Category: blaze media

Many conservative Americans feel so discouraged by the Republican Party’s slow progress and long record of disappointment that they’re vowing to withhold their vote in midterm elections in hopes of making a statement that ignites change.

On a recent episode of “The John Doyle show,” the BlazeTV host called this “the dumbest political strategy ever.”

First off, Doyle doesn’t hold the same hopeless sentiments about the Republican Party and its inability to correct course after the last “60 years of betrayal.”

“We’ve got good guys in positions that matter. Things are starting to look a little bit better, if not perfect,” he says, “but still, you’ve got these bad-faith actors capitalizing on leftist social media incentives, trying to cloud any positive perception that patriots have of the Republican Party by pointing back to that 60-year history of betrayal that we are all intimately familiar with.”

“Thinking that you’re going to hold the historically controlled opposition party accountable by not voting, punishing them by withholding your vote? This is basically — and we’ve done the math on it — the stupidest political strategy in the history of both politics and strategy.”

He denounces the idea that America needs more political parties to choose from. These third parties, he argues, “are spoilers, but they have no chance of winning.”

“If you want to get something done in America, you’ve got two parties to choose from. … A winning third-party candidate would not even change that anyway,” he argues, “and even if you did change it, it’s hardly like it would result in anything better or fix anything at all, and in fact, it would likely make things a lot worse.”

“[A multi-party system] means you can’t actually have nearly as much bipartisanship, and the establishment Republicans are far more forced to work with MAGA than they would be otherwise. It’s actually to our strength and to our benefit that we have [a two-party system].”

Doyle then turns his attention to another group of conservatives who believe “that the best way to get the Republican Party to listen to them is to not vote or go out and vote for Democrats.”

“The basic argument goes: The Republican Party is not working in the interests of the right wing. It’s not doing enough deportations; it’s not doing enough to deal with leftists; it’s not doing enough for young white men … so by not voting and punishing the Republican Party, the Republican Party would then realize they do actually need to do these things in order to win over these groups of people,” he explains.

“What they’ll often point to as evidence for this is that the Republican Party often tries very hard to win over minorities who don’t vote for them. And still, the Republicans will give them concessions; they’ll do leftism light to try to pander to these groups. So therefore, this obviously would work for the young white male patriot too,” he continues.

But the same logic doesn’t apply, Doyle argues.

For starters, young white males and young people in general are not seen as likely to turn out, he says, and he points to data showing about 50% of those eligible actually vote in a presidential year, dropping to just over 25% in midterms.

Second, the GOP is not one room of “elites” you can punish by staying home. Rather it’s a stack of factions, and the MAGA one — “very often young white men themselves” who are “on our side” — is inside it and still gaining ground.

“You don’t really need to try to punish them by not turning out or voting blue. They kind of get what’s going on, and you’re just going to kneecap them if you do that,” Doyle warns.

To hear his full analysis, watch the episode above.

Want more from John Doyle?

To enjoy more of the truth about America and join the fight to restore a country that has been betrayed by its own leaders, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​John doyle, 2026 midterm election, Blazetv show 

Critics of the Trump administration expressed their outrage after War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Fort Hood killer will be publicly executed.

Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others during the 2009 attack at the Army base. He later said he wanted to prevent more deaths of Muslims in the Middle East. He was convicted in 2013.

‘We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand there’s serious consequences for these types of things.’

Hegseth said in an interview Thursday that the execution, conducted by the Army, will be public, as a throwback to previous times.

“No-brainer. Execution by firing squad. Army major betrays his country; radical Islamist kills a bunch of Americans at Fort Hood. Of course we’re going to do it at Fort Hood,” he said.

“And do it on a Thursday; we’re going to do it at 1 o’clock, which is when he did it. And it’s going to be soldiers with rifles, executing the firing squad,” he added.

Hegseth pointed out that there has been no such military execution since World War II.

“Well, I kind of like the mentality we had in World War II, which was win,” he added. “Which was understand when the enemy attacks you, you need to stand your ground.”

He went on to criticize former President Barack Obama for calling the attack “workplace violence.”

“That’s the worldview we’re up against is workplace violence,” he added.

“We know what it is: It was a radical Islamist attack in uniform inside the ranks. And so he’s going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be,” Hegseth said. “And we’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.”

While many on the left objected to the announcement, even Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina expressed his displeasure with the plan.

“Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting,” he wrote. “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.”

RELATED: VIDEO: CRAZED Democrat warns Hegseth could face EXECUTION over alleged war crimes

Democrat Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state agreed.

“We can seek justice in this country without glorifying violence and turning an execution into a grotesque public spectacle. What this criminal did was abhorrent and must be punished — but we as a country cannot condone livestreaming a man’s death for entertainment,” she wrote.

“We are long past the days of public hangings in the town square. Kids watch what our leaders do and say, is this kind of bloodshed really what we want them seeing?” she added.

Hasan is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 3.

His will be the first execution of an American military member since 1961.

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​Pete hegseth, Fort hood, Terrorist attack, Politics 

Google Chromebooks initially launched in Spring 2011. They’ve since become a mainstay of public education, thanks to their affordability, simple security, and ease of use. However, Google just announced a successor, and if Google has its way, it will be the thing to kill Chromebooks once and for all.

The somewhat clumsily named Googlebook is a hybrid device built to bridge the gap between Chromebooks and more capable machines like Windows PCs and Macs. It’s powered by Googlebook OS, a version of Android tuned specifically for desktop. It also borrows some features from Chromebooks, helping the platform feel familiar to anyone already in Google’s ecosystem.

Googlebooks aren’t quite as mature as their Chromebook siblings, but that isn’t stopping Google from officially killing the latter anyway.

Just like a Windows or Mac computer, you can connect a mouse and keyboard, drag and drop files to your desktop, enjoy a full desktop browser experience, complete with extensions, and use apps to get work done.

It has full access to the Google Play Store library, where some apps like the photo editor Luminar and the calendar app Fantastical already have desktop-class versions on the platform, in addition to the mobile Android counterparts.

Googlebooks also have a Debian Linux command-line environment that can be accessed through the Terminal. According to Google, “You can install and run developer tools, code environments, and access other Linux applications.”

One of the cooler features, though, is that Googlebooks offer better interoperability between the new laptop and some existing Android phones. With Continue On, you can start a task on your phone and easily pick up that same task in the same spot on your Googlebook. Your files from your phone also automatically show up in the files app in Googlebook. You can cast an app from your phone to your laptop for easy use. You can even sync your phone notifications to your laptop.

