as if he has this obsession with women, and you know, he can’t help himself, it just felt forced to me,” she continues.

“Couldn’t he just be trying to speak it into existence,” Whitlock counters, saying it reminds him of another video.

“There’s a black dude at a church that’s screaming, ‘I like girls!’” Whitlock recalls. “He’s like rebuking his homosexuality. It’s one of the funniest videos I’ve ever seen.”

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Free, Video, Camera phone, Upload, Sharing, Video phone, Youtube.com, Fearless with jason whitlock, Fearless, Jason whitlock, Will smith, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Pretty girls, Jada pinkett smith, Will smith album, Will smith rapper 

I’m a strong supporter of President Trump. I respect his drive to secure our borders, restore national sovereignty, and bring real vitality back to the American economy.

But the Department of Homeland Security’s latest move — limiting workplace enforcement and putting a stop to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on agricultural employers — cuts against the very heart of the America First agenda. It protects the same corporate giants that are bleeding rural communities dry.

If DHS and USDA want to fix agriculture, they need to stop hiding behind the word ‘farmer’ when they’re really talking about corporate middlemen.

Let’s not kid ourselves: This policy isn’t about helping “farmers.” It’s a gift to foreign-owned industrial agriculture giants like JBS and other multinationals that built their business models on cheap labor, government handouts, and total control over every link in the supply chain.

These are the corporations responsible for wiping out independent family farms across the country.

The Biden administration let Big Ag off the hook. Is Trump really about to follow suit?

Hiring legally and thriving

You don’t need to hire illegal workers to run a successful farm or ranch. In fact, some of the best in the business don’t.

Look at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia. Or Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia. Or Meriwether Farms out in Wyoming. These aren’t fantasy models. They’re real, thriving operations built on legal labor, strong local roots, and, when needed, carefully managed visa programs.

They don’t rely on mass illegal labor. They don’t need to.

What they do is create real jobs. They pay honest wages. They bring life back to rural towns.

Will Harris is the biggest employer in Bluffton — not because he cuts corners on labor, but because he heals the land, strengthens his community, and delivers food independence.

This is what Trump’s golden age of American farming should look like: self-reliance, real prosperity, and pride in a job well done.

A free pass for Big Ag

With this new policy, DHS basically gave corporate amnesty to the likes of Tyson, Smithfield, JBS, Cargill — you name it. These are companies that depend on cheap, illegal labor to keep their bloated, centralized model afloat.

We’ve been down this road before. Remember Ronald Reagan’s 1986 amnesty? Legalization now, enforcement later — except “later” never came.

And now, we’re repeating the same mistake.

This policy protects a broken system built on:

Top-down corporate controlMassive consolidationDebt traps and labor abuseDe facto open bordersSlave-wage laborLegal loopholes for billion-dollar companies

What we’re left with is what journalist Christopher Leonard called “chickenization” — a corporate takeover of the food system that treats farmers like serfs and workers like machines.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s loyalty to these monopolies has already hollowed out towns, forced families off their land, and turned our food supply into a global pipeline where cartel-linked produce replaces homegrown independence.

This doesn’t serve America. It serves the bottom lines of a few mega-firms that like open borders and look the other way on enforcement.

And whether it admits it or not, this is how the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals get implemented — quietly, through broken farms, outsourced jobs, and illegal hires.

RELATED: Trump orders ICE to ramp up deportations in Dem-controlled cities following MAGA backlash over selective pause on raids

Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

This isn’t just about agriculture. It’s about national security.

A nation that can’t feed itself without breaking its own laws isn’t sovereign. And one that lets multinationals run roughshod over the heartland while outsourcing production to places run by cartels is heading for trouble.

We can do better

If DHS and USDA want to fix agriculture, they need to stop hiding behind the word “farmer” when they’re really talking about corporate middlemen.

Trump has a chance to change course — one that truly puts Americans first. That means backing the producers who follow the law, hiring citizens or legal workers, and building food systems that support independence, not dependence.

Independent farmers and ranchers are ready to help. They’ve already shown what works: strong property rights, legal labor, fair water access, and a commitment to community.

This isn’t some policy wish list. It’s already happening.

And it’s winning.

Let’s not give our food, our land, or our future back to the monopolies that wrecked the past.

​Opinion & analysis, Illegal immigration, Department of homeland security, Usda, Big ag, Family farms, Agriculture, Immigration and customs enforcement, Mass deportations, Food and drug administration, Food prices, Grocery, Debt, Labor, Open borders, Ronald reagan, Amnesty, White oak pastures, Polyface farm, Meriwether farms, Jobs americans won’t do 

The U.S. Department of Justice charged Vance Luther Boelter with murder and stalking in the assassination of a top Minnesota lawmaker Monday and revealed he allegedly went to four state legislators’ homes Saturday intending to kill them.

Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minn., was captured at 9:15 p.m. Central on Sunday, June 15, after the largest police manhunt in Minnesota history. He was about a mile from his home and 60 miles from where the murders took place.

He is charged with killing Minnesota Speaker of the House Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL) and her husband, Mark, as he burst into their Brooklyn Park home just after 3:30 a.m Saturday. About 90 minutes earlier, authorities said, he shot state Sen. John Hoffman (DFL) and his wife at their home in Champlin. The Hoffmans had emergency surgery and are expected to recover.

Boelter was charged in U.S. District Court in St. Paul with two counts of murder, two counts of stalking, and two firearms offenses related to stalking. He is being held without bond. He is also charged in Hennepin County with first-degree murder and attempted murder, but the federal charges will be prosecuted first.

“Vance Luthor [sic] Boelter went on a violent rampage against our elected officials,” said acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson. “These were targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen before in Minnesota. It was an attack on our state and on our democracy. We will not rest until he is brought to justice.”

