Category: blaze media

Allegations of a massive fraud scheme at a California charter school led to the extraordinary resignation of the entire board of directors.

The California Department of Education is demanding that $180 million given to Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools in Sacramento be paid back after the findings of an audit.

The audit said that the school’s graduation rate was 2.8% in one year and that the rate was so low it ‘dropped the overall statewide graduation rate for the 2023-2024 school year by more than half of a percentage point.’

The school’s leadership is accused of nepotism, lying about the number of students served, giving illegal gifts, and using public money for luxury travel.

Dozens of whistleblowers went to KXTV-TV with their accounts of the alleged fraud, which led to a documentary titled “The Wild West of Education,” released in 2024. That led to an audit by the state, which produced a damning 171-page report in June.

The board voted two weeks ago to remove board member Sonja Cameron after she was accused of hiring her daughter to a position with a six-figure salary despite her daughter’s lack of college degree and minimum qualifications. Cameron did not even recuse herself when the board voted to hire her daughter for the position.

KXTV reported that the motion to remove Cameron passed but that she voted against it.

“Well, obviously this is not what I was hoping for this meeting,” Cameron said.

Each of the members then resigned, one after the other.

“This moment is about accountability at every level,” read a statement from the school’s executive director, Jonathan Raymond. “I asked for these resignations because I believe Highlands’ future depends on a clean break from past governance failures. Our community deserves a school governed with integrity, guided by transparency, and built to serve those who’ve historically been left behind. These changes allow us to reset and rebuild from a stronger foundation.”

Despite the resignations, three of the members stayed on to make sure the school is legally operational.

RELATED: City of St. Louis hires man who embezzled $500k from high school scholarship program at St. Louis University

“Those were taxpayer dollars that were wrongfully received by Highlands’ operators,” said state Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D) to KXTV. “So it’s only right they have to pay that money back.”

The audit said that the school’s graduation rate was 2.8% in one year and that the rate was so low it “dropped the overall statewide graduation rate for the 2023-2024 school year by more than half of a percentage point.”

Muratsuchi and other state lawmakers are looking to pass bills that would increase oversight over education funds to prevent more fraud.

Among the thousands of students the school served were many refugees from Afghanistan who were connected through the school to resources related to child care, laundry, and domestic violence.

Raymond released a statement indicating that the school would fight having to pay back the $180 million because the repayment would force it to shut down.

“We’re still reviewing the letter and Highlands’ legal options, including appeal. While we acknowledge gaps in attendance reporting and have instituted sweeping reforms, it’s simply false to suggest no instruction took place for two years — thousands of students showed up, learned, and graduated,” said Raymond.

“Let’s be clear: Any suggestion that Highlands could give back $180 million is political theater and would force the school to close,” he added. “Lawmakers, regulators, and CDE cannot let that happen — not to tens of thousands of immigrants, refugees, and second-chance students who count on Highlands as a lifeline.”

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​Highlands community charter school, Charter school fraud, California school fraud, Sacramento charter school fraud, Politics 

You know it’s gotten dire over at ESPN when Michelle Obama compares the analysts to Bravo’s “The Real Housewives” franchise while chatting with two gay men.

On the July 30 episode of her podcast, “IMO,” the former first lady was candid with fellow podcasters Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang about her thoughts regarding ESPN.

“If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it’s like watching ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ you know? I mean, you know, it’s the same drama, and they’re yelling at each other, and they don’t get along, you know? I mean, Stephen A. Smith, he’s just like every other talk show host,” she said, calling ESPN’s dynamics “sociological drama.”

Jason Whitlock finds the comment hilarious and accurate. It perfectly captures what he’s been saying about ESPN all along: It’s a “feminized clown show.”

“Hats off to Stephen A. Smith and Bob Iger and Ryan Clark and Gilbert Arenas and Shannon Sharpe. You have feminized ESPN to the point that a supermodel first lady, one of the most beautiful women to ever walk in the White House, is talking with her gay friends … about how you remind them of a bunch of housewives in Atlanta,” he jeers.

“[Michelle Obama] is right. It’s a soap opera at ESPN.”

But it’s not just the antics of the hosts on air that make them comparable to Bravo’s bickering, shallow housewives; it’s also the scandals many of them are entangled in.

Whitlock points to Shannon Sharpe’s latest controversy as an example. He had just settled a $50 million lawsuit with 20-year-old OnlyFans model Gabriella Zuniga, who accused him of sexual assault and recording intimate moments without consent, when he was hit with yet another lawsuit — this time a $20 million defamation lawsuit by another woman.

Or take former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, a guest analyst on ESPN’s “First Take,” who was recently arrested and charged with three federal counts for allegedly running high-stakes illegal poker games out of his California mansion. Following the charges, Arenas live-streamed a video of himself laughing about the experience.

Whitlock plays the clip of his incoherent, expletive-ridden recount, during which he laughs maniacally in front of a social media filter of flames.

“I don’t blame [Michelle Obama]. She’s actually accurate here. This is a bunch of feminized men who allow Bob Iger to put puppet strings on them and behave and talk in a buffoonish ghetto fashion,” he sighs.

To see the footage of Michelle’s recent comments and Arenas’ bizarre rant and hear more of Whitlock’s analysis and commentary, watch the episode above.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

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

​Fearless, Fearless with jason whitlock, Jason whitlock, Michelle obama, Gilbert arenas, Shannon sharpe, Espn, Stephen a smith, Bob iger, Imo, Real housewives, Real housewives of atlanta, Blazetv, Blaze media 

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten laid out how President Donald Trump has been one of the most influential presidents so far this century as net migration to the United States drops to historic levels.

Enten showed data during a segment on CNN noting that the United States is on track to have negative net migration for the first time in 50 years. Not only has Trump’s deportation efforts ramped up since January, but the administration says recent labor data shows there have been over 1 million self-deportations so far.

‘We may be dealing with, get this, negative net migration to the United States in 2025.’

“It’s going to be down at least 60%. We may be dealing with, get this, negative net migration to the United States in 2025. … We’re talking down from 2.8 million in 2024,” Enten said in a video posted to X on Sunday.

2024 marked the final full year of the Biden-Harris border crisis.

Enten explained that Trump is also an influential president because tariff rates are at an all-time high, currently sitting at 18% compared to 2% during the same time last year.

The negative net migration could be further boosted by the massive spending increase for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Secretary Kristi Noem told Blaze Media during her recent tour of South America that her department has made job offers to 1,000 applicants to join ICE, with some of those offers being sent to former officers who left ICE during the Biden-Harris administration out of frustration.

RELATED: Tren de Aragua in crosshairs as Noem signs deal with Chile to help prevent foreign gangs from entering US

Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images

The goal is to hire 10,000 new ICE agents to bolster the manpower needed to carry out Trump’s promise of mass deportations. To meet that recruiting goal, the White House and DHS have gone all in on promoting the new benefits the One Big Beautiful Bill Act had for ICE agents once it was signed into law.

— (@)

It is not just illegal immigration in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. Recently, both Trump and Vice President JD Vance have taken aim at U.S. companies undercutting American citizens by replacing them with H-1B visa holders from places like India.

“That displacement and that math worries me a bit,” Vance said. “And what the president has said, he said very clearly: We want the very best and the brightest to make America their home. We want them to build great companies and so forth. But I don’t want companies to fire 9,000 American workers and then to go and say, ‘We can’t find workers here in America.’ That’s a bulls**t story.”

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​Politics 

A Trump supporter was escorted out of a professional soccer game in St. Louis over his “Make America Great Again” baseball cap.

A video with over one million views on X showed a man, who identified himself as Michael Weitzel, filming his interaction with stadium security and police at Energizer Park, home of St. Louis City SC, a Major League Soccer team.

‘Are these rules equally enforced on everybody?’

Weitzel is seen telling a security guard that he is recording for his own safety when he is approached by a police officer who places a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m being asked to leave by police because of a Donald Trump [hat],” Weitzel says into the camera.

“I’m a Donald Trumper,” the officer replied, seemingly stating his political views align with the fan’s.

The officer then claimed the venue considers itself “nonpolitical” and, therefore, does not want any political messaging present at its games.

At that point, Weitzel panned the camera to a section across the stadium where gay pride flags were being flown.

“So those flags over there,” Weitzel began, before being interrupted by the officer who told him the flags had been “preapproved.”

Weitzel pressed on, “So my question to you guys is: Are these rules equally enforced on everybody?”

