Bishop Joseph Strickland, the cleric removed from his office in Tyler, Texas, in 2023 by the late Pope Francis, urged his colleagues gathered on Wednesday for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ plenary assembly to address the matter of a woke priest’s apparent willingness to run afoul of the church’s custom and to turn a hallowed Catholic ceremony into a non-straight spectacle.

Gio Benitez, a homosexual ABC News correspondent who is “married” to a man, apparently decided after Pope Francis’ passing last year to make his way back to the Catholic Church. Benitez, who was allegedly baptized in secret at the age of 15, was confirmed at St. Paul the Apostle’s Church in New York City on Nov. 8.

‘Here we are talking about doctrine.’

“My Confirmation Mass was a very small gathering of family and friends who have quietly been with me on this journey,” Benitez wrote on Instagram. “I found the Ark of the Covenant in my heart, stored there by the one who created me… exactly as I am.”

The ABC News correspondent also received holy communion from the church’s woke pastor, Rev. Eric Andrews, at the highly publicized mass where LGBT activist Fr. James Martin was a concelebrant and where Benitez’s “husband” served as his sponsor.

Blaze News reached out to Rev. Andrews for comment, but did not receive a response.

While the Catholic Church holds that homosexual acts are “acts of grave depravity,” “intrinsically disordered,” “contrary to the natural law,” and “can under no circumstances” be approved, the Catechism states that homosexual persons must nevertheless “be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.”

RELATED: New head of US Catholic Bishops said he would deny communion to pro-abortion politicians

Bishop Joseph Strickland. Photo by Craig F. Walker/Boston Globe via Getty Images

The church has also made clear that Catholics with same-sex attraction who are chaste can “participate fully in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Catholic faith community.”

However, those who regularly engage in sexual activity or are partners in a committed homosexual relationship that includes regular sexual relations are not to receive holy communion or serve in public ministries.

“Receiving the sacrament is the ultimate expression of our Catholic faith, an intensely personal matter between communicant and priest,” wrote the late and posthumously exonerated Cardinal George Pell. “It’s not a question of refusing homosexuals or someone who is homosexually oriented. The rule is basically the same for everyone.”

“If a person is actually engaged in — by public admission, at any given time — a practice contrary to Church teaching in a serious matter, then that person is not entitled to receive Holy Communion,” continued Pell. “This would apply, for example, to a married person openly living in adultery. Similarly, persons who openly declare themselves active homosexuals take a position which makes it impossible for them to receive Holy Communion.”

During a USCCB discussion of doctrine on Wednesday, Bishop Strickland raised the matter of Benitez’s highly publicized reception of holy communion while flanked by his “husband.”

“I don’t know how many of us have seen on the social media priests and others gathered, celebrating the confirmation of a man living with a man openly,” said Strickland. “It just needs to be addressed. Father James Martin once again involved. Great pictures of all of them smiling.”

Bishop Strickland and Martin have traded barbs over the years, largely around Martin’s subversive LGBT activism and apparent efforts to liberalize the Catholic Church’s stance on such matters.

Martin — who shared an article titled “Gio Benitez, Openly Gay ABC Anchor, Joins the Catholic Church” on social media this week with the caption “Happy to be a part of your journey!” — has made no secret of his activism. For instance, he took issue with the Supreme Court’s June 2025 decision to let parents opt their children out of lessons featuring LGBT propaganda and insinuated that homosexual persons aren’t really bound by church teaching.

“Here we are talking about doctrine,” continued Strickland. “I just thought I need to raise that issue. I know it’s not part of any agenda, but this body gathered, we need to address it.”

The panel, focused on updated ethical and religious directives for Catholic health care services, did not take up Strickland’s concern.

The Catholic Herald noted that Strickland’s tenure as bishop of Tyler was “marked by a reputation for directness, a strong emphasis on Eucharistic devotion, and a willingness to challenge trends in the wider Church that he believed risked undermining the clarity of Catholic teaching.”

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​Abide, Faith, Religion, Catholic, Christian, Bishop, Strickland, James martin, Lgbt, Gay, Homosexual, Queer, Gio benitez, Confirmation, Eucharist, Communion, Velvet mafia, Church, New york city, Politics 

A crew of carjackers most definitely picked the wrong guy to steal from in Seattle over the weekend.

Officers around 3:30 a.m. Sunday responded to a shooting in the 2200 block of 1st Avenue, police said.

‘Stories like this just warm my heart. I love a happy ending.’

Officers found a suspect suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and detained him, police said, adding that they also detained the victim — a licensed gun owner — for questioning and recovered the firearm.

Firefighters responded with police and provided medical aid to the suspect, police said, adding that medics transported him to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition. Police said the suspect was under armed guard by officers.

Police determined that the victim parked his sports car along 1st Avenue when the driver of a white sedan approached him.

RELATED: ‘I’ll blow your head off’: Carjacking victim threatened crook after turning the tables on him. Now carjacker learns his fate.

Image source: Seattle Police

Four individuals wearing face masks were in the vehicle, police said, adding that after a short conversation, two males armed with guns tried to steal the victim’s car.

Fearing for his safety, the victim fired multiple rounds, striking one of the suspects, police said.

The remaining suspects fled the area in the sedan before police arrived.

While they were investigating, police said the driver of a white sedan dropped off a second suspect at Harborview Medical Center. The second suspect also had been shot, was in serious condition, and was under armed guard, police said.

The driver of the sedan fled before officers arrived, police said.

One of the wounded suspects is a 14-year-old male, while the other is a 20-year-old male, KING-TV reported, citing police.

Both wounded suspects will be booked into custody when they are released from the hospital, the station noted.

Officers and robbery detectives processed the scene, collected evidence, and spoke to witnesses, police said, adding that officers took the victim to Seattle Police headquarters, where detectives interviewed him; he was then released. KING said the victim is 24 years old.

Police said the case is an open and active investigation assigned to the Robbery Unit.

More than 3,000 comments have flooded KING’s Facebook post about the shooting, and as you might expect, folks seem quite happy about the outcome. The following are a few of their reactions.

“Not every hero wears a cape,” one commenter said.”The vehicle owner doing the Lord’s work,” another user noted.”Awesome story,” another commenter wrote before adding “buy that man a beer.””Stories like this just warm my heart,” another user gushed. “I love a happy ending.””FAFO! Whahahaha! I love it!!!” another user exclaimed.”When you allow your streets to become the Wild West, sometimes you run into Wyatt Earp,” another commenter observed.

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​Crime thwarted, Seattle, Attempted carjacking, 2nd amend., Shooting, Turning the tables, Guns, Gun rights, Self-defense, Protecting property, Fighting back, Crime 

Vice President JD Vance joined Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Make America Healthy Again summit on Wednesday in discussing the Trump administration’s revolution against the unworkable state of affairs and orthodoxies that have left so many Americans sick, censored, poor, and behind.

After the duo discussed President Donald Trump’s penchant for taking “a bulldozer to Overton windows,” Kennedy raised the matter of the dire health and social conditions in Appalachia, noting that Vance’s incredible success serves as a “tragic reminder of the lost potential of almost everybody else in Appalachia.”

‘Their loved ones are dying much sooner than everybody else.’

“It’s got the worst health data of any region in the country — the highest cardiac disease, the highest obesity, the highest diabetes, the highest stroke rates — but also addiction, alcoholism, and suicide,” said Kennedy.

Although dubbed a “golden child of Appalachia” by the HHS secretary, Vance emphasized his firsthand familiarity with the bleak conditions experienced by so many in the region, noting that he was hard-pressed to identify a single important male family figure who lived past the age of 70.

“You want to talk about, like, ‘populism’? And you want to talk about people being pissed off? Well, yeah, people are pissed off when they don’t have good jobs; and people are pissed off when things disappear and move overseas; and people are pissed off when they feel like, you know, other countries are being prioritized over the United States of America,” said Vance. “All of that is part of the populist resentment of the past 20 or 30 years in American politics.”