The crimes “have shocked the nation and united us in grief,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “These horrific acts of violence will not go unanswered.”

The story laid out in the criminal complaint and accompanying FBI affidavit is unprecedented in Minnesota history — literally the stuff of nightmares.

Boelter surveilled the homes of the victims and researched their lives using commercial data sites such as Been Verified, Whitepages, Intelius, and numerous others, the affidavit says.

Boelter carried out his rampage disguised as a police officer, wearing a “hyper realistic” silicone mask, a police uniform, and a black tactical vest with body armor, the complaint continued. He allegedly drove a Ford SUV detailed to look like a squad car, including emergency lights.

RELATED: ‘Politically motivated assassination’: Minnesota Democrat rep and husband gunned down — state senator, wife wounded

Screenshot of FBI affidavit

At just after 2 a.m. on June 14, Boelter allegedly drove to the Hoffman home in Champlin. He knocked on the front door and shouted, “This is the police. Open the door,” the affidavit reads.

The senator opened the door to Boelter, who said there had been a shooting reported at their address. “He asked whether the Hoffmans had any guns,” the affidavit said. “Senator Hoffman responded that there were but that all firearms were locked away.”

Although Boelter had been shining a flashlight in their faces, Mrs. Hoffman realized Boelter was wearing a mask. The couple told Boelter he was not a real police officer, to which he responded, “This is a robbery.”

Senator Hoffman tried to push Boelter back out the front door but was shot repeatedly, the complaint says. Mrs. Hoffman then tried to shut the door on the suspect, but she was also shot multiple times.

The Hoffmans’ daughter called 911 at 2:06 a.m. to report that her parents had been shot.

Boelter then allegedly left the Champlin home and drove to the home of another legislator, identified in the affidavit as “Public Official 1,” in Maple Grove. He repeatedly rang the doorbell at 2:24 a.m., shouting: “This is the police. Open the door. This is the police. We have a warrant,” the affidavit said. The lawmaker was not at home, so the suspect left the area.

Boelter then drove to the New Hope home of another lawmaker and parked down the street. A New Hope police officer saw Boelter’s vehicle and believed it “was in fact a law enforcement officer providing protection for Public Official 2,” the FBI affidavit said. The officer tried to speak to Boelter through the vehicle window, but Boelter stared straight ahead and did not respond.

The New Hope officer continued driving to the home of the lawmaker and waited for backup to arrive. By that time, the suspect had left the area.

Around 3:30 a.m., police in Brooklyn Park sent squad cars to check on Hortman and her husband. Officers saw a black Ford Explorer SUV parked outside the home with its emergency lights flashing. The license plate had been replaced with a fake plate that read “POLICE.”

RELATED: Suspect tied to Walz? Democrat governor may have appointed alleged Minnesota shooter to state board

The FBI said Vance Boelter used materials he bought at a Fleet Farm store to make this fake license plate.Screenshot of FBI affidavit

Officers said they spotted Boelter on the porch of the home and he opened fire on them. As Boelter “moved into the house, a second set of gunshots can be heard. At the same time, several flashes appear in the entryway window,” the affidavit says.

Brooklyn Park officers approached the front entrance, where they found Melissa Hortman, who had been shot multiple times. They tried to provide medical aid to Mark Hortman. Both died from their wounds. Boelter also allegedly shot and killed the family dog.

Boelter fled the home, leaving the SUV out front, according to the affidavit. As he ran, he reportedly ditched the silicone mask, the body armor vest he wore, and a flashlight.

RELATED: Florida woman poses as ICE agent to kidnap ex-boyfriend’s wife, says victim must ‘suffer consequences of husband’s actions’

Vance Boelter wore a hyper-realistic silicone mask that covered his entire head, the FBI said.Screenshot of FBI affidavit

Police began tracking the locations of cell phones “known to be used by Boelter and his wife,” the affidavit says. She was in a vehicle near Onamia, Minn., police said June 15.

Mrs. Boelter allowed officers to search her phone. Her husband apparently sent a group text message at 6:18 a.m., in which he wrote: “Dad went to war last night. … I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody.”

A short time later, Boelter reportedly sent a text to his wife: “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation. …There’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around.”

When police searched Mrs. Boelter’s vehicle, they found two handguns, about $10,000 in cash, and passports for her and the couple’s children, who were in the vehicle when stopped by police.

Police said Boelter was seen on security video behind a home on Fremont Avenue in North Minneapolis. A man who lives there told reporters on June 15 that Boelter rented a room in the home. The man, David Carlson, said he had known Boelter since grade school.

RELATED: Police detain suspected assassin’s wife with cash, passports, weapon, ammunition

David Carlson reads text messages he said he received from Vance Boelter after the shootings of two lawmakers and their spouses.Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Security video showed a man identified by police as Boelter walking around a black SUV parked in the alley. He smashed the front passenger window with a blunt object, then opened the door.

After leaving the area, Boelter reportedly approached a man at a bus stop about 7 a.m. at 48th Avenue North and North Lyndale Avenue in North Minneapolis. The man said Boelter wanted to buy an electric bicycle from him. The men boarded a bus and traveled to the witness’ home. Boelter allegedly asked to also buy the man’s Buick sedan.

The men drove to a U.S. Bank branch in Robbinsdale, Minn., where Boelter reportedly withdrew $2,200 — all of the funds in the account. The suspect was captured on bank security video wearing a dark jacket and cowboy hat. He gave the witness $900 for the e-bike and the vehicle.

By this time, Blaze News’ Julio Rosas reported exclusively that Boelter was the person believed to have committed the Hortman murders and the Hoffman shootings.

Around 2:30 p.m. on June 15, police received a tip that someone was riding an e-bike about two miles north of the Boelter family home in Green Isle. Police could not find anyone.

