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Imagine dawn breaking over Nevada’s badlands. A herd of wild horses charges across the sagebrush, manes whipping in the wind — living emblems of American freedom, the soul of the West. Then the silence breaks. Helicopter blades thunder overhead, driving the animals into traps. Foals stumble. Mares collapse. Families scatter in terror.

This isn’t a scene from frontier history. It’s happening now — a government-funded assault on one of the most enduring symbols of the American spirit. The Bureau of Land Management’s wild horse roundups have become routine cruelty disguised as “management.” And with the agency preparing its most aggressive operations yet, the time to act is now.

No more federal helicopters terrorizing symbols of liberty while criminals flood our markets with cheap ‘beef.’

Congress once recognized the value of these animals. The 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act promised protection and stewardship, not slaughter and imprisonment. But decades of mismanagement have turned that promise into a taxpayer-funded nightmare.

The Bureau’s Wild Horse and Burro Program devours $142 million a year to chase, capture, and confine herds that should roam free. The agency calls it conservation. It looks more like erasure — the slow extermination of the very wildness that once defined the West.

From Nevada into your ground beef

More than 64,000 wild horses and burros now languish in government holding pens — taxpayer-funded cages that solve nothing. The Bureau of Land Management calls it “management,” but it’s warehousing life. Meanwhile, the agency ignores real issues like overgrazing, water misallocation, and habitat loss.

In Nevada, the carnage is especially stark. Last fiscal year, federal contractors ripped 2,196 horses from the Triple B Complex. Twenty-seven died on-site, collapsing under the stress of helicopter chases. The rest face grim odds in confinement, where mortality rates hover around 12%. Videos from inside these facilities show workers kicking panicked horses — proof that “humane management” has devolved into cruelty.

The story doesn’t end in captivity. Many of these captured horses end up in the slaughter pipeline. Sold at auction for as little as $5 to $25 a head, they cross borders into Mexico and Canada, where their meat re-enters U.S. markets illegally — blended into ground beef at a time of soaring prices.

This scandal isn’t just about animal welfare; it’s about corruption and public health. The same pipeline that traffics horse meat often intersects with drug and human smuggling networks, all subsidized by American taxpayers.

Actress and horse rescuer Dawn Olivieri, known for her roles in “Yellowstone” and “Homestead,” has called out the hypocrisy: With beef prices at record highs, why is the government allowing wild horse meat to undercut the market — and endanger consumers?

Call for accountability

The federal response has been a blueprint for more misery. The fiscal year 2026 presidential budget proposal guts the program by over 25%, slashing funding from $142 million to $100 million, all while dangling lethal options like euthanasia for healthy herds.

Nevada’s herds are ground zero. The Bureau of Land Management’s latest bombshell is a plan to yank nearly 5,000 wild horses from the Callaghan Complex using those same inhumane helicopter drives, ignoring fresh data and science on fertility controls or habitat restoration.

This isn’t land management. It’s a war on wildlife, propping up special interests while ranchers and communities bear the brunt of unbalanced ecosystems and federal overreach.

Demand action now

Fixing this problem requires more than outrage — it demands bold, commonsense conservatism. Cut the waste, restore the range, and honor the law’s original intent.

Start by releasing healthy captives into the designated herd areas envisioned by Congress in 1971. Doing so would ease the $142 million burden now falling on taxpayers and return the animals to the land they’re meant to roam.

Replace helicopter roundups with proven, humane population control. PZP vaccines work. They prevent overbreeding without cruelty and cost a fraction of constant captures.

Then empower local communities. Offer tax credits to ranchers who adopt sustainable grazing practices. Build revenue through eco-tourism — guided mustang trails, for instance — and expand adoption programs that put horses to work without the whip.

Finally, shut down the slaughter pipeline for good. Enforce the Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act to ban horse meat exports nationwide and close the kill-buyer loopholes that make butchery profitable.

RELATED: ASPCA, Humane Society live large on your donations, warns watchdog

Photo Paul Harris/Getty Images

This battle echoes larger fights against government bloat. Just as we decry asset forfeiture abuses that seize property without due process, we must end the Bureau of Land Management’s unchecked grabs of Nevada’s heritage. Fiscal hawks know the math: $142 million squandered yearly could fund tax relief for veterans or bolster border security.

No more federal helicopters terrorizing living symbols of liberty while criminals flood our markets with cheap “beef.”

The establishment thrives on apathy, but Nevadans, from ranchers to rescuers, aren’t buying it. Nevada’s wild horses aren’t Washington’s playthings — they’re our legacy. Let’s reclaim the range before the dust settles for good.

​Opinion & analysis, Usda, Beef, Meat, Horses, Horse meat, Bureau of land management, Wild horses, Stallions, Congress, 1971 wild free-roaming horses and burros act, Regulations, Federal land, Atrocities, Nevada 

Recent reports from “60 Minutes” have pulled back the digital curtain on a sobering truth. China is no longer just stealing data; it is mapping America’s weaknesses— its grids, its ground, its very geography. Retired General Tim Haugh, former head of both the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command, revealed that Chinese hackers have infiltrated American computer networks to an astonishing degree. They have targeted everything from utilities and pipelines to phone systems and local water plants. Even Littleton, Massachusetts, a town of barely 10,000, was hacked. The FBI found Beijing’s fingerprints deep inside its water and electric control systems.

It’s often said that wars are fought for territory. What’s new is that the territory no longer needs to be conquered; it can be connected.

If “they’re willing to go after that small provider that doesn’t have a national security connection,” Haugh said, “that means every target is on the list.” He’s right. In the cyber age, you don’t need to drop bombs to cripple a nation. You only need to flip the right digital switch.

Beijing could trigger chaos — blackouts, water contamination, grid failures — forcing Washington to fight panic while fighting a war.

The threat has moved beyond networks and into the soil itself. Chinese state-linked companies have quietly bought hundreds of thousands of acres of American farmland, often near military bases, data centers, and missile silos. It’s not agriculture but access.

Former national security official David Feith, who has served in both Trump administrations, warned that China’s land purchases could become launchpads for espionage or even sabotage. With today’s technology, a few shipping containers, drones, or concealed transmitters on “farmland” could paralyze a base or poison a water supply. “It’s an entirely new way of war,” Feith told “60 Minutes.”

Consider the precedent. In Ukraine, drones smuggled across borders struck Russian bombers. What’s near can strike what’s vital. The same principle applies here, where the developing pattern is unmistakable. From hacking Littleton’s utilities to purchasing property beside Air Force bases in North Dakota and Wyoming, Beijing’s strategy is not a flurry but a campaign measured in decades.

China doesn’t improvise; it incubates. Twenty-five-year plans are routine. Its slow, subterranean siege against American security marries patience with precision. Even crypto mines have become camouflage. So-called “data centers” owned by Chinese-backed firms are colossal power drains, often located near military facilities. Feith warns that they can be used to spy on communications or overload local grids.

Why does China do this? Not for trade or treasure, but for leverage in crisis. General Haugh calls it pre-positioning: If conflict erupts in the Indo-Pacific, Beijing could trigger chaos at home — blackouts, water contamination, grid failures — forcing Washington to fight panic while fighting a war.

There’s a dark brilliance to it. Attack the ordinary to paralyze the exceptional.

The battlefield is now your back yard. Across the United States, cyber leadership posts sit vacant and agencies remain demoralized. General Haugh himself was dismissed after Laura Loomer accused him of disloyalty for having served under Biden. It was political theater when what was needed was practical strength. You can loathe Biden and still love the republic; the two are not mutually exclusive. But partisanship has become a kind of paralysis, blinding so many to the broader threat.

RELATED: Chinese SIM farms are radicalizing Americans and destabilizing society, intel experts say

Photo by Handout / Contributor via Getty Images

So what should the Trump administration do?

First, secure the land before it secures you. Close the loopholes that let adversaries buy acreage near sensitive sites. Twenty-nine states already restrict foreign land ownership; make it 50. Ownership of soil is sovereignty. Selling it to a strategic foe is suicide by acreage.

Second, treat cyber defense like civil defense. Rebuild the firewall of faith in government competence. Incentivize companies to modernize their systems and share intelligence. For too long, agencies have hoarded information like monks guarding manuscripts. They should be arming every county, every company, every citizen with the tools to repel an attack.

Third, punish corporate complicity. Any American firm fronting for Chinese capital should face criminal penalties. Beijing doesn’t buy farmland to grow corn. It buys it to grow control.

Fourth, revive deterrence through dominance. China respects strength and exploits hesitation. The administration must make it clear that interference with its utilities or infrastructure will meet a proportional — or greater—response. The Great Firewall cuts both ways.

Finally, restore competence at the top. Reinstating seasoned experts like Haugh or empowering a new cyber czar with wartime authority would signal that the era of political purges in defense agencies is over. A nation that cannot trust its guardians will soon be guarded by its enemies.

Still, the challenge isn’t only technical. It is one of will and vigilance. Americans have grown used to comfort, assuming safety is permanent. But as these reports show, peace without preparation is just permission to be plundered.

And yet there’s a faint humor in our hubris. We let Chinese-backed crypto farms bloom beside missile bases and then wonder why the lights flicker. We ban plastic straws to “save” the planet, but sell farmland to the very regime paving it over.

Faith teaches that temptation often comes disguised as opportunity. The same is true in geopolitics. The common assumption is that China invades. Wrong. It integrates. And by the time we notice, it’s already inside the gate, serving sweet-and-sour sovereignty with a side of spyware.

America must wake up. The next Pearl Harbor won’t come by sea or sky. It will come through dead screens, dry taps, darkened cities, and finally dead bodies.

