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A school district in a Democratic-led sanctuary city has reportedly implemented an attendance policy that allows illegal immigrant students to skip school due to fears of federal immigration enforcement.

Chicago Public Schools students can be marked as “excused” from class if their parents or guardians express fears about immigration operations, according to a document obtained by Defending Education and reviewed by Fox News Digital.

‘CPS should not be turning attendance policy into a sanctuary immigration tool.’

The document, titled “Chicago Public Schools’ Attendance Coding for Safety Concerns Related to Federal Representative Activity,” states that the district is “fully committed” to providing children a safe learning environment, adding that it “has strong protections and protocols in place to protect our students and staff.”

CPS highlighted a November 2024 resolution from the Chicago Board of Education, stating that “while these protections and procedures are related to immigration enforcement, they apply to interactions with all federal agents and representatives, including the National Guard.”

The district explains that, as part of its commitment to “Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance,” it does not ask about immigration status and will not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

RELATED: Anti-ICE mob turns hostile, breaching barriers outside detention facility — several officers injured

Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Under a section labeled “Attendance Guidance,” the CPS document reads, “If a parent/guardian reports an absence and attributes it to fear of federal representative-related procedures, schools CAN excuse the absence under ‘concern for student health and safety.'”

When filling out an excused absence request, parents are instructed not to provide any additional information about the absence other than indicating a “concern for student health and safety” to protect the family’s “confidentiality.”

The district states that it does not set a time limit for how long this reason for absence may be used.

If a parent or guardian has been “impacted by federal representative-related procedures,” they can appoint a short-term guardian who can request an excused absence on behalf of the student.

RELATED: DHS crushes Democrat for claiming preschool teacher was detained without warrant in front of children

Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Students are similarly permitted to arrive late or leave early to “avoid official start and dismissal times wherein federal representatives may be present,” the document adds.

Additionally, the district reportedly allows students one excused absence “to engage in a civic event,” such as a demonstration or protest.

While the Illinois State Board of Education does not currently permit students to participate in a hybrid or remote option, CPS states that if this policy changes, it will provide updated information.

“Chicago Public Schools is effectively telling families that fear of federal law enforcement is a standing excuse to keep children out of class with no time limit and no paper trail,” Kendall Tietz, an investigative reporter at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital. “CPS should not be turning attendance policy into a sanctuary immigration tool. Instead, public schools should be focused on getting kids to school and keeping accurate records, not quietly encouraging truancy and obstructing cooperation with federal authorities. This policy undermines both student learning and the rule of law.”

CPS did not respond to a request for comment.

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A civilian aircraft violated the restricted airspace above Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Saturday, according to military officials.

Two F-16 fighter jets scrambled to respond to the plane at about 4:20 p.m., and flares were also fired to get the pilot’s attention, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

‘Adherence to [temporary flight restriction] procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the president.’

The aircraft was escorted out of the restriction zone.

“The flares, which may have been visible to the public, are used with the highest regard for safety, burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground,” read a statement from NORAD.

NORAD said that there had been multiple violations of the restricted airspace by “general aviation aircraft” earlier in the week.

The temporary flight restrictions are issued by the Federal Aviation Administration whenever the president is visiting his residence in Florida. When a violation is detected, air traffic controllers warn pilots, and fighter jets are scrambled to intercept planes if they do not respond.

There have been about 40 instances of airspace violations near Mar-a-Lago since Trump took office in January, NORAD says.

After one violation in March, NORAD commander Gen. Gregory Guillot expressed frustration that pilots aren’t attentive enough to the alerts about avoiding restricted airspace, called NOTAMs.

“Adherence to [temporary flight restriction] procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the president,” said Guillot in a statement at the time. “The procedures are not optional.”

RELATED: ‘Radar anomaly’ triggers airspace closure; senator warns of EMP risks

“Trust us on this … you don’t want to spend your Thanksgiving explaining to the #FAA or local law enforcement that you didn’t check your NOTAMs,” read a statement from NORAD on Wednesday. “#NORAD has already escorted one general aviation pilot out of the #FAA restricted airspace near Palm Beach today. Don’t be next, check NOTAMs before every flight.”

NORAD is a joint organization between Canadian and U.S. forces to monitor and defend North American airspace. It was first established in 1957 and includes high-ranking members of the Royal Canadian Air Force as well as the U.S. Air Force.

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Millions of Americans across the country were told during the pandemic to offer up their arms for the COVID-19 vaccines — the first-ever mRNA vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — if they wanted to keep their jobs, eat in public, stay in school, or visit their loved ones.

Government officials, the establishment media, and pharmaceutical representatives claimed that the vaccines were “safe and effective.” Those who dared to suggest otherwise about the experimental drugs that were making liability-shielded vaccine manufacturers record profits were often attacked and censored.

Months after the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that “mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses,” the Food and Drug Administration admitted in an internal letter that the COVID-19 vaccines killed numerous children.

‘Healthy young children who faced tremendously low risk of death were coerced.’

Dr. Vinay Prasad, chief medical officer at the FDA and director at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, noted in an email to staff on Friday that FDA Office of Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance career staff “have found that at least 10 children have died after and because of receiving COVID-19 vaccination.”

In the email, which was reviewed by multiple publications and shared online by the Washington Post, Prasad indicated that the OBPV performed an analysis of 96 deaths between 2021 and 2024 and concluded “that no fewer than 10 are related. If anything, this represents conservative coding, where vaccines are exculpated rather than indicated in cases of ambiguity. The real number is higher.”

“These deaths are related to vaccination (likely/probable/possible attribution made by staff). That number is certainly an underestimate due to underreporting, and inherent bias in attribution,” wrote Prasad. “This safety signal has far-reaching implications for Americans, the U.S. pandemic response, and the agency itself.”

RELATED: Pfizer COVID shot sales plummet after Trump administration ends universal recommendations

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Despite the strong improbability of a healthy child getting seriously ill from COVID, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, and other health officials championed injecting kids with the novel vaccines.

On Nov. 2, 2021, then-President Joe Biden’s health officials gave final approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot for kids ages 5 to 11. Biden said at the time, “It is a major step forward for our nation in our fight to defeat the virus.”

COVID-19 vaccination for children younger than 5 began across the U.S. in June 2022.

“These vaccines are safe, highly effective, and will give parents the peace of mind of knowing their child is protected from the worst outcomes of COVID-19,” said Biden.

Prasad noted in his Friday letter that despite evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine put boys and young men at great risk of myocarditis, Biden health officials “did not quickly attempt mitigation strategies such as spacing doses apart, lowering doses, omitting doses among those with prior COVID-19.”

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can manifest as various symptoms, including heart palpitations, chest pain, fainting, and weakness, and can also cause fatal cardiac arrest.

“Worse, the FDA delayed acknowledgement of the safety signal until after it could extend marketing authorization to younger boys 12-15,” continued Prasad. “Had the acknowledgement come early, these younger boys, who likely did not require COVID-19 vaccination, may have chosen to avoid the products.”

The FDA’s chief medical officer stressed that the OBPV’s finding that the COVID vaccine contributed to the deaths of children amounted to “a profound revelation.”

“For the first time, the U.S. FDA will acknowledge that COVID-19 vaccines have killed American children,” continued Prasad, whose agency revoked emergency-use authorization for COVID vaccines earlier this year. “Healthy young children who faced tremendously low risk of death were coerced, at the behest of the Biden administration, via school and work mandates, to receive a vaccine that could result in death. In many cases, such mandates were harmful.”

Peter Marks, Prasad’s predecessor, complained to the New York Times about the “political tone” of Prasad’s letter and noted, “I would not be surprised if the attributions turn out to be debatable, as these cases are often quite complex.”

FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said in a “Fox & Friends” interview on Saturday that his agency would no longer “rubber-stamp things with no data,” adding that such a “mockery of science” was alternatively “the M.O. in the Biden administration with the eternal COVID booster approvals for young, healthy kids.”

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More information is being uncovered about Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old Afghan who allegedly shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Lakanwal was a member of a secret military operation backed by the CIA to hunt down Taliban commanders, according to multiple reports. The members of the “Zero Units” were highly vetted and praised by those who knew about them.

‘This animal would’ve never been here if not for Joe Biden’s dangerous policies which allowed countless unvetted criminals to invade our country.’

One of the guardsmen has since died, and the other is in critical condition. Both are members of the West Virginia National Guard.

Refugee advocates say that many Zero Units members have fallen into despair over their inability to gain work permits in the U.S. after fleeing from Afghanistan when it was retaken by the Taliban. Former intelligence and military officials say Lakanwal would have undergone significant vetting to be accepted into a Zero Unit operation.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Lakanwal’s CIA connection. “In the wake of the disastrous Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation,” he said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson blamed the Biden administration for allowing Lakanwal into the U.S. after the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

“This animal would’ve never been here if not for Joe Biden’s dangerous policies which allowed countless unvetted criminals to invade our country and harm the American people,” she said.

Lakanwal was brought in under Operation Allies Welcome and was granted asylum under the Trump administration in April. President Donald Trump has halted all asylum applications after the shooting.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi seemed to imply that more information about Lakanwal’s radicalization would be forthcoming.

“You’re going to hear a lot more about that,” she said on Fox News.

Lakanwal is facing one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

RELATED: MS NOW reporter obliterated online for unbelievable comment on National Guard shooting

A statement from No One Left Behind, a group advocating for Afghan allies who fought for the U.S., condemned the shooting.

“No One Left Behind serves Afghan and Iraqi allies who earned Special Immigrant Visas through direct service alongside U.S. military forces,” the statement reads. “These wartime partners risked everything to protect American troops, walking into firefights as interpreters, identifying threats that saved convoys, standing watch beside our service members in the most dangerous places on earth.”

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The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal drug smuggling has reportedly prompted an economic collapse of one Venezuelan city.

Güiria, a port city dependent on the smuggling of illicit narcotics and other contraband, is facing economic challenges following the Trump administration’s strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats.

‘Everything is practically dead.’

The administration has launched numerous strikes in the Caribbean Sea in waters close to Venezuela in an effort to end the trafficking of drugs into the U.S.

“As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes,'” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated. “The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.”

“Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth added.

Several Güiria residents claim the strikes have brought their town’s economy to a standstill, according to a Friday report from Reuters.

RELATED: Trump confirms call with Maduro after report of alleged regime-change ultimatum

Pete Hegseth. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The news outlet noted that Güiria “survives mostly on maritime smuggling of contraband, including drugs,” and it is also “partly sustained by informal trade in food and other goods with Trinidad and Tobago.”

“There was only movement in stores recently because of government bonus payments; otherwise, there’s no money circulating,” a food store clerk told Reuters.

“No boats of any kind are leaving for Trinidad and Tobago any more — not migrants, not people buying goods there to sell here, and certainly not those taking Venezuelan products to sell there, which was another way to make money. Everything is practically dead,” she stated.

RELATED: Trump to ‘permanently pause’ migration from third-world backwaters in wake of National Guard member’s grisly murder

Nicolas Maduro. Photo by Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images

The residents also reported an increase in the number of security personnel in the town since mid-September.

“They pass through the same areas many times, at all hours. Before, they weren’t so persistent; now they’re everywhere all the time,” a community leader told Reuters, referring to the security personnel.

“They’re all organized by the government — civilians and police go together supervising the streets,” another individual told the news outlet. “Everything seems calm except for the increased surveillance in the town.”

President Donald Trump has reportedly presented Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro with an ultimatum to relinquish control and flee the country.

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Sanctuary city policies continue to shield criminal illegal aliens amid the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to ramp up deportations.

The Department of Homeland Security revealed Monday that there are thousands of known criminal illegal aliens currently incarcerated in New York City that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking to remove from the country.

‘Honor those detainers, and then we won’t have to flood the zone with our ICE law enforcement.’

“We’re seeing that these criminal illegal aliens are exiting the jails and going back on to New York, or Chicago, or these other sanctuary streets to re-perpetuate their crimes,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News.

“Today, in New York City’s jails are 7,169 criminal illegal aliens,” McLaughlin continued. “We’re talking about hundreds of murderers, hundreds of sexual predators, drug traffickers, the worst of the worst.”

McLaughlin encouraged sanctuary city politicians to cooperate with immigration officials to remove these known threats from the country.

“Honor those detainers, and then we won’t have to flood the zone with our ICE law enforcement. We won’t have to put those men and women on the ground because we will get these vicious criminals out of New York City’s jails,” McLaughlin added.

RELATED: ICE makes pitch to NYPD cops after Mamdani promises radical overhaul

Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, has vowed to resist the immigration raids and criticized current Mayor Eric Adams (D) for cooperating with the Trump administration.

In October, Mamdani called Trump’s ICE “a reckless agency,” arguing that “collaboration hasn’t worked.”

“We need to change our laws — and stand up to Washington,” he stated.

RELATED: Socialist Mamdani promises to ‘Trump-proof’ New York City, expel ICE

New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani. Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

After securing a victory in the mayoral election, Mamdani issued a warning to ICE.

“My message to ICE agents, and to everyone across this city, is that everyone will be held to the same standard of the law. If you violate the law, you must be held accountable,” Mamdani said.

“There’s sadly a sense that is growing across this country that certain people are allowed to violate the law whether that be the president or agents themselves,” he stated. “What New Yorkers are looking for is an era of consistency. An era of clarity and an era of conviction. And that’s what we will deliver to them.”

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“Heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs,” Kevin Root recalled to KDVR-TV about a heart-stopping 3:30 a.m. encounter at his family’s Denver home last month. “As a parent, you know your kids’ footsteps, and this was not any of our kids.”

The unsettling noises woke up Kevin and his wife, Sarah, the station said — and Kevin got up to find out where the sounds were coming from.

‘It feels unsettling that something so invasive and violating is permitted to happen and the person is back on the street.’

“We had our door slightly cracked, and I saw the shadow go by, and that just is a sinking feeling,” Sarah added to KDVR.

Turns out an intruder had broken the lock on the Roots’ front door — and now he was on the staircase, the station said.

“As I heard him coming up, I said, ‘Who is this?’ I just yelled, thinking, ‘Let me just let him know, like, we know you’re here. We’re awake,’” Kevin recalled to KDVR.

The Roots told the station the intruder kept silent and was heading to where their children were sleeping.

“As a mom, it’s just your worst nightmare,” Sarah shared with KDVR. “It’s terrifying.”

Neither parent had any idea if the intruder was armed, either, the station said — but Kevin knew there was only one thing to do.

“There comes a moment where you’re like, ‘This is me. I’m a husband and a father; it’s on me to do something,'” he told KDVR.

The station noted that while Sarah called 911 from their bedroom, Kevin got physical: “It was just one of those, like, ‘This is my moment.’ So I jumped out of the bedroom, and I pushed him down the stairs.”

More from KDVR:

He says the man fell all the way to the bottom, knocking some pictures off the wall and leaving a dent in the molding. He took a video as police arrived minutes later while the man laid on the floor.

The man eventually went peacefully into custody; all he took from the home was a fall decoration from the porch.

“We’re just thankful that everyone is OK,” Sarah added to the station.