Ultimately, Googlebooks are a huge upgrade from Chromebooks with premium materials, powerful chips, and a more capable operating system.

RELATED: How the laptop revolution destroyed public education

Blaze Media illustration

Unfortunately, there are also some clear drawbacks, at least at launch. Now that these machines are out in the wild, reviewers have found some serious flaws.

For instance, some Progressive Web Apps, or apps that you can download from the web when a native app isn’t available, don’t work on Googlebooks like they did on Chromebooks. Broader support is coming soon, but for now, it’s limited.

The interoperability features between Android and Googlebook require Android 17, which means many Android users will be left behind. These features also don’t work on Samsung devices yet, which account for most of the Android devices in the United States.

There are five Googlebooks available from different OEMs at launch — two of them have an ARM-based chip, similar to the ones in virtually all smartphones today, and three of them have x86 chips, like those found in most Windows laptops. Android works on both architectures, but some Google Play apps aren’t compatible with x86, creating potential fragmentation.

Needless to say, Googlebooks aren’t quite as mature as their Chromebook siblings, but that isn’t stopping Google from officially killing the latter anyway.

When Googlebooks were first unveiled in May, Google made it clear that this new brand targeted the premium hardware market, while Chromebooks were meant to represent the affordable segment. Although Google didn’t divulge official details, there were rumors that both platforms would exist together, catering to different groups in their respective categories. After all, a $300 Chromebook is easier to give to a 3rd grader than a $999 Googlebook.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Google confirmed that it will phase out support for ChromeOS — the operating system that runs on Chromebooks — by 2034. Existing Chromebooks will continue to receive updates until that time.

On the bright side, Google said that, “Many newer commercial Chromebook models will be capable of upgrading to Googlebook OS. Details on migration paths and device eligibility will be shared at a later date.”

So newer Chromebooks will get a new lease on life with Googlebook OS, while older models will no longer be supported. That doesn’t mean the devices will cease to operate, but they will no longer receive security patches, potentially leaving your data open to hackers if you continue to use a Chromebook past 2034.

The long lead time is meant to give users and educators time to switch platforms over the coming decade, but the elephant in the room remains. Googlebooks are much more expensive than their Chromebook counterparts, and while Google is sure to iron out the bugs discussed above, the laptops that launched this month are more akin to test devices than full-fledged products.

If you own a Chromebook, it might be best to hold onto it for now. For those on Windows or Mac who are thinking about switching, just know that there are still some early hiccups that must get sorted out.

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​Chromebooks, Google, Tech, Googlebooks, Schools 

Armando Garza Lira was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly overstaying his visa, according to the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office.

Sources told NewsNation that Lira is the husband of Jose Angel Cerda, the mayor of Crystal City.

Lira was ‘unlawfully present in the United States in violation of state and federal law.’

The sheriff’s office said it received complaints that someone was living unlawfully in Crystal City.

Deputies made contact with two people in a vehicle at about 7:46 p.m. and determined that one of the men was Lira.

They were advised by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that Lira was “unlawfully present in the United States in violation of state and federal law.”

Lira was arrested and transported to the Zavala County Jail to await enforcement action from federal law officials.

The sheriff’s office identified the other man in the car as Jose Angel Cerda and said he was released without further incident.

That name matches the name of the town’s mayor. Images on social media purportedly show the two men together.

A profile for Cerda on the official Texas directory indicates that he was first elected to office in May 2025 and that his term ends in 2028.

A Blaze News request for comment from the mayor’s office was not returned in time for publication.

RELATED: College football player stabbed to death allegedly by illegal alien who was given deportation pass TWICE, sources say

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

“The Zavala County Sheriff’s Office is committed to complying with Texas law regarding cooperation with federal immigration authorities,” the office added.

Crystal City is located about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio and calls itself the “Spinach Capital of the World,” though Alma, Arkansas, contests that title.

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​Immigration and customs enforcement, Illegal alien, Texas, Politics 

Apple’s iPhone offers plenty of tools to encrypt users’ data and keep it safe. If you’re law enforcement looking to investigate a crime, however, some of these tools can get in the way. That’s why they have Graykey, a device that disables some of iPhone’s safety features to make the data inside more accessible.

Graykey has been around for years. But like most powerful tech, it keeps evolving. A new report reveals Graykey received a fresh enhancement last year that goes above and beyond anything seen before from the tool. Here’s what it can and can’t do.

Graykey Preserve keeps the phone on and active to ensure prolonged AFU data access.

When it comes to securing data, iPhones have two function states: Before First Unlock and After First Unlock.

Before First Unlock is the state an iPhone defaults to when it loses power, either if the battery dies or if it’s turned off manually. In this state, all internal files are protected by hardware encryption via the Secure Enclave, and the only way to access the data inside is to input the passcode and unlock the phone. Most user data — including network information, files, and location — is very hard to extract in this instance.

After First Unlock is an iPhone’s typical operating state enabled once the passcode has been entered and the user has reached the home screen. In this condition, the Secure Enclave permits access to data that was locked tight in BFU mode. While you may need a passcode to reach this information, law enforcement can use various tools to extract what they need, assuming your phone is in their possession.

In AFU mode, law enforcement can access:

iPhone model and iOS versionIdentifiers, like the serial number and UDIDPairing recordsNetwork configurations down to your Wi-Fi network and VPN statusConnected Bluetooth devicesInformation stored in KeychainFiles, photos, contacts, and moreLocation information

With iOS 18, Apple added an extra safety measure to protect users if they’re separated from their devices. Inactivity Reboot checks to see how much time has passed since an iPhone was unlocked and used. If the passcode hasn’t been inputted for 72 hours, it automatically reboots, forcing the phone into BFU mode.

This, of course, causes plenty of problems for police when they seize a device and put it into lockup. If they don’t access the files they need on the phone within the first three days, it will lock them out, and they’ll have a much harder time finding evidence.

Until now.

According to 404 Media, a company called Magnet Forensics makes a device for law enforcement dubbed Graykey Preserve, which virtually disables Inactivity Reboot.

Instead of allowing an iPhone to shut down and default to BFU mode, Graykey Preserve keeps the phone on and active to ensure prolonged AFU data access. This extends the time that law enforcement can scan through files on a seized device to find what they’re looking for.

The report noted that Graykey Preserve showed up in educational materials dating back to early 2025, so the device has been around for at least more than a year, if not longer.