“Yes,” the officer and a security guard told him, adding that in order to enforce the rules, they had to apply to him and his “MAGA” hat, as well.

Although he seemed to accept his fate and agreed to leave, Weitzel soon had a change of heart.

RELATED: Florida woman allegedly attacks 72-year-old Trump supporter wearing MAGA hat, batters cop

According to the Post Millennial, Weitzel later tried to comply with the request to remove his hat and stay at the game, but security told him they were “already past that” before requiring him to leave.

Additionally, OutKick reported that Weitzel is actually a season-ticket holder, which could further complicate matters for the organization and its rules.

St. Louis City, staff, and the police officer were seemingly following MLS policy, though. The league states in its Fan Code of Conduct that “displaying signs, symbols or images” for the purposes of advocating for or against any “candidate, political party, legislative issue, or government action” is prohibited.

RELATED: Sydney Sweeney’s provocative ad for jeans leads to complete liberal meltdown: ‘That’s Nazi propaganda!’

Energizer Park in St. Louis, MO, March 25, 2025. Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Reporter Gregg Keller, who originally shared Weitzel’s video, claimed that the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is investigating the video. The Justice Department told Blaze News it had no comment on the matter.

Blaze News has also contacted St. Louis City SC regarding the pride flags, whether or not the fan has been banned from future games, and if the organization is open to flying pro-Donald Trump or “MAGA” flags at any of its games.

This story will be updated with any applicable responses.

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​Fearless, Politics, Maga, Make america great again, Soccer, Mls, Free speech, Sports 

President Donald Trump began in April to radically transform how trade is conducted internationally, announcing tariffs on friendly and adversarial nations alike in an effort to settle scores and to exact concessions favorable to the United States, such as those made by Japan and the European Union last month.

“Our country and its taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years, but it is not going to happen anymore. It’s not going to happen,” Trump said at the “Liberation Day” ceremony where he announced a sweeping list of tariffs. “This will be, indeed, the golden age of America. It’s coming back. And we’re going to come back very strongly.”

This tariff-driven upheaval has rankled establishmentarians at home and abroad — some of whom have launched legal challenges, issued condemnations, and threatened retaliation. Of course, the media has also worked feverishly to paint the tariffs as reckless and as more grease down the slope to economic ruin.

‘Revenue and reciprocity are the twin benefits of the Trump tariffs.’

Nearly four months after the New York Times characterized Trump’s approach as a “burn-it-down-first, figure-out-the-consequences-later recklessness,” the paper admitted on Sunday that the tariffs are already netting a great deal of money for the government.

The Times’ Washington, D.C., tax policy reporter Andrew Duehren confirmed on Sunday that Trump’s recent assertion that “Tariffs are bringing Billions of Dollars into the USA!” was correct.

RELATED: Main Street’s silent plea: Exempt us from the next tariffs

Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

“Even before the latest tariffs kick in, revenue from taxes collected on imported goods has grown dramatically so far this year,” Duehren wrote. “Customs duties, along with some excise taxes, generated $152 billion through July, roughly double the $78 billion netted over the same time period last fiscal year, according to Treasury data.”

Citing data from the U.S. Treasury Department, the Times indicated that tariffs brought in over $29 billion in the month of July alone.

Analysts reportedly estimated that the tariffs could be worth well over $2 trillion in additional revenue if left untouched over the next 10 years.

“Tariffs are not going to be a huge source of revenue, couple trillion over a decade, but not trivial at all,” Christopher Whalen, chairman of Whalen Global Advisors, told Blaze News in a statement. “But the tariffs are appropriate and are a way to get the world to give at least equal treatment to American goods. Revenue and reciprocity are the twin benefits of the Trump tariffs.”

‘I do not think this is a true source of revenue, only a substitution and reordering of taxes.’

While the tariffs are bringing in boatloads of cash, some critics have noted that Americans are the ones ultimately paying the price — something that might be more tolerable if Trump’s idea to scrap American income tax and lean instead on tariffs as the main source of federal revenue were implemented.

Economic expert and Blaze Media contributor Carol Roth said in a statement to Blaze News, “When you think of the word ‘revenue’ when it comes to the federal government, you should think taxes because that’s the primary source of government revenue. When it comes to revenue from tariffs, it is no different.”

“The majority of the tariff burden is coming not from foreign exporters, but rather from U.S. consumers and U.S. businesses,” Roth said, alluding to a Goldman Sachs analysis that estimated foreign exporters were only absorbing 20% of the higher costs from tariffs.

RELATED: Tariffs vs. free trade: Which is BETTER for the American auto industry?

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Goldman Sachs economists reportedly indicated that eventually, 70% of the direct cost of tariffs would be kicked to consumers through higher prices.

“This means tariffs are mostly revenue that is moving from one pocket to the other, so to speak, as businesses and consumers that pay tariffs then have less money to contribute otherwise to the economy, impacting other tax or government ‘revenue’ collection,” Roth continued. “Unless we fundamentally reorder how taxes are paid (as well as spending) to something that is focused on a consumption tax (which I personally do not think is a good idea given how our economy functions today), I do not think this is a true source of revenue, only a substitution and reordering of taxes.”

‘I think this is addictive.’

“We all know that making the [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017] tax cuts permanent through the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act] was important to the economy, so why would anyone think that adding in the equivalent of more taxes through tariffs is a good idea?” Roth added. “Also, given that cost of living remains a top issue for Americans, adding costs — even if it is only in certain areas of the economy — is in conflict with the administration’s agenda.”

Regardless of where the money is coming from, there are concerns that the U.S. government might become overly reliant on tariffs as a revenue stream.

“I think this is addictive,” Joao Gomes, a finance and economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, told the Times. “I think a source of revenue is very hard to turn away from when the debt and deficit are what they are.”

The national deficit is presently $1.33 trillion, and the national debt is $36.91 trillion.

Despite Democratic complaints over the tariffs, Ernie Tedeschi, director of economics at the Yale Budget Lab, suggested that there may be hesitance among both Republicans and Democrats to roll back the tariffs if that would mean a greater federal debt load.

“Congress may not be excited about taking such a politically risky vote when they didn’t have to vote on tariffs in the first place,” Tedeschi told the Times.

Rather than scrap the tariffs, Democrats are apparently thinking about ways in which they can blow the money.

Democratic strategist Tyson Brody noted, “The way that Democrats are starting to think about it is not that ‘these will be impossible to withdraw.’ It’s: ‘Oh look, there’s now going to be a large pot of money to use and reprogram.'”

Some Republicans also have a mind to redistribute the funds.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation last week that would send tariff rebate checks to Americans. The amount of the rebate would be at least $600 per adult and dependent child, or more if tariff revenue exceeds current projections for 2025.

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​Tariffs, Economics, Economy, Economist, New york times, Fake news, Donald trump, President donald trump, Tariff, Taxation, Tax, Money, Business, Politics 

In the last decade, company after company has tried to outdo one another by signaling their allegiance to the “woke” agenda. Now, however, the tide has begun to turn against the worldwide woke blitz, and Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle commercial is the perfect example of a new era of advertising.

On Monday morning, Trump showcased the shocking dichotomy by comparing American Eagle with Jaguar, which put out a disturbing advertisement last November. “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there,” Trump said in the post. “It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are ‘flying off the shelves.’ Go get ’em Sydney!”

‘The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be.’

Not all companies took the lessons of the Bud Light advertising disaster to heart. “On the other side of the ledger, Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE advertisement, THAT IS A TOTAL DISASTER!” Trump wrote. “The CEO just resigned in disgrace, and the company is in absolute turmoil. Who wants to buy a Jaguar after looking at that disgraceful ad.”

The ad features several people in brightly colored, over-the-top clothing and the caption “Copy nothing.” Robby Starbuck, an online conservative political activist, commented on the post: “This just made me want to sell my Jaguar and I don’t even own a Jaguar.”

RELATED: Sydney Sweeney’s provocative ad for jeans leads to complete liberal meltdown: ‘That’s Nazi propaganda!’

Jaguar CEO Adrian Mardell speaks at a podium at Jaguar Land Rover manufacturing plant in the UK while Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks on. Photographer: Adam Vaughan/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Adrian Mardell, the CEO of Jaguar since 2022, announced his resignation last Thursday, according to a report from Reuters. Mardell, a 35-year veteran at Jaguar Land Rover, spearheaded a major revamp of the company under his leadership, yet the company is tarnished by the woke blunder from last November. His resignation will reportedly be effective on December 31, 2025.

The spokesperson added that Mardell’s successor would be announced “in due course.”