Charley Cooley, 36, faced a felony second-degree robbery charge, KDVR reported, adding that his record shows he already had been arrested in September for another felony robbery charge in connection with an incident earlier in 2025.

RELATED: Army vet learns daughter got attacked, but she’s at college 1,000 miles away. So he’s on a plane that day and settles things.

Fox News reported that after his September arrest, Cooley was released just days later.

“We found out later about his criminal background, and that stirred up a whole new layer of emotion,” Sarah added to the cable network. “It feels unsettling that something so invasive and violating is permitted to happen and the person is back on the street.”

But it gets even worse.

The Denver District Attorney’s Office told Fox News that a judge set Cooley’s bond at $5,000 property/surety or $500 cash following the break-in at the Roots’ home.

Sure enough, Cooley posted $500 cash, the cable network said, citing KDVR.

“Multiple offenses, and he’s been released both times,” Kevin shared with Fox News. “The reality is he’s back out and has a history of doing this.”

Sarah added to the cable network that “we hope there’s justice and that he’s placed somewhere that prevents him from hurting anyone else.”

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Last week, many of you likely sat around the Thanksgiving table with people who don’t share your worldview, but it didn’t stop you from breaking bread. In the end, family trumped ideological disputes.

But not everyone was willing to set aside their differences in the name of community and celebration. Jimmy Kimmel and his wife, Molly McNearney, for example, have cut contact with their family members who voted for Donald Trump.

On November 6 during an episode of the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast, McNearney said, “It hurts me so much because of the personal relationship I now have where my husband is out there fighting this man, and to me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family, and I unfortunately have lost relationships with people in my family because of it.”

“I feel like I’m kind of in constant conflict, and I’m angry all the time. … I personalize everything now. When I see these terrible stories every day, I’m immediately mad at certain aunts, uncles, cousins who put him in power. … I wish I could deprogram myself in some way, but I get really angry,” she added.

“It’s weird how things have changed now,” Glenn Beck says in response. “But I’ve been thinking about it, and I think politics was not the sacred altar that it is now. Washington was not the center of our personal universe. Family was, community was, how we treated each other was. We had room to be wrong, room to disagree, room to be human.”

Glenn’s question, not just for McNearney and other like-minded liberals but also people on the right who let politics destroy their relationships, is: “Why is it so important to us that everyone sees the world exactly the way we do?”

“My relatives, I don’t hate them because they don’t agree with me. We hash it out, we roll our eyes, and then, ‘Pass the potatoes, will you?’” he says, noting that there are a lot of people in his family who vehemently oppose his views.

In the interview, McNearney also stated, “To me, this isn’t politics. It’s truly values,” but Glenn calls out her hypocrisy.

“Here’s one value that we all used to share: the value of accepting that other people, even family, even people you love, are allowed to be wrong. They’re allowed to fail. They’re allowed to see a world through a different prism,” he says.

“This belief that everybody who doesn’t agree with you, they’re somehow or another misinformed, that they’re somehow lesser, that if they don’t vote the way you want, they’re not voting for your family — that’s not democracy; that’s the seed of authoritarian thinking.”

Eventually, that little whispering voice that convinces you to be angry and reject people who don’t agree with you gets louder and louder.

“Do you force them eventually to see it your way? Because if you’ve tried to convince them and they can’t be convinced, your choice really is love them or force them into silence,” Glenn says.

Or, as Glenn suggests, “You shrug your shoulders and say, ‘Pass the potatoes.’”

To hear more of Glenn’s commentary, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Jimmy kimmel, Thanksgiving, Molly mcnearney, Politics, Family, Blazetv, Blaze media, Donald trump, Trump voters 

Wait … it’s not over yet?

This critic enjoyed “Wicked: For Good” better than some, but at the very least, it’s comforting to know the saga is over after two gargantuan films.

“I’m going to change the channel. … I am gonna do my own research like I’ve done with everything my entire life. I’m gonna listen to other voices.”

Or is it?

“There are things under way,” Universal Pictures’ chief marketing officer, Michael Moses, told Vulture regarding more “Wicked” stories. That’s what happens when a film makes $147 million stateside in just one weekend despite the rickety nature of the theatrical market.

“The Scarecrow’s Revenge”? “It Ain’t Easy Being Green (Like Elphaba)”?

“Toto: The Movie”?

The mind reels. The turnstiles will keep spinning until this franchise has been squeezed dry …

Number one with a bullet

Enrico Pallazzo, call your agent.

Variety magazine trumpeted the 100 greatest comedies of all time last week. Listicles remain subjective, but any list leaving out “Raising Arizona,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” and “Animal House” is suspect beyond belief.

Except its number-one selection.

The 1988 parody “The Naked Gun” scored top honors, a tribute to sanity and the enduring genius of director/co-writer David Zucker.

Leslie Nielsen’s pitch-perfect comedy remains as good as it was on opening day 37 years ago. Who could forget Nielsen belting out the national anthem, pretending to be a world-famous opera singer?

The legacy media has reached the broken-clock stage. Twice a day it gets something right …

RELATED: Liberals really want to believe Colbert’s show was canceled for political reasons

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images

Fake blues

First country, now Christian music?

A few weeks ago, the number-one country song on the Billboard genre chart came from … a computer. The AI-generated Breaking Rust band did the honors, courtesy of “Walk My Walk.”

Now, it’s happening again.

Solomon Ray’s EP “A Soulful Christmas” hit the top spot on iTunes’ 100 Christian and Gospel Albums chart. And, you guessed it, Ray shares something in common with “It” actress Tilly Norwood.

Both exist only in AI.

What’s next? Why should Hollywood shell out millions making a new “Running Man” movie, which flopped in spectacular fashion just days ago, if movie makers could just feed the 1987 original into a computer and spit out a remake?

The film’s hero, Ben Richards, said he would be back in the first film, but he didn’t specify how …

Et tu, David?

We’re lucky David Letterman signed off “The Late Show” in 2015. Had he still ruled the CBS show, his TDS might be worse than Stephen Colbert’s or Jimmy Kimmel’s … combined.

Letterman is running defense for far-left host Seth Meyers after President Donald Trump shredded the “Late Night” star on social media.

Letterman dubbed President Trump a “dictator” and broke out the hyperbole machine in the process.

“It’s like 18 times the worst behavior one has witnessed ever anywhere. Think of the worst thing that you’ve ever seen humans accomplish. This is so much worse.”

Forget serial killers. Nazi strongmen. Communist leaders who starved millions without batting an eye. Trump is worse by nearly 20 times.

Boy, Letterman would fit right into today’s late-night landscape …

Sheen the light

Talk about a change of heart.

Troubled star Charlie Sheen wanted the very worst for President Donald Trump during the real estate mogul’s first term. He Tweeted “Trump next, please” six times in the wake of singer George Michael’s shocking 2016 death.

Now, Sheen is on a comeback tour, both professionally and personally. He’s clean, sober, and willing to make amends. And he’s chatting with plenty of right-leaning interviewers as part of the process. He explained to SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly how expanding his news feed made him see things in a different light.

“I’m going to conduct an experiment. Literally, I’m going to change the channel. I’m gonna do my own research like I’ve done with everything my entire life. I’m gonna listen to other voices. I’m gonna explore just hearing both sides of the g*****n story, you know?”

What happened next?

“Some of the stuff I’d bought into, and some other stuff I was worshipping, and some of the people I was hating because I was told I was supposed to hate them.”

He even suggested that he didn’t vote for Trump last year but wishes he could have a do-over. He went from “winning” to “red-pilling” before our eyes …

Leave ‘Home’ alone

How about we don’t but say we did?