RELATED: New spyware targets iPhones. Are you at risk?

rawat yapathanasap/Getty Images

It’s unclear exactly how Graykey Preserve keeps an iPhone in AFU mode, or if the hardware uses an unknown exploit within iPhone to get it done. Either way, it’s always a good idea to update the software on your phone regularly to ensure you have the best security and protection available.

While Graykey can prevent a powered-on device from reaching BFU mode through Inactivity Reboot, so far, there are no indications that it can bypass BFU if the device is already powered down. That means if a user turns his iPhone off before it’s seized, there is less of a chance that law enforcement can brute force their way in.

Graykey has been around for several years with reports of its AFU-data-scraping capabilities dating back to 2024. In addition to iPhone, Graykey hardware can extract data from many Android handsets in AFU mode as well, so no platform is particularly off-limits for the law.

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​Data security, Iphone, Security, Law enforcement, Tech 

Americans can’t afford to be complacent about our election security. The right to vote is one of the most indispensable civil rights in a constitutional republic, but it is not self-executing. Laws must protect that right, ensure its proper administration, and defend it against error, fraud, and foreign influence.

Citizenship must be verified when voters register. States must maintain accurate voter rolls and give federal authorities the data to which they’re legally entitled. They must also have reliable proof-of-eligibility requirements and prosecute election-law violations.

Americans have fought too long and sacrificed too much to surrender sovereignty to administrative negligence and foreign influence.

This is ultimately not merely an election-administration issue — it is a matter of sovereignty.

The proposition that only American citizens may vote in elections is a cornerstone of our republic. The citizenship requirement preserves self-government and ensures that those who decide our elections are members of the American political community. If these basic rules are treated as mere aspiration rather than an enforceable legal requirement, then American sovereignty is at risk.

The vote — and the machinery that receives, records, verifies, counts, and reports it — is how the American people confer legitimate authority on public officials.

The size of the illegal immigrant population in the country underscores the point. The Department of Homeland Security estimated that roughly 11 million unauthorized immigrants — or 3.3% of the U.S. population — resided in the country in January 2022. The Federation for American Immigration Reform’s March 2025 estimate puts this population at approximately 18.6 million at the beginning of 2025.

Whatever the precise number, the practical consequence is the same: A large non-citizen population resides in communities served by state voter-registration systems.

The cost of waiting to verify eligibility until after an election is too high, because even one unlawful vote dilutes a lawful citizen’s vote and undermines confidence in the electoral process.

RELATED: 11 years later, Trump’s immigration promises still aren’t law

Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Recent reports only reinforce the need for scrutiny. DHS has found that preliminary reviews identified more than 250,000 potential non-citizens on voter rolls in four states and asked those states to work with the department on election security. Some state officials and election experts have disputed that claim. Fine. Then investigate it thoroughly, transparently, and promptly. The answer to a serious allegation is verification, not indifference.

Though Congress began requiring states to offer voter registration when people apply for or renew driver’s licenses through the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, convenience is not the enemy of integrity. The NVRA did not relieve states of their duty to maintain accurate voter rolls. States must ensure that illegal aliens and other ineligible persons do not vote in elections.

History supplies ample warning on this score. A review of Department of Motor Vehicles records revealed that Philadelphia mistakenly allowed non-citizens to register to vote around 2016. State officials later revised the system, but the episode demonstrates why citizenship verification cannot be left to bureaucratic happenstance.

And the problem isn’t limited to administrative error.

In the Eastern District of North Carolina, federal prosecutors charged 19 foreign nationals with voting in the 2016 election. In the Southern District of Florida, three non-citizens pleaded guilty to illegally voting in federal elections and committing related election offenses.

These numbers may not be large in isolation, but that misses the point. Election crimes are crimes against public trust. They injure every lawful voter whose ballot is entitled to equal weight under law.

RELATED: George Washington’s advice for the midterms

Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

To combat this, states and municipalities should require reliable proof of citizenship and verification before an ineligible registration can result in a ballot being cast. State election officials should coordinate with federal authorities to obtain accurate citizenship and immigration-status information, consistent with law. The Department of Justice should continue to prosecute those who breach the system.

Encouragingly, some states have begun to act. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that four states enacted documentary-proof-of-citizenship requirements in 2026. Thirteen states now have such laws at some point in the registration process, though litigation and court decisions have prevented some provisions from taking effect.

Other states have adopted bifurcated systems that allow voters who have not provided documentary proof of citizenship to vote in state elections, while still requiring verification for federal elections. These reforms reflect a necessary shift toward verifying citizenship rather than relying solely on a voter’s word.

The reason is obvious. If election safeguards are weak enough to allow non-citizens to register, vote, or otherwise influence elections, public policy could be shaped by individuals who have not assumed the duties of American citizenship or pledged allegiance to the constitutional order. That is a clear breach of the social compact.

The federal government already recognizes the critical nature of citizenship when public trust and national interest are at stake. For example, many national security positions require U.S. citizenship because they involve access to sensitive government information.

Though voting is different from government employment, it is still an exercise of sovereign authority. Through the ballot, citizens choose who will make law, set policy, spend public money, appoint officials, and direct the machinery of government. Sovereignty is preserved not by slogans but by laws faithfully enforced, passed by representatives chosen by American citizens.

State legislators must give election officials the tools to reinforce safeguards, confirm citizenship, maintain accurate voter rolls, and protect citizen self-government. Americans have fought too long and sacrificed too much to surrender sovereignty to administrative negligence and foreign influence.

The rule is simple, just, and essential: American citizens — and only American citizens — must decide American elections.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published at the American Mind.

​American citizens, Department of justice, Election security, Illegal aliens, National security, Noncitizens, Proof of citizenship, Voter rolls, Opinion & analysis 

Two massive gatherings took place recently in France: an 800,000-strong Mass on September 26 hosted by Pope Leo XIV at Place de la Concorde and a nationwide student protest on October 6 over school funding that drew roughly 256,000 people across France and 56,000 in Paris.

The latter gathering escalated to violence in some areas.

“Schools set on fire. Teachers, principals attacked. Around 2,000 arrests in Marseille. Reports say the flags were in the streets. They were Algeria, Hamas’, Palestinian,” Glenn Beck says.

“One crowd, almost a million people come out to kneel. The other crowd comes to burn the buildings where children learn to read. France is not having a bad week. France doesn’t exist anymore,” he declares.

“I think there’s two Frances, and they’ve been fighting over the same house for more than 200 years,” Glenn continues.

He recounts the way the nation split after King Louis XVI was executed in 1793 during the French Revolution.