At the time, tactical officers began flooding the area in Sibley County looking for Boelter.

A short time later, police discovered the Buick that Boelter reportedly purchased earlier in the day, abandoned on Highway 25, not far from the e-bike sighting. Inside, officers discovered Boelter’s cowboy hat and a letter addressed to the FBI. In the letter, Boelter allegedly admitted to being “the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the 2 shootings the morning of Saturday June 15th [sic].”

Police located Boelter in a field in Green Isle about 9:10 p.m. June 15 and arrested him.

RELATED: Minnesota ‘assassination’ suspect captured

Screenshot of FBI affidavit

When they searched the 2015 Ford SUV abandoned at the Hortman home, police said they found license plates for the vehicle, registered in the names of Boelter and his wife. They found five firearms, including semiautomatic rifles, “as well as a large quantity of ammunition organized into loaded magazines,” the FBI affidavit said.

Police found several notebooks in the SUV with handwritten pages. They included the names of 45 Minnesota state and federal public officials, including Hortman. Her Brooklyn Park address was written next to her name.

RELATED: Alleged manifesto of murder suspect Luigi Mangione highlights lessons learned from Unabomber: Court docs

Police found several notebooks they said belonged to Vance Boelter.Screenshot of FBI affidavit

A Garmin GPS device found in the SUV had a trip history that included the addresses of Hortman, Hoffman, and one of the unidentified legislators in Maple Grove. The trip history included home addresses “for at least two other state officials,” the affidavit says.

Police found components of a disassembled Beretta 92 9mm semiautomatic handgun with at least three magazines “strewn across the ground a few blocks from Representative Hortman’s home.” Rounds contained in the magazines had the same head stamp as those found on expelled cartridges from the Hortman crime scene. Boelter purchased the handgun in or around January 2000.

When they searched the North Minneapolis home where Boelter occasionally stayed, police found a handwritten list of names containing “many of those same public officials named in the notebooks found in Boelter’s SUV,” according to the affidavit.

Police found a receipt from a Fleet Farm store that showed purchase of a flashlight, tactical rifle case, two types of ammunition, and “materials believe to have been used to create the fake ‘POLICE’ license plate attached to Boelter’s SUV.”

In one of the notebooks found in the North Minneapolis home, officers found lists of names along with addresses and personal details. For Hortman, a notation read, “Married Mark 2 children 11th term.” Another notebook had more details about Hortman: “Big. House off golf course 2 ways in to watch from one spot,” the affidavit reads.

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As the war raged on between Israel and Iran on Monday, President Donald Trump issued a grave threat against Iran on social media.

The president has previously warned against Iran continuing its retaliatory strikes against Israel, but he ended his post with a five-word warning that alarmed many.

‘I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!’

“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!” the president wrote on Truth Social.

“Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” he added.

Many marveled at the proclamation, since the capital city of Iran includes 9 million residents. Very soon after, CNN reported that Trump was leaving the G7 economic forum in Canada early and returning to the White House.

On Thursday evening, Israel launched a devastating attack meant to cripple Iran’s nuclear weapons development capabilities in addition to killing as many military leaders as possible. The strike was named Operation Rising Lion.

Prior to the attack, the U.S. had evacuated personnel from the region after Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh issued a threat to U.S. bases that were within the reach of Iranian missiles.

Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran have stalled over whether Iran will be allowed to refine nuclear material for nonmilitary energy production.

The president had indicated that he was working behind the scenes to negotiate a peace deal between Iran and Israel.

“We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place,” he wrote. “I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!

RELATED: Former IDF spox shoots down Axios report claiming Trump deceived Iran before ruinous Israeli strike

Photo by Wisam Hashlamoun/Anadolu via Getty Images

The White House has said they knew about the attack beforehand but denied that the U.S. had any part in the planning.

“We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.”

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Police officers on duty at the annual WestFest carnival in West Valley City, Utah — which is about 20 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City — noticed two groups of people arguing around 9:20 p.m. Sunday, police said.

As officers approached the groups to break things up, police said a 16-year-old male from one of the groups pulled a gun and opened fire.

‘I don’t even know how to explain this night.’

Police said the following victims were fatally shot: 18-year-old Hassan Lugundi of West Valley City — a male from one of the arguing groups; 41-year-old Fnu Reena — a female bystander from West Jordan; and an 8-month-old boy whose name authorities won’t release.

According to KSTU-TV, the 41-year-old female victim and the infant victim were not connected to each other.

Police said gunfire struck two teens — a 17-year-old female and a 15-year-old male — in their arms. Police added that it’s not clear if the two wounded teens were connected to the arguing groups.

The 16-year-old male suspect was taken into custody, police said, adding that an officer fired but didn’t hit the suspect. Police also said the suspect was taken to the police station for questioning.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told KSTU it’s too early to determine if the teen suspect will be charged as a juvenile or as an adult.

“We have not yet screened the case. Whether a case is filed in a juvenile or district court is a decision that is made at time of filing,” Gill said in a statement, according to KSTU. “It would be premature for us to talk about these matters at this time.”

RELATED: Former reality TV contestant shot and killed at No Kings protest by ‘peacekeeper,’ police say

Sunday was the final day of the four-day event, which took place at Centennial Park and featured “food, fun, and festivities” such as music and carnival rides.

A shocked employee of a business located next to the park told Blaze News on Monday afternoon that he feels “bad for what happened” and added that it was completely out of the ordinary for the area.

“I’d definitely say it was a one-off,” the worker noted to Blaze News before acknowledging the “dark” nature of the crime.

RELATED: ‘No brainer’: Utah becomes first state to ban rainbow flags in both schools and government buildings

A pregnant woman also was injured while trying to climb a fence to flee the scene, KUTV-TV reported.