“The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be,” Trump said at the end of his post.

Jaguar Land Rover did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

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​Politics, Sydney sweeney, Trump, Adrian mardell, Jaguar ceo, Go woke go broke, Jaguar land rover 

The Cincinnati city council member who made headlines last week for saying mob attack victims “begged” for the beating they received sat down for a video interview in which she doubled down on her perspective, refused to resign, and invoked race as a factor in the attack.

Meanwhile, the woman who was punched in the face by a male during the mob beatdown — and apparently knocked out as a result — recorded a tearful video in which she thanked those who’ve supported her.

‘You never start a fight with a white person. But if they hit you first, that becomes a reason for all of the frustration and hurt and terror … of generations, historical generational pain, to be released. And I believe that’s what happened.’

WLWT-TV said the woman shared her video with the station and asked to be identified only by her first name — Holly — and thanked “everyone for all of the love and support. It is very humbling that you have sent your prayers, your blessings. It’s definitely what’s keeping me going, and you have just brought back faith in humanity, so God bless you all. And thank you. I appreciate everything that you’re doing for me and my family. It’s been very, very hard, and I’m still recovering. I still have very bad brain trauma and it’s — thank you. Thank you, everyone.”

RELATED: 6 now charged in Cincinnati mob attack; mayor says man who issued ‘slap’ prior to beatdown is being ‘actively investigated’

Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio last week shared grisly images of Holly’s face that appeared to have been taken soon after the attack and showed her with a horrific black eye and massive bruising.

“This is Holly,” Moreno wrote on X. “She wanted to have a nice evening out with friends. Instead, she got this.”

Cellphone video of the mob attack (1:34 mark) shows Holly, who’s wearing a blue dress, apparently trying to intervene on behalf of a beaten-up man, but instead another female punches her in the back of the head — and seconds later, a male punches her in the face, knocking her flat on her back on the street.

Vivek Ramaswamy — who’s running for Ohio governor — shared a disturbing close-up image of Holly’s face after she hit the ground; her eyes are wide open, and her body is motionless. Video shows a few people soon trying to help her up.

Amid all of this, Victoria Parks — the city council’s president pro tem — in a video interview posted Friday refused to back away from her incendiary Facebook comment about the mob attack victims, saying that “they begged for that beat down!”

RELATED: Mother of Cincinnati mob attack suspect defends ‘honor roll’ son, 34, charged with felonious assault, aggravated riot

Not only that, but Parks also suggested the white man who was caught on video slapping a black man in the face instigated the mob attack.

“I don’t celebrate the fact that he got beat up,” Parks told WKRC-TV after the 9:30 mark in the video. “But I also understand why he got beat up. And I believe he does, too. I’m sorry it happened. But there are actions and reactions. And it seemed to me that he was looking for trouble, and so he got trouble.”

When the interviewer told Parks, “Certainly you could not be advocating violence,” she replied, “By no means. Absolutely not, I’m not advocating violence.”

But then she brought race into the mix, saying that one of the conversations black parents have with their children is “you never start a fight with a white person. But if they hit you first, that becomes a reason for all of the frustration and hurt and terror … of generations, historical generational pain, to be released. And I believe that’s what happened.”

However, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock last week stated on “Jason Whitlock Harmony” that he’s heard the argument that the white man “started it” by making physical contact with the black man and that was justification for the mob attack.

“That’s ridiculous to me,” Whitlock said. “The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified.”

RELATED: Woke Cincinnati police chief DEFENDS Cincinnati Jazz Festival brawl

BlazeTV contributor Shemeka Michelle agreed, telling Whitlock the attack was “definitely unjustified. When they tried to show the video of the guy in the red being pushed and acting as if that was justification. … But for all of these people to jump in — and it wasn’t just men jumping in; there were women jumping in as if they were men.”

Whitlock also posted a message on X calling out the mob attack the day after it happened, saying that “this behavior and lack of national outrage are unsustainable. It’s unsustainable. The anti-white bigotry at the root of this behavior must be addressed. Sickening.”

In addition, another Cincinnati council member Meeka Owens told WLWT in a separate story — referencing Parks’ “they begged for that beat down” comment — that “making comments that inflame a violent incident is never acceptable” and that “endorsing violence is neither effective nor responsible.” Owens added to the station that “it is not beneficial to the city nor the region when [Parks] advocates for violence as a means of retribution” and that “the comments of one lame-duck member of Cincinnati City Council do not represent the opinions or perspectives of the Council as a whole, and certainly not mine.”

While Parks announced in January that she isn’t running for re-election, Owens added to NewsNation in a video interview that Parks’ resignation should be an option as a result of her controversial words about the mob attack victims.

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​Mob attack, Physical attack, Cincinnati, Victoria parks, Cellphone videos, City council, Council member, Race, Racism, Threat, Business owner, Arrests, Pastor, Politics, Crime, Holly 

Republicans nationwide are gearing up for 2026 elections, with Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina being the latest to announce her candidacy.

Mace, who has spent weeks teasing a gubernatorial campaign, formally entered the race Monday morning. Mace is now the second House Republican to enter the South Carolina governor’s race, following Rep. Ralph Norman’s announcement in July.

‘South Carolina doesn’t need another politician who folds when things get tough.’

“God’s not done with South Carolina and neither am I,” Mace said in her announcement on X. “You and me. Our mission begins now.”

Mace launched her campaign during a speech at her alma mater, The Citadel, a military college in Charleston, where she became the first female graduate in 1999.

RELATED: Democrat grovels after skipping Israel arms votes for Colbert show: ‘I owe it to my state’

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

“South Carolina is tired of politicians who smile for the cameras, lie to your face, and then vanish when it’s time to leave,” Mace said in her announcement speech. “I’m none of them.”

“South Carolina needs a governor who will drag the truth into sunlight and flip the table if that’s what it takes,” Mace added. “South Carolina doesn’t need another politician who folds when things get tough.”

RELATED: ‘Most conservative’ congressman announces bid for South Carolina governor seat

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Mace will be facing off against Norman as well as state Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell to succeed current Gov. Henry McMaster (R).

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​Nancy mace, Ralph norman, House republicans, South carolina, Henry mcmaster, The citadel, Josh kimbrell, Alan wilson, Pamela evette, Politics 

Five years after a firestorm of media attention, a mountain of legal troubles, and a run for office, Mark McCloskey has finally collected.

In 2020, McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, went viral in the media after Mark wielded an AR-15 on his porch alongside his pistol-packing wife as a large group of Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated down their private street.

The protesters broke down an iron gate leading into the McCloskeys’ neighborhood, leading the couple to say they were “in fear of [their] lives” at the time.

‘You have to let them know that you will never back down, you’ll never give up.’

Mr. McCloskey eventually surrendered the couple’s guns as part of an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault and his wife pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment, both misdemeanors, after being originally charged with felonies.

Former Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) pardoned all of the McCloskeys’ charges in the summer of 2021. Now, some of their property has finally been returned.

“It only took 3 lawsuits, 2 trips to the Court of Appeals and 1,847 days, but I got my AR15 back!” McCloskey wrote on X. The home owner compared 2020 photos of him and his wife brandishing their guns alongside a new photo of himself with the AR-15 in front of his house.

“We defended our home, were persecuted by the left, smeared by the press, and threatened with death, but we never backed down,” he continued. “What’s missing — Patty and the Bryco (soon),” he added, referring to the Bryco .380-caliber pistol his wife was holding in 2020.

RELATED: ‘It’s time for the city to cough up my guns’: Mark McCloskey throws down after judge expunges convictions against him, wife

Mark McCloskey, a Republican candidate for US Senate in Missouri, and his wife, Patricia McCloskey (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

McCloskey also posted a video of himself picking up the AR-15 from a police property room on Friday afternoon.

“That gun may have only been worth $1,500 or something, and it cost me a lot of time and a lot of effort to get it back, but you have to do that,” McCloskey told Fox News. “You have to let them know that you will never back down, you’ll never give up.”

The personal injury attorney also expressed that each American has a “personal responsibility” to defend freedom and added that “if you’ve been wronged, if you’ve been overreached by the leftist government — you can’t give up. You can’t let them get an inch.”

McCloskey parlayed his legal and moral fight into a 2022 Senate run in the Missouri Republican Party.

RELATED: Missouri governor pardons McCloskeys of all charges related to BLM protest incident

ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI – MAY 7, 2022: Missouri Senate hopeful Mark McCloskey’s campaign vehicle parked outside in St. Joseph, Missouri. (Photo by Dominick Williams for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

One of McCloskey’s stances was a firm belief that abortion was not justifiable, even in cases of rape or incest of young teens.