The tools to prevent that silence exist. The question is whether we have the discipline to use them. Because the greatest danger isn’t what China can take. It’s what America might give away, one password, one acre, one act of indifference at a time.

​Tech 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is up in arms over the imminent deportation of Sami Hamdi, a radical Islamic agitator from the United Kingdom who allegedly suggested the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel were worth celebrating.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed in a statement to Blaze News that as the result of work undertaken by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “this individual’s visa was revoked and he is in ICE custody pending removal.”

As of Monday morning, the online Immigration and Customs Enforcement database does not presently have a Sami Hamdi from the U.K. listed as being in custody.

‘How many of you felt the euphoria, Allahu akbar?’

“Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country,” continued McLaughlin. “It’s commonsense.”

The State Department said in a statement, “We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans.”

Hamdi’s detention came just days after the RAIR Foundation USA published a damning report concerning the British national’s history of radical remarks and associations, stating, “Every appearance Hamdi makes in America is not merely a speech — it operates effectively as a deployment node in an organized influence and mobilization program serving a foreign militant Islamic cause on U.S. soil. His talks are not educational but tactical.”

During an October 2023 panel discussion at a British mosque, Hamdi suggested that rather than pitying the Palestinians, Muslims should “celebrate the victory,” apparently referencing the Hamas terror attacks that claimed the lives of over 1,200 people in Israel including 46 Americans.

“Allah has shown the world that no normalization can erase the Palestinian cause,” said Hamdi. “When everybody thought it was finished, it’s roaring. How many of you feel it in your hearts when you got the news that it happened? How many of you felt the euphoria, Allahu akbar? How many of you felt it? Why did you feel it? Because the despair vanished.”

RELATED: Nigerian Christians are being murdered by Islamic radicals. This congressman has had enough.

Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Image

Hamdi also suggested that the reports of rapes by Hamas terrorists were lies.

Although Hamdi has suggested that his remarks were misrepresented and has denied that he celebrated the events of Oct. 7, he has since characterized the Hamas terror attacks as a “natural consequence of the oppression that was being put on the Palestinians.”

Blaze News has reached out to Hamdi for comment.

Hamdi, the managing director of a group that purportedly “advises on political environments across the globe,” spoke on Saturday at the Sacramento Valley chapter of CAIR’s annual banquet and was scheduled to speak to CAIR Florida on Sunday.

Federal immigration officials detained Hamdi Sunday morning at San Francisco International Airport, cutting short his speaking tour.

CAIR, whose co-founder said in a speech that the Hamas terror attacks on unarmed women and children made him “happy,” condemned Hamdi’s detention and called for his release.

The organization — which the Justice Department named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a terrorism financing case — stated that “abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech.”

“Our attorneys and partners are working to address this injustice. We call on ICE to immediately account for and release Mr. Hamdi, whose only ‘crime’ is criticizing a foreign government that committed genocide,” continued the Washington, D.C.-based group. “Our nation must stop abducting critics of the Israeli government at the behest of unhinged Israel First bigots. This is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it must end.”

The Muslim Council of Britain has signaled common cause with CAIR and called for the U.K. government to “take urgent diplomatic action” to ensure “Hamdi’s rights are protected.”

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​Islam, Islamist, Sami hamdi, Hamdi, Oct 7, Terrorism, Hamas, Radical, Deportation, Dhs, Rubio, Noem, Kristi noem, Visa, Politics 

Since taking office in December 2023, Argentina’s self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist” President Javier Milei has successfully taken a “chainsaw” to his leftist predecessors’ ruinous policies and rescued his nation from an economic death spiral.

Despite delivering significant results, the fate of the Argentine president’s libertarian agenda and his nation’s continued support from the U.S. were conditional on the success of Milei’s Freedom Advances party in Sunday’s midterm elections.

Fortunately for Milei and his anti-left alliance with the United States, the Freedom Advances party prevailed over its leftist rivals in almost every district in the country, securing nearly 41% of the national vote — far and above the result reportedly expected by the Milei government.

Milei’s party picked up 64 seats in the lower house of the Argentine National Congress and 12 seats in the Senate. The ruling party exceeded the threshold necessary to sustain Milei’s presidential vetoes.

President Donald Trump congratulated Milei “on his Landslide Victory” early Monday morning, noting, “Our confidence in him was justified by the People of Argentina.”

“He’s making us all look good. Congratulations Javier!” added Trump.

RELATED: Trump’s Caribbean ‘drug wars’ are forging a new Monroe Doctrine

Photo by Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images

“The [Argentine] president is fighting 100 years of bad economic history and policy,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at an Oct. 14 Cabinet meeting where Milei was present. “There’s a midterm election coming up. We think he’s going to do quite well and then continue his reform agenda.”

Bessent indicated that whereas the Obama administration “wasted” an opportunity to support Latin American governments when they moved center-right politically, the Trump administration is forming economic bridges with like-minded nations that “want to do the right thing.”

‘The entire country confirmed its will to irreversibly change the destiny of our homeland.’

In the case of Argentina, whose stability Bessent indicated was “in the strategic interest of the United States,” American support recently came in the form of a $20 billion currency swap — a lifeline bypassing the International Monetary Fund that is aimed at economically stabilizing the country — and the possibility of $20 billion more in private credit.

Trump underscored the importance of the election and noted that if Milei and his party didn’t win, the U.S. would “not be generous with Argentina.”

“Our approvals are somewhat subject to who wins the election because if a socialist or — in the case of New York City — a communist wins, you feel a lot differently about making an investment,” said Trump, suggesting further that the U.S. wouldn’t waste money supporting a government kneecapped by or captive to a leftist philosophy.

Milei noted in his victory speech that when the new lawmakers take their congressional seats in December, Argentina “will have the most reformist Congress in Argentina,” and his party will work to make Argentina “the most free country in the world,” reported the Buenos Aires Herald.

“Today, the entire country confirmed its will to irreversibly change the destiny of our homeland,” added Milei.

Florida Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R) stated on Sunday, “Milei is the moral reference for the hemisphere, the exact opposite of Maduro. He’s proving that freedom, capitalism, and democracy still work. President Trump recognizes that, and together we can help Latin America prosper with those same values.”

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​Argentine, Argentina, Javier milei, Donald trump, South america, Diplomacy, Politics, Election, Winning, Midterm, White house, Liberarian, Chainsaw, Anarcho-capitalist 

A former teacher was arrested in Florida for alleged child sex crimes committed in another state.

Jordan Kacie Hawk, 26, was arrested Tuesday.

‘The incidents took place earlier this year when Ms. Hawk was teaching at a local school and involved a juvenile student.’

WPLG-TV reported that Hawk was “wanted by police in the Charlotte suburb of Kannapolis, North Carolina.”

The arrest report said Hawk had an active warrant from the Kannapolis Police Department since Oct. 17.

Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation records show Hawk is being detained for a fugitive warrant and awaiting extradition out of state.

The Kannapolis Police Department in North Carolina told Blaze News that Hawk was charged with four counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor.

“The incidents took place earlier this year when Ms. Hawk was teaching at a local school and involved a juvenile student,” police in North Carolina stated.

N.C. police said Hawk is “expected to be extradited to North Carolina and taken into custody by the Kannapolis Police Department.”

WPLG reported that Hawk “indicated that she wanted to waive extradition proceedings to North Carolina” during a court appearance Wednesday.

RELATED: Female ex-teacher, cheerleading coach indicted, accused of sexual misconduct with student

Hawk reportedly lost her job at a Florida elementary school.

Citing a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest report, WPLG reported that Hawk was listed as a social studies teacher at Miami Lakes K-8 Center.

A spokesperson for Miami-Dade County Public Schools told WTVJ-TV that it was “aware of the arrest of a Miami Lakes K-8 Center employee for an alleged incident that occurred out of state.”

“M-DCPS is cooperating with authorities involved in this matter,” the school district spokesperson added. “The individual’s employment has been terminated and will be prohibited from future employment with this district.”

Authorities in North Carolina have 30 days to pick up Hawk, or else she will be released from jail in Miami, according to WTVJ.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Blaze News.

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​Teacher arrested, Bad teacher, Teacher sex scandal, Teacher student sex scandal, Florida woman, Indecent liberties with a minor, Child sex crimes, Crime 

A star chef from the show “Top Chef” tried to raise outrage over the demolition for President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom renovation, but he was mocked and ridiculed instead.

Tom Colicchio posted a photograph he said was from the East Room of the White House, which is being renovated to make way for a large ballroom.

Colicchio’s tweet was also slapped with a community note clarifying the problem with his assertion.

“My wife and I in the East Wing. I can’t believe it is gone,” he posted on his official social media account.

However, as many quickly noted, the photograph was not from the East Room at all, but actually from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the main White House residence.

“You’re in luck! That’s not the East Wing,” responded Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah.)

“I’m thrilled to be able to tell you that that room is not in the East Wing and not gone,” replied Mollie Hemingway of the Federalist.

“Imagine being so stupid you think the East and West Wings are party of the actual White House and not additional offices connected by hallways so you don’t have to go outside to get to them,” responded podcaster Derek Hunter.

Colicchio’s tweet was also slapped with a community note clarifying the problem with his assertion.

“This is clearly the Diplomatic Reception Room, which can be found in the main White House building, NOT the East Wing. A picture featuring the painting, fireplace, and bits of the wallpaper can be found here,” the note read, with a link to the White House.

The embarrassing episode also led to some posting sarcastic versions of the tweet with photos from movies or photoshops. A particularly humorous one posted an AI image of a man and a woman having a picnic on the wing of a plane.

“My wife and I on the east wing. I can’t believe it’s gone,” the tweet reads.

