Category: blaze media

Outside Marine Corps Base Quantico stands a limestone replica of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

Like the 100-ton bronze statue in Arlington, Felix de Weldon’s nine-foot sculpture in Quantico depicts six battle-weathered Marines raising an American flag on Japan’s Iwo Jima Island during World War II.

‘This criminal illegal alien’s dream is over.’

This monument commemorating American heroes and heroism was vandalized on Wednesday. The suspect accused of beheading one of the statues and hammering away at other features has been identified as an illegal alien.

According to the Prince William Police Department, officers arrived to the scene around 10:13 p.m. on Wednesday to find Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano allegedly “actively damaging the statue with a sledgehammer.”

In addition to allegedly removing one of the depicted soldier’s heads, Soriano is accused of inflicting other damage “estimated to be in hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said police.

The suspect was taken into custody and charged with felony destruction of property, trespass with intent to damage property, and felony injury to monument. He was held without bond.

RELATED: Honduran illegal alien assaulted ICE officers with HAMMER, feds claim

Circa Images/GHI/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Multiple federal sources confirmed to Fox News’ Bill Melugin that Soriano is an illegal alien, specifically a former DACA recipient whose legal status expired this year.

Citing federal sources, Melugin reported that Soriano stole into the homeland in 1999, was granted DACA by the Obama administration in 2014, had that DACA status extended by the Biden administration in 2024, and has since lost his status.

The attorney listed for Soriano did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for comment. The DHS did, however, share an image of an Iwo Jima memorial, vowing in the message, “This we will defend.”

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the New York Post, “This criminal illegal alien’s dream is over: Maldonado Soriano disrespected our brave service members and defaced a beautiful monument that honored their sacrifice.”

“President Trump has secured our border and is deporting illegal criminals who hate our country and our values,” continued Rogers. “The socialist Democrats want to go back to open borders and flood our communities with dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”

The Marine Corps Public Affairs told Blaze News: “Marine Corps Base Quantico is aware of the situation. We are working closely with the Prince William County Police Department on a joint investigation. As this is an open investigation, no further comment will be provided.”

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​Illegal alien, Marines, Quantico, Vandalism, Department of homeland security, Politics 

The NFL is all systems go for the regular-season game in Paris between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints.

Despite widespread destruction in the streets of France over the past week and an expectation that there will be unrest again this weekend, the NFL said there have been “no disruptions” to speak of league operations.

‘We’ve made all the preparations.’

However, amid the league’s attempt to calm nerves in recent days, the Steelers and the NFL have canceled a fan event at a bar in the Bastille area that was scheduled for the weekend because of security concerns.

“Following recent events in the Bastille neighborhood, and after careful consideration, we felt it appropriate not to move forward with the planned Steelers House fan event in Paris,” the NFL said in a message to fans, per ESPN.

“Preparations for Sunday’s NFL Paris game at Stade de France continue as planned,” the statement added.

NFL fan events scheduled for Friday and Saturday are still expected to be held as planned, the league told OutKick.

The cancellation comes after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell delivered a series of odd remarks in which he said that security will be “very high” at the event, but there is essentially nothing to worry about.

“We’ve made all the preparations. We’ve been in touch with the appropriate authorities,” Goodell said Wednesday, according to CNN, specifically claiming he has spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in recent days.

And even though Paris is just days removed from massive civil unrest, acts of vandalism, and fires set to government buildings, Goodell simply stated, “Protests are not unusual in France.”

The commissioner added that he is looking forward to attending the game.

RELATED: The NFL says it could expand with multiple teams — and you won’t like where they’re going

The NFL has remained steadfast in its messaging surrounding the safety of the Paris game despite simultaneously increasing security.

“Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday,” the NFL said, according to reporter Adam Schefter. “We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.”

Schefter also reported that Saints executive Greg Bensel said he concurred with the NFL’s decision to march forward with the game.

“Members of our football operations staff and internal security team have been on the ground in France for the past few days, and there has been no disruption or impact at any of our team sites,” Bensel remarked.

RELATED: Fans accuse Chicago Bears player of performing Muslim prayer during national anthem: ‘Is this respectful?’

Stade de France. OEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

Moreover, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, international, and league events has emphasized that league personnel and security have been on the ground for 10 days ensuring enhanced security around the event.

The executive, Peter O’Reilly, said the league was “obviously being very vigilant” in all of its planning and noted that a large soccer game between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona — two of the most popular teams in the world — had gone ahead earlier this week, at a different stadium.

The NFL has nine international games this season, its most ever, including inaugural games in Australia, Brazil, and France.

The overseas schedule has been widely criticized by analysts like former NFL coach Jon Gruden, who said the league should be growing the game in the United States first.

Radio hosts Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington said players should refuse to play in Paris.

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​Nfl, Football, Roger goodell, Sports, France 

We the People.

Three of the most famous words in American history. They’re a source of pride for every red-blooded American patriot. Why? What exactly do those words symbolize?

What is the first thing people do when the president, or a senator, or a local mayor whom you voted for does something ‘bad’? They blame you for voting for him.

Believing in “we” is believing that we are in charge of our own destiny. It means that an American citizen believes that he or she possesses ultimate sovereignty. That we make the rules. Not some king or a small cabal of powerful men pulling the strings.

That is the story we tell ourselves. It is the belief in the power of popular sovereignty or, in plainer terms, democracy. As a nation of individual sovereigns, we come together every few years and “make our voices heard” by casting ballots for representatives who we then demand represent our best interests.

This idea, I argue, is just one big myth.

Who decides?

Specifically, the myth is the belief that we, the people, have any meaningful say in how our government actually gets picked or what it actually does.

I sincerely ask anyone reading this to ask themselves: Who actually picks and runs our government?

Is it you? Are you getting weekly progress reports mail-delivered to you by the Trump administration? Or are you personally funding the campaign expenses for a 2028 Republican primary contender?

No. You’re not.

So the question is, what exactly is the mechanism that drives all the logistics, funding, and management of our political apparatus?

The short answer is capital (and capital interests). Capital is the engine behind democracy. It is what finds and bankrolls new political candidates, helps staff their administrations, and politically pressures them in the media. And when ordinary persuasion isn’t enough, those with money and influence have other ways of getting what they want. Crazy concept, I know.

What makes someone else “more” equal than you in a democracy where everyone’s voice is supposed to count the same?

Capital. Money talks. Bulls**t walks.

A feature, not a bug

I can already picture the eyerolls and the groans.

“What an obvious statement! Just get the money out of politics!” —Disgruntled Reader

If your solution to our problems in government is “getting money out of politics” so that we can get back to voting even harder in the next election cycle, then you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of democracy itself, which needs to be corrected at this very moment.

The mistake is in thinking our democracy is corrupt. It is not corrupt. Corruption implies a malfunction, a deviation from the design. There is no malfunction here. It is working as it is intended to work.

“But you have it all wrong! Our country isn’t even a democracy! It’s a republic!”

Yeah, that’s not the own that you think it is. Sure, our system is a representative democracy, a republic. But what do you think a republic is exactly? Who have our “representatives” historically been expected to “stand up” to? The big monopolies. Banks. Big Oil. Big Tech. That’s not by accident.

Putting the customer first

And ask the obvious follow-up: Why does it always seem like our “representatives” fail to stand up to them? It’s because the real power doesn’t belong to the guy working a 9-to-5 standing in line at the polling station. The real power belongs to the class of people who bankroll the candidates on the ballot.

Think it through. If the candidate you’re voting for was brought to your attention in the first place by a big, mysteriously acquired pile of money, then who is the candidate actually working for? It’s not rocket science. It’s a simple 2+2 equation. It’s not that the republic is failing or that it’s corrupt. The republic is a machine that, whatever its stated ideals, gives people with money advantages that the rest of us can scarcely imagine.

Take a guy like Jeffrey Epstein, for example. Where would you say his power come from? Here’s a hint: It wasn’t from “making his voice heard” like every other schlub. He owned Little St. James, a private Caribbean island, and Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, where he reportedly entertained a bizarre scheme to impregnate multiple women with his own sperm. He had connections to powerful figures like Les Wexner and Bill Gates, and he maintained relationships in the highest reaches of business, politics, and academia even after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.

Does any of that prove theories that Epstein controlled politicians through blackmail? No. But consider the extraordinary access he enjoyed. How many doors could a man like that open with a telephone call that would remain permanently shut to the average voter?