McCloskey eventually lost the primary to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

He told Fox News that he expects to get the Bryco pistol within the next week.

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​News, 2nd amendment, Second amendment, Mccloskeys, Missouri, Blm, Black lives matter, Politics 

President Donald Trump just keeps proving his critics wrong.

This week, he announced a trade deal with the European Union that will bring in $1.35 trillion in new investment just days after securing $550 billion from Japan. The U.S. Treasury has pulled in a record-breaking $150 billion in tariff revenue this year. New GDP figures show the economy growing faster than inflation.

A rebate, carve-out, or full exemption would show Trump responds to market realities with precision.

Trump has reason to celebrate. But he also knows tariffs can hurt. In February, he warned about the pain tariffs might cause consumers and businesses. More recently, he backed Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley’s proposal to send at least $600 in tariff rebate checks to working-class Americans.

That same logic should apply to the people who sign their paychecks: small business owners.

Since the government-imposed COVID restrictions, small businesses have faced brutal headwinds. The National Federation of Independent Business reports weak job creation plans. Bank of America says hiring costs are down but entrepreneurs are leaning harder on credit cards just to stay afloat due to tighter markets.

To ease the burden, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has urged the Trump administration to create an automatic exemption from new tariffs for small businesses. These companies don’t have the cash reserves or supply chain flexibility to absorb cost hikes. They can’t just retool overnight. The Chamber also called for exemptions for any business that proves tariffs would threaten American jobs or that imports goods not produced domestically — like coffee or bananas.

That pitch should resonate with Republicans. America’s 34.8 million small businesses provide nearly half of all U.S. jobs and created 70% of new ones between 2019 and 2024. They make up 98% of all manufacturers, with payrolls topping $278 billion.

And they lean Republican. Last fall, small business owners favored Trump’s economic policies over Kamala Harris’ by 32 points. Five of the top 20 importing states — Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin — are swing states where small businesses are watching closely.

Democrats know it, too. They’ve already started highlighting tariff-related struggles in their appeals to Main Street voters. According to the FedEx Small Business Trade Index, one-third of all imports and exports come from small businesses. Two-thirds of small and midsize business leaders say imports are vital to their domestic operations. The National Retail Federation recently flagged the impact of tariffs on the nation’s 15.5 million retail workers.

Trump understands something his critics don’t: The economy depends on balance — between tariffs, taxes, incentives, and regulation. Targeted relief for small businesses fits perfectly with his broader economic vision.

It complements the SBA’s Made in America Manufacturing Initiative, which cut $100 billion in red tape, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s tax reforms that let domestic producers write off depreciation and R&D costs.

RELATED: Trump says he’s considering ‘a little rebate’ for Americans from tariff revenue

Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Sure, Trump could fold a small business rebate into Hawley’s legislation. But exemptions work faster — and speed matters when you’re operating on razor-thin margins. That’s why Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark is right: Small businesses need relief now, not months from now — if and when Congress acts.

A rebate, carve-out, or full exemption would show Trump responds to market realities with precision. It would give small businesses breathing room to shift toward domestic suppliers. And it would help Republicans tie a policy win to the pro-growth momentum already under way.

Foreign onshoring, U.S. reshoring, and renewed consumer confidence are already reshaping the economy. Strategic relief for small businesses could help seal the deal — and give Republicans even more to smile about in 2025.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Tariff, Tariffs, Small businesses, Trump tariffs, Global tariffs, Small business, Tax cuts, Tax deductions, Targeted 

Texas House Democrats fled the Lone Star State for the District of Columbia in July 2021, denying Republicans a quorum — the Texas Constitution requires two-thirds of the state House to be present to conduct legislative business — and thereby temporarily preventing the passage of legislation that would improve election integrity.

This strategic play, celebrated by then-Vice President Kamala Harris and other radicals, was not the first time state Democrats had abdicated their duties in order to thwart the execution of the people’s will. Texas Democrats also fled to New Mexico in 2003 in order to prevent a vote on redrawing congressional districts in Republicans’ favor.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott suggested in response to the 2021 holdout, which lasted 38 days, that Democrats could be arrested. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed 52 arrest warrants for the absentee lawmakers, but no one was ultimately held to account.

‘Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.’

Years after confirming that they could torpedo the democratic process without consequence, Texas House Democrats have once again fled the state — this time to prevent their GOP colleagues from advancing new congressional maps that would give Republicans five more pickup opportunities ahead of the midterm elections.

Abbott indicated on Sunday that unless the “derelict Democrat House members” return to Texas and show up when the House reconvenes at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, they will be removed from office.

“Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did,” wrote Abbott. “Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texas, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.”

RELATED: Democrat offers bizarre spin on imploding support for his party — and he’s getting amazing backlash

Texas House Democrats abandoning their posts on Sunday. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

The governor indicated that the exodus amounts to “an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”

“This truancy ends now,” said Abbott.

The governor indicated that he will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382.

The opinion, released by Attorney General Ken Paxton on Aug. 24, 2021, states that “whether a specific legislator abandoned his or her office such that a vacancy occurred will be a fact question for a court” and that “through a quo warranto action, a district court may determine that a legislator has forfeited his or her office due to abandonment and can remove the legislator from office, thereby creating a vacancy.”

In addition to potentially risking their offices, Abbott said that Texas House Democrats may have also committed felonies, as many of the absentee lawmakers “are soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules,” which might be in violation of the Lone Star State’s bribery laws.

The governor was referring to the $500-per-day fine that Republicans implemented in 2023 to deal with legislators who intentionally broke quorum.

“It seems to me that the only way some of the fleeing Democrats can avoid bribery charges is not to break quorum,” Abbott tweeted. “It seems that would eliminate any potential quid pro quo connected to any payment they received to deny a quorum and skip a vote.”

Paxton minced no words, writing, “Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.”

“We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law,” added the Texas attorney general.

RELATED: Gov. Gavin Newsom threatens to redistrict California after Texas GOP drops new district map proposal

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Texas Supreme Court ruled in August 2021 that Texas House Democrats who intentionally break quorum can be arrested and dragged into the state legislature.

Meanwhile, radicals farther afield have celebrated the Democrats’ anti-democratic gambit.

‘The DNC is proud to support these legislators in standing up and showing real leadership.’

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), whose approval rating a recent YouGov poll indicated was 25%, expressed support for the Texas Democrats over the weekend, stating, “It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) suggested that the absentee lawmakers’ efforts to undermine the democratic process “is what fighting for our democracy looks like.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement that “the DNC is proud to support these legislators in standing up and showing real leadership. We will fight alongside them to stop this anti-democratic assault.”

State Rep. James Talarico (D), fresh off suggesting that there was no “historical, theological, biblical basis” for Christians to oppose abortion, said the purpose of the Democratic exodus was to “stop Trump’s redistricting power grab.”

Talarico’s fellow obstructionists suggested their departure was in the interest of democracy. State Rep. Mary Ann Perez, for instance, said that “by breaking quorum, we are standing up for democratic values.”

Dozens of absentee lawmakers gathered in Chicago, where they were celebrated by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Others traveled to Massachusetts and New York.

“Texas Democrats are once again neglecting their responsibility to serve the people of the Lone Star State by engaging in absurd theatrics intended to mislead the public into believing they are upholding their values,” Mason Di Palma, communications director for the Republican State Leadership Committee, said in a statement to Blaze News. “By traveling to Illinois and New York, two of the most partisanly gerrymandered Democrat-controlled states in the country, these stunts are rooted in nonsense and illustrate how disconnected today’s Democratic Party is from the needs of the American people.”

“Texas Democrats need to return home immediately, stop wasting taxpayer money on their media tour, and work collaboratively with Republicans in Austin to advance the future of Texas,” added Di Palma.

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​Texas, Greg abbott, Ken paxton, Paxton, Abbott, Lone star state, House democrats, Democrats, Quorum, Absentee, Fafo, Redistricting, Politics 

The long-awaited new season of “South Park” kicked off with a serious bang, as its premiere featured President Trump begging for sex from Satan and threatening to sue everyone.

A deepfake-assisted PSA at the end of the episode also starred Trump, where he was portrayed as nude and wandering the desert.

But the White House wasn’t laughing.

“This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention,” a statement from the White House read. “President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history — and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”

When asked about his response to the White House’s statement, “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker said, “We’re terribly sorry,” and nothing else.

