Category: blaze media

An unidentified 24-year-old man and his friend began arguing with a third male in the 14th Street Subway Station in Manhattan just after 7 p.m. Saturday, the NYPD told the New York Post.

According to amNY, a staring match preceded the dispute.

‘I will never ride the train again. It’s not safe.’

Police told the Post that the third male pulled out a knife and slashed the 24-year-old man in the lower torso and then ran away through the station’s mezzanine level.

With that, the 24-year-old man and his friend — a 20-year-old, amNY noted — chased down the third male who carried out the slashing and grabbed his knife, and one of the two other men stabbed the third male in the chest with that knife, sources told the paper.

RELATED: NYPD reports 2 stabbing subway incidents: 52-year-old man attacked for refusing to stop smoking and woman stabbed in the back

WABC-TV reported that it appears the 24-year-old man who was initially slashed carried out the stabbing against the third male.

The alleged initial assailant and the 24-year-old man were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the initial slasher was pronounced dead, and the 24-year-old was in stable condition, the Post reported, citing police.

The paper added that two people are in custody but have not been charged. AmNY said the 24-year-old and the 20-year-old are being questioned.

The male who died has not yet been identified, WABC reported.

RELATED: Police arrest thugs suspected of slashing and pummeling uniformed NYPD officer on NYC subway

Commuters enter and exit the 14th Street-Union Square subway station in New York City. Photographer: Craig Warga/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As of Monday evening, 270 comments have been posted under WABC’s YouTube video report about the incident. Here are a handful of them:

“I thought that was a No Knife Zone?” one commenter quipped.”Things should get better once free grocery stores and a [downsize] in police services take effect with a new mayor,” another commenter added sarcastically.”With all these knife crimes I’d think there’d be more calls for more knife control,” another commenter reacted with tongue fully in cheek.”No charges,” another commenter declared. “Self-defense.””There’s truly something wicked going on …” another commenter observed.”It’s just too much violence going on in the subway,” another commenter shared. “I will never ride the train again. It’s not safe.””Should have not pulled the knife out,” another commenter stated before adding that “you get what you ask for.”

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​Stabbing, Fatal stabbing, New york city, Manhattan, 14th street subway station, Turning the tables, Crime, Staring match 

The Trump administration chalked up another victory when the Fourth Circuit Appeals Court ruled that it could implement the end of temporary protective status for migrants from Afghanistan and Cameroon.

The order applies to about 11,700 migrants from Afghanistan and will allow the government to begin deporting them on midnight Monday evening.

‘The Trump administration’s attempt to end TPS for Afghanistan and other countries is a racist, unlawful action that cannot stand.’

The lawsuit was filed by immigrant activist group CASA, which had previously won a temporary ruling from the same appeals court for seven days. They had hoped the court would extend the stay but lost their motion.

“Although temporary, every moment counts when it comes to families figuring out their futures and being protected from ICE’s terror. We will fight for this pause on the termination to continue,” CASA legal director Ama Frimpong said at the time.

“The Trump administration’s attempt to end TPS for Afghanistan and other countries is a racist, unlawful action that cannot stand,” Frimpong continued.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the decision would bring the TPS program back to its original intent.

“Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country,” Noem said. “Additionally, the termination furthers the national interest as DHS records indicate that there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security. Reviewing TPS designations is a key part of restoring integrity in our immigration system.”

RELATED: Noem prepares to deport 500,000 immigrants from one long-troubled island

The administration has used the rescissions of TPS to bolster the president’s goal of mass deportations of migrants from the U.S.

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​Trump court victories, Tps status lawsuit, Tps afghanistan, Tps cameroon, Politics 

A newly released report from the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General revealed bombshell findings about the Obama-era FBI investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released the 2018 report, which found that the FBI failed to complete a full investigation into Clinton’s “mishandling of highly classified information.”

‘Weeks later, on July 31, 2016, Comey’s FBI formally opened the bogus Crossfire Hurricane investigation into President Trump’s disproven collusion with Russia.’

President Donald Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi declassified the report’s “Clinton Annex” and provided it to Grassley after he requested the information.

Grassley stated, “This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary Clinton’s email usage and mishandling of highly classified information.”

“Under [former FBI Director James] Comey’s leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor,” Grassley continued. “The Comey FBI’s negligent approach and perhaps intentional lack of effort in the Clinton investigation is a stark contrast to its full-throated investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which was based on the uncorroborated and now discredited Steele dossier. Comey’s decision-making process smacks of political infection.”

The OIG report found that under former President Barack Obama, the FBI failed to conduct targeted searches of eight thumb drives obtained by a source amid the ongoing Clinton investigation.

RELATED: Bombshell documents referred to DOJ expose Obama’s direct role in Russia hoax

Former FBI Director James Comey. Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

The report stated that “the vast majority of [the thumb drives’] data has never been reviewed by the FBI.” It further noted that the OIG previously concluded that a “review of the thumb drives was necessary to conduct a ‘thorough and complete investigation’ and to ‘assess the national security risks’ associated with former Secretary Clinton’s use of a private server.”

Grassley’s office stated that Comey planned to exonerate Clinton before conducting an interview with her, ultimately officially recommending the DOJ take no legal action against her on July 5, 2016.

“Weeks later, on July 31, 2016, Comey’s FBI formally opened the bogus Crossfire Hurricane investigation into President Trump’s disproven collusion with Russia,” a press release from Grassley’s office read. “On that day, [former FBI Special Agent Peter] Strzok texted Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer, saying: ‘And damn this feels momentous. Because this matters. The other one did, too, but that was to ensure we didn’t F something up. This matters because this MATTERS. So super glad to be on this voyage with you.’”

Grassley’s office further noted that the OIG’s report revealed that “the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy.”

RELATED: Bill Clinton suggests Biden shouldn’t pardon his wife — then tries to wipe her record

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The senator accused the then-FBI of taking a “kid gloves approach” to the Clinton investigation. Grassley thanked Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel for sharing the new information with the American public, and he urged them to “continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact.”

Bondi commended Grassley for his “unwavering, years-long commitment to exposing the truth and holding those who seek to conceal it accountable.”

“This Department of Justice is fully committed to transparency and will continue to support good-faith efforts in Congress to ensure accountability across the federal government,” Bondi stated.

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​News, Hillary clinton, Clinton, Barack obama, Obama, Obama administration, Fbi, Federal bureau of investigation, Kash patel, Department of justice, Doj, Pam bondi, Clinton annex, Chuck grassley, Department of justice office of inspector general, Doj oig, Oig, Office of inspector general, James comey, Crossfire hurricane, Peter strzok, Lisa page, Politics 

Pete Buttigieg’s presidential hopes are bringing renewed scrutiny to his performance while running the Department of Transportation under the Biden administration, and it is not going well.

The DOT approved tens of billions of dollars of grants for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs but stalled efforts to upgrade obsolescent air traffic control technology, according to a New York Post report.

‘He was definitely pushing an agenda.’

The report cited airline industry insiders and spending records from the federal government.

In one damning incident, Buttigieg reportedly told industry executives that upgrading air traffic control systems would only lead to more airplanes being put into the air, which would not be in his interest.