“Home Alone” star Macaulay Culkin knows Hollywood loves nothing more than sequels. So he has come up with a plan for a novel “Home Alone” extension for his Kevin McCallister character. Sure, we’ve already seen him get “Lost in New York” before getting replaced by younger stars for four “Home Alone” films.

Now, it’s Kevin Jr.’s turn.

“I’m either a widower or a divorcee. I’m raising a kid and all that stuff. I’m working really hard and I’m not really paying enough attention, and the kid is kind of getting miffed at me — and then I get locked out.”

The lad decides against letting Daddy in. Next, instead of the Wet Bandits causing our hero mayhem, it is Kevin’s own son creating those devious traps for Daddy.

Maybe it’s best to leave this franchise alone, no?

​Leslie nielsen, The naked gun, Variety, Entertainment, Culture, Donald trump, David letterman, Toto recall, Macaulay culkin 

President Donald Trump is weighing in ahead of a high-stakes special election in Tennessee.

Constituents in Tennessee’s 7th congressional district will cast their last votes on Tuesday to replace retired Republican Rep. Mark Green, choosing between Trump-endorsed Matt Van Epps and scandal-ridden Democrat Aftyn Behn.

‘She hates Christianity. … She hates country music.’

“Matt Van Epps, he’s a winner,” Trump said over the phone during a rally with Speaker Mike Johnson. “He’s going to be great. Don’t let this stuff fool you. The Democrats are spending a fortune.”

Apart from party affiliation and policy platform, Trump pointed to two main reasons why Tennesseans should turn their backs on Behn.

RELATED: It gets worse for Nashville Democrat who ‘hates’ her own city: ‘Burning down a police station is justified’

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

“She said two things above all else that bothered me,” Trump said.

“Number one, she hates Christianity. Number two, she hates country music,” Trump said. “How the hell can you elect a person like that?”

Trump is referring to just some of Behn’s many scandals that have plagued the Democrat’s campaign, including a number of notorious comments and erratic displays. Behn infamously expressed her hatred for Nashville, the very city she is running to represent, and in at least one instance refused to walk it back.

“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville, apparently, an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country,” Behn said. “But I hate it.”

RELATED: ‘Do I have to stay until I’m assassinated?’ Marjorie Taylor Greene lashes out over calls to finish her term

On a separate occasion, Behn was confronted for past tweets condoning the burning down of police stations during the 2020 riots, which she also failed to apologize for.

One of these tweets read, “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.”

If Behn’s past podcast episodes or deleted tweets didn’t come back to haunt her enough, another video resurfaced showing the Democrat state legislator storming into Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s office in 2019 before being forcibly removed by security. This video put Behn’s capacity to govern on full display, showing her kicking, screaming, and later sobbing on the floor as she was removed by Lee’s security.

Blaze News reached out to Behn’s campaign for comment.

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​Donald trump, Aftyn behn, Mark green, Matt van epps, Tennessee, Mike johnson, Bill lee, 2020 riots, Defund the police, Nashville, Christianity, Country music, Special election, Leftist, Politics 

In one of the latest setbacks for the Trump administration, New Jersey’s acting U.S. attorney has been disqualified from the role after an appeal by the government.

On Monday, an appellate court ruled that New Jersey acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a Trump appointee, is disqualified from the role.

‘It is apparent that the current administration has been frustrated by some of the legal and political barriers to getting its appointees in place.’

A panel of three judges on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — two George W. Bush appointees and one Obama appointee — unanimously affirmed a lower-court judge’s ruling against Habba’s appointment.

“It is apparent that the current administration has been frustrated by some of the legal and political barriers to getting its appointees in place. Its efforts to elevate its preferred candidate for U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, to the role of Acting U.S. Attorney demonstrate the difficulties it has faced — yet the citizens of New Jersey and the loyal employees in the U.S. Attorney’s Office deserve some clarity and stability,” the court wrote, according to the Associated Press.

RELATED: California judge disqualifies Trump’s LA-area prosecutor — but he’s not going anywhere

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The administration can either ask for a full panel of 3rd Circuit judges to reconsider the decision or it can turn to the Supreme Court, according to Fox News.

Habba was sworn in as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey on March 28 of this year, replacing John Giordano, now the ambassador to Namibia.

The Trump administration has fought tirelessly to keep his appointed U.S. attorneys in their positions, including Bill Essayli in the Central District of California and Sigal Chattah in Nevada.

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​Politics, Alina habba, New jersey, Acting attorney general, 3rd us circuit court of appeals, Bill essayli, Sigal chattah, Trump, Trump administration 

President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he recently spoke with Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan president whom the State Department recently identified as the leader of a foreign terrorist organization and for whom the U.S. is offering a $50 million bounty.

Trump would not elaborate on the nature or details of the call, which reportedly occurred last week. When asked whether it went well, Trump said, “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.”

‘That’s going to start very soon.’

Sources allegedly familiar with the exchange told the Miami Herald that the White House gave Maduro an ultimatum: “Safe passage would be guaranteed for him, his wife Cilia Flores, and his son only if he agreed to resign right away.”

The leadership in Caracas reportedly proposed in turn that Maduro surrender control to his political opposition but maintain control of the country’s military.

One source told the Herald that the call amounted to a last-ditch effort to stave off a direct confrontation.

“First, Maduro asked for global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed,” said the source. “Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces — similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Violeta Chamorro. In return, they would allow free elections.”

Washington rejected both proposals, and Caracas rejected, in turn, the demand that Maduro resign immediately, said the source.

RELATED: Europeans want US missiles to defend them, not America — and Rubio’s had enough of their hypocrisy

Photo by Gladjimi Balisage/US Navy via Getty Images

The White House did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

An individual in regular contact with regime officials recently told the Wall Street Journal that Maduro and his cohort largely regard Washington’s threats as a bluff.

The skepticism in Caracas appears misplaced, given that the Trump administration has not only proven willing to blow away scores of alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea, incurring international and domestic condemnations in the process, but has amassed over a dozen warships and 15,000 troops in the region.

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which entered the Caribbean Sea last month, features the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as over 70 aircraft, two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, and an integrated air and missile defense command ship, the destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill, the Navy said.

The carrier strike group joined the two guided-missile destroyers that were already operating in the Caribbean along with a pair of guided-missile cruisers — the USS Lake Erie and the USS Gettysburg — and elements of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which includes the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The source in contact with regime officials told the Journal that Maduro figures the only way the U.S. can remove him from power is by sending troops to Caracas.

In his Thanksgiving Day address to U.S. troops, Trump lauded the efforts of the U.S. Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing for its efforts to “deter Venezuelan drug traffickers” by sea and hinted at taking the fight ashore, stating, “We’ll be starting to stop them by land.”

“The land is easier,” said Trump. “But that’s going to start very soon.”

On Saturday, Trump said in a social media post, “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”

It appears that Caracas may now be taking the Trump administration more seriously.

Venezuela’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday, “Venezuela denounces and condemns the colonialist threat that seeks to affect the sovereignty of its airspace, constituting yet another extravagant, illegal, and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people.”

Citing sources familiar with the matter, CNN indicated that Trump will hold a meeting at the White House on Monday to discuss next steps on Venezuela.

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​Maduro, Venezuela, Regime change, Military, Intervention, War, Marco rubio, Politics 

Journey’s Jonathan Cain first met Charlie Kirk in 2016 outside the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

The conservative firebrand was in rare form, recalls Cain. The activist held a Big Government Sucks sign and vowed, “We’re gonna change the world.”

‘I said to Paula, “He could be president someday,”‘ he says. ‘He had the drive and the wisdom of the ages. … He reached generations.’

Kirk did just that. He started a youth movement in Turning Point USA. The organization empowered conservative college students nationwide and played a pivotal role in President Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign.