BlazeTV host Dave Landau has a theory as to why “South Park” hit so hard at the president.

“There’s also a theory that they attacked Trump because they’re hoping to get sued and therefore dropped from the Paramount contract because they supposedly do not like it,” Landau says on “Normal World.”

“I thought them making fun of him from the Epstein angle was really funny. Him threatening to sue people was really funny. That’s just my opinion. And they’re absolutely not like whiny left, you know, Democrats,” he continues.

BlazeTV host ¼ Black Garrett doesn’t disagree, but also has his own issue with the episode.

“I think my only problem with it is it wasn’t that funny. I thought they could totally have made fun of Trump in a million other ways,” he says.

Though there was one character who has never disappointed, and didn’t start in the new season.

“Cartman’s death of woke,” Landau laughs. “Now he no longer knows what person he should be because he’s like, ‘Where’s my favorite show? It’s got lesbians and liberals crying on it.’”

Want more ‘Normal World’?

To enjoy more whimsical satire, topical sketches, and comedic discussions from comedians Dave Landau and 1/4 Black Garrett, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Camera phone, Free, Sharing, Upload, Video, Video phone, Youtube.com, Normal world, Normal world with dave landau, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, President trump, The trump administration, White house, South park, Cartman, Eric cartman, South park trump 

It’s good to be back in the Advocate — the self-described “world’s leading source of LGBTQ+ news and information.” The last time it covered me, it involved a spat with a group of criminal, gay furry hackers. It never published the follow-up when one of those hackers was arrested, just as I promised. This time, I’ve committed an even greater sin in the Advocate’s eyes: I asked a woke, gay professor at a public university to share his syllabus.

That professor, Christopher Petsko, teaches at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And his reaction — along with the left’s coordinated meltdown — tells you everything you need to know about how deeply embedded DEI ideology remains in taxpayer-funded higher ed.

The Trump administration has made its position clear. Our job is to ensure it follows through.

Here’s what we’re doing. The Oversight Project submitted public records requests for syllabi from professors at public universities — institutions subject to state transparency laws. President Trump and his administration have made it a public priority to root out diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from the federal government and its beneficiaries, including universities. Our aim is to determine whether schools are complying with the law — or rebranding DEI under another name.

Because if they are, the administration should know. And act.

Follow-through matters. We’ve seen high-profile announcements on anti-DEI and anti-anti-Semitism efforts before, only to watch the implementation get outsourced or quietly neutered. Columbia University, for example, partnered with the far-left Anti-Defamation League to monitor itself for anti-Semitism — then gave itself a clean bill of health. That’s theater, not accountability.

It’s the same story with the so-called crackdown on law firms weaponizing their influence. We contacted many of the firms that pledged pro bono support for conservative clients. Most didn’t respond. Most have done nothing. We’ll be publishing the receipts soon.

In that context, our university initiative is simple: Show us the syllabi. If DEI ideology is still embedded in coursework, the public deserves to know. Instead, some of these professors are losing their minds.

Petsko responded with a melodramatic LinkedIn post:

Keep doing the work you were trained to do. Keep educating others. Keep sharing your expertise. And don’t let vague references to executive orders make you question whether you have a right to be sharing your knowledge with the world.

He then declared he would not release his syllabus. (Too late.)

Other academics rallied to his side. Colin Carlson of Yale took to Bluesky to frame our request as “targeted harassment at scale.” Kate Starbird of the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public responded, “Of course they are.”

RELATED: Harvard’s hypocrisy hits the courtroom

Harvard’s hypocrisy hits the courtroomPhoto by Rick Friedman / Contributor via Getty Images

The irony, of course, is that these same people preach transparency when they’re not the ones being scrutinized. Why is it that transparency always seems to flow one way — targeting the right while the left hides behind tenure and taxpayer funding?

Next came a hit piece from Inside Higher Ed, which apparently objects to anyone trying to get inside higher ed. I told Inside Higher Ed:

UNC is a public school with a long track record of discrimination. Syllabi are public records and belong to the public. We intend to let the public know what is being taught at a public school. That’s not intimidation. It’s good governance and transparency. If a professor is too much of a wimp to let me read his syllabus, then he’s in the wrong business.

The response? A pile of quotes from leftists accusing us of “chilling free speech” and “intimidation.” Apparently, basic accountability is now oppression.

As for Petsko — he didn’t get the last word.

We now have his syllabus. And surprise: It’s loaded with DEI propaganda. Required reading includes “Dear White Boss,” which claims white executives should be forced to read it. Another entry, “Why Diversity Programs Fail,” criticizes corporate DEI efforts for not going far enough. Students are also instructed to listen to “How to Bust Bias at Work,” which promotes race-based promotion practices.

This is what passes for education at a public university.

The University of North Carolina is out of compliance with federal policy. The Trump administration has made its position clear. Our job is to ensure it follows through.

And we intend to do exactly that.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Woke universities, Lgbtq, Lgbt, Lgbtq agenda, Lgbtq university, Threat to democracy, First amendment, Free speech, Freedom of speech, Indoctrination, Politcal correctness, Diversity equity inclusion, Dei programs 

When T.J. Hoover was declared brain-dead after suffering an overdose in October 2021, the last thing his loved ones thought would happen, happened.

While on the operating table as an organ donor, Hoover was alive.

Donna Rhorer, Hoover’s sister, says doctors were attempting to harvest his organs while he was still showing signs of life — like his eyes being open and tracking movement during his honor walk, which is when family says goodbye before organ donation surgery.

“Almost immediately as soon as his honor walk started, his eyes were opened, and they were tracking, looking around at the people that were there,” Rhorer said.

Forty-five minutes after he was taken away, a doctor then informed her and the rest of the family that the procedure had been stopped.

“She said, ‘I stopped it. He’s not ready. He woke up,’” Rhorer said.

“He was admitted to Baptist Health’s emergency room. He was unresponsive for two days. His family then agreed to donate his organs, and that was his wish. So he was prepped for organ donation surgery,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey explains.

“But as they were prepping him, he began thrashing, crying, resisting, showing signs of life,” she continues.

The independent Health Resources and Services Administration review found clear negligence by the organ procurement organization, or OPO, that was involved in Hoover’s case.

But they didn’t stop at Hoover.

“HRSA examined 351 cases where organ donation was authorized but not completed, identifying issues. … Of those, 73 patients showed neurological signs incompatible with organ donation, and 28 may not have been deceased when procurement began,” Stuckey explains.

“That’s very scary,” Stuckey says. “Should we credit this to just incompetence and laziness, or is there something else going on?”

“The error here, I think, was that when you assess somebody, when you look at them in the bed and you get a sense of how severely they’ve been neurologically injured, you need to know, are you actually seeing their neurologic function?” Dr. Raymond Lynch, chief of the organ transplant branch at HRSA, tells Stuckey.

“Or is that being clouded either by the drugs that the hospital’s giving to keep them comfortable,” he continues, “or by some other thing like a drug overdose that led to them coming into the hospital in the first place?”

“In Mr. Hoover’s case … he was recovering, and it was being documented by OPO staff that he was recovering. He was waking up, but they didn’t change what they were planning to do, and it was a hospital physician who said, ‘I’m not comfortable proceeding with this,’ and ended the process,” he adds.

“So, I don’t know if you can answer this,” Stuckey says, “but why would they record that there were signs of recovery and decide to move forward anyway?”

“I think this is something that,” he answers, “you know, we find in government review of similar systems. … There was a lack of critical thinking to reassess what trained physicians and hospital staff were telling them, and it’s a circumstance where you can’t let this be a runaway train.”

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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American health care is a paradox. We spend more than any nation in history — nearly 20% of our GDP — yet our outcomes remain stubbornly mediocre.

New hospitals rise like monuments to excess. Their parking lots fill with luxury cars. Tax dollars pour in from every level of government. Private spending remains sky-high. But while the profits flow, patient satisfaction and results don’t keep pace.

At a bare minimum, nonprofit hospitals should be required to deliver real value — quality care, satisfied patients, and meaningful charity work.

That’s because the system doesn’t reward quality. It rewards short-term financial performance.

Health care costs keep rising faster than inflation. Voters resist higher taxes, so deficits explode. The federal government now routinely runs annual shortfalls exceeding 6% of GDP — even during boom times. Something’s got to give.

Enter Dr. Mehmet Oz. Once a fixture on daytime TV, now head of Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Trump, Oz has zeroed in on the real source of bloat: hospital executives enriching themselves under the guise of nonprofit care.