Ask yourself: Do you have access to these resources? No? Then how do you stand a chance of demanding accountability from your representatives when your only instruments are voting and protesting, while the instruments of capital include campaign contributions, lobbying, personal connections, and financial pressure?

RELATED: Why ‘Christian nationalists’ are liberals — whether they realize it or not

UCG/Getty Images

Hope without change

The point is this: What America promises its people is a lie. Republics, whatever their promises to the “little guy,” have always given enormous advantages to the “big guys.” The little guy gets a delusion of hope and a sense of control, while the wheels keep turning for the people with real influence.

And if this is true, then what exactly would be the point of your vote? Why do the big dogs put on such an elaborate song and dance just to get you out to the polling stations? Why do they need you to buy this trash they’re selling about voting harder and harder every election cycle?

Well, think about the psychological effect of casting a ballot. You feel like you have done your civic duty. You feel like this is the one corner of your life where you have some semblance of agency, where you are truly demonstrating the power of the people.

That feeling is the entire product. It is the exact feeling the capital class wants you to experience and internalize. Because ownership comes with something else attached: responsibility.

Scape-vote

“Responsibility?”

What’s the first thing people do when the president, or a senator, or a local mayor whom you voted for does something “bad”? They blame you for voting for him. What’s the first thing you do when a Democrat politician does something “bad”? You relish the opportunity to clown your liberal family, friends, or acquaintances.

“Those idiot liberals voted for this!”

Now, in reality, what does all this constant bickering, finger-pointing, and blame-shifting actually accomplish?

It takes the heat off the people who actually have and use their very real power to do the bad things. It shifts the blame from them and puts it all squarely on you. And that is because you, the voter, voluntarily take responsibility for it. Your belief in the central thesis of democracy — that you are the one with power — makes you take on the responsibility that comes with that perceived power.

Do you see the trick yet?

The elites are using you as a scapegoat. And I mean that in the oldest sense of the word. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest laid both hands on the head of a goat, confessed over it the sins of the people, and sent it out into the wilderness to carry those sins away. The community was cleansed. The goat was left to bear the burden.

That is what the idea we call “democracy” lets them do. They commit their sins, lay their hands on your head every November, and send you out into the wilderness to bear them. Democracy isn’t the House of the People. It’s Solomon’s Temple. It’s the place where the priest unloads his sins onto the scapegoat and walks away cleansed while you carry the blame.

​Campaign expenses, Day of atonement, Political candidates, Politics, Lifestyle, Democracy, Big tech, Jeffrey epstein, Oligarchs, Republic, Poll position 

Two Bulgarian immigrants to Scotland have been sentenced for assaulting young girls last year after a judge said one of them made sexual remarks to the children.

The man, Ilia Belov, called his sister at the time of the incident, who “immediately” attacked one of the girls upon arrival.

‘F**king creep and an immigrant.’

In what became known as the Scottish axe girl story, video of the incident taken by Belov showed a scared and angry young Scottish girl wielding a small axe and a knife to fend off what she said were her attackers.

Though the Bulgarian denied that he threatened the girls or made inappropriate remarks to them, a Scottish judge struck down his testimony as “wholly unconvincing and self-serving.”

Blaze News reported that the judge said Belov made sexual remarks to the children and both he and his sister committed assault.

One of the girls, completely vindicated, had called Belov a “f**king creep and an immigrant” and said, “He kept saying, ‘Come here, sexy. I will show you how to have a good time.'”

Earlier this month, Belov, 23, was sentenced for assaulting the then-12-year-old and behaving in a “threatening or abusive manner” toward four other young girls.

Belov received 18 months of supervision and 300 hours of unpaid work and was placed on the sex offender registry for 18 months, according to the Daily Mail.

Belov’s sister, 20-year-old Nadjedzha Belova, pled guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old girl during the same incident and was given 180 hours of unpaid work as punishment.

Both are now appealing their sentences, the Daily Record reported.

RELATED: Justice! Scottish axe girl vindicated after judge’s epic ruling: ‘F*****g creep and an immigrant’

Belov’s lawyer, Larry Flynn, told BBC Scotland that he was appealing the sex offender registration only, not the supervision or community service.

Belov denied making sexual remarks to the girls, but the Scottish judge, Timothy Niven-Smith, convicted Belov after seeing what was described as “proof beyond reasonable doubt.”

The judge said the girls’ response had been “eloquent” when considering what the man had said to them.

“The words of the children were eloquent to describe your behavior given your age and their respective ages,” the judge stated. “Having made the sexual remarks to the children, you then, enraged by the fact that they became angry and started shouting abuse at you, followed them.”

RELATED: 14-year-old girl charged in UK after allegedly defending herself from migrant harasser

ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/Getty Images

Images have since surfaced of the convicted parties at the time of the incident. One shows Belov standing with one hand on his hip as he filmed the young girls with his cell phone.

Another image shows the Bulgarian brother and sister “accosting” the children.

The images come from a CCTV camera positioned across the street.

Belov had originally said he was acting in self-defense.

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​Scotland, Scottish axe girl, Immigrants, Bulgaria, Crime 

It seems like science fiction, but it’s actually backed by frightening scientific evidence.

A viral post online showed Wi-Fi signals mimicking breathing patterns in a 3D model; but what was shown as a graphic is actually real and is only a small scope of what signals can track in the home.

‘Breathing is enough to give you away.’

A post from an engineer claimed that “each breath slightly changes how Wi-Fi waves reflect off your chest” and effectively revealed that “breathing is enough to give you away” should bad actors want to know about your whereabouts.

The post, seen by nearly 2 million readers, said that these tiny changes in breathing rhythm are noticeable and match Wi-Fi signals in the same room.

Unfortunately for the consumer, these claims are corroborated by many reports — including those from the government — and are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what can be tracked using Wi-Fi signals.

In fact, the study of Wi-Fi-based tracking has been widely studied, and the results are frightening.

By simply monitoring how the signals are bouncing back, programs can detect human presence, whether a person is walking/standing/sitting, and, according to a report from Stork.ai, even detect movement through walls in some conditions.

RELATED: ChatGPT is building massive psychological profiles of its users — without their permission

Thomas Trutschel/Photothek/Getty Images

Blaze News has previously reported on how smart TVs and even HDMI cords can be used to pry into user privacy, and Wi-Fi can now be included with a vast list of capabilities that even extends to monitoring the amount of occupants in a room.

Moreover, a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology — a federal entity — made this an open secret in a 2022 report when it positioned it as a good thing that could “help doctors fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In a report titled “Wi-Fi Could Help Identify When You’re Struggling to Breathe,” the NIST said it could detect breathing rates, breathing patterns, slow breathing, or other disruptions with “already available Wi-Fi routers and devices.”

RELATED: Android is beefing up scam protection for texts and calls — just in time

Arterra/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Heartbeats are also not off the table according to Taiwanese researchers.

Dr. Tzi-cker Chiueh, from a power management company called Delta, found in his research that breathing rates can be monitored through Wi-Fi signal disruptions with up to 95% accuracy at up to five meters. Heartbeats were tracked at 83% accuracy from up to one meter away.

Readers may recognize similar technology being utilized by the CIA to locate a stranded pilot in Iran.

Studies and reports appear to prove that Wi-Fi signals can be effectively used as distance-measuring devices that can also digitize and measure human function through the analysis of the constant burst of signals and any consistent pattern of disruption.

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​Wi-fi, Spying, Router, Internet, Tech 

A Georgia teacher at a Christian school is accused of grooming a teenage girl whom she coached on a travel softball team. Investigators claim the teacher continued private communications with the teenager even after the girl’s mother intervened.

Katie Elizabeth McDevitt, 28, was arrested Oct. 15 and charged with felony grooming of a minor, according to WXIA-TV, which noted that the suspect was released from jail the following day on $7,500 bond.

‘The accused had private communication channels with the victim even after intervention from the mother of the victim.’

McDevitt is a teacher at Loganville Christian Academy, but a search of the staff directory on the school’s official website did not return McDevitt’s name.

Police said McDevitt allegedly groomed the 15-year-old girl while coaching her on the Georgia Strike Softball team.