“Across the front of Notre Dame stands a row of 28 stone kings with crowns on their head. The revolution orders them down. … So the workmen haul them off the cathedral with ropes and then smash their heads off in the square. … But those kings were not kings of France. They were kings of Judah, the ancestors of Christ,” Glenn says.

Meanwhile, the revolutionaries turned Notre Dame into a “Temple of Reason”; an opera singer was put on a constructed altar as the Goddess of Reason, standing in for the Christian worship they had just banned.

“They’re having sex on the altar. It’s horrific what is happening there. … After that falls apart, the cathedral is used as a storehouse. That’s one France,” Glenn says.

The other France, he says, was “watching.”

“Somebody gathered up those broken stone heads, the faces smashed, the noses gone, and they buried them under a courtyard across town. No speech, no protest. We don’t even know who did it,” Glenn recounts.

Eight years after the Festival of Reason, Napoleon cut a deal with Pope Pius VII that allowed priests back into the churches and restored public Catholic worship.

“The most powerful man in Europe looked at his country and conceded, ‘We need God.’ You can smash the statues, but you can’t smash what people bury to keep,” Glenn summarizes.

“That’s what showed up last week [in France]. … Every expert had declared Christianity and Catholicism in France dead. I’m not sure. I think it was buried underground, waiting.”

But the statue-smashers are back with their guillotines, too, he warns.

“Many of the kids in the street have no idea what they’re tearing down any more than the mob did in 1793,” he says. “They didn’t know whose faces they were breaking, but whoever is organizing them knows exactly whose faces those are.”

For too long, France has kept its Christian roots quiet, he says. It’s why “Islam is so active over there.”

“You cannot just leave a vacuum. … It doesn’t stay empty. Whatever you refuse to pass down, somebody else will gladly pick it up. In Marseille last week, somebody did. And he was waving a different flag,” Glenn warns.

To hear his take on how America is facing the same predicament, watch the video above.

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​Catholicism, France, Glenn beck, Palestinian, Pope leo xiv, Student protest, Blazetv show 

Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he called President Donald Trump and will demand the end of all immigration operations in his city after another reported shooting.

Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement surrounded a car in the Bronx and fired into it, shooting a man, according to Mamdani’s version of the incident.

‘Get ICE out of our hospitals. Get ICE off our streets. Get ICE away from our children. Abolish ICE.’

The man was reportedly struck by gunfire, and a 5-year-old child in the car was unharmed. The mayor said the incident unfolded in a residential neighborhood of Marble Hill.

“This is an unconscionable and incredibly serious situation. I have called the President; when we speak I will demand that he ends all ICE enforcement actions in our city,” he said in a statement on social media.

“I will not stand by while ICE agents terrorize our communities. Our thoughts are with the injured New Yorker and his family tonight. We are praying for his recovery,” he added.

“Get ICE out of our neighborhoods,” Mamdani concluded. “Get ICE out of our hospitals. Get ICE off our streets. Get ICE away from our children. Abolish ICE.”

A brief statement from the New York Police Dept. added that the incident occurred at about 4 p.m.

“The NYPD was not involved in the incident and was not on scene at the time of the shooting. The individual who was shot is at a nearby hospital and is currently conscious and receiving medical attention.”

Video shows anti-ICE protesters blocking federal vehicles after the shooting.

CBS News reported that the injuries to the man were not life-threatening.

RELATED: Mamdani cites the Quran and quotes Muhammed while announcing order to protect illegal aliens from ICE

Sources told CBS that ICE was attempting to apprehend another person when the man intervened and was subsequently shot.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, also released a statement.

“I’ve been briefed on this afternoon’s shooting involving federal law enforcement agents in the Bronx,” she posted on social media. “We expect federal authorities to provide a full and transparent accounting of the circumstances surrounding this incident. New Yorkers deserve to know exactly what happened and why.”

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​Abolish ice, Ice shooting, Immigration and customs enforcement, New york city, Zohran mamdani, Politics 

Pro-Palestinian protesters showed their outrage at Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he made an appearance at the Israelis for Peace vigil in Union Square.

The activists screamed at Mamdani that he was a traitor in videos captured by bystanders as the mayor left with his entourage and security.

‘There’s no mutual understanding when you’re killing our children, our family members.’

“You opportunist piece of s**t!” one woman yelled.

Mamdani appears stone-faced and angry halfway through the video.

“Mamdani, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” they chanted in another part of the video.

The Muslim mayor has been accused of having ties to pro-terrorist groups, but the protesters were apparently upset that he didn’t do enough to oppose Israel.

The event was held on Oct. 7, the anniversary of the horrific terrorist attack on southern Israel by Palestinian terrorists. Israel retaliated with a devastating military campaign intended to wipe out the terrorist threat.

Protesters chanted and made as much noise as possible for about an hour in order to interrupt the vigil.

Others yelled, “Allahu Akbar!” in another video from the event. One protester holds up a sign reading, “Bomb ‘Israel’ bye!”

“There’s no mutual understanding when you’re killing our children, our family members for no justified reasons,” another protester says in that video.

“Mayor Mamdani is a sellout!” yelled another, according to the New York Times.

Organizers of the vigil read accounts from Israelis who lost their loved ones in the Oct. 7 terror attack but also took time to recognize testimonies from Palestinians about the conditions in the Gaza Strip.

The protesters focused on rhetorically attacking Mamdani.

RELATED: New York Times gets ROASTED over bizarre framing of alleged terror attack on plane — and the Times responds

Mamdani was also criticized for posting a message earlier in the day that emphasized the Israeli military response to the Oct. 7 terror attack.

“This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers. It marks three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7. On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss,” he wrote.

“The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza,” he continued.

“Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment.”

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​Zohran mamdani, Palestinians, Oct 7 terror attack, Politics 

Ex-CNN personality Don Lemon has made a shocking statement about his future — and it may involve a pivot toward politics.

Lemon told Spencer Macnaughton on his “Uncloseted” podcast that if enough people want him to run, he’ll mount a presidential campaign. He said there’s more than a 50% chance that he will run someday.

‘It makes me wonder if my best way of being and operating in this society, whether it is through journalism or if it is through becoming the president of the United States.’

“Look, I never say never. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now doing what I’m doing. This is not easy to do every day, but I have to be — I am very aware of the importance of what I’m doing, what it means to the culture and society,” Lemon said.

He is best known for his role as a primetime anchor and morning show co-host on CNN before he was fired in 2023.