RELATED: Liz Warren launches investigation into Trump’s White House ballroom — and the backlash is hilarious

Democrats and others have accused the president of possibly accepting donations from corporations for the fund to build the ballroom as a way of gaining favor with his administration.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Democrats have opened an investigation into the donors for the ballroom in order to assess whether any corruption is involved.

Colicchio and the other chef judges made headlines in 2018 when they wore pins supporting Planned Parenthood during one episode of the show.

Blaze News has reached out to Colicchio for a comment about the community note.

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​Tom colicchio, White house ballroom, Trump white house renovation, Libs embarrassed online, Politics 

In a shocking segment on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show,” host Will Cain points out the divide growing in New York City between not just left versus right — but American-born versus foreign-born.

“A new poll shows Democrat socialist Zohran Mamdani dominating among foreign-born voters, winning 62% of their support. But among American-born New Yorkers, former Governor Andrew Cuomo leads the field by double digits,” Cain explains.

“According to the Census Bureau, 36% of New York’s population has been foreign-born since 2006,” he adds.

“I think that it’s a little naive to not be alarmed by this,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says. “Because when you are importing a lot of people who, it turns out, don’t share your values and have values actually antithetical to this country, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise.”

“I mean, we see the blueprint for this right now in the U.K. You see London, you see how they’ve taken over some of these towns. They have literal no-go zones there. Several decades ago, if a Republican walked around saying, ‘But you realize the end result of this will be no-go zones,’ they were laughed out of the room and called Islamaphobes, but we see this is actually happening,” she explains.

Publisher of Texas Score Card Michael Quinn Sullivan points out that potentially more concerning than those foreign-born New Yorkers supporting Mamdani are the American-born citizens supporting him.

“How have we failed them to the extent that they’re willing to vote for someone who is so antithetical to our principles?” he asks.

Unfortunately, the votes of New Yorkers in particular have very “far-reaching ramifications in the entire country,” Gonzales explains.

“I mean, you’re talking about the financial capital of the world that could potentially elect a mayor who’s palling around with a terrorist. I mean, an actual terrorist. We’re talking about the World Trade Center bombing,” she continues.

“Unfortunately,” she says of the foreign-born citizens voting for Mamdani, “we’re not talking about the immigrants of the past who were ready to assimilate, who came here because they believed in the American dream. We are talking about people with a far different motive and motivation,” she says, adding, “And I think we need to recognize that.”

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Upload, Video phone, Sharing, Video, Camera phone, Free, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, The will cain show, Fox news, Zohran mamdani, Come and take it with sara gonzales, Andrew cuomo, New york mayoral race, Islam in america 

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a generic version of mifepristone, a drug used in chemical abortions, isn’t just another bureaucratic misstep. It’s a profound betrayal of pro-life Americans and a reckless disregard for public safety.

The agency has now accelerated the mass production of a drug that ends unborn lives and carries serious risks for women. In doing so, the FDA’s bureaucracy has made clear that it serves ideological interests, not the citizens or the administration it is supposed to answer to.

Every life matters — both the woman and the child. Without moral clarity in policy, America risks losing its foundation altogether.

Only days before the approval, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary publicly pledged to conduct a full safety review of mifepristone. That commitment lasted less than a week. By fast-tracking the generic drug, the agency reversed its own position without completing the promised review.

Mifepristone is no ordinary medication. It is designed to be 100% lethal to an unborn child and carries documented risks to the mother, including severe bleeding and infection. The FDA’s reversal isn’t a matter of procedure — it’s a moral failure dressed up as administrative routine.

For millions of Americans who value the sanctity of life, this decision feels like déjà vu: another Washington agency disregarding its duty under the cover of “regulatory process.”

The bureaucracy’s excuse doesn’t hold

Pro-life Americans — one of the largest and most enduring constituencies in the nation — have been ignored by the bureaucratic elite for decades. When confronted, officials claim they’re merely “following the law.” But the FDA has wide discretion to delay or deny authorization for drugs that raise ethical or safety concerns.

Choosing not to use that authority isn’t neutrality. It’s cowardice. It’s the decision to shrug and look away while a drug designed to end life gains wider reach.

This approval darkens what should have been a pro-life administration’s legacy. Mifepristone’s purpose could not be clearer: It ends human life. Authorizing a generic version without exhaustive review prioritizes ideology over science and convenience over conscience.

Between promise and practice

The FDA insists that further studies will follow, but the promise rings hollow. As 17 U.S. senators recently pointed out, the safety study Makary pledged during his confirmation took six months to even be announced — and was done quietly, with little public notice.

RELATED: Trump’s battle for the abortion pill — and why it’s more dangerous than you’ve been told

Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images

That delay reveals the real problem: a deep-state bureaucracy operating with impunity, detached from the leadership and values of the nation it serves. When bureaucrats make decisions that contradict both policy and conscience, accountability becomes nonnegotiable.

A call to accountability and courage

The FDA must immediately identify and remove the officials responsible for this approval. It should also reconsider mifepristone’s production and distribution altogether. A drug designed to end life has no place in a nation that claims to defend the vulnerable.

The stakes could not be higher. Every life matters — both the woman and the child. Without moral clarity in policy, America risks losing its foundation altogether.

This moment demands courage, not compliance. Those who value life must stand firm, demand accountability, and work toward a future where the institutions of government defend life instead of destroying it.

​Opinion & analysis, Abortion, Pro-life, Food and drug administration, Mifepristone abortion pill, Mifepristone, Congress, Safety, Deep state, Administrative state, Families, Children, Donald trump, Marty makary, Regulations 

The Trump administration has made Main Street a central priority — and limiting the reach of the Corporate Transparency Act’s Beneficial Ownership Information rule was one of its best decisions so far. The rule required small businesses to hand over sensitive ownership data to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, under threat of heavy fines and criminal penalties. Large corporations were mostly exempt.

After small-business owners and pro-business lawmakers protested, the administration moved quickly. In March, it issued an interim rule exempting U.S. small businesses and citizens from the reporting mandate. Treasury then opened a public comment period to shape a final rule. That comment window closed five months ago, and yet the final rule still hasn’t arrived.

The administration must not allow deep-state bureaucrats and bad actors to stall this reform. Small businesses need clarity and relief — now, not after another election cycle.

Small-business owners want the exemption locked in for good — not left vulnerable to reversal by a future administration. Ohio Republican Rep. Warren Davidson’s Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act, with nearly 200 co-sponsors, aims to make that exemption permanent. But some lawmakers say they can’t codify until Treasury finalizes the rule. The delay is holding back certainty for millions of entrepreneurs.

Many of those same business owners also want FinCEN to purge the personal data they already submitted before the exemption took effect. With hacking and misuse always possible, they’re demanding the government delete the information it never should have collected.

FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki acknowledged the concern during a congressional hearing. “Along with the resolution of this rule, we also intend to resolve questions around the data that we have collected and dispose of data that is no longer legally required,” Gacki said.

A purge appears to be on the table — but without urgency from Treasury, the data remains at risk.

Gacki told Congress the rule would be finalized “in the upcoming year.” Whether that means 2025 or 2026 is anyone’s guess. The longer the Treasury Department drags its feet, the closer we get to the midterms — and the less likely Congress is to act in time.

Brian Reardon, president of the S Corporation Association, put it bluntly: “Intentions are well and good, but we need action. Sixteen million small businesses filed their owners’ personal information under the old rules. The only way to protect that information is to purge the database now.”

RELATED: Europe shows us what happens when bureaucrats win

wassam siddique via iStock/Getty Images

The National Federation of Independent Business agrees. NFIB’s Josh McLeod said, “President Trump was right to call BOI egregious, invasive, and an economic menace. Unfortunately, a future administration can simply rewrite this burdensome mandate back into existence. Small businesses urgently need the Trump administration and Congress to repeal the CTA and destroy the data.”

Small businesses remain the backbone of the U.S. economy. Reducing legal uncertainty and lifting needless regulatory burdens should stay at the top of Congress’ agenda. Finalizing the CTA BOI rule — and permanently securing the exemptions for small businesses and citizens — is an easy, commonsense win for Main Street.

The Trump administration must not allow deep-state bureaucrats and bad actors to stall this reform. Small businesses need clarity and relief — now, not after another election cycle.

​Opinion & analysis, Wall street, Main street, Treasury department, Financial crimes enforcement network, Fincen, Corporations, Small business, Regulations, Corporate transparency act, Beneficial ownership information rule, Andrea gacki, Warren davidson, Uncertainty, Rules and regulations, National federation of independent business, Congress, Donald trump, Deep state, Administrative state, Economy 

Old habits die hard. The Oversight Project filed another lawsuit against the FBI today. During the Biden years, we were in court constantly, suing the bureau more than a dozen times over weaponization and abuse. Many of the cases we fought then connect directly to the scandals now surfacing under the Trump administration. We were over the target back then — and Washington doesn’t do coincidences.

But this case is different.

We’re suing the FBI to force transparency — not for politics, but for accountability. Because if we don’t fix this now, we’ll look back and wish we had.

Monday’s lawsuit strikes at a deeper problem: the FBI’s claim that it has been “reformed” and is now “the most transparent in history.” That phrase is absurd on its face. Compared with the post-COINTELPRO reforms and the Church Committee era, today’s FBI is anything but transparent.

We’re suing because the bureau has built a system designed to violate the Freedom of Information Act. Over time, the FBI has developed a “pattern and practice” of breaking the law to hide information. Reporters across the political spectrum can tell you the same thing. The bureau stonewalls, delays, and hides behind boilerplate responses that make a mockery of the law.