“He was definitely pushing an agenda,” said one industry official, who went on to accuse Buttigieg of having “little to no interest” in the needed air traffic control system upgrades.

“At first, [the Department of Transportation] and he were reluctant to say there was an air traffic controller shortage or that the shortage had anything to do with flight delays or flight cancellations,” the air industry official said.

Sources said that Buttigieg spent much of his time defending DEI policies from critics who said they put the public at risk through traffic controller shortages. He also blamed airlines for delays while refusing to upgrade the air traffic systems.

A spokesperson for Buttigieg denied the report in a statement to the Post.

RELATED: Pilots frustrated FAA prioritized ‘inclusive’ language, ‘environmental justice’ over tech issues that led to major system outage

Chris Meagher pointed to improved software changes under Buttigieg that improved efficiency and changes to flight routes that are projected to cut flight times. He also said that traffic control hiring increased during Buttigieg’s tenure.

“Suggesting that Secretary Buttigieg chose not to pursue air traffic control modernization is absurd,” Meagher said. “Secretary Buttigieg’s focus was always on safety — not just in aviation, but also on roads and bridges, where 40,000 Americans die on our country’s roads each year. Fixing issues with air traffic control was a priority.”

Officials that spoke to the Post accused Buttigieg of focusing on looking good on television rather than actually improving transportation for Americans.

Meagher also defended the DEI program funding during the Buttigieg tenure.

“You can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said. “FAA operates completely separately than other modal administrations. So what happens at FHWA doesn’t have a meaningful effect on FAA or NHTSA because they operate independently. It’s separate staff, separate budgets, separate programs.”

Many of the claims in the Post report corroborated a previous documentary produced by Stu Burguiere at Blaze Media warning that incompetence in leadership at the Dept. of Transportation would lead to disaster.

The Trump administration has a chance to significantly improve transportation after the Republican “big, beautiful bill” provided for an increase of $12.5 billion for the improvement of FAA systems.

Blaze Originals’ “Countdown to the Next Aviation Disaster” can be viewed on BlazeTV. If you’re not already a subscriber, go to BlazeOriginals.com and start a seven-day free trial. Plus, use code DEI for $30 off your first year of BlazeTV+.

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​Buttigieg’s failures, Buttigieg faa debacle, Nypost vs buttigieg, Buttigieg dei, Politics 

If you’re going to be the CEO of a tech company, you might think twice before engaging in PDA at a Coldplay concert with a woman who’s not only not your wife but the chief of human resources.

And unless you’re living under a rock, you know that’s exactly what happened when CEO of Astronomer Andy Byron was caught on a Coldplay concert kiss cam cozying up with Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot.

Byron is married with children.

Days after the incident went viral across all social media platforms, Byron resigned from the company after being placed on leave.

“Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted,” Astronomer said in a statement. “The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder, and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.”

While the company clearly isn’t happy with the negative publicity Byron’s actions have caused, Glenn Beck’s head writer and chief researcher, Jason Buttrill, notes on “The Glenn Beck Program” that it “sounds like everyone knew about it.”

Buttrill read through comments and internal text threads from workers, explaining that these workers sounded “pretty much elated that he was finally getting outed for doing this.”

Glenn himself believes that Cabot, the other woman, has made it clear she’s not fit for her role either.

“That HR director should not have a job as HR ever again,” Glenn laughs. “That’s the person who’s like, ‘No sexual harassment.’ You are the one caught with a CEO, you know, in a love embrace.”

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The brother of late football player Pat Tillman was arrested in San Jose after he crashed his car through a post office and then lit the building on fire, according to California police.

San Jose police arrested 44-year-old Richard Tillman on suspicion of arson after a car was driven through the front of the post office in Almaden Valley on Crown Boulevard at about 3 a.m. The building went up in flames, and firefighters took 90 minutes to extinguish the fire.

‘I cannot think of a reason why that would make sense, but that’s one of the things we’re looking into.’

“We’re definitely investigating it as possibly an intentional act, so driving the vehicle into the building and then starting the fire can’t be ruled out as having been done on purpose,” U.S. Postal Inspector Matthew Norfleet said.

Video from the scene showed that there was vandalism on the post office that read, “Viva La Me.”

“Those markings were not on the building yesterday. What their connection is to the fire and crash is so far unexplained,” Norfleet continued. “I cannot think of a reason why that would make sense, but that’s one of the things we’re looking into.”

He went on to say that Tillman may have been broadcasting video of the incident.

A witness said that Tillman had a box of belongings at the incident, including a photograph of his brother.

“I remember reading about Pat Tillman, and I come from a family of a lot of military people, so his story — Pat Tillman’s story — did impact me,” resident Gladys Huerta said.

RELATED: Pat Tillman’s mom rips ESPYs for naming Prince Harry as recipient of son’s award

Some residents in the area said they have no idea where their mail is because of the incident.

“I guess I’m going to come see if the mailman comes to my house,” Tom Gerber said. “I’ll put it outside in the box and see if the mailman comes. I don’t know if we’ll get mail today or not.”

Richard Tillman is being held at the Santa Clara County Jail without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

Pat Tillman was praised by many when he gave up a million-dollar contract to play in the NFL in order to join the military after the 9/11 attacks. The story turned to tragedy when he was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 and the government later acknowledged that he was hit by friendly fire.

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​Pat tillman’s brother, Richard tillman, Post office arson, Viva la me, Crime 

During the pandemic, In-N-Out was among the very few companies that immediately stood up against the tyrannical measures to force the vaccine on unwilling citizens.

In a statement sent to ABC7 News in San Francisco at the time, the burger chain indicated that it would “refuse to become the vaccination police for any government.”

“We fiercely disagree with any government dictate that forces a private company to discriminate against customers who choose to patronize their business. This is clear governmental overreach and is intrusive, improper, and offensive,” the company’s statement said.

“There were so many pressures and just hoops we were having to jump through. You know, ‘You’ve got to do this, they have to wear a mask, you have to put this plastic thing up between us and our customers,’” Lynsi Snyder, president of In-N-Out Burger, tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey on “Relatable.”

“But that was definitely where we held the line. … We’re not policing our customers,” she continues.

After its refusal to bow down to the vaccine mandates, In-N-Out was “shut down for a brief moment,” but Snyder believes “it was worth it.”

Now, In-N-Out is building an office in Franklin, Tennessee, a place that did not see the same authoritarian response.

Snyder is moving herself and her family to Tennessee along with it.

“Number one priority is really keeping the company the same company that my grandparents started as,” she tells Stuckey. “I want the legacy to continue.”

“We don’t want to be in every state, and we don’t want to ever compromise our values and standards and the cornerstones that my grandparents laid down,” she continues, adding, “so it’s really just keeping those priorities at the forefront when we make decisions.”

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

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As the Trump administration continues to grapple with the botched Epstein file release, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has stepped up to the plate.

On Monday, Gabbard released over 230,000 pages of documents related to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order. This “unprecedented” release includes information about the FBI’s investigation, the “discussion of potential leads,” internal memos, documents from James Earl Ray’s former cellmate, as well as “never-before-seen” CIA records pertaining to the case.

‘The declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth.’