Loganville Christian Academy confirmed to WXIA that the alleged victim is not enrolled at the school.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by WXIA, police accused McDevitt of engaging in inappropriate conduct with the minor between Feb. 1 and Sept. 22, 2026.

A deputy with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office wrote in the affidavit that McDevitt coached the girl’s travel softball team while working as a teacher at Loganville Christian Academy.

Police said McDevitt sent private messages to the teen girl with content that investigators determined was indicative of a romantic relationship.

“The accused had private communication channels with the victim even after intervention from the mother of the victim,” the affidavit states.

The affidavit also says McDevitt created situations in which she and the teenager would be alone before and after practice in a hitting facility in an area outside surveillance camera range, WXIA reported.

During a forensic interview, the alleged victim described physical interactions with McDevitt that made her uncomfortable, according to the affidavit.

RELATED: Female ex-middle school teacher, already facing grooming charges, arrested again on new felony sex crime charge

McDevitt’s attorney, David Boyle, said his client “categorically denies these allegations and looks forward to defending herself in court.”

“The arrest warrant is extremely vague and fails to identify the alleged victim or describe any sexual offense or attempted sexual conduct,” Boyle added in the statement. “We believe the allegations are unfounded, and we intend to vigorously challenge them.”

School officials noted that they were notified about the allegations and investigation around Sept. 24 — roughly three weeks before McDevitt’s arrest.

Loganville Christian Academy said it immediately placed McDevitt on administrative leave and added: “Based on the information available to us at this time, we are not aware of any allegations involving students enrolled at Loganville Christian Academy.”

Georgia Strike Softball released a statement to WXIA saying the Walton County Sheriff’s Office notified the team about the accusations. McDevitt was removed from the organization on Sept. 25.

Georgia Strike Softball stated:

At no time after Strike was made aware of the investigation has Ms. McDevitt participated in any Strike activities or events.

Strike has continued to cooperate with the sheriff’s office since that time, including honoring their request not to release any of the limited information with which we were provided prior to Ms. McDevitt’s recent arrest on 10/15/2026.

Upon receiving information that a warrant for arrest had been issued and that sharing additional details would not adversely affect the investigation, we immediately met with our families.

Georgia Strike is committed to the safety and well-being of our players, and our focus is on them and their families at this time.

Those with information pertaining to this case or any additional potential victims are urged to contact the Walton County Sheriff’s Office at 770-267-6557.

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​Walton county sheriff’s office, Loganville christian academy, Child sex crimes, Teacher arrested, Crime, Georgia 

The United States military’s elite working dogs are close to getting a major upgrade — or so says the newly launched company Warhound.

On Thursday, Warhound, a new defense technology company started by Anduril Technologies’ Palmer Luckey and Colossal’s Ben Lamm, emerged from a $200 million seed round promising a quick turnaround on its new dogs.

‘Man’s best friend deserves man’s best tech.’

Under CEO David Spirk, the new project from Luckey and Lamm will attempt to revitalize and optimize the military’s supply of working dogs through genetic engineering.

Colossal, the company best known for its attempts to bring back the woolly mammoth and the dodo bird, will provide its advanced genetics platform and secure biobanking capabilities, while Anduril will equip the dogs with advanced cybernetic augmentations for increased awareness and effectiveness on missions.

The result will be, the company says, a group of healthier dogs that are better equipped for missions without increasing reliance on Europe for the supply.

“Man’s best friend deserves man’s best tech,” said Palmer Luckey in a Warhound press release.

RELATED: New US Army helmets have ‘X-ray’ vision — but how?

Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg/Getty Images

“Colossal has spent years pioneering breakthroughs in genetics, cloning, and animal biology, and now we’re applying that science to give these dogs the best possible chance at a long, healthy life and a successful mission. If we’re going to ask man’s best friend to protect America, we owe it to them to use every tool at our disposal to protect them, too,” said Ben Lamm.

The Texas-based company is backed by In-Q-Tel, Sequoia Capital, Ark Invest, 8VC, Breyer Capital, and Neogenesis, to name a few of its early investors.

The company’s announcement, however, received some immediate pushback from commenters online.

One commenter, for example, came out swinging at the prospect of “genetically modified” military dogs: “Hey so this should be f**king illegal.”

Palmer Luckey replied to the comment, attempting to dispel some of the concerns about the “genetic modifications” that the company plans to make on the dogs in the program.

“Which part of this do you object to? The hearing protection? The eye protection? The body armor? Or gene edits that makes them less likely to develop cancer and joint problems?” Luckey wrote.

“There is a reason the American Humane Society is supporting this,” he added.

Indeed, the American Humane Society will support and oversee the treatment of the dogs in the program. The organization will also assist with finding homes for the dogs when they retire from their service.

“We owe these dogs a commitment to their well-being that matches their service to us. What excites me about Warhound is the opportunity to make health, welfare, and exceptional care fundamental to a working-dog program from the very beginning,” Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of the American Humane Society, said. “Success means helping these dogs thrive throughout their lives — from training and active service to the loving, dignified retirement every canine hero deserves.”

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​United states military, Anduril, Department of war, Politics 

Peace among political rivals often depends on deterrence. Each side understands that destroying its opponents today invites the same treatment when power changes hands tomorrow. That understanding is supposed to keep a republic from becoming an endless exercise in retaliation revenge. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) seems eager to test it.

At an October 13 appearance at the University of Chicago, Slotkin called for “signature cases” against people she believes enabled President Trump. She wanted graduates considering administration jobs to worry that they might be “buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want” and to avoid taking those jobs. “I want that deterrence message sent,” she said.

Democrats are not hiding the ball. They plan on bringing lawfare back with a vengeance. Americans should take them at their word.

Slotkin says she meant accountability for actual violations of law, not punishment for accepting a government job. Then why advertise scaring young people away from public service as a desired result? Holding criminals accountable is one thing. Making prospective employees fear the next election is another.

She says she wants to pursue the people who “enabled” Trump’s “corruption.” Who defines enabling? Who decides whether carrying out a lawful policy, drafting a legal argument, or simply working for the wrong president is corrupt? Slotkin and her fellow congressional HR ladies, apparently.

Political appointees serve an elected president and help carry out his agenda. That does not relieve them of responsibility for their own unlawful acts, obviously. But neither does it make every aide personally culpable for every decision made above him. A junior employee at the Department of Homeland Security might execute a lawful order without ever having devised the policy. Does that make him an enabler worthy of an investigation?

Perhaps he should have resigned, saluted Our Democracy™, and gone to work for the Bulwark instead. “I was just following orders” is no defense to a crime, of course. But “I worked for an administration you despise” is not evidence of one, either.

This is what is alarming about Slotkin’s language. She says accountability. I hear a political warning directed at people who have not yet taken a job, much less committed an offense. Once the process itself becomes the punishment, prosecutors do not need to win every case to discourage the next generation from entering government.

And where does this lead? A departing Republican president could feel compelled to issue sweeping pardons for his staffers before they leave office. That would be a grotesque transformation of a constitutional safeguard into a routine parting gift.

Even then, presidential pardons cover federal offenses, not state charges or civil litigation. They cannot immunize crimes that have not occurred. A president could never make the threat of politically motivated litigation disappear by signing enough papers.

RELATED: The raid that Democrats can’t wave away

Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) put the objection plainly: “I’m not aware of any Republican in office who has advocated the mirror-image approach — using the threat of prosecutions to deter people from serving in a Democratic administration.” His point deserves an answer. Is Slotkin trying to deter misconduct or Republican public service? Her own remarks invite the question.

Conservatives should not respond with a folksy, foolish “Schoolhouse Rock” pep talk about the glories of public service. Young people considering government jobs deserve to know that an incoming administration may examine their work. They also deserve confidence that investigators will pursue evidence of actual crimes, not guilt by association.

Democrats were serious about lawfare the first time around, and they will be again.

One-party rule has always been the goal. Young people need to be clear-eyed about what they are signing up for by working for Republicans, and voters need to understand the gravity of Democratic threats.

Democrats are not hiding the ball. They plan on bringing lawfare back with a vengeance. Americans should take them at their word.

​Corruption, Deterrence, Elissa slotkin, Michigan, Revenge, Lawfare, Democracy, Trump, Intimidation, Accountability, Republicans, Democrats, Mike lee, Opinion & analysis 

Blaze Media is proud to announce a new partnership with Passage Publishing, an independent publishing house dedicated to challenging conventional thinking, rediscovering important works of literature, and introducing readers to ideas often overlooked by mainstream publishers.