Roxeanne Vainuku — public information officer for West Valley City police — told KUTV that “it’s heartbreaking, I think for all of us, to see something like this happen at something that is just a real treasure, something that we really enjoy in our community.”

Vainuku added to the station that it’s not clear if the shooting was gang-related. KUTV also said police won’t release the name of the suspect since he’s a juvenile.

“I don’t even know how to explain this night,” one witness told KSTU. “I am traumatized. I don’t think I would ever go to a fair, especially if they’re not checking the people that walk in.”

Another witness added to KSTU: “I was very scared because I’m not used to hearing gunshots, and I almost had a panic attack because that was scary.”

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the United States to help finish what he’s started: an all-out campaign to cripple Iran’s nuclear program. What he’s really asking for is access to America’s deepest-penetrating weapon — the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP.

Netanyahu doesn’t necessarily need U.S. pilots or bombers. But he does need our bunker-busters.

With enough GBU-57s and a little creativity, Israel could take out Iran’s deepest nuclear infrastructure without dragging America into another open conflict.

The target list is no mystery: Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant near Qom. The Natanz complex. And an even deeper site tunneled beneath Mount Kolang Gaz La. These are not standard bomb runs. They require a weapon that can punch through hundreds of feet of reinforced concrete, steel, and rock.

The Israeli Air Force lacks that kind of firepower — or so it seems.

Israel claims it doesn’t have an aircraft capable of carrying the 15-ton GBU-57 into a strike zone over Iran. But that’s not quite true. Israeli forces already hold air superiority over parts of Iranian territory, including Tehran. With Iran’s air defenses heavily degraded, the IAF doesn’t necessarily need to deploy a fighter jet to carry the payload. It needs a flying dump truck.

That opens the door to unconventional delivery options.

From cargo planes to commercial jets

The U.S. used C-130s to drop 15,000-pound “Daisy Cutter” bombs in Vietnam and Iraq. The Israeli Air Force could do the same. A C-130 can carry a GBU-57 and yeet it out the rear ramp via parachute.

But if altitude and airspeed prove insufficient for terminal velocity — the speed the bomb needs to maximize its penetration — Israel has another option: retrofitting a civilian airliner.

Specifically, the Israeli national carrier El Al operates six Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. With a coat of paint, Israeli military insignia, and some hardware borrowed from the U.S. Air Force’s B-52H — external pylons and multiple ejector racks — those jets could carry two MOPs apiece.

This isn’t theoretical. It’s just engineering.

Accuracy by adaptation

To ensure pinpoint accuracy, Israel would need to integrate the bomb’s GPS/INS (inertial navigation system) with the aircraft’s onboard navigation. The bomb must “know” where it is and where it’s going. Once released, it would guide itself to the coordinates with extreme precision.

RELATED: Operation Rising Lion: Mark Levin’s warning vindicated by Israel’s Iran strike

Blaze Media Illustration

The MOP’s advanced fuse would count the layers — soil, rock, empty space, concrete — and detonate in the core target zone. A second bomb dropped on the same location would guarantee complete destruction.

The bottom line

Israel doesn’t need U.S. wings in the air to finish the job in Iran. It just needs the hardware.

With enough GBU-57s and a little creativity, Israel could take out Iran’s deepest nuclear infrastructure without dragging America into another open conflict.

The only question: Will Trump’s rightful aversion to engaging in endless wars prevent him from supplying Netanyahu with the one tool he needs to finish the job quickly?

​Opinion & analysis, Israel, Iran, Nuclear weapons, Iran deal, Donald trump, Benjamin netanyahu, Gbu-57 massive ordnance penetrator, Bunker buster, Fordow, Tehran, Bombs, Boeing 777, C-130 

A federal judge accused the Trump administration of racial and LGBTQ discrimination and ordered the president to reissue grants that had been shut down at the National Institutes of Health.

President Donald Trump shut down grants at NIH and other agencies that he found were supporting policies related to far-left ideologies and movements.

‘Have we fallen so low?’ he asked. ‘Have we no shame?’

On Monday, District of Massachusetts Judge William Young said that ending the grants based on opposition to gender ideology or diversity, equity, and inclusion was likely illegal.

“I’ve never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable,” said the judge, according to Axios. “I’ve sat on this bench now for 40 years. I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this.”

Young ordered the NIH to fund 367 grants that had been ended under the new policies of the Trump administration.

“I am hesitant to draw this conclusion, but I have an unflinching obligation to draw it, that this represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community,” said the judge.

Attorneys had argued that the cuts to billions of dollars’ worth of grants were “arbitrary” and harmed racial groups as well as LGBTQ members.

The order only renews funding for the grants named in the lawsuit and only while the case continues through the legal process.

RELATED: Trump to freeze federal funds as admin weeds out ‘wokeness’ in budget

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Young had said that the Supreme Court had struck down affirmative action in a recent ruling but that this did not mean the government had the right to outright discrimination.

“Have we fallen so low?” he asked. “Have we no shame?”

Young was appointed to the court by former President Ronald Reagan.

Trump has made cutting out “woke” federal spending a goal of his second term in office.

“The use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and Green New Deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” reads a memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget in January.

“This memorandum requires federal agencies to identify and review all federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the president’s policies and requirements,” the memo reads.

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Louisiana police said a man committed a “deliberate and cowardly” attack on an officer on Monday that left him in extremely critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital.

Gad Black, 41, allegedly drove his Ford F-150 truck into Sgt. Caleb Eisworth as the officer was on his way home from work on his police motorcycle. Black knocked Eisworth off his vehicle and then dragged him for 500 feet.

‘We are outraged by this senseless act of violence and fully committed to ensuring the individual responsible is held accountable.’

Investigators believe Eisworth was struck at about 11 a.m. near Greenwell Springs Road and Joor Road, according to WAFB-TV.