Our case asks the federal judiciary to step in and force the FBI to fix this — to overhaul its FOIA process and follow the law it routinely ignores. This isn’t a step we took lightly. For nearly a year, we tried to resolve these problems through other channels. But the bureau’s “fixes” never came.

Bureaucratic shell game

The FBI has perfected a set of tricks to avoid scrutiny. It uses canned denials for well-defined requests, ignores the public-interest standard written into law, and buries documents under layers of redaction. Even by Washington’s anemic transparency standards, the FBI stands out as the worst offender.

This isn’t theoretical. In practice, the Oversight Project submitted requests naming specific agents — like the infamous Timothy Thibault — and identifying internal systems such as the Lync messaging platform. We asked for communications containing key terms like “Republican” or “Mar-a-Lago.” Those are precisely the requests the bureau continues to battle with gusto.

FBI Director Kash Patel deserves credit for some high-profile disclosures, but we can’t depend on him to keep discovering incriminating documents in “burn bags” or forgotten closets. That’s not transparency — that’s triage. The FBI cannot investigate itself or selectively release information without feeding public cynicism.

The point of FOIA is citizen oversight — not bureaucratic discretion. In a republic, the people are supposed to control government institutions, not the other way around.

A pattern of abuse

If the FBI had obeyed its own transparency standards all along, Americans would already know far more about the scandals that shook their confidence in government: Russiagate, the Mar-a-Lago raid, Operation Arctic Frost, the targeting of Catholic parishes and concerned parents, and the January 6 excesses. Each of these was compounded by secrecy and delay.

RELATED: Video sleuth challenges FBI Jan. 6 pipe-bomb narrative, unearths new evidence

filo via iStock/Getty Images

The bureau’s institutional resistance to disclosure doesn’t just protect bad actors — it perpetuates them. It allows corruption to metastasize under color of national security and procedure.

Time to clean house

At some point, the FBI will no longer be in Kash Patel’s hands. That’s why reform should happen now while the issue is in the public eye. The systems that enable secrecy and abuse must be dismantled before the next crisis hits.

We’re suing the FBI to force transparency — not for politics, but for accountability. Because if we don’t fix this now, we’ll look back and wish we had.

​Opinion & analysis, Federal bureau of investigation, Fbi, Freedom of information act request, Foia, Lawsuit, Oversight project, Kash patel, Operation arctic frost, Russiagate, Timothy thibault, Charles grassley, Information, Citizen oversight, First amendment, Secrecy 

Texas’ Senate Bill 12 is a no-brainer. Dubbed the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” the law has four simple principles for public schools:

1. No DEI training: Schools can’t assign DEI duties or allow race-/gender-based training. Critical race theory ideas about racial superiority or guilt are banned.

2. No sex education without parental consent: Schools cannot provide any instruction on human sexuality, including topics like sexual health or reproduction, without explicit written parental consent.

3. No social transitioning help: Staff can’t help students change names, pronouns, or appearance to match a different gender without parents knowing.

4. No gender-/sex-focused clubs: Clubs focused on sexual orientation or gender identity are banned from recognition, funding, and use of school facilities.

Sara Gonzales — BlazeTV host of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” and the vice president of Texas Family Project, a nonprofit organization aiming to protect children from radical ideology — says SB 12 is “a very reasonable law … to anyone who isn’t a total creep.”

And yet, there are people who are adamant on fighting SB 12. One of those people is Texas Tribune reporter Lindsey Byman, who posted this on Wednesday:

— (@)

As a parent of two Texas schoolchildren, Sara was much obliged to answer Lindsey’s question. In a lengthy, scathing email, Sara told the Texas Tribune journalist exactly how SB 12 has impacted Texans.

Lindsey,

My name is Sara Gonzales, and I have two school-aged boys in Texas. I am also the vice president of Texas Family Project, a nonprofit organization here in the state that has advocated for SB 12 — and much more — to shield innocent children from the predatory claws of radical ideologues.

You asked to hear how the “new policies limiting the discussion/expression of trans identities at public TX K-12 schools” have affected Texans. As you likely already know — or should if you weren’t so blinded by your obvious agenda — this policy simply protects children from being socially transitioned at school, in secret, without their parents’ knowledge. It also prevents teachers from otherwise having conversations with minor children related to their sexual preferences. Any adult who is not a morally bankrupt, mentally ill degenerate would cheer this as a reasonable measure to protect children from harm.

To be clear, I am absolutely thrilled that public school teachers can no longer sexually indoctrinate children without accountability or consequence. It warms my heart to think that these vile perverts who have been radically indoctrinating Texas children into a cult that makes them more prone to depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation could finally be fired. In a just world, their entire lives would be turned upside down as a result of their ghoulish behavior, and their nightmares would be endless.

In fact, I’ll sleep like a baby tonight just thinking about these predators plagued with real-world consequences of sexually indoctrinating and exploiting children.

Texans are united on this: Our hard-earned tax dollars should fund education, not indoctrination peddled by leftist lunatics. History will brand you and the pathetic left-wing propaganda mill you shill for as the villains you are — enemies of children, truth, and decency. Let’s be honest: Your company is circling the drain. It won’t survive much longer; after all, who in their right mind would continue funding a steaming pile of garbage? Tick-tock, Lindsey. Your irrelevance is calling. You can quote me in full.

Yours in unyielding contempt,
Sara Gonzales

Surprisingly, Lindsey was quick to reply. To see her response, watch the episode above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Blazetv, Blaze media, Lindsey byman, Transing kids, Transgenderism, Texas, Public schools, Sb12 

Anyone who drives America’s highways knows the story: potholes, cracked pavement, and endless construction zones. States pour billions of tax dollars into road maintenance every year, yet the pavement always seems to crumble faster than it can be repaired. What most motorists don’t realize is that heavy trucks cause much of the damage — and pay almost nothing to fix it.

Federal estimates show that a single fully loaded 18-wheeler can inflict as much pavement damage as nearly 10,000 passenger cars. Fuel taxes and highway user fees from trucking companies cover only a small fraction of the destruction they cause. Taxpayers pick up the rest, footing the bill for constant repaving, bridge work, and the cycle of crumbling roads.

Every additional ton of freight shifted to rail represents pavement preserved and taxpayer dollars saved.

Trucking keeps the economy moving, and freight rail, shipping, and trucking together form the backbone of America’s supply chain. But shifting more freight to rail makes sense. The rail network is self-maintained by the companies that use it, and trains move goods more safely and efficiently than trucks. The more freight we move by rail, the less damage we’ll have to repair on the nation’s roads.

A merger serving Americans

The recently proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern offers an opportunity to improve both our roads and our supply chains simultaneously. By creating a more efficient coast-to-coast rail network, the merger would allow railroads to capture more freight that currently travels by truck — relieving taxpayers of billions of dollars in hidden subsidies for road repair.

Merging Union Pacific’s vast western network with Norfolk Southern’s eastern lines would create the nation’s first true transcontinental railroad — from the Pacific to the Atlantic. For shippers, that means single-line pricing instead of juggling multiple operators to move goods from point A to point B.

It also means faster delivery, fewer interchanges, and lower costs.

Railroads, unlike trucking companies, build and maintain their own infrastructure. Every mile of track, every bridge, and every switching yard comes from private capital, not public funds.

When freight moves from trucks to trains, taxpayers win twice: less highway damage to repair and more freight handled by a system that pays its own way.

The savings aren’t theoretical. Heavy trucks cause roughly 40% of the wear on America’s roads while accounting for only about 10% of total miles driven.

A North Carolina Department of Transportation study found that trucks with four or more axles underpay for road damage by anywhere from 37% to 92%. State budgets from Texas to Pennsylvania tell the same story: Highway repair costs soar while trucking fees barely make a dent.

Every ton of freight shifted to rail means less pavement destroyed and more tax dollars saved.

False cries of monopoly

Naturally, critics of the merger will cry “monopoly,” as they always do when industries consolidate. But that misses the real competitive landscape. In addition to competing with other railroads, rail competes vigorously with trucks, which dominate American freight today.

Trucks control roughly 70% of domestic freight volume — subsidized in part by taxpayer-funded roads. Allowing railroads to offer a stronger alternative isn’t anti-competitive — on the contrary, it’s pro-market. It creates stronger competition for taxpayer-subsidized trucking.

RELATED: DOT withholds $40M from blue state for flouting English requirements for truckers

Photo by Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

At its heart, this merger is a test of whether the Trump administration trusts the free market to deliver solutions. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are not asking taxpayers to fund their merger. They are not asking for subsidies, grants, or carve-outs. They are investing their own capital to create a system that reduces public costs, strengthens supply chains, and keeps America competitive.

If policymakers are serious about preserving America’s battered roads, as well as strengthening our supply chain infrastructure, the choice is obvious. Let the free market work, and let railroads take more freight off the highways.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Transportation, Department of transportation, Brendan carr, Union pacific, Railroad, Railroads, Freight, Trade, Economy, Jobs, Supply chain 

It would be easy to demonize John Allen Chau, the Christian missionary who died while trying to bring the Bible to a remote tribe. The 26-year-old could have introduced new diseases to the North Sentinel Island community, causing serious harm. He also vowed to invade a community that craves isolation above all.

Now imagine a Hollywood film capturing Chau’s short, dramatic life. The industry isn’t known for sympathetic close-ups on faith, to be generous.

‘Whenever we go into places where we’re not comfortable, the first thing is, “I have to impose my point of view. Here’s my worldview.”‘

Yet veteran director Justin Lin (“Star Trek Beyond,” the “Fast & Furious” franchise) took a less expected path in bringing the young man’s life to theaters.

