Category: blaze media

Jaden Ivey, a former No. 5 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in 2022 who was traded to the Chicago Bulls in early February 2026, faced backlash after he went live multiple times on Instagram, sharing extended discussions about his Christian faith, including criticism that the NBA’s Pride Month promotions celebrate “unrighteousness.”

On March 30, the Bulls waived him, citing “conduct detrimental to the team.”

Despite this being “the biggest story going on in sports,” ESPN has largely turned a blind eye to it, says “Fearless” host Jason Whitlock.

“I had my guys … give me a full report on how ESPN covered Jaden Ivey getting waived by the Chicago Bulls for speaking against the LGBTQ alphabet mafia, and ESPN bent over backwards ignoring this story,” Whitlock says.

He calls out the glaring double standards.

“If some lesbian woman had been kicked out of the WNBA for any reason, … ESPN would have endless segments and shows talking about it,” he says.

As a Christian with conservative views on gender and marriage, Ivey, Whitlock argues, “is poison for [ESPN].”

Despite claiming to be sports journalism, ESPN, he explains, “is not interested in the truth” but rather is dedicated to pushing the progressive LGBTQ+ agenda.

Stephen A. Smith, Whitlock argues, is a key component in this agenda-driven network.

“There’s a reason why they installed Stephen A. Smith — a pathological liar — at the top of ESPN. That’s what you do when you have no interest in exploring the truth,” he says.

ESPN is “supposed to be the ‘worldwide [leader] in sports,”’ he continues, and yet it’s intentionally ignoring “the biggest story going on in sports” because it doesn’t align with the pro-LGBTQ+ agenda.

Smith did “a small little one-on-one thing where he said nothing,” and “‘NBA Today’ with Malika Andrews — they didn’t have a full-blown discussion on it; they read a little news clip and just tried to move on,” Whitlock criticizes.

“They don’t want to have this discussion [about Jaden Ivey] because this discussion leads someplace ESPN, Disney, and Bob Iger don’t want this discussion to go.”

To hear more, watch the full episode above.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

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

​Fearless, Fearless with jason whitlock, Jason whitlock, Espn, Stephen a smith, Jaden ivey, Chicago bulls, Wnba, Lgbtq agenda, Blazetv, Blaze media 

The NFL’s third-ever female referee has filed a lawsuit against the league, citing gender-based scrutiny and multiple “humiliating” instances.

Robin DeLorenzo of New Jersey was hired by the NFL in 2022 after working in college football’s Big Ten Conference. After three years on the job, DeLorenzo now says her tenure with the league included “unchecked harassment” and gender bias.

‘A male power play that served its purpose of humiliating plaintiff, shattering her confidence.’

DeLorenzo’s lawsuit signaled that her experience in the NFL was immediately non-satisfactory upon receiving male-sized clothing before she reported for duty.

According to the Associated Press, one of DeLorenzo’s worst experiences allegedly came during a Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Teams routinely bring in officials to referee their practice games.

The lawsuit claims that an NFL officials’ crew chief allegedly told then-Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin that DeLorenzo should have to sing in front of everyone at the training camp. The alleged reason was that because she was a new referee, she should be treated like a rookie football player.

DeLorenzo reportedly obliged and sang in front of the Steelers players, the male officiating crew, and her boss. This was described by the female ex-ref as having to “put on an utterly humiliating singing performance.”

To make matters worse, DeLorenzo claims her boss promised he would not record her but did so anyway.

RELATED: ‘It’s gonna sting’: NFL manager says liberal state tax proposal will hurt team’s prospects

Chris Gardner/Getty Images

Other claims made in the lawsuit include repeated shaming, harassment, and trash-talk by her crew chief, who one year allegedly refused to speak to DeLorenzo by the end of the season.

The lawsuit also reportedly takes issue with the fact that DeLorenzo was forced to attend “an alleged training opportunity” that turned out to involve lower-level college officials.

The legal filing called the instance “a male power play that served its purpose of humiliating plaintiff, shattering her confidence, and significantly hindering her NFL career.”

The NFL sees it differently, however. Spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press that DeLorenzo’s firing was due to documented underperformance.

“The allegations in this lawsuit are baseless, and we will vigorously defend against them in court,” McCarthy said.

Not only does DeLorenzo’s lawsuit include statements that she endured “systemic inequality,” it also claimed the NFL “exposed her to unchecked harassment, denied her the resources given to men, manipulated her training and grading opportunities, and ultimately ended her career” through “tainted” evaluations by people who “discriminated against her.”

RELATED: Florida AG threatens legal action against NFL over controversial racial preference rule

DeLorenzo was fired from the NFL in February 2025 and reassigned to college football along with two male referees. All three of the officials had three or fewer years in the NFL.

The NFL describes its officiating review process as including one or two in-person reviews of an NFL game, each week, by officiating supervisors. These reviews are coupled with weekly training videos, conference calls, and an end-of-season evaluation that determines which referees will officiate in the playoffs.

“A subpar season-long performance could mean remediation, or even a demotion,” the league writes. “NFL officials serve on a year-to-year contract, and they have to prove their mettle every year. There is no guarantee that they will return the next season.”

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​Fearless, Nfl, Football, Ncaa, Lawsuit, Feminism, Gender, Female referee, Discrimination, Sexism, Sports 

A finalist for Colorado’s teacher of the year learned her fate after being found guilty of sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old student.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a March 19 statement that 45-year-old Tera Johnson-Swartz was sentenced to 14 years in state prison.

‘She threw away her entire life for me.’

In addition to her prison sentence, Johnson-Swartz was ordered to complete six years of sex offender probation and register as a convicted sex offender upon her release.

Johnson-Swartz previously pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of cybercrime.

Johnson-Swartz previously had been a teacher at STEM School Highlands Ranch.

The 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Johnson-Swartz “initiated contact by sending music and text messages to her student.”

The DA said the teacher communicated with the teen student for weeks until “she convinced the student to meet up with her outside of school, provided him with cigarettes, and sexually assaulted him” in January 2025.

The district attorney said there were “additional sexual assaults” in subsequent meetings with the boy.

According to KCNC-TV, the illicit teacher-student relationship was “discovered in January 2025 by therapists who reported it to Douglas County Human Services.”