Police found that Black had allegedly bragged about the attack on social media and named one of the roads.

“Check Him Out on Joor Rd. Stretched One,” read the alleged post on Facebook.

Eisworth, who is a 23-year veteran of the force, suffered two broken legs, a broken arm, and various other injuries.

Black was charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, but authorities said there will likely be other charges filed against him.

The suspect had been previously hit with a slew of charges in 2014 after he led police on a chase and put many lives in danger, including that of his 9-year-old son, who was riding in the passenger seat. Police used a spike strip to disable his vehicle, and when Black abandoned the car, he assaulted both an officer and a dog while trying to escape.

However, prosecutors agreed to a plea deal that dropped all of the charges except aggravated flight from an officer, and a judge sentenced him to only three years of probation.

RELATED: Homeless man dragged female jogger by the hair toward public restroom in Santa Monica, police say

Image Source: Baton Rouge Police Dep. Facebook photo screenshot

“This was a deliberate and cowardly attack on an officer — one of our community’s protectors — and it strikes at the very heart of public safety,” said East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux about the Monday attack.

“We are outraged by this senseless act of violence and fully committed to ensuring the individual responsible is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he added. “I want Sgt. Eisworth’s family, his BRPD family, and all of East Baton Rouge Parish to know that we are standing with and praying for you.”

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On June 9, the New York Senate passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which allows terminally ill, mentally competent adults with six months or less to live to request and self-administer life-ending medication. If signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul (D), New York will become the 11th state to legalize medical aid in dying.

This is more evidence that the left is championing a “culture of death” in America, says Glenn Beck. “The more ‘enlightened’ they become … the more barbaric [policy] actually becomes.”

Ironically, the left’s death-centric policies, whether it’s abortion, gender affirming care, or fighting for the rights of violent illegal alien criminals, are always wrapped in platitudes of “compassion.”

Equally ironic is the left’s response when it’s met with resistance: proving how “compassionate and loving [they] are through mob violence and arson and theft and assaulting federal officers,” most recently evidenced by the fiery anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement riots that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles.

Passing a bill that makes it “easier to kill yourself,” when “the U.S. Surgeon General’s office calls loneliness and isolation in America an epidemic,” is the opposite of compassion, says Glenn, noting that suicide has continued to steadily increase over the last several decades.

“This bill is assisted suicide, and it is dressed up — as always — as compassion, but it’s not mercy; it is absolute madness,” he insists.

Unlike many other states’ laws, New York’s bill does not require a mandatory waiting period after a patient’s request for life-ending medication, meaning that a patient can potentially elect to die on the same day he receives a terminal diagnosis, so long as he fulfills the requirements of a written request, confirmation of a six-month or less terminal prognosis by two physicians, verification of mental competency, and signatures from two impartial witnesses.

“Despair and depression clouds everything! You don’t make a decision when you’re like that,” condemns Glenn, who knows from experience that severe depression is often akin to “insanity.”

On top of expediting the process, the bill also “prohibits referring to this practice as suicide,” insisting that the procedure be called “a medical practice” and the lethal poison a “medication.”

“The lies are disgusting,” says Glenn, who is horrified yet not totally surprised considering Andrew Cuomo, New York’s former governor, “was killing people in nursing homes” during the COVID pandemic.

Perhaps most disturbing, however, is the bill’s policy when it comes to death certificates.

“When you write out the death certificate of a person who dies through assisted suicide, you are only allowed to list the person’s underlying illness or condition as the official cause of death. You cannot say it had anything to do with suicide or any medical aid in dying,” Glenn explains. The only reason for such a policy is to “[hide] the actual stats” so that they can “memory hole suicide.”

Glenn, citing a New York Times op-ed by Columbia University physician and ethicist Dr. Lydia Dugdale, reads, “Instead of investing in the infrastructure of support for the lonely, the depressed, the disabled, and the poor, we offer them a prescription for death. We call it autonomy, but it’s abandonment.”

“The art of dying well cannot be severed from the art of living well, and that includes caring for one another, especially when it is hard, inconvenient, or costly. It is not enough to offer the dying control. We must offer them dignity — not by affirming their despair but by affirming their worth,” Dugdale said.

To the brave New Yorkers who have managed to keep their ethics and common sense, Glenn beseeches: “You are not without hope — as long as you’re still in the fight. … Call your governor’s office; urge her to veto this evil bill of death. Choose life!”

To hear more about the bill, watch the clip above.

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Now that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking on incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn (R) in the 2026 U.S. Senate primary, the attorney general’s office might have some big shoes to fill next year.

Given Cornyn’s low approval ratings, there’s a good chance Texas will need a new “top cop,” says BlazeTV host Jill Savage.

Thankfully, there is “someone that has experience fighting alongside Donald Trump at the Justice Department … someone that Trump has called a true MAGA attorney and warrior for the Constitution” who has risen to the challenge. His name is Aaron Reitz, and he’s Paxton’s former senior Department of Justice official and deputy.

On a recent episode of “Blaze News | The Mandate,” Reitz joined Jill and Blaze News editor in chief Matthew Peterson to share what motivated him to take on this challenge and how he plans to ensure Texas stays tough on crime while holding rogue, Soros-backed DAs accountable.

“I know that if the president doesn’t get a true MAGA attorney or a warrior for the Constitution in that Texas AG spot … all kinds of dominoes are going to fall, and it’s going to be very bad, not only for Texas but really for the nation,” says Reitz. “I can’t accept that scenario.”

“What we need out of a Texas AG is somebody who first and foremost understands the civilizational crisis that we’re in. It’s not an exaggeration to say that we are in the midst of a war for the soul and the heart of our country,” he continues. “Texas in particular, just out of its sheer size, influence, scope, and power, is really always going to be where the heart of that fight is, and it’s why Democrats are always competing to try to take Texas.”