Through the partnership, Blaze Media audiences will now be able to shop a selection of Passage Publishing’s books directly through the Blaze Media merchandise store, making it easier than ever to discover thought-provoking works on history, politics, culture, and Western civilization.

A partnership built on shared principles

At Blaze Media, we have always believed that independent voices deserve a platform and that the free exchange of ideas is essential to a healthy society.

That commitment doesn’t end with the news we report or the conversations our hosts bring to audiences every day. It extends to the books we read, the history we preserve, and the ideas we pass down to future generations.

That is why we’re excited to partner with Passage Publishing.

Both organizations recognize the importance of challenging prevailing narratives, encouraging independent thought, and creating opportunities for voices that don’t always find a home within established institutions.

For Blaze Media audiences who value free expression, American principles, and the preservation of Western culture, the partnership is a natural fit.

What is Passage Publishing?

Founded in 2022, Passage Publishing emerged as an alternative to what its founders saw as an increasingly narrow and ideologically constrained mainstream publishing industry.

Rather than simply publishing books that reinforce today’s cultural consensus, Passage seeks to introduce readers to new perspectives while reconnecting them with the literature, history, and philosophical traditions that helped shape the modern world.

Its catalog spans political philosophy, history, fiction, poetry, and classic literature, bringing together contemporary writers and influential works from the past.

Readers may already recognize some of the titles Passage has brought back to print, including the beloved “Hardy Boys” mysteries. Passage has released beautifully crafted hardcover editions of the original adventures, restoring the stories as they were first written before later revisions altered the text for modern audiences.

The publisher has also introduced new editions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island,” classic works by H.P. Lovecraft, and collections from legendary adventure writer Robert E. Howard. Alongside these literary classics, Passage publishes contemporary works exploring politics, culture, history, and the ideas shaping today’s world.

It is a collection that reflects the publisher’s broader mission: preserving important stories from the past while giving independent thinkers a platform for the future.

A familiar voice behind Passage Publishing

For BlazeTV viewers, the man behind Passage Publishing is already a familiar face.

Jonathan Keeperman, better known as “Lomez,” is the founder and CEO of Passage Publishing and co-host of “Rufo & Lomez” on BlazeTV alongside conservative strategist Christopher Rufo.

On their show, Rufo and Lomez explore the cultural and political forces shaping modern America, examining everything from institutional power and ideology to literature, art, and the future of Western civilization.

Keeperman’s work at Passage Publishing reflects many of those same interests.

Through the publishing house, he has worked to create an alternative space for writers, thinkers, and readers interested in exploring ideas beyond the boundaries of mainstream cultural institutions.

The partnership brings that work directly to the Blaze Media audience, connecting viewers with another way to engage with the ideas and conversations they already follow.

Bringing important books to a wider audience

The books we choose to read influence how we understand our history, our culture, and the world around us.

At a time when so much of our information is delivered through headlines, social media, and short-form content, books offer something increasingly valuable: the opportunity to examine complex ideas in depth.

Passage Publishing is committed to keeping that tradition alive.

By bringing Passage’s catalog to the Blaze Media merchandise store, we hope to introduce more readers to books that challenge assumptions, encourage curiosity, and explore the principles and traditions that shaped Western civilization.

For longtime Passage readers, the partnership represents another way to support independent publishing. For Blaze Media audiences discovering Passage for the first time, it is an invitation to explore something new.

Explore Passage Publishing at the Blaze Media Merch Store

The partnership is another step in Blaze Media’s commitment to supporting independent voices and organizations that share our belief in free expression and the power of ideas.

We’re excited to introduce our audience to Passage Publishing and look forward to helping more readers discover its growing catalog.

Explore the Passage Publishing collection, now available at the Blaze Media merchandise store.

​Jonathan keeperman, Passage publishing 

The color revolutions that have destabilized nations abroad may have finally made their way to American soil.

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s re-election in 2024, there was chatter about former State Department officials, federal bureaucrats, and U.S. Agency for International Development alumni thumping the CIA’s Simple Sabotage Field Manual and apparently plotting to undermine the new administration.

‘This country is in a cold civil war, but this kind of talk makes me think they don’t want it to remain cold.’

Damning documents, audio recordings, and videos obtained by DataRepublican suggest that such subversives haven’t given up their ambitions and may seek to orchestrate unrest and regime change in the coming weeks.

DataRepublican, the Utah software engineer who briefly worked for the Department of War and helped Elon Musk identify waste when the Department of Government Efficiency was in its heyday, has carefully mapped the Democratic Socialists of America network and analyzed its ties to other leftist organizations, showing her work in a political tracking database called DSA Explorer.

Through analyzing the movements and communications of DSA members and similarly minded radicals, DataRepublican has come across evidence of an accelerationist plot involving alumni from the now-defunct USAID and stratagems employed in color revolutions overseas.

Color revolutions — such as the 2003 Rose Revolution in Georgia, the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine, and the 2005 Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan — are political upheavals aimed at toppling supposedly illegitimate or tyrannical regimes and replacing them with supposedly liberal democratic regimes.

In many cases, color revolutionaries overseas were afforded help and/or direction by Western state actors and nongovernmental organizations.

The alleged plotters identified by DataRepublican appear intent on using those same tactics in America to delegitimize the Trump administration after the midterm elections and potentially shift perceived authority to Democratic governors.

“You’ve heard that the DSA is proposing structural reforms to America, including abolishing the Senate and imposing term limits,” DataRepublican wrote on Sunday.

RELATED: Leftist fire-starters and immigrants have pushed another French republic to the edge: ‘Unholy alliance’

“What you not have heard is … there is an operational plan to put it all into action,” continued the analyst.

In the event of a blue wave in the midterms, DataRepublican suggested that the DSA will “become ‘foot soldiers’ in constant clashes with the administration.”

These foot soldiers have an important role to play, she claims: escalating unrest to the point where the government will feel obliged to cross what liberals are now being brainwashed into regarding as a uncrossable “red line” — such as the use of the Insurrection Act.

‘We can take that breakdown moment and leverage it for a big structural reform.’

“Then, a lot of coordinated responses kick off, including delegitimizing the federal government itself and handing that legitimacy to Democratic governors,” continued DataRepublican.

This chaos will effectively make the 2028 presidential election a referendum on whether “to keep America governance as-is or to burn it all down to appease a ‘young and brown’ demographic,” said DataRepublican.

In one of the audio recordings that DataRepublican has published — allegedly from a call held in August among persons linked to the NGO Renew American Democracy — USAID alumna Danielle Reiff can be heard identifying one potential path forward where:

we end up in a very acute legitimacy crisis sometime in the next few months or the next few years where literally, our federal government becomes illegitimate. And in that moment, I believe, and what we know from experiences around the world, is that we can take that breakdown moment and leverage it for a big structural reform, you know, refounding moment.

DataRepublican also published video from a call dated Sept. 8 where Reiff — who co-founded Renew American Democracy as well as the Renew to Thrive initiative — identifies three “crisis scenarios or democratic emergencies that we think that people should be aware of and preparing for”: “an election meltdown scenario”; “potential militarization, the Insurrection Act”; and “an acute democratic crisis” that serves to delegitimize the federal government.

Reiff noted that she and her team have been thinking a great deal about the third scenario and discussing:

how can cross-partisan political leaders come together to think about provisional or transitional leadership for the country in case the federal government becomes illegitimate. Is there a cross-partisan group of governors that could step up and say, “You know, in the interim, we’re just going to keep things going.” Past presidents could — former President Bush and Obama — could they come together and say, you know, help us through a difficult situation like that.

Reiff did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment by deadline.

DataRepublican has highlighted the intellectual influence of Erica Chenoweth’s “3.5% rule” on the apparent delegitimization conversations underway.

Chenoweth, who declined to comment, is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she directs the Nonviolent Action Lab — touted as “an innovation hub that uses social science tools and evidence to support movement-led political transformation.”

According to Chenoweth — who has written extensively on color revolutions, political violence, and mass movements and had some of her work backed by USAID — “no government has withstood a challenge of 3.5% of their population mobilized against it during a peak event.”