Justin Lin. Photo: Giles Keyte

Quick to judge

“Last Days” stars Sky Yang as John, a determined Christian who vowed to do something remarkable with his life. He risked everything to travel to the North Sentinel Island, hoping to share Jesus Christ’s message.

The story ended tragically, but Lin’s film portrays Chau as a kind-hearted lad whose complicated life led him to his fate. Lin isn’t a Christian, but he treated the material with care and empathy. That wasn’t his first reaction.

“It’s very easy to judge and dismiss. That’s what I did when the story broke,” Lin told Align of the initial news reports, the kind of “hot take” that swiftly decried Chau’s fateful decision. “It didn’t sit well with me that I was so quick to judge and dismiss him.”

A father’s story

An Outside Magazine feature on Chau’s life had a powerful effect on the filmmaker. The story shared Chau’s father’s perspective on his late son, among other details.

That rocked Lin.

“I have a teenage son. As a parent, I know exactly what he was going through, how you’re trying to impart your wisdom, make sure they’re not going through any hardships,” he said. “What I learned from that article was that if you do it on your timeline, and your son is not ready, you just miss each other.”

The project didn’t involve fast cars or intergalactic travel, but the change of pace spoke to the veteran filmmaker.

“I really wanted to try something different,” added Lin, even if he wouldn’t have the kind of blockbuster budget at his back.

“It’s going to be a run-and-gun, small crew,” he imagined before reading more from the real Chau’s diary. “In John’s writing, he was clearly inspired by adventure novels and Hollywood films. … I’m going to honor that and be the signpost for our film. … It’s an intimate story, but it has to feel like a big Hollywood film.”

He called in some professional favors to give the film a Tinsel Town sheen that otherwise might not have been feasible.

RELATED: Pistol-packing rabbi targets anti-Semitism in action flick ‘Guns & Moses’

Still courtesy Pictures from the Fringe

Fresh perspectives

Lin approached Chau’s faith delicately, while acknowledging the dubious decisions he made along the way. A mid-film romance ends unexpectedly, for example, allowing for fresh perspectives on Chau’s quest.

That balance came via an extensive effort on the director’s part.

“Whenever we go into places where we’re not comfortable, the first thing is, ‘I have to impose my point of view. Here’s my worldview.’ I made that commitment early on to say, ‘No,’” he said. “Taking three years of my life [for this film] … was to connect with his humanity.”

More with less

“Last Days” looks as lush as a $100+ million film, the kind that Lin routinely delivers. He didn’t have those resources nor an A-list cast to bring John Chau’s life to the big screen. Yang is a minor revelation, while Ken Leung’s turn as the young man’s father is heartbreaking.

Lin has a knack for doing more with less.

“I made a credit card movie for $250,000, and that movie opened the door and gave me all these opportunities,” said Lin of “Better Luck Tomorrow,” his 2002 breakthrough made by maxing out his personal credit limit. The film earned $3.8 million theatrically, a tidy sum given the budget. Hollywood swiftly came calling.

“Last Days” may have an indie sensibility, but Lin still felt the pressure to “nudge” the film in certain directions. The real Chau refused to be “boxed in” by society, yet the film industry tried to do just that with the film.

“Can you make this a Christian movie?” he recalled of the behind-the-scenes chatter about “Last Days.” … I didn’t understand or even appreciate that kind of nudge. … ‘If you really wanna be marketable, you should do more of this.’ Those conversations for me ended very quickly.”

“That is a challenge with independent films … the temptation. … ‘If I give you all this money, can you cast my son?’ Those are all choices you encounter,” he said.

Lin will find himself on more familiar ground with the upcoming “BRZRKR,” based on the Boom! Studios comic book co-created by Keanu Reeves. The “John Wick” star served as an angel investor in “Last Days.”

“I didn’t grow up wanting to make action movies, but I ended up enjoying the process,” he admitted.

The public got a sneak peek at “Last Days” during the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, months before its Oct. 24 theatrical rollout. The post-screening Q and A left him hopeful he had accomplished what he had set out to do with the film.

“Five minutes in, they could find a common bridge in [the film],” Lin recalled. “We need that now more than ever.”

​Showbiz, Movies, Entertainment, Culture, Sentinel island, John allen chau, Missionary, Christianity, Faith, Justin lin, Fast & furious, Align interview 

As October comes to a close, “spooky season” is in full form. Stores are packed with Halloween candy, costumes, and decorations.

Some Christians reject Halloween as synonymous with evil. But why is that? And what is the best way for Christians to respond to Halloween?

Make no mistake: Every day on the calendar belongs to God, and none of them belong to anyone else, including the devil.

How it started

The pagan Celts of ancient Ireland celebrated the new year on Nov. 1. So, much like we celebrate the night before New Year’s Day, they celebrated the night before (Oct. 31), too.

They called it “Samhain” — a night when they believed the dead in the form of ghosts could return to walk the earth. The Celts built huge bonfires, dressed in costumes to disguise themselves from the ghosts, and made lanterns out of gourds (like pumpkins, although they likely used different gourds). The fires attracted many insects, which attracted bats.

When the influence of the Catholic church began extending into pagan lands, sometimes the two cultures influenced each other. The Catholics celebrated All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 — also known as “All Hallows Day” — which was an occasion to remember the dead, who are supposedly now in heaven.

So Samhain eventually came to be known as “All Hallow’s Eve” or Halloween. And the bats, ghosts, costumes, and jack-o-lanterns made of gourds — the trappings of Samhain — continued to be part of the celebration.

Trick-or-treat origin story

In medieval Britain, a practice called “souling” emerged, where the poor would go door-to-door on Nov. 1 or Nov. 2, offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food, often “soul cakes.”

In Scotland and Ireland, a parallel tradition called “guising” developed in which children and young adults disguised themselves in costumes or masks, supposedly to mimic or hide from wandering spirits, and went door-to-door performing songs, poems, or tricks in exchange for food, nuts, or coins.

The term “guising” comes from “disguise,” reflecting the costume element in modern trick-or-treating.

How it’s going

History is important. But so is understanding what is happening now.

In the U.S., Halloween is primarily about one thing: trick-or-treating. Kids love dressing up in costumes and getting free candy, which is why we start seeing Halloween candy displays about 10 minutes after school starts in the fall — if not earlier.

Trick-or-treating is, of course, driven by commercial candy manufacturers, who make a significant portion of their profit from Halloween-related sales of their highly processed, terrible-for-everyone, garbage candy, which is full of dyes and additives (save us, MAHA!). That’s an “evil” we don’t hear enough about.

But there are those who see evil in every Halloween nook and cranny. Those who proclaim it “Satan’s day” and a peak time for witchcraft and other evil doings. This seems to be based in great part on alleged comments from satanists and witches that I see posted on social media every October — comments thanking Christians for allowing their children to worship Satan one day a year by trick-or-treating.

That’s stupid. Why would we believe or listen to anything self-proclaimed devil worshippers say?

Make no mistake: Every day on the calendar belongs to God, and none of them belong to anyone else, including the devil. I don’t deny people could choose Oct. 31 in particular to celebrate evil. However, for the vast majority of Americans, Halloween is about strolling the neighborhood in costume and collecting candy.

What should Christian families do?

Our highest calling is to love God and love our neighbor. And Halloween brings those neighbors to our door, literally. What if we prayerfully and thoughtfully considered how we can bless those neighbors on Halloween with an eye toward building relationships?

I’m not talking about handing out Christian tracts instead of candy. Don’t be that person. But I am talking about eagerly seeking opportunities to connect with at least one if not more families in your neighborhood with whom you can begin to build relationships.

This, in fact, is why God has you where you live.

Let me tell you about what one family did for Halloween. They set up a pole tent in the driveway, hung lights from it, and under the tent placed their BBQ grill on which they cooked hot dogs. A table held buns and condiments, a bowl of Halloween candy, and jello shots for the adults. They publicized this on the neighborhood webpage a day or two before Halloween.

To be clear, they weren’t Christians seeking to love their neighbor. They were seeking to promote the father’s business. But how might we promote our heavenly father’s business similarly?

Here are some ideas:

If you have access to one, a pole tent in the driveway with lights strung on it is very welcoming on a dark night! Grilling hotdogs is a good idea. Another might be a big crock-pot filled with chili, with paper cups and plastic spoons for serving.A hot drink station with cocoa, cider, tea, etc.Fresh-made pumpkin bread or oatmeal cookies in little treat bags as an alternative to commercial candy.Set out lawn chairs and invite people to sit down and rest for a moment — and if they do, introduce yourselves and get to know their family.Let your kids dress up and pass out the goodies. If you also allow your kids to trick-or-treat, one of you can hold down the fort while the other takes the kids around the neighborhood.Let people know a day or two ahead that you welcome them to come by and “sit a spell,” as the saying goes.

This will cost you time, effort, and money. But it’s a ministry investment in the lives of precious people God has placed in your neighborhood. You can’t love them if you don’t make an effort to know them, and you can’t know them if you never even meet them.

You could also just set out lawn chairs toward the end of the driveway where you will be able to actually see and converse with the adults as you pass out candy. Compliment the kids’ costumes. Ask the adults where they live in the ‘hood. They won’t linger long without a reason to stop at your house, but at least you’ll physically meet some of them.

A few do’s and don’ts, by way of suggestion

DO wear a costume. Bible costumes are fun. So are a lot of others. Don’t be anything that will scare children. Don’t be a witch. Don’t be the devil (duh).DON’T hand out Christian literature that talks about how evil Halloween is. In fact, don’t hand out Christian literature. I heard someone say once that if you feel you absolutely must hand out some kind of Christian tract, you should be handing them out with full-size candy bars!DON’T make it all about your kids and their candy. Recruit them to be part of your family blessing the neighborhood, whatever you end up doing.