“How serious is it? If the people want me, I’ll do it,” he added. “But it is a daunting undertaking to run for president in this country because you’d have to be devoted to it full-time. And I would like to devote much of my time to journalism.”

He estimated his chances of running to be between 65% and 70%.

“When I’m out there, I’m out there, and I cover the candidates, and I look at what they do, and they’re very good,” Lemon said.

“It makes me wonder if my best way of being and operating in this society, whether it is through journalism or if it is through becoming the president of the United States.”

Lemon was fired after several controversies that included his saying on-air that Nikki Haley, a presidential candidate at the time, was “past her prime.”

RELATED: Don Lemon remains defiant after being released over church takeover arrest: ‘I will not stop ever!’

After leveraging his name recognition to build a YouTube channel, Lemon rode along on a “takeover” protest against a church in January over the pastor’s support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was arrested for his alleged participation, though he claimed he was acting merely as a journalist.

“There is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable,” Lemon said at the time.

Lemon pleaded not guilty in February and filed multiple motions to dismiss in August.

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​Don lemon, Cnn, Politics 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has declared a state of emergency over measles — and as the self-described “OG antivaxxer at the Blaze,” Sara Gonzales is pushing back.

Especially against the new recommendation for who exactly can administer the shot.

“Why is it in the government’s purview to determine what is and is not acceptable for your family?” Gonzales asks, noting that she takes “particular issue” with Kathy Hochul for “expanding the pool of health care providers who can administer MMR vaccines to include midwives.”

“Now, what I take issue with on this is that midwives would treat who?” Gonzales asks.

“Obviously, they would be treating pregnant women,” she says.

“And pregnant women specifically, they have done no studies for the MMR vaccine, how it affects pregnant women, and the CDC’s own website says that pregnant women should not get the MMR vaccine because they don’t know what it can do to a fetus,” she continues.

“So I’m like, why is the government stepping in and saying, ‘No, actually, don’t listen to our own CDC,’ who they just said several years ago we have to trust. ‘The CDC is the end-all be-all. They are the science,’” she adds.

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.

​Measles outbreak, Mmr vaccine, Pregnant women, Sara gonzales, Kathy hochul, New york, Blazetv show 

Ken Paxton is mocking his Democrat opponent for seemingly going missing from the campaign trail as Election Day looms.

James Talarico, who is competing against Ken Paxton for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, recently stopped appearing in person at campaign events and released a statement saying he had contracted the flu from shaking so many hands.

‘No one has seen him for an extended period of time. Where is he? What is wrong with him? Bad rumors are coming out.’

On Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Paxton (R) had his supporters chant, “Where is Talarico?” at a Trump rally in San Antonio to ridicule the Democrat in the pivotal last weeks of the campaign.

CNN reported Thursday that Talarico’s last public appearance in Texas was a press conference on September 26.

Talarico’s campaign issued a statement about his ongoing absence.

“After holding more than 100 public events and shaking tens of thousands of hands, James came down with the flu but will be back on the trail this weekend,” said a statement from campaign spokesperson J.T. Ennis, according to CNN and Brooke Taylor of Fox News.

“Ken Paxton has been ignoring Texans this entire campaign, and his priorities are clear: He doesn’t answer to the people of this state — he answers to his billionaire megadonors and special interests,” the statement added.

President Donald Trump issued a scathing post laughing at Talarico for his unusual campaign absence.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, upon information and belief, James TalaFREAKo, who is running for the United States Senate in Texas, is MISSING IN ACTION!” the president wrote on social media Wednesday.

“No one has seen him for an extended period of time. Where is he? What is wrong with him?” he chided. “Bad rumors are coming out.”

RELATED: Talarico’s black and Hispanic outreach stalls just weeks before early voting

Paxton posted images to social media of posters jokingly calling Talarico a missing person.

“Missing posters are popping up across Texas as the search continues,” he wrote. “LAST SEEN: 12 days ago. Texans everywhere are asking: where is James Talarico?”

Democrats are looking to flip the Texas seat in hopes of seizing control of the U.S. Senate from Republicans in order to thwart the president’s agenda in the last half of his final term.

Those hopes might be dashed, as blacks and Hispanics question more and more whether Talarico’s campaign has done enough to reach out to those constituencies.

You can check out the latest polling average between Paxton and Talarico, plus race trends and other helpful data, at Blaze News’ Poll Watch.

Texas Senate polls 2026: Talarico vs. Paxton

Texas Senate polls 2026: Talarico vs. Paxtonpollwatch.theblaze.com

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​Ken paxton, Us senate, James talarico, Donald trump, Texas, Politics 

About 800,000 people turning out to see the pope in France should hardly be cause for alarm, unless you were hoping that Catholicism was already dead in Europe.

BlazeTV host Pat Gray believes the massive turnout has exposed a very different reality — and has been a harsh awakening for France’s leftists.

“They’re pissed off right now because the pope, he was in country this week, and like 800,000 people showed up. They were psyched for him to be there, and I think that because it’s Europe, everybody just figured that Catholicism was virtually done in France,” Gray explains.

“The Muslims are upset. The leftists are upset because this is showing that soft Catholic power is back in France,” he adds.

Gray jokes that unlike a different religion, Catholics don’t inflict harm on nonbelievers.

“Remember when the pope said that he was going to force everyone in France to become members of the Catholic Church?” he asks.

“He said, ‘No, you actually do have a choice. You don’t actually have to convert to Catholicism. You can be killed instead. We’ll just cut your head off.’ Remember when he said — oh, wait, no, you don’t remember that, because that didn’t happen,” he laughs.

He poses another satirical question, “But what about when the Catholic nation was causing terror all around the world? Remember that Catholic nation?”

And another, “Financing proxies to commit murder in their name and in the name of Jesus and swearing to destroy Israel by driving them into the sea?”

“Oh, wait. No, you don’t remember that, either, because first of all, there’s not a Catholic nation, and secondly, that didn’t happen,” he says.

“I don’t think you need to fear the Catholics in France, because they’re not the ones doing anything,” he adds.

​Pat gray, France, The pope, Catholicism, Riots, Muslims, Islam, Leftism, Blazetv show 

Some things are better left unsaid. Or in this case, better left untasted.

When Kraft decided it was going to mix its iconic macaroni and cheese flavor with another product, some likely thought it might be akin to a Cheetos collaboration, or the home recipe of Doritos and pasta.

Instead, the company went with cream soda.

‘It’s not horrible, but it’s horrible.’