His viral debates woke up countless Gen Zers to the power of faith and conservative values. And following his Sept. 10 murder, his legacy sparked a conservative college revival.

‘No one else’

Cain, a singer/songwriter and keyboardist for Journey for 45 years, got to know Kirk via his wife, President Donald Trump’s spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain.

“It was such a blow to free speech, a mockery of everything he had done,” Cain tells Align of Kirk’s murder. The musician decided to write a pastor appreciation song for the slain leader.

“Not many pastors came close to what he accomplished … the revival, bringing kids back to church, having them look at their family values,” Cain says.

That impulse became “No One Else,” a new single dedicated to Kirk’s memory and cultural impact.

No one else reached generations
Could heal with truth and conversation
Setting all differences aside
No one else could question hate
Turn hearts and minds with true debate
From the battle our nation will arise
Faithful servant, you’ve done well
No one else

Like a few songs in his decades-long repertoire, this one came to him quickly.

“I went into my studio. … Thirty minutes later, I fleshed out everything I wanted to say,” he says.

Men of faith

The track, like Kirk’s death, brought out the worst of the venomous left.

“The social commentary was really disgusting,” Cain recalls of some online reactions. “They accused me of trying to make money. … There’s very little money in music any more.”

Cain is an industry veteran, so he shrugged off the naysayers. He still seems stunned that he tried to get Rolling Stone magazine interested in covering his song, to no avail.

“They didn’t want to touch an interview with me,” he says. “The song was about Charlie.”

Like Kirk, Cain is a man of deep faith, as is his wife. The Cains’ Trump connection found them running into Kirk often over the years. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member was continually struck by how Kirk got “into the hearts and minds” of his young followers, sharing his conservative Christian values along the way.

“I said to Paula, ‘He could be president someday,’” he says. “He had the drive and the wisdom of the ages. … He reached generations.”

RELATED: Where evil tried to win: How a Utah revival turned atrocity into interfaith miracle

MELISSA MAJCHRZAK/AFP via Getty Images

‘He saved you for music’

Cain credits his father, a “prayerful man,” for instilling faith in him at an early age. His faith was shaken by a 1958 fire at his school in Chicago, a disaster that took the lives of 93 children and three nuns.

“How could that evil happen?” he asked himself at the time.

His father, again, nudged him toward a spiritual path. He took the youngster to music school, imploring him to share his gifts with others.

“He saved you for music,” his father told him. The 8-year-old couldn’t initially get his hand around a guitar, but he did as he was told, and the music began to flow through him.

That wasn’t all.

“The idea of Jesus stayed with me, firmly planted,” he says.

Fateful Journey

The rest, as they say, is music history. Cain released his first solo record in 1976, joined the Babys three years later, and, in 1980, took over as the keyboardist for Journey. The band became a sensation, with Cain contributing keyboards and critical songwriting for the iconic band.

He played a key role in the band’s most famous song, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” with lyrics inspired by his father.

Now, at 75, he is prepping for Journey’s 2026 tour, complete with a reconstructed knee. Journey may keep rocking, but Cain knows when it’s time to step away from the band.

“I don’t want to die on the road. I’ve been out there for 50 years. … It feels like the time to get off the train is here,” he says.

He admits that matters have not always been smooth with longtime bandmates like Journey founder Neal Schon, including legal dustups in recent years.

“It’s sad, but it happens to most bands,” he says, noting that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards aren’t mates in the traditional sense, given their decades of acrimony. Still, the show must go on, and Cain appreciates his bandmates and, even more, the fans.

“They’re the gold that has given me a career. … I’m grateful and thankful for them. I want to go out the right way,” he says. “I’ll be 77 to 78 [by the time the tour ends]. That’s enough.”

​Journey, Christianity, Abide, Faith, Jonathan caine, Don’t stop believin’, Music, Entertainment, Culture, Charlie kirk, Donad trump, Align interview 

Two males were fatally shot Friday night in Texas — and the man who pulled the trigger said the pair followed him, tried to block his car, and physically attacked him.

Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office told KTRK-TV the shooter said he acted in self-defense.

‘Looks like the 2 attackers had road rage. Is he not supposed to defend himself? Whatever it takes.’

Deputies responded around 8:45 p.m. to reports of a possible roadway shooting on Greengate Drive near Spring Stuebner Road in the Spring area, KHOU-TV said.

First responders told KTRK they found two males with gunshot wounds in the 22100 block of Greengate Drive; one died at the scene, and the other was taken to a hospital where he died.

The shooter said the pair followed his car for a while and tried to block him when he reached the neighborhood where the final confrontation took place, the sheriff’s office told KTRK.

Deputies added to KTRK that all three exited their vehicles, and the man who pulled the trigger said the pair started kicking him and his car.

“The shooter in the incident stayed on scene and surrendered himself to arriving deputies,” Sgt. Jason Brown noted to KHOU. The man who pulled the trigger is cooperating with investigators, the sheriff’s office told KTRK.

The fatally shot males have been identified as 57-year-old Timothy Underwood and 59-year-old Keith McDonald, KTRK said, citing the sheriff’s office.

No charges have been filed, officials told KTRK, and the shooter was not in custody.

However, the case was under investigation, and the district attorney’s office will review it, the sheriff’s office told KTRK.

RELATED: Elderly Texas homeowner armed with hunting rifle spots burglar who broke through back door. It doesn’t end well for intruder.

When asked if the two males were armed, Brown told KHOU, “Not that we know of. We’re still in the process of going through the scene … but as of right now, we don’t believe that they were armed.”

Reactions under KHOU’s Facebook post about the fatal shootings were mixed:

“They don’t have to be armed to do bodily harm or even kill you,” one commenter said.”They do if you’re in a car … because why don’t you just jump the curb to get away,” another commenter countered. “How are unarmed men going to hurt you if the doors are locked?””FAFO,” another user bluntly noted before later adding, “Looks like the 2 attackers had road rage. Is he not supposed to defend himself? Whatever it takes.””IDK … call me crazy, but if I felt my life was in danger, I would not park my car and get out of it … would you?” another commenter wondered. “Self-defense doesn’t work here. He was trigger happy and probably had road rage.”

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​Crime thwarted, Self-defense, 2nd amend., Texas, Fatal shooting, Two males killed, Guns, Gun rights, Physical attack, Harris county sheriff’s office, Crime 

President Donald Trump leaned into his criticism of Somalia and its apparent top spokeswoman in Congress, telling reporters on Air Force One why America is better off both without asylum-seekers from the failed African nation and without Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (D).

America First versus Somalia First

Trump announced on Nov. 21 that he was terminating the Temporary Protected Status designation for Somalia following a report detailing instances of alleged and confirmed fraud perpetrated by numerous members of the Somali community in Minnesota as well as the alleged direction of stolen taxpayer funds by members of the Somali community to terrorists abroad.

‘If that’s true, she shouldn’t be a congressman.’

“Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing,” Trump noted on Truth Social. “Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”

Omar, a native of Somalia who claimed last year that the “U.S government will do what [Somali-Americans] tell the U.S. government to do,” did not take the news well.

The Democrat ethno-nationalist wrote on Bluesky, “I am a citizen and so are majority of Somalis in America. Good luck celebrating a policy change that really doesn’t have much impact on the Somalis you love to hate. We are here to stay.”

Omar then held a press conference with Minnesota state Democrats in which she claimed Trump lacked the authority to terminate Somalia’s TPS designation, suggested that the corruption referred to by the president was not systemic among Minnesota’s Somali community, and accused Trump of endangering Somalis across the United States.