“Johnson-Swartz was suspended from teaching at STEM School Highlands Ranch after the allegations emerged,” KCNC reported. “Shortly after, she was fired and banned from the campus.”

However, school security cameras captured the teen leaving the school and getting into a vehicle resembling the one driven by Johnson-Swartz on Feb. 18, 2025, according to the affidavit.

The minor later admitted to investigators that his former teacher picked him up from school and drove him to a nearby neighborhood, court documents said.

On Feb. 20, 2025, detectives with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested Johnson-Swartz. She was initially charged with kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in connection with an inappropriate relationship involving an underage student, police said.

KCNC reported, “Because she was not permitted on school grounds and not authorized to take the student off school property, she was charged with felony kidnapping.”

Johnson-Swartz posted a $100,000 bond and was released the day after her arrest, according to online court records obtained by KCNC.

RELATED: Teacher of the year arrested for alleged child sex crimes — then she’s arrested on similar charges just days later

KCNC said there were two cases filed against Johnson-Swartz — one after a grand jury investigation into the relationship and another after detectives learned she kept trying to maintain contact with the student.

The New York Post obtained the arrest affidavit, which said the teen said Johnson-Swartz walked up to him at a concert during the Fourth of July weekend last year and said, “Just say you don’t love me.”

KCNC cited the affidavit in which the boy told investigators, “Yeah … it was really weird. I was going there expecting to have a really great time. And then I just see her in front of the line, like 30 feet up. Yeah, it was weird.”

The affidavit claims the victim’s parents alerted authorities, and police determined that the teen and Johnson-Swartz were still communicating after the meeting at the concert.

KCNC reported that the teen said he was not surprised that his former English teacher didn’t stay away from him.

“No, she is an unstable woman,” the student told investigators, according to the affidavit.

“She threw away her entire life for me,” the student stated, according to the affidavit. “And I’m not entirely surprised by the fact that she then would have trouble letting go. … But no, I never told her I loved her, and she never said that to me.”

The teen noted, “She is pretty stupid, I’m not gonna lie. Already ruined her life, and she keeps just making it worse.”

Deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office arrested Johnson-Swartz a second time in July 2025 “outside a fast food restaurant where she was working as a cashier,” KCNC reported.

Douglas County District Attorney George Brauchler warned that any teacher exploiting children for “their own lascivious desires” will face life-changing punishments.

“We will work to make them a convicted felon, and we will try to take away their freedom,” Brauchler proclaimed.

Brauchler said the ex-teacher is a “predator” who is “now a convicted sex offender and will live with that label for decades.”

Brauchler noted that Johnson-Swartz is the fourth teacher convicted of a felony sex offense by his office since last year.

Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news organization covering education, reported in September 2024 that Johnson-Swartz was one of seven finalists for Colorado’s 2025 teacher of the year.

The Colorado Department of Education said of Johnson-Swartz at the time, “She specializes in building meaningful relationships with her students while also providing lessons remembered beyond her classroom.”

The STEM School Highlands Ranch and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.

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​Teacher arrested, Bad teacher, Teacher sex scandal, Teacher student sex scandal, Child sex crimes, Child sex abuse, Child sex assault, Crime, Colorado, Teacher of the year finalist 

A Massachusetts man was arrested for allegedly making threats to kill President Donald Trump and “hang him” from the Statue of Liberty.

The alleged messages from May 2025 to July 2025 were posted to the Facebook account of Andrew D. Emerald of Great Barrington, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

‘We’re gonna hang him from the Statue of Liberty until his pathetic bloated corpse rots off falls in the ocean.’

Emerald was arrested Wednesday morning and is scheduled to appear in court later in the day.

The press release included the eight posts that he allegedly made.

“When I see to it that Trump is put to death. It will be the the day the purpose creation put me here for beyond creating. My daughter is fulfilled. (because what she is destined to do for the world is far greater than mine, taking out the orange menace!)” read an alleged post on May 3.

“Cause and effect. Trump being a monster to humanity caused this family suffering, and they might never choose to have children because of him Affect we’re going to f****** kill Trump on public television so the world sees what we do to f****** monsters and then we’re gonna hang him from the Statue of Liberty until his pathetic bloated corpse rots off falls in the ocean,” read an alleged post from May 15.

In other alleged posts, he threatened to burn down Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and claimed to have burned down a home previously.

RELATED: Man served time for threatening to kill Trump — then gets arrested for more alleged threats

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Emerald was charged with eight counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications, which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, if convicted.

The charge also carries a possible sentence of three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

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​Threats against trump, Trump death threats, Andrew emerald arrested, Political violence, Politics 

Last week, conservative leaders gathered in Dallas to debate the future of the movement at the Conservative Political Action Conference. But for many in the party’s populist wing, the more pressing concern wasn’t onstage — it was a future playing out just 50 miles down the road.

The debate over what’s being called “EPIC City” centers on a proposed master-planned community tied to the East Plano Islamic Center — envisioned to include housing, a mosque, a school, and community amenities — and its relationship to the existing mosque in Plano.

The project spans both that established religious hub and a separate development site farther out in Collin County, about an hour from CPAC’s Dallas venue.

In recent months, the controversy has come to encapsulate a cluster of hot-button concerns: immigration, fraud, government overreach, and the fear of unassimilated enclaves taking root within American communities.

RELATED: Sabo’s story: Guerrilla street artist opens up in career-spanning ‘Unsavory Agents’

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As usual, street artist Sabo didn’t wait for the panels to catch up and weigh in.

Instead, he took it to the walls — plastering the area near CPAC with a series of provocative posters styled as Islamic prayer rugs.

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Prints of the prayer rug posters may be purchased directly from Sabo here.

​Sabo, Trump, Culture, Lifestyle, Sabo strikes!, Epic city texas, Dallas, Cpac, Steve bannon, Islam, Sharia law, Ken paxton, John cornyn 

A member of Congress has been the victim of theft, and the thief was someone the House member trusted for years.

On Tuesday, Courtney Hruska, 40, of Alexandria, Va., pled guilty to felony wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison at her sentencing hearing on June 23, the DOJ said in a press release.

Hruska admitted that she knew the victim was ‘not tech savvy.’