If you think Halloween is evil, don’t hunker down in your house with all the lights out. Unless you live somewhere with no trick-or-treaters, get out there and redeem it.

Halloween is an opportunity for your family to bless others and begin forging relationships with lost people in need of Jesus, all by being a good neighbor.

This article was adapted from an essay originally published on Diane Schrader’s Substack, She Speaks Truth.

​Christianity, Christian, Devil, Satan, Gospel, All saints day, All hallows eve, Halloween 

The incoming equipment for U.S. military members is so advanced that it not only looks like a video game but seems like the user is cheating.

The standard helmet for the Army has remained largely the same in the last few decades, save for key updates in blunt force protection. While there may have been additions that allow for microphones and night-vision attachments, nothing has even come close to what is on the horizon.

‘Think of it almost like a hive mind.’

Leaning more toward what a fighter pilot’s helmet is capable of, the new Eagle Eye warfighter helmet from Anduril Industries uses technology that is pretty hard to explain.

The company recently released a stunning display that looks like the first-person view of a video game. Providing a directional map in the bottom corner of the soldier’s view, the optics are immediately recognizable to anyone who has played a video game of that genre; a young man in the Army probably has.

A heads-up display reveals nearby enemies with a red blip, and the soldier digitally selects a tactical strike with a drone on an encroaching vehicle in seconds, all while chatting with other soldiers on his team.

The new helmets make this possible by using a “hive mind” technology that connects soldiers on the battlefield with drones, cameras, surveillance, and their squad mates on the ground; the results are fairly shocking.

RELATED: ‘Insane radical leftists’ are gone: Zuckerberg and Palmer Luckey reunite for US military project

— (@)

“The ability to have night vision, thermal vision, but also the ability to see where all the bad guys are, see where all the good guys are by fusing everyone’s view together. Think of it almost like a hive mind,” inventor Palmer Luckey recently told Joe Rogan.

“If I’m able to see something, you should be able to see it. If a drone can see it, you should be able to see it. Even if it’s on the other side of a building, you should be able to see it and effectively have X-ray vision. And I should be able to command and control all these other systems using this heads-up display interface,” Luckey continued.

Using “intelligence sensors,” the Eagle Eye helmets can detect cellphone signals, radio signals, and even where gunshots were fired, revealing their distance from the soldier.

The Anduril CEO showed Rogan that with a pair of connected augmented reality glasses, the soldier can see all the data being captured by the helmet and show it in real time to the user. This, in conjunction with any drones, cameras, or other soldiers wearing the tech, combine to form a network of data that Anduril says gives America the advantage in an “unfair fight.”

What this results in is the soldier being able to see everything at once, effectively seeing through walls or over hills; if anyone or anything on his team can see it, so can the individual.

Luckey showed off a sample video where a soldier could use the X-ray vision to track his allies through a sea can while engaging enemies, displaying them as skeletal-like figures. Once the allies saw the enemy, the user could see them through a wall too.

RELATED: You can now buy a real-life Jetsons vehicle for the same price as a luxury car

Additionally, the helmets not only have thermal sensors, night-vision censors, and hearing protection, they also have sound amplification. Tactical technology allows the wearer to hone in on sounds coming from a certain direction, while canceling out noise from other directions to better focus on the target.

Anduril boasts that it used no taxpayer dollars to create Eagle Eye and is certainly pushing advanced military technology in the right direction.

The advancements come at the same time the company has revealed its anti-drone technology, in the form of a mobile kit for soldiers on the ground. Drone strikes have become an often-used instant-casualty tactic in the Russia-Ukraine war and are a constant threat for those operating without cover.

These products show that Luckey has put a very real focus on protecting the individual American fighter in attempt to prevent loss of life.

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​Return, Military, Army, War fighting, Helmet, Palmer luckey, Anduril, Tech 

I’ve watched a lot of cultural moments come and go in my lifetime, but this one has felt different.

The shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk didn’t just send tremors through the conservative world — it created a ripple that reached far beyond it. In the days and weeks that followed, I saw headlines I never thought I’d see: reports of a Bible-sales surge unlike anything in recent years.

When the noise of culture gets stripped away, the hunger for truth rises to the surface.

According to Fox Business, more than 2.4 million Bibles were sold in the U.S. in September — a 36% increase over last year.

The Bible-sales surge that coincided with Charlie Kirk’s assassination reveals something profound.

When America faces moments of crisis, people often turn to scripture for hope and answers. While no one can say with absolute certainty what caused the surge, the timing and impact of Charlie’s life and testimony make it reasonable to believe it played a significant role. And I personally believe that his assassination likely contributed to this powerful moment.

A cultural shockwave I’ll never forget

Charlie’s assassination on Sept. 10, 2025, shook me to the core. Like so many others in conservative circles, I admired him. But for me, it was more than admiration. Charlie was my role model in Christ — a man who stood unapologetically for Jesus in a culture that often mocked Him. He lived boldly, unfiltered, and unafraid. That resonated with me deeply.

For years, those of us who followed Charlie knew who he was and what he stood for. But it wasn’t until his assassination that millions outside our circle — people on the left, independents, and even those who normally tune out of politics — truly saw him. His name wasn’t just on conservative media anymore; it was everywhere. And in that moment, the world encountered the testimony of a man whose faith was front and center.

That matters. His assassination didn’t just make headlines — it made people think about eternity. It made them think about what kind of man he was and, more importantly, Who he lived for.

This cultural moment reminds me of how believers are called to stand firm even when the world doesn’t understand.

Why people turn to the Bible in times like this

I’ve learned over the years that when tragedy strikes, people instinctively reach for something that doesn’t shake. They reach for something real. For many Americans, that means reaching for the Bible.

We’ve seen this before — after 9/11, during the pandemic, and now again. The Bible-sales surge isn’t just about a number on a spreadsheet. It’s a reflection of millions of hearts suddenly looking for answers they can’t find anywhere else. People may not even fully understand why they’re buying a Bible — but something in them knows they need hope.

Deep down, every person has a God-shaped void. And when the noise of culture gets stripped away, the hunger for truth rises to the surface.

The power of one man’s testimony

Charlie’s faith spoke louder in his assassination than most people’s do in their lifetime. I’ve followed him for years, not just for his courage in politics, but for his unwavering love for Jesus. Seeing the way his story spread afterward impacted me profoundly. People who would have never listened to him while he was alive suddenly heard about him everywhere.

I believe some of those 2.4 million Bibles may have been bought by people who wanted to understand why Charlie believed what he believed. Others probably acted out of grief, curiosity, or quiet searching.

RELATED: Why Gen Z is rebelling against leftist lies — and turning to Jesus

StanislavSalamanov/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Whatever the reason, it’s reasonable to believe his testimony was one of several factors prompting people to seek answers in scripture.

The early church experienced the same kind of ripple effect. Persecution never silenced the gospel — it multiplied it. Charlie wasn’t a martyr in the classical sense, but the way God is using his life after his assassination fits that same pattern: light shining in the darkness.

Why the Bible-sales surge matters

To me, this surge isn’t just encouraging — it’s revealing. Beneath the noise of politics and division, there’s still a spiritual hunger in America. People are tired of the chaos. They’re searching for something real. And whether they know it or not, they’re reaching for the only truth that can set them free.

The Bible isn’t just another book on a shelf. It’s living and active (Hebrews 4:12). If even a fraction of the millions who bought a Bible actually open it, read it, and meet the living God, this moment could be the spark of something extraordinary.

But this also means we need to be discerning because buying a Bible isn’t the same thing as being transformed by it.

Reaction or revival?

I remember the wave of church attendance after 9/11. America prayed. Churches filled up. People searched for answers. But as the months passed, that spiritual hunger faded.

Crisis can wake people up, but it doesn’t guarantee lasting change. That’s the question now. Will this Bible-sales surge be a turning point or just a reaction to pain?

Reaction is emotional, but revival is spiritual. Reaction fades, but revival transforms.

Real revival isn’t just a wave of emotion or a spike in sales. According to GotQuestions.org, true revival is a spiritual reawakening that brings a heartfelt return to God and obedience to His word. That’s the kind of revival America needs — not just a cultural reaction to tragedy.

My prayer is that this moment becomes more than a headline, that it becomes a holy spark that ignites something real.

The church — and you and me — must be ready

This is where we come in. If people are turning to the Bible, the church has to be ready to lead them to the Author. And I’m not talking about pastors and leaders alone — I’m talking about all of us. I’m talking about me.

People who might never have stepped into a church are holding a Bible right now. Some don’t know where to begin. Some are skeptical. Some are hungry. If we stay silent, this moment may fade away like so many before it. But if we speak up — if we share the hope we’ve found — we can meet those searching hearts with truth and grace.

Charlie’s example and our call

Charlie Kirk lived the kind of bold faith I want to live. He didn’t compartmentalize his Christianity. He proclaimed it from the rooftop, even when it cost him culturally. That’s why he became my role model in Christ. And I believe the best way to honor that kind of legacy is not just to admire it — but to live it.

A Bible sitting unopened on a shelf won’t change a single life. But the Word of God, opened and believed, absolutely will.

This is our moment to shine the light of Christ, to speak boldly, and to live with conviction. Charlie did. Now it’s our turn.

America is reaching for the Bible again. But this time, it’s personal for me. Charlie Kirk wasn’t just a public figure I respected — he was a man whose faith inspired mine. His witness is still bearing fruit, even now. I don’t want to see this moment fade into history as just another cultural reaction. I want to see lives transformed.

That starts with believers like you and me living out the truth we say we believe.

This article is adapted from an essay originally published at Arch Kennedy’s blog.