It would be a mistake, says Reitz, if Texas falls into what he calls “red-state complacency” — a phenomenon where red states forget that we are currently in the throes of a “civilizational and frankly even a spiritual cold war for our state and for our nation.” These states mistakenly figure that “tinkering on the margins” will “preserve liberty, preserve justice, and advance law and order.”

But it’s not enough — not since Soros-funded district attorneys began “undermining law and order in Texas.” Texas counties, Reitz explains, “have massive amounts of autonomy and discretion,” meaning “ideological Democrats get governmental capture over their city and their county political apparatuses, and they just start advancing an aggressive left-wing agenda.”

“The Texas AG, though, as a statewide elected official representing the interests of the whole state and robed with immense constitutional powers, plays a critical part in suppressing the extent of the damage that these blue Soros-funded DAs do,” says Reitz, noting that this calculated suppression requires the AG “to get creative with the exercise of the weapons that are in statute.”

One creative legal strategy he plans to employ is called a “quo warranto memo” — a common-law mechanism allowing a state to challenge the authority of a public official or entity, such as a district attorney, if they are repeatedly and flagrantly violating the law.

“I want to seek affirmative measures for the state of Texas — state versus Soros-funded DA — because if that Soros-funded DA is making our streets unsafe, releasing criminals, making families paranoid … and they are abusing their prosecutorial discretion to the extent that the cities are rotting, I want to be the kind of Texas AG that comes directly for you,” says Reitz. “You’ve got a state attorney general who is going to come and hold you accountable and ideally get you out of office.”

To hear more of Reitz’s plans to keep Texas tough, watch the episode above.

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The surviving family that was targeted in an assassination attempt in Minnesota released a statement two days after the terrifying incident that shocked the nation.

Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman (DFL) and his wife, Yvette, were both shot numerous times at their home on Saturday in the same plot that led to the deaths of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL) and her husband, Mark, according to police.

‘There is never a place for senseless political violence and loss of life.’

“We continue our healing journey and are humbled by the outpouring of love and support our family has received from across the state and our nation,” read the statement, according to ABC News. “We are devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark, and our hearts go out to all those who knew and loved them both.”

The family added that the two wounded victims were “both incredibly lucky to be alive.”

Investigators released video of a man wearing a latex mask to obscure his identity and dressed up like a police officer to fool his victims into opening their front door. Once they did so, he fired at his victims.

The attack on the Hoffmans and the Hortmans led to a massive manhunt for a suspect who was later identified as Vance Leroy Boelter, a co-owner of a security company with political ties.

On Sunday, the suspect’s wife, Jennifer Boelter, was detained after police stopped her vehicle and found passports, a weapon, ammunition, and a large amount of cash. She was driving with three of her relatives, but no other details were released about them.

Hours later, officials announced that Boelter had been arrested in Sibley County, Minnesota.

RELATED: Suspect tied to Walz? Democrat governor may have appointed alleged Minnesota shooter to state board

Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. Steven Garcia/Getty Images

On Monday, law enforcement officials said that Boelter had surveilled his victims and had left behind a list of numerous other targets, including other prominent politicians as well as media figures.

He was charged with two counts of murder, two counts of stalking, and two counts related to firearms crimes. His bail was set at $5 million.

Boelter had been appointed to the Governor’s Workforce Board and later re-appointed by Dem. Gov. Tim Walz, as first reported by Blaze News’ Julio Rosas.

“There is never a place for senseless political violence and loss of life,” said the Hoffmans in their statement Monday.

A GoFundMe donation page has been set up for the Hoffmans and has raised over $129,000 so far.

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Former swimmer Riley Gaines has proven herself to be a fierce advocate for women in sports, and her reaction to a Minnesota high school softball team’s championship win sparked a massive debate on social media.

Gaines alleged the transgender pitcher, Marissa Rothenberger, gave the team an unfair advantage.

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles doesn’t share Gaines’ concern.

“@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight-up sore loser,” Biles wrote in a post on X. “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!”

“But instead … You bully them … One thing’s for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around,” she added.

“This is actually so disappointing. It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform. Men don’t belong in women’s sports and I say that with my full chest,” Gaines responded.

USA Today appears to be taking Biles’ side in the debate, with one of its columnists Nancy Armour defending Biles, claiming in an opinion piece that there’s “no scientific evidence that transgender women athletes have a physical advantage over cisgender women athletes.”

And while the statement appears silly to anyone who understands the very real difference of strength between men and women, very few important voices are willing to die on that hill in the midst of cancel culture.

Which is why it was over a decade ago that Serena Williams publicly admitted to the difference.

“Men’s tennis and women’s tennis are completely almost two separate sports. So like if I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose 6-0, 6-0, in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes,” Williams said on the “Late Show with David Letterman” in 2013. “The men are a lot faster, and they serve hotter, they hit harder. It’s just a different game.”

BlazeTV host Pat Gray is shocked to hear it from Williams.

“That is from the number one women’s player in the world,” Gray says on “Pat Gray Unleashed.” “And she knows all of that because she got beat by the 203rd ranked man in the world when she was at the top of her game.”

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A Utah man was killed during a No Kings protest after he was inadvertently shot at a demonstration in downtown Salt Lake City, according to police.

Around 7:56 p.m. on Saturday, a sergeant with the Salt Lake City Police Department Motor Squad reported hearing gunfire at the demonstration that drew approximately 10,000 protesters, according to a statement from the Salt Lake City Police Department.

‘The shooting at tonight’s protest in Salt Lake City is a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square.’

“As panic spread throughout the area, hundreds of people ran for safety, hiding in parking garages, behind barriers, and going into nearby businesses,” the Salt Lake City Police Department stated.