RELATED: Vance identifies the perfect mascot for the Democrats — then outlines what America actually needs

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

“But you know what really pisses people off?” continued the vice president. “When they realize that their loved ones are dying much sooner than everybody else.”

Life expectancy has long been lower and infant mortality higher in Appalachia than in the rest of the country.

Vance noted that while on the one hand, he feels guilty that so many of his fellow Appalachians have not enjoyed the opportunities for economic and familial stability that he has enjoyed, he also feels “a great sense of anger because we never should have gotten to the point that we are today, and the reason that we have is because of failed leadership — and it’s failed leadership over generations.”

The vice president stressed that one of the reasons he strongly supports Kennedy’s health initiatives is because therein lies a major opportunity to do right by Appalachian residents who have been “left behind by this country’s leadership.”

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​Jd vance, Vance, Vice president, Vance 2028, Appalachia, Populism, Conservatism, Maha, Robert f. kennedy jr, Rfk, Make america healthy again, Ohio, Politics 

Either hell froze over, or Apple finally listened to its users for once.

Following a wave of legibility complaints about Liquid Glass, the iPhone maker released an update that ditches the transparent layers for something much easier on the eyes. To get the Liquid Glass fix, all you need is your iPhone, the latest version of iOS 26.1, and a quick tweak to your display settings.

RIP Liquid Glass, 2025–2025. We won’t miss you.

We sounded the alarm on Liquid Glass when iOS 26 first landed in September. For reasons only Apple’s design team can understand, it launched with transparent layers that made text difficult to read, especially in the Notification Center and Control Center. Back then, the only fix was to “Reduce Transparency” via the Accessibility settings, a feature that was really only meant for folks with visual impairments, not for the masses.

One month later, a permanent fix is out, and you can try it right now.

The new setting comes with iOS 26.1, and it goes a step further than a simple transparency reduction, bringing back the old frosted glass layers of iOS 18 that you know and love. After you turn it on, your phone will look much more familiar, not to mention you won’t have to squint at your screen nearly as often.

How to disable Liquid Glass in iOS 26.1

The new feature is called Tinted Liquid Glass. To enable it, open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down to Display & Brightness and tap into the next pane. From there, find the Liquid Glass section. The default option is Clear mode, but you can change it over to Tinted with a couple taps. Follow the red arrows:

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

That’s it! The transparent layers of Liquid Glass are now banished to the furthest reaches of your iPhone, never to be seen again — exactly the way it should be. RIP Liquid Glass, 2025–2025. We won’t miss you.

The iPhone isn’t the only Apple device that gets some relief. Tinted Liquid Glass is also available on iPads running iPadOS 26.1, and the steps to enable it are the same. Make sure you turn it on over there too for instant eye relief.

Pro tip: If you previously enabled “Reduce Transparency” in iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 last month, make sure you turn it off, otherwise you won’t see the full effect of the new Tinted Liquid Glass. Simply follow our step-by-step guide to undo it.

Liquid Glass isn’t dead dead

As fun as it would be to get rid of Liquid Glass entirely, you’ll still find pieces of it on your phone after the newest update. The Tinted setting removes those unsightly transparent panes that have tortured your eyes for the last month, but it doesn’t take away the other UI elements sprinkled throughout the operating system, like the liquid bubble icons, fancy light refractions, and bloopy animations. Those are all here to stay. Still, a win is a win, and it’s great to get back the frosted look from the previous iOS generation.

More changes to come?

The addition of a Tinted Liquid Glass option might not seem like a big deal on the surface, but it’s actually a huge shift in the way Apple does business. Historically, the company holds firm on its hardware and software decisions, a philosophy held by the late Steve Jobs, who once said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Rarely does Apple cave to user feedback.

RELATED: Apple is falling — is the smartphone next?

Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Tinted Liquid Glass is a silent admission that Apple was wrong to force such a polarizing design on its users. It’s also proof that Apple no longer discards fervent customer feedback like it has in the past. This new version of Apple can be swayed by public criticism, opening the door for future changes if and when it makes another design choice that doesn’t bode well with users.

Leave a comment below if there’s something you hate about iOS 26 or Liquid Glass. We’d love to hear about it.

Download iOS 26.1 now

Tinted Liquid Glass isn’t the only feature to look forward to in iOS 26.1. The latest update comes with some other notable changes and bug fixes, including improved alarm controls, song-switching gestures in Apple Music, and customizable workout plans in the Fitness app.

To grab the latest update, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap on General, then dive into the Software Update section. Pull down on the page to refresh if the screen is blank, and install iOS 26.1. After that, circle back to the middle of this article and follow the steps to get rid of those transparent Liquid Glass layers for good. Your eyes will thank you.

​Tech, Apple, Liquid glass, Ios 

When Disney-owned ABC briefly pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air over comments he made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, “Star Wars” actor Oscar Isaac took it personally.

In an interview with GQ magazine, Isaac was asked what his stance was on returning to “Star Wars” — and while he recently claimed to be on board with starring in the franchise again, things changed after Kimmel’s removal from the air.

“Yeah. I mean … I’d be open to it, although right now I’m not so open to working with Disney. But if they can figure it out and not succumb to fascism, that would be great,” Isaac said.

“If that happens, then yeah, I’d be open to having a conversation about a galaxy far away,” he added.

“What universe am I living in that now Hollywood is saying that Disney are fascists because, of course, the ABC thing and suspending Jimmy Kimmel? And so now, Oscar Isaac, who, you know, just made, what, $2 million off of ‘Star Wars,’ $6 million off of ‘Moon Knight,’ I’m told,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says.

“Now he has morals and standards,” she adds.

“The funny thing,” BlazeTV contributor Matthew Marsden says, “is that’s an absolute bait and switch right there, what he was doing, because he knows that the series that he was in was terrible and that ‘Star Wars’ was ruined and nobody likes it.”

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​Video phone, Sharing, Camera phone, Upload, Free, Video, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Balze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Oscar isaac, Star wars, Jimmy kimmel, Disney, Fascism, Fascist 

A spokesperson for Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania says that the Democrat has been hospitalized after falling while on a morning walk.

Fetterman was quoted as joking about the injury to his face in the statement released Thursday.

Fetterman is said to be doing well and opted to stay at the hospital so that doctors can ‘fine-tune’ his medicinal regimen.

“During an early-morning walk, Senator Fetterman sustained a fall near his home in Braddock. Out of an abundance of caution, he was transported to a hospital in Pittsburgh,” read the statement.

He is receiving routine observation at the hospital.

“Upon evaluation, it was established he had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that led to Senator Fetterman feeling light-headed, falling to the ground, and hitting his face, with minor injuries,” the spokesperson added.

Fetterman is said to be doing well and opted to stay at the hospital so that doctors can “fine-tune” his medicinal regimen.

A comment from the senator was included: “If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!”

RELATED: Liberals viciously attack Sen. John Fetterman for defending ICE: ‘F**k you, f**k your mom, your family’

Fetterman is one of the few Democrats who split from the party to vote to reopen the government after a budget impasse shut it down.

This is an developing story, and additional information may be added.

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​John fetterman, Fetterman injured, Senator falls, Democrat hospitalized, Politics 

A Tuesday American Airlines flight carrying several members of Congress was abruptly diverted over a “disruptive passenger.”

‘Law enforcement met the flight and removed the customer, and the flight later re-departed for DCA, where it landed normally.’

The flight took off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona and was en route to Washington, D.C. Roughly two hours and 41 minutes into the flight, the pilots diverted the plane to Kansas City International Airport.

U.S. Reps. from Arizona Greg Stanton (D), Eli Crane (R), Andy Biggs (R), and Paul Gosar (R) were passengers on the interrupted flight.

“Flying to DC rn to vote no on CR that fails to lower health care costs. @RepEliCrane, @RepAndyBiggsAZ & @RepGosar all on this flight,” Stanton wrote on X. “We’re making [an] emergency stop in Kansas City to remove [a] disruptive passenger. None of my colleagues is the disruptor. Freedom Caucus losing its mojo.”