“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination,” Gabbard said in a joint statement. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation’s history. I extend my deepest appreciation to the King family for their support.”

“The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation’s great leaders,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the statement. “The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump’s direction for this latest disclosure.”

RELATED: FBI, DOJ Epstein memo sparks right-wing outrage: ‘Nobody is believing this’

Although some documents were previously made public, the ODNI will for the first time digitize and publish the records online “with minimal redactions for privacy reasons.” In accordance with Trump’s executive order, the only documents to have previously been digitized were those related to former President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

RELATED: Bongino and Bondi clash over botched handling of Epstein files

Photo by Stephen F. Somerstein/Getty Images

“I am grateful to President Trump and DNI Gabbard for delivering on their pledge of transparency in the release of these documents on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.,” Dr. Alveda King said in the statement. “My uncle lived boldly in pursuit of truth and justice, and his enduring legacy of faith continues to inspire Americans to this day. While we continue to mourn his death, the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve.”

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​Dni, Tulsi gabbard, Pam bondi, Donald trump, Epstein, Mlk, Mlk assassination, Jfk, Jfk assassination, Jfk files, Mlk files, Epstein files, Doj, Trump administration, Politics 

A lengthy MIT Media Lab panel on “Forbidden Research” featured a segment on studying pedophiles and whether or not “child-size sex robots” should be provided to them.

The discussion lasted about nine hours when it was webcast in 2016, with the after-lunch portion of the event dedicated to a discussion on the study of pedophilia.

The discussion was uncovered as the saga surrounding deceased child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is ongoing, with the public clamoring for more information about the shadowy elite financier’s life. The topic of the panel was revealed to be even more disturbing considering the lab’s financial ties to Epstein.

‘Courts don’t know what to do with these because no child has been harmed in making them.’

Around the five-hour mark of the event, Dr. Kate Darling took the stage to start the off-putting discussion.

“Once child-size sex robots hit the market, which they will, is the use of these robots going to be a healthy outlet for people to express these sexual urges and thus protect children and reduce child abuse? Or is the use of these robots going to encourage, normalize, propagate that behavior and endanger children in these people’s environments?” Darling asked.

The Swiss doctor works in robotics and is a research scientist at MIT. She also holds the position of lead for ethics and society at the Boston Dynamics AI Institute, per her website.

Darling went on to say that “we just don’t know the answer” to whether or not to let pedophiles use the “sex robots,” mostly due to the restrictions around what that research might look like.

RELATED: DOJ fires Maurene Comey from SDNY; she worked on Epstein, Diddy cases and is the daughter of James Comey

“I understand why people want reporting requirements,” Darling continued. “But I do wonder whether they’re doing more harm than good in these cases. Because as much as people want these sexual urges — the urges, not the act — to be a moral failing, they are a psychological issue, and if we really care about helping children, we might need to be a little bit more pre-emptive about this.”

While the panel seemed to recognize the discomfort their discussion would cause, it cannot be ignored that the MIT lab had received funding from Epstein during the same years it took place.

In 2019, Joi Ito, former director of the MIT Media Lab, admitted that the lab had “received money through some of the foundations” that Epstein controlled.

Ito resigned following a blockbuster New Yorker report detailing internal evidence that Ito and staff members accepted Epstein’s funds and worked to hide their source even though Epstein had been blacklisted by MIT. Epstein was also alleged to have been consulted about the use of funds and utilized as an intermediary between the lab and other wealthy donors.

Ito said he had taken $525,000 in funding from Epstein for the media lab, with MIT receiving $800,000 in total from Epstein over a period of 20 years.

“I vow to raise an amount equivalent to the donations the Media Lab received from Epstein and will direct those funds to nonprofits that focus on supporting survivors of trafficking,” Ito added at the time.

RELATED: Wikipedia co-founder: Epstein, elite rings, and occult portals — what they don’t want you to know

The Media Lab on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2023. Simon Simard/Bloomberg via Getty Images

MIT responded to a request for comment from the Daily Caller and said it did not wish to comment on “the individually held and freely expressed views of any particular community member. The views of any individual community member are their own.”

The school said it has also taken a “number of steps” to change its gift acceptance and donation processes and has been donating to “four nonprofits supporting survivors of sexual abuse.”

Dr. Darling did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

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​Return, Robots, Epstein, Mit, Lab, Pedophiles, Tech 

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released a treasure trove of evidence revealing how former President Barack Obama and his national security Cabinet members had, as many long suspected, apparently “manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump.”

Both before and after the 2016 election, the understanding among intelligence officials appears to have been that Russia had likely not interfered, particularly by using cyber means, to influence the outcome.

Gabbard revealed, however, that before this conclusion could be delivered to the American public, the Obama White House seemingly intervened to set an alternative narrative — a narrative largely based on the Steele dossier, a political opposition research report paid for in part by the Clinton campaign, which the intelligence community knew to be devoid of credibility.

‘They weren’t in Russia; they never made a phone call to Russia; they never received a phone call.’

This false narrative, which was initially fed piecemeal through leaks to the liberal media and then officially advanced through a reworked intelligence assessment published on Jan. 6, 2017, served “as the basis for countless smears seeking to delegitimize President Trump’s victory, the years-long Mueller investigation, two Congressional impeachments, high-level officials being investigated, arrested, and thrown in jail, heightened U.S.-Russia tensions, and more,” Gabbard said.

The success of what Gabbard characterized as a “treasonous conspiracy” was largely reliant on the participation of the liberal media, whose assistance took on various forms but in some cases was as simple as framing unnamed partisan sources from the previous administration not only as credible but noble.

For instance, in March 2017, the New York Times explained away Obama officials’ eagerness to push the Russian collusion narrative before President Donald Trump took office not as an attempt to “make an excuse for their own defeat in the election,” as then-White House spokesman Sean Spicer put it, but rather as a heroic effort to protect legitimate intelligence from obfuscation or destruction:

Mr. Trump has denied that his campaign had any contact with Russian officials, and at one point he openly suggested that American spy agencies had cooked up intelligence suggesting that the Russian government had tried to meddle in the presidential election. Mr. Trump has accused the Obama administration of hyping the Russia story line as a way to discredit his new administration. At the Obama White House, Mr. Trump’s statements stoked fears among some that intelligence could be covered up or destroyed — or its sources exposed — once power changed hands. What followed was a push to preserve the intelligence that underscored the deep anxiety with which the White House and American intelligence agencies had come to view the threat from Moscow.

This explanation was followed paragraphs later by the claim that Obama directed none of the efforts.

RELATED: ‘Prosecuting Obama’: Trump makes shocking statement as he commends Gabbard for bombshell evidence release

Photo by Saul Loeb – Pool/Getty Images

One month prior, Trump — whose transition team emphasized early on that the intelligence agencies alleging Russian interference were “the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction” — called the Russia narrative a “scam.”

“You can talk all you want about Russia, which was all a, you know, fake news, fabricated deal, to try and make up for the loss of the Democrats, and the press plays right into it,” Trump said during a Feb. 16, 2017, press conference. “In fact, I saw a couple of the people that were supposedly involved with all of this — that they know nothing about it; they weren’t in Russia; they never made a phone call to Russia; they never received a phone call.”

