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The fallout is still being sorted from former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida withdrawing his bid for U.S. attorney general Thursday, but one CNN analyst says both he and the president-elect won the round.

Many recoiled when President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of Gaetz to the highest law enforcement office last week, especially after allegations involving underage sex trafficking. On Wednesday, members of the House Ethics Committee said they could not reach an agreement to publicly release a report about the claims.

‘Either way, he gets the support now of the MAGA community who thinks that Democrats and haters of Donald Trump are just trying to take down Matt Gaetz.’

After Gaetz issued his withdrawal announcement, CNN political analyst Mark Preston reiterated his claim that Trump and the Florida congressman would win no matter what the outcome of his nomination.

“I’m of the conspiratorial class on this one,” said Preston while his fellow CNN panelists laughed.

“No, I really am! So this is how I think it plays out,” he continued. “I think Matt Gaetz is on the airplane, this idea’s hatched for him to become nominee for attorney general. He knows within a few days that this House report is going to get released, OK? Either way, he gets the support now of the MAGA community who thinks that Democrats and haters of Donald Trump are just trying to take down Matt Gaetz.

“Now if they’re successful in doing so, Matt Gaetz becomes a pariah within a community when that report’s gonna get released anyway, but yet he has already established support [of the MAGA community]. Or if he gets through, then Donald Trump gets what he wants, right?” Preston says.

He went on to say that it really didn’t matter who Trump installs into the Department of Justice as long as that person does what Trump wants them to do.

“It doesn’t have to be Matt Gaetz. It could be Matt Thompson, or Matt Barnes. It could be any Matt!” he joked.

Preston posted the video of his comments about the Gaetz stratagem on his social media account. He also had a warning about Republican senators who rejected the nomination.

“Trump — let alone his supporters — keep scorecards … there is only so many times the @GOP Senators will be able to defy Trump before he turns the firehose on them,” Preston wrote.

Gaetz has vehemently denied all of the allegations leveled against him.

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​Matt gaetz withdraws ag, Ag nominee matt gaetz, Trump nominates gaetz, Trump cabinet appointments, Politics 

Earlier this week, “The View’s” Sunny Hostin, who Dave Rubin believes is “the most racist person on mainstream TV,” went on “a somewhat unhinged rant about Matt Gaetz” — Trump’s pick for attorney general before he withdrew from his nomination.

“How could you nominate someone with allegations of child trafficking across state lines and having sex with a 17-year-old? My understanding further on in the interview, they discussed the fact that once he finds out that she’s 17, he stops having sex with her,” Hostin told the panel.

Two days later, Hostin was forced by the show’s legal team to correct this libelous smear against Matt Gaetz live on the air.

Dave plays the clip of Hostin “eating crow,” and the look on her face is priceless.

“Sunny, you have a legal note,” Whoopi Goldberg said to Hostin.

“I do have a legal note. Thank you, Whoopi,” Hostin retorted with venom before she began reading off the teleprompter.

“Matt Gaetz has long denied all allegations, calling the claims ‘invented’ and saying in a statement to ABC News that this false smear following a three-year criminal investigation should be viewed with great skepticism. That DOJ investigation was closed with no charges being brought,” she recited robotically with deadness in her eyes.

Although Dave doesn’t usually “revel in people’s misery,” in this case, he is absolutely “reveling in [Hostin’s] misery.”

“The stone-cold look and the crow that she had to eat on live television” makes him smile.

“Of course, what we know is this is purely political because if she liked him, she would never be saying these things,” says Dave. “It’s just a perfect moment.”

To watch Hostin’s pretty face twist in the bitterest sneer you’ve ever seen as she’s forced to backtrack her statements about Matt Gaetz, watch the episode above.

Want more from Dave Rubin?

To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The rubin report, Dave rubin, The view, Matt gaetz, Matt gaetz allegations, Abc news, Sunny hostin, Blaze tv, Blaze media, Blaze news 

Jussie Smollett’s conviction for his headline-grabbing hate crime hoax has been dismissed.

The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday — in what WLS-TV said was a “surprising” 5-0 decision — ruled that an agreement between the former “Empire” actor and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to drop criminal charges in exchange for a fine and community service should have stood.

Smollett claimed the two men wearing ski masks beat him up, put a rope around his neck, poured bleach on him, and hollered, ‘This is MAGA country!’

“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it to be unjust,” the court said in its ruling, according to WLS. “Nevertheless, what would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the State was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied.”

The station added that the court referred to Bill Cosby’s case in Pennsylvania as part of its decision.

As the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania recently stated when enforcing a prosecutorial promise not to prosecute, “It cannot be gainsaid that society holds a strong interest in the prosecution of crimes. It is also true that no such interest, however important, ever can eclipse society’s interest in ensuring that the constitutional rights of the people are vindicated. Society’s interest in prosecution does not displace the remedy due to constitutionally aggrieved persons.” Cosby, 252 A.2d at 1147.

The court said it has remanded the Smollett case back to the circuit court to enter a judgment of dismissal, WLS reported, adding that two of the seven state supreme court justices didn’t take part in the arguments or decision.

An Illinois appeals court in December upheld Smollett’s disorderly conduct conviction by a 2-1 vote, the station said, adding that Smollett then appealed to the state supreme court.

What’s the background?

Smollett — who is black and gay — made national headlines for claiming a pair of supporters of then-President Donald Trump physically attacked him near his apartment in Chicago in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019.

Smollett claimed the two men wearing ski masks confronted him as he was leaving a Subway restaurant around 2 a.m. in below-freezing conditions and yelled, “Aren’t you that f***ot ‘Empire’ n*****?” before beating him up, putting a rope around his neck, pouring bleach on him, and hollering, “This is MAGA country!” — a reference to Trump’s red “Make America Great Again” hats.

But once a police investigation began, Smollett’s story began to crumble.

Chicago police caught the two suspects in the crime, Nigerian-born brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo — aspiring actors whom Smollett knew from the Chicago set of “Empire” and from a gym. The brothers told police that Smollett paid them to stage the attack in an effort to boost his career. In fact, then-Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett used a check to pay the brothers $3,500 to pull off the staged attack.

Johnson added that Smollett’s hoax “pissed everybody off.”

Detectives said surveillance video and in-car taxi videos corroborated the Osundairo brothers’ claims, as did telephone logs, rideshare records, and credit card records, according to a case summary document prosecutors released.

Smollett was arrested in February 2019 and charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report — but that same year, he and Foxx in reached an agreement to drop charges against him in exchange for $10,000 bond and community service.

However, in February 2020, a special prosecutor tasked with investigating the handling of the Smollett case indicted him. Interestingly, the state supreme court refused to throw out charges against Smollett a month later.

A jury in December 2021 found Smollett guilty on five of six counts of felony disorderly conduct for staging a hate crime against himself and then lying to police about the hoax.

During that trial, prosecutors alleged the actor arranged a “dry run” of the hoax with his co-conspirators days prior to it taking place — and that the practice session was captured on surveillance video.

The Osundairo brothers testified against Smollett in the trial, each taking the witness stand to repeat their claims that Smollett told them to place a noose around his neck and shout racial and homophobic slurs while roughing him up in view of a street camera.

‘Your very name has become an adverb for lying.’

Smollett testified in his own defense and maintained that “there was no hoax” and that the brothers are “liars” who attacked him over homophobia and tried to extort money from him after the fact.

Lead prosecutor Dan Webb wasn’t buying it, saying Smollett’s lies cost the Chicago Police Department resources and caused racial division.

“Besides being against the law, it’s just plain wrong for Mr. Smollett, a successful black actor, to outright denigrate something as serious, as heinous, as a real hate crime. To denigrate it and then make sure it involved words and symbols that have such horrible historical significance in our country,” Webb said according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Smollett in March 2022 was sentenced to 150 days in jail.

In an address before issuing his sentence, Cook County Judge James Linn eviscerated Smollett, calling him a “charlatan” and telling him “your hypocrisy is astounding”; “you wanted to make yourself more famous” through the elaborate, “premeditated” caper, and then “you threw a national pity party for yourself.” But the worst part, the judge said, was that Smollett lied to authorities about it all.

“Your very name has become an adverb for lying,” Linn said.

Smollett hollered in court, “I am not suicidal, and I am innocent.” He added that “I did not do this” and that “if anything happens” to him while in jail that he didn’t do it to himself.

Smollett’s defense lawyers pushed for a new trial, but the mountain of evidence against their client was too high, and Linn — who presided over Smollett’s trial in December 2021 in which he was convicted — denied the new trial request.

Prior to sentencing, the prosecution read a victim impact statement from the city of Chicago that blasted Smollett for making it less likely that actual victims of hate crimes will come forward to law enforcement. The city also requested just over $130,000 in restitution for the resources they said Smollett wasted.

You can view a video report here about the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss Smollett’s conviction.

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​Jussie smollett, Hate crime hoax, Conviction dismissed, Illinois state supreme court, Unanimous decision, Empire actor, Kim foxx, Crime 

The National Football League issued a warning to all 32 football teams after two players’ homes were robbed by what officials believe to be an organized transnational crime ring.

The security alert was sent to the team security directors and the players’ union on Wednesday, according to the league’s website.

‘It’s a transnational crime ring, and over the last three weeks, they’ve focused on NBA and NFL players.’

Last week, Kansas City law enforcement officials said that the homes of two star players on the Chiefs team were robbed on consecutive days. WDAF-TV reported that about $20,000 was stolen from the homes of Travis Kelce and that quarterback Pat Mahomes’ home was also robbed.

Sources told NFL.com that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into the robberies and that the group might be connected to a crime syndicate in South America.

“It’s legit,” a source familiar with the situation told NFL.com. “It’s a transnational crime ring, and over the last three weeks, they’ve focused on NBA and NFL players, and it’s all over the country.”

The report said that the burglars are very sophisticated and use social media to track players and their families to determine when their homes will be empty. They find the homes using public records and then conduct surveillance to gather information on their habits.

A spokesperson for the FBI Office of Public Affairs denied the existence of the investigation after citing existing policy.

Former FBI agent Brad Garrett told ABC News that sports players are prime targets for robberies because of all the publicly available information about them.

“Their schedules were going to be published when they’re going to play a game, so it makes it easy when to go to the house,” said Garrett. “These high-profile folks are really ripe targets.”

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​Transnational crime ring, South american crime ring, Kelce mahomes robbery, Nfl security warning, Politics 

“The View” host Joy Behar continued to bemoan the results of President-elect Donald Trump’s historic victory against Vice President Kamala Harris during Wednesday’s episode of the show.

Behar seemed to have a lack of interest in discussing the program’s topics after Whoopi Goldberg tried to see the positives of being able to do their job.

“I just want to say this is the beauty of people who have different opinions. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes we’re messy, and I don’t know if you noticed that when I came out this morning, I had trouble trying to figure out, because there was nothing in the thing. There’s something in the air,” Goldberg said.

‘I’m worried about mass deportations and internment camps.’

“You know what’s in the air, Whoopi? Trumpism,” Behar interjected, prompting laughs from the audience, but she silenced them to continue her rant.

“We lost the election. Wait a minute. We lost the election. We’re miserable. Half of this country is miserable, and let’s just tell the truth: We hate that he won. We hate it,” she added.

When Goldberg tried to get the discussion back on topic, Behar asked, “Must we?”

Sunny Hostin explained that she does not hate that Harris lost. “I don’t feel that way.”

“I do,” Behar said.

The hosts on the “The View” have been in shambles since this month’s election, resorting to wearing all black after Trump’s win.

Hostin previously stated she has concerns for her daughter, who apparently has fewer rights than her mother.

“I remember my father telling me many, many years ago that I was the first person in his family to enjoy full civil rights. And now I have less civil rights than I had when he told me that,” she noted. “I’m worried about mass deportations and internment camps.”

Goldberg refuses to refer to Trump by name, simply referring to him as “you know who” whenever she has to talk about him on the show.

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​Politics 

With his historic re-election to the presidency, Donald Trump’s legal problems appear to be over. Trump, as practically everybody knows, has been the target over the last two years of numerous federal, state, and local prosecutions. Now that Trump will be returning to the nation’s highest office, these cases will be put indefinitely on hold or dropped altogether.

But if Trump’s problems in this respect are over, America’s are not.

Although congressional committees cannot punish any wrongdoing they uncover, the costs of complying with the investigation would serve as a wholesome deterrent.

These cases present a problem for the nation because of the popular perception that they were merely a form of political “lawfare” brought to damage Trump, impair his candidacy, and prevent his return to power. Polls have shown that substantial numbers of Americans view these cases as politically motivated. In what may come as a galling surprise to Trump’s political enemies, exit polls indicate that he won a majority of the votes of those Americans who believe democracy is under threat. This result surely reflects these voters’ sense that the various prosecutions of Trump were really an attempt to undermine democratic self-government by depriving the people of a free choice in the presidential contest.

Moreover, the sense that the anti-Trump cases were politicized and abusive is obviously well-founded. All these cases — the federal prosecutions of Trump in relation to the events of January 6 and his retention of official documents, the New York state fraud case, the New York “hush money” case, and the Georgia RICO prosecution — were absolutely unprecedented.

It is, or should be, impossible for any honest person to pretend that they were dictated by some real law enforcement necessity. Trump did not tell any of his supporters to enter the U.S. Capitol illegally. He is not the only former president (or vice president) to have retained official documents. His alleged real estate fraud harmed nobody. A non-disclosure agreement is not a crime. And there is nothing felonious in a defeated politician arguing to election officials that he would have won if different rules had been followed.

There is, then, ample reason to think that these legal cases were abuses of official power intended to skew the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, either by damaging Trump politically or by making it impossible for him to campaign at all. They were intended not just to harm Donald Trump but also effectively to disenfranchise his supporters. In this sense they represent an unprecedented attack on American self-government.

But what is to be done about them?

Some Trump supporters on social media, in their anger and frustration, have suggested that Republican prosecutors should retaliate against popular Democratic politicians. Such a response would be clearly wrong and destructive, unjustly harming innocent individuals while further undermining the norms and institutions that ensure personal security and self-government. Fortunately, no evidence suggests that President Trump or any other elected Republican intends to take such a course of action.

There is, however, a lawful way to address such abuses of the legal system. Section 242 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code prohibits and punishes “deprivation of rights under color of law.” If, as seems to be the case, the justifications for these cases were only pretexts to harm Trump politically, then they would seem to fall within this provision of federal law. There would therefore be nothing unjust or improperly retaliatory if President Trump’s Department of Justice were to investigate these prosecutions as possible violations and to bring prosecutions against the perpetrators if appropriate.

But such an approach, although not unjust, would certainly be imprudent. Democrats and the media would portray the investigations as examples of Trump prosecuting his political enemies. Regardless of the merits of such a claim, the inevitably resulting furor would probably detract from the Trump administration’s ability to pursue the many important initiatives that the good of the nation requires and that Trump’s voters elected him to work on. It’s not worth it.

This is not to say, however, that these abuses should just go completely unaddressed. There are other authoritative institutions besides Trump’s Justice Department that possess both the authority and responsibility to inquire into the possibility of deprivations of rights under the color of law, especially ones that are intended to influence the outcome of federal elections. I refer, of course, to the houses of Congress. Republicans will control both the House and the Senate in 2025. It would be perfectly appropriate for either the House or the Senate Judiciary Committee — or both — to investigate the federal, state, and local prosecutions of Donald Trump.

These committees have direct jurisdiction over the Department of Justice and therefore have every right to oversee the special counsel that Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed to investigate and prosecute the then-former president. This should be done to satisfy both the Congress and the public that the federal power was not abused here — or, if it was, to ensure that it does not happen again.

These committees would have jurisdiction to investigate the possibly politicized uses of state and local prosecutors’ offices, either because the latter have received federal funds, or, if not, at least to find out whether it is necessary to amend and strengthen the federal prohibition on “deprivation of rights under color of law.” This is certainly a genuine legislative purpose sufficient to justify congressional investigation. Congress and its committees have ample powers to subpoena records and compel testimony in the service of such an investigation.

A congressional inquiry would have the advantages of neither appearing arbitrary and vindictive, on the one hand, nor being toothless, on the other. It would be hard to paint a legislative investigation as a mere kangaroo court, because the committees would include Democrats with an incentive to defend their co-partisans under investigation.

Republican congressional leaders framing the inquiry would do well to avoid anything like the composition of the farcical January 6 committee, which excluded any Republican members who might be inclined to defend President Trump. And although congressional committees cannot punish any wrongdoing they uncover, the costs of complying with the investigation — the time, effort, and public exposure of improper motives, if any — would serve as a wholesome deterrent to future instances of politicized lawfare.

It is not always possible to punish wrongdoing. This does not mean, however, that it must go unremarked and unrebuked by official authority. In the matter of anti-Trump lawfare, congressional investigation and exposure are the best option in the public interest.

Editor’s note: A version of this article appeared originally at The America Mind.

​Lawfare, Lawfare against trump, Donald trump, Congress, January 6 committee, Abuse of power, 2024 presidential election, Opinion & analysis 

The Muslim mayor of a Detroit suburb has promised to arrest two high-profile Israeli officials — should they ever make the unlikely decision to visit his city.

In 2021, Dearborn, Michigan, an Arab-majority city of over 100,000 residents, elected its first Muslim mayor: Abdullah Hammoud. Hammoud, a 34-year-old Democrat who previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives, has long been a sharp critic of Israel.

On Thursday, he stretched that criticism into a full-on threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, should they ever venture onto Dearborn soil.

“Dearborn will arrest Netanyahu & Gallant if they step within Dearborn city limits,” Hammoud wrote on X. “Others cities should declare the same.”

His post came just after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for the alleged “war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts” in Gaza between October 2023 and at least May 2024.

“This finding is based on the role of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its [sic] disposal,” the ICC said.

Following these allegations from the ICC, Hammoud claimed in his post that American “city leaders can ensure Netanyahu & other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States.”

In his post, Hammoud also lamented that “our president may not take action” on the arrest warrants. However, it is unclear whether Hammoud was referring to the outgoing Biden administration, the upcoming second Trump administration, or both.

In 2021, before he was elected mayor, Hammoud called on Biden to demand a ceasefire in the ongoing hostilities in Gaza. Then earlier this month, he contravened other area Muslim leaders and refused to meet with Donald Trump in the days leading up to the 2024 election, though he also declined to endorse Kamala Harris.

‘Local authorities do not have the legal authority to detain a global leader under such circumstances. Regardless, this scenario is implausible.’

On Thursday, the ICC announced it had issued the warrants after denying challenges from Israel regarding the institution’s jurisdiction. According to WDIV, the ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute genocide and other war crimes when member countries refuse to or cannot do so themselves.

Neither Israel nor the United States is a member of the ICC.

Blaze News reached out the Dearborn Police Department to clarify whether its officers would follow through and arrest either Netanyahu or Gallant on the off chance they ever pay the city a visit. We did not receive a response.

With such general animosity against Israel in Dearborn, many see Hammoud’s post as just an empty threat.

“Yeah I’m sure he’s coming to Dearborn,” joked James Dickson, a Michigan journalist and the host of the “Enjoyer” podcast.

“Anyone recall when the Michigan Legislature granted mayors in this state police powers?” wrote Chad Livengood, politics editor at the Detroit News.

EJ Kimball, senior policy adviser at the U.S. Israel Education Association, made a similar suggestion, telling Blaze News in a statement:

The United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court, meaning there is no jurisdiction to enforce an ICC arrest warrant within the U.S.

Additionally, local authorities do not have the legal authority to detain a global leader under such circumstances. Regardless, this scenario is implausible, as Prime Minister Netanyahu would not travel to Dearborn or any similar jurisdiction.

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​Benjamin netanyahu, International criminal court, Abdullah hammoud, Dearborn, Icc, Israel, Michigan, Yoav gallant, Politics 

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray refused to testify publicly Thursday before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing.

The annual hearing is typically attended by the heads of the DHS and the FBI, but Mayorkas and Wray decided to opt out, ending an over 15-year tradition and igniting frustration on both sides of the political aisle.

‘I look forward to Director Wray’s resignation.’

Their refusal to testify about national security threats is set against the backdrop of several contentious events, including a scandal involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the conviction of the illegal alien who murdered Laken Riley, and President Joe Biden’s go-ahead for Ukraine to deploy American long-range missile systems against Russia.

Senators torched Mayorkas and Wray for denying Americans the opportunity to hear from them amid many current hot-button issues facing the country.

The Democratic chair of the committee, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), rejected their excuse that they could testify only in a classified hearing.

“In a shocking departure from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s longstanding tradition of transparency and oversight of the threats facing our nation, for the first time in more than 15 years, the Homeland Security Secretary and the FBI Director have refused to appear before the Committee to provide public testimony at our annual hearing on Threats to the Homeland,” Peters wrote in a prepared statement.

He accused Mayorkas and Wray of dealing “a serious blow to trust in our government.”

“Their claims that they can only relay such information and respond to questions in a classified setting are entirely without merit,” Peters added.

He called on the two men to reconsider and participate in the public hearing.

In statements to reporters, Peters explained that the hearing traditionally includes a closed session after public testimony. He also noted that the DHS released a 40-page document on threats to the homeland, which the committee had intended to discuss.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called their refusal to testify “unacceptable.”

“The American people deserve to hold these officials accountable for their actions under the Biden Administration,” Paul said.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called for Wray to resign.

“Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray’s refusal to testify publicly today in the Senate is an outrage – and a brazen attempt to avoid oversight for the political abuses at FEMA, the FBI and more. I look forward to Director Wray’s resignation,” Hawley stated.

The hearing has been postponed until December.

In a statement to The Hill, the FBI said, “The FBI has repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to responding to Congressional oversight and being transparent with the American people.”

“We remain committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation and the extraordinary work the men and women of the FBI are doing — here at home and around the world — to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States,” the statement continued. “FBI leaders have testified extensively in public settings about the current threat environment and believe the Committee would benefit most from further substantive discussions and additional information that can only be provided in a classified setting.”

A DHS spokesperson told The Hill, “DHS and the FBI already have shared with the Committee and other Committees, and with the American public, extensive unclassified information about the current threat environment, including the recently published Homeland Threat Assessment. DHS takes seriously its obligation to respond to Congressional requests for testimony; in fact, Secretary Mayorkas has testified 30 times during his tenure.”

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​News, Alejandro mayorkas, Mayorkas, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Christopher wray, Wray, Fbi, Federal bureau of investigation, Gary peters, Rand paul, Josh hawley, National security, National security threat, Politics 

Two former light heavyweight UFC champions will come out of retirement to box each other, one of the fighters revealed.

Rashad Evans announced that he will compete in a boxing match with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, saying that he’s “jumped into training camp” for a bout in early 2025.

“We’re looking to do it potentially at the end of February, and it’s most likely going to be here in Florida. We’re going to do a boxing match,” Evans said.

Evans explained that while he could be “done with it all” and enjoy his life, he would “always wonder” if he should have had a boxing match.

Now 45, Evan last fought in mixed martial arts in 2022 but hasn’t consistently competed since 2018.

Jackson, 46, hasn’t had an MMA fight since 2019.

Upon hearing the announcement, fans reacted poorly, especially given how Jackson has looked in his most recent fights. For his 2019 fight against Fedor Emelianenko, fans felt Jackson looked sluggish and out of shape on his way to receiving a first round TKO loss.

Reactions were even worse this time around across social media platforms.

“I understand you need some money but the young fighters put on the best show. You cannot beat father time,” a fan wrote on YouTube.

“I’m tired of watching the elderly fight,” another viewer wrote.

On X, readers responded to ab article on the topic with comments like “Please don’t” and “no one wants this.”

“I have less than zero interest in this fight,” another reader said.

Some referenced the recent Mike Tyson boxing fight, who, at 58 years old, was clearly too old to fight competitively.

“Please stop old guys from fighting. Tyson should have been the straw that broke the camels back.”

‘There’s nothing better than getting another chance to fight “Rampage.”’

Evans continued, saying that his opponent Jackson is in good shape and ready for a fight.

“Boxing is something I’m a huge fan of and there’s nothing better than getting another chance to fight ‘Rampage.’ [He] is in pretty good shape right now,” Evans told MMA Fighting. “He was getting ready for Shannon ‘The Cannon’ [Briggs] so he’s in pretty good shape. I want to get a chance to do it again with [him].”

Jackson also participated in a gimmick fight in 2023, where he had a tandem two-on-two boxing match alongside UFC legend Bob Sapp.

Evans too has kept himself in good shape and has been noticeably trim while working as an MMA broadcaster.

The two fighters had one match against each other in the UFC in 2010. Evans won the fight by unanimous decision.

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​Fearless, Boxing, Mma, Ufc, Celebrity fight, Sports 

Comedian and host of “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart, is still reeling from the mandate Donald Trump received from the American people, who voted to put him back in the White House as the 47th president of the United States.

From Stewart’s unfunny jokes to his pathetic political analysis, Mark Levin knows what he is: a part of “the phony corporate media,” who deserves a good roast.

“This guy pretends to be some kind of intellectual. Based on what? … He also pretends to be a comedian. Based on what?” Levin asks. “I notice when he debates people, he gets in their face, and he yells at them, like he’s a tough guy,” but, “He’s a shrimp.”

“He’s very upset his Kamala lost. He can’t understand why,” says Levin. “Because you’re out of touch, you jacka**, that’s why.”

Following Trump’s victory, Stewart said to his audience, “We’re all going to have to wake up tomorrow morning and work like hell to move the world to the place that we prefer it to be.”

“In other words, to try and destroy the Trump presidency, to double down on this stuff that is tearing this country apart,” Levin corrects.

Stewart then laughed at the idea that Barack Obama’s 2008 victory signaled that we were “moving towards a post-racial America” — “That lasted a day!”

“What would [Democrats] do without racism? What would they do without the allegation of racism?” Levin asks. “There’d be no Project 1619, there’d be no CRT or DEI or ESG.”

“The greatest country on the face of the Earth, the most beneficent country, the most diverse country on the face of the Earth, where specifically people who are minorities — whether skin color, whether other physical aspects and characteristics, whether faith — this is the place to be,” he adds, “but with these clowns on the left, everybody’s a victim.”

Stewart also condemned Trump’s comments about illegal immigrants from Mexico and expressed his disbelief that Hispanic voters voted red in record numbers.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime; they’re rapists,” Trump said during one presidential campaign announcement.

Stewart couldn’t fathom how such a racist message could possibly be “the winning message.”

“Maybe Jon Stewart doesn’t know anybody who died from fentanyl; maybe Jon Stewart doesn’t know any of the women who were sold into slavery; maybe Jon Stewart can help us find one of 325,000 unaccompanied miners who’ve gone missing,” says Levin.

“Do you realize how irrelevant the phony corporate media are in this country?” he asks.

To hear more of Levin’s roast, watch the clip above.

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​Levintv, Mark levin, Jon stewart, The daily show, Blazetv, Blaze media, Trump derangement syndrome, Comedy, Woke comedy 

The superintendent of a Michigan public school district told Blaze News that the United States Secret Service launched an investigation after one of the district’s elementary school teachers replied inappropriately to a social media post referencing an assassination — the day after Donald Trump won back the White House earlier this month.

The assassination post — and the teacher’s reply to it — got fast attention after Libs of TikTok published a screenshot of the post Tuesday, along with the teacher’s apology.

‘If the teacher is charged with a felony, she will be dismissed.’

The initial post — which was not from the teacher in question — reads “nothing an assasination [sic] can’t take care of.”

The reply from Ashley Parker — who teaches elementary art for Farwell Area Schools — reads as follows: “Normally I would never wish this on anyone, but now… and let’s hope for a 2fer… We have ALL lost. Just many of us don’t realize it yet…”

Parker on Nov. 14 posted an apology on the school district’s Facebook page. It reads as follows:

Dear FAS Community,

I am deeply sorry for the comment that I posted the morning after the election. As the parent of a young child and as an educator, I know that my words and actions are closely watched by those around me, and I am fastidious about my behavior at all times because of this fact. I am ashamed that I let my emotions get the better of me in that moment. I am not that person. I understand that my actions may have broken your trust, and for that, I am truly sorry.

Those who know me, know my strength of character, and know the kind of person that I aspire to be in this world. I made an egregious error, one that will not happen again. I take full responsibility for my words and I am willing to reflect on this experience and learn from it, so that I can become a better person. I am committed to upholding the values and standards that I strive to live by.

I hope that you can find it within yourself to forgive me and my actions.

Thank you.

— Ashley Parker, K-5 Art

While the district’s Facebook post indicated on Wednesday afternoon that more than 230 comments have come in, only a handful are visible.

Parker’s apology also was posted on the district’s website last week.

District superintendent speaks out

Steve Scoville, superintendent of Farwell Area Schools, told Blaze News on Wednesday that the issue was brought to the school’s attention the day after the election, and he believes the screenshot of the social media exchange is accurate.

“An investigation by the Clare County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Secret Service was conducted, and to my knowledge, no charges have been filed,” Scoville told Blaze News. “If the teacher is charged with a felony, she will be dismissed. At this point, it doesn’t appear that she will be charged with a felony, but I have to wait for the process to run its course. I do believe that all U.S. Citizens are innocent until proven guilty.”

Scoville added to Blaze News that he performed a risk assessment — which is used whenever staff, students, or community members make a threat — and that “the staff member in question has no credible plan or means to carry the threat out.”

He noted to Blaze News that the risk assessment finding doesn’t mean the teacher’s post was acceptable: “Neither the original post [nor] Ashley’s response were appropriate.”

However, Scoville told Blaze News he’s hoping to turn this negative into a positive.

“Mrs. Parker has been doing a great job with our students, and it is truly unfortunate that her actions have clouded her otherwise outstanding performance. Dismissing Mrs. Parker would very likely discontinue our K-5 Art Program for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year, as we had zero highly qualified applicants. The teacher shortage in central Michigan area is very real!” he told Blaze News. “My fear is that dismissal may punish our students more than the individual that made the post. Although dismissal would be the easiest course of action, I am not sure it is the correct or best action for our students.”

Scoville added to Blaze News that while the district has taken disciplinary action against Parker, she “has not been terminated. Doing the right thing is not always doing the easy thing.” He also told Blaze News on a Wednesday phone call that despite Parker having “threatened [the] candidate I voted for,” it “wouldn’t matter” if the threat was against another candidate; it’s unacceptable either way.

Scoville also told Blaze News that after he made it clear to Parker that the district doesn’t condone her comment, he hopes Parker has a “chance to recover and move forward.”

He also told Blaze News that Parker has received threats after her comment began getting attention, and her address has been doxxed. In addition, Scoville said, “The amount of hate that has been directed at our staff is incredible and terribly sad. I find it ironic that so many people upset by Mrs. Parker’s inappropriate post have chosen to share their own version of hate and direct it at the staff member who answered their [phone] call.”

On the subject of hatred, Scoville emphasized the following to Blaze News:

I served with U.S. Army for 18 months in the Balkans. An interesting fact is that Serbians and Albanians have hated each other 1,300 years. (This led up to the Balkans War where neighbor butchered neighbor.) Although when you asked either side, they knew that they were supposed to hate the other side but really couldn’t give you a reason. It is my hope and prayer that this nation steps back from the level of hate that we are at. We can agree to disagree with each other. We have to stop looking at the other side as bad people with bad ideas and start looking at them as people with bad ideas (or at least ideas we disagree with).

Anything else?

Blaze News has been covering the ever-growing subject of teachers reacting badly to Trump’s presidential win:

A teacher allegedly departed from class at Cerritos High School in Southern California because a student was wearing “Make America Great Again” attire.An English teacher from Chino High School in Southern California was placed on administrative leave after freaking out in class over a student wearing a Trump hat.An Advanced Placement world history teacher from Valley View High School in Southern California was placed on administrative leave after going on a profane rant in class against Trump.A woman who reportedly began a monthlong stint as a substitute teacher at Beverly Hills High School on Nov. 4 — the day before the presidential election — said last week she was fired for her “private FB posts criticizing [Make America Great Again] & the behavior of students at their MAGA rally on campus.”Outside the Golden State, a Connecticut elementary special-ed teacher threatened Trump voters in a viral video and then tried to explain herself in a tearful, on-camera interview after resigning from her position.

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​T3, Threat, Teacher, Donald trump, 2024 election, Assassination, Social media post, Michigan, Farwell area schools, Superintendent, Ashley parker, Steve scoville, Politics 

Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida withdrew from his nomination for attorney general less than two weeks after President-elect Trump nominated the Florida firebrand for the position.

Trump’s nomination of Gaetz sparked controversy surrounding an unreleased ethics report, solidifying the fact that his confirmation would be an uphill battle. Gaetz has spent the last few days lobbying alongside Vice President-elect JD Vance in an attempt to persuade senators to confirm him.

‘There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.’

“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday,” Gaetz said in a Thursday post on X. “I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many.”

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the crucial work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz continued. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.”

Republicans hold a slim majority of 53 seats in the Senate. As a result, Gaetz and other nominees would be able to lose only three GOP votes, assuming that Vance would also be voting.

“Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” Gaetz continued. “I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”

Gaetz resigned from his position in the House following the nomination, leaving a vacancy for Florida’s 1st Congressional District seat for the remaining and the upcoming term.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” Trump said in a statement Thursday. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”

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​Matt gaetz, Jd vance, Donald trump, Attorney general, House republicans, Trump administration, Trump cabinet, Ethics committee, Politics 

FBI Director Christopher Wray’s 10-year term does not expire until 2027. President-elect Donald Trump is, however, expected to replace him upon taking office. While Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who Trump
said is “a very talented guy,” might be in contention, the two men whose names keep popping up in discussions of a potential successor are former National Security Council official Kash Patel and former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers.

Establishmentarians have
piled on Patel, characterizing him as inexperienced, revenge-driven, and “dangerous.”

While Rogers, who specialized in organized crime as a special agent at the FBI’s Chicago office, has so far avoided similar abuse, Trump loyalists and critics of the American intelligence community have expressed concerns about his past associations with
individuals and censorious groups antagonistic to Trump; his
historic support for surveillance programs; and the role he apparently played in pushing Russiagate.

Former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon
asked Mike Benz, the executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, this week why the “MAGA right” would be “particularly upset about a guy like Mike Rogers, who in normal times would be looked at as a fine, center-right candidate put up by a Romney-type Republican administration?”

‘You can’t really have a compromised candidate.’

Benz, keen to see Patel nominated, suggested that Rogers’ involvement with the Atlantic Council — “probably the number-one apex predator in the entire censorship industry” — and his help advancing Russiagate were disqualifying.

“The relationship between the Justice Department and the FBI is the same relationship that’s shared between the U.S. State Department and the CIA. They need to be constantly in sync,” said Benz.

“You can’t really have a compromised candidate where one person supports the president and the other person is looking to put a knife in the president’s back. That is simply untenable when you’re dealing with the kind of special, compartmentalized operations that happen at the FBI level.”

The Daily Caller
reported that Rogers is not only a member of the Aspen Cybersecurity Institute, a left-leaning think tank, but also served as an adviser to the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy initiative, spearheaded by a former foreign policy adviser to failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and aimed at tackling supposed Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The ASD launched the
Hamilton 68 Dashboard in 2017 to monitor hundreds of then-Twitter accounts allegedly linked to Russian influence efforts online — a project likened by investigative reporter Matt Taibbi to “digital McCarthyism that was repeatedly used by establishment media publications as a source to push the Russian influence and interference narratives that Democrats, in turn, exploited during Trump’s first term.”

According to Taibbi, when Twitter executives attempted to recreate the group’s list of accounts, they
determined that the accounts were “neither strongly Russia nor strongly bots,” and indicated that “there is no evidence to support their statements that the dashboard is a finger on the pulse of Russian information ops.”

When pressed for comment, Rogers’ spokesman Chris Gustafon said in a statement to the Caller, “President-elect Trump is once again assembling a fantastic administration to help the American people and Make America Great Again.”

Wikileaks, which has been highly critical of Rogers as an FBI director aspirant,
suggested that the ASD was a “central player in efforts to tie President Donald Trump and his supporters to Russian interference in the 2016 election” and that the Hamilton 68 Dashboard’s “true purpose appeared to be casting suspicion on Trump supporters and reinforcing claims that his presidency was illegitimate.”

Wikileaks also highlighted how in 2018, Rogers advocated for the suppression of a
Republican memo critical of the FBI’s spying on the Trump campaign.

Rogers
told NPR at the time the memo should not be released because

you’re only going to get a small part of the picture. And so what they’re purportedly alleging is going to come out in the memo today is that there was some misconduct on behalf of FBI agents and some DOJ officials, lawyers at the Department of Justice, in the application for something called the FISA, which is the secret court that does counterintelligence, espionage cases, terrorism cases, where it needs to be in a classified setting.

Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald, responding to a video of Rogers apparently joking with Hunter Biden “intel” letter signatory
Michael Hayden about having Edward Snowden assassinated, tweeted, “There’s literally no worse appointment possible than choosing Mike Rogers for FBI Director, or for any government position. He’s the single most devoted loyalist to the US Security State and all of its multi-faceted abuses. It doesn’t get worse than Mike Rogers.”

While Rogers’ past remarks and associations may serve as red flags for the president-elect, Trump endorsed him in March for his unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan — months after the former congressman and defense lobbyist
criticized the Biden Justice Department’s “war” against Trump.

Patel endorsed Rogers for Senate in April, saying he would “hold the FBI and DOJ accountable.”

“I am a big fan of Mike Rogers, and should there be an opening [for FBI director], he would be my choice,” said Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R).

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, “Mike Rogers is a terrific guy. I don’t know Kash Patel.”

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​Donald trump, Mike rogers, Rogers, Deep state, Surveillance, Atlantic council, Fbi, Bureau, Doj, Swamp, Politics 

Just weeks before Delaware Representative-elect Sarah McBride enters the halls of Congress as the first transgender member, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced legislation that would bar McBride and other transgender individuals from using women’s bathrooms and locker rooms at the U.S. Capitol.

Pat Gray and the “Unleashed” panel discuss the issue.

“I know how vulnerable women and girls are in private spaces, so I’m absolutely 100% going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women’s restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms. I will be there fighting you every step of the way,” Mace told reporters, pointing to her past as a victim of rape.

When she was asked whether the legislation was a result of McBride’s election, Mace pulled no punches. “Yes, and absolutely and then some,” she stated bluntly.

When one hostile reporter cornered Mace about the issue, she laid into him. “I’m not going to allow biological men into women’s private spaces. I will stand in the brink and stand in the way of anyone on the radical left who thinks that it’s okay for a penis to be in a woman’s locker room or a bathroom or a changing room. Hell no!”

When House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about whether or not McBride is a man or a woman, he refused to “engage in silly debates” and responded by accepting McBride as a “duly elected representative of the people” who will be treated with “dignity and respect” like every other member.

“We will accommodate the needs of every single person,” he added.

It would seem, however, that this response wasn’t strong enough for many Republicans.

Later that day, he amended his original statement and said, “A man is a man, and a woman is a woman. A man cannot become a woman, … but I also believe we treat everybody with dignity. We can do and believe all those things at the same time.”

He also released the following statement: “All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex.”

Pat Gray condones both Mace’s and Johnson’s positions.

To hear more about the legislation and how Mace intends to see it through even without a vote, watch the episode above.

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​Blaze media, Blazetv, Congress, Nancy mace, Pat gray, Pat gray unleashed, Sarah mcbride, Transgenderism 

NFL players will not be disciplined for doing Donald Trump-inspired celebrations, with multiple players saying they are simply trying to have fun.

After San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was fined over $11,000 for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat for mere seconds during a postgame interview, he later did the Trump dance after a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Many assumed this would lead to the league clamping down on the politically themed celebrations and making another example out of Bosa. However, the league later revealed that its guidance on the topic was actually no guidance at all.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said there is “no issue” with the dance by Bosa or any of the players in the last two weeks, Blaze News reported.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was one of the first players to offer up an explanation for his dance moves after the fact. The 21-year-old told USA Today that he thought the dance would be a cool addition to his touchdown repertoire.

“I’ve seen everyone do it,” Bowers explained. “I watched the UFC fight [Saturday] night, and Jon Jones did it.”

“I like watching UFC, so I saw it and thought it was cool,” he added.

Bosa, on the other hand, said that his teammates were the ones who pushed him into performing the on-field shimmy.

“All the guys wanted me to do it. I wasn’t even going to do it, but the boys reminded me. And it was fun.”

‘It’s up to the networks to cover them as they see fit.’

At the same time, Front Office Sports asked the NFL spokesman if the league had given any directives to television networks surrounding whether or not they should show the celebrations. The league seemingly pulled a Trumpian move of its own, pushing the decision to states (networks).

“It’s up to the networks to cover them as they see fit,” the league spokesman said of the dances.

Certain networks have been caught ignoring or outright clipping certain viewpoints. NBC in particular has has edited out remarks relating to Christianity and also entirely avoided the fact that Elon Musk was at an NFL game the network was airing. While this is certainly the network’s own prerogative and freedom of choice, these decisions certainly have a much bigger downside when they are noticed.

Furthermore, the NFL’s comments came after reporter Safid Deen said just days earlier that the Las Vegas Raiders’ public relations team ended their question period after he asked Bowers about his Trump dance.

“Raiders PR ended his postgame availability after my question,” Deen wrote on X.

Despite this, the team still posted a stand-alone video of Bowers doing the dance on social media.

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​Fearless, Nfl, 49ers, Raiders, Trump dance, Sports 

Los Angeles City Council member Hugo Soto-Martinez told CNN his city is proud of the fact that it has the largest illegal immigrant population in the country, meaning the city will not aid the incoming Trump administration in its deportation efforts.

CNN host John Berman asked Soto-Martinez if Los Angeles’ new sanctuary policy is out of step with what Americans voted for this election cycle since President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on conducting mass deportations.

“We’re fighting to build affordable housing. We’re giving folks options to get around the city, whether that’s through bus or bike. And so we’re really trying to speak to the issues that the people have. And so — and I think that’s why here in Los Angeles, our message is resonating. And the messages that you described earlier from the Republican Party is not,” Soto-Martinez replied.

‘Read about that and don’t cross that line because it’s a felony to harbor and conceal an illegal alien from ICE.’

When Berman pressed the council member on the issue again, Soto-Martinez said he believes going against deportations and detaining illegal immigrants is the right thing to do.

“And especially here in the City of Angels, where we have some of the largest — we are a city of immigrants. We have the largest undocumented population. They make our economy run. And so I think here in Los Angeles, I think our message is just fine,” he said.

Soto-Martinez acknowledged the city council will have an uphill battle because the Trump administration will have more power and resources to carry out the operation.

“But what we are sending as L.A. City officials is that the city of Los Angeles will not participate in any collaboration with ICE and that we as city officials will do our best to keep families together and protect people,” he explained.

Incoming border czar Tom Homan has made clear that any Democratic leaders who do not want to collaborate with federal officials should get out of the way. He also warned them not to violate Title 8 U.S.C. § 1324.

“They need to educate themselves. They need to review this: Title 8 U.S.C. § 1324. Read about that and don’t cross that line, because it’s a felony to harbor and conceal an illegal alien from ICE. Don’t cross that line,” Homan warned this week.

Homan has said sanctuary cities are only hurting themselves by not working with the federal government, since their refusal to cooperate will force more federal agents to scatter throughout their jurisdictions rather than keep mainly to the local jail.

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​Politics 

When most people go to the airport, they are preoccupied with thoughts of checking luggage, obtaining boarding passes, getting to the correct gate, and determining whether or not their carry-on will fit in the overhead compartment. They aren’t thinking about what’s going on behind the scenes in air traffic control.

Until recently, passengers have never had to think about the strangers up in the towers tasked with ensuring that planes don’t crash into each other on the ground or in the air. They’ve always trusted that these individuals are highly qualified and capable of ensuring their safety.

Unfortunately, those days of blindly trusting that air traffic controllers have a tight grip on the reins are long gone. BlazeTV’s Stu Burguiere lays it all out in the latest Blaze Originals documentary.

“Over the past year, the number of close calls between commercial airliners has surged to nearly three per week,” says Burguiere.

What changed?

Stu traveled to Chicago, South Florida, Denver, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C., and met with experts in the field as well as government officials to seek answers to that question.

The results of his investigation are both harrowing and complicated.

From severe understaffing and absurd DEI hiring policies to outdated technology and a seemingly untouchable Federal Aviation Administration, the people managing 45,000 flights, three million travelers, and 29 million square miles of airspace every single day are not in a position to continue keeping our skies safe.

We can’t help but wonder: It’s been 15 years since the last fatal commercial airline crash, but is the golden era of flying coming to an end?

Join Stu as he digs into the air infrastructure scandal few others are willing to give attention to.

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

.

​Blaze originals, Blaze media, Blazetv, Stu burguiere, Air traffic control, Dei, Faa, Federal aviation administration, Plane crash, Aviation 

Two brothers beat up a Miami tire shop employee amid a dispute over a work order Monday afternoon, police said. Both brothers were arrested — but one of them, a Cuban national — reportedly was placed on an immigration hold.

Miami-Dade police told WPLG-TV that 40-year-old Pedro Luis Rodriguez and 32-year-old Luis Angel Rodriguez-Candano came to Tire Liquidators Miami II in the 2000 block of SW 67th Avenue in west Miami-Dade and argued with the employee over a job done on a car.

Rodriguez grabbed the employee’s gun, hit him on the head with it, and said in Spanish, ‘What good is it to kill you?’ WPLG noted, citing the police report.

Police said Rodriguez began punching the employee multiple times amid the argument, WPLG reported.

The employee then drew a gun from his waistband and held it in the air, the station said, citing a police report.

With that, Rodriguez-Candano lunged at the employee and began pushing him, WPLG said, adding that authorities indicated both brothers jumped on top of the employee, punching him multiple times in the head and body.

The employee then fired three shots — and one of them struck Rodriguez in the leg, the station said.

Rodriguez grabbed the employee’s gun, hit him on the head with it, and said in Spanish, “What good is it to kill you?” WPLG noted, citing the police report.

Police said Rodriguez ran out of the office to call for help, the station said.

Police added that Rodriguez-Candano, once outside, continued to punch the employee, took the gun from Rodriguez, and pointed it at the victim, WPLG reported.

Medics were sent to the scene just after 3:45 p.m., the station said, citing dispatch records,

Authorities told WPLG that the tire shop employee suffered a cut to the top of his head and bruising on both arms but was not taken to a hospital.

Police added to the station that the employee told them he fired the gun in self-defense — and the tire shop owner also supports that claim.

The brother who was shot was taken to a hospital in stable condition, WPLG said.

The station, citing jail records, reported that both brothers are facing one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and that Rodriguez-Candano is facing a separate charge of battery.

The brothers appeared in Miami-Dade bond court for second hearings Tuesday, WPLG reported, adding that both required Spanish interpreters and were represented by attorneys appearing via Zoom.

Rodriguez, a Cuban national, was placed on an immigration hold, and his bond was set at $5,000, the station said.

Rodriguez-Cadano was also given a $5,000 bond, WPLG reported, adding that a judge ordered both brothers were ordered to stay away from the victim.

You can view video reports about the incident here and here.

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​Immigration hold, Miami, Arrest, Brothers, Tire shop worker, Gun, 2nd amend., Self-defense, Cuban national, Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, Battery, Spanish interpreters, Florida, Police, Crime 

Republican candidate Nick Begich has officially unseated incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola for Alaska’s sole House seat on Wednesday, boosting the GOP’s narrow majority in the chamber.

Begich won with 51.3% of the vote, while Peltola brought in 48.7% of the vote. Peltola first flipped the seat in 2022 after Alaska introduced ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank their preferred candidates on the ballot rather than choose between the Democratic and Republican candidates who won their respective primaries.

‘The path ahead will not be built by one person or three people working for all of Alaska but by all Alaskans working together to build a future that works for all of us.’

Going into the 2024 election, there were two Republican candidates up against the Democratic incumbent: Begich and Nancy Dahlstrom. Republicans were concerned that two GOP candidates would split the vote as they did in 2022, so Dahlstrom dropped out in August to avoid becoming a spoiler candidate.

“The Ranked Choice Voting tabulation has been completed and has confirmed our win beyond any residual doubt,” Begich said in a Wednesday post on X. “I am truly honored to have earned your trust and support.”

“Alaska’s potential is unmatched, but much work remains for Alaskans to fully realize that potential,” Begich continued. “I am committed to fighting for our jobs and economy, protecting our unique way of life, and ensuring that our voices are heard loud and clear in Washington.”

Republicans now hold 219 seats, while Democrats hold 213. Although Republicans have the advantage, their margin has been narrowed due to President-elect Donald Trump’s recent nominations that have included three Republican congressmen.

“The path ahead will not be built by one person or three people working for all of Alaska but by all Alaskans working together to build a future that works for all of us,” Peltola said in a Wednesday post on X.

“Nick, I’m rooting for you,” Peltola continued. “Please don’t forget when DC people keep telling you that you are one of three, you are actually one of more than seven hundred thousand Alaskans who are ready to fight for our state, myself included.”

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​Nick begich, Mary peltola, Alaska, House republicans, Republican majority, Donald trump, Nancy dahlstrom, Republicans, House majority, Ranked-choice voting, Politics 

A beloved Detroit-area pastor was fatally struck while out on a morning walk earlier this month, yet the illegal alien believed to be involved in his death is still out roaming the streets.

Around 6:45 a.m. on November 3, Stephen Singleton — a 72-year-old pastor, family man, and avid athlete — was out for his usual morning walk in Rochester Hills, Michigan, a city of some 76,000 residents about a half-hour north of Detroit. Wearing a reflector vest, Singleton stepped into the designated crosswalk so that he could safely cross Rochester Road near Avon Road.

He didn’t make it.

At some point, an individual driving a 2013 Ford Focus struck Singleton with such force that he flew in the air and shattered the windshield, his grieving widow said.

“The car hit him so hard that he flew in the air and hit the windshield and broke it,” Teri Singleton told WXYZ-TV.

The injuries he sustained were catastrophic.

“He had almost every bone in his body broken,” she told WJBK. “He had his collarbone fractured, internal organ damage, and his skull was cracked. He had two craniotomies in the hospital.”

Deputies initially told Mrs. Singleton that her husband was responsive despite his injuries, but by the time the family arrived at the hospital, he had taken a serious turn for the worse. He was placed on life support and died a few days after the crash.

‘I had to sit and watch my husband of 53 years die in front of me.’

Stephen Singleton, always known for his devotion to others, went to New York City in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, praying with those in need and searching desperately — but ultimately in vain — for survivors.

“I started tearing because I couldn’t find survivors,” he recalled in a 2022 interview with WXYZ-TV, where Singleton once worked. “We would find people who were perished, but we couldn’t find survivors.”

A GoFundMe page established following his death gives even more insight into the man Stephen Singleton was:

He never met a stranger, was a friend to everyone and made lifelong friendships. His motto was everyone was his brother or sister and sharing support, wisdom and the love of the Lord was his responsibility. He was a father to the fatherless, as well as all his nieces and nephews and every child in all the neighborhoods he frequented.

While the Singleton family is left to mourn the loss of such a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, the man believed to be involved in his death is not in custody.

“I had to sit and watch my husband of 53 years die in front of me, and then to know that the person who did this is walking around is very difficult to deal with,” Teri said, adding, “He’s dead and they’re walking around. That’s bothering me.”

Investigators told WJBK that the individual is a Colombian national and that U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that he crossed the border illegally and was released pending a future hearing in federal court. WXYZ-TV also noted that the man had a valid foreign driver’s license, “which is accepted in Michigan.”

According to WJBK, police do not believe alcohol or speed were factors in the crash.

A spokesperson from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Blaze News that the crash remains under investigation but declined to comment further.

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​Stephen singleton, Illegal alien, Michigan, Detroit, Oakland county, Illegal immigration, Politics