Officers and two Salt Lake City Police Department SWAT team members — who are also Salt Lake City Fire paramedics — located a man suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately conducted lifesaving measures.

The shooting victim was rushed to a local hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Police identified the shooting victim as Arthur Folasa Ah Loo. Authorities said Loo had been an “innocent bystander who was not the intended target of the gunfire.”

RELATED: Over 98% of Americans ignore No Kings’ tired tantrum

Just minutes after the shooting, people at the No Kings protest flagged down police officers. The officers found 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa armed and dressed in black, wearing a black mask as he was “crouching among a group of people with a gunshot wound.”

People at the protest informed police officers that there was a firearm near where Gamboa was crouching, which was described as an “AR-15-style rifle.”

Two men, identified as peacekeeping members at the demonstration, informed officers that Gamboa was acting in a “suspicious” manner before the shooting.

The peacekeepers told police that they “saw Gamboa move away from the crowd and move into a secluded area behind a wall — behavior they found suspicious.”

“One of the peacekeepers told detectives he saw Gamboa pull out an AR-15-style rifle from a backpack and begin manipulating it,” according to the Salt Lake City Police Department.

The peacekeepers reportedly drew their guns and ordered Gamboa to drop his firearm.

Witnesses at the protest claimed that Gamboa disregarded the orders and lifted his rifle, then began running toward the crowd while “holding the weapon in a firing position.”

One of the peacekeepers allegedly responded by firing three gunshots toward Gamboa, who was hit by gunfire. However, police said that one of the rounds struck Loo.

The peacekeepers immediately attempted to provide aid to Loo, according to the press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Police said Gamboa was transported to the hospital.

Gamboa was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail. He was charged with murder.

RELATED: From ‘F**k Trump’ to handshakes: ‘No Kings’ rally in Texas stays civil

Police stated, “Detectives have developed probable cause that Gamboa acted under circumstances that showed a depraved indifference to human life, knowingly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death, and ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member.”

Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said, “Our detectives are now working to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident. We will not allow this individual act to create fear in our community.”

Redd added, “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the 39-year-old man who was killed, and with the many community members who were impacted by this traumatic incident.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) wrote on the X social media platform, “The shooting at tonight’s protest in Salt Lake City is a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square. This is an active situation, and we’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability.”

According to KSL, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall (D) said, “The purpose of today’s demonstration was a powerful and peaceful expression until this event, and that cannot be overshadowed or silenced by a single act meant to harm. I want to urge everyone in the public to be calm, to give one another grace, and to look out for one another tonight in the coming days.”

KSL reported that Loo was a “widely-known and accomplished fashion designer” who appeared on the 17th season of the “Project Runway” reality TV show.

Loo — who was born and grew up in Samoa — is survived by his wife.

The Salt Lake City Police Department said the investigation into the deadly shooting is ongoing.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is urging anyone who took photos and videos at the crime scene to submit possible evidence here.

You can watch the press conference from the Salt Lake Police Department on the deadly No Kings protest shooting below.

RELATED: Leftist No Kings event in Arizona draws older crowd with patriotic symbols

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The Senate Finance Committee amended major tax provisions in the House’s version of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” and some Republicans are not happy about it.

The SALT Caucus, which advocates for an increased cap on state and local deductions, managed to do just that in the House version of the bill that was passed in May. After weeks of negotiating with Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican leadership, SALT Republicans were able to quadruple the original $10,000 cap to $40,000.

By appealing to the very stubborn SALT members, the House was able to pass the bill in an uncomfortably narrow 215-214 vote.

Although SALT Republicans were eventually able to get behind the landmark legislation, the Senate’s amendments may have alienated them and their much-needed support.

‘Not only insulting but a slap in the face to the Republican districts that delivered our majority and trifecta.’

RELATED: House narrowly passes DOGE cuts despite Republican defectors: ‘The gravy train is up’

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Senate Finance Committee pushed the $40,000 cap right back down to $10,000 on Monday, treating it as a “negotiating mark.” As expected, SALT Republicans are not on board.

At the forefront of this dispute is Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who, like many of his other SALT colleagues, maintains that his support for the bill is conditional.

“I have been clear since Day one: sufficiently lifting the SALT Cap to deliver tax fairness to New Yorkers has been my top priority in Congress,” Lawler said in a statement Monday. “After engaging in good faith negotiations, we were able to increase the cap on SALT from $10,000 to $40,000. That is the deal and I will not accept a penny less. If the Senate reduces the SALT number, I will vote NO and the bill will fail in the House.”

“Consider this the response to the Senate’s ‘negotiating mark’: DEAD ON ARRIVAL,” Lawler added.

RELATED: Democrats vote overwhelmingly to allow illegal aliens to continue voting in key district

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Other SALT Republicans echoed Lawler, saying they will pull their support for the bill if the original $40,000 cap they negotiated in the House is scrapped.

“The Senate doesn’t have the votes for $10k SALT in the House,” Republican Rep. Nick LaLota of New York said Monday. “And if they’re not sold on the House’s $40k compromise, wait until they crash the OBBB and TCJA expires — when SALT goes back to unlimited at year-end. They won’t like that one bit.”

Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York shared her SALT colleagues’ frustrations. Malliotakis said the Senate’s amended bill is a “slap in the face,” reminding them that Republicans in moderate districts have helped secure the narrow majority they relied on to pass the legislation in the first place.

Notably, Malliotakis is the only Republican SALT member who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which is in charge of the tax policy drafted in the House.

RELATED: Chip Roy reveals to Glenn Beck possible motive behind Elon Musk’s scathing review of the ‘big, beautiful bill’

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“The $40,000 SALT deduction was carefully negotiated along with other tax provisions by the House of Representatives and we all had to give a little to obtain the votes to pass the Big Beautiful Bill,” Malliotakis said Monday. “For the Senate to leave the SALT deduction capped at $10,000 is not only insulting but a slap in the face to the Republican districts that delivered our majority and trifecta.”