The Poynter Institute’s PolitiFact, among the publications that made good use of the reworked intelligence assessment, leaned on the apparently Obama-skewed document when insinuating that Trump’s remarks at the press conference were false.

The Washington Post, which was among the biggest media proponents of the hoax, readily and routinely leaned on the input and framing of fierce Trump critics, including those apparently involved in the manufacture of the Russian collusion hoax, such as ex-CIA Director John Brennan.

In its long-standing effort to portray Trump as guilty and defensive, the paper also tracked how many times the president and those in the White House denied Russian collusion.

‘The integrity of our democratic republic demands that every person involved be investigated and brought to justice to prevent this from ever happening again.’

Unhinged Trump critics such as Anne Applebaum, the writer who smeared as propagandists early proponents of the pandemic lab-leak theory and wasted ink last year imagining parallels between Trump and various 20th-century dictators, kept Washington Post readers’ hope alive that they were getting closer to “direct evidence” of collusion, while over at CNN commentators worked as if it there were proof that Russia interfered to get Trump elected.

RELATED: Ex-CIA Director John Brennan’s bad year could get a lot worse: ‘Maybe they have to pay a price for that’

Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former CNN editor at large Chris Cillizza suggested in a 2018 piece that Trump’s refusal to play along with the hoax was a likely sign that Moscow had compromising information on the president. This, for Cillizza, made more sense than the notion “in Trump’s mind [that] any talk of Russian interference in the election is an attempt to undermine the ‘brilliant campaign’ (his words) he ran in 2016 and somehow invalidate his victory.”

Days later, CNN’s Marshall Cohen identified “10 ways Trump has strayed from his own intelligence agencies on Russian meddling” — a piece that now serves to memorialize the media’s misplaced faith in the intelligence community and to vindicate Trump’s skepticism.

While the newly released documents from the DNI both salt the remains of the Russian collusion hoax and justify Trump’s use of the term “fake news” in reference to numerous publications, the documents could prove far more impactful for those who constructed the false narrative. After all, Gabbard referred the documents to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution.

“These documents detail a treasonous conspiracy by officials at the highest levels of the Obama White House to subvert the will of the American people and try to usurp the President from fulfilling his mandate,” Gabbard wrote.

The director of national intelligence added, “The integrity of our democratic republic demands that every person involved be investigated and brought to justice to prevent this from ever happening again.”

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​Coup, Conspiracy, Barack obama, Obama, Hillary clinton, Donald trump, Tulsi gabbard, Dni, Odni, Fake news, Leftism, Democrat, Lies, Narrative, Russiagate, Russian collusion, Russia, Russia hoax, Politics 

Former first son Hunter Biden went on several expletive-laden rants about issues ranging from illegal immigration to the treatment of his father by the media.

Biden spoke to “Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan,” a left-wing YouTube channel that has long covered Donald Trump rallies and interviewed strange characters.

The former president’s son gave a whopping three-hour interview highlighted by comments he made about President Biden’s cognitive capabilities, coupled with a vehement condemnation of the deportation of illegal immigrants.

‘By the numbers, what influence does Jake Tapper have over anything? He has the smallest audience on cable news.’

Clips of Biden were seen by millions in mere hours, including the 55-year-old disagreeing with Democrats who have pointed out that American citizens are upset with illegal immigration.

“All these Democrats say, ‘You have to talk about and realize that people are really upset about illegal immigration,'” Biden told the host before quickly escalating his rhetoric.

“F**k you! How do you think your hotel room gets cleaned? How do you think you have food on your f**king table? Who do you think washes your dishes? Who do you think does your f**king garden?” Biden ranted.

After listing a series of job categories frequently filled by illegal labor, Biden claimed that illegal immigrants have admirable determination.

RELATED: How the Biden regime went from ‘scamdemic’ to sympathy tour

“Who do you think is here by the f**king, sheer f**king just grit and will that they figured out a way to get here because they thought that they could give theirselves and their family a better chance?” Biden said of the illegal aliens.

Biden also stated that he did not believe illegal immigrants are criminals, but his comments later on about his father’s obvious cognitive decline on the 2024 campaign trail made for more fiery television.

Biden lashed out at celebrities and commentators who pointed out his father’s decline, and he frequently used curse words to describe the ethics of President Biden’s detractors.

First, Biden unleashed on actor George Clooney, who penned a New York Times op-ed suggesting that Joe Biden resign as nominee for the Democratic Party.

“F**k him. F**k him. F**k him and everybody around him. I don’t have to be f**king nice,” Biden unloaded.

— (@)

The Delaware native also discredited political analysts like James Carville and David Axelrod for what he described as their lack of accomplishments. Biden then decided it was CNN host Jake Tapper’s turn. Tapper released a book in May, an exposé citing insider reports about President Biden’s brain functions.

Biden criticized Tapper for doing “a two-week informercial” to promote the book, even though Tapper’s “ratings just went to s**t after he put the book out.”

“I mean, it was such a money grab, such a disservice to everybody that he serves with,” Biden continued, while also mocking the size of Tapper’s audience.

“By the numbers, what influence does Jake Tapper have over anything? He has the smallest audience on cable news.”

Biden was also asked about his father’s debate performance against President Trump, which, by most accounts, was the spiritual end to his campaign.

RELATED: Jill Biden’s ‘shadowy’ chief of staff clams up during autopen probe

US President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden hug on stage at the Democratic National Convention on August 19, 2024. Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden chalked up his father’s appearance to globe-trotting jet lag.

“I know exactly what happened in that debate. He flew around the world basically. … He’s 81 years old. He’s tired as s**t. [They] give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage, and he looks like he’s a deer in the headlights.”

Other topics in the discussion included Biden admitting to drinking “almost a handle of vodka a day” and the physical toll crack cocaine takes on the body. However, he insisted that alcoholism is far worse than crack addiction.

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​News, Jake tapper, Cnn, President biden, Trump, Debate, Illegal immigration, Hunter biden, George clooney, Politics 

Many on the left continue to insist CBS canceled Stephen Colbert’s show due to political pressure from the Trump administration, despite the fact that the show simply cost more money than it produced.

Progressive writer Molly Jong-Fast told MSNBC on Monday that Colbert’s show ending is “simply not funny, but also really scary.”

‘Do you not see all the observers who are expressing huge doubts?’

She further indicated that it was yet another incident of “self-censorship” prompted by the federal government. “Our government has done this before,” she said, adding that “history is very much filled with moments like this.”

Former NPR CEO Vivian Schiller said the recent events at CBS prove that “this has not been a great week for free speech and speaking truth to power, without a doubt.” After calling the financial reasons given by CBS “circumstantial,” Schiller went on to say they do not make sense because the parent company “has spent money on other things.”

CNN’s chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, even talked with insiders at CBS, who told him “even when speaking frankly on condition of anonymity, that the move was financially driven, not politically motivated.”

Despite hearing that information directly from those at the company, Stelter went on to write, “Many observers have huge doubts about that, given that Colbert has been an outspoken critic of President Trump.”