Hruska stole a total of $22,865.07 from the victim, described in the DOJ press release only as “a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.” According to the statement of facts signed by Hruska, Hruska worked for this congressperson as office scheduler, office manager, and administrative director between 2015 and early 2022.

NBC News reported that Hruska worked for longtime Ohio Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur, 79, though whether Hruska ever worked for any other member of Congress is unclear. The statement of facts reported that the victim had “a personal bank account … at a financial institution in Brooklyn, Ohio.”

Between August 2023 and July 2024, at least 18 months after leaving Kaptur’s office, Hruska used the victim’s personal bank account information on at least 10 separate occasions to make payments on her own credit card bills, the statement of facts said.

RELATED: ICE leader goes for Congress: Sheahan dumps desk for battle against 43-year Democrat incumbent

Craig Hudson/Washington Post/Getty Images

Hruska had been given the victim’s personal banking and credit card information to make “specific purchases” under “limited” circumstances as part of her “official duties” in the victim’s employ, the statement of facts said. Prosecutors believe Hruska kept that information after leaving the victim’s office.

Furthermore, Hruska left that job after securing another government position with the victim’s help. The statement of facts claimed that the victim helped Hruska land a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

The victim kept track of personal finances by hand. Hruska admitted that she knew the victim was “not tech savvy” and likely would not get any alerts about the money transfers, the statement of facts said.

The victim discovered the missing funds after a check bounced in 2024. During the investigation, Hruska initially blamed “hackers from the dark web” for the money transfers from the victim’s bank account to Hruska’s credit card bills, the statement of facts said.

Because more than a year lapsed between the initial theft and the discovery of it, the victim was able to recover just 9% of the lost funds, or little more than $2,000.

Thus far, Kaptur’s office has been tight-lipped about her former staffer’s conviction. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News, NBC News, or the New York Post.

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​Courtney hruska, Congress, Marcy kaptur, Ohio, Democratic party, Democrats, Politics 

A bizarre man-on-the-street interview is making waves online after comedian Lionel Leede asked a protester whether America was neglecting the “gays of Hormuz” in a fake German accent — a play on words on the Strait of Hormuz — and received earnest agreement in response.

“Isn’t it a little bit homophobic that we’re so focused on the straights of Hormuz and not the gays of Hormuz?” Leede asked the No Kings protester.

“Yes, I agree. Yes, for sure,” the protester responded.

“Why do you think they’re willing to leave the gays of Hormuz behind?” Leede asked.

“I think it’s just, historically, like, you know, gays have always been very discriminated against, which is wrong on so many levels,” she responded before he interjected, “Even in war.”

“Yeah, even in war. It just takes more reform in government, obviously, and then also educating society,” she added.

“Just feel like if we’re going to go in there, we can’t leave the gay people behind. I don’t think we should go in there at all, but if we’re going to, the gays of Hormuz, we could turn it into Fire Island,” Leede responded, to which she said, “For sure.”

BlazeTV host Steve Deace watches the clip on the “Steve Deace Show” and, without speaking a word, gets up and leaves the set.

Co-host Todd Erzen laughs, saying, “And in a German accent.”

“And they’re going to win the next election,” he adds, laughing harder.

Deace walks back in, joking that when he heard Todd say, “They’re going to win the next election,” he “sat down over in the corner there in the break room and just started sucking my thumb.”

“I don’t even know what to say,” he adds.

Want more from Steve Deace?

To enjoy more of Steve’s take on national politics, Christian worldview, and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Steve deace show, Steve deace, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Todd erzen, Lionel leede, No cap on god fr, Strait of hormuz, Iran, Iran war, No kings protest 

In a case with potential far-reaching consequences in states with similar laws, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting, that a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors was unconstitutional.

The case, Chiles v. Salazar, has gained a wide mix of reactions from think tanks, politicians, and media personalities alike.

‘They believe it is more natural for a man to be a woman than for a man to be a man.‘

Blaze News previously reported that the Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh ripped into Jackson’s dissent, saying that her opinion “just proves again that she is the most unfit, unqualified, unhinged lunatic to ever hold a seat on the Supreme Court.”

Others celebrated the positive aspects of the case, touting the decision as a win for all of the victims who have been caught in the crosshairs of gender ideology.

RELATED: SCOTUS rules on law banning ‘conversion therapy’ — and 2 liberal justices break rank

DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principles Project, told Blaze News, “The Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for religious believers, parents, and, most importantly, vulnerable children. Colorado Democrats have shown they will stomp on the rights of anyone who stands in the way of the well-heeled gay and transgender lobby whether it is bakers, doctors, or desperate families.”

“It should not take the lengthy legal battles or the Supreme Court to rein in the liberal war against reality. That is why fed-up Colorado families are appealing straight to voters to protect children from extremist Democrats,” Schilling continued.

Ashley McGuire, author, radio host, and senior fellow at the Catholic Association, likewise showered the Supreme Court’s decision with praise.

In a statement to Blaze News, McGuire said, “Efforts by left-wing ideologues to force health care professionals to violate their personal and religious beliefs have failed again. We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to protect the religious liberty and free speech rights of therapists in today’s 8-1 ruling in the case of Chiles v. Salazar. This ruling also protects vulnerable children and upholds the rights of parents to seek care for their children in line with their personal beliefs.”

The ruling is primarily a First Amendment case, which, notably, does not issue any opinion or ruling on the efficacy, morality, or legality of so-called conversion therapy itself, defined in the ruling as any treatments or attempts “to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The issue, in simple terms, was that the law forced the plaintiff and other counselors who deal in the relevant field to adopt an affirming approach to minor patients who may have been confused about their sexual orientation or gender identity and were seeking to change it.

BlazeTV’s Daniel Horowitz summed up this issue in a statement shared with Blaze News:

It is shocking how it has taken years to affirm such a basic right as two adults contracting with each other to engage in verbal therapy to affirm natural sexuality. It is even more shocking how the left believes a doctor can pursue a physical action to unnaturally change gender with castration, but you are banned from merely speaking with someone in support of their existing natural sexuality. They believe it is more natural for a man to be a woman than for a man to be a man. Their understanding of authentic individual rights as it intersects with governmental powers is as perfectly corrupted as one can imagine.