Notes of powdered cheddar

The iconic Kraft brand released the limited-edition KD x Solly’s Cream Soda, with the “KD” referring to Kraft Dinner, which is how Canadians refer to the traditional meal.

A sweet cream soda with a “hint” of the “familiar” cheesy flavor of mac and cheese? Blaze News couldn’t help but try it out.

The soda’s unappealing orange hue offers few clues as to what awaits the drinker. In the glass, it could easily be mistaken for Hi-C or a particularly unfortunate vintage of Pedialyte. You decide.

The soda’s bouquet certainly reveals hints of cheesy goodness, with unmistakable notes of powdered cheddar on the nose. But the palate tells a different story: citrus-forward, with the vanilla notes of a cream soda lingering faintly in the background.

Unfortunately, the cheese is all aroma and no finish. Once it hits the tongue, the dominant flavor is less artisanal nacho platter than watered-down Tang that’s been left on the counter too long.

One Blaze News reporter said after a few gulps that he could probably “throw up” if he was to “let go.”

“It has no flavor at the end,” he added, describing the taste as immediate but “halting.”

RELATED: MAC & QUEASE: Kraft’s latest cheese-flavored collaboration has even Canadians recoiling

Blaze News

Fizzy fiasco

“It’s not horrible, but it’s horrible; you could drink one can,” said a news writer who asked to remain anonymous. “You could drink an entire can without getting sick,” he gleefully added.

The review concluded with, “You can really taste the cream soda, though.”

Other reviews concurred. “It was more like a prebiotic/probiotic drink,” a man on the Reddit page for soda wrote.

“Not very sweet at all. Smelled more like yogurt than soda. Massive disappointment,” he added.

RELATED: ‘I have photos of my son in high heels’: ‘Law & Order’ star gives deranged speech about wanting a gay son

KRAFT HEINZ CANADA/Solly’s Cream Soda

Liquid carnage

Food critic Dan Clapson was more measured, lamenting the lack of actual cheese ingredients while deeming the beverage “surprisingly drinkable.”

That much drinkers can agree upon; it is technically consumable.

For a similar effect, home cooks can take a can of cream soda, pour it into a glass, leave it in the fridge for a day, and then add some mac and cheese powder, stir and drink.

Otherwise, collectors probably don’t even need to open a can.

2.4/10.

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​News, Kraft dinner, Mac n cheese, Lifestyle 

Just days ago, Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed announced that Barack Obama will join him on the campaign trail in Michigan later this month. While the former president will try to make El-Sayed as palatable to the public as possible, El-Sayed’s comments over Obama’s presidency reveal perhaps some animosity between them.

Long before El-Sayed ran for U.S. Senate in Michigan, he worked as a college professor and then as the public health director of Wayne County. His political aspirations emerged when he ran for governor in 2018, but he ultimately lost the battle to Gretchen Whitmer. To this date, he has never held elected office.

In El-Sayed’s words, Obama’s presidency was rife with political blunders, pandering to right-wingers, and poor choices.

Although he wasn’t officially a politician, El-Sayed had plenty to say about the political class in 2012, namely Barack Obama. He pulled no punches in a contributor piece for HuffPost, delivering an entire laundry list of grievances against the left’s darling former president.

“Obama’s re-election last night was no victory,” he opined on the morning after Obama secured a second term.

El-Sayed continued by digging into Obama’s failures to end the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a campaign promise that helped him secure the presidency. Not only did Obama renege on his promise, but he even expanded U.S. war efforts into Pakistan and Yemen.

Obama was also a big proponent of drone strikes, a move that “perpetuated a climate of American hate, distrust, and destruction,” according to El-Sayed.

Next, El-Sayed took shots at the Affordable Care Act, claiming that Obama’s “prized accomplishment” failed to meet expectations and instead delivered “a watered-down reform that kowtows to the interests of health care lobbies before it provides meaningful, secure access to health care for our society’s most desperate.”

Lastly, Obama “deported more people from our shores than any other president before him.” Although President Donald Trump is gaining on this number today, Obama still holds the deportation record, removing 3.1 million foreigners through Immigration and Customs Enforcement during his two terms.

RELATED: Abdul El-Sayed claims ‘Muslims literally built this country,’ only proves he ‘hates America’

Pat Gray Unleashed/BlazeTV

In El-Sayed’s words, Obama’s presidency was rife with political blunders, pandering to right-wingers, and poor choices. More importantly, El-Sayed identified Obama’s true super power: his “magnanimous” disposition with “captivating” prose and “fresh” perspective that duped the minds of the voters who made him president.

It’s this same charisma that El-Sayed plans to weaponize for his own political gain today. If Michiganders fall for Obama the way the nation did in 2008, El-Sayed has a true shot at securing the Senate seat.

Abdul El-Sayed has a history of using influencers to further his political career, sometimes to his detriment. Earlier this year, El-Sayed partnered with controversial streamer Hasan Piker, with the two appearing at events to boost El-Sayed’s clout with content creators. Unfortunately for El-Sayed, Piker’s ongoing comments about how much he hates America have left a stain on his election prospects, a stain that he hopes to erase with Obama at his side.

Poll Watch/Blaze Media

The Michigan race is close, with pollsters leaning toward Abdul El-Sayed as the favorite over Republican Mike Rogers. For the latest Michigan Senate seat updates — and to follow other important midterm races across the nation — check out Poll Watch, available for Blaze News, BlazeTV+, and Blaze Unlimited subscribers.

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​Barack obama, Huffpost, Abdul el-sayed, Senate, Senate race, Politics 

What began as student demonstrations over overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating schools has erupted into riots, fires, arrests, and what French officials describe as “urban violence.”

The chaos unfolding in France reflects a deeper crisis that extends far beyond education policy. Rather, it shines a light on immigration, assimilation, and public safety.

“How did we ever get to this point?” one French woman asked in a video posted to social media. “France, like this jewel of European civilization, a country of extraordinary cultural wealth, brought to its knees by thugs with an IQ of 80? They only understand force, and we are too weak. We need to get rid of all empathy.”

“These people hate us and would like to see us dead, so we will never co-exist peacefully,” she continued.

“I love this statement. The peaceful solution,” BlazeTV host Nick Freitas comments.

“The peaceful solution is to say, ‘Hey, look, we let you into our country for whatever reason. We let you into our country. You obviously don’t like our country. We can tell by all the fires and riots and murders and rapes … so you’re going to go back,’” he says.