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In a sense, this is old news. In December 2021, CNN reported that the House’s January 6 committee had subpoenaed phone records of more than 100 people.

But that was mostly Trump officials, including White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. No surprise there. After all, the January 6 Select Committee was empaneled for the specific purpose of turning President Donald Trump into a criminal for supposedly aiding and abetting the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the Capitol.

It is well past time for the Republican Congress to fulfill its promise to hold accountable those who weaponized the federal government against Trump and his allies.

But when this story resurfaced earlier this month, there was something new, too. For one thing, the scope of the investigation was almost unbelievable — it turns out those subpoenaed phone records consisted of a staggering 30 million lines of phone data.

And when the select committee’s investigation went nowhere, one of the members — GOP malcontent and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) — informed the FBI about the phone data in Dec. 2023 when it was becoming apparent that Trump was the favorite to win the Republican nomination in 2024.

Greater than Watergate

More revelatory than the numbers of the phone records hauled in by the J6 committee was the news that the FBI had gone after these same records — and possibly more — in an effort to target Trump and his conservative allies. Not only did the agency have its eyes on Trump, it also went after nine Republican members of Congress — eight senators and a stray congressman, in an obvious effort to sweep up accomplices in the coup that never was.

Whether the FBI obtained the same phone records as the J6 committee is unclear. Kinzinger’s tip may have been moot, because an FBI memo released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) shows that by September 2023, the agency had already “conducted preliminary … analysis” on the call data of several members of Congress, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).

According to CNN, “The FBI, as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 investigation, used court orders in 2023 to obtain the phone records of nine GOP lawmakers.” These were not actual phone calls or text messages, but rather information about who called or texted whom and when.

Grassley posted the memo to his X account, with the message:

This document shows the Biden FBI spied on 8 of my Republican Senate colleagues during its Arctic Frost investigation into “election conspiracy.” Arctic Frost later became Jack Smith’s elector case against Trump.

He concluded, in all caps: “BIDEN FBI WEAPONIZATION = WORSE THAN WATERGATE.”

Which raises the question: Why did the story turn out to be a one-day wonder? Here we have the discovery of a partisan investigation seeking to uncover dirt on fellow members of Congress (if the records did indeed start with the J6 committee), or at the very least a rogue element of the executive branch targeting political enemies in the legislative branch.

As Johnson said:

They’re casting this net, this fishing expedition against members of the Senate and the House. There is no predicate. There’s no reason for this other than a fishing expedition, which, again, should outrage and shock every American.

Once again, a member of Congress implied that we are witness to a political scandal (one of many in the Biden administration) that is among the worst in our history. Yet when you do a Google search for stories related to phone toll records being subpoenaed by either the J6 committee or the FBI, virtually nothing comes up beyond Oct. 7, the day after Grassley released the memo.

Crickets …

A few news outlets reported in the following days that FBI Director Kash Patel had fired agents involved in the Arctic Frost investigation. In addition, scattered reports surfaced on Hagerty questioning why Verizon released his phone records without informing him.

Verizon told Fox News Digital:

Federal law requires companies like Verizon to respond to grand jury subpoenas. We received a valid subpoena and a court order to keep it confidential. We weren’t told why the information was requested or what the investigation was about.

Grassley and Johnson followed up with their own letter to Verizon and three other telecommunication companies demanding to be supplied with the same data that was provided to the FBI or special counsel Jack Smith. In addition, the senators expressed their belief that the records should have been privileged because they concerned the official constitutional duties of certifying the 2020 presidential election.

It seems like a real story — one that deserves the full attention of the press — but where are the special investigation teams at the New York Times and the Washington Post? What have you heard about this story on CBS, NBC, and ABC newscasts? Very little if anything. Certainly nothing in comparison to the coverage provided to Watergate.

Most recently, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Smith demanding a transcribed interview and documents along with communications related to his investigation of Trump. Well and good, but that interview will be conducted in secret, as were the interviews of Smith’s subordinates — one of whom, according to Jordan, “invoked the Fifth Amendment approximately 75 times.”

RELATED: Exclusive: House Republican seeks criminal investigation into Jack Smith’s alleged surveillance scheme

Photo by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

Time for Congress to step up

It is well past time for the Republican Congress to fulfill its promise to hold accountable those who weaponized the federal government against Trump and his allies. Press releases and secret interviews won’t do the job. We need public televised hearings, with witnesses ranging from members of the J6 committee, including Kinzinger, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), and now-Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), to former FBI Director Christopher Wray and Jack Smith.

Would the legacy media networks cover it? Probably not, because as we all know by now, those outfits are still after Trump’s scalp, and they will only seek to discredit Jordan and the other congressional investigators who want to know the truth. That doesn’t mean Republicans should give up.

Watergate started as a one-day story about a botched break-in. But even without Woodward and Bernstein, the famous team of reporters from the Washington Post, the story would never have been kept quiet unless Senate Democrats and congressmen didn’t do their job.

Now it’s time for Jordan, Grassley, and Patel to do theirs.

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

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Watergate, Jack smith, Russiagate, Russian collusion, Jan. 6 committee, Espionage, Fbi, Fbi corruption, Accountability, Government accountability, Truth about jan 6, Weaponized justice, Weaponization of the federal government, Surveillance, Congress, Jim jordan, Adam kinzinger, Adam schiff, Liz cheney, Chuck grassley, Kash patel 

Since Hamas’ brutal invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, pro-Palestine protests have erupted across the Western world. Two years in, these riotous events calling for the death of America and Israel, the fall of the West, and jihadi violence continue to rage.

But Mark Levin can’t figure something out: If these protesters are so concerned about the Palestinian people, why aren’t they upset about Hamas’ recent brutality against Palestinians?

Protesters are in the streets screaming about Israel starving Gazans — “a lie,” Levin says — but they don’t bat an eye when Hamas, just hours after releasing hostages as part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and peace deal, orchestrates mass public executions of Palestinians.

Graphic videos and eyewitness accounts show masked Hamas gunmen dragging blindfolded and bound Palestinian men, whom Hamas deemed dissenters, into public squares in Gaza City and executing them at close range with high-powered rifles. Since the ceasefire began on October 10, numerous Palestinians have been killed in similar executions, including beatings, hangings in streets, and purges of suspected spies or anti-Hamas militias.

Further, the Doghmush clan, one of Gaza’s largest and most powerful Palestinian families and a longstanding enemy of Hamas, was targeted. A gang of Hamas military men infiltrated the family’s estate disguised as medical staff and proceeded to slaughter numerous clan members.

“Very few people are saying anything about this. I mean, this is coming out of reports out of the Middle East. It’s coming out of reports out of Gaza,” Levin says.

He wonders: Where’s the outrage from the same protesters who flooded campuses over false claims of Israeli genocide — while Hamas now unleashes a documented “reign of terror” on its own people in the territory Israel just surrendered?

Now Netanyahu’s threat to continue military operations against Hamas makes sense. The recent executions and Hamas’ refusal to return deceased hostages points to what Levin has been saying about the terrorist regime from the get-go: You can’t negotiate with them.

He laments the partial Israel Defense Forces withdrawal to enable the hostage release, as that’s what allowed Hamas to regroup and terrorize Gaza with public executions.

Levin warns that Israel will now insist on permanent security zones: “They’re going to have a defense security area — whether the Arab countries and Muslim countries like it or not, whether we like it or not — to protect their country. And they’re going to insist on it. This is what Netanyahu has said. This is what they’re going to do.”

Want more from Mark Levin?

To enjoy more of “the Great One” — Mark Levin as you’ve never seen him before — subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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Truck driving was once a career path that epitomized the American dream, offering high pay and lifelong job security. Yet in recent years, the industry has become trapped in a cycle of high turnover, continually refilling positions with inexperienced drivers, prompting concerns about road safety and national security.

Multiple truckers told Blaze News that the industry’s challenges stem from the myth that it is battling a truck-driver shortage. This narrative has been used to justify heavy government intervention, including taxpayer-funded programs that cover training and recruiting costs, significantly reducing the financial burdens previously borne by carriers or aspiring drivers.

Those who reject the truck-driver-shortage claim argue that this taxpayer-subsidized setup effectively incentivizes labor dumping that masks high turnover caused by dismal wages and poor working conditions.

‘We have an artificial supply crisis, not a driver shortage.’

Despite numerous government programs over the past several years addressing the so-called driver shortage, the issue persists, according to the American Trucking Associations, the industry’s largest national trade organization. The association has claimed a driver shortage since the 1980s, estimating it to be around 60,000 drivers in 2023. It projected that the shortage may reach 160,000 by 2028.

Yet more than 450,000 new commercial driver’s licenses are issued each year, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, and many of those drivers enter long-haul trucking. Under the Biden administration, states issued over 876,000 CDLs between January 2021 and April 2022.

The American Transportation Research Institute, the ATA’s research arm that conducts studies, including analyses to support its driver-shortage claims, has received over $8 million in government contracts since 2007.

In a 2024 report, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine pushed back on the ATA’s driver-shortage studies, noting that they had “been conducted using proprietary techniques and assumptions that are not publicly defined,” adding that “it is not possible to evaluate the validity of their claims.”

“However, those claims are subject to, as a general matter, the basic economic principles of supply and demand. Notably, labor economists maintain that when demand for workers in an occupation increases, the normal response is to increase wages,” the report read.

RELATED: The fraud crippling American trucking: ‘Ghost’ carriers and ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ driver’s licenses issued to foreigners

Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Plummeting retention

Some critics of the driver-shortage narrative contend that the real issue affecting the industry is driver retention caused by an unnatural suppression of wages and unsatisfactory working conditions, exacerbated by the Biden administration’s open-border chaos. By the ATA’s own estimates, the driver turnover rate is over 90%.