Oz recently urged Americans to review tax filings and publicly “shame” hospital administrators pulling down massive salaries. He’s right to sound the alarm.

Most hospitals claim nonprofit status — but their leadership rakes in pay packages in the tens of millions, complete with bonuses, stock perks, and golden parachutes. Those compensation schemes only make sense because the IRS grants nonprofits huge tax breaks. And the standards for maintaining that status? Laughably weak.

As a result, the federal government forfeits tens of billions of dollars annually — revenue that could support real health care reform or reduce the deficit.

Consider Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia. It belongs to Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, a large nonprofit chain. Trinity’s CEO earns over $1.4 million a year. Yet, Nazareth carries a dismal one-star Medicare rating, charges high prices, and provides very little charity care. Despite funneling more than $160 million annually through its doors, it contributes almost nothing in taxes — while local, state, and federal governments foot the bill for many of its patients.

It’s a rigged system: Taxpayers pay, executives profit, and patients suffer.

RELATED: Medicaid for millions, misery for the middle class

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Dr. Oz is asking the right questions. Where does the money go? Who benefits most? Are we getting anything close to our money’s worth?

At a bare minimum, nonprofit hospitals should be required to deliver real value — quality care, satisfied patients, and meaningful charity work. When they fail, they should lose the privileges that come with tax-exempt status.

Congress must act. Update the laws. Close the loopholes. Scrutinize executive pay. Tie compensation to performance. And most importantly, re-center the system on patients — not the almighty dollar.

Thanks goes to Dr. Oz for breaking the silence. The American people deserve transparency, accountability, and a health care system that serves them — not the bureaucrats and fat cats feeding off the public trough.

​Opinion & analysis, Medicare, Medicaid, Hospitals, Executives, Compensation, Salaries, Nonprofit, Taxes, Spending, Accountability, Transparency, Health care reform, Mehmet oz, Health and human services, Health insurance 

On July 22, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) released a new interim staff report on former President Joe Biden’s Catholic spy ring.

Thanks to FBI Director Kash Patel, some of the information is new. And when pieced together with what we already knew, the picture that emerges is one of an FBI that went off the rails. Christopher Wray, who led the FBI under Biden, bears much of the blame.

This was not a mistake. It was a well-planned effort to intimidate and harass practicing Catholics.

The FBI was apparently focused on “radical-traditionalist Catholics.” Who are these people? According to the FBI’s own internal review of this matter, “investigators found that many FBI employees could not even define the meaning of ‘radical-traditionalist Catholic’ when preparing, editing, or reviewing” the Richmond Field Office memorandum that authorized the probe.

In other words, the FBI decided that these Catholics were a problem, even though agents were unable to explain who they are. FBI agents were convinced that the so-called rad-trads were “linked” to “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists.”

What made them think this way is still a mystery, but we know they found nothing. That’s because there is no record of very conservative Catholics linking up with violent thugs. Indeed, on this basis alone there was no reason to investigate them.

This didn’t stop some FBI operatives from categorizing “certain Catholic Americans as potential domestic terrorists.” They came to this absurd conclusion based on articles employees read. “How Extremist Gun Culture Is Trying to Co-opt the Rosary” is one of the gems they named as evidence of the nefarious agenda of “rad-trad” Catholics.

RELATED: The FBI was completely correct to keep an eye on Catholics

Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images Plus

If there is one Catholic group that the FBI thought was emblematic of very conservative Catholics, it is the Society of Saint Pius X. This was not a good choice — this group is not in full communion with the Catholic Church. This is a breakaway association of Catholics founded in 1970 who were upset with the reforms of Vatican II in the 1960s. They were once excommunicated, then reinstated, but are still one step removed from being an authentic part of the Catholic Church.

I have been saying all along that the FBI’s focus on SSPX and the “rad-trads” is a ruse. Quite frankly, this was a pretext to opening the door to a much wider investigation of practicing Catholics, most of whom tend to be more conservative than non-practicing Catholics.

The evidence is conclusive.

The latest report shows that the FBI proposed a probe of “mainline parishes.” It says that “FBI employees believed without evidence that mainstream Catholic churches could serve as a pipeline to violent extremist behavior.” Without evidence! Also, “The FBI seems to have considered Catholic churches as a potential hot spot for radicalization and viewed investigating Catholic churches as an ‘opportunity.’” Exactly.

As an example of this mad search for wrongdoing, the FBI investigated Catholics who evinced “hostility toward abortion-rights advocates.” In other words, Catholic activists who exercised fidelity to Church teachings on abortion — they are called pro-life Catholics — were considered a domestic threat by the FBI. Similarly, those who espoused “Conservative family values/roles” were labeled “radical.”

This tells us all we need to know about the politicization of the FBI under Biden.

It also tells us something else: It was not dissident Catholics the FBI was concerned about. It was the loyal sons and daughters of the Church. How strange it is to note that at least some dissident Catholics, and some FBI agents, were both seeking to subvert the Catholic Church.

This may not have been coordinated, but the outcome is nonetheless disturbing.

RELATED: Christopher Wray must be prosecuted

MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

It is not just the profile of Catholics whom the FBI was examining that was a problem — it was the scope of its investigations. It started in Richmond, then spread to Louisville, Milwaukee, and Portland. Its reach even extended overseas — the FBI’s London Office was involved. This is hardly surprising given that we already knew the FBI further proposed “to infiltrate Catholic churches as a form of ‘threat mitigation.’” The goal was to have a “national application” of its investigatory measures.

This was not a mistake. It was a well-planned effort to intimidate and harass practicing Catholics. The Committee and Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government determined in the last Congress that “there was no legitimate basis for the memorandum to insert federal law enforcement into Catholic houses of worship.” That says it all.

Under Biden, the FBI was looking for dirt on Catholics, especially those who are pro-life and hold to traditional moral values. This was one of the most despicable violations of the civil liberties of innocent Americans conducted by the federal government in modern times. That it took place in an administration run by a “devout Catholic” makes it all the more outrageous.

We are thankful to Rep. Jim Jordan for all the good work that he, his committee, and his staff have done.

This essay was adapted from an article originally published by the Catholic League.

​Fbi targets catholics, Biden fbi, Jim jordan, Fbi, Catholics, Catholic church, Joe biden, Christopher wray, Christianity, Christians, Pro-life, Faith 

In today’s high-tech world of driving, cars are getting smarter — and so are traffic enforcement tools.

From red-light cameras to radar and laser traps, motorists are facing a growing array of surveillance on the road. That’s where Escort Redline 360c Radar Detector steps in, not as a gimmick or gadget, but as a serious investment in driver awareness and protection.

‘The more you know about what’s happening on the road ahead, the safer and smarter your drive becomes.’

At $799.95, the Redline 360c isn’t cheap — but for those who value precision, reliability, and situational awareness, it just may be the best money you can spend on your vehicle.

I had the opportunity to speak with Joe Sherbondy, director of Escort Radar detection products, to get a closer look at what makes the Redline 360c such a game changer.

“The newest firmware update cuts response time in half,” Sherbondy told me. “This isn’t just a minor tweak — it puts Escort firmly ahead of the competition in terms of speed and reliability.”

Setting a new benchmark in detection speed

What sets the Redline 360c apart is its extreme detection range combined with intelligent filtering. Most radar detectors flood drivers with false alarms from automatic doors, collision avoidance systems, and other non-threatening signals.

The Redline 360c’s updated firmware uses machine learning and signal classification to reduce those false alerts while maintaining rapid and accurate identification of legitimate threats.

Sherbondy explained it simply: “Drivers want to be informed — not overwhelmed. Our detectors learn over time, and the Redline 360c now responds faster than anything else in the market, with fewer distractions.”

An evolving ecosystem

What’s equally impressive is how Escort continues to build out its ecosystem. The Redline 360c is integrated with the North American Defender® Database, which offers real-time notifications of red-light and speed cameras.

With a subscription (available in one-year or three-year packages), users receive automatic updates to ensure they stay protected as enforcement zones evolve.

And for those upgrading from an older device, Escort’s trade-in program allows customers to send in their previous detector for credit. It’s a practical option, especially with older detectors quickly falling behind in today’s rapidly advancing enforcement tech landscape.

Bundled protection and smart integration

Escort is also offering compelling bundles that make upgrading more attractive.