Stanton thanked Kansas City police for “handling the situation professionally and without incident.”

RELATED: FAA cancels hundreds of flights, sparking holiday travel concerns amid ongoing Democrat shutdown

Rep. Greg Stanton. Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Adam Burtner, a passenger on the flight, responded to Stanton’s X thread with a video showing an unidentified woman being escorted off the flight by a police officer. Right before exiting the plane, she stated, “Sorry, folks. We live in a fascist state.”

American Airlines confirmed that the flight was diverted due to a “disruptive passenger.” However, the details of the incident are unclear.

RELATED: Trump officially ends ‘pathetic’ Democrats’ record-breaking shutdown

Rep. Andy Biggs. Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

“On Nov. 11, American Airlines flight 1218, with service from Phoenix (PHX) to Washington, D.C. (DCA) diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to a disruptive customer,” the airline told KSHB. “Law enforcement met the flight and removed the customer, and the flight later re-departed for DCA, where it landed normally. We thank our customers for their patience and our crew members for their professionalism.”

Burtner claimed that the woman said she was removed for taking a photograph of one of the lawmakers.

“Since there is some confusion on what she said, it’s as follows: ‘I took a picture of someone and they didn’t want me to tweet it.’ (Picture of a congressman aboard the flight.),” Burtner wrote.

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​News, American airlines, Flight, Washington dc, Dc, Phoenix, Arizona, Greg stanton, Eli crane, Andy biggs, Paul gosar, Politics 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called out European officials on Wednesday for criticizing America’s self-defense while expecting the U.S. to provide military support for their own.

The Trump administration has obliterated at least 19 alleged narco-terrorist drug boats since Sept. 2 with the stated aim of “protecting the homeland and killing these cartel terrorists who wish to harm our country and its people.”

‘I don’t think that the European Union gets to determine … how the United States defends its national security.’

President Donald Trump has suggested that each drug boat vaporized by U.S. fighter jets, AC-130J gunships, and drones amounts to 25,000 American lives saved.

— (@)

A day after War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. had sunk an additional two boats in the Eastern Pacific, altogether killing six alleged narco-terrorists, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot joined the chorus of foreign dignitaries who have been complaining about the strikes.

Barrot reportedly said at the G7 summit on Tuesday, “We have observed with concern the military operations in the Caribbean region, because they violate international law and because France has a presence in this region through its overseas territories, where more than a million of our compatriots reside.”

RELATED: ‘Begin repatriating’: German chancellor admits it’s time to give Syrian migrants the boot

Photo by Omar Zaghloul/Anadolu via Getty Images

When confronted with questions about the U.S. maritime strikes during a meeting with Latin American leaders last week, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that the EU upholds international law and “international law is very clear on that. You can use force for two reasons: one is self-defense, the other one is the U.N. Security Council resolution.”

Rubio addressed the European pearl-clutching on Wednesday, politely suggesting to reporters that the continentals should pound sand.

“I don’t think that the European Union gets to determine what international law is, and what they certainly don’t get to determine is how the United States defends its national security,” said Rubio. “The United States is under attack from organized criminal narco-terrorists in our hemisphere, and the president is responding in the defense of our country.”

After indicating that the Europeans are out of their depth, Rubio hammered America’s allies across the Atlantic for their apparent hypocrisy.

“I do find it interesting that all these countries want us to send, you know, and supply, for example, nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles to defend Europe, but when the United States positions aircraft carriers in our hemisphere where we live, somehow that’s a problem,” said the secretary of state.

Rubio added, “The president ordered it in defense of our country. It continues. It’s ongoing. It can stop tomorrow if [terrorist cartels] stop sending drug boats.”

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​Foreign policy, Policy, State department, Department of state, Marco rubio, Secretary of state, Europe, Tomahawk, Narcoterrorists, Venezuela, Interventionism, Politics 

The BBC has been exposed for editing President Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech — deceiving viewers into thinking that the president was cheering on violence.

The network played a clip of Trump that appeared to be him inciting an insurrection, saying, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell.”

However, Trump didn’t say that at all.

According to a report from GBN News, the “BBC spliced together two clips that took place 54 minutes apart.”

Rather, Trump said, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women,” before saying the second part of what the BBC played.

Tim Davie, director, and Deborah Turness, the chief executive in the news division, have now resigned following the revelation.

“Trump was on to something,” BlazeTV contributor Jeff Fisher tells BlazeTV host Pat Gray on “Pat Gray Unleashed,” referring to Trump calling the BBC “fake news” during a press conference.

“How about that?” Gray asks.

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​Camera phone, Free, Sharing, Upload, Video, Video phone, Youtube.com, Pat gray unleashed, Pat gray, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Donald trump, Bbc, January 6th, Insurrection, Incitement, Violence, Fake news 

Digital identification is the latest frontier in privacy and data protection, according to its newest purveyor.

Apple rolled out support for digital ID in its Apple Wallet this week, boasting that users can provide a plethora of personal data in order to add their digital identifiers to their phones.

‘Biometric authentication using Face ID and Touch ID helps make sure that only you can view and use your Digital ID.’

In order to be eligible for the privilege of digital ID, Apple requires users to have the following:

an iPhone 11 or newer or an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer.the latest software version.an Apple account with two-factor authentication turned on.a valid U.S. passport.a device with the region set to the United States.

If meeting the prerequisites, users must scan their passports into their phones, in addition to providing another live photo.

The photo and information must then be authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID.

Digital ID users can present their e-documents at TSA checkpoints for boarding domestic flights and at select businesses, Apple wrote in a blog post.

RELATED: UK government makes digital ID mandatory to get a job: ‘Safer, fairer and more secure’

TSA lists digital ID as being supported in at least 16 different states for domestic air travel, as well as Puerto Rico. Apple ID particularly is eligible in most participating states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, and Ohio.

States like Arkansas, Louisiana, New York, and Virginia only support a state-sponsored digital ID.

“Digital ID in Apple Wallet takes advantage of the privacy and security features already built into iPhone and Apple Watch to help protect against tampering and theft,” Apple claimed.

“Your Digital ID data is encrypted. Apple can’t see when and where you use your Digital ID, and biometric authentication using Face ID and Touch ID helps make sure that only you can view and use your Digital ID,” the company added.

The justification for digital ID on the grounds of increased privacy and security mirrors reasoning used by the U.K. government during its recent introduction of mandatory digital ID for its citizens.

RELATED: Can anyone save America from European-style digital ID?

Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images

“This government will make a new, free-of-charge digital ID mandatory for the right to work by the end of this parliament. Let me spell that out: You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in September.

The leader stated that the digital ID would help crack down on illegal employment and immigration, before adding a moral justification to his argument.

“Because decent, pragmatic, fair-minded people, they want us to tackle the issues that they see around them. And, of course, the truth is we won’t solve our problems if we don’t also take on the root causes.”

As Blaze News previously reported, the digital ID movement seemingly started in the U.K. around 2004. At that time, the BBC published a report criticizing the government and the IDs as a “badly thought out” means of fighting organized crime and terrorism.

Since then, the idea has long been perpetuated by the World Economic Forum, the yearly gathering of government officials and international businessmen who discuss global policy and reform.

The WEF published “A Blueprint for Digital Identity” in 2016, citing the Aadhaar program, a government ID from India. The initiative was meant to “increase social and financial inclusion” for Indians. The Unique Identification Authority of India holds a database of user information “such as name, date of birth, and biometrics data that may include a photograph, fingerprint, iris scan, or other information.”

Over 1 billion Indians have enrolled in the program for the 12-digit identity number.

In 2023, the WEF promoted a report on reimagining digital ID.

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​Return, Digital id, Uk, India, Apple, Apple wallet, Tsa, Tech 

We were cleaning up after dinner. The sounds of Third Eye Blind filled the kitchen as we scraped plates, soaked pans, and went about washing knives and forks. My wife turned to me and asked, “Do Zoomers play in bands?”