“If we want to be the big tent party, we need to recognize that we have members representing blue states with high taxes that are subsidizing many red districts across the country with constituents who benefit from refundable tax credits despite paying zero in taxes,” Malliotakis added.

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President Donald Trump has led a multifaceted plan to address the former Biden administration’s immigration crisis. In addition to increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detainment efforts, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security implemented a self-deportation program that has reportedly already experienced considerable success.

The Center for Immigration Studies has conservatively approximated that there are roughly 15.4 million illegal aliens in the country. Andrew Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy with the CIS, claimed that nearly 1 million of those illegal aliens have opted to self-deport due to the Trump administration’s strict immigration enforcement measures.

‘Even with the cost of the stipend, it is projected that the use of CBP Home will decrease the costs of a deportation by around 70 percent.’

Arthur reached the 1 million figure based partly on employment numbers.

He cited a June op-ed from the Wall Street Journal, which assessed that the immigrant population had decreased by 773,000 over the first four months of Trump’s presidency.

RELATED: ‘Self-deport’ flights begin as some illegal migrants take advantage of Trump’s tempting offer: Report

Photo by Carlos Moreno/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Further supporting Arthur’s estimate, a Washington Post report read, “More than a million foreign-born workers have exited the workforce since March.” While the Post framed the findings as “a sign of the weakening labor supply,” it also claimed that average wages had increased.

“Average hourly wages accelerated, rising by 0.4 percent over the month, to $36.24 in May, as earnings continue to beat inflation in a boost to workers’ spending power,” the Post stated.

Arthur concluded, “In other words, with fewer illegal immigrants, businesses have had to raise wages to attract workers.”

He noted that the administration’s self-deportation program is a significantly cheaper route for taxpayers compared to ICE raids.

The DHS launched “a nationwide and international multimillion-dollar ad campaign” to promote the self-deportation program, warning illegal aliens that if they refuse to leave on their own, they may become ineligible to return to the United States.

RELATED: Trump’s self-deportation plan: Genius or waste of money? Mark Levin weighs in

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The DHS repurposed the former CBP One application, now CBP Home, to facilitate and track the self-deportations.

The department has also offered financial and travel assistance to illegal aliens to incentivize them to leave the country voluntarily.

“Any illegal alien who uses the CBP Home App to self-deport will also receive a stipend of $1,000 dollars, paid after their return to their home country has been confirmed through the app,” stated a DHS press release. “Even with the cost of the stipend, it is projected that the use of CBP Home will decrease the costs of a deportation by around 70 percent. Currently the average cost to arrest, detain, and remove an illegal alien is $17,121.”

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

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California police say they are looking for the driver of a car that barreled through No Kings protesters during an altercation at a Riverside protest on Saturday.

Video on social media showed protesters surrounding the black SUV, and one protester began to damage the rear brake lamp when the driver stepped on the gas and drove through a group of people.

She was in a medically induced coma awaiting a second surgery, her friends said.

Seconds later, a woman can be heard yelling, “They just ran over my sister!”

Riverside police said the incident unfolded at about 9:40 p.m. on University Avenue near Orange Street. They are investigating the incident as a felony hit-and-run.

One woman was hospitalized with what police said were significant injuries. She is said to be in stable condition.

Police are searching for the driver and have asked the public for any information about the suspect. They have not said what happened before the video recording began.

Video of the incident went viral on social media, where it garnered millions of views.

RELATED: The HIDDEN motive behind the anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ protests

Photo by Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images

Friends of the victim identified her as 21-year-old Alexa Carrasco and said that she had a cracked rib, a punctured lung, numerous severe skull injuries, and a broken leg. She was in a medically induced coma awaiting a second surgery, her friends told KTLA-TV.

“It was just a 21-year-old girl protesting for their family, for human, basic rights,” said Minor Garcia, a friend of Carrasco.

Some estimates put the total number of participants in the protests at about 2% of the total population. More protests are being planned as part of a campaign to oppose the polices of President Donald Trump.

Riverside is a suburb of Los Angeles with about 315,000 residents.

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The Trump Organization, which provides services in many sectors of the economy — including real estate development, entertainment, and financial services — is adding a new venture to its growing portfolio. The Trump Organization, run by President Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Jr., announced the launch of its very own mobile wireless company, Trump Mobile.

The launch of Trump Mobile comes on the 10-year anniversary of the launch of President Trump’s first presidential campaign. They are promising “top-tier connectivity, unbeatable value, and all-American service for our nation’s hardest-working people.”

‘We’re building on the movement to put America first, and we will deliver the highest levels of quality and service.’

“Our company is based right here in the United States because we know it’s what our customers want and deserve,” Donald Trump Jr. said in an announcement. “We’re building on the movement to put America first, and we will deliver the highest levels of quality and service.”

The flagship program, the 47 Plan, costs $47.45 per month, a commemorative number for Trump’s service as the 45th and 47th president of the United States. It works with all three major carriers in the U.S., making it a reliable option coast to coast. On top of that, the plan offers unlimited talk, text, and data; telehealth services; and free international calling, among many other features.

RELATED: JD Vance pushes America First position on India-Pakistan conflict: ‘None of our business’

Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The service has some additional perks in the spirit of President Trump’s American First agenda. “We’re especially proud to offer free long-distance calling to our military members and their families — because those serving overseas should always be able to stay connected to the people they love back home,” Eric Trump said in his announcement.

Additionally, the announcement includes the launch of a phone to go along with the mobile network: the T1 Phone. The T1 Phone is a “sleek, gold smartphone” manufactured in the United States. It will be available starting in August.

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