“That is a perfectly reasonable position to take,” he continues. “And yet, I promise you, if France actually tried to deport, because French deportation numbers are pathetic. It’s something like less than one in 10 of immigrants in France that actually have a deportation order.”

“If you don’t do that one, if you allow them to stay, and you allow it to grow, well then, eventually, what’s going to happen?” he asks, noting that France will become unrecognizable.

“French people that don’t want to have their country turn into the places that these immigrants fled from are going to have to fight,” he says. “The question is how do they do it? Because this is one thing I will remind all of my European friends as you regularly mock the United States for our gun deaths.”

Freitas points out that while almost all of America’s “gun deaths take place in 2% of the counties,” the American people “actually have the means to push back against a government that would completely ignore the voting public.”

“We actually have a federalist system that allows for state authority to provide some sort of pushback against federal authority,” he says, before asking, “Where do you have that in Europe?”

“Making the Argument with Nick Freitas” is available on BlazeTV+, YouTube, and major podcast platforms.

Start watching Nick Freitas NOW at blazetv.com and use the promo code NICK for $20 off your BlazeTV+ subscription.

​Riots, Fires, France, Immigration, Nick freitas, Blazetv show 

Vice President JD Vance says Microsoft and other firms have been suspended from a program temporary H-1B visa holders often use to gain permanent residency in the United States

The Trump administration has heavily criticized companies for allegedly abusing the H-1B program, replacing Americans at high-paying jobs with foreign workers.

‘You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants.’

“Our message to Microsoft is, you’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers,” Vance said at a press conference Thursday. “You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants.”

Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL, and Capgemini have been suspended from access to the Permanent Labor Certification Program that allows employers to sponsor H-1B visa holders for permanent residency.

Sonderling said that the suspended firms have requested nearly 3 million foreign workers since 2009. The firms also had more than 230,000 H-1B visa approvals and more than 100,000 permanent labor certifications.

Microsoft alone had laid off 6,000 American workers just last year while receiving 6,300 H-1B visas for foreign workers and nearly 3,000 green cards, according to Vance.

RELATED: How the H-1B visa replaces American workers

Vance added that they will suspend PERM access for Microsoft “until they show that they are going to get serious about putting American workers first.”

The administration has also served subpoenas and opened investigations into alleged visa abuse at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State, and MIT.

“Nobody will be getting a free pass because their name is carved into an expensive building,” said Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito.

Microsoft responded in a lengthy press release that claimed the vast majority of their H-1B applications in the last fiscal year were not new arrivals but people already in the U.S., or re-applications for current workers.

“We believe in the strength and talent of the American workforce. That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the United States are Americans,” read the statement in part.

“Microsoft only files H-1B petitions for those who meet the rigorous standards of this visa category,” the company added. “We pay our employees some of the highest compensation in the tech sector, and our wages are among the highest of all H-1B filings. We pay our H-1B employees the same as any other employees doing comparable work.”

Editor’s note: This article has been edited after publication to include the Microsoft press release.

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​Fraud, H1b visa, Microsoft, Foreign workers, Jd vance, Politics 

The 24-year-old quarterback for the New England Patriots may be only a couple of years removed from college, but he has still had plenty of time to look into conspiracy theories.

In fact, his time in college actually academically contributed to his knowledge of mysterious events.

‘I took a conspiracy class in college.’

Drake Maye spent 2021-2023 at North Carolina and revealed in a recent interview that he has been doing some heavy reading.

Not only did he graduate from college early, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft earned All-ACC Academic Team honors in 2023 and graduated with a 3.2 GPA.

On Monday, the quarterback let the hosts at WEEI 93.7 FM in on his own secret: “I took a conspiracy class in college.”

This meant that Maye was prepared when he was asked by a fan which “wild conspiracy theory” does he rather believe in.

Maye prefaced his answer by saying that he didn’t want to get too controversial on the air, and after remarking on the thick New England accent of the caller, he replied: “I don’t know about the moon [landing], you know?”

Maye’s answer had one radio host elated, who felt he was now in lockstep with his local quarterback.

“I think it’s —” Maye began as he pondered the theory. “I can see back in the day of why we would put on the mask if we went there, but I’m not really sure 200% if we went there or not. I wouldn’t say I’m leaning one way or the other. I just know I’m a little bit skeptical.”

RELATED: Flock of Ravens swarm President Trump in Baltimore: ‘Do yall know this guy?’

The Huntersville, North Carolina, native seemed fairly well versed in conspiracy theories overall. While Maye said he is “not 200% sure” of the validity of the lunar landing, he did have the opportunity to participate in other wild discussions in college, too.

“Hitler being alive” was another theory Maye recalled hearing in the classroom, and “are birds real?” was another.

Maye described those as “some of the classic ones that you hear about.”

The host rejoiced in Maye’s apparent revelations and said he believed director Stanley Kubrick was behind the camera for the moon-landing hoax.

But the radio personalities did have questions about Maye’s knowledge on birds being fake. Maye answered with the following: “Just, like, the government has a say in some of the, you know, things, you know, birds flying around and whether they’re videoing or listening or something along the lines of that.”

Fair enough.

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

HUM Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Belief in the 1969 lunar landing depends heavily on time and geographical location.

While some outlets reported that Americans’ doubt in the lunar landings exploded in the 1970s, those numbers cannot be substantiated and may connect public sentiment to the release of the 1978 film “Capricorn One,” which focuses on a faked mission to Mars.

A 1999 Gallup poll showed that just 6% of Americans thought the moon landing was faked.

Across the Atlantic, 52% of more than a thousand British people polled in 2016 said the landing was faked.

As for the other side of the Cold War, in 2000, 28% of respondents in a Russian survey said they thought America never went to the moon. Interestingly, 16% said they had never heard of American astronauts landing on the moon in 1969.

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​Nfl, Conspiracy theories, Lunar landing, Drake maye, Sports 

Despite early recognition that their party’s obsession with gender ideology contributed to its humiliating electoral losses in 2024, Democrats have largely spent the past two years draped in the LGBT flag, defending so-called “gender-affirming care” and cross-dressing men in women’s sports.

With the midterm election just weeks away, Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio has joined other vulnerable Democrats in changing her tune on trans extremism.

‘Your words create deep emotional harm.’

Kaptur was long a darling of the LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign and like-minded activists. After all, she co-sponsored legislation that would prohibit public accommodations and federally funded programs from discriminating on the basis of so-called “gender identity” and voted in opposition to the Department of War’s ban on military “dudes in dresses.”