Democratic leaders, on the other hand, expressed their disapproval of the decision. In a reply to the Associated Press’ report on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Conversion therapy is discredited junk science that inflicts harm on LGBTQ youth. The Supreme Court’s decision is disappointing and puts vulnerable kids at risk.”

On a lighter note, some social media users pointed out the humor of this decision being released on the so-called Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31.

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​Politics, Supreme court, Scotus, Colorado, Conversion therapy, Conversion therapy supreme court case, American principles project, The catholic association, Ashley mcguire, Terry schilling, Daniel horowitz 

An armed male recently entered a Florida home and refused to leave — and then threatened the homeowner while advancing toward him, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said.

But the homeowner had a gun on hand — and used it.

‘Stand your ground, baby!’

The sheriff’s office in a Tuesday news release said deputies responded to reports of shots fired in the 5400 block of Touraine Drive around 9:40 p.m. Feb. 6 and discovered a male suffering from a gunshot wound at the scene. The incident occurred in Tallahassee.

Detectives determined the male in question entered the home uninvited and refused to leave after the homeowner’s repeated requests, officials said.

What’s more, the male then threatened the homeowner with a weapon while advancing toward him, officials said.

With that, the homeowner used a semiautomatic handgun to fire a single shot at the male, which struck him, officials said.

The male was taken to a hospital in critical condition, officials said.

After an investigation, deputies identified and arrested 42-year-old Scott Scruggs on charges of burglary of a structure while armed and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, officials said.

RELATED: Male breaks window of home after midnight. Homeowner warns him he has a gun — then uses it when intruder keeps advancing.

Scott Scruggs. Image source: Leon County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office

Scruggs remained hospitalized following the incident and was taken into custody upon his release from the hospital, officials said, adding that Scruggs is now behind bars in the Leon County Detention Facility.

Jail records indicate there is no release date assigned to Scruggs; there is no bond for his burglary charge; his bond for his aggravated assault charge is $2,500.

Jail records also note Scruggs has a long criminal history dating back to 2008 filled with charges that include battery, trespassing, criminal mischief, burglary, resisting arrest, theft, reckless driving, and drug possession.

Commenters under the sheriff’s office Facebook post about the incident seemed to approve of the homeowner’s actions:

“Stand your ground, baby!” one commenter declared.”Good job homeowner!!” another user exclaimed.”FAFO,” another commenter stated.”Sounds to me like he should have left,” another user noted. “Good for the homeowner protecting their home.”

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​Crime thwarted, Florida, Leon county sheriff’s office, 2nd amend., Guns, Gun rights, Home invasion, Self-defense, Homeowner shoots intruder, Arrest, Burglary of a structure while armed, Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Jailed, Tallahassee, Crime 

German drivers who bought Lexus vehicles expecting full access to remote and climate features recently got a wake-up call.

Features they paid for were suddenly restricted — not because anything broke, but because of regulatory compliance, connectivity changes, and software control.

The Lexus situation shows how quickly functionality can change when regulations, infrastructure, or software support shifts.

The hardware still works; the car still runs. But the functionality changed anyway.

That’s the part American drivers should pay attention to.

Your vehicle may sit in your driveway; your name may be on the title — but increasingly, key features operate at the discretion of software systems, telecom networks, and regulatory rules.

Rolling computers

Modern vehicles are what the industry calls “software-defined.” Features like remote start, climate preconditioning, and app-based access all depend on telematics — your car communicating with external servers.

If that connection changes or no longer meets regulatory requirements, those features can stop working.

Not because the car can’t do it — but because access has been turned off.

Lexus parent company Toyota confirmed that certain connected services were modified due to compliance and infrastructure limitations. Automakers call this a technical adjustment. Drivers experience it as losing features they already paid for.

This is what happens when policy decisions ripple into everyday life. Governments tighten cybersecurity rules, telecom providers shut down older networks, and automakers update software to stay compliant. And the result shows up in your driveway.

RELATED: Blinded by modern headlights? A new visor aims to cut the glare

Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Resale risk

There’s also a financial impact that many buyers don’t consider. When features depend on connectivity, they may require subscriptions, stop working as networks change, or simply not be supported for the life of the vehicle. That affects resale value.

For decades, ownership was simple. If the hardware worked, the feature worked. Now, automakers control the software. Regulators control what is allowed. Telecom providers control connectivity. The owner depends on all three.

That shift helps explain why automakers are pushing subscription-based features. Remote start, heated seats, driver-assistance systems — even performance upgrades are increasingly tied to software instead of built-in hardware.

From the industry’s perspective, it creates flexibility and recurring revenue. From the driver’s perspective, it introduces uncertainty.

There are real benefits to all this connectivity. Software updates can fix problems without recalls. Safety systems can improve over time. Diagnostics can catch issues earlier.

But those benefits come with dependency.

The Lexus situation shows how quickly functionality can change when regulations, infrastructure, or software support shifts. Many buyers still assume their vehicle’s features are permanent.

That assumption no longer holds.

Coming to America

And this isn’t just happening overseas. American vehicles rely on the same telematics systems, the same cellular networks, and the same shift toward software-controlled features. Electric vehicles push this even farther, relying heavily on software for battery management, charging, and performance.

Connectivity isn’t optional any more. It’s built into how the vehicle operates.

The Lexus case isn’t an isolated incident. It’s a preview. Most drivers still assume ownership equals control. But increasingly ownership means access — access that depends on software, connectivity, and compliance.

Because in today’s vehicles, the most important component isn’t under the hood. It’s in the software.

What to check before you buy

Before you buy a vehicle with connected features, ask these questions:

How long are these features supported?
Don’t assume they last the life of the car. Ask for a timeline.

What happens if the network changes?
If the vehicle relies on cellular connectivity, what happens when that network is upgraded or shut down?

Are any features subscription-based?
Some features are included up front but require payment later to keep working.

Can features be removed or modified?
Check the fine print. Many automakers reserve the right to change connected services.

Will this affect resale value?
A car that loses key features over time may be harder to sell — or worth less.

Is there a non-connected fallback?
If connectivity fails, do basic functions still work?

​Lexus, Toyota, Lifestyle, Auto industry, Big tech, Advanced features, Align cars 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has weighed in after Kid Rock received some special visitors at his Tennessee mansion overlooking Nashville over the weekend. The video Rock posted, which garnered millions of views on social media, sparked mixed reactions from supporters and detractors as well as the president himself.