I didn’t know how to answer. I thought to myself, trying to figure out if I knew any Zoomer bands, but I couldn’t think of a single one. I responded quizzically, “I don’t really know, to be honest. Maybe they just make electronic music these days.”

Tapping in your room on Ableton isn’t social, and it’s not really very impressive to the girls you like, either. They want to see strumming and singing, not clicking and dragging.

This happened a few days ago, I’ve been thinking about the question ever since, and I still don’t know if there are Zoomer bands.

Sonic youth

Now, of course, I am old, and I am not seeking out new music. I am not trying (and failing) to be younger than I am. But still, I am not blind or deaf, I am online, I do have some idea of the new music that comes down the pike, I do know the general sonic trends today, I do know Zoomers, and I don’t really think there are Zoomer bands like there were Millennial bands or Gen X bands or Boomer bands.

I am sure there are some Zoomer bands here and there. They are probably very indie and have fewer yet more devoted followers, and they are probably making some really cool stuff.

But rock and everything related doesn’t have the same cultural impact it once did. I remember when I was a kid, it felt like everything that coded as young and fun involved an electric guitar. Yeah, there was rap, but honestly I didn’t listen to it and I didn’t really know anyone who did. Maybe it was where I grew up (in the middle of nowhere), but rap wasn’t really much of a thing.

Born slippy

The same was true for electronic music and what eventually came to be known as EDM.

When I was in high school, we never heard techno, trance, or anything electronic anywhere except in a scene from a movie set in Sweden. It was when I went to Europe in high school that I first really heard EDM in a concentrated way. I stayed with a host family in Austria. My host brother gave me a data CD with a bunch of techno on it. I brought it back to the U.S. and thought it was so cool. It felt so foreign and so European.

Back in those days, rock ruled. Mainstream stuff was on the radio and MTV, and the better more independent-ish stuff was not. The sound of youth was rock. Today, it’s rap and EDM that rule; rock has faded into the sonic background.

I think there are probably a lot of good explanations for the decline of rock. The ways that societies evolve and change are complex. Social factors, demographics, technological developments, world politics, and economic realities all work together to impact things seemingly unrelated. Nevertheless, whatever the reason(s) why, the electric guitar no longer means what it used to mean.

RELATED: My parents ‘arranged my marriage’ at 16; maybe I should have taken them up on it

Harold M. Lambert/Getty Images

OK computer

Instead of electric guitar or drums, young people play around on software known as digital audio workstations — and they are worse off because of it.

I don’t say that out of ignorance of the medium or simple nostalgia for the distortion pedal. I grew up in music, studied classical music in college, played in bands along the way, and worked in acoustic music for some years. I’ve also produced electronic commercial music in a DAW for years, and trust me — it’s a totally different experience.

At the base, when you are making electronic music, you are alone. You are stationary. You are sitting at a desk moving only your fingers, staring at a screen, tweaking little digital dials to achieve the desired result. It’s a very sterile experience. It’s creative for sure, and it can be very fun, but it isn’t at all like playing in a band.

Making electronic music in the DAW is geared almost entirely toward the end result, while playing guitar in a band is geared toward the present experience, or at least partly the present experience. The experience working in the DAW is lonely; the experience playing in the band is social. The process of producing music on the computer is docile; the act of playing an instrument is physical.

Old time rock & roll

I like electronic music. Making it used to be my job. But I don’t think its replacing of rock is necessarily good. When rock was dominant, young boys wanted to play guitar, bass, or drums so they could play like the bands they loved and maybe impress the girls they liked.

They got together, played in their parents’ garage, sounded like garbage, but had a good time together while maybe, hopefully, improving on their instruments. And even if not, at least they were a group.

There is no comparable experience in the era of electronic music. Tapping in your room on Ableton isn’t social, and it’s not really very impressive to the girls you like, either. They want to see strumming and singing, not clicking and dragging. I met my wife when I played live music, not when I made electronic music.

Rock, at the end of the day, was something full of vital energy. Even when it was slower, angrier, or came in softer tones, its essence was electric and living. Good and bad, love and hate.

There is much to be said about the social isolation and various dysfunctions of the younger generations. Lots of things have contributed to a lonely world of lonely people. I’m not sure I’ve heard anyone suggest that the decline of rock mirrors the decline of a functional social society, but I think that oddly, it might.

Maybe we need more rock bands.

​Men’s style, Rock bands, Music, Lifestyle, Edm, Courtship, The root of the matter 

“You’re under arrest. You’re going to be arrested for money laundering.”

These were some of the last words Zhimin Qian heard as a free woman before she was arrested for allegedly laundering billions of dollars in cryptocurrency.

‘… compelling evidence of the criminal origins of the crypto assets …’

Qian, 47, was dubbed the “Goddess of Wealth” due to a lavish lifestyle acquired through money laundering with her accomplice, Malaysian national Hok Seng Ling, also 47. Qian is Chinese.

Police investigated Qian and conducted a search of her Hampstead, London, mansion in October 2018 after she attempted to buy another house worth over $16 million. According to the Telegraph, police found laptops, cash, and even a “treasure map” to a safe-deposit box in London. The drawn map simply labeled two streets and noted a “Metropolitan Safe Deposit.”

Another laptop was recovered from the deposit box in 2022, which reportedly stored billions of British pounds’ worth of crypto.

Qian was not shy about her spending while on the run for six years across Europe, allegedly staying in luxury hotels and purchasing high-end properties.

By the time of her arrest in April 2024, she was reportedly worth over $7 billion in Bitcoin assets. She had previously purchased a property in North London worth millions, along with other properties in Dubai.

RELATED: Trump tech czar slams OpenAI scheme for federal ‘backstop’ on spending — forcing Sam Altman to backtrack

The two criminals allegedly defrauded more than 128,000 people in China between 2014 and 2017 before Qian fled the country.

Qian traveled with false documents and went to the United Kingdom, where she laundered her money through her property ventures, Metro reported, citing police.

Both appeared in Southwark Crown Court in London, where Qian was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison, while Ling received a sentence of four years and 11 months.

Qian and Ling allegedly had an accomplice named Jian Wen, who was previously jailed for six years and eight months after being arrested with Bitcoin wallets also worth billions.

The illegally obtained Bitcoin reportedly represents the largest ever cryptocurrency seizure of Bitcoin, and it all came from just three people.

RELATED: Bitcoin and the return of honest money

Ling pleaded guilty to entering a money laundering arrangement, while Qian admitted to money laundering and “knowing or suspecting [Ling’s] actions would facilitate the acquisition or control of criminal property by another.”

London Metropolitan Police said they had been working for years to investigate the crimes and said that in addition to being perhaps the largest cryptocurrency case in the world, it was also “one of the largest money laundering cases in U.K. history.”

“Through a meticulous investigation and unprecedented cooperation with Chinese law enforcement, we were able to obtain compelling evidence of the criminal origins of the crypto assets the pair attempted to launder in the U.K.,” said Will Lyne, head of Economic and Cybercrime Command for the London police.

He added, “My thoughts are with the thousands of victims defrauded in this scheme, and I hope this outcome acknowledges the harm these defendants inflicted and reinforces the Met’s unwavering commitment to justice.”

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​Bitcoin, Return, Money laundering, China, Malaysia, Asia, Chinese, Cryptocurrency, United kingdom, Money, Scam, Tech 

When America completed its first nationwide railway in 1869, it did more than link two coasts. It united a nation. Railroads carried goods, materials, and people across vast distances at unprecedented speed, sparking an economic boom that forged a stronger, more unified country.

A century and a half later, the United States faces a new test. Globalization, supply-chain fragility, and inflation have exposed how dependent America has become on foreign systems and vulnerable networks. To meet these challenges, the nation must again invest in its own strength — beginning with its railroads.

Trucking currently dominates US freight, providing flexibility but at a steep cost in lives and highway damage. Railroads, by contrast, build and maintain their own infrastructure.

The proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, announced in July, offers that opportunity. The combined company would create America’s first coast-to-coast rail network under a single U.S. carrier, spanning more than 50,000 route miles and linking 100 ports across 43 states.