The congresswoman has, however, signaled a new approach in recent ads.

In one ad titled “Say No,” Kaptur noted that she has “said no to gender ideology in schools.” In a second ad pushed online late last month, she stated, “I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools.”

In both instances, she was referring to how she voted with Republicans in May to pass the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, which would require public elementary schools to obtain parental consent before changing a kid’s pronouns or sex-based accommodations.

According to Blaze News’ Poll Watch, Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in congressional history, is currently neck and neck with Republican Derek Merrin, whom she beat by only a few thousand votes in 2024.

RELATED: Trans radical who massacred kids in Canadian school allegedly had American support

Kaptur’s late-stage flip-flop has, of course, enraged the usual suspects.

Upon seeing one of Kaptur’s ads, Erin Reed, the romantic partner of cross-dressing Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D), wrote, “This is getting out of control,” adding, “Do NOT vote for anti-transgender Democrats.”

Former Kaptur intern Nick Fulton whined in the pages of the Buckeye Flame that “as a 27-year-old working journalist who challenges oppression and interrogates transphobia daily, I am embarrassed at Rep. Kaptur’s name on my resume. So much so that I removed it.”

“Rep. Kaptur might win over some far-right transphobes with this ad, but she is losing her integrity — and every queer voter who thought that her democratic membership meant allyship,” added Fulton.

The non-straight advocacy group Equality Ohio slapped Kaptur with a D-grade, noting that while she at one time “earned a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign,” she “recently released anti-trans ads.”

Lucas County Stonewall Democrats published a letter on Sept. 21 demanding that Kaptur take down her “transphobic ad” immediately, stating, “Not only do your words create deep emotional harm and place an unnecessary spotlight on our Trans community members, putting them in more danger than they already are given the current climate, but you have also now engaged in a race to the bottom with Republicans.”

The Christopher Steele Project, a trans advocacy group, whined, “We can want Democrats to win and secure a Democratic majority while also recognizing that the queer community’s organized political power does not have to fund the first Democrats willing to abandon us.”

Alienating her radical base may not have been worthwhile since Republicans have already framed Kaptur’s about-face as little more than naked election-time opportunism.

Her opponent, Derek Merrin, said at his rally with President Donald Trump on Saturday, “Marcy Kaptur is desperate to hold onto power. She is resorting to the typical career politician handbook: slander your opponent, distort the facts, and hope voters don’t check the record.”

“Marcy Kaptur is claiming that she no longer wants men to be able to play in women’s sports,” said Merrin. “The problem is she’s voted two times against a bill that would have prohibited that practice. She’s also co-sponsored six times the radical Equality Act that would allow men to play women’s sports and allow men into women’s locker rooms.”

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Bannon told Fox News Digital, “Lies from desperate Democrat Marcy Kaptur can’t erase her radical record. Kaptur is in damage control, and she must remove herself as a co-sponsor of the Equality Act and disavow her previous votes or remove her lies from the airwaves.”

Kaptur’s change in messaging strategy comes months after Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton (D) was downgraded by Equality Ohio after she claimed that she does “not support boys playing in girls’ sports”; weeks after Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico of Texas walked back his support for men in girls’ sports “if it risks safety or fairness”; and days after North Carolina Rep. Don Davis (D) released a commercial in which he states that “there should always be a safe and fair space for women and girls in sports.”

Pew Research Center surveys found last year that:

73% of Americans are uncomfortable with trans-identifying athletes competing against members of the opposite sex; 66% favored requiring athletes to compete against members of their sex; 56% support making it illegal for health care professionals to provide minors with “medical care for a gender transition”; 49% support requiring trans-identifying people to use public bathrooms that match their sex; and 47% favor or strongly favor making it illegal for public schools to push gender ideology in elementary schools.

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​Marcy kaptur, Derek merrin, Human rights campaign, Transgender, Lgbt, Midterm election, Ohio, Trans, Gender ideology, Politics 

When the first McDonald’s restaurant opened in 1940, computers as we know them didn’t exist yet.

Today, they could be the reason it’s seemingly unaffordable to eat fast food.

‘AI does not set the price of a Big Mac or ⁠any other menu item.’

A lawsuit filed in federal court in Chicago is alleging that higher prices at McDonald’s are a result of price-fixing by way of an AI-powered algorithm.

The Chicago lawsuit claims the fast-food company illegally coordinates menu prices across franchises in the United States, using an AI pricing system that analyzes customer data on an ongoing basis.

The accusation argues that the algorithm tracks millions of daily transactions from its approximately 14,000 restaurants and generates pricing recommendations to its franchisees, the Daily Mail reported.

This would allow the prices to move in tandem or simply rise based on an AI estimation of how much customers in a specific area may be willing to pay.

“Independent businesses must set their prices independently,” the lawsuit said, per Reuters.

In fact, a Reuters investigation is cited in the lawsuit, which revealed a 21% markup between two McDonald’s locations just minutes away from one another.

The report said that in September, a store in Fresno, California, was selling a Big Mac for $5.69, while another location just two miles away had its Big Mac priced at $6.89.

RELATED: Yes, groceries are more expensive. Now what?

Tim Boyle/Newsmakers

“AI does not set the price of a Big Mac or ⁠any other menu item,” McDonald’s reportedly said in response to the lawsuit.

The golden-arched restaurant also stated that franchisees make their own pricing decisions and that the use of pricing recommendations using tools or analytics is widespread throughout the fast-food industry.

The aforementioned report noted that McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors in 2023 that the company had developed its own tools to evaluate pricing at individual restaurants. That same year, a location in Connecticut was allegedly told to charge $18 for a Big Mac meal at a location next to a state turnpike.

The franchisee has an ongoing lawsuit against the company, with McDonald’s having disputed the details and saying the entrepreneur repeatedly breached franchise agreements.

RELATED: Is this why everyone gets into fights at Taco Bell?

Charles-McClintock Wilson/NurPhoto/Getty Images

In the new lawsuit, a lawyer for the plaintiff said in a statement that McDonald’s is “leveraging its troves of data and its franchised system to nickel-and-dime consumers down to ⁠the last French fry.”

The plaintiff is reportedly seeking to represent millions of customers in a class-action lawsuit.

Blaze News previously reported on the spike in fast-food prices, which have steadily outpaced inflation rates in recent decades. McDonald’s was one of the named culprits, but Taco Bell was identified as the biggest alleged price inflator.

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​Artificial intelligence, Big mac, Mcdonald’s, Tech