Rock’s video showed him standing outside by his pool clapping and saluting as an AH-64 Apache helicopter hovered near the residence. A second helicopter can momentarily be seen flying in the background of the video as well.

‘Carry on, patriots.’

In a statement to Blaze News Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Army spokesman Maj. Montrell Russell reported that the pilots were suspended pending the investigation:

The Army has confirmed that on March 28, two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight in the Nashville area that has attracted public and media attention. This incident is now under an Army Regulation 15-6 administrative investigation. The personnel involved have been suspended from flight duties while the Army reviews the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol, and approval requirements.

However, Sec. Hegseth responded to Rock’s X post, reversing the threat of investigation as well as the pilots’ brief suspension.

RELATED: Kid Rock catches heat for viral Apache helicopter social media video — Army launches investigation

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“Thank you @KidRock. @USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots,” Hegseth wrote.

President Trump, speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, seemed unsure whether the pilots should have done the flyover, the Daily Mail reported. He added, however, “I like Kid Rock, maybe they were trying to defend him, I don’t know.”

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​Politics, President trump, Kid rock, Tennessee, Apache helicopter, Ah-64, Fort campbell, Montrell russell, Pete hegseth, Us army, Secretary of war 

You’re the son of an immigrant. How could you support ICE?

Someone recently asked me this question. This same person also felt that I should be supporting the No Kings protest. It showed me how effective the Democratic Party has been at framing these issues to Democrats’ advantage.

It is naïve to think that those who are willing to skip the process to come here illegally will automatically follow the laws once they arrive.

I lovingly and jokingly say my mother is a fresh-off-the-boat immigrant. She met my father in the Philippines during the Vietnam War. They fell in love and got married in the United States.

She grew up in abject poverty and had an idealistic view of the United States while growing up. Her country, the Philippines, was liberated by the United States twice: once in the late 1800s from Spanish colonial rule, and again during World War II from imperial Japanese rule.

She has more pride in being American than almost any other American I know.

She understands that the United States offers more than any other country in the world. It is something that the children and grandchildren of immigrants often forget. Thankfully, her children didn’t. She supports ICE and President Trump, and I think I can explain why.

For legal immigrants, the rule of law is incredibly important. Many of them come here for the simple reason that the rule of law in their countries broke down. Money misspent, officials and law enforcement taking open bribes, and government tyranny are some of the many reasons an immigrant would decide to come here.

Others in her family followed my mother’s journey, but they followed the legal process. Some had to wait years before coming. To them, seeing someone skip the process, skip the interviews, and skip the sponsorship requirements to come here while others they know are still patiently waiting is an insult.

ICE prioritizes removing convicted criminals, gang members, and repeat offenders. This is common-sense protection for our communities and families. It is naïve to think that those who are willing to skip the process to come here illegally will automatically follow the laws once they arrive.

Not everyone in the world likes us. Some openly call for our death and destruction. Some are motivated to hate by their religion, some by strict adherence to an economic or social ideology.

Immigrants can understand the importance of examining those who wish to live here, for those may bring the evils they hoped to escape.

Illegal immigration places downward pressure on wages. Many legal immigrants take jobs in sectors such as construction, hospitality, and caregiving. Enforcement of immigration laws helps those who came here legally and comply with our laws to earn a fair wage.

What about the costs of housing and health? If you know the basic economics of supply and demand, you understand the negative impact illegal immigration can have.

Legal immigrants also understand that illegal immigration brings bad actors who can negatively taint the positives of immigration and turn a populace against those who followed our process.

RELATED: Memo to Trump: Stop negotiating and ramp up deportations

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Unfortunately, failing to enforce immigration laws leads to the bias of lumping all immigrants in the illegal category. Recent immigrants value the long-term viability of the American dream. Many feel a duty to support the laws that made their success possible. For them, supporting ICE is a natural and easy thing to do.

For the same reasons, supporting the No Kings protests is silly. Let’s start with the obvious: We don’t live under a king, and Trump was democratically elected. The executive branch is constitutional, and checks and balances still exist. Even though an immigrant and the son of an immigrant may disagree with these No Kings protests, we understand that people are allowed to protest, and the fact that protests are allowed is incredibly important. We did not see anyone stopping them from speaking out or deplatforming them on social media.

Perhaps we should be unhappy with the president’s foreign policy decisions? I think I’ll defer to the majority of the Venezuelans and Iranians living here. I can also not overlook the checkered and violent tyrannical past of a theocratic government that openly chants “Death to America.”

The United State has elections, and these protesters might be surprised at the results. Their protests reminded many immigrants of the importance of voting.

​Ice, Immigration, Legal immigration, Illegal immigration, Deportations, Border security, Trump, Dhs, Separation of powers, Opinion & analysis 

President Donald Trump has made history at a Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday about his executive order to end birthright citizenship, reports say.

On Wednesday morning, Fox News reported that Trump arrived at the Supreme Court and that Attorney General Pam Bondi was expected to join him. With this attendance, Trump has become the first sitting president to witness Supreme Court oral arguments.

‘One of the many Great Scams of our time!’

Trump’s Executive Order 14160, signed on Inauguration Day, could impact roughly 225,000 individuals born each year.

The executive action states that “citizenship does not automatically extend to persons born in the United States: (1) when that person’s mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth, or (2) when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States at the time of said person’s birth was lawful but temporary … and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth.”

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday that he plans to attend the Supreme Court hearing.

“Because I have listened to this argument for so long,” Trump stated.

He argued that birthright citizenship was not intended for “Chinese billionaires, or billionaires from other countries, who all of a sudden have 75 children … becoming American citizens.”

RELATED: SCOTUS gives Trump a unanimous victory on persecution claims in asylum cases

Al Drago/Getty Images

“This was about slaves,” Trump continued, adding that birthright citizenship was implemented at the end of the Civil War.

“The reason was, it had to do with the babies of slaves and the protection of the babies of slaves. It didn’t have to do with the protection of multimillionaires and billionaires wanting to have their children get an American citizenship,” he said. “It is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

When asked about the Supreme Court justices, Trump responded, “I love a few of them. I don’t like some others.”