A direct line to lower costs

A unified system means fewer handoffs between fragmented regional networks, faster delivery, and lower costs. Streamlined routes would eliminate the bureaucratic friction that slows commerce and adds uncertainty to shipping. For farmers, manufacturers, and consumers, that translates into stronger supply chains, lower prices, and renewed confidence in the American economy.

Trucking currently dominates U.S. freight, providing flexibility but at a steep cost. Federal data show that heavy trucks were involved in more than 150,000 crashes and 4,500 deaths in 2024. A single tractor-trailer inflicts the same highway damage as 9,600 cars — a massive public expense that taxpayers absorb.

Railroads, by contrast, build and maintain their own infrastructure. They reinvest billions each year without federal subsidies, move more goods with less fuel, and emit fewer pollutants. When uninterrupted by carrier transfers, rail shipping can be up to 60% more cost-efficient per ton than trucking.

A transcontinental system would amplify those advantages. Freight could move directly from origin to destination without costly delays. Lower transportation costs in agriculture, manufacturing, housing, and retail would ripple through the economy, easing inflation and boosting competitiveness for U.S. producers.

Strengthening American industry

The merger also complements the Trump administration’s effort to reshore manufacturing and rebuild domestic supply chains. With access to 100 ports and 10 international interchanges, a unified Union Pacific system would give U.S. manufacturers cheaper, more reliable routes for sourcing materials and delivering finished goods.

Expanded rail operations would also protect and grow good-paying union jobs in an industry that has powered America’s growth for more than a century. These are stable careers with benefits — the kind of work that anchors communities and sustains middle-class families.

Critics of rail mergers often warn of reduced competition or service quality. Those concerns deserve review. But in this case, the overlap between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern is minimal. Rather than suppressing competition, the merger would strengthen it by enabling U.S. carriers to compete more effectively against trucking, air freight, and Canadian railroads — which have enjoyed uninterrupted transcontinental systems for decades.

RELATED: Trucks destroy roads, but railroads — yes, rail! — can save taxpayers billions

Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

A historic chance to unite the nation again

When the first cross-country railroad opened in 1869, it helped knit together a divided nation, fueled commerce, and launched America into the industrial age. The proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger represents a similar moment of promise.

By creating the first true coast-to-coast rail network in U.S. history, this partnership could help reshore manufacturing, fortify supply chains, and make American transportation safer and more efficient.

Rebuilding American prosperity begins with reconnecting America itself. The next great chapter of that story could once again be written on steel rails.

​Trains, Freight, Union pacific, Railways, Opinion & analysis, United states, Transcontinental railroad, Shipping, Trucking, Logistics, Infrastructure, Maga 

Obama’s deep state tried to destroy Donald Trump, and in a recent New York Times article titled, “Trump Loyalists Push ‘Grand Conspiracy’ as New Subpoenas Land,” the publication is clearly trying to lie — claiming there’s no proof of that.

“Their theory of the case, still unsupported by the evidence: A cabal of Democrats and ‘deep state’ operatives, possibly led by former President Barack Obama, has worked to destroy Mr. Trump in a years-long plot spanning the inquiry into his 2016 campaign to the charge he faced after leaving office,” the article reads.

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales, however, has the receipts.

“The New York Times actually spent time and money on this to try to rewrite the narrative of what actually happened — what we watched happen. Multiple years, multiple years — hard evidence of what this actually was.”

“So here’s what actually happened, New York Times,” she continues. “Obama, and his deep state operatives — which very much are still alive and well, actually — did conspire to try and undermine Trump at every step the second he announced his candidacy.”

Gonzales points to the disproven Russiagate hoax and the surveillance for President Trump’s campaign — which Obama “knew about.”

“They abused the FISA court system to tap his phones. Remember when President Trump was like, ‘They’re spying on me. President Obama’s spying on me.’ And they were like, ‘What a crazy right-wing nutjob.’ No, I mean, it turns out he was right. It was happening,” she explains.

“And on top of that, Tulsi Gabbard just this year released a report proving that not only do we know that Russiagate was a total hoax, not only do we know that they literally spent, like, what, two years, millions of taxpayer dollars, to investigate the thing that they already knew wasn’t true,” she says.

“And when I say ‘they,’ I mean from the very top, the president of the United States at that time, Barack Obama, was in on the whole thing,” she adds.

“There is irrefutable evidence that details how President Obama and his national security team directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment that they knew was false. They knew it would promote this contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true,” Gabbard said at a White House press conference.

“It wasn’t. The report that we released today shows in great detail how they carried this out. They manufactured findings from shoddy sources. They suppressed evidence and credible intelligence that disproved their false claims. They disobeyed traditional tradecraft intelligence community standards and withheld the truth from the American people,” she continued.

“In doing so, they conspired to subvert the will of the American people who elected Donald Trump in that election in November of 2016. They worked with their partners in the media to promote this lie, ultimately to undermine the legitimacy of President Trump and launching what would be a years-long coup against him and his administration,” she added.

“Like, how much more evidence do you need, New York Times?” Gonzales asks, adding, “These are official documents.”

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.

​Free, Camera phone, Upload, Video phone, Video, Sharing, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Barack obama, Tulsi gabbard, The new york times, Conspiracy, Global elites, Cabal, Conspiracy theory, Conspiracy realist 

On Sunday night, the Oversight Project announced the culmination of a long effort: President Trump’s pardons for the so-called “alternate electors” and their affiliates who faced state-level prosecution for their role in the 2020 election.

Credit belongs to President Trump and Pardon Attorney Ed Martin for seeing this process through — and for having the political will and moral memory to leave no MAGA supporter behind. These pardons are the result of over a year of focused work by the Oversight Project. And because the corporate left-wing media has predictably denounced them for their politics, prudence, and legal effect, it’s worth explaining the pardons’ justification and impact.

Participation in a constitutional process is not a crime. Operation Arctic Frost and its imitators will not define the future of American justice. These pardons will.

First, terminology matters. “Contingent electors” is the correct phrase. “Alternate electors” or “fake electors” are loaded terms invented by the press to imply criminality.

In reality, these electors prepared slates to be submitted to Congress while investigations and legal challenges into the 2020 presidential election were still pending. Their purpose was simple: to preserve flexibility should fraud or irregularities be confirmed.

The 2020 election was unlike any in modern history. Under the pretext of COVID-19, officials across multiple states expanded mail-in voting without the safeguards required by law. Signature verification, chain-of-custody rules, and registration requirements were ignored. Courts refused to hear evidence, dismissing cases on procedural grounds rather than the merits.

And somehow, we were told that the vice president and Congress — bodies that have historically played a role in adjudicating electoral disputes — no longer had any role to play. As a result, President Biden’s victory will forever carry an asterisk in the history books.

Debunking modern myths

The notion that elections can only be challenged in court is a modern myth. Since the founding, Congress has played a central role in resolving disputed elections, as have state legislatures empowered to ensure the integrity of their own processes — including, when necessary, selecting electors directly.

The list of precedents is long.

In 1797, John Adams, as president of the Senate, allowed time for objections to Vermont’s votes.In 1801, Thomas Jefferson counted Georgia’s contested votes — for himself.In 1857, a snowstorm kept Wisconsin’s electors from voting, but their ballots were counted anyway.In 1876, during the Hayes-Tilden standoff, Congress created a commission to adjudicate dueling slates from four states.In 1961, Hawaii submitted a contingent slate while its results were still being certified.In 2005, both chambers of Congress debated and ultimately rejected objections to Ohio’s votes.And as recently as 2017, multiple House members objected to electors from several states, though they lacked Senate co-sponsors.

This long record makes clear that the use of contingent electors is not criminal — it is, in fact, perfectly constitutional.

From constitutional to criminal

So why are good-faith contingent electors from 2020 now facing state prosecutions and financial ruin? The answer is weaponization.

During the Biden years, the federal government, blue-state prosecutors, and activist networks have coordinated to transform lawful political activity into criminal conduct. The same machinery that pursued President Trump through endless investigations was turned on ordinary citizens whose only “crime” was preserving constitutional options.

Operation Arctic Frost — the campaign of “map, harass, and isolate” tactics aimed at Trump allies — illustrates this perfectly. It was designed to intimidate lawyers, donors, and officials who supported Trump’s legal challenges, freezing them out of professional and financial life. The contingent electors were swept up in that same apparatus: coordinated prosecutions, media smears, and punitive lawfare intended to silence dissent.

RELATED: Biden FBI’s Arctic Frost surveillance of lawmakers could cost the government

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

From Fani Willis’ politically motivated prosecutions in Georgia to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s efforts to organize partisan coalitions against perceived “threats,” the coordination has been unmistakable. Government, activist, and media arms all moved together with one goal: to erase the America First movement and criminalize its constitutional exercise of power.

That is the true definition of weaponization — using the law to destroy political opposition.

The legal case for Trump’s pardons

Critics claim the president cannot pardon state-level offenses. But that view collapses under constitutional scrutiny. States cannot prosecute conduct that falls under federal authority once it has been pardoned.

The selection of electors is a hybrid function — both state and federal — but the contingent electors acted in service of a federal purpose: the certification of the presidency. By issuing these pardons, the federal government has declared that these individuals acted lawfully, in good faith, and consistent with historic precedent.

If the federal government deems their actions lawful, how can states claim they committed crimes? That’s a question any fair court — or any fair jury — should be able to answer easily.

If these pardons are treated honestly, the state cases will collapse. More important, this should reassure every American committed to election integrity that defending the Constitution will never again be treated as a criminal act.

RELATED: The bureaucracy strikes back — and we’re striking harder

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Now what?

The toll on those targeted has been immense. Many have endured years of legal harassment, public vilification, and financial ruin simply for acting according to their constitutional duty.

The Oversight Project is exploring every possible avenue to secure restitution for those harmed — whether through private support, legislative action, or further executive remedies. These pardons mark the first step in correcting the record and restoring faith in the justice system.

They are not merely acts of mercy; they are acts of correction. They affirm that Americans who act to preserve election integrity, often at great personal cost, were right to do so.

The message is clear: Participation in a constitutional process is not a crime. Operation Arctic Frost and its imitators will not define the future of American justice. These pardons will.

​Opinion & analysis, Alternate electors, Contingent electors, Donald trump, Pardons, Congress, Constitution, 2020 election, Lawfare, Covid-19, The courts, Justice, Media bias, U.s. history, Presidential election, Senate, Arctic frost, Investigation 

For the second time in just two weeks, an 11-year-old has been arrested, handcuffed, and perp-walked after allegedly creating a “kill list” at school — and both incidents occurred in the same Florida school district but involved different students in different schools. In addition, both schools are “alternative education” schools.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said an 11-year-old male on Monday “wrote out a kill list at Highbanks Learning Center in Deltona.”

‘It’s not appropriate to post about a child of this age on social media.’

The 11-year-old is “facing a felony charge of making a written threat to kill,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that the school resource deputy confirmed that the suspect doesn’t have access to weapons.

Blaze News is not naming the suspect or showing his face because of his age.

However, the sheriff’s office did name the handcuffed suspect and posted video of him being walked to a jail cell.

RELATED: Florida sheriff’s office under fire for posting 9-year-old male’s mug shot on Facebook after his felony arrest

Image source: Volusia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office

Image source: Volusia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office

While the sheriff’s office added that “school threats are down recently,” Blaze News reported that just two weeks ago — on Oct. 27 — an 11-year-old girl was arrested after writing a “kill list” at her school desk at Riverview Learning Center in Ormond Beach.

Riverview Learning Center and Highbanks Learning Center are “alternative education” schools, and both are part of Volusia County Schools.

The websites for both schools also tout the “iABLE (Intensive Academic Behavioral Learning Environment) program” which “provides a specialized program designed to meet the needs of students with intense emotional and behavioral needs.”

In the Oct. 27 incident, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said staff at Riverview Learning Center notified a deputy about the “kill list,” which contained four names. The suspect said she was just playing, officials said. The girl was charged with making a written threat to kill as well as violating her probation.

The sheriff’s office posted video after the girl’s arrest showing deputies perp-walking her into a jail cell. A deputy is heard asking her if she had been there before, and she replies in the affirmative.

Blaze News did not name the suspect or show her face because of her age.

Neither Volusia County Schools nor the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office immediately replied to Blaze News’ requests for comment regarding the two arrests.

However, about 4,500 comments — and climbing — so far have hit the sheriff’s Facebook post about Monday’s arrest. Here’s a sampling:

“I know this young man personally, and he has amazing parents … [and] is a phenomenal football player, son, and brother,” one commenter claimed on the day of the 11-year-old’s arrest. “Yes, he gets in trouble sometimes, but I also think the kid would bullied and pushed … to his limit should [he] be in jail. After he was bullied today the teacher asked him to write his feelings, which I also feel is wrong because that’s what put him here, and it was not even what you guys think it is — but they took him [anyway]; all of this is messed up.””Way [too] quick,” another user wrote, adding that “this young man is my friend’s son; he comes to where we work at all the time and volunteers his time to the elderly; I hate how this picture is painted.””It’s not appropriate to post about a child of this age on social media,” another commenter said. “His actions were wrong, but it’s important to remember that he didn’t pull the trigger or bring a weapon to school. This should be seen as a mental health crisis and be treated accordingly.””As a child I got taken by my father to the city jail, [and] it was expressed to me that if I acted bad, this is where I would be staying — in that jail cell,” another user shared. “I learned from that, [and] learned from tail whoopings …””Bullying should have the same if not similar consequences,” another commenter said. “I’m not sure why bullying is not taken so serious[ly]. Yes, what he did was wrong, but he is a child and is learning his lesson.”

Blaze News published a story earlier in October about another Florida sheriff’s office that was under fire after posting a 9-year-old male’s mug shot on Facebook after his felony arrest for allegedly bringing a knife into his elementary school and threatening classmates with it.

However, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at the time told WTSP-TV that the decision to post the child’s mug shot is a policy the agency has upheld since 2018, and it won’t remove the post. Indeed, the sheriff’s Facebook post was still up Thursday morning.

“We have not had any repeat offenders since we have put this in place,” Allison Merritt with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office added to the station.

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​Child, Kill list, Florida, 11-year-old, Volusia county sheriff’s office, Arrest, Handcuffed, Perp walk, Alternative education schools, Volusia county schools, Crime 

Despite the ongoing obstructionism by Chicago’s deeply unpopular mayor, Brandon Johnson (D), and other open-borders activists, federal immigration agents continue to risk life and limb with the aim of unburdening the crime-ridden sanctuary city of some of the roughly 150,000 illegal aliens who have sapped its resources, strained its systems, and endangered its people.

‘An ACTIVIST JUDGE is putting the lives of Americans directly at risk.’

A Biden judge decided on Wednesday to undo some of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s hard work, ordering the Trump administration to free hundreds of the illegal aliens recently apprehended in the Chicago area, including some of those captured during the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Midway Blitz.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Blaze News in a statement. “At every turn, activist judges, sanctuary politicians, and violent rioters have actively tried to prevent our law enforcement officers from arresting and removing the worst of the worst.”

“Now an ACTIVIST JUDGE is putting the lives of Americans directly at risk by ordering 615 illegal aliens be released into the community,” added McLaughlin.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, a Biden appointee, ruled last month that ICE had violated a 2022 consent decree settlement that barred federal immigration agents from conducting warrantless arrests unless they have cause to suspect an individual is both an illegal alien and a flight risk.

The settlement, which was the result of a lawsuit filed by the open-borders advocacy organization National Immigrant Justice Center and the ACLU of Illinois, was set to expire on May 12, 2025. However, the NIJC filed a motion to continue enforcing the settlement earlier this year after ICE made a series of warrantless illegal alien arrests.

RELATED: Federal judge wildly oversteps her bounds with Border Patrol commander in Chicago

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Cummings, who previously claimed that NIJC’s pending motion kept the settlement alive, decided on Oct. 7 to extend the consent decree until Feb. 2, 2026, and ordered ICE to apply it to all agents nationwide.

On Wednesday, Cummings went even farther to appease the open-borders activists, ordering ICE to free 13 illegal aliens by Friday and to release another 615 illegal aliens on bond into a monitoring program by Nov. 21, unless the Trump administration appeals and/or demonstrates that the arrests were in keeping with the consent decree.

Lawyers for the government are considering an appeal, indicating that at least 12 of the 615 illegal aliens arrested in Chicago between June and early October are considered high flight risks, reported Axios.

The activist judge also ordered the Trump administration to pause deportation and voluntary departure procedures for all those illegal aliens who are pending release and to provide additional information concerning all arrests that have taken place since his October ruling.

Michelle Garcia, deputy legal director at the ACLU of Illinois, suggested that by committing to enforcing the consent decree, Cummings has set the stage for “even more of the hundreds of people illegally arrested and detained during Operation Midway Blitz to be released.”

Mark Fleming, associate director of litigation at NIJC, also celebrated Cummings’ apparent judicial activism, stating, “We are grateful that Judge Cummings sees the urgency of this moment and has ordered the Trump administration to allow hundreds to leave the inhumane detention centers where they are being unlawfully held and to have a chance at the due process our laws require.”

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​Biden judge, Chicago, Illinois, Deportation, Illegal alien, Alien, Immigration, Cummings, Judge, Judicial activism, Overreach, Immigrant, Migrant, Politics 

On Monday night, violence erupted at UC Berkeley. Again.

That sentence alone might not shock anyone. Berkeley and riots go together like gender studies and Marxist slogans — a tradition older than most of its students. But this time, the target was different.

Christians and conservatives should keep showing up. Every TPUSA Faith event, every lecture, every debate — attend them. The more witnesses, the less room for lies.

The mob didn’t come for a politician or a protest. It came for families.

The crowd surrounded a Turning Point USA Faith event hosted by an officially recognized student club, featuring Christian apologist Frank Turek and atheist Peter Boghossian, along with comedian Rob Schneider and British commentator and satirist Andrew Doyle. In one evening, TPUSA offered more intellectual diversity than the entire Berkeley humanities department has managed all year.

The riot that proved the stereotype

Picture families walking into a campus hall to hear a Christian and an atheist debate civilly. Now picture an angry crowd blocking the doors, throwing bottles, lighting fires, and chanting, “Punch a fascist in the face!”

Their only problem: No fascists were present. Unless, of course, you classify Turek, Boghossian, and a few Christian undergrads as Mussolini’s heirs. But that’s Berkeley logic — where “diversity” means everyone thinks the same and disagreement is treated like violence.

The radical left has no greater enemies than Christianity and free speech. Combine the two, and leftists melt down faster than a Berkeley sophomore trying to define the word “woman.”

How did we get here?

Berkeley has been the stage for riots since the 1960s. If campus unrest were Broadway, Berkeley would be “The Phantom of the Opera” — always running, always loud, always masked. But tradition doesn’t excuse terror.

The deeper problem is the culture feeding it. In today’s universities, students are marinated in ideology, not inquiry. The humanities have traded Socrates for slogans and replaced debate with denunciation.

This worldview breeds fragility and fanaticism: emotional dependence on outrage, intellectual intolerance, and the conviction that disagreement equals danger. It’s no wonder students’ activism now mimics the very authoritarianism they claim to resist.

Antifa’s unofficial motto might as well be: “Accuse your opponents of what you plan to do.”

The media’s complicity

Right on cue, the Guardian rushed to describe the riot as “mostly peaceful.” That phrase should be Berkeley’s new marketing slogan: Mostly Peaceful Since 1964.

The truth is simpler. The TPUSA attendees were peaceful. The rioters were not. They screamed in people’s faces, hurled debris, blocked exits, and called it “defending democracy.” Apparently, democracy now means assaulting Christians.

The radical playbook

If you want to decode the left’s method, just reverse the leftists’ accusations. They say, “Don’t demonize others,” while labeling everyone to the right of Lenin a fascist. They say, “All voices deserve to be heard,” while drowning opponents in primal screams.

They say, “Fight oppression,” while physically intimidating families trying to attend a faith event.

At Arizona State University, a colleague of mine once wrote, “I’m all for free speech — but not for bigots,” to justify banning Charlie Kirk from campus. Translation: I love freedom — as long as no one I dislike exercises it.

This is the moral logic of the modern left: Disagreement equals harm, and harm justifies censorship — or violence.

The ‘radical’ minority that isn’t

We keep calling these leftists radicals, but that implies rarity. Surveys say otherwise. The ideological monoculture dominates academia. The “moderate left” isn’t moderating anything; it’s supplying the radicals with silence, funding, and applause.

The tenured class that claims to value “diversity of thought” has created an institution where dissenters are treated like heretics.

RELATED: The Antifa mob at Berkeley showed us what evil looks like

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

What must be done

First, Christians and conservatives should keep showing up. Every TPUSA Faith event, every lecture, every debate — attend them. The more witnesses, the less room for lies.

Second, tell your state legislators you don’t want tax dollars funding violent intolerance disguised as higher learning.

Third, warn every parent and student what really happens on college campuses. Prepare your kids to challenge the ideological orthodoxy behind DEI, critical theory, and the alphabet soup of new moral dogmas.

Finally, support alternatives. Seek out institutions that teach truth instead of propaganda — and organizations like TPUSA Faith that defend free inquiry.

That’s why I started my Substack: to expose the rot inside American universities before your children discover it the hard way.

The cure for intellectual darkness is light. The cure for ideological riots is courage. And the cure for the Berkeley disease begins with showing up, speaking truth, and refusing to bow.

​Antifa, Charlie kirk, Left wing violence, Opinion & analysis, Uc berkeley, Freedom of speech, Political violence, Tpusa, Faith, Family, Censorship, Christianity, Frank turek, Peter boghossian, Rob schneider, Andrew doyle, Fascism 

New York City voters last week elected socialist Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor. It wasn’t an isolated win. Across the country, progressives dominated key races, including the gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia.

In race after race, conservative, moderate, and establishment Democrats were swept aside by aggressive, hard-left challengers. The message could not be clearer: Conservative messaging — and in some cases, conservative policy — is failing to connect with ordinary voters.

Socialists like Mamdani promise utopia through government control. Conservatives cannot counter that with spreadsheets and slogans.

Mamdani and his progressive allies succeeded because they campaigned on issues that hit home for millions of Americans: the cost of housing, food, personal debt, and the lack of good jobs.

Ironically, those were the very same issues that powered Donald Trump’s 2024 victory and brought working-class voters back to the Republican fold. Now those same voters are drifting back toward socialism, and the reason is painfully simple: It’s still the economy, stupid.

Economic pain drives voters left

Conservatives have not convinced enough Americans — especially voters under 40 — that their policies will improve daily life. Consumer prices remain high, grocery bills keep climbing, and inflation continues to outpace wage growth.

Housing costs are near record levels. The average home now costs seven times the median income, compared to roughly 5.5 times during Trump’s first term. Total household debt has topped $18 trillion for three consecutive quarters — another all-time high.

Millions of Americans feel trapped. And when voters are desperate, they make disastrous choices — like putting a socialist in charge of the nation’s largest city.

What Trump got right

The Trump administration has taken important steps to fight rising costs. Promoting affordable, domestic energy — especially natural gas — has reduced reliance on foreign suppliers. Cutting regulations has also delivered real savings.

In January, Trump ordered federal agencies to repeal 10 rules for every new one adopted. The White House estimates that his deregulation push avoided more than $180 billion in costs in 2025 alone.

He has also pledged to ease housing regulations to increase the supply of affordable homes, while Republicans in Congress have fought to preserve the 2017 tax cuts — a major victory for middle-class taxpayers.

These are important wins. But they lack the sweeping vision that socialists like Mamdani are offering to voters who want transformation, not tinkering.

Socialism’s empty promises

Mamdani’s platform reads like a socialist wish list: 200,000 city-built apartments, a citywide rent freeze, universal childcare, and even government-run grocery stores. It’s a fantasy financed by taxpayers and destined to collapse under its own weight — but it sounds big. It sounds bold.

Conservatives, by comparison, often sound procedural. Deregulation is important but abstract. Tax cuts matter but feel distant. To compete, conservatives must present a clear, moral vision — one that shows how free markets can improve life for working families faster and more permanently than socialism ever could.

So what can conservatives do to counter socialism’s siren song? Here’s a start.

1) Make housing affordable again
Congress should require states and cities to open up millions of lots for homebuilding as a condition of receiving federal funds. Vast stretches of usable land sit idle while housing prices explode. Opening that land to development would lower prices without touching national parks or sensitive ecosystems.

2) Reinvent higher education
The cost of college has soared because of government-backed student loans that inflate tuition and trap young people in debt. Washington should phase out federal lending and restore market discipline to higher education.

In the meantime, Congress can lower loan caps, expand skilled-trade training in high schools, and require public universities that receive federal loan funds to offer extremely low-cost online degrees. That would give students a path to higher education without lifelong debt.

3. Cut taxes — and waste
Lowering sales, gas, and business taxes would immediately ease the cost of living. But real fiscal discipline requires cutting government waste, not inflating the money supply.

The Biden administration admits the federal government has lost $2.4 trillion over the past two decades through payment errors alone. That’s not “spending” — it’s hemorrhaging. Conservatives should treat it as proof that vast savings can be achieved without touching vital programs.

RELATED: Explaining Mamdani’s appeal to the young, with polling

Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Competing with the socialist vision

Socialists like Mamdani promise utopia through government control. Conservatives cannot counter that with spreadsheets and slogans. They must meet grand promises with grander purpose — rooted in freedom, self-reliance, and opportunity.

America needs a new conservative economic agenda that speaks to the anxieties of working families, not just to Wall Street or Washington. Deregulation and tax reform are essential, but they must serve a larger story: rebuilding an economy that rewards work, expands ownership, and restores faith in the American dream.

Until conservatives reclaim that moral high ground, voters will keep turning to the false hope of socialism.

​Opinion & analysis, Elections, Socialists, Zohran mamdani, New jersey, Virginia, Leftism, Housing costs, Grocery prices, Debt, Affordability crisis, Republicans, Democrats, Tax cuts, Polls, Rent freeze, Fiscal discipline, Regulations, Higher education, Student loan debt, Home build 

Ninety-six million Americans now call themselves bird-watchers.

That’s nearly one in three people. What was once the domain of retired dentists with too much time and too many thermoses has become a national pastime.

‘You don’t need equipment to go birding,’ he says. ‘Just walk outside and look or listen for birds. It’s like a treasure hunt — where can I find a new or different one?’

Or, as the bureaucrats insist, a “sport.” (Blame linguistic inflation, but that’s beside the point.) Bird-watching has gone mainstream, and America has fallen head over talons for it.

‘Exhausted by noise and nonsense’

Growing up in Ireland, I used to hunt pheasants with my father. But I also bird-watched with him. He had the patience of a saint and the binoculars of a spy. He could spot a kestrel from what felt like another county. I, on the other hand, had the attention span of a jackdaw. Yet even then, there was something strangely meditative about standing still, waiting for wings to appear.

Bird-watching wasn’t about chasing or conquering. It was about listening, noticing, and finding a kind of peace that didn’t need words. Maybe that’s why it’s booming in America now — a country exhausted by noise and nonsense.

The modern American lives in a blizzard of screens, sound bites, and sirens. Every scroll and ping pulls the mind farther from the present moment. Bird-watching is the perfect rebellion against that chaos. It rewards stillness. It teaches patience. It’s meditation with feathers. You can’t doomscroll while trying to spot a warbler. And unlike most modern hobbies, it doesn’t demand equipment that costs more than your car. A decent pair of binoculars and a curious soul will do.

It also helps that bird-watching is wonderfully democratic. You can do it anywhere — city park, back yard, Walmart parking lot, even your ex’s front yard if you’re brave enough. Birds don’t discriminate by zip code. From Brooklyn to Baton Rouge, the same act of quiet wonder unites people who otherwise wouldn’t share a word. A cardinal on a branch can silence even the loudest partisan. Or can it?

Taking off with Birding Bob

Who better to ask than Robert DeCandido, Ph.D., more commonly known as “Birding Bob.” Bronx-born and proud of it, he’s been leading bird walks for the best part of 40 years, charming tourists and occasionally scolding squirrels. He’s studied owls in Central Park, falcons on skyscrapers, and raptors in Nepal — because, apparently, the city’s pigeons weren’t exotic enough. With his encyclopedic knowledge, laser pointer, and unflappable enthusiasm, the Bob has turned Manhattan into one big aviary.

When asked why bird-watching has suddenly become the new yoga, Bob doesn’t entertain the hype. “To me, this has been building since the late 1990s,” he says. “It seems to track the use of the internet in people’s lives. I’ve been leading bird walks since the late 1980s, so I’ve watched the growth.” In his eyes, birding is less a sudden craze than a steady cultural migration decades in the making.

As for the pandemic’s supposed role in reviving our hunger for slow living, Bob’s answer is brisk. “No,” he says. “I think birding was one of the few activities you could do early on in the pandemic — especially with others.”

When the world shut down, birding stayed open. “If you had a park in your neighborhood, you could just walk over. No need for mass transit or being in close proximity indoors.” For Bob, that’s when many realized bird-watching was accessible, social, and a way to stay sane in those rather insane times.

RELATED: Happy Trails: Ten national parks to explore with your family this summer

Image Courtesy of the National Park Service

‘Just walk outside and look’

And about that “retired dentist with binoculars” stereotype? Bob laughs it off. “Where or how did you come up with this idea? It was never, ever that.” His tours are proof. They draw everyone from teenagers to tech workers, stay-at-home moms to deadbeat dads. If anything, birding has become one of the few spaces in New York where social class often dissolves into shared curiosity.

Gen Z’s growing interest doesn’t surprise him either. “It’s cheap,” he says flatly. “People like nature. And the media’s pushing birding now, so different folks are giving it a go.”

It sounds simple, but it explains a lot. Birding offers something both primal and portable in an age hooked on algorithms and AI-fed sludge. It’s a dopamine hit that doesn’t come from Silicon Valley — though plenty of apps now let users flaunt their feathered finds. There’s Merlin Bird ID, which can identify a species from a photo or song; eBird, where users log sightings and climb leaderboards; and Birda, the “Strava of birding,” complete with challenges and badges.

Bob’s Bronx bluntness resurfaces when asked if birding could unite left and right.

“No. Americans will find a way to fight no matter what,” he says, half-joking. “Most birders are moderate to left, so the infighting has been mild so far. But it’s there.” He doesn’t hide where he stands — he lets his politics show — but never in a preachy or polarizing way. It’s more observational than ideological, the way a field biologist might note the plumage of a particularly noisy species.

Then, almost as if to re-center the conversation, he lands on what really matters. “You don’t need equipment to go birding,” he says. “Just walk outside and look or listen for birds. It’s like a treasure hunt — where can I find a new or different one? No need to make lists or find rare ones. Just go out and look. Have fun. Learn about your local environment.”

That, in the end, might explain why bird-watching has taken flight across the nation. In a culture obsessed with competition, Birding Bob reminds us that not everything needs to be a race. You don’t win at bird-watching. You simply show up, look up, and listen. It’s the most affordable form of mindfulness on the market. In an era powered by progress bars, birding is gloriously buffering. No feeds, no frenzy, just feathers in flight — and the occasional pigeon dropping on your $200 North Face jacket.

​Birdwatching, Birding bob, Hobbies, Family activities, Sports, Birding, Lifestyle