RELATED: Farewell to Stephen Colbert, fake laughs, and lame late-night bias

Photo by CBS Photo Archive / Contributor via Getty Images

When an X user pointed out how ridiculous it looked to continue blaming a political motivation for the show’s end, Stelter defended his framing.

“Do you not see all the observers who are expressing huge doubts?” Stelter said.

RELATED: Brian Stelter suggests media partly to blame for ‘warning fatigue’ amid tragic flood deaths

— (@)

“In other words, people not involved in this and don’t know what’s going on. Meanwhile, the people who are involved and do know what’s going on are telling you why it happened even with the safety of anonymity. Explain to me why you give equal weight to these two groups,” user @neontaster replied.

It appears that being unable to turn a profit was not the only issue plaguing Colbert’s show. When “The Daily Show” alum took over after David Letterman retired, the average age of viewers was 60. In the 10 years since, the show’s average age has increased to 68.

Although the show is ending, it is not going away anytime soon. The show will officially end in 2026.

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​Politics 

After histrionic accusations from Democratic lawmakers in California about the “militarization” of Los Angeles by the Trump administration, the Pentagon said all of the troops were being pulled.

President Donald Trump had ordered the troops into L.A. after protests against immigration enforcement efforts turned into violent rioting in the days after June 7. Mayor Karen Bass (D) and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) both downplayed the violence in order to oppose what they claimed was “illegal militarization” ordered by the president.

‘The federal government is turning the military against American citizens. This is unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy.’

On Monday, military officials said 700 active-duty Marines were leaving Los Angeles after ordering 2,000 federalized California National Guardsmen the week prior to leave the city.

Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell released a statement about the decision to ABC News.

“With stability returning to Los Angeles, [Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth] has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: Lawlessness will not be tolerated,” said Parnell. “Their rapid response, unwavering discipline, and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order and upholding the rule of law. We’re deeply grateful for their service, and for the strength and professionalism they brought to this mission.”

However, 2,000 guardsmen will stay in Los Angeles to defend federal buildings.

Newsom and Bass had accused the president of inciting the rioting by ramping up deportation efforts in Los Angeles and of taking advantage of the rioting to militarize the streets.

“This was provoked by the White House,” said Bass to reporters in June. “The reason why, we don’t know. I posit that we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor, power from a jurisdiction, and frankly leaving our city and our citizens, our residents, in fear.”

RELATED: Los Angeles Mayor Bass sues Trump admin to protect illegal aliens from mass deportations

“I just filed an emergency motion in court to immediately block the ongoing and unnecessary militarization of Los Angeles,” wrote Newsom on June 10. “The federal government is turning the military against American citizens. This is unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy.”

The governor was initially successful, but the Trump administration very quickly won in appeals court and was allowed to maintain the troop presence in Los Angeles.

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​Troops in los angeles, Marines sent to la, National guard sent to la, La ice riots, Politics 

Hi, I’m Lauren Fix, longtime automotive journalist and a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Welcome back to “Quick Fix,” where I answer car-related questions you submit to me.

Today’s question comes from Bob in California:

Hi Lauren,

What is the current rate of uninsured motorists? I live in California, and it seems like 1 out every 6 drivers has no insurance. That has to have an enormous impact on insurance costs.

Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like in CA they are impounding these cars or attempting to get people to pony up for insurance.

What are your thoughts?

You are correct, Bob: California has a significant issue with uninsured drivers.

According to estimates from the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the Insurance Information Institute, approximately 17% of California drivers are uninsured as of 2025. This translates to roughly 4.7 million uninsured motorists out of the state’s 27.65 million licensed drivers.

So your estimate that “1 out of every 6 drivers” lack insurance is spot-on.

It’s a big mess, and it’s hitting insured drivers hard, inflating premiums and leaving responsible drivers to foot the bill for others’ negligence. California’s new 2025 liability minimums are a step toward better protection, but they’re also pushing premiums up, which could ironically increase the uninsured rate as low-income drivers get priced out. It’s a tough cycle to break.

Fines and impoundment are on the books, but they’re not aggressively enforced enough to deter the sheer volume of uninsured drivers.

Impounding vehicles sounds effective, but it’s costly for authorities and politically sensitive, especially in poor communities. Electronic verification systems could help, but they’re only as good as the follow-through — random checks or sting operations might catch more violators.

What can you do to protect yourself as a law-abiding California driver? Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, or UM/UIM, is a must. I’d recommend boosting your UM/UIM limits to at least $100,000/$300,000 or higher if affordable, as medical and repair costs can skyrocket.

To solve this problem, California needs a multipronged approach: tougher enforcement, more impoundments, stricter DMV checks, better access to affordable insurance, and public campaigns to stress the risks of driving uninsured.

Until then, insured drivers like you are stuck subsidizing the system. It’s frustrating, but arming yourself with solid coverage and staying vocal about enforcement gaps can make a difference.

And unfortunately, it’s not just a problem in California. Across the U.S., about 14% of drivers — roughly 1 in 7 — are uninsured, with states like Washington, D.C. (25%) and New Mexico (25%) leading the pack, driving up premiums for everyone else. Check your state’s uninsured motorist rate and consider adding UM/UIM coverage to protect yourself on the road.

Got a car-related question? Email me at getquickfix@pm.me.

​Align cars, Quick fix, Lauren fix, Lifestyle, How to, Cars, Uninsured motorists, Car insurance, Liabilty, California, Uninsured motorist coverage 

Imagine Arab sheik-funded AI supercenters dotting rural America, staffed by foreign labor, draining local water and power, and hollowing out small-town life — all so Big Tech can build its digital technocracy. Sounds like the globalist Agenda 2030 schemes we’ve warned about for years. But shockingly, it’s now become the Trump administration’s top priority.

President Trump’s team is pushing to override red-state zoning laws and fast-track thousands of these massive data centers. The losers? Small-town Americans. The winners? The “rich men north of Richmond.”

Who is looking out for the people when Trump and the globalists are on the same side? “We have to beat China” is the rallying cry — a lazy excuse to silence questions and crush local regulations. But we need AI that serves productivity, not a technocracy that rules over us.

Noise levels hit 96 decibels. Imagine a leaf blower that never turns off. Would you want that in your backyard? It may be coming sooner than you think.

Trump’s “Stargate” plan would spend a staggering half-trillion dollars — public and private — to build thousands of AI data centers. It’s like rushing to amputate a limb. Sometimes it’s necessary, but any sane person would demand second and third opinions first.

Yet, instead of debate, we got betrayal. Tucked quietly into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was a provision from AI czar David Sacks banning all state regulation of AI systems for 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) gaslit us, claiming this would stop California’s tech tyranny. In truth, it targets Trump’s own base: farmers, ranchers, and rural voters. Just like eminent domain carve-outs for green energy, it strips local power to benefit Big Tech.

— (@)

Even before Stargate breaks ground, rural Trump country is already grappling with AI data centers draining water, electricity, and property values. Telling locals to shut up because “we must beat China” is pure demagoguery.

Copying China’s playbook

Meanwhile, the same administration opening the floodgates for these projects is also welcoming hundreds of thousands of Chinese tech students. This is déjà vu from the post-9/11 security state. Back then, we cracked down on Americans while doubling immigration from the very regions funding terror. It was never about safety — it was always about the grift.