Chenoweth suggested in a 2020 discussion paper that if a movement can mobilize 3.5% of a country’s population, which would be around 12 million people in America today:

there are likely much larger proportions of the population that sympathize with and support the movement. Over time, such sympathy and support can translate into growing political pressure for the incumbent to leave office — even in autocracies — as has happened in scores of cases in the postwar period.

DataRepublican told Blaze News that “everyday Americans must be alert that thousands of NGOs are on the sidelines and prepared to take to the streets should President Trump cross an alleged red line.”

She noted further that Americans “should be wary of attempts to condition them for the potential coming legitimacy crisis — there will be increasing frequency of reporting on how Trump will militarize voting or send troops into states, as Senator Slotkin has been doing.”

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a former CIA analyst and one of the Democrats who urged the military last year to “refuse” allegedly illegal orders from the Trump administration, recently joined the liberal media in suggesting that President Donald Trump might use a national security crisis — or the illusion of one — to impose martial law.

In her recent remarks, Slotkin characterized Trump as a corrupt “authoritarian” who is unwilling to lawfully cede power, and cited the president’s efforts to secure American elections and prevent voter fraud as signs that something nefarious is afoot.

“We have to be prepared for the president to take even more aggressive action to losing in the next 34 days,” said Slotkin. “The authoritarian playbook is very clear: When you’re at risk of losing, you either, a) make up a threat that only you can protect the American people from, or b) find a way for federal law enforcement or the military to seize ballots or voting machines.”

Slotkin also preemptively cast doubt on the legitimacy of future federal law enforcement efforts around the time of the elections, stating that Americans should “not let him get away with that.”

DataRepublican believes that “Slotkin and others are engaging in classical pre-conditioning for a reason” — effectively coaching the public to regard any federal law enforcement action around the time of the election as illegitimate.

Slotkin did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

Slotkin is not the only one publicly whipping up radicals about the Trump administration, even as roughly one-third of Democrats approve of assassinating the president.

Egged on in part by Trump’s cryptic response in August when asked about declaring a national emergency for elections, other Democrats and some liberal activist groups have similarly fearmongered about the possibility of undemocratic and “potentially impeachable” actions around Election Day.

Speaking broadly of the delegitimization efforts underway, DataRepublican told Blaze News that plotters “have successfully framed Trump’s few tools to deal with internal unrest as a ‘red line,’ and they can mobilize on the snap of fingers. President Trump is in a double bind here that isn’t easy to break through.”

Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, told Blaze News, “What DataRepublican found is shocking but not surprising.”

“The left is clearly on a mission to fundamentally overthrow the constitutional order in America. I don’t know how much evidence the government needs to see to finally do something about it,” continued Howell. “They have street armies that have obstructed and embarrassed federal law enforcement, they have an ascendant socialist wing openly talking about ending our system of government, and now they’re talking about declaring the American government illegitimate?”

“This country is in a cold civil war, but this kind of talk makes me think they don’t want it to remain cold,” added Howell.

The White House did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

DataRepublican told Blaze News that Americans should “pray for the administration to handle challenging scenarios, such as rioting or defiance of orders, with wisdom and courage.”

Editor’s note: Mike Howell is a contributor at Blaze News.

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​Color revolution, Democratic socialists of america, Elissa slotkin, Datarepublican, Midterm election, Mike howell, Politics 

If a stranger walks up to your doorstep at night for no good reason, you likely would be afraid.

But when that stranger is wearing a Joe Biden mask, the “Freedom” shirt Charlie Kirk wore before his assassination, and no shoes — all while stuffing a banana through the mask — you would be terrified.

That’s what happened to a Texas family whose doorbell camera captured the bizarre encounter in Watauga.

The masked stranger opened his jacket to reveal his T-shirt, then leaned into the camera, tapped it, and took a bite of the banana through the Biden mask before walking away.

“OK, that’s spooky,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray comments after watching the video.

“He’s at somebody’s front door. That’s a little bit different than just walking through the neighborhood.”

“I think he’s OK right up until the point where he starts approaching people’s doors.”

“What are you doing? I mean, because it’s not safe for you to do that, for you or the homeowner. They might shoot you dead. And in Texas, it’d probably be fine. I’m sorry, I’m protecting my castle, and it’s night.”

“For some reason, it’s funny,” Jeff Fisher chimes in.

“If it was my house though,” Gray argues, “and he’s doing that, I don’t think I’d be laughing. I’d be like, ‘OK, what are you doing?’”

Want more from Pat Gray?

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

​Charlie kirk, Joe biden mask, Texas, Doorbell camera, Blazetv show 

She’s no Dolly.

Now, it must be tough to live in the shadow of a beloved icon like Dolly Parton. Still, kid sister Stella Parton is working hard to stand out — in all the wrong ways.

The New York Times wasn’t happy about David’s handiwork. You can’t do satire that impacts … us!

She’s always been more partisan than the country music legend. Fine. That’s a choice. A less responsible choice? Wishing death on an entrepreneur because you don’t like his politics.

The younger Parton just wished death on Elon Musk and hoped he would be eaten by worms sooner than later. Oh, and she says Musk will rig the midterm elections.

We always did wonder who inspired her big sister’s breakout hit …

Taika break

Remember when director Taika Waititi was a thing?

The New Zealand cutup gave us “The Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and the amazing “Jojo Rabbit.” Even his “Thor: Ragnarok” made us smile. Then, it all went downhill for the wacky auteur.

The less said about “Thor: Love and Thunder,” the better. His fact-based soccer comedy “Next Goal Wins” flopped with critics and audiences. His attempt to modernize the classic ‘80s fantasy “Time Bandits” crashed after one woke season.

Little people couldn’t apply, and it showed.

Now, his latest project is getting skewered before its release. “Klara and the Sun” stars “It” actress Jenna Ortega of “Wednesday” fame. The film sports a blistering 27% “rotten” score at Rotten Tomatoes.

The film’s modest release pattern just got cut in half. The rascally Critical Drinker devoted a “Crash and Burn” episode to the fading auteur last year. Looks like he might have material for a whole new installment …

Let’s get small

Is Sacha Baron Cohen auditioning for an “Incredible Shrinking Man” reboot?

2006’s “Borat” gave the British funnyman “great success” — one he’s been trying to recapture ever since. Sure, he’s aligned with Quentin Tarantino for the director’s upcoming play, but Cohen’s Midas touch disappeared a while ago.

This weekend, his new comedy “Ali G: Who Iz I?” debuts in a few hundred theaters. That wasn’t the original release plan, but the film’s footprint keeps on shrinking.

The film will only be in select theaters one weekend too, even if the film performs well. That’s unlikely.

So what happened? Cohen went woke, raged against free speech, and turned his signature characters into anti-Trump vehicles. Cohen was already exhibiting signs of TDS in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” the depressing sequel to one of Hollywood’s most outrageous comedies.

Not “very nice!”

‘Curb’ your socialism

Talk about a thin skin.

The New York Times reported on Larry David’s new Air Mail satirical column. David’s target? The Democratic Socialists of America. David is a loud and proud liberal, but even he understands the mania lurking not too far beneath the DSA surface.

And he called it out, including the group’s uneasiness with Jewish people. That’s being delicate. David isn’t. The column finds the DSA renaming them the Bagel People and shipping them out of Israel.

The New York Times wasn’t happy about David’s handiwork. You can’t do satire that impacts … us! So it created a “blowback”-style description suggesting the column drew a large, negative response. Except it had no tangible proof of that, so the Old Gray Lady found a few angry social media users posting about the column and gave them all the gravitas of a retired war general.

The newspaper even sought a few of them out to extrapolate on their rage with modest results, at best.

The Times desperately wanted to attack David for mocking its beloved DSA. And it bent Journalism 101 to do it. To be fair, that’s pretty on brand for the newspaper in 2026 …

RELATED: MEAN GIRLS: ‘View’ crew preaches girl power … unless you’re Republican

Lou Rocco/Tom Williams/Getty Images

Merger meltdown

And you thought the left and the media (but we repeat ourselves) loathed Elon Musk already. Now, the tech trillionaire is investing in Skydance to the tune of $1 billion. And that number might grow in the coming weeks.

Skydance has become a Hollywood behemoth with remarkable speed. David Ellison’s original Skydance Media merged with Paramount Global last year, creating Paramount Skydance. This month, that company swallowed Warner Bros. Discovery and renamed the whole operation Skydance. The result puts Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., CBS, CNN, HBO, and two major streaming services under one roof.