Redline 360c + M2 Dash Cam Bundle: For $949.95 (a $50 savings), you get not only the top-tier detector but also Escort’s smart dash cam, the M2. This adds real-time video recording, voice alerts, GPS tagging, and integration with the Drive Smarter app — perfect for reviewing incidents or protecting yourself against false claims.Redline 360c + ZR6 Laser Shifter: For those looking for total peace of mind, the $1,999.90 package includes Escort’s most powerful radar and laser defense tools. The ZR6 system is designed to combat modern laser enforcement, making this combination one of the most comprehensive protection solutions available for everyday drivers.

Why it matters

Speeding tickets aren’t just costly — they can raise insurance rates and impact your driving record. But more importantly, having a radar detector like the Redline 360c empowers drivers with real-time information, helping them make safer, more informed decisions on the road.

Joe Sherbondy summed it up: “We’re not encouraging speeding — we’re enabling situational awareness. The more you know about what’s happening on the road ahead, the safer and smarter your drive becomes.”

The Redline 360c isn’t a toy — it’s a precision instrument built for serious drivers. Whether you commute daily, travel long distances, or simply want to stay one step ahead of modern enforcement, this device delivers.

Yes, the price point may seem high, but consider the long-term savings: fewer tickets, reduced insurance hikes, and a better understanding of your driving environment. Add to that Escort’s trade-in incentives and bundled discounts, and the investment becomes even more worthwhile.

For those who value performance, reliability, and cutting-edge protection, the Escort Redline 360c is the radar detector to beat.

​Align cars, Lifestyle, Radar detectors, Provisions, Auto accessories, Escort, Sponsored post 

The new lunch boxes are ordered, class rosters are on their way, and the back-to-school haircuts are booked. And like clockwork, the cultural chorus salutes the return to routines.

But here’s my contrarian parent confession: I secretly wish summer would never end.

Too often, summer is seen as downtime before ‘real life.’ But for us, it’s as real as life gets.

This isn’t a critique of education. Our children attend a Catholic school we deeply trust. They are taught by teachers who live out the virtues they teach with a curriculum grounded in faith, character, and critical thinking. That kind of schooling is a blessing, but it’s also increasingly rare.

In many states, public schools today resemble social engineering experiments more than places of learning. Parents are often sidelined — if not pushed out entirely.

Still, even in the best schools, summer grants a freedom that’s hard to find the rest of the year — the freedom to let our kids learn through life, not just curriculum.

Learning outside the classroom

Summer brings boredom, and that is a glorious gift. Without constant scheduling, kids are forced to imagine. They build forts, tell stories, invent games, and watch a snail for three whole minutes. That kind of unhurried pace awakens creativity in a way no planned activity can match. And when days aren’t packed from activity to activity, children learn the rhythm of reflection, rest, and real connection.

This year, my daughter spent her third summer at sleepaway camp. My son went away for the first time. They learned kayaking, pottery, survival skills, and, most importantly, a little independence.

Independence isn’t learned through lectures. It is cultivated through doing — managing a tent, getting mud on your shoes, and forging friendships under the sun.

Meanwhile, my wife and I curated our own two‑month formation plan: fishing, family prayers, vacation hikes, and teaching patience alongside some bug spray.

Office visits are another summer staple in our family. It’s one of the only times of year our kids get to see us work. They come with me to the studio, watching all the cameras turn on and interactions with my guests. They help my wife pick out decorations for her nonprofit’s next event. They see the planning, the problem-solving, the hustle, and most importantly, they see it up close.

For them, work isn’t some abstract idea of “what parents do all day.” It’s a living example of vocation and stewardship. We want them to understand that work isn’t something you escape from — it’s something you pour into with purpose.

Whether it’s watching one of my podcast episodes materialize or popping up in the background of a Zoom meeting, they’re learning that faith, family, and calling aren’t siloed. They’re integrated. And summer gives us the margin to demonstrate that firsthand.

These are the moments that shape character, not standardized tests.

A growing movement

Too often, summer is seen as downtime before “real life.” But for us, it’s as real as life gets.

I know many parents don’t enjoy such freedom. That’s why I’m also encouraged by the rise of what policymakers now call “parent‑directed education” (instead of “homeschooling”).

Across the U.S., more than 3.7 million students are now being educated at home, reflecting a profound shift in how families view schooling. Our home state of Florida — where my wife serves on the State Board of Education — leads the nation with the largest homeschooling population. Around 155,000 students are educated at home as of the 2022‑23 school year, adding nearly 70,000 learners since 2017.

RELATED: Want to homeschool? Read this first

Photo by Jessica Lewis via Unsplash

Florida isn’t just the top state in numbers. It’s the conservative test bed for parent‑directed education. Thanks to voucher expansions under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), homeschoolers now receive state-funded education savings accounts alongside private and charter students. That public support recognizes a crucial truth: Parents — not bureaucrats — deserve the right to direct their children’s formation.

Forging family and future

Yes, summer ends. And yes, school matters, and we’ll rejoice when they go back — especially to a Catholic classroom that lives up to its calling. But I refuse to rush the last golden days with my kids. Summer’s lessons — for our family, for the future — are just different.

So no, I’m not racing back to the academic calendar. I’m squeezing every barefoot, sunlit, bored (in the best way) moment with the people God called me to raise.

Let them learn from campfires and daydreams, from sibling squabbles and midnight conversations. Because true learning — the kind grounded in freedom, faith, and family — doesn’t fit in a syllabus.

And at the heart of it all, what makes summer truly irreplaceable is us. Me. My wife. Our family. Present. Laughing. Slowing down long enough to notice who we’re becoming together.

That’s the education I’ll fight hardest to protect.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Homeschooling, Summer camp, Summer, School, Education, Catholic school 

I’m as close to a card-carrying evangelical as you can get. I tote my Bible everywhere, I’m married to a Baptist pastor/chaplain, and I hold fast to sola scriptura.

But since I first waded into the culture war more than a decade ago, I’ve experienced a surprising and sweet solidarity … with Catholics.

Yes, our differences matter. Yes, we should debate them. But we must refuse to destroy one another in the process.

Catholic thinkers first introduced me to natural law, a framework that became the foundation of my nonprofit’s work, Them Before Us. Over the years, I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with Catholic friends in the trenches of some of our most significant cultural battles: fighting the transgender juggernaut, overturning Roe v. Wade, and defending parental rights against government overreach. None of those victories could have been accomplished had either side fought alone.

And yet, lately, I’ve been watching that solidarity fray. If we don’t recognize what’s happening and why, it will strip us of the ability to wage successful future battles.

Shared battlefields, different churches

Make no mistake: I’m not suggesting that our theological differences don’t matter. They do.

I’ve had Catholic friends tell me, lovingly, that they’re praying that I’ll “come home to the one true Church.” I’ve smiled and told them, just as lovingly, that I don’t believe the veil was torn so I could pray to St. Joseph.

I’m deeply uneasy with the level of attention given to Mary (“It’s not worship, it’s veneration,” they’ve explained to me over and over). But I also believe many Protestants undervalue Mary’s radical obedience and submission to God. Fun fact: Years ago, I even named a brief LLC “The Lord’s Handmaid” because I wanted everything in my work to reflect Mary’s posture, “Let it be done to me according to Your word.”

They think I don’t know enough church history. And to be fair … they’re right. I was shocked when I overheard a Catholic share that her favorite verse was found in the Book of David.

We have significant doctrinal differences, worth discussing, worth debating, even worth worshiping separately over. But the differences have never escalated into open warfare between us. And the peace we’ve worked to keep has yielded real, tangible results — wins we’d never see without cooperation.

Shots across the Tiber

But something’s shifted. In recent months, I’ve seen evangelicals and Catholics turn on each other in ways I haven’t witnessed before.

Maybe it’s because conservatives have regained some level of cultural influence, at least online, and old tensions are resurfacing. Maybe it’s because conflict drives traffic and subscriptions for those who monetize outrage. Whatever the reason, the tone has grown brutal. Personal. Ugly.

Instead of sharpening one another through debate, we’re seeing believers on both sides calling each other stupid. Hypocritical. We’re seeing slander, misrepresentation, and clickbait-level caricatures.

Meanwhile, there are wolves at the door — figures like Father James Martin on the Catholic side and Matthew Vines on the Protestant side — actively working to erode the teachings of both traditions. I would, and have, sent my children to learn (about philosophy, relationships, marriage, IVF, transgenderism) under faithful Catholic teachers. I would never do the same with Preston Sprinkle or Jen Hatmaker. I have far more in common with faithful Catholics than with progressive Protestants who have rejected biblical truth.