Across Trump country, protests are swelling against these land and energy grabs. You can almost hear Oliver Anthony’s lyrics echoing over the farmland: “These rich men north of Richmond … wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do.”

The point of AI should be to improve our lives — not force us to sacrifice local resources and freedoms so it can exist as a modern Baal.

Troubling open-ended questions about what this “data god” will be used for lay heavily on these conversations, and it’s quite hard not to envision it being used for control. We’re told we must become like China to beat China, yet what we’re building is arguably worse. And the more immediate consequence will be irreparable damage to our rural landscapes and national power grid.

Rural communities bear the cost

Is it any wonder rural communities want to use local zoning laws to at least slow this stampede? These areas have land, fewer regulations, and desperate politicians eager for new investment. Big Tech knows exactly who to target.

Virginia’s Loudoun and Prince William Counties were early victims. Now, the industry is setting sights on Northwest Georgia, rural Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona. What these projects promise is anything but rural tranquility.

RELATED: Trump bets big on AI to make America dominant again

Photo by Alvarez via Getty Images

A single proposed project in American Township, Ohio, for example, was slated to cover nearly 170 acres. Consider that 4,750 of these leviathans were expected to break ground just this year. What’s going to happen to America’s countryside once the thousands of data centers scheduled for this year alone are built, in addition to the subsequent thousands we can expect in the coming years?

According to the Institute for Energy Research, by 2030, data centers’ electricity consumption is on track to surpass the entire electricity consumption of Japan today. In the United States, that number will account for almost half of the growth in electricity demand between now and 2030. In short, in just a few years, data centers will consume more energy than what is currently required for manufacturing all energy-intensive goods — such as aluminum, steel, and cement — combined.

The strain on water is even more concerning. A single large data center can consume upwards of five million gallons of water per day to cool the vast arrays of servers — the equivalent of a small city. Much of the water use is consumptive, meaning it evaporates and is not returned to the local watershed.

In water-scarce regions, such as Arizona — one of the primary locations targeted for these water centers — this can put a tremendous strain on already limited resources, creating a new and powerful competitor for a resource that is essential for farming, ranching, and residential life.

The daily toll of these data centers in rural America is already steep. Backup generators and cooling fans roar day and night. Locals near Virginia sites compare it to “a lawnmower in your living room 24/7.” Noise levels hit 96 decibels. Imagine a leaf blower that never turns off. Would you want that in your backyard?

It may be coming sooner than you think.

Moreover, thousands of AI data centers would destroy much of America’s rural landscapes — rolling hills replaced by giant, windowless warehouses. Yes, ugly infrastructure like power plants is sometimes essential — but at least they provide energy to the community. These data centers take energy away. A handful would be one thing. Thousands amount to a dystopia.

A better AI future

The United States could secure its lead in the AI era not by copying foreign actors’ brute-force, centralized strategy — which imposes staggering burdens on local communities — but by fostering an agile, resilient, and open ecosystem. Instead of merely stockpiling raw processing power, we should prioritize building AI systems that are accurate, reliable, globally accessible, and seamlessly integrate with existing technology.

Decentralized AI infrastructure, often pairing AI with blockchain, offers a smarter path. It keeps data under local control, bolsters privacy, complies with local laws, and dramatically cuts the risk of catastrophic breaches tied to massive single points of failure. It also encourages flexibility, allowing open-source models to flourish and adapt more quickly than bureaucratic mega-projects ever could.

If we truly want an AI future that serves American families — not Big Tech oligarchs or foreign monarchs — we must champion technology that empowers people, protects communities, and respects the land. Anything less isn’t just bad policy. It’s a betrayal of the very America these rural voters fight to preserve.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Ai, Artificial intelligence, Big beautiful bill, Ai data center, Environment, China, David sacks, Agenda 2030, Globalism, Gulf states, Stargate, Land grab, Eminent domain, Loudoun county, Prince william county, Virginia, Ohio, American township, Institute for energy research, Water, Landscape, Nature, Local control, Ecosystem, Blockchain, Privacy, Big tech 

Vandals who struck a campaign office for far-left Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York wrote a left-wing message on a sign at the site.

New York City police said they responded to a call directing them to the campaign office on Herschell Street in the Bronx at 12:45 a.m. Monday.

‘We see a lot of this stuff. We’re going to review our cameras and that of the building too.’

Vandals had splashed red paint at the office and left a sign that read, “AOC Funds Genocide in Gaza.”

Ocasio-Cortez has been accused by the right of flirting with anti-Semitism, but she has also been excoriated by many on the left for not being sufficiently anti-Israel for their tastes. She has been actively campaigning for socialist Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic nomination for the New York City mayoral election.

Police said no arrests were made, and their investigation is ongoing.

“We see a lot of this stuff. We’re going to review our cameras and that of the building too,” campaign manager Oliver Hidalgo told WABC-TV. Hidalgo likewise mentioned getting in touch with the landlord.

“We have a lot of folks who have been reaching out, volunteers who want to come help and clean up, so they’ll be doing that,” he added. “I just got here, so I don’t know if there’s anything additional beyond this, but the number one priority is making sure people are OK.”

WCBS-TV reported that Ocasio-Cortez has two other campaign offices, one at Hunts Point and another in Astoria, Queens.

RELATED: Radio host says Israel is led by ‘white supremacist Jews’ — and Ocasio-Cortez says she ‘absolutely’ agrees

In November, Ocasio-Cortez blamed the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee for the devastating losses the Democrats suffered in the last election, leading some to accuse her of anti-Semitism.

In October, the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America said members were considering a vote to censure Ocasio-Cortez over her votes in Congress related to Israel. The DSA had worked to help Ocasio-Cortez defeat a Democratic Party boss and first win her seat in NYC in 2018, shocking the establishment.

Ocasio-Cortez is enthusiastically backing socialist Mamdani, who is trying to appear as a moderate but has had various past comments resurface that demonstrate he is a radical extremist.

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​Aoc offices vandalism, Left-wing vs aoc, Aoc antisemitism, Aoc vs the jews, Politics 

Both teams at the WNBA All-Star Game wore T-shirts that read “Pay Us What You Owe Us” in response to ongoing labor disputes with the league.

Players wore the shirts during warm-ups and later held “Pay the Players” signs as, once again, the WNBA basketball action was overshadowed by activism taking center stage.

Caitlin Clark, the league’s biggest star by far, was absent from the game due to a groin injury but still took part in the protest as one of the coaches. What was most perplexing about the protest, however, was the set of demands the Women’s National Basketball Players Association was making, which have become the subject of much ridicule.

‘Like we asked for something, they came back with something totally different.’

Napheesa Collier, forward for the Minnesota Lynx and vice president of the WNBPA, said players were “disappointed” with the WNBA’s response to their demands.

“What they came back with is just nowhere near what we asked for. Or even in the same conversation,” she said, according to Outkick. “Like we asked for something, they came back with something totally different.”

Although Collier did not specify exact numbers, the demands were clear that players want salary increases and revenue sharing.

“That was what we had first sent them even back in February,” Collier reportedly said. “These are our two main points. And we’ve been really clear on that from the beginning.”