And the Ellisons aren’t exactly your standard Antifa-adjacent Hollywood studio clan. Which raises an intriguing possibility: One of the biggest entertainment companies in America may actually make room for the half of the country Hollywood Inc. has spent years ignoring.

Or at the very least, it could finally drive Mark Ruffalo completely around the bend.

​Borat, David ellison, Elon musk, Hollywood, Israel, Jenna ortega, Mark ruffalo, New york times, Sacha baron cohen, Skydance, Warner bros discovery, Entertainment, Culture, Lifestyle, Toto recall, Dsa 

A targeted enforcement operation intercepted and seized what appeared to be ultra-luxury watches, U.S. Customs and Border Protection says.

CBP officers intercepted 11 watches between September 15 and 22 at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas as they were being transported from China, CBP claimed.

‘Our CBP officers are on the front lines every day guarding against defrauders, while protecting legitimate American businesses who are often harmed by these criminal organizations.’

According to the CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the watches were determined to have “counterfeit versions of registered and recorded trademarks” of Richard Mille time pieces, the CBP press release said. Richard Mille is a high-tech ultra-luxury Swiss watch brand.

If the 11 watches were sold at the genuine manufacturer’s suggested retail price, they would be worth about $2.6 million.

“The sale of fake goods often funds criminal organizations involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illicit trade,” said CBP Area Port Director Jayson Ahern.

“Our CBP officers are on the front lines every day guarding against defrauders, while protecting legitimate American businesses who are often harmed by these criminal organizations,” he added.

Counterfeit sales adversely affect legitimate U.S. businesses and fund international criminal smuggling enterprises, according to CBP.

RELATED: Police dog detects ‘staggering’ amount of meth in truck driven by Mexican national, CBP says

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Officials recommend that consumers buy products only from authorized retailers or directly from the trademark holder in order to avoid counterfeit products.

“Remember that if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is,” CBP says.

The agency also asks consumers to review its E-Commerce Counterfeit Awareness Guide online.

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​Customs and border protection, Smuggling, China, Politics 

October baseball brings every pitch into sharper focus. A ball that catches the corner of the plate can decide a season. For Brian Gaffney and his three sons, however, baseball’s most unpredictable pitch became the occasion for a different lesson: How much should a father push, and when should he let his boys find their own way?

Gaffney recounts the experience in “School of Hard Knucks: My Three Sons and Baseball’s Wildest Pitch.” He sets out to help Joe, Emmett, and Ben master the knuckleball, a pitch that demands almost no spin and can flutter in any direction. Even seasoned professionals struggle to control it. In a backyard with three eager boys, the possibilities for frustration are considerable.

A boy struggling with the knuckleball may learn persistence. His father may learn to listen. They may both discover that a failed experiment can lead to a worthwhile afternoon.

What begins as a family experiment becomes an education in baseball and parenting. The boys practice, adjust their grips, and keep trying to command a ball determined to do as it pleases. Gaffney has to confront something equally stubborn: his own desire to see his sons succeed.

Parents know that temptation. We want to spare our children disappointment, help them clear every obstacle, and give them opportunities we never had. Good intentions can make a game feel like a job. The child who once begged to play may begin worrying more about satisfying a parent than enjoying the sport.

Gaffney recognizes that risk in himself. His pursuit of the knuckleball is ambitious, and his sons’ progress becomes something he cares about intensely. But a father cannot take every pitch for his child. He has to decide when instruction helps, when encouragement is enough, and when to get out of the way.

Baseball offers plenty of chances to practice those distinctions. Even the best hitters make outs far more often than they reach base. A bad inning does not prevent a player from contributing in the next one. A young athlete learns to recover, to trust teammates, and to return to the field after falling short. Parents get lessons of their own from the bleachers.

Along the way, Gaffney draws on the experience of knuckleball specialists, including Phil Niekro, Charlie Hough, and R.A. Dickey. Their unusual craft gives the book its baseball appeal. A pitch that survives on patience and feel, rather than sheer velocity, rewards players willing to keep experimenting after a conventional approach fails.

RELATED: The ‘Cornell 7’ case should terrify every father of boys

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The greater reward, though, is the time Gaffney spends with his sons. Families can fill a calendar with practices, games, and travel while overlooking the pleasure of simply being together. A catch in the back yard or a ride home after a loss may outlast the memory of the final score. Children grow older, and the seasons that seemed endless eventually stop coming.

For Christian parents, the story also raises a question of stewardship. Children are entrusted to us with gifts, limitations, and ambitions of their own. Our responsibility includes teaching discipline and right conduct, but it also requires humility. A son’s worth cannot rise and fall with his batting average, and a parent’s pride should never become the price of affection.

A boy struggling with the knuckleball may learn persistence. His father may learn to listen. They may both discover that a failed experiment can lead to a worthwhile afternoon. Neither needs a trophy to show for it.

As the major league postseason unfolds, young fans are already imagining the spring when they will take the field again. Their parents will buy gloves, drive to practice, and cheer from the stands. If “School of Hard Knucks” reminds those parents of anything, it is that the most important thing they can give their children is not a perfect swing or a winning season. It is their time, their encouragement, and the assurance that their love does not depend on the scoreboard.

When October’s last out arrives, the championships will belong to a few teams. The hours spent playing catch will belong to the families who made time for them. Those are victories no scoreboard can record.

​Baseball, Mlb, Education, Fatherhood, Knuckleball, Family, Fans, Catch, Coaching, Parenting, Opinion & analysis 

A longtime Republican Indiana state senator who landed on President Donald Trump’s good side in the congressional redistricting fight has announced his resignation.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, state Sen. Ron Alting wrote: “I have informed Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray of my decision to resign from the Indiana Senate.” Lance Gideon, Alting’s senior press secretary, confirmed to Blaze News that Alting intends to resign should he win re-election on November 3.

Doctors are still seeking ‘a definitive diagnosis.’

The announcement follows allegations that Alting stole items from Walmart store locations in Lafayette and Monticello, Indiana, and Naples, Florida, Journal & Courier reported.

In his Facebook post, Alting made veiled reference to the allegations, suggesting that at least some of them are true. “I did things that were wrong and completely out of character for me,” Alting admitted.

“I take responsibility for my actions. I am deeply sorry for the hurt and disappointment I have caused my family, friends, colleagues, constituents, and the store employees involved.”

He also provided a possible explanation for his alleged behavior: “concerning changes” in his mental health and cognition.

“Over the past several weeks, I have been undergoing extensive medical evaluation for concerning changes in my judgment, behavior, and cognitive functioning. That evaluation has included specialists in neurology, geriatrics, and mental health, as well as an MRI and other testing,” Alting wrote, adding that doctors are still seeking “a definitive diagnosis.”

Though Alting has not yet been charged in connection with the alleged theft, Elkhart County prosecutors are investigating reports tied to Alting, the New York Post reported.

Gideon did not respond to questions from Blaze News about the allegations and Alting’s health.

RELATED: Republican Indiana state senator has no regrets about redistricting vote

Sen. Alting in 2013. Steve Jennings/Getty Images

The midterm election is just weeks away, but the 22nd Senate district seat spanning much of Tippecanoe and Carroll Counties is considered reliably red. It voted for Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and Alting, who was first elected in 1998, has comfortably won re-election there since at least 2006.

Still, more than 5,400 voters in the district cast a ballot in the 2026 Democratic primary, so Democratic challenger Natasha Baker may pose a threat to Alting, whose name will remain on the ballot.

Should Alting win again, his “successor will ultimately be chosen through the Republican Party’s vacancy process,” Alting wrote. That process involves precinct committee members choosing a replacement, Journal & Courier explained.

The Indiana state Senate became a lightning rod a year ago, when President Trump strongly encouraged Republican state senators there to pass a new district map that would have likely resulted in two more Republican members of Congress. The push failed in December after 21 Republicans joined Democrats to block the bill.

Alting was not one of them.

Alting voted for the new map, leading to a “complete and total endorsement” for re-election from Trump. In a Truth Social post on April 7, the president characterized Alting as “a Strong Champion and Highly Effective Representative.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

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​Indiana, Donald trump, Redistricting, Politics 

The Department of War recently gave the green light for the Department of Homeland Security to test a “heat ray” weapon for potential use at the southern border.