And yet, if we let these intra-Christian fractures widen, our fragile but powerful unity will crumble. And when it does, so will our ability to face what’s still ahead.

The battle ahead requires us both

My nonprofit, Them Before Us, is spearheading a coalition to challenge gay marriage. It’s equal to, or maybe more difficult than, the task of overturning Roe v. Wade. Retaking and restoring the institution of marriage, legally and culturally, will demand a united front.

It can’t be done by Catholics alone. It can’t be done by Protestants alone. And it definitely can’t be done if we waste our strength sniping at each other while the real enemy advances.

Yes, our differences matter. Yes, we should debate them. But we must refuse to destroy one another in the process. The stakes for children, families, and the future are far too high for friendly fire.

Faithful Catholics and Protestants may never worship under the same roof, but we can and must fight under the same banner for the sake of the children whose futures hang in the balance. Let’s debate with respect but lock arms where it counts, so together we can reclaim the one institution that safeguards every child: marriage.

This article was adapted from an essay originally published on Katy Faust’s Substack, Them Before Us.

​Protestants, Catholic church, Catholics, Christianity, Christians, God, Jesus, Bible, Faith 

I’d been in Budapest for a week, and I was running out of things to do, so I decided to check out a free walking tour.

Usually with these, you walk around with a local person who tells you random things: some local history, a little trivia, maybe a famous war they fought in 1832 that you’ve never heard of.

The Japanese girls became confused. And frustrated. Sofia tried to explain. Under communism, you were constantly denied things. Sometimes the leaders did this on purpose.

Often these tours were not very good. Often, they were so bad you had to sneak off in the middle of them.

This tour met up in a downtown park. I got there a little early and sat on a bench nearby. That way, I could escape if the tour group didn’t look promising.

People started to show up. Three college-age Japanese girls. A young American couple (newlyweds?). A German woman and her daughter. Other random tourists. About a dozen in all.

But I still kept my distance. I wanted to see what the tour guide looked like before I committed.

Punk perambulator

Finally, the guide showed up. It was a woman. 50-ish? Her name was Sofia. She was dressed all in black. She looked like the “cool” gender studies professor at your local community college. Short, dyed-black hair in an ’80s, punkish style.

In Budapest, it was often difficult to size people up by their fashion choices or their appearance. The city was still struggling style-wise because of its long history under Soviet rule. There were still a lot of babushka ladies wandering around.

But Sofia was at least trying to look like a chic European intellectual. That seemed like a positive sign.

I got off my bench. I joined the group

Nice revolution — when’s lunch?

She started us off with some normal stuff. The park we were standing in once held a famous rock concert. Pink Floyd? Metallica? Rock Against Racism? Something like that.

She told us some basic Budapest history. Lots of wars. Lots of violence and political upheaval.

She must have mentioned the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, which is a huge deal in Hungary. The people rose up against their communist rulers, and for a brief moment — a week or two — it appeared they might free themselves from Soviet rule.

But the communists regained control and of course executed anyone even remotely associated with the rebellion. I don’t remember how much Sofia said about this. And even if she did, our little tour group would probably not absorb it.

That is the nature of tours like this. You tell ordinary tourists about wars and brutality and horrific events, and they just nod and ask about lunch.

Hungary heart

About half way through the tour, Sofia began to talk about her family. By now, everyone liked Sofia, myself included. She was engaging. She was easy to listen to. Her English wasn’t the greatest, but that added to her appeal.

She told us about growing up in Budapest. She talked about her parents and siblings. Her father was educated and had a good job. Her mother was a teacher. They lived not far from where we were walking.

She described her childhood. For one thing, they didn’t have toys. They had other things to play with. But you couldn’t just go to the store and buy a Barbie doll. They didn’t have things like that.

Wait for it

Then she explained how her mother had to stand in breadlines. And sometimes her father would have to buy food on the black market. It was illegal to do this, but everyone did it. Sometimes you had no choice.

When Sofia got older, she only had two dresses and very uncomfortable shoes. The shoes were so stiff and badly made that by the time they stopped giving you blisters, you’d outgrown them.

Everyone listened without comment as she described these hardships. Nobody asked any questions. Sofia explained how frustrating it was to stand in a two-hour line, twice a week, to get bread. The tour group nodded their heads.

Droog, where’s my car?

Then she explained about the car. Her father had ordered a car when she was a child, maybe 6 years old. So she was excited that they were going to get a car. The whole family was.

But as Sofia got older, the car didn’t come. And this wasn’t the 1930s when cars were rare. This was the 1980s, when everyone in Western Europe had a car. Sofia and her friends could see on TV how common cars were in the rest of the world. But they were still waiting for her father’s car to come.

Eventually, Sofia turned 12. Still no car. And then her family stopped talking about it. Sofia continued to get older. She got well into her teens. The dream of riding in a car with her family was eventually forgotten.

The cheating classes

This was the point when one of the Japanese girls raised her hand. She didn’t understand about the car. Why didn’t her family get their car? Did Hungary not have factories to build cars?

Yes, said Sofia. They did build cars, but you had to wait to get one.

The Japanese girls didn’t understand. Why did they have to wait? Did her father not have the money for the car?

Yes, Sofia assured her, he had the money, but the car was like the bread. The government had the bread. They just made you wait for it. And sometimes, even if you waited a long time, you still couldn’t get it.

The Japanese girls became confused. And frustrated. Sofia tried to explain. Under communism, you were constantly denied things. Sometimes the leaders did this on purpose, to maintain control of the people.

Other times it happened because the leaders didn’t know how to run the country. The factory would break down. Or someone in the government would steal your car.

Beggaring belief

Everyone in our tour group thought this was very bad. The newlywed couple shook their heads. This wasn’t right. They didn’t like hearing about this.

Sofia explained that there was nothing you could do. You couldn’t leave the country. That wasn’t allowed. You couldn’t move to a different town. You couldn’t even move to a different apartment without permission. And then you had to bribe someone.

The Japanese girls looked at each other. There was a kind of rebellion in the tour group. Like, surely, it couldn’t have been that bad. Surely, Sofia was exaggerating.

I could feel Sofia getting upset on her side. How could these young people not know about this? This was history. Sofia thought everyone knew.

As I looked around, I saw that I might be the only one who fully believed Sofia’s story.

RELATED: What moving my family to Budapest has taught me about America

nedomacki/Getty Images

Cruel summer

I had visited several communist countries in the 1980s. I was shocked by how poor they were, how hopeless the people seemed, how cruel everyone was to each other. It was illegal to criticize the government, so they turned on each other.

But the nice Japanese girls couldn’t imagine that. It seemed impossible to them that a person could not have a car if he had the money to buy a car.

The other young people were also incredulous. Sofia’s father had a good job, but she couldn’t have toys? How was that possible?

And breadlines? You could tell people had heard of “breadlines.” But that couldn’t have happened to people in a modern society. How could there not be bread? That was the cheapest thing in the supermarket where they lived.

Tour’s end

When the tour officially ended, our group shifted back into docile tourist mode. Everyone thanked Sofia and gave her generous tips. Most people seemed happy and genuinely impressed by her, despite those few tense moments near the end.

And now they felt sorry for her. Having no toys as a child? And no car for her family? How sad!

The Japanese girls were especially polite and gracious. They were sorry if they had offended her. Sofia would get their highest ratings on Yelp, or whatever the equivalent was in Japan.

I hung back and waited for everyone else to leave. I had a big tip for Sofia. Also, I wanted to ask her to lunch. Or coffee. I liked her. I thought she was cool.

When it was just her and me, I quickly told her that I had been in Eastern Europe myself. Back in the 1980s. And I knew she was right. I had seen it myself.

On the other hand, I could understand how younger people had trouble believing it. It must seem like another age to them.

She agreed and thanked me. She took my money. But she never really made eye contact. She seemed wary of me. And suspicious in general. So I didn’t ask her to lunch.

Trust fall

Instead, I watched her hurry away. And then I had a weird thought: What if she did exaggerate the communist stuff? Probably that would get her bigger tips.

And what if she didn’t even live under communism? I couldn’t tell how old she was. 40? 50?

Maybe she was just repeating stories she’d heard from older people. What if she wasn’t even from Budapest?

I turned and headed back to my hotel. That’s how it is in cities like Budapest. A lot of strange stuff goes on. You never knew who was telling the truth, who you could trust, what the reality of the situation was.

And this was 30 years after communism fell. And it was still like that.

​Lifestyle, Culture, Socialism, Cold war, Hungary, Eastern block, Budapest, Breadlines, First person