The idea of increased revenue sharing, while the league loses money each year, is exactly what has WNBA players at the butt end of online mockery.

RELATED: ‘Sorry about that’: WNBA announcer apologizes for sounding too pro-Trump

Video of the player protest garnered reactions on X like, “Pushing for a pay cut in an irrelevant league seems like a weird marketing move,” and, “They are right, it is time. League lost 25m last year so you gals actually owe $160,256.14 each.”

The critics are not wrong. Even with Caitlin Clark’s monumental 2024 season bringing in record viewership and attendance for the WNBA, the league still lost a reported $40-$50 million, depending on the source.

The simple fact that the WNBA loses money every year did not come up in a players’ association press release regarding their negotiations with the league. The union demanded a “rightful share of the business that we’ve built,” improved working conditions, and a requirement that the league “ensures the success we create lifts both today’s players and the generations that follow.”

The letter continues, “This business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion. But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth.”

— (@)

According to Outkick’s Amber Harding, WNBA players want an increase on their 20-25% share of basketball-related income and are even willing to go on strike over it.

“I mean, we’re on a time crunch, right? Like, no one wants a walkout. That is not what anybody wants. But at the end of the day, we have to stand firm, and we’re not going to be moving on certain topics,” Collier reportedly stated.

WNBA players are a year removed from their successful demand for chartered flights, which came with an estimated $25 million price tag when the league had 12 teams. That price tag could be around $27 million now that there are 13 teams.

As for the player salary increases, the average WNBA player makes more than some may think.

RELATED: Comedian Shane Gillis shocks ESPN crowd with Epstein and illegal alien jokes: ‘This is Disney’

Brittney Sykes, #15 of the Washington Mystics, holds a “Pay the Players” sign after the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

WNBA players got a 53% raise in 2020 — the league did not make money that year, either — which increased the league minimum salary to $70,103.

According to DIRECTV, the average WNBA salary in 2025 is $147,745. In comparison, the average salary of a minor league baseball player is $62,000 per year, despite the MiLB generating $1.2-$1.5 billion per year (according to Grok AI) — and those players take the bus.

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​Fearless, Wnba, Basketball, Women’s sports, Woke, Equal pay, Sports 

White House border czar Tom Homan laid into the mainstream media for pushing a narrative about the type of people being arrested by federal immigration officers.

Homan was part of the Department of Homeland Security’s press conference in New York City after one of the agency’s officers was shot, allegedly by an illegal alien. While the officer survived, he was shot in the face and arm. He was able to return fire and wound one of the suspects.

‘A federal judge ordered them removed, so ICE’s job is to remove them.’

Homan said the recent shooting in the Big Apple proves the immigration enforcement operations are necessary and that it is shameful that sanctuary cities are not doing more to help remove criminal illegal aliens from the country.

“One more thing. I’m sick and tired of reading in the media how ICE is not doing what the Trump administration has promised, that we’re not arresting criminals, that most of the people we arrest are not criminals. I look at the numbers every day. The numbers I looked at the other day — 130,000 arrests and 90,000 criminals. Do the math. That’s 70 percent,” Homan said.

RELATED: Off-duty border officer shot in face allegedly by ‘Illegal Alien Monster’ with multiple arrests

Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

Homan continued that other people who do not have criminal records but have been arrested are those who have final orders for removal. In other words, these individuals “had due process at great taxpayer expense,” and “a federal judge ordered them removed, so ICE’s job is to remove them.”

He further pointed to recent stories that just 1% of ICE arrestees have been convicted of murder. “Are you kidding me? Being in the country illegally is not illegal anymore, and you gotta commit a murder to be deported?” Homan said.

Homan promised in the wake of the shooting that DHS is going to “flood the zone” in New York City with federal agents to ensure that illegal aliens like the two suspects from the Dominican Republic are removed from the country.

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​Politics 

Did anyone want to revisit America circa May 2020? BLM. COVID-19. Mask mandates. Peak cancel culture. Social distancing.

No, thank you.

A throwaway scene finds a white teen describing his privilege to his gobsmacked parents. Their reaction is guaranteed to draw howls.

Somehow director Ari Aster makes it an invitation worth considering.

2020 vision

The director behind “Hereditary,” “Midsommar,” and “Beau Is Afraid” jumps into that awful, no-good chapter in U.S. history with “Eddington.” Those expecting another progressive screed from La La Land will be happily disappointed.

Nor is Aster gunning for a MAGA cocktail party invite. His tale pulls nary a punch, belittling both hard-right conspiracists and BLM types.

What’s maddening is the lack of discipline in the film’s third act. If you thought 2020’s Summer of Love protests proved chaotic, perhaps “Eddington’s” finale feels appropriate.

Otherwise, a potentially great film loses its way.

Mask off

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Sheriff Joe Cross, an earnest lawman flustered by his state’s new mask mandates. It’s May 2020, and the country has already fallen for pandemic hysteria.

He tries to bring sanity to his New Mexico hamlet with few results. The locals have already adopted a mask-at-all-cost approach, including Eddington’s Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal).

Mostly.

That drives Joe to impulsively declare his candidacy for mayor, much to the chagrin of his troubled wife, Louise (Emma Stone). She spends her days ducking his carnal advances and devouring conspiracy theories along with her hard-charging Ma (Deirdre O’Connell).

Progressive Mad Libs

Meanwhile, the death of George Floyd sparks sympathetic protests across Eddington, straining the town’s wafer-thin resources. It’s neighbor against neighbor, and some of the young protesters barely know what they’re shouting about.

White privilege. Colonization. Racist cops. It’s a Mad Libs dash through progressive slogans, and it’s even sillier than what we remembered. The protests are a blindingly white affair, with BLM sympathizers torn between acknowledging their privilege and barking land acknowledgements.

One teen wants to get lucky, so he Googles “Angela Davis” just to break the ice with a pretty protester.

We can laugh about it now, but it wasn’t funny at the time. And sadly, remnants of that thinking refuse to slink away.

Aster isn’t sugarcoating far-left absurdism, although his hard-right conspiracies feel too cartoonish. The writer/director’s sense of editorial balance is shocking and smart. It’s a culture war movie that doesn’t look or sound like one.

RELATED: New horror movie ‘Midsommar’ makes a clearer call for Christianity to save the culture than many churches do

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Too soon?

The director leans into TikTok videos, YouTube confessionals, and cancel culture attacks — 2020 distractions that kept our attention during lockdowns.

The only thing missing? Netflix’s “Tiger King” series.

Sheriff Joe wants to have it both ways. He’s disgusted by residents trying to capture him in an unflattering light on their smartphones. He still turns to his phone to record campaign videos.

His political instincts, or lack thereof, are the film’s funniest running gags.

Aster’s setup is bracing and uncomfortable. Is it too soon to dissect this societal breakdown? The answer quickly becomes “no,” especially given how much we’ve learned about COVID-19, vaccines, and BLM-style activism since then.

Hackneyed slogans

“Eddington” isn’t a traditional comedy, but its satirical swipes leave a mark. A throwaway scene finds a white teen describing his privilege to his gobsmacked parents. Their reaction is guaranteed to draw howls.