RELATED: US Catholic bishops call on SCOTUS to shut down Trump birthright citizenship order and protect ‘human dignity’

Win McNamee/Getty Images

In a post on social media, Trump called birthright citizenship “one of the many Great Scams of our time!”

Around 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Trump’s motorcade was spotted leaving the White House en route to the Supreme Court.

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​News, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Supreme court, Scotus, Birthright citizenship, Immigration crisis, Illegal immigration crisis, Immigration, Illegal immigration, Politics 

On the 41st day of the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, members of Congress decided it was time to fly home for their spring recess despite failing to reach a deal to reopen the agency.

And Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck couldn’t be more upset with our politicians — especially Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.).

“He gets onto a plane, and he is out. Friday morning, he is gone. He makes a deal in the middle of the night knowing that the House is not going to accept this. So when the House gets it, they’re like, ‘No, we’re not doing this. We’re not doing this,’” Glenn explains, asking, “And what happened?”

“He’s on a two-week vacation now. They have stopped working in the Senate for two weeks,” he says.

Glenn points out that Trump can use his power to make a difference.

“The president has the ability to call back into special session and convene the Senate in the Constitution. It’s article 2, section 3. And he can do it on extraordinary occasions,” Glenn explains.

“Well, I don’t know how you define extraordinary, but let me try. Let’s see. We’re at war with the number one terrorist state in the world. Millions have come in from God only knows where, and we don’t know where they are. Fifteen-hundred terror cells came in from that terror state. We don’t know where they are,” he continues.

“Domestic terror is on the rise. The American people are shut up in airports, long, long lines. We have ICE doing that job, which means they can’t go out and do their other job. I don’t know what ‘extraordinary means’ is, but I think extraordinary, extraordinary occasions means like what we’re going through right now,” he adds.

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, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, John thune, Dhs shutdown, Department of homeland security, Congress, Senate, President trump, Trump administration 

NASA is counting down to the launch of Artemis II on Wednesday, the first time in more than 50 years the space agency has sent a crewed mission to the moon.

After suffering a series of significant setbacks last year, NASA is ready to go with the crewed lunar orbit and prepping their systems for launch.

‘Engineers are powering up flight hardware … and preparing the rocket’s cryogenic systems.’

NASA has a targeted launch time of 6:24 p.m. ET, with a window that extends to 8:24 p.m. ET.

Online viewers can watch on NASA’s YouTube channel (below) and alternatively C-SPAN, which requires a registered account.

In person, Artemis II will launch from Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39B platform in Merritt Island, Florida.

RELATED: ‘Near-impossible’: NASA reveals plans for moon and Mars landings

The Artemis II mission is a crewed lunar orbit that will test landing systems for future missions to the surface.

Artemis III is set for mid-2027, while Artemis IV is targeted for early 2028 and will include a lunar landing.

Artemis V is to include another lunar landing, aimed at launching by the end of 2028, which NASA previously said is when it expects to “begin building its moon base.”

The last lunar mission by NASA was Apollo 17 in December 1972.

RELATED: America’s historic return to the moon suffers ANOTHER setback

Miguel J. Rodriguez CARRILLO/AFP/Getty Images

The Artemis II crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

“Engineers are powering up flight hardware, checking communication links, and preparing the rocket’s cryogenic systems for the precise fueling sequence required to load hundreds of thousands of gallons of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen,” NASA said in a countdown press release.

If any weather or technical issues arise that would delay the launch, NASA has a second launch window of 7:22 p.m. to 9:22 p.m. ET on Thursday, Today reported, with 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday serving as a final window.

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​Return, Nasa, Artemis ii, Lunar mission, Space launch, Nasa mission, Artermis, Lunar landing, Moon mission, Tech 

President Donald Trump says Iran’s “new regime” has asked the United States for a ceasefire just over a month into the conflict, but the commander in chief still has one major hang-up.

Trump said Wednesday he would consider the ceasefire only if the Strait of Hormuz, which controls about 20% of the world’s oil supply, is reopened. This announcement comes the morning of Trump’s highly anticipated address to the nation, which is slated to take place at 9:00 pm Eastern Time.

‘We will consider when …’

“Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!” Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday. “We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear.”

“Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”

RELATED: ‘Delayed courage’: Trump tells allies to fend for themselves amid oil crisis

Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

This development comes just a day after Trump urged American allies who have been impacted to fend for themselves and get their own oil. He also criticized countries like the United Kingdom and France for their inaction throughout this conflict, saying they will have to “start learning how to fight for [themselves].”

“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you,” Trump said in the Truth Social post Tuesday. “Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.”

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​Donald trump, Iran, Iran war, Ceasefire, Oil, Strait of hormuz, Truth social, No new wars, Politics 

White House official James Blair telling House Republicans to stop talking about mass deportations was the noise. Senate Republicans cowing to Democrats and putting Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding in serious jeopardy was the signal. No one should be surprised that weak-kneed Republicans took their cue from the White House’s wishy-washy stances on the topic.

Too many elected Republicans actually want the opposite of mass deportation, and the White House gave them the political space to do just that.

There is no massive corporate or mega-donor coalition rallying behind the cause of national sovereignty, but there most certainly is one bankrolling the cause of cheap labor.

What the Senate did in the dead of night last week was a grievous mask-dropping moment — equally objectionable in both its form and substance. Senators thought they had cover from the White House to cave to Democrat demands to split off ICE and Customs and Border Protection funding from the larger Department of Homeland Security funding bill.

Whether Republican Senators actually had that blessing from the White House, or whether they were simply reading the tea leaves from months of creeping separation from the mass deportation promise, remains unclear. Nevertheless, in the dead of the night, Republicans threw ICE and CBP under the bus by sending the House a funding bill covering all of DHS except those two agencies.

Senate Democrats immediately declared victory — as they should have — and Senate Republicans headed to the airport. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) would be spotted at Disney World shortly after.

What happened next is when things started getting good. The Trump base, for lack of a better term, freaked out on the internet. By the time House Republicans woke up, they realized they had a massive problem on their hands. The White House saw the writing on the wall as well, abandoned any implicit or explicit support for the Senate bill, and pulled the proverbial rug out from under Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and his colleagues.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced and secured opposition to the package and had the House return a 60-day continuing resolution to the Senate that restored funding levels across the entire Department — including ICE and CBP.