American truckers in the 1980s reportedly made an annual salary of more than $110,000, and today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage in 2024 was just over $57,000. One report indicated that between 1980 and 2018, the industry experienced a 21% average wage decrease, while some areas of the U.S. experienced a 50% decline.

Shannon Everett with American Truckers United rejected the ATA’s narrative, arguing that if such a shortage did exist, wages would be on the rise.

“How can you simultaneously have a driver shortage and a collapse in pricing?” Everett told Blaze News. “The trucking industry shows no signs of escaping a three-year pricing crisis. We have an artificial supply crisis, not a driver shortage.”

He stated that the ATA’s shortage claims are “counterintuitive to supply and demand economics.”

Another issue impacting driver retention is declining working conditions. Truckers told Blaze News that many drivers are typically paid by the mile, meaning any time spent waiting to load or unload is not compensated. Drivers lose $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion in earnings to detention time, according to a 2018 study from the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.

Some truckers argue that these slowdowns can create safety issues, as many drivers are in a rush to get back on the road to make up for the lost wages. These logistical inefficiencies stem from outdated warehouses, a need for more warehouse workers, and the lack of any direct and easily measurable cost impact on the retailers that operate the warehouses.

RELATED: The shocking details behind another fatal illegal alien truck crash

Photo by: Peter Titmuss/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Biden’s taxpayer-funded solutions

The Biden administration sought to address these issues by effectively throwing money at the industry. In December 2021, former President Joe Biden announced an action plan stating that the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would provide over $30 million to states to “expedite CDLs.”

The administration’s Department of Labor and DOT partnered to launch the Driving Good Jobs initiative, which in part set out to “identify[] effective and safe strategies to get new entrants in the field from underrepresented communities, including women and young drivers between the ages of 18-20.”

The driver-shortage narrative has also been used to justify taxpayer-funded tuition assistance to driving schools, some of which are operated by large carriers. Aspiring drivers may qualify for Pell grants, with some driving schools eligible for federal student aid. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act could also help to cover these fees.

In 2023, Biden’s FMCSA awarded roughly $48 million in grant funding to increase CDL “training opportunities and continue to improve the process to obtain a CDL.” The FMCSA also allocated $3.5 million to Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grants, intending to “help reduce the severity and number of crashes involving commercial motor vehicles on U.S. roads by expanding the number of CDL holders possessing operator training.” This grant program prioritized active military members and veterans, but noted that “special consideration is given to students from underserved communities and refugees.”

’It’s classic corporate welfare combined with regulatory capture, Washington doing the bidding of the largest players at the expense of everyone else on the road.’

The ATA responded positively to the trucking action plan, stating that it was “encouraged that the Biden administration has not only recognized the importance of adding new and well-trained Americans to the trucking workforce, but has announced a path forward with what we believe will become a robust training opportunity for future commercial truck drivers.”

“Using apprenticeships will help any American pursue a career in this great industry for good wages and benefits in a safe manner without the significant debt many jobseekers can sometimes incur,” the ATA stated. “We applaud the Biden administration for taking these important steps and we look forward to working with them to ensure a smooth and rapid implementation of the commitments made.”

Meanwhile, Biden rapidly expanded so-called “lawful pathways” for foreign nationals, allowing asylum seekers, refugees, and those with Temporary Protected Status — even those who entered the country illegally — to apply for work authorization, thereby allowing them to join the trucking industry.

Biden’s action followed the Obama administration’s decision to remove the requirement to place drivers out of service for failing to meet English proficiency standards, further contributing to the road safety and national security issues in America’s trucking industry today.

“We believe that hundreds of thousands of refugees were intentionally dumped into the trucking industry for profit,” Everett told Blaze News.

These government interventions prompted an artificial surge in new, inexperienced truck drivers entering the industry, which, in turn, justified depressed wages, as employers treat the roles as entry-level and disposable.

RELATED: Exclusive: DOT withholds $40M from blue state for flouting English requirements for truckers

Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Who does the ATA represent?

Collin Long, the director of government relations for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, told Blaze News, “The real issue isn’t a shortage of drivers, it’s a shortage of drivers willing to stay in an industry that treats them like disposable labor.”

“The big carriers prefer to churn through cheap, inexperienced drivers instead of investing in training and fair pay for professionals,” he said. “It’s a dangerous business model that puts every family on the highway at greater risk. Experience leads to greater safety, and ATA’s churn-and-burn approach undermines both.”

While the ATA maintains that there is a driver shortage, critics argue that the organization does not fully represent the industry, citing that its board is dominated by executives from large carriers. Yet the ATA reports that 91.5% of the country’s trucking companies operate 10 or fewer trucks. Critics also contend that the ATA has not adequately protected smaller trucking companies, instead prioritizing the interests of mega carriers.

‘If the ATA’s sole existence was to put the small guys out of business, they are very, very bad at their jobs.’

Long told Blaze News that the ATA’s policies have often been “detrimental to small-business truckers and to highway safety.”

“Whether it’s taxpayer-funded CDL mills or pushing to let 18-year-olds operate big rigs across the country, ATA’s agenda serves corporate megacarriers, not the men and women who actually keep America moving,” Long stated.

“OOIDA fights for small-business truckers trying to make a living, while ATA lobbies for policies that let the biggest carriers use taxpayer funds and government red tape to hamstring their competition,” he continued. “It’s classic corporate welfare combined with regulatory capture, Washington doing the bidding of the largest players at the expense of everyone else on the road.”

Everett similarly contended that the ATA “has evolved into an entity entirely focused on the interests of the billion-dollar mega carriers and power-only brokerages.”

When asked whether he believes the ATA has helped or hurt smaller trucking companies, Justin Martin, a 15-year trucking industry professional who goes by SuperTrucker on X, told Blaze News that it was a “very complicated issue.”

“The gut instinct of most trucking companies, like the smaller guys, they think that the ATA hurts them. And if the ATA had their way, that is 100% true,” he explained. “But everything that the ATA has done has actually helped the small guys over the years because there are over half a million trucking companies in the United States. … So if the ATA’s sole existence was to put the small guys out of business, they are very, very bad at their jobs.”

However, Martin argued that the ATA has been “messing with the wage mechanism” within the industry. He explained that by constantly pushing the claim of a driver shortage, it not only justifies government-funded driver training, but it also allows the ATA to increase rates for shippers.

The ATA did not respond to a request for comment.

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Liberal actor and podcaster Michael Rapaport has come a long way since calling President Donald Trump the “worst possible motherf**ker we could have in power,” referring to Melania Trump as a “dumb animal,” and wishing ill on Barron Trump in March 2020.

Rapaport, among the Jewish liberals who ditched the Democratic Party over its capture by anti-Semitic radicals and its ruinous approach to immigration, supported Trump in last year’s presidential election. Now, he’s throwing his support behind former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in hopes of sparing New York City from having socialist New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D) become its mayor.

“I’m a lifelong New Yorker born and raised in Manhattan. This is the most importance race for mayor in my lifetime. Zohran Mamdani is not fit for office,” Rapaport said in a recent video.

‘You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing.’

“His warped mind and hate-filled heart are rotten to the core,” continued the actor. “‘Freeze rent?’ Come on. Freezed rent will lead to less buildings, fewer apartments, and higher rents. ‘Defund the police’ will lead to more crime. ‘Raise the taxes’ will lead to less money in your pockets. He’s a moron. Zohran the moron.”

Mamdani has indicated that if elected, he will “immediately freeze the rent for all stabilized tenants,” raise the corporate tax rate from 7.25% to 11.5%, and slap New Yorkers earning more than $1 million annually with an additional 2% tax.

Mamdani suggested in a June 28, 2020, tweet that the New York Police Department “is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety” and stressed that it was necessary to “defund the police.” While the socialist has vowed to frustrate the enforcement of federal immigration law in the New York City, Mamdani now claims that he doesn’t want to defund the police.

RELATED: Democrats face their ‘David Duke moment’ in New York City

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

On Saturday, Rapaport — who is actively campaigning against Mamdani and soliciting donations for a political action committee to “promote anti-Mamdani speech” — noted in another video that early voting had begun and urged New Yorkers to take action, stating, “We’re going to send this dead-eye, fake-smiling, black-hearted 34-year-old back to the unemployment line.”

The latest Victory Insights poll indicated that Mamdani is the clear front-runner in the race, leading Cuomo by over 18 percentage points, 46.7%-28.6%.

The poll indicated further that “a whopping 26% of voters are considering moving out of the city if Mamdani is elected.”

“There was a time when I exclusively, blindly voted for Democrats,” said Rapaport. “I do not recognize who they have become, and anyone with eyes, ears, and a shred, an ounce, of moral decency cannot disagree with what I am saying.”

The actor suggested further that the Democratic Party “needs to take a long f**king look in the mirror as to who they want to lead in this country, because it is heading down the wrong path.”

Rapaport mocked Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), both of whom have endorsed Mamdani, then hammered the socialist mayoral candidate over his repeated refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.”

After alluding to Mamdani’s recent meeting with Siraj Wahhaj — a jihad-supporting imam whom federal prosecutors characterized as being an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing — Rapaport noted that Mamdani was living in New York City at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, stressing, “Don’t you remember what that did to the city? Don’t you remember the devastation, how families were ripped apart? 9/11 — 9/11 was globalizing the intifada.”

“You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” added Rapaport.

The actor indicated that for donations of $25 or more to his anti-Mamdani PAC, supporters secure the chance to win a flight to New York to meet Rapaport and to hang out with him before one of his comedy shows.

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