Man, it feels good to laugh at that.

Eddington teens want to do something, anything, other than stay locked in their homes. So they join BLM and recite hackneyed slogans without actually understanding what they mean.

They look miserable.

The overstuffed story includes Austin Butler as an oily conspiracy theorist (is there any other kind?), a plot thread that adds a few chuckles to the story. Butler is a charismatic presence, but he’s not fully unleashed.

Laugh riot

Aster never knows how to leave well enough alone — his 2019 misfire “Midsommar” felt longer than the Summer Olympics. That means “Eddington” overstays its welcome by at least 20 minutes (the film is just shy of two-and-a-half hours long).

The film takes a violent turn mid-movie but lacks the urgency of the best screen thrillers. Instead, we watch a key character scramble for his life while we wonder what, exactly, is happening on screen.

Little of it makes sense, and the film’s coal black humor takes a knee.

Phoenix gets the meatiest role as a troubled sheriff. Poor Joe is earnest but overwhelmed, trying to process our 24/7 digital age without much luck. Pascal’s mayor should have our sympathy, from his pro-masking stances to having “he/him” on his Zoom profile.

Overdue relief

That’s how Hollywood movies work in 2025 … right?

Instead, the actor makes sure to show his character’s smarmy side, and Aster refuses to deify a Hispanic leader.

“Eddington” is neither a lecture nor a cautionary tale. Aster serves up no solutions, only the potential for more misery. We already lived through the worst of what’s seen on screen, and laughing at it now offers a delicious, overdue sense of relief following those over-reactions.

We wouldn’t do that again. Would we?

It’s why the final, chaotic moments prove so dispiriting. “Eddington” eventually loses its way, and a bitter coda puts an exclamation point on that fact.

It’s high past time Hollywood grappled with the worst year in recent memory. Aster’s willingness to call out all sides makes “Eddington” a bracing, almost necessary watch.

​Eddington, Ari aster, Culture, 2020, Mask mandates, Movies, Movie review, Black lives matter, Joaquin phoenix, Pedro pascal, Hollywood, Align review 

Chief Justice John Roberts noted in his 2024 year-end report that the independence and legitimacy of federal courts were under attack. While recognizing passionate reactions to judicial rulings as inevitable and strong criticism as occasionally warranted, Roberts underscored that “not all actors engage in ‘informed criticism’ or anything remotely resembling it.”

The chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court noted that types of “illegitimate activity” exist which “threaten the independence of judges on which the rule of law depends: (1) violence, (2) intimidation, (3) disinformation, and (4) threats to defy lawfully entered judgments.”

‘The media’s coverage of events like these are hypocritical to say the least.’

Roberts stressed that “attempts to intimidate need not physically harm judges to threaten judicial independence” and can take the form of visits to judges’ homes.

Over the weekend, a flotilla comprising leftist demonstrators paddled to Roberts’ summer home on Hupper Island, just off Port Clyde, Maine, to protest the high court’s recent rulings.

While the maritime demonstration was relatively unremarkable — mainland geriatrics reportedly griping about the Supreme Court’s rulings in Dobbs, President Donald Trump’s immunity case, and cases of interest to non-straight activists — it signaled leftists’ continued willingness to apply political pressure to justices where they live.

The protest was reportedly organized by Susan MacNeil-Densmore of the Audacity, a leftist group that claims to oppose “fascism, bigotry, and violence in the second age of Trump.”

RELATED: July shows strong signs of a coming and violent Democratic implosion

Win McNamee/Getty Images

MacNeil-Densmore told the Midcoast Villager ahead of the maritime demonstration that a federal and local police presence was expected on the island and that protesters were instructed to keep their messaging nonviolent.

However, the statement provided by the kayak crew to the paper engaged in the kind of rhetoric that helped set the stage for the attempts on President Donald Trump’s life last year.

‘What next, serve him an improperly seasoned lobster roll to underscore your incoherent point?’

“United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presides over the most right-wing Supreme Court in almost 100 years,” the statement reads. “Roberts has delivered the majority vote for President Trump’s every dictate, even granting him immunity from prosecution for any crimes he commits while he is the president. The Roberts Court is historically unpopular with the public and violated the United States Constitution; Roberts has been the deciding member of the six justices supporting a far-right political agenda. Now is the time to demand resistance to tyranny from people in positions of power, as we move closer to a dictatorship.”

Marie Follayttar Smith, a leftist with the Mainers for Accountable Leadership PAC, characterized the protest as a success and suggested that in addition to protesting outside Roberts’ home, fellow leftists could purchase property on the island to establish “a resistance head quarters [sic] by the Chief Justice.”

Others mocked the elitism and uselessness of the exercise.

Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice, tweeted, “Lol talk about privilege — kayak-based resort protest. What next, serve him an improperly seasoned lobster roll to underscore your incoherent point?”

John Malcolm, vice president of the Heritage Foundation’s Institute for Constitutional Government and director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, told Blaze News that the protests “are terrible, likely counterproductive, potentially illegal, and highly dangerous, and the media’s coverage of events like these are hypocritical to say the least.”

“I say they are terrible because they undermine a sense of civility and respect for the judiciary and the rule of law,” Malcolm said. “I say they are likely counterproductive because I seriously doubt it will impact how the justices rule in any case or how they conduct their business. I say it is potentially illegal because, for example, 18 U.S.C. § 1503(a) makes it a crime for anyone who, by means of ‘any threatening … communication, endeavors to influence, intimidate, or impede any … officer in or of any court of the United States … in the discharge of his duty.'”

Title 18, Section 1507, of the U.S. Code could also come into play with regard to protests outside justices’ homes, as it states that it is illegal to picket or parade in or near a building housing a U.S. court or occupied by a judge, juror, witness, or court officer “with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness, or court officer, in the discharge of his duty.”

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Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Malcolm added that “it is highly dangerous because there are unbalanced people out there who will resort to violence if their more-tame forms of protest are ignored, and, shockingly, there are those who will applaud when that happens.”

Malcom referenced the case of Nicholas John Roske, the California man who pleaded guilty on April 8 to traveling from Los Angeles to Montgomery County, Maryland, with the aim of killing Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

When police took Roske into custody and searched his belongings outside Kavanaugh’s home on June 8, 2022, they reportedly found a firearm; a tactical knife; two magazines, each containing 10 rounds of ammunition; 17 additional rounds of ammunition; pepper spray; zip ties; and a hammer, a crowbar, and other tools evidently intended for use in the thwarted murder plot.

Whereas the media has largely downplayed, excused, or ignored protests outside the homes of Republican appointees to the high court, Malcolm indicated he had “no doubt if such protests occurred outside the homes of Justices Kagan, Sotomayor, or Jackson, stories covering that would blanket the airwaves, and there would be howls of outrage and self-righteous indignation on the left about the threats to judicial independence that such protests pose.”

Roberts, who had protests outside his primary residence last year, emphasized in his annual report, “Attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in cases are inappropriate and should be vigorously opposed.”

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​John roberts, Supreme court, Intimidation, Maine, Kayak, Leftism, Protest, Justice, Court, Marshals, Malcolm, Politics