Now we wait. The Senate is on a two-week vacation and has given no indication it will return early to deal with the bill, or that it would even support the House version. The clock ticks, the agencies hang in limbo, and the people who engineered this mess have retreated to their beach houses and theme parks.

RELATED: The SAVE America Act won’t be enough to save the GOP from a midterm bloodbath

Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Trump voters who sent the president back to the White House based on his signature promise to “carry out the largest mass deportation in American history” can enjoy a temporary victory. The retreat on the cause had seemed to be in full swing. For a brief moment, the tide appears to have reversed, but a single funding skirmish won is by no means the end of the war.

How can a president who sailed back into the White House on the promise of mass deportations — a cause still supported by the majority of Americans — and armed with a legislative package investing more than $40 billion in that cause, now find himself in a situation where ICE funding is placed in jeopardy?

Mind you, mass deportations haven’t even meaningfully begun, with only some 350,000 deportations occurring in 2025 against a backdrop of over 10 million illegal crossings during the Biden years. There are two main reasons for this gap between mandate and execution.

First, a great many elected Republicans are wildly out of step with their own voters. Elections aren’t always about winning votes, they’re often about winning donations to fund the grift and graft attendant to a system where arguably the most important thing in politics is the size of a war chest.

There is no massive corporate or mega-donor coalition rallying behind the cause of national sovereignty, but there most certainly is one bankrolling the cause of cheap labor. The sensibilities of many elite donors are offended by the very topic of enforcement. They are far more comfortable debating marginal tax rates or trading in lofty foreign policy abstractions than confronting the basic question of who gets to live in this country and on whose terms.

Second, the president, either by perception or by reality, has distanced himself from the campaign promise of mass deportation. That distance has issued a permission slip to those who want to buck the cause. It has given cover to the opportunists, the corporate-minded, and the quietly resistant.

President Trump could clear up that confusion in an instant if he so wished with a single unambiguous statement, a sustained public push, an explicit demand that Congress fall in line.

RELATED: The Democrats unconditionally surrendered the shutdown — the GOP might screw it up anyway

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

In the aftermath of the anti-ICE riots in Minneapolis, a senior elected Republican told me that Democrats were going to be unable to resist the temptation to reignite their “defund ICE” plank, just as they overstepped post-BLM with “defund the police.” I smiled and nodded and resisted the urge to point out the obvious: that while that was correct, they would have more than a few Republicans along for the ride.

That is the uncomfortable reality that too many Trump supporters have been slow to fully reckon with. The opposition to this agenda does not live only on the left side of the aisle: it lives in Senate Republican conference rooms and in the calculated silences of members who have perfected the art of sounding like conservatives while voting like Democrats. The mask slipped last week, and it is worth keeping it off.

It is important to sustain the momentum and public expectations that this funding fight has dragged to the forefront of the national political conversation. Trump supporters saw the opposition drop its mask, and it had an (R) next to its name.

Many in Thune’s caucus have long benefited from only privately opposing key aspects of President Trump’s mandate, speaking in the right accent on the right issues just long enough to evade detection. That racket depends entirely on operating in the dark. Keeping the spotlight on is the path forward.

They do not have a viable political option in openly opposing mass deportation, and the moment the base makes that cost explicit, the calculus changes. Make it explicit.

​Ice, Mass deportations, Dhs, Senate republicans, Trump, House republicans, Government shutdown, Rino, Dhs funding, Cbp, Opinion & analysis 

Trump Mobile, an MVNO cell service provider operated by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, was on track to launch its first Android phone by the end of 2025. However, after the T1 Phone launch date slipped to later this year, opportunists on the left pounced for political clout. Democrats officially filed an FTC complaint claiming false advertisement around the T1 Phone, though the statement looks more like a ploy to waste taxpayer money, discredit the FTC, and antagonize the Trump administration with a pointless witch hunt to please their base.

The complaint

Leftists are no strangers to wasting the money of hardworking Americans, and this time, they’re doing it in the name of consumer protection.

In January, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and the usual cadre of Democrat noisemakers (Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Sen. Adam Schiff (Calif.), and Sen. Ed Markey (Mass.), to name a few) filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission accusing Trump Mobile of “potentially deceptive practices” around the unreleased T1 Phone. Their claim is that the Trump Mobile website uses vague language to describe the phone’s design and manufacturing roots, calling into question whether or not it will actually be made in America. The press release also compares Trump Mobile’s actions to “bait-and-switch tactics” for missing its launch deadlines throughout the last half of 2025.

The fact that Trump Mobile hasn’t shipped the T1 Phone doesn’t mean that the device isn’t coming.

It’s a clever dispute, positioning Warren and company as thoughtful lawmakers who are trying to protect the unwitting MAGA supporters who preordered the T1 Phone with a $100 deposit, but the truth is a little more devious. In fact, Warren wrote the quiet part loud and proud in bold letters, revealing the complaint to be “a critical test of the FTC’s independence.” Democrats aren’t looking to protect consumers from a device that is still set to launch later this year. They’re trying to see if they can assert their power and control over the FTC and its Trump-appointed chairman, Andrew Ferguson.

So far, Ferguson has refused to take the bait, already ignoring one letter from Warren back in August 2025. The FTC had until February 14, 2026, to respond to the Democrats’ allegations and decide whether an investigation into Trump Mobile is necessary. So far, no public response has been forthcoming. Presumably, if nothing else is happening behind the scenes, Democrats will take the rebuff as evidence of systemic corruption inside Trump’s Federal Trade Commission.

Product delays are common in tech

While Democrats do what they do best — grandstand for the public in hopes that someone takes their charade seriously — there are some simple facts about product launches that can’t be ignored. For starters, research firm Gartner found in a 2019 survey that 45% of new products are delayed past their original launch dates. On the flip side, only 55% of products launch on time. For a company that aims to bring its first product to market, delays are likely.

Why? Because there is a lot of work that goes into launching a smartphone. You need capital to fund the project, an R&D team to design and test the phone, manufacturers for every component as well as an assembly facility to put it all together, and certification by the FCC for the device to be sold in the USA.

RELATED: 10 years ago, hundreds of millions played a new video game. It was secretly built to harvest their data.