According to a memo obtained by CNN, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth authorized the DHS to test a military-grade heat ray and to develop tactics for its use at the southern border.

The beam reportedly causes a burning sensation on human skin, a lasting ‘tingling effect’, and ‘an instinctive and irresistible urge to run from the effect.’

The memo reportedly states that it “shall not be operated by DOW … personnel” and that DHS is solely responsible for “system employment, use, and development of tactics, techniques, and procedures.”

The heat ray gun, officially known as the Active Denial System, is a directed-energy weapon that reportedly shoots an invisible, electromagnetic beam with a range of a little more than half a mile.

The signed memo authorized the “temporary loan” of one ADS system for seven months, starting in September.

The beam reportedly causes a burning sensation on human skin, a lasting “tingling effect,” and “an instinctive and irresistible urge to run from the effect,” according to CNN.

RELATED: Did Trump use the ‘Havana syndrome’ weapon on Venezuela?

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

According to a military fact sheet, the Active Denial System fires a radio frequency beam that penetrates the human skin at a depth of 1/64th of an inch, or “the equivalent of three sheets of printer paper.”

According to the results of previous testing involving more than 15,000 exposures on volunteers, the risk of harm is “less than … one-tenth of one percent.”

The technology has been in development for more than two decades as improvements have continued to make the system lighter and more mobile, according to the fact sheet.

CNN reported that the system has been deployed a number of times to potentially assist with crowd control throughout the years in different countries, and its use has been considered domestically as well, though in every case the military has declined to use the weapon’s capabilities.

For example, the U.S. military deployed the system in Afghanistan over two decades ago, CNN reported, but ultimately declined to use it.

“CBP is continually evaluating new technologies, especially those that enhance operational effectiveness and strengthen mission capabilities,” a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

The DHS can reportedly submit an additional request for continued use of the weapon at the end of the seven-month loan.

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​Customs and border protection, Department of homeland security, Department of war, Pete hegseth, Southern border, Politics 

Apple is known for many innovative products — phones, tablets, watches, and computers. It has had a harder time getting into the smart home market, but now that Siri is finally closer to an intelligent service, Apple thought that now was the best time to introduce an entirely new product category: the HomeView smart display.

HomeView is the first product of its kind for Apple. Before this, the company dabbled in smart speakers, like the HomePod and HomePod Mini, both with varying degrees of success. HomeView, however, is Apple’s first true home product with a speaker and display united into the same device.

When HomeView launches, it will only come with a small number of Apple’s first-party apps by default.

At first glance, HomeView looks a lot like an Apple Watch-shaped iPad mounted to a stand with a 360-degree speaker grille along the bottom. It features a 7-inch Liquid Retina Display to show information, a 12MP Center Stage camera for FaceTime calls, and four microphones and Spatial Audio speakers to interact with Siri. And it comes in four colors: silver, starlight (gold), rose pink (rose gold), and space gray. Alternatively, you can opt for a wall-mounted version without the speaker stand in either space gray or silver.

HomeView is an odd device in that it doesn’t have its own branded operating system like Apple’s other platforms:

iPhone = iOSiPad = iPadOSMac = macOSApple Watch = watchOSApple TV = tvOSApple Vision Pro = visionOS

Apple filed a trademark for homeOS, which would make sense for HomeView, but so far, the company hasn’t used the name. Instead, HomeView borrows from one of Apple’s existing software platforms.

At first glance, you might expect HomeView to run on iPadOS. It is virtually an odd-shaped iPad on a stand, after all. But you would be mistaken. Early reports suggest that HomeView actually took some software from CarPlay, which is intended for infotainment centers inside automobiles.

RELATED: These nasty iPhone exploits want to steal your money. Here’s how to protect yourself.

Techa Tungateja/Getty Images

This is a dubious move for Apple — first, because its major platforms usually have their own operating systems with unique user experiences, and second, because choosing CarPlay over iPadOS severely limits HomeView’s functionality. CarPlay devices don’t have access to the App Store, so app availability is limited to developers who support CarPlay through the iPhone version of their apps — which requires special approval from Apple.

That means when HomeView launches, it will only come with a small number of Apple’s first-party apps by default. These include:

AlarmsCalendarFaceTimeFind MyHomeIntercomMessagesMusicPodcastsRemindersSafariSettingsTimersWeatherWorld Clock

Additional CarPlay-enabled apps include:

Apple Music ClassicalApple NewsApple TVAudiobooksAny of your third-party apps that are approved

Even more disconcerting are the apps that aren’t approved for CarPlay for safety reasons. Because Apple doesn’t want you driving distracted, you can’t get YouTube, Netflix, TikTok, Starbucks, or ChatGPT in your car. Inadvertently, these won’t be available on HomeView either, at least not at first.

Luckily, unlike CarPlay, HomeView comes with the Safari web browser, so you may be able to navigate to these sites on the web to watch content, but the experience may not be as smooth as using a dedicated app.

The main draw of HomeView is the new Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence. Apple wants this to be the main way you interact with HomeView — by summoning Siri and asking questions. Alternatively, you can use the touchscreen to swipe through the interface, as you would with an iPhone or iPad. Just don’t expect to have all of your favorite apps.

As a Millennial who lived the dream of having an 8-inch TV on a swivel stand in my mom’s kitchen, HomeView could’ve been a great product to invoke that same nostalgia with a new modern twist. It’s odd to me, though, that Apple went out of its way to handicap its first smart display instead of building it off of a well-supported platform like iPadOS. This is virtually what it did for Vision Pro, and although that product didn’t really work out, Apple had the right idea in mind to give Vision access to as many apps on launch day as possible. That’s not happening with HomeView.

Still, my wife insists we get one, so I may have a HomeView review for Blaze News in the future, whether I want one of these or not.

HomeView is currently available for preorder at $299 for either the speaker-stand version or the wall-mounted variant. They will be available in stores and arrive at homes starting on November 13.

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​Apple, Tech 

An Arizona man was sentenced to a little more than three years in prison for threatening to “execute” President Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Rene Ortiz of Casa Grande issued the written threats on Election Day in 2024, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona.

He wrote that he would shoot ‘the incoming fraudulent elected [President of the United States] … at the inauguration on January 20th, 2025.’

The 56-year-old wrote a note asserting that he would “execute the newly elected [President of the United States] by firing an M-16A2 service rifle with a magazine of 6 rounds” and delivered it to the federal courthouse in Phoenix.

That threat was directed at both candidates, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

After Trump won, Ortiz issued another written threat that was delivered to the federal courthouse in Tucson.

In that threat, he wrote that he would shoot “the incoming fraudulent elected [President of the United States] … at the inauguration on January 20th, 2025.”

Ortiz was interviewed by U.S. Secret Service, and he reiterated his intent to attack the president.

He was arrested on Jan. 17, 2025, before the presidential inauguration.

Ortiz was convicted by a federal jury on June 8 and was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen M. McNamee on Tuesday.

More recently, a 24-year-old man named Jaden Read was arrested after posting on social media that he would kill the president when he visited Kansas.

RELATED: Man served time for threatening to kill Trump — then gets arrested for more alleged threats against Trump

“Let’s shoot Trump honestly, where’s our shooter? I’m tired of living this money life,” Read allegedly wrote in Facebook comments.

“Can we shoot him in Kansas please I will myself,” he allegedly wrote in another comment.

“[I know] where your speech will be. Already mapped out roofs around,” he added.

He was arrested in Clearwater, Kansas, on Saturday.

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​Death threats, President donald trump, Kamala harris, Arizona, Politics 

The mass rioting and destruction across France in recent weeks has laid bare the direct connection between multiculturalism and authoritarian political movements across the West, as does the similar chaos in countries such as Albania, Belgium, Italy, and Portugal.

The resemblance to the mass disturbances in the United States in 2020 is obvious, with all these incursions combining ethnic agitation with socialism and Marxism, a red-green alliance financed significantly by outside forces such as foreign billionaire Neville Roy Singham and communist parties around the world.

America is the home of Americans: a people born of liberty who are intent on maintaining the world’s greatest home for freedom and serving as an example to the rest of the world.

This combination shows that the planned destination of multiculturalism is hard socialism or, looking further down the road to perdition, outright communism.

The same struggle over identity and political power is visible in American cities and states where progressive movements seek to make group identity the organizing principle of public life. The Trump administration has begun reversing Biden-era immigration policies, but enforcement alone cannot answer a more fundamental question: What holds Americans together?

A fierce argument over national identity runs through our immigration debate. The 250th anniversary last week of an obscure Virginia bill offers a revealing glimpse of how long that argument has endured.

On October 14, 1776, Thomas Jefferson presented a naturalization bill drafted by Edmund Pendleton to Virginia’s General Assembly. He entitled it “Naturalization of Foreign Protestants” and proposed citizenship for foreign Protestants who swore fidelity to the commonwealth and obedience to its laws. The bill also offered newcomers $20 toward passage and 50 acres of unappropriated land. In Pendleton’s original conception, the invitation was explicitly religious: Protestants would enlarge a people whose convictions he regarded as central to the commonwealth.

Jefferson revised the bill, removing its Protestant restrictions and replacing “foreign Protestants” with broader language. The editors of Jefferson’s papers say his changes were designed to open citizenship to Jews, Catholics, and other non-Protestants. The Assembly did not enact the bill. Yet the disagreement survives in another form today: Is America a particular people shaped by an inherited way of life, or a proposition to which newcomers can subscribe?

Pendleton emphasized the formation of a people, while Jefferson rejected a religious test for joining it. Both drafts required an oath of fidelity; neither can be reduced neatly to today’s slogans. But they reveal different instincts about what a political community needs in order to endure.

RELATED: France and the United States can’t govern on blind trust

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Americans still debate those instincts. One vision sees the United States as a “shining city on a hill,” a people demonstrating the value of a distinctive inheritance. Another emphasizes its welcome to the “wretched refuse” of other nations, placing faith in the power of American principles to transform those who arrive. The economic claims made for immigration are important, but the fiercest disagreements concern what newcomers must share with the people already here.

Those who describe America chiefly as a proposition often claim the moral high ground, dismissing their opponents as bigots or religious zealots. That tactic has proved effective in a cultural struggle in which collectivists seek to redefine the country in their own image. In my view, progressives, socialists, and communists increasingly subordinate freedom of speech, religion, association, and enterprise to an expansive conception of equality enforced by the state.

The result is a politics that invokes equality while giving ever more authority to government officials. If America is only an abstract proposition, the meaning of that proposition can be rewritten by whoever captures the institutions that teach and enforce it. Equality can then displace liberty as the nation’s defining value.

We have reason to take the ideological change seriously. In a July survey, the Cato Institute found that 38% of Americans under 30 held a favorable view of communism. That is a striking measure of the ground an ideology once broadly rejected has gained among the young.

The answer is not to replace a purely propositional identity with an ethnic test or a mandatory religion. Pendleton’s Protestant requirement was itself a statement of values, however narrowly he understood them. He wanted to establish Protestantism as the premise behind Virginia’s expansion of immigration, considering an obvious connection between Protestantism and the rise of representative government.

RELATED: Pray for the country. Then do your part.

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In reality, America’s inheritance is centuries of struggle to build and preserve a constitutional order that protects liberty. Americans are born into that legacy, and newcomers can join it. The common obligation is to sustain it, even when powerful institutions press us to abandon it. Such an identity requires more than a passing declaration of agreement with an abstract creed.

The public may be more receptive to this argument than our political disputes suggest. Cato also found that 71% of Americans surveyed believe the ideals and institutions of the founding are part of their inheritance. That is a foundation on which to build a common national life.

We need to build on that attitude and reinforce the public appreciation of our inheritance as Americans. The flying of other nations’ flags at anti-government rallies is an obvious manifestation of the weakening of our national identity by mass immigration and collectivists’ domination of the nation’s education system and mass culture over the past several decades.

Protection and reinvigoration of respect for the nation’s founding values will require a general agreement on the answer to the question of “What is an American?” I believe that the unifying answer is that America is the home of Americans: a people born of liberty who are intent on maintaining the world’s greatest home for freedom and serving as an example to the rest of the world.

​Communism, Marxism, Mass immigration, Multiculturalism, National identity, Socialism, Trump administration, Liberty, Protestants, Freedom, Americans, Opinion & analysis, Donald trump 

A little more than a week ago, I attended a gathering for “young conservatives” at Lazarus, a bar on East Sixth Street in Austin. The occasion was a book talk about holidays and preserving family traditions. I arrived early, passed the build-your-own nacho station, redeemed my free drink ticket, and found a seat among roughly 30 people, mostly men in their 20s and 30s.

The author, a working astronaut, began with a question: “How many of you have children?” Just one hand went up. Once the nervous laughter faded, the conversation moved to spacesuits. But the moment captured a problem that is far larger than one room in Austin: Why are so few young people starting families?

A culture devoted to personal possibility can lose sight of the people who come after us.

The numbers are sobering. The United Nations estimates that the global fertility rate fell from 4.8 children per woman in 1970 to 2.2 in 2024. The world’s population is still growing, but more countries are having fewer children than would be needed to replace one generation with the next. That shift will affect economies, communities, and how people imagine their futures.

The usual explanations are familiar. Young adults date less, marry later, struggle with housing costs, and find relationships harder to build in a screen-mediated world.

Yet economics and technology do not settle the question. In a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, 57% of adults under 50 who said they were unlikely ever to have children cited a simple reason: They don’t want to. That figure describes a particular group, not all young adults. Still, it invites a cultural question: What has changed about our understanding of a good life?

Fifty years ago, Tom Wolfe offered one answer. His 1976 essay “The ‘Me’ Decade and the Third Great Awakening” described Americans absorbed in “remaking, remodeling, elevating, and polishing” the self. He contrasted that obsession with an older sense that people belonged to a “great biological stream”: They carried forward something inherited from their ancestors and entrusted something to their descendants. Wolfe saw more Americans daring to step outside that stream.

French philosopher Jean Baudrillard later encountered a similar restlessness in America. He saw a country fascinated by speed, reinvention, and the perpetual justification of its own existence. The self was no longer merely something to be cultivated. It was a project that could be endlessly redesigned.

The older warning came from Alexis de Tocqueville. In “Democracy in America,” he described individualism as a “mature and calm feeling” that draws a person away from the wider community into a small circle of family and friends. Tocqueville’s individualist still had that circle. What happens when it contracts further, until the individual becomes the central obligation?

RELATED: Young men are being left behind

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Individualism has given America extraordinary wealth, innovation, and freedom to pursue a life of one’s choosing. Those achievements should not be dismissed. But a culture devoted to personal possibility can lose sight of the people who come after us. Children demand time, sacrifice, and commitments that resist being rearranged around our preferences. If freedom becomes simply the absence of such obligations, family formation begins to look less like a natural part of life and more like an obstacle to self-realization.

Governments have tried to make parenthood easier. Singapore subsidizes child care; Hungary offers housing and tax benefits; South Korea supports fertility treatments. These policies can relieve real burdens, especially for people who want children but cannot afford them. Yet they have not produced a reliable formula for reversing low fertility. “No government has discovered a policy that produces sustained bumps in fertility,” Texas A&M historian Trent MacNamara told Business Insider.

Long before today’s demographic debate, Theodore Roosevelt worried about what he called “willful sterility.” Writing in 1911, he blamed “selfishness,” the “love of ease,” and a retreat from risk and duty. His language was severe. His underlying challenge remains recognizable: What are we willing to sacrifice for a future we will not live to see?

RELATED: Conservatives are blowing the easiest political win in America

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Allan Bloom later worried that young people’s “primary preoccupation” was themselves, “understood in the narrowest sense.” Oswald Spengler reached for an even bleaker formulation in “The Decline of the West”: “Children do not happen,” he wrote, when people can no longer find a reason for their existence. Neither writer supplied a birth-rate policy. Both were asking what people believe their lives are for.

No tax credit or dating app can answer that question by itself. Financial help may make it possible to have children, but a society must also regard family life as something worth choosing. It must leave room for obligations that cannot be measured solely by their return to the self.

Back at the bar in Austin, one hand rose when the astronaut asked who had children. The talk moved on. The question should not. A civilization that prizes individual freedom must still decide what, and whom, it hopes will come after it.

​Civilization, Family life, Housing costs, Individualism, Young adults, Young conservatives, Family traditions, Austin, Children, Americans, Alexis de tocqueville, Hungary, South korea, Finances, Opinion & analysis