RELATED: ‘Send them back’: Somalia First pitted against America First in Minnesota as Ilhan Omar attacks Trump over special status

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Image

Following the fatal attack on National Guard members in the national capital last week, allegedly by an Afghan shooter, the president not only revealed that he was cutting off the flow of migrants to the U.S. from third-world backwaters such as Afghanistan but laid into Omar and rogue actors among the Somali community once again.

Trump noted in his lengthy announcement on Truth Social:

Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota. Somalian gangs are roving the streets looking for “prey” as our wonderful people stay locked in their apartments and houses hoping against hope that they will be left alone.

After suggesting that “the seriously retarded Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz,” had failed to tackle the problem, Trump turned his sights on Omar, who he claimed “does nothing but hatefully complain about our Country, its Constitution, and how ‘badly’ she is treated,” adding that Omar “probably came into the U.S.A. illegally.”

Family matters

When asked on Sunday about how long he intends to block asylum claims from various nations into the U.S., Trump told reporters, “I think a long time.”

“We don’t want ’em. We don’t want those people. We have enough problems. We don’t want those people,” said the president.

“You know why we don’t want ’em? Because many have been no good, and they shouldn’t be in our country.”

Trump clarified that by “those people,” he meant “people from different countries that are not friendly to us and countries that are out of control themselves — countries like Somalia that have virtually no government, no military, no police. All they do is go around killing each other. Then they come into our country and tell us how to run our country. We don’t want them.”

After using Somalia as an example of a nation whose asylees the U.S. could do without, Trump suggested that Omar “supposedly came into our country by marrying her brother.”

“Well, if that’s true, she shouldn’t be a congressman. And we should throw her the hell out of our country,” said Trump.

Omar has long been accused of immigration-related marriage fraud and bigamy.

Years after coming to the U.S. as a refugee, Omar reportedly took out a marriage license to marry Ahmed Hirsi. While she married Hirsi in a Muslim ceremony and had children with him, she did not initially marry him legally.

After supposedly separating from Hirsi, Omar formally married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi — a British-Somali national reportedly identified by numerous Somalis as Omar’s brother — in 2009. Over the next few years, she would separate and secure a legal divorce from Elmi, then reunite and have another child with Hirsi.

Omar called the allegations “absolutely false and ridiculous” in a 2016 statement, adding that “insinuations that Ahmed Nur Said Elmi is my brother are absurd and offensive.”

Despite Omar’s denial of the allegations, an individual identifying as one of her friends, Abdihakim Osman, told the Daily Mail in 2020 that Omar had confirmed that Elmi was her brother and that she married him so he could remain in the United States.

Osman indicated that in the early 2000s, “People began noticing that Ilhan and Southside [Hirsi] were often with a very effeminate young guy.”

“He was very feminine in the way he dressed — he would wear light lipstick and pink clothes and very, very short shorts in the summer. People started whispering about him,” said Osman. “[Hirsi] and Ilhan both told me it was Ilhan’s brother and he had been living in London, but he was mixing with what were seen as bad influences that the family did not like.”

“So they sent him to Minneapolis as ‘rehab,'” claimed Osman.

After Omar married Elmi, he started school at North Dakota State University, where he graduated in 2012.

Osman told the Mail that following their wedding, Omar and Elmi moved to Fargo and began attending university together.

“She said she needed to get papers for her brother to go to school,” said Osman. “We all thought she was just getting papers together to allow him to stay in this country.”

“Once she had the papers, they could apply for student loans,” continued Osman. “They both moved to North Dakota to go to school, but she was still married to [Hirsi]. In the Somali way, the only marriage that mattered was the one in the mosque.”

Omar’s office did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

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​Ilhan omar, Donald trump, Trump, Incest, Somalia, Denaturalization, Denaturalize, Deport, Minnesota, Democrat, Leftist, Politics 

In the latest update to the unprecedented trial of a sitting prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has made an unusual request to the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu officially requested a pardon amid his ongoing corruption trial, which consists of three separate but related cases.

‘I will consider solely the best interests of the State of Israel and Israeli society.’

The Associated Press reported that Netanyahu submitted the request to the president’s office, which called it “an extraordinary request” carrying “significant implications.”

RELATED: Israeli attorney general says he’s about to indict PM Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption, bribery charges

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In a video statement, Netanyahu argued that a pardon would bolster national unity, but his critics disagreed.

Yair Lapid, former prime minister of Israel and current leader of the opposition in the Knesset, demanded that Herzog withhold the pardon.

“You cannot grant Netanyahu a pardon without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse, and an immediate withdrawal from political life,” he said, according to the New York Times.

Herzog responded to the official request, noting its serious nature.

“The issue of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon is clearly provoking debate and is deeply unsettling for many people in the country, across different communities. I have already clarified that it will be handled in the most correct and precise manner,” Herzog said in a statement on December 1.

“I will consider solely the best interests of the State of Israel and Israeli society,” Herzog added.

In June, President Trump released a long post on Truth Social about the trial, calling it a “politically motivated case” and a “witch hunt.”

Trump called for the trial to be “CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State. Perhaps there is no one that I know who could have worked in better harmony with the President of the United States, ME, than Bibi Netanyahu. It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu. THIS TRAVESTY OF ‘JUSTICE’ CAN NOT BE ALLOWED!”

Netanyahu was charged in three separate corruption cases in November 2019 by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

Netanyahu faces separate charges of breach of trust and of taking a bribe. He has not been convicted of any charges and has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

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​Politics, Benjamin netanyahu, Isaac herzog, Corruption trial, Prime minister benjamin netanyahu, Pardon, Israel, Israeli government, Trump, President trump, President of israel 

As the world trends toward embedding AI systems into our institutions and daily lives, it becomes increasingly important to understand the moral framework these systems operate on. When we encounter examples in which some of the most advanced LLMs appear to treat misgendering someone as a greater moral catastrophe than unleashing a global thermonuclear war, it forces us to ask important questions about the ideological principles that guide AI’s thinking.

It’s tempting to laugh this example off as an absurdity of a burgeoning technology, but it points toward a far more consequential issue that is already shaping our future. Whose moral framework is found at the core of these AI systems, and what are the implications?

We cannot outsource the moral foundation of civilization to a handful of tech executives, activist employees, or panels of academic philosophers.

Two recent interviews, taken together, have breathed much-needed life into this conversation — Elon Musk interviewed by Joe Rogan and Sam Altman interviewed by Tucker Carlson. In different ways, both conversations shine a light on the same uncomfortable truth: The moral logic guiding today’s AI systems is built, honed, and enforced by Big Tech.

Enter the ‘woke mind virus’

In a recent interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Elon Musk expressed concerns about leading AI models. He argued that the ideological distortions we see across Big Tech platforms are now embedded directly into the models themselves.

He pointed to Google’s Gemini, which generated a slate of “diverse” images of the founding fathers, including a black George Washington. The model was instructed by Google to prioritize “representation” so aggressively that it began rewriting history.

Musk also referred to the previously mentioned misgendering versus nuclear apocalypse example before explaining that “it can drive AI crazy.”

“I think people don’t quite appreciate the level of danger that we’re in from the woke mind virus being effectively programmed into AI,” Musk explained. Thus, extracting it is nearly impossible. Musk notes, “Google’s been marinating in the woke mind virus for a long time. It’s down in the marrow.”

Musk believes this issue goes beyond political annoyance and into the arena of civilizational threat. You cannot have superhuman intelligence trained on ideological distortions and expect a stable future. If AI becomes the arbiter of truth, morality, and history, then whoever defines its values defines the society it governs.

A weighted average

While Musk warns about ideology creeping into AI, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman quietly confirmed to Tucker Carlson that it is happening intentionally.

Altman began by telling Carlson that ChatGPT is trained “to be the collective of all of humanity.” But when Carlson pressed him on the obvious: Who determines the moral framework? Whose values does the AI absorb? Altman pulled back the curtain a bit.

He explained that OpenAI “consulted hundreds of moral philosophers” and then made decisions internally about what the system should consider right or wrong. Ultimately, Altman admitted, he is the one responsible.

“We do have to align it to behave one way or another,” he said.

Carlson pressed Altman on the idea, asking, “Would you be comfortable with an AI that was, like, as against gay marriage as most Africans are?”

Altman’s response was vague and concerning. He explained the AI wouldn’t outright condemn traditional views, but it might gently nudge users to consider different perspectives.

Ultimately, Altman says, ChatGPT’s morality should “reflect” the “weighted average” of “humanity’s moral view,” saying that average will “evolve over time.”

It’s getting worse

Anyone who thinks this conversation is hypothetical is not paying attention.

Recent research on “LLM exchange rates” found that major AI models, including GPT 4.0, assign different moral worth to human lives based on nationality. For example, the life of someone born in the U.K. would be considered far less valuable to the tested LLM than someone from Nigeria or China. In fact, American lives were found to be considered the least valuable of those countries included in the tests.

The same research showed that LLMs can assign different value scores to specific people. According to AI, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are less valued than Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce.

Musk explains how LLMs, trained on vast amounts of information from the internet, become infected by the ideological bias and cultural trends that run rampant in some of the more popular corners of the digital realm.

This bias is not entirely the result of this passive adoption of a collective moral framework derived from the internet; some of the decisions made by AI are the direct result of programming.

Google’s image fiascos revealed an ideological overcorrection so strong that historical truth took a back seat to political goals. It was a deliberate design feature.

For a more extreme example, we can look at DeepSeek, China’s flagship AI model. Ask it about Tiananmen Square, the Uyghur genocide, or other atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party, and suddenly it claims the topic is “beyond its scope.” Ask it about America’s faults, and it is happy to elaborate.

RELATED: Artificial intelligence just wrote a No. 1 country song. Now what?

Photo by Ying Tang/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Each of these examples reveals the same truth: AI systems already have a moral hierarchy, and it didn’t come from voters, faith, traditions, or the principles of the Constitution. Silicon Valley technocrats and a vague internet-wide consensus established this moral framework.

The highest stakes

AI is rapidly integrating into society and our daily lives. In the coming years, AI will shape our education system, judicial process, media landscape, and every industry and institution worldwide.

Most young Americans are open to an AI takeover. A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows that 41% of young likely voters support giving artificial intelligence sweeping government powers. When nearly half of the rising generation is comfortable handing this level of authority to machines whose moral logic is designed by opaque corporate teams, it raises the stakes for society.

We cannot outsource the moral foundation of civilization to a handful of tech executives, activist employees, or panels of academic philosophers. We cannot allow the values embedded in future AI systems to be determined by corporate boards or ideological trends.

At the heart of this debate is one question we must confront: Who do you trust to define right and wrong for the machines that will define right and wrong for the rest of us?

If we don’t answer that question now, Silicon Valley certainly will.

​Ai, Elon musk, Sam altman, Ai morality, Internet, Opinion & analysis, Artificial intelligence, Big tech 

I have a new favorite band. I know that sounds weird. I’m not a teenager. I’m a grown adult man.

I was in my car when I first heard the song “Jupiter” on the alternative music station. It began with a distinctive guitar part, two chords played in a simple rhythmic pattern.

An actual band is too much like a gang. Or a terrorist group. Four white guys roaming around the country in a van? We better have the FBI look into that.

It was super catchy. Very simple. Nice groove. It didn’t sound like anything else on the radio. The band is called Almost Monday.

Smoothed and removed

I downloaded “Jupiter” and put it on a playlist. It stood out, even among some classic songs. I found myself humming it during my day. And then needing to listen to it when I got home.

A month or two later, another new song by Almost Monday came out, “Can’t Slow Down.” It had a similar repetitive guitar riff. But in this song, there was a great bass part as well.

Both songs had a slick quality. Super produced. Really clean and effortless.

I think of music like that as “not letting you in.” You, the listener, are experiencing music so smooth and polished, you can’t imagine actual people playing it.

You can’t picture the band members. They’re projecting a wall of glossy perfection. And you can’t see through it.

*******

I downloaded “Can’t Slow Down” and put that on a playlist. But it sounded best on my car radio while I was driving. Fortunately, it was on heavy rotation, and I drive a lot. So I heard it constantly.

“Jupiter” was still playing continuously as well. The two songs were like a one-two punch. By July, it seemed Almost Monday was the breakout band of the summer.

“Jupiter” and “Can’t Slow Down” were definitely my “summer songs.” And probably a lot of other people’s as well.

It was almost like Almost Monday had become my new favorite band.

Trends to the end

I haven’t had a favorite band in a long time. I didn’t even think I was capable of having a favorite band again, to be honest. I mean, I still listen to the radio. I still follow the trends in music.

I enjoyed the “yacht rock” trend from a couple of years ago. But that was more of a joke. But even joke-trends can produce good music.

If I were a music critic, I would describe Almost Monday as “post-yacht rock, California pop.” Smooth, catchy melodies. Clever lyrics. No politics, no depressing thoughts. A strong Southern California vibe (the band is from San Diego).

*******

Looking back, my first favorite bands were Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith. That was in high school. In college, it was Echo and the Bunnymen. When I lived in San Francisco after college, it was the Smiths.

All these bands became like close friends to me. I would miss them if I didn’t hear them at least once a day. I needed my fix.

When I got into my 30s, I became more of a general fan. That was when grunge happened. I liked all those bands, but none really stood out as my favorite.

After grunge, there were many music groups I liked. Radiohead. Interpol. Elliott Smith. Sufjan Stevens’ “Carrie & Lowell” album. But I wouldn’t say any of these were “my favorite band.”

The trouble with happiness

One thing I should say: I don’t usually enjoy music like Almost Monday. I was never into that carefree, happy-sunshine, California vibe. I typically like heavier, moodier stuff.

But maybe because the tone of society is so dark and fraught right now, the lightness of their music feels almost revolutionary. How dare they be so easy-going. So outwardly cheerful. Who do they think they are?

Also, they’re a bunch of white guys. Which is not exactly in fashion. Shouldn’t they have some women and some racial diversity in their group?

And even being “a band” seems retrograde and reactionary. Current pop music is about individual stars. Chappell Roan. Benson Boone. Sabrina Carpenter. Bad Bunny.

These are individual “artists” with specific marketing concepts and replaceable musicians.

An actual band is too much like a gang. Or a terrorist group. Four white guys roaming around the country in a van? We better have the FBI look into that.

*******

All summer I listened to “Can’t Slow Down” and “Jupiter,” multiple times a day. But I’d still never actually seen the group. I didn’t feel a need to.

But then one night, I had the TV on, and I heard Jimmy Kimmel introduce the group on his show. I hurried over to the TV and turned up the sound.

They played “Can’t Slow Down.” They were super simple in their stage presentation. Just four guys. Singer, bass, drums, guitar.

They had no amps, I noticed. There was almost nothing on the stage. The guitarist played that one simple repeating progression.

They were super chill. The singer moved around a little. The guitarist and bassist just played. The drummer drummed. They didn’t let you in.

Really, it was fantastic. But would America appreciate their understated cool? Their simplicity? Their Zen-like reserve?

They’d had two smash-hit singles on alternative radio that summer. But what did that mean in the music biz? Was “alternative music” still a big market? Do young people even listen to music anymore? How do bands make money nowadays?

RELATED: Where have all the rock bands gone?

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

I’ll see you in September

In September, I rode a ferry up to Alaska. This was not a cruise. It was a ferry, with dogs and trucks and locals. It took three days. There was no TV on board, nothing much to do.

That’s when I realized how close I felt to Almost Monday. I would hang around on deck for a couple of hours, then go back to my bunk and listen to “Jupiter” and “Can’t Slow Down.”

I dug up some of their other songs that I’d downloaded. Now I had time to listen to these closely and develop new favorites.

It was fun because in my mind these were “summer songs,” but every hour we steamed north on the ferry, it got colder.

Summer was not fading away over a month or two, like usual. It was fading hour by hour.

So I binged on the summer sounds of Almost Monday, as the skies grew dark and people on deck started wearing down parkas.

*******

A favorite band is like a best friend. It is the first person you want to talk to in the morning. And the last person you want to hear from before you go to bed. During the day, you don’t need to be in constant contact, but you’re relieved when you’re in their presence again.

*******

Now I’m back in Portland. It’s wet and cold, but I still listen to Almost Monday every day.

I hope they make it big. Or big enough to never have to get normal jobs.

That’s all I ever wish for, for my fellow creatives: I hope they make some money. I never wish for them wild success or huge fame. That can be bad for a person.

But I do want them to make enough money that they can be artists for the rest of their lives. And not have to worry about paying their rent.

In music, sometimes all it takes is to write a couple great songs (and own the publishing rights). I know Almost Monday has already accomplished that. So hopefully the rest is gravy.

​Rock bands, Entertainment, Culture, Almost monday, Led zeppelin, Pop music, Middle age, Blake’s progress 

Something drastic is happening in American life. Headlines that should leave us stunned barely register anymore. Stories that once would have united the country instead dissolve into silence or shrugs.

It is not apathy exactly. It is something deeper — a growing belief that the people in charge either cannot or will not fix what is broken.

When people feel ignored or betrayed, they will align with anyone who appears willing to fight on their behalf.

I call this response the Bubba effect. It describes what happens when institutions lose so much public trust that “Bubba,” the average American minding his own business, finally throws his hands up and says, “Fine. I will handle it myself.” Not because he wants to, but because the system that was supposed to protect him now feels indifferent, corrupt, or openly hostile.

The Bubba effect is not a political movement. It is a survival instinct.

What triggers the Bubba effect

We are watching the triggers unfold in real time. When members of Congress publicly encourage active duty troops to disregard orders from the commander in chief, that is not a political squabble. When a federal judge quietly rewrites the rules so one branch of government can secretly surveil another, that is not normal. That is how republics fall. Yet these stories glided across the news cycle without urgency, without consequence, without explanation.

When the American people see the leadership class shrug, they conclude — correctly — that no one is steering the ship.

This is how the Bubba effect spreads. It is not just individuals resisting authority. It is sheriffs refusing to enforce new policies, school boards ignoring state mandates, entire communities saying, “We do not believe you anymore.” It becomes institutional, cultural, national.

A country cracking from the inside

This effect can be seen in Dearborn, Michigan. In the rise of fringe voices like Nick Fuentes. In the Epstein scandal, where powerful people could not seem to locate a single accountable adult. These stories are different in content but identical in message: The system protects itself, not you.

When people feel ignored or betrayed, they will align with anyone who appears willing to fight on their behalf. That does not mean they suddenly agree with everything that person says. It means they feel abandoned by the institutions that were supposed to be trustworthy.

The Bubba effect is what fills that vacuum.

The dangers of a faithless system

A republic cannot survive without credibility. Congress cannot oversee intelligence agencies if it refuses to discipline its own members. The military cannot remain apolitical if its chain of command becomes optional. The judiciary cannot defend the Constitution while inventing loopholes that erase the separation of powers.

History shows that once a nation militarizes politics, normalizes constitutional shortcuts, or allows government agencies to operate without scrutiny, it does not return to equilibrium peacefully. Something will give.

The question is what — and when.

The responsibility now belongs to us

In a healthy country, this is where the media steps in. This is where universities, pastors, journalists, and cultural leaders pause the outrage machine and explain what is at stake. But today, too many see themselves not as guardians of the republic, but of ideology. Their first loyalty is to narrative, not truth.

The founders never trusted the press more than the public. They trusted citizens who understood their rights, lived their responsibilities, and demanded accountability. That is the antidote to the Bubba effect — not rage, but citizenship.

How to respond without breaking ourselves

Do not riot. Do not withdraw. Do not cheer on destruction just because you dislike the target. That is how nations lose themselves. Instead, demand transparency. Call your representatives. Insist on consequences. Refuse to normalize constitutional violations simply because “everyone does it.” If you expect nothing, you will get nothing.

Do not hand your voice to the loudest warrior simply because he is swinging a bat at the establishment. You do not beat corruption by joining a different version of it. You beat it by modeling the country you want to preserve: principled, accountable, rooted in truth.

RELATED: Blue cities reject law, reject order — and reject America

Photo by Karla Ann Cote/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Every republic reaches a moment when historians will later say, “That was the warning.” We are living in ours. But warnings are gifts if they are recognized. Institutions bend. People fail. The Constitution can recover — if enough Americans still know and cherish it.

It does not take a majority. Twenty percent of the country — awake, educated, and courageous — can reset the system. It has happened before. It can happen again.

Wake up. Stand up. Demand integrity — from leaders, from institutions, and from yourself. Because the Bubba effect will not end until Americans reclaim the duty that has always belonged to them: preserving the republic for the next generation.

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​Public trust, Credibility, Citizenship, Opinion & analysis, Glenn beck, Republic 

According to feminist doctrine, women are the victims of patriarchal discrimination in the workforce. This applies even to billionaire global icons like Taylor Swift, who aired her grievances in a 2019 song (or melodized tantrum) titled “The Man,” in which she insists she’d have reached the top faster, faced far less skepticism, and been universally hailed as a “genius” or “fearless leader” if only she had been born a man.

“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man,” the chorus reads.

While Swift’s hypocrisy is nauseating to say the least, the truth is many everyday people still believe that sexism is rampant in the workplace.

But do their claims hold up to raw data?

On this episode of “Stu Does America,” Stu Burguiere dives into a recent study that unveiled what the data really tells us about sexism in America’s workforce.

“Honestly, sexism is a real thing. It’s been a real thing — certainly throughout our history at times in certain areas,” he acknowledges. “You wonder though: Have we made any progress in this?”

Media, academia, Hollywood, and any institution captured by progressive dogma will undoubtedly say, “Absolutely not,” and maybe even argue that we’ve regressed.

But a 2023 landmark study from the Association for Psychological Science mostly debunked these pervasive myths about gender discrimination in academic science — a field that has been used as the textbook example of entrenched patriarchal sexism. The research team reviewed hundreds of existing studies and large datasets that tested claims of anti-women bias in academic science and came away with six key findings:

1. Women with equal credentials are now hired at higher rates than men.

2. Women win grants at rates equal to men.

3. Women’s journalistic manuscripts are accepted at the same rates as men’s.

4. Recommendation letters for women are equally strong as men’s and have no negative effect on hiring or promotion.

5. Women receive systematically lower teaching evaluations than equally effective men.

6. Women earn slightly lower salaries than equally qualified men.

“The fact is that we have an entire society built on this idea, this assumption, that women go into these fields … and women are being cracked down upon,” says Stu.

“And the truth is the opposite.”

In an ideal world, he says, “People are considered equally for jobs based on their merit as individuals.”

To hear more findings from the APS study, watch the episode above.

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To enjoy more of Stu’s lethal wit, wisdom, and mockery, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Stu does america, Stu burguiere, Blazetv, Blaze media, Feminism, Patriarchy, Patriarchal sexism, Sexism, Sexism in the workplace, Anti-women bias