JianGang Wang/Getty Images

If any one of these cogs in the machine is delayed or falls through, launch dates can move back by months or more. The fact that Trump Mobile hasn’t shipped the T1 Phone doesn’t mean that the device isn’t coming or that false advertising was used to swindle early buyers. It’s merely proof that the company needs more time to navigate the production process.

Where is the T1 Phone now?

To know for sure, we reached out to Trump Mobile for comment on the delays, new launch date, and Warren’s FTC complaint, but we did not receive a response before this article was set to be published. That said, all evidence indicates that the T1 Phone isn’t canceled. Trump Mobile is still accepting preorders with a $100 down payment, and the website says that the device is set to launch “later this year.”

As for the Democrats’ FTC complaint, it’s just another example of Elizabeth Warren’ s ongoing witch hunt against President Trump, as her White House ballroom investigation drags on with much mockery and ridicule. Clearly, Warren and her Democrat colleagues aren’t to be taken seriously.

​Tech 

Three woman were arrested for allegedly storming onto a plane flight after a disagreement about being made to pay baggage fees.

Social media video captured the chaos as the three women were led in handcuffs through the Miami International Airport on Sunday evening.

‘Record! We have receipts that we paid! Record! Thank you, sir!’

The three women were identified as 30-year-old Nafisa Dockery, 21-year-old Dionjana Cochran, and 26-year-old Davana Cochran.

They were waiting to board a plane bound for Philadelphia when a Frontier Airlines worker noted that they were trying to sneak on with an additional carry-on bag. The employee asked them to step out of line and pay for the bag, to which they responded with a verbal confrontation.

The worker told them they may be removed from the flight, and they responded by rushing on the plane through a door marked as restricted.

After police arrived, the women refused to leave the plane, leading the police to deboard all of the passengers. At one point, Dockery allegedly spat on a person.

The trio continued to resist police orders despite being warned that they would be charged with trespassing, and they were eventually dragged off the plane.

All three were later charged with trespassing.

Video showed Davana Cochran twerking for a few moments and then slapping her own butt in the airport until an officer jerked her back up by the handcuffs.

At one point, an onlooker’s voice can be heard saying to one of the women, “Enjoy prison, baby!”

“Record! We have receipts that we paid! Record! Thank you, sir!” Dockery yelled as she was led away.

RELATED: Illegal alien transvestite prostitute jumped from hotel’s second floor while trying to flee from police: Report

In addition to trespassing after being given a warning, the trio were charged with resisting an officer without violence, according to arrest records.

Dockery was also charged with battery.

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​Frontier miami plane altercation, Dockery cochran plane arrest, Arrest over luggage fees, Women arrested at airport, Crime 

For this year’s March Madness, the action goes far beyond the court: Millions of teenagers too young to step into a Las Vegas casino are placing college basketball bets on prediction market platforms.

It’s the latest form of legally dubious gambling, a growing “campus frenzy” in which unsafe and unregulated sports betting sites are masquerading as investment.

People as young as 18 can wager nationwide, even in the 11 states where online sports gambling remains illegal.

As moms, we take nothing more seriously than the obligation to protect our kids and communities. Prediction markets do the opposite: They exploit college students by luring them into sports “event contracts” through shady marketing, financed fraternity parties, and social media influencers.

Passed off as merely predictions of who will win a game or tournament, these contracts are sports gambling in disguise. They should be regulated as such, treated the same as the online sports betting that has proliferated nationwide since the Supreme Court effectively legalized it in 2018.

By skirting state and tribal laws, prediction markets are offering unregulated sports betting without consumer protections or age minimums, avoiding state gambling taxes that fund important education and infrastructure programs. An estimated $657 million state gaming tax dollars have been lost since prediction markets waded into the sports arena.

At Moms for America, we proudly joined the new Gambling Is Not Investing coalition to make sure this pernicious trend is reversed — and that prediction markets’ sports event contracts are stopped until they comply with state gambling laws.

Our cause is made more urgent by the unrelenting growth of prediction markets. They seem to be everywhere, with people betting — sometimes with alleged inside information — on everything from elections to developments in the U.S. war against Iran.

But athletics drive the action. Sports regularly account for over 85% of volume on Kalshi, one of the two major prediction market platforms along with Polymarket, according to a 2025 report from Keyrock and Dune Analytics.

Since early 2024, the report found overall monthly volume on prediction markets has surged from under $100 million to more than $13 billion.

Prediction markets are exchange platforms in which people trade event contracts based on predicting the outcomes of future events. They offer many of the same bets as sportsbooks, including moneyline, spread, player props, and over/under outcomes.

Yet even though they clearly constitute sports betting, prediction markets claim they are regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission rather than state gambling agencies. This claim allows their gambling activities to be rebranded as “trading,” or “investing” — and means that people as young as 18 can wager nationwide, even in the 11 states where online sports gambling remains illegal.

RELATED: Arizona files 20 criminal charges against Kalshi for flouting state gambling laws

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Since most states with legal online sports betting restrict it to people 21 and older, this loophole has created a “three-year window” for prediction markets to target the 18- to 20-year-old crowd.

As the Wall Street Journal put it in a recent expose, Kalshi and Polymarket are aiming their marketing “at an eager group of users that isn’t known for financial discretion: college students.”

The targeting has not been subtle: Both platforms have been paying student influencers and creators on TikTok and Instagram to promote them, while Polymarket has offered to help fund parties for fraternities in exchange for signing up users.

The platforms are taking advantage of a troubling trend: extensive gambling among teenagers just short of college. Common Sense Media, which recently surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adolescent boys ages 11 to 17, found that nearly half of 17-year-olds gambled in the past year.

This exploitation of our youth must stop. Since prediction markets clearly promote gambling, they should be regulated by state gambling agencies that enforce safeguards and compliance standards.

A number of states, correctly seeing prediction market platforms as “sports gambling in disguise,” are asserting their regulatory authority in federal courts.

As March Madness heats up, the NCAA recently urged the CFTC to suspend college sports offerings in prediction markets until the agency implements stronger regulations.

Amid the various calls for action, we urge the public to weigh in. Tell your elected officials and state leaders that prediction markets should not be a back door for unregulated sports gambling.

​Gambling, Online betting, Sportsbetting, Polymarket, Kalshi, Casinos, March madness, Moms for america, Cftc